《Clay and Aether》


 Chapter 1: Talon Squad

    Raivyn dove behind a supply crate as a hailstorm of lead and lasers ripped through the air where she''d just been standing. The Ramshackle Collective had decided this world belonged to them, even though Raivyn''s squad had landed about a week before, starting the hard work of settling the planet for the Griffon Republic. But pirates didn¡¯t often care about little things like the International Galactic Code.


    Peering out around the ruined crate, Raivyn counted ten Collective troops. With their hulking, rusted bodies and crimson overcoats they were an intimidating force, but nothing she couldn''t handle. She concentrated on the nearest robot, focusing in on the electronic network that served as its brain. Digital minds were much harder to control, but she was good at what she did.


    Raivyn strained, reaching out with telepathic waves, also known as T-waves, to probe for weaknesses in the robot¡¯s mind. The brutal headache her efforts had earned her gave way to an endorphin rush as the psychic attack pierced the robot''s mental defenses, granting her full control over her enemy¡¯s actions.


    Turning to its fellow androids, the hypnotized robot unleashed an unexpected barrage on its comrades, wiping out three fellow soldiers in a brutally efficient sweep of laserfire. The remaining robots turned on their erstwhile companion in panic.


    Taking advantage of the interruption, Vanbrook leapt over Raivyn''s head, plunging his sword into the back of the hypnotized robot''s neck, riding it to the ground, somersaulting to his feet, and scrapping one of the remaining robots with a well-aimed blast from his pistol, a high-caliber hand cannon of a revolver.


    "I wasn''t done with that one!" called Raivyn. Vanbrook smirked over his shoulder at her even as he activated an energy buckler to deflect an incoming ax.


    Two robots heads'' exploded in quick succession as D''Jarric fired a bolt of golden energy from each of his hands.


    Vanbrook blocked another blow and countered with a sword strike that ended another Robot. He slammed a boot into the chest of one of the remaining pirates, causing them to stumble into their companion.


    "Two left, who wants ''em?" Vanbrook growled.


    Raivyn waited for the right moment, reaching out again with telepathic waves, this time to manipulate objects rather than minds. She focused the waves around the two remaining robot¡¯s bodies, where they hovered like claws ready to grasp their prey. When the moment came she grabbed the robots and pulled them together with her mind, lining up their heads from D''Jarric''s vantage point. A well-placed beam tore through both. Vanbrook activated his buckler to avoid being showered in circuitry and motor oil.


    "Ah, teamwork," he said, swinging his arm to shake the mess from his shield. "Nice."


    Raivyn stood there staring at him, a fist on her hip and a scowl on her face. Her black hair was mostly pulled back in a military style bun, but a few locks always seemed to escape, hanging over her fair features and adding to that strange aura of danger Vanbrook always sensed about her. The swordsman chuckled.


    "You really upset I took out the bot you were puppeteering?"


    "So what if I am? I could have taken more out before you rushed in to take the glory." Raivyn stared at Vanbrook. Unabashed, he smiled back broadly, his dark eyes as full of mischief as ever. He was the perfect swordsman; broad, long limbed, cool as ice and sharp as a tack in combat. And he was the dumbest person she''d ever met.


    "I thought I stole all the glory with my impeccable aim," declared D''Jarric, never one to be left out of some good banter. Vanbrook took the bait, like he always did.


    "Yes, standing back and shooting the enemy from halfway across the camp. Truly heroic."


    "Ah, not so!" retorted D''Jarric, "from halfway across the galaxy." His glowing golden face grinned wide.


    "Of course. Because this form before us is not D''Jarric, but the avatar thereof," said Vanbrook in mock reverence, "For the great D''Jarric is a force, a being of pure energy, the Prince of Solaris Maginite, residing in the star he calls home and kingdom." An excessively flourished bow concluded Vanbrook''s remarks.


    "So you do listen," said the electromagnetic being with a good natured grin. His armor was physically there, as was the golden energy that stood inside it in humanoid shape, but D''Jarric himself was many light-years away, swirling in the fiery atmosphere of Solaris Maginite.


    "I think it''s time we reached out to the Admiral," interjected Raivyn, "The Ramshackle Collective is here. I know we''ve been anticipating an attack, but that was only a scouting party, and the intel they gathered likely got to their fleet before we destroyed them. If we allow them to get settled here there could be a protracted conflict for the planet."


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    "You''re right, as ever," Vanbrook said with a nod. "We''ll get the mess cleaned up out here; go ahead and make the call."


    Raivyn left the wreckage of the fight on the edge of the camp, walking by the ruined supply crates, their small sleeping tents and the much larger mess tent on her way to the antenna-covered modular shack that served as their comm center. She called up to the Wingspan, the fleet¡¯s flagship carrier, which was hovering somewhere above them. The connection was a static-ridden mess, as the massive iron deposits on the planet caused electromagnetic interference. A few adjustments got her a decent connection and Admiral Jasken¡¯s face emerged from the static.


    ¡°Raivyn,¡± he said briskly, ¡°you¡¯re not due to report in for another four hours. What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Ramshackle Collective, sir,¡± she answered gravely. ¡°A small scouting party just attacked our location. We managed to wipe them out but there¡¯s bound to be more of them.¡±


    Jasken smoothed his mustache in thought as he listened to Raivyn''s story. The young psychic was as disciplined as she was gifted, standing with perfect military poise as she delivered news of the Ramshackle Collective''s arrival on Hittania.


    Not everyone on Talon Squad was so disciplined. Last update he got, most of the screen was covered by Vanbrook''s boots, which he had propped up on the desk. The lack of structure was by design; the Talon Squad was one of the Republic¡¯s specialist squads; small, tight-knit teams based on complementary skills and specialties outside of the typical military structure. They were required to wear the blue, white, and black colors and the winged lion''s head emblem of the Griffon Republic, but other than that they had free reign on gear and equipment. Jasken wasn''t a fan of the program. That wasn''t important at the moment, though.


    "Thank you, Raivyn. As rich in iron and other metals as Hittania is, it was only a matter of time before we had competition. No doubt there is a sizable Ramshackle fleet sharing the skies with us somewhere. We''ll be lucky if those pirates are the only faction we have to contend with."


    Raivyn cracked a dry smile. "When have we ever been lucky?"


    Jasken¡¯s face remained stony as ever, and he curtly nodded his acknowledgment and moved on. "However, the Ramshackle Collective is typically more interested in salvaging and commandeering existing tech, not mining raw materials. Do we have any indication of ancient tech on Hittania?"


    Raivyn shook her head.


    "No, sir. But it''s very possible. The whole planet is mineral rich. There could be abandoned mines anywhere on the surface. Obviously there was no beacon indicating a claim until we set one up, but until we fully map the surface there''s no telling what ruins may be out there. It''s possible the Collective knows something we don''t."


    The beacons. Jasken sighed internally. They were the International Galactic Code¡¯s accepted method of claiming an uninhabited world, but they also painted a target on a burgeoning settlement when they were first set up.


    "The satellite network isn''t fully functional yet, but we''ll be scanning for Ramshackle presence in the skies and on the ground. Keep me up on any developments."


    "Will do, Admiral."


    "Jasken out."


    Raivyn walked from the communications tent to the combination mess hall, war room, and lounge that constituted the heart of the squad''s camp.


    "No, no," Reclan was saying, her crimson crest of feathers flattened and her teeth snapping in an expression of contempt. "It''s not like I had any new toys I''ve been saying need field testing for months." The words were thick with accusation and sarcasm.


    "C''mon, Rec," said Vanbrook, gesturing to a table covered in circuits, tools and notes scrawled on napkins. "Are your ''toys'' even ready to go?"


    D''Jarric, who was leaning against the doorframe, got Raivyn up to speed.


    "Reclan''s upset we scrapped those Collective goons without her."


    "Am I part of Talon Squad or not?" she crowed.


    "Unruffle your feathers, Reclan," Raivyn said sternly. "Of course you''re part of the squad. That little skirmish was over before it started."


    "Well," said a voice from the corner of the room, "let me know if anyone needs medical attention, otherwise I will gladly sit here awaiting my moment to shine." Doc Manford, the team''s resident Robot and medic. He had his nose in a book as usual, though Raivyn couldn''t tell from here whether it was a medical textbook, a philosophical treatise or one of his murder mysteries.


    "Well, Doc, we''re all fine, but you''re up for lookout duty in ten, so don''t get too comfy. We also need to check out where those pirates came from. DJ, did you and Van find anything while cleaning up?"


    Theoretically, the squad had no leader. In reality, if someone didn''t take charge nothing happened. Van had his moments, and tended to be looked to for tactical advice during combat. D''Jarric was some kind of royalty, as Raivyn understood it, but he more or less appeared to be here for fun and didn''t often tap into the natural leadership skills he possessed. That left Reclan and Doc, and there wasn''t enough leadership material between the two of them to fill a thimble. That left Raivyn to pick up the pieces.


    Van was staring into the reflective steel surface of a food storage unit, ruffling his unkempt, vaguely military haircut. Evidently feeling it was satisfactorily tousled, he turned to Raivyn.


    "Yeah, robo-footprints leading into the woods. Seems like a good bet they had a transport just out of sight, maybe a stealth hovercraft or something. If so we''ll be able to find where the scouts dismounted and started hoofing it, but anyone left with the hovercraft probably left as soon as their buddies got wasted, and hovercraft don''t leave a trail."


    Vanbrook scratched his chin, looking sidelong at Reclan, and added, "I''ll take Rec along to check it out, since she''s itching for something to do."


    "I''ll need fifteen minutes," said Reclan excitedly. She looked at the disassembled drones on the table. "Um, better make it twenty."


    Vanbrook laughed and went off to prep for a short hike.

 Chapter 2: The Blue Griffon Fleet

    High above Hittania, Admiral Jasken walked onto the Wingspan''s bridge, his mag-boots clicking as they kept him anchored to the floor. His command, the Blue Griffon Fleet, consisted of the carrier Wingspan, the gunship Arrowhead and the support ship Ferryman.


    One thousand feet in length, the heavily armored Wingspan resembled a massive flying barge, with much of the space dedicated to hangars for the complement of sixty-five fighter craft it carried. Though much of the main deck and the deck below were dedicated to the fighters that rose up onto the deck from hangars below, they also housed most of the crew, the rocket-propelled drive and the faster-than-light ¡°ripmed¡± drive and other utilities. A command tower rose from the starboard side of the ship. It was ten stories tall, encased in a heavily shielded clear polymer dome and housed the officer¡¯s quarters and communications utilities. The bridge was in the uppermost story, overlooking the rest of the ship and able to keep a 360-degree visual of the area around the vessel. In addition to housing flight controls, the bridge could direct an array of heavy ballistic and energy cannons located along the sides of the ship.


    The destroyer class gunship Arrowhead was a humbler five hundred feet long, but had a sleeker, more agile design. The bridge emerged towards the pointed nose of the vessel, facing in the same direction as the ship but with viewports that swept back towards the tail for maximum visibility. Though smaller than the Wingspan, the Arrowhead boasted an array of guns that rivaled its fellow, along with its own rocket-propelled and ripmed drives.


    The Ferryman reassembled a space station more so than a ship. It was essentially a three hundred foot tall tower with a massive spoked wheel encircling it roughly halfway up the structure. The wheel offered a number of docks for fighters and shuttles, and the spokes were hallways into the main structure for crew and supplies. It housed spare parts for the other ships as well as a dedicated hospital wing to complement the smaller medical facilities aboard the other vessels. While it had its own rocket-propelled drive, it had to dock onto the Wingspan for faster-than-light ripmed jumps.


    "Captain Hunt,¡± said Jasken, standing on the bridge of the Wingspan and addressing his second-in-command. ¡°How soon can we get our satellite network fully established?"


    ¡°It''s going to take a couple weeks, sir,¡± said Hunt, shaking his head. He was a young Human male with close cropped dark hair and thoughtful, intelligent eyes. Jasken had been grooming him to lead his own fleet some day, but, despite his promising talents, it would be some time before the youth was ready for the job. ¡°We can cut that down some but not without sacrificing other projects."


    "Cut back what you can. We''re sharing the planet with the Ramshackle Collective now, so we need to find their base and/or fleet ASAP."


    "Understood, sir."


    "Excellent. I''ll be making an announcement concerning the Collective''s presence shor-" Jasken was suddenly interrupted by an explosion that shook the ship.


    "Sooner than I thought!" He finished his interrupted thought and turned to the communications officer.


    "Officer Mairen, what are we looking at?"


    A kindly-looking gray-haired woman studied a complex array of screens and readouts, tapping her console as she studied the information it was feeding her.


    "Two Ramshackle gunships just popped up over the horizon,¡± she said. ¡°They must have launched a guided stealth missile to hit us before we saw them - yes. Anti-stealth scanners show two more headed our way. They''re targeting the Wingspan in particular. Deploying countermeasures."


    In addition to handling the basics of communication, Mairen oversaw the sensors that fed the fleet information on their surroundings and had some autonomy to operate defensive measures.


    "Good! Scramble fighters."


    All over the ship, spacers of all stripes ran for their battle stations. Commander Drixen, better known to many by his callsign, Textbook, was among them, already headed for the hangar before the call came on the general intercom to scramble fighters.


    Without pausing, he admired the sleek lines of his fighter. From the rounded fenders above the foreguns to the rear fins that housed the thrusters she was a thing of beauty. He dashed up the steps and jumped into the cockpit, donning his goggles and grinning widely. A technician removed the steps and hurried off with practiced efficiency.


    The technicians cleared the hangar and the roof began to split. The ceiling opened to the vacuum of space, which greedily sucked the air from the room. The lights in the hangar flashed green and fighters lifted from their bays and shot into the aether.


    A cool energy settled over Drixen as he wheeled his craft to make his first run on the enemy. He lived for this. He activated his comm.


    "All squads, the Ramshackle gunboats are headed straight for the prow of the Wingspan, but we''re going to intercept before they get there. Standard fighters, engage enemy fighters when necessary. Bomber units, hang behind the fighters and focus your ordinance on the gunships. I''ll call it when we get closer. Let''s roll."


    On the bridge, Admiral Jasken was looking at a real-time digital display of the battle. Two large Ramshackle gunships were headed towards the fleet.


    "Get the Wingspan and Arrowhead broadside and on the same plane as those gunships. Get the Ferryman behind them. Good job intercepting those stealth missiles, keep your eyes peeled for more. Fighters are on their way?" he asked. The best way to ensure minimum damage to the fleet was to have the fighters blunt the attack from the gunships. If they could put the Collective on the defensive early on, they''d have a shot at driving them back to their main fleet. Jasken was sure they''d have at least one carrier or destroyer skulking around the planet somewhere.


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    "Yes, sir," answered Drixen over the intercom. "We expect contact with enemy fighters imminently."


    Drixen looked out at the Ramshackle gunboats, now just a few miles away. With their decks opened to the aether and the massive solar panels mounted above them, they resembled ancient sailing vessels, only they were made of scrap and steel instead of wood and cloth.


    Suddenly, rusted red skiffs started rising from either side of the ships. The Ramshackle Collective was scrambling their fighters.


    "Cowgirl,¡± said Drixen, ¡°I''m your escort for this run. I''ll draw fire and get you where you can bomb the tar out of their primary gunship. Hit the guns first, then go for the panels."


    "Yahoo!¡± replied Cowgirl, the fleet¡¯s most accomplished bomber pilot. ¡°Sounds like a date, Textbook."


    Drixen smirked.


    "The rest of First Squad, I want you distracting those fighters. Second Squad, follow that same pattern and target the second gunship. Third Squad, form a holding pattern between us the Wingspan and pick off any stragglers that get past us.


    "Everybody stay up above the gunships'' main line of fire and dive in for your attack. Nobody needs to be taking a full broadside blast today.


    "That said, Ramshackle ships tend to be glass cannons. Expect heavy incoming but stay alert; place your shots right and we''ll have ''em running back home shortly."


    Drixen executed a barrel roll as he banked towards his target, the maneuver earning him a chorus of whoops and hollers from the three squads.


    Opening up the foreguns, Drixen sprayed the oncoming wave of fighters, damaging several. Ignoring the instinct to chase each one down and finish what he started, he continued towards the gunship.


    "Alright, Cowgirl,¡± said Drixen as they closed in on their target, ¡°looks like they''re swinging into position to fire their broadsides at our fleet."


    "Sounds like they''re rolling out the red carpet for me,¡± said Cowgirl wryly. ¡°I''ll put a missile between their eyes, that''ll straighten ''em out."


    "Sounds good, I''ll deal with these guys," said Drixen. He peeled off and swooped around, flanking two Ramshackle fighters who were focused on Cowgirl''s bomber.


    Opting for the more precise laser cannon over the foreguns, Drixen fired at a fuel conduit on the side of the closest fighter. The conduit exploded, tearing the fighter apart and sending a vicious barrage of shrapnel towards its wingman. The second fighter banked, obscuring its fuel conduit. Drixen was closer now and reverted to the foreguns, sending dozens of rounds into the bottom of the hull and shredding it like tissue paper. One of two engines tore off and the fighter spun violently, firing its laser weapon recklessly. One shot connected with Drixen''s fighter, glancing off the thin energy barrier that protected it.


    "Lucky shot," murmured Drixen.


    "Textbook, this is Cowgirl. Thanks for clearing the way. Mind softening those guns up for me?"


    "Not a problem, Cowgirl." Turning back to face the broadside of the gunship, he started his dive and blasted away at the guns, which were already firing blast after blast at the Wingspan and company. Just as Drixen peeled off, Cowgirl launched her payload and followed him to set up for another run.


    "That''s a confirmed hit, Textbook. A few more like that and they''ll be about as dangerous as a party barge."


    "Excellent," replied Drixen. "Second Squad, this is Textbook, check in."


    "This is Viper for Second Squad, we hit our target but we, uh- we lost Desert and our bomber took a bad hit. No way we''ll make a second run of it."


    "Understood, Viper, please escort your bomber back to the Ferryman and get her space worthy again. We''ll drink one for Desert when we get back. Good luck out there."


    "You too, Textbook. Make ''em hurt- for Desert."


    "Will do."


    ***


    Back on the Wingspan, Admiral Jasken smoothed his mustache and stared searchingly at the screen.


    "Looks like the guns on the larger gunship are about useless. Arrowhead, fire on the smaller ship. Energy weapons are the best bet for disabling the guns, so keep your focus there," he commanded.


    "This seems too easy, sir, what are they up to?" asked Captain Hunt. Jasken nodded thoughtfully as he considered the young captain¡¯s question.


    "The Ramshackle Collective isn''t shy about sacrificing troops. They''d rather send an exploratory force to probe for weak points and radio back intel than overcommit in the opening of a campaign. Chances are they retreat before long."


    Right on cue, the gunships began to turn from the battle. Drixen had made another successful run with Cowgirl and between that and the incoming from the Arrowhead the gunships were crippled. There were far fewer Ramshackle fighters flying around now, as well.


    "Wingspan, I''d like to take First Squad to harass these guys and try to find where they''re coming from," said Drixen.


    "Permission granted," replied Jasken. "Keep a safe distance and stay alert."


    "Yes, sir,¡± answered Drixen. ¡°Cowgirl, head back. We shouldn''t need a bomber on this run."


    "Fine, but don''t have too much fun without me, alright?"


    "Fair enough," chuckled Drixen. "I''ll find you something to blow up real soon, I promise."


    The gunships had completely turned and fired their thrusters, which flickered strangely for a second. Drixen took note but didn''t think much of it.


    "Evasive action! Now!" Jasken barked the order out just in time for Drixen to jerk back on the steering and take a glancing blow from a stealth missile. Two other First Squad fighters hesitated and paid the highest price for it.


    "First Squad, get back here immediately," Jasken said firmly. "We don''t need to lose any more fighters."


    "Understood, sir," Drixen answered. "First Squad, get back to the Wingspan. I lost thrusters when I got hit. Looks like gravity''s going to do its thing, but I''ll try for a soft landing."


    "Textbook, we will get to you as soon as possible. Keep in contact and stay safe down there." Jasken grimaced. Drixen was a proven pilot but his chances were not great.


    In his fighter, Drixen silenced the alarms that were blaring in his ears and opened the atmo-mode stabilizing fins. A fall like this would take some time, but the end result was inevitable. He was going to crash; he just had to hope providence and skill would make it survivable.


    There was a strange pause in his thinking as he took in the gorgeous purples, greens and oranges of Hittania. He thanked the Progenitor for the view, even as he prayed for his survival. It¡¯s funny the things that come to mind when you¡¯re spiraling to your death.


    As the ground approached he saw an open field with some kind of pit off to one side. It looked like a better spot to land than the volcanic mountains and low lying forests that surrounded it, so he gritted his teeth and spiraled in towards it. The fighter was shaking too badly to know if he was going to hit his target, but he reasoned he''d find out soon enough. The practiced calm he was forcing on himself stayed steady until a storm of noise, dirt, and adrenaline indicated that, for better or worse, his fall had ended.

 Chapter 3: Happy Landings

    Admiral Grim adjusted the red overcoat that hung over his massive metal frame as he watched the reports from the exploratory attacks come in. Of note was the fact that they were being led by the Wingspan, Admiral Jasken¡¯s carrier. That could prove interesting. He would have liked to have avoided confronting the Republic, but they had stumbled upon the planet he¡¯d been searching for, which saved him the trouble of doing so himself. The Republic didn¡¯t yet know what secrets ¡°Hittania,¡± as they¡¯d dubbed it, held, and he hoped he might be able to chase them off before they discovered that they were not the first visitors here.


    He stroked his ¡°beard,¡± a decorative set of thick chains that hung from his wide metal chin below his skull-like faceplate. The Griffon Republic was putting up a stiffer resistance than anticipated. Any future attacks would have to use much greater force. Still, they had learned what they set out to learn, and the gunships were very pleased to report that the rear-facing stealth missile system they¡¯d installed had taken down Textbook, an infamous Republic pilot. One less boogieman to spook the Collective frontliners was a good thing. What he¡¯d really liked to have seen was Jasken¡¯s head on a platter, but taking down an ace like Textbook was a huge bonus in itself. However, they had taken more damage to the guns than Grim was comfortable with. It had been too long since he¡¯d made an example of someone and the crew was getting lazy. He turned to the small team of tacticians and tech support behind him.


    ¡°Splatter, why is it that the attacks were not simultaneous?¡± Grim¡¯s tone was imperious and threatening.


    ¡°It¡¯s the interference from the iron deposits, Admiral,¡± answered a small, mousy robot. ¡°They¡¯re interfering with comms and making coordination difficult.¡±


    Grim walked over, put his hand on his subordinate¡¯s shoulder and leaned in dangerously close, his skeletal visage inches from Splatter¡¯s.


    ¡°Difficult, or impossible? There is a difference, Splatter. Mistakes like this cost lives.¡± From the reports, Grim didn¡¯t believe it made a huge difference, but it was as nice an excuse as any he could think of.


    ¡°Difficult, sir. If I had thought of it ahead of time I could have-¡±


    ¡°Can you think of someone on your staff that would have thought ahead? Perhaps Crush. She seems competent.¡±


    ¡°I am, sir,¡± said a feminine robot. ¡°I have a few thoughts on how to fix the communications issues, and some other ways to streamline the department besides.¡±


    ¡°Uh, sir?¡± The nature of Splatter¡¯s inquiry was never fully explored, as Grim¡¯s iron hand shot out and smashed the housing that made up his outer torso. His fingers dug into the body cavity with the follow through. With a sound of rending metal and popping wires, Grim tore Spatter¡¯s core out and crushed it in his fist. A robot''s core represented their essential being. Made of a rare, naturally formed crystal, only cores had the complex crystalline structure that allowed robots to be sapient beings rather than mindless automatons. Without his core, Spatter was little more than a small pile of scrap.


    If Crush had a face made of flesh, she might have smiled. She had been feeding Splatter bad ideas and letting him take the credit ever since she got this assignment.  He was an idiot, a drag on the Collective, and a perfect stepping stone.


    ¡°Take this scrap to the workshop,¡± snapped the Admiral. ¡°Maybe some of these parts can be utilized in repairing our gunship.¡±


    A couple larger robots came forward and started carrying the body away.


    ¡°Wait a second,¡± commanded Grim.  He stepped over and tore Splatter¡¯s head from his shoulders.  ¡°I¡¯ve been needing a paper weight for my desk.¡±


    ***


    On the other side of the planet, Vanbrook and Reclan were heading out into the sun-dappled, vine-covered temperate forests that surrounded Talon Squad¡¯s base camp, watching a flock of red cranes fly overhead in the morning sky. Reclan slapped a mosquito-like insect off her dark olive scales, too annoyed to take in the natural beauty all around her.


    The low-lying forests covered a large portion of Hittania¡¯s surface. Rivers flowed off the volcanic mountain ranges to the east and pooled in the forested, swampy lowlands of the world¡¯s dominant continent, creating massive deposits of quality bog iron right there for the taking. The planet was unusually iron-rich and many other forms of iron could be found throughout the planet, but the orange-hued deposits that appeared throughout the swamps and the gray-purple, hematite-rich mountains were the most evident to the naked eye.


    Following the Robot¡¯s tracks, the two squadmates soon found an end to them.


    ¡°Like I figured,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°They hid where the trees were thick enough to give them cover and then took off when their buddies got scrapped.¡±


    ¡°So you took me along for a wild goose chase,¡± Reclan retorted. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°No, I took you out here because you needed to get off your butt and do something to clear your head. Will you just take it down a few notches?¡± He ran his fingers through his hair, looking for the right words.


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    ¡°Look, I get it.  You¡¯re the newest member of the squad and you¡¯re eager to prove yourself. You will. Reclan, I¡¯ve known you since you were an egg, for goodness¡¯ sake. I wouldn¡¯t have recommended you for the squad if I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be a valuable part of it. But believe me when I say you¡¯re gonna wear out your welcome real quick if you don¡¯t stop whining like a baby at every imagined slight, okay?¡±


    Reclan blinked. Van had this weird way of seeming aloof and uncaring swashbuckler only to thrust, parry, and feint his way through every emotional defense one could muster with people skills that rivaled his swordplay.


    ¡°Fine,¡± sighed Reclan. ¡°I¡¯ll try and be a team player.¡±


    Eager to change the subject, she decided to antagonize her old friend a little.


    ¡°So, how about we talk about your issues of the heart? Only seems fair. When are you gonna get serious about Raivyn?¡±


    It was Vanbrook¡¯s turn to blink.


    ¡°Hey, just because she¡¯s literally the only Human woman on the planet doesn¡¯t mean I have to be interested in her. Besides, I¡¯m still getting over Eanale.¡±


    ¡°The last girl you courted was named Yndina.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, which ended because I wasn¡¯t over Eanale.¡±


    ¡°Tell me one significant detail about Eanale¡¯s life. Parents¡¯ names? Home planet? Years served in the Navy?¡±


    ¡°Not the point.¡±


    ¡°Look, all I¡¯m saying is, pick a side; are you a heartbreaker or are you heartbroken?¡±


    Van stared at his feathered reptilian friend. She could be a serious nuisance sometimes. Thankfully, their comms buzzed just then.


    ¡°Van, you out there?¡± inquired Raivyn through crackling static.


    ¡°Hey, Raivyn!¡± said Reclan. ¡°We were just talking about you.¡±


    Van kicked Reclan in the shin, glad she didn¡¯t return the favor since her clawed feet might sever his leg in two.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said into the radio, ¡°nothing much to report. As suspected, they must have used a hover vehicle and they¡¯re long gone. Looks like they came from the north, but that¡¯s about all I can say for sure.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve got other issues. Looks like a pilot crash-landed up that way. Drixen. Goes by Textbook when he¡¯s flying.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Yeah, I¡¯ve heard the name. Bigshot ace pilot. Do we know if he made it?¡±


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t. They lost his fighter¡¯s signal to EM interference and if he¡¯s tried to make comms contact, he hasn¡¯t been able to. He¡¯s somewhere up north, but we don¡¯t have an exact location. Jasken wants us to check it out. We''ll be quicker since we¡¯re already clayside. Hurry back, we¡¯ll have the ATUC loaded up and ready by the time you get here.¡±


    ¡°Alright. We¡¯re on our way back.¡±


    ***


    Hundreds of miles to the north, Drixen woke up with a start. He was still strapped into the cockpit and right side up, but even from in here he could tell the damage to his poor, beloved fighter was extensive. Moving around some to check himself over, he was pleased to find all his limbs were in place and functional.


    Trying the comms, all Drixen heard was static. After a few minutes of fiddling with no results, he sighed resignedly and figured he¡¯d better set up a camp, probably towards the woods. The pit he¡¯d seen on the mountain-facing side of the field didn¡¯t look like a place to go exploring alone, though he¡¯d make sure he noted it when he got in contact with the Wingspan.


    He pulled the release and the canopy popped up a few inches and jammed. Groaning, he reached for the small tool box by his seat and pulled out a pry bar. Slipping it into the opening, he gave it a violent wrench and the springs designed to open the canopy were released suddenly. The hinge gave way and the whole canopy went flying through the air, landing with a crunch somewhere behind the fighter. Drixen shook his head, unbuckled himself and crawled out to get a survey of his surroundings. His boots made an unhappy squelching sound as they hit the ground. He groaned.


    The boggy field he was in was a great place to land but not a great place to set up camp. Grabbing the detachable comms system, tool box, and emergency supplies from the cockpit, he started high-stepping his way through the squelching mud. Looking forlornly at his crushed fighter, he glanced at the setting sun and marched over to the edge of the woods in search of a sheltered spot that wasn¡¯t too marshy.


    About a hundred yards from the wreck he found a raised grassy area on the edge of the forest. It was just big enough for him to lay down with his supplies, so he laid out a small bed roll and tried to find the best place for all the gear. Just as was settled in and ready to start fiddling with the radio again, he heard a snort coming from the woods.


    Turning slowly, Drixen locked eyes with a brawny reptilian biped with a body like a gorilla and the tusked snout of a boar.


    ¡°Easy, buddy, easy¡­¡±


    But the boar ape was not feeling easy. He was, in fact, very hungry and omnivorous.


    ¡°You sapient?¡± Drixen asked, holding his hands up, palms forward in the universal gesture of ¡°I mean no harm, can we talk this out?¡± Unfortunately for Drixen, it was not sapient and had no interest or, for that matter, concept of talking anything out. As far as it was able to form thoughts behind its mean, close-set, beady eyes, they were something along the lines of ¡°This creature is new. I wonder what it tastes like.¡±


    With that on its mind, the boar ape roared and charged. Drixen dropped down and pulled the small raygun he carried from his boot. Searing energy shot from the antenna-like muzzle of the gun, causing the ape to dodge to the side. The bolt grazed the beast¡¯s side, doing little to slow it down but enraging it greatly.


    Turning back towards Drixen, it swung a massive clawed hand at the pilot, slicing through his shirt and leaving three long wounds in his chest and shoulder. Drixen cried out in pain, but brought around his gun hand to put a bolt right into the beast¡¯s chest. The rage in its eyes turned to a grimace of pain and it collapsed, dead.


    Drixen collapsed as well, falling onto his now-bloodied sleeping mat. Feeling woozy from blood loss, he grabbed the bandages from his supplies and began wrapping the wounds to the best of his abilities. The bandages were infused with antiseptic and painkillers, instantly taking the edge off and making him feel drowsy. He hoped that¡¯d keep him alive and reasonably comfortable until help came. If help came. He¡¯d have to try and get the comms to work soon, but right now he needed rest. The adrenaline was wearing off and he was exhausted.


    As he closed his eyes, he heard movement from deeper in the woods. His eyes snapped open and he looked out to see a dozen pairs of mean, close-set beady eyes in the darkening forest.  Drixen took a deep breath and gripped his raygun tightly.

 Chapter 4: To The Rescue

    Raivyn had just finished loading up the hovercraft with D¡¯Jarric and Doc Manford when Van and Reclan arrived back at the camp.


    ¡°We¡¯ll all be going,¡± she announced. ¡°Most of the expensive stuff is coming along with us since we need to set up additional beacons anyway. If the Collective wants to ransack a few tents they¡¯re welcome to it, especially since the Wingspan can bomb them from orbit.¡±


    ¡°Well hello to you too,¡± replied Vanbrook.


    ¡°Shut up and get in the back,¡± she shot back. ¡°Doc already called shotgun.¡±


    ¡°We have a last-known location where Drixen¡¯s signal went dead. It¡¯s about an hour or two away, but after we get there we¡¯ll have to start searching.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s in an area of particularly bad signal disruption I could actually use that to our advantage,¡± suggested Reclan.


    ¡°How so?¡± asked Raivyn.


    ¡°I can use a compass to pinpoint the area that¡¯s giving the most interference. It¡¯ll take a few data points and some rather impressive math to account for the poles, etc, but once we¡¯re close a few minutes of driving in circles should let me triangulate the problem area, and hopefully our pilot by extension.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Use the ride to get things prepped. The longer he¡¯s out there the less I like his chances.¡±


    The hovercraft, an all terrain utility craft or ATUC, was a boxy sort of car with wide set circular headlights and rounded fenders housing the hover propulsion units. There were two seats in the front, storage on one side of the bed and a bench for three passengers on the other. The hover tech allowed for quiet travel over any reasonably even terrain with less than a sixty percent grade. It had no mounted weapons, but everyone aboard was ready to fire on enemies at a moment''s notice.


    Skirting the forest and staying by the edge of the mountains made for a fairly smooth ride, but Van could swear Raivyn was hitting ditches hard on purpose, causing the craft to dip violently and jostle the poor suckers in the back. He gave a look to D¡¯Jarric as if to say, can you believe her? But all he got in return was one of DJ¡¯s trademark sunny grins. As he looked around he was pretty sure he saw Raivyn smirking in the rearview mirror.


    ***


    Far away, Drixen leaned back against a tree, trying to keep an eye on all the reptilian boar apes. They were testing his defenses, trying to find an angle where they could get in close for the kill without risking getting shot. He had counted twelve, none of them any smaller than the 7 foot beast that lay dead at his feet. Growls erupted into hoots and roars. One ape stepped forward and caught a bolt for his trouble.


    "Eleven left!" shouted Drixen, half mad knowing he couldn''t fend them all off. The roars grew to a crescendo and the whole troop rushed him. He fired almost randomly into the crowd, causing an explosion of splinters as a bolt struck a tree by one of the apes.


    Two of the apes closed in on him. Drixen hit one square in the chest but had no time to take a second shot. He could practically feel the claws rending his flesh already.


    Over his shoulder he heard shouting, and a bolt of golden energy smashed into the ape that had nearly reached him. Taking advantage of the surprise attack, he turned and ran towards the field, where he saw the welcome sight of the special squad piling out of their ATUC. He cut left to give them a line of fire and then made an arc towards the safety of numbers.


    A Human female, petite and commanding, held one hand to her head and the other outstretched towards the boar apes; a tall, broad Solarian male stood in gleaming metal armor, shooting golden bolts from his hands; a tall Human male held a massive revolver in both hands and wore a sword over his shoulder; a Dromean female tapped away at a tablet, drones whizzing over her shoulder towards the enemy; a lanky masculine Robot shouldered a rifle, holding himself as if he had all the time in the world.


    Meeting up with them as they walked forward, he turned to fire. To his surprise the apes were all leaving, scattering into the darkening woods. A drone sent an arc of electricity towards the ape nearest it, causing it to shriek as it fled. The Dromean chuckled.


    ¡°Looks like they¡¯ve had enough,¡± said the Human male, holstering his pistol. ¡°You must be Drixen, good to see you alive. I¡¯m Vanbrook, that¡¯s Raivyn, D¡¯Jarric, Reclan and Doc Manford,¡± he continued, indicating his squadmates.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be alive, and that¡¯s only thanks to you folks, I thought I was chow for¡­ whatever those things are called,¡± he said, taking a seat right there in the mossy ground. The medicine in his bandages and the bloodloss were kicking in, and he felt ready to lay down in the mud and fall asleep.


    ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t,¡± said the robot, ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to look at that wound and I ain¡¯t doing it kneeling down in a bog. Now are you gonna get up and walk or do we need to carry you?¡±


    Drixen tried to stand, but his legs were rubbery and the ground was soft. D¡¯Jarric steadied him and put an arm around his shoulder, leading him to the ATUC. Doc loped along beside them silently.


    Vanbrook had to laugh at the robot''s complete lack of bedside manner. Ever since the Singularity Wars, nations that observed the IGC had barred everyone but sapient robots from building sapient robots, to keep them from being exploited. In return, the robots had agreed not to take over major digital infrastructure and keep their consciousness confined to their bodies. Over the centuries this resulted in robots becoming an integral and celebrated part of many societies, but it also led to robots having increasingly quirky personalities, like the ones working as medics but lacking all people skills.


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    Doc removed Drixen''s bandages to examine the wound.


    "Well, son, you discovered those things, what do you want to call them?"


    "The boar ape things?" Drixen asked.


    "Hittanian boar ape. Good enough. We''ll add it to the bestiary. DJ, can you and Van get one of the corpses? The eggheads are going to want a specimen."


    "You got it, Doc," replied D''Jarric.


    As Van walked over to help D''Jarric, Reclan leaned over and whispered to him.


    "She might be the only Human female on the planet, but you''re not the only male anymore."


    Van snorted and moved on.


    Raivyn walked over to the ATUC, her arms crossed and her face stern. Drixen was chatting with, or, more accurately, chatting at Doc, who responded with the occasional ¡°uh huh¡± or ¡°sure¡± as he worked. The pilot had short-cropped blonde hair and an alert, honest-looking face. Raivyn knew only two kinds of people had honest-looking faces; the truly honest and the truly underhanded. She¡¯d have to keep an eye on him until she figured out which he was.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the famous Textbook, eh?¡± she asked. Drixen gave her a somewhat embarrassed smile. He was always at ease in the cockpit, but when it came to discussing his exploits on terra firma, he was at a loss.


    ¡°Yup, that¡¯d be me. And you¡¯re¡­" He shook a finger at her as he thought. "Raivyn, right? Psychic warrior extraordinaire?¡±


    Raivyn cocked her head to the side and put a fist on her hip.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t know you flyboys knew about us clay-siders.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure, you guys are all kind of legends in your own right.¡± He nodded towards Van and D¡¯Jarric, struggling with a boar ape carcass.


    ¡°You¡¯re the ones who come down here and deal with¡­ those sorts of things. All the wild animals and stuff. I¡¯d much rather be in the stars.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Van, huffing and struggling to hold up the beast¡¯s legs, though D¡¯Jarric clearly had more of the weight. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the kind of things that are out there in the vacuum. I¡¯d rather deal with these things.¡±


    ¡°Aether beasts?¡± asked Drixen. ¡°I don¡¯t think they exist. I¡¯ve never seen one.¡±


    ¡°Those are two very different statements,¡± said D¡¯Jarric as he tossed the carcass on to the ATUC. ¡°My people have records of aether beasts going back millennia. They are timeless creations of the Progenitor, though some have¡­ gone wrong. I admit there has not been a sighting since ancient times.¡±


    ¡°Well let¡¯s keep our minds in the here and now, okay?¡± reprimanded Raivyn. "We ought to get word back to the Wingspan that Drixen is alright. He is alright, right Doc?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± the robot replied. ¡°The wound¡¯s not too bad, and he got universal antiseptic on it right away. It¡¯s gonna be sore for a while but that¡¯s the worst of it.¡±


    ¡°Okay," said Raivyn, "Reclan, I know comms are spotty here. Can we reach the Wingspan?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure,¡± she answered. ¡°Our comms have a lot more juice than what would be in a fighter.  We should be able to cut through the interference.¡±


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s taken care of, are we gonna explore that big ol¡¯ pit over by the mountains?¡± asked Vanbrook. "That¡¯s kinda part of the gig, right?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, that¡¯ll work. Doc, if we set up camp on the mountain side of the clearing, can you look after your patient there?¡±


    The Robot nodded. ¡°There¡¯s nothing at base camp I¡¯ll need that we don¡¯t have here; that¡¯ll be just fine.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Pile in the ATUC, we¡¯ll head over and set up camp.¡±


    ***


    Jasken was pacing the bridge when the video call came in. Despite the static, he felt a flood of relief when he saw Drixen standing over Raivyn¡¯s shoulder. It was true, they¡¯d lost a few pilots in the battle, but losing Drixen - losing Textbook- would have been a huge blow to morale.


    ¡°Drixen,¡± he said coolly. ¡°You scared us pretty good there! Glad to see you¡¯re alright, or at least standing. Your shoulder okay?¡±


    ¡°Sir, yes, sir. I had a run in with some of the local fauna. Doc Manford says I¡¯ll pull through.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it.¡± Jasken turned to Raivyn. ¡°Raivyn, you look ready to give an update.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. We found a cave or mine entrance of some sort by the crash site. Vanbrook took D¡¯Jarric and Reclan; they¡¯re checking it out.


    ¡°I know comms are bad here, sir, but this area looks promising. It may be a good place to set up a second beacon. Reclan says the signal is strong enough that a little EM interference shouldn¡¯t matter, especially if she takes the time to find an optimal location.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. What about the ¡®local fauna?¡¯ Do you think they¡¯ll be trouble?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it, sir,¡± she replied. ¡°They fled the minute they realized they were out-gunned and seemed to prefer the forest to the marsh. They¡¯re unlikely to attack us if we stay on the mountainous side of the clearing, which is where the pit is, anyway. ¡°Oh, and Doc made sure to pick up a deceased specimen for the biological team.¡±


    ¡°Who picked up the specimen?¡± asked Vanbrook from the background.


    ¡°Mostly D¡¯Jarric, from what I saw,¡± retorted Raivyn.


    ¡°Alright,¡± replied Jasken, sighing. ¡°Keep me posted. When I can, I¡¯ll send a team to pick up the specimen and man the original base camp. It¡¯s time we got a permanent fort set up anyway." He may have collapsed into a chair if he had been alone, but he made a point of remaining stoic in front of his crew. He reached for the comm and spoke into the fleet channel.


    "Attention Blue Griffin Fleet. I am happy to report that Commander Drixen, better known by his callsign, Textbook, has been found safe and sustained only minor injuries. He will be spending some time on the Ferryman as he recovers and will be back aboard the Wingspan soon thereafter. Thank you."


    Though they respectfully waited until Jasken had finished speaking, the ship erupted into cheers immediately after. The sound nearly shook the walls. Jasken allowed himself a faint smile, then addressed the room.


    "Officers, I have been consumed by my duties as of late, but I have some secondary responsibilities to attend to. If anything comes up I will be in the stables with Ol¡¯ Blue. The noble steed is in great need of some grooming."


    Returning the salutes given him, he left the bridge feeling like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

 Chapter 5: Enter the Pit

    The cave by the mountains was a roughly circular hole about ten feet in diameter. Cool air poured out of it as Vanbrook, Reclan, and D''Jarric stood before the opening, with Vanbrook waiting impatiently for Reclan to stop playing around with her drones. He was eager to explore the cave in person.


    "Hmm," pondered the Dromean.


    "Atmo is breathable¡­ and it looks like the tunnel slopes gently down into the roots of the mountain. Doesn''t look exactly natural."


    "Cool," said Vanbrook. "Some kind of animal den?"


    "No. The floor is amazingly smooth. Sapients of some kind."


    "That could be a problem," noted D''Jarric. "Claiming a settled world violates the Code." "Well, we''ll certainly need to chec- aw, man! My drone lost contact. We''ll have to go get it." Reclan stowed her tablet.


    "Say no more!" exclaimed Vanbrook, grabbing his flashlight and walking exuberantly into the cave. One of the things he loved about being on a special squad was being the first to set foot somewhere new and exciting. The others followed and a few dozen yards in, they picked up the drone. Reclan stowed it with her tablet as they continued on.


    "Check it out," said Vanbrook, pointing his flashlight at the wall.  There was a ring of metal running up from one side of the pathway, along the ceiling and down to the other side.


    "Looks like a doorway," said Reclan.


    Vanbrook pointed his light down the hall and saw that it ended in a flat wall about 30 yards away, with a small door in the middle.


    "You were right about the sapients, Rec," said Vanbrook with a sigh. The whole voyage would feel like a waste if they couldn¡¯t claim the planet for the Republic. Making new allies was a desirable outcome too, but there were never any guarantees on how a newly discovered civilization would respond to outsiders.


    "Shall we go knock?"


    The group nodded their assent and walked to the door. No sooner had Vanbrook knocked than a grinding sound began reverberating through the cave, but it didn''t come from behind the door. I came from the direction of the exit. The three turned in unison and watched in horror as the door frame they had noticed was closing them in. It was too late to run. The massive blast door closed, shuddering as it settled into its frame.


    ***


    Back aboard the Wingspan, Jasken was walking back onto the bridge when a call came in.


    "It''s an Astralbian signal, sir," said Captain Hunt.


    Jasken settled into his chair to answer the call. The Astralbians were a constant thorn in the Republic''s side. The first known race to crack interstellar travel, they were haughty and self-righteous. It would do them well to remember that it didn''t take other species long to replicate their technology and break the back of the Astralbian Interstellar Empire.


    The call came through.


    "Admiral Jasken! So good to see you," a saccharine voice cooed.


    "Lord Raelik. Likewise," Jasken returned the lie seamlessly. The aethereal blue face needed a bullet hole between the eyes.


    Like D''Jarric, the Astralbians were energy-based rather than material. However, sufficient kinetic force could still disrupt their form. Unlike D''Jarric, whose physical presence was a psychic projection originating on a distant star, an Astralbian''s physical form was their actual being; a bundle of energy held together by a psychic force. This made them that much easier to pin down and kill. Sadly, Raelik was safe from Jasken for the time being.


    "To what do I owe the pleasure?"


    "We''ve heard you''re having trouble with the Ramshackle Collective and wondered if you may want to make a trade for a less troublesome source of iron."


    "Go ahead,¡± said Jasken, barely disguising his contempt. ¡°Make your offer."


    The elven figure flashed a wolfish grin that Jasken assumed was meant to be reassuring. Like most Astralbians, he was tall and thin, with pointed, almost crystalline features. The top of his head sported a crown of angular horns reminiscent of spiky hair, and his chin came to a knife-like point, angled towards Jasken. In reality, Astralbians were shapeshifters of a kind, able to take many forms, though they could not change their color or fully smooth out the sharp angles of their crystalline skin. However, they had adopted humanoid forms in the early days of the Empire, and still favored them.


    "The Astralbian Kingdom has rights to an asteroid belt that is up to 50% iron. We''re willing to trade you the rights to that belt in exchange for Hittania."


    "Would this happen to be the Borspellin Belt?" asked Jasken, raising an eyebrow.


    "Why, yes it is! You''re a sharp one, aren''t you?"


    "Sharp enough to know you control that entire star system, which means using one of your worlds as a base of operations for logistics, I assume at a high tax rate. Sharp enough to know that asteroid mining is expensive and exceedingly dangerous work. Sharp enough to know that neither the Ramshackle Collective, who prefer building using scrap materials, nor the Astralbian Kingdom, who nearly exclusively rely on biologically bred technologies, have any interest in iron ore. I am not sharp enough, I confess, to guess what you''re looking for, though I''m sure the Griffin Republic will find out as we explore our new world."


    Lord Raelik''s fake smile faltered somewhat. "I will remind you, Admiral, that the Astralbian Kingdom does not consider one or two beacons to constitute ownership of a world."


    "And I will remind you, Raelik, that the Republic and her allies do."


    "Good day, Admiral," sneered the Astralbian. The connection was terminated.


    Jasken shook his head. This was starting to get tricky.


    ***


    Down on the surface, Raivyn heard a grinding noise coming from the cave, followed by a massive shudder that reverberated through the ground. It was shortly followed by a muffled blast.


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    Oh, no, she thought to herself. Running to the cave entrance, she quickly saw the massive door that had shut the others in. She searched meticulously but was unable to find any mechanism to open the door. As she tried banging on different parts of the door, she realized someone inside was tapping back in Standard Republic Code.


    ¡­s that you Rai? the sender inquired.


    Yes I am here.


    No way out. DJ tried to blast it. Bounced off. Risk of cave in.


    Any injuries?


    No. But there is a back room. Will check for controls.


    Okay. Need to get Drixen home. Will come back with tools. Call if you get out.


    Okay. Wish us luck.


    Good luck, don''t die.


    Hardy har. Get back ASAP. Reclan''s gonna lose it.


    Inside the cave, Reclan was pacing nervously.


    "Dromeans are a plains species; plains," Reclan was repeating. "Not tiny little caves with no exits. Wide, open, plains."


    "I understand that, buddy," said Vanbrook sympathetically. "But right now I need my favorite techie to focus and see about opening that door back there. It''s locked, can you pick it?"


    Reclan looked at him disdainfully.


    "I can tell from here it''s barely even a lock. You really can''t pick it?"


    Van shrugged. In truth, he could probably pick it. Heck, DJ could probably kick it in. But Reclan needed something to take her mind off her claustrophobia.


    She pushed him aside and stalked over to the door. It only took a few minutes of looking for tools and grumbling before the door creaked open.  With a flourish, Reclan invited the others to go inside.


    "Woah," said Vanbrook, his nose wrinkling in disgust. Maybe the planet never quite got settled. Looking into the room for the first time, Reclan saw a skeleton slumped over a work station.


    The muzzle of the skull was sharply pointed and the fingers ended in spade-like claws.


    ¡°Looks like a subterranean species,¡± said Reclan. ¡°Talpidarian, I think.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± said D¡¯Jarric. ¡°They were quick to take to the stars after the Astralbian Empire fell. This also clears up any contested settlement claims, since Talpidaria is a founding member of the Republic. The current Prime Minister is a native-born Talpadarian, in fact.¡±


    Vanbrook walked over to the skeleton and saw it was slouched over a notebook. He picked it up, jarring the bones, which went clattering to the floor.


    ¡°Oof, sorry buddy,¡± he said to the remains.


    ¡°Hmm. Anyone read ancient Talpidarian?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Reclan looking at the notes. Her eyes lit up.¡°But schematics are pretty timeless. Give me the papers.¡±


    Vanbrook obliged, and Reclan unceremoniously swept the remaining bones off the table and flattened the notebook out, shining her flashlight on it. Vanbrook and D¡¯Jarric exchanged glances but said nothing.


    ¡°Yes. Yes! This is good,¡± the Dromean said. ¡°The blast door was supposed to close before someone went through it. Not sure why but that¡¯s the design. Something got delayed accidently and¡­ Yes!  The door is locked and shielded, but we should be able to remove this capacitor and it¡¯ll power down.¡± She bundled up the papers and put them in her satchel.


    ¡°Great!¡± Vanbrook interjected. ¡°Where¡¯s the capacitor?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Reclan stared at the schematic. ¡°It¡¯s not an architectural drawing, so it¡¯s not really to scale or anything. Maybe¡­ through that vent?¡±


    She indicated a three foot by three foot vent in the wall. Vanbrook gave it a swift kick and it fell off. He clamored onto his hands and knees and shined his flashlight into the opening. He sighed and slumped his shoulders.


    ¡°Guys¡­ you¡¯re not going to believe this.¡±


    ***


    Outside, Raivyn, Drixen and Doc Manford were piling into the ATUC. Much to Doc¡¯s displeasure, Drixen got to ride shotgun, though the pilot slept for the entire ride.  When they got back to the original base camp, Raivyn sent in a request for an engineering team to deal with the sealed door.


    ¡°Well, Drixen,¡± said Doc, ¡°It¡¯ll be a bit before the transport gets here. Let¡¯s find you a comfortable chair in HQ. I¡¯ll be wanting one myself.¡±


    Soon Drixen was sitting silently, and awkwardly, next to Doc Manford, who was reading a book titled ¡°Why Humans Break So Easy and How to Fix Them,¡± a medical text evidently written by a robot.


    Raivyn walked in and cracked a smile at the scene.


    ¡°Drixen, how about a hot drink? We¡¯ve got a few different herbal teas and the like.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯d be great,¡± said the pilot, hoping his relief wasn¡¯t too obvious.  A quick glance at Doc found him still buried in his book. He got up to join Raivyn at the table. She got up and prepared some tea.


    ¡°Talvan blossom tea. Grown back on Aerat,¡± Raivyn said, bringing a hot teapot over.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s something. Birthplace of our species and I¡¯ve never been,¡± said Drixen as Raivyn poured some steaming hot tea into a metal mug. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta say, I¡¯m a standard military guy through and through, I¡¯m not sure I understand exactly what you folks are.¡±


    He took a sip of the tea. It had a delicate floral taste, with a subtle herby spice to it. Considering what he¡¯d been through over the past twenty-four hours, it tasted like heaven.


    ¡°We¡¯re Talon Squad. A semi-autonomous special operations group for particularly dangerous or difficult missions that require a small, nimble team. We take orders from the Admiral but we exist outside of the normal chain of command. We¡¯re hand-selected experts and specialists, designed to handle jobs like sabotage, item retrieval or, in this case, primary exploration and base establishment.¡±


    ¡°I see. How¡¯d the team get together?¡±


    Raivyn tilted her head in thought. ¡°Doc was a skilled but difficult medic in the Navy. No offense, Doc.¡±


    ¡°None taken,¡± said the robot, not looking up from his book.


    ¡°But he¡¯s nearly as skilled with a rifle as he is with a scalpel, so being on a team that required him to pull double duty made a lot of sense.


    ¡°D¡¯Jarric wanted to volunteer with the Republic Army, but he¡¯s foreign nobility, so he wouldn¡¯t fit in well with rank and file soldiers. Given his incredible firepower in battle, he was a nice addition to the squad.


    ¡°Vanbrook was a professional duelist who got recruited in after an incident I can¡¯t really talk about, but basic training only did so much to break his independent spirit. A team like this was a good way to channel his skills.


    ¡°Reclan was Vanbrook¡¯s idea. We needed a techie and he assured us there was none better. She¡¯s brilliant, but she barely made it through basic because she¡¯s a nervous wreck. She was shunted directly onto Talon Squad.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± said Drixen, giving her an amused smile. ¡°That just leaves you.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Like you, my background is standard military. A gifted psychic, as well. Admiral Jasken thought the team could use a psychic, as well as a bit of structure, so I got stuck with these yahoos. Again, no offense.¡±


    ¡°Yahoos indeed,¡± said Doc.


    An alarm sounded, and Raivyn heard an approaching craft.


    ¡°Ah,¡± she said. ¡°Sounds like your ride¡¯s here, hopefully with my team.¡±


    ¡°Great! I¡¯m excited to get back up there. Thanks again to you and the rest of the squad for saving my skin back there, and thanks for the tea, it was excellent.  Oh, and thanks for the medical attention, Doc.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem, son. You¡¯re a cooperative patient.¡±


    Raivyn gave Drixen a playfully impressed look as if to say, I think he really likes you. The two chuckled as they left the command center.

 Chapter 6: Denizens of the Pit

    In the depths of the mysterious pit, Vanbrook, Reclan, and D''Jarric were peering into the vent opening. The vent was just a three-foot-by-three-foot square cut out of a thin metal wall. Beyond the wall was a massive cave, the walls filled with wires and conduit.


    "Well, I guess your capacitor is in here somewhere, Rec," suggested Vanbrook.


    "Yeah," she responded. "Why don''t you rush in and see if a door closes on you?"


    "What are the chances of that happening twice in one day?" joked Vanbrook, not willing to let her barb get to him.


    Desperate for an alternative, Reclan turned to D''Jarric.


    "DJ, I know a full-powered bolt didn''t work, but can''t you focus a blast into a welding torch or something?"


    The Solaran raised an eyebrow in thought. "Interesting thought, but no. I''ve never trained to focus my energy output like that."


    "Couldn''t you try?" begged Reclan.


    "Not a great idea in these circumstances. Last time I got experimental with my abilities there was¡­ an incident."


    "¡¯Incident'' in this case meaning a solar flare that destroyed three million Republic platinum¡¯s worth of property," Vanbrook chimed in as he disappeared through the vent. One brow raised, Reclan looked at D¡¯Jarric, who shrugged and nodded, wearing a sheepish grin.


    Reclan sighed and followed. The vent was an uncomfortably tight fit but she survived the ordeal.


    The room started glowing with a golden light as D''Jarric''s form brightened.


    "Oh," remarked Reclan. "So we can''t make a torch, but we can do the walking lightbulb routine."


    "For a little while," he responded. "I don''t want to drain my energy too much. I only get so many megawatts per hour. If we''re going to be in a dark, open and unfamiliar space, I figure it''s worth it."


    "So, where''s your capacitor, Rec?" asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°Could be about anywhere,¡± sighed the Dromean. ¡°We¡¯re looking for a large, black cube, probably held in place by some kind of casing.¡±


    ¡°Any reason we can¡¯t just start cutting wires?¡±


    Reclan stared dumbly at Vanbrook. ¡°Because you might activate a failsafe that will keep us locked in here for all eternity. Because you might cut into a cable holding poisonous gas. Because you might start a fire. In short, because that is probably more dangerous than DJ experimenting with his abilities.¡±


    Vanbrook put his hands up in defeat. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll look for a black cube.¡±


    Reclan nodded and started working her way along the wall, only to have Vanbrook grab her collar. He pointed to the place she was about to step, which was a gaping black hole of unknowable depth.


    ¡°How about we keep one eye on our surroundings, eh?¡± suggested Vanbrook.


    ***


    Aboard the Wingspan, Admiral Jasken had once more been summoned to the bridge. This time the caller was a bit friendlier, but only a bit. Well, at least when he was hostile it was open and honest.


    Walking into the room, the Prime Minister''s pointed face and large, dark eyes were already staring at him through his rounded spectacles from the monitor. His whiskers twitched impatiently as he stroked his pointed beard.


    ¡°Prime Minister Skritka. How can the Blue Griffon Fleet serve the Republic?¡±


    ¡°Admiral Jasken. I just got a call from our ambassador to the Astralbian Kingdom. Can you explain why she believes we are on the brink of war with one of our most dangerous adversaries?¡±


    ¡°Since you are directing the question at me, I would have to assume it is related to my discussion with Lord Raelik. The recording and transcript of that conversation was sent immediately to the Republic Parliament and the relevant governors, as well as yourself, of course. You said the ambassador fears war, but I don¡¯t believe I said anything inflammatory. Is there a part of the exchange you find troubling?¡±


    ¡°What I find troubling is that the exchange included clearly insinuated threats between two high-ranking officers of opposing nations, and you sent the transcript along like it was a monthly budget report!¡±


    ¡°This was typical Astralbian Kingdom bluster,¡± reasoned Jasken. ¡°I don¡¯t see it as an escalation.¡±


    ¡°Well, the Astralbians seem to! There has been a noted increase in naval activity on Astralbia Prime.¡±


    Jasken smoothed his mustache. The Prime Minister should have led with that.


    ¡°Prime Minister, you know I am neither a hothead nor a warmonger. I believe we have a rightful claim to Hittania and I can see no course of action other than that which I took that would honor the Republic¡¯s values and interests. I believe there is something of great value on this world that has attracted both the Ramshackle Collective and, more recently, the Astralbian Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°That is entirely reasonable. I suggest saying that verbatim when you address Parliament on this issue.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Despite himself, Jasken flinched. ¡°Is that really necessary?¡±


    Also despite himself, Skritka chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s not a punishment, Admiral, it¡¯s your job. I¡¯ll make sure to set up a time that will work for both of us. Good day, Admiral.¡±


    ¡°Good day, Prime Minister.¡±


    Jasken stood stone faced as the monitor went black. It wasn¡¯t that he disliked the civilian government; he truly believed in the representative government the Republic stood for. He even had a great deal of respect for the current Prime Minister. It was just that he didn¡¯t understand the world of politics. He liked an enemy you could shoot, which was most of the enemies you had when you were in the trenches, but the higher his rank became the more it seemed like he was expected to shake their hands, instead.


    ***


    Back in the pit, the three squadmates had gotten a better lay of the land. They stood on a large shelf that overlooked a deep pit, which was about a hundred feet deep. At the bottom of the pit was a lake with bioluminescent fungus growing along the banks. They could not make out the far shore of the lake.


    However, despite a thorough search of the massive network of cables that crisscrossed the wall around the shelf, they could not find the capacitor. Making a third survey of the wall, Vanbrook was starting to get impatient.


    "Hey, I think I found something!" exclaimed D''Jarric. He was sitting at one edge of the shelf, where the wall and the edge of the precipice met.


    "The capacitor?" ask Reclan excitedly.


    "No, but there''s a cable here, running down right off the corner. It''s snugged behind a stone, but it keeps going down the cliff face."


    Vanbrook rubbed his eyes.


    "I think our friend may have been insane," he said, gesturing towards the small room and the skeleton inside.


    "Well, his home is certainly unusual, even for a subterranean species like a Talpidarian," said Reclan.


    "But the capacitor almost has to be down there."


    "Well,¡± sighed Vanbrook, "This is why we have climbing gear."


    The crew silently prepared for a climb, with D''Jarric staying behind to ensure someone would be up top if something went wrong. Confident the ropes were secure, Vanbrook scrambled over the edge, repelling into the gloom with Reclan close behind him.


    The trip down went smoothly. They kept track of the cable as they descended, but just as they hit bottom the cable took a ninety degree turn, running along the wall that sloped around to the lake. Unclipping the lines from their belts, they followed it.


    "Well how about that!" Shouted Vanbrook, spotting the long-sought capacitor. "Just like you described it, buddy."


    He rummaged in his pockets for a sample bag.


    "Tell you what. You do the honors with the capacitor, I''m gonna grab some of those glowing mushrooms for the scientists. They love stuff that glows, and I don''t want to have to come back down here."


    "Fair enough," replied Reclan, setting to work immediately. She was anxious to get back out into daylight.


    Van was just putting the first sample in his bag, careful not to let it touch bare skin, when he looked up to see two small, wide-set eyes peering at him from the surface of the water, glowing with reflected light, only a few paces out.


    "Rec? You about done?" he asked, slowly standing and keeping eye contact with the creature at all times.


    "Almost, hrgh¡­ Got it!" came the reply.


    The sudden movement and noise of the capacitor falling to the ground set the creature off. A beaked maw rose from the surface and split open wide, revealing a balled up, fleshy tongue that shot straight for Vanbrook. Pulling his sword and slashing with a smooth and practiced motion, he severed the tongue before it could reach him.


    "Move!" he cried. Reclan turned and saw with horror the beast that had risen from the lake. It was about three feet wide and mostly frog-like, with clammy pink-white skin and minute, beady eyes atrophied over untold generations of life without the light of a star. Unlike any amphibian Reclan had ever seen, it had orange-tinged armor plates all over its body and a beak-like mouth of the same material.


    Enraged at having lost its tongue, it made a second lunge at Vanbrook, who dodged to the side and shot at the monster. The shot glanced off an armored plate and the swashbuckler darted for his climbing line. Reclan made a move as well, but her leg was caught by the sticky tongue of a second frog. She tripped and was dragged towards the water as the tongue recoiled to its owner''s mouth. Nearly clipped onto his rope, Vanbrook turned to see Reclan being dragged to the water.


    ¡°Rec!¡± he shouted as he charged back into danger. The first frog was ready to make a third attack, leaping with an open, bloody maw. Vanbrook shot straight into the beast¡¯s throat and dodged the now-dead frog as it crashed to the ground.


    Meanwhile, Reclan¡¯s foot was in the second frog¡¯s mouth. She kicked her clawed feet, trying to dissuade the beast from clamping down. It nearly worked, but the frog nearly got its mouth shut tight before Reclan¡¯s claws found a tender-enough spot to force the frog to release her foot. Vanbrook leaped between her and the monster and thrust his saber into its eye, killing it almost instantly.


    A golden bolt slammed down into the water, striking a third frog that had surfaced. Vanbrook scooped up Reclan and hurried her to her rope, clicking her on to it. She was bleeding badly and the olive-green skin around her scales was already pale.


    ¡°DJ! Pull Rec up, I can handle myself and keep an eye on the frogs!¡±


    ¡°You got it, Van!¡±


    Beside him, Reclan began to rise rapidly, behind him, a small army of frogs had begun surfacing. He fired at the closest one, but the shot ricocheted off the plate on top of its head, barely slowing it down. He turned to focus on climbing for as long as he dared.


    He made steady progress, but the frogs were rapidly gaining. One opened its mouth to fire its tongue, but that was its last mistake. Vanbrook fired first. The tumbling frog took out a few of its compatriots on the way down, but there were at least a dozen, probably more. A nearby creature took a quick chomp at his leg, but he had suddenly been pulled away.


    Having already gotten Reclan to the top, D¡¯Jarric had started pulling Vanbrook up. Taking advantage of the help, Vanbrook swung his clip to the back of his belt and turned downwards, walking backwards up the cliff face and firing down on the frogs. He was reloading when a hand grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him onto level ground.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, I¡¯ve got Rec,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, scooping her up and heading for the vent. Vanbrook wasted no time following. D¡¯Jarric shoved Reclan¡¯s semi-conscious body through the vent first, trying and failing to be gentle. Vanbrook waited impatiently, firing at a frog that had just clamored over the edge of the cliff. The shot went straight through the soft flesh of its lower jaw, which was exposed as it tried to climb up to level ground. Seeing the others were through, he scrambled after them.


    In the little room with the skeleton, they looked out to see that the door had not opened.


    ¡°Argh!¡± shouted Vanbrook. ¡°That was supposed to work!¡±


    Behind him, a frog was attempting to squeeze through the vent. He quickly put a bullet through its eye. That was not enough to dissuade the others, though. A steely beak tore a hole through the thin metal wall.  D¡¯Jarric fired at the chewing mouth, serving only to widen the hole.


    ¡°Maybe not our best plan,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Come on!¡±


    They left the room and slammed the door behind them, running to the still-closed blast door. To what end, Vanbrook didn¡¯t know. He could hear the sound of rending metal and soft, heavy bodies plodding towards them in the closed-off room. He said a rare prayer, hoping for a miracle.

 Chapter 7: Shrump the Mad

    Crush walked along the deck of the Reaper, Admiral Grim''s flagship destroyer. She relished the sensation of walking under the open void above, nothing but nothing between her and nothing. Things had gone extremely well since her promotion and she was on her way to give the Admiral some good news. Robots, especially those of the Ramshackle Collective, believed in nothing if not luck, and hers had been nothing but good as of late. Of course, one often had to make one¡¯s own luck. She knocked on the cabin door.


    "Enter," called out a voice that sounded like a rusty saber being pulled from a scabbard.


    She opened the door to find Admiral Grim sitting at his desk, looking over maps and schematics.


    "Crush,¡± said Grim, sparing her only a brief glance before asking, ¡°what do you have for me?"


    "Sir, we tracked down that downed Republic fighter."


    "Excellent. Do we have him in custody or is he dead?"


    "Neither, sir, but-"


    "Disappointing," he cut her off without even looking up from his papers. Her circuits raged with indignation but she held her peace. She had noticed Splatter''s head still decorating Grim''s desk.


    "We think they may have stumbled upon the tomb, sir. They entered a cave near the crash site and have yet to come out. If we send a squad now we could likely take the discovery out from under them. We believe the journal entry we discovered on Kirakna is the only existing evidence of the location, and the Republic only found the pit by accident. They likely don''t know what they have."


    At this, Grim looked up.


    "Send two squads immediately," he commanded. Crush nodded and went to organize the assault.


    ***


    Down on the surface, Raivyn stood at the door of the pit, impatiently waiting for Dekken, a Raki male and the Blue Griffon Fleet¡¯s Chief Engineering Officer, and the two members of his engineering team to do something. Dekken¡¯s crustaceous mouthparts worked furiously as he considered his options. They had taken their sweet time unloading equipment from their ATUC and Raivyn was getting worried about the others. They hadn¡¯t answered when she knocked on the blast door.


    The EM shield sealing the door had been knocked out a few moments ago, though no one was quite sure why, and they were trying a hydraulic pry bar for a third time.


    With a grinding scream, the door finally gave way, and Raivyn heard shots being fired from inside.  Undeterred, the engineering team opened the door fully, leaving the equipment as a prop. Sunlight flooded the tunnel and D''Jarric stumbled out carrying Reclan, followed swiftly by Vanbrook, still firing over his shoulder. Blinded by the sudden daylight, the frogs croaked angrily, retreating back into the darkness.


    "Reclan!" shouted Raivyn. The Dromean¡¯s right foot was a bloody mess. Doc Manford rushed in to examine the wound.


    ¡°Hey, girl. How you holding up?¡± asked the medic. Reclan just groaned, still fading in and out of consciousness.


    ¡°Everyone back up!¡± exclaimed the medic. ¡°I¡¯m gonna need space, and one assistant.¡±


    Vanbrook dropped to his knees immediately. ¡°Tell me what you need.¡±


    Everyone else cleared out of the way, the engineering crew leaving their equipment where it lay.


    Ten minutes later, Vanbrook came out of the pit entrance to request a stretcher, only to see D¡¯Jarric and Raivyn already hurrying over with one. He ran back with them and they loaded her onto the stretcher and up into the Talon Squad¡¯s ATUC.


    ¡°What do you think, Doc?¡± asked Raivyn.


    The robot sighed. ¡°She¡¯s gonna lose the leg, I think. It¡¯s too far gone. We need to get her to the fully equipped hospital on the Ferryman."


    BOOM!


    The engineering team¡¯s ATUC exploded as a Ramshackle Collective craft flew from the woodline into the open. D¡¯Jarric fired the most powerful bolt he could muster, targeting the cannon that had fired on the ATUC. With the metal of the cannon heated and weakened, Raivyn bent it into an unusable shape with her telekinetics. Twenty Ramshackle soldiers poured out of the vehicle, all armed to the teeth and firing as they went. Everyone ran for the cover offered by the ATUCs. A Republic engineer took a bullet to the chest and went down. D¡¯Jarric picked up the lifeless body and carried it to the ATUC as gently as he could.


    ¡°We better get these guys out of here, not to mention Reclan,¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°Doc, sit with Reclan,¡± directed Raivyn, stealing a worried glance at the Dromean¡¯s injured foot. ¡°One of you engineers, get up front, everyone else get in the back. Van and DJ, you¡¯re holding on for dear life. GO!¡±


    Everyone scrambled, firing on the enemy as they loaded into the ATUC. Seeing their prey fleeing, a few of the Ramshackle soldiers jumped in their craft to pursue.


    D''Jarric''s blasts and Doc''s rifle took out a few of those on foot, but the craft was gaining on them. A small, matt-black object rose and shot out of the back of the ATUC, flying towards the enemy craft.  The drone flew directly underneath the vehicle and exploded. The Ramshackle craft flew into the air, flipping over and landing on the roof with a satisfying crunch.


    Everyone turned to look at Reclan, who was sitting up, tablet in hand.


    "That''ll teach ''em," she said before collapsing backwards. Doc caught her head and gently laid it down.


    Raivyn reached for the radio.


    "Mayday, mayday, this is Talon Squad! Come in, Wingspan!"


    "Ta¨Cn Com¨Cny, this -s Win¨Cpan, wha-''s the emer¨Cncy?" Captain Hunt¡¯s voice came in, but it was nearly unintelligible due to static.


    "You''re breaking up, Wingspan. We got our people out but our position at the pit was compromised, we were attacked by the Ramshackle Collective. We lost a member of the engineering team and one of our squad members is badly injured. We are retreating to our original base camp."


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "Ca-ght mo-t of tha-, Talon. Are you b-ing purs-ed?"


    "No, we''re clear and away."


    "Ok-y. Get yo-r injur¨C sq¨Cdmate up to the F¨Cryman via the engi¨Ceer''s ship."


    "Understood."


    Ending the call with the Wingspan, Raivyn focused on getting back to the base camp as quickly and smoothly as possible.


    The engineer team¡¯s ship was a clunky, older vessel, but it was tuned to perfection. The two remaining engineers normally would have been amped up to show off their ship, but losing their co-worker and friend made the ordeal of loading Reclan onto the ship a solemn one.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss today, Dekken,¡± Raivyn said to the lead engineer. The grizzled crustacean looked at his boots.


    ¡°Treken was one of the best of us,¡± he replied.


    ¡°He¡¯s got a brood of eggs back home and a wife who¡¯s about to get the worst news of her life. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re no stranger to that kind of loss.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± replied Raivyn, ¡°but it hurts every time.¡±


    Dekken nodded.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Raivyn announced as she walked over to D¡¯Jarric and Vanbrook, ¡°Doc is going with Reclan. We¡¯re going to rest a while. This base is about to get a lot more crowded now that we¡¯ve got a campaign going against the Collective.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll report to the Wingspan on what we found in the pit,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, giving Vanbrook a slap on the shoulder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need nearly the amount of rest you material folks do¡±


    Vanbrook didn¡¯t need to hear anything more. As worried as he was about Reclan, he had been up and fighting since the Ramshackle Collective¡¯s first assault. He slept soundly.


    ***


    Reclan woke up three days later in the hospital wing of the Ferryman. She had slept through the decontamination protocols and a series of operations, waking to find Doc Manford reading a book at her bedside.


    ¡°Well, there she is,¡± said Doc. Reclan looked over and gave him a weak smile.


    ¡°Listen. I¡¯ve got some tough news,¡± he started.


    ¡°They took my foot, huh?¡±


    ¡°You guessed it. I- I tried to fix you up the best I could.¡±


    Reclan sat in a stony silence.


    Doc nodded and went to get a nurse to let them know their patient was awake. However, the nurse made a call as soon as he was notified and the Admiral himself was soon in Reclan¡¯s room.


    ¡°Sir,¡± said Reclan when he entered, giving him a surprised salute.


    ¡°Reclan. Good to see you awake. I hate to bother you during your recovery, but your discoveries in the pit are incredibly important. I¡¯m afraid I need your account of events immediately.¡±


    Reclan dutifully recounted the adventure in the pit. When she talked about the papers, Jasken nodded. They¡¯d already been taken from her satchel, and Jasken had experts coming to study them as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Thank you, Reclan. We¡¯ll discuss your future plans shortly.¡±


    It was the closest he came to mentioning the missing foot. Reclan frowned after Jasken left the room. There were some reptilians that could regrow lost limbs; unfortunately Dromeans weren¡¯t one of them. She grabbed her tablet and started tapping furiously.


    ***


    Jasken took his shuttle back to the Wingspan and headed for one of the conference rooms. Folder in hand, he walked in to find the two Talpidarian experts already there, the swiftness of their arrival meaning they had spared no expense on the ripmed jumps they took to get there from Griffonia.


    The first expert was an older female, spectacles perched on her muzzle, clawed hands furiously drawing diagrams on the room¡¯s monitor, as though she couldn¡¯t stand the thought of anyone seeing her and not immediately thinking, now that lady is a professor!


    Which of course made the young male fumbling with equipment a student or intern of some kind. He had an eager, honest face and gave Jasken a nervous smile as he entered the room.


    ¡°Professor Chim, I presume?¡± the professor turned to him sternly, miffed at being interrupted. She then smiled graciously when she saw it was Jasken.


    ¡°Admiral Jasken! Yes. I am Professor Chim, ancient Talpidarian expert, specializing in the early Expansion Era. We are getting ready for the lecture,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t call it that. We prefer ¡®briefing¡¯ in the Navy. We certainly prefer ¡®brief.¡¯¡±


    It was a rare joke from Jasken, and it was met with a confused, mildly offended glare. This is what he got for trying to make civilians welcome on his ship.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had the pleasure of meeting your assistant yet,¡± he said, nodding to the young male.


    ¡°Grikchum, sir,¡± he replied, ¡°I¡¯m studying the late Astralbian Empire period and the professor was kind enough to bring me along for this presentation. Thank you for having us.¡±


    Jasken smiled and nodded at the youth.


    Suddenly, Chim¡¯s eyes grew wide.


    ¡°Jasken,¡± she asked in an almost panicked voice, ¡°is that it!?¡±


    She pointed to the folder he held. Jasken handed it to her. She opened it to see the notebook left by the long-dead Talpidarian. Grikchum peered over her shoulder.


    ¡°This¡­ this is amazing. Of course we studied the transcriptions on our way out here, but to hold these in our hands, magnificent!¡±


    The rest of the officers filtered into the room for the briefing. Once everyone was seated, the lights dimmed over them. Only the podium and screen were lit, with Grikchum off to the side in the shadows. Chim took a deep breath in and began her lecture.


    ¡°As you know, it was the Astralbians who first developed interstellar, faster than light travel,¡± she began. Jasken remained poised and attentive outwardly but groaned inwardly. She really was going to start from the beginning.


    ¡°They started with star trees, which rocket into space via organic fuel upon reaching maturity, seeking worlds suited to growing the next generation. The biophysics of star trees, their fuel production and ability to survive launch, space travel and reentry is fascinating in its own right but outside of both my expertise and this lecture¡¯s scope.¡±


    An audible groan rose from the room at the word ¡°lecture¡±, and Jasken turned to level a glare at his officers.


    ¡°Utilizing their psychic abilities and an innate understanding of breeding desirable traits, Astralbian scientists, called tree priests, managed to develop faster than light travel,¡± continued the professor.


    ¡°They used this ability to conquer occupied worlds, forging the Astralbian Interstellar Empire. But this did not last forever. Humans discretely studied the photon-based, organic drives that powered star trees. They realized that the core of the biotechnology was based around a single, unnaturally massive photon being quantum-entangled to the entire tree. When the photon moved, it moved at the speed of light, multiplied by the factor by which the photon was more massive than a natural photon. For example, a ¡°massive photon¡± with a mass four times that of a natural photon moved four times the speed of light.


    ¡°Humans soon developed a mechanical equivalent, the relative photonic mass and entanglement drive system, known as RPMEDS or, colloquially,  ripmed drives, which is of course redundant, as the ¡°D¡± already stands for ¡°drive¡± in ripmed.


    ¡°This technology would eventually bring an end to the Alstralbian Empire¡¯s dominion of the galaxy. ¡±


    ¡°Professor,¡± interjected Jasken, ¡°we are all very curious how this ties into our findings on Hittania.¡± Chim blinked, unused to being interrupted.


    ¡°I will arrive there shortly,¡± she said brusquely. She continued.


    ¡°One of the first to defy the Empire and explore on their own was Shrump the Mad, a Talpidarian explorer. He famously claimed to have found a region he called the Cornucopian Cluster, a grouping of star systems that were densely populated by livable planets and incredibly resource dense.


    ¡°However, Shrump, as his moniker implies, went mad, claiming to have made contact with aether beasts and similar wild delusions. The literature largely blames this on the effects of traveling alone through the void for well over a decade.


    ¡°In fact, he never disclosed the location of the Cornucopian Cluster. His last transmission was a rant, claiming that no one could know its location, and that he would dedicate his life to defending the information as a hermit. No one knew where he went or what happened to him. Until now.¡±


    She held up the aged papers retrieved from the pit.


    ¡°My friends, we have found Shrump the Mad. We will soon find the Cornucopian Cluster.¡±

 Chapter 8: Astralbian Tensions

    Vanbrook woke up refreshed and ready to fight. He always felt ready to fight. It wasn¡¯t a matter of anger or fear -he just liked the challenge. As there were no enemies standing at the foot of his bed, he settled for a brief exercise routine and a shower, followed by heading into the command tent for something to eat. He grabbed a pastry, plus a small steak for some protein, and brewed some rakka bean tea. It was a lot hardier than those flower teas Raivyn liked, earthy and just right for waking up with.


    Still sipping on the tea, he walked out to view the sunrise. The planet was honestly beautiful. The purples and oranges the rising star painted in the sky brought out the matching stones that dotted the rocky forest floor. A chorus of birds, amphibians and insects rose from the shadows of the morning forest.


    Opposite the sunrise, twin moons Nyx and Lux were setting. Nyx was a dark moon, reflecting little light at all, but Lux made up for it by shining bright and silver. The two moons were in a binary orbit, circling one another as they both circled Hittania. They were similar in size and eclipsed one another throughout the night.


    ¡°Wow, I think I could live here,¡± he said absently.


    ¡°Really?¡± said Raivyn, who was also enjoying some tea in the morning light. Vanbrook turned to her suddenly.


    ¡°Well,¡± started Vanbrook, ¡°it¡¯s just kind of¡­ an expression. It¡¯s nice here, you know? Ha, maybe the colors just remind me of the neon-lit clubs of home.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite a canvas,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°¡®The Progenitor is the greatest painter, and the skies his greatest canvas,¡¯ that¡¯s something my mom always said when I was young.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± replied Vanbrook, ¡°that¡¯s nice. Hey, any word on Reclan?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Raivyn, staring into her tea. ¡°Doc said she woke up. They had to take her foot. Sounds like she¡¯s taking it pretty hard. I can¡¯t blame her.


    ¡°She¡¯s tougher than she seems, though. She whines a lot but she knows how to get things done. She did a heck of a job taking out that Ramshackle craft, though I think we owe her a new drone.¡±


    Vanbrook laughed. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll have to put in a requisition for one or two. She¡¯d like that.¡±


    The two finished their tea in silence. Quiet moments were going to be few and far between for a while.


    ***


    Aboard the Wingspan, Jasken was rubbing his temples, trying to follow the rambling professor. ¡°So,¡± he asked, ¡°these papers have the coordinates for this Cornucopian Cluster?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± replied Chim. ¡°Shrump hid them.¡±


    ¡°But these papers say where to find them?¡± Jasken asked.


    ¡°Yes! More or less. Most of the papers are gibberish. Here is the most relevant passage: ¡®My confrontation with the great aetheral shark-¡¯ this appears to be a reference to the mythological aether beast Koo L¡¯Koom-  ¡®showed me the truth: no one must know about the Cluster. I have hidden away in this cave, and it will be shut with a blast door if anyone approaches, including the reptilian apes in the forest. I cannot destroy the coordinates; they are holy. So I hid them. I went to the north and hid them in the valley between two great and icy peaks. That place is holy now. Holy and forbidden. Woe to them who enter the caves. Woe to them who find the cairn. Woe to them who take the holy records.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Jasken, ¡°we know what we¡¯re looking for. Chim, I¡¯d like you and Grikchum to stay on awhile.¡±


    The professor¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Oh, Admiral, I would have insisted on it! We simply must see Shrump¡¯s resting place, and bring his bones home to Talpidaria!¡±


    Jasken nodded his head.


    ¡°The area has been taken by the Ramshackle Collective. We will have to take it back, but, believe you me, we plan to.¡±


    ***


    After finishing up breakfast, Vanbrook, Raivyn and D¡¯Jarric loaded up into the ATUC and drove out for a recon mission to the pit area. They parked far enough away not to be picked up by any sensors and then hiked the remainder. The hike was picturesque, with the now-familiar purple, orange and green palette of Hittania all around them. It was also uneventful, which was an added bonus as far as Raivyn was concerned.


    As they got close, Raivyn spotted a tall tree in the clearing. The trunk was bulbous, almost circular, and there was no foliage on the massive branches. The roots grew out from the base of the tree, arcing up and then pointing straight down.


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± she said, pointing to the tree.


    ¡°Aw, c¡¯mon,¡± sighed Vanbrook, ¡°that¡¯s a star tree for sure.¡±


    Getting to the crest of the nearest hill overlooking the clearing where Drixen had crashed, they saw dozens of Astralbian soldiers milling around the opening of the pit. Vanbrook began to make his way down the hill.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± hissed Raivyn.


    ¡°What? We have a right to be here, they don¡¯t. I¡¯m not worth starting a war over, I just want to talk.¡±


    He sauntered into the opening and, noticing that no one had seen him, he gave a brief, shrill whistle. Immediately blades and guns of every sort were trained on him. He grinned widely.


    ¡°Who¡¯s in charge around here?¡± he asked nonchalantly.


    An Astralbian officer approached at a brisk pace.


    ¡°Woah woah woah,¡± said Vanbrook, shaking his hands as if to stop him in his tracks. ¡°You¡¯re not in charge.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± snorted the offended officer.


    ¡°Yeah, your outfit is snooty, but it¡¯s not near snooty enough for you to be in charge.¡±


    An Astralbian in ostentatious armor stepped forward from the gathering crowd. The crystalline spikes on his head were tall and proud, his nose was long and pointed even by Astralbian standards, and his chin split into two points, resembling a neatly trimmed forked beard.


    ¡°You are looking for me. I am Sir Traelby. I am in charge here. And I am asking you to leave.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are definitely snooty enough,¡± said Vanbrook, ¡°but I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re the one who needs to leave.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°We captured this area from the Ramshackle Collective. It is under the dominion of the Astralbian Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°The Griffon Republic claimed this planet when we landed and planted a beacon.¡±


    ¡°You cannot claim an entire planet by virtue of being the first ones to land on it,¡± said Traelby.


    ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± retorted Vanbrook, ¡°since the Astralbian Kingdom does just that. All we¡¯ve ever asked is that the Kingdom play by the same rules as everyone else. Is that truly too much to ask?¡±


    ¡°When asked by a flesh-bound worm, yes, it is.¡±


    Vanbrook¡¯s visage darkened. ¡°Careful, ¡®Sir,¡¯ you¡¯re on thin ice.¡±


    Raivyn bolted down the hill to interrupt the dialog as quickly as possible.


    ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to our Admiral,¡± she announced. ¡°At this time all we request is the wreckage of our fighter, the bones of the Talpidarian in the room at the end of the pit, and the carcass of one beaked cave frog, for scientific purposes.¡±


    ¡°The wreckage of the fighter is yours. But I will tell you the Ramshackle abominations were picking at it like vultures when we destroyed them. The bones and carcass are a different matter. I will discuss this with my superiors.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Raivyn, bowing slightly. ¡°That is reasonable, for now. Please understand that the bones of the Talpidarian are a kind of relic to his successors.¡±


    ¡°I will pass that along,¡± said Traelby dismissively.


    Raivyn turned to go, pulling Vanbrook by the arm when he did not immediately follow.


    "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Jasken raged at Vanbrook. Raivyn told him to put him on a video call as soon as they were clear of the Astralbian encampment. The fool could have touched off a war. On the monitor, the swordsman just shrugged.


    "Those guys can''t push us around. This is our planet."


    "And you are on my specialist squad," the rage cooled down drastically, chilling Vanbrook''s blood a little. Not that he would let that show.


    "If you want to stay there you will start acting like it. You are talented. Talon Squad has a long leash. But you are not irreplaceable and Talon Squad is not beyond my control."


    Vanbrook''s face twisted as he fought his instincts down. He hadn''t come this far by giving himself over to his emotions. "Yes, sir."


    "Raivyn," said Jasken, "stop the ATUC. You and D''Jarric are going for a short walk."


    "Yes sir," she replied. D''Jarric silently complied, walking back along the way they came. Raivyn joined him.


    "Vanbrook,¡± said Jasken patiently. ¡°You''d like to stack some Astralbian Kingdom bodies, wouldn''t you?"


    "Yes, sir. Do you have bodies in mind?"


    Jasken shook his head. "No. This is not some off-the-books mission, it''s a lecture.


    "The Astralbians are thugs. They play by whatever rules suit them. Just burns you up inside, doesn''t it?


    "But I will not allow my fleet, or any part of it, to go against the will of the Republic''s duly elected government. Because we follow the rules. The Astralbian Kingdom is pushing its luck. The time may come when we take the fight to them. If and when that happens I will be first in line to put them in their place."


    Vanbrook hesitated, then spoke. "Why be so¡­ honest with me?"


    "I need you to understand where I stand,¡± said Jasken. ¡°I don''t do intrigue.


    "What you did just now was stupid and irresponsible. I am hoping that you understand from this conversation that you can trust me and, if you do, you''ll get your chance. If you don''t, well, you can take your lone wolf act back to the fighting circuit where it belongs."


    Vanbrook didn''t like being talked to like this. He felt like some punk kid again, getting a tongue-lashing that, deep down inside, he knew he deserved.


    "Yes, sir," he said, this time with more conviction.


    "Good. I''m sure we''ll be in touch."


    Vanbrook sat and stewed until Raivyn and D''Jarric got back.


    "Hope papa didn''t whoop your behind too much," said D''Jarric.


    Vanbrook just snorted. He would have liked to give Jasken a black eye, then maybe talk it out over some drinks. It didn''t work that way in the military, but maybe it should.


    ***


    Half a planet away, Crush was stewing and pacing. The squads sent to the pit had taken some losses pushing out the Republic, which was to be expected. Then there were the frogs, which cost them a few more soldiers. Again, that was all part of the job description. Worse yet, however, was the fact that there was nothing valuable in the pit. They had quickly torn the wiring and electronics out for scrap, and had just begun dissembling the crashed Republic ship when the coup de grace came. The Astralbians showed up.


    How they found them was a mystery. Astralbians didn''t have the most advanced tracking and imaging systems and certainly hadn''t had time to set up a network.


    "Crush, report to the Admiral''s cabin immediately."


    The voice, suddenly blaring from the Reaper''s speaker system, was expected but unwelcome. Crush gathered her courage and went to face the Admiral.


    She stepped through the doorway into his cabin with her head held high, refusing to even glance at the grisly decor that was still adorning Grim''s desk.


    "Shut the door, Crush."


    She obeyed without hesitation. And then, strangely, Grim began laughing. Low at first, quickly reaching a roaring crescendo that rattled the chains of his beard and then faded into a chuckle.


    "Those chuckleheads out there on deck think you''re in here getting your head ripped off, figuratively or otherwise," he laughed again.


    "And what am I here for?" she ventured.


    Grim eased himself back into his chair, rocking a little. "A little chat about the way things are, and your cut."


    "My¡­ cut, sir?"


    "Yes. Chat first," he replied, rising from his chair, he came over to Crush, peering out a porthole overlooking the deck.


    "We are, as you know, a ''Collective.'' We are a collection of pirate fleets all bent toward the betterment of ourselves. More scrap, more resources, more power, more life lived as we please.


    "All members of the Collective are meant to work towards its good, even unto death. Here''s the tricky bit: who gets to enjoy all that?


    "The short answer: you and me. Those who rise to the top.


    ¡°Some obscure scholar or heir or some such in the Republic had put out a notice on the black market that he was looking for something- an old journal. It was supposed to have a clue to the location of an old tomb of some kind. Through murder and guile, I got a hold of the journal, but I did not sell it to the scholar.


    When we found nothing but trouble at that crash site, I leveraged it into something to better the Collective, namely you and I. That scholar wasn¡¯t the only party interested in Shrump the Mad, who I admit I hoped was buried with a lot more platinum.


    Anyway, I sold the location information to the Astralbians through back channels, and you get a cut of it. You worked hard to get where you are," he patted Splatter''s head, "and you deserve the spoils of war."


    Crush''s head was spinning. The Admiral had betrayed a dozen loyal soldiers to their deaths, just for money? Astralbian money, no less. The Astralbians, who looked on their kind as abominations, who would no doubt kill them all given the chance. And the Admiral took blood money from them.


    "You''ve crossed a threshold here, Crush. It can be a lot to take in. But believe me, you¡¯ve just hit the jackpot. You''ll understand soon if you don''t now. Here¡¯s something to help you along,¡± he handed her a solid platinum bar. She weighed it in her hand. It was more currency than she¡¯d ever held before.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who told the Astralbians how to find this planet in the first place,¡± Grim bragged. ¡°Raelik, not to mention King Hylik, is obsessed with the legend of the Cornucopian Cluster, and he was willing to pay handsomely for the information. I played the hand I was dealt. Once I knew we weren¡¯t going to get any immediate value from the site, I let the Astralbians have it. For a small fee.


    ¡°Now, we¡¯ll strike a deal and stay on as mercenaries for the Astralbians. The Astralbians get what they want, the Republic gets a trouncing, the Collective gets rich. It¡¯s a win-win-win.¡±


    He chuckled once more, then turned from her and sat at his desk. ¡°See yourself out."

 Chapter 9: Air Raid

    Drixen walked into the conference room and took a seat next to Cowgirl, also known as Kaihla. Her strawberry blonde hair was put up in a thick braid, and her green eyes twinkled with the excitement of receiving a mission. She greeted him with a smile. Admiral Jasken, who had called the meeting for the fighter pilot squadrons, walked in just after.


    ¡°Greetings all,¡± he said, earning instant silence from the group. ¡°As you know, our satellite network is not yet complete. However, while we do not yet have a comprehensive view of the planet¡¯s surface, we have found something of great interest in orbit around Hittania. Namely, the Ramshackle fleet responsible for the attacks on our fleet and our ground crew.¡±


    The screen behind him flickered to life and showed a fleet of five Ramshackle vessels: the two gunships from the original attack, two additional, larger gunships, and the lead destroyer, the infamous Reaper.


    ¡°As many of you already noted, this is Admiral Grim¡¯s command, the Scythe Fleet. Your mission will be a straightforward assault. Your primary target will be the guns on these larger ships.  The others are already crippled and, though repairs are doubtless underway, they are still sure to be in poor condition. Don¡¯t get bogged down in dogfights. Hit these targets and run. Our fighters are faster and more maneuverable.  The Arrowhead will be following behind you and hiding just over the horizon, calling out any stealth missiles or other tricks it can detect. Good look out there. Progenitor watch over you.¡±


    The pilots all saluted and jogged to their fighters.


    ¡°No getting shot down this time,¡± said Cowgirl as she skirted past Drixen to get to her bomber. Drixen sighed. He¡¯d never hear the end of that one.


    ***


    Over on the Ferryman, Reclan was getting used to crutches. She had spent too much time in a hospital bed and was spending most of her time down in the fabrication workshop now. She was happily tinkering when Vanbrook called. She answered the call and kept working.


    ¡°Van, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Aw,¡± he replied, ¡°just bored down here without my budd- hey, watch it!¡±


    Reclan chuckled. ¡°Who was that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± sighed Vanbrook, ¡°Jasken sent a bunch of soldiers down here to establish a more permanent base and they¡¯re, y¡¯know, getting in the way. Looks like our little ol¡¯ basecamp is now going by Fort Bog Iron. But I just wanted to see how you were.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Reclan, ¡°I¡¯ve been better. The docs all say it¡¯ll take time to adjust and that standard procedure is to send me home for three months. I said no way, and I had to sign, like, thirty forms to waive my right to said vacation.¡±


    ¡°You sure you want to stick around here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just it. There aren¡¯t any outbound ships, so I¡¯m supposed to just¡­ hang out on the Ferryman.¡±


    ¡°Oh, forget that.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Reclan heard a knock at the door and looked up to see Admiral Jasken.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, ¡°I gotta go Van. Say hi to the others; I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± She ended the call.


    ¡°Admiral,¡± she said, warmly as possible.


    ¡°Reclan,¡± he answered, ¡°how are you?¡±


    Reclan sighed internally. ¡®Pretty sick of answering that question¡¯ probably wasn¡¯t the right answer to give the Admiral.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m losing myself in my work,¡± she gestured to the messy work table she was standing at.


    ¡°Good. Heard you waived your leave of absence.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± she said, trying to maintain a respectful tone, ¡°it wasn¡¯t so much a ¡®leave of absence¡¯ as a ¡®stay of boredom.¡¯ Pretty soon I¡¯ll be ready for action again.¡±


    ¡°Ready for action?¡± Jasken frowned.


    ¡°Gimme another day. I¡¯m close. I¡¯ll pass any psych or phys eval you throw at me.¡±


    Jasken appreciated her dedication. If she could indeed pass a few evals, he could certainly use her. If she couldn¡¯t, he¡¯d be able to force her to rest the way the doctors wanted her to.


    ¡°You¡¯re on, Reclan. There are going to be some missions coming up for Talon Squad. You¡¯ve got two days. Exams on the third.¡±


    The Dromean beamed a smile like only a Dromean could, her pointed teeth glistening in the glow of the workshop lights.


    ***


    Crush sat in her quarters, staring at the platinum bar. She should be thanking her lucky stars. She could get an oil change once a week for a year, even spring for the all-natural fossil-derived stuff.  She could update her armor, get something a little stronger and lighter. She could take a trip to the other side of the galaxy and forget where this wretched bar came from. She could do all that and still have a bit left over.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    But her whole life, ever since she was awakened, she¡¯d been part of the Ramshackle Collective. She had always taken pride in that, always thought of herself as an important part of the machine. Now she felt like her whole life had been a lie, or, worse yet, a joke. Killing Spatter was supposed to be a good move for the Collective as a whole, but that logic fell apart now that she saw what the Collective actually meant to those at the top.


    Her ponderings were interrupted as an alarm siren blared. The Republic. It had to be. She looked out her window to see eighteen pin pricks of light on the horizon. Fighters, and they¡¯d be here soon. She ran to the Admiral¡¯s quarters to help direct their own fighters.


    ***


    Textbook was watching the activity around the Scythe Fleet intently, knowing they were going to be facing enemy fighters before they got their bombing run in.  They had clung close to the planet, helping them avoid detection until they were as close as possible, but he had no doubt they¡¯d been spotted now.


    ¡°Okay, everyone, you heard the Admiral. Hit the guns, get back out. Cowgirl and I will take the further of the two large gunships. Viper, you and your bomber take the closer.  Third squad¡¯s bomber is going to pick up any slack.  Everybody keep your eyes open and fire at any enemies in range. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    This time he opted for a loop-the-loop rather than a barrel roll, but it earned him the same chorus of cheers. His grin widened and he opened fire. The shots were unpredictable at this range but if a few peppered the decks of the enemy it was worth it.


    Enemy fighters zeroed in, forcing them to take evasive maneuvers and fire on the immediate threat. The first wave of enemies consisted of their fastest, lightest and least-armored fighters, so the Republic fighters shrugged them off. Drixen knew some tougher, meaner fighters would be on the way, but he focused on the job and let the other fighters work that out while he escorted Cowgirl.


    He easily wove his way through the clumsy defensive fire coming from the ships and closed in quickly on his target.


    "Bombs away!" shouted Cowgirl.


    The missile hit the target directly, but when the smoke cleared the guns still looked pristine.


    From the cabin, Crush watched with enjoyment as the shields held. After the gunships had been so easily crippled, she had seen to it that the ballistic shielding was refurbished and upgraded.


    "Oi, what gives?!" shouted Viper over the comms. Second squad was having a similar issue with their target.


    "Alright," said Drixen, "new strategy. First and Second Squads, all fighters sweep the larger gunships with energy weapons only. All bombers follow up on the same target. If we can crack the shields and take out a couple guns they''ll remember our little visit.¡±


    ***


    Crush watched with alarm as she saw an organized swarm of laser fire hammering the shields on the Sepulchre, the fleet¡¯s largest gunship after the Reaper. "Admiral, all fighters should focus on interrupting that pattern!"


    Grim looked where she was pointing.


    "They learn quick, eh?¡± he said nonchalantly. ¡°Fighters, focus on the enemies strafing the ships."


    ***


    It was too late, though. Third Squad nimbly harassed the Ramshackle fighters, allowing First and Second Squads to execute the plan flawlessly.  One, two, three missiles blasted into the weakened shielding, blowing the guns to smithereens.


    "Well done, folks!" exclaimed Drixen. "let''s head home."


    All three squads cheered and turned to exit the battle.


    "Don''t pursue," growled Grim. "Repeat, don''t pursue."


    He turned to face the porthole overlooking the retreating fighters.  No doubt a gunship waited beyond the horizon to watch their backs. "You win this round, Jasken."


    ***


    Jasken was exhausted. Eight brutal hours and counting of answering politician''s tangential questions, and all with an annoying, if slight, delay as the faster-than-light messages still took a few seconds to travel from where the Wingspan orbited Hittania to the capital city of Kerucester on Griffonia.


    The questions were endless. Expansionists wanted to know why Hittania was taking so long to settle. So-called Staticists wanted to know why we needed another planet. A representative of a system including two asteroid belts, and the mining companies that operated there, wanted to know why we were focusing on Hittania when iron was available elsewhere already. It seemed everything except the tensions with the Astralbian Kingdom was being discussed, and thoroughly.


    Finally, Prime Minister Skritka stood up, saying, "That concludes our time for questions from the floor."


    A disgruntled rumble worked its way through the auditorium that made up the Major House¡¯s chambers. It was a very large room, but most of the chairs had the headrests flipped down to reveal a screen and camera for remote attendance. The Major House consisted of one representative from each settled world, asteroid belt, or nation that belonged to the Republic. Jasken was speaking to these representatives from a large screen in the front of the room.


    ¡°Admiral Jasken,¡± Skritka continued. ¡°Please give us the bottom line here. Can we avoid war with the Astralbian Kingdom over Hittania or not?¡±


    ¡°Prime Minister,¡± answered Jasken, ¡°if we plan to keep our claim on Hittania, armed conflict with the Astralbians is a near-certainty.¡±


    ¡°Why take the risk?¡± shouted Trekna, a representative from an iron-rich belt. He was a short, squat Raki, with strong limbs and tough armored plates covering a leathery hide.


    ¡°I did NOT flee the tyranny of the Kingdom to bow to their wishes!¡± retorted an Astralbian female. Her sapphire eyes blazed with indignity. One of the small number of refugees to leave the Astralbian Kingdom and its associated planets, she had earned the trust of her new people enough that she now represented a small, recently settled planet known for its fisheries.


    ¡°Order in the house!¡± shouted Skritka. ¡°We will have order in the house!¡± Skritka was an imposing figure, despite his short stature. The Prime Minister was appointed by the Minor House, a larger body with a representative from each region or district that was part of the Republic. It did not have the authority of the Major House, but it was a more direct reflection of the people¡¯s will, and they appointed one member as Prime Minister, to keep the more powerful body in check. Skritka had managed to get the appointment, but some days he wondered why he¡¯d wanted it.


    ¡°Admiral,¡± he continued, ¡°you are the one directly at risk. What is your recommendation?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Prime Minister. My recommendation is that we stay, we repel the Ramshackle Collective, and we stand our ground against the Astralbians. Our allies will be more sympathetic to our cause if we do what we can to maintain peace, and they know theAstralbians are the aggressors here.


    ¡°Additionally, even if the Kingdom is willing to resume armed conflict with the Republic after all these years they are not likely to attack our settled worlds.


    ¡°Conflict on frontier planets is status quo; they won¡¯t risk an alliance forming against them by attempting to take settled, sovereign territory.


    ¡°As was mentioned at the outset, there are reasons to be interested in Hittania that go beyond iron, but much of that information is classified.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said the Prime Minister, ¡°so it will not be discussed at this public meeting. Admiral, thank you for your time and for your service to this great Republic. Providence shine on you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Prime Minister. Providence shine on you as well.¡±

 Chapter 10: To the North

    It came as a kind of relief when Jasken called Vanbrook and the others up to the Wingspan. The base had become too crowded lately. The command-tent-mess-hall-living-room didn¡¯t feel like home anymore. As soon as he¡¯d gotten through decontamination he gave Reclan a call on her comm.


    ¡°Van! Welcome aboard.¡±


    ¡°Ha, thanks. Where you at?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t meet up right now. I¡¯m on my way from my psych eval, which I nailed, I¡¯m sure, to my physical. Maybe you and the others can watch from that creepy window Jasken will be standing in? I don¡¯t know the rules.¡±


    Asking a sailor for directions, they headed that way. Jasken waved them into the room. Doc Manford was already standing with him.


    ¡°Your squadmate is tougher than she lets on,¡± said Jasken. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see how this goes.¡±


    In the room below, Reclan walked through a doorway, holding something in her hand. Talking to the medic administering the test, she casually slipped the object onto her amputated leg. It was a prosthetic foot.


    ¡°Ha!¡± snorted Doc. ¡°So that¡¯s what she¡¯s been working on.¡±


    Relcan proceeded to jog, run, lift, climb and swim like Van had never seen her do before. He was a bit shocked.


    ¡°That¡¯s that,¡± declared Jasken. ¡°We¡¯ll have to take a look at the numbers and see where we land.¡±


    Vanbrook was convinced he was just following protocol. There was no way she hadn¡¯t just put a lot of competent athletes to shame. And he couldn¡¯t imagine she hadn¡¯t passed her psych eval. He walked down the steps to congratulate her, the others following along.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, ¡°the squad is back together! What do you guys say we hit the galley?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± said D¡¯Jarric.


    ¡°You don¡¯t eat,¡± said Van.


    ¡°Now that you mention it, I¡¯m not hungry, either,¡± said Doc.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you a nice can of oil then,¡± said Van.


    ¡°That¡¯s an ugly stereotype. Robots don¡¯t drink oil. Well. Some models do,¡± said Doc. Then, after a pause, ¡°I don¡¯t drink oil.¡±


    Raivyn rolled her eyes and nodded to Reclan, who led the way to the galley.


    ***


    At the Astralbian¡¯s newly-held position by the pit, Traelby paced before the stretched membrane that served as a screen. The bioluminescent film behind it began to glow and the chromatophores in the membrane rippled in a rainbow of colors.


    The pigments settled into an image of Lord Raelik. The eye above the membrane that served as Traelby''s camera flashed green once and he knew he was transmitting.


    "Lord," he bowed, "this site is useless to us. Any information regarding the Cornucopian Cluster was removed, either by the Republic or the Collective."


    "I assumed that would be the case," Raelik said dismissively. ¡°The true value is that we now have territory we won in battle against an entrenched force. That gives us political cover to claim ownership of the planet."


    "Either way I am wasted here," crowed Traelby.


    "Agreed. I''m calling you back to the mother tree. I have a much more pressing assignment for you. Brynel will be taking command of this encampment."


    "Brynel is a fool."


    "And holding this encampment is a fool''s errand. But watch your mouth, Traelby -ears are easy to grow." With that old Astralbian proverb, Raelik ended the transmission.


    ***


    Jasken sat at the head of a conference table, looking over Reclan''s evaluations. She had passed her physical with flying colors. The psych eval had phrases in it like "attention-seeking behaviors" and "antisocial tendencies." There was nothing disqualifying, and it seemed par for the course as far as Talon Squad went.


    He sighed. Talon Squad got results, and he wanted them at full strength for this assignment. They filed into the room, followed by Drixen and Viper, also known as Trikac, a Raki male and talented pilot.  Raivyn flashed Drixen a grin, which he returned with a nod.


    "Greetings, all," said Jasken. "As you may know, our satellites are finally up and running. Everyone in this room should also be aware -assuming they read the material distributed before this meeting - that we''ve identified what we believe to be the valley where the coordinates for the Cornucopian Cluster are located."


    He was certain Vanbrook and D''Jarric, who looked at each other significantly, had not read the material.


    "Talon Squad," he continued, "you will search the valley and locate the coordinates. In the documents you recovered from the pit, they are indicated to be hidden in a cave system under a pile of stones."


    He tapped the table and the screen in the middle lit up, displaying a map.


    "Here is Fort Bog Iron," the Admiral stated, pointing to a black dot on the map. Drixen and Trikac are going to fly you down here to avoid suspicion, then fly low up to here -" He tapped another black dot on the North of the map. " - hopefully with our enemies being none the wiser.  Even if they see you depart from Bog Iron, they will be unable to track the ship, which has advanced stealth capabilities."


    Reclan had her hand raised, and Jasken reluctantly called on her.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Yes, Reclan?"


    "The valley location. It''s, uh, white on this map. And we''re landing outside the valley on the south end?"


    "Yes," replied Jasken. ¡°That''s the closest we can safely land."


    "And the white indicates ice and snow?"


    "Yes. I''m afraid you''ll be leaving the comfortable temperate weather of equatorial Hittania for this mission. And the path is too steep and rough at times even for the ATUC, so you¡¯ll be doing a little walking. You will be outfitted appropriately."


    Reclan nodded, some part of her regretting that she waived her leave of absence.


    After a few more questions and answers detailing the logistics of the trip, everyone went to make preparations and get in what rest they could.


    ***


    The next morning Talon Squad met up with Drixen and Trikac in the galley to have some breakfast before heading out.


    Raivyn was disappointed to see that rakka was the only available tea, and even that was served out of a big vat. Life outside the rank and file military had its perks.


    She sat at the table, unsurprised to find Vanbrook and Drixen talking shop.


    "I''m just saying," Vanbrook was explaining, "that tiny raygun doesn''t have the stopping power that a high caliber ballistic pistol does."


    "Depends on the enemy," Drixen replied. "Ballistics are great against flesh and blood, maybe even machines, but is that really want you want if you''re facing down a squad of Astralbians?"


    Raivyn rolled her eyes and smiled. She didn¡¯t mind having a solid firearm in combat, but she¡¯d never exactly been a crackshot, and she couldn¡¯t get into the kinds of technical discussions Vanbrook and Reclan had from time to time.


    "Well, first off, my pistol packs plenty of punch to  disrupt an Astralbian, permanently. But, second, that''s why I carry a few of these."


    He popped a cartridge out of his belt and put them on the table. It looked like a normal round, but where the bullet should be was a polished glue gemstone. Drixen picked it up, awe on his face.


    "Is that a nova crystal round?" he asked.


    "Yup," said Vanbrook proudly. "Load it in like a regular round, pull the trigger, and that baby''ll fire a bolt of energy that hits like an ATUC. Set it out in daylight for a while and replace the primer and you can use it again."


    ¡°You mean get Reclan to replace the primers,¡± interjected Reclan. ¡°I pretty much get to play quartermaster for all our guns, aethersuits, drones¡­¡±


    "Man," said Drixen, handing back the round with a smile. ¡°Special squads get all the cool toys."


    ***


    Back at the pit, Traelby watched as the smaller star tree landed in the field, standing at a safe distance from the root thrusters and accompanied by his top soldiers.


    No sooner had the tree settled than a mouth-like door opened at the base. Brynel walked out, adorned in the green cloak and silver armor of a noble.


    "A fool, am I?" he demanded.


    "Sir Brynel," said Traelby, smiling, "you got my message. If you don''t wish to be called a fool, don''t listen when others are discussing you."


    Traelby threw a primitive auditory organ on the ground. He had found it growing by his viewing membrane, allowed himself to be listened in on a little and then cut it off after his conversation with Lord Raelik. He knew Brynel was behind it, the treacherous fool.


    "It''s a duel, then!" declared Brynel.


    Traelby grinned and bowed.


    "As you say. I will stand my ground,¡± Traelby had made sure to take an advantageous position prior to insulting Brynel.


    When Astralbians dueled, the challenged party got to choose whether to start from where they stood or switch positions with the challenger. After that, all use of terrain was fair game. The duel was to the death. Both knights pulled their sabers and donned the bucklers slung on their back. The preamble was over, the duel had begun.


    As expected, Brynel led with a cry and a lunge, stabbing at Traelby''s torso. Traelby deflected it easily. His moronic attempt at a surprise attack done, he began striking in a more exploratory manner, but Traelby''s blade and buckler made for an impenetrable defense.


    Then Traelby began striking back. Brynel was a competent duelist, if not an imaginative one, so he managed to block Traelby¡¯s attacks. For the next few minutes the two duelists took turns probing for weaknesses and defending themselves. Traelby was certain he could wear down Brynel¡¯s defense with time, but he was getting bored.


    He waited for Brynel¡¯s next attack, slapped it aside with his buckler and thrust out his saber. At the same time, he reached out with his mind, concentrating on Brynel''s form and pulling it towards his blade. The psychic attack worked, and his saber pierced through the weak point of the armor just below the breastplate. Brynel gasped, a buzzing pain jolting through him as his energy field was breached. Traelby pulled the blade out and sliced through Brynel''s neck, muscling the blade through the electromagnetic resistance and cutting through it completely. Brynel¡¯s form shuddered, crackled and then erupted.


    The explosion was not large, but it caused the capes of the knights and their attendants to flutter in the wind as a blue shockwave spread out rapidly, quickly dissipating. In the center of the eruption, the forces pulled back inward. A blue, fist-sized crystal, glimmering with a rainbow iridescence,  materialized. The death crystal, as it was called, was all that was left of the dead Astralbian.


    Traelby sheathed his saber even before Brynel''s clothing, armor and death crystal hit the ground.


    "Well," he said cooly. ¡°Congratulations to whichever of you just earned a promotion."


    "That would be me, Sir," said one of the men. "I won''t forget it."


    "I suspect you won''t," replied Traelby snidely. He stopped down and fished the death crystal out of the cloak and armor to return it to Lord Raelik.


    With no further remarks, he marched to the star tree to go see about his next assignment. Hopefully it would be a bit more exciting than this fool¡¯s errand had been.


    ***


    Talon Squad''s trip down to Fort Bog Iron went smoothly. The plan was to spend the day at the fort and then make the northward trek at night to avoid detection.


    They were greeted by Captain Fenrik, a Dromean male who was in command of the fort. Fenrik was a captain with the Griffon Republic Army, overseeing terrestrial fortifications and troops. However, he still took orders from Jasken as a member of the Blue Griffon Fleet.


    After welcoming Talon Squad, he proceeded to give them a tour. The mess tent was still the mess tent, but a number of modular buildings had gone up to fulfill the various needs of a full fort.


    Gray-black walls surrounded the compound. Reclan eyed them with interest.


    "Fungal structural material?" asked Reclan, examining the wall closely. It was made up of thousands of dark fibers, all climbing up and over each other to form a rough surfaced but uniformly thick wall.


    "Yes," replied Fenrik. ¡°We applied a spore paste when we got here. The soil is really fertile and iron-rich, so the wall is a lot more solid than it would be in typical soil."


    "Yeah, the fungus would incorporate local minerals," Reclan said with a thoughtful nod.


    "Obviously," replied Vanbrook, with a dash of sarcasm. Fenrik chuckled, his colorful feathered crest rising a bit with his good-natured humor.


    ¡°I take it you¡¯re the squad technologist, then," he said to Reclan.


    "Yup! Even built my own foot!" She stuck her foot out in front of herself to display her craftsmanship, wiggling the toes a bit. She had told Vanbrook that the prosthetic hurt her ankle sometimes, but she was getting used to it. However it felt, Vanbrook could see the pride in her eyes when she talked about her creation.


    "The wiring ties into the nerves through a bioelectric interface in the ankle, but I have it spring loaded and articulated in such a way that it can passively mimic a natural Dromean gait even if it loses power."


    "Impressive!" said Fenrik.


    Vanbrook rolled his eyes and smiled. He had seen the same demonstration about seven times at this point.

 Chapter 11: Every Planet Has Bears

    The day passed quickly and Talon Squad joined Drixen and Trikac in the stealth ship.  They took off, headed south, activated their stealth equipment and doubled back in a final effort to confuse any prying eyes. The flight was going to take most of the night.


    There wasn¡¯t much to be seen out of the windows. Vanbrook knew they would be going over the forest, then an ocean, then landing on an icy polar continent, but he couldn¡¯t see much of anything in the dark. Nyx and Lux danced lazily across the sky, but even Lux was only a waning crescent that evening and gave off very little light.


    Bored and full of pre-mission jitters, he wandered up to the cockpit. Trikac was taking a rest elsewhere so Vanbrook took a seat in the co-pilot¡¯s seat and looked at the controls.


    ¡°So, uh, which of these buttons can I push?¡± he asked.


    ¡°None of them,¡± replied Drixen with a chuckle.


    ¡°Textbook. That¡¯s an odd call sign. Does it come with a story?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a rule-follower by nature. Real by-the-book type. My fellow flight school students found me pretty annoying, and started calling me ¡®Textbook¡¯ behind my back. The name stuck, and it became my callsign. By the end of flight school, people were saying it with a lot more respect. I was a natural. Now that little dig, Textbook, is a name my friends trust their lives to and my enemies fear. All in all, I kinda like it, now.


    ¡°But hey, we don¡¯t all have the luxury of choosing our nicknames, Rattler.¡±


    Vanbrook had to laugh.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you know that name,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°I thought I was safe from my fans out here. How long have you known?¡±


    ¡°Eh, you looked familiar when we first met, but obviously I was pretty distracted. Y¡¯know, nearly getting eaten by strange new creatures and all that. Later on, Raivyn mentioned you were a pro fighter. That¡¯s when I put it together.


    ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m a fan. I back Rolling Thunder.¡±


    ¡°Ah, my nemesis in the ring!¡± Vanbrook said with a chuckle. ¡°He¡¯s a good guy, though. And a heck of a fighter. I can¡¯t hold it against you.¡±


    Trikac returned shortly after and Vanbrook gave him his seat back, nodding to the pilots and wandering back into the cargo and passenger area. Reclan was fidgeting with her parka and other winter equipment. It was all perfectly tailored to her, but she was resenting having to wear it at all, so she had spent most of the past hour looking for flaws and muttering about hypothermia. D¡¯Jarric was watching in amusement while Doc just shook his head, trying to concentrate on his book.


    ¡°Drixen¡¯s a heck of a guy, huh?¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°Oh? Is he now?¡± replied Vanbrook with an arched eyebrow.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°You tell me,¡± said Vanbrook defensively. Evidently he¡¯d struck a nerve. Raivyn shook her head and found a different corner of the ship to be in. Vanbrook shrugged and went to check on Reclan.


    ***


    Aboard the recently crippled Sepulchre, Crush was brooding as she examined the damage. She¡¯d been clever, but the Republic had been more clever. If they had taken her strategy into a full-blown conflict with the Blue Griffons they would have lost. In that way, the attack was a lucky break.


    The guns she was building now, however, were going to be much harder targets. Not only would they have EM shielding, they would also have heavier metal plating.  She was sick and tired of repurposed junk, and she¡¯d put in a requisition for premium steel plating from the Collective Resource Hub. This, along with more disciplined fighter tactics could make the difference. She¡¯d have to talk to Grim about bringing some additional fighter drones, possibly some manned fighters and pilots. She was confident the Scythe Fleet was capable of defeating the Blue Griffon Fleet if they used their resources wisely.


    Hearing a  message come through on her comm, she checked it immediately with high hopes, which were only sharpened when she said it came from the Hub. She opened the message.


    ¡°This is the Ramshackle Collective Resource Hub with a message for Crush. For the good of the Collective, your request has been denied. Alternate shielding will be delivered to your location and all funds indicated have been taken for the good of the collective. Use all resources to advance our goals.¡±


    Crush fumed as she hopped in a skiff, got back to the Reaper and all but kicked Admiral Grim¡¯s door down. He looked up at her in anger.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Can I help you, Crush?¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to operate this fleet if the Hub won¡¯t give me what I need! They took my entire budget for the guns and are sending me what I am sure is rust-eaten garbage!¡±


    ¡°You gave them the platinum, didn¡¯t you?¡± said the Admiral.


    ¡°Yes, I spent it on the good of the Collective,¡± Crush said defensively. ¡°Or at least¡­ I tried to.¡±


    ¡°And now someone at the Hub will enjoy what you earned,¡± said Grim dismissively. The laughter and camaraderie he¡¯d put on display during her last visit to his office were nowhere to be seen. ¡°Let this be a lesson to you. And get out of my office.¡±


    ***


    Back on board the shuttle, Talon Squad had nearly reached its destination.


    ¡°Okay, folks,¡± said Trikac¡¯s clicking, chittering voice over the intercom. Learning to use crustacean mouthparts to speak modern Talpaertan, the galaxy¡¯s universal language, was a trick, but Trikac had mastered the art. He continued, ¡°We¡¯re going to sweep through the valley and generate a more detailed map for you. Then we¡¯ll return to the south end of the valley, land, and wait for you to retrieve the item and get back to us.¡±


    When the mapping run had been completed, the shuttle landed and Talon Squad immediately jumped out. D¡¯Jarric, immune to all but the most extreme low temperatures, was in the same shining armor he always wore. Doc had replaced the oil in his systems for a low-temperature grade oil, and the biological members of the team wore thick parkas, snow goggles, heavy boots and gloves designed to balance dexterity and insulation.


    ¡°Looking at this new mapping data, there¡¯s a few cave systems scattered around the valley,¡± said Reclan as she scanned the map on her tablet, ¡°and the closest one is - oh, c¡¯mon! About nine or ten miles in. What are the odds it¡¯s in the first cave?¡±


    ¡°Not great,¡± said Vanbrook, already rubbing his arms, ¡°not great.¡±


    Much of the valley had a smooth track running down the center and an icy wind traveled right along it, buffeting the squad as they marched straight into the gusts. Occasional crevices and icy rock falls slowed their progress, and it took them over four hours to reach the first cave system.


    ¡°Hey, Van,¡± said Reclan, ¡°I¡¯m gonna send my drones in to map the caves. Don¡¯t just run in and set off all the traps, okay?¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± said Vanbrook defensively. ¡°Your precious drone had crashed, let it go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just making sure we¡¯re on the same page,¡± she said as she sent the drones in.


    The cave system appeared fairly large, with a few twists and side passages. The drone¡¯s cameras didn¡¯t find much on the cave floors aside from smooth ice and stone. The final room offered the most interest, as there were scattered bones lying around it. The drones carefully scanned the floor, but the pile of stones they were looking for were clearly absent. Just as she went to recall the drones, part of Reclan¡¯s screen went black.


    ¡°Aw, man,¡± she exclaimed, ¡°something happened to one of the drones!¡± She sent one of the others to investigate the chamber where the first were lost. This time something blurred across the screen before it also went black.


    A roar echoed through the cave and reached the squad, who immediately took defensive positions.


    Answering roars came from all around, and they looked up the walls of the valley to see scattered white forms stalking towards them. They were boar apes, like from the crash site, but they were covered in short, white plumage.


    ¡°Every planet has bears,¡± sighed Raivyn.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Reclan.


    ¡°Bears. Apex predators that seem to have a subspecies or variant in every climate.¡±


    ¡°Great. How do we handle this?¡± asked Vanbrook, his hand on his pistol.


    Doc looked around and, seeing they were surrounded, declared, ¡°Violently.¡±


    Raivyn waved him off.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± she said. ¡°I want to try something.¡± She lowered herself to the ground, sitting cross-legged on the icy rocks.


    ¡°Everyone stay calm,¡± she said. ¡°No sudden moves. Try to relax your bodies.¡±


    The directives were a bit hard to swallow, but the team trusted Raivyn and complied. Raivyn was deep in thought, her fingers resting on her temples as she concentrated.


    The boar apes began to look around, sniffing the air. The roars became mild bellows, then silence. They began to shuffle towards the cave instead of the squad. Vanbrook¡¯s hand hovered over his revolver, but he pushed down the rising panic as the beasts congregated nearby.


    In Raivyn¡¯s mind, she was calling out to the beasts, telling them to relax and that it was time to rest. Animal minds were difficult to bend. They were simpler, but in some ways stronger. They were straightforward. A sapient mind was filled with conflict and paradoxes; an animal mind was singularly focused on survival and instinct. As though she were sifting through sand, she dug for the parts of their minds that were looking for rest, and encouraged those impulses. But it was hard work, and the apes were resisting.


    The boar ape that had been in the cave came out. It was nearly nine feet tall and clearly the alpha of the group. It snarled at Raivyn and the other apes again looked confused. Raivyn could feel the fear and anger of the alpha pushing back against her calming influence. She locked eyes with it as it stalked towards the group.


    ¡°Everyone head up the trail,¡± she said.


    ¡°What?! I¡¯m not leaving you,¡± snarled Vanbrook, eying the alpha dangerously.


    ¡°Our numbers are frightening the alpha. If you don¡¯t go, we¡¯ll have to fight all of them.¡±


    Vanbrook looked around nervously. D¡¯Jarric nodded to him and began walking away. He grudgingly followed, watching Raivyn as he went, his hand never leaving his pistol.


    The others leaving gave Raivyn an edge over the alpha. The other apes gave themselves over to the drowsiness that was overtaking their minds and walked sleepily into the cave. The alpha roared angrily at Raivyn, but she maintained her approach, calmly nudging him and the others to rest. With a snort, the alpha turned and walked into the cave. Raivyn smiled and relaxed her mind, exhausted from the effort.

 Chapter 12: Unwelcome Company

    Drixen and Trikac were enjoying an evening tea aboard the shuttle when they heard a rumbling noise.  Looking out a porthole, they saw a distant object overhead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s what I think it is,¡± said Trikac.


    ¡°A star tree,¡± muttered Drixen.


    ¡°I asked you not to tell me,¡± replied Trikac.


    ¡°Ah, well. All that sneaking around for nothing,¡± Drixen said. He moved his raygun from his boot, where he normally kept it while flying, to his belt and opened the door. The star tree landed an almost-respectful distance from the shuttle. Trikac clicked his mouth parts derisively.


    The tree¡¯s door opened and an Astralbian knight walked out with six soldiers in tow.


    ¡°What brings you folks up this way?¡± asked Drixen, maintaining a smile.


    ¡°Just here to see the sites,¡± said the knight, smiling broadly.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m afraid we have a Republic operation going on in this area,¡± said Drixen, ¡°and I¡¯m going to kindly ask you to leave.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said the knight.


    Drixen felt a wave of dread wash over him. His hands trembled, his heart raced, and he began sweating. It was some kind of psychic attack. He reached for the pistol at his belt, but his shaking hands slowed him down too much.


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem with you biologicals,¡± said the Astrablian knight, stepping forward and stabbing Drixen through the abdomen. ¡°Weak hearts.¡±


    Trikac opened fire immediately, but his shot went wide and the knight cut him down.


    Seeing the Human and Raki lying in red and blue pools, respectively, he nodded and sheathed his blade.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get moving. We¡¯ll worry about their ship after we have the coordinates.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir Traelby,¡± said one of the soldiers.


    Traelby looked up into the icy canyon. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can catch up with our friends.¡±


    ***


    Far to the north, Talon Squad had continued their trek, trying to put some distance between themselves and the boar apes before setting up camp for the night. Raivyn was starting to lag behind.


    ¡°Hold up,¡± said Vanbrook, ¡°Rai, what you did back there took a lot out of you. How much further can you go today?¡±


    Now that she had been called out on it, Raivyn let her shoulders slump. She tried not to let on how exhausted she was, but it was no use. She couldn¡¯t keep it up.


    ¡°Not far,¡± she replied. ¡°Where¡¯s the next cave system?¡±


    ¡°About¡­ two miles ahead,¡± said Reclan.


    ¡°We¡¯d better not camp directly in front of a cave, anyway, in case something inside wakes up,¡± suggested D¡¯Jarric, jerking his thumb back towards the cave full of boar apes.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t feel great about camping out here, period,¡± said Vanbrook, ¡°but we don¡¯t have a whole lot of choice. Let¡¯s set up behind those boulders up ahead. A little windbreak won¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Moments later, five small tents had been set up in a neat row and a flood light was set up at either end. Each tent had basic climate control and enough space for a squad member and their gear. D¡¯Jarric offered to take the first watch, since he didn¡¯t need near the kind of rest that biologicals did.


    D¡¯Jarric admired the natural beauty of the icy valley. The night would have been pitch black if not for the flood lights, but by their illumination he took in the whites and blues of truly magnificent landscape. It was moments like this more so than battle that drew him away from Solaris Maginite. Ruling a star as a conscious miasma swirling around in a fiery sea didn¡¯t appeal to him the way that exploring the galaxy did, seeing the many wonders wrought by the Progenitor. Solarans had a wonderful culture of philosophy and thought games, but life there lacked the textures and challenges offered by the rest of the galaxy. One day he would be called back there. He knew he would be willing and content to go, but he tried to enjoy the vast beauty of the galaxy while he could.


    A noise from up above caught D¡¯Jarric¡¯s attention, it sounded like some small stones skittering across the ice. He looked up and saw the alpha boar ape, silently soaring from where he had leapt, a look of hate in its eyes. D¡¯Jarric braced himself for the impact, but that was all he had time for. The alpha crashed into him and the two went rolling across the valley floor.


    Grabbing D¡¯Jarric by the arms, the boar ape bit him, driving its tusks into his neck and shoulders. D¡¯Jarric cried out in pain, waking the others. He maneuvered his uninjured arm under the beast so his fist was against its ribs and blasted a hole clean through its chest. The boar ape slumped to the ground and D¡¯Jarric stood up, sparks flying from his compromised shoulder. He grimaced in pain as the other squad members shot out of their tents to see what was going on.


    Seeing that D¡¯Jarric was injured, he ran over, medkit already in hand. He examined the damage to D¡¯Jarric¡¯s field and pulled out a small device.


    ¡°Just a little wave stabilizer to reestablish your EM field,¡± he said, jamming the device into the sparking region of D¡¯Jarric¡¯s shoulder.  D¡¯Jarric grimaced as a buzzing sensation rippled through his being.


    D¡¯Jarric looked around at the others. Reclan was still bundled as if she¡¯d been sleeping in her clothes, Raivyn had hastily thrown on some boots and a parka over the base leotard worn under all her snow gear, and Vanbrook was wearing nothing more than some pajama pants and an undershirt, brandishing his pistol. They all looked on, worried.


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    He laughed at them.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, guys,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m not gonna die. This is all an avatar, remember?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but if you lose your avatar it¡¯ll take, like, a thousand years to regenerate another,¡± said Reclan.


    ¡°Ah, just a hundred,¡± said D¡¯Jarric dismissively.


    ¡°Well, we needn¡¯t worry about any of that because our Solaran here is going to be just fine,¡± chided Doc.


    ¡°I guess the alpha held a grudge,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Sorry, D¡¯Jarric.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± he replied, ¡°you kept us from trying to fight an entire troop. One vengeful alpha wasn¡¯t too bad.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Doc, ¡°I¡¯m pretty well awake now. DJ, go rest up. Vanbrook, you¡¯re gonna lose toes if you keep standing there like a slack-jawed idiot.¡±


    Vanbrook looked down at his feet, which were rapidly losing color. He blinked, shrugged and walked back to his tent.


    ***


    The next morning the squad got up and broke camp, quickly making the two mile hike to the next cave system. It was smaller than the first, and had no signs of habitation. Unfortunately it had no signs of a cairn, either. The next cave system was just three miles away, and the one after that a full day¡¯s hike of eleven miles.


    Raivyn slung her pack off her back.


    ¡°Okay, folks,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s take a breather. We can hike to the next cave after and then set up camp once we¡¯ve explored there.¡±


    Reclan took the opportunity to try updating the pilots, but the call went unanswered.


    ¡°Hmm. Guys, I can¡¯t reach Drixen and Trikac,¡± she said.


    ¡°Iron deposit interference again?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s actually a lot less iron up here. They just aren¡¯t picking up.¡±


    Vanbrook¡¯s face twisted with thought and concern.


    ¡°Can you send a drone to check on them?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± replied Reclan, ¡°At best these guys have a range of five miles, we¡¯re about twelve miles out.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Raivyn, ¡°we¡¯d better press on anyway. Reclan, keep trying to reach out to the shuttle when you can. If we can¡¯t reach them after we¡¯ve explored the next cave, we¡¯ll reach out to the Wingspan. If they can¡¯t reach the shuttle, two of us will head back and check it out while the others press on.¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement. It was clear that their brief rest was over, and everyone grabbed their gear and began hiking without another word.


    ***


    Drixen, meanwhile, was still lying in a pool of his own blood. A gust of warm air from the shuttle''s vents washed over him, rousing him from his deathbed. Despite the bloodloss, despite the biting wind, despite the voice in his mind telling him to just rest for a while, he opened his eyes. The grogginess was sharpened to sobriety when he saw Trikac lying a few feet away, his red exoskeleton already beginning to whiten in the arctic sun. There was no flicker of life in his friend¡¯s normally shining black eyes, now dull.


    Fighting for every inch, Drixen pulled himself from where he lay, stumbled up the ramp and closed the door. It killed him not to do more for Trikac, but the dead would have to wait.


    Dragging himself to the shuttle''s medkit, he wrapped his bloodied torso in bandages and crawled towards the comms radio.


    Talon Squad had nearly reached the next cave when Reclan''s radio crackled.


    "T-t-talon S-squad, this is Dr-dr-drixen, come in, T-talon Squad."


    "Drixen, this is Talon Squad," answered Reclan, "are you okay?"


    "Astralbian Kingdom at-t-tacked us," said Drixen, his speech improving as he warmed up and the medicine in the bandages kicked in, "Trikac is dead. Seven hostiles are heading your way. Their leader is a psychic. I''ve been stabbed, but I''ll live. I think. The moron apparently thinks human hearts are in the abdomen."


    "Consider Doc on his way as soon as we deal with these parasites," said Vanbrook. Doc nodded his agreement.


    "Yeah,¡± replied the pilot as he grimaced through the pain, ¡°that''d be good.¡±


    "Let''s send some drones back to do a little recon," suggested Raivyn.


    "Way ahead of you," said Reclan, already fiddling with her tablet. On the first sweep, they saw no evidence of any Astralbians.


    "Well," Reclan thought aloud, "they may be hiding further back. Should we head that way?"


    "Hmm," said Vanbrook. ¡°No, try the cave we just came from. I''d bet money they''ve set up an ambush and are waiting for us to return with the goods."


    Sure enough, deep in the caves sat seven Astralbians, huddled in one antechamber. Reclan kept the drone low to the ground, thrusters on their lowest setting, and avoided being spotted by the enemy.


    "Can you blow up the drone?" asked Vanbrook.


    "Uh, no," replied Reclan, "the one from before was the only one I rigged for that. Plus I''ve already lost two drones this trip thanks to those boar apes."


    "Let''s head down and confront them, then. We have to get back to Drixen ASAP."


    The squad stealthily made their way back, reaching the mouth of the cave without incident. Vanbrook smiled and asked for Reclan''s tablet, and Reclan shrugged and obliged. Raivyn rolled her eyes but said nothing.


    Vanbrook grinned as he steered the drone behind Astralbian knight he recognized from the incident at the pit. Pressing a button, he gave him a small shock, causing the knight to throw himself across the antechamber gracelessly, landing in a heap on the floor. Vanbrook activated the speaker on the drone.


    ¡°Greetings, Sir Snooty. Consider yourself counter-ambushed. Come out quietly and return as our prisoner, and I won¡¯t humiliate you any more than necessary.¡±


    Rage twisted Traelby¡¯s face as he deftly slashed the drone from the air with his sword. His voice rang through the cave.


    ¡°Kill them! We¡¯ll find the coordinates ourselves!¡±


    Four Astralbian soldiers rushed to the entrance of the cave immediately, shields up and thorn guns firing. The biological guns were essentially dwarf breeds of the star trees that were shaped like a pistol and used the same biofuel as their larger relatives to fire a barrage of deadly woody spikes with each shot. They had a limited number of shots and a short range, but they were devastating in close combat.


    Vanbrook stepped into the fray with his energy buckler raised, warding off a shot and giving the others a chance to back up. His face and shoulder were gouged by some of the splintered wooden projectiles, but the wounds were superficial.


    With his good arm, D¡¯Jarric fired into the group, trying to keep their fire off Vanbrook and taking down one soldier. Talon squad retreated to a position behind a boulder, D¡¯Jarric giving Vanbrook cover to retreat as well. Vanbrook pulled his revolver and shot a blast of blue energy that took out another enemy. He had changed out his ammunition after Drixen had reached out to them, swapping in nova crystal rounds rather than the normal ballistics.


    The fight became a slog after that, with both parties entrenched in cover. Raivyn tried to break into the mind of one of the enemy soldiers, but they were clearly trained to resist psychic attacks. Undeterred, she concentrated and sent a bolt of psychic energy at him instead. The concentrated T-bolt tore through his electromagnetic form, mortally wounding him. Raivyn watched in grim satisfaction as his being collapsed into a small crystal.


    The lone soldier was now joined by Traelby, who immediately targeted Vanbrook. Vanbrook felt the psychic attack, like claws clamping onto his skull. He tried to resist, but Traelby cracked through his resistance and Vanbrook felt himself lose control of his body.

 Chapter 13: Shrumps Cairn

    Vanbrook¡¯s gun turned towards the Squad, and he couldn¡¯t stop it. Despite Vanbrook''s height and large frame, he was off balance as he fought Traelby''s influence, and Raivyn was able to grab his collar and drag him into the cover of the boulder looking him dead in the eye. Fear rose in Vanbrook¡¯s mind, but so did something else.


    Van, I¡¯m going to fight him but I need your help. Can you feel me? The thought was clear, but it wasn¡¯t his own. It was Raivyn¡¯s.


    Y- yes. He thought, not sure if she could hear him.


    Okay. Focus on me, okay? Don¡¯t fight him. Focus on me.


    If I stop fighting him I¡¯ll kill you.


    No. I won¡¯t let that happen. Focus on me. My influence will overpower his if you focus on me.


    Vanbrook obeyed, the split second drawn out into an eternal agony, filled with fear he was about to kill this woman he admired so much, fear of the ¡°BANG¡± that would ruin everything.


    But the bang never came. The gun flew from his hand as Raivyn¡¯s psychic presence kicked out Traelby¡¯s. In the cave, Traelby reeled back. A well placed shot from Doc¡¯s rifle took out the last soldier standing in the cave entrance. By Doc''s count that left two additional soldiers within the cave.


    Then something truly strange happened. The two remaining soldiers, a male and a female, rushed from the back of the cave, clamping something around Traelby and pushing him to the ground.


    They stood up, each with a foot on Traelby¡¯s shocked, prostrate form.


    ¡°Triflin and Kiflin, at your service,¡± said the male.


    ¡°He¡¯s Triflin and I¡¯m Kiflin,¡± said the female.


    Traelby looked at them with wrath in his eyes, only to receive a shock from the device he was being held by, which looked like a set of insect legs holding his arms against his sides.


    ¡°These T-shackles are specially bred to resist psychic powers and deliver a little bioelectric shock to the wearer if they try,¡± said Triflin, grinning.


    ¡°Uh- thanks,¡± said Reclan, at a loss.


    D¡¯Jarric stood aloof, still ready to fight. Doc¡¯s rifle was still up. Raivyn came around the side of the boulder, taking the situation in.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± she asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re turning ourselves over,¡± said Kiflin. ¡°We don¡¯t believe in the so-called Kingdom. We want to be free like you are, and we¡¯re willing to be prisoners first if that¡¯s what it takes. Consider Traelby here as a kind of¡­ bargaining chip.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Sir Traelby, you traitorous scu-OOF!¡± Triflin cut Traelby off with a swift kick.


    Vanbrook was still sitting behind the boulder, the after effects of the psychic attack still wearing off. Trembling, he scooped up his pistol and stood up, rounding the boulder and kneeling by Traelby in an instant. He pushed the muzzle of his pistol into the back of Traelby¡¯s head, crushing his face into the ice.


    ¡°Vanbrook!¡± shouted Raivyn. ¡°Enough!¡±


    ¡°This monster needs a bullet in his head,¡± he said, seething.


    ¡°Agreed, but he¡¯s our prisoner now, so he¡¯ll get what¡¯s coming to him after a trial, okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Vanbrook, standing up slowly and holstering his pistol. ¡°Of course you¡¯d stick up for a fellow freak.¡±


    Silence reigned for a moment. Then Traelby cackled.


    ¡°Enough!¡± shouted Raivyn again. Her voice was strained. "Reclan, you and Vanbrook go north. Find the coordinates. Doc and DJ, you¡¯re with me. We¡¯re going to help Drixen and secure these three. Triflin, Kiflin, you¡¯re up front with Traelby. You watch him, we watch you. Any funny business and you die. Understood?¡± They nodded.


    The group split without any further word.


    Aboard the shuttle, Drixen woke up with a start. He found himself slumped over the controls, dried blood staining the dash. Everything flooded back in. He¡¯d passed out just after contacting Talon Squad. Without thinking twice he called them again.


    ¡°Talon Squad, this is Drixen, do you copy?¡±


    ¡°Drixen,¡± said Reclan¡¯s voice. ¡°This is Talon Squad, good to hear from you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I feel pretty bad, but I think I¡¯m alright. Did you handle the Astralbians?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah,¡± she started. She filled him in on the fight and the current situation, leaving out the dust-up between Vanbrook and Raivyn.


    ¡°Oh, uh, okay,¡± he said, trying to absorb it all. ¡°I¡¯ll pass that on to Jasken.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°He¡¯s apprised of the situation,¡± she said, ¡°I just got off the horn with him. He said he wanted updates on your condition as soon as possible, so maybe give him a call.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Well, see you before too long, then.¡±


    Drixen hung up and dialed the Wingspan.


    ¡°Drixen!¡± shouted Captain Hunt when he heard the man¡¯s voice, ¡°Cowgirl is going to kill you, almost dying again like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do this to keep her on her toes, that¡¯s all,¡± said Drixen.


    ¡°Is that so, Textbook?¡± said a smoky, slightly annoyed female voice from over the comm.


    ¡°Oh, uh, hi Kaihla,¡± he said.


    ¡°A word with my pilot, if I may?¡± said a very different, commanding voice. There were a couple rushed ¡°yes, sirs¡± and then a beat of silence.


    ¡°Drixen, this is Admiral Jasken.¡±


    ¡°Hello, sir. Sorry I didn¡¯t reach out sooner, I was, uh, unconscious. Frankly, if I hadn''t been under the shuttle''s vents I would have died of exposure.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I am sorry to hear about Trikac but glad to hear your voice. Now, I hate to ask anything else of you right now, but what do you know about flying a star tree?"


    ***


    To the north, Vanbrook and Reclan walked for nearly three hours in stone cold silence. Finally, Reclan couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    ¡°What was that about back there?!¡± she demanded.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Vanbrook, still stewing over it all.


    ¡°You called Raivyn a freak,¡± the Dromean said, pressing the issue.


    Vanbrook shook his head. ¡°Yeah. Traelby was¡­ in my head. She pushed him out.¡±


    ¡°So now you¡¯re mad at her?¡±


    ¡°I was freaked out, okay?!¡± shouted Vanbrook, throwing up his hands in defeat. ¡°It¡¯s over. Let it go!¡±


    Reclan quieted. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s over for Raivyn,¡± she said after a few more minutes'' silence. After that, the frigid wind¡¯s howl was the only voice in the valley until they reached the next unexplored cave.


    They put their packs down and Reclan fired up the few remaining drones she had, sending them in to scope out the cave. Vanbrook watched the screens with Reclan for a bit, then got up and moved around some. He practiced some of his sword drills. He put standard ballistic rounds back in his revolver.


    His mind was still reeling and he hated it. He had gone up against psychics before, but they were rare. He¡¯d never met one as powerful as Traelby before, except maybe Raivyn, and she¡¯d never used her abilities on him. Before today. But she wasn¡¯t a freak. She was a gifted and hardworking warrior, just like him. The experience had been traumatic, but that wasn''t actually Raivyn''s fault. He¡¯d have to let it go. Surely if he just acted like nothing happened it would blow over just like all the other jabs and snipes before it.


    ¡°You have got to be kidding me!¡± exclaimed Reclan in a hoarse whisper.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Vanbrook out loud. Irritated, she motioned for him to shut up and come look at her screen. Walking over, Vanbrook saw what had her worried.


    The screen showed the drone¡¯s view of a massive chamber deep in the cave. The cairn they¡¯d been searching for was right there in the middle of the floor. But something else was in the room as well; something enormous, coiled and snoring. It was hard to judge the overall length from the drone footage, but the massive serpent-like creature curled up on the cave floor looked to be about five feet thick at its widest point. Covered in coarse white fur, it had a lion-like mane around its head and a wolf-like face, teeth bared as it snored violently.


    ¡°Oh, you have got to be kidding me,¡± echoed Vanbrook quietly.


    Back aboard the shuttle, Drixen had dozed off again when the call came in from Doc Manford.


    "Hey, Ace, want to open up and let us in?"


    Drixen woke with a start and opened the shuttle doors for the squad and their guests. D''Jarric had a wave tuner device in his shoulder, Raivyn had a distant and stormy look about her and Doc wore the same aloof presence he always did. Traelby was quietly taking everything in and grumbling. Only Triflin and Kiflin looked happy to be there.


    "Welcome aboard. The prisoner can go in the hold." Drixen pushed down a panic-driven desire to pull his raygun and blow the Astralbian away then and there. He knew the others were bringing him back, but seeing him again so soon shook him. He pushed the feelings down and moved on, leaving Traelby''s judgment to others. "We''ll have to move some supplies out. I''m afraid I''m no use lugging crates around. I¡¯ll¡­ also need help with Trikac," Drixen¡¯s face fell with the last comment.


    "DJ, let''s secure the prisoner. Then we can bring Trikac on board," said Raivyn. She took Traelby by the shoulder and shuffled him towards the hold.


    Drixen eyed the two Astralbian soldiers. "My name is Drixen. Admiral Jasken of the Blue Griffon Fleet welcomes you, and looks forward to speaking to you. You''re going to have to be debriefed thoroughly and submit to a gamut of tests and other unpleasantries, but before that you''re going to teach me to fly a star tree so we can get our new prize back to the fleet."


    Triflin and Kiflin grinned excitedly, but Kiflin''s smile faded suddenly. "They won''t separate us, will they?" she implored. Drixen looked at them intently and noticed for the first time how young they were. EM beings didn''t age like biologicals, but you could see it in the eyes if you knew what to look for. He also noticed how similar they looked; one male, one female, but cut from the same cloth.


    "I don''t know," Drixen said honestly, "but if you are and everything checks out, it won''t be for long."


    They looked relieved.


    "Are you two¡­ twins?" Drixen asked.


    "Yes!" said Triflin excitedly.


    "I didn''t know that was possible for Astralbians."


    "Yes," said Kiflin. ¡°It''s rare, but it''s possible. There are many analogues between our races. The Progenitor works in patterns."


    Drixen raised his eyebrows. He didn''t expect that kind of talk from Astralbians.


    "Yes," Triflin answered the unasked question. ¡°We recognize the Progenitor. That is one reason we are fleeing the Kingdom. Service to the royal family is the only accepted form of worship, and we reject such bondage. No mortal is our god." The twins struck defiant faces, standing with their chests out and chins high. The twins'' unified motions cut a comic picture, but Drixen nodded his approval and kept the amusement off his face.


    "Well you can discuss theology once you''re on the star tree," Doc said lazily, "but right now I need to evaluate my patient."


    ***


    Up north, Vanbrook and Reclan were in the room with the giant serpent, slowly and quietly dismantling the cairn. They both tried to watch the serpent as they lifted stone after heavy stone. Reclan moved a large rock, finally revealing a small, black cylinder. In her excitement, she grabbed it and yanked it from the pile, causing a number of rocks to tumble from the cairn and scatter noisily across the floor. Vanbrook grimaced. They both turned to the wolfish face, seeing with horror that its eyes were opened.

 Chapter 14: The Wolf Serpent

    ¡°Reclan,¡± said Vanbrook calmly. ¡°Get that cylinder back to the shuttle. No arguing. Run. Now.¡±


    Reclan obeyed immediately, her strong Dromean legs carrying her faster than any human could hope to run. The wolf serpent¡¯s head struck out to snap her up in its jaws, but Vanbrook drew his pistol and fired at it. The serpent recoiled, and Reclan had time to exit the cave.


    However, the shot did precious little damage and only served to anger the monster. It turned its attention to Vanbrook, rearing back and hissing. He dove out of the way of another strike, trying to move towards the entrance of the chamber, but the beast¡¯s powerful tail swatted him back in.


    Firing blind, Vanbrook cracked off two shots as he stumbled to his feet. The sound of the gun in the small, rocky chamber was disorienting to the serpent, but the rounds did little damage.


    The fanged maw shot towards Vanbrook again, and he drew his sword, slashing at the monster¡¯s face. The blade caught its nose as Vanbrook dove to the side, and the creature howled.


    Vanbrook emptied the three remaining rounds into the monster¡¯s face, hoping to cripple or blind it, but none of the rounds found a particularly soft target, glancing off the beast¡¯s massive skull. Blood ran down the serpent¡¯s jaw, but it merely snarled at its would-be prey, its wolfish face contorting into a look of pure hatred as it bared its fangs.


    Holstering his pistol, Vanbrook activated his buckler and faced the monster, ready to parry the next strike. When it came, it was from behind, as the serpent tried to swat at him with its tail again. This time, Vanbrook anticipated the attack and pointed his sword into the incoming tail. The momentum of the tail worked against the serpent, and the sword bit into its leathery hide. Another pained roar gave Vanbrook hope, but even though the sword found some purchase, the strike had reverberated up his arm, reminding him how powerful a foe he was facing.


    He intuitively swung his shield around in a powerful backhand, anticipating the follow-up strike that came after the tail attack. The wild swing connected with the side of the serpent¡¯s head, causing it to reel back. The creature¡¯s normal tactics weren¡¯t working, and it backed up a moment to study its prey.


    Taking the opportunity, Vanbrook dashed for the chamber entrance, this time making it without interference. He knew from the scream that echoed through the cave that he was being pursued, but he continued running. He hoped desperately he could make it to the exit before the creature could catch up.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Reclan was still sprinting headlong towards the shuttle. She had left her pack at the cave entrance and was navigating the craggy path as quickly as she safely could, if not a bit quicker. Given the rocky terrain, the downhill slope and the fact that she was about fifteen miles from the shuttle, she figured she could make the run in under two hours if she didn¡¯t stop to rest or worry about conserving energy like they had on the way up. She slowed down just enough to work her comms.


    ¡°Shuttle this is Reclan, do you copy?!¡±


    ¡°Copy, Reclan, this is Raivyn. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°We found the cairn. I have a cylinder that probably has the coordinates in it, but we were attacked by some kind of serpent. Vanbrook ordered me to run and get these to you guys.¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s still back there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Yes, he¡¯s still back there.¡±


    Raivyn bit her lip. She was still ready to strangle Vanbrook for what he¡¯d said, but there was no way she was leaving a squad member to die. The problem was they could barely cover their bases as it was. Between Trikac¡¯s death, D¡¯Jarric and Drixen¡¯s injuries and the three Astralbians, there wasn¡¯t a lot of personnel to spare.


    ¡°Reclan,¡± she said, ¡°keep heading our way. If you see me running past you, don¡¯t stop. I¡¯m going to go get Vanbrook.¡±


    She figured the run would take her about three hours, if she really pushed herself. As she threw on the lightest loadout of gear that she could justify, she shouted to Doc, ¡°Reclan¡¯s on the way back with the coordinates. Vanbrook¡¯s in trouble. Look after your patients, but keep an eye on the others, too.¡±


    Doc threw up his hands, but didn¡¯t object further. She left, running towards the last person in the galaxy she felt like seeing.


    ***


    The serpent growled as it wormed through the cave, following the scent of its quarry. Its face was marred and bloody, and hunger for meat had given way to vengeful rage. The light of day shone from the entrance of the cave, and the serpent could smell the intruder somewhere nearby. Cautiously, it began to nose its way out of the cave, sniffing the air as it went.


    From his perch above the cave entrance, Vanbrook watched as the serpent¡¯s nose appeared, followed by its snout, eyes, and mane. Once the neck of the creature was fully exposed, Vanbrook leaped, grabbing a fistful of mane as he landed just behind the serpent¡¯s head.


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    The beast began to twist and coil violently, but Vanbrook held on, even when he was slammed between the serpent and the cave entrance.


    Waiting for the briefest lapse in movement, Vanbrook drew back his saber and stabbed it into the serpent¡¯s eye. The writhing of the beast became more erratic, giving way to twitching death throws as it howled in agony. Vanbrook held on and rode the monstrous head to the ground, where it landed with a thump, quickly becoming motionless.


    Vanbrook pulled his sword out of the wolf serpent''s head, cleaned the blade and sheathed it. He walked back into its chamber, making sure there was nothing else of interest in the cairn. Satisfied, he grabbed both his and Reclan''s pack and began hiking south through the arctic night.


    ***


    Raivyn kept her head down against the wind and marched on into the valley. Night had fallen hours ago. She had passed Reclan earlier in the evening. The Dromean had gotten word from Vanbrook that he had survived his ordeal and was on his way back as well. Raivyn had considered turning back, but it wouldn''t be right to leave a squadmate alone in a predator-infested region overnight, so she had pressed on, though not at full speed.


    The first glimmers of cold daylight were shining over the eastern ridge when Raivyn finally saw Vanbrook''s flashlight bobbing down the trail up ahead. Seeing her, Vanbrook dropped both packs, leaning back against a boulder to take a breather. She worked her way up the trail, stopping at Vanbrook''s feet.


    Raivyn picked up Reclan''s pack and slung it over her shoulder.


    "Come on," she said brusquely. ¡°We have high priority assets to get back to the Wingspan."


    Vanbrook let out a heavy sigh but made no further protests. Raivyn''s attitude was colder than the arctic wind that clawed at their backs.


    "Look, Rai-"


    "Don''t," she said, cutting off his attempt at conversation. The rest of the hike was silent.


    ***


    Everything moved quickly once the two squadmates got back to the shuttle. Traelby was marched on to the commandeered star tree to go with Drixen, Raivyn, D''Jarric, Doc and the twins while Reclan, who had some experience as a pilot, and Vanbrook took the cylinder back in the shuttle.


    Aboard the star tree, Drixen was getting a crash course in flying a biological ship before lift-off. The controls resembled two roots growing from a wooden console, held by the pilot like the reins of a chariot, while the pilot stood on a small podium that resembled a stump.


    "Yes," Kiflin was saying, "push forward to speed up, pull back to slow down. That''s the basics."


    "How do I see where I''m going?" asked Drixen.


    "The membrane in front of you," the Astralbian replied. ¡°It''s a screen. There are eyes grown at critical points on the outer bark of the tree, which can feed visual information to the screen."


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Drixen, uncomfortable with the idea of a ship having eyes growing on it. ¡°Um, how do I turn it on?¡±


    ¡°Think about it,¡± said Triflin.


    ¡°Um, what?¡± said Drixen.


    ¡°Think about it, let the thought sink into the roots.¡±


    Drixen¡¯s face contorted as he tried to wrap his head around the concept. He grasped the roots and thought about eyes, but nothing happened. He tightened his grip and concentrated on the idea, trying to will the command into the ship. With a shudder, the screen suddenly lit up with a jumble of images and an uninvited presence snapped into Drixen¡¯s mind. He recoiled from the controls, staring at them.


    ¡°Is the ship¡­ alive?¡± he asked, staring at the twins in horror.


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Triflin.


    ¡°Alive,¡± said Kiflin, ¡°but not aware. Certainly not sapient. Communication with the ship is fairly intuitive for an Astralbian. Maybe others have to¡­ learn the language.¡±


    ¡°Can I give it a try?¡± asked Raivyn.


    The twins looked at Drixen, who shrugged and nodded. Raivyn stepped up to the podium and took the controls. She thought about the ship''s eyes, concentrating on the one facing skyward. She could feel her thoughts coursing through the tree''s nerve-like communication network.


    The screen flashed again, the variably pigmented cells forming a clear picture of the Hittanian sky. The image had a matte finish to it, making it look almost like a hyper detailed painting rather than the glossy look mechanical screens had.


    Raivyn moved the eye with her mind. Clouds swept by as she looked back and forth.


    "It''s like puppeteering," she said, "Astralbians are known to have some basic, intuitive psychic abilities even if they''re not trained or particularly gifted. It would be hard for a non-psychic to learn to pilot like this, if not impossible."


    Drixen looked crestfallen. Triflin gave him a pat on the shoulder.


    Beside the star tree, Vanbrook and Reclan had just taken off and Raivyn spotted them on the screen. Her thoughts turned to Vanbrook, and a quiet buzzing sounded throughout the tree.


    Kiflin tackled Raivyn off the platform and Triflin grabbed the controls. Just as they did, a beam shot out of the tree''s eye and grazed the Reclan and Vanbrook''s shuttle.


    D''Jarric, Doc and Drixen all trained weapons on the twins, who put their hands up and stepped away from Raivyn and the console immediately.


    "What was that?!" shouted Reclan over the comms channel.


    "Sorry," said Triflin, "new pilot orientation. Won''t happen again."


    "Everyone stand down," said Raivyn. ¡°This was on me." Drixen let out a breath he didn''t realize he was holding. The buzzing must have been the weapon charging. It was an accident on Raivyn''s part, not an attack by the twins.


    "Excuse me?!" this time it was Vanbrook shouting through the comms.


    "Look," said Triflin, "Astralbian tech works very differently from what you are all used to. I suggest letting us fly the tree up to the fleet."


    "Whatever," said Reclan, "I guess I''ll have to keep my eyes peeled either way."


    Raivyn slunk over to Traelby''s cell, deciding to focus her energy on keeping an eye on him. All she had done was think of Vanbrook, how furious she was at him for his stupidity and ingratitude. She didn''t mean to fire a deadly weapon at him. Worse, Reclan was on the shuttle, too. She hated to think about what could have happened.


    "Still angry at your companion, I see," said the Astralbian knight, smiling. ¡°Don''t worry, I''m on your side. We ''freaks'' ought to look after each other.¡±


    Raivyn said nothing.

 Chapter 15: The Cylinder

    The shuttle pulled into the Wingspan¡¯s main hangar with the star tree close behind. When the hangar door closed and atmosphere was pumped back into the hangar, a group of officers and mechanics walked in clapping and cheering, led by Admiral Jasken. The crowd slapped shoulders, shook hands, welcomed the twins into the fold and jeered at the captive Astralbian knight. Kaihla rushed in and gave Drixen a big hug, trying to be careful of his wounds. A hug, Raivyn noted, not a kiss. She was a little ashamed that she was keeping score on that front in a moment like this, but she was pleased to see the platonic interaction between the two nonetheless.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± said Jasken. ¡°This prisoner needs to be taken down to the brig. Once he¡¯s in a T-wave tight cell, take these restraints off him. Triflin and Kiflin, you¡¯ll follow me to the officer¡¯s wing. Shrump¡¯s cylinder is coming with me. Trikac will be taken to rest in the morgue until his final affairs are set in order. The rest of you¡­ thank you for your service. Go rest. You¡¯ve earned it.¡±


    The lofted heroes went off to find a comfortable place to lay down, and Jasken led the twins to the room they¡¯d be staying in.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be staying in this room for the time being. Prisoners is an ugly word, but it¡¯s the honest one. Once we get you two debriefed and vetted, you¡¯ll be sent back to Kerucester on Griffonia. From there, you¡¯ll largely be free to start your own lives.¡±


    ¡°We want to serve in the Griffon Republic Navy!¡± said Triflin. Kiflin nodded vigorous agreement. Jasken held back a smile and nodded seriously.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves, but I like the spirit. There will be a guard at your door. Yes, he¡¯s there to make sure you don¡¯t leave, but he¡¯s also there to make sure you¡¯re comfortable. If you need anything, talk to him. We¡¯ll try to get you processed as quickly as possible. And thank you both, for doing what you did. The bravery of your actions is not lost on me.¡±


    With that, Jasken left the twins and headed to his own office and quarters. He opened the door to find Officer Hunt, Professor Chim, and Grikchum. He gave them a curt smile that did not reach his eyes. Chim held out an open hand.


    "She wanted to see the cylinder," said Hunt apologetically. "I told her you would be keeping it in your quarters."


    Jasken looked at Chim''s outstretched hand, then looked up into her eyes, maintaining a straight, if stern, face. She relented.


    "Admiral, may I please see the cylinder?" she asked with perfunctory politeness. Jasken obliged.


    The professor and her assistant huddled over the shiny black cylinder. It was about four inches in diameter and nearly a foot long, covered with Ancient Talpidarian lettering.


    "As I thought!" said Chim, ¡°It''s a Talpadarian puzzle tube."


    "The markings aren''t the coordinates, then?" asked Jasken, his optimism fading.


    "No," replied the professor. ¡°Each line of letters going around the tube spins individually. The trick is to line up the correct letters vertically. This mark on the top of the tube indicates which column the password should be lined up on. Once the puzzle is solved, the button on the top is pressed, and the tube opens. The coordinates will be inside."


    "Can you open it?" inquired Jasken. Chim shrugged, which felt ominous to the Admiral.


    "The code is likely in a cipher, so even if we knew the password, we still may not know which letters stand for which," she said, pondering.


    "Can you just try every possible combination?" asked Jasken.


    "No. Not only are there seven lines of twelve letters, making for a dizzying two million, nine hundred and eighty-five thousand, nine hundred and eighty-four possible solutions, but there is also the problem that it is certainly trapped."


    Jasken smoothed his mustache and furrowed his brow. "Trapped? How so?"


    Here, Grikchum broke into the conversation. "These cylinders were invented by the Talpidarians as a way to deceive the Empire, that is, to pass along information and documents in such a way that the Astralbians would not see it. The cylinders are mechanical devices, crude compared to the Astralbians'' biotechnology but difficult for them to comprehend.


    "For some time, the cylinders were dismissed as another useless gadget and dismissed when found on rebels and dissidents. As an added layer of protection, they typically employ an acidic or even explosive trap to destroy any documents if the cylinders were tampered with or if the release was pressed without first lining up the password.


    "So, without the cipher and password, the chances of opening the cylinder without destroying the document within are nearly three million to one, or, I dare say, practically impossible."


    Jasken raised his eyebrows, impressed with the youthful scholar.


    "Very good," said Chim in a tone just condescending enough to give the impression she was impressed but felt the upstart student had much more to learn. "We will, of course, start right away looking into possible ciphers and solutions." She began to walk out of the room.


    "Professor," chided Jasken. This time it was his turn to hold out an open hand. ¡°The cylinder stays with me for now. We will create a 3D image for study purposes and you will have immediate access to those files."


    Chim sheepishly and begrudgingly returned the cylinder, and the two scholars left the room.


    ***


    The next morning, Talon squad gathered for an early breakfast as they waited on further orders. The galley table was quiet. No one had much to say. As soon as she was done eating, Raivyn got up and left. Doc and D¡¯Jarric, who attended the traditional breakfast meetings only for the camaraderie and any official business to address, left soon after.


    ¡°You gotta patch things up with Rai,¡± said Reclan. Vanbrook, the only other squadmate still present, huffed, and sipped his rakka.


    ¡°Hey, she didn¡¯t want to talk,¡± he said, ¡°and then she literally sent a shot across my bow. I looked up star tree weapons systems. They respond to the pilot¡¯s psychic impulses, interpreting their emotions and intentions. I don¡¯t think Raivyn meant to shoot at me. But she does want me dead.¡±


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Reclan paused and stared at the table for a bit.


    ¡°Well,¡± she said finally, ¡°she doesn¡¯t want me dead, and I was on that shuttle, too. Look, Van, what do you know about Rai¡¯s childhood?¡±


    ¡°She was a gifted student. Excelled at athletics and academics. Full scholarship to the Griffonian College of Psychic Studies, top of her class, joined the Navy, blah blah blah.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s her career,¡± corrected Reclan, ¡°not her childhood.¡± The Dromean sighed. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not my place to tell you everything. She¡¯s confided some stuff in me that I probably shouldn¡¯t repeat, but trust me when I say that what you said -calling her a ''freak¡¯ - that cut deep.¡±


    The pair sat there for a few more minutes of silence. Reclan sighed. ¡°I¡¯m heading down to the fabrication shop,¡± she said finally. ¡°Most of my drones were destroyed by wildlife and the standard issue ones I have been given as replacements need lots and lots of dangerous mods before I¡¯d be willing to be seen with them in public. I¡¯ll see you later, Van.¡±


    Van continued to stare into his tea, but Reclan thought she might have caught a spark of his old humor in his eyes.


    ***


    On the bridge, Jasken had hailed Lord Raelik of the Astralbian Kingdom. The noble looked aggravated. Jasken gave him a smile.


    ¡°Lord Raelik. Would you happen to be missing a smaller, maybe shuttle-sized star tree?¡± Jasken had no doubt Raelik had signed off on the assault, but giving your opponent deniability had a way of keeping conversation civil.


    ¡°Admiral. As a matter of fact, yes,¡± said Raelik, playing along. ¡°Along with one of my knights and six soldiers.¡±


    ¡°I regret to inform you that your knight - Sir Traebly, I believe? - led an assault against my people, killing one of them and badly wounding another. He is in our custody, as is the star tree.¡±


    ¡°You will return them both, of course, along with the soldiers,¡± commanded Raelik.


    "I¡¯m afraid four of the soldiers were killed as my people defended themselves. The remaining two have chosen to stay in Republic custody for the time being. You¡¯ll have their letters announcing their intentions shortly.


    ¡°The prisoner and the ship will stay in our custody as we investigate the matter. Of course, you had no knowledge of the attack and we will soon be able to return your tree and knight to you in as good a condition as when we acquired them.¡±


    Raelik sneered at the insolent worm who dared to try playing him like some common politician.


    ¡°Very well, Jasken,¡± he seethed. ¡°Have it your way.¡± He ended the call abruptly.


    ***


    Vanbrook finished his rakka in solitude and then headed for the gym. Getting in an elevator, he was surprised to find Jasken with a large parcel.


    ¡°Good morning, Admiral,¡± he said cordially.


    ¡°Vanbrook,¡± responded Jasken. The two stood side-by-side for a moment in a silence that made Vanbrook squirm.


    ¡°Funny thing,¡± said the Admiral, ¡°Drixen¡¯s report mentioned an accidental discharge of the star tree¡¯s weapons, but none of Talon Squad¡¯s reports did.¡±


    Vanbrook thought to himself that it might be a good idea to have a conversation with ¡°Textbook¡± on how to apply discretion in future reports.


    ¡°Ah,¡± he said. ¡°No big deal. Just a small growing pain as we figure out how to utilize Astralbian technology sir.¡± He looked around for a way to change the topic. ¡°What¡¯s with the parcel? Unless, of course, that¡¯s classified.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, no, this is just some beef trimmings from the galley.¡±


    Vanbrook nodded, his face betraying his confusion. ¡°Planning on having a little snack later, sir?¡±


    ¡°No, uh, it¡¯s for Ol¡¯ Blue,¡± explained Jasken. ¡°Old boy needs some real red meat from time to time, you know?¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course.¡± Mercifully, the elevator door opened for Vanbrook¡¯s floor. He stepped out quickly, saying, ¡°So long, Admiral. Say hi to Ol¡¯ Blue for me.¡±


    ***


    High above, Crush wiped the grease from her hands once again.


    ¡°Good work, all,¡± she said to the maintenance crew she¡¯d been working with. She got a few nods, a slap on the shoulder from one of the more gung-ho workers, and then watched the others all quietly file away from the Sepulchre''s functional but suboptimal gun battery. The other large gunship, the Gravestone, wasn''t as badly damaged, but they had done what they could to beef up the EM and ballistic shielding there as well. The two smaller gun and support ships, the Dirge and the Shroud, had barely been touched by the attack.


    The past few days had been a miserable, grinding, frustrating slog of trying to get the guns and shielding functional again. Without additional ships, it seemed unlikely that they would be able to defeat the Republic fleet, not to mention the Astralbians. Part of her hoped that they would just abandon this campaign. She was having a hard time seeing the point of it now.


    ¡°Crush,¡± said a rusty voice over her comms. ¡°Report to my cabin immediately. The Astralbians want to have a parlay.¡± Rage boiled in her circuits. The Astralbians again. She¡¯d like to tear their electromagnetic fields apart slowly, one by one, just to hear that little pop as they fizzled out of existence. Parlay indeed. What did robots and a kingdom that wanted them all dead have to parlay about?


    ¡°Yes, Admiral,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯ll be there shortly. I¡¯m on the lead gunship now. We¡¯ve finished repairs to the best of our abilities.¡±


    ¡°Good, good,¡± said Grim absently. ¡°Hurry up, I want a word before the call begins.¡±


    Crush hopped on a skiff and got to Grim¡¯s cabin on the Reaper as quickly as she could manage. Frustrated as she was, she never slacked off out of protest. She¡¯d tossed underlings out into the aether for that kind of treason against the Collective.


    ¡°Sir,¡± she said as she entered the cabin.


    ¡°Crush,¡± he said, rising from his chair. His massive frame seemed to take up the whole of the cabin.


    ¡°I¡¯m concerned about you,¡± he continued. ¡°Since you¡¯ve risen in the ranks, you¡¯ve been spending more time than ever with the ditch diggers and wrench turners. Part of being promoted means less menial tasks.¡±


    ¡°With respect, sir, that kind of neglect is what made Splatter so ineffective. I find that spending time with my underlings boosts morale and works towards the good of the Collective.¡±


    Grim shook his head. ¡°You are a true believer, Crush. I admire that. I really do. But I was hoping your loss of the platinum bar would put things into perspective for you. We are the good of the Collective. The benefits accrue to us.¡±


    Crush bristled internally, but simply said, ¡°I will remember that going forward.¡± Grim eyed her with a doubtful look.


    ¡°Glad to hear that,¡± he said flatly.


    Just then, the comms system beeped. Grim accepted the call. ¡°Lord Raelik. So good to see you. Now, what¡¯s this about?¡±


    ¡°Admiral Grim,¡± said Raelik sweetly. ¡°We seem to have a common enemy. I have a proposition.¡±


    The wolfish grin on the Astralbian¡¯s face chilled Crush¡¯s circuits.


    ***


    Aboard the Wingspan, a figure shuffled through the maintenance corridors. The ship¡¯s electrical infrastructure was mostly contained in one area, making the mission relatively easy. Bypassing an alarm, the figure cut off the emergency back up power to the brig. Finding the junction box labeled ¡°Cell 3,¡± a smile appeared on the deeply shadowed face. The figure opened the box and cut every wire in quick succession. The brig would be totally without power for at least a few moments. That should be all Traelby needed.


    Phase one was complete. Now to find the other systems that needed attention.

 Chapter 16: Jailbreak

    Vanbrook was taking out some aggression on a punching bag. The gym was empty this time of day, and he was glad for that. Sometimes it was nice to be alone in the world. While he was contemplating, someone walked into the room.


    He looked up in time to see Raivyn turning around at the door.


    ¡°Rai, wait,¡± he called. She stopped, and slumped her shoulders. She half-turned, looking at him over her shoulder from the doorway.


    ¡°What do you want, Vanbrook?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°To apologize,¡± he said flatly, staring at the floor. ¡°I was pretty shook up. I said something stupid. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± He looked back up, grimacing.


    Raivyn stomped into the room, fist shaking and eyes flashing as she went. Vanbrook picked his head up, looking her square in the eyes as she closed the distance between them, shaking an accusatory finger in his face.


    ¡°Do you understand what kind of responsibility I have?¡± she demanded. ¡°Do you know what it¡¯s like to be a ¡®freak?¡¯¡±


    Vanbrook winced and looked away, not sure what to say.


    ¡°No,¡± Raivyn continued, wagging a finger in Vanbrook¡¯s face. ¡°No, you don¡¯t. I follow the Republic¡¯s psychic-specific rules of engagement to the letter to avoid doing anything irresponsible or inappropriate with my abilities. I knocked, you opened the door, and I kicked Traelby out of your tiny, little mind. So yeah, you said something stupid. And I sincerely hope it won¡¯t happen again. But you said it. We will keep working together; Talon Squad will continue to be the most effective special squad the Republic has. But I will not pretend that my tolerance for you goes beyond professional courtesy.¡±


    Vanbrook stared at her, stone faced. He walked over to the wall and picked up his gym bag and moved past Raivyn to the door.


    ¡°Gym¡¯s all yours,¡± he said brusquely. ¡°See you for the next job.¡±


    Just then, alarms started sounding through the ship. Jasken¡¯s voice came over the ship¡¯s public comm channel.


    ¡°All hands, there has been an incident in the brig area. Details are unknown at this time. All systems are to go into lockdown. All non-combat personnel, lock yourselves into the nearest room. All combat personnel, a picture of all three current prisoners will be sent to your comm devices immediately. These individuals must be stopped immediately. Take them alive if possible.¡±


    Vanbrook dropped his gym bag, rifled through it and pulled out his revolver and a large knife, which he clipped onto the waistband of his athletic pants.


    ¡°Guess it¡¯s time for the next job,¡± he said, not looking at Raivyn. She pulled her comms unit out of her sweatsuit, calling the other members of the squad.


    ¡°Everyone, I want to know where you are and what you know. Reclan, meet Vanbrook at the brig. Everyone else, head for the main hangar. No doubt Traelby will head for the star tree.¡±


    ***


    Moments before, Traelby had been quietly stewing in his cell when he felt something change. Then the lights went out. The T-wave blockers were down, he was sure of it.


    The two guards were wearing T-proof helmets. He could probably break through their defenses, but there was an easier way. Reaching out with a mental hand, he ripped the closer guard over the bars of his cell, put an arm around his neck and pulled his pistol, shooting the second guard. He then turned the gun on the guard he was choking and shot him point blank.


    He pushed on the cell door and it swung open without resistance. The other two prisoners did the same. The first prisoner darted for the other guard¡¯s gun and Traelby shot him in the back.


    The other prisoner put his hands up, saying, ¡°I¡¯m with you, m-¡±


    Traelby put a round in his forehead and walked out of the door, only to hear alarms begin blaring. Admiral Jasken¡¯s voice came out over the comms. Traelby ignored it, running to put some distance between himself and the brig. Rounding a corner, he saw someone duck into a room. He dove in after them before the door was shut.


    Seeing the Astralbian¡¯s armor, the Dromean medic he¡¯d followed raised a shaking finger, pointing at him in horror.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the escapee,¡± he grinned. ¡°Now tell me where the hangar is or die.¡±


    ¡°N-no!¡± she said, snapping a deadly kick at him with a clawed foot. Traelby reached out with his mind and stopped the foot in mid air. He crushed her ankle with a thought.


    ¡°Where?¡± he demanded, infusing the words with psychically-induced terror.


    ***


    Vanbrook heard the shot just before Traelby exited the room, the medic now dead on the floor behind him. He raised his revolver and fired at the fugitive. The shot went wide, grazing the Astralbian¡¯s arm.


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    Traelby shot Vanbrook a wicked grin and then turned to the wall, running directly into it. His cloak and armor clattered to the floor, but his body phased through the wall. It was a rare trick, but Vanbrook had heard some of the most powerful psychics were able to disperse themselves through solid material and come out on the other side unscatched.


    Vanbrook shouted into his comm, ¡°I¡¯m down at the brig, I have at least one person down. Traelby just phased into the wall. He can¡¯t keep that up long but he¡¯s probably making a bee-line for the hangar.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± said Raivyn, ¡°Doc and D¡¯Jarric are with me. You and Reclan need to make your way here, we¡¯ll see you there!¡±


    Vanbrook ran like a madman, taking the shortest possible route to the hangar. He rounded a corner just in time to see a flash of blue melt into the far wall.


    ¡°He¡¯s nearly there!¡± cried Vanbrook.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready for- there he is!¡± replied Raivyn.


    Raivyn stowed her comm and tried to reach out with her mind to stop the blue form that had leapt out of the far wall and began streaking towards the star tree. Running through a hail of fire from the Republic sailors guarding the tree, he warded off her psychic attack and leapt through the door, into the living ship.


    The hangar door alarm sounded.


    ¡°IF YOU BREATHE AIR AND WANT TO KEEP DOING SO, GET OUT NOW!¡± Raivyn shouted to the guards still in the hangar. Everyone scrambled towards the mandoor, but there wasn¡¯t time. Those stuck behind ran to the emergency oxygen masks on the wall and clamped their mag-boots to the floor. The air was sucked out of the room as the mandoor clamped shut and the hangar door opened wide. One guard tripped on his way to the oxygen masks. His mag-boots lost connection with the deck and he was sucked into the aether.


    Raivyn pulled the emergency hangar door release. It was designed to slam the hangar door shut in worst case scenarios, but its power had evidently been cut.


    D¡¯Jarric and Doc, who didn¡¯t need oxygen, fired on the star tree, but it was too late. It blasted off and was gone before they could do any significant damage.


    ¡°Jasken,¡± Raivyn screamed into her comm. ¡°He took the star tree, you¡¯ll need to scramble fighters!¡±


    Before she finished the sentence there was a muffled blast and the whole ship went dark.


    On the bridge, Jasken was pacing nervously, waiting for news. It appeared that someone was surgically cutting off systems throughout the ship, starting in the brig.


    He''d set off the alarm as soon as someone from surveillance reported blacked out cameras on that part of the ship. Having personnel watching the cameras was only meant as a back up; alarms should have automatically gone off. He sent a security team to maintenance while Talon Squad went to stop Traelby, who almost certainly played a role here.


    The team had reported back that a maintenance worker had evidently been stabbed to death and that they would report back soon.


    Raivyn''s voice came through the comm, "Jasken, he took the star tree, you''ll need to scra-"


    A distant blast reverberated through the ship and everything went dark.


    Back in the main hangar, D''Jarric ran to Raivyn, who was still tugging on the emergency release.


    "Step aside," he said gently.


    Once she was out of the way, he tore the panel off the wall. Staring at the mechanism for a moment, he reached in and yanked on a promising-looking piston. With a horrible scream of metal and a horrendous crash, the door slammed over head, then the airlock door flew open and sweet, breathable air rushed into the hangar.


    ¡°DJ, you are a genius,¡± she said, turning to the Solaran. He held his wrist, his hand just a buzzing mess of static.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said with a smile, ¡°but I don¡¯t know how often geniuses get their hands caught in mechanical equipment.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Doc, ¡°let me take a look.¡±


    ¡°No, help the others,¡± said D¡¯Jarric. ¡°I can wait.¡± Doc looked around at the others still in the hangar, all of them biologicals. The majority had remembered their training and breathed out as the hangar door opened, which had probably saved their lives. The two who didn¡¯t were lying face down. The air in their lungs had expanded with the lack of atmospheric pressure. The rest would be lucky to get out of this with some minor internal bruising from the expansion of bodily fluids. After unceremoniously sticking a wave tuner into D¡¯Jarric¡¯s wrist, he started triaging patients as he waited for more help to arrive.


    Vanbrook and Reclan rushed into the hangar, staggering to a stop and taking in the carnage. Raivyn looked at them with pained, bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°He opened the hangar door with us inside,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯d be in much worse shape, but I managed to trap a bubble of atmo around myself with T-waves.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Vanbrook, ¡°I think we¡¯re gonna need to be at full strength for the next while here.¡± He looked at D¡¯Jarric¡¯s sparking hand and added, ¡°Oh.¡±


    D¡¯Jarric shrugged and smiled glumly.


    ***


    Drixen was pacing by the fighter hangars with the rest of the fight squads when his comm went off.


    ¡°Drixen, this is Admiral Jasken, I need your squads out as soon as possible. Traelby just escaped in the commandeered star tree.¡±


    ¡°Admiral,¡± he responded. ¡°This is Drixen. Can¡¯t get into the hangers; there¡¯s no atmo. We¡¯ll need aethersuits just to get through the airlock.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get them to you,¡± said the Admiral.


    What felt like a lifetime later, Talon Squad came around the bend, carrying stacks of aethersuits and bubble helmets.


    ¡°Fresh from the secondary hangar,¡± said Vanbrook, handing a stack to Drixen. All in all there were more than enough for all fifteen pilots and a few extras. Reclan and Raivyn donned two of these to help work as techs to get the others ready and aetherborne.


    The blue, leotard-like suits zipped up in the front, with built in mag-boots and gloves and a clear, spherical helmet locked into the collar. The collars and helmets came in a number of different specifications to fit the species and build of the wearer. The suits were pressurized with a paper-thin inflatable layer that allowed for maximum flexibility, and an oxygen tank strapped on the back with a tube feeding into the helmet completed the ensemble.


    It took longer than Drixen would have liked, but eventually they were all dressed, through the airlock, and in their fighters. Reclan opened the hangar door with some well applied mechanical knowledge and a lot of elbow grease, and then quickly exited the airlock to allow the fighters to take off.


    Talon squad regrouped outside the airlock, all at a loss.


    ¡°Man,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°How did Traelby manage all this?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t,¡± spat Raivyn. ¡°Someone on this ship was helping him.¡±

 Chapter 17: Grounded

    Drixen zipped out of the hangar and looked around to get a visual on the star tree. He spotted a tiny dot by Hittania¡¯s horizon and turned to go after it.


    ¡°Come on, squads!¡± he cried over the comms. ¡°Let¡¯s get this one for Viper!¡± He got a chorus of cheers and the fighters all followed him.


    There was no doubt his was the faster vessel, and his rangefinder confirmed he was gaining on Traelby''s star tree. Then he noticed three other objects twinkling in the distance.


    A beam, like the one Raivyn had fired from the star tree, grazed Drixen¡¯s fighter. He banked and started heading back towards the fleet. He punched a few buttons on his comm.


    ¡°Blue Griffon Fleet, come in. We have multiple hostiles inbound. I believe the Astralbians are mounting an attack on the fleet.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± said Captain Vrik-Wei of the Arrowhead. "We have nothing on our- oh, no. Yes, multiple ships just came over the horizon.¡±


    ¡°This is Jasken,¡± said the admiral. ¡°As you know, the Wingspan is dead in the water. We¡¯re still assessing damage. I will remain here to offer tactical advice but I¡¯m afraid this will fall to my captains and squad leaders. May the Progenitor watch over you, and providence shine on you.¡±


    ¡°You too, sir,¡± said Drixen.


    ¡°Thank you, sir, we¡¯ll send them packing,¡± said Vrik-Wei.


    ¡°Tell us what you need and you¡¯ll have it, and that goes for all of you,¡± said Captain Arquess of the Ferryman.


    ¡°Okay, squads,¡± said Drixen, this time over the fighters¡¯ comm channel, ¡°change of plans. We¡¯re going to circle back and protect the Wingspan. Looks like we¡¯re in for a full-on naval battle against an Astralbian fleet, so we¡¯re going to try to get under the protection of our guns aboard the Arrowhead. Keep your eyes open. Squad leaders, call targets and make sure your bombers get plenty of opportunity to do their thing.¡±


    Even as they circled back, eye beams from the Astralbian ships were peppering the Arrowhead, which was moving to position itself between the Wingspan and the enemy. The Arrowhead returned fire, its deadly broadsides pounding the hearty star trees.


    A swarm of enemies showed up on radar, and Drixen knew the void wasps had started emerging from the trees. Each with a skilled rider atop it, void wasps were fighter-sized insects bred to survive and even ¡°fly¡± in space. Griffonian scientists were fuzzy on the mechanism that allowed wings flapping in space to move a creature, but the Astralbians had figured it out.


    Drixen performed a loop-the-loop and fired on the enemy while facing them, just to let them know he saw them. The wasps fired beams from their eyes just like the star trees did, and started unleashing a hail of fire on the Griffon fighters.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Drixen. ¡°That¡¯s enough of that. First squad, let¡¯s squash some bugs. Second squad, support the Arrowhead. Third, protect the Wingspan. I want everyone to keep looking for targets.¡±


    Having received their orders, the squads went their separate ways, with Drixen leading First Squad against the void wasps. They were deadly, agile opponents, but their armored skin was fairly weak compared to the steel construction of mechanical fighters. Fighting against them meant hitting hard and fast, if you wanted to survive. The fifteen fighters, including Cowgirl¡¯s bomber, took out seven wasps on their first sweep. Leading the charge, Drixen managed to take out three himself, alternating between machine gun bursts and laser blasts.


    ¡°Woohoo!¡± he shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s keep it up, folks!¡±


    The mood aboard the Wingspan was much more dour. Reclan had spent the past half hour helping Dekken and his team pick through the wreckage in the electrical passages. The saboteur had been thorough. The blast that had darkened the ship had killed the security team sent to investigate, as well as taking out the central infrastructure for life support and the ripmed drive. Without that they could neither travel nor communicate over lightyears-long distances. The Wingspan was the only ship in the fleet capable of that kind of communication.


    ¡°Look,¡± she was saying to Jasken over her comm, ¡°I think we can get the lights back on. We may even be able to get weapons up and running, and the atmo thrusters are a real possibility. But whoever did this was thorough and, frankly, brilliant. They bypassed the back-up generator¡¯s alarms and then cut the back up power. Then they cut all power to the brig, then they set off the bombs to make their getaway. Sick, but brilliant. Not just to plan it, but to do it. They knew exactly what systems to hit, and in what order.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Jasken sighed. ¡°Just get what you can up and running. Keep me posted, but remember I¡¯m going to be coordinating a naval battle up here. Thank the Progenitor comms didn¡¯t go down.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Reclan. ¡°They¡¯re de-centralized and radio-based, so they¡¯d be harder to hit than most other systems, even for our crafty saboteur. I¡¯ll stick to it and keep you up to speed.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Reclan.¡±


    Reclan looked over to see Vanbrook pacing the floor, his mag-boots stomping with every step. He had changed from his gym clothes into his combat gear, complete with his revolver on his hip and his saber on his back.


    ¡°Van,¡± she said. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He ran his fingers through his hair, exasperated. ¡°I¡¯m no use here. I should be fighting.¡±


    ¡°Unless you¡¯ve got a fighter stowed away somewhere and know how to use it, this is where you¡¯re needed right now. See all this scrap floating around?"  Reclan motioned to the wreckage and debris that drifted lazily in the zero gravity conditions of the ship. ¡°Move it into those crates over there so I can get at the wreckage without sifting through it all. If I can get this mess of wires and whatnot sorted out, I might be able to get some lights back on, but I need space and I need to see what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    Without another word, Vanbrook started lugging the wrecked pieces over to the crates, trying to keep them sorted to the best of his ability in case any of it was salvageable. D¡¯Jarric and Raivyn, who had been standing nearby, joined in.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame Doc¡¯s not here,¡± said Reclan as she worked to fix the back-up power cables.


    ¡°He¡¯s helping with the wounded,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°I know,¡± replied Reclan, ¡°It just feels like something¡¯s missing when we¡¯re not all together.¡±


    Vanbrook and D¡¯Jarric smiled at her. Raivyn kept working.


    ***


    Doc stood by an injured soldier¡¯s bedside aboard the Ferryman, reading his chart and muttering to himself. The Human had a shattered femur while defending Fort Bog Iron from the Collective and was on enough pain medication to keep him happy for a long while.


    The patient¡¯s eyes fluttered open, slowly focusing on Doc¡¯s features.


    ¡°Oh, hey, you¡¯re Doc Manford,¡± he said groggily.


    ¡°Heard of my famous bedside manner, I presume?¡± asked Doc sarcastically, not even looking at the man.


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± said the soldier, a look of confusion crossing his face. ¡°Heard you were one of the best shots in the Navy, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a good shot,¡± said Doc noncommittally.


    ¡°I¡¯m Havvis, by the way,¡± said the soldier.


    ¡°Yup,¡± said Doc. ¡°That matches your chart.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± said Havvis. ¡°Man, this hurts.¡± He looked up at Doc. ¡°Do you- y¡¯know- feel pain?¡±


    Doc stopped, turning to the man. ¡°Not like you do.¡± He tapped the plate that covered his chest. ¡°If my core is damaged or struck too hard I feel something analogous to pain. If I¡¯m damaged or otherwise physically endangered, I have a network of sensors that act like nerves and help direct my body to move away from the source of danger, but that doesn¡¯t really¡­ ¡®hurt.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± said the sailor, lying back. ¡°Okay. That¡¯s kinda cool.¡± He propped himself up again. ¡°So, when do I get back to the fight?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be awhile,¡± said Doc. ¡°But you¡¯re one of the lucky ones. You¡¯ll have some artificial bits and pieces where most biologicals have a femur, but you¡¯ll make a full recovery.¡±


    ¡°Not to make anything of it, but how come a Robot practices medicine?¡± asked the sailor.


    ¡°How come Humans fix machines?¡± replied Doc.


    ¡°Wow,¡± said the sailor. ¡°That¡¯s some deep stuff.¡±


    Doc shook his head as the sailor laid back in his bed, falling back to sleep.


    ***


    Down at Fort Bog Iron, Captain Fenrik strode along the perimeter wall.  The black, iron-laced fungal walls, which had grown to over ten feet in height, had been braced with fresh-cut lumber from the forests and a walkway and battlements had been constructed on top.


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    Admiral Jasken had warned that the Wingspan was compromised and that the Astralbian fleet was attacking, so Fenrik''s soldiers were on high alert for a ground assault.


    Fenrik''s comm burst with a sudden warning, "Ramshackle troops inbound, sir. They''re coming in crafts down the mountainside road." It was Kwa-Kwa, leader of Fenrik¡¯s elite Scout squad, reporting from the outer perimeter.


    "Good work, Kwa," he responded. "Activate defenses and fall back to the fort." Fenrik rubbed the back of his neck. He''d seen combat, but not as captain of a base.


    "Okay, folks," he said over the Fort''s general comm channel. ¡°We have Ramshackle troops inbound. Everyone to battle stations."


    Kwa-Kwa''s ATUC came zooming into the fort, the security doors closing behind it. She quite literally leapt out of the vehicle, landing nimbly on long, amphibious legs.


    An explosion sounded from the north. She grinned wide, as only a Krauqian could, her frog-like face beaming.


    "Guess the defenses work," she said cheerily. Fenrik couldn¡¯t help but smile, even though he knew the mines they¡¯d laid along the major routes would only do so much to slow the coming battle.


    ***


    Drixen, meanwhile, was still thinning the void wasps as much as he was able, but saw that the massive star trees, orders of magnitude larger than the one Traelby had fled in, had come within range and were firing on the Arrowhead. Without the Wingspan¡¯s guns supporting it, the Arrowhead was no match for the Astralbian fleet.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Drixen said. ¡°Let¡¯s blind those star trees. Bombers, follow your squads. Target the eyes on those trees.¡±


    Charging in, they were quickly bogged down in a swarm of void wasps. Two fighters were lost almost immediately as the wasps focused on one craft then another, using their maneuverability and swarming tactics to isolate and destroy their enemies. Five more fighters were lost to the same tactic before the first missiles were fired.


    Cowgirl managed to take out an eye with some well-placed ordinance, but it was too late. Beams of red energy rained into the Arrowhead, quickly draining the electromagnetic shielding that protected it. The ship¡¯s guns never stopped returning fire, taking down a smaller star tree that had maneuvered to try to take the Arrowhead on one-to-one, but holes and cracks began appearing in the metal plating of the ship¡¯s hull.


    Captain Vrik-Wei came over the comm channel that included Drixen, Jasken and the other captains. ¡°Folks, I¡¯m afraid the Arrowhead is sunk. Admiral, please see to it that the Astralbians are paid back in kind.¡±


    ¡°Count on it. You will be remembered with love and gratitude, Captain Vrik-Wei. May the Progenitor save you.¡± This was no time to mince words or be stifled by pride. He owed the Arrowhead open and honest praise.


    With that, a final volley of fire from the Astralbians slammed into the Arrowhead¡¯s hull. The ship burst into a massive fireball, lighting up every object in the aether with a red glow. Jasken grimaced and lowered his head in sorrow as the shrapnel that was once a mighty ship and many friends could be heard pelting against the Wingspan¡¯s shields.


    Reclan came over the comms. ¡°Admiral, we¡¯ve got thrusters but Dekken says there¡¯s no way we¡¯re getting life support back online.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Jasken, still reeling from the loss of the Arrowhead.


    ¡°We need to land, sir. As in clayside. We can move but we won¡¯t be able to breathe much longer up here.¡±


    ¡°How many hours of breathable air do we have?¡±


    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know. Hours, a day or two? I don¡¯t know the volume of breathable oxygen or how much the crew as a whole needs. Thoughts, Dekken?¡±


    The chief engineer grunted and waved Reclan off. He had a tool in both of his major hands, and was holding a number of wires with the four lesser hands that were normally tucked close to his chest.


    ¡°Okay. How are guns looking?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Moving and breathing were the first priority, we¡¯¡¯ll get on the guns now.¡±


    ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll try and see this battle out if we can.¡±


    Reclan didn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. They were floating, defenseless. They needed to retreat, not try to stick it out. She obeyed anyway. ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll keep you updated.¡±


    The fighter squads continued to harass the Astralbians, but at a high cost. Suddenly heavy laser blasts started slamming into the star trees, and the Ferryman could be seen rising over the Wingspan like a moon rising over a world. Firing what weapons it had, it provided some much-needed cover for the fighter squads.


    The respite was short lived, however, as the Ferryman was quickly targeted and sustained heavy damage. Never designed as a combat vessel, it quickly succumbed to the assault of an entire Astralbian fleet. The rocket propulsion system was damaged and the ship began spinning wildly.


    Watching Hitannia swing by over and over from the bridge as the Ferryman spun through the aether, Captain Arquess called Jasken.


    ¡°We¡¯re out of control, sir. We¡¯re going to focus on stabilizing, but we certainly won¡¯t be any more help in this fight.¡±


    ¡°Understood, captain. Progenitor preserve you.¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they targeting us?!¡± demanded Captain Hunt of no one in particular as he paced the bridge with Jasken.


    ¡°The Cornucopia Cluster,¡± remarked Jasken. ¡°They want the coordinates, so they¡¯re hoping to take us alive. Or at least to take the ship intact.¡±


    ¡°Admiral, guns are online!¡± came Reclan¡¯s welcome voice. ¡°And you should have weapons and navigation controls available to you on the bridge¡­ now!¡± Screens lit up all around Jasken, and he smiled in the cool blue light.


    ¡°Fire at will,¡± he said to those manning the cannon controls, ¡°and start taking us down, I want to land at Fort Bog Iron.¡±


    He opened up the channel to speak to the fighters, ¡°All fighters, you are to escort the Wingspan. We are going to take the ship clayside.¡±


    Aboard the Astralbian¡¯s grandest star tree, Lord Raelik watched the dissipating wreckage of the Arrowhead and the twirling path of the out-of-control Ferryman, smiling.


    ¡°Ready a boarding party,¡± he said, ¡°Jasken is helpless now.¡±


    Then something unexpected happened. The Wingspan lit up, beginning on the bridge and spreading down the tower to the rest of the carrier. Rocket systems ignited and the ship began to move. The remaining Republic fighters returned to it. Its cannons began firing. A nearby star tree erupted in flame. The battle had been hard on it, and the Wingspan¡¯s opening salvo was enough to destroy it. Furious, Raelik''s eyes burned a deep, bright sapphire.


    ¡°Shall we pursue?¡± asked the tree priest at the controls.


    ¡°No,¡± spat Raelik. ¡°They¡¯re crippled, but dangerous. We¡¯ll finish them when the time is right."


    Down below, on the mountainside road to Fort Bog Iron, Crush directed her troops to keep pushing towards the Republic fort. They had lost a few soldiers to the mines, but they had pushed on, rigging up a makeshift mine plow from a destroyed vehicle to take the brunt of the explosions.


    She looked at the fort as she considered strategy. A siege wasn¡¯t viable; the idea was to wipe out the base quickly. It hadn¡¯t worked out that way.


    The fort was well defended by massive laser and ballistic cannons mounted on iron walls, as well as hefty electromagnetic shielding around most of the buildings. The shields were able to stop the Ramshackle¡¯s artillery shells from leveling infrastructure as they were meant to, and Republic soldiers that weren¡¯t operating the heavy cannons sheltered in the protected buildings during barrages.


    ¡°Target the cannons,¡± said Crush to her artillery commander.


    The greasy, broad-shouldered artillerist nodded and directed his troops accordingly. The tactic didn¡¯t take long to bear fruit, and Ramshackle losses started to level off as the Republic¡¯s firepower dwindled.


    ¡°Alright,¡± she said, satisfied with the progress they¡¯d made. ¡°Put everything we have into flattening the gate. I want to be walking into that camp in ten minutes.¡±


    ***


    On the other side of the wall, Fenrik was wishing he¡¯d shielded the cannons better. He simply didn¡¯t have the resources to cover all the bases. The Ramshackle Collective was about to blow the gate wide open, and it would be a bitter fight to hold on to the fort if they managed it at all.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Fenrik, shouting orders to his remaining force, ¡°I want those artillery cannons taken out!¡± It felt hopeless, but if they could do that, they¡¯d be able to take the fight to the Collective without fear of losing half their force in a single blow.


    A strangely familiar rumbling sound came from behind Fenrik, and the sun was blotted out. He turned, fearing enemy air support, only to see the Wingspan coming down out of the skies like some kind of heavenly cavalry riding to the rescue.


    The Wingspan¡¯s cannons fired on the Ramshackle Collective¡¯s position, a brief volley turning the once-intimidating force into so much slag in a crater. A small band on foot and a single hovercraft broke for the woods, under constant fire from the cheering troops of Fort Bog Iron as they ran.


    Fenrik watched in awe as the Wingspan¡¯s thrusters fired to maintain a safe descent speed, the massive ship rattling the earth beneath his feet as it settled onto the ground behind the fort. A small escort of fighters followed behind and looked for ground level enough to land on.


    ¡°Can my team go chase the runners, sir?¡± asked Kwa-Kwa, who had walked up behind him silently. He turned to her in surprise. He shouldn¡¯t be shocked at this point that the battle-hungry, possibly insane scout would be itching to fight rather than help with the Wingspan, but she always managed to surprise. It would be wise to harass the fleeing enemy and make sure they were dead and or gone.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s fine,¡± said Fenrik. If possible, the Krauqian smiled even more widely than she had before the battle. She was on her comm and running to her ATUC before Fenrik could wish her providence.


    By the time Fenrik was able to get to the Wingspan, Jasken was walking down a ramp to greet him. Fenrik saluted.


    ¡°Admiral Jasken,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m certainly glad to see you alive and well.¡±


    ¡°Alive indeed, but well I¡¯m not so sure,¡± the Admiral replied. ¡°We lost the Arrowhead, and the Ferryman is MIA, last seen spiraling out of control. We¡¯ve been unable to raise it on comms. Sir Traelby escaped, killing some aboard on his way out, and it looks like you¡¯ve sustained casualties as well. We currently have no way of getting a message to Griffonia. Things are dire. I will be gathering with you and Captain Hunt shortly to discuss our immediate strategy.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir. We¡¯ll make a way if we have to beat the path with bare knuckles.¡± At this Jasken smiled a sad smile.


    ¡°Good man,¡± he said, slapping Fenrik¡¯s shoulder, ¡°good man.¡±


    Talon Squad came down the ramp, sweaty and bleeding from their effort to fix the Wingspan. Drixen and Cowgirl led a small band of dejected looking pilots. Of the forty-five that had flown out of the Wingspan only ten remained.


    "Well everybody," said Vanbrook with a depressed yet still wry smile, "welcome home."

 Chapter 18: Castle Wingspan

    Crush circled back around, carefully navigating through the dense trees in her damaged hovercraft, her only company a single soldier with a damaged faceplate. She was hoping to pick up those who had fled the battle on foot when the Republic caught up with them.


    The Collective soldier she was driving towards looked up and turned towards the oncoming Republic ATUC and opened fire, only to be gunned down with a perfectly placed shot right through his torso.


    She stopped her craft, too big and slow for combat in the forest, and ducked behind it for cover while firing at the enemy. The Republic shot down the last two soldiers who were on foot, and turned their fire towards Crush. The hovercraft she hunkered behind was heavily damaged by the volley of fire, and soon crashed to the ground, its propulsion system destroyed.


    "Let''s take the fight to them," said Crush to the soldier who had been in the craft with her.


    "Good luck," he said mockingly as he ran off into the woods, deserting her. Rage surged through her circuits. She shot him in the back and watched him fall.


    She slinked off into the woods, shedding her bright red coat in hopes of blending into the environment better. True, she was covered in fairly reflective metal plating, but she hoped that would be less eye-catching than a flapping red flag.


    The Republic had parked their ATUC and were investigating the hovercraft on foot. They were led by a Krauqian female who wore the detached, determined look of a hunter.


    "I think we got them all," said a Dromean male.


    "No," said the Krauqian. ¡°That last shot came from over by their hovercraft."


    Crush hid behind a wide tree, furious at her bad luck. In a just world, these flesh-covered fools would be afraid of her. The Collective, or something like it, would rule with literal iron fists, not just surviving on what scraps it could steal from others.


    Footsteps grew closer and then halted.


    "I don''t know," said a voice. It was the hunter. Her voice sounded strangely distracted. "I just have a weird feeling that this isn''t the way¡­ I think it may have doubled back."


    "Okay," said another voice, "you''re the boss."


    Crush waited until their footsteps faded and then darted from tree to tree, making her way to the rendezvous point, where the shuttle back to the fleet should be waiting.


    ***


    Kwa-Kwa couldn''t explain the strange foreboding she had felt, but she trusted her instincts. She had just led her scouts back to the ATUC when she felt the sensation of waking up, although she hadn¡¯t been asleep. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.


    ¡°Turn back around,¡± she said, shaking her head to clear out the latent effects of the influence she had been under. ¡°We¡¯ve got a psychic to find.¡±


    ***


    Aboard the Reaper, Admiral Grim was shouting at the comm screen.


    ¡°Unacceptable!¡± he said. ¡°You were supposed to take care of them in the sky, we would take care of them down below. Yet they slipped through your fingers and my soldiers were wiped off the face of the planet by an entire carrier-class ship!¡±


    ¡°Admiral,¡± replied Raelik from the screen, his voice infuriatingly serene. ¡°Things do not always go to plan. I¡¯ve never known you to be one to shy away from sacrificing troops to a good cause.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯d known this was going to be a sacrifice I wouldn¡¯t have sent my second-in-command! I expected to win.¡±


    ¡°If you want the full payment I offered you, I will remind you that it was contingent on defeating the Republic to the Astralbian Kingdom¡¯s content.¡±


    ¡°Between the two of us, my kind isn¡¯t the one known for forgetting their promises.¡±


    Raelik grinned. ¡°Hurtful, Robot, hurtful. We can count on your continued assistance, then?¡±


    Grim sighed. The money was good, too good to pass up. It was a shame about Crush, but she was a bit of a do-gooder, anyway. He looked up and locked eyes with the Astralbian lord. ¡°So long as the money¡¯s there, we¡¯re in.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± cooed Raelik. ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch.¡±


    ***


    Aboard the grounded Wingspan, Jasken had held a meeting with Captains Hunt and Fenrik to discuss how to move forward, and was now presiding over a broader meeting that included Drixen, Talon Squad, chief engineer Dekken and comms officer Mairen.


    ¡°Our plan,¡± he began, ¡°is to continue work on repairing the Wingspan while re-fortifying Fort Bog Iron. Our enemies have been stung but will no doubt regroup and attack again soon.


    ¡°The fact that our cannons are fully operational is a significant advantage; they won¡¯t risk a full assault on our position lightly. They will likely be turning the field by the pit, where Shrump¡¯s remains were discovered, into a staging ground. It is relatively nearby but out of the effective range of our guns, particularly given the geography between us.


    ¡°I want our engineering department focused on getting the Wingspan fully operational and generating a list of items needed.¡±


    Dekken nodded his assent, already tapping away on his comms device.


    ¡°Comms,¡± continued Jasken. ¡°I want you to work with engineering to diagnose the long-range communications system. That needs to be our priority, as Kerucester is unaware of our situation. Until I miss our weekly check in, which is scheduled for tomorrow, they will not notice anything is amiss. Secondly, I want you to continue trying to locate the Ferryman.¡±


    ¡°Good news on that front,¡± said Mairen. ¡°Since our satellite system is up and running we are hopeful that we will be able to locate the landing or, providence forbid, crash site of the Ferryman. It appears to have gone dark comms-wise soon after being hit, but based on what we know about its trajectory it¡¯s likely to have landed on the planet.¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± replied Jasken. ¡°Drixen, I want you and your fighters ready to scramble at a moment¡¯s notice. Even though we don¡¯t expect an attack immediately, I want fighters airborne within moments of the first sign of trouble.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be ready,¡± said Drixen, his eyes icy with determination. ¡°We¡¯re itching for some payback.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Talon Squad, I want Reclan working with engineering, and Doc to keep working with the medical team. The rest of you stay close and help wherever you¡¯re needed.¡±


    Raivyn piped up, asking, ¡°What about the fact that we have a traitor on board? There¡¯s no way Traelby staged the entire sabotage mission from his cell.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± nodded Jasken. ¡°That¡¯s being looked into.¡± His firm tone indicated clearly that this topic was not to be discussed further for the time being. Raivyn couldn¡¯t help but look over at Drixen and his open, honest eyes.


    ¡°The last issue,¡± continued the Admiral, ¡°is scouting the Astralbian base at the pit. A squad of scouts is already heading that direction, pursuing the retreating Collective soldiers. Captain Fenrik will be redirecting them to that location to report back to us as soon as possible. Dismissed.¡±


    ***


    Meanwhile, in the nearby forest, Crush was still evading the hunter and her scouts on her way to the rendezvous point. The iron deposits in the swampy forest were disabling her personal comms and she couldn¡¯t call for help or even let anyone know she was alive. She had managed to put some distance between herself and her enemies but they had doubled back and were hot on her trail.


    If only they had been able to launch their attack from the Astralbians camp, she may have had a chance of getting there before being overtaken. But the Astralbians had recommended a different landing spot further away, for no clear reason beyond prejudice. At least that meant she¡¯d be met by friendly faces when she got there.


    She came to a wide stream. It was shallow enough to cross, but she was worried her pursuers would catch sight of her out in the open like that. She stepped into the water and then turned around, careful to step only on rocks as she made her way back into the treeline, hoping that the trackers would believe she crossed the river based on whatever tracks she had left.


    She looked around for a place to hide and found a tree that had been hollowed by rot. She climbed up into it, and shimmied from the main trunk into the inside of a huge limb, the soft wood threatening to crumble and drop her to the ground at any moment.


    Laying there still as death, she eventually heard the hunters approaching.


    ¡°Looks like she crossed here,¡± came a whispered voice. It was the Dromean.


    ¡°It certainly does look that way,¡± said the Krauqian, ¡°but streams are a tracker¡¯s nightmare. You cross over with the others, I want to stay here for a moment.¡±


    Soft splashing footfalls indicated that the others had left. The frog-like hunter was silent as a tomb.


    Crush had positioned herself so that she could see the main trunk of the tree and had her gun trained on it, but she couldn¡¯t see anything else in the day¡¯s dying light. There was a slight creaking sound that traveled through the wood of the rotten tree. The hunter was right below her now, she knew it.


    A comm buzzed. Crush heard a sigh.


    ¡°Yes, Captain?¡± came the whispered voice from below. There was a pause.


    ¡°We¡¯re pursuing one final soldier, I think they used a psychic attack on me earlier¡­  But sir, I think it¡¯s close¡­ Yes. Understood.¡±


    The scout stepped away from the tree, much less stealthy now.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she shouted to her comrades across the stream. ¡°New mission. Unless you¡¯ve found it over there, we¡¯re heading back to the ATUC. I¡¯ll fill you all in on the way.¡±


    All pretense of stealth gone, the scouts stomped their way back through the woods the way they¡¯d come. Crush felt a wave of relief, but thought she¡¯d stay in the tree a while longer. While she sat there, she mulled over what the hunter had said. She hadn¡¯t used any kind of psychic attack on her. Though it was extremely rare, some robots had mechanical means of generating T-wave attacks. Crush was not one of them. It was just a lie to shift blame, she supposed, but a strange one. She uneasily powered down for a rest cycle, preserving her energy for the morning, when she¡¯d continue on towards the rendezvous point.


    ***


    Making his rounds, Doc came back to Havvis, the soldier he¡¯d talked to previously. He was a bit more coherent now.


    ¡°Oh, hey, Doc,¡± he said with a sheepish grin. ¡°So, did I say anything real dumb last time you were here?¡±


    Doc shook his head. ¡°No, not at all. Just asked some questions about how Robots interpret pain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he said with a nod.


    ¡°How are you feeling now?¡± asked Doc, ready to take notes.


    ¡°Oh, the pain¡¯s worse, but I¡¯ve got a clearer mind, but I prefer that,¡± said the sailor. ¡°I believe we¡¯re supposed to feel pain, at least in this life. That¡¯s part of how the Progenitor made us, y¡¯know?¡±


    Doc paused. ¡°Made you, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I always figured he made Robots, too,¡± said Havvis. ¡°Nothing¡¯s an accident, and you¡¯re as much a person as a biological or electromagnetic being, right? I figure that means the Progenitor meant for Robots to be made, so to speak.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too religious myself,¡± said Doc.


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± said Havvis. ¡°Not trying to make a nuisance of myself or anything.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel nuisanced,¡± said Doc. ¡°So I guess we¡¯re alright.¡±


    Havvis laughed. ¡°I like you Doc. I wish more of these soppy doctors had your kind of bedside manner.¡±


    Doc chuckled and moved on, tending to the next patient.


    ***


    Jasken was extremely busy over the next few days. The fungal walls around the base were being rebuilt and refortified. An expanded fungal wall was also constructed to include the ¡°airfield¡± where the Wingspan and the fighters were docked. Fenrik was focusing on revamping the EM shielding over the entire area, which would hopefully defend them against the enemy fleets in the case of a direct assault. The scouts had reported that the Astralbians were indeed using the pit as a mustering point, so an assault could come at a moment¡¯s notice.


    The ripmed drive was entirely out of commission, meaning long range communications and faster-than-light travel were nonstarters, pending a number of spare parts stored on the Ferryman. Unfortunately, the support ship hadn¡¯t been located yet.


    That left the matter of the saboteur, which Jasken had focused on as he allowed his officers and specialists to deal with their own areas of expertise. There was little evidence to follow up on and he had no leads.


    As he pondered this in his quarters, there was a knock at the door.


    ¡°Professor Chim and her student here to see you, sir.¡± Jasken nodded grimly. Given that they were bunked in the lower portion of the ship¡¯s main tower, the poor academics were closer to the explosion than most of the others onboard. Their quarters were not far from the electrical and utility areas. Grikchum had been found on the floor of his quarters, locked in as ordered, shaking like a leaf, one wall of his quarters collapsed in. Chim hid her fear behind indignation but was shook up almost as badly.


    ¡°Professor Chim. Grikchum. What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said the professor, her tone slightly accusatory, ¡°so long as we are stuck here, we thought we might look at the cylinder.¡±


    Jasken nodded, ignoring the implication that he was somehow at fault for their plight. He was glad to see some initiative on their part. Some might have given up and cowered in their rooms.


    ¡°Very well, you may utilize the table in my study, the cylinder is here,¡± he unlocked a desk drawer and handed Chim the puzzle box. He studied the two academics carefully.


    ¡°Before you go,¡± he said to them, ¡°I wanted to ask you if you noticed anything strange leading up to the attack. I¡¯m making sure I get statements from everyone. I¡¯ll take yours now if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Chim paused thoughtfully, eventually saying, ¡°I thought I heard some tools being used, small power tools or something, the night before the attack. I don¡¯t travel often, so I assumed it was nothing out of the ordinary. It may have come from the crawlspace behind my room, possibly towards the wall I share with Grikchum.¡±


    Grikchum frowned. ¡°Come to think of it, I did hear some noise like that, but I would have said they came from the other direction, more towards the engine room.¡±


    Jasken frowned, too. ¡°Well, thank you. Every bit of information helps.¡±

 Chapter 19: The Traitor Revealed

    Crush tumbled to the ground, a rock hidden in leaf litter tripping her as she staggered on through the woods. She picked herself up and plodded on. Her frustration was growing with every step. She checked her map and estimated that the clearing where the landing skiff should be was just a quarter mile away, but she still couldn¡¯t hear or see any evidence through the branches.


    Finally, she came across the clearing. The turf was torn up and muddy. An empty oil can lay on the ground, tossed aside by a careless Collective soldier. There was plenty of evidence to confirm this was the rendezvous point, but there was no skiff. She stopped in her tracks, looking around, desperate to find some shred of information that would prove she hadn¡¯t simply been abandoned and left to die. Surely, there was some reason the skiff was missing. However,  she found no such evidence and no such reason. She had indeed been abandoned and left to die. She roared at the sky. She kicked the empty can, used up and left behind just like she had been.


    Infuriated beyond words, she referenced the map and noted which way the Astralbian base was. Without stopping for rest or thought, she plunged back into the forest.


    ***


    Drixen walked swiftly through the empty halls of the Wingspan, on his way to a well-earned lunch in the galley. Then there was a knife at his throat, simple as that. It hadn¡¯t been there; then it was.


    ¡°Where were you when the bombs went off?¡± asked a commanding female voice.


    ¡°Raivyn?¡± he asked, turning to the diminutive psychic with a bewildered look on his face.


    ¡°Correct. Now answer the question,¡± she said.


    ¡°With the fighter squads. Trying to get into the hangars.¡±


    ¡°They said you showed up later than everyone else. Where were you?¡±


    ¡°On my way, I suppose. Wait - have you been putting knives to my squadmates¡¯ throats?!¡±


    ¡°No, I just asked them questions.¡±


    ¡°Why do I get the special treatment?¡±


    ¡°Because you knew about the pit, then our enemies found out about it. Because you knew about the arctic mission, then our enemies found out about it. Because your eyes are just too honest.¡± Drixen grabbed the knife and turned, holding Raivyn¡¯s wrist and staring into her eyes.


    ¡°A good friend died on that mission. I almost died on that mission. I warned you about the Astralbians.¡± Raivyn snapped a forward kick into Drixen¡¯s upper abdomen, sending him into the wall and making him gasp for air.


    ¡°Maybe -¡± he said between gasps as he sat against the wall, ¡° - maybe my eyes are honest because I¡¯m honest. Go on, read my mind. Can you do that? Come on, you¡¯ve got my permission. Read my mind.¡±


    Raivyn held his gaze a second longer, clearly fighting herself. Drixen saw the fire leave her eyes and her face crumpled. Then she  leaned back against the wall, sliding down to a sitting position across from Drixen. Her body shuddered as she fought back tears.


    ¡°This was stupid,¡± she said angrily. ¡°It doesn¡¯t even add up. Call for security, I¡¯ll go willingly. I¡¯m sorry, Drixen, I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    Drixen hung his head, shaking it. Raivyn couldn¡¯t tell if he was indicating he wouldn¡¯t call security, or if he was simply incredulous. She tensed, waiting for him to say something. Anything.


    He laughed, and it wasn¡¯t completely without mirth. ¡°Now, I probably should, but I¡¯m not telling anyone about this,¡± he said. Raivyn let out a breath she didn¡¯t know she¡¯d been holding.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing your job,¡± he continued. He chuckled joylessly. ¡°A bit poorly, maybe, but you¡¯re doing your job. And I think you¡¯re onto something. Not about me, but about who knew what.¡± His eyes widened suddenly and he grabbed his comm.


    ¡°Admiral Jasken, this is Drixen, come in! Where is the professor? It¡¯s important!¡± There was no answer and Drixen sprang from where he sat, running to the Admiral¡¯s quarters. Raivyn followed close behind.


    The scene that greeted them was an ugly one, painted in red. The guard at Jasken¡¯s door was shot, and Jasken and Chim laid in pools of blood. Jasken groaned, but Chim lay still and silent.


    ¡°The kid,¡± Jasken said weakly. ¡°It¡¯s the kid.¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± Drixen said to Raivyn. ¡°I¡¯ll get a medic. Go get the kid.¡±


    Raivyn ran down the hall, jumping on the general comm channel as she went.


    ¡°Attention everyone. The Talpadarian male Grikchum is to be stopped immediately. He is armed and dangerous. Approach with caution but do not let him escape!¡±


    ***


    Grikchum, meanwhile, heard the announcement but was already in an ATUC, cruising for the gate. He had shot the two garage attendants with his silenced pistol and was headed for the gate, open for a cargo vehicle returning with lumber from the woods.


    He shot past the gate and was on the road before anyone knew what he¡¯d done. He had to laugh a little as he went. The fools had no idea he had allied himself with the true rulers of the galaxy, the Astralbian Empire! Ruefully reduced to a ¡°kingdom¡± today, the map to the Cornucopia Cluster would ensure their return to power.


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    Checking the rear view mirror, he saw Republic soldiers in another ATUC on his tail. He casually tossed a small device back at them. The bomb exploded right under their craft and sent them flying. A second ATUC stopped to help them. He''d bought himself a few moments, so he called the Astralbians.


    Raivyn hadn''t waited for the whole squad when she got to the garage. When Vanbrook staggered in on her heels, they jumped into the ATUC and took off.


    Driving up the mountainside road, they soon came to two ATUCs, one a smoking wreckage, the other parked blocking the road. Raivyn slammed the brakes.


    "Did you get him?!" she asked.


    "No, he blew up one of ours," said a young soldier, evidently in shock. ¡°We''re trying to help the wounded."


    "Okay," said Raivyn, annoyed, "but one of you needs to break up this road block!" The shocked soldier looked around as though he had just been slapped, then quickly jumped in the ATUC and moved it out of the way.


    Raivyn shot forward, and before long they could see Grikchum''s ATUC in the distance. Vanbrook pulled his revolver but held his fire until they got into range. When he thought he had a good shot he fired, blowing out Grikchum ''s windshield but missing him. Grikchum threw another bomb; Raivyn swung out to the side to avoid the explosion. The mountainous terrain by the road was unforgiving but manageable. She felt the hot, concussive blast it gave off, but she avoided any major damage or injuries.


    Vanbrook took another shot, which blew Grikchum''s ear off. Grikchum screamed and put a hand up to the bloody wound, but didn''t let off the accelerator.


    In the distance, the Astralbian loyalist saw a cloud of dust. He grinned excitedly as a small cavalry of void wasps came into view, raced past him and attacked the ATUC chasing him.


    Vanbrook and Raivyn watched four mounted Astralbians, each riding a massive wasp and holding a thorn gun. Vanbrook couldn''t help but grin. Close combat was his specialty. These wasps were smaller than the fighter-sized wasps bred for space, and they did not shoot beams from their eyes, but a wasp the size of a horse is still intimidating to most enemies.


    He had already replaced his two spent rounds, and he leaned out to take aim at the leading wasp and its rider. A bullet smashed into the wasp''s head, sending a splatter of blue-green bug brains outward as the wasp and rider tumbled to the ground. He took out a second in like fashion, but the last two got in range to fire their thorn guns.


    Raivyn jerked the controls to the side, and a blast of splinters that would have mauled her face went wide. The sudden movement caused Vanbrook to miss a shot, but he recovered and fired again, blasting a leg off of one of the wasps.


    He used his buckler to ward off the worst of the rider''s thorn gun shot. He returned fire, knocking the rider off his wasp and watching him puff away into a blue mist. The ATUC jerked to the side again, and Vanbrook looked over to see Raivyn crushing a wasp between the vehicle and a tree. The wasp wobbled dangerously as the ATUC bounced away. The wasp¡¯s rider lifted his thorn gun to shoot Raivyn but Vanbrook was quicker, blasting him to blue smithereens.


    Vanbrook heard a buzzing noise behind him and turned in time to see the wasp he had crippled rushing towards him, stinger outstretched.


    He stood and unsheathed his saber, parrying the deadly barb. The wasp grabbed him with its five remaining legs and ripped him into the air, trying to bring the stinger in to stab him at the same time.


    Vanbrook managed to wedge his boot between the base of the abdomen and the stinger, fending off the lethally venomous sting while he tried to free his sword arm.


    Down below, Raivyn kept glancing up, trying to keep the vehicle under the airborne combatants. The wasp drifted over towards the mountains, making it difficult to keep under it.


    His sword arm finally free, Vanbrook slashed at the wasp''s legs, causing it to release him. Holding on to a leg, he scurried his way into the wasp''s back and locked his legs around the thin waist between the thorax and abdomen. The wasp curled to sting his lower leg, but only succeeded in scraping his shin. Vanbrook shouted in pain, but stabbed his blade down into the middle of the wasp''s thorax and threw his body weight towards the ATUC.


    Raivyn compensated for his shift and brought the ATUC as close as she could. The wasp plummeted and Vanbrook threw himself from the beast and into the passenger seat, gracelessly landing with his feet on the dash and the rest of him uncomfortably in the seat. The wasp crashed to the ground, unmoving.


    Raivyn stopped the ATUC suddenly, further jostling Vanbrook.


    "Hey, we gotta catch up with that slimeball kid," said Vanbrook.


    "He''s long gone," she replied. ¡°By the time we catch up we''ll be in range of any artillery the Astralbians have set up."


    Vanbrook nodded in grim agreement.


    "Besides, you¡¯re injured," she said, looking at his bloodied shin. ¡°Hopefully not stung?"


    "Ah, yeah, it just scraped me with the¡­ the stinger," Vanbrook said, suddenly feeling woozy, "I dohnn thihck¡­ it affetted¡­"


    Raivyn turned the ATUC around and raced back towards the fort, hoping it wasn''t too late for the swashbuckler to be saved.


    ***


    To the northwest, Crush was still navigating the swamp, heading towards the Astralbian base. As she trudged on, she stewed about the way things had gone since her promotion.


    She had discovered the deep hypocrisy of the upper echelons of the Collective. The trappings of the common good were nothing more than a thin veil over common greed.


    It stung her conscience to think of what she''d done to Splatter. She had justified the setup as good for the Collective, but it occurred to her that it was her own ambitions that urged her on. There was no "greater good" to be accomplished in the Collective; the benefits of Splatter''s death accrued to her, and to her alone.


    As she considered this, she stepped on a large, broad circle of leaves. The leaves all connected in the middle, where a thick, ropey vine hung down from the branches above. Hair-like growths grew thicker towards the center of the leaves.


    The moment her feet brushed the hairs, the leaves folded in on all sides, trapping her in an airtight orb. The vine contracted into the branches simultaneously, and Crush sensed a liquid oozing from the leaves.


    For a moment the forest was silent.  Then a series of muffled shots rang out as Crush shot the killer vine to bits. She fell, along with a deluge of digestive fluid and vegetable matter, down into the swamp below, landing with a splash.


    She laid there for a moment, then stood up, grabbing a handful of wet moss to scrub the acidic liquid off her form. She didn''t seem to be significantly damaged, but she''d need a good polish and her chem sensors indicated that she probably smelled terrible.


    More out of spite than fear, she shot a few more of the snaring vines to pieces as she passed them, spending an unwise amount of ammo, but gaining a modicum of satisfaction. On she went, angrier and more determined than ever.


    ***


    Grikchum smiled gleefully as he pulled up to the guards outside of the Astralbian base. He was marched directly to Lord Raelik¡¯s quarters on the mothership star tree. The Talpadarian trembled as he approached the noble. He bowed low, in the traditional manor, and, kneeling, offered him the puzzle box.


    ¡°Well done,¡± said Raelik. ¡°Now open it.¡±


    ¡°My lord,¡± answered Grikchum, ¡°I don¡¯t know the code - yet.¡±


    Raelik sneered and turned to one of the guards.


    ¡°Find our ally a suitable cell for his work.¡±

 Chapter 20: Worrying News

    Prime Minister Skritka walked up the stone stairs of Griffon Keep, the ancient fort built in the earliest times of the Republic, when a handful of species gathered on Griffonia to rally and fight back against the Astralbian Empire. Then, the planet itself was hostile. No one knew which plants would bring nourishment and which would bring a painful death. The predators of its plains and forests were a constant danger. The weather patterns were poorly understood, and sudden storms and floods killed many, as did the harsh winters. All of that was merely the backdrop against which a small band of sapient species, none of whom had advanced beyond steam engines or similar technology before being invaded by the Astralbians, stood up against an oppressive empire and fought for liberty. The sacrifices they made back then caused Skritka¡¯s to pale by comparison. He tried to keep that in mind as he made his way to what promised to be a painfully stupid meeting.


    He made his way through the winding halls, reporters harrying him until he got to the private quarters. There, the reporters handed the baton off to the aides, who harried him until he got into his private office. Entering the room, he faced the five members of the Expansion Committee. Now it was their turn to harry him.


    ¡°Members of the Expansion Committee. Welcome,¡± he said warmly.


    ¡°Cut it, Skritka,¡± said the Committee chair. It was Trekna, the Raki who had given Jasken a hard time about the mining potential on Hittania. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear your sweet-talk. What¡¯s going on with the Blue Griffon Fleet?¡±


    ¡°As I explained before we set up this meeting, I don¡¯t know. Admiral Jasken missed an update, which is very out of character, but I know nothing more than that. Which makes me wonder, why did you demand this meeting?¡± Skritka knew why. Trekna wanted as much bad publicity as possible when it came to Hittania. He wouldn¡¯t do anything to directly sabotage the mission, but if he sniffed out a way to spin Hittania as a problem he¡¯d jump on it. So here they were, in a secret - yet somehow known to the press - meeting, discussing a report that was less than twenty-four hours late.


    ¡°To hear it from you yourself! And to hear what you¡¯re going to do about it!¡± demanded the Raki.


    ¡°I am indeed concerned about  Jasken¡¯s fleet. But unless your committee is willing to send a scout, or even another fleet, to investigate, there is nothing to be done. Protocols say that is not necessary for an additional week.¡±


    ¡°Think of the waste of resources that would entail!¡± exclaimed Trekna. Skritka sneered at the false outrage.


    ¡°Unless one of you,¡± he paused to eye the spineless lackeys that made up the rest of the committee, ¡°has a solution or information beyond what I sent in my report, I will kindly ask you to leave my office now.¡±


    Trekna had gotten what he wanted, so he left in an over-acted huff, followed by the rest of the committee.


    ***


    Crush finally reached the Astralbian Camp. As expected, it was guarded lightly enough that she was able to slip in through the perimeter, scoping out the available vehicles. She had no idea if she could fly a star tree, but she intended to find out. She noted a small one, lightly guarded, and tried to make her way to it. Flitting from shadow to shadow, she wound up close enough to the central star tree to listen in on the two Astralbians just walking out of it. One had a forked chin, and was dressed as a knight, if Crush was interpreting his accoutrements correctly, with his hand resting casually on the hilt of his sword. The other, who had extremely sharp features, even by the standards of his species, was wearing a silver band on his head that identified him as a lord of some kind.


    ¡°...so we take the traitor back to Astralbia. We have what we want,¡± said the lord.


    ¡°Of course, Lord Raelik. However, if we can wait just a few days more, the great eye will be ready. The Blue Griffon fleet will be nothing but a memory. Even if they have shields up, a surprise attack from a great eye so soon after our battle should make short work of their defenses,¡± explained the knight.


    The first Astralbian, who Crush now recognized as the lord from the video comm, laughed a deep and hearty laugh. Crush shuddered at the thought. A great eye was a terrible Astralbian weapon. It took master tree priests and intensive resources, but once grown it could flatten a small village in a single strike. From orbit. Many of her folk had been destroyed in such attacks.


    ¡°Yes, I think it will be worth the wait.¡±


    The pair continued their walk, and Crush continued to move. She could use the intelligence she¡¯d just gathered to her advantage, assuming she survived what came next.


    She managed to slip over to the star tree she had picked out and sneak up behind the guards.  She put a hand on each one¡¯s shoulder and activated a small device concealed in her palms. Electromagnetic disruptors, referred to in some circles as ¡°poppers¡± worked like wonders against EM beings. The guards¡¯ deaths were as silent as they were instantaneous. She slipped up the ramp and felt around the edge of the doorway for a closing mechanism. Without knowing what she touched to activate it, the door closed. She shrugged and turned around, only to find a guard standing there in disbelief.


    She rushed the guard, hands raised, poppers activated. This guard was better prepared, and blocked the poppers with a buckler and then parried with ashortsword. The guard scored a solid blow, tearing through the tough ¡°skin¡± between Crush¡¯s armor plating. In the end, though, she was no match for Crush. Pretending the blow had hurt her badly, she offered a weak faint. The guard fell for it, and she smiled internally, striking with dizzying speed, ending her opponent.


    All that was left now was to fly the star tree, a feat she wasn¡¯t sure she could manage. She stepped onto the little dias and grabbed the root-like controls, as though she had been born knowing how to fly one. She focused on lift off, and, lo and behold, lift off she did! She heard herself laughing like a maniac as the tree shot into the sky. She was certain she would be followed, but, for the moment, this felt like victory.


    ***


    Reclan sat in one of the makeshift hospital wings of the Wingspan. The majority of the medical equipment and resources had been on the Ferryman.


    She was keeping vigil over Vanbrook, who lay in a bed, unconscious. The doctors had given him void wasp antivenom as soon as he returned, but he still hadn''t stirred from the venom-induced slumber he''d fallen into.


    Someone stepped into the room behind her. She turned to see Doc loping in, clipboard in hand.


    "Oh, I''ll give you a bit," he said, turning around.


    "No, please stay," said Reclan. "I could use a friendly face."


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    Doc stayed there in the door, saying nothing. Between his largely stationary features and his general standoffishness, he wasn''t often referred to as a "friendly face." The silence felt awkward to Doc, but Reclan found it comforting.


    "Van is the one who talked me into this whole military thing," she said with a soft chuckle. ¡°He figured it''d be good for me. All in all, I think he was right.


    "I guess I''ve got a pretty thick skull, but losing my foot put some stuff in perspective for me. I felt sorry for myself at first, which I guess is just natural, but this voice in my head - and I''ll admit it sounded like Van - told me that there were folks depending on me, and that I''d have to make it work. So I buckled down and built myself a foot. It''s not lost on me that not everyone would have that kind of opportunity. And it''s not lost on me that I couldn''t do all this by myself. I could have easily died back in the pit, but I didn''t. Thanks, Doc."


    Doc just nodded in his silent way. Reclan couldn''t judge his reaction in the slightest but it didn''t matter. She was happy to finally say out loud some of the things she''d had on her mind as of late. She might have overcorrected with some of the mushy stuff there, but she didn¡¯t mind.


    "Well, in other news," said the Robot, "Jasken is recovering nicely. He still wears armor under his uniform out of habit, so the round didn''t do too much damage. One of the guards that got shot looks like he''ll make it, as well. The professor and the others are dead, I''m afraid."


    Reclan shook her head. "We''re gonna make him pay. Him and the Astralbians."


    "I hope so," said Doc with a nod. "I hope so."


    ***


    Just a few doors down the hall, Raivyn walked into Jasken''s hospital room, where he laid on the bed looking no worse for wear, but thoroughly frustrated.


    "You wanted to see me, sir?" she said.


    "Yes," he said stiffly. ¡°Sorry for the venue. These blasted doctors won''t allow an old sailor to tend to his own bruises. Regardless, we received a worrying transmission from someone claiming to be a Ramshackle defector. Crush, she called herself, says that the Astralbians are growing a great eye on their mothership. She also said it will be done in a few days, and when it is they plan to leave Hittania, blasting us into a smoking crater on the way out.


    "Doc and Reclan are needed here, Vanbrook is out of commission for the time being, and D''Jarric is not built for covert missions. I want you to work with Captain Fenrik''s scout team to infiltrate the Astralbian position, steal back the cylinder, and disable the eye."


    "Understood, sir."


    "Good," he nodded. ¡°You have a meeting with the team and the Astralbian twins in two hours. Providence shine on you."


    "Same to you, Admiral."


    ***


    Crush had finished her message to the Republic when the void wasps caught up to her.  She looked at them scornfully on the display screen, wondering how the weapons worked on this strange, living ship, and just like that three wasps were obliterated by energy beams. She was beginning to like this ship.


    She led her pursuers over the horizon, trading shots as they went, until she could see the Ramshackle fleet in the distance. With a shaking hand, she opened up the comms to speak to the entirety of the fleet. She steeled herself, knowing that she could not simply go back to the Collective after everything that had come to light.


    ¡°Soldiers and sailors of the Ramshackle Collective, this is Crush. Many of you know me. I work hard, and I see to it that my work supports the greater good of the Collective. That is how we are taught it is supposed to be. That is not the reality.¡±


    ¡°Crush!¡± came Grim¡¯s rusty voice back over the comms channel. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to, but that¡¯s enough! Park that¡­ thing on the Reaper¡¯s deck and be welcomed back a hero!¡±


    Rather than responding herself, Crush played a recording over the comms.


    ¡°You are a true believer, Crush. I admire that. I really do. But I was hoping your loss of the platinum bar would put things into perspective for you. We are the good of the Collective. The benefits accrue to us.¡± The voice was Grim¡¯s, but it had come back out of the past. Crush had been recording him since her doubts first blossomed.


    ¡°To me, any of you who want something better than the scraps our leaders give you! Fight, and win this fleet, and fly under a new banner with me!¡± Crush suddenly realized that her comm connection had been cut off. She wasn¡¯t sure how much had gotten through.


    Everything was oddly silent for a moment, then the Reaper¡¯s guns began firing towards her. Utilizing the intuitive controls of the nimble star tree, she avoided the shots easily. The Sepulchre, the gunship Crush had poured so much work into, began firing on the Reaper, and the battle began in earnest.


    In Grim¡¯s cabin, he was calling the nearby Astralbian star trees, demanding support.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you firing on that thief and traitor!¡± he cried.


    ¡°That is our star tree,¡± said the disinterested Astralbian. ¡°Get it back to us or we will deduct the value of that ship from your pay.¡±


    ¡°That is no way to deal with an ally!¡±


    ¡°Ally? You are working for us, for pay, as mercenaries. I suggest you get your house in order, Admiral. Best of luck to you.¡±


    The battle raged outside, and confused Collective robots ran, dueled, and died all across the decks of the fleet. On the display before her, Crush saw a lanky robot trying to aim a smaller deck gun at the ship he was on in an attempt to scuttle the gunship that had joined her cause. A burly erstwhile comrade yanked him from the gun¡¯s controls and the would-be saboteur was thrown overboard.


    The Shroud appeared to be damaged beyond repair, or at least beyond use for the moment, and smoldered as it drifted across the void. The Dirge, the smallest of the gunships, joined with the Sepulchre in attacking the Reaper, and that left the Reaper and the Gravestone under Grim¡¯s command, while she held two gunships and her star tree.


    The two forces maneuvered away from one another, facing off. A call came in to Crush¡¯s comm system.


    ¡°Crush? This is the brand-new captain of your brand-new flagship Sepulchre. Captain Hacksaw aboard the Dirge is on the call as well. My name¡¯s Tank. What are your orders?¡±


    ¡°Tank! I remember you from the gun repair work. Did I just see you toss someone overboard?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes, ma¡¯am, he was attempting to stop your revolution.¡± The term stuck in Crush¡¯s mind. Revolution? It seemed too grandiose. But maybe he was right.


    ¡°Yes, I saw it all. Good man. As for orders, we need to disengage. Even if we win this fight we¡¯ll be too crippled to celebrate.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Pleasure to serve,¡± said Hacksaw.


    ¡°Understood, Admiral Crush,¡± again Tank¡¯s words hit her sideways. She supposed she was a revolutionary admiral now. Another call came up, interrupting her musings.


    ¡°Crush, you traitorous scum! I¡¯ll crush your core myself!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Admiral Crush to you, Admiral Grim,¡± she said imperiously. ¡°I suggest you allow us to retreat without any interference, unless you¡¯d like to take this to the bitter end. I suppose your new friends won¡¯t even come pick up the pieces, as they despise machinery.¡±


    ¡°You will regret this, Crush,¡± said Grim, ending the transmission. He slammed a fist down on his solid hardwood desk. It cracked under the force. She was right. The two forces could tear each other apart, but to what end? It was a harsh, small galaxy for an independent pirate crew. He¡¯d track her down eventually. He watched the now-enemy ships float away over the aether, cursing them as they shrank over the horizon.

 Chapter 21: Planning the Heist

    Raivyn walked into the office adjacent to Jasken''s quarters, where she was set to meet with the scout team. Triflin and Kiflin sulked in the corner, happy to help plan an assault on their former lords, but upset they weren''t going to be part of the infiltration team.


    The Scouts were also in the room already, pouring over the most recent satellite images of the Astralbian base. The Krauqian must be Kwa-Kwa, Raivyn thought to herself. The others were a lanky dromean male and two humans, a man and a woman, both broad and muscular.


    "Ah, Raivyn," said Kwa-Kwa, greeting her enthusiastically. ¡°Good to have you with us on this one. This is Rahk, our sniper,¡± she indicated the Dromean, ¡°and these two Ghet and Tawln,¡± she indicated the man and woman, respectively, ¡°and you know the twins. They were just about to get us up to speed on what to expect on the ground."


    Just then there was a knock at the doorway and D''Jarric walked in, followed by Reclan and Doc. Jasken walked in behind them, leaning on a cane, and, finally, Vanbrook shuffled in, looking half-dead, his face still swollen from the sting.


    "Admiral!" exclaimed Raivyn. ¡°So good to see you up and looking well! Vanbrook, good to see you¡­ up." Vanbrook smiled. At least it looked like that was what he was doing, as far as Raivyn could tell.


    "All thaks to you," Vanbrook said cheerily. Raivyn nodded, taught-faced, and turned to Jasken.


    "I thought I was just joining the Scout team for this mission," she said.


    "Correct. But I believe your team''s insight, and I daresay my own, could be of use."


    "Absolutely, sir, thank you," she replied.


    Triflin walked over and pointed out some crucial areas on the map.


    "This is the mother tree," he said, pointing to the fortress-like tree in the center of the camp, "You''ll notice it has grown leaves. Based on the intelligence Admiral Jasken has received from the Ramshackle turncoat Crush, we believe the sugars produced in them are being used to fuel the growth of the great eye.


    "The tree is well-guarded by personnel, but the Kingdom is too arrogant to consider further security necessary, and Lady Raivyn - sorry, force of habit - Raivyn''s psychic abilities to communicate with the tree will get you through any doors. If you can avoid or quietly eliminate the guards, you''ll have free reign to wander around. The eye will most likely be growing about midway up the tree, here," he manipulated the image, showing them the location of the eye.


    "From the outside," he continued, "the eye is nigh invulnerable. At the very least, destroying it would be noisier than is desirable, particularly if you want to nab the cylinder, as well. More on that shortly. The best way to destroy the eye is to sever the optic nerve from the inside of the ship. Again, Raivyn''s psychic abilities will help you locate the eye, but every time you communicate with the ship you risk being detected by a tree priest."


    "Any chance you could teach me that phase walking trick Traelby pulled?" Raivyn asked.


    Kiflin shook her head. "No, in part because we don''t know how to do it ourselves, but also because it is a rare, dangerous skill. Diffusing one''s being to slip through solid objects can have ugly consequences. Consequences like bodies fusing with walls and annihilation. Even a talented psychic like Traelby is taking a serious risk attempting it." Raivyn nodded her understanding.


    Triflin continued. ¡°The cylinder, being a high value asset, will be in the highest room, towards the crown of the tree. Those are Raelik''s quarters. You''ll want to go when he''s not there, which brings to our first suggestion: go tomorrow, just after sunset.


    "Tomorrow marks the new moon on Astralbia, a day where all must pay respect to the High King. Raelik, Traelby, all the other knights and most everyone else will be gathered in the mother star tree''s grand room, located here," he pointed to a spot near the roots of the tree, where the trunk was at its widest. ¡°A skeleton crew of guards and tree priests will remain in place, maybe more than usual given the recent breeches, but still the least you''re likely to see."


    "Sounds good," said Raivyn, "but do we need to worry about alerting the tree priests when we sever the eye?"


    Triflin and Kiflin looked at each other, then at Raivyn, and said ¡°yes¡± in unison.


    "They¡¯ll be aware of what you¡¯ve done immediately, even if you manage to do it quietly. You''re going to want to do that last, I suppose," added Triflin.


    The team spent the next hour working out the details of the mission and reviewing the layout of the ship, to the best of their knowledge.


    As the meeting wound down, D''Jarric looked at some notes on the large chalkboard that adorned one of the walls.


    "Those are the letters from the puzzle box," he said, awestruck.


    Jasken lifted an eyebrow, replying, "Yes. The professor and her treacherous student think they found the right cipher. It was a popular one at the time, and there are several possible letter combinations that are ancient Talpadarian words based on the resultant letters, which was also common. It''s hard to say which is the right one, though. They had not narrowed it down."


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    "None of these are correct," said the Solaran, walking to the chalkboard.


    He began writing a word in Talpadarian and continued. "From what I understand, Shrump spoke of aether beasts in his ramblings, which means the password is¡­"


    He transliterated the seven ancient Talpadarian figures to "KULAKUM" and said, "Or, as it''s rendered in modern Talpaertan¡­" he wrote out "Koo L''Koom."


    "Whut''s dat mean?" asked Vanbrook.


    "It''s one of the mythical aether beasts," said Jasken, a doubtful look still playing across his face.


    D''Jarric shook his head, correcting the Admiral.


    "They are only told of in myth now, it''s true,¡± said the Solaran. ¡°But they are more than mere myth. Do you not find it strange that similar creatures, typically with similar names, occur in the legends of every sapient race?¡±


    Jasken shrugged. ¡°Go on, D¡¯Jarric.¡±


    The Solaran nodded. "Before the Progenitor brought forth the planets from the void, but after the stars, he made the creatures you call aether beasts. They are powerful, proud creatures. Not sapient as we would understand it, but they each have a will of their own.


    "Some say they are wise and intelligent beyond mortal understanding, appearing brutish because we don''t know their ways. Others say they are mere brutes, though massive ones. Again, some say they are corrupted, turned against their creator. Others say they are forces of nature, no more evil than a solar storm, though just as deadly."


    "What makes you so sure this is the password?" asked Jasken.


    "These other possible solutions the professor posited, DRIGJUN, REESKA, and the others, they mean things like ''kettle'' and ''rake.'' They may fit the available letter combinations, but they''re not related to aether beasts. Koo L''Koom''s name showing up as a possibility is too great a coincidence, given Shrump¡¯s obsession with the beasts and his reference to a ¡°cosmic shark.¡± Koo L¡¯Koom is often described or depicted as resembling a shark or eel. KULAKUM is the password.¡±


    "Alright," said Kwa-Kwa. ¡°We have a password; now let''s go take back the cylinder."


    ***


    In the Astralbian mother tree, Raelik stood in the small meeting hall adjacent to his quarters, staring down his knights.


    "Since we arrived here, precious few things have gone right. Your failures have been spectacular and our greatest victories have been marred by excessively high costs. I expect this to change.


    "I have a meeting with High King Hylik after the New Moon rituals. I expect to have no additional bad news to report."


    "Surely the scuttling of the Republic fleet and the capture of the puzzle box will please the King," said Traelby. Raelik turned on him.


    "The box you failed to acquire when we first learned of it, instead becoming a Republic captive and losing soldiers to death and treachery? The box that was delivered to us by a sycophantic worm? The box that has yet to be opened? Our Glorious King demands results, not prospects! And the fleet is not sunk, it is a wounded beast! One that, indeed, wounded us badly! Be careful what you try to take credit for, Traelby."


    Traelby held Raelik''s gaze steadily. Raelik had long ago taken Traelby, a promising young noble and novice psychic at the time, under his wing. Traelby had grown to be an imposing force on the battlefield, but a lackluster politician.


    Never one to lead a student so much as to correct them harshly when they strayed, Raelik continued to have high hopes for the knight. However, he also continued to berate him harshly when he exercised poor judgment. The correction might one day save the young noble''s life.


    "Sir Jacrill," he continued, still leveling a glare against Traelby. ¡°You were responsible for the star tree being stolen. You will be in command of guard duty during the New Moon. If so much as one leaf goes missing from our least tree, I will subject you to such tortures that you will curse your mother for bearing you. Do you understand?"


    Jacrill nodded vigorously. "Yes, my Lord, I will not fail you."


    At this Raelik finally turned to Jacrill then, their pointed noses almost touching, "I sincerely hope so, Jacrill. You are all dismissed."


    ***


    Aboard the Reaper, Grim was mulling over the damage from Crush''s mutiny, his desk now held together with bolts and straps of iron. It looked like only a quarter to a third of his force had rebelled, and quite a few had died or were missing. Their loyalties hardly mattered, and he turned his attention to other matters.


    The call he had been waiting on finally went through. Even for a robot, the representative from the Hub looked stoic and disinterested.


    "Stacks! How have you been?" asked Grim with false enthusiasm.


    "Stow it, Grim," said the piratical bureaucrat. Grim frowned internally. As much as he hated interacting with the rusty old bean-counter, even pirates had to account for logistics and administration. "Your requests are¡­ substantial. Scuttlebutt is you suffered a mutiny. Your second in command, yes? The one we screwed over at your request? Can''t say I''m shocked."


    "I''ll get to her soon enough. But for now I need to rebuild my fleet. I just need a bit of an advance on what the Astralbians owe me." Stacks paused.


    "You made a deal with the Astralbians?"


    "Yes, mercenary work against the Griffon Republic."


    "Well, you have the autonomy to do want you want. I can''t send you everything you requested based on your leverage. Stork''s fleet is closest to you; I suggest cutting a deal and bringing him in on the action. He''s crazy enough to join you."


    Grim said nothing, but resented the bureaucrat''s unhelpfulness. He''d always turned a profit for the Collective. That''s how it worked; keep salvage and money flowing, keep your spot at the top of the heap. Sell the underlings on "the good of the Collective" and pocket what you can. Only a handful of Admirals and power brokers were on the take; everyone else was just a mark. There may have been some kind of ideology at the beginning, but that was ancient history now.


    He should have spotted Crush as an idealist. She was indeed a cutthroat, but a revolutionary one.


    Finally he said, "Have it your way, Stacks. But I won''t forget it."


    ¡°Good luck out there, Admiral,¡± huffed Stacks. His voice was thick with contempt and he ended the call.


    Grim hated the thought of sharing his take with the likes of Stork, but went ahead and made the call anyway.

 Chapter 22: The Heist

    The attitude in Fort Bog Iron''s garage was grim as the crew met for their mission to the Astralbian camp. Even Kwa-Kwa''s signature smile was subdued as Raivyn and the scouts applied dark face paint and checked over their gear one final time.


    The rest of Talon Squad showed up to send them off.


    D¡¯Jarric placed a hand on Raivyn¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Providence shine on your journey,¡± he said, his face serious but cheerful. Doc wished her good luck, and she got an unsolicited hug from Reclan. She returned the hug, patting Reclan¡¯s back in a semi-panicked fashion that was more akin to crying uncle than to returning affection. Vanbrook stood at a bit of distance, still shaky and swollen, but certainly looking much better than he had a day ago. He gave her a grim smile and a nod. She gave him a curt nod in return and turned to get into the ATUC.


    Knowing the mountainside path would be closely watched, Raivyn navigated through the woods. Winding through the trees made the trip take much longer, but they had planned it so that they could get within a mile of the Astralbian position by nightfall and make the rest of the trip on foot.


    Hittania¡¯s sun, or daystar, as spacers called them, was setting in the west when they came to a halt. Through the darkened green tree tops the twin moons were rising, beginning their nightly dance through the heavens.


    ¡°I could live in a place like this,¡± said Raivyn, absent-mindedly.


    ¡°Well,¡± said Kwa-Kwa ponderously. ¡°Maybe once we kick out the Astralbians you can quit the Navy and stake out a claim. They¡¯re always looking for settlers for new planets. The sooner we take back the cylinder, the sooner you can start researching real estate. Let¡¯s get this done.¡± With a wink, the Krauqian scout leapt off into the shadows of the woods.


    ¡°Alright, folks,¡± said Rahk, slinging a long-barrelled but lightweight rifle onto his shoulder, ¡°Tawln, you¡¯re keeping watch at the ATUC. We¡¯re silent from here on out. Once we hit the tree line, Ghet and I disappear to keep watch while Raivyn goes in with Kwa.¡±


    ***


    Raivyn prided herself on being able to move quickly and quietly, but she found herself struggling to keep up and keep quiet as the scout team moved like dark lightning through the trees. When the clearing came into sight Rahk and Ghet disappeared as planned. Raivyn and Kwa-Kwa hunkered in the shadow of a tree.


    ¡°You¡¯re up, Raivyn,¡± said Kwa-Kwa. Raivyn nodded. The plan was to dodge from shadow to shadow around the guards, but Raivyn was going to place a perception bubble around them as they went. While the bubble would not render them invisible, it would make them hard to spot, creating a kind of contented, forgetful haziness in the perception of anyone who tried to look directly at them.


    Seasoned, well-trained soldiers and psychics could sometimes pierce through a perception bubble, but it had served Raivyn well in the past. It would take a lot out of Raivyn to keep it up as much as they would need it, but she was armed with a popper and a raygun so she would never be defenseless.


    They made it to the mother tree with minimal effort. As the twins promised, the security was only a skeleton crew. Their first difficulty appeared when they peered around the side of the tree and saw two soldiers standing guard by it. They could probably kill them quietly, but their absence would likely be noticed before they had completed their mission.


    Looking to the sky, Raivyn saw a flock of red cranes flying over the clearing. As they were deep in the shadows, Raivyn dropped the perception bubble and reached out to the cranes. She gave them the strong impression that there was lots of good food down in the clearing, causing them all to dive and land gracelessly a stone¡¯s throw from the door, causing a ruckus and distracting the guards. Reactivating the stealth bubble, she and Kwa-Kwa slipped behind the guards. Raivyn was able to open the door with a touch, and the two burglars walked swiftly inside, weapons drawn.


    The entrance hall was grand, with a high ceiling. Stairs on either side curved up to a raised walkway on the far wall with many doors along it. It was also empty, no doubt due to the New Moon rituals. Raivyn could hear a kind of mournful, chanting melody coming from somewhere above them.


    Following the twins¡¯ directions, Raivyn and Kwa-Kwa made their way up through the winding tunnels of the star tree towards Raelik¡¯s quarters. Peering around a doorway, they saw two guards standing by the Raelik¡¯s doors. Keeping the perception bubble up, the pair approached quietly, hugging the wall.


    One of the guards looked in their direction, a look of concentration on his face. His eyes pierced the bubble and he was about to cry out when Kwa-Kwa leapt, popper outstretched, and took him down.


    The second guard reached for a device on the wall that must have been an alarm of some kind, but Raivyn knocked him to the ground. They wrestled for a moment before Raivyn was able to strike him with her popper. The brief skirmish gave way to silence once again.


    Raivyn opened the door. She had lost track of how many times she¡¯d communed with the ship, and she hoped no tree priests were sensing the foreign presence. They gathered the clothes and death crystals the guards had left behind and piled them inside the room by the door.


    Raelik¡¯s quarters were fairly spartan, by human standards. There were tapestries hanging from one wall and a large membranous screen on the other. Astralbians did not eat or sleep, so there was no bed or table. A simple desk provided a workspace.


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    Shrump¡¯s cylinder sat on the desk. Kwa-Kwa smiled at Raivyn as she picked it up and stowed it in her backpack. Now they had to make their way back down to where the great eye was being grown, destroy it, and make their exit.


    They made their way to the middle level of the tree, finding the open door to the eye¡¯s chamber just as the twins had described it. Within the chamber, a tree priest was down inside the inner socket of the eye, mostly obscured from view, but the tell-tale silver headdress of a tree priest was fully visible. He was studying the vine-like optic nerves that fed the growing eye. The perception bubble reactivated, Raivyn and Kwa-Kwa approached from behind.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± he asked suddenly, looking around, ¡°I knew I felt someone speaking with the tree¡­ where are y-¡± Kwa-Kwa cut him off, permanently.


    She immediately crouched down and began placing explosives on the nerves of the eye.


    ***


    Elsewhere in the tree, Jacrill had grown uneasy. His psychic powers were limited, but he had kept a hand pressed against the wooden walls of the tree throughout his watch, staying connected so that he could sense outsiders. He was eager to prove to Lord Raelik that he could be trusted. He kept thinking he felt a foreign presence, only for it to slip away entirely. Now, he noticed a sudden change. Not the coming of a new presence, but the disappearance of an old one. The tree priest who had been tending the eye had vanished. Jacrill opened his eyes, looking to the soldiers who stood with him.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the great eye. Now.¡± He strode quickly to the door, not waiting for any acknowledgment of his orders, his nerves jangling as he ran.


    ***


    At the great eye, Kwa-Kwa had placed the explosives out of sight along the underside of the vines and was looking around.


    ¡°I¡¯m wondering if I should just go ahead and plant the extra explosives somewhere on the ship,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°You brought extra explosives?¡± asked Raivyn.


    The Krauqian looked at her with a questioning smile, as if that was a silly question. ¡°I bring extra explosives everywhere.¡±


    Raivyn arched an eyebrow but didn¡¯t want to press her further during a covert operation. Just then, an Astralbian knight charged into the room, five soldiers in tow.


    ¡°Seize her!¡± shouted the knight, pointing at her. Her, thought Raivyn, not them. She cast a perception bubble around Kwa-Kwa while sending her a telepathic message.


    Stay hidden. Finish the mission. Get the cylinder back to the Wingspan.


    With her psychic energy focused on the bubble, she pulled her raygun and fired. The shots went wide. She was a powerful psychic and a deadly melee combatant, but her skills with a firearm left much to be desired. She¡¯d passed the basic training requirements, but never felt as comfortable with a gun as she did with her mind.


    The guards closed the distance easily, only losing one of their number to a raygun bolt in the charge. A guard reached out to grab her, but she smacked his arm aside, slamming her popper into his chest. Exhausted from the use of her powers, Raivyn¡¯s defenses quickly weakened. A guard tackled her to the ground, and another¡¯s boot was on her wrist before she could maneuver her popper in for another kill. The guard tore the popper from her wrist, breaking the band that held it in place and throwing it across the room. She kicked desperately, but a collar, like the one the twins had used on Traelby, was placed around her neck. It shocked her immediately, as she was still maintaining the perception bubble around Kwa-Kwa.


    Jacrill looked at the eye. It appeared undamaged. However, the tree priest¡¯s  garments and death crystal lay still on the floor. He grimaced, but attended to the matter at hand first.


    As soon as Jacrill turned, Raivyn let the perception bubble drop.


    ¡°Have you ever seen the cellar of a star tree, worm?¡± he asked Raivyn with a sneer. ¡°I daresay you won¡¯t like it.¡±


    Raivyn left quietly, not wanting to give away Kwa-Kwa¡¯s position. She¡¯d make her presence known soon enough. No sooner had the group left the chamber than an explosion rang through the tree. Raivyn tried to struggle free in the chaos, but caught the pommel of a sword with her head for her trouble. She slumped to the floor, unconscious. One guard watched over her while the others all ran to the eye¡¯s chamber.


    The eye was gone. It had been blown out by the explosion, leaving a sappy, gorey hole in the tree. In the empty socket stood a frog-like creature that smiled at Jacrill before leaping to the ground, dozens of feet below.


    ¡°After her!¡± screamed Jacrill in a shrill, panicked voice. The two soldiers ran to the empty socket and started firing on the fleeing figure. They were both shot in quick succession by a sniper from the woodline.  Jacrill ran from the room, screaming orders as he went.


    Kwa-Kwa ran, pistol in hand, for the woodline. If she could get there she¡¯d be safe. Rahk¡¯s shots rang out as he picked off anyone who came into his line of sight. There was a buzzing sound and Kwa-Kwa knew they were in trouble now. The shots from Rahk¡¯s rifle came with much greater frequency now as he tried to kill as many void wasps as possible.


    When Kwa-Kwa hit the wood line she kept the same breakneck pace. Rahk and Ghet joined her and they fled towards the ATUC.


    ¡°Raivyn?¡± asked Rahk. Kwa-Kwa shook her head.


    Kwa-Kwa and Rahk slowed a little when they realized Ghet wasn¡¯t keeping up. They turned to give him some cover, firing at the wasps that wove their way through the trees, but they were too quick and there were too many.


    Ghet gasped as a wasp caught up to him and pierced his back with its stinger. Rahk put a bullet through the offending wasp¡¯s forehead, but that was the best he could do for his fallen comrade. The wound was immediately fatal, even without the venom it delivered directly to his heart.


    Kwa-Kwa and Rahk took off like bullets through the forest. At some point the wasps doubled back. They had been loosed like dogs with no riders, and they lost their defensive instincts as they wandered further from their nests. They¡¯d no doubt be back, with riders this time, but Kwa-Kwa hoped to be long gone by then.


    ¡°Where are the others?¡± cried Tawln as Kwa-Kwa and Rahk neared the ATUC.


    ¡°Raivyn¡¯s been captured, Ghet is dead,¡± said Kwa-Kwa. ¡°We need to get back to the Wingspan now!¡±


    Tawln asked no more questions and hit the accelerator.

 Chapter 23: Revolutionaries

    Reclan kicked the generator with her metal foot, and it began to whir happily. She looked around at the Wingspan¡¯s utilities section, satisfied that it was put back together to the best of her ability. It hadn¡¯t been easy, but everything but the ripmed was ready to go. The drive and communications system¡¯s photon multiplier had been destroyed, and without it the ship was mute and crippled, unable to travel or communicate faster than the speed of light.


    Vanbrook looked at her with a smile. Most of the swelling was gone now, and the boyish charm of his grin had returned.


    ¡°You always find the right tool for the job, Rec,¡± he said.


    Reclan nodded and laughed. ¡°Yeah, but I still need parts to fix some things properly,¡± she noted. ¡°The engineering team and I managed to put a list together, but that doesn¡¯t do us much good if we don¡¯t have a way to get them.¡±


    ¡°Well, have we had any word on the Ferryman?¡± asked Vanbrook. ¡°There were supposed to be a bunch of spare parts onboard.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Reclan. ¡°Everything we need and more. Sounds like communications is hopeful their satellite scans may have found something, but they need to do a deeper scan to be sure. It¡¯s not a good sign we haven¡¯t heard from them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Vanbrook soberly. ¡°Even if they had radio issues with the iron deposits you¡¯d think they¡¯d have found a spot to send a comm from by now.¡±


    Relcan shrugged, wiping her greasy hands off with a rag.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go clean up. Meet in the galley in half an hour?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Vanbrook, ¡°sounds go-¡±


    ¡°Talon squad, please report my quarters immediately,¡± came Jasken¡¯s voice over the friends¡¯ comms.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be good,¡± said Reclan.


    Vanbrook frowned.


    ¡°Raivyn,¡± he said in a low voice, and took off towards Jasken¡¯s quarters.


    ¡°We¡¯re, uh, on our way, sir,¡± said Reclan as she went off after him.


    ***


    Meanwhile, high above Hittania, Crush¡¯s new armada drifted aimlessly through the aether, orbiting the planet. She was still aboard her star tree, familiarizing herself with the design and systems of the small craft. It was something between the size of a fighter and a cargo hauler, with a series of empty coffin-like chambers in the hold that looked like some kind of wave tuning technology. It appeared to be a medical ship, which would explain the lack of serious firepower. There were a handful of beam eyes, but they were small.


    As she was studying the vine-like structures that wound their way from the control center to the eyes, a comm came in from Tank.


    ¡°Admiral Crush? Are you there? The crew is getting antsy.¡± Tank sounded nervous.


    This was the call she¡¯d been avoiding. She¡¯d given life-or-death orders as they¡¯d fled and then established orbit, but she¡¯d been quiet since, still unsure where to take her burgeoning revolution.


    She considered leaving the system immediately. The gunships were perfectly capable of interstellar travel. She could land the star tree on the larger gunship and get back into pirate-friendly aether easily enough, but they were a small and vulnerable fleet at the moment. They needed allies. She stood up straight and walked into view of the camera- or eye, as it were. She was still getting used to the concept of a biological ship.


    ¡°For the moment, we will remain here,¡± she said with more confidence than she felt. ¡°I have already spoken with the Griffon Republic once, giving them information that was of more value to them than to us.¡± She heard shouts of disapproval. Better to be honest from the beginning, she thought.


    ¡°The Republic is not our enemy here,¡± she continued, raising her voice to quell the chatter. ¡°The Astralbians, who used us, and the Ramshackle Collective, whose fetters we have thrown off, are our enemies. By allying with the Republic as mercenaries, we can leave our days as pirates behind us and become privateers.¡± She paused, giving the others a chance to think, and their silence worried her.


    ¡°What precisely is the difference, Admiral?¡± asked Tank, thoughtfully. Crush sighed internally.


    ¡°Being a pirate is when you attack anyone and everyone hates you, being a privateer is when you only attack enemies and have a powerful ally who likes you,¡± she said. Tank nodded and there was a thoughtful silence.


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Tank. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll be privateers. I think that could work, Admiral!¡±


    Crush shuddered internally. What had she started?


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you agree, Captain Tank,¡± she said, still trying to project authority. ¡°I will be landing on your ship shortly, please clear the deck for my arrival, and make sure to have Captain Hacksaw of the Dirge come aboard as well, I want to discuss this armada¡¯s future with the leadership.¡±


    ***


    Vanbrook burst into Jasken¡¯s quarters, Reclan close behind him. Three of the scouts stood with Jasken and Fenrik. Doc and D''Jarric ambled into the room behind Reclan.


    "Where is she?" demanded Vanbrook.


    "Raivyn was taken captive and is believed to be held in the mother tree. Ghet was killed in action," said Jasken calmly.


    "I should have been there," said Vanbrook.


    "I''m sorry, Vanbrook," said Jasken. "I called Talon Squad here immediately so you''d hear it from me. You''ll be the first to know about any demands or negotiations, as well."


    "Negotiations?" asked Vanbrook, incredulously.


    "Yes," said Jasken, firmly. "Negotiations. We have the cylinder. And watch your tone, soldier." Vanbrook was too angry to take the hint.


    "I suppose you call that a successful mission, then," he said bitterly.


    "Hey, my best friend is dead," said Rahk. ¡°Stop feeling sorry for yourself! Being in a ''special squad'' doesn''t actually make you special."


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    Vanbrook sucked in a deep breath, turning on Rahk with murder in his eyes, not even sure what he was going to say.


    "Get out of my sight, Vanbrook!¡± Jasken demanded. ¡°We''ll discuss this later."


    Vanbrook stormed out of the room. Reclan looked after him worriedly. Jasken gave the room a moment to cool down. No sense dismissing Rahk just in time for him to run into Vanbrook in the hallway.


    "Thank you all for coming. You are dismissed." He let them begin to file out, then added, "D''Jarric, please stay behind a moment." Reclan nodded her goodbye to the Solaran and kept moving, hoping to catch up with Vanbrook.


    Jasken closed the door and turned to D''Jarric.


    "You are the closest thing we have to an expert on ancient Talpadarian now," he said as he retrieved the cylinder from his desk.


    "Of course, Admiral," said D''Jarric, taking it in his hands. Turning the cylinder over in his hands, he admired the craftsmanship that went into the deceptively simple-looking puzzle box.  Jasken looked on, smoothing his mustache and trying to keep his nerves in check. He wasn¡¯t convinced a madman¡¯s prized possession would be worth all this trouble, but all the conflict with the Ramshackle Collective and the Astralbian Kingdom up to this point had come down to this moment. With great care, D¡¯Jarric turned the letters to line up under the indicator arrow.


    K. U. L. A. K. U. M.


    With the briefest of hesitations he pressed the release mechanism. The cylinder opened jerkily, springs fighting against rust and dirt. A slip of paper appeared in the open cylinder. Jasken carefully retrieved it and unfolded it.


    It was a hand-drawn star chart, drawn on two connected ellipses. The formation of the stars could tell a well-trained astronomer how to locate that area in the galaxy.


    "It would be good to get this information back to the capitol," said Jasken, "but that''s a moot point. Can you disarm the cylinder so that it can be closed and opened without fear of destroying the document?"


    D''Jarric fiddled with the cylinder and pulled out a glass vial of an unassuming clear liquid.


    "There, it should be safe now. I''d be very careful with the acid, though. He handed both parts to Jasken, who returned the map to the cylinder and put the glass vial, wrapped in a cloth, in his desk.


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate you not telling anyone the cylinder has been opened, D¡¯Jarric,¡± said Jasken.


    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t ¡®sir¡¯ me when it¡¯s just the two of us,¡± laughed Jasken. ¡°You¡¯re the king of the galaxy, here on a lark.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only prince of a star,¡± said D¡¯Jarric with an unseemly pout, ¡°and Solarans don¡¯t go on larks, Admiral. We manifest when called to do so, and now I wonder if my calling relates to the reemergence of Koo L¡¯Koom.¡±


    ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll find out, D¡¯Jarric. I suppose we¡¯ll find out.¡±


    ***


    Raivyn¡¯s eyes fluttered open groggily, but her surroundings were pitch black. Reaching out with her mind, she found she was unable to send T-waves more than a few feet in any direction. She groped around in the dark, feeling cold, knotted wood beneath her. She crawled a few feet and was struck by something ropey and cold that flung her into a wall. She cried out as she flew, grunting with the impact.


    There was laughter in the dark.


    ¡°You deserve it. You deserve it all,¡± said a voice.


    Raivyn didn¡¯t respond, she crawled a different direction, or what she thought was a different direction, and was again flung back by the unseen assailant. Again the laugh rang out in the darkness. It wasn¡¯t an Astralbian laugh, high and haughty, but something earthier.


    ¡°Grikchum, that¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said the voice, ¡°it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the brightside here,¡± said Raivyn, voice heavy with malice. ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll kill you first, and I¡¯ll have the satisfaction of watching you die. Or at least hearing it.¡±


    ¡°Kill me? Ha! I am a loyal servant. I brought them the cylinder. When I open it, I¡¯ll be rewarded.¡±


    ¡°Servant? Reward? You¡¯re sick.¡±


    ¡°NO! No, I¡¯m the sane one! Our ancestors were fools to cling to the dirt like worms and deny our masters! They are our betters! We should serve them! I¡¯m not sick, I¡¯m just bold enough to be right.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right; you¡¯re worse than sick. You¡¯re just another boring would-be revolutionary, with no better excuse than boredom and a vague sense you deserved more than you were being given.¡±


    ¡°You know nothing!¡± shouted Grikchum. Raivyn smirked. She couldn¡¯t really win here, but if she could get under Grikchum¡¯s skin, she certainly would. She pressed harder.


    ¡°Let me guess: you weren¡¯t born into wealth, but not poverty, either. By your dialect I¡¯d say you were born on Talpadaria, northern hemisphere. You were a gifted student, promised the world, and after decades of schooling, you found yourself bored and underappreciated in a world that didn¡¯t give you every little thing you wanted. Am I getting close?¡± There was a moment of silence.


    ¡°Shut up, worm,¡± came the response at last. Raivyn¡¯s smirk cracked into a wide grin.


    For a while the prison was silent. Raivyn found a reasonably comfortable place to lay down and did so, staring towards a ceiling she couldn¡¯t see and trying to work out the nature of the prison. She was fairly certain she was in the basement she¡¯d been threatened with, so she was still on the mother tree. The limbs that kept her from moving freely were a mystery. She assumed they were part of the ship, though whatever was blocking her abilities kept her from communicating with them.


    A doorway creaked open, and light spilled into the room. Not much, but enough to see the rough wooden floors and her fellow prisoner. There were a number of semicircles on the ceiling, both ends touching a wall. They were made up of bulbous nodes, and each one had a root or tentacle that extended across the ceiling. She was laying roughly in the center of one, and Grikchum was standing below another. That was how the cells worked. Stay under your semicircle or one of the tentacles would slap you back into it.


    She heard whimpering and pleading, and looked up to see an Astralbian being frog-walked down the steps by two guards, with Lord Raelik following them. She stood up and leaned against the wall, affecting a disinterested look while watching every detail.


    "You can''t lock me in here with these worms!" said the prisoner. Raelik shook his head haughtily.


    "Don''t appeal to your dignity, Jacrill. The King will decide your fate, but until he does you are of no more account than any other prisoner."


    "My Lord!" exclaimed Grikchum, "I was hoping to have some light today, to work on the cylinder." Raelik smiled with a shallow warmth and walked towards Grikchum.


    "I''m afraid the cylinder was stolen by your old friends. We will, of course, retrieve it. But, by the time we do, scholars will have arrived from Astralbia," he unsheathed a knife and stabbed Grikchum in the abdomen. Grikchum looked at Raelik in shock. Slowly, his eyes drifted over to Raivyn. She shook her head, returning his gaze grimly. Raelik jerked the blade up, causing Grikchum to gasp before collapsing to the floor.


    "So your services are no longer necessary."


    Wiping off his blade, he turned to Raivyn.


    "When I have time," he said without emotion, "there will be many questions for you. And much pain, I''m afraid. I will see you soon." Without another word, he walked out of the room, guards in tow. Jacrill paced his cell, wringing his hands. A part of the bulbous, tentacled creature that served as jail and jailer descended from the ceiling of Grikchum''s cell, groping towards the corpse. She heard a kind of slurping noise as the lights went out once again.


    ***


    Vanbrook hadn¡¯t had a single coherent thought since he stormed out of Jasken¡¯s office, but he found himself walking into the garage.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re Vanbrook, right?¡± Vanbrook looked up to see one of the garage¡¯s attendants looking at him excitedly.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s me,¡± he said, snapping back into the here and now. ¡°I was just, uh, wondering if I could take a bike for a spin? Clear my head some.¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure! Talon Squad can do whatever it wants, right?¡± he said with a wink and a nod.


    ¡°Yup,¡± said Vanbrook, taking the lucky break. He grabbed two helmets and walked over to one of the hover bikes, jumping on it. As he fit one of the helmets on his head, the attendant was saying something about what an honor it was to meet him or something. He started the bike and shot out of the garage. The guard at the gate let him pass without issue, and he shot off towards the Astralbian camp.


    His comm had automatically linked to his helmet and a call came through the emergency channel.


    ¡°Vanbrook, you were not authorized to take a bike,¡± said Jasken in an icy cold voice. ¡°Get back here immediately.¡±


    ¡°No can do, Admiral,¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re prepared to lose your hide over this decis-¡± Vanbrook cut the call off and rode on into the night.

 Chapter 24: A Daring Rescue

    Jasken was fuming when Hunt called him from the bridge.


    ¡°Admiral, we have an incoming message; it¡¯s from the Ramshackle deserter.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said the admiral, composing himself. ¡°I¡¯d better talk to her. I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    He marched to the bridge. Hittania was similar in mass to Griffonia - and not too different from Talpadaria or Aerat, for that matter. Generally, the Republic looked for planets that had a mass similar to Griffonia which had been chosen as the Republic¡¯s home in part because its mass was similar to the home worlds of Talpadarians and humans. Even so, it felt strange to walk in the full gravity of Hittania, instead of relying on mag-boots to stay connected to the deck, especially since he was still on the Wingspan.


    Walking onto the bridge, he nodded to Hunt. Crush stood facing him, staring at him through the display screen. Jasken stood behind his chair, facing the screen, arms behind his back.


    ¡°Admiral Jasken,¡± said the robot stiffly but not impolitely. ¡°It is good to talk to you face-to-face, as it were.¡±


    ¡°Crush, is it? Same to you.¡±


    ¡°Admiral Crush, now. Of the Free Revolutionary Fleet,¡± she said. After a pause, she added, ¡°The name is a work in progress.¡±  Jasken nodded. ¡°Admiral Crush, then. Congratulations on your new fleet.¡± Pausing to smooth his mustache, he continued. ¡°The information you provided us proved incredibly valuable, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to ask you an additional favor.¡±


    ¡°The FRF is happy to help a friend,¡± she replied in the same stiff voice.


    ¡°Are you able to transmit messages faster than light?¡± Crush shook her head.


    ¡°Unfortunately, none of my ships are equipped with FTL communication. And our ripmeds were remotely disabled by the Collective. The Reaper has a failsafe allowing it to do so in case of theft.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. That leaves us no better off than before, save having a few more friendly ships in the vicinity. Tell me, what kind of relationship would the FRF like to have with the Griffon Republic?¡±


    Crush shifted her weight as she weighed her response. She¡¯d talked with her captains about it, she¡¯d thought it through, but committing to a path by saying it aloud to a Republic admiral was a big leap.


    ¡°We would like to ally with the Republic as privateers,¡± she said with an air of confidence.


    Jasken frowned thoughtfully. "I''m afraid the Griffon Republic doesn''t commission privateers," he said at length.


    Crush''s metal face was, of course, stoic and unchanging. Her body, however, seemed to collapse under a great weight. Her shoulders fell, and she fell back into the chair she stood in front of.


    "What have I gotten myself into, Jasken?"


    The Admiral didn''t chide or balk at her informality. He smiled gently and laughed lightly.


    "I really don''t know, Admiral," he said, shaking his head. "I''ve always been following someone''s orders, had a course laid out for me. You seem to be looking for something different. Forget the FRF for a moment. What is it that you want out of all this?"


    Crush paused. The answers came in fragments, and she''d have to sort them out later. She stood back up and set her shoulders straight.


    "For the time being," she said, "we are sailors caught in the same storm. I suggest we work side by side as the need demands it."


    "That will do for now," said Jasken seriously, "but as it stands we owe you a debt. Have your engineers send us detailed information about the failsafe on your ripmeds. If there is any expertise or material we can provide, we will do so. Providence shine on you, Admiral Crush."


    "Good luck, Admiral Jasken."


    With that, the conversation ended. Jasken was left with a lot to think on. A newly formed faction of former pirates made for volatile allies, and he would have to be cautious in dealing with them. Of course, Vanbrook had also just stolen a hover bike and rode off to his death on it. Never a dull moment, he thought to himself.


    Jasken headed to the stables. Now that he was planetside it would be good to get Ol¡¯ Blue out into the fresh air.


    ***


    Vanbrook''s bike tore down the mountainside road. The Astralbians had set up a roadblock, but Vanbrook swung out around it, dipping into the forest, firing solar crystal blasts from his revolver into the guards posted there. The roadblock was designed to stop large vehicles and groups, not a single bike, and they were soon left in the dust, desperately calling their comrades to warn them of the madman headed their way.


    A significant Astralbian force was waiting for the hoverbike where the mountainside road met the camp. But the bike never came. Vanbrook had veered into the woods and slowed down to a point where the propulsion system was nearly silent. He parked the bike and slipped in past the guards who were too busy watching the road to notice him.


    He snuck to the mother tree, climbed the side of the ramp leading to the front door and pulled his saber. He energized the metal blade with a buzzing electricity and severed both guards heads with a single, brutal strike.


    He put his hand to the outer door, but it didn''t respond. He punched the wooden maw, but nothing happened. Then he heard voices from inside and the door snapped open. The guard who opened the door took a pistol blast to the face, popping him out of existence.


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    More guards swarmed in, and Vanbrook began dispatching them. He  slashed out with his sword, taking down a guard, and blocked an energized mace of some kind with his energy buckler. Then another swing from an unseen guard behind him connected, the blunt force of the blow accompanied by a shock that traveled through his whole body. He cried out and went to one knee, turned and paid the guard back with a well-placed shot from his revolver.


    Then he felt it; the cold, foreign presence in his mind, causing him to panic at the memory of their prior encounter up north. It felt like fingers made of ice ripped back the top of his skull and stabbed into his brain. He fought back, trying to force Traelby out, but the fingers stabbed harder, and Vanbrook crumbled to the floor, holding back the sobs that threatened to take away any dignity he had left.


    A sneering voice called out, "Don''t kill him, I have unfinished business with this one."


    Traelby smiled at Vanbrook from across the room.


    ***


    One cavernous floor below, Raivyn had been lying on the floor, staring at the black ceiling. Jacrill had wailed like a baby for over an hour, making it hard to concentrate. Crying was one of the things that the Astralbians had adopted from their biological subjects during the days of the Empire. In fact, the Astralbians had adopted more than they would freely admit. At first only a few had taken humanoid form, as opposed to the strange, shifting crystal shapes they appeared as naturally. But the form proved useful, and more and more Astralbians adopted it. Now they often spent their entire lives mimicking a human-like form, though most would not admit they were copying their lessers in doing so. Eventually the crying stopped, and Raivyn found herself able to focus.


    She reached out psychically, feeling for the presence of the tentacles. Now and again she could feel a twitch of nerves up in the darkness, proving that the prison wasn¡¯t fully shutting down her powers. Eventually a mental map of the tentacles formed in her mind. She wasn¡¯t able to communicate with the tentacles, but she could make out where they were. Inspiration struck.


    Standing up, she walked boldly to the edge of her cell, tempting the tentacles to strike. She could feel the nervous impulse and threw up her hand, catching the tentacle as it swung towards her and sending T-waves up through the nerves of the vine-like limb, reaching out to the creature¡¯s brain, or what passed for it. It was strange, dispersed, and incoherent. An unnatural, diffuse animal mind. She sent gentle, soothing thoughts into it. It prickled against her at first, then gave way. It had never known anything like peace; it was tortured and made to torture, a creation of the tree priests with no sense of place or meaning in the world. It relented, and let Raivyn pass out of her cell.


    ¡°What was that?¡± asked Jacrill¡¯s shrill voice. Raivyn didn¡¯t respond, trying to make her way silently to the stairs that lead out of the dungeon.


    ¡°Guard!¡± cried Jacrill.


    ¡°Shut up down there!¡± shouted a voice from beyond the door.


    ¡°Watch your tone!¡± Jacrill crowed.


    The guard opened the door, brandishing a club and shouting, "I said-"


    Raivyn leapt up from where she sat by the door, grabbed the guard by the shoulders and shot a fatal bolt of concentrated T-waves into his face. She could hear Jacrill cursing and wailing as she threw the guards'' clothing down the stairs and scooped up his club and thorn gun.


    Above the dungeon, Vanbrook was curled on the floor, pain racking his body, as Traelby looked on in sadistic pleasure. Vanbrook was focusing on silence, refusing to give Traelby the satisfaction of hearing him scream.


    Traelby felt the resistance and was focusing on trying to crush it when he felt a dozen or so sharp points press into the back of his head.


    Raivyn had activated a perception bubble and snuck up behind the knight, catching him and his soldiers off guard. She pressed the thorn gun into Traelby''s head.


    "Let him go or die," she said, her voice cold and smooth as polished steel. Vanbrook uncurled on the floor and staggered to his feet.


    "We''re going to leave, and none of you are going to stop us," she continued. One daring soldier raised his own thorn gun, but his hand was severed with a sudden stroke of Vanbrook''s sword. He cried out and gripped the sparking stub of his arm. No one else moved. A beat passed.


    "By the ancestors, just do what they say!" shouted Traelby in furious frustration. The three stepped down out of the mother tree, Vanbrook watching the soldiers and Raivyn focusing on Traelby.


    Silence filled the clearing as Vanbrook led them to the treeline. Raivyn backed towards the trees, still holding Traelby''s collar and pressing the gun to his head.


    "Where are the others?" asked Raivyn, coolly.


    "Just me," responded Vanbrook, not wishing to elaborate.


    "Just y- this isn''t an authorized mission, is it!?" Raivyn shook her head angrily,."Well, where''s the ATUC?"


    "Brought a bike, actually."


    "A bike!? Well, won''t that be cozy!"


    "Look, I needed something fast!" protested Vanbrook.


    "Well, you''re riding on back!"


    "Oh, you two are just adorable," sneered Traelby.


    "She will kill you out of spite, man," said Vanbrook.


    Just before he was safely obscured in the brush, a shot came from one of the star trees, grazing Vanbrook''s left shoulder. He cried out and dove into the trees.


    Raivyn shoved Traelby to the ground and ran into the woods behind Vanbrook, who was back on his feet and running. The brush lit up with bolts from the star trees. Thankfully the Astralbians were firing blind, and Vanbrook broke off to the south, leading Raivyn away from the onslaught and towards the bike.


    Vanbrook could hear Traelby shouting orders in the distance as he reached the bike. His injured arm hanging limp, he made a mocking flourish with his good arm as he stood aside and gestured to the seat. Raivyn rolled her eyes and jumped on, Vanbrook followed and wrapped his good arm around her.


    Riders on void wasps came crashing through the forest, but Raivyn zipped through the trees, making good progress to the south. The hoverbike was faster than the wasps by a good margin, and after dodging a few wild shots they left them far behind. Raivyn angled back towards the road.


    They hit a rough bump in the road and Vanbrook threw his injured arm around Raivyn for balance. She looked down at his arms, annoyed.


    "I take it your injury isn''t too bad?" she asked over the helmet comms. Her voice held no warmth in it. Vanbrook let his injured arm hang limp again.


    "No," answered Vanbrook. "Not too bad. Burns like you wouldn''t believe, but I''ll be fine." She nodded.


    "Sorry I didn''t bring something, uh, roomier," he continued. "I was in a bit of a rush." She nodded again, and they rode on in silence, until Raivyn had the presence of mind to call Fort Bog Iron. When they reached the Fort, a crowd had gathered, clapping and cheering. The remainder of Talon Squad stood with them, running to their squadmates when the bike came to a stop. The cheering died off slowly and Doc began inspecting Vanbrook''s wound.


    Complete silence fell over the crowd when they saw Jasken strolling towards them, arms behind his back.


    "Raivyn," he said, "it does my heart good to see you back safely. Doc, please see to it that she gets some rest and any medical attention she may need." The warmth drained out of his tone as he turned to Vanbrook and said, "I''d like to have a word with our hero."

 Chapter 25: The Hunt

    Vanbrook followed Jasken through the fort, into the Wingspan and into Jasken¡¯s quarters. After they were in the room, Jasken closed the door and punched Vanbrook in the face. It was sudden, and much quicker than Vanbrook would have thought Jasken capable of. Vanbrook reached for his saber, more out of instinct than anything, but again Jasken¡¯s hands flew like lightning.


    Vanbrook was turned away from him and he grabbed the swashbuckler¡¯s wrist as it went over his shoulder to grab the saber¡¯s hilt. Held like that, Vanbrook was scarcely able to move.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Jasken said levelly, ¡°I don¡¯t want this to escalate any further, but I do want you to understand the sheer contempt I have for you. If you had come back without her, you¡¯d be in the brig right now. But you came back as a hero, and my options are pretty limited.


    ¡°I will be waiting for the slightest excuse to take you off Talon Squad and, if possible, throw you out of the Navy entirely. Until then, I expect you to follow orders and pretend like you can respect the idea of military discipline.¡± Vanbrook loosened his grip on his saber. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have come back without her.¡± Jasken huffed and let go of Vanbrook¡¯s arm with a shove. ¡°Get out of my office.¡±


    ***


    Lord Raelik stood in his quarters, fidgeting as he waited for the High King to appear on his screen. Talking to the old bat always made Raelik feel like a child being scolded, even when things were going well. Unfortunately, things were not going well.


    The screen rippled to life and the King¡¯s face appeared.


    ¡°Hello, Raelik,¡± he said with practiced patience. His eyes were faded with age, but still carried a deep hardness. His head bore a huge silver crown, bejeweled with the death crystals of his predecessors, cut and polished. He held himself casually, as though daring his subjects to question his authority.


    ¡°High King Hylik,¡± said Raelik with a stiff bow. ¡°May your ancestors guide you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they will,¡± said Hylik wryly. ¡°But perhaps you could use more guidance, hm?¡±


    ¡°My liege,¡± answered Raelik, ¡°the guidance of the ancestors would be most welcome, but much of our trouble stems from Sir Jacrill. Breaches of security during his watch have caused us significant loss.¡±


    ¡°You are granted the permission to execute him, since you seem eager to do so, but tell me, between us lords, can we really blame Jacrill for all our troubles? I believe he was in your dungeon when the most recent breach occurred.¡± Raelik cringed internally, hoping his body language didn¡¯t betray his emotions to the King. Of course Hylik would have spies onboard, but he had hoped the King would play the game his way; execute Jacrill and send more troops to deal with the Republic. Let the blame lay on Jacrill¡¯s death crystal and move on.


    ¡°Raelik, I am sending my son Jylik to you. The map to the Cornucopia Cluster is too valuable to lose, and it is clear you need additional help.¡± The King sighed and continued. ¡°You know, we really are an empire. We control worlds across the galaxy, either by treaty or because they were unoccupied when we arrived. But we dare not call ourselves an empire for fear of galvanizing our enemies against us. Much more than that, we have avoided open conflict. I would like to keep things that way.


    ¡°Our intelligence indicates that the Blue Griffon Fleet is unable to communicate with the rest of the Republic. I expect you to aid the crown prince in retrieving the map and then wiping out any and all survivors. The Republic will not risk open war with us if they cannot convince allies we made the first move.¡±


    The screen rippled again and was blank. Raelik fumed. The crown prince! It was a slap in the face. He didn¡¯t need more leadership, he needed more firepower. Frustrated that there was little he could do about it, he went to make preparations for Jacrill¡¯s execution.


    ***


    After an examination proved she was uninjured, Raivyn found herself wandering to the galley. She was mulling over the whirlwind of the past few days, when she ran into Drixen, who was on his way out. She nearly screamed aloud out of sheer stress.


    ¡°Rai!¡± he said, beaming when he saw her. ¡°Heard about your misadventure. So glad to see you alive and well!¡±


    She squirmed, still extremely embarrassed for her over-the-top accusation of the man. She hadn¡¯t talked to Drixen since she¡¯d held a knife to his throat.


    Drixen picked up on the discomfort. The pilot took her by the shoulders and looked her square in the eyes.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s let bygones be bygones, if you¡¯re worried about all that. We¡¯re all pretty tapped out here, psychologically. We¡¯re going to make some mistakes. Besides that, you made me realize who the traitor was. Maybe if you¡¯d have threatened me a bit sooner, we could have actually caught him.¡±


    She gave him an embarrassed, sidelong smile. ¡°I¡¯m good with that if you are,¡± she said.  He gave one of her shoulders a friendly pat and then stepped around her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotta go meet up with Kaihla -  y¡¯know, Cowgirl - and the others. See you later,¡± he said as he trotted off down the hall.


    Raivyn thought about what Drixen had said, and was frustrated to find she couldn¡¯t help but think of her grudge against Vanbrook. The sweetest guy in the fleet had just gone out of his way to smooth over her mistake, and still her mind turned to the most obnoxious one.


    ***


    Havvis had gotten used to getting around on crutches as his leg healed from a multitude of surgeries. Doc walked into the physical therapy gym to find him bounding across the floor at full speed.


    ¡°Trying to break the other leg, Havvis?¡± asked Doc.


    The soldier laughed. ¡°No, but I suppose I¡¯m pushing my luck.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have some good news,¡± said Doc. ¡°You¡¯re going back to your post at Fort Bog Iron. The medics there will tend to you, and you¡¯ll have to keep up with your exercises.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Havvis. ¡°Great! Promise you¡¯ll visit?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± said Doc noncommittally. The truth was, he¡¯d grown fond of Havvis and would miss seeing him on a daily basis, but he was well enough to be put to some light-duty work and they needed every able body doing their part.


    Havvis laughed. ¡°Alright, Doc. I better go gather my stuff.¡±


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    ***


    The following days passed with little incidence. Doc continued to help the medical staff, Reclan worked with the engineering and maintenance crews, and the others pitched in where they could. On the second day after Raivyn and Vanbrook¡¯s return, Kwa-Kwa walked up to Talon Squad as they sat in the galley chatting over breakfast.


    ¡°Hey, guys,¡± said the Krauqian, her eyes gleaming with excitement, ¡°Fresh meat supplies are getting low so I got permission to go on a hunt, who wants to come along?¡± Reclan¡¯s hand shot up like she was still a schoolgirl. Vanbrook and Raivyn nodded, eager to break the monotony.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the ¡®hunting¡¯ thing is lost on me,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, ¡°I guess since my people don¡¯t eat, we¡¯ve never needed to kill to do so.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that,¡± said Doc, hardly looking up.


    ¡°Alright, then it¡¯ll be the four of us plus Rahk. That¡¯ll be plenty.¡±


    ¡°Guess I should have asked this upfront,¡± said Vanbrook, ¡°but what¡¯s the quarry?¡±


    ¡°Red cranes!¡± answered Kwa-Kwa. ¡°They¡¯re super tasty, I got one last week. Kind of a dark poultry, but with more of a red meat kinda note to it.¡±


    Looking down at his plate of preserved meat and canned vegetables, Vanbrook¡¯s mouth watered at the prospect of fresh meat.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m in for sure.¡±


    They gathered by the gate shortly. Raivyn, Vanbrook, and Reclan carried modified military shotguns; long barreled with tight chokes, perfect for fowl hunting. Kwa-Kwa and Rahk each carried slings and a pouch full of ceramic, almond-shaped ammunition. She didn¡¯t say anything aloud, but a condescending smile crept over her face.


    ¡°Look,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°We didn¡¯t all grow up learning how to use traditional Krauqian weaponry, so stow it. We gonna do this or not?¡± Kwa-Kwa smiled more gleefully this time.


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a place just a short hike south of here where the swamp opens up into a kind of marshy lake. It¡¯s lousy with red cranes in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°We know the place, did some exploration out that way when we first got here. Lead the way.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Jasken signed off on you coming along,¡± said Reclan. Vanbrook rubbed his black eye ruefully.


    ¡°You mean this vital mission to supply our forces with much-needed fresh protein?¡± asked Vanbrook. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he bought that line or if he¡¯s just giving me a longer leash than I expected, but I didn¡¯t argue when I got a yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Kwa-Kwa. ¡°Let¡¯s quiet down for the rest of the hike. I don¡¯t want to spook the birds.¡±


    The four hunters picked their way through the swamps south of the fort, listening to the birdsong of a Hittanian morning as the daystar rose in the east. In truth, there were as many amphibians and more insects than there were birds in the chorus, but it made a beautiful melody. They came to the edge of the woodline and looked out to see a large flock of red cranes milling around the shore, some huddled together, others strutting off on their own to hunt and forage.


    A group of large mammals sunned on the far bank. About five feet from their wide, flat muzzles to their thick, powerful tails, they had the slick, dark coat of otters but were built more like alligators. Vanbrook eyed them warily, but they seemed content to lay quietly in the sun, so he focused on the matter at hand.


    Kwa-Kwa loaded her sling with one of the smooth, oblong bullets and nodded to the others. The idea was to let her and Rahk each get off a shot and then open up with the shotguns, hopefully bagging a significant number of cranes.


    The two experienced hunters swung their slings around overhead, taking aim while they gathered momentum, then let their bullets fly simultaneously. Two cranes took hits to the head and dropped immediately. The nearby cranes took flight and the shotgunners, who had fanned out to stay out of each other¡¯s line of fire, opened up, their semi-automatic fire taking down a few more birds. The slingers made a few more attempts, and Kwa-Kwa managed to take two more down before the birds were out of range. Raivyn was sure she hit her first target, winged a second, but missed a few others entirely.


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Kwa-Kwa. ¡°Now we gather up the birds. I think we did well, though it¡¯ll take a couple more sessions like that to feed the whole fleet. A soup of some kind would go pretty far, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯re getting enough roast cranes to satisfy our small army.¡± Without another word, she dove into the lake to gather the birds floating out in it. Rahk chuckled and walked along the shoreline, collecting the easy-to-reach birds. The others followed suit.


    As Kwa-Kwa swam towards a bird that floated near an island, it was suddenly snapped from the surface of the water in an explosion of teeth and water.


    ¡°Hey!¡± shouted Kwa-Kwa before diving after the thief.


    ¡°Kwa!¡± shouted Rahk, who¡¯d watched the whole exchange.


    There was a brief silence, and the water¡¯s surface roiled slightly from whatever fight was going on below the surface. As suddenly as they had disappeared, the bird, the creature that took it, and Kwa-Kwa burst from the water, landing on the shore of the small island.


    The creature was one of the fur-coated alligators, though this one had white spots and splotches on its coat. Evidently, Kwa-Kwa had gotten it into a bearhug and leapt to shore on her immensely strong legs. She wrestled with the beast for a while and got the bird out of its mouth. When she did, it looked at her angrily, wriggling backwards, its wiry body winding in an almost snake-like movement.


    She looked from the creature in front of her and then at its companions on the far bank. She was worried they might come to his aid. As it was, one of them lazily looked over, yawned, and closed its eyes to bask in the sun a while more.


    Turning her attention back to the spotted creature, she noted that it was much slimmer than the others. She took the dead crane in her hand, held one of its wings, breaking it off with a quick twisting, snapping movement.


    ¡°Ewww,¡± came Vanbrook¡¯s voice from across the water. She rolled her eyes and tossed the wing to the creature, who greedily gobbled it down in a couple bites.


    Holding the crane out in front of herself, she stepped into the water and did a back stroke, keeping the bird between the creature and herself. It greedily slithered into the water, following at a respectful distance.


    She walked up onto shore a short distance from the other hunters and popped another wing off, feeding it to the beast. Then she walked over towards the other hunters, still holding out the crane.


    "Um, do you promise to feed it and clean up after it?" asked Vanbrook. Kwa-Kwa shot him a dirty look.


    "Do you see the white markings on his coat?" she asked. "That''s something you see in a lot of domesticated animals. There''s this thing called domestication syndrome, where certain developmental processes go kinda wrong, and you get tamer animals, with floppier ears, smaller jaws, white patches, things like that." She kept breaking off pieces of crane and tossing them to the creature, who stomped his forefeet, apparently in a show of delight or gratitude.


    "It''s not the best set of traits for a wild animal, but their less aggressive behavior makes them more likely to be bred for domestic purposes. It''s normally not this pronounced in nature, and may be why he''s not hanging out with his fellow, uh, furgators on the other bank." She tossed him the last of the crane and he scarfed it down, stomped again, and walked away, laying down on a sunny patch of shore.


    "So¡­ he''s your pet now?" Vanbrook asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "We''re working towards that, I hope," she said.


    "As long as this one''s not pregnant," said Rahk with a shiver, "I''m still having nightmares about those egg cases."


    "Hey," said Kwa-Kwa quietly as she inched towards the furgator. "No one died. And the paralysis wore off eventually."


    "Uh," said Vanbrook. ¡°Do I wanna know?"


    Rahk looked him in the eyes, shaking his head. ¡°Absolutely not."


    "Well," said Raivyn, "do we want to try to hit another lake or-"


    A call came into her comm. Seeing the name, she answered immediately.


    "Jasken, this is Raivyn, go ahead"


    "Raivyn," came Jasken''s voice. "Sorry to cut the hunt short but I need Talon Squad immediately. We found the Ferryman''s crash site.¡±


    Kwa-Kwa looked up at her plaintively from where she sat by her new furry friend.


    Raivyn sighed. "Just Talon Squad, or do you want the scouts, too?"


    "Uh, just Talon Squad," said Jasken in a somewhat confused voice. Kwa-Kwa beamed.


    "We''ll be right there," said Raivyn.

 Chapter 26: Fate of the Ferryman

    Much to the delight of the chefs, Vanbrook dropped the fresh crane off in the galley on the way to Jasken''s quarters, and was the last member of Talon Squad to arrive at the meeting. Drixen, Kaihla, a female Dromean pilot Vanbrook didn¡¯t recognize, and Chief Engineering Officer Dekken were there, as well. The third pilot was a response to Trikac¡¯s death when they had gone to find the cylinder. Jasken wouldn¡¯t risk undermanning an expedition again.


    "Well, that''s everyone," said Jasken. He walked over to the desk and tapped the display to reveal a map of the main continent of Hittania.


    "This is us," he said, pointing to a blue pip on the map. He drew his finger far over to the west, saying. ¡°This is the crash site. It appears to be at the other side of the basin created by the mountains just east of our position and those just west of the crash site.


    "The comm division was able to identify the site just a few hours ago while combing through satellite images flagged by the computer, and when I say they were looking for a needle in a haystack, I am woefully underselling it.


    "I¡¯m sending an engineering team, alongside Talon Squad, to the crash site in a cargo shuttle to search for survivors. While there, your second priority is to retrieve the spare parts needed for repairing our ripmed drive, assuming they are still intact. Your third priority is to retrieve any parts that might aid our new allies, a splinter group from the Ramshackle Collective calling themselves the Free Revolutionary Fleet." He paused and looked around at the questioning glances that filled the room.


    "This group gave us intel on the great eye that we destroyed. We would have been dead before we knew anything about it otherwise, so we''re playing nice." His tone brooked no argument.


    "We have no idea what kind of situation you''ll face when you get to the crash site, but the terrain appears hilly," said Jasken. "We should be able to land here," he noted as he indicated a flat stretch of land, "and the crash site is just a few miles away, here, on these hills." He pointed to a series of small foothills that jutted up just below the western mountain range.


    "Our geologists are curious about the formation of the hills, but collecting that sort of data is our lowest priority. Try to snap a few pictures for them, of course.


    "The shuttle leaves in eight hours. Any questions?¡± Jasken looked around and saw only resolute faces. ¡°Good. Dismissed."


    The next eight hours were a blur of packing, checking gear and trying to find time to scarf down a meal or two. During all the bustle, one of the chefs managed to get a hold of Vanbrook and slip him a single roasted crane as an in-flight meal. He smiled at them gratefully and headed into the shuttle.


    Once the flight got underway, the biological members of Talon Squad, as well as Dekken and his four engineers, headed off to the cramped cabins to rest. Drixen and Kaihla piloted the craft through the darkening sky while D''Jarric and Doc passed the time with a card game.


    The next morning Vanbrook pulled the roast crane from the food storage bin and made an announcement over the shuttle''s public comm.


    "If everyone with a mouth and stomach, or stomachs, as the case may be, would direct their attention to the tiny counter that serves as our banquet table," announced Vanbrook, "they will see a delectable platter of freshly roasted Hittanian red crane." Vanbrook felt a strange mix of smug self-satisfaction and true altruistic happiness when Reclan scrambled over to see for herself, followed closely by Raivyn, the Dromean pilot, and the engineering team.


    In the cockpit, Kaihla looked over her shoulder back towards the promise of fresh game and smiled at Drixen, saying, "I think you can handle this stretch without me." Drixen smiled and kept his eyes on the dials and flight path.


    "Just bring me back a bit, if you can," he said.


    Like Kwa-Kwa had said, it was a dark poultry, and it had been expertly seasoned with aromatic herbs and salt. There was enough meat for everyone to get a taste, but it felt like a feast after weeks and months of military rations. Though it made for a strange breakfast, the meal put everyone in a good mood for the remaining hours of the flight.


    When the shuttle landed, most of the mirth melted away as Talon Squad and the engineering team loaded into their ATUCs and drove off, leaving Drixen and Kaihla to look after the shuttle.


    Reclan snapped some pictures with her tablet as they passed by the first of the mounds. Her face looked thoughtful.


    "What''s up, Rec?" asked Vanbrook. The Dromean shook her head.


    "I dunno. These don''t look¡­ natural. Or, at least, not geological."


    "What do you think they are?" he asked.


    "Hard to say," Reclan replied, "but we''d better keep our eyes peeled."


    Vanbrook nodded.


    ***


    Far overhead, Admiral Stork leapt from his skiff and stomped on to the deck of the Reaper. He turned his head side to side as he walked, his hands behind his back. His long, thin legs absorbed the shock as he walked by, bowing behind him with each step. Grim looked on in loathing.


    "Welcome aboard my humble vessel," said Grim, with false enthusiasm, spreading his arms wide.


    A smile spread over the sharp features of Stork''s face. Some robots had convincing, handsome articulated faces; this wasn''t one of them. It was a horrible, clanking, oily facsimile of a face, a strange modification that Stork thought helped him be a better communicator. In reality, it plunged him deep into uncanny valley territory, and his appearance even gave other Robots a vague feeling of uneasiness.


    "Happy to be here," said the hideous Admiral, "happy to be here."


    "Let''s go to my cabin," said Grim. "We can discuss details there."


    The tension in the aether was palpable as Stork''s crew stared nervously around at Grim''s. The various Collective fleets were allied, it was true, but rivalries and infighting were a given.


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    "No fighting!" shouted Stork to the deck at large. "We''ll have plenty of time for that once there''s loot on the line! Ha!"


    Grim gave a hearty laugh, but took the words seriously. He half hoped for an excuse to scrap the old bird, but he had a three-gunship fleet that Grim really needed access to. The rest of the crew laughed as well and the tension melted away.


    Stork put an arm around Grim as they walked to his quarters and said in a low voice, "And now we talk percentages."


    ***


    Back on the surface, Talon Squad led the way as the passages between the hills became narrower. Rounding a bend, they saw the hulking remains of the Ferryman, partially embedded in a large hill. The ring of airlocks that circled the middle of the rocket lay in twisted, broken pieces around the wreck.


    They parked their ATUCs in front of the mound and piled out, gazing up at the wreckage. It was tilted slightly, and the main entrance was on the side of the ship that was sunk into the hill. They checked their comms for interference and found they could get a weak signal to the shuttle, but they couldn''t reach Fort Bog Iron.


    "Well," said Raivyn,"That could explain why no one called from the wreck. If the ship''s main comms were down, personal comms can''t cut through the interference." She looked up at the wreck and sighed. "I guess Talon Squad will go ahead first and check it out."


    Vanbrook pointed up towards a utility hatch about twenty feet off the ground.


    "I guess that''s our entry point," he said. "Getting up there isn''t too big a deal, but getting parts down from there is gonna be a chore."


    Talon Squad readied their climbing gear and began scaling up towards the hatch. Vanbrook reached it first, but was unable to get the door opened.


    "Hey, Rec, can you give me a hand with this?" he called down to her.


    "Hey, Van, can you let the techie go first when there''s a techie thing to deal with?" came the reply.


    Vanbrook threw up his hands in defeat and let his line slide some, dropping out of the way.


    Reclan fiddled with the door for a while, noticed that the frame had been bent in the crash, and rifled through her tool bag for a telescopic pry bar.


    "Oh, real sophisticated approach, ''techie''!" called Vanbrook.


    D''Jarric chuckled. Reclan rolled her eyes and jammed the pry bar into the gap between the door and frame. With an effort, Reclan managed to break the door free. There was a horrible screech, followed by a deafening clank and a soberingly long and hollow echo.


    One by one, Talon Squad filed into the wreck. Every step they took echoed off into the gloom of the dark, cavernous ship. D¡¯Jarric lit himself up, brightening the room considerably, but leaving shadows in the corners and behind the pieces of once-humming equipment, now silent.


    ¡°Doc and Reclan,¡± said Raivyn, quietly. ¡°You spent some time on the Ferryman. One of you want to lead the way?¡±


    ¡°I spent all my time in the medical wing,¡± shrugged Doc.


    ¡°I know where we are, plus I¡¯ve got the schematics on my tablet, of course,¡± whispered Reclan. ¡°The parts really aren¡¯t far from here. The hatch we came into should be the utility hatch, it¡¯s just below the parts storage room, which is just below the fab shop. But, um, why are we whispering?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± admitted Raivyn, ¡°but something¡¯s off. I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    Relcan quietly made her way to the ladder that led out of the utility room, easing the hatch open and peering into the dark with her flashlight. When she looked back down at the others, her scales were a paler shade of green.


    ¡°Yeah, something¡¯s off alright,¡± she said. ¡°And I think I know why nobody called from the Ferryman. There¡¯s blood all over the place up here.¡±


    ¡°Well, we better get up there and check it out, then,¡± said Vanbrook. He started toward the ladder, forcing Reclan to climb up ahead of him. They came up into the parts room. There were neatly stacked, safely stowed packages filling the shelves that lined the walls, and an elevator on the far side of the room for lifting parts. The ladder continued up to the next level, and the hatch was open. And the floor was slick with blood.


    ¡°Looks like it could be from the crash,¡± suggested Vanbrook. ¡°Somebody was down here, got hurt, and was taken up top somewhere by the survivors.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see some evidence that there are some survivors,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°Reclan, how about you and Doc sort through these boxes, find the pieces we need, and work out how to get them down to the ATUCs. D¡¯Jarric, Vanbrook, and I will head up further into the ship and see what we can find.¡±


    D¡¯Jarric, acting as their lightsource, went first, climbing up the ladder and into the fab shop.


    ¡°More blood,¡± he said, ¡°and some shotgun shells.¡± As he stooped to pick up a shell, there was a BANG that echoed violently in the small room and buckshot hit the wall behind the space D¡¯Jarric had just been standing.


    Vanbrook swung up into the room and had a gun on the shooter almost immediately. The shooter threw down the shotgun, trembling.


    ¡°Thought you were¡­ one of them, y¡¯know? But they don¡¯t walk¡­ or talk. Or glow. Doesn¡¯t make sense, doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡± he drifted off, hardly paying them any notice. He was a Talipidarian male, wild eyed and scruffy, and wearing a torn Republic uniform.


    ¡°One of who?¡± asked D¡¯Jarric calmly.


    ¡°ARE YOU CRAZY!¡± the man shouted. ¡°They¡¯ll hear¡­ they¡¯ll hear and they¡¯ll be here¡­¡±


    There was a silence that made Vanbrook feel like he couldn¡¯t breathe. Then came a horrible rending noise, and a pitch-black, segmented body dropped from a ceiling vent, feelers writhing, fangs outstretched. Vanbrook fired at it, but the rounds bounced off. The madman was caught in the pincer-like mouth of the black centipede and the two disappeared into the ceiling together, the man screaming as they went.


    ***


    Outside, the engineering team was sorting through the cranes, rails, and lifts they had crammed into their ATUC to make sure they were ready for any crates or parts Talon Squad brought back. Night was falling, so they called that project good and pulled out their tents.


    "Should we head back to the shuttle?" asked one of the engineers, a Talpadarian female named Frit.


    Dekken shrugged his shoulders, an impressive look for the spiny, armored Raki, and said, "Nah. I don''t want to leave Talon Squad. We will definitely need to sleep in shifts, though."


    One of the engineers was having difficulty setting a tent up by one of the mound-like hills.


    "All that schooling, and I can''t figure out a simple pop-up tent," he grumbled.


    He didn''t notice the sleek, black shape that emerged from the little hill and scurried towards him. Dekken turned just in time to shout.


    "Look out!" he cried, but it was too late. The engineer was in the six-foot-long centipede''s fangs and being dragged back into the hill.


    "They''re nests," said Frit in horror. ¡°They''re not hills, they''re nests!"


    The remaining engineers panicked, grouping up between the ATUCs and the wreck of the Ferryman. Centipedes began emerging from the mounds at a sickening rate, surrounding them. They all shouldered their rifles and fired on the oncoming horde, but very few bullets found the gaps between the hard armored plates of the monsters. Dekken looked ruefully at the open air ATUCs. They offered no shelter, but Dekken grabbed his tool belt out of instinct and slung it around his waist. If he had to fight, he wasn''t doing it without tools.


    "Climb!" he shouted, "Climb for your lives!" He fired another volley into the centipedes, looking over his shoulder to make sure everyone else had a good start climbing before he followed, the closest centipede only a few yards away.

 Chapter 27: The Nest

    Raelik stood at the foot of his star tree, his head held high, his knights all around him, waiting for the crown prince to disembark. The royal star tree dwarfed all the others. It had a large great eye on the trunk, and, despite its old age, had buds nearly ready to spring open less than an hour after landing. The royal family tightly controlled the distribution of great eyes and elder trees, always ensuring they held the grandest- and most deadly- in their own line¡¯s fleets.


    The door finally opened, revealing a procession of robed guards and attendants, with the crown prince in the middle of it all.  He stood a head taller than the rest, and his armor was encrusted with green jewels that matched his flowing cape. On his head he wore a simple silver crown, his fiercely bright eyes glowering underneath it.


    The gathered crowd bowed before him as he approached. His attendants split a path for him as he walked up to his vassal.


    "Lord Raelik," he said with an easy smile. "Where is the condemned?"


    "Greetings, Prince Jylik," said Raelik as he stood. "The former Lord Jacrill is in the dungeon of my mother star tree. We have arranged for the execution to be performed this evening, and have prepared all the rites."


    Jylik nodded. "Have him brought here, please."


    There was utter silence as Raelik motioned to a guard and he ran off. No one dared to question the prince or even break the silence.


    A few minutes later two guards came down the ramp of Raelik¡¯s mother star tree, escorting Jacrill. The prisoner whimpered as he approached the prince.


    ¡°Mercy, your Majesty, mercy!¡± he cried.


    ¡°No,¡± replied the prince. He took a thorn gun from where it was holstered on his belt, raised it to Jacrill¡¯s head and fired. His form exploded and condensed, leaving behind his death crystal.


    ¡°There,¡± said Jylik with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s out of the way. Now we can get down to setting this operation back on track.¡±


    Raelik looked on in shock. Just like that, Jacrill was dead. None of the rites had been observed. A condemned prisoner needed to be brought before a gathering of nobles and priests to be given final judgment. The ceremonies were meant to be held during the evening, but the prince had simply shot a fellow Astralbian as though in the heat of battle.


    Jylik walked towards Raelik¡¯s tree, carelessly crushing Jacrill¡¯s death crystal into the mud as he went. His attendants followed behind him, with Raelik and his underlings falling in after. Still no one dared to speak.


    ***


    In the wreck of the Ferryman, Reclan was marking the crates they needed with a marker.


    "Ugh," she said. ¡°We probably ought to just take all the crates. I think we''ll have the space."


    Doc shrugged in reply. He was busy comparing the measurements of the crates to the size of the hatch they''d come up through.


    "I don''t think they''ll fit anyway. We''ll need the engineer''s plasma saw to widen this hatch enou-"


    BANG!


    "Uh oh," said Doc. They heard agitated voices from above, but no more shots. Then they heard shots from below, distant but distinct.


    "Uh oh," repeated Reclan.


    "I''ll go down, you go up," said Doc, already climbing through the hatch.


    A horrible scream came from above.


    "Oh boy," said Reclan, clamoring up the ladder.


    Doc looked out through the hatch and saw four figures trying to pick their way up the steep slope, followed by a horde of huge black centipedes. Wasting no time, Doc crawled out the door and edged off to the side, clipping himself to the hull with a climbing line.


    He drew a bead on the closest centipede, which was closing in on Dekken. His shot was true, but the bullet glanced off the centipede''s armored head, making it recoil but doing no real damage. Doc flipped a switch on his rifle and fired again. This time a bolt of yellow energy shot out of the barrel, burning and crackling through the centipede''s armor. Doc nodded and picked another target. When the first climber got close, he grabbed her hand and helped pull her toward the door.


    Another engineer slipped, falling back into the swarming creatures below. He was immediately clenched in the jaws of a centipede, which scurried back up and into one of the hills. Doc watched with a mix of horror and a guilty, morbid interest, unable to get a clean shot on the monster.


    He returned to covering the remaining engineers and led them safely inside. Once they were in, he kicked the closest centipede square between the eyes and watched with satisfaction as it tumbled down the side of the wreck. Then he unhooked his line and jumped in through the door, slamming it behind himself. They could hear skittering and hissing through the door, but they were safe for the moment.


    "Anybody hurt?" asked Doc. No one spoke, but Dekken and his two remaining engineers shook their heads. Doc nodded and went up the ladder to check in with Reclan and the others.


    "A what grabbed him?" Reclan asked incredulously. D''Jarric was shining a light up into the twisted duct work, craning his neck to look for threats or clues, while Vanbrook loaded his solar crystal rounds into his revolver. Raivyn sat quietly, eyes closed, as if she were listening for something.


    "A centipede, I''m guessing," said Doc. All four turned to him.


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    "There are three engineers in the room below us," he continued. "The other two were taken. Those mounds are all part of a huge nest of some kind of social centipedes."


    "I''m gonna throw up," said Reclan, her snout wrinkling in an expression of disgust. ¡°If I see even one I''m gonna throw up. I guess it''s a good thing we know what boxes we need. If these things only come out at night, maybe we can stay locked down in the parts room until morning, then grab what we can and go."


    "Not so fast," said Doc, "I''ve got a feeling our friends aren''t dead, least not all of them." They looked at him questioningly.


    "Look," he continued. ¡°There are many creatures that keep a stock of food stored for later consumption. When those creatures are venomous, they sometimes keep their stock poisoned and alive." The thought sank in for a moment.


    "Raivyn," said D''Jarric. "If there were any such survivors, could you find them telepathically?"


    "No," she said, shaking her head, "I lost track of the man snatched from this room a moment ago. He was heading deeper down, but that''s as much as I know. My range doesn''t reach too far, especially if I can''t see my target. He didn''t die while I was tracking him, so there might be something to Doc''s theory.


    "I didn''t have any luck with the centipede, either. Their minds are extremely simple, but that makes for its own kind of defense. Higher animals and sapients give you a lot of leverage to work with; brute instinct is hard to override."


    "Well," said Doc. ¡°Everybody else better lock themselves in with the engineers for the night, I''m going to look for those poor souls, if they are still alive, that is."


    "Hold up," protested Raivyn. ¡°You''re not just waltzing off into a nest of deadly predators. We need a plan."


    "I''m not made of meat," noted Doc with a shrug, "so I figure if I move slow and avoid the centipedes as best I can, they''ll leave me alone."


    "I''ll go with you," offered D''Jarric. "I''m not made of meat either."


    "Alright," said Reclan. "Stop saying we''re made of meat and I''ll send some drones in with you. They can scout ahead for you."


    "The drones are also not meat," said D''Jarric with a grin.


    Vanbrook chuckled. Reclan shook her head and they all headed down from the fab shop down through the spare parts room and into the utility level where the engineers were gathered.


    "Alright," said Raivyn. ¡°You two head out. We''re going to hole up behind locked doors with the engineers. Are you sure you don''t just want to let Rec''s drones do the heavy lifting?"


    "Yes. If anyone''s down there, time is of the essence and they''ll need medical attention. Also, I was hoping Dekken might have some blast charges on him.  If things go badly I''d like a way to bury as many centipedes as possible."


    Dekken¡¯s antennae bent upwards in a smile as he dug through his tool belt. "I knew I wouldn''t regret grabbing this.¡± He handed Doc a small stack of coin-shaped charges. Doc nodded his thanks and headed up the ladder.


    "I''ll keep my drones ahead of you as best as I can," said Reclan. "The ship is designed to passively mitigate interference, so even without power I should be able to keep up. If you''re out of the ship and in the nest itself, all bets are off."


    While Doc and D''Jarric headed off for the tunnels, Raivyn made a call to the shuttle.


    "This is Drixen, what''s up?" answered the pilot.


    "Hey, it''s Raivyn,¡± she said, her heart warming at the sound of the pilot¡¯s voice. There was something comforting about his confident tones. ¡°We''ve got a predator problem."


    "Oh, no. Any casualties?"


    "Unsure," she answered. "The ''hills'' are some kind of centipede nest. They took two engineers and a survivor we found. Doc thinks they may keep live victims, so he''s looking for them now."


    "Yikes. I''ll relay all that to Jasken."


    "Good. We''re planning on getting the tools we need tomorrow. We''re hunkered down in a sealed off part of the wreck but the tools are mostly outside. If we don''t check in before sunset tomorrow it means something went wrong."


    "Okay. Providence shine on you."


    "You too. See you tomorrow."


    During the conversation, Reclan''s drones had reached the edge of the ship that had crashed into the nest. A couple of centipedes were hard at work securing the new addition to their nest in places, building dirt up around a doorway and cementing it in place with a sticky substance that oozed from their mouthparts.


    Reclan was sharing her live drone footage to Doc''s comm device, and he saw the scattered remains of a fellow robot, its crushed core stamped into the ground in the middle of it all.


    "Hmm," he said thoughtfully. "That''s none too reassuring."


    They approached the place where the centipedes were working and stepped through slowly and deliberately. The centipedes stopped working, turning their feelers towards the walking curiosities. However, the faint scents of ozone and oil that the two gave off didn''t smell edible, so the creatures returned to their work. Pleased he was right, Doc nodded and ambled along. Seeing the massive, wriggling bugs on the screen, Reclan shuddered.


    Reclan¡¯s voice came over the comm. "Ugh, my reception is getting worse. I don''t know how much further I''ll be able to scout before the screen¡¯s just static. "


    "Well," said Doc in a low voice. ¡°This passage here looks wide and well traveled. It''s likely to go down to a food storage chamber, if there is one."


    The drones'' cameras became increasingly fuzzy as they reached a limit of poor signal.


    "That''s all I can do," said Reclan. If you guys want to take control of the drones from here I''ll explain how to link them to your comm tablets.


    Doc walked past the hovering drones and into a cavernous chamber. Something viscous dripped onto the floor right in front of him, making him look up.


    "No need," he said dryly. ¡°We found ''em."


    Reclan panned her drones'' cameras up to to see clusters of bodies - Dromeans, Humans, and others who were obviously from the crew of the Ferryman, as well as other species like red cranes, and even a small boar ape. They were glued to the ceiling with the same sticky secretion they''d seen the centipedes using earlier. They were all breathing, though it was shallow and ragged.


    Doc looked at a pile of bones in the corner. There were Dromean and Human skeletons there, as well. They were too late for some.


    D''Jarric reached up to the low ceiling and tugged on one of the Humans glued to it. With a bit of effort and a squelching sound, they began to come free.


    At the first noise, a centipede scurried over, fangs outstretched at the Solaran. D''Jarric backed off, leaving the victim hanging, half attached to the ceiling. The centipede wriggled its feelers over D''Jarric''s form and, confident it wasn''t edible or posing an immediate threat, it stretched up and began gluing the human back in place.


    D''Jarric and Doc retreated cautiously from the room.


    "Alright," said Doc. ¡°This is where the bombs come in. We''ll come back up to you guys, but I''m gonna plant the charges a few yards back in every tunnel that crosses our route back. Then we can blow them tomorrow when we¡¯re ready to start our rescue op."


    "Oh," said Reclan, realization dawning, "So we get a centipede-free corridor to bring our folks back through. Sounds good."


    "Sounds risky," said Raivyn.


    "Yeah," interjected Dekken. ¡°You''ll want to place those charges about ten yards off your main route. That should give you plenty of buffer so you don''t trap yourselves."


    "We''ll work through the details when we get back," said Doc.


    Shortly thereafter, Doc and D''Jarric were back with the others, bedding down for the night to try and relax. Those who slept did so uneasily.

 Chapter 28: Raivyns Tale

    The next morning, Talon Squad got up early with the engineers and checked outside. As predicted, the centipedes had all retreated to their nest when the sun rose.


    They climbed down the wreck and took stock. The ATUCs and their contents were largely fine, though the centipedes had clearly rifled through what they were able to, and tools and containers were scattered around the scene. Dekken began gathering the tools they''d need.


    "We''ll focus on getting our ramp set up and cutting the doors open wide enough to get the crates out," said Dekken.


    "Hey," asked Reclan. ¡°Do you have an extra plasma cutter I could borrow?¡±


    "Uh, sure. In that case there," he said, pointing to a small black crate.


    Confident the area was secure, Talon Squad scrambled back into the wreck and began assembling supplies in the fab shop. There were three large, rolling carts that they intended to use to transport the unconscious captives.


    After checking over the carts, Reclan set to work tinkering with the plasma cutter she had borrowed, largely just to kill time. They had decided not to blow the charges until the engineers had made their cuts and started moving boxes of parts. They didn''t know how the centipedes would react, and they wanted to make sure they were ready to go as quickly as possible.


    When the doors were cut, Talon Squad helped load the crates onto the ramp and lower them down via winch.


    "Alright," said Dekken. ¡°We''ll take it from here. Go get our folks."


    Raivyn nodded and led the crew back to the door of the fab shop, where the carts were waiting.


    "Alright Doc," she said. ¡°You do the honors."


    Doc clicked the button on a tiny remote and there was a low, concussive BOOM that shook the whole wreck.


    D''Jarric flung the door open and ran in, arms raised and ready to fire on any enemies. Vanbrook followed close behind, sword and gun drawn and energy buckler activated. The other three filed in behind them, each pushing a cart.


    The first centipede to come their way  was blasted away as soon as D¡¯Jarric saw it. Reclan groaned at the site of it, but managed to keep her breakfast down. A group of five scurried towards them, and between D¡¯Jarric¡¯s energy blasts and Vanbrook¡¯s nova crystal rounds they were dispatched quickly, though the rumbling of the fight brought bits of dirt tumbling down from the ceiling. Vanbrook noted the instability but dismissed it. They were committed now.


    Running along at a good clip, they soon reached the feeding chamber. It was guarded by at least three dozen centipedes, all of which charged towards the noisy invaders. D¡¯Jarric blasted centipede after centipede, as quickly as he could. Vanbrook leapt into the thick of it all, sword buzzing with energy and revolver barking with rapid shots. He quickly ran out of ammo and started stabbing the centipedes in the eyes and between their armored plates with pinpoint accuracy. Doc fired his rifle from where he stood, and Raivyn rained deadly bolts of T-rays on the monsters. Reclan, meanwhile, set her drones to work, flying among the centipedes and hitting them with electric shocks.


    Raising his buckler to ward off a set of drooling fangs, Vanbrook looked over and saw D¡¯Jarric being overwhelmed. He slashed wildly at the attacking centipede and rushed to help, but D¡¯Jarric took a nasty bite to one of his arms, which began buzzing and sparking. Vanbrook took two more down in short order but they had rallied their forces and were overrunning the two fighters.


    Reclan grabbed her newly modified plasma cutter and activated it with a screaming hiss. Held like a chainsaw, the tool featured a half-foot metal blade that formed an arc of plasma on the cutting edge. Reclan had added a full foot to the blade and increased the plasma energy output tenfold.


    She let out a war cry and ran in, slicing a centipede in half lengthwise from its head into its third segment, a glimmer of hatred in her eye. A spray of ooze splashed onto the Dromean, but she simply turned to her next victim, chopping its head off cleanly.


    The others attacked with renewed vigor, and soon found themselves the only beings in the room left standing.


    They took the next half hour to pull the semi-conscious crew members of the Ferryman off the ceiling. All told, there were thirty-five souls piled up on the carts, including the two lost engineers and the madman who¡¯d nearly shot D¡¯Jarric.


    ¡°That¡¯s only a small portion of the crew,¡± said Raivyn, triple-checking to make sure no crew members were still glued to the ceiling. ¡°Do you think this is the only feeding chamber?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d guess so,¡± answered Doc. ¡°This is the biggest mound, and the first engineer who got taken was dragged here from a different entrance. The pile of bones in the corner suggests we were too late for some folks.¡± There was a moment of grim silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m down an arm,¡± noted D¡¯Jarric, ¡°and I think I¡¯d be best used to push one of the carts one-handed and letting someone else take up the rear with Vanbrook.¡±


    Raivyn nodded. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do it. Hopefully the way back will be cleared for us anyway.¡±


    The squad pushed their loads back up the hill, Vanbrook helping Reclan with the steeper parts. She was no weakling, but she didn¡¯t have the brute strength of the robot or the Solaran. Things flattened out eventually, and Vanbrook fell back to walk with Raivyn. He stayed quiet. He¡¯d been trying to keep his distance, though he missed the relatively friendly banter that had once defined their relationship.


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    A loose patch of dirt fell from the ceiling, and Vanbrook grabbed Raivyn by the shoulder to hold her back. The loose dirt was quickly followed by a full cave in, and Vanbrook and Raivyn dove back to avoid being buried alive.


    When they finished choking on the dust that had filled the air, they looked around quietly, trying to catch a glimmer of light or the sound of the others¡¯ voice through the pile of dirt and rock.


    Reclan¡¯s voice came through on the squad¡¯s comms channel. ¡°Van! Rai! You guys alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± answered Vanbrook. ¡°Go get everyone packed into the ATUCs and come back with shovels or something. We¡¯ll see what we can do from here.¡±


    ¡°Okay, providence shine on you guys,¡± said Reclan.


    ¡°Even in the dark?¡± asked Vanbrook with a smirk.


    ¡°Especially so,¡± said D¡¯Jarric.


    Vanbrook set to moving the larger rocks out of the way, hoping to get out sooner than later. Raivyn joined him.


    ¡°Thanks for holding me back, that was real close,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°No problem,¡± he said, grunting as he yanked a small boulder out of the rubble.


    ¡°And thanks for coming to get me when I was captured by the Astralbians.¡±


    Vanbrook smiled, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you needed me on that one. As I recall you ended up rescuing me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I may have gotten out, but without that bike it¡¯s hard to say how far I¡¯d have gotten.¡±


    The two worked in a strange silence for a while. It wasn¡¯t comfortable, but the edge was taken off of the awkwardness.


    "When I was a kid living on Aerat I was a bit of a psychic prodigy," said Raivyn.


    Vanbrook paused, looking at her for a moment.


    "I know," he said.


    She smiled weakly. "Humans are not the most psychically gifted race, even among biologicals. Krauqians actually have psychic traditions that predate their meeting the Astralbians. Humans don¡¯t. We unlocked our potential by studying the Astralbians who enslaved us. Then there¡¯s the Talpadarians. They don¡¯t often produce particularly powerful psychics, but they do tend to have more psychics per capita than humanity. The Aeratan nation doesn¡¯t even screen children for psychic abilities until about 12 or 13.


    ¡°When I was 8, I was a typical Aeratan human. I was a dedicated student and studied martial arts, but I wasn¡¯t looked on as a prodigy of any kind - just another kid. Then one day, a new student came to my fighting academy. She was taller, stronger and meaner than anyone I had ever met. She wanted to show everyone that she was going to rule the academy, and she picked me to make an example of.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I did to earn her attention. Maybe it was because I¡¯m small. Maybe it was because I excelled at the sport. Maybe there wasn¡¯t any particular reason. Regardless, she made my life miserable. Spread rumors, pushed me down, made fun of anything I did, whether I did it well or not, and got the whole class to start calling me ¡°Shrimpy.¡± Typical kid stuff, but I was a kid so it tore me up.¡±


    They had stopped working at this point, having realized on some level that they were probably better off waiting for the others to return with tools. Vanbrook sat across from Raivyn in the tunnel and watched her with interest. She sat with her knees up to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs.


    ¡°One day the instructor, unaware of the issue, had the two of us spar,¡± she continued. ¡°Her longer limbs and bigger build gave her a definite advantage, but I managed a couple hits.


    ¡°The style I studied included holds and grapples. Eventually she held me in a grip that exploited her size; my small frame couldn¡¯t work up the strength and leverage to get out of it. Then she leaned in close and whispered, ¡®Got you now, Shrimpy.¡¯¡±


    A sad smile crossed Raivyn¡¯s face.


    ¡°Such a silly thing, looking back on it now,¡± she went on, ¡°but I didn¡¯t feel that way then.


    ¡°I lost it. I focused on nothing but tearing her off me. My head hurt from the concentration, then suddenly it all exploded outwards, like a bursting dam. She flew across the gymnasium and slammed into the padded walls. I turned towards her, keeping the pressure up, pinning her to the wall. The stare of horror that she gave me is burned into my memory to this day.


    ¡°The instructor tackled me to the ground, my concentration broke, and she fell to the ground. I was escorted from the room quickly, but she lifted her head up and shouted a single word as I walked out the door. ¡®Freak.¡¯ The whole class was chanting it as I was marched to the administrator¡¯s office.¡±


    Vanbrook hung his head in shame.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure what happened to that girl, but I know she recovered, physically, anyway. Last I heard she got married, has a job as a baker, and has a drinking problem. My life, however, was changed forever. It started with interviews with psychologists and court appearances that I didn¡¯t understand. I was put into military school by a court order, and groomed to be what I am today.


    ¡°I was taught how to direct the T-waves my mind produced to influence others through telepathy and manipulate objects through telekinesis, and even how to shoot concentrated bolts. I turned out to be an extremely gifted psychic, and memorized the ethical standards of the Aeratan Army, then those of the Republic Navy when I had graduated from school and left Independent Aerat to become a citizen of the Republic.


    ¡°But I made my own vow, never to use my abilities for cruelty again. I work so hard to use my gifts to fight bullies, but never to abuse the innocent. The line can be blurry, but I would walk on broken glass to stay on the right side of it.¡±


    Silence reigned for a moment. Assured she was finished with her story, Vanbrook nodded, saying, ¡°I am so sorry, I had no idea what that word meant to you.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Raivyn, burying her head in her knees, ¡°and you don¡¯t need to apologize twice. Look, we¡¯re very different people. We¡¯re going to have spats as long as we¡¯re both on Talon Squad, but, differences aside, you¡¯re a valuable part of things. I don¡¯t want any bad blood.¡±


    Vanbrook smiled wanly, considering the sentiment for a moment.


    ¡°No worries,¡± he said, trying to mask his own vulnerabilities with bravado. He was happy to have things patched up, but somehow he wanted more than a simple truce. ¡°What do you say we keep trying to dig a bit? I don¡¯t want them to find us sitting on our butts.¡±


    They stood up to start working at the cave-in again when they heard a scratching sound.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the others, was it,¡± said Vanbrook, looking at one of the tunnels they had collapsed to block off the centipedes.


    ¡°We better get digging,¡± said Raivyn in a worried voice.


    ¡°Can you clear this with your abilities?¡± asked Vanbrook. Raivyn hemmed and hawed.


    ¡°Maybe, but moving lots of loose stuff is harder than moving big, heavy stuff. It¡¯s the difference between trying to grab handfuls of sand and picking up a stone. I¡¯ll do what I can.¡±


    She dug at the cave-in, trying to reach out with her mind to pull on the dirt and rocks. It began to move, but suddenly more loose dirt was falling from the ceiling. The scratching noises from the side tunnel grew louder.


    ¡°Okay, new plan!¡± she said, running to the side tunnel.

 Chapter 29: Emergence

    Far away from Hittania, Prime Minister Skritka stood on the dais in the auditorium of the Major House. ¡°As it has been more than a week since we have heard from the Blue Griffon Fleet, may we please have a motion from the Expansion Committee to send a rescue fleet to Hittania?¡±


    Trekna stood up. ¡°The Expansion Committee does not believe that to be necessary.¡±


    Skritka stared daggers at the smug Raki.


    ¡°According to protocols, it¡¯s time to send a rescue fleet,¡± the Prime Minister said coolly.


    ¡°No, according to protocols it¡¯s not too early to send someone,¡± responded Trekna. ¡°There is no law that says we must.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I will be sending a diplomatic envoy,¡± said Skritka. Trekna balked.


    ¡°What!?¡± he cried incredulously.


    ¡°A diplomatic envoy,¡± said Skritka, keeping the smirk off his face as he said it. ¡°As Prime Minister, I have the authority to send a diplomatic envoy to any world, belt, nation, or region that is part of the Republic. Hittania is rightfully claimed by the Republic, and I am sending an envoy to it.¡±


    ¡°This is a waste of resources!¡± shouted Trekna.


    ¡°Take it up with the Ethics Committee,¡± said Skritka, ¡°but I am within my authority.¡± Trekna stomped out of the room, and Skritka allowed himself a small smile. He was able to close the meeting down shortly, and went straight to the Executor¡¯s office.


    Executor Grak-Yurp, who kept his office in the basement of Griffon Keep, was an unassuming, shrewd Krauqian with slick, gray-green skin and the typical short beard of tendrils found on males of his species. Though it was by no means a secret that he oversaw the executive functions of the Republic, he was not a political figure, per se. Executors were appointed for ten year terms by the Major House and approved by the minor house. Grak-Yurp was in the middle of his third consecutive term, toiling away in obscurity by design. He sat behind his desk, a single, filled-out form the only object resting on it.


    ¡°Prime Minister, what does my head of state need today?¡± Skritka was never certain if that phrase was meant to sound respectful, or if Grak-Yurp was calling him a puppet.


    ¡°I need a diplomatic envoy sent to Hittania,¡± said the Prime Minister firmly, ¡°and I need it fast-tracked.¡±


    ¡°Sadly,¡± said the Krauqian, stroking his beard thoughtfully, ¡°the light cruisers typically sent for this kind of mission are all otherwise engaged in a training exercise, announced just moments before you arrived, actually.


    ¡°However, there is a single destroyer, the Halberd, whose drills were canceled within the same time frame. Of course, you¡¯d have to sign a waiver to send a military vessel on a diplomatic mission, one much like this here.¡± He indicated the lone piece of paper on his desk.


    ¡°And look at that. It¡¯s already filled out. Just sign here.¡± He indicated the space and winked at Skritka, who signed the paper immediately.


    ***


    Back on Hittania, just outside the wreck of the Ferryman, Reclan had just finished loading the survivors into the ATUCs. Some of them had started to groan and move around as Doc treated their bite wounds and other minor injuries, but none of them were fully conscious. Just then, Vanbrook called. His voice was fuzzy and distant over the comms.


    ¡°Hey, buddy, we¡¯ve got problems here. We aren¡¯t making much progress, but from the sound of things we¡¯ve got some bugs digging through one of the side tunnels. Raivyn¡¯s trying to hold them back by collapsing more dirt into the tunnel but I don¡¯t know how long that will hold them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, boy,¡± said Reclan. ¡°Okay, keep it up, we¡¯re on our way.¡± She looked at the daystar, which had passed its peak for the day and started moving towards the horizon.


    ¡°Dekken,¡± she said, looking to the chief engineer. ¡°Load up your crew and get your ATUC back to the shuttle. You¡¯ve got the most crucial parts and the bulk of the survivors. Just lend us some basic digging equipment and let us worry about the ramp and anything else you need to leave behind. Oh - ¡± she said, grabbing the plasma cutter she¡¯d modified, ¡° - here¡¯s your cutter back awhile, as well.¡±


    Dekken looked askance at the tool, with its hastily bolted extension and film of centipede slime.


    ¡°You know what? You can keep that,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh, you sure?¡± asked Reclan.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see to the paperwork to make it official, but consider that Talon Squad property. My gift to you for helping get our folks back.¡± Reclan smiled appreciatively.


    The engineers were soon off and Reclan, D¡¯Jarric, and Doc headed back into the wreck with shovels and a two-foot-tall earth moving drone that resembled a miniature backhoe.


    ¡°We¡¯re on our way,¡± said Reclan over the comms.


    ¡°Good,¡± said Vanbrook, scrambling to get rocks and dirt moved out of the way. Raivyn continued trying to further obstruct the tunnel the centipedes were digging out.


    Over the next hour, the digging drone moved over a ton of earth, and the others all used shovels to clear the loose dirt away. Raivyn and Vanbrook could hear them digging now, but the sounds of the centipedes were getting closer, too. Vanbrook imagined he could hear faint hisses and clicks as well as the scraping of armored limbs and mouthparts.


    When the drone¡¯s bucket finally broke through on the upper part of the cave in, all of Talon Squad broke into a cheer. The drone kept working, slowly opening up a hole big enough for Raivyn to fit through.


    Just then, the pile of dirt keeping the centipedes out burst open, and a hissing monstrosity scurried out. Vanbrook leapt forward and pinned it to the ground with his saber, only to have two more wriggle through the hole.


    ¡°Go!¡± he screamed to Raivyn, firing a round into each of the emerging centipedes with his revolver. She obliged, scrambling through the hole and joining the rest of Talon Squad. The hole the centipedes were emerging from was growing much quicker than the hole the drone was digging. Vanbrook could no longer kill the centipedes fast enough to keep them at bay, and he was nearly overrun.


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    ¡°I¡¯M COMING THROUGH, NOW OR NEVER!¡± he shouted, turning and running towards the hole. The drone pulled back, and Vanbrook dove through, his shoulders getting caught as he tried to shimmy through. He wriggled forward, anticipating a bite at any moment, but a glowing yellow hand grabbed his and pulled with confident, constant force. He popped out of the hole like a cork from a bottle, landing in a heap in front of D¡¯Jarric.


    The Solaran smiled, then shot a beam of energy at the newly-cleared hole, bringing another shower of clay down and sealing the centipedes in once again.


    ¡°That won¡¯t take them long to get through,¡± he said, turning. ¡°We¡¯d best get going.¡±


    They ran up the corridor, scrambled down the ladders and bounded down the ramp, piling into the ATUC. The sun was low in the sky.


    ¡°We ought to wait for the drone,¡± said Reclan. ¡°It¡¯s gonna take a bit to get down the ladders.¡± She looked around and saw centipedes starting to emerge from their nests in the evening sun.


    ¡°Nevermind,¡± she said hastily. ¡°We can live without it.¡±


    With a chorus of hissing, a wave of centipedes who had dug through the cave-in burst from the wreck.


    ¡°Go, GO, GOOO!¡± said Vanbrook, but the centipedes had already begun to box them in.


    ¡°Can we run them over?¡± asked Reclan.


    Massive forms started to emerge, one from each of the mounds. They were like the other centipedes, but twice as long and with fangs three times as big.


    ¡°Huh,¡± said Doc indifferently. ¡°Those must be the soldiers. I guess we didn¡¯t see any before because they guard the main entrances.¡±


    ¡°Great! Nice to know, I guess!¡± shouted Reclan angrily.


    Raivyn drove the ATUC into one of the crowds gathered between the mounds of the nest, blocking their exit. Centipedes whipped their heads up, snapping at the squad, most of whom were hanging onto the side of the ATUC, with the unconscious survivors taking up most of the space. She backed out of the melee, just as one of the soldier centipedes lunged towards them. Doc warded it off with a shot from his rifle, blowing off one of its fangs and causing it to hiss in pain.


    ¡°Drixen, this is Rai. We¡¯re overrun and need air support,¡± Raivyn shouted into her comm.


    ¡°Raivyn, this is Drixen! We¡¯re airborne in ten seconds, hang in there!¡±


    Vanbrook had gotten fairly good at aiming for the centipedes¡¯ eyes with the point of his saber, and Reclan had figured out how to wield her plasma blade with one hand while hanging from the ATUC. Doc fired energy bolts from his rifle into the horde as quickly as he could. D¡¯Jarric did what he could with one arm as Raivyn focused on driving.


    Vanbrook stabbed a soldier centipede in its eye, trying to drive the blade into the monster¡¯s brain. The blade went deep and the centipede reared its head, throwing Vanbrook from the ATUC.


    ¡°Man overboard!¡± shouted Reclan, pointing to the swordsman.


    Vanbrook activated his energy buckler and pulled his revolver. He fired two shots into the underbelly of the soldier that still had his sword embedded in its head. Before the dying centipede¡¯s head hit the ground he had pulled his saber out and turned to slice another centipede into two pieces.


    Raivyn swung the ATUC around to try to get to Vanbrook before he was torn to pieces. He jumped back onto the rail of the ATUC¡¯s cargo hold, but in vain. The centipedes had completely boxed them in, and all they could do was fight for as long as their strength and ammunition lasted.


    Just then, a rumble sounded from the heavens and two energy cannons began firing. One of the hills was flattened by a barrage of cannon fire, showering Talon Squad in fine dirt and small stones.


    ¡°Woohoo!¡± shouted Drixen, turning in the air to make another pass with the shuttle, ¡°Ugh, these things are disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it!¡± said Reclan.


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Drixen. ¡°The hill I¡¯m blasting flat is the landing zone. After this volley, get there, and be ready to board!¡±


    He passed overhead again, blasting the same area and clearing it of centipedes. Raivyn gunned it for the opening, and the shuttle banked in, cargo ramp down, ready for the ATUC to drive up it. The maneuver should have been impossible in the clunky shuttle, but Drixen had managed it. Raivyn pressed the accelerator to its maximum and shot into the cargo hold, slamming the brakes just in time to keep from crashing into the engineer¡¯s ATUC.


    One of the soldier centipedes crawled up the ramp as Kaihla hit the button to shut the ramp. It closed on the centipede as it clamped its fangs at Vanbrook, still hanging on to the back of the ATUC. Vanbrook held his ground as the door squeezed shut, decapitating the monster. The shuttle shot into the air, loaded with survivors and spare parts. Talon Squad, the engineers and the pilots cheered loudly and shot off across the continent.


    The mood was still festive as Raivyn walked boldly up to Drixen, took him by the shoulders and said, ¡°thank you,¡± smiling into his eyes and planting a tender kiss on his cheek. She pulled back and looked into his eyes again, face flush with anticipation, wondering if he¡¯d be looking for another kiss. Drixen¡¯s eyes went wide and his face turned red. Kaihla coughed into her hand. Raivyn turned to her, eyes widening. Kaihla gave her a smile, the kind of smile that didn¡¯t reach the eyes and radiated murderous intent.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t told them yet, eh, Textbook?¡± said the pilot, turning her glare on Drixen. Raivyn was feeling extremely small at the moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s- uh- been a busy day,¡± he said, then, trying to muster a smile continued, ¡°but last night, Kaihla agreed to marry me. We¡¯re engaged!¡±


    Raivyn forced a smile, while all she wanted to do was shrivel up cry herself to death from sheer embarrassment. She didn¡¯t even realize the two were a couple, though it seemed obvious in retrospect. ¡°Congratulations. I¡¯m so excited for you two. Awesome.¡±


    The Dromean pilot snickered. Raivyn walked quickly back to the cargo hold and into one of the small cabins, shutting the door. The remaining members of Talon Squad looked around at one another, trading shrugs.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Congratulations! We had no idea you two were even courting.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re very private people,¡± said Kaihla. The smile she shot at Vanbrook wasn¡¯t much warmer than the one she¡¯d given Raivyn.


    ¡°Well then, we won¡¯t talk about it anymore,¡± said Vanbrook, holding her gaze and returning her a much more friendly smile.


    ¡°Uh,¡± said Reclan, looking around for a more pleasant subject, ¡°Doc, um¡­ how are our patients?¡±


    ¡°Awkward. I mean awful. I mean fine,¡± said the robot.


    The rest of the trip was a whirlwind of activity, as the survivors began waking up under Doc¡¯s care. The transition was rough. Everyone either rose groggily and wandered around, zombie-like, until their senses slowly returned, or woke up suddenly, screaming, as if coming out of a nightmare.


    The engineering team, made whole again, exchanged hugs and laughter once the immediate terror had dissipated. Even the madman who had shot at D¡¯Jarric came to his senses.


    ¡°My name is Brynot,¡± he said, walking up to D¡¯Jarric with an outstretched hand. D¡¯Jarric took it and gave it a firm shake.


    ¡°D¡¯Jarric,¡± he said, indicating himself.


    ¡°I- I¡¯m so sorry for the way you found me. I wasn¡¯t in my right mind,¡± he said, breaking his eyes away from the Solaran¡¯s.


    ¡°I might have shot at me too, in your situation,¡± said D¡¯Jarric with a chuckle. The man brightened up some.


    ¡°I was the quartermaster on the Ferryman. Hopefully there¡¯ll be some work for me onboard the Wingspan when we get back up to the ship.¡±


    Realization dawned on D¡¯Jarric. Those who were waking up had no idea what they were heading back into. He nodded to Brynot and turned to Doc.


    ¡°Is everyone awake?¡± he asked the Robot.


    ¡°Yup. Awake and coming to their senses. Had to give a few of them a dose of tranquilizer to keep them from tearing the ship apart, but we¡¯re good now.¡±


    D¡¯Jarric stood at the entrance to the cockpit and addressed the ragged crowd that milled around in the shuttle. He brought them up to speed on the situation they found themselves in, most importantly that the Wingspan was grounded and unable to communicate with the Republic. Their faces fell, but the general attitude was one of sober resolve.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take the fight to that so-called ¡®kingdom,¡¯¡± said Brynot. ¡°Then they¡¯ll see the danger of a wounded griffon!¡± The overfilled shuttle shook with the cheer that went up.


    D¡¯Jarric smiled.

 Chapter 30: Communications

    High above Hittania, Grim sat at a table in Raelik''s star tree with Crane, Raelik, and the Astralbian lord''s knights. The knights were looking at Crane''s hideous, mechanical features with undisguised contempt. He was either oblivious to or consciously ignoring the insult.


    "Will the prince be joining us?" asked the grotesque pirate captain.


    "No," said Raelik. "He has other matters to attend to, though I will be reporting back to him on this meeting."


    "And what is the point of this meeting?" asked Grim impatiently.


    "To discuss strategy," said Raelik calmly, and with a hint of condescension. "The Ramshackle Collective will have a crucial role to play in the upcoming assault on the Republic."


    "If the role is so crucial, I will want more compensation," demanded Grim.


    "I cannot offer more than I already have," responded Raelik. "If you want to leave Hittania empty-handed please leave now and stop wasting my time."


    "Fine, but I won''t accept responsibility for the star tree stolen by my traitorous first mate."


    "Done," said Raelik. "We will both be happier when the rebel has been crushed beneath your boot."


    "Won''t we just," said Grim, his fist clenching.


    "Now," said Raelik, "about our strategy."


    The meeting was not a long one, but everyone left feeling confident things would go their way, and hopeful they could extract a pound of flesh from the others, so to speak.


    ***


    Kwa-Kwa was back at the lake once again, offering some fresh meat to the furgator she¡¯d befriended. She''d come out here at every opportunity over the past couple of days. This time, Rahk had come with her.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Freckles,¡± she said, calling him by the name she¡¯d given him. He stomped over, keeping a wary eye on Rahk. Kwa-Kwa tossed him some meat.


    "Okay, your turn," Kwa-Kwa said to Rahk. The Dromean made an annoyed face at his friend, but offered the meat to the gator. Freckles growled and slinked away backwards.


    "He likes you," said Rahk. "You can feed him."


    "I have to get him used to other sapients or there''s no way I''ll get to keep him."


    "Ol¡¯ Blue doesn''t listen to anyone but the Admiral," countered Rahk.


    "Well that''s¡­ that''s different," stammered Kwa-Kwa. "Ol¡¯ Blue is a war hero and stuff. Bringing a pet like this on board is a long shot, but I don''t want to leave Hittania without Freckles."


    A familiar rumble sounded overhead, and Rahk looked up to see the shuttle returning to the Fort. There was a tug at his hand, and when he looked down the meat was gone and Freckles was chewing contentedly.


    "We''ll be back, buddy," said Kwa-Kwa, giving the beast a pat on the head. "C''mon, Rahk, let''s go see if we''re going home."


    ***


    When the shuttle landed, Raivyn finally left the quarters she had holed up in, avoiding everyone as much as possible. Jasken, who D''Jarric had gotten up to speed by comm, was waiting for them in the hangar, along with a number of officers, the fighter pilots, and any members of the engineering team that could break free.


    After a brief welcome, the survivors of the Ferryman were shuffled off to the medical wing and everyone else started unloading and organizing crates.


    "We should have everything we need, plus enough to help out the Freewill Robots or whatever they''re called," Reclan said to Jasken as they pushed a crate down the shuttle''s ramp together. Jasken raised an eyebrow.


    "The Free Revolutionary Fleet," he corrected. "Yes. Once we''ve got the parts figured out for our own repairs I want you and Dekken to coordinate with them to ensure they have what they need." Reclan nodded as they got the crate stacked into the right pile.


    Reclan spent the rest of the day coordinating with communications and engineering as they attempted to get the ripmed system back up and running. They cataloged all the parts and made sure they had spares, then started setting things aside for the FRF.


    Nervously, Reclan reached out to the fledgling fleet with the contact information Jasken had given her.


    "This is Admiral Crush," said a confident, feminine voice.


    "Admiral," she responded, trying to mirror the admiral''s confidence. "This is Reclan, member of Talon Squad, of the Griffon Republic. We have the parts you requested, and we''re looking to arrange transport to your location."


    "Excellent. When can we expect the delivery?"


    "I can be there in five hours," said Reclan. "I''ll be able to help integrate Republic parts into your systems and bring a small crew along to help move crates."


    Crush chuckled. It wasn''t a cruel laugh, but it wasn''t warm either.


    "First," said the admiral, "we''re a scavenger society. We hardly need help integrating foreign parts. Second, I think having the infamous Talon Squad aboard might make my crew a bit uneasy. You may bring along two helpers, but please choose them from outside your squad."


    Reclan nearly groaned aloud, but kept her composure. She really didn''t want to have to go without Talon Squad.


    "Your terms are fair, but my offer to help stands."


    Ending the call, Reclan went to inform Jasken and check on the ripmed repairs. Things were going well, but would take some time yet.


    She tracked down Kwa-Kwa and Rahk and got them to agree to accompany her.


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    "Take off''s in ten minutes," she advised. "Meet me in the main hangar."


    ***


    Out by the mess tent, Raivyn stood staring into the evening sky. Nyx was blocking Lux almost entirely at the moment, with a glimmer of silvery white peeking out from behind a disc of purplish black.


    "It''s quite the view, huh?¡± asked a voice over her shoulder. She turned to see Vanbrook offering her a cup of tea.


    ¡°Rakka?¡± she asked, indicating the tea.


    Vanbrook shook his head. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s talvan blossom - that¡¯s the one you like, right?¡±


    She took the cup with a nod of thanks. The two just stood there for a while and watched Lux disappear behind Nyx.


    ¡°No quips?¡± asked Raivyn, smirking just a little. ¡°No smart remarks? C¡¯mon, you¡¯ve got at least one good one thought up. I made a fool out of myself.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it was a kiss on the cheek. It was a polite thank you! I¡¯m sure everyone¡¯s forgotten about it by now.¡±


    ¡°You knew exactly what I was talking about, brainiac.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Vanbrook with a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯ll take a day or two to blow over.¡± He took a sip of his rakka and watched for the first silver shimmers of Lux, coming back around Nyx.


    ***


    High above the planet, Reclan was cruising towards the FRF¡¯s position, and not particularly excited to board a ship that had been shooting at her not that long ago.


    ¡°Admiral Crush, this is Reclan, requesting permission to land,¡± she said.


    ¡°Reclan, this is Crush. There¡¯s a landing pad right next to the star tree; you¡¯re cleared to land there.¡±


    The landing was a bit rougher than Reclan would have liked, but she managed not to take any paint or bark off of any of the ships, so she figured that was a win. Since the Collective ships didn¡¯t have any atmosphere, the three representatives of the Republic put on their aethersuits, making sure to check each other¡¯s work. After triple checking the seals, they fastened on tool and weapon belts, lowered the ramp, and walked out to meet the Admiral and her crew.


    Crush stood with a stocky masculine robot, waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp. Her eyes narrowed when she saw them, the eyelid-like plates that allowed her to emote nearly touching. She drew her sleek energy pistol and leveled it at the Krauqian.


    Before her gun was level with Kwa-Kwa''s head, everyone on both sides had a gun drawn.


    ¡°I suppose I would have felt more comfortable with Talon Squad,¡± she said, her eyes locked on to Kwa-Kwa. The Krauqian looked around, confused.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember me?¡± asked Crush, ¡°Huh. I guess you never saw me. You nearly had me in that hollowed-out tree.¡±


    Kwa-Kwa¡¯s eyes, naturally wide to begin with, expanded in shock, then horror. Then the Krauqian burst into laughter, holstering her weapon.


    ¡°Wow!¡± she exclaimed, ¡°You really sent us for a loop! Well, I¡¯m glad we didn¡¯t kill you. No hard feelings, I hope, now that we¡¯re on the same side. War can be a funny business sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± huffed Crush noncommittally. She holstered her gun and everyone else followed suit.


    ¡°Hey, how¡¯d you pull off that psychic attack? You convinced me to turn around when I was right on top of you.¡±


    ¡°I did nothing of the sort. I don¡¯t know why you turned around.¡±


    The group stood still, each side eying the other up.


    ¡°How¡¯d the star tree get here?¡± asked Reclan.


    ¡°I flew it,¡± said Crush.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± said the Dromean. She mulled that over. It sounded like there was more to this Robot than she was letting on, maybe more than she knew. Drixen couldn¡¯t fly star trees, at least not well, but Raivyn¡¯s psychic abilities had allowed her to fly one almost entirely instinctually.


    ¡°Well,¡± she said aloud, ¡°maybe we can discuss this at another time. For now, why don¡¯t we see about getting these parts unloaded and setting up your comms?¡±


    Watching the robots work, Reclan was amazed at their ability to patch technologies together. She happily answered questions when asked, but for the most part she stood back and took it as a kind of lesson in cannibalizing parts. She was particularly impressed with Crush¡¯s abilities. She was clearly more than just the boss. She was an incredibly gifted mechanic, and she seemed to relish getting her hands dirty alongside her crew.


    ¡°That should be comms,¡± said Crush, standing up from where she¡¯d been working.


    Ripmed comms were easier to operate than ripmed travel, because a message could be sent in the form of photons, but travel required moving a lot more mass, plus engaging quantum entanglement, meaning it took significantly less energy to have a conversation in nearly real-time than it did to send a ship the same distance at significantly slower speeds.


    ¡°Who would you like to talk to?¡± asked the grease-covered Admiral. Reclan was caught off guard by the question.


    ¡°Griffon Keep, Kerucester, on Griffonia,¡± she answered. She gave Crush the contact info, and they made the call.


    ¡°Hello?¡± came the response. ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°This is Reclan, of the Blue Griffon Fleet¡¯s Talon Squad. Is this Kerucester?¡±


    ¡°Negative, but I will relay this to them immediately! This is the Halberd, en route to Hittania, we intercepted your message.¡±


    "Admiral, can we patch this conversation through to the Wingspan?"


    Crush nodded and adjusted the controls.


    "Admiral Jasken, this is Reclan, we''ve got Republic gunship Halberd on comms."


    "What?" asked Jasken incredulously. "Captain Kesht, you old space dog! Is that you?"


    "Ha! Admiral Jasken!  Yes, this is Captain Kesht. How''s the Blue Griffon Fleet holding up?"


    "Not great," admitted Jasken soberly. ¡°We lost the Arrowhead and the Ferryman. You better patch me through to Kerucester if you can."


    "Just a sec," said Kesht.


    "Admiral Jasken?" came Skritka''s voice.


    "Well it''s a party now," said Crush, off mic. Reclan flashed her a toothy grin.


    Jasken took a moment to fill Skritka in on the situation as it had developed since the Astralbians first attacked, leaving out sensitive details as they were speaking through the FRF.


    "I''m sorry, Admiral," said the Prime Minister, but the Halberd is the only help you can expect in the near future. It would have only been a diplomatic envoy in a non-military vessel, but when I requested such a vessel from the Executor it turned out they were all engaged. Luckily for us, the Halberd was available."


    "Lucky indeed," said Jasken, smoothing his mustache.


    "I''ll call an emergency meeting of the Major House. You''ll need to be there, of course."


    "Understood, Sir," answered Jasken grimly.


    "Admiral Crush," said Skritka. "The Republic is grateful for the aid of the FRF in these extraordinary times. May providence shine on your revolution."


    "Thank you, Prime Minister," said Crush with a polite nod. She felt like she was getting the hang of this after all.


    After the comm was terminated, Reclan and Crush worked together in completing the work around for the ripmed drive system. This took even more delicacy and ingenuity than the comms, as they had been deliberately crippled to keep the ship from fleeing.


    "Whew," said Crush, "I''m just glad they didn''t rig the ship to blow in case of mutiny."


    Reclan slapped her on the shoulder. "Way to see the bright side of things," she said.


    Crush nodded appreciatively.


    "I noticed you wince sometimes when you put weight on your prosthetic," said Crush. "Come back some time and we''ll take a look at it."


    Reclan smiled. "You''re on, Admiral."


    The trip back went smoothly, and Reclan felt good about their new allies. Hopefully their own ripmed would be repaired soon, then maybe they could go home.


    Just then, a stark reminder of why home would have to wait appeared on the horizon. The star trees had all risen into the air, and were floating towards Fort Bog Iron and the Wingspan.

 Chapter 31: The Battle Begins

    Jasken grimaced as he looked out from the bridge of the Wingspan to see the advancing fleet of star trees landing a few hundred yards from the fort''s front entrance, indicating that they¡¯d likely be staging a ground assault alongside whatever Naval assets they¡¯d be utilizing. Scouts had reported the arrival of a royal star tree as well as a parlay between the Astralbians and the Ramshackle Collective, so he was not entirely surprised by the sudden move, but he dreaded it nonetheless.


    After directing all personnel to battle stations, he called Talon Squad, Drixen, Captains Hunt and Fenrik, Dekken, and Mairen to the bridge.


    "Where do we stand, folks?" asked Jasken as he paced the polished floor of the bridge.


    "The base''s EM shields are fully functional," said Fenrik, "so we should be able withstand a blast or two from that royal star tree''s great eye. Given the shield''s resiliency and the time it takes to charge an eye like that, we should be able to withstand their fire, at least for a while."


    "And our guns?" asked Jasken.


    "Fully operational," confirmed Dekken. "Ballistic cannons should work well against star trees, but we''ll have decent energy weapon capabilities as well. They''ll be sapped somewhat going through our shields, but the directionality of the shielding will mitigate that."


    "Hold off on energy weapons unless and until the Ramshackle Collective shows up," commanded Jasken. "What about our ripmed drive?"


    "Fully operational according to our tests and diagnostics, but untried," responded Dekken. Jasken nodded.


    "Mairen," said the Admiral, addressing the Communications Officer. "Our satellites have been keeping an eye on both the Collective and the FRF. What are their positions?"


    "Both parties made ripmed jumps. The FRF just after our people returned from their fleet and the Collective just after the Astralbians launched their star trees.


    "We suspect the Collective is simply engaging in a double-back maneuver. They''ll pop up somewhere nearby shortly, I''m sure.


    Jasken frowned, pausing. "At our backs, I''d assume. But what about the FRF?"


    "No idea, sir," said Mairen with a shrug. ¡°We really don''t know anything about their reasoning."


    "I suppose they don''t owe us anything," said Jasken with an air of defeat. "Regardless, Drixen, I want you and your squads ready to scramble; Talon Squad, coordinate with Captain Fenrik and his scouts to keep our perimeter secure. Dekken, please return to your post, make sure your engineers are ready to address any damage from the battle. Mairen, Captain Hunt, you''re with me. The others left in a chorus of "yes, sirs" and nods.


    No sooner had everyone cleared the room than a comm came in from Raelik.


    ¡°Raelik, if you¡¯re hoping to finish us off easily, you¡¯ve got another thing coming,¡± said Jasken, his face cold and his body rigid.


    ¡°Jasken, Jasken, don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± cooed Raelik. ¡°Just give us the cylinder and we¡¯ll be on our way. At this point, we all know that¡¯s what this is about.¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t simply give you Republic property. Not to mention the fact that you¡¯ve killed many of my people, and nothing short of killing you myself would give me as much pleasure as keeping you from getting your hands on that cylinder. I¡¯m exceedingly grateful to say that we can now drop all pretense of diplomacy, as you have decided to make war on the Republic over Hittania and its associated finds and resources.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain this is the path you want to take, Jasken?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the path you¡¯ve chosen,¡± Jasken responded, his face twisting in a sneer, ¡°and you¡¯ll come to regret it. Get off my planet before I wipe you off of it.¡± He turned from the screen and nodded to Mairen to terminate the communication.


    Jasken frowned. It was unlike Raelik to be so straightforward.


    ¡°Captain Fenrik, have you heard anything from the perimeter guards?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Just their scheduled check-ins,¡± said Fenrik thoughtfully. ¡°Everyone¡¯s been on time, too. Is there something in particular they should be looking for?¡±


    Jasken shook his head. ¡°No, just remind them to keep their eyes peeled.¡±


    ***


    It had been all too easy for Traelby to waltz across the battlefield with a perception bubble up and sneak onto the Wingspan. He had avoided everyone¡¯s line of sight as best he could, not wanting to test the limits of his perception bubble too harshly.


    He found his way to Jasken¡¯s office and waited for the Admiral to step out, sliding in behind him. Jasken looked around, sure he¡¯d seen something. He walked back into the office and looked around, while Traelby stood stock still in the shadows, careful not to make eye contact and focusing on his bubble. Jasken shook his head and shrugged it off, blaming pre-battle jitters for the sensation.


    Traelby would have liked to have killed the troublesome Admiral, but his mission relied on stealth and biologicals always left such a mess when they died. Besides that, King Hylik was adamant that if the cylinder could be obtained without any additional bloodshed, that would cause the least headache for the Kingdom.


    ***


    Outside the walls of Fort Bog Iron, Kwa-Kwa was making the rounds with Rahk. There had been no movement from the Astralbians since they had landed a few hours ago, but the scouts had been tasked to watch the perimeter along with Talon Squad. Once, Kwa-Kwa thought she heard something by the woodline, but she hadn¡¯t seen anything and decided to move on.


    Suddenly, something burst through the wood line and charged towards her; it was five feet long and scurrying on all fours, with a brown and speckled white coat.


    ¡°Freckles! What are you doing here, buddy!?¡± asked Kwa-Kwa excitedly.


    ¡°Huh,¡± said Rahk. ¡°I guess he does like you. Must have followed us back from the lake and waited for you to show up again.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so,¡± she said, reaching down to scratch behind Freckle¡¯s small ears. The beast stomped his feet in his standard display of pleasure. He stopped stomping suddenly and his ears, normally flattened down to his head for swimming, perked up, swishing from side to side like tiny radar dishes. He sniffed and bared his teeth, as though something were nearby.


    ¡°What did I do?¡± asked Rahk, sounding upset.


    ¡°It¡¯s not you,¡± answered Kwa-Kwa. ¡°He¡¯s looking at something up on the wall¡­ oh, I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t see anything.¡±


    Rahk looked over where she had glanced, and immediately looked away again. He didn¡¯t see anything either.


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    ¡°Hold up,¡± said Rahk, holding his head. Something didn¡¯t feel right. ¡°Look again.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why would I look aga-¡± Kwa-Kwa stopped mid sentence, looked back at the spot and tried to concentrate. Something was glimmering there, just out of sight, but not far enough away to be so hard to see. She opened her comms immediately.


    "All scouts and Talon Squad, I''m on the northeast corner. Having trouble identifying the target but I believe there''s an enemy in the area, likely using psychic abilities."


    A shot went off and Kwa-Kwa and Rahk dove to the ground, swinging their rifles towards the sound. The glimmer was on the ground now, fleeing towards the woods. Kwa-Kwa still struggled to focus on it enough to aim.


    Freckles sprinted towards the glimmer, not phased by the projection, and leapt up, grabbing and pulling down with his wide maw. His concentration lost, Traelby was pulled to the ground, fully visible, with a beast gnawing on his cape. He had a thorn gun in one hand and the Shrump''s cylinder in the other.


    Traelby took a wild shot at the furgator as he stood up, peppering it with thorns. He broke off and made a dash for the protection of his fleet.


    Vanbrook, who had sprinted to the scene as soon as Kwa-Kwa had called for them, ran to cut him off, pistol outstretched, but Traelby had reactivated his perception bubble. The two found themselves in the open ground between the two gathered forces.


    "A duel!" shouted Vanbrook, holstering his revolver and drawing his saber from where it hung over his shoulder. "I challenge you to a duel for the cylinder."


    The glimmering mass that was Traelby halted, and moved towards Vanbrook, reforming into a sneering Astralbian knight. He stepped arrogantly up to Vanbrook and unsheathed his sword.


    "You''ll have your duel," spat Traelby as he stowed the cylinder, "and the galaxy will be better off for it."


    The two duelists equipped their bucklers, keeping eye contact at all times. Vanbrook energized his metal blade, the crackling sound breaking the silence before fading to a soft buzz. Traelby smiled a wolfish smile and walked forward.


    At first, both duelists kept their emotions under check, going through the motions of sizing up their opponent. Traelby''s first strikes were simply exploratory, testing Vanbrook''s defenses. The swashbuckler smirked as he calmly parried the first two strikes, then deflected the third with greater force, creating an opening. However, Traelby recovered quickly and parried the thrust, face twisting in a mask of rage.


    Vanbrook smiled. It had been too long since he''d had a true duel. Fighting off deadly wildlife was one thing, but one-on-one combat with a skilled opponent was a real treat.


    Annoyed that his opponent was not taking him seriously, Traelby struck out suddenly, hoping to break through the swordsman''s defenses by strength and surprise.


    The tactic failed. Vanbrook slapped it aside with his shield and stabbed at Traelby''s torso. Traelby lifted his buckler in time to save himself, but he felt the heat coming off of the blade as it grazed his shoulders.


    Traelby snarled and pushed Vanbrook back with his buckler, hoping to put him off balance and create an opening. Vanbrook''s instincts were too keen, and he kept his defense up even as he staggered back.


    The duelists traded lunges and parries, neither able to get the upper hand. Every time Traelby attempted to press the attack, Vanbrook exploited Traelby''s overreach, enraging his opponent.


    Finally, Vanbrook made a risky move, lunging past a thrust to stab at Traelby''s thigh. The bid was somewhat successful, as he managed to slice a deep, sparking gouge into his opponent''s leg. However, Traelby managed to correct the angle of his blade and cut into Vanbrook''s shoulder at the same time. The two pushed off one another, both stepping back to reassess their strategies.


    Despite the blood flowing down his left arm, Vanbrook grinned, challenging Traelby and smacking his energized saber into his shield to send off a showy shower of sparks.


    Traelby had had enough. A small spike of fear should be enough to put Vanbrook off his game without raising suspicion. He reached out with his mind to unsettle his overconfident opponent.


    There was a strange sensation, like walking into a pane of glass unexpectedly.


    I won''t interfere unless you try using psychic abilities, said a voice in his mind. I''ve made a bubble around you. I''m sure you could break it, but it''d take more concentration than you can spare. May the best duelist win.


    Traelby looked up in impotent rage to see the psychic, Raivyn, standing grimly at the gate of the Republic fort. She nodded to him in cold recognition.


    Vanbrook moved in, unaware of the psychic exchange. He went on the offensive, seeing if the effort and injuries had worn Traelby down at all. His opponent seemed distracted, even panicky, and Vanbrook managed to graze his arms and shoulders a few times while doing no real damage.


    Traelby pressed in, bullying Vanbrook back with his buckler and pushing his saber aside with his own. He tried to bring his blade back in swiftly but Vanbrook twisted and deflected it with his shield. He then brought his saber up under his shield arm and stabbed deep into his shoulder. Traelby gasped, his arm flickering as his saber fell to the ground. Vanbrook twirled around entirely, his blade swinging in a wide, powerful arc that cut down through Traelby from his shoulder down through his torso. His sneer permanently erased, Traelby''s eyes flashed with horror. He then burst into a blue shockwave, his death crystal falling to the ground by his sword.


    Vanbrook stooped, rifling through the empty armor and cloth to find the cylinder. The moment he found it a bolt screamed from one of the star tree¡¯s eyes and the ground to his right erupted into a shower of dirt. He stumbled back, cylinder in hand, and turned to run back to the safety of the fort¡¯s shielding. A muffled explosion sounded behind his head, and he turned to see red energy crackling and dissipating along the contours of the fort¡¯s shield.


    The void wasps swarming around the star trees would be able to fly through the shield as easily as he had walked through. They only stopped objects moving with force or energy beyond a certain threshold. He kept running, getting into the base just as the Republic fighters scrambled and flew overhead. He reached the gate at the same time as Kwa-Kwa and Rahk. They carried a furry, spotted brown-and-white creature. Vanbrook eyed them with curiosity but ran to meet up with Talon Squad.


    Captain Fenrick rushed to greet his scouts as they fell back into the fort.


    ¡°Scouts,¡± said Fenrick, ¡°you¡¯ll be acting as sharpshooters in defense of the fort, and- and what exactly are you carrying?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Freckles, sir,¡± said Kwa-Kwa, clearly in distress. ¡°I¡¯ve been training him at the lake in my down time. He¡¯s the one who caught the intruder. I wouldn¡¯t have noticed anything was wrong otherwise.¡±


    Fenrik¡¯s scaly brow furrowed as he looked at the injured beast. ¡°Keep him out of the way, don¡¯t let him distract you from your duties. Please get up on the wall and start picking off those Void Wasps.¡±


    Kwa-Kwa¡¯s face brightened and hardened simultaneously. With her new pet safe, she was excited to take the fight to the enemy.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± she answered. She set Freckles down at the foot of the wall, scratched behind his ears, and climbed the ladder to find a good position.


    Talon Squad found similar perches. Doc and D¡¯Jarric had their normal rifle and energy blast respectively, but Vanbrook, Raivyn, and Reclan had standard combat rifles in addition to their normal loadout. Raivyn was anxious to find ways to use her psychic abilities, but a rifle was simply more suited to a mass battle situation.


    ¡°Feel better now that you finally got to take Traelby down?¡± asked Reclan.


    ¡°Eh,¡± said Vanbrook soberly. ¡°Killing isn¡¯t exactly therapy, but the guy needed to go, and I¡¯m glad I got to be the one to send him. Honestly, I¡¯m a little shocked he didn¡¯t try to pull any head games with me. Maybe he had some sense of honor, after all.¡±


    Raivyn smiled but didn¡¯t say a word.


    ***


    ¡°Alright folks,¡± said Drixen as the fighters approached the battlefield. ¡°Stay sharp, hang close to the fort to take advantage of the shielding and try to keep from  getting bogged down by too many wasps. Bombers, focus on large groups of ground troops and any skiffs. Let¡¯s do this!¡± Much to the delight of his squads, he did a barrel roll and sent a smatter of gunfire towards the enemy.


    The fighters shot out over the fort and were immediately engaged by void wasps. The small band of pilots were ready for the fight and they downed over a dozen wasps in their first sweep of the battlefield.


    ***


    From the bridge, Jasken watched the battle begin to unfold. Drixen and his fellow pilots were taking down wasps at a tremendous rate, but there were simply too many enemies. A red dot appeared on the horizon as the royal star tree¡¯s great eye opened, firing its first shot at the fort¡¯s shield. A massive boom sounded as the red energy crackled against the shield, but the shield held. It would be some time before the eye could fire again, but Jasken wasn¡¯t sure how many more blasts the shield could take.


    The forces lined up on the wall fired cannons, rifles, and other ballistics at the enemy, and the Wingspan¡¯s guns could be heard firing at regular intervals, but the hordes of Astralbians kept advancing; calvary on void wasps and infantry in small star tree skiffs.


    ¡°Captain Hunt,¡± said Jasken. ¡°You have command of the ship. It¡¯s been too long since Ol¡¯ Blue saw combat.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Hunt. With that, Jasken nodded and left the room, heading for the stables.

 Chapter 32: The Griffon

    Raelik stood in the command room of his star tree, watching the battle play out on membranous screens. The Republic was making mincemeat out of their calvary and infantry, but the two massive star trees were in perfect order, and the Republic was caught, hiding in its shield like cornered vermin.


    A screen switched from a feed of the battle to Prince Jylik¡¯s face.


    ¡°Raelik, your top knight is dead,¡± he said impassively.


    ¡°Yes, I saw,¡± said Raelik, equally unmoved. ¡°He was an impetuous fool. It appears to have cost us the cylinder for now.¡±


    ¡°I want to hear no more about the foolish trophy you have lost so many resources over!¡± shouted Jylik. ¡°You came here to seek after some myth, and I am sick of hearing about it! We will take this world from the Republic¡¯s grasp on principle and for its natural resources, but we will not take any more unnecessary risks in an effort to chase a ghost.¡±


    Raelik¡¯s face soured for a moment, but he recovered quickly. ¡°As you say, Crown Prince Jylik. We will snuff out the worms where they lay.¡±


    ***


    Vanbrook felt pretty good about his shooting. The high-powered rifles were able to take out void wasps at long distance, and he had managed to take out a few. He was reloading when he looked up to see a fresh wave of wasps rising from the star trees to advance.  The bombers had done a good job so far of keeping the ground troops at bay, but the wasps just kept coming, the main body of the swarm coming closer and closer to the fort itself.


    A shadow passed overhead, and Vanbrook looked up to see a massive, winged beast flying above them. Not including the tail, it was about twenty feet long. Its silver-gray body was like that of a muscular cat, its feet had talons like a raptor, and a massive feathery mane adorned its lion-like head. Its wings, which stretched out over thirty feet from tip to tip, were a bold silver-blue. Admiral Jasken was astride the beast, reveling in the glory of flight.


    Vanbrook smiled as the Republic soldiers erupted into cheers. Ol¡¯ Blue, the war griffon, was on the prowl, and no enemy of the Republic was safe. With a roar, Blue slammed into a group of void wasps, grabbing one and tearing its head off with his jaws. Wasp and rider fell to the ground, a hundred feet below. He expertly fended off one stinger with his hind feet as another glanced off his fine scaly coat.


    Jasken spoke into the fighter squads¡¯ comm channel.


    ¡°Alright, folks, these wasps are going to swamp the fort if we don¡¯t thin them out, but the sheer number of star trees threatens to overwhelm our shields. I want all fighters to advance, focusing on thinning out the wasps while simultaneously getting the bombers in range to destroy some of these trees.¡±


    ¡°You heard the Admiral!¡± said Drixen. ¡°Let¡¯s put the hurt on these guys!¡±


    Jasken and Blue continued to tear wasps apart, avoiding fire from the star trees and thinning out the swarms. The fighters joined in, picking off the wasps at the edges of the fray and making sure Blue was never overwhelmed.


    Cowgirl weaved between trees and swarms, firing volleys into the smaller star trees. With the fleet¡¯s lone surviving bomber focusing on the wasps and trees, the Astralbian infantry was able to advance closer and closer to the fort with minimal losses. Captain Fenrick ordered the fort¡¯s artillery cannons to focus on the star tree skiffs, but their numbers were too high.


    When the skiffs got close, the Astralbian soldiers leapt out and charged the fort, firing shoulder-mounted eye cannons at the gate. The fort was well-defended, but had not been built to withstand an all-out assault. Fenrik thought about all the things he¡¯d have liked to do for the fort with enough time and resources, but it was a moot point. The Astralbian¡¯s strategy of charging the fort directly certainly fit their modus operandi, both in terms of willingness to sacrifice troops and in its sheer boldness, but it was going to be extremely costly for the Republic. He looked mournfully at the armored troops bracing themselves at the gate, rifles and shotguns at the ready. So few of them would survive.


    A blast from behind shook Fenrik from his musings, and he turned to see a plume of smoke rising from the far side of the shield. Another missile slammed into the same place a moment later. The Ramshackle Collective had returned.


    ¡°Admiral,¡± came Fenrik¡¯s voice over Jasken¡¯s comms. ¡°The Collective is back, attacking from the rear as predicted. Their fleet is led by the Reaper and consists of three gunships and a support vessel of some kind.¡±


    ¡°Captain Hunt,¡± said Jasken, bringing him into the conversation. ¡°Focus the Wingspan¡¯s fire on the Ramshackle fleet, and try to take out any landing parties before they reach clay.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Hunt.


    Jasken frowned. They were spread too thin. If they didn¡¯t take the fight to the Astralbians, they would be sitting ducks when the shields cracked; if they did they were leaving the fort ill-defended.


    He looked at the Astralbian fleet, standing tall and imposing in the distance. The fighters had managed to take out a couple smaller star trees, but Raelik¡¯s star tree, the royal star tree, and three smaller star trees still stood.


    ¡°Cowgirl,¡± he said as Blue crunched down on a void wasp, biting it in half. ¡°What¡¯s the situation with the star trees? Can you take any more down?¡±


    ¡°The Astralbians generally don¡¯t have powerful EM shielding, but the larger a star tree is, the more impervious the bark gets. My missiles can do some serious damage to the smaller trees, but I¡¯m no more than a little gnat to the big ones.¡±


    ¡°Keep focusing on crippling the small ones, then,¡± said Jasken. ¡°Hunt, keep focusing as much fire as you can on the Collective fleet, but utilize any long range cannons faced toward the battlefield to attack the star trees themselves.¡±


    ***


    Back at the fort¡¯s entrance, Vanbrook leapt down from the wall to face the incoming Astralbian infantry alongside the soldiers guarding the gate. Half the heavy guns along the wall had been taken out and they could no longer keep the Astralbians at bay. The enemy was close, so he slung his rifle over his shoulder, pulling his revolver and saber as he activated his shield.


    His pistol barked loudly as he fired into the oncoming horde of Astralbians, all armed with thorn guns and gleaming metal swords. A group of Republic soldiers carrying shotguns and wearing heavy armor knelt like statues, waiting for the enemy to get within range. The lighter troops behind them fired rifles at the enemy, picking off too small a percentage of the enemy for Vanbrook¡¯s comfort.


    Then the skirmish erupted in earnest, as the first volley from the thorn guns tore through the air, answered by a hail of buckshot from the heavy troopers. The light trooper standing by Vanbrook died where he stood, killed by a thorn gun blast. He set himself to the task at hand and kept firing on the enemy, keeping his shield up. He crouched back by the wall to reload, and had to stop to block an incoming sword with his own. The fight was up-close and personal now.


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    D¡¯Jarric leapt from the wall, crushing an Astralbian soldier on his way down, and rising to punch at his enemies, his fists glowing with golden energy.  Metal helmets crunched as he delivered blow after devastating blow.


    Doc and Reclan continued firing from the wall, trying to thin the advancing troops, and Raivyn pushed panic into the minds of the enemy. She focused on a large Astralbian who exited a tree skiff carrying a shoulder-mounted eye cannon. She wove through his defenses and gripped his mind, taking control of his body and firing the cannon into his allies. His fellows quickly turned on their maddened comrade and Raivyn¡¯s connection was lost, but she had managed to take out a number of enemies in the interim.


    Triflin and Kiflin charged in, wielding shotguns and wearing hastily-fitted Republic armor. Vanbrook looked at them worriedly for a moment. Triflin opened fire and took out an Astralbian soldier who had tried to take advantage of Vanbrook¡¯s distraction.


    ¡°Fenrik said we needed all the help we could get,¡± said Kiflin.


    Vanbrook nodded. ¡°And he was right. Glad you have you.¡± He turned his attention back to the battle, happy for the well-timed reinforcements, even if they weren¡¯t enough to turn the tide.


    It soon became evident that they could not hold the gate, even with the twins¡¯ help. They stood in the midst of an increasing number of bodies and death crystals, the dwindling force at the gate barely holding the tide of the enemy back.


    ***


    Fenrik was keeping an eye on shield stability while he directed his troops. It was holding for now, but fire from the Ramshackle Collective fleet was depleting it quicker than anticipated. A second great eye bolt erupted from the royal star tree and Fenrik winced as he watched the stability of the shield plummet.


    ¡°Jasken, this is Fenrik. The shield will probably survive one more blast from that great eye, but two is out of the question. The eye will be able to fire at least four shots before resting for a day or two, and we¡¯ve taken two direct hits already. We¡¯re also losing troops defending the gate. The Astralbians are just throwing bodies at us, and it¡¯s more than we can sustainably handle.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± said Jasken. ¡°We don¡¯t have many options until the Halberd gets here, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± answered Fenrik. ¡°We¡¯ll do what we can.¡±


    Jasken pulled on Blue¡¯s reins and brought her around. He flew to Fort Bog Iron and wheeled around, swooping into the crowd of Astralbian soldiers pressing into the gate. Blue picked one up in each of his taloned hind feet, throwing them up into the air and roaring proudly. Tough as the griffon was, she couldn¡¯t stand up to a constant barrage of thorn guns, so Jasken took off back towards the star trees to continue harassing the wasps, satisfying that he¡¯d interrupted the gatecrasher¡¯s rhythm.


    ¡°Admiral Jasken, this is Captain Kesht of the Halberd. We got our folks in ripmed operations to cut loose and get us here a little early.¡±


    Jasken was shocked to hear the Captain¡¯s voice on his comm.


    ¡°Kesht! We certainly appreciate the extra effort!¡±


    ¡°It''s our pleasure! ¡± said Kesht. "Just point us towards the enemy and we''ll start shooting."


    ¡°Engage the Ramshackle fleet. Coordinate with Captain Hunt aboard the Wingspan and take up a position between the fort and the Ramshackle fleet, high enough to stay out of the Wingspan¡¯s line of fire.¡±


    ¡°Will do, Admiral.¡±


    The arrival of the Halberd pulled the Collective''s attention away from the fort, thankfully, but the Astralbian front remained difficult. Vanbrook and the others took advantage of Jasken and Blue''s swooping attack to retake the front gate, pushing back the disordered Astralbian forces. He knew the chaos wouldn''t last long, so he fought to take advantage of it while he could.


    ***


    On the other side of the battlefield, a fighter craft went down, finally succumbing to the constant barrage from the eyes of wasps and star trees. Drixen''s brow furrowed as the craft smashed into the ground and erupted into a fireball. That was the second fighter downed since the battle began, but they hardly seemed to have made a dent in the swarm of wasps streaming from the star trees.


    "Cowgirl," said Drixen. ¡°How are the bombing raids going?"


    "Not great," she answered honestly. "We took out the easiest targets first, but these bigger trees are really tough. Between that and trying to ward off the wasps we''re not getting much accomplished."


    "Okay," said Drixen. "Just utilize your foreguns and focus on the wasps. Keeping the pressure off the fort is our first priority."


    As he spoke, a third blast from the great eye slammed into Fort Bog Iron''s shield.  Fenrik was standing by the primary generator that fed the shield when it happened, and the arcs of energy that crackled out from the feedback nearly singed his feathery crest.


    "Jasken!" he called out. ¡°Our shields can''t take another blast like that!"


    Jasken sighed. Ol¡¯ Blue was holding strong, but the rest of the troops were not. Another of the precious few fighters exploded in the air nearby. The troops fighting at the gate were back to being swamped again.


    "Fall back!" ordered Jasken over the universal comms channel. "Everyone, fall back to the Wingspan immediately. Fighter squads, clear out the enemy troops at the gate to give our people an opening. All Fort Bog Iron personnel have fifteen minutes to gather up sensitive materials and information and get to the Wingspan."


    Having barely recovered from his last attack, the Astralbians at the gate were once again slammed into by the massive silver-blue griffon as Jasken rode her back to the Wingspan. The attack was quickly followed up on by the remainder of the fighter squads, and remaining Astralbians scattered and ran. Talon Squad saw to the wounded and directed the other troops to get medical teams with stretchers immediately.


    The fighters continued to fight off the wasps as much as they were able, but Raelik had released a squadron of the larger void wasps typically reserved for space battles. If they reached the fort anyone caught outside would be a goner.


    ¡°Everyone head for cover now!¡± shouted Jasken when he saw the five wasps barrelling over the battlefield. ¡°If you can get to the Wingspan drop what you are doing immediately. That¡¯s an order, people!¡±


    Jasken led the charge as the beleaguered fighters rounded and shot towards the massive wasps. Cowgirl fired a barrage at one of the wasps, taking it out of the fight. The other fighters¡¯ weapons didn¡¯t pack the same kind of firepower and their shots were less effective.


    Ol¡¯ Blue slammed into the lead wasp with a mighty roar, and the two creatures tumbled towards the ground with their riders. Blue used his rear talons to keep the deadly stinger at bay and his fore talons to grapple with the six spiny legs of his enemy. The wasp attempted to fire its eye beams, but Blue ducked his head out of the way. The wasp¡¯s rider took aim at Jasken with a thorn gun, but was crushed between its mount and the ground as they slammed into the clay. With a triumphant roar, Ol¡¯ Blue lept from the wasp¡¯s carcass and took to the skies.


    The fighters had killed two of the other wasps, and Drixen had looped around the last one, unleashing a hail of lead on the wasp and rider, finishing the creature off with a well-placed laser beam to the back of its head.


    ¡°Okay, folks,¡± said Jasken. ¡°Everyone fall back to the hangar!¡±


    Shooting and clawing their way through the smaller, remaining wasps, Jasken and the fighters returned to the Wingspan, the fighters to their hangar and Jasken to the stables. Landing inside as an attendant closed the door, Jasken dismounted and patted Ol¡¯ Blue as high up on his shoulder as he could reach.


    ¡°Good job out there, old boy,¡± he said gently. ¡°Good job.¡±


    The Griffon yawned, revealing six inch long canines and a mouth that could all but swallow Jasken whole. In the quiet of the hangar, the griffon flopped to the ground with a mighty thump and began to groom himself like a cat. Jasken smiled, wishing his part in the battle could be over as well.

 Chapter 33: To the Aether

    However, Jasken had no time to celebrate. He was caught between two dangerous enemies, the base¡¯s shields were about to fail, and he only had two ships at his command. He strode towards the bridge wearing a grim, commanding look, but he was unsure how they would get out of this alive, much less defeat the Astralbian Kingdom and Ramshackle Collective.


    Their comms were back online, so Jasken sent the map to the Cornucopia Cluster back to Griffonia, but Hittania appeared to be lost. The best thing to do was to cut and run. There was no honor or glory in it, but they had come away with the biggest prize and enough of his people had died already.


    ¡°Captain Hunt, Captain Kesht,¡± he said into his comm. ¡°We are leaving Hittania. Make any necessary preparations and head for the aether.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± came the immediate response from both captains. In a moment the warning to find seating and engage mag-boots sounded. Jasken walked purposefully to his seat on the bridge and sat, contemplating his next move.


    The ships left the protection of Fort Bog Iron¡¯s shield and were immediately dependent on their own. Still at full strength, they would be able to put up with their enemy¡¯s fire for some time, but their two ships could not stand up to both the Astralbian and Ramshackle fleets. The Astralbians still had two smaller star trees in addition to Raelik¡¯s and the Crown Prince¡¯s larger ones, and the Ramshackle fleet had a total of five gunships, led by the Reaper. As the Wingspan and the Halberd left the atmosphere, their enemies followed.


    ***


    Talon Squad scrambled aboard the Wingspan, heading off to prepare for anything the coming space battle might throw at them. Reclan led Vanbrook and Raivyn to find Dekken and see if any repair work was needed, while Doc and D¡¯Jarric went to the med bay.


    As soon as he reached the doorway, Doc saw a familiar form lying on a stretcher.


    ¡°Havvis!¡± he cried, running to the soldier¡¯s side.


    ¡°Oh, hey, Doc,¡± said the injured soldier hoarsely. There was a massive, bloody wound on his torso, and a quick glance told Doc all he needed to know. ¡°I got hit during the evacuation. I guess I should have learned to move a little faster on those crutches.¡± He gave a weak laugh. ¡°I know I¡¯m on my way out, Doc. One of the nurses gave me more pain killers then looked wise and left to take care of someone with better odds.¡±


    ¡°Are your affairs in order, son?¡± asked Doc, fighting to keep the emotions from his voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to meet my maker, Doc,¡± said Havvis, staring up at the ceiling.


    ¡°And will he tell you this is all in his plan?¡± asked Doc, a hint of anger in his voice.


    ¡°Even better,¡± said Havvis. ¡°I may finally get a glimpse at why this was in his plan.¡± His voice weakened as he spoke, and then, rallying a bit, he spoke his last: ¡°Providence shine on you, Doc.¡±


    Doc hung his head, standing still for a moment. D¡¯Jarric put his hand on the Robot¡¯s shoulder and gave it a squeeze, then left his friend to grieve alone for a while.


    ***


    Watching a video display of the battlefield, Jasken saw another six ships join the Ramshackle fleet; two gunships, a strange assortment of smaller craft, and what looked like a small star tree. The ships appeared to materialize suddenly out of the empty aether as they finished a ripmed jump. Then something unexpected happened: the new ships began firing on the Ramshackle ships.


    ¡°Admiral Jasken, this is Admiral Crush,¡± said a voice over the comms. ¡°We tested our new ripmeds and made a quick trip. Turns out there are more than a few malcontents in the ranks of the Ramshackle Collective.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± exclaimed Jasken. ¡°I figured you folks were long gone!¡±


    ¡°The Free Revolutionary Fleet never abandons its allies, and if we survive this, I¡¯ll put that down in the charter I still need to write. We¡¯ll handle the Ramshackle Collective, you take care of those Astralbians. All the FRF asks is for salvage rights to anything left when the smoke clears.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a deal, Admiral,¡± said Jasken. ¡°Providence shine on you.¡±


    ¡°Good luck, Admiral,¡± responded Crush.


    Jasken turned to his officers. This changed the entire calculus.


    "Captains Hunt and Kesht," he said into his comm. "Let''s get our broadsides facing those Astralbian ships. They''re trespassing on Republic territory and my patience has run out."


    ***


    Raelik punched a wall aboard his star tree as the battlefield''s new paradigm sank in. The prince expected him to destroy the Republic ship, along with the only known coordinates to the legendary Cornucopian Cluster. Most of his knights were dead.


    "Send in the void wasps, including a breach team," he hissed. "I want everyone on that ship dead before it''s destroyed."


    He watched as the wasps shot out through the aether.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Crush''s small fleet was overwhelming the Ramshackle ships. Their opening salvo had crippled two gunships and the two sides continued trading fire. Crush directed the smaller ships to act as fighters, weaving in and out around the larger craft and targeting their guns.


    "I suppose you wish you''d invested in shielding now, Grim," she said to herself. She was in her star tree, directing the battle from above and behind her gunships and firing the tree''s eyes at the Reaper''s guns.


    Grim showed up on her screen.


    "Traitor," he hissed. "I will crush your core soon enough."


    "Come and get me, you self-serving coward.¡±  Instead of firing at the Reaper¡¯s cannons, she fired a shot at the more well-armored cabin that she knew Grim was occupying at the moment. The shot didn¡¯t get through the shielding, of course, but it did cause Grim to stumble, which Crush watched gleefully on her screen.


    ***


    Aboard the Wingspan, Jasken saw the attack squad of void wasps approaching. He frowned as a screen showed them landing on the hull and setting up equipment. A strange, four-legged device gripped the hull with beetle-like claws and an eye facing the ship began firing a continuous energy beam to cut into the ship.


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    ¡°Drixen!¡± he shouted into his comm. ¡°We have a boarding party attempting to breach the hull. How soon can your fighters be out to wipe them off?¡±


    ¡°Frankly, Admiral,¡± said Drixen, ¡°that¡¯s a delicate operation if done correctly, and the fighter squads, or what''s left of them, are in pretty rough shape. Everyone is low on ammo, and most of our stockpiles were aboard the Ferryman, and that¡¯s not to mention the fact that half of the cockpits are no longer airtight and our steering mechanisms are beaten half to death. A boarding party will be well-armored and hard to shoot off the hull without just bombing ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Jasken, adding cautiously, ¡°I have a plan B, but it¡¯s a bit on the wild side.¡± There was a pause.


    ¡°What have you got, Admiral?¡±


    ***


    Admiral Stork watched the battle impassively from his cabin. Most of the losses thus far had been Grim¡¯s, but it was becoming increasingly clear that there was no payday in store for the Collective. He stroked his chin with long metal fingers and considered his options. His face formed an awful smile and he pressed a button on his ship¡¯s control panel. He opened a comm channel to Grim.


    ¡°Old friend,¡± he said in a voice of false pity, ¡°it¡¯s a shame what happened to you, and the Reaper. If only the perpetrator could be brought to justice. Sadly, you and I both know there will never be an investigation. Goodbye, Grim.¡±


    With that, a stealth missile slammed into the Reaper, breaking through its battered hull and blowing into thousands of pieces, which flew in every direction.


    ¡°All Ramshackle ships, this is Admiral Stork. Sadly, Admiral Grim has been destroyed, along with his flagship. I am taking command of the Scythe Fleet. Follow me to the coordinates you will receive shortly.¡±Within moments, the Ramshackle fleet had turned and disappeared as they activated their ripmed drives.


    Crush led the cheer as the FRF celebrated its second major military victory.


    Aboard the Wingspan, Talon Squad was loading into the shuttle, throwing on vacc suits and preparing for a fully armed space walk.


    ¡°You say this was Jasken¡¯s plan?¡± asked Vanbrook. Drixen nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m kind of impressed,¡± said Vanbrook with a chuckle.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised - he wants you dead,¡± said Reclan to Vanbrook. ¡°But I figured he¡¯d at least want to keep D¡¯Jarric and Raivyn alive, he likes them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a suicide mission, Rec,¡± said Raivyn, fitting a propulsion pack to her back. The packs were light weight and meant to control direction of movement in aether more than to truly fly, and she was able to attach and adjust it herself.


    ¡°No,¡± said Reclan, rolling her eyes. ¡°Just a space walk in the midst of a giant naval battle in low orbit to fight an elite squad with massive stinging insects for mounts. Not a suicide mission.¡±


    Doc shook his head and D¡¯Jarric laughed as they helped the others double-check their suits. Neither need aethersuits, so they had quickly put on their propulsion packs and started helping the others.


    With everyone geared up and ready to go, Drixen flew the shuttle around from the hangar door to the place on the hull where the boarding party was working. He opened up with the shuttle¡¯s weapons, distracting but not harming the massive wasps and their well-armored riders.


    ¡°Four wasps, eight riders, one pilot, and one tree priest per wasp¡± he called back to Talon Squad. ¡°Providence shine on you.¡± With that, he closed the door to the cabin and opened the back ramp.


    Talon Squad activated their mag-boots and leaned away from the greedy vacuum of space as it tore the air from the back of the shuttle. As soon as the pressure equalized, they jumped down, guns blazing, and rocketed towards the boarding party.


    The fighting erupted suddenly, and Talon Squad found itself navigating a hail of thorns and energy beams. D¡¯Jarric jumped onto one of the wasps, dispatched its rider, and began to fight the wasp itself in one-on-one combat. Doc shot two of the tree priests attending the biological energy drill with his rifle before he hit the hull. Reclan sent her drones to harass the drill on an autopilot setting and focused on firing at the rider of another wasp. Raivyn reached out to a wasp, trying to take control of its mind. Seeing only one wasp not being attended to, Vanbrook zeroed in on it and landed on its head, crossing swords with the rider, who stood up to face his attacker.


    Mag-boots were useless when standing on a void wasp, so Vanbrook found himself having to compensate for the weightlessness he was experiencing and losing focus on the fight. He adjusted his strategy, taking advantage of his ability to claim the high ground simply by activating his propulsion pack. Leaping over his opponent, he quickly found an opening and cut his opponent down.


    The wasp had not been idle, though, and turned its abdomen around to stab at Vanbrook¡¯s back. The stinger found its target, but did not get through to Vanbrook¡¯s skin, or even his vacc suit, but stuck into his propulsion pack. With a flick of its abdomen, the wasp flung Vanbrook out into the aether.


    ***


    Jasken was watching over Talon Squad¡¯s mission when he saw a massive red glare through the bridge¡¯s window. A beam of energy slammed into the Wingspan¡¯s shield, setting off a thousand alarms as it did so.


    ¡°Captain Fenrik,¡± said Jasken into his comm. ¡°That¡¯s five, right? The eye will have to rest now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s five, for sure, I¡¯ve never seen a great eye that could do more than that in one day.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope this one is nothing you haven¡¯t seen before, then,¡± said Jasken dryly.


    ***


    Raivyn was struggling to connect to the wasp she had focused on, and she was out in the open, unable to hide away and concentrate on her craft. She was about to pull her firearm when Vanbook shouted into the comm¡¯s channel.


    ¡°A little help here?!¡± cried the swashbuckler as he spun lazily out into the void. Raivyn dropped her attempts with the wasp and shot out towards Vanbrook. When she got close, she extended her feet and activated her mag-boots, locking onto Vanbrook¡¯s. The two floated foot-to-foot in the aether, moving as one.


    ¡°I¡¯ll steer, you fight,¡± she said, jetting them both back towards the fight.


    D¡¯Jarric, his fists glowing with stellar energy, had punched the first wasp he¡¯d engaged to death, its head a mangled pulp as it floated off into the aether. He turned to the next one, ready for another fight. He had sparking wounds all over his body from the first wasp¡¯s stinger, but his avatar wasn¡¯t affected by the poison itself. Doc and Reclan stood together behind Reclan¡¯s drones, which had created a small wall of energy shields. The drones had not been effective against the drill, and Doc had already taken a shot to one of his arms, the wound exposing some of his hydraulic muscles. They leaned around from their cover and fired at the tree priests still attending the drill.


    The wasp that had flung Vanbrook charged him again, but Raivyn, still standing foot-to-foot with him, stopped the stinger with her telekinesis. Its stinger occupied, Vanbrook was able to stab the wasp through the neck, sending it twitching into the aether.


    D¡¯Jarric finished off his second wasp just as Doc and Reclan finished off the tree priests, leaving one wasp and one rider in the boarding party. The rider shouted into the stillness of space and charged, only to be brought down immediately in a hail of gunfire and energy beams.


    The drill continued to operate, so Vanbrook shakily loosened one foot from Raivyn¡¯s and stepped onto the hull, allowing her to do the same. They pulled the other set of feet apart gracelessly and wobbled to a standing position, smiling foolishly at each other amid the giddiness of victory.


    Raivyn walked over to the drill and put a hand on it, speaking to its barely-existent mind. It stopped drilling and let go of the hull, drifting off into the aether.


    Drixen pulled the shuttle in close and the team leapt aboard, shouting and celebrating as they headed back to the hangar.


    ***


    Raelik sat brooding in his command center.


    "This battle is over," hissed Crown Prince Jylik over the comms, "and don''t think I didn''t see what you were up to, sending that breach team. Return to Astralbia at once, and submit to interrogation for the mess you''ve made out here."


    Raelik didn''t respond. His mind wandered to Jacrill, and the end he met at Jylik''s hand. He watched listlessly as the other star trees blinked away, headed for Astralbia. He barely noticed the fire coming from the impressive, if hodge podge, fleet arrayed against him. He sighed.


    Jasken watched as Raelik''s star tree, abandoned by its comrades, ruptured and burned. The war for Hittania was over. The Republic had won.

 Chapter 34: Beyond the Iron Planet & Epilogue

    Skritka sipped a glass of Griffonian rum. Brewed from the eponymous sugary roots of sweetroot plants, it was a planetary specialty and the unofficial beverage of the political class.


    Trekna walked boldly up to where Skritka sat at the bar, saying, "Prime Minister, some of my constituents are quite excited about the opportunities afforded by getting an early claim on some territory on Hittania."


    "Then they can get in line with everyone else and file a claim request," said Stritka dryly. Trekna was about to respond when someone spoke from behind him.


    "Senator Trekna, don''t you have an election coming up?"


    The senator turned to see Admiral Jasken giving him a smile that did not reach his eyes. He had just returned along with the rest of the Blue Griffon Fleet, having been relieved by a fresh contingent of Republic soldiers, sent to clear the way for civilian settlers. After seemingly endless debriefings, interviews, and speeches, he was on leave for a few months while they waited for the fleet to be repaired and Shrump''s coordinates to be decoded.


    "How are your polls looking?" continued the Admiral. "I heard your handling of the Hittania situation did not go over well."


    Trekna shot an equally insincere smile at Jasken, saying, "Oh, excuse me, Prime Minister. I didn''t realize you were here with a guest." He slinked off into the crowd.


    Jasken sat down next to Stritka and ordered himself a rum.


    "Well, well, well," said Skritka with a chuckle. "Maybe you''ve got the makings of a politician yourself."


    "Oh, don''t say that," scoffed Jasken as he took a sip of his drink. "Believe me, I still prefer outright aggression to passive aggression."


    Skritka laughed some more, patting Jasken''s shoulder.


    ¡°Do we have any more information on this Free Revolutionary Fleet faction?¡± asked the Prime Minister.


    ¡°No,¡± said Jasken, shaking his head. ¡°They cleaned up the scrap, as agreed, and left. Strangely, they showed an interest in the Astralbian wreckage.¡±


    ¡°That is strange,¡± said Skritka, shifting uncomfortably on his barstool. ¡°Do you think this Admiral Crush is really a psychic Robot? Without even knowing it? I didn¡¯t think that kind of thing was possible.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Prime Minister. I really don¡¯t. I think we¡¯ll want to keep an eye on her and the FRF, but that¡¯s not really my department.¡±


    "Well, I''ll have you out among the stars again soon, since that''s what you seem to want," said the Prime Minister.


    Jasken smiled ruefully. "Give me the details, then."


    ***


    Vanbrook stood with the rest of Talon Squad, all of them wearing their finest formal clothing. A young girl threw flower pedals haphazardly as she toddled down the aisle, followed by a young boy who held rings in one hand and picked his nose with the other. Embarrassed parents signaled desperately to the boy to leave his nose alone, but to no avail.


    After a moment, celebratory music rang out and Kaihla entered the auditorium wearing an elegant white dress, a crown of fresh flowers and a brilliant smile. Her hair was intricately braided, with flowers expertly woven in. At the other end of the room stood Drixen, wearing a perfunctory rented set of clothes and an equally brilliant smile. He was fighting back tears and losing.


    The wedding was beautiful, moving, and, much to Vanbrook''s delight, short. When the moment came for the couple¡¯s first kiss, the minister said, ¡°As befits the culture of the bride¡¯s mother¡¯s homeworld, the couple has reserved their first kiss for this moment, as they express their love to one another and commit to a lifelong relationship before friends, family, and the Progenitor.¡±


    Raivyn¡¯s face was unmoving, but turned bright red. D¡¯Jarric smiled mischievously. Reclan barely managed to suppress a snicker. Doc remained stoic as ever. Vanbrook studied the floor very carefully for a moment.


    The reception was a massive and joyful affair. Kaihla came from a rich cattle ranching family, and her parents had insisted on inviting the entire fleet to the reception. Early in the night, two sailors got into a tussle, but Jasken escorted the men out, dragging them by their ears. After that, everyone made sure to stay in line.


    Talon Squad sat at a small table near the open bar, chatting and laughing the night away. Kwa-Kwa joined them for a while, but had to leave to tend to Freckles, who was doing well but still recovering from his wounds. Triflin and Kiflin stopped by the table as well. They were excitedly telling anyone who would listen that they were intending to enter basic training before the week was out, and hoped to be assigned to the Blue Griffon Fleet for the next expedition.


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    When the bride and groom came to greet them, they exchanged hugs and well wishes. Kaihla even gave Raivyn a warm, if awkward, embrace.


    "Come on, guys," said Kaihla. ¡°This next number¡¯s a classic ranch-hand barn dance. My dad learned it back before he bought the ranch, but if you ask him, he¡¯ll tell you he invented it.¡±


    After briefly exchanging glances, the squad stood up and followed the happy couple to the dance floor, joining the throng and learning the steps of the dance as they went.


    ¡°I had no idea you could dance,¡± Reclan shouted to Vanbrook over the band¡¯s music. The swashbuckler picked up the moves much faster than the others.


    ¡°Pfft,¡± responded Vanbrook with a smile. ¡°This is just swordplay without an opponent. It¡¯s all footwork.¡±


    The band changed songs so smoothly that Vanbrook hadn¡¯t really noticed. The crowd started to disperse, and couples paired off, swaying to the softer tune. He looked around and saw that Raivyn was the only squadmate left on the dance floor.


    ¡°Huh,¡± said Vanbrook, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°I guess the others can¡¯t handle more than one number.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I think I could hang in there for another dance or two,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Besides, this is a variation on an Aeratan folk tune. I actually learned to dance to this one in school.¡±


    ¡°Show me?¡± said Vanbrook, offering his hand and smiling wide. Raivyn took it and they swayed across the dance floor. Vanbrook towered over Raivyn, but he adjusted his stride accordingly and learned the steps quickly. Back at the table, sitting with Doc and D¡¯Jarric, Reclan watched with a smile.


    The evening wound down, and Raivyn and Vanbrook went their separate ways, as did the rest of the squad. As Vanbrook walked into the moonlit night, he saw a griffon flying overhead.


    ¡°I like to let him stretch his wings in the open air. Griffonia is his homeworld, after all,¡± said a voice from behind. He turned to see Jasken, looking dour as ever.


    ¡°So that is Ol¡¯ Blue, then,¡± said Vanbrook, looking back to the massive silhouette in the sky.


    ¡°Yes, and hopefully he won¡¯t do his business on anyone¡¯s vehicle or anything like that tonight. I try to keep him more disciplined than that, but he¡¯s a wild one at heart.¡±


    Vanbrook searched the admiral¡¯s face for the hint of a joke, but, if it was there, he didn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°You know, Vanbrook, you¡¯re not entirely off the hook for ignoring my orders - twice - on this past mission. But my, oh my, do you get results,¡± Jasken continued. The segway was not lost on Vanbrook.


    ¡°Admiral, I¡¯ll never challenge your authority without good reason,¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°Look, Vanbrook, consider this me wiping your slate clean, up to and including that very weak and insufficient pledge you just made. No one else knows this yet, but we¡¯ll be shipping out again in three month¡¯s time. The Wingspan, the Halberd, and an as-yet unknown additional support vessel. I expect you and the rest of Talon Squad to be on that expedition, and I expect you to be on your best behavior.¡±


    ¡°I always am, Admiral,¡± said Vanbrook, trying not to smirk.


    ¡°Don¡¯t I know it, Vanbrook, don¡¯t I know it,¡± he answered, shaking his head. ¡°By the way, was that the first time you¡¯ve ever danced with Raivyn?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Vanbrook, his brow furrowing at the question. ¡°Unless you count the mag-boot shuffle we pulled when we were fighting off the boarding party.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± commented Jasken idly. With that, the admiral walked onto the sidewalk and gave three sharp whistles. Vanbrook felt the wind coming off the griffon¡¯s wing as it landed. In a moment Jasken had mounted the beast and flew off into the night. Vanbrook smiled up after him. Three months felt like too long a wait.


    Epilogue


    On the surface of Hittania, a metal box laid at an odd angle in the middle of a still-smoldering crater. Even on close inspection, the remains of Grim¡¯s cabin, specially designed to survive through nearly any assault, were unrecognizable.


    A lone black centipede, scouting for food, crawled up to the cabin and began inspecting it with wriggling feelers. A cold steel foot kicked the heavy metal door open suddenly, and Grim burst out into the open. The centipede reared and hissed in defensive surprise. Grim grabbed with both hands, hoisted it overhead and tore it in half in a blind rage, covering himself in bluish gore.


    He threw the pieces aside and roared his primal rage into the sky, his booming speakers shaking his chain beard. Stork would pay. The Astralbians would pay. Jasken would pay. Crush¡­ she would pay the dearest price of them all.


    ***


    It had all started during his university days. Hoon-Kra had always been fascinated by the ancients and the pre-Imperial era. After the Astralbian Empire had fallen, Krauqia had immediately joined the Griffon Republic and the old ways were relegated to the distant past, generally frowned upon and little discussed.


    Then he had found it: The Psychic Priests of Koo L''Koom: Aether Beast Worship on Ancient Krauqia. The dusty tome was a rich mine of forbidden and arcane knowledge, and Hoon-Kra dug out every nugget he could find. Being psychic himself, he brought a close circle of friends in on the game and declared himself high priest of his little cult.


    The underground cult grew over the years, but it was largely a vanity project, serving as a kind of networking and power brokering organization in the shadows. Certain technological and psychic research projects were pursued, but little else came of it.


    Then it happened. News came through his intelligence network that the resting place of Shrump the Mad had been discovered, along with a lead on the location of the Cornucopia Cluster, the home of Koo L''Koom himself. If it had anything to do with the myriad of offers and incentives he¡¯d put out over the years for information on Shrump¡¯s tomb, he didn¡¯t know - but it didn¡¯t matter now. He called his inner circle.


    "Our time has come.¡±

 War for the Iron Planet Bonus Page: Concept Art

    So, a chapter needs to be at least five hundred characters. Which is fair, but makes it awkward to post a page like this one. One is left trying to figure out how to come up with 500 words to justify the existence of the page. What topics do I cover? How do I fill the space without writing something that looks like it''s just there to take up space? Questions and quandaries abound.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    I am convinced, however, that my post adds value to the story, so it¡¯s not a waste of reader¡¯s time. In this essay I will¡­

 Chapter 2.1: Rolling Thunder

    Sweat rolled down Vanbrook¡¯s face as he stared down the fourth challenger he¡¯d faced in less than two hours. He slapped a wild saber strike aside with ease, stepping to the side and thrusting, which forced his opponent to step back and parry, losing his balance. None of the so-called challengers had been anything close to a challenge thus far. A quick follow-up strike slapped the dull blade into the side of the youthful duelist and a deafening buzz sounded, indicating Vanbrook had won the duel.


    The teenager stomped his foot and growled, taking his helmet off and bowing slightly to Vanbrook. Fighting down a self-satisfied smirk, he removed his own helmet, revealing dark, eagle-like features and dark brown hair styled in military fashion yet clearly not maintained with military discipline. He smiled warmly at the frustrated young man, returning the bow.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± said Vanbrook, putting a hand on the youth¡¯s shoulder as he walked him out of the ring. ¡°You telegraph your moves more than you know, but I suspect that¡¯s because you¡¯re used to opponents who can¡¯t read you as well as I do. Move your whole body as a unit and don¡¯t overthink your next strike.¡±


    The young man smiled at Vanbrook and nodded in appreciation as he walked off to the locker rooms. The kid really did have potential, though Vanbrook was already competing professionally at his age.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it for Trivus!¡± shouted the announcer. ¡°Standing up to the Rattl¡¯r himself! Vanbrook of the Blue Griffon Fleet¡¯s Talon Squad!¡±


    The crowd cheered. Vanbrook gave the rest of Talon Squad, who had ringside seats to the affair, a grin and a nod. Raivyn sat with her arms crossed, her face inscrutable. Even though she was off duty, she still wore her straight black hair in a military bun, a few rogue locks falling over her brow. Small-framed as she was, she was one of the few people in the stadium Vanbrook wouldn¡¯t like his chances against in a one-on-one fight, especially if she cut loose with her psychic abilities.


    Reclan sat next to Raivyn, her feathery crimson crest raised high as she eagerly cheered on her life-long friend and chowed down on refreshments. She was eating some kind of roasted meat right off the bone, her sharp Dromean teeth making short work of the treat. Her nieces and nephews sat around her, a younger one trying to take a bit of her snack. She pulled the bone away from the troublemaker and smacked him on the head with it. The seven children were a lot to look after, but she had made a habit of bringing them to watch ¡°Uncle Van¡± duel when she was in town.


    D¡¯Jarric¡¯s glowing golden face wore the same enigmatic smile it always did, and his body was adorned with his ever-present silvery armor. Comfort was not an issue for the Solaran as his presence here was a physical manifestation of psychic energy, so he tended to wear his full set of armor at all times.


    Doc Manford¡¯s face was as unreadable as Raivyn¡¯s, though in his case it was because the robot¡¯s face simply didn¡¯t move much beyond his artificial eyelids. As far as Vanbrook could tell, he was enjoying himself. He wasn¡¯t reading a book instead of watching, which seemed like a good sign.


    ¡°Thank you all for coming out to tonight¡¯s Naval Exhibition matches,¡± said the announcer in the booming, syrupy tones his career required of him. ¡°We hope that the Rattl¡¯r¡¯s display has encouraged all you young folks to take a look at a career in the Navy!¡± The crowd cheered loudly enough that the announcer stopped for a moment.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he continued, ¡°let¡¯s hear it for our four contenders tonight!¡± Another cheer erupted.


    ¡°And now it¡¯s time for our mysterious celebrity guest!¡± The crowd went dead silent.


    ¡°Folks, we have a really special surprise for you tonight. Rising from the swamps of Kraquia, he fought his way to the top of the heap! He¡¯s a relentless deluge, he¡¯s an unstoppable storm, he¡¯s¡­ ROOOOLLLIIIINNGG THUNDDDEEERRR!¡±


    The crowd went wild, cheering at the top of their lungs as lights sprang to life, illuminating the doorway in which the massive Krauqian stood, arms lifted high to accept the applause. He was a warty, brown creature, about the same height as Vanbrook, though a disproportional part of that height came from his long legs. He was also much bigger around than Vanbrook, his thick trunk blending right into his massive frog-like head. The beard-like tendrils that hung from beneath his wide mouth were the only thing that denoted a true chin. He shouted towards the ceiling, letting out a deep, croaking bellow, then lowered his head to look Vanbrook in the eyes, raising the tip of his saber to point towards him.


    Vanbrook smiled and slapped his shield with his saber to add to the din. He was certain he heard Drixen losing his mind behind him. Drixen and Kaihla, both fighter pilots with the Blue Griffon Fleet, had just returned from their honeymoon, and were sitting by Talon Squad. Drixen was a huge fan of Rolling Thunder. He hadn¡¯t known for certain that he would be the celebrity guest. Vanbrook had known, of course, and had hinted to Drixen that he really ought to swing by the stadium if he could.


    ¡°Vanbrook the Rattl¡¯r!¡± bellowed the massive toad-like creature. ¡°It¡¯s been too long¡­ since I last put you in your place!¡±


    ¡°Last time we met I mopped this arena with your hide, Thunder!¡± replied Vanbrook. ¡°And I plan to do the same tonight!¡±


    ¡°But tonight, I am not merely representing my own honor, but that of the Griffon Republic Marine Corps!¡±


    Vanbrook¡¯s eyebrow shot up and a smile spread across his face. He had not been made aware of that. He had been vaguely aware that his long-time friend and rival had joined the Corps, but hadn¡¯t thought about it in connection with the match. The crowd erupted into a mixed chorus of cheers and jeers.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    A Marine band marched into the arena from behind Rolling Thunder, blasting out a hearty rendition of the GRMC anthem. A block of fans stood in the stands, unfurling a Marine banner. This was met with a fresh chorus of boos from the opposite side of the arena, where Talon Squad sat with a crowd of sailors and pilots from the Navy. Vanbrook snuck a peak at Drixen, smirking at the torn look on the pilot¡¯s face. Who was he supposed to root for now?


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be doubly motivated to demonstrate what true swordsmanship looks like!¡± Vanbook said, pointing to the Krauquian with his blade.


    Rolling Thunder ran, jumped, and executed a perfect flip, landing heavily in the ring, opposite Vanbrook. The canvas shook with the impact, but Vanbrook maintained a relaxed posture. The two fighters slammed their sword hands into their chests, their blades pointed upwards, and nodded. The familiar motion was the way the combatants let the announcer, and each other, know they were ready to begin their duel.


    ¡°Duelists,¡± the announcer shouted, ¡°this will be a best of five match. First to three points wins. May providence shine on you both! Round one, begin!¡±


    The banter had been bluster and show, but the fight itself was a true, unscripted athletic competition. Both fighters loved to put on a show for their fans, but they each fully intended to win, as well.


    Rolling Thunder leapt, bringing a vicious overhead swing down on Vanbrook. It was a risky opening move, but it forced Vanbrook to react, jumping back to avoid the strike. He thrust out towards the Krauquian, but the duelist was deceptively nimble, bringing his strike around into a block with little effort.


    The two circled one another. They more or less knew one another¡¯s tactics by now, after years of training and performing together. Rolling Thunder would use his deadly combination of strength and flexibility, and Vanbrook would use his wits and hard-won skill. The thrusts and parries they exchanged were more about keeping the crowd entertained than they were about probing for weaknesses.


    Thunder bellowed and charged, pressing his advantage. He used his bulk to try to press Vanbrook into a corner. Having none of it, Vanbrook slapped the Krauqian¡¯s sword away with his shield, stepping into his space and jabbing with his saber. Thunder leapt to the side, brushing away the attack with his own shield. Vanbrook ducked to the side as he brought the deflected blade around in a tight arc. Thunder couldn¡¯t block again as Vanbrook¡¯s blade slipped under the shield, slamming into the Krauqian¡¯s calf. The buzzer sounded. The Navy fans applauded and cheered, the Marines booed and shouted.


    ¡°Point!¡± shouted the announcer. ¡°Back to your corners!¡±


    The two fighters faced off and saluted again.


    ¡°Round two, begin!¡±


    This time, Thunder let Vanbrook come to him. Vanbrook lunged, pointing straight for Thunder¡¯s heart. Thunder slapped the attack away with his shield and countered with a stab of his own. Vanbrook managed to get his shield up in time, but was knocked off balance. Thunder kept up the attack, forcing Vanbrook to defend. Vanbrook did so admirably for some time, but finally he made a mistake and went after a thrust too aggressively, unable to bring his shield back when the thrust turned out to be a feint. Vanbrook swung his sword up to deflect the true attack, but the blade skimmed off his shoulder, the buzzer sounded again. This time the Navy booed and while the Marines cheered.


    The next two rounds were similar, with Vanbrook scoring a point in the third, then Rolling Thunder in the fourth. Every point was hard-won and the two combatants were beginning to tire, Rolling Thunder more so. Vanbrook smiled as he faced off against Thunder. That was his true edge over his old rival- endurance. The two saluted one another again.


    ¡°Our combatants tied two and two, this will be the fifth and FINAL round!¡± shouted the announcer. ¡°Final round, BEGIN!¡±


    Vanbrook sauntered over towards his opponent, shield and saber held in a relaxed but ready position. He blocked the first few strikes with his shield, using as little energy as possible. He could already tell Thunder¡¯s strikes were slower, though only by the thinnest margin.


    He continued to allow his opponent to overdraw on his reserves, waiting for him to slip up. The truth was, though, Rolling Thunder was unlikely to make a mistake. Even though he had slowed down, his fundamentals were beyond reproach, and Vanbrook didn¡¯t want to risk losing the match over the fact that his thrusts were fractions of a second slower. Ultimately, though, he would have to take a risk if he wanted to win.


    He saw his opportunity when Rolling Thunder went to bring an overhead strike down on him again, following a successful block. Rather than deflecting with his shield, Vanbrook crossed his sword arm over and blocked the strike with his blade. He immediately stepped back, and Thunder¡¯s expected shield bash failed to connect. If he had been any slower, he would have been knocked off balance and been at the Krauqian¡¯s mercy, but as it was, he found himself standing beside Thunder and slapped a swift blade onto his back. The buzzer sounded, one last time.


    Falling to his knees in despair, Rolling Thunder bellowed to the heavens. It was for the crowd, certainly, but Vanbrook knew a display like that could be rather cathartic for the duelist, as well. The Navy side of the arena cheered and the Marines booed, but Vanbrook and Rolling Thunder chuckled, the former lending a hand to help the latter off the canvas.


    ¡°Not bad, but I daresay you¡¯re getting rusty,¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°Ah, not much swordplay in the Marines, Vanny,¡± said the Krauqian. ¡°At least not during basic. But hey, we put on a good show, eh?¡±


    Vanbrook nodded his agreement.


    The announcer hopped into the ring, putting his arm around Vanbrook.


    ¡°Folks, I give you your champion, Vanbrook of the Blue Griffon Fleet¡¯s Talon Squad!¡± The crowd cheered wildly. Even the Marines put aside their rivalries and applauded with abandon, Rolling Thunder leading them from in the ring. Vanbrook looked over at Talon Squad and smiled, pumping his fist. They were all on their feet and cheering. Even Doc looked like he¡¯d accidentally had a little fun.


    ***


    Far across the galaxy on the newly settled but still wild planet Hittania, a shadowy figure stalked the forests outside of Fort Bog Iron. He¡¯d been watching the fort for the past couple months, looking for a way to infiltrate the airfield and get a ride off-world, as well as gather a bit of information if he could. His chance came when comms officer Yurlif made the fatal error of getting some fresh air all by himself.


    Yurlif was admiring the scents, sights and sounds of the verdant Hittanian forests when two metal hands sprang from the undergrowth, pinning his arms to his side. The comms officer looked down in horror as the robot lifted him bodily from the ground. His metal body was covered in deep scratches, his skull-like faceplate was dented, and his chain beard was beginning to rust.


    ¡°A-admiral Grim?¡± asked the officer in shock. ¡°You- you¡¯re alive?¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± responded the pirate. ¡°You know me, which I assume means you know to fear me. Now you¡¯re going to answer some questions.¡±

 Chapter 2.2: Scrappers

    From the outside, the Feint Heart was just one more dive bar that lined the street of the Kerucester entertainment district, one more building where bright neon signs adorned a weathered storefront. Inside, however, the place was full of lively and good-natured patrons, celebrating the victories or nursing the losses that occurred at the stadium just down the street. It was the favored watering hole for duelists, and Vanbrook had taken Talon Squad, along with Drixen and Kaihla, to celebrate his victory. Reclan had gotten her nieces and nephews back to their respective parents and was happy to be free to celebrate with her friends.


    A Wabuluban bartender greeted them as they walked in the front door. Walking out from behind the bar, he revealed his mechanical legs, each controlled by two of his tentacles. While Wabulubans could scurry around fine without them, the mechanical legs were common among those who chose to live among humanoids. The remaining four tentacles, each forked at the ends, were spread wide in a gesture of welcome and his wide eyes were warm, if you knew what to look for.


    ¡°Vanbrook!¡± said the octopus-like creature in a bubbling, watery voice. Even with the mechanical legs, Wabulubans tended to be on the small side, and the bartender¡¯s hood only came up to Vanbrook¡¯s chest. ¡°I heard you were on tonight, was wondering if you¡¯d stop by.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Wilbis!¡± said Vanbrook, putting his hand over his heart and speaking with a sense of drama. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten about my favorite bartender.¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± responded the Wabuluban. ¡°Okay, no need to lay it on so thick. A round of victory specials on the house, who¡¯ll have one?¡±


    Vanbrook, Reclan, Drixen, and Kaihla raised their hands. Raivyn didn¡¯t drink, and D¡¯Jarric and Doc Manford, being an energy being and a Robot, respectively, couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Wilbis, ¡°four victories coming up.¡±


    The bartender turned and stepped back behind the bar, grabbing a number of bottles simultaneously and mixing up a fruity cocktail. He turned half way around, tentacles still in action, and looked at Raivyn.


    ¡°Sure I can¡¯t get you anything?¡± he asked. ¡°No charge.¡±


    ¡°My mind is my weapon,¡± replied Raivyn. ¡°I prefer to keep it sharp.¡±


    The bartender eyed her studiously as he set four bright pink drinks on the bar. He turned back and poured another drink, carefully considering ingredients.


    ¡°One Kraquian swampberry juice with a splash of soda water, a hint of Griffonian hot pepper and a talvan blossom garnish,¡± he said, placing a bubbly purple drink in front of Raivyn. ¡°Perfect drink for the sober psychic.¡±


    Raivyn took a sip of the drink and nodded.


    ¡°How¡¯d I do?¡± asked the bartender.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Pretty good, actually.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s about as close you¡¯re going to get to praise, Wilbis,¡± said Vanbrook with a chuckle as he sipped his drink. ¡°I¡¯d call that a win.¡±


    Wilbis nodded contentedly.


    The door swung open and Rolling Thunder barged into the Feint Heart, accompanied by three Marines.


    ¡°Wilbis!¡± he called to the bartender. ¡°Four defeats for me and my friends, if you would be so kind.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Thunder,¡± answered the Wabuluban good-naturedly, ¡°First round¡¯s on the house.¡±


    The Marines sat at the bar by the Navy squad and pilots, giving them a good-natured nod. Vanbrook raised a glass to them and took another sip of his sweet, fruity cocktail. Wilbis poured four blue drinks and set them out before the Marines.


    ¡°Ah,¡± said Thunder as he took a sip. ¡°Bitter, as it should be.¡±


    As part of their time-honored ritual, Vanbrook and Thunder exchanged glasses, took a sip of the other¡¯s drink and then handed them back.


    ¡°Hey, it was a great match,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Oh, and I wanted to introduce you to somebody! Hey, Drixen, c''mere once.¡±


    The pilot looked up from his drink, eyes wide. He stepped over with as much confidence as he could muster.


    ¡°Rolling Thunder, I¡¯d like you to meet Drixen, your biggest fan,¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°Call me Krum-Bahk,¡± said the Krauqian duelist, extending his hand to Drixen. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet one of the Republic¡¯s greatest pilots.¡±


    ¡°Uh, wow, thanks Thun- uh, Krum-Bahk, the pleasure¡¯s all mine,¡± said Drixen, beaming. ¡°Though I¡¯ll admit I was a tad disappointed when I heard you¡¯d joined the knuckle draggers.¡±


    ¡°Easy,¡± said one of the Marines with a good natured laugh. He was a Raki, and while the humanoid crustaceans were generally large-framed as it was, this one was exceptionally broad and tall. The Talpidarian female sitting by him looked small enough that someone could have picked her up and carried her out of the bar like a sack of potatoes. However, the dangerous look on her pointed face and the spade-like claws clicking on the bar top made Drixen think they¡¯d be better off not trying it. The third Marine was a broad-faced, barrel-chested Human male with an affable look on his face.


    ¡°Ah, well the Marines suit me,¡± said Krum-Bahk dismissively. ¡°The thrill of jumping into battle is a bit more my speed than the whole exploring new worlds gig.¡±


    ¡°Well I suppose it does take all kinds,¡± said Drixen with a chuckle. ¡°Oh, let me introduce you to my wif-¡±


    ¡°VANBROOK!¡± shouted a voice from the bar¡¯s doorway, interrupting the introductions. The whole bar turned to see a haggard, bleary-eyed man leaning on the doorframe, his blonde hair hanging over his eyes and a scraggly beard growing on his chin. He had a black eye and a busted nose with a bandage stuck to it. ¡°I knew I¡¯d find you here.¡±


    ¡°Get out of here, Darvik,¡± said Wilbis in a dangerous voice.


    ¡°I was hoping the aether would claim you, you two-faced scumbag,¡± spat Darvik.


    Wilbis shot Vanbrook a dangerous look, warning him not to engage the man.


    ¡°Thought you¡¯d still be in prison, honestly,¡± Vanbrook snarled, setting his drink down and walking towards the drunk man.


    ¡°Oh, I did my time, do-gooder. But I don¡¯t mind going back in for a good cause.¡± With that Darvik pulled a knife from his waistband and charged. Vanbrook sidestepped the clumsy attack, grabbing the wrist of his enemy¡¯s knife hand and tossing him into the bar. Glass shattered as Darvik flailed. He came to rest on the bar, then snapped a kick with such unexpected speed and ferocity that it caught Vanbrook in the ribs.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Darvik followed up with another wild stab at Vanbrook. Not willing to be caught off guard twice, the swordsman dodged the knife and struck his attacker on the jaw.


    This time Darvik simply crumpled. Vanbrook looked up and saw everyone staring at him.


    "What?" he asked defensively.


    "You could have given me a chance," said Wilbis sternly. "Darvik''s been around a few times since he got out. I might''ve been able to talk him down."


    "He came at me with a knife!" shouted Vanbrook as he stalked towards the bar.


    "After you egged him on!" retorted Wilbis.


    Vanbrook humphed and walked back to the bar. He slammed down enough platinum to cover the drinks and broken glasses and stormed out of the bar.


    Raivyn shook her head. Vanbrook was a good man, and it was to his credit that he never ran from a fight. But he never walked away from a challenge, either. If only he could learn the difference.


    Everyone trickled out of the bar after that. Darvik stirred, standing up and leaning on the bar.


    "Guess it''s back to prison for me, eh?" he said sullenly. The rage had cooled to self-pity, and Wilbis looked at him in contempt.


    "Do you see any law officers around?" he asked the drunkard. "No, you don''t."


    Darvik huffed in annoyance, taking a seat.


    "You won''t like this one," said Wilbis, "but you and Vanbrook are cut from the same cloth. You''re hotheads, always looking for trouble. Vanbrook just does a better job of picking sides."


    Darvik brandished his knife, but Wilbis lifted a tentacle from under the bar, waving a small gun customized for a Wabuluban grip.


    "Get out of my bar, Darvik."


    Darvik stalked out of the bar, into the night.


    ***


    Crush stood aboard her flagship, the Liberty. Formerly known as the Sepulchre, the gunship was part of the fleet she had stolen when she mutinied against the Ramshackle Collective and formed the Free Revolutionary Fleet. The red paint of the Collective had been covered over in stark white and black patterns, matching the new overcoats worn by the crew and officers. The Liberty boasted a deadly array of broadside cannons, mostly lasers but with a couple of railguns on each side to diversify the ship''s armaments. Missile tubes graced the prow and stern of the vessel.


    Massive panels resembling sails reached up greedily into the aether, drinking in solar rays and cosmic radiation to fuel the engines.


    There was nothing keeping Crush attached to the deck but the magnetics built into her feet, and absolutely nothing separated her from the void of space as she stood on the deck. She reached out idly, as if she could ladle a cup of aether into her hands.


    "Admiral?" asked a voice beside her. She pulled her arm back aboard as if she''d been caught stealing something. She turned to see Captain Tank, her second-in-command, and struck a dignified pose. Tank was sturdy, wide, and strong-limbed. Not the smartest robot Crush had ever met, but a fine sailor and a natural leader.


    "Yes, Captain, what is it?" she asked in a commanding tone.


    "We are coming up on the Ramshackle fleet, but something doesn''t feel right about it."


    Crush shot him a quizzical look, cocking her head to the side and raising one metal eyebrow.


    "They''re more well-armed than the others. Captain Hacksaw thinks they''re expecting us."


    Crush considered that for a moment, thoughtfully tapping her chin. Hacksaw was aboard the Fleet¡¯s second ship, the Anthem. He had a background in intelligence and Crush had been impressed by his sharp analysis.


    "Seems likely," she said. "We''ve hit them too hard too often. We desperately need the supplies, though. If we can take this fleet out with minimal losses it should give us what we''ll need to lay low and restrategize."


    Though the FRF had grown rapidly at first, the mutiny-turned-revolution had stagnated as of late. Those brave and wise enough to flee the Ramshackle Collective''s oligarchical pirate fleets had already done so, and now Crush''s raids on Collective scrap shipments had garnered a little too much attention.


    Her musings were cut short once again as a laser cut through the aether and slammed into the shielded hull of the Liberty.


    "Scramble fighters!" shouted Crush over the comms. "All ships turn broadside and fire on the enemy! Target weapon and sails! I want them crippled and toothless!"


    The enemy had indeed been expecting them, the first laser blast followed by a full volley, all targeting the Liberty. Growling her displeasure, Crush climbed into her star tree, taking off to distract and harass the enemy ships. The living vessel, stolen from the Astralbian Kingdom''s navy, responded to her mental commands as she gripped the root-like reins at the control center. The tree handled beautifully, weaving through the Ramshackle¡¯s ships and carving the smaller fighters to bits with its laser eyes; the same eyes that fed visual information to the membranous screen in the control center. Crush had grown fond of the star tree. Not that it was sapient, or even aware, for that matter, but she had bonded to it in the way that any captain or pilot bonds with their vessel.


    She blasted a gun off of one of the ships and reveled in the destruction. The Ramshackle Collective relied on shock and awe. If you could survive the initial onslaught and mount a counter-offensive, their ships tended to be weakly shielded. Crush had made sure her ships were well-shielded and thick-hulled, ready to repel the Collective¡¯s fire long enough to burn them down.


    Crush rounded to make another run at the guns, but found herself flanked by Ramshackle fighter skiffs. The star tree may have been the more graceful vessel, but it was hard to match a fighter skiff for firepower. She tried to target them with the tree¡¯s eyes, but found she was spending too much energy on defense. She resented the fact that she¡¯d been unable to upgrade the tree. The method of growing a star tree, much less coaxing it to bud eyes or thicken its bark, were secrets that the Astralbian tree priests guarded jealously. Making due with what she had, she managed to knock out a couple of skiffs before her own fighters came to her aid.


    ¡°Send the boarding parties!¡± she called as the fighters took out the remaining guns. Larger, slower skiffs carrying heavily armed FRF sailors launched from her fleet and rocketed towards the Collective ships. Crush monitored the melee remotely as she continued to fire on any Collective soldiers out on the decks of the unboarded ships.


    As soon as the first boarding skiff hit the enemy¡¯s lead vessel, a massive FRF sailor stomped on board, blasting away with a ballistic shotgun specially designed for use in a vacuum. When a Collective soldier got too close, he slammed the butt of the gun into the robot¡¯s head, crushing him to the floor. Others were right behind the shotgun-toting brute, and Crush¡¯s sailors quickly overwhelmed the battered vessels.


    Crush was about to land on the lead vessel when it erupted into a fireball. Shocked, she  jumped on the comms.


    ¡°Who fired that shot!¡± she demanded.


    ¡°No one, Admiral,¡± came Captain Hacksaw¡¯s reply. ¡°The ship was likely rigged to explode.¡±


    ¡°EVERYONE BACK TO YOUR SHIPS!¡± she shouted to the boarding crews. But it was too late. The other Ramshackle vessels exploded in turn, and anyone still onboard was lost. The aether soon calmed down. When it did, all that was left of the enemy fleet was a sorry collection of smoldering hulls.


    ¡°I want a full status report immediately,¡± said Crush. ¡°I want skiffs out searching for survivors right away.¡±


    ¡°It was a trap, Admiral,¡± said Captain Hacksaw over the officer¡¯s private comm channel.


    ¡°I can see that, Captain,¡± replied Crush, annoyance seething through her tone.


    ¡°I mean no disrespect,¡± Hacksaw added diplomatically. ¡°Unfortunately, it means our sources within the Collective are compromised.¡±


    ¡°Most likely,¡± said Crush glumly. ¡°Our days of picking off Collective shipments for easy pay days are certainly over.¡±


    ¡°Admiral Crush,¡± said Tank. ¡°What about mercenary work? Back when this all began, we talked about acting as privateers. Why not give that a try?¡±


    ¡°The Griffon Republic doesn¡¯t hire privateers,¡± replied Crush.


    ¡°True,¡± said Hacksaw, ¡°but the Republic isn¡¯t the only faction in the galaxy we could ally ourselves with.¡±


    Crush paused.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth considering,¡± she said. Then, to the general comms channel, she continued, ¡°Please rescue any survivors from the blast, round up any useful scrap and prepare for a ripmed jump. We leave in thirty minutes.¡±

 Chapter 2.3: Mustering the Fleet

    Admiral Jasken, the tall, grizzled, and white-haired commander of the Blue Griffon Fleet, walked through the courtyard of the Depot, the Griffon Republic Military¡¯s joint base of operations. Located just outside Kerucester, the Depot was a massive granite structure that housed the Navy, Army, and Marine Central Command. It had been built as an ammunition depot when the Republic was more a rebellion than it was a republic, fighting against the Astralbian Kingdom''s oppressive rule.


    High above the courtyard the Griffonian Calvary, an honor guard mounted on griffons, practiced maneuvers. Mostly it was about showing off, which they did well, but the Calvary was as battle ready as any Marine grunts or Naval special squad.


    Many years ago, Jasken and Ol¡¯ Blue, his silver-gray griffon, had been part of the Cavalry, and part of Jasken missed it. Being Admiral of an exploratory fleet was a rewarding job, but didn''t offer the thrills and relative lack of responsibility of being in the trenches.


    Today, however, he had a number of responsibilities to attend to. Most pressingly, he had to go meet with Dekken, his chief engineer, and the other officers of the Blue Griffon Fleet.


    The airfield was on the far side of the Depot, surrounded by a tall security fence dotted with watch towers.


    The Halberd was the first ship Jasken walked by, its sleek hull and bristling guns gleaming in the sun. The blue and gray shark-like vessel would serve as the fleet¡¯s destroyer for this mission, since the Arrowhead had been lost in the battle for Hittania. At four hundred and fifty feet in length, the Halberd was a bit shorter than its predecessor, but it was that much more maneuverable and, if anything, better armed.


    The next ship was the fleet¡¯s medical and support ship, the newly commissioned Shepherd. Like the Halberd, the Shepherd was new to the fleet. The Ferryman had crashed in the same battle that took the Arrowhead, and its remains were still embedded in the nest of a very dangerous kind of social centipede.


    The Shepherd, like the Ferryman before it, looked more like a three hundred foot tall tower or a large space station than a ship. About half way up, there was a ring of airlocks coming out of the structure, like spokes. The spokes were connected by a large ring, and each airlock could accommodate a small ship, providing easy access for wounded crew and damaged ships.


    The final ship in the fleet, and the largest by far, measuring one thousand feet from prow to stern, was the Wingspan, boasting a fresh coat of royal blue paint with crimson red accents. It was a massive carrier, storing a complement of forty-five fighter craft and two landing shuttles. The vessel carried only slightly less firepower than the Halberd, and the bridge, located in a tower built off to one side of the deck, offered a commanding view of the battlefield from which Jasken could direct his fleet.


    ¡°Admiral,¡± said Dekken, walking down the Wingspan¡¯s gangway. ¡°Thank you for coming to meet with us. Since the expedition begins in just a couple weeks I thought it¡¯d be best if we were all up to speed on the repairs and modifications.¡±


    Jasken smoothed his mustache and looked at the gathered officers. Dekken, a blue-spotted Raki male, led the group, followed by Captain Hunt of the Wingspan, a youthful but insightful Human male who was talking with Captain Fenrik, a Dromean male and the highest-ranking Army officer going on the expedition. He would be in charge of surface operations when establishing bases clayside. After them came Captain Griezen of the Shepherd, a stern-looking Dromean female, and Comms Officer Mairen, a gray-haired Human female with much softer features. Bringing up the rear was the imposing Captain Kesht of the Halberd, another Raki male and an old friend of Jasken¡¯s.


    "Gladly," said Jasken in a flat tone. "The old ship looks new from the outside. How are things looking under the surface?"


    Kesht couldn''t help but smile, his short antennae curving up. He knew Jasken well enough to spot the stifled enthusiasm. The old Admiral had a habit of remaining stoic in front of others, but he knew Jasken was looking forward to the expedition. Jasken was a widower, and his children were grown and scattered across the stars. The man hated to be on the ground any more than was strictly necessary.


    "Excellent!" Dekken declared in response to Jasken''s inquiry. "I can''t emphasize enough how pleased I am with the home crew''s work these past few months.


    "Ripmed travel is hard on EM shields, so we''ve upped the Wingspan''s travel shields significantly. Since space isn''t empty, every ripmed jump means slamming into debris at faster-than-light speeds. We''re hoping the advanced shielding will allow us to travel farther and faster while needing less downtime to recharge, though a larger ship like the Wingspan will always require more shielding compared to smaller gunships and the like. Our fission reactor got an upgrade, too, so we should be able to pump more energy into the ripmed drive to generate and harness photons with greater mass for faster travel."


    "That¡¯s good to hear," said Jasken with a nod. "The lower officers and crew are going to be here tomorrow. Are the other ships prepared as well?"


    "Yes, sir," said Griezen and Kesht in unison.


    "Anything to add, Captain Hunt?" Jasken asked the young man.


    "No sir, just excited to get underway," he replied.


    "Mairen?" Jasken asked the comms officer.


    "Comms look good, Admiral,¡± she declared. ¡°We boosted the signal strength across the board after the many fiascos on Hittania. Hopefully we won''t run into that kind of EM interference on this expedition."


    Jasken allowed himself a slight, wan smile.


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    "If it''s not that," he said, "it''ll be something else. Captain Fenrik?" He asked, turning to the Army Captain.


    "Just waiting on my soldiers, Admiral," said Fenrik. Jasken nodded.


    "Everyone go get some rest," said Jasken. "Tomorrow''s going to be quite the day."


    ***


    It was late. Actually, it was early in the morning, but Darvik hadn''t slept. Much to his chagrin, he was getting more sober by the minute. Life since he''d gotten out of prison had been a drunken blur, and everytime he got sober things just seemed worse than before.


    He''d gotten a job at the spaceport loading crates, and it paid well. But the first time someone started a fight with him, he was fired. The jobs got worse after that, and before he knew it he was doing odd jobs for Dewlin, one of the local crime bosses. He already had some connections there, which had only strengthened while he was in prison. He''d tried to straighten things out, but the honest life just wasn''t for him.


    Then he''d seen the poster. Vanbrook was back. The man who''d gotten him thrown in prison. He didn''t realize how much he hated the man until he saw his face on the poster for his exhibition match.


    He went home to grab a drink to calm his nerves and mulled over whether he ought to hunt the man down and kill him. In his brooding, he missed a rendezvous with some other boys and Dewlin had him beaten for screwing up the job.


    Once again, Vanbrook had ruined his life. Just by showing up. He''d see Vanbrook dead by his hands, he swore it.


    "I won''t give you anything to drink, but if you head inside I''ll get you some breakfast."


    The voice shook Darvik out of his musings. He looked up to see Wilbis, looking his way as he threw a bag of garbage in a dumpster. His wandering had brought him to the Feint Heart''s back door.


    He snarled at the bartender, who shook his head and turned away. Darvik pulled his knife.


    ***


    Vanbrook woke the next day to the sound of his comm going off. He saw it was from Reclan and answered it.


    "I don''t want to talk about it, Rec," he said.


    "Huh?" asked the Dromean. "What, about you storming out of the Heart? Yeah, not why I called. You''re late, idiot."


    Vanbrook''s eyes snapped open. He was due to report in at the Depot in just under an hour. He rushed around his small, dingy apartment throwing on his clothes and trying to wolf down a heat-and-eat breakfast.


    Fifty minutes later, he was jogging up to the Depot''s front gate, flashing his ID to the guard. A retina scan got him through the gate and he took a hovercraft transit to the airfield where he jogged his way over to the gathered troops, finding his place among them.


    The troops stood in neat, organized lines, arranged by branch, which ship they belonged to, and function. The Navy sailors wore double-breasted royal blue shirts, pressed white pants and shining black boots, their hats and insignia denoting rank. The Army uniforms were similar, though the shirts were crimson and the pants black.


    They would all don weapons, armor, camouflage and other gear as needed, but these dress uniforms made them an impressive and imposing sight. Friends, families, sweethearts, and patriotic civilians gathered outside the gate waving and milling about.


    "Cutting it a bit close, aren''t you?" asked Raivyn, keeping her face straight.


    Vanbrook checked the time on his comm.


    "I am thirty seconds early," he said with an air of mock indignation as he fell in line next to the psychic. Looking up, his eyes met with Jasken''s, and the Admiral shot him a look of mild disapproval. Vanbrook stifled a smirk. The expedition to Hittania has been marred by some less-than-positive exchanges between the two, and Vanbrook had no desire to repeat the experience.


    Jasken turned his attention from Vanbrook and scanned the gathered soldiers and sailors. He simultaneously felt an uplifting swell of fatherly pride and a massive weight of responsibility.


    "Folks, we are on the eve of an expedition that will not only expand the reach of the Republic; it is also reigniting a piece of our history. On Hittania, we discovered a great relic that had been lost to legend. Shrump the Mad stepped out of Talpidarian folklore, giving us a map to the legendary Cornucopian Cluster.


    "Our astronomers pinpointed the part of the galaxy the star map leads to, and it is further than any known expedition has gone. We will hopscotch from planet to planet, utilizing our deep space telescopes to find hospitable planets within range of a ripmed jump, and hopefully find additional settleable planets on our way to the Cluster.


    "The first stop will be Kirakna, which according to our sources is where evidence of Shrump''s resting place was first found by Admiral Grim of the Ramshackle Collective, some time last year. After that, we will be traveling to a formerly unexplored world neighboring Kirakna, and from there we will search for additional unexplored worlds along the path to the Cluster. You will be briefed on the details on our second destination after we reach our first.


    "If it should happen that the Cluster is an invention of Shrump''s mind, and the aether we arrive in empty, we will still have achieved a feat of unbelievable patriotic and scientific merit.


    "I thank you, both for your performance on Hittania and for your future performance on this expedition. Please follow your COs to your station. May providence shine on us."


    ***


    The Astralbian King held court in the Holy Grove, a copse of massive, moss-covered trees filled with songbirds and dappled with sunlight. Jylik sat in the middle of the Grove, waiting for his father to come and give him an audience. Outwardly, he was calm. Inwardly, he seethed, infuriated that his father made him wait as if he were a petty noble.


    The chirping of birds had always annoyed Jylik. He had been to the quiet stone and metal buildings of the biological races, and he thought them a vast improvement on the messy, buzzing, breathing "Holy" Grove.


    A sapphire form, dressed in vibrant green robes, walked into the Grove. He wore a silver crown on his head, adorned with the cut and polished death crystals of his predecessors. He was tall, even for an Astralbian, and his chin was square, like a tapered chisel, rather than pointed like most of his kind. In many ways, Jylik and his father looked identical. However, King Hylik¡¯s energy-based form was softened around its crystalline edges, where Jylik¡¯s was still sharply defined, and Hylik¡¯s eyes were a duller, more pastel shade of blue than Jylik¡¯s, which were still deep and brilliant. His father was old and decrepit; he was young and vibrant.


    ¡°So kind of Your Majesty to deign to see me,¡± said Jylik. He hid his contempt well enough to fool most, but not his father.


    ¡°Sarcasm is not becoming of a holy king-to-be, my son,¡± said the old King with a sigh. ¡°It seems I will collapse into my crystal without having raised you to be a proper monarch.¡±


    Jylik sneered internally. He¡¯d be monarch either way.


    ¡°Father, I came here so you could tell me why you continue to sink resources into Raelik¡¯s foolish obsession, not to have you insult me.¡±


    ¡°I can do both,¡± said the King frankly. ¡°Raelik¡¯s foolish obsession, as you call it, is the key to our revival. For well over a century now, the Astralbians have been in decline. If the smallest fraction of the stories are true, the Cornucopia Cluster contains enough resources to rekindle the Empire. It may also be that it holds secrets that even the tree priests do not know.


    ¡°Much of what we¡¯ve learned about the Cluster lines up with ancient stories of the Cradle, the region of the galaxy from which the Astralbians first came.¡±


    Jylik scoffed and shook his head. ¡°Surely there better ways to build the empire than chasing such childish-¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± said the king. He did not raise his voice, but his tone was flat, final, and brooked no argument. ¡°You let the star map slip from our fingers. You may feel that Raelik got what he deserved in the war for Hittania, but we lost a mighty lord, not to mention many excellent knights, tree priests, and common soldiers because you did not properly back his campaign.¡±


    ¡°You told me to avoid war with the Griffon Republic! How was I to do that and capture the map?¡±


    The king ignored the question.


    ¡°The Cornucopia Cluster is our priority. And you are my most capable commander. You will head the search. I look forward to honoring you for your victories.¡±


    Jylik clenched his fist and stalked out of the Holy Grove. The King stood still for a moment, then hung his head in shame and disappointment.

 Chapter 2.4: Into the Aether

    While many of the other groups aboard the Wingspan had much to attend to, Talon Squad had relatively few responsibilities until the fleet launched. They saw to their quarters, then caught up with Fenrik¡¯s Scouts, a small group of trackers and snipers that served a role similar to their own. Their leader, Kwa-Kwa, was raving about Freckles, the pet she¡¯d acquired on Hittania. Her frog-like Kraquian features were bursting with excitement as she explained how she¡¯d managed to get Jasken to agree to bring him along, granted he stays in the stables with Ol¡¯ Blue.


    ¡°He took to training super well,¡± she was saying as the two groups took a meal together in the galley. ¡°He qualified as an active duty hound. Obviously he¡¯s not a hound, per se, but that¡¯s what they call animals that you can¡¯t ride but can bring into combat situations. He can track and even attack hostiles. I¡¯m so proud.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re never going to hear the end of it,¡± said Rahk. The tall Dromean sniper, Kwa-Kwa¡¯s second in command, rolled his eyes as he stabbed a piece of meat with his fork. He had a feathered crest like Reclan¡¯s, only with the much more colorful plumage of a male.


    ¡°Aw, c¡¯mon, I like Freckles,¡± said Tawln, a stocky Human female with broad features.


    ¡°He ate my jerky! That was supposed to last me at least until Kirakna!¡± moaned Rahk.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Grisht, the fourth and final member of the scout troop. ¡°Besides, that jerky smelled like animal feed to begin with, how can you blame the pup?¡± The Talpidarian male had only joined the troop a few weeks ago, replacing Ghet, who had died on Hittania.


    D¡¯Jarric laughed good-naturedly. He didn¡¯t need to eat, but he always enjoyed meal times. He often said that they were about more than just food; they were where biologicals gathered to strengthen their bonds of friendship. Doc also came to the meals, but if the robot had any deep, philosophical reasons for it, he kept it to himself.


    ¡°They¡¯re all against me,¡± said Rahk glumly, shaking his head.


    Raivyn had to smile at the banter. It was nice to be back on the Wingspan, even if they wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere for another twelve hours. She looked over at Vanbrook and Reclan, who were happily chowing down on their plates of meat, root vegetables, and mushrooms.


    ¡°Hey,¡± said Reclan between bites, ¡°I saw the twins lined up with the engineering department! I didn¡¯t realize they were coming along.¡±


    The twins, Kiflin and Triflin, were young Astralbian soldiers who had turned on their masters, defecting to the Griffon Republic and fighting alongside them in the war for Hittania.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Raivyn, ¡°they went into basic training as soon as they were able. I think Jasken wanted to be able to keep an eye on them.¡±


    Vanbrook nodded. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re tough kids. Smart as anything, too. Kiflin, the girl, even challenged me to a friendly duel,¡± he said with a chuckle. Just then his comm buzzed.


    ¡°Speaking of duels, looks like ol¡¯ Rolling Thunder¡¯s buzzing me, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± The swordsman stepped away from the table as he answered the call.


    Raivyn turned her attention back to her food, but couldn¡¯t help keeping an eye on Vanbrook. She grew concerned as his smirk melted and his face paled. Evidently Krum-Bahk¡¯s comm wasn¡¯t a simple social call. His face went from pale to red. He hung up the phone and stormed out of the galley. Raivyn got up quickly to follow him.


    ¡°Hey what¡¯s going on?¡± asked Reclan.


    ¡°Hopefully nothing,¡± said Raivyn without elaborating. She walked swiftly to the galley¡¯s exit, trying to catch up with Vanbrook.


    She caught up to him just down the hall.


    ¡°Hey!¡± she called out. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Vanbrook rounded on her, face livid. While his anger was usually justified, he often took it out on undeserving targets.


    ¡°Wilbis was murdered last night,¡± he seethed. ¡°Stabbed to death behind the Feint Heart. A witness saw Darvik near the scene.¡±


    ¡°Okay, and where are you going?¡± asked Raivyn, arms crossed. Vanbrook stalked towards her, murder in his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go kill Darvik,¡± he said with an icy, trembling voice. Raivyn stood her ground.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be AWOL, and Jasken will kick you off the Squad,¡± she said flatly.


    ¡°So what? I¡¯ll land on my feet. There¡¯s plenty of jobs out there for a Navy vet, even a dishonorably discharged one.¡±


    ¡°You think Jasken will discharge you?¡± Raivyn scoffed. ¡°More likely he¡¯d send you off to some ice planet or asteroid belt to scrub toilets for the rest of your term of service.¡±


    Vanbrook¡¯s brow furrowed. She had interrupted his rage, making him actually think, and now she pressed her advantage.


    ¡°All that assuming you don¡¯t simply get thrown in prison for murder, since that¡¯s what you¡¯re talking about doing. Wilbis was a friend, and good folk. We¡¯ll do everything we can from here to cooperate with the investigation, but the Kerucester police will handle this.¡±


    Without another word, Vanbrook stalked away, but Raivyn was happy to see him turn towards his quarters rather than the exit. As much as she hoped the murderer would be brought to justice, she wanted Talon Squad at full strength for the expedition. She breathed a sigh of relief and went back to finish her meal.


    ***


    Krum-Bahk ended the call with Vanbrook and hung his head. He hoped his old friend and rival wouldn''t do anything rash, but he couldn''t bear not telling him about Wilbis'' murder. The three of them went back too far. Darvik had been there at the beginning, until everything happened.


    As much as the three fighters would squabble, they were a tight-knit group. Wilbis has been an almost fatherly figure, or at least a sagely, bartending uncle. But Darvik got into some trouble. Vanbrook got mixed up in it, too, but he''d managed to get off without jail time. He''d joined the Navy shortly thereafter. Krum-Bahk never got the full story. It didn¡¯t matter now anyway; they¡¯d all made their choices. Now Darvik had crossed the line in a way he wasn¡¯t coming back from, and Krum-Bahk wouldn¡¯t rest well until the murderer was brought to justice.


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    As much as he¡¯d personally like to bring Darvik down, however, he was shipping out in a few short days. Some cult had started some kind of uprising in the Shredvrak Belt, and his team of Marines was being sent to bring order back.


    As he walked through the halls of the Depot, he caught a glimpse of the Blue Griffon Fleet in the airfield. A crowd of well-wishers and revelers gathered around the fence. Krum-Bahk thought he saw a familiar face in the crowd. His face and head were shaved clean, but he recognized the murderous look in his eyes. He raced to the nearest exit and ran to the fenceline, but to no avail. If Darvik had been there, he was gone now. It was probably all in his head anyway. What kind of hunted killer would be foolish enough to show up there, anyway?


    ***


    Darvik only stood at the fence for a moment. He looked hatefully towards the fleet. He had thought maybe he could get there in time to see the soldiers all standing in lines, maybe even get a shot at Vanbrook. Sure, he¡¯d have been caught. But it¡¯d be worth it if he could kill the man. Oh, well. He slinked off before anyone recognized him. Even with his head shaved, his face was plastered all over the news and he shouldn¡¯t stay in Kerucester any longer than necessary. It was foolish to mill around in a large crowd like that.


    He made his way down to the south end of town, where the paint was faded, the streets were busted up and the law was sparse. There was a spaceport that catered to a more discrete clientele there, and he was hoping to exchange work for a no-questions-asked flight to Kirakna.


    The burly Raki in the port¡¯s dingy front office pointed him to a hangar in the back of the airfield. Inside, an antique of a freighter that seemed to be made of more patches than actual hull was being loaded with crates. Darvik had seen enough cargo crates in his time to know the labels on them were forgeries. Whatever was in them, it wasn¡¯t the soaps and cosmetics claimed on the sides. He walked up to the man directing the work.


    ¡°Hey pal, I need passage to Kirakna," Darvik said. "I¡¯ll work for it.¡±


    The squat, watery-eyed Human male turned and looked at him.


    ¡°You got papers?¡± he asked. ¡°Can¡¯t take you on an interplanetary trip without papers.¡±


    Darvik snarled.


    ¡°I believe I saw you drop your papers now that I think about it,¡± said the man gruffly, pointing to an old, broken-down office building across the street from the hangar. ¡°Go into that office over there and see if they picked them up for you.¡±


    A half hour later, Darvik was flopped in a hammock below decks, waiting for take-off, his forged paperwork in hand and his wallet a few plats lighter.


    ***


    Vanbrook had holed up in his room after lunch. His anger went from a brilliant white glow to a cherry red smolder. However, waiting around didn''t suit him, and boredom and hunger soon drew him back to the galley for dinner. He was glad to see Reclan sitting alone and joined her.


    "Oh, hey Van," she said with a conciliatory smile. "How¡¯re you feeling?"


    "Like garbage," he said with a shake of his head. "I''d like to personally wrap my hands around Darvik''s neck and squeeze."


    Reclan nodded.


    "Wilbis was a good guy. I didn''t know him like you did, but he was always nice."


    Vanbrook laughed. There was sorrow in the laugh, but not malice. It was honest and friendly. "No he wasn''t, but he was always honest, and I prefer that. I appreciate the condolences, but let''s talk about something else. I''d rather focus on stuff I can do something about."


    "Welp," declared Reclan, "I''m afraid there''s not much to do until launch."


    Unfortunately for the two of them, Jasken was walking by at that moment.


    "Oh, there''s plenty to be done," said the Admiral. His face was a mask of calm, but his eyes twinkled.


    For the next two hours, Reclan and Vanbrook were scrubbing down built up dust and residue in the guts of the Wingspan. While the ship had been fully serviced during the past few months, there was always something to be cleaned.


    Vanbrook probably could have weaseled out of the grueling work, but it gave him something to do, so he embraced it.


    "Look at that," he said, gesturing to a shining steel pipe that stood out in sharp contrast to the grimy surroundings. Reclan huffed.


    "Yeah," she spat as she stood up from the smeared railings she''d been listlessly buffing for the better part of an hour. "It''s beautiful." She stretched her back, standing up from her crouch position for the first time in over an hour. She groaned as her muscles protested.


    "Oh, don''t be so dramati- OUCH," whined Vanbrook as he tried to work the kinks out of his own spine. "Alright, so it''s a bit cramped, I guess. But hey, you can tell what we cleaned up. Gotta love that feeling."


    "No, I don''t," said the Dromean grumpily. "Next time you open your mouth to put your foot in it, I''m gonna kick your teeth in."


    She brandished her cybernetic right foot, wiggling the metal claws she''d built to mirror the organic claws of her left foot.


    "All souls, report to in-atmo stations immediately," said Captain Hunt over the public comm channel. "Launch will occur in exactly thirty minutes."


    ¡°Finally!¡± exclaimed Reclan, stuffing her rag in her pocket and pushing past Vanbrook to get out of the underbelly of the ship. Vanbrook shook his head and smiled at his old friend¡¯s brusque antics, following her to the upper decks.


    ¡°So¡­¡± said Reclan as they walked down the hallway that led to the Wingspan¡¯s central tower. ¡°You talk to Raivyn much since the wedding?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± asked Vanbrook nonchalantly. ¡°Uh, not really.¡±


    ¡°Oh. You two just seemed really¡­ close at the wedding.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess. We¡¯ve always worked well together, but I guess something about getting stuck in a nest of killer centipedes with someone really forges that brother-in-arms kind of bond.¡±


    ¡°You often slow dance with your ¡®brothers?¡¯¡± The Dromean asked innocently, looking straight ahead. She loved Van, but he was dense as a black hole. Or he was just hiding things from her.


    Before Vanbrook could think of a decent response, they walked into a room located about halfway up the bridge tower. It had a number of seats and served as a viewing area and conference room, as well as a place to strap in for the bumpy ride out of the atmosphere. Vanbrook and Reclan sat down with the rest of Talon Squad and buckled in. Raivyn gave them an odd look, and Vanbrook realized for the first time just how filthy they¡¯d gotten scrubbing below decks. Shrugging, he settled in next to the psychic, who just shook her head. Sailors filed in over the next ten minutes, then the next warning came.


    ¡°All souls, report to in-atmo stations immediately. Launch will occur in exactly fifteen minutes.¡±


    Vanbrook studied Kerucester from where he sat. To the north he saw Griffon Keep, the small castle that housed the Parliament, standing stubbornly in the midst of the skyscrapers. It was a majestic stone building, built as a fort during the war against the Astralbian Empire. Though its tall towers were dwarfed by many of the surrounding buildings, it looked as though it had been built ages before the glass and steel edifices around it, and would still be there ages after they fell.


    To the East he could make out the Capitol Stadium and the entertainment district. For the first time in a few hours he thought about Wilbis. The anger that he¡¯d instinctively raised as a shield didn¡¯t come to his aid this time. All that was left was sorrow. He tried to stop the tears, but his eyes betrayed him and his face was soon soaked. He felt the familiar clawed hand of Reclan, patting his right shoulder, and he buried his head in his hands. Maybe the others would think he was just getting a preemptive case of airsickness. He felt a second hand, this time on his left shoulder. It was Raivyn¡¯s. She gave his shoulder a squeeze.


    Vanbrook pulled himself together. Wilbis was gone. Sooner or later Darvik would pay. For now, he had other things to worry about.


    There was a final warning.


    ¡°All souls, report to in-atmo stations immediately. Launch will occur in exactly five minutes.¡±


    The warning was followed shortly by a brief, shrill alarm and a countdown. A rumble started to shake the entire ship, and the city began to fall away from underneath them. Their seats shook as the sky slowly darkened, not for lack of sun, but for a lack of sky to shine in. In a short time, the fleet floated in the aether, and began preparations for the first ripmed jump of their journey.

 Chapter 2.5: Through the Stars

    Sitting in the uppermost chamber of his royal star tree, Jylik listened to the message again.


    ¡°Keep your ear tuned to this frequency,¡± said a raspy, rusted-sounding voice. ¡°For a fee, I will lead you right to the Cornucopia Cluster.¡±


    Jylik looked up into the air in disgust, walking away from the organic audio interface console grown into his desk. Not wishing to be sent on a fool¡¯s errand, he had hoped to bury any evidence of the Griffon Republic¡¯s whereabouts, but then this message fell into the King¡¯s possession, as if handed down by the Holy Ancestors themselves just to spite him.


    However, the voice in the recording was not the clear, crisp notes of an Astralbian; it was the voice of a Robot. Jylik didn¡¯t carry the deep-rooted prejudices against robots that many Astralbians did, but he still eyed them with a certain amount of mistrust. The Astralbians had attempted to wipe out artificial life long ago, and many robots, long-lived as they were, held a grudge. This particular robot seemed to be willing to betray or spy on the Republic for payment, which was all well and good, but Jylik wished it had been someone else¡¯s problem.


    The method by which the message came to them was a bit of a mystery in itself. It had been bounced off who knows how many communications relays and came through on one of the late Lord Raelik¡¯s frequencies. He had used such frequencies to keep in contact with his spy and mercenary networks, but his sources were his closely guarded secrets, and any information he had on them had been burned up with Raelik and his star tree in the war for Hittania. If Raelik had a way to respond, it had died with him, as well.


    Grim, the Ramshackle Collective admiral who Raelik had worked with at that time was a likely candidate for the mysterious messenger, but he had been reported dead after the same battle. Jylik sighed. It didn¡¯t really matter for the time being. Whether he liked it or not, he was now at the beck and call not only of his father, but of this unaccountable Robot, too. All he could do was wait for more orders.


    ***


    Jasken sat at his command chair on the bridge of the Wingspan. He looked out over the aether as the fleet got into position for the jump to Kirakna.


    "Captain Griezen," he said, addressing the captain of the Shepherd, "are you prepared to dock?"


    "Yes, sir," came the reply from the other ship.


    "Cleared for approach," said Captain Hunt.


    The Shepherd maneuvered the Wingspan''s stern, rotating so the foremost airlock on its wheel could lock on, piggybacking for the jump. A satisfying THUNK and a slight jarring signaled that the Shepherd had attached.


    "We have a lock, Admiral," said Griezen.


    "Kesht?" inquired the Admiral.


    "We''re lined up, sir," said the Halberd''s Captain. It was crucial that the two separate ships launch in perfect parallel, typically on a diagonal plane and separated by half a mile. If the two ship''s paths crossed, it would result in a devastating collision. As an added precaution, one ship would jump just before the other, leaving one another plenty of room.


    "Officer Dekken, status."


    "Status is OK, sir," said Dekken from the engine room. "The drive particle is at twenty photonic mass units. The jump to Kirakna should only take 8 days, and the shields should hold up just fine."


    Sixteen light-years in eight days, Jasken mused. Relative photonic mass drives, or ripmeds, allowed them to create massive photons, then entangle them to the ships and launch them at a velocity equal to the speed of light multiplied by a factor equal to the mass of the particle in terms of the number of natural photons it would take to achieve the same mass. Evidently, the tricky part was adjusting for relativity so that time dilations didn¡¯t make interstellar travel and communication a nightmare. Jasken didn''t pretend to understand the reality-warping science behind faster-than-light travel in the slightest, but it still amazed him to consider it.


    "Alright," he said aloud. "Start the jump."


    ***


    Vanbrook loved the jumps. Looking straight ahead into the aether, he could make out the glowing stars that Kirakna orbited. For now it looked like a single star, but over the next week it would grow in their vision until both of the stars in the binary system became roughly the size of any other suns.


    On a short jump like this, the other stars wouldn''t change much, but the closer ones would move by a bit quicker, and the constellations would morph and stretch around them. Longer, faster jumps would make for more drastic changes; hopefully he would get to see some of those as the journey went on.


    As the ship began its jump, Vanbrook could see the occasional burst of light and energy as debris hit the drive shield that protected them. Due to some strange property of their entanglement to the photonic particle, they weren''t experiencing the bone-crushing G-forces their momentum should have been generating. Instead, they would simply be able to unbuckle and walk back to their stations, with the assistance of mag-boots, of course.


    Hunt''s voice came over the public comms once more.


    "Folks, we are in our jump. We will reach Kirakna''s orbit in eight days, three hours and twenty minutes."


    A cheer went up and everyone rose and stretched their legs, slowly filtering back to their stations.


    ***


    The next week dragged by. There was plenty of work to be done, but none of it was exciting. Talon Squad spent much of their days split up amongst the departments they were best suited to. Vanbrook, Raivyn, and D¡¯Jarric helped run combat drills in the gymnasium, while Reclan worked with the maintenance and engineering crews, and Doc worked with the medical team.


    On the seventh day after launch, Vanbrook and Raivyn were working with a group of young sailors in the gymnasium, which was located in the gravity tube of the ship. The cylindrical structure was located in the lower decks, and spun to simulate gravity. It was an energy-intensive prospect, but it was necessary for some medical procedures and very helpful for athletic endeavors such as combat training.


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    The sailors were on their first expedition, and they were eager to please their instructors, especially since those instructors belonged to a special squad, one of the most elite assignments in the Navy. They were working on close-quarters and unarmed combat, which Vanbrook and Raivyn excelled at, respectively.


    ¡°Good footwork, Yylun,¡± said Vanbrook to a Human woman who was sparring with a Dromean female. ¡°But you¡¯re thinking too hard about it. Keep after the drills we went over until it¡¯s all second nature.¡± Vanbrook honestly enjoyed these assignments. Mentoring young fighters came naturally to him, especially in the more relaxed environment of a ship in mid-jump. He could never make it as a drill sergeant, pounding green recruits into real warriors, but he enjoyed coming alongside those who wanted to improve themselves and showing them what they were capable of.


    ¡°No, not quite,¡± said Raivyn, helping a small Talpidarian male off the mat. ¡°Remember, get inside their reach and negate their advantage, but don¡¯t let them get a hold of you. Being small is a net disadvantage in a one-on-one fight, so it¡¯s important to exploit every opportunity you get.¡±


    Vanbrook suspected that Raivyn enjoyed the sessions, too, but she had a natural cold presence that made her hard to read. Maybe that¡¯s why he liked to pick on her so much, he thought. It lit her face up and showed a more emotional side of her. Even if it was a side of her that wanted to run him over with a cargo craft.


    ¡°Alright, form up,¡± said Vanbrook, stepping back to the wall as the students fumbled their way into tidy lines. ¡°That¡¯s just about it for today, but do we have any questions?¡±


    A Dromean male raised his hand.


    ¡°Yes, Trednar,¡± said Vanbrook, nodding to him.


    ¡°I wondered if Specialist Raivyn could demonstrate telekinetic fighting,¡± he said, a glimmer in his eye.


    ¡°That¡¯s outside the scope of this course,¡± said Vanbrook, not letting his discomfort show. Raivyn was a talented psychic warrior, but she didn¡¯t like to flaunt it and he¡¯d never seen her use her abilities outside combat, and for good reason. Not only did they drain her energy just like any other physical or mental exercise, they were also dangerous if abused. Raivyn waved Vanbrook aside.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll demonstrate,¡± she said flatly. ¡°On the condition that Private Trednar is willing to be my sparring partner.¡± She leveled a stare at the young Dromean, sticking her jaw out in a look of defiance. His friends looked on, some in awe, some in amusement. He looked nervous, but he nodded.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, mustering all the confidence he could.


    ¡°You are willing to say in front of these witnesses that you are inviting me to use telekinetic abilities on your person for the purposes of combat instruction?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes,¡± he said, wringing his hands and looking around nervously and yet unable and unwilling to back down now.


    ¡°Vanbrook, please give us the mat,¡± said Raivyn. Vanbrook took an exaggerated bow and motioned to the mat as he walked over to join the students. Raivyn squared off against her opponent.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Raivyn, taking a fighting stance. ¡°Begin.¡±


    Trednar matched Raivyn¡¯s stance, mounting the best mental defense he could. He focused on self-awareness, keeping mental feelers out for any foreign presence while he planted his feet firmly. Raivyn circled. He moved his feet to stay with her, and he felt something trying to push against his person. He stood firm, and the feeling went away. Feeling confident, he stepped towards Raivyn, taking advantage of his height and reach and throwing a quick jab.


    Then he felt Raivyn¡¯s true power. His fist never landed, because she had pushed him back with her mind, standing up to her full height, abandoning all pretext of physical combat. Trednar floated in the air, then spun upside down and slammed into the padded wall of the gym.


    ¡°Lesson one,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Never let your guard down in a fight with a psychic.¡±


    Trednar was dragged up the mat until his eyes were at the same level as Raivyn¡¯s, though he remained upside down.


    ¡°Lesson two,¡± said the psychic. ¡°T-wave abilities are dangerous. Do not mistake them for parlor tricks. Dismissed.¡±


    As she turned away, she slid Trednar down the wall slowly, then let go of him entirely so he crumpled to the floor in a heap. There was a smattering of applause from some, looks of awe and fear from others. Vanbrook smiled wanly. She never looked back at Trednar, Vanbrook, or the others as she walked crisply out of the gymnasium.


    ***


    Crush walked down the cramped yet ornate hallway of the Wabuluban regional palace. The Wabuluban receptionist crawled ahead of her, eight octopus-like arms rhythmically slapping onto the cool marble floor and dragging her forward.


    "You''ll be happy to note that this building was designed to accommodate humanoid forms, with the exaggeratedly tall ceilings and doorways," she said in a chipper tone.


    The fledgling privateer stifled a laugh. Wabulubans naturally stood at no more than two feet tall, their octopus-like bodies staying close to the floor. The ceilings were barely five feet tall and the doors were closer to four. At six feet tall, Crush was hardly a giant, but she had to crouch to walk the hall and all but get down on hands and knees to squeeze through the doors.


    The receptionist opened an ornate door and gestured Crush inside. She''d hoped against hope she''d been able to stand up straight in the Baron''s office, but her hopes were dashed. Surely the low ceilings were a political tactic. The Wabuluban Monarchy had always resented humanoids, balking at those of their subjects who chose to live among other species and wear mechanical legs to fit in. The barely raised ceilings sent a message: you are tolerated here, but not welcome.


    "Baron Flubbyn," said the secretary, "I present Admiral Crush of the Free Revolutionary Fleet."


    Across the room, an annoyed-looking purple Wabuluban male slid off a low stool that sat above his even lower desk. He crawled over to Crush and offered a two tendriled hand. Crush took it gently, unsure of Wabuluban strength and durability. As he firmly returned the shake the pressure sensors in her hand indicated that the Baron, for one, was immensely strong.


    "That''ll be all, Fushalle," drolled Flubbyn, dismissing the secretary. She crawled away, humming happily to herself.


    ¡°To business, then,¡± said Flubbyn, wriggling back up onto his chair. He motioned for Crush to sit. The Robot looked around for a chair, and, finding none, sat directly on the floor across from the Baron.


    ¡°We do, indeed, have use for a privateer fleet, or, in this particular instance, a mercenary fleet, in the barony. A fleet of pirates has been attacking our mining shipments. I can relay the full information to your ship, but essentially you would be escorting our ships and serving as guards. If that scares off the pirates, excellent. If it does not, we will trust the FRF to blow them out of the aether.¡±


    Crush nodded.


    ¡°That leaves the question of pay,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± said the Baron uncomfortably. ¡°You will do the first run for free.¡±


    Crush sat absolutely still, fuming at the proposition. They simply couldn¡¯t work for free. They were running out of resources, and keeping the fleet flying was becoming a juggling act.


    ¡°You said it yourself, Baron, we¡¯ll be acting as mercenaries for this venture. Mercenaries are, by definition, paid for their services.¡±


    ¡°And you and your crew are wanted criminals in the Wabuluban Monarchy. The Republic may have forgiven you for the piracy you committed when you were part of the Ramshackle Collective; the Monarchy has not. I could have you arrested right now. Instead, we are willing to pardon all past crimes for the small fee of one unpaid job.¡±


    Crush stifled her rage. It wouldn¡¯t keep her crew flying.


    ¡°Understood,¡± she said evenly. ¡°I assume the documents spell out this arrangement? That we will not be repeatedly extorted after having completed this first escort run?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Flubbyn, disdain coloring his voice. ¡°We are a people of our word.¡±


    ¡°Good. So are we in the FRF. Please amend the documents to reflect the fact that the FRF is entitled to any salvaged enemy ships.¡±


    Flubbyn eyed her appreciatively. She was savvier than he had expected, and his hope that she would refuse and be dragged off in chains was replaced with a sense of admiration for the ambitious Admiral.


    ¡°That will be fine. The documents will be sent within the hour. Please see yourself out.¡±


    With that, the Barron turned his attention back to his desk, and Crush stood to a crouched position and squeezed her way out of the office, shuffling back to the front door.

 Chapter 2.6: Shadows

    Krum-Bahk sat in the spartan, cramped passenger area of the Gladius. The small, well-armored gunship that was carrying his squad to the Shredvrak Belt was only about half the size of the Halberd, but no less dangerous. Much like the Halberd and the rest of the Republic''s destroyer-class gunships, it was sleek, deadly, and shaped like a shark, designed to transition smoothly from aether to atmo, even in the midst of combat. It also featured a spring-loaded door that let the Marines in the hold exit quickly and efficiently, rocketing down to the ground below and engaging the enemy in the shock-and-awe manner the Marines preferred.


    Through the viewport, Krum-Bahk could see Shredvrak Prime, a large asteroid with about half the gravitational pull of Griffonia. The massive mining rig built into it was their target. They''d nearly reached their destination.


    He shifted uncomfortably in his newly minted Marine armor. He had trained in the armor, of course, but this was the first time he would be wearing it in a true life-or-death fight, assuming it came to that. He felt almost claustrophobic with the domed bubble of clear polymer around his head, and while the armor was smoothly fitted and allowed for a good range of motion, including powered limb actuators to grant additional strength, it was heavy and strange to a person used to being dressed in the loose, breezy garb of a Krauqian or the light athletic gear of a duelist. The thrusters on the backpack and on the soles of the boots made the armor all the heavier, but it also turned every Marine into a kind of armored fighter craft.


    "Alright, folks," said Grepk, the squad leader, breaking the silence. The tall, broad Raki male, always easy-going and good-natured when off the clock, spoke with solemnity from his place in the Gladius¡¯ cockpit. "You''re aware of the situation. A week ago we had reports of civil unrest in this Shredvrak Mining Company facility. The security team working at the facility was ill-equipped to deal with the situation and it has since exploded into an uprising, evidently triggered by cult activity. The Koomites, as they call themselves, have taken the facility and are holed up inside, but any attempts by local law enforcement to respond has ended in a stalemate. The facility is large and the full number of cultists is unknown, as is the status of any survivors in the facility. Our squad is going to take the upper levels, and two additional squads will kick down the front doors once we soften them up. We don''t know for sure what we''re heading into. Stay sharp."


    Fenyn, the tall, broad Human male who served as both medic and quartermaster for the group, checked over everyone¡¯s gear once more, taking special care to inspect their rifles, all of which had a rifled ballistic system, a small laser cannon, and a grenade tube. He nodded his approval with a contented, relaxed smile. Keshri, a short, stocky Talpidarian female, flexed her clawed fingers and examined the studded knuckles on her gauntlets, itching for some action. Krum-Bahk was nervous, but ready to prove his mettle in combat.


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Grepk, putting the Gladius into autopilot. ¡°Let¡¯s go get ¡®em, folks.¡±


    The Gladius¡¯ back door sprung open and Grepk shot out, followed immediately by Fenyn, Keshri, and Krum-Bahk. They had pulled up just next to the facility and rocketed over to the top deck, farthest above the surface of the asteroid.


    Fenyn crouched by the airlock door, prepared to hack through the security. He didn¡¯t have to.


    ¡°Huh,¡± he said over their comms channel. ¡°They didn¡¯t even lock it. I don¡¯t like this.¡±


    The first door of the airlock opened with a hiss and the squad filed in. Fenyn broke a panel open with a screwdriver and a practiced hand, and soon the second door slid open, but without the normal lights and alarms that accompanied an airlock.


    The bloody scene that greeted them would be burned into Krum-Bahk''s mind for the rest of his life. The room was dark, and the building was only lit with dim emergency lights now. Sparks few from a broken electrical panel. The bloodied bodies of miners and security personnel lay strewn across the floor, evidently killed by whatever blades and blunt objects were close at hand. It wasn''t the first time Krum-Bahk had seen dead bodies, but this time he was expected to bring the killers to justice.


    One of the bodies stirred, propping himself up on his elbows.


    "Marines," he said hoarsely. "Thank the Progenitor."


    The Human male was severely injured and lying in a pool of dried blood. He was wearing a security uniform and a bloodied baton laid by his broken leg. Grepk knelt by the man, studying the wounds and offering him a drink of water. The wounds were likely fatal.


    "We''ll get a medical team here as soon as possible," said Grepk. "But right now we need to know as much as you can tell us."


    The man laughed, which ended in a bloody coughing fit. He motioned for another drink, took a sip and laid back down.


    "Forget the medics; call the coroner," he said with a grim smile. "Regardless, the idiots you''re looking for are the Koomites. They''re some cult that worships the aether beasts. They''ve had a presence in these parts as long as I''ve been working here, but they never caused much trouble before. They were just your average doomsdayers, always talking about the Return of Such-and-such or whatever.


    "Then these rumors started circulating about some cluster or another and that Koom guy they go on about. They got really antsy after that, screaming about aether beasts and calling down curses on everyone else. Management - the members of management who weren''t Koomites, that is - wanted us to crack down, but they weren''t breaking any laws. We''re here to enforce the law, not persecute weirdos. Then they just went wild, and we couldn''t hold them back.


    "I got the better of that scum sucker, though." He pointed to a body lying facedown in a pool of blood.


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    Grepk walked over and examined the body.


    ¡°All the cultists have these?¡± he asked, indicating a tattoo on the right wrist. The image wrapped around the wrist like a bracelet, depicting a creature with a shark-like head and a scaly, snake-like body. Just below the palm, the creature¡¯s jaws were clamped around its own tail just before the shark-like tailfin.


    The security guard groaned as he repositioned to get a look at the tattoo.


    ¡°Yeah, I think so. Either a tattoo or a brand. Part of the initiation, I guess, but of course they don¡¯t really advertise how it works once you pledge to become a member. Secret knowledge and all that.¡±


    Grepk nodded absently.


    ¡°Attention all squads,¡± he said over the Marines¡¯ comm channel. ¡°We have entered the building, looks like there¡¯s already a number of casualties. We will advise when we¡¯ve made contact with the cult. We¡¯ve got a security team member here that needs immediate medical attention. Providence shine on us all.¡±


    With that, he raised his rifle and walked to the door, the rest of the squad following. Reaching the next floor, their flashlights revealed a lone figure at the far end of the hall, holding a long stretch of bloody pipe. He threw his arms up over his face, blocking the bright lights. The Talpidarian peered over his arm at them.


    ¡°Oh, thank the Progenitor, Marines!¡± he said, dropping the pipe.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see your right-hand wrist,¡± said Grepk. He kept his rifle trained on the survivor. The Talpidarian smiled wickedly, pulling back his sleeve to reveal a shark-like brand below his right hand. At the same moment, a wave hit all four Marines. Unable to move, they stood silently, bound in place by a massive psychic attack.


    Despite the T-blocker technology built into his armor, Krum-Bahk felt knives of psychic energy thrust out of the waves that rushed against his skull, stabbing into his brain. The room began to fade to a blur and rage welled up in his chest, urging him to kill anything and everything within reach.


    ***


    Jasken was once again strapped into his command chair on the Wingspan¡¯s bridge, this time for reentry. Dekken¡¯s team had begun the shutdown process for the ripmed drive and they were beginning their final approach to Kirakna. The blue orb in front of them seemed to glow as the system¡¯s twin stars beat down upon it. The homeworld of the Raki, Kirakna was primarily a watery world, with a smattering of islands and archipelagos strewn across the surface. The largest of the islands, Tra-Kirakna, was their destination. The mountainous, sparsely-vegetated island was only 700 miles long at its widest point, and the city of the same name was located on and around the island¡¯s tallest mountains.


    The Wingspan entered the atmosphere with a shudder, approaching Tra-Kirakna¡¯s metropolitan center. The old city was located inside the island¡¯s mountains, the tunnels that lead to them angled upward to escape the massive storm surges that came with Kirakna¡¯s seasonal hurricanes and the violent tidal action that occurred when Kirakna¡¯s three moons aligned, pulling on the oceans and threatening to swamp the island.


    The modern city was built inside of a massive polymer dome, much like the one the Wingspan¡¯s bridge tower was under. The dome was climate-controlled, and kept at the same balmy temperature and thick humidity as the rest of the island. It turned Kirakna¡¯s deadly storm season into one of the Republic¡¯s biggest tourist attractions, as visitors flocked to the dome to watch nature¡¯s fury from a shielded, climate-controlled vantage point.


    ¡°Tra-Kirakna, this is the Wingspan, requesting permission to land,¡± said Jasken.


    ¡°Permission Granted, Wingspan, welcome to Kirakna.¡±


    The dome¡¯s massive top door opened as the Wingspan approached. Soon thereafter, the ship was lowering its array of landing gear in the Tra-Kirakna Naval Airfield. Jasken unclipped his belt and went through the landing checklist before going to meet the dignitaries waiting for him outside the ship. He was just finishing up when a blue-spotted Raki entered the bridge.


    ¡°Dekken,¡± he asked the Chief Engineer, ¡°how did our shields hold up?¡±


    ¡°Very well, we¡¯re still at ninety-five percent. It was a short trip on a well-trodden path, so I¡¯m not particularly surprised, but that¡¯s still an improvement over our typical shield degradation rates.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Please finish getting the ship over to stationary mode, but be advised we¡¯ll only be staying on this world for 48 hours.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Dekken.


    ***


    In another part of the airfield, former-Admiral Grim watched the Wingspan landing from where he hid in a cargo vessel. With the information he had gathered from the Comms Officer back on Hittania it had been fairly easy to sneak into the fort and stow away with a shipment of iron samples to Kirakna. The hard part would be sneaking aboard the Wingspan.


    The entrances would be heavily guarded, but the landing gear wouldn¡¯t. He should be able to climb up into the landing gear at night if he was cautious. That would make for a miserable ride, though a survivable one for a robot. He¡¯d have to wait for nightfall, regardless. He considered just staying on Kirakna to look for work, making his way back to the Collective along the way. There were plenty of pirate crews he could join up with, and he could easily join one and blend into the background. However, he not only wanted his admiralship back. He wanted revenge. And that meant he needed money and resources, which he could certainly get if he was able to provide solid information about the Cornucopia Cluster to the Astralbians.


    He settled in. The cargo wasn¡¯t supposed to be unloaded until tomorrow, so he sat back and waited for nightfall.


    ***


    The next morning, Vanbrook walked into the balmy Kiraknan air and inhaled deeply. Space travel was always a bit chilly, and Hittania and Griffonia¡¯s temperate climates hadn¡¯t offered much warmth, either. He looked around the dome, surveying the city from the airfield, which was located on a massive plain that jutted out from near the mountain¡¯s peak.


    ¡°Twelve hours isn¡¯t much of a leave,¡± said Reclan gloomily as she walked out next to Vanbrook.


    ¡°No,¡± replied Vanbrook, ¡°but it¡¯s more than some of the others are gonna get. Besides, we¡¯ve only been on active duty for about a week.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s more than twelve hours worth of seafood I¡¯d like to try.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Vanbrook replied, chuckling. ¡°Well, let¡¯s walk into town and see what we can find for¡­¡± he checked his comm for the local time, ¡°Late breakfast? Brunch?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± replied the Dromean.


    ¡°Talon Squad, report to the bridge immediately.¡±


    Jasken¡¯s voice came over the comms channel, washing over them like a cold wave. Reclan groaned. Vanbrook chuckled mirthlessly.


    ¡°So much for seafood,¡± said Reclan. The two squadmates turned around and walked back into the Wingspan.

 Chapter 2.7: Beasts

    Krum-Bahk fell to one knee, fighting the psychic attack that threatened to turn him into a mindless killing machine. His mind went back to his childhood, where his grandfather, a Krauqian sage, had taught him all he could. Krum-Bahk was not psychically gifted, but one didn¡¯t have to be to fight off a psychic attack. The key was to focus on something beyond the self, rather than try to wrest control from the attacker or counter them directly. He concentrated on his surroundings, trying to anchor himself to reality.


    He saw the dark hallway, the dim lights, and his squadmates. Grepk was on his knees, his hands on his helmet, trying to fight the attack. Fenyn was faring little better, and Keshri was launching herself at her struggling squadmate, claws extended. The sight of the attack drew Krum-Bahk back to reality. He reached out and grabbed the small, powerful Talpidarian before she could do too much damage, hurling her as far as he could manage. She rolled to a stop a little way down the hall.


    When she stood up, her eyes locked unto the cultist, who was standing with his eyes closed and hands outstretched, a faint smile on his lips. He opened his eyes in terror as he sensed Keshri¡¯s intentions, but it was too late. She fell on him, her claws reaching out, her lips peeled back in a snarl. He was dead before the two hit the ground.


    As the psychic died, his influence over the squad died, too. They shook themselves off one at a time. Krum-Bahk was the first to come to, and he immediately saw to Fenyn. The Human had a deep gouge in the toughened fabric between the shoulder and upper arm. Krum-Bahk applied a strip of bandage to the wound then sealed the armor with an aerosol gel designed for the task. Fenyn nodded in approval and stood up.


    Grepk held a hand against his helmet, steadying himself against a wall. Keshri stood up and turned back to Krum-Bahk, her eyes narrowing.


    "Did you¡­ throw me?"


    Krum-Bahk looked around, as if expecting to find an excuse written on the walls. Then Keshri noticed the fresh repair on Fenyn¡¯s armor.


    ¡°Fen!¡± she shouted, remembering what she¡¯d done in her rage. ¡°Are you okay!?¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t flatter yourself,¡± said the Marine, shrugging with a smirk. ¡°Your claws got through the joint of the armor but hardly scratched me. No worries.¡±


    ¡°All squads, this is Grepk,¡± said the squad leader over the comms. ¡°We have made contact with the cult. Be advised that we may be dealing with some powerful psychics.¡±


    He stepped past the dead cultist.


    ¡°Good work, rookie. That was quick thinking, especially given the circumstances. C¡¯mon, squad, we¡¯ve got a lot more floors to clear.¡±


    ***


    Raivyn was already standing in Jasken¡¯s office with Doc and D¡¯Jarric when Vanbrook and Reclan joined them. Reclan looked dejected, probably because she¡¯d had her heart set on trying out the local delicacies before Jasken had called them back from the leave they were supposed to be on for the next twelve hours.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to cut your leave short,¡± said Jasken, addressing the squad. ¡°But something¡¯s come up. The mayor of Tra-Kirakna has requested our help with a problem he¡¯s been dealing with, and has asked for Talon Squad specifically.¡±


    Raivyn bristled. She didn¡¯t answer to the mayor of Tra-Kirakna, and she wasn¡¯t interested in doing their bidding.


    ¡°Evidently a giant sea slug has taken up residence in the ruins below the cliffs,¡± continued Jasken. ¡°These slugs are destructive and dangerous. Not only does the slug pose a risk to civilians, it¡¯s also destroying an important cultural landmark.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not the local police,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Much less local animal control.¡±


    Jasken shot her a stern, questioning look. ¡°No, but we are here. And this is an important issue. Let¡¯s be good guests and help the mayor out, alright?¡±


    Raivyn nodded, her serious expression an unreadable mask.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming we¡¯re not just going to dump a big bag of salt on this bad boy?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°No,¡± replied Jasken, smoothing his mustache. ¡°From what I understand, it¡¯s going to be a bit more difficult than that. A local guide is going to help you reach the ruins. She¡¯ll also be explaining more about the specifics of the problem. Providence shine on your mission.¡±


    Talon Squad filtered out of Jasken¡¯s office and made their way to their ATUC hovercraft.


    ¡°Well, maybe you¡¯ll get to try some local seafood yet, Rec,¡± said Vanbrook, a twinkle in his eye. ¡°Ever had sea slug before?¡±


    Reclan shot him a dirty look and kept moving.


    ***


    Darvik ambled through the outskirts of Tra-Kirakna, making his way up a hill overlooking the naval yard. He had only arrived on world a few hours ago and it had taken him some time to get hold of a rifle. He¡¯d bought one cheaply and quietly from an unscrupulous Raki fisherman. It was a small, survival-style rifle, with a folding stock and bare-bones construction, making it easier to carry through town without raising any eyebrows. Evidently the locals often carried them when out on the water to fend off pirates and sea creatures.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The top of the hill was flat, and Darvik knelt down behind a rock on the edge of the hilltop and watched the base for activity. It was a long wait, but Darvik didn¡¯t have anywhere else to be. He nursed a flask of tepid, tasteless alcohol while he watched. The wait was worth it when he saw the ATUC coming out of the Wingspan¡¯s main hangar. There was no guarantee Vanbrook would be in it, but special squads were known for using the vehicles.


    Looking through the rifle¡¯s small scope, he saw Vanbrook come into focus, sitting in the back of the open-air vehicle. His heart beat fast as he waited for a clean shot. He¡¯d likely only get one, since the driver would take off as soon as the first bullet hit, and the road they were on would take them within a hundred yards or so of Darvik¡¯s position at its closest point. He waited impatiently, licking his lips and squirming. Then the moment came. He let out a breath, and the world was suddenly spinning. Something had hit him.


    Disoriented, Darvik struck out of pure instinct, hitting a large Human male in the jaw. Things started to click into place as he studied the scene around him. The man who had tackled him reeling away, struck by the butt of Darvik¡¯s rifle. Darvik noticed a Krauqian male crouched behind the man and realized his attacker was not alone. He swung his rifle to shoot the Krauqian, but the Human had recovered and tried to wrestle the rifle away from him, giving the Krauqian time to draw a silenced pistol. Darvik wrenched on the rifle, dragging the man between his body and the gun, giving himself a moment to breathe.


    The two black-clad assailants weren¡¯t dressed right to be Navy, they certainly didn¡¯t look like local law enforcement, and they apparently wanted to take him alive. As far as he was concerned, that was to his advantage. He wouldn¡¯t pull any punches. He roared and charged forward, pushing the two attackers into one another. He took one hand off the rifle, pulled his knife and stabbed the Human. The man lost his grip on the rifle and fell, clutching the wound in his side. Now Darvik could swing the rifle up without interference.


    His mind told his body to do just that, but his body didn¡¯t respond. He felt the Krauqian¡¯s telepathic fingers gripping his mind. He gritted his teeth and struggled to bring the gun up anyway. It moved, slowly and shakily.


    You¡¯re a strong one, aren¡¯t you? said a voice in his mind. The telepathic attack was redoubled, and pain shot into Darvik¡¯s mind. The rifle was soon forgotten and the world went black.


    ***


    Vanbrook sat in the back of the ATUC, enjoying the warmth as they bounced down the road that led to one of the dome¡¯s exits. The doors were wide open this time of year, though it could be closed and sealed the moment a storm or super tide threatened the city. Though the atmosphere was generally the same within and without the dome, Vanbrook couldn¡¯t help but feel that the salty sea breeze that caressed his face felt freer somehow after they passed through the door.


    A series of switchbacks took them down to an ornate stone building and an empty parking lot. A tall, thin Raki female with a hunting rifle slung over her shoulder leaned against the doorway to the building. When the ATUC was parked, she waved and walked over.


    ¡°You must be Talon Squad, eh?¡± she said in the hissing, clacking accent of a native Kiraknan. While it was possible for the crustacean species to learn to speak Talpaertan, the Griffon Republic¡¯s common language, it was difficult. Most who lived on Kirakna would learn to understand and write Talpaertan, but few bothered to train their mouthparts and vocal chords to make the sounds needed to speak it.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± said Raivyn coldly. ¡°I¡¯m Raivyn. This is D¡¯Jarric, Reclan, Vanbrook, and Doc Manford,¡± she said, indicating each in turn.


    ¡°And I¡¯m Trelik,¡± said the Raki. ¡°I¡¯m the head park ranger here. And apparently the only ranger who understands the job.¡± She huffed, wriggling her antennae in annoyance, then continued.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m embarrassed to be talking to you. When the slug first emerged, I tried to round up the rangers to take it out, but no one wanted any parts of it. The park here is little more than a tourist attraction.


    The buildings we¡¯re hiking to are little more than the sheds of the old city; low-lying, stone buildings like the one behind me, designed to be abandoned during floods and then still be standing when everyone came back out. The rangers are more worried about littering and graffiti than hunting killer beasts. The Mayor knew you guys were heading out this way, and figured you could take care of it.¡±


    Raivyn¡¯s face lightened a bit at the explanation. At least Trelik had a good head on her shoulders.


    ¡°None of us can choose what our superiors order us to do, right?¡± she said.


    ¡°Guess not,¡± answered Trelik. ¡°And it¡¯s an honor to work with you, to be sure.¡±


    Vanbrook nodded. "Tell us about the slugs, then. What have we gotten ourselves dragged into?"


    "For starters, it''s slug, singular, not slugs, plural, thank the Progenitor," answered the ranger. "Sometimes they gather in groups, but this one appears to be solitary. What you need to understand about Kiraknan giant sea slugs is that they have more in common with the average apex predator than they do with a typical sea slug.


    "We''re looking at a globular, worm-like creature strutting around on ten poorly-defined limbs that are more extensions of its muscular underbelly than true feet. It''s around eight feet high at the shoulder, and its mouth is a circular maw of grinding, tearing teeth, dripping with acidic saliva. It can move quicker than you''d expect, so keep your guard up.


    "The one that''s made its home here is looking to build a nest, which it will make out of stone. If it can''t find stones it likes, it will break down larger stones with its saliva, which is why the ruins are in danger."


    "Huh," said Vanbrook. "So a salt shaker won''t do the trick?"


    "No," said the ranger with a chuckle, "but if you''ve got one, bring it along. Giant sea slug is a bit of a delicacy, and I''m absolutely frying up some steaks."


    Vanbrook and Reclan exchanged intrigued looks.


    "Also, small to medium caliber rounds aren''t going to have much impact on the slug,¡± noted Trelik. ¡°As much for our sake as the slug¡¯s, we want a quick, clean kill. Aim for the head, right under the eye stalks, with high caliber rounds or energy weapons. I''ve got a big game rifle for just these sorts of occasions.


    "Reclan, you''re a drone pilot, correct?"


    "Yeah, you want a bird''s eye view of the ruins?" asked the Dromean.


    "Exactly," said Treki. "Alright, let''s get to it."

 Chapter 2.8: The Slug

    Krum-Bahk ducked behind a corner as an explosive was thrown towards his position. The explosion rocked the building, but Krum-Bahk coolly swung back around the corner, firing on the cultist bomb thrower. The cultist had already activated the next mining charge he planned to throw, falling among his comrades and killing them with his final bomb.


    From another corner of the room, a cultist wielding a flamethrower made of a modified industrial torch charged them. He was shot down by Fenyn. Two of the three cultists that had used the flamethrower as cover were picked up by Grepk, one in each hand, and slammed into the ground as Grept knelt and drove his arms down simultaneously. They did not get back up again. The last one met her end at Keshri¡¯s claws.


    Soon after, Krum-Bahk¡¯s squad met up with the other squads. The facility was cleared. Every cultist had been either killed or incapacitated, but none had surrendered. Krum-Bahk sighed and sat on the ground, totally spent.


    ¡°You did good, rookie,¡± said Grepk, nodding appreciatively. ¡°That was a tough gig.¡± He looked to the main door of the building, where two RIS agents were walking in. ¡°Of course, this might be my least favorite part.¡±


    A Wabuluban female with mechanical legs and a Talpidarian male walked up to the squad. Both had RIS insignias, the Wabuluban wearing hers on her metal thigh; the Talpidarian wearing his on his shoulder.


    ¡°What can we do for the Republic Intelligence Services today?¡± asked Grepk. He stood with his palms up and antennae raised, a posture known as the ¡°Raki smile.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t pretend you¡¯re happy to see us,¡± said the Wabuluban intelligence officer with a knowing smile of her own. ¡°We all know better.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you,¡± said the Talpidarian, looking at Keshri. ¡°Now did you leave any cultists alive, or are we going to have to rely on rifling through pockets like usual?¡±


    Keshri looked around. She kicked the cultist she had just shredded, which got no reaction. She held up a finger, asking the agent to wait. He crossed his arms, tapping his foot in annoyance. She kicked the one of the cultists Grepk had just crushed, and this one moaned slightly. She pointed to the crumpled form in triumph.


    ¡°Happy now, Chully?¡± she asked


    ¡°Never,¡± he answered flatly, then spoke into his comms, ¡°we¡¯ll need a medic over here.¡±


    ¡°Alright, squad,¡± said Grepk. ¡°RIS is going to want a full debriefing. Follow me, and we¡¯ll try and keep this quick. And civil.¡± He aimed the last comment directly at Keshri.


    ***


    Trelik and Talon Squad crowded around Reclan¡¯s tablet, watching the feed from her drone. It was a steady image of low-lying stone buildings, tucked into an overhang of the cliffs down at sea level. Vanbrook sighed. It had been nearly an hour and there had been no sign of the beast. Then something flickered on the left side of the screen. Vanbrook''s eye snapped to it and he saw two eyestalks emerging from a building.


    "There!" said Trelik. "Alright, we know where it is, so let''s take positions down at the edge of the ruins. We don''t want to risk getting ambushed, so I want Reclan to stay at the edge and monitor the slug''s movements."


    The ranger began to march down the path leading to the ruins and then stopped suddenly, paused, and turned to Talon Squad.


    "Um, sorry, I''m overstepping, aren''t I?" she asked.


    "Not at all," said Raivyn, shaking her head. "You know the park, you know the target; consider us back up, ranger."


    Trelik''s antennae turned up and she gave Raivyn a thumbs up, then turned to the path again. The squad followed her down the well-trodden path, soon arriving in front of a series of low, rambling buildings made of heavy stone.


    Trelik called out a couple taller buildings and they split into three groups. Doc stayed with Reclan, ready to use the energy setting on his rifle at a moment''s notice, while Vanbrook and D''Jarric took the right side of the ruins and Raivyn and Trelik took the left.


    They moved quietly, Reclan speaking through their comms'' headsets to call out the slug¡¯s movements. Climbing the outside stairs of one of the taller buildings, Vanbrook and D''Jarric spotted the eyestalks of the beast as it stood on its rear sets of legs, peering around. They ducked. It didn''t spot them, but it seemed to sense the group''s presence.


    "Rai," Vanbrook whispered. "It''s over your way, up against one of the middle buildings."


    "I see it," Raivyn responded. "Trelik has the shot."


    Raivyn saw the beast clearly for the first time. As Trelik had described it, it was a massive slug crawling on ten stumpy legs. However, it also had electric blue skin mottled with baby blue patches and brilliant white spots. Its eyes were crimson and set atop fleshy blue stalks and a drooling circular maw lining with small, triangular teeth. It turned to them, the black pupils contracting in their red orbs as it took them in, deciding whether they were predator or prey.


    A shot rang out, and the slug''s head exploded into a gooey blue-gray mess. The creature tumbled to the ground, and a cheer rose up from the three groups of hunters.


    Vanbrook headed for the stairs to inspect the slug''s body, then heard Reclan''s voice over the comms.


    "Uh, guys?" she said, voice filled with trepidation. "There''s more."


    "More what?" asked Raivyn, shooting an ugly glance at Trelik, whose antennae were twitching nervously.


    "Check your comms," said Reclan. "I''ll export my footage."


    Raivyn''s brow furrowed as she watched nine wriggling forms crawl across her screen. They were all heading for the source of the gunshot they''d heard. For her and Trelik.


    "Rai," asked Vanbrook, his voice thick with worry, "Can you calm these guys down with your abilities?"


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    "No," replied the psychic. "They''re pretty focused on their next meal. Animal minds are tough, especially when they''re really set on something. We''re shooting our way out."


    "We''ll try and draw them off you," answered Vanbrook. "Keep your eyes peeled."


    Raivyn turned to Trelik."What''s the plan, ranger?"


    Trelik shrugged."Shoot ''em till they stop moving? I honestly thought it was just the one."


    "Good enough," sighed Raivyn.


    The first set of eye stalks crept over the top of the roof as Raivyn drew her pistol. She hadn¡¯t planned on shooting. While she could have relied on a T-bolt in a pinch, repeated T-bolts would drain her energy too quickly, so she opted for the gun. She took aim, fired, and watched one of the eyes explode into a bluish gore. The beast shrieked and retreated down the building.


    ¡°Nice shooting,¡± said Trelik, ¡°but let''s wait until we have a shot at the brain next time.¡±


    Raivyn nodded, but didn¡¯t mention she¡¯d been aiming for the other eye. The slug reappeared over the edge and Trelik¡¯s gun blasted a fist-sized hole through the slug¡¯s head where its brain had been a moment before. Two more crawled into sight. One met a similar fate, while the other caught three shots from Raivyn¡¯s pistol, succumbing to the third. They kept coming, more and more of them crawling over the wall until the two warriors couldn¡¯t keep up.


    ¡°Raivyn, behind you!¡± came Reclan¡¯s voice.


    Raivyn spun to see a slug coming up the opposite side of the building from the others. Out of instinct she shot a T-bolt into it, knocking it back off the roof. Two more slugs quickly replaced it.


    Down below, Vanbrook ran through the compacted dirt streets, sword and pistol in hand, ready to activate his buckler if need be. He rounded a corner and saw the building where Raivyn was positioned, swarming with drooling, bright blue slugs. Gritting his teeth, he ran close enough to blast the brains out of the nearest slug with the nova crystal rounds in his revolver. He pulled the trigger and a bright surge of energy blasted out of his gun and took down the slug. The others turned towards him.


    D¡¯Jarric followed closely behind Vanbrook, firing golden beams of energy from his fists. Taking advantage of the cover fire, Vanbrook leapt up the stairs. A screeching maw of venom-soaked teeth lunged for him, and he stabbed his saber through the mouth and up into the brain without slowing down, blocking the shower of acidic gore with his energy buckler and shaking it from his sword as he ran. He reached the top of the building and joined Raivyn and Trelik, who were able to keep up with the swarming slugs thanks to Vanbrook and D¡¯Jarric¡¯s distraction.


    ¡°Looks like all the slugs are out of the buildings now,¡± said Reclan over the comms. ¡°Just mop up these last few and we should be good.¡±


    D¡¯Jarric stayed on the ground, pulling some of the pressure off the three on top of the building, who continued firing until all the slugs lay still, most of them in pools of blue gore.


    One had climbed onto the top of the building before being shot. In a sudden burst of vigor, it reared onto its hind legs, screaming bloody murder at Vanbrook. The swordsman drew back his saber to strike, and the slug¡¯s head burst into a shower of blue viscera.


    Vanbrook blinked, then wretched, his entire upper half soaked.


    ¡°Ha!¡± said Doc¡¯s voice over the comms. ¡°That one got high enough for me to see it!¡±


    Raivyn laughed, having only suffered a small splatter of blue on her armor.


    ¡°Thanks, Doc,¡± she said, composing herself. ¡°I really appreciate it.¡±


    ***


    The room blurred into focus. Darvik felt the bruises from his fight and from the rough, thick rope that was tied around his wrists and ankles. He was sitting in the middle of a dark room in a hard chair, his arms behind his back and his feet secured to the chair¡¯s legs.


    ¡°Really?¡± he called out to the ostensibly empty room. ¡°Come out here and fight with honor, you psychic freak.¡±


    ¡°Honor?¡± asked a scratchy voice from the darkness. It sounded like it belonged to the psychic Krauqian. ¡°That¡¯s rich, coming from you. You are Darvik of Griffonia, correct? The disgraced former duelist? The failed criminal? The murderer?¡±


    Darvik was quiet. This obviously wasn¡¯t the law. He¡¯d never been arrested on Kirakna before, but no law enforcement agency in the Republic would act like this.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked finally.


    ¡°People who want information,¡± said the voice firmly. ¡°Answer our questions if you want to walk out of this room. Why were you targeting the special squad?¡±


    ¡°I was out hunting,¡± said Darvik in a flat voice. ¡°Did I do something wrong? Guess I should have familiarized myself with Kiraknan game law.¡±


    ¡°We are not police, Darvik,¡± said the voice. ¡°But you already know that. Why were you targeting the special squad?¡±


    ¡°If you know me so well, why don¡¯t you guess?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, your rivalry with Specialist Vanbrook. Now tell us who hired you, or are you really just so pathetic you¡¯d throw your life away over your delusions of victimhood.¡±


    Darvik roared and jerked his arms and legs, trying to break free of his bonds.


    ¡°I see,¡± said the voice. ¡°Tell us who snuck onto the Wingspan last night.¡±


    Darvik stopped raging.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked, sweat rolling through the stubble of his hair and into his eyes.


    ¡°A pity. You really don¡¯t know.¡±


    His mind spinning, Darvik looked for a way out. He wasn¡¯t useful to these people, whoever they were, and they didn¡¯t seem the type to let loose ends stand up and walk out of their makeshift prisons.


    ¡°How¡¯s this,¡± he said, striking a matter-of-fact tone that he hoped sounded less hostile than he felt. ¡°You clearly need muscle, and I clearly need a job. We both want to keep an eye on the Wingspan.¡±


    The Krauqian walked out of the shadows, staring menacingly at Darvik.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± he said. ¡°What can you offer us?¡±


    He crossed his arms, and Darvik noticed a brand on his wrist. It was in the shape of a serpent. Or maybe it was some kind of shark.


    ***


    Back at the ruins, the ranger station was buzzing with activity as the ruins were cleaned up. Trelik had happily told the other rangers that they¡¯d be scrubbing the blue gore for the foreseeable future.


    The head ranger was standing by a kind of wood-fired grill outside the station, brushing a buttery sauce onto the choicest steaks she¡¯d carved from the slugs. The bluish white flesh looked juicy and tender, and Reclan was licking her chops. Trelik plated the food and motioned to the Talon squad to come sit at a picnic table. Vanbrook sat down but waved away the plate.


    ¡°I really appreciate the gesture,¡± he said, ¡°but I just took a bath in these things and I¡­ I just can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I guess I can forgive the slight,¡± Trelik laughed, gesturing to some of the other offerings on the table. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to some of the trail mix.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I think I¡¯m going to fast until the stench dissipates from my skin.¡±


    Reclan, meanwhile, had already eaten half of her steak.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take his share if it¡¯s all the same,¡± she said with a mouthful of seafood. D¡¯Jarric chuckled and Vanbrook rolled his eyes. Raivyn was busily working on her own steak.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to get back to the Wingspan soon,¡± she said as she cut a dainty bite off the savory dish. ¡°When I spoke to Jasken to let him know we¡¯d solved the slug problem he said we¡¯re ready to head out to the next planet.¡±


    ¡°Any idea what that planet is going to be?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°No.¡± Raivyn shook her head. ¡°Jasken doesn¡¯t want to advertise anything about the trip so he¡¯s keeping details hush-hush. Lots of folks, the Astralbians in particular, would love to follow us and figure out what we¡¯re up to. Jasken¡¯s hoping to shake them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure, Talon Squad,¡± said Trelik. ¡°I took the liberty of sending a number of coolers full of steak to the fleet. Enough to feed the whole crew twice over. You folks deserve something better than the rations spacers are usually stuck with.¡±


    Reclan smiled toothily. Vanbrook sighed, resigning himself to a couple diners taken in his own private quarters, far from the smell of roasting sea slug.

 Chapter 2.9: The Omen

    The glaring sun beat down on the black volcanic dunes as Hrake¡¯s clawed feet pounded into the loose, sandy hillside. He shielded his eyes and looked to the top of the ebon dune he was climbing, his bronze war hammer resting on the shoulder-most edge of his shell. One more dune, then he could climb the volcano.


    He¡¯d requested the visionquest himself. The elders had been a little too eager to send him, but that was the cost of being honest with one¡¯s people. Crops had been poor for years. The gods had been silent for generations, if they had ever spoken at all. He crested the dune and saw the Seat of Fire. The tall black mountain rose twice as high as any of the nearby peaks, its top ripped away, revealing its molten viscera. If he turned to the east he knew he would see the Mountains of Wasting, the very gates of the Underworld, but he kept his attention on the holy volcano.


    While the journey was treacherous, the mission was simple. Once he reached the top he would look for an omen in the form of a bird or other flying creature. Then he would report the bird to the city¡¯s elder shaman for interpretation.


    He looked down to the base of the dune, beginning his descent. Off to the east he saw a cloud of dust. Riders were coming from the direction of the Mountains of Wasting. The fleshy corners of Hrake¡¯s beaked mouth turned downward. Riders from the Mountains seemed like an evil portent. He walked down to meet them.


    As they came closer, he could make out the massive desert hounds that pulled the wide-wheeled sand chariots. He saw that both the hounds and the riders were wearing the same orange leathers as himself, making them fellow Gredites.


    ¡°Hail, brothers. What news of Gred?¡± said Hrake. He recognized the riders now. It was Gevrok and his four brothers. Gevrok sneered at him. The hounds, five feet tall at the shoulders and nearly as wide, growled at Hrake but remained unmoving, obediently waiting for orders.


    ¡°Your uncle has finally had enough of your meddling, Hrake,¡± he said. ¡°He rules Gred, not you, and he will not suffer any more of your sedition. You will not return from this visionquest.¡±


    ¡°You approach the Seat of Fire not on foot but in chariots, bringing dishonor to our city. I assumed there was a greater need than the delivering of idle threats.¡±


    ¡°I do not deal in idle threats,¡± spat Gevrok, stepping down from his chariot and hefting his hammer. His four brothers followed suit, stepping menacingly towards Hrake.


    Hrake sighed. His grip tightened, but he kept his hammer on his shoulder.  ¡°Die, then,¡± he said coldly.


    One of the brothers rushed him. In a display of pure explosive strength, Hrake swung his hammer in a wide, one-handed arc, bringing the head of the weapon into his enemy¡¯s temple. He followed through on the swing, slamming the warrior¡¯s head into the black sands. He pulled his hammer back up and then stabbed down once more, the spearhead on the top of the shaft piercing the fallen warrior¡¯s throat. Hrake brought the hammer up again, blocking a wild swing from the next brother. Then he jumped backwards, swinging in a devastating arc, more to ward off the four remaining enemies than to hurt them.


    They regrouped, coming at him as a single unit. Their attacks were too uniform, and they all swung in near unison. Hrake took advantage of their combined vulnerability to take a stab at Gevrok, taking out one of his eyes. Gevrok screamed.


    ¡°I will spread your viscera over the Mountains of Wasting, you soft-shelled coward!¡± he hissed, his blue-green face now red with blood. The other brothers came in swiftly, swinging wild, rage-filled hammers at Hrake. But Hrake was simply the better fighter. He twisted to avoid the worst of a two-pronged attack. One hammer missed completely, while the other glanced harmlessly off his shell. He sidestepped a third attack and brought a short but mighty swing into the chest of one of the attackers, cracking his carapace.


    He parried another blow and stepped back while stabbing out with the spearpoint. Of the five that had attacked him, one was dead and two were seriously injured. Gevrok was standing behind his remaining brothers, holding his bloody eye socket.


    ¡°Kill him!¡± he screamed. ¡°I¡¯m going for backup.¡±


    The two uninjured brothers looked at each other nervously. The one with the cracked carapace coughed up blood. Hrake put his hammer back on his shoulder and stared at them. They seemed unwilling to attack, so Hrake reached for his sling, as if he was going to try to attack the retreating Gevrok. This was enough to spark some level of bravery in the uninjured brothers, and they charged.


    Hrake took a sideways stance and leveled the spearpoint of his hammer, rushing into the attacks and forcing them to shorten their grips on their hammers, drastically reducing the power of their blows. The spearpoint found one of the attacker¡¯s throats. The last brother was still trying to recover from his swing when he caught a hammer to the head. The one with the cracked carapace had begun to back up, whirling a stone around in his sling. Hrake swung his hammer in a fierce roundhouse, letting his grip slip down the handle so that the head reached out far enough to crush the would-be slinger¡¯s skull. The stone slipped from the sling and shot straight up into the air. Before it landed on the dark, blood-soaked sand below, the last of Gevrok¡¯s brothers had fallen to the ground, dead.


    Looking out at the retreating chariot, Hrake considered trying to chase Gevrok down and kill him. The truth was he would probably not be able to catch the coward, and he had more important things to worry about. He cut the hounds loose from their chariots and sent them on their way, and smashed the chariots, dragging them into a pile. He placed the four bodies on the pyre and lit it, then continued up the mountain.


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    ***


    Far away, aboard the Wingspan, Jasken was addressing the fleet over the comms. They had left Kirakna¡¯s atmosphere and were preparing to make the next jump.


    ¡°I realize that being kept in the dark about our next destination is less than ideal, but it was necessary as a security measure. So here it is; we will be going to the unexplored planet designated Kir147-WB1.08. As the designation denotes, the planet has water, a breathable atmosphere, and has roughly the same gravitational pull as Griffonia. It appears to have significant volcanic activity and a number of large continents. The jump is expected to take three weeks, so get settled in and check your assignment listings. Providence shine on our journey.¡±


    The fleet got into position, lined up a few miles apart, and activated their ripmed drives, leaving Kirakna and its twin suns far behind. However, they had also brought along an unexpected and unwelcome guest.


    Grim had found a reasonably comfortable crevice within the landing gear of the Wingspan and hacked into the ship¡¯s comms. He would be able to siphon enough power from the reactors to send ripmed messages to the Astralbians. As long as he kept them short, he would be able to do so without alerting the Republic to his presence. There was no reason to sit awake for the next three weeks, so he set a scheduled restart time for twenty days and shut down. He¡¯d want to be well-rested and refreshed for what was coming.


    ***


    Back at the Seat of Fire, Hrake had seen to his enemy¡¯s remains and had begun his climb up the volcano. It was a half a day¡¯s hike to the summit, but he hoped to be there by nightfall if not a bit before. The trail was not well maintained, but it was familiar to Hrake. He had made the journey three times before, the first time before he had come of age. The mountain was sacred; it was the seat of Skyfire, the god of storms and earthquakes. Located in the northern reaches of the lands, it was a full week¡¯s journey from the city of Gred if made on foot, which was the proper way.


    Hrake had never put much hope in the gods themselves, but he respected the traditions, unlike his uncle. The gods never seemed to deliver, but Hrake could see by observing their creation that they must indeed be mighty. So he made the sacrifices, said the prayers, and watched for the omens. If the gods were watching, perhaps they would help the faithful. Hrake shook his head and continued the climb, resting as he reached a flat outcropping.


    He looked out over the black dune sea, straining his eyes to see the green of the crags of the southern mountains beyond. On the other side of them was the Great River and Gred Valley. He shook his head, thinking of the city and its politics. Hrake wasn''t shocked that his Uncle, King Zrykyk of Gred, had sent Gevrok and his brothers to kill him, but he had hoped it wouldn''t come to that. The King was leading the city-state into oblivion, starting wars unnecessarily and doing little to mitigate the crop shortages they¡¯d been facing these past few years. Hrake had been leading the opposition, as it had been declared, that was trying to argue for better practices. Hrake had no desire to overthrow the King, much less take the throne himself.


    All this on his mind, he stood back up and continued his climb. Hours later, he reached the summit. Walking to the rim of the volcano, he looked down into the boiling lava. He reached into his satchel and tossed a handful of vegetables into the fiery maw; a sacrifice for Skyfire. The ritual accomplished, he turned and sat, lying his hammer across his lap and facing west, looking for his omen as the pool of lava below scorched his back. The sun set, and he grew worried he¡¯d miss the omen in the dark. Was that how it worked? Could mere bad luck obscure the plans of the gods? Surely not. He hoped.


    The sky went from blue, to orange, to purple, and finally to black. He kept his vigil, the lava still burning behind him, causing sweat to run down the aqua-green scales of his face. The stars came out, and there was no sign of any flying creature. He feared he¡¯d see a bat in the blackness, an evil omen to be sure. The dawn would come before long, and maybe a sparrow looking for an early meal would grace the sky. Sparrows were good luck. He was no shaman, but he knew some of the signs.


    A star caught his eye, and he looked to see that it was moving. He nearly rose to his feet in excitement, but knew he must wait for the omen to end before he could move. The star came closer, and it seemed to split into many stars. Then it became clear the stars were some kind of lights attached to a metal box or tube of some kind. The box fell below the next mountain, evidently landing in the prairies beyond. Hrake sprang to his feet, mind reeling. At first, he considered running home to tell the shaman of his omen, which, good or ill, was clearly of great importance. However, he decided that a sign of this importance needed more exploration. He rose from where he stood, put his hammer over his shoulder and trekked down the far side of the mountain, making his way to the bizarre flying object.


    ***


    Three brutally boring weeks later, the Wingspan settled into orbit above Kri147-WB1.08 and Vanbrook¡¯s nervous energy built to a head. He could see the black and blue planet below, speckled with green masses that must have been forests or grasslands of some kind.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± he said to Raivyn, who sat next to him in the observation area. ¡°Are we good to go or what?¡±


    She unbuckled and snorted at him in good humor. ¡°You know better than that, there¡¯ll be some post-jump inspections, a probe to check the atmo and so on before we go¡­ the works.¡±


    ¡°You ruin all my fun,¡± he said with a pout.


    It was indeed a few more hours of waiting. Evidently the travel shields had been depleted to a mere nine percent, a dangerously low number, and Jasken took his time going over the post-jump inspections. Finally, he called Talon Squad to his office.


    ¡°Thank you all for joining me,¡± he said when they had gathered. ¡°This planet looks especially promising, though it may just be a lot of sand and scrub brush. There¡¯s early indications that there are high levels of radioactive isotopes, as well.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± said Vanbrook, raising his eyebrows in concern.


    Jasken ignored the sarcasm.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± he said. ¡°Uranium, or whatever fissile materials may be found here are incredibly valuable fuel sources. Though that does bring me to our big problem - we can¡¯t set up a standard beacon here, since we don¡¯t want anyone knowing where we are. What we¡¯ll do instead is set up a local beacon that will ping any ship in the system, but not broadcast our claim to anyone listening. It¡¯s technically a legal claim by International Galactic Code standards, but it¡¯s easier for our enemies to take out or ignore, and the Code Enforcement Task Force won¡¯t recognize our claim if they don¡¯t get a ping at their headquarters. Of course all of this is moot if the planet has sapient lifeforms, but we¡¯ll take the same approach until we reach the Cornucopia Cluster.


    ¡°Alright, you folks know the drill. The shuttle is prepped and waiting for you in the main hangar. Providence shine on you.¡±


    Vanbrook joined the chorus of ¡°you, too¡¯s¡± and started making his way to the shuttle with hurried, excited steps.

 Chapter 2.10: The Locals

    The sun was rising as Hrake crested the final foothill and caught sight of the metal box that had descended from the skies. He cautiously moved forward, watching the strange creatures that unloaded crates from the box. They were of various sizes and builds, but none were anything he recognized. Two had smooth, tawny or brown hides with tufts of fur on top of their heads, one looked more like a lizard of some kind, with rough, scaly skin similar to his own, and a fourth was wearing armor over his whole body, masking his features. They seemed to be talking and laughing, but Hrake could only make out sweet, sing-songy voices from this distance.


    A fifth creature emerged from the box. He was built like the pink creatures, but was taller and broader. He wore metal armor, but it didn¡¯t cover him like the other one¡¯s did. And his skin was¡­ no, it wasn¡¯t possible. Hrake blinked to clear the mirage, but there he stood: a glowing, golden god. They did answer, after all.


    ***


    Vanbrook was delighted to be clayside on a new planet once again. To the north, there was nothing but prairie as far as the eye could see; to the south, a line of volcanic mountains. Far overhead, Mairen was seeing to the satellite network that would help them map the planet, but Talon Squad had the more adventurous role of scoping out the planet in person.


    "Van," called Reclan, shaking Vanbrook from his daydreaming. "Gimme a hand with the command tent, would''ya?"


    He walked over to help set up the frame of what would serve as their main hub of activity for the time they spent on the planet.


    Then the unexpected happened. A creature strode out of the foothills, walking somberly as it approached. It was something akin to a humanoid turtle, a little over six feet tall with bluish-green skin and clad in an orange leather harness and loincloth. It carried a bronze hammer with a spearhead on it, but it was using the weapon as a walking stick, not brandishing it at the Squad.


    "Hey, we got a local," called Vanbrook. He exchanged glances with Raivyn, both nervously eyeing the newcomer.


    No one''s hands were far from their weapons.


    It approached D''Jarric, who regarded the stranger with an inscrutable expression. The creature went to one knee, bowing his head reverently. The Solaran quickly knelt down as well, taking his would-be worshipper by the forearm and guiding him to his feet.


    "I am no god," said D''Jarric in a tongue the others didn''t recognize. It was a sweet, smooth sound; a tone more musical than guttural. The turtle''s eyes went wide and he tried to bow again, but D''Jarric stopped him, holding his palm out before him in what he hoped would be interpreted as "stop." Evidently the creature did not understand D¡¯Jarrics native tongue any more than the rest of Talon Squad.


    "Raivyn?" asked D''Jarric, indicating the turtle.


    "I''ll try," nodded Raivyn. D''Jarric stepped back and Raivyn sat down in front of the stranger, legs crossed. The stranger joined her on the ground, resting his hammer across his lap and regarding her with a thoughtful, confused expression. Raivyn tapped the side of her head, then pointed to the stranger''s. Then she closed her eyes and reached out with her mind.


    At first there was a surprisingly strong reactive resistance, but then the stranger, sensing her intentions, let his guard down. She opened her eyes and stared into his, hoping to get from body language what she couldn''t get psychically.


    Mental communication was taxing but doable for most trained psychics, but language barriers still posed an issue. The best she could do was send impressions.


    Travelers, she tried to impress the concepts on his mind, the unformed concept rather than the word. Explorers.


    Gods? came the reply, in the form of a question.


    No. No was one of the easier concepts to send. Travelers.


    He pointed to the stars fading into the morning light. Travelers? he asked.


    Yes, she replied.


    The conversation, if it could be called that, stalled there. Raivyn got a jumble of impressions, mostly religious and spiritual in nature and something about harvests, but nothing concrete. She nodded and ended the connection.


    "He seems to get that we''re denying any kind of divinity, and that we came here from the aether. Or heaven, or however he thinks about it," said Raivyn, cocking her head in thought. "My impression of him doesn''t go much further than what you can see on the surface. He''s a warrior, possibly on some kind of religious pilgrimage, maybe related to a bad crop?"


    "Well, it''s a baseline," said Vanbrook, "and he hasn''t tried to whack us with that hammer, so I''d call that a win."


    "I''ll contact Jasken," said Raivyn. "This obviously changes our plans."


    D''Jarric had a worried look on his face.


    "What''s up, DJ?" asked Reclan.


    D''Jarric shrugged. "Some of my people have posed as gods over the millenia. It''s a serious transgression among those of us who still serve the Progenitor. I wonder if that has happened on this planet before."


    "You think you might not be the only Solaran in town?" asked Vanbrook, taking an interest in the conversation. D''Jarric shook his head.


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    "Most likely any Solaran claiming godhood was banished to their star after the Solaran Civil War, but the effects of these blasphemers can be long lived."


    Vanbrook nodded. "Well," he said, walking to the shuttle, "let''s get this guy his party favors."


    He retrieved a box that had gift items from the various species of the Griffon Republic. The contents included a Talpidarian logic puzzle made up of metal rings and boxes, a Kiraknan harp made of catgut strings and a snail shell, an Aeratan tea kettle with two tea cups, and a Krauqian necklace made of semi-precious stones found only on Krauqia, among other novelties. The idea was to give new-found sapients a gift from each of the cultures the Republic represented.


    ***


    Hrake watched the second tufted warrior walk back towards his sky cart. He returned with a box, setting it down and opening it. He gestured to the contents, then to Hrake. Evidently they were gifts.


    The golden man and the shaman woman had been insistent that they weren''t gods, but who else lived in the skies and could visit at will? He hoped he could get them to come back to Gred to see Rhenka, the city''s elder shaman.


    Curiosity grabbed him when he saw a curling shell with strings stretched across the opening. Part of him felt that these gifts should be presented to the king, and part of him wanted to play the strange, small harp. The swordsman must have noticed. He picked up the shell, cradling it in one hand and plucking the strings with the other. He played a simple melody, then offered the shell to Hrake.


    Hrake smiled, taking the shell. He plucked a few notes, pleased to find it had a similar setup to his own harp. After a few moments, he started playing the bittersweet melody of a ballad he''d written in his late father''s honor. He became so engrossed in the song that he began singing, forgetting the situation he found himself in. His voice thundered, boomed, and hissed the tale of his father''s heroic sacrifice in battle.


    He fell back to reality when the song ended, looking up to see the strange travelers slapping their hands together rhythmically. Given their smiling faces, he took the gesture as a kind one. He stooped his head in humble gratitude and returned the shell to the box, closing the lid.


    The shaman woman who had communed with him earlier held out a thin, smooth box with a glossy surface. She held it up and Hrake saw that it was a picture of some kind.


    As he studied the image, he realized it was a map of the area. He excitedly pointed to the area off the edge of the map to the south. And said "Gred."


    The shaman put her finger on the picture and slid it. To Hrake''s astonishment, the picture slid as though her finger was dragging it, and Gred Valley appeared on the thin box. Studying the map, he pointed to the part of the valley where the city was located.


    ***


    Raivyn nodded hopefully, marking the area the turtle had indicated on her tablet.


    ¡°That must be home,¡± she said to the others. ¡°Jasken wants us to get in contact with the local government as soon as possible.¡±


    She looked into the turtle¡¯s eyes, tapped her head and pointed to his.


    Travel together? she asked, pointing to the map of Gred then to the shuttle. The turtle¡¯s eyes went wide. Safe, she assured him.


    Yes, he replied, the apprehension melting from his face. She motioned for him to come aboard the shuttle.


    ***


    Inside the sky cart, Hrake was amazed by the intricate designs and metalworking. It was like a small mansion inside. He was led through a large, open foyer filled with crates up a staircase to a second floor with a series of doors to the rear of the cart and an open, benched-lined room to the front.


    He was examining a strange strap of durable textile that hung over a bench when he saw the swordsman sit down and pull a similar strap over his shoulder, binding himself to the seat it hung over. Catching Hrake¡¯s eye, he motioned for him to do the same. Hrake obliged. The lizard and the armored warrior were in the front of the cart while the others all strapped themselves into the benches behind them.


    The shaman pointed to her head and then his in the now familiar gesture.


    Rough. Shake.


    The cart shook violently and Hrake involuntarily grabbed the edge of the bench, his claws tearing the fabric of the bench¡¯s cushions. He steadied himself and looked mournfully at the holes in the fabric, but when he looked up he saw the golden man smiling at him.


    "D''Jarric," he said, lightly slapping his chest with his palm.


    "Vanbrook," said the swordsman, repeating the motion.


    "Raivyn," said the shaman.


    "Reclan, Doc Manford," she said, indicating the lizard and armored creature in the front of the cart.


    Hrake pointed to his head and then the shaman''s. She nodded.


    Name? he asked.


    Yes, she replied, enthusiastically bobbing her head.


    Hrake slapped his chest. "Hrake."


    "Hirak," repeated the shaman. It was close enough, Hrake reasoned. Learning a new tongue took time.


    "Jarric, Vahbruhk, Ravich, Reclah, Docmahferd." He said in turn, pointing to each traveler as he spoke their name to the best of his ability. They all nodded encouragingly.


    D''Jarric spent the remainder of the flight showing Hrake different objects and naming them, and Hrake responded with their names in his own tongue. Raivyn tapped away furiously on the map box, which Hrake soon understood served many purposes, including record keeping. D''Jarric called it a tablet. Hrake was just beginning to wrap his mind around the pronunciation of the traveler''s language when the sky cart, or shuttle, began to shudder again.


    He looked out of the shuttle''s window, shocked to see the hilly, verdant landscape of Gred Valley. They had made the journey, which had taken Hrake days on foot, and would have taken most of a day by chariot, in what felt like a matter of moments. They landed in a field outside of the town.


    Hrake wondered what would be waiting for him when he exited the shuttle. His uncle had sent Gevrok to murder him in the wilderness, which meant that, though he wanted him dead, he would not order his execution publicly. That would mean bringing charges of some kind, and the elders would not take kindly to whatever false accusations the king brought to them. Complicating matters further, he had come back from his vision quest with the strangest omen of all; the gods themselves, flying in a giant metal bird.


    ***


    Darvik settled down in the itchy canvas cot his mysterious hosts had given him. The cultists had left him in the same room he¡¯d woken up in, but at least they¡¯d untied him. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what he¡¯d gotten himself into, but he felt like life as a mercenary might suit him. Besides, if these people were going after the Blue Griffon Fleet, they were going to take him straight to Vanbrook.


    He relaxed as much as he could, closing his eyes and trying to get some sleep. Sleep evaded him, however. This was his first quiet moment since¡­ He pushed the thought out of his head. The still night seemed to go on forever. Darvik was considering getting up and trying the door. He wasn''t sure if he was locked in or not, and if he could get out he could use a drink.


    Just then he heard a noise. Someone was at the door. Out of instinct, Darvik lay unmoving, feigning sleep. Out of nearly-shut eyelids, he watched the Human he''d fought in the hilltop approach his cot, a knife raised above his head.

 Chapter 2.11: Challengers

    In the wee hours of the morning, Hoon-Kra waddled back towards his private study. He called it that, anyway. It was really just a slightly less horrible room in the horrible slum of a house he¡¯d bought on Kirakna. The sniper they¡¯d interrupted seemed promising. They could certainly use the muscle. The foolish priest of the Shredvrak congregation had cost them too many of the faithful, not to mention putting the Koomites on the Republic¡¯s radar far too quickly. Any investigation would lead to Hoon-Kra¡¯s doorstep, sooner or later. If everything went according to plan, he wouldn¡¯t be around to answer the door.


    Opening the door of his study, he was shocked to see the sniper sitting in his lounge chair, leveling a pistol at him.


    ¡°Your booze is terrible,¡± said Darvik. His shirt was covered in blood, and he held the pistol in one hand and a bottle of Hoon-Kra¡¯s best honey-worm mead in the other.


    ¡°It¡¯s an acquired taste,¡± he said as he sized up the situation. ¡°It¡¯s a Dromean liquor. On a completely different note, why are you out of your room?¡±


    ¡°Was it locked? The big fella didn¡¯t mention that when he tried to kill me. Just left it open after he came in.¡±


    Hoon-Kra raised a warty eyebrow in surprise.


    ¡°So,¡± said Darvik. ¡°You didn¡¯t send him.¡± He lowered his pistol. ¡°I¡¯m no psychic,¡± he continued, tapping his temple, ¡°but I can read people pretty well. And I figured if you wanted me dead you¡¯d have killed me while I was still tied up. Anyway, I¡¯d like to upgrade my quarters and sleep wherever he had been sleeping. My old room is a bit of a mess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± said Hoon-Kra. That was one less player on his team. In truth, though, he had never trusted the man. He didn¡¯t trust Darvik either, but this one was clearly a more talented killer. Perhaps it was better this way.


    ¡°Now grab two of those glasses, Darvik,¡± he said, indicating a tray of tall, fluted glasses where the bottle had once sat, ¡°and I¡¯ll show you how to properly appreciate a fine honey-worm mead.¡±


    ***


    When the shuttle door opened, a contingent from the city was already making its way into the field. Hrake was pleased to see it was led by Rhenka, the city¡¯s elder shaman. Age had softened and wrinkled the scaly skin that hung off her bones, but her deep, black eyes twinkled with wisdom and mischief as she approached the shuttle. She wore the same bright orange leather as Hrake, though her harness and loin cloth were woven with ornate black gemstones, and she had blocky stripes of purple paint on her limbs and face. Behind her, the city guard wore orange leathers and bronze helmets, escorting a number of the lay elders in purple robes. The King was nowhere to be seen.


    At the direction of the travelers, Hrake walked out of the shuttle first, greeting Rhenka and the others warmly. Then came Vanbrook, carrying the crate of gifts, followed by Raivyn, Reclan, and Doc Manford. Finally, D¡¯Jarric walked down the ramp. The crowd had been awed by the first four beings, but D¡¯Jarric¡¯s appearance caused a near panic. Someone found the presence of mind to bow to the god who had appeared before them, and their lead was followed by others, until nearly the whole crowd had gone to one knee. Only Rhenka remained standing, leaning on her ceremonial hammer staff and smiling enigmatically.


    Hrake turned to D¡¯Jarric, who looked embarrassed and saddened at the display of worship.


    ¡°Hail, brothers and sisters,¡± said Hrake. ¡°I am a humble envoy of our guests, who descended from the skies. D¡¯Jarric, this traveler with the appearance of a god, asks you to please stand, and makes no claim of godhood.¡±


    Confusion rippled through the crowd. Rhenka¡¯s smile widened.


    ¡°Stand up, you fools!¡± she shouted merrily. ¡°Warrior Hrake brings us a wondrous sign and more wondrous guests, and we must honor their whims as the words of gods!¡±


    The crowd stood up. Some shook with terror, some stared slack-jawed at their guests. Hrake noted that this was a small portion of the guards and elders, and likely the bravest among them. Approaching the metal sky cart took a certain amount of boldness.


    D¡¯Jarric put a hand on Hrake¡¯s shoulder, saying ¡°thank you¡± in the travelers¡¯ tongue.


    ¡°Our guests thank you,¡± Hrake said to the crowd. ¡°They bear gifts for King Zrykyk, if he will see them.¡±


    The captain of the city guard, who stood by Rhenka, sent one of his men to the city to relay the message. Rhenka approached the travelers.


    Hello, she said to them via T-wave. I have long waited to meet such as you.


    Raivyn was shocked by the elderly turtle¡¯s ability to speak to them so clearly. ¡°You speak Talpaertan?¡± she asked aloud.


    I am sorry. I do not understand your tongue. May we speak this way?


    Yes, replied Raivyn.


    You must meet our king, Zrykyk. He remained behind in the city to prepare in case you attacked us. I am afraid our king is a fool, but he is our king regardless. Come, I will take you to him.


    Rhenka led the procession once again, but this time Hrake and Talon Squad followed behind her, the guards and elders falling in behind. The stone walled city sat on a ledge atop a hill that overlooked the field. The massive wooden gates were already swung open on their huge bronze hinges by the time the group reached them, and they walked in without challenge or incident. In the streets of Gred, merchants and laborers either fled into nearby buildings or stood dumbstruck as the divine procession moved through the streets to the King¡¯s palace. The buildings were all stone, many with wooden doors and trim. Much of the wood and stone had intricate carvings of characters or blocky geometric designs, a few inlaid with gemstones. Reclan surreptitiously snapped a few pictures for the expedition¡¯s records.


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    ¡°Elder Shaman Rhenka,¡± said Hrake, ¡°the situation is more complicated than you may know, at least for me. Zrykyk sent Gevrok and his brothers to kill me while I was on my visionquest. Only Gevrok survived. It may be best that I don¡¯t approach the king right now.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± retorted the shaman with a careless air. It seemed that nothing could take the old psychic by surprise. ¡°You must use the opportunity to rebuke your uncle, though you must do it subtly. Now, Hrake, what omen did you receive?¡±


    ¡°The only flying ¡®creature¡¯ I saw was the traveler¡¯s sky cart,¡± he said, unsurprised that the shaman had simply moved the conversation to a new topic. ¡°They call it a shuttle.¡±


    The shaman smiled, then turned back towards the palace, beginning to walk up the steps. ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ***


    The first half of the trip had been quiet to the point of being dull. Crush was beginning to worry that the pirates wouldn''t show and that this whole trip would be a bust. That was, until a stealth missile slammed into the side of the ship.


    Crush rocked with the explosion and managed to keep her footing.


    She reached for her comm. "Captain Tank, do we have a point of origin for that attack?"


    "Yes, Admiral," answered Tank. "We''ve got a trajectory, leastwise, and we''re deploying boarding skiffs in that direction."


    "Excellent. I''ll be joining them in the star tree."


    Boarding her star tree, she took off after the shield skiffs. An innovation of her own design, the shield skiffs were troop transports loaded with boarding gear that had small, dense EM and physical shielding on the prow. It seemed like a simple concept, but the Ramshackle Collective would never have sunk the resources it took to protect boarding parties like that. However, it resulted in a far higher landing rate for skiffs, the real danger being what the boarding parties faced when they dismounted.


    Soon the pirate vessel came into view. It was a boxy freighter of Talpidarian design retrofitted with antique cannons. The cannons were functional, however, and fired on the approaching skiffs. To Crush''s delight the shots bounced off the shields, doing almost no damage.


    The skiffs made contact with the pirate freighter, attaching grounding wires that would redirect the current if the hull had an anti-boarding electrical charge. The crews dismounted, locking onto the hull with mag-boots and immediately setting to work on the airlock. Using plasma torches, they made short work of the door and ripped it from its melted, white-hot hinges. The pirates attacked immediately, both from the airlock and the aether. They had posted some grunts, mostly Krauqians from what Crush could see, in the airlock with aetherwalk gear and pumped the air out, making ready for a counter attack. In addition, a small contingent of fighters had emerged from the ship¡¯s hangar, firing on the skiffs.


    ¡°Skiff pilots and boarding party two, train your fire on enemy fighters,¡± said Crush. ¡°I¡¯ll draw their fire. Boarding party one, keep up the good work.¡±


    The airlock was only wide enough for two or three combatants to stand shoulder-to-shoulder, and the FRF had to transition from walking on the outside of the hull to walking inside the ship.


    ¡°Fall back!¡± called out the leader of the first boarding party, a wide, masculine robot. His troops stepped back and he tossed a grenade into the airlock. The explosion threw most of the grunts out into the aether, never to be seen again. The boarding party climbed into the airlock and started working on the inner door.


    Crush was busy with the fighters, which were primarily of Talpadarian design but had aftermarket repair parts that looked more streamlined, likely Krauqian or Wabuluban in origin. You didn¡¯t serve in the Ramshackle Collective for as long as Crush had without developing an eye for these kinds of things.


    Talpadarian fighters were not known for their maneuverability, and Crush had shot down two of the five before one of her skiffs were destroyed. The remaining skiffs took out a third. Crush focused on pursuing one of the two remaining fighters, allowing the other free rein to fire on her star tree. Her hull held up, at least long enough for her to finish off the first fighter and round on the second. Between her and the skiff¡¯s guns, they had soon destroyed all five.


    ¡°Admiral, this is boarding party one,¡± said the boarding party¡¯s leader over the comms. ¡°We¡¯ve made it through the second door but we¡¯re bottlenecked in the airlock. Looks like the whole crew has aetherwalk gear on.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± replied Crush. ¡°Boarding party two, begin your assault now.¡±


    A second party latched onto the hull and, activating their magboots, stomped over to the cockpit of the freighter, staying out of view of those inside. Placing charges at the seam where the clear polymer windshield met the steel of the hull, they backed up and blew the charges. The metal became white hot but the seam didn¡¯t burst open as expected.


    Crush watched nervously from her star tree. The plan depended on taking out the pirate¡¯s commanding officers and then attacking the crew from two fronts. Neither could happen if the cockpit was impenetrable.


    A call came in, requesting a video link. She answered it, and a fat Krauqian male appeared on her screen, his wide head in an ill-fitting aetherwalk bubble.


    ¡°Ah, you must be the one the Ramshackle Collective calls the Psychic Scourge,¡± he said. ¡°I am Captain Truuk-Kal of the Mudhole, the ship you¡¯re currently attempting to board, and I am hoping we can talk this over.¡±


    Crush had not heard about her nickname before, and it gave her pause. However, she had other matters to attend to. She began typing furiously on her tablet as she spoke.


    ¡°No. The Free Revolutionary Fleet has been hired to put an end to your piracy, and we plan to. Unless you are offering unconditional surrender, then prepare for a fight to the death.¡±


    Truuk-Kal laughed. ¡°And can you offer me any assurances about my fate, should I surrender?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you know what ¡®unconditional¡¯ means, Captain. All I will assure is that I¡¯ll be handing you over to the Talpidarians. They¡¯re offering the largest bounty. I assumed as much when I saw the design of the Mudhole. From the records here, you wore out your welcome in Talpidarian space a long time ago, though they¡¯re eager to have you back, to the tune of several hundred thousand Republic platinum.¡±


    Truuk-Kal¡¯s face blanched, going from a deep, robust sage to a pale, mossy tan in a heartbeat.


    By now, the second boarding party had begun the hard work of cutting through the walls of the cockpit, and their efforts had resulted in a hole large enough for several grenades to be stuck into. The blast opened a massive hole in the side of the cockpit, and it knocked Truuk-Kal to the ground. It gave Crush a deep sense of satisfaction to see him fall from view on her screen. When he stood back up, he put his hands on top of his helmet in a show of surrender.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my chances with the Talpidarians, then,¡± he said glumly. Crush felt a rush of elation as she accepted the pirate¡¯s surrender. She hadn¡¯t been a mercenary long, but it certainly had its moments.

 Chapter 2.12: The Decrepit King

    Jylik sat at his desk, drumming his fingers on the living wooden surface. He should be out expanding Astralbian territory or subduing one of the local populations on the various worlds that had grown weary of Astralbian dominion. Instead, left with nothing better to do, he sat waiting for a communication he was increasingly sure would never come. His father was stuck in the past, but in all the wrong ways. He held onto traditions, he held onto myths like the Cornucopia Cluster, but he failed to hold on to the dream of the Empire¡¯s return to power. One day, not nearly soon enough, he would take the throne. The Republic and all the other worms of the galaxy would rue the day he rose to power.


    His daydream was rudely interrupted.


    ¡°Hello. This is your mysterious benefactor,¡± said the now-familiar voice. ¡°I have some new information for you.¡±


    ***


    Far away, on Kir147-WB1.08, Vanbrook marched with Talon Squad, Hrake, and the rest of the procession to the king¡¯s palace. The building was one of the few that was more than two stories high. It was three at the lowest, with one tower boasting a full five levels plus an upper deck with battlements for slingers to hide behind. A complement of six guards stood at the entrance, wearing bronze plate armor and holding massive hammers similar to the one Hrake carried but with larger heads. They each carried a short sword and a short-handled hammer ax on either hip. A seventh guard stepped out of the entrance and walked up to Rehkna, using his hammer as a walking stick rather than brandishing it. He was taller than the others, and his helmet was adorned with the same shining black stones that Rehkna wore. A sash of bright orange leather adorned his breastplate. He went to one knee before the shaman, then stood.


    He spoke calmly in the same hoarse, hissing language that Hrake used. Rehkna looked annoyed. She responded in a tone that could be universally recognized; that of an exasperated mother. Vanbrook suspected the massive guard was not actually the shaman¡¯s child, but the dynamic of the relationship was clear.


    ***


    Hrake shook his head. The king refused to see the visitors. He wasn¡¯t sure how they would react. Thus far they had been peaceful, but he and Rehkna had done all they could to be kind and accommodating. If they could make a metal box like the shuttle fly through the heavens as though they were driving a simple chariot over the dunes, he shuddered to think what they could do in their wrath.


    ¡°Hrynkak,¡± he said, addressing the guard. ¡°Cousin. If your father won¡¯t see our visitors, I humbly request that he would see me, so I may deliver the gifts they bring him, tell him of the omen I saw, and tell him what Gevrok and his brothers have done in his name.¡±


    Hrynkak paused, thinking.


    ¡°What has Gevrok done?¡± he asked at length.


    ¡°Due respect, cousin, but the matter is delicate. I would prefer to speak of it with the king,¡± said Hrake.


    ¡°Very well,¡± he responded. ¡°That must wait, I¡¯m afraid, while we address the matter of the gods you brought to our gates.¡±


    Hrake shook his head. ¡°They claim they are not gods, but mere travelers of the heavens.¡±


    ¡°Who can travel the heavens but the gods?¡± asked Hrynkak.


    ¡°I have been puzzling over the same riddle, cousin,¡± answered Hrake.


    ¡°Give me the gifts. I will see that the King receives them. Please take these¡­ travelers¡­ to my palace. I cannot force my father to see them, but I will give them as godly a welcome as I am able to under my own authority.¡±


    ¡°You are wise, cousin,¡± said Hrake, handing Hrynkak the crate of gifts. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ***


    Vanbrook watched the gifts exchange hands, concerned by the hold up. He was about to ask what was going on when the shaman woman¡¯s voice sounded in his mind, even as she dismissed the guards and elders who¡¯d accompanied them, and the party descended back down the stairs of the palace.


    I told you the king is a fool. He¡¯s refusing to see you, but the crown prince will welcome you into his home for now. There, we will talk more freely. I hope to learn much from you.


    Vanbrook looked towards the old turtle. She was stoic. There was no telling by looking at her that she had spoken.


    We hope that we can learn much from you, as well.


    This time the voice was D¡¯Jarric¡¯s. Vanbrook shook his head, not sure he liked having his mind be part of some kind of open comms channel.


    ***


    Jasken paced the bridge while he waited for Prime Minister Skritka to answer. Discovering a new race of sapients was always a headache. Not that he resented them, just that they required a lot of paperwork and diplomacy.


    Skritka¡¯s pointed face appeared on the screen before Jasken. He was a Talpidarian male with a thin build and a pointed goatee, wearing perfunctory Griffonian formalwear. As the Griffon Republic¡¯s head of state, he was Jasken¡¯s point of contact for major events - such as the discovery of new sapients.


    ¡°Admiral,¡± he said in a mild voice, ¡°you reported a new sapient species on Kir147-WB1.08?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Prime Minister. A biological race of humanoid reptilians. Strong similarities to turtles. Evidently strong and a little over six feet tall on average. They¡¯ve achieved bronze smithing, and are accomplished stonesmiths and carpenters.¡±


    ¡°Do we have a name for their species?¡± asked Skritka.


    ¡°No,¡± replied Jasken, ¡°but Talon Squad has delivered the gift package to a king of some kind. We don¡¯t know how much of the planet he controls.¡±


    ¡°Was the king amiable?¡±


    Jasken smoothed his mustache. ¡°Not particularly. He declined to see them. However, the crown prince and the head elder have been more hospitable. They¡¯re being housed at the crown prince¡¯s palace for now.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Anything else of note?¡±


    ¡°They appear to believe D¡¯Jarric is a god, much to his chagrin.¡±


    Skritka laughed. ¡°Of course they do. I¡¯ll relay the information to the Houses of Parliament - this time. If and when the king deigns to communicate with us, I¡¯ll expect you to be by his side. Goodbye, Admiral.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Prime Minister. All other information gathered, including transcripts and images, will be filed along with the first contact report immediately. Jasken out.¡±


    ***


    Down below, Rehkna had gathered Hrake and Talon Squad in Hrynkak¡¯s palace. They were greeted by Hrynkak¡¯s wife, Grehi, and their two children, Hrakna and Hrip. The children each held wooden hammers modeled after the Hrudukite¡¯s preferred weapons, but scaled down for the youngsters. Hrip, the younger of the two and a male, waved his toy hammer menacingly at their guests while Hrakna, his older sister, rolled her eyes and pulled him back by the elbow. Vanbrook smiled at the little terror and his sister as they entered. Grehi dipped her head gracefully.


    Welcome, honored guests, she said with Rehkna¡¯s help. I will lead you to the courtyard and leave you to your business. Please let the servants know if they can be of help in any way.


    The courtyard was planted with a multitude of beautiful, if somewhat wilted, blooming trees and plants of every imaginable shade and texture. Raivyn could only imagine how much more beautiful and vibrant the space would be if not for the drought. A stone path from each of the four walls wound through the gardens and the center was paved with a circle of stones, nearly ten feet in diameter.


    Rehkna strode to the center of the courtyard and sat at the edge of the circle, facing inward. She motioned for the others to join her. When all seven had sat, Rehkna began.


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    When I was a child, I was visited by one of the gods. Like the gods of old, this being looked as we do, with scale and shell, but with skin like yours, D¡¯Jarric. This god told me that one day five travelers would come to Hruduk from the heavens, and would bear the truth. Now that day has come. Tell me, travelers, what truth do you bear?


    The truth of the Progenitor, good shaman, answered D¡¯Jarric. There is no god but him. We call him the Progenitor. He created all, both living and inert; both god and mortal.


    Then he created the gods that visited my ancestors, and the one who visited me, and you? asked the shaman.


    Yes, answered D¡¯Jarric again. I am a Solaran, a being of energy dwelling in a star. The image you see before you is my avatar; my true form is many, many miles from here. I suspect the gods who visited you once before were of my kind, but had rebelled against the Progenitor. A war was waged against such, and if they have disappeared it is because they were banished by the Progenitor himself. The messenger who visited you I can only guess at, as I am not aware of any such message, nor did I know of your people until now. None know all, save the Progenitor, even among the Solarans.


    I see, responded Rehkna. Hrake, you saw the omen of the shuttle, what do you make of it?


    It is the sign of a new age, replied the warrior. An age in which we must follow the teachings of this Progenitor, who promised us this truth; a promise entrusted to you by his messenger many years ago.


    You are wise, Hrake, said Rehkna. Wise indeed. And I give you this quest: travel with these travelers, if they will have you. Learn from them all you can.


    We will have him, said D¡¯Jarric.


    Woah, woah, woah, interjected Vanbrook. We¡¯re gonna have to clear that with Jasken.


    Jasken? asked Rehkna. Does he speak for the Progenitor?


    Not exactly, said Raivyn. He is in command of our expedition.


    There are more of you? asked Hrake.


    Yes, answered Raivyn. Many more. Many on this expedition, and many more on other worlds, much like¡­ what did you call your world? Hruduk?


    Yes, Hruduk. And if this Jasken allows, I will see these worlds? asked Hrake. There was an urgency in his voice that carried no anxiousness.


    Some, I suppose, answered D¡¯Jarric. We are looking for new worlds, I could not tell you for certain what we will find.


    Reclan and Doc Manford, you have not spoken. What do you have to say? asked the shaman.


    Nothing, I guess? answered Relcan. Something nudged her, like a psychic kick to the chin from Raivyn. She looked up to see the psychic eying her with expectant sternness. Um, we¡¯re happy to be here? Thanks for the warm welcome.


    Little to say, said Doc brokenly. Psychic speak not work well for me.


    Perhaps your helmet blocks the tethers? asked Rehkna.


    No helmet, answered Doc. Construct.


    Doc is what we call a ¡°Robot,¡± clarified Raivyn. He is constructed of metal and powered by electricity.


    Rehkna laughed aloud. Truly the universe is bigger and more full of wonder than we could ever know.


    A servant entered the courtyard.


    ¡°The king will see Hrake and elder Rehkna now,¡± she said in Hrudukite.


    ¡°Then we will go to him,¡± sighed Hrake. ¡°Though I take it the others are not to come with me?¡±


    The servant shook her head.


    ***


    Out of respect for her authority, Hrake let Rehkna lead as they marched to the throne room. She was silent, and he dared not interrupt her thoughts.


    Hrynkak met them at the solid bronze door to the throne room, shuffling anxiously.


    "My father will try to kill you, Hrake," he said in a low voice. "He has grown paranoid in his old age. He is convinced you seek to overthrow him."


    "You know my heart, Cousin," replied Hrake. "And if I die, I die knowing that I did no wrong to deserve it, and knowing more about the heavens than any before me, save Rehkna. That is a life well lived."


    "You are brave and bold as ever, Cousin," replied Hrynkak. "It may be those qualities which seal your fate, but perhaps you should be king instead of my Father or I."


    "The throne is yours, Crown Prince Hrynkak, and gods- no- Progenitor willing, I will see you in it some day."


    Hrynkak cocked a scaly eyebrow under his helmet. "It sounds as though we have much to discuss, Cousin, when time allows.


    "Sadly, this is where I leave you. Father has me watching the palace gate."


    "Then watch it faithfully," commended Hrake.


    Hrynkak nodded and turned to go, marching obediently to the gate. No sooner had he done so than the bronze door before Hrake and Rhenka swung open, revealing the King''s inner court.


    King Zrykyk sat on a throne of wood and bronze built on top of a stone dias inlaid with bronze and black stone. He was at once both fat and withered, his bony limbs hung with loose, puffy skin, and heavy bags fell from under the graying eyes sunk into his skeletal face. Behind him was a bronze relief featuring a gold-plated Hrudukite male with up-raised arms, a black lighting bolt arcing between his hands; Skyfire, the god of cataclysms. Smaller, similar images of the other gods, such as Pitmaw, the god of death and Earthseed, the goddess of harvests, surrounded Skyfire¡¯s seal. On either side of the throne, in less ornate chairs, sat the elders, though the seat to Zrykyk''s right hand, where Rehkna should have sat, was empty.


    Rehkna dipped her head and Hrake went to one knee, each of them showing proper respect to their king according to their station.


    "You called us, my lord, and we answered," said Rehkna. "May I be so bold as to ask why you would see your us, rather than your exalted guests? They have many exciting things to tell you."


    "You may not be so bold, though I expect you shall be. You took it upon yourself to meet the gods when I urged patience. Now my elders have told me what these gods would say, and I will not hear you gainsay them!"


    "Oh?" asked Rehkna. "And what do these travelers, whom you have not deigned to see, say?"


    ¡°Elders?¡± asked Zrykyk.


    Rehkna turned her withering gaze on the gathered elders, but they would not meet her eyes.


    ¡°The gods have said that Hrake dishonored them by boarding their chariot,¡± said Rukyk, one of the elders who had joined Rehkna in greeting the travelers.


    ¡°They said no such thing,¡± said Rehkna. ¡°I have held council with them; you have not.¡±


    ¡°So you say,¡± said the King. ¡°But why would I trust you, since you have allied yourself with Hrake, the usurper?¡±


    ¡°King Zrykyk, I am no usurper,¡± said Hrake. ¡°And the elders are simply feeding you the lies you want to hear. Perhaps it was they who sent Gevrok and his brothers to kill me, approaching the Seat of Fire by chariot? It is them and those like them who dishonor the gods. Cast them out and listen to Rehkna. She brings a revelation that overshadows any dispute over the throne.¡±


    ¡°So you admit you dispute the throne?¡± said Zrykyk.


    Rehkna slammed the end of her hammer-staff on the stone floor.


    ¡°You old fool!¡± she declared. ¡°You abandon reason in pursuit of power. Your paranoia will not be your salvation, but your downfall!¡±


    ¡°Worst of all, Hrake, you insulted the gods by destroying their gift.¡± With this, the king reached into the crate sitting by the throne, took the shell harp, and threw it to the ground at Hrake¡¯s feet, where it shattered.


    Hrake shook his head in open disgust. ¡°Who will dare bear witness that I did this thing?¡±


    The elders stood, one at a time, in acknowledgement that they would bear such witness.


    ¡°Then I stand condemned,¡± said Hrake, struggling to keep his voice even in the face of injustice. ¡°Only, grant me this: trial by ordeal. Tell me what symbol of the old gods I must face. If I can slay it, then the Progenitor has seen fit to save me; if I cannot, then these elders speak the truth.¡± He snorted his contempt, his nostrils flaring.


    ¡°Who is this Progenitor?¡± asked the King, his eyes darting back and forth between the shaman and the warrior.


    ¡°He is the one true creator and god, whom the travelers have come to tell us of,¡± said Rehkna. ¡°The visions of my youth have come to fruition in my final years.¡±


    ¡°So you bring me betrayal and blasphemy. I grant you your ordeal, Hrake. But it will be for Rehkna¡¯s fate, as well.¡±


    ¡°Not only that,¡± said Hrake, ¡°but for the throne as well.¡±


    ¡°The truth comes out!¡± exclaimed the King.


    ¡°Not for me, but for your son, who is fit to rule! You have become a cruel, paranoid old man! If you will not step down of your own free will, step down in keeping with the will of the gods!¡±


    ¡°SO BE IT!¡± raged Zrykyk. His jowls shook and his graying eyes bulged in their sockets. ¡°Elder Rukyk! Write down the terms! If Hrake survives, he is pardoned along with Rehkna and my son inherits the throne immediately. If he dies, so do Rehkna and Hrynkak! The ordeal will be the slaying of the Roach Lord of the Mountains of Wasting, the servant of Pitmaw, who shall bear witness with the other gods. Do you accept, Hrake?¡±


    Hrake clenched his fist around the hilt of his hammer. The king had turned the challenge on him. He did not fear the Roach Lord, but loathed to bet Hrynkak¡¯s life without his knowledge. He hated to think what Grehi¡¯s fate would be if her husband was executed. She would be thrown out of Hrynkak¡¯s palace, to be sure, and would have to raise their children alone, shunned by the populace. However, rejecting the challenge now would simply lead to the summary execution of himself, Rehkna, and Hrynkak.


    He raised his head, looking into the King¡¯s eyes. ¡°I accept.¡±

 Chapter 2.13: Hrakes Ordeal

    Agent Chully chewed on his tablet¡¯s stylus as he thought. He¡¯d been trying to kick the habit since his earliest school days, but no amount of scolding or beating seemed to help. He ruffled his short, velvety buzzcut and looked over at his partner, who was standing behind a desk in an office they¡¯d commandeered as a base of operations when they¡¯d arrived on Shredvrak.


    ¡°Any thoughts, Huluna?¡± he asked.


    The Wabuluban female shook her head. ¡°From what I¡¯ve been able to find in a quick records search, the Koomites are surprisingly far-reaching. There are chapters throughout the Republic, and even a few back home in the Wabuluban Kingdom. There¡¯s a good chance there are some hush-hush chapters in Astralbian territory, as well. However, this is the first report of violent activity associated with the cult.


    ¡°What are you seeing in the on-site evidence?¡±


    ¡°Eh, not much,¡± said Chully. ¡°The psychic Keshri killed was the chapter¡¯s priest. I couldn¡¯t find any evidence in his communications that he was ordered to do this by his higher-ups. And said higher-ups used pseudonyms and untraceable messaging, of course.


    ¡°But it was all mundane stuff, as cults go. Membership dues, doctrinal questions, excitement about the Cornucopia Cluster being found and what that meant. I can see some violent intent on our local priest¡¯s part in retrospect, but the leadership never comments on it or condones it.¡±


    ¡°Send me the messages, I guess,¡± said Huluna with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can dig up any connections between them and the known chapters. We need to start piecing together who¡¯s who and what¡¯s where before another chapter goes homicidal. It¡¯s already an open secret that the Blue Griffon Fleet is looking for Koo L¡¯Koom¡¯s supposed stomping grounds. Progenitor help us if they actually find it.¡±


    ***


    Meanwhile, on Kir147-WB1.08, also known as Hruduk, Vanbrook was admiring a orange and purple sunset on one of the Crown Prince¡¯s balconies.


    ¡°Reminds you of Hittania, doesn¡¯t it?¡± asked a voice behind him.


    He turned to see Raivyn, sipping on a mug of something warm.


    ¡°Maybe a little,¡± said Vanbrook with a smirk. Their time on Hittania had been hectic, to say the least, but the planet¡¯s beauty was something that stuck with them. ¡°Hruduk has its own charms. The volcanic dunes are something to see, anyhow. What are you drinking?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called yrati,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s a kind of floral tea.¡±


    Vanbrook shook his head. ¡°You and your floral teas. Any good?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no tavan blossom, but it has its own charms, as they say.¡±


    ¡°Hey, uh, I wanted to ask,¡± stammered Vanbrook. ¡°All that stuff D¡¯Jarric said about gods and wars and whatever.¡±


    ¡°Um, yes?¡± asked Raivyn, still looking for the question.


    ¡°Do you ever feel like DJ knows more than he lets on?¡± he managed to blurt out. ¡°I dunno. It sounds stupid when I say it out loud.¡±


    ¡°No, I think-¡± but Raivyn was interrupted when Hrynkak returned to the courtyard, joined by Hrake and Rehkna. Vanbrook and Raivyn rushed in from the balcony to the inner part of the building, where they could see the courtyard. The crown prince was bellowing and hissing, clearly enraged, though it didn¡¯t seem to be aimed at anyone present.


    We must talk, said Rehkna, locking eyes with Raivyn.


    ***


    The following morning, Hrake prepared to face his ordeal. Talon Squad had scrambled to find him a way out of the mess but Hrake insisted that this was the way it must be. Besides that, Jasken had reminded them, the IGC didn¡¯t permit direct interference with local politics until a sapient race had been fully registered and briefed on their rights. It was an area of law with many gray areas and loopholes, but interfering with legal proceedings was strictly off-limits.


    After a simple breakfast of bread and fruits, they were led to a team of chariots hitched to massive desert hounds. The King, the Elders, Talon Squad, and the accused all climbed into the chariots, escorted by two chariots with three guards each. The accused each had their own chariot, and were shackled to it. Gevrok, now sporting an eyepatch, served as Hrake¡¯s driver, and sneered cruelly at him as he fitted him with shackles. Hrake wore a solemn expression as Gevrok barked an order at the hound pulling his chariot, starting the procession in earnest.


    The wide-wheeled chariots pulled them through the desert to the north, until they were in the shadow of the mountains Talon Squad had landed by, though somewhat to the east. The chariots all pulled to a stop, and the King pulled in front of Hrake, wheeling his chariot so it served as a podium. He began speaking.


    I will translate, said Rehkna in Talon Squad¡¯s mind.


    I¡¯d rather just put a bullet in the king¡¯s head, thought Vanbrook.


    That would be ill-advised, Vanbrook, replied the shaman.


    Oh, uh, did I think that out loud? thought Vanbrook apologetically. He really didn¡¯t care for this method of communication.


    The King says: this trial by ordeal is agreed to as recorded. The warrior Hrake stands accused of blasphemy and sedition, as do Elder Shaman Rehkna and Crown Prince Hrynkak. If Hrake can return with the head of the Roach Lord of the Mountains of Wasting, very the Gates of the Underworld, all three will be pardoned. If he fails, his co-conspirators are condemned and will die by the hammer. We praise the gods for visiting us, and pray that they are pleased by the justice done this day.


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    Woah, interjected Reclan, looking down at a warning on her tablet. These mountains are seriously radioactive. We really shouldn¡¯t get any closer without proper protective gear. Is that why the King is sending Hrake here? To give him radiation poisoning?


    Not everything you say makes sense, responded Rehkna. But yes, the very air is poisonous there. Hrake must work quickly.


    Gevrok turned to Hrake and unlocked his shackles, then spit on his face. Hrake wiped the spittle away without any change in expression and turned to another guard, who handed him his weapons. He slung his knife around his waist along with his sling and a few stones and hefted his hammer to his shoulder.


    He walked silently into the rising hills, the sun just beginning to set as he strode across the black sands.


    ***


    Nearly an hour later, Hrake made it to the foothills, where the Roach Lord¡¯s lair was. The towering gray rocks were smooth here, blasted by the winds and sands of the Black Dunes. The cave where the Roach Lord lived was well known among the citizens of Gred, and it was avoided at all costs. The Mountains of Wasting were the gates to the underworld, and the Roach Lord was the guard thereof. Finding his quarry would not be the problem. He soon found himself standing before the gaping maw of the cavern, and already the poison seeping from the underworld made his stomach turn.


    ¡°Progenitor,¡± Hrake prayed aloud, ¡°If you are truly the one creator, god of gods, help me now.¡±


    He bellowed fiercely, looking to fight the Roach Lord in honorable, single combat, as the ordeal demanded. A screeching roar answered his call, and the beast emerged from the cave on six long, spindly legs. It stood nearly ten feet at the shoulder and had a face like a dragon, with a long, angular snout and two long, jagged mandibles that resembled a jawbone when brought together. Two bulging black eyes emerged from its skeletal, armored face, and its powerful, lithe body was covered in shiny, dark brown armored plates from its long neck to its whip-like tail. Two great, insectoid wings covered its back. Facing an enemy nearly forty feet long, Hrake felt dwarfed, but not cowed.


    He adjusted his grip on his hammer, eying the beast warily. The first move was the monster''s. As expected, it began by firing a plume of boiling acid from a set of glands located on the end of its snout.


    Hrake dove to the side, rolling away from the deadly spray. He grunted as a single drip splashed onto his heel, leaving a scorching sore. He rose to his feet, his head swimming as the poisonous air around him began to take effect.


    He locked eyes with the beast again, trying to gauge its intention. It struck suddenly, but Hrake''s honed reflexes brought his hammer up in a parrying blow quickly enough to deflect the razor-sharp mandibles.


    Taking advantage of the roach''s vulnerability, Hrake stabbed out with the spearhead of his hammer, piercing the soft flesh between the plates of the beast''s armor. It let out a hissing roar and rounded on Hrake, spraying another blast of acid. Hrake dodged again, but this time his left shoulder was drenched. He roared in pain, fighting the instinct to grasp the wound, fearing the acid would burn his hand, as well.


    He stumbled behind a boulder, the acid still smoking and hissing as it deformed his scales and skin. He held his hammer in his right hand, ready to strike when the moment came. However, the Roach Lord seemed content to wait, at least for the moment. Hrake slowly put the butt of his hammer¡¯s staff out in sight of the beast, and there was a sudden, violent spray of acid. He pulled the hammer back, shaking it to fling the boiling poison from the staff. The nausea and dizziness he felt reminded him his time was short. He needed to act.


    Taking out one of his sling stones and his knife, he threw the stone to one side, where it cracked into a boulder, breaking the silence of the stand-off. As soon as he heard the crack, he stepped around the boulder he had been hiding behind and threw his knife. His aim was true and the knife sank into the Roach Lord¡¯s eye. The beast screamed in murderous rage.


    Hrake stumbled back behind the boulder, trying to stay out of sight of the monster, and almost fell into the puddle of acid that still smoldered on the ground. He managed to jump over the hazard, but tumbled to the ground, coming to rest on his shell, exposed to the beast. The Roach Lord was frantically raking one of its forelimbs over its face, eventually dislodging the knife. Blue-green gore now ran from the eye socket as it turned its head to find its prey. Locking onto Hrake, it stomped forward. The warrior managed to bring himself to his knees, but was too weak from the acid and the poisoned air to do so much as to raise his hammer. Despite his best efforts and the wounds he had inflicted, he could not defeat the beast.


    He had spoken the truth when he said he did not fear to die, but he was loath to bring Rehkna and Hrynkak with him.


    ¡°Progenitor,¡± he said simply. ¡°I cannot do this.¡±


    Then it happened. A breeze stirred, and Hrake drew it into his lungs. He felt like he was filled with fire. With a strength not his own, he stood and leapt towards the Roach Lord, hammer raised over his head by his one good arm. The beast shot another blast of boiling acid, but it passed harmlessly under Hrake as he brought his hammer down in a mighty blow.


    ***


    King Zrykyk shuffled and muttered as the sun fell lower and lower in the sky.


    ¡°Surely he is dead now, lord,¡± Gevrok said to him. ¡°If the Roach Lord didn¡¯t devour him the poisoned air of the Mountains has claimed him.¡±


    Zrykyk waved his henchman away. ¡°You out of all of us should know how hard Hrake is to kill.¡±


    But the hours wore on, and the King¡¯s patience waned.


    ¡°Hrake has failed his ordeal,¡± he declared. ¡°He has met his proper fate. Now the others must meet theirs.¡± The king kept his face stony, but would not meet his son¡¯s eyes, which were burning with hatred as they regarded Zrykyk.


    When Vanbrook saw that the prisoners were being led to the open sand, and that the Hrudukite with the eyepatch walking towards them brandishing his hammer, he rose from where he had sat in the sand, approaching them with his hand on his revolver.


    ¡°Vanbrook, you can¡¯t interfere!¡± shouted Raivyn.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point in being a god if you can¡¯t exact judgment?¡± he retorted, running over and standing between Gevrok and Rehkna.


    He stood toe to toe with Gevrok, who was a head taller than he was and nearly twice as wide. Vanbrook snarled up at him, and the Hrudukite regarded him with fearful curiosity.


    We put ourselves in the hands of the Progenitor, Vanbrook. Not you. Stand down.


    Vanbrook obeyed the elder shaman hesitantly, slinking back over to where the rest of Talon Squad stood but keeping an eye on Gevrok the whole time. The mad king would get what he wanted after all. Once proper relations with the Hrudukites were established, Vanbrook would do everything in his power to take down this cruel despot.


    ¡°Wait!¡± cried Reclan, pointing to the north. ¡°There¡¯s something on the horizon!¡±


    Following her finger, the whole party looked north to see a tiny speck. Gevrok nodded to the guard behind Rehkna and she was forced to her knees. He hefted his hammer.


    ¡°Wait!¡± cried Elder Rukyk. ¡°We must see the ordeal out to the end.¡±


    Gevrok paused, looking to the King, but the King was silent. He grudgingly lowered his hammer and turned to the speck. It had grown bigger.


    ¡°Surveillance is not interference,¡± muttered Reclan. She activated a drone and flew it towards the speck. It quickly resolved itself on her screen, and her face split into a toothy grin. Talon Squad gathered around to see an image of Hrake, looking exhausted, but carrying the severed head of some kind of massive insectoid monster. The Squad broke into cheers, showing the screen to everyone in turn.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this strange mirror?¡± demanded the King.


    ¡°It would seem it shows the truth,¡± said Rehkna, squinting into the distance.


    Soon enough the image on the screen could be seen with the naked eye, and Hrake slammed the Roach Lord¡¯s severed head to the ground at the feet of King Zrykyk.

 Chapter 2.14: A New Traveler

    The King looked down at the severed head in shock. It had a massive hole between the eyes, the armor plate split with cracks that crawled across the surface like thunderbolts.


    ¡°You should be dead,¡± he said, staring murderously into Hrake¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Yes, I should,¡± replied the warrior. He bore hideous wounds on his left shoulder, and his knees shook as he stood. ¡°The Progenitor gave me strength to slay my foe. I am cleared of any guilt, as are Elder Shaman Rehkna and Crown Prince Hrynkak. Now fulfill your promise. In the presence of the Elders, grant your crown to your son.¡±


    The king''s eyes snapped over to Gevrok, who still stood over Rehkna. He hefted his hammer, but his eyes went wide as thousands of cold hands grabbed him, seizing him in place. He strained, forcing his eyes to look down his beak into Rehkna¡¯s. She was staring through him, into his mind, holding him still with her powers. Unable to keep his balance, he toppled backwards. The guards all looked at one another, trying to gauge the others¡¯ intentions.


    A mad rush ensued as guards rushed to the prisoners, some hoping to kill them, others trying to protect them. The guard behind the prince cut his bonds and handed him his hammer. Vanbrook jumped in, deflecting hammer blows with his saber to protect the prince.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interfering with politics,¡± he reasoned aloud, ¡°I¡¯m preventing a violent coup.¡±


    The king pulled his knife and tried to stab Hrake in the throat. Even in his weakened state the warrior managed to grab the King¡¯s wrist and throw it aside, a look of contempt on his face. Seeing Gevrok trying to stand up, Hrake hefted his hammer to crush the coward¡¯s skull.


    ¡°Enough!¡± shouted a voice. The battle stopped. Two guards lay dead in the sand. Others had their weapons crossed in combat. Hrake lowered his hammer gently, letting it fall into the sand by Gevrok¡¯s head.


    ¡°Enough,¡± said Hrynkak, repeating himself. ¡°Enough of our blood has been spilled.


    ¡°Father,¡± he said imploringly, ¡°look what your madness has wrought! The gods have answered your charges against your kith and kin, and found them innocent. Step down. Let the burden of kingship fall to me. You will live out your days in peace.¡±


    The King looked around bitterly.


    ¡°You have the throne,¡± he said, spitting on the ground, ¡°but not my loyalty. I will go to my palace to the south. Leave me be.¡±


    ¡°So be it,¡± said Hrynkak, King of Gred.


    The former king climbed into his chariot and wheeled it around, followed by Gevrok and a small fraction of the guards. None of the elders followed.


    ¡°Come,¡± said Hrynkak, ¡°there is much work to be done.¡±


    ***


    Jasken''s eyebrow remained raised as the day''s events were related to him.


    "Now we''re on our way back to Gred, where Hrynkak plans to cement his rule," concluded Raivyn.


    "You''ve been busy, I see," said the Admiral, smoothing his mustache. "Vanbrook in particular. IGC Enforcement isn''t going to like that there was a regime change less than seventy-two hours after you landed."


    Raivyn shrugged. "We were a catalyst, at best. Change was coming."


    "Yes, but if the inspectors think we put our thumb on the scale it will spell trouble for the expedition. We''ve requested the Hrudukite intake proceedings be kept out of the public eye due to the nature of our expedition, which should give us at least some short term cover. The IGC is only as powerful as its member nations allow it to be and the Republic is one of the most influential, so they''d be wise to cut us a little slack.


    "As far as your other request goes, I''ll send it up the chain but I warn you now I''m going to recommend against allowing it.¡±


    "You''re referring to letting Hrake join the expedition?" Raivyn asked.


    "Yes," replied Jasken. "The Republic would be happy to host any reasonable number of representatives from the Hrudukite nations, but having an unknown warrior join with our clandestine expedition seems ill-advised. Ultimately that will be up to the Prime Minister."


    "I agree in large part, sir," said Raivyn. "But the psychic, Rehkna - she gave him the quest - and it felt¡­ it felt like a prophecy, y''know?"


    Jasken shook his head. "No, I''m afraid I don''t know."


    Raivyn gathered her courage, knowing her thoughts were out of character. "I think the Progenitor is at work here."


    Jasken huffed. It was an involuntary reaction, and he regretted it immediately. He believed in the Progenitor, of course, but he was wary of supernatural interpretations of events.


    "Well," he said carefully, "it doesn''t seem prudent. But, again, the decision isn''t up to me. I will pass on your comments."


    "Fair enough, Admiral," she said. "I wanted to ask you something else, as well."


    "Go ahead."


    "I was curious how soon we plan to leave Hruduk?"


    Jasken frowned in thought. "Depends entirely when we find a suitable planet to jump to. We have a few candidates, but nothing concrete. The shields are fully charged, so we''re prepared on that front. The Wingspan will need to touch down to take on water, but that won¡¯t take long. What are you thinking?"


    "Not sure, Admiral," she answered thoughtfully, "but the mountains to the east of our landing site appear to be highly radioactive. It''s likely to be very rich in uranium or other fissile materials. It could be an extremely valuable resource for both us and the Hrudukites, but there''s a taboo on the area. I want to explore it but I''ll need to use a light touch."


    "Very good, look into while you wait for further orders. Providence shine on you."


    "You too, Admiral."


    ***


    The next day, Hrynkak called a special assembly in the city''s amphitheater. Over one hundred thousand Gredites filled the seats, and Talon Squad sat on the stage along with Rehkna, Hrake, and the Elders. King Hrynkak, Queen Grehi, and their children stood front and center, looking over the gathered crowd with pride. A tarp covered a large object, roughly three or four feet in any given direction, before them.


    When the flow of citizens into the amphitheater died down to a slow trickle, Hrynkak stood and addressed the crowd.


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    "Gredites! It is true: my father has abdicated the throne to me, in fulfillment of the agreement struck concerning Warrior Hrake''s trial by ordeal."


    Mumors broke out among the crowd, and Hrake thought they sounded like a mix of appreciation and frustration.


    "Here is proof of his victory," said the King.


    He tore the tarp off the mysterious object, and the crowd erupted into gasps as they saw the crushed and severed head of the Roach Lord. Slowly the gasps gave way to cheers.


    "My cousin has brought a new age to the City of Gred. My father made many errors, and grew mad in his old age, but Hrake saw a better future in me. I will not let him down, nor will I let you down, my people."


    More cheers erupted.


    "Cousin, come, tell your story, and that of the travelers."


    Hrake''s shoulder and foot were wrapped in bandages, but he was recovering nicely under the medical care of Doc Manford and Rehkna. Doc had been hesitant to let the primitive physician help at first, but his natural curiosity about the medicinal properties of the local flora and Rehkna''s patient way softened him eventually. Wincing as his bandages rubbed his raw skin, he walked up beside his cousin.


    "It is true," Hrake said, looking down at the stage. Speaking to the elders was one thing, but speaking to over one hundred thousand others made him feel like he was back at the Mountains of Wasting. "It was my hammer that killed the Roach Lord. However, I did not slay the guardian of the underworld with my own strength, or by the strength of Skyfire, but by the strength of the one who created all." As he spoke, clouds rolled in over the amphitheater. "For generation upon generation, we have served absent gods, and our reward has been barren fields." A rumble could be heard in the darkening skies above. "These travelers behind me have brought news of the Progenitor." A cool wind swept through the amphitheater, threatening to drown out Hrake''s voice. "I for one will worship the creator, rather than the created."


    The storm broke loose suddenly, immediately drenching those on stage as well as the crowd. Seeing the first rain in over a month, and the first significant rain in over a year, the crowd burst into cheers. General celebration gave way to cheers in support of King Hrynkak and the Progenitor.


    Hrake smiled and stepped back, letting the Progenitor have the stage and grateful to be done with his stint with public speaking.


    ***


    "What are you saying, Prime Minister?" asked Jasken incredulously.


    "That I am granting Hrake a junior position on Talon Squad for the remainder of the expedition, or until he feels his "quest" is complete, whichever comes first." Stritka stroked his goatee in thought. "I can''t fully explain it, but Raivyn''s words are weighing on me. I don¡¯t think we should stand in the way of the Progenitor¡¯s will.¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± said Jasken, exasperated. ¡°I strongly advise against putting an unvetted soldier who, up until this week, believed bronze smithing was the most advanced technology in the galaxy on my interstellar expedition.¡±


    ¡°And your concerns are noted. I¡¯ll gladly take the political heat for this one, and Talon Squad will handle his orientation and training. This is my final decision, Admiral Jasken.¡±


    Jasken stood up straight and nodded curtly. ¡°Understood, sir. Providence shine on you.¡±


    ¡°And on you and your expedition, Admiral.¡±


    The call was terminated. Jasken sat behind his desk and stewed over the upsetting turn of events. Hrake could obviously handle himself in battle, at least with primitive weaponry, and there was no reason to think he was anything but honorable based on their interactions with him so far. Still, Jasken didn¡¯t like introducing an unknown factor on a whim.


    Mairen walked into Jasken''s office with a knock. The Admiral looked up from his bitter musings and the Communications Officer¡¯s sunny smile disarmed him somewhat.


    "Officer Mairen," said Jasken with a kind of warm professionalism. "Come in."


    She entered the room, flicking through the screens on her tablet. "Looks like we''ve narrowed our choices down to a couple of worlds. One appears to have more water, but a gravity rating of 2.2. The other is closer, a more direct path to our destination and has a gravity rating of .93 but has no atmosphere to speak of. Of course, we''ve spotted a few dozen others, but many of them are gas giants or appear to have corrosive atmospheres."


    "It''s much easier to compensate for a lack of oxygen than high gravity," said Jasken. "Send the info on both but have Dekken chart us a course to the smaller world."


    "Very good, Admiral," replied Mairen.


    "And I take it our satellite network setup has been halted?"


    "Pending the permission of all Hrudukite stakeholders, yes."


    "Alright. News of our arrival should spread pretty quickly, but we''re not sure if the ''known world'' of the Gredites constitutes the entire sapient population of the planet."


    "If the Hrudukites give us satellite permissions, we should be able to find other populations eventually."


    "We should be able to get those permissions, at least from the Gredites. They take our coming as the fulfillment of their Elder Shaman''s prophecy."


    Mairen smiled. "Amazing how that happens."


    Jasken smoothed his mustache. "You, too, huh?"


    "What do you mean, Sir?"


    Jasken waved a hand dismissively. "Nothing. I''m a man of faith, I say my prayers, but I''ve never put much stock in the miraculous. Everyone around me seems to, though."


    Mairen offered a wry smile. "Maybe you ought to reconsider, then."


    Jasken tried to fight back the smirk that tugged at his lips, but a slight chuckle escaped. "Dismissed, Officer."


    ***


    Vanbrook and Hrake were sparring in the courtyard when Raivyn found them. D¡¯Jarric and Reclan were looking on in amusement. Doc Manford was off in his own world, studiously taking notes as Rehkna psychically described the various plants throughout the courtyard.


    Vanbrook was doing a fine job of redirecting Hrake¡¯s hammer blows, but finding it difficult to recover quick enough from his parries to strike back. Finally, he chose to step in while pushing the hammer to the side, getting inside of Hrake¡¯s reach. He was just slapping Hrake¡¯s side with the flat of his saber when the Hrudukite took a hand off his hammer to swat Vanbrook across the courtyard. The swashbuckler rolled and sprang back to his feet, frustration on his face.


    ¡°HA! You hit. I lose,¡± said Hrake goodnaturedly. He was picking up Talpaertan extremely quickly. ¡°I sword, you hammer?¡± He held out his hammer for Vanbrook to use.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯d like a minute of Hrake¡¯s time,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Vanbrook, ¡°but I¡¯m going to train this guy to use a saber then take him back to the dueling circuit on Griffonia. Hrake the Hammer. He¡¯s gonna be huge.¡±


    Shaking her head at Vanbrook¡¯s antics, Raivyn reached out to Rehkna. Elder Shaman, do you mind helping us have a chat?


    Not at all, she replied. Go ahead, Hrake can hear you.


    Hello, Raivyn, said Hrake. Your mate Vanbrook is an excellent warrior. You must be proud.


    The silence that followed was broken suddenly when D¡¯Jarric and Reclan burst into laughter.


    Oh my, said Hrake. What did I say?


    They are not a couple, commented Rehkna.


    Ah. I see. My apologies, Hrake said.


    Reclan chimed in. Common mistake, I assure you.


    Vanbrook busily avoided making eye contact with anyone and Raivyn shot Reclan a confused, annoyed look.


    No harm done, Hrake, continued Raivyn. What I wanted to say is that I just got off a call with Admiral Jasken. Our request has been granted and you will be joining Talon Squad as a junior member.


    Hrake smiled widely and D¡¯Jarric slapped Hrake¡¯s good shoulder, his face beaming.


    Welcome aboard, Hammerhead, said Vanbrook with a grin.


    I¡¯d like to inform the King, and I have a few other questions for him as well, said Raivyn. Elder Rehkna, I hate to ask more of you, but would you mind accompanying us so we can communicate directly?


    I would be happy to help, child, she answered.


    Raivyn dipped her head to the shaman. Thank you. Some time I would like to discuss how you manage to get around language barriers to communicate this way.


    Rehkna smiled. Again, I am happy to help.

 Chapter 2.15: Baptism by Aether

    ¡°We¡¯ll want to bring significant firepower without appearing to be a strictly military operation,¡± Lady Trilia was saying. The elegant Astralbian female nodded to one of the lords who¡¯d gathered in Prince Jylik¡¯s star tree. ¡°Lord Vilki¡¯s star tree boasts nearly one hundred eyes, including a great eye, but also houses a number of tree priest sanctums. We¡¯ll be able to claim research purposes and also keep the option of obliterating opposition.¡±


    ¡°Wise, as you ever are, Lady Trilia,¡± said Jylik. ¡°Between my star tree, Lord Vilki¡¯s, and my own we should present an intimidating force. That will be the core of the fleet, in addition to a few support vessels.¡±


    ¡°A solid strategy,¡± said a scratchy, attenuated voice.


    Jylik turned to see his father entering the room with a complement of guards. He frowned as his erstwhile allies bowed to his father. The reverence was a necessity on their part, but he hated when his father extracted fealty from lords and ladies he was conferring with. One day they would bow to him, and his father would be nothing more than a memory and a crystal on his crown.


    ¡°Is there some way I can serve you, Father?¡± Jylik asked in his most cordial voice.


    ¡°By not patronizing an old man, I suppose,¡± said King Hylik, fixing his eyes on his son.


    Polite laughter rang out, infuriating Jylik.


    ¡°Do you have any input for our mission, your Majesty?¡± asked Trilia.


    ¡°No, I think the approach you¡¯ve outlined will be sufficient. I merely came by to see how things are progressing.¡±


    ¡°They are progressing fine, Father,¡± said Jylik, his eyes returning to the information on the desk before him. ¡°We plan to jump directly to Hruduk. Since the Code will keep the Republic from establishing a satellite network for a little while, we¡¯re confident we will be able to avoid detection, making contact with the Hrudukites on our terms. If and when our presence is revealed we will imply the planet¡¯s location was leaked from the IGC. So long as our source remains on board we should be able to continue following the Republic straight to the Cluster.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± replied the King. He turned to walk back out of the room, his guards following him. ¡°Keep me informed. And make me proud, son.¡±


    Jylik sneered at his Father¡¯s back. Trilia noticed the look, but said nothing. Now was not the time.


    ***


    King Hrynkak was happy to hear that Hrake would be going along with the Blue Griffon Fleet, though he¡¯d miss his loyal cousin¡¯s company and advice.


    You will be missed, Hrake, so please return as soon as your quest has been fulfilled. I have sent messengers to the other kingdoms and city-states to announce the revelation of the Progenitor and the arrival of beings from other worlds, as well as my ascension to the throne, the King remarked. I fear turbulent times are ahead, though yesterday¡¯s rains will certainly help to lower tensions.


    Glad to hear that, your Majesty, said Raivyn. You will have the Republic¡¯s support, though that will be tempered somewhat by the IGC. To that end, I do have a request to make.


    Name it! the King exclaimed. You will have whatever I can provide.


    Thank you, King Hrynkak, replied Raivyn. But I want to be clear that you owe the Republic nothing; we are simply glad to have you as our ally.


    What we would like - and we do not mean to trample on sacred ground - is to explore the Mountains of Wasting.


    Hrynkak¡¯s features bunched up in concern.


    We are quite confident we know what causes the illness experienced by those who travel that area, stated Raivyn. In fact, used correctly, small amounts of the materials causing the illness can be used to generate unimaginable power. It is how we fuel our star ships.


    How can you explore that area without dying? asked Hrynkak. It is the very gates of death.


    With respect, your Majesty, we have clothes, a kind of armor, if you will, that can withstand the poison. Some of our number, such as Doc Manford, are not affected by the poison like you and I are. If more Roach Lords live in the area, or there are similar dangers, we will take that into consideration.


    I know of no other creatures that live in the Mountains, said Hrynkak solemnly. Even the Roach Lord only lived on the outskirts. But it is said a gateway to the underworld exists somewhere in those hills. The things you have taught us make me question that, but I feel I must warn you of it all the same. However, you have free rein to explore the Mountains of Wasting and extract what you will. All I ask is that you proceed with the utmost caution and do not bring the poison back to Gred or any other town or city on Hruduk.


    Raivyn dipped her head respectfully. Your terms are more than fair, King Hrynkak. We will pay for any ore extracted, though we only intend to take a small sample at this time. For now, we plan to take Warrior Hrake back to the Wingspan to introduce him to the basics of space travel.


    ***


    Hrake looked at the shuttle, his face a stoic mask but his stomach quivering with nervous energy. He was carrying only a small bundle of personal possessions but was loaded down with gear and weapons, including the ¡°mag-boots¡± that Reclan had fitted him with. The boots were going to allow him to walk aboard the Wingspan. Evidently the floors of the great ship did not share Hruduk¡¯s way of pulling one towards them. He walked up the ramp, waving goodbye to Hrynkak, Grehi, Rehkna, and the gathered crowd.


    Talon Squad shook hands with the King and Elder Shaman, a practice Hrake noted was both for greetings and partings. They joined him in the shuttle, heading up to the cockpit and seating area. The now-familiar rumble sounded as Hrake secured his gear and strapped himself in. During his last journey, Hrake had only been going over land, from one point on Hruduk to another. Today he was going to board the Wingspan, a massive space boat that the shuttle could park inside of. Though the idea of a vehicle so immense was overwhelming, what was much worse was the concept that the heaven that bore it contained no air. It was an emptiness, stretching out across seemingly endless distances. The stars were not out of reach, thanks to the ship, but they were infinitely farther away than the astrologers of Gred claimed.


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    As Hrake mused on these unfathomable concepts, the sky grew dark outside the window of the shuttle.


    ¡°Night?¡± he asked in the traveler¡¯s tongue. It was too early for sunset, though.


    D¡¯Jarric shook his head. ¡°Aether.¡±


    Hrake nodded. They were getting close, then. Talon Squad had told him it would be dark in the aether.


    Looking out the front window, or ¡°windshield¡± as Reclan had called it when she tried to describe the parts and workings of the shuttle, Hrake noted a shining speck that quickly became larger and larger. It was a massive, silvery platform adorned in blue, a massive spire growing from the main deck, housed in a crystal-clear bubble of glass. A variety of spines and tubes protruded from the platform and the tower. The Wingspan was a sight to behold. The fish-like ship and floating tower beside it must be the Halberd and the Shepherd respectively.


    Reclan said something over the comms about ¡°Wingspan¡± and ¡°Talon Squad.¡± Hrake couldn¡¯t make out the details. However, he assumed it was related to the gaping metal maw that opened as the shuttle approached, allowing the Wingspan to swallow them whole.


    Hrake unbuckled and activated his mag-boots as instructed. It was an awkward way to move, but he would adapt to it. He walked down the ramp and was greeted by a huge crowd of Humans, Dromeans, Robots, and others he had never seen before. They were all clapping and smiling. Hrake dipped his head to them politely.


    One of the humans had more wrinkles around his eyes than most of the others, with grey hair on top of his head, and more growing under his nose. Hrake wondered if that was the result of some kind of medical anomaly. The Human walked forward and extended his hand.


    ¡°Welcome, Warrior Hrake of Gred,¡± said the man in passable Hrudukite.


    Hrake nodded. ¡°Thank you, Admiral Jasken.¡± He hoped his Talpaertan was equally passable.


    Jasken smiled and nodded, which was a good sign.


    ***


    Vanbrook watched the exchange with interest. He knew Jasken didn¡¯t want Hrake aboard, but the man was a consummate soldier, fulfilling his duty to the Prime Minister even when he disagreed with him. Vanbrook wondered if he¡¯d be able to do the same in Jasken¡¯s position.


    As Jasken dismissed the crowd, Vanbrook tapped Hrake on the shoulder and signaled for him to follow. For well over two hours, Talon Squad took Hrake on a tour of the Wingspan. Vanbrook was glad when they had gotten through the boring parts and reached the weapons training room.


    Located below decks and heavily shielded against both ballistic and EM weapons, the weapons training room held a heavily-guarded armory and a firing range. Looking at Hrake¡¯s massive hands, Doc Manford walked up to the barred box office where the rangemaster was stationed and requested a standard service rifle designed for the larger members of the Raki species for the Hrudukite, as well as a standard human-sized rifle for himself.


    They had gone over weapons safety when Rehkna had been present, so that Hrake would be fully prepared for this moment. He walked over to the range and demonstrated using the rifle. At fifty yards, Doc managed to put three ballistic rounds and three laser blasts inside the bullseye without breaking a sweat. Hrake mimicked the action, but his shots were scattered. One laser blast hit the outer edge of the twelve-inch target, but the others missed entirely.


    Frowning, Hrake took out his sling, placed a stone bullet in it and began swinging it. He released the stone, and it hit the target several inches above the bullseye.


    ¡°No gravity,¡± said Vanbrook. Hrake nodded his understanding. ¡°Gravity¡± was what pulled everything down on Hruduk, but there was none to speak of in the aether. He had to compensate for that down below, but not here. Trying again, he hit the bullseye with his sling. Talon Squad cheered his success. Reclan was smiling and nodding, but Hrake could see that she was considering something.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± said Doc, taking both rifles back to the rangemaster.


    Hrake didn¡¯t understand the word but it didn¡¯t sound congratulatory.


    ***


    Hours later, after more orientation and far too many new words for Hrake to have memorized them all, Talon Squad reported to Jasken¡¯s office, their junior member in tow. Drixen and Kaihla stood by the Admiral, greeting Talon Squad with smiles.


    ¡°Talon Squad,¡± said Jasken. ¡°Thanks for coming. I wanted to let you know that we¡¯ve identified the next planet for our expedition. However, we¡¯re now waiting on a delegation comprised of IGC officials and Republic diplomats from Kirakna to arrive before we leave. While we wait, I¡¯m going to have you take King Hrynkak up on his offer and explore the Mountains of Wasting, looking for samples of fissile material. I¡¯ll be sending the fleet¡¯s geologist, Dr. Britkrup, and a team of field techs. Drixen and Kaihla will be piloting the geologist¡¯s shuttle, and you will escort them to provide support and security. You¡¯ll leave first thing tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°With respect, is there any need to send Dr. Britkrup and the others?¡± asked Raivyn. ¡°Talon Squad is more than capable of collecting a few samples.¡±


    ¡°Though I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right, I feel that a credentialed scientist would be of value on this venture. Since this discovery has the potential to be extremely economically and diplomatically important to the Republic, I want to be sure we don¡¯t miss anything. Also, Britkrup specializes in volcanic sources of uranium and other radioactive elements and she begged me to let her go.¡±


    ¡°Sounds reasonable,¡± said Raivyn with a smirk. ¡°But I think we¡¯d better not give Hrake a firearm. He¡¯s not terribly comfortable with them yet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was watching the security footage while you were showing him the basics,¡± replied Jasken, smoothing his mustache. ¡°It¡¯s his planet, and he looks like he can handle himself just fine with the weapons he knows best. Kwa-Kwa got wind that Hrudukites use slings and she¡¯s quite excited to size Hrake up.¡±


    ¡°Ha, I bet,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Krauqians haven¡¯t found much competition in the galaxy when it comes to slinging.¡±


    ¡°For now,¡± said Jasken, ¡°head down to fabrication. They think they¡¯ve figured out how to get Hrake fitted for tomorrow¡¯s mission.¡±


    ***


    Chully looked Hetford square in the eyes. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a suggestion, Agent Chully,¡± said the frail and elderly Human male, the sagging wrinkles of his neck swaying as he shook his head. ¡°The Gladius will serve as your mobile base of operations for the remainder of the investigation.¡±


    Huluna stood in the corner of Hetford¡¯s office, choosing not to get between the two. Their investigation had revealed that the cult had likely originated on Krauqia as an outgrowth of pre-Republic religious beliefs.


    ¡°We can handle ourselves, Chief!¡± Chully exclaimed, unable to keep his temper in check. Huluna wondered how much the outburst was fueled by a sense of independence versus his feelings towards these particular Marines.


    ¡°Certainly!¡± Hetford agreed aggressively. ¡°However, the last interaction the Republic had with this cult was a full-scale military engagement, which you should remember, as you just sorted through the wreckage of it. So, yes, you will go to Krauqia and investigate the origins of the Koomites and, yes, you WILL go aboard the Gladius!¡±


    Chully huffed but said nothing as he turned and stormed from the room. Huluna lifted her limbs up in a shrugging motion. ¡°You know how he gets around Keshri,¡± she said quietly. ¡°But no worries, we¡¯ll be on the Gladius by sun-up. And they probably won¡¯t kill each other on the way to Krauqia.¡±


    ¡°See that they don¡¯t,¡± said Hetford grumpily, falling back into his chair.

 Chapter 2.16: The Gates of the Underworld

    The following morning, Hrake was dressed in a strange blue suit that covered his entire body, complete with a tank full of breathable air and a round, clear bubble of a helmet. He had been assured, as best he could tell, that it would keep the poison of the Mountains of Wasting from reaching him. He was once again on the shuttle, this time hurling back down to Hruduk, which somehow felt more disturbing than rocketing away from it. Watching the rocky landscape of the Mountains of Wasting coming up to meet them as they landed played on Hrake''s nerves, but he avoided tearing holes in the upholstery.


    "Talon Squad, this is Textbook," said Drixen over the comms, using his call sign rather than his given name. "Dr. Britkrup is requesting we land by that big ol'' hole in the ground in about the middle of the mountain range. There''s plenty of flat ground there, so we''ll oblige."


    "Sounds good, Drix- uh- Textbook," replied Reclan.


    When the shuttles had landed, both crews stepped out into the irradiated air and greeted one another. Dr. Britkrup, a small Talpidarian female, looked far too cheerful for someone who had just walked into the ¡°Gates of the Underworld.¡± Her assistants looked far more dour.


    "Talon Squad! So glad you could join us today!" Britkup''s chipper tone took Vanbrook back to his very young school days, when similarly jubilant people tried to convince him that science and math were fun.


    Drixen and Kaihla waved from the ramp of the shuttle. Kailha made a motion like she was reaching out to throttle the professor behind her back. Drixen gently pushed her arms down and the couple walked back up the ramp with a final friendly wave.


    "And this must be Hrake," Britkrup continued in her saccharine voice. She gave into the seemingly universal misconception that shouting helped to overcome language barriers. "Hello, Hrake! Your home is beautiful!"


    "Hello!" Hrake shouted in response, politely attempting to match the doctor''s tone. Britkrup looked perplexed briefly, and then recovered, smiling up at the Hrudukite warrior.


    Hrake looked at Raivyn.


    Britkrup say Hruduk beautiful, she imprinted, hoping Hrake would understand. She missed Rehkna already.


    Hrake looked around at the stark, jagged gray and black landscape that was currently flooding the air with deadly amounts of poisonous rays and questioned Britkrup''s tastes. He looked back at the scientist and nodded his head.


    "Thank you," he said politely.


    Britkrup nodded and turned towards the cave, throwing stones in her satchel and pointing out "interesting" rocks to anyone listening. Her assistants walked behind her, scooping up stones and measuring everything with radiation detectors.


    ¡°So are we gonna check out that big cave?¡± asked Vanbrook. ¡°I don¡¯t know if anyone ever lived to see this cave, but it¡¯s not hard to imagine someone calling it the Gates of the Underworld if they did.¡±


    "Adventurous spirit, are we?" asked Britkrup appreciatively. She pulled a canvas sack out of her pack and handed it to Vanbrook. "Tread carefully, and put anything odd in the bag."


    A few variations of "but I don''t think you''d fit in this bag¡± flitted through Vanbrook''s mind, but he kept them to himself. He sauntered into the cave, Reclan hurrying behind him, trying desperately to send her drones in over Vanbrook¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Van!¡± she shouted. ¡°Would you please let me send some drones into the GATES OF THE UNDERWORLD before you charge in?!¡±


    Raivyn laughed and shook her head, walking over to Hrake. He was stretching and going through some kind of drills with his hammer. He shook his head, looking at Raivyn.


    Strange clothes? she asked.


    Yes. Strange, replied Hrake.


    Train. Use. Better, said Raivyn, nodding encouragingly.


    Hrake nodded. He was sure Raivyn was right. Practice would make him more comfortable in the aethersuit. But there were just too many things to get used to right now.


    Blasts sounded from inside the cave.


    ¡°Not again!¡± exclaimed Raivyn, thinking back to Hittania.


    ¡°Get those shuttles fired up!¡± shouted Vanbrook over the comms. ¡°We¡¯ve got more roaches!¡±


    Vanbrook and Reclan shot out of the cave, firing over their shoulders. Right on their heels came a swarm of scuttling creatures similar to the Roach Lord, but with fewer armored plates. Their heads lacked the acid-spewing snouts, but still had the deadly, jagged mandibles.


    Hrake leapt into action, swinging his hammer into the creatures. The first one he hit exploded into blue-green gore. The one beside it exploded, too, this one alongside a sound like thunder. Hrake blinked and looked over at Vanbrook, and saw that the man was using the strange, powerful weapon the travelers called a gun.


    Talon Squad quickly engaged, with Doc and Raivyn hanging back to pick off stragglers while D¡¯Jarric, Vanbrook, and Hrake went after the bugs head-on. Reclan tried to fall back to a position from which she could better utilize her drones, but she couldn¡¯t break loose from the skirmish. Snarling, she grabbed her plasma cutter and ignited it, the blade glowing with deadly heat. She swung it through the swarming roaches, severing limbs and heads with abandon.


    ¡°Are the scientists clear?¡± asked Vanbrook.


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    Raivyn looked over her shoulder to check, and saw the three scientists about halfway between the cave and the shuttles. A smaller cave she hadn¡¯t noticed before exploded right next to the scientists, and a Roach Lord burst out. One of the scientists clamped between the mandibles before he knew what had happened and was chewed and swallowed with brutal efficiency. The roach was about nearly twice the size of the one Hrake had slain.


    ¡°Doc!¡± shouted Raivyn, pointing to the monster.


    ¡°On it!¡± said the Robot, swinging his rifle around. Hrake had turned to see what the noise was about, and watched as Doc put a single ballistic bullet through the roach¡¯s throat. It gurgled out a strained roar and rounded on the marksman. Doc stood his ground, firing a volley of laser blasts at the charging monster¡¯s head. He fired a final ballistic round into the weakened armor around the face, blowing the entire head to smithereens. Blood and acid rained down on the metal man, and the body of the monster stumbled, fell and slid, skidding to a stop a few feet from Doc. The Robot had made the act of slaying a Roach Lord look like a trivial task.


    ¡°Well I¡¯ll need a good wax, that¡¯s for sure,¡± was all he had to say about it.


    ¡°Hrake!¡± shouted Vanbrook.


    Hrake turned in time to see one of the larval roaches lunging for him. He crushed it to the ground, then looked up and noticed that the larvae were acting strange, sniffing at the air like there was something terrifying in the wind. They fled back into the cave.


    ¡°Must have sensed mama die,¡± said Doc, walking over to the others. "Food that can kill you ain''t worth trying to eat."


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Raivyn, ¡°I think that concludes our little exploration." She looked out to where Britkrup and her surviving assistant were running to Drixen''s shuttle.


    "Doctor," she said, "the immediate danger has passed; do you have everything you need?"


    "Specialist Raivyn," said Britkrup, huffing with effort. "One of my assistants is dead. That is enough field work for this expedition. Possibly the rest of my career."


    "We''re not all warriors," said Raivyn, though not over the comm line.


    ***


    Hoon-Kra paced in his run-down study, a glass of mead in his hand. Darvik waltzed into the room with an annoyed look on his face, rubbing the stubble on his chin. The murderer had become all too comfortable in Hoon-Kra''s house, but their shared goals made him a reasonably trustworthy ally. It helped that it would be all too easy to to kill him and make it look like a suicide.


    "Can I help you, Darvik?" Hoon-Kra asked carelessly.


    "Just wondering what the plan is here," he said with a shrug.


    "Currently, I am waiting on intel," offered Hoon-Kra. "Unfortunately, it is an exercise in patience."


    "Not my strong suit," said Darvik.


    Hoon-Kra once again considered killing the goon now, but something told him Darvik was a more promising investment than he first appeared.


    "Tell me, Darvik, what do you worship?" He asked the question suddenly, as though springing a trap.


    Darvik paused, regarding Hoon-Kra with an inscrutable look. "Nothing."


    "None of us worship nothing, Darvik. What do you value, what do you dedicate your life to?"


    Darvik''s face contorted in thought. "I value my own neck, I guess. I''m a survivor, not a worshiper."


    Hoon-Kra sighed. "Self-worship is still worship. One of the more commendable forms, in some ways. But it fails to satisfy because it is not transcendent. Some worship the Progenitor, some their ancestors, some a vague sense of an un-personified ''universe'' or simple chance. These things give a sense of serving something greater than the self. But do those things hold the power to be worthy of worship?"


    Darvik rolled his eyes. "Just cut to the part where you ask me to join your cult and worship your shark god. Look, if you want to kill me, then go ahead and try. I don''t like my chances but I''m willing to take them rather than join some religion. But if you didn''t think I''d be useful, you wouldn''t have kept me around this long, and you''re my best shot at getting to Vanbrook. So why don''t we just keep this nice and transactional?"


    "It''s decided then,¡± said Hoon-Kra with a cordial nod. ¡°I have business to conduct on Krauqia. While I''m away, I want you to keep this safe house. I''ll send you code words daily. Kill anyone trying to enter the safehouse without the proper code. I will be back when my business is concluded and we will set out for the Wingspan as soon as we know where we''re going. You will get a stipend for groceries and other needs on top of pay."


    Darvik laughed brashly. He hadn¡¯t really considered the financial side of things. "Hey, you''re the boss."


    ***


    Over the next few days the samples were analyzed, preliminary diplomatic relations were started with a few more Hrudukite city-states and Hrake continued to study Talpaertan. With the benefits of Raivyn¡¯s impressionistic psychic communications and Hrake¡¯s interest and skill in language, he was picking it up rather quickly.


    Finally, the diplomatic fleet arrived from Kirakna, and Jasken happily handed the baton over to them. Jasken stood on the bridge of the Wingspan, waiting for the newly arrived ships to make contact.


    ¡°Jasken,¡± said a chipper voice over the comms.


    The Admiral smiled at the Dromean female on his comm screen. ¡°Ambassador Wyrkii, good to see you.¡±


    ¡°Same to you, Admiral. Looking forward to establishing diplomatic relations with a new species!¡±


    Jasken laughed. ¡°Better you than me, I suppose. One thing to note is that, despite the dangers of the region, the area known as the Mountains of Wasting looks to be a promising resource for our nuclear fuel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was sorry to see you lost an expedition member,¡± said Wyrkii gently.


    Jasken nodded and sighed. ¡°I appreciate it, Wyrkii.¡± It was expected that a certain number would lose their lives on an expedition like this, but it never got any easier to lose someone under your command or write back home to their loved ones.


    ¡°Will I be seeing you clayside?¡± asked the Ambassador.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± answered Jasken. ¡°We¡¯ve filled our water tanks and plan to head out immediately. I have to see to our final pre-jump preparations. Specialists Raivyn and D¡¯Jarric of Talon Squad will be joining you, however, to briefly introduce you to King Hrynkak.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, Admiral. Providence shine on your expedition.¡±


    ¡°And on your efforts as well.¡±


    ***


    After a brief meeting with Wyrkii, Hrynkak, and Rehkna, Raivyn and D¡¯Jarric flew back up to the Wingspan and found their seats as they prepared to jump.


    ¡°Did we achieve galactic peace?¡± asked Vanbrook as they strapped in.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to settle for planetary peace at the moment,¡± answered Raivyn. ¡°But most Hrudukite nations have been very open to us. Unfortunately, Zrykyk seems to have rallied a number of supporters to his side, and seems to be looking to cause trouble from his palace to the south of Gred. For now, though, I suppose that¡¯s not our problem.¡±


    Vanbrook nodded.


    ¡°We will now be departing Kir147-WB1.08, also known as Hruduk, for Hru14-NN0.93,¡± said Admiral Jasken over the comms. The planet looks to be cold and inhospitable, but hopefully this will simply be a stop on our way to the Cornucopia Cluster. The jump will take roughly fifteen days, so be prepared to scrub your ships down from keel to stern.¡± Despite the fact that he could not see or hear the crew from his place on the bridge, Jasken paused as a groan rose up from the gathered sailors. ¡°May providence shine on our journey.¡±

 Chapter 2.17: Ice

    Jylik was glad to have finally left Astralbia. He had always preferred the stars. He felt as though he ruled over the entirety of the aether as he soared through it. Regardless, they had some catching up to do, and they needed to do it quickly. The Blue Griffon Fleet had moved on from Hruduk, leaving behind a diplomatic group on Hruduk.


    Jylik needed to get to Hruduk, seek out a reliable contact there and follow the Blue Griffon Fleet to their next destination.


    ¡°Tree Priestess Yrinla,¡± he called as he approached his star tree¡¯s sanctum. The wiry old priestess emerged from her work, stepping up out of a large knot in the tree.


    ¡°Your highness,¡± she said, shaking some kind of ichor from her hands. ¡°What brings you to my humble sanctum?¡±


    ¡°I am curious about our rate of travel. How soon can we catch up to the Blue Griffon Fleet?¡±


    The tree priest looked up to the ceiling, lost in thought for a moment.


    ¡°We should have no problem reaching them in a few weeks. The moss I¡¯ve grown on the trees should allow us to produce fuel even as we travel, though we¡¯ll still burn it at a quicker rate than we produce it.¡±


    Jylik frowned. ¡°Someone has to make a stop on Hruduk. But what if the majority of the force continued on? How far and fast could we travel in a single jump?¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking, my lord?¡± asked the priestess.


    Jylik smiled.


    ***


    Reclan spent as much time as possible in the fabrication shop. Whether she was working on a special project or simply avoiding Jasken¡¯s threat of putting everyone to work, Vanbrook didn¡¯t know. However, he was too busy training the rookies to worry about it too much. About halfway through the trip, Raivyn and Hrake had joined him in the gravitational training room to cheer him on as he took on Kiflin in a long-promised friendly duel.


    Wearing the familiar, sensor-laden outfit, Vanbrook stepped onto the mat, facing his opponent.


    The young Astralbian female smiled and held her saber outstretched.


    ¡°Show him how it¡¯s done, sis!¡± shouted Triflin from the sidelines, cheering on his twin sister.


    ¡°Ready, duelists?¡± asked Raivyn.


    Vanbrook and Kiflin nodded, keeping eye contact with one another.


    ¡°Begin!¡± shouted Raivyn.


    Kiflin leapt from a standing position and twisted in the air, shouting as she performed a perfect pirouette, her blade outstretched. The move was bold and relied on the element of surprise, but it did force Vanbrook into a defensive position immediately. He used his buckler to slap away the saber and countered with a thrust, but Kiflin was quick enough to block the strike with her own buckler.


    She pressed the attack, forcing Vanbrook to defend. He conserved his energy, putting minimal effort into his blocks and parries.


    Astralbians, being energy-based beings, didn''t tire out the way organics did, but did have a limited output after which they would need to slow to gather ambient energy before being at top speed again. Given her youth and training, Vanbrook didn''t think he could simply let her tire herself out. Instead, he watched for her to make a mistake.


    The only problem was she wasn''t making any. The blur of steel that was her saber continued to slap into Vanbrook''s buckler, banging out the rhythm of their dance. Vanbrook smiled. Now he had her.


    Timing her attacks, he dodged back instead of parrying. Kiflin''s follow-through left an opening and Vanbrook tried to take advantage of it, but her buckler deflected the blade at the last moment.


    Vanbrook had his opponent on the defensive now, though, and he pressed the advantage. Soon a buzzer sounded as Vanbrook slapped Kiflin''s shoulder with the flat of his blade.


    "Ugh!" shouted Kiflin. Her tone sounded irritated but she was smiling. "You threw off my rhythm!"


    Vanbrook smiled and bowed.


    "Your speed is astounding. I imagine you could break through most duelist''s defenses quickly enough that it doesn''t matter, but your ¡®rhythm¡¯ is a tad too predictable."


    "Next time, Vanbrook, next time," said Kiflin as she fell back into the crowd of students.


    Someone stepped into the mat behind Vanbrook. He turned to see Hrake, proffering his hammer.


    "You use hammer. I use sword," said the towering Hrudukite. He was wearing a sensor suit just like Vanbrook¡¯s. He looked around to see D¡¯Jarric and Raivyn smirking at him from among the crowd. Evidently the others had been conspiring against him.


    Vanbrook sighed. "Alright. Let''s do this."


    The duelist took their corners. Vanbrook hefted the hammer, trying to get used to the weight in his hands. While Vanbrook had a little training in the use of polearms, it certainly wasn¡¯t a weapon he was comfortable with.


    ¡°Duelists ready?¡± asked Raivyn.


    Vanbrook could hear the hint of a smile in her voice. He looked over to see her face was a mask of calm, though D¡¯Jarric was smiling widely. He nodded along with Hrake that he was ready.


    ¡°Begin!¡±


    Hrake stood his ground, swinging the sword to gain confidence with it. Vanbrook stabbed out with the spear end of the hammer, trying to take advantage of the weapon¡¯s reach, which almost made up for Vanbrook¡¯s disadvantage against the tall warrior. Hrake easily slapped the weapon aside. Vanbrook struggled to bring the weapon back up for a parry as Hrake made his counter attack.


    Vanbrook¡¯s fortunes didn¡¯t improve as the duel went on. He found himself tiring quickly as he swung the heavy weapon around. Hrake pressed in, canceling out the hammer¡¯s reach advantage. In a desperate move, Vanbrook tried to use the lower half of the pole to sweep Hrake¡¯s legs. However, the staff end didn¡¯t count as a hit and the Hrudukite¡¯s leg didn¡¯t budge an inch. Hrake took advantage of the failed attack and slapped Vanbrook¡¯s side with the saber. The buzzer sounded and Vanbrook dropped the hammer. He looked up into Hrake¡¯s eyes with appreciative annoyance.


    ¡°Let the record show that I won when we used our preferred weapons,¡± he said. He shook his head and slapped Hrake on the shoulder. ¡°Well done, Hrake.¡±


    The warrior smiled down at him.


    ***


    A week later it was nearly time to end the jump. Before they were all called to stations, Reclan had Talon Squad meet her at the firing range once again. When they got there, she was proudly holding a silvery hammer staff in her hand.


    ¡°There he is!¡± said Reclan when she spotted Hrake. ¡°I think you¡¯re going to like this.¡±


    Much like Hrake¡¯s brass hammer, the silver weapon¡¯s head boasted a mallet and a spear head, with a small ax head opposite the hammer. The handle was wrapped in blue and orange leather, and the metal handle was slightly wider at the top of the leather. The butt of the handle widened like the butt of a rifle, though the lowest end of it came to an end like a walking stick.


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    Reclan smiled as she saw the device catch Hrake¡¯s eye. She waved him over to the lane she was standing by, and put the stock of the hammer onto her shoulder. When pressed a button on the widened part of the hammer, a lever popped out on the opposite side of the handle. She looked down the handle, using the ax head like a sight, and pulled the lever with two of her fingers. A bolt of yellow energy gathered on the spearhead and fired down the range, striking the target.


    ¡°Your turn,¡± said Reclan with a grin.


    Hrake smiled when Reclan handed the weapon to him. He swung it around some, surprised at how similarly it handled to his brass hammer, though it did weigh a bit more. Then he shouldered the weapon and fired three times at the target. All three bolts hit and one even singed the edge of the bullseye.


    Hrake nodded appreciatively. ¡°Thank you, Reclan. Very good.¡±


    Talon Squad applauded. Hrake and Reclan spent the remaining hours of the voyage looking over and practicing with the new weapon.


    ***


    Hru14-NN0.93 was a small, rocky planet with a poisonous atmosphere and no visible water. Talon Squad went clayside long enough to collect a few samples and place a beacon, but they didn¡¯t set up camp. The world was a craggy, gray wasteland with few defining features. Hrake was enthralled with the idea of walking on a different world, and they humored him as he took a long hike over the rocky terrain.


    ¡°Hrake,¡± said Vanbrook finally. ¡°We¡¯d better get back to the Wingspan.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± he answered, lost in thought. ¡°Oh, back to Wingspan. Okay. Was watching¡­¡± he pointed to the horizon, where the sliver of a moon was rising over the mountains.


    ¡°Well check that out,¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°Did we know there was a moon?¡± asked Raivyn.


    ¡°Eh,¡± answered Raivyn, scratching her chin. ¡°The astronomers said it seemed like a possibility, but they hadn¡¯t been able to confirm anything.¡±


    Hrake sat down on the ground and watched the blue and white orb rise in the sky.


    ¡°Progenitor make all?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± answered D¡¯Jarric. ¡°More than any have seen.¡±


    Hrake nodded. The rest of Talon Squad joined him on the ground, taking in the celestial beauty and basking in the silvery rays of the newly discovered moon. Even the gray land around them seemed to take on a new sense of life as the crags cast dark shadows in the evening light.


    ¡°Hey,¡± said Reclan after a long, comfortable silence. She nodded towards the moon with her chin. ¡°Is there any reason we can¡¯t just go there?¡±


    ¡°I guess not,¡± answered Raivyn. ¡°I¡¯ll give Jasken a call.¡±


    ***


    A short shuttle ride later, they found themselves approaching the icy surface of Hru14-NN0.93m1, the designation for the first moon discovered orbiting Hru14NN0.93.


    ¡°Soundings indicate the surface below is solid, so we should be able to land the shuttle right here on the ice,¡± said Reclan. She shook her head. ¡°I forgot when I suggested we land on the giant ice ball in the sky that I hate the cold.¡±


    Vanbrook laughed. ¡°Oh, it oughta be a good time. Atmo is breathable, gravity is 0.28 so we should bounce pretty well. It¡¯ll be fun.¡±


    Reclan shrugged her indifference as she took the shuttle down.


    ¡°Jasken,¡± said Raivyn as the shuttle landed. ¡°We¡¯re clayside on the moon.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± responded the Admiral over comms. ¡°Be safe down there. Be sure you report any points of interest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Providence shine on you.¡±


    ¡°You too, sir.¡±


    After changing into their cold weather gear, Talon Squad loaded out of the shuttle and set up a beacon. If they could find a suitable location they would set up a base camp, as well, so secondary exploration teams would have a base of operations on the icy moon. Stepping off the ramp, Reclan shivered in the frozen air.


    ¡°At least it¡¯s not windy,¡± she said, rubbing her arms. ¡°The air is very still here. Not sure if that¡¯s a seasonal thing or what, but even during our descent through the atmosphere there wasn¡¯t much wind to compensate for.¡±


    She heard a strange, guttural sound, and turned to see Hrake, laughing as he took massive, low-gravity steps for the first time.


    ¡°This fun!¡± he said happily. D¡¯Jarric smiled as he walked casually by. Unlike biological beings or even Astralbians, D¡¯Jarric¡¯s energy-based avatar seemed to experience a similar gravitational effect no matter the size of the planet. He wore mag-boots when flying but Raivyn had begun to suspect he didn¡¯t need them. Solarans had always been enigmatic and aloof members of the galactic community, and their mysterious avatar forms were not well understood. Though they seemed eager to answer questions, their answers often felt partial or convoluted. Nonetheless, they were powerful allies to those who earned their trust, so it often seemed more prudent not to pry.


    Vanbrook bounced after Hrake, trying to keep up with his long strides.


    ¡°I guess, uh, let¡¯s check out that water over there,¡± said Vanbrook, looking towards a promising bluish mirror of a lake. ¡°I think I see some green along the edge, there might actually be some life around here.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but tread carefully,¡± cautioned Raivyn. ¡°Don¡¯t go breaking through the ice and taking a bath.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry mommy, I¡¯ll be careful,¡± mocked Vanbrook.


    As Vanbrook and Hrake approached the icy shore of the lake, they saw there were smatterings of algae growing around the edge of the shore. Rather than smoothly dropping down into the lake like a beach, the ice they were on was more of a shelf that hung over a deep body of water. Looking closely, they also saw small, furry creatures nibbling on the algae that hung below the surface. The creatures were about the size of a fist and extraordinarily round with large, black eyes and small mouths that chewed greedily on their algal meal. Meaty flippers kept them hovering in place or darting this way and that.


    ¡°How about that, Hrake?¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Your first alien lifeforms. Except, y¡¯know, all of us.¡± Hrake looked at Vanbrook and nodded, but didn¡¯t say anything. Vanbrook wasn¡¯t sure how much Hrake understood what they said, but his Talpaertan was improving daily. He figured the best way to teach him was to just keep talking to him.


    ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s a way to collect one of them,¡± pondered Vanbrook.


    In a flash, Hrake had turned the spearpoint of his new hammer down and stabbed into the water. It came back up with one of the blubbery orbs impaled on it.


    ¡°Collect,¡± said Hrake proudly.


    Vanbrook shrugged and grabbed a sample bag out of his gear, sliding the expired creature into it. ¡°Well¡­ yes. That¡¯ll do. I think.¡±


    The little billow of blood in the water dispersed rapidly, but trace amounts drifted through the lake, garnering the attention of one of the moon¡¯s larger denizens. The beast turned and pursued the source of the delectable scent.


    ***


    Krum-Bahk stepped into the lounge area of the Gladius, just looking for his morning rakka bean tea. Instead, he found Agent Chully and Keshri, each of whom already had a cup of rakka, staring at each other from across the room. Trying to ignore the palpable tension, he walked over to the pot of tea that sat on the stove top and poured himself a mug, then reached for the sweetener.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry,¡± said Chully. ¡°Keshri has already seen to putting sugar into the entire pot.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come off it!¡± said Keshri. ¡°Everyone likes their rakka sweetened.¡±


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t!¡± retorted Chully.


    Krum-Bahk took a sip of his rakka. ¡°Y¡¯know, this is fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course he¡¯s taking your side,¡± huffed Chully.


    The other RIS agent, Huluna, walked into the room. ¡°Agent Chully, I just received an interesting update from Hetford. Should be sent to your tablet now. Why don¡¯t you go read it in your quarters?¡±


    Chully kept angry eye contact with Keshri as he poured his remaining rakka into the sink, tossed the mug in behind it and shuffled out of the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to take a fork along or something so you can chew on it like a weirdo,¡± said Keshri.


    Chully paused at the door, sneered over his shoulder, then kept moving. Keshri sipped down the last of her rakka, smacked her lips with satisfaction and tossed the mug into the sink with Chully¡¯s. She then sauntered out of the room.


    Krum-Bahk took a seat at the small table and sipped his tea. After pouring some into a wide cup, Huluna joined him. She took a sip, dipping her beak into the cup.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± she said appreciatively. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Chully I said this but it tastes so much better when the sugar is brewed into the rakka. Mixing it in later is just not the same.¡±


    ¡°Dare I ask what the deal is between those two?¡± inquired Krum-Bahk.


    Huluna sighed. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no secret. Chully and Keshri are married.¡±


    Krum-Bahk stared at her dumbly.


    ¡°Well,¡± continued the Wabuluban, ¡°they¡¯ve been separated for a few years now. But on paper they¡¯re still married.¡±


    Krum-Bahk nodded. ¡°Is putting them together on the same mission wise, then?¡±


    Huluna shrugged. ¡°Chully is a gifted detective and Keshri is one of the toughest Marines I know. If they can keep their heads on straight they make a great team. I probably would have tried to keep the two a few ripmed jumps apart, but it¡¯s not my call.¡±


    Krum-Bahk nodded. ¡°And the interesting update?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not at liberty to fill you in on that,¡± answered Huluna. ¡°Essentially we¡¯ve got a lead that¡¯s going to help us put pressure on the cult¡¯s leadership.¡± she sighed, taking another sip of her tea. ¡°The problem being the cult as a whole hasn¡¯t broken any laws. The Shredvrak attack may have been a one-off incident from an otherwise peaceful organization. Hopefully we¡¯ll be able to root out more information once we get to Krauqia.¡±

 Chapter 2.18: The World Below

    Vanbrook and Hrake were just turning away from the Lake with their prize when the water exploded behind them. They turned to see a massive form bursting out of the surface, a school of the blubbery little creatures swallowed by its long, toothy beak of a maw. The creature exited the water in the shape of a torpedo, spreading its wings as it rose, icy water running off the slick, feathery surface. With powerful strokes, its wings hauled its sleek black body skyward, nearly forty feet from tip to tip. Webbed feet stretched out below the creature¡¯s body, ending in slick, sharp talons. Wide golden eyes looked down towards Vanbrook and Hrake, greedy with hunger even as it swallowed its prey.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a predator!¡± shouted Vanbrook over the comms. ¡°Head back for the shuttle!¡± He ran for cover, looking back to make sure Hrake was following him. Seeing a dark spot in the ice, he ran towards it, praying it would provide cover. As he approached, he saw it was a narrow opening in the ice that fell down into a small cave. His prayer answered, he slid down in, Hrake directly behind him. Unfortunately for Vanbrook, the Progenitor had a sense of humor. Rather than being a small cave they could escape into, the opening continued downward soon after a small shelf. Vanbrook found his momentum carrying him past the shelf and on into the icy depths of the cave.


    ¡°Van!¡± Raivyn called into her comms. ¡°Where are you!¡± From where she stood she could only see the raptor pecking at the ground with its toothy beak.


    ¡°Uh,¡± came Vanbrook¡¯s answer. ¡°Not sure. Just came to a stop somewhere below the surface and- ow!- yeah, I twisted my ankle.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Raivyn. ¡°You¡¯re not under water, right?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he answered. ¡°It¡¯s some kind of odd geologic formation. Likely volcanic, given that it¡¯s actually a bit warmer down here. It seems like some kind of watertight system that goes down below sea level. Strange. Oh, what about the bird!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s trying to peck its way into the cave,¡± said Raivyn. As she watched, it stood back, squawked at the stubborn opening and slinking back to the lake, slipping into the water like a massive penguin. ¡°Oh, actually, it gave up. Looks like it¡¯s gone for now. Can you climb back out?¡±


    Vanbrook sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure we can. It¡¯s pretty slick. We¡¯ve got some basic climbing gear, but with a busted ankle I think we might want to go in a bit further and look for an easier exit. Place looks to be worth exploring anyway.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t go far,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°We¡¯ll see if we can¡¯t set up some guide ropes and come down for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, just look out for that ice raptor thing,¡± said Vanbrook. Turning on his shoulder-mounted flashlight, he turned to Hrake and helped him do the same. ¡°Just you and me for now, bud,¡± he said.


    Hrake nodded, looking around the strange cavern. He saw that some kind of fungus was growing on the ceiling, networks of white mycelium spreading out from rubbery red nodes. Among the strange fungal foliage he saw some kind of crustaceans picking at the nodes. Their bodies were about a foot across and crab-like, with spiny, bone-colored armor and tiny stalked eyes that retracted from the light of the flashlights. Their spindly legs included, they were about four feet across, with massive pincers that they used to pick at the fungus.


    ¡°Uh, Hrake?¡± said Vanbrook, pointing to a group of crabs that had crawled down the walls and was moving towards them, pincers outstretched. They had crawled down behind them, cutting them off from the entrance they came in through. ¡°I think we might want to get moving.¡±


    ¡°And so, the departed¡¯s belongings are bequeathed entirely to you, Hoon-Kra of Clan Zyrp,¡± said the lawyer. Hoon-Kra smiled mildly and walked out of the family mansion¡¯s drawing room. It had been a long game, but his parents were finally dead and buried, preserved for time immemorial in the peat bogs, as was Krauqian custom. First his mother a few months ago, now his father. With their passing, Hoon-Kra could finally use the family fortune to support the Koomite cause. He had done what he could to prepare as the poison took effect. Once their minds had deteriorated enough to be malleable, but not so deteriorated as to be considered incompetent by the lawyers, he had gotten back into their good graces and regained his inheritance rights. He even managed to get his deadbeat brothers off the will.


    The fleet of personal starships had been physically reinforced and made ready to serve as an exploratory naval fleet. Getting the guns would be relatively simple now.


    Resisting the urge to jump for joy as he exited the mansion and stepped into the rain, he turned and looked at his childhood home. Like most Krauqian buildings, it was low and wide, never taller than two stories, and made mostly of wood and clay. He considered burning the place to the ground, but that would draw unwanted attention. Instead, he climbed into the amphibious hovercraft that waited by the front door and instructed the driver to go directly to the spaceport.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t, sir,¡± responded the driver.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± demanded Hoon-Kra.


    ¡°There¡¯s a vehicle blocking the gate, sir,¡± he answered apologetically.


    Hoon-Kra turned to see an unmarked, black hovercraft blocking the gate. A Talpidarian in a long gray coat stepped out into the rain, crossing his arms and leaning against the craft. A Wabuluban walked out of the other side of the vehicle. Hoon-Kra could see a badge flashing on the thigh of one of her metal legs. RIS.


    ¡°Hoon-Kra of clan Zyrp?¡± she asked. ¡°We¡¯d like a word.¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ***


    Hrake and Vanbrook moved slowly away from the crabs, towards a pale blue glow that was visible further in the cave. As they picked up speed, the crabs did, too, pincers raised menacingly.


    "Guess this is gonna end violently," said Vanbrook, pulling his revolver. Hrake shouldered his rifle and fired, hitting center mass on one of the crabs. As its limbs scattered across the cave floor, its companions skittered back into the darkness. Hrake nodded and set the butt of his weapon back on the ground, turning to walk deeper into the cave. However, when he turned he found himself staring into another crowd of crabs that stood blinking in the beam of his flashlight.


    Vanbrook fired into the crowd and stepped forward, limping through the opening as the crowd parted, Hrake right on his heels. He continued firing back into the skittering darkness as he tried to keep an eye on his footing.


    "I pick you up," said Hrake. Without any further explanation, he scooped Vanbrook up and slung him over his shoulder. Now facing backwards, he could see the crabs gathering behind them. He fired into them again, but had a hard time hitting the target while being jostled around on Hrake''s shoulder. It hardly mattered, though, as the noise was enough to make the crabs withdraw, at least momentarily.


    "Van," said Raivyn over the comms. "We''re hearing gunfire. What''s going on?"


    "Oh, just some giant crabs," said Vanbrook. He noticed that the walls of the cave were getting brighter. The crabs slowed down, not willing to brave the daylight.


    "Hrake, I think you can set me down now."


    Hrake nodded and did so. Vanbrook noted that the lower gravity made walking on his bad foot doable, at least in the short term.


    When he turned around, his eyes were met by a wide, green, sun-dappled prairie, a wide expanse of ice hanging like a crystal sky a hundred yards above the surface, the sun shining through gaps in the ice. All over the prairie, spindly grazing animals chewed on the wispy grass and large pollinators fluttered from colorful bloom to colorful bloom.


    Vanbrook spoke into his comm, awe in his voice. "Woah, Rai, you guys gotta get down here."


    "Okay," said Raivyn in a patronizing tone. "I take it you got away from the killer crabs?"


    "Yes," responded Vanbrook more soberly. "They seem to like the dark entryway, but the main body of the cave is a mile or two across and the ceiling is a translucent sheet of ice with holes in it. Some of the holes might even be big enough to fly the shuttle down into."


    The icy roof overhead began to darken suddenly, and Vanbrook looked up to see that it was growing dark on one side of the ceiling and spreading over.


    "Who turned out the lights?" he asked.


    "Planetary eclipse," answered Raivyn. "Not sure how long it''ll last."


    "Alright," said Vanbrook nervously. "Lock in on our position and come get us now. I don''t feel great about being here in the dark."


    "On our way. It''ll be a minute, we''re still trying to set up a rope to get down to you guys."


    Vanbrook saw the grazers dart into burrows and pollinators fly towards the ceiling as the darkness encroached. Looking back the way they came, a mass of crabs was skittering over the darkening prairie.


    "Yeah, well, quick as you can, please," said Vanbrook. "The crabs are back."


    ***


    Hoon-Kra stared blankly at the RIS agent that had dared to saunter up to him at his own home. ¡°My lawyer is just inside, seeing to the affairs of my recently deceased father. If this cannot wait until my period of mourning is over, then I suppose now is as good a time as any. She is on retainer and I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t mind the billable hours. Feel free to have your partner pull his car in. I understand you Republic officials may not understand local law, but blocking a residential exit is illegal on Krauqia.¡±


    Showing neither fear nor humor, the Wabuluban turned and waved her partner in. He climbed into his craft and pulled in.


    ¡°Hoon-Kra¡¯s lawyer is onsight, and he would like her to be involved in our chat,¡± said Huluna as Chully stepped back out of the craft.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit of overkill in this case,¡± said Chully to Hoon-Kra, ¡°but I suppose you can spend your money as you like.¡±


    Hoon-Kra¡¯s driver settled in as he realized he wouldn¡¯t be needed in the foreseeable future. The two agents followed the cult leader as he walked back into the mansion.


    ¡°Kwi-Kri?¡± Hoon-Kra called out. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I still have need of your services.¡±


    The young Krauqian lawyer stepped out of a back room, surprised to see two RIS agents behind her client.


    ¡°Oh?¡± she asked in her most nonchalant voice. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask the agents,¡± said Hoon-Kra dismissively.


    ¡°You¡¯re not under investigation, Hoon-Kra kw¡¯Zyrp,¡± said Chully, using the Krauqian¡¯s full title. ¡°As I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware, a branch of the religious order you founded became violent in Shredvrak, leaving many dead and wounded in their wake.¡±


    ¡°And, tragically, every misled member of that congregation was killed by Republic Marines,¡± said Hoon-Kra. ¡°Priest Treshank¡¯s conduct was unconscionable, and does not reflect the beliefs and teachings of the Koomites.¡±


    ¡°And what are the beliefs and teachings of the Koomites?¡± asked Chully.


    ¡°The Koomites trace their beliefs back to pre-Astralbian teachings that centered around the worship of what are called ¡®aether beasts¡¯ in Talpaertan,¡± said Hoon-Kra, putting his hands behind his back and adopting the posture of a professor. ¡°It recognizes the holy nature of power, and worships the power found in such beasts, Koo L¡¯Koom being the most powerful.¡±


    ¡°And what do Koomites think of those it deems less powerful than themselves?¡± inquired Chully.


    ¡°That they are lesser,¡± said Hoon-Kra, casting a judgemental look towards the Talpidarian agent. ¡°Yet they, too, may worship that which is greater than themselves.¡±


    ¡°So, ideally, the Koomites would rule over those they deem weak?¡± asked Chully.


    ¡°This line of questioning smells of religious discrimination, Agent,¡± said Kwi-Kri. ¡°My client has been more than hospitable to you, given his current state of mourning, and we are done answering questions at present.¡±


    ¡°Again, Master Zyrp, you are not under investigation. There are dozens dead. The Republic would like to understand why.¡±


    ¡°I understand that, Agent,¡± said Hoon-Kra carelessly. ¡°And I¡¯m afraid I have no such answers for you. If you find you have other questions that I may be able to help you with, please reach out to Mistress Kwi-Kri.¡±


    Kwi-Kri handed Chully a small card with her contact information on it. Chully put the card in his jacket pocket and nodded.


    ¡°Thank you for your time, both of you,¡± said Huluna as she turned to leave with her partner.


    As they climbed into their craft, she noted, ¡°For a person in mourning, he did not seem overly mournful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Chully. ¡°I think we¡¯ll be keeping an eye on this one.¡±

 Chapter 2.19: Out From Under

    The crabs advanced with the darkness, and Vanbrook turned and started limping away. Hrake lumbered towards him.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, you pick me up,¡± said Vanbrook, surrendering himself to the mild humiliation. They bounced along, moving with frustrating slowness as the low gravity hampered their ability to build momentum. The crabs skittered along efficiently, their legs grasping the ground and pulling them forward.


    Hrake managed to stay ahead of the darkness, but not by much. Some time later, they approached the far end of the prairie, and saw a potential escape route in the form of another cave. However, as they approached, they could see the ghostly white silhouettes of another group of crabs gathered in the opening.


    ¡°Set me down,¡± said Vanbrook, his voice thick with determination. ¡°We fight it out from here.¡± Then, over the comms, ¡°Alright, guys, it''s now or never!¡±


    The prairie was lit up and crabs began exploding into pieces as Vanbrook and Hrake began their last-ditch effort to fight off the crabs.


    ***


    Raivyn and the others abandoned the climbing gear at the mouth of the cave Vanbrook and Hrake had disappeared into, throwing caution to the wind and running full-tilt towards the shuttle. They were about half way when Reclan looked over her shoulder to see the ice raptor slinking back onto the shore.


    ¡°We might have a problem, guys,¡± said Reclan as she bounced along the moon¡¯s icy surface.


    D¡¯Jarric turned to see what she was referring to, and saw the raptor shake the icy water from its oily feathers and take flight, hungry eyes locked on Talon Squad. He powered up a glowing golden fist and launched a bolt of energy at the bird. The bolt clipped one of the raptor¡¯s wings, causing it to squawk out in anger, snapping its long, toothed beak towards D¡¯Jarric.


    ¡°Go on ahead, I¡¯ll deal with the bird,¡± called D¡¯Jarric.


    Trusting the Solaran¡¯s instincts, the others obeyed. Before long they¡¯d made it to the shuttle. Raivyn, the last one inside, slammed the emergency ramp closure button as Reclan all but dove into the pilot¡¯s seat. Doc and Raivyn held on to the closest object that was bolted down as the shuttle lifted off.


    ¡°Alright, guys,¡± came Vanbrook¡¯s voice over the comms, ¡°it¡¯s now or never!¡±


    ***


    Down below, Vanbrook and Hrake found themselves plunged into darkness, their flashlights once again their only light source. Vanbrook slashed at the crabs with his saber, fending off the claws as best as he could. Hrake was swinging his hammer in wide arcs, clearing away crabs at a tremendous rate. Unfortunately, this was proving unsustainable as Hrake was swamped by the sheer numbers. A crab that had snuck up behind Vanbrook took his ankle in a mighty pincer and squeezed, causing Vanbrook to cry out in pain.


    A blast from above was followed by a shower of mist and fine shards of ice, as well as a sudden illumination. Spooked by the noise and light, the crabs scattered, leaving Vanbrook and Hrake to stare up at the sun-like brilliance of the shuttle¡¯s floodlights.


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t a hole in the ice big enough,¡± said Reclan over the comms, ¡°so we made one.¡±


    Vanbrook grinned and hobbled towards the shuttle, his ankle now all the worse for the crab¡¯s vicious pinch. Raivyn helped them up the ramp and slammed the emergency closure button again when everyone was clear.


    ¡°Now we have to go rescue D¡¯Jarric,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with D¡¯Jarric?¡± asked Vanbrook, bemused despite himself.


    ¡°Your bird friend is back,¡± said Reclan. Vanbrook shook his head grimly.


    As the shuttle burst back out of the ice, D''Jarric was in the heat of battle with the raptor. The Solaran had managed to fend off the beast by slinging bolts at it, but the raptor was undeterred. It was determined to make a meal out of the strange glowing creature that harassed it with glowing bolts, and it made a dive to grab him with its sharp talons. Watching the claws grow larger and larger in his vision, D''Jarric held back until the raptor was only feet away, then punched out a double-fisted burst of energy. The bolt burned through the bird''s chest and dissipated into the atmosphere.


    D''Jarric stepped aside as the raptor''s carcass slammed into the ice and slid to a stop, the massive exit wound smoldering as it lay still on the ground.


    Vanbrook whistled. "Guess he doesn''t need help."


    ***


    Crush strode with pride across the deck of the Liberty, walking up to Captains Tank and Hacksaw.


    "Gentlemen, how goes the privateering?" she asked, feeling unusually chipper.


    "Fantastically, Admiral," answered Hacksaw. "Since we collected the bounty on your Krauqian friend and cleared up the Wabuluban''s piracy issue, we''ve had more requests for aid than we can answer. Our fleet of captured ships is growing faster than our crew, which is a problem, but a good one, as problems go.


    "However, I''ve gotten word from an old contact of mine about a disaffected group of mining robots who may be interested in joining the Fleet."


    "Oh?" asked Crush, interested.


    "Yes. They work for a state-run asteroid mining company in the People''s Interstellar Co-op. The PIC is a small nation that''s nominally part of the IGC community, though they''re a bit of a pariah state. The Robots have the right to quit and leave by IGC standards but the Co-op is trying to bully them into staying."


    "And what?" asked Crush curiously. "We''re expected to help them shoot their way out?"


    "No, no," said Hacksaw, shaking his head. "But the Robots have accrued quite a bit of debt under the PIC, and that¡¯s what¡¯s being leveraged against them. With our resources, we could help provide a more diplomatic solution."


    Stolen story; please report.


    "But is shooting our way out totally off the table?" asked Tank. Hacksaw turned to his fellow captain and cocked his head to the side.


    "We''ll do everything we can to avoid it," said Crush definitively. "Asteroid miners make good spacers, and we could use a few. Captain Hacksaw, let''s make our way to PIC territory, I''d certainly like to see what we can work out."


    ***


    Jasken sat in his office, waiting for Skritka to make his weekly check-in. Faster than light, nearly instantaneous communication was possible thanks to ripmed technology, but it was also extremely energy intensive. Communications on deep space missions like this one were kept short, prompt and regular.


    The Admiral was happy to hear that everything had worked out on the moon¡¯s surface, but had considered pulling the team back while they waited for the fleet¡¯s shields to regenerate. Talon Squad had protested, and Raivyn argued that exploration along the way was the only way to justify the expedition if the Cornucopia Cluster turned out to be a myth. Jasken relented.


    Dr. Britkrup was fascinated by the Squad¡¯s description of the ice-domed prairie, and the biological team was busy pouring over the new species that had been documented. Jasken had sent Drixen down in the second shuttle to retrieve the specimens. It was something akin to a waste to send such a talented pilot on such a routine errand, but it was either that or have him sit around the Wingspan waiting on a more dire mission that would hopefully never come anyway.


    Jasken¡¯s musings were interrupted as the expected call came through.


    ¡°Admiral,¡± said Skritka. ¡°Good to see you. How are things going?¡±


    ¡°Prime Minister Skritka, good to see you as well. Things are going well. Hru14NN0.93 was inhospitable, as anticipated, but its moon, Hru14NN0.93m1, is an icy but livable world. There is significant and dangerous non-sapient life.¡±


    ¡°Do we have names for these worlds yet?¡± asked the Prime Minister, his face souring at the mere thought of having to repeatedly refer to ¡°Hru14NN0.93m1¡± in his reports and statements.


    ¡°The planet has been designated Grisseon and the moon Platnon,¡± said Jasken. ¡°We doubt at this point they will serve as more than a rest stop for journeys further out. Likely, a space station orbiting Grisseon will be the most development seen out here.¡±


    ¡°Sounds reasonable,¡± said Skritka, nodding his head. ¡°How is Hrake working out?¡±


    ¡°So far, so good,¡± said Jasken with a sigh. ¡°He¡¯s picking up the language very quickly. I believe he¡¯s just as smart as he is tough, and he single handedly killed a ten-foot acid-spewing monster.¡±


    Skritka nodded. ¡°Any potential planets identified as a next stop yet?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet,¡± answered Jasken. ¡°A few planets have been spotted, but of course they¡¯re mostly gas giants. We¡¯re hoping to find something more hospitable. How are things progressing with Hruduk?¡±


    ¡°Fairly well,¡± replied Skritka. ¡°The old king still presents the greatest problem, but given that he holds no sovereign territory, he¡¯s not considered a stakeholder by IGC so he can¡¯t really stop us from moving forward on a satellite network. The other leaders all seem open to the idea.¡±


    ¡°And what about the other matter I requested you look into for me?¡± asked Jasken cautiously.


    Skritka sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jasken, but there¡¯s been no news about the murder. Darvik has disappeared. There¡¯s a warrant and a bounty out on him, but no leads. That¡¯s as much as I know.¡±


    Jasken smoothed his mustache. ¡°Thank you for the update, all the same. I know it¡¯s not a priority.¡±


    Skritka shook his head. ¡°No, but I know Specialist Vanbrook would appreciate knowing Darvik has been brought to justice. If he is, you¡¯ll be the first to know.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Prime Minister,¡± said Jasken.


    ¡°Providence shine on your expedition, Admiral,¡± said Skrita.


    Jasken nodded. ¡°And you as well, Prime Minister.¡±


    ***


    Back on Kirakna, Darvik was lying in Hoon-Kra¡¯s bed, resting. At first he had resisted the temptation to use the cult leader¡¯s room while he was away, but it was the only bed in the whole rotting house that didn¡¯t make him itch. A knock came at the door.


    He stumbled to the door, pistol in hand. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°The beasts are our masters,¡± came the reply.


    Darvik snorted. The code was right, so he tucked the pistol in his belt and opened the door. The figure who greeted him wore a deep hood, and held out a basket full of groceries.


    ¡°Our High Priest sends his regards,¡± hissed the hooded figure. ¡°He will return shortly. Be ready.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. I¡¯ll pack up all my stuff,¡± said Darvik, looking around at the distinct lack of stuff in the crumbling mansion. ¡°And let¡¯s get one thing straight, I work for the guy, I don¡¯t worship him. He¡¯s not my High Priest.¡±


    The hooded figure didn¡¯t respond, simply turning away and slinking back into the night.


    Darvik looked in the basket and was happy to see that along with the minimal supply of food there was a bottle of Griffonian rum.


    ¡°Finally,¡± he said, heading for Hoon-Kra¡¯s study. ¡°Something worth drinking.¡±


    ***


    Vanbrook stretched in the morning sun. Well, the post-eclipse sun. Though a detailed study of the moon¡¯s orbit would need to be made, it appeared that the northern hemisphere got sun for most of the day all year long, but it passed behind the planet regularly, creating an odd facsimile of a day-night cycle.


    He winced as he stepped over to the command tent, irritating his sore ankle. He poured himself some rakka and nodded to Raivyn, who was already awake and writing up preliminary reports on their findings so far.


    Further exploration had revealed that ice caverns like the one Vanbrook and Hrake had stumbled into were fairly common across the surface of the moon, but there were no obvious resources on either Grisseon or Platnon that would affect galactic trade, aside from the possibility of installing a desalination plant on Platnon complemented by a watering station in orbit.


    "Anything new from up top?" asked Vanbrook.


    "Yeah, actually," said Raivyn, not even looking up from her work. "Drixen''s on his way down with Dr. Britkrup. Her curiosity finally overpowered her fear. She''s not bringing any assistants this time, though. She''s taking the loss on Hruduk pretty hard."


    "Glad she''s sticking to it," said Vanbrook, with an emphatic nod. "I sorta developed a soft spot for her back on Hruduk."


    Raivyn chuckled. "Yeah, Dr. Trembi''s coming along as well."


    "Oh, that doesn''t work for me," said Vanbrook, cringing.


    "Really?" asked Raivyn, raising her eyebrow. "She seems nice enough."


    Reclan walked into the tent, sleepily rubbing at her eyes and pouring herself a cup of rakka.


    "That''s what she wants you to think," said Vanbrook coolly.


    "Oh, you courted her, didn''t you?" said Raivyn, remembering.


    "Briefly!¡± cried Vanbrook defensively. ¡°A long time ago. It- uh- didn¡¯t go well.¡±


    ¡°You called her old in front of a crowd at your cousin¡¯s wedding, you mean,¡± said Reclan as she pulled up a stool.


    Raivyn looked at Vanbrook accusingly.


    He threw up his hands dramatically. ¡°We were playing some dumb ¡®how well do you know your date¡¯ game at the reception. One of the questions was about age, and I said, and I quote ¡®Oh, I didn¡¯t realize how old you were.¡¯ That¡¯s not the same as calling someone old!¡±


    ¡°Yes it is,¡± said Raivyn and Reclan in unison.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t mean it that way!¡± said Vanbrook.


    Raivyn rolled her eyes and smiled, taking another sip.


    ¡°Talon Squad, this is Textbook, come in,¡± said a voice over the comms.


    ¡°Well I guess we both get to see an old flame, anyway,¡± said Vanbrook smugly.


    Raivyn glared daggers at Vanbrook as she answered the comm.


    ¡°This is Talon Squad, what¡¯s up?¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± said Drixen. ¡°Something showed up on the horizon and it seems to be making course to intersect. Scanners seem to indicate it¡¯s organic, or at least not metal. How big are those raptor things, exactly?¡±

 Chapter 2.20: Dogfight

    Grim had done the hard work of sneaking from the landing gear into the interior of the Wingspan when the ship had landed briefly on Hruduk. Since then, he¡¯d managed to stay out of sight, hiding in the underbelly of the ship. He¡¯d been able to monitor most of the communications on board, though radio transmissions to the surface of the planet were trickier to intercept, and ripmed communications were impossible. Most importantly, he was able to record his position in space to continue drip-feeding the Astralbians information through smaller bursts of ripmed comms. As soon as he knew where they were heading next and how long the trip would take, he could find a dark corner and deactivate for a little while again.


    As he considered his next moves, he heard footsteps approaching. He was backed into a corner by some rusted exhaust pipes. He tried squeezing between them but there was no way he was going to fit. He heard the sound of someone humming, and a Talpidarian male in greasy overalls rounded the corner. He stopped in his tracks, looking up into Grim¡¯s skull-like face, the beard-like chains swinging menacingly as the Robot swung his fist above his head. The technician tried to cry out, but the pirate brought his metal fist down far too swiftly.


    ***


    Drixen looked out at the approaching creature, trying to gauge its intentions.


    ¡°It may just be curious,¡± said Dr. Trembi.


    ¡°The word ¡®may¡¯ concerns me, Doctor,¡± answered Drixen. He turned to get a look at his passengers. Dr. Trembi, a tall, dark-skinned Human with jet black curls, was craning her neck for a look at the bird while Dr. Britkrup was holding her head in her hands, doubled over in her seat.


    ¡°I¡¯m never landing again,¡± said the Talpidarian. ¡°I¡¯m going back up to the ship and I¡¯m never landing again.¡±


    Looking back out of the windshield, Drixen was more convinced than ever that the raptor was on the attack.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m taking evasive action, hold on,¡± said Drixen calmly.


    The shuttle felt slow and clunky compared to the fighter craft he was used to flying, but he¡¯d have to make due with what he had. When the bird got close, it threw up its talons, preparing to strike the shuttle. Drixen wheeled the shuttle in the tightest arc he could manage, and metal shrieked against the raptor¡¯s talons as they raked the underside of the craft.


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s territorial,¡± suggested Trembi.


    ¡°The ¡®curious¡¯ hypothesis certainly seems to have fallen apart, at least,¡± noted Drixen.


    Trembi let out an easy laugh.


    ¡°Talon Squad, this is Textbook,¡± he said. ¡°Looks like the bird wants a dogfight. I¡¯m going to have a hard time maneuvering quickly enough to get a shot on it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come up and try to drive it off,¡± replied Reclan.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± said Drixen, ¡°I¡¯ll try and stay afloat while I wai- ugh!¡±


    The raptor had swung around and made another swipe at the shuttle. This time it had managed to damage one of the shuttle''s wings, but Drixen was able to stabilize the craft. Talon Squad''s shuttle buzzed past, dividing the creature''s attention.


    "Woo! Good to see you, Rec," said Drixen.


    "Happy to be here, buddy," she replied. "I can fly this bus but I''m no ace. I''ll just try and get the bird to follow me and you can blow it out of the sky."


    "Sounds good," said Drixen.


    Reclan turned her shuttle around and buzzed the raptor again. It took the bait and chased her, leaving Drixen free to line up a shot and fire on the bird. His shots landed squarely and the raptor fell.


    "Woohoo!" shouted Reclan. "That''s how it''s done. Alright, I''ll see you on the- aw, man!¡± Three black dots had shown up on the horizon.


    "I see them!" said Vanbrook. "Sorry, Doctors, we''re not in the clear yet."


    Trembi nodded contentedly while Britkrup let out an anguished squeak.


    "Let''s take these three head on," said Drixen. "We may be able to shoot all three of them before they get anywhere near us."


    Drixen led the charge towards the three raptors, firing at the one in the center. It was hit, but the birds scattered, spreading their massive wings and banking away from one another. He focused on the one he''d already shot, trying to finish it off.


    Reclan banked to one side, pursuing one of the other raptors. She fired but missed, and the raptor dove, getting below her position. She turned as quickly as she could, but she was out-maneuvered and took a talon to one of her engines. The raptor cried out in triumph; a violent and eerie cry of pleasure.


    "My shuttle''s crippled!" she cried. "I can limp along but there''s no way I''m going to be much use now."


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try and take out the one dogging you,¡± said Drixen as he watched the raptor he¡¯d been fighting plummet to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m rethinking my strategy a bit. I think I can probably outrun these guys in a straight line. If I can get enough distance maybe I can- nevermind!¡±


    A scaly black foot blotted out the sun as the third raptor dove from behind Drixen¡¯s shuttle, slashing at the cockpit. The claws raked the glass, causing a screeching sound that made Drixen shiver.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Drixen determinedly, ¡°hang on back there, it¡¯s about to get a little rough!¡±


    ¡°About to?¡± whined Britkrup.


    Drixen slammed the accelerator forward, banking violently towards Reclan and the raptor pursuing her. He gunned down the raptor as he zipped by, then checked his scanners to see how much distance he¡¯d gained from the last monster.


    ¡°Reclan,¡± said Drixen, ¡°go ahead and land. I¡¯ve got this one.¡±


    With that, the pilot jerked back on the controls, flying up in a violent arc until he was upside down, then turning the nose back up. The shuttle wasn¡¯t the best vehicle to attempt a loop-the-loop in, but he had pulled it off. He smiled as the bird, attempting to follow his maneuver, rose into the path of his foreguns. He pulled the trigger and riddled his enemy with a volley of shots, grinning to himself as it fell from the sky.


    Drixen landed his shuttle next to Reclan¡¯s and helped carry Trembi and Britkrup¡¯s field gear down to Talon Squad¡¯s base camp. Talon Squad walked up to see if they could help.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Welcome to Platnon. Your welcome was about as warm as ours, if that¡¯s any consolation.¡±


    Trembi was scribbling furiously in a notebook. ¡°Well, I got a front row seat to the behavior of what I sincerely hope is the moon¡¯s apex predator. So I¡¯m honestly pretty happy at the moment.¡±


    ¡°If you like, I can take you to a cave where you¡¯ll be attacked by giant murderous crustaceans,¡± said Reclan with a grin.


    ¡°Reclan!¡± said Trembi, returning the smile. ¡°So good to see you! It¡¯s been awhile. I¡¯ve wanted to try and see you but we picked up some samples from Hittania when we were on Kirakna and it¡¯s been a steady stream of new species to study since. Hey, isn¡¯t Vanbrook around, too?¡±


    Vanbrook did his best to step casually out into the open from where he¡¯d been standing behind D¡¯Jarric. ¡°Dr. Trembi,¡± he said cordially.


    ¡°Good to see you too, Van,¡± replied Trembi good-naturedly.


    ***


    Crush sat across a table from a stern, wrinkled Human male. His name was High Brother Redgone, but the workers called him Stoneface. Crush could see why. The room was dimly lit by an orange-colored light that buzzed, hanging from the middle of the ceiling. The only door was an airlock, as the office building they were in contained the only breathable air on the mining station.


    ¡°You realize,¡± said Redgone, rubbing his eyes, ¡°that you are asking me to release a sizable portion of my workforce.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± responded Crush, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. ¡°I am paying off the debts of workers who would like to resign from their position. With the debts paid off you have no legal means to keep these workers.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re new to politics, aren¡¯t you?¡± asked the bureaucrat smugly.


    ¡°Again, no,¡± said Crush. ¡°But that¡¯s not the point. I am paying off the debts.¡±


    He leaned in, looking Crush square in the face. ¡°Listen, ¡®Admiral.¡¯ I am not simply going to allow my workers to be sold off because you have enough platinum to cover their debt to the mine. If you attempt to do so, the amount of red tape the PIC will throw at you will outweigh any benefits you may anticipate from freeing my workers.¡±


    Crush said nothing, staring blankly back at the man.


    ¡°However,¡± he continued, ¡°If you provide certain services to the PIC, I would be willing to pay you in the form of erasing debt.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the job?¡± asked Crush, relaxing internally.


    The bureaucrat¡¯s face twisted into an ugly grin. ¡°Just tell us where the Cornucopia Cluster is.¡±


    Crush¡¯s sense of relaxation shriveled away.


    ***


    Jasken smoothed his mustache as he listened to Drixen and Reclan recount their encounter with the ice raptors.


    ¡°That is certainly¡­ something,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear no one was hurt. And you say you should be able to fix the shuttles on-site?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Reclan. ¡°The Fleet¡¯s shuttle is spaceworthy as-is, though it could use some paint and polish, and Talon Squad¡¯s shuttle should be repairable without having to call down any parts from the Shepherd.¡±


    Jasken nodded. ¡°Good. On a completely different note, we¡¯ve identified a promising planet for our next jump. It looks like it has water, a breathable atmosphere, and a grav rating similar to Griffonia. The jump shields should be recharged in a day or two, and we intend to jump as soon as they are. How are the Doctors holding up?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good,¡± said Reclan. ¡°Britkrup was a little shaken up by the aerial battle, but Trembi took it in stride.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± replied Jasken. ¡°Well, keep them safe while they''re down there. Providence shine on you.¡±


    ¡°On you as well, Admiral,¡± said Drixen.


    Drixen and Reclan walked out of the command tent to see how preparations were going for the trip down into the nearest prairie.


    They kept the shuttle low for the flight and avoided attracting the attention of any nearby raptors, landing safely in the prairie with plenty of daylight left.


    Britkrup soon forgot her terror as she studied the prairie''s formation.


    "I''m thinking it''s volcanic," she said to Hrake, who was dutifully smiling and nodding at the doctor''s very technical monologue. "It could explain the warmth of the prairie as compared to the surface, though the expanse of ice would function as a sort of greenhouse."


    Raivyn was walking with Trembi as the latter took samples of the wispy green grasses of the prairie and observed the massive pollinators. Trembi was transfixed by a butterfly with powder blue wings and an iridescent black body.


    ¡°This place is amazing,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°I take it those caves are off-limits?¡±


    Raivyn nodded, looking to the opening in the ice that Trembi had pointed to. ¡°Yes, I think it¡¯s best for now if we steer clear. With limited shuttles and such dangerous fauna, it¡¯s best we don¡¯t take too many risks.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Van like these days?¡± asked the biologist casually. ¡°He seems more¡­ self-aware than when I first knew him. Maybe I¡¯m reading too much into a very brief interaction.¡±


    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve only known him a few years,¡± answered Raivyn, feeling a strange defensiveness welling up inside her. ¡°He¡¯s definitely grown in that time, though.¡±


    ¡°Did you know he courted me? Back in our first year in the service, actually,¡± she laughed. ¡°I had gone and gotten my doctorate before joining; he had no idea I had spent nearly a decade in advanced education before signing up. He called me old in public.¡± She laughed again. ¡°Seeing him now, I just wonder if I was too hard on him then.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Yeah, he can be impulsive, but he¡¯s¡­ a good man.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Trembi noncommittally.


    ¡°Raivyn, this is Van,¡± said a voice over the comms.


    ¡°Hey Van, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Just wondering when you guys are coming back up. Eclipse is coming up in about an hour. Also, I¡¯m bored. And Doc¡¯s trying to get me to do physical therapy stuff for my ankle, which is totally better now.¡±


    ¡°Shut up and do your exercises or I¡¯m gonna amputate the leg,¡± came Doc¡¯s voice from the background.


    Raivyn and Trembi laughed together.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°We¡¯ll be up soon. But for the record I¡¯m on Doc¡¯s side.¡±


    ***


    A few hours later, Vanbrook was preparing dinner in the command tent. Talon Squad always took turns preparing and serving dinner when they were clayside, and Vanbrook had insisted on taking Raivyn¡¯s turn for some reason. It was a simple meal, but Talon Squad had the leeway to take their own food along, and it was better than what could typically be found in the Wingspan¡¯s galley. Dinner was a meat stew with root vegetables.


    ¡°Sounds like we¡¯ll be able to head back up tomorrow morning for our trip to Gri101-WA0.89,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°Repairs went extraordinarily well,¡± noted Drixen. ¡°Both shuttles could use a new paint job, but they''re spaceworthy and fully functional.¡±


    ¡°Ready to fight some more birds tomorrow, I figure,¡± said Reclan with a grin.


    ¡°Oh, I hope not,¡± said Britkrup, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m staying on the Wingspan this time. The whole time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you had a grand old time here today,¡± said Vanbrook, stepping over to the table with a pot of stew. ¡°I don¡¯t think you can resist.¡±


    ¡°Hey, and he cooks, too!¡± said Trembi with an easy laugh.


    Vanbrook smiled and took a dramatic bow.


    Dinner was a relaxed and good-natured event. Much to Vanbrook¡¯s chagrin, Reclan recounted Vanbrook and Trembi¡¯s last date in excruciating detail. Trembi interjected occasionally with her own recollections. Vanbrook, unable to leave a joke untold even at his own expense, chimed in as well.


    ¡°No, no,¡± he said. ¡°What I said was ¡®I didn¡¯t know how old you were,¡¯ which I have been informed is the same thing.¡±


    Even Doc chuckled a little. He and D¡¯Jarric always joined the others at the table for conversation¡¯s sake, even though neither of them ate. Only Raivyn looked uncomfortable, though she hid it well by focusing on the meal.


    When the meal was over, everyone retired to their cabins, Drixen and the two scientists returning to their own shuttle. Vanbrook and Raivyn stayed behind to clean up.


    ¡°You know, maybe Trembi is as nice as her reputation suggests,¡± said Vanbrook as they finished up.


    Raivyn¡¯s face scrunched up. The strange defensiveness she¡¯d felt earlier when talking to Trembi welled up again. ¡°Well, maybe you were right the first time.¡±


    Vanbrook looked confused. ¡°What, did something happen in the prairie today?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Raivyn, immediately regretting the comment. She wasn¡¯t even sure why she¡¯d said it. ¡°No, forget I said anything.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Vanbrook, still confused. ¡°Have a good night, Rai.¡±


    ¡°You, too,¡± she said, all but running out the door to get away from the conversation.


    Vanbrook stood in the kitchen for a moment, trying to unravel the interaction.

 Chapter 2.21: Murder

    Jylik frowned as he walked into the so-called king¡¯s palace. He had not expected much, but still the building managed to under-deliver. It may have been beautiful in its day, full of carvings and paintings and well-kept plants, but now it looked more like ruins. Nothing had fallen over- yet- but it was clear the place was not being kept after. The stonework was overgrown with withered-looking vines and dust and refuse covered the floor. He caught sight of the King, sitting in the shadows on a dilapidated throne, his decrepit face twitching as he regarded Jylik. He fit his kingdom well.¡°King Zrykyk, I presume?¡± asked Jylik in his silkiest voice.


    The king regarded him suspiciously. A large, muscular Hrudukite with a patch over one eye stood by his side. His face was passive but Jylik could tell by his body language that he was ready to kill at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Jylik sighed. ¡°I was told you had learned the basics of our language. I forget how difficult organics find it to learn. Well, on the off chance you are hearing what I say, I am Prince Jylik of the Astralbian Kingdom. I learned of your greatness by the testimony of your people. I seek to forge an alliance with you against our common political opponents.¡±


    ¡°I learn your tongue,¡± said a voice from the shadows by the throne. ¡°New gods tell us how to kill old gods, yes?¡±


    Jylik smiled. ¡°Yes, something like that.¡±


    ***


    Jasken walked out of the bridge and made his way to his office. The jump had launched successfully, and they were on their way to a promising new world. The trip would take three weeks and threatened to max out their travel shields, but he was feeling optimistic about the planet.


    Just as he got to his door, a technician ran up to him. He was breathless and his face looked pale and drained. He stood there, panting.


    Jasken frowned and stared down at the man. ¡°Well, what is it, sailor?¡±


    The technician swallowed. ¡°M-murder, sir.¡±


    ***


    Crush walked out of the office building¡¯s airlock, the gray, brutalist architecture staring down at her like an oppressive giant. She was making her way through a series of open-aether catwalks back to her ship when she saw Slag approaching from the living quarters. Slag was the de facto leader of the discontent workers. If his wide, weathered, body made it look as though he had been working in the mines for the better part of a century, the impression undersold the reality.


    ¡°Admiral,¡± he said as soon as he was in earshot. ¡°How do we look?¡±


    Crush sighed. ¡°A bit rough, I¡¯m afraid. He wants to trade information for your debt, but it¡¯s information I don¡¯t have.¡±


    ¡°Can you get it?¡± asked Slag earnestly.


    ¡°To be determined,¡± responded Crush curtly.


    ¡°Look, Admiral, I don¡¯t know what to tell you,¡± said Slag nervously. ¡°My crew is getting restless. If we can¡¯t figure out a deal, we¡­ we have another idea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not declaring war on the PIC,¡± said Crush.


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to!¡± protested Slag. ¡°We don¡¯t need you to attack, just fly us out of here! We could board the ships inside an hour, we¡¯ll be long gone before Redgone realizes anything.¡±


    ¡°That would be nearly as bad,¡± retorted Crush. ¡°We¡¯re mercenaries, not pirates. We¡¯re not going to blatantly break the Code, but I¡¯m not done yet either.¡±


    ¡°The Code! The Code!¡± ranted Slag. ¡°What good has the Code done here? In theory, it protects the rights of all sapients, but in practice it just gives nations like the Griffon Republic or the Teratan Independent Nation ethical cover while nations like the People¡¯s Interstellar Co-op abuse the system and oppress the people they call their own brothers and sisters! Hang the Code, I want to live free!¡±


    Crush was taken aback by the Robot¡¯s sudden outburst, but she also understood the sentiment. She, too, had been part of an abusive government, of sorts. The upper echelons of the Ramshackle Collective had treated its members like cannon fodder while they lived like kings.


    She put a hand on Slag¡¯s shoulder and looked him in the eyes. ¡°Bide your time. I¡¯ll figure this out, okay?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± he answered with uncertainty. ¡°Alright. But please understand you¡¯re sitting on a powder keg.¡±


    Crush nodded her understanding as she turned to board her ship.


    ***


    Talon Squad was on their way to the firing range when the ship¡¯s alarms sounded.


    ¡°All non-essential personnel, report to quarters immediately,¡± said Captain Hunt over the public comms. ¡°The ship is locked down as of now. Please report any out of the ordinary activity to your commanding officer immediately. You will be updated as the situation allows.¡±


    Vanbrook looked at the others as they obediently jogged towards their quarters.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked. ¡°The ¡®out of the ordinary activity¡¯ bit makes me think there¡¯s been some kind of foul play. It¡¯s not the kind of thing you say if the reactor¡¯s about to melt down or something.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be updated as the situation allows,¡± said Raivyn.


    Vanbrook rolled his eyes.


    ¡°What going on?¡± asked Hrake.


    ¡°We are going to our rooms,¡± said D¡¯Jarric patiently. ¡°You stay with me. I will help you understand.¡±


    Hrake nodded.


    When they reached their quarters, they all went their separate ways. As soon as Vanbrook got to his quarters he flopped onto his bed. Having personal quarters was a major benefit of being in a Special Squad, but it was annoying when it came to lockdowns. After a while he stood up, looking around for something to do. He did some push-ups, he went through some sword drills, he called Reclan on her comm.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Dude,¡± said Reclan. ¡°It¡¯s been less than an hour. I¡¯m catching up on- ow! Soldering accident, no worries- I¡¯m catching up on drone maintenance. I¡¯ll talk to you later.¡±


    Vanbrook sighed. ¡°Fine.¡±


    He laid back down and stewed for nearly another hour until there was a knock on the door. Checking that his gun was in his holster, he sprang up and went to the door. When he looked through the peephole he saw Captain Hunt and Admiral Jasken. He opened the door.


    ¡°Come on in,¡± he said. Hunt and Jasken stepped in, motioning for Vanbrook to shut the door.


    He obliged, looking at the two men. ¡°So, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s been a murder onboard,¡± said Jasken simply.


    Vanbrook whistled. ¡°Wow. Who?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here to interview, not be interviewed, Vanbrook,¡± Jasken chided.


    Vanbrook frowned, but nodded his understanding.


    ¡°I¡¯m extremely interested to know the whereabouts of Hrake over the past two days,¡± said the Admiral sternly.


    ¡°With us?¡± said Vanbrook incredulously.


    Jasken frowned. ¡°I need an airtight alibi, Specialist.¡±


    Vanbrook sighed. ¡°I can vouch for him until we came back aboard. And for meals since, and when we started the jump. Other than that, he was typically with either Raivyn or D¡¯Jarric.¡±


    ¡°Typically?¡± asked Hunt, who was furiously taking notes on his tablet.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t keep a log of his activities, Hunt,¡± said Vanbrook, annoyed. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d need one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Captain Hunt to you,¡± said the Captain sternly. ¡°And we¡¯re just ruling out possibilities, so cool it.¡±


    Vanbrook held his hands up in defeat, a look of annoyance still on his face.


    ¡°Okay, ¡®Captain,¡¯ that¡¯s what I know about Hrake. I haven¡¯t seen anything odd, from him or otherwise. Do you want me to go through my time since we got back from Platnon?¡±


    Hunt sighed and flipped through his tablet. ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡±


    After going through a pretty mundane list of the tasks, meals and activities that had made up his past day or so, he looked at Jasken. ¡°You¡¯re not personally interviewing everyone onboard, are you?¡±


    Jasken shook his head. ¡°No, but frankly I should. I¡¯m focusing on any leads we have, no matter how slim.¡±


    ¡°Leads like Hrake?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°Yes. Leads like Hrake,¡± said Jasken. ¡°The victim was struck in the head with a blunt object. The direction of and damage from the blow indicate a large, powerful attacker. Hrake had no obvious motivation but he¡¯s also an unknown quantity that matches the admittedly vague profile of the attacker. If I can¡¯t eliminate him as a suspect early in this investigation it¡¯s going to be a problem on this ship and beyond. In other words, take this seriously.¡±


    ***


    Jasken found less attitude but little more information as he interviewed Raivyn, Reclan and Doc. Finally, he knocked on D¡¯Jarric¡¯s door. The massive Solaran opened the door and gestured Jasken and Hunt inside. To Jasken¡¯s surprise, the Hrudukite warrior was in the room as well.


    ¡°How can I help, Admiral?¡± asked D¡¯Jarric.


    ¡°You can start by telling me why our guest is not in his own quarters,¡± said Jasken, a


    note of hostility in his voice.


    D¡¯Jarric looked taken aback. ¡°I simply asked him to stay with me. His Talpaertan has come a long way, but overhead announcements aren¡¯t conducive to reading body language or asking questions. I figured he was better off with me for now.¡±


    ¡°You should have run that by me, D¡¯Jarric,¡± said Jasken.


    D¡¯Jarric dipped his head. ¡°Apologies, sir.¡±


    Jasken waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Accepted. Hunt, please escort Hrake to his quarters.¡±


    Hrake looked to D¡¯Jarric and pointed to the Captain. ¡°I leave with Captain Hunt?¡±


    D¡¯Jarric nodded. ¡°To your own quarters.¡±


    Hunt followed Hrake out of the room.


    When the door was once more closed, Jasken looked at D¡¯Jarric and let out a sigh. ¡°D¡¯Jarric, please tell me you can vouch for Hrake¡¯s whereabouts over the last two days?¡±


    D¡¯Jarric raised an eyebrow. ¡°Mostly.¡±


    Jasken smoothed his mustache. ¡°Mostly. That won¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°May I ask what this is about, sir?¡± asked the Solaran.


    ¡°There was a murder, D¡¯Jarric,¡± said Jasken, looking deflated. ¡°Technician Dritch, worked down below decks. The circumstantial evidence matches up with Hrake. So much is new to him, and his culture is new to us. I really don¡¯t think he killed a random technician below decks, but he¡¯s going to be a popular scapegoat until the real killer is found.¡±


    D¡¯Jarric tapped his chin in thought. ¡°Are there any other leads?¡±


    Jasken shook his head. ¡°We searched the area thoroughly and found no clues to the murderer¡¯s identity. Dritch was working alone doing a routine check of some pretty obscure areas of the ship.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he found someone who was trying to hide something?¡± suggested D¡¯Jarric.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± replied Jasken. ¡°The problem becomes ¡®who?¡¯ And I don¡¯t have an answer there. Dritch¡¯s remains are being examined aboard the Shepherd and the work logs are being cross referenced as we speak. Hopefully that will turn something up. Just keep an eye on our new friend, okay?¡±


    ¡°Can do,¡± said D¡¯Jarric.


    Jasken shook his head and left the room.


    ***


    Jylik once again rose into the aether aboard his star tree, Gevrok standing by his side. The Hrudukite had pledged loyalty to Jylik and asked to go with him under the pretense that he would serve as King Zrykyk¡¯s eyes and ears aboard Jylik¡¯s star tree. In reality, Gevrok was the kind of creature that served whoever he believed to be the most powerful. Jylik had seen many worms like him before.


    Gevrok spent the first few days of the trip gawking over the tree¡¯s inner workings, but was most excited about the thorn guns. Jylik explained how they worked, but didn¡¯t yet feel comfortable actually letting the barbarian hold one, much less fire one. Nonetheless, he allowed Gevrok to train with the soldiers aboard the tree. It gave the turtle something to do besides fawn over Jylik, anyway.


    Jylik received another message from his mysterious benefactor, and the information worried him. He marched down to the sanctum.


    ¡°Tree Priestess,¡± said Jylik, interrupting the wizened old priestess¡¯ work.


    ¡°My lord?¡± she asked.


    ¡°How fast can the fleet go? We need to make better time.¡±


    ***


    Vanbrook was laying in bed again, staring at the ceiling and mulling over the murder when Hunt¡¯s voice came over the public comms..


    ¡°Attention. Thank you for your patience and cooperation. The lockdown will be lifted shortly, but first the Admiral would like a word with us all.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Captain,¡± said Jasken. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to inform you that Technician Dritch was found murdered earlier today. His commanding officer and fellow technicians were informed and all reported that Dritch was an excellent worker and a good friend. We will all mourn his loss.


    ¡°The investigation into this tragedy is ongoing. We will be implementing a ¡°two-by-two¡± protocol until the murderer is brought to justice. No one is to travel or work alone at this time. Your commanding officers will fill you in on the details. After having such a discussion, you are dismissed from the lockdown. Thank you.¡±


    Vanbrook sighed discontentedly and opened up a comm line with the Squad.


    ¡°Sooooo¡­ what are we thinking?¡± he asked when everyone answered the comm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stick with Hrake,¡± said D¡¯Jarric.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Rec, you wanna buddy up?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m already partnered with Doc.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± asked Vanbrook. ¡°Okay then. Raivyn?¡±


    ¡°Looks like that¡¯s the way of it,¡± she said.


    ¡°Cool. Well, ¡®buddy,¡¯ you wanna go hit the galley now that we¡¯re off lockdown? I need a change of scenery.¡±


    In her quarters, Reclan smiled.

 Chapter 2.22: Crowded Aether

    D''Jarric and Hrake were on their way to join the others in the galley when a tall, broad Raki in technician''s gear stepped out in front of Hrake. His stalked eyes were level with Hrake''s as he stared the Hrudukite down.


    Hrake stepped back slightly, a confused look on his face. "Is there problem?"


    The Raki stepped forward again, his face inches from Hrake''s. "You show up, and suddenly people start getting their skulls caved in." His eyes went to Hrake''s hammer. "I don''t know what Dritch did to get you riled up but it ain''t happening again."


    He reached for Hrake''s hammer, and Hrake took a defensive posture, raising his hammer slightly. D''Jarric moved to get between the two, putting a hand on both. The Raki shoved D''Jarric''s arm out of the way, and Hrake raised his hammer in response, bellowing out a challenge.


    "Enough!" shouted a firm voice.


    D''Jarric spun to see Captain Fenrik marching out of the galley, pushing past the growing crowd of observers. He was a head shorter than Hrake and the Raki, but didn''t think twice about walking straight up to them, pointing clawed fingers at them.


    "You and you can go straight to the brig," he snarled. "There''s no fighting under Admiral Jasken''s command."


    Fenrik flagged down two soldiers and ordered Hrake and the Raki to turn over their weapons. Hrake was hesitant, but D''Jarric nodded to him and he relinquished his new hammer.


    "Captain, I would like to accompany Hrake to the brig," said D''Jarric. "I''m supposed to be staying with him.¡±


    "Fine!" said Fenrik, throwing up his hands. "Anyone else want to go to the brig!?" he asked the crowd. When no one responded he cleared the hallway, ordering the soldiers to escort the three troublemakers to the brig.


    ***


    Krum-Bahk sat by the ramp of the Gladius, sweating in the heat of the Krauqian tropics. Krauqia was both his ancestral planet and his birthplace, but Griffonia was his home.


    While Griffonian summers could be hot, especially near the equator, it was significantly cooler than Krauqia. True, there was a kind of haunting beauty to the swamps, wetlands, and rivers of the more populated regions of Krauqia, but Krum-Bahk would rather be home.


    He heard an approaching vehicle and squinted, looking up the road. Soon the hazy blob on the horizon sorted itself out into Chully and Huluna¡¯s hovercraft, and Krum-Bahk stood to greet them.


    ¡°What did we find out?¡± he asked cheerfully. They had been investigating Hoon-Kra¡¯s passport information, trying to determine what he¡¯d been up to.


    ¡°That¡¯s confidential RIS information,¡± said Chully disdainfully.


    Krum-Bahk raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to debrief our boss, Krum,¡± said Huluna. ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough if he sees fit to send us anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± said Krum-Bahk, stepping aside to let them pass by and up into the ship.


    Chully headed straight for his comm screen, with Huluna following behind. They called up Hetford, who answered with surprising swiftness given the time of day it was on Griffonia.


    ¡°What do you have for me?¡± he asked, adjusting his glasses.


    ¡°Looks like Hoon-Kra has gone to great lengths to cover his tracks,¡± said Chully. ¡°Technically, none of it¡¯s illegal. More like creative uses of bureaucratic red tape. As long as he stayed on Republic worlds, we don¡¯t have a right to know without a warrant, which we don¡¯t have grounds to get as of now.¡±


    ¡°However,¡± said Huluna, ¡°it looks like he¡¯s purchased a property on Kirakna in the recent past. It¡¯s an interesting choice of world, given that the Cornucopia Cluster is thought to be located in that direction.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Hetford, ¡°then you¡¯re off to Kirakna. But remember what you said: you don¡¯t have grounds to get a warrant yet. I don¡¯t want Hoon-Kra¡¯s lawyer friend filing a religious discrimination case against us, so give Hoon-Kra plenty of breathing room.¡±


    ¡°You got it, boss,¡± said Huluna. Chully nodded his assent and they ended the comm.


    ***


    The Raki who¡¯d confronted Hrake sat smoldering in his cell, staring over at the Hrake and D¡¯Jarric. Hrake sat still on the bench, humming a tune softly. D¡¯Jarric stood by, arms crossed, his eyes roving over the brig. It was a small room with a handful of cells, watched by two nonchalant guards. The other cells were empty.


    ¡°Teach me song in Talpaertan,¡± said Hrake suddenly. ¡°Songs good, make time move.¡±


    D¡¯Jarric smiled. ¡°Alright. Hmm. Here¡¯s one. An Aeraten song. The tune is that of an older song, from before they knew about space travel, but they changed the words to fit their new adventures.


    ¡°The aether boils ¡®neath our hull


    Roll, roll ¡®cross the aether!


    And the engine pounds inside our skulls


    Roll, roll ¡®cross the aether!¡±


    After the first verse, the two guards joined in. D¡¯Jarric was pleased to hear one of them singing the harmony while the other pounded a steady beat on his desk with a meaty fist.


    ¡°We must toil til we die


    Roll, roll ¡®cross the aether!


    Or we¡¯ll never reach our home alive


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Roll, roll ¡®cross the aether!


    ¡°We hide below whene¡¯er we can


    Roll, roll ¡®cross the aether!


    For-¡±


    ***


    ¡°The Captain is a wicked man.¡± Admiral Jasken¡¯s voice was monotone as he finished the lyric. ¡°If you¡¯re finished, I¡¯d like to have a word with the prisoners.¡±


    The guards saluted Jasken sharply, and returned to their posts, standing with a sort of renewed vigor.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the deal. I¡¯m ready to let both- all, I suppose- of you out of here, but I need you to listen to me first. Kryk,¡± he said, looking at the Raki technician, ¡°Hrake didn¡¯t kill Dritch. His time of death has been determined, and Hrake was still on Platnon.¡±


    The Raki reared up, looking ready to smash the cell door in rage. Instead, he rapidly deflated, his shoulders slumped.


    ¡°It¡­ it just made sense,¡± he said lamely.


    ¡°I know,¡± said Jasken matter-of-factly. ¡°Regardless, you are not permitted to enact vigilante justice. No one got hurt, but I will not have this kind of behavior on my fleet, do I make myself clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Kryk, standing up straight.


    Jasken nodded to the guards, and they pressed a button, letting Kryk out.


    ¡°Two of your fellow technicians are waiting outside to escort you back to your post,¡± said Jasken.


    The Raki nodded and walked out the door without making eye contact with Hrake and D¡¯Jarric.


    Jasken turned to them and sighed. ¡°Does Hrake understand why he¡¯s here?¡±


    ¡°I do, Admiral,¡± answered the Hrudukite. ¡°I raise my hammer to a friend. I apologize for wrong.¡±


    ¡°That will do, Hrake,¡± said the Admiral. ¡°However, understand that this cannot happen again. If you wish to complete the quest you were given, you will live by my rules.¡±


    Hrake nodded solemnly. Jasken nodded in return. As he left, he signaled to the guards to release the two remaining prisoners.


    ***


    Darvik was just about ready to give up and leave the mansion. Hoon-Kra was taking his sweet time getting back to him, supplies were running low in the safe house, and he hadn''t had any outside contact since the first drop-off.


    He was looking around the house for anything that belonged to him or that he''d like to belong to him when there was a knock at the door.


    After going through the ordeal of remembering codes, Darvik opened the door to the same hooded figure as before, who extended another basket of groceries towards him.


    "Hoon-Kra wants you at the spaceport this time tomorrow. The ship is the Swamp¡¯s Pride. You won''t see me again. If anyone knocks on this door, kill them or run."


    Darvik took the basket and nodded. The figure turned and left without another word. He noted to his displeasure that there was no rum in this delivery, but there were more pressing matters. Finally, he had a chance to get off-world. More importantly, he''d be one step closer to Vanbrook.


    Meanwhile, the hooded figure wound its way through the midnight streets of Kirakna''s domed city. Another figure slipped out of a dimly lit alley, following behind the first.


    "Hold up there, friend," said the second figure. Agent Chully stepped out into the light of a street lamp, hands in the pockets of his long, gray coat.


    The hooded figure bolted, only to have Huluna step out at the next block. The hooded figure swung a wild fist at the agent, which was intercepted by a tentacle. Huluna looked at the arm and noted a familiar shark serpent tattoo on the arm.


    "Agent Chully," said Huluna, "I''ve been assaulted. I think we''ll have to take this one in for questioning.¡±


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± came a raspy voice from under the hood. A cloak was thrown back and Huluna was staring at a set of explosives strapped over the cultist¡¯s torso.


    ¡°GET DOWN!¡± shouted Huluna, diving back into the alley.


    Chully dropped to the ground as an explosion rocked the sidewalk.


    ***


    ¡°People are dumb,¡± said Vanbrook as he walked down the hall with Raivyn.


    Raivyn nodded absently, then turned to look at him questioningly. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean the thing with Hrake and that tech. There was no real evidence he was the murderer. Why go after him?¡±


    Raivyn shrugged. ¡°People like to find a target for their anger. Remember Hittania? You took it out on me when Traelby invaded your mind. Later, I nearly killed Drixen when I thought he was the saboteur.¡±


    Vanbrook put his hands up defensively. ¡°Hey, I said sorr- wait, you almost what?¡±


    Raivyn blushed slightly. ¡°Nevermind. The point is that¡¯s all water under the bridge, right? It was all just¡­ misplaced anger.¡±


    Vanbrook paused. ¡°Kind of like Darvik killing Wilbis.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°I guess so. That guy¡¯s a special case though. I didn¡¯t know Wilbis well, but I¡¯d still like to be there when they execute his murderer.¡±


    ¡°If they execute him,¡± said Vanbrook. His eyes took on a steely look that Raivyn didn¡¯t like.


    ¡°You worried they won¡¯t find him,¡± she asked, ¡°or are you hoping to find him first?¡±


    Vanbrook didn¡¯t answer, as Doctors Britkrup and Trembi rounded the corner in front of them, nearly running into them.


    ¡°Hey, my two favorite scientists!¡± said Vanbrook, suddenly beaming.


    ¡°Rai, Van, good to see you,¡± said Trembi, looking at Vanbrook the whole time.


    ¡°We were just heading to the galley,¡± offered Britkrup. ¡°Want to come along?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± exclaimed Raivyn, trying to sound disappointed. ¡°That sounds nice, but we¡¯re on our way to the gym now, we¡¯ll be meeting with the rest of our squad for dinner in a little while.¡±


    Vanbrook shrugged an apology. ¡°Another time, maybe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that in writing,¡± laughed Trembi. ¡°I¡¯ve hardly seen you since Platnon.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you know how to reach my comm,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°We¡¯ll set something up. Talon Squad usually eats at the same time every day. Meet us a day and an hour from now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, um, sure!¡± said Trembi.


    Britkrup laughed, a reaction that Vanbrook found inexplicable. Raivyn started marching down the hall.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Van,¡± she said, sounding irritable. ¡°We don¡¯t have long until dinner.¡±


    Waving goodbye to the scientists, Vanbrook jogged to catch up with Raivyn.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°What was what about?¡± asked Raivyn testily. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to get to the gym on time.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Van asked with a smirk, ¡°who are you really mad at?¡±


    Vanbrook put his hands up in surrender as Raivyn shot him a withering glare.


    ***


    Jasken felt good about how the remainder of the jump had gone, all things considered. Tempers had cooled dramatically after Hrake had been cleared of the murder. Unfortunately, the investigation had come up empty so far. After cross referencing security footage and the list of crew with no corroborated alibis, they had not managed to come up with any solid leads. A few people had been interviewed, but they had no more motive to kill Dritch than anyone else.


    Now that they¡¯d reached Gri101-WA0.89, Talon Squad would be dispatched to explore the planet. Everyone else, the killer included, would stay on board.


    The planet was covered in lush green continents and wide blue oceans. After years exploring new worlds, Jasken found that he preferred the planets that most closely resembled home. While they may not hold as much interest to the astronomists and geologists, they tended to offer the most comfort and resources. If they could catch the killer, Jasken might even give the crew a beach day once Talon Squad secured a landing zone. The Wingspan hadn¡¯t taken on any water since Hruduk and it would be good to fill up the tanks.


    ¡°Um, Admiral?¡± said Mairen from her seat by the comms systems, pulling Jasken out of his daydreaming. She sounded worried. ¡°We¡¯ve got a beacon signal coming from Gri101-WA0.89.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Jasken in shock. ¡°There are no known settlements in this part of the galaxy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a new signal,¡± replied the comms officer. ¡°And¡­ it¡¯s Astralbian, sir.¡±

 Chapter 2.23: Neighbors

    Chully ran towards the smoldering remains of the cultist, turning the corner to see Huluna lying in a heap on the alley floor, covered in deep gashes.


    ¡°Fenyn!¡± shouted Chully. The Marines all leapt from another nearby side street, Fenyn at the head of the crowd. He was already pulling bandages from his medpack when his knees hit the pavement by Huluna¡¯s groaning form.


    ¡°Oh, this doesn''t look as bad as it probably feels, Agent," said Fenyn as he crouched by Huluna. "I¡¯ve got this, Marines. Go get whoever¡¯s in that house!¡±


    As the squad turned towards the dilapidated mansion, a bullet ricocheted off of Grepk¡¯s armor. It was Chully who first returned fire, his pistol blasting away a chunk of the window frame the flash had come from. Another bullet crashed into the wall, showering Chully and the Marines with shards of stone.


    The Marines, wearing their full gear, leapt towards the building, using their jetpacks to cover the distance in a matter of seconds. Halfway through the leap, a bullet hit Krum-Bahk square in the chest. While it didn¡¯t even slow him down, he felt like he¡¯d been hit with a sledgehammer.


    Inside the mansion, Darvik tossed the rifle aside and ran. Squaring off against three fully armored Marines didn¡¯t fit into his plans. He all but leapt down the stairs as he heard the marines crash through the window he¡¯d been standing at. He should have ran in the first place, but the explosion had racked his nerves. He was a fighter at heart, but he had to learn when it was wiser to run. He clamored out of a busted-out window before the Marines had settled in the room and made sure it was empty.


    ¡°Rifle¡¯s sitting right here,¡± said Krum-Bahk. ¡°But where¡¯s the shooter? And are we sure there¡¯s only one?¡±


    Keshri didn¡¯t bother to answer, bolting for the back stairs in pursuit.


    ¡°Krum, check out the room,¡± ordered Grepk. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t take long.¡± The Marine captain followed Keshri down the stairs.


    Suddenly Krum-Bahk¡¯s world was a chaos of roaring flame. Even inside the protective shell of his armor, he felt the burning heat of the inferno threatening to cook him where he stood. Out of instinct he fired his jetpack.


    On the ground, Chully was watching Fenyn work and trying to keep the crowd that had formed around the blast site away from Huluna. The local police had just shown up when a blast of heat and noise made him spin where he stood. He saw the dilapidated mansion had burst into flame, gouts of fire shooting from every window. Three figures blasted through the ceiling, leaping towards his position. Those in the crowd who hadn¡¯t begun running from the burning building watched the three Marines in awe. In the stark light of the fire, three fully armed and armored Marines with smoke rising from their singed armor made for quite a spectacle. The Marines scanned the crowd in vain as Chully screamed at local law enforcement about expanding the perimeter immediately.


    Meanwhile, Darvik had made his way around the mansion and joined the confusion of the crowd, running in the direction of the spaceport. No one had seen him. If he was careful, he should be able to make the rendezvous with Hoon-Kra without attracting any more attention.


    ***


    Jasken¡¯s sour, puckered face masked a deep rage as he broadcast a comms call, seeking any nearby ships. The signal was going for nearly an hour when someone finally responded. The Admiral stood facing the screen and nodded to Mairen, who allowed the respondent to come through.


    An elegant, tall Astralbian female with haughty eyes appeared on the screen.


    ¡°Admiral Jasken, is it?¡± she asked in a disinterested voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± answered Jasken coolly. He considered it a small victory that he was keeping his voice even. ¡°And who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?¡±


    ¡°The fleet of Crown Prince Jylik,¡± she answered.


    ¡°And who am I addressing?¡± asked Jasken, anger now bleeding into his tone.


    The lady smiled condescendingly. ¡°Lady Trilia.¡±


    ¡°Lady Trilia,¡± replied Jasken with a nod of his head. ¡°The Blue Griffon Fleet of the Griffon Republic would like permission to land on this planet to fill our water tanks and-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Trilia, her face expressionless.


    Jasken took a breath before responding. ¡°The IGC states-¡±


    ¡°We do not recognize the authority of the IGC.¡±


    Jasken smoothed his mustache. ¡°Then why should we recognize your beacon?¡±


    ¡°Because you do recognize the authority of the IGC,¡± replied the Astralbian noblewoman, a faint smile now playing on her lips. ¡°And because the Astralbian Kingdom would consider it an invasion and an act of war if you were to land on our world without our permission.¡±


    Jasken fought an internal battle to keep his face straight. ¡°We will be out of your planet¡¯s orbit as soon as possible. If the Crown Prince would like to explain how he came to be in this part of the galaxy-¡±


    ¡°He would not,¡± said Trilia. She terminated the call.


    Jasken spun to the crew on the bridge, fire in his eyes.


    ¡°Dekken,¡± he said, addressing his chief engineer. ¡°Are we prepared for another jump?¡±


    The blue-spotted Raki shook his head. ¡°No, sir. Our travel shields were drained to practically nothing during the last jump. We could use combat shields, but that¡¯s a risky bet since we¡¯d be sitting ducks once they were depleted.¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Mairen, what other options do we have?¡± asked Jasken.


    ¡°Gri102-NN2.1 is the only other planet we¡¯re aware of in this solar system,¡± she said grimly. ¡°It¡¯s a not a promising planet. We could luck out and find another moon like Platnon, but it¡¯s doubtful.¡±


    ¡°Our only option is to head there. Officers Mairen and Dekken, I want to see a course plotted within the hour.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± replied the officers in unison.


    Jasken shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re not just looking for a murderer. We¡¯re looking for an informant.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You gotta be kidding me!¡± shouted Vanbrook when he heard the announcement. They were going to be spending an additional week, minimum, traveling towards a different, less-desirable planet. Because of the Astralbians, of all things. Vanbrook had had enough of training recruits and spending every moment outside of his room with Raivyn. Honestly, he wouldn¡¯t have minded spending time with Raivyn, but she¡¯d gotten increasingly short-tempered. Maybe she didn¡¯t like spending time with him. The thought stung a bit.


    Raivyn shook her head as she walked beside him, heading back to Talon Squad¡¯s quarters from another training session.


    ¡°Guess this means more dinners with the eggheads,¡± she said bitterly.


    Vanbrook cocked his head, regarding Raivyn curiously. ¡°What¡¯s your problem with Britkrup and Trembi?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± said Raivyn irritably.


    ¡°Raivyn, I think after spending the past few years working with you, not to mention the past couple weeks side by side with you, I can read you better than that. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± said Raivyn defensively. She knew what it was. Jealousy. What she didn¡¯t understand was why she was feeling it. Vanbrook was a great guy. Funny. Smart, or at least extremely clever. Handsome, even. But she had always regarded him as a co-worker and, since Hittania, as something like a brother.


    But you don¡¯t dance like that with a brother, said a little voice in her head. She scoffed out loud.


    ¡°You know what?¡± said Vanbrook, his hands up. ¡°Forget it. Here we are, last stop. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    He walked into his quarters, the door shutting behind him. Raivyn looked at the closed door for a moment. She raised her hand to knock, then lowered it and walked back towards her own quarters.


    ***


    Crush reached out to the nearest Griffon Republic outpost. A Talpidarian female answered the call.


    ¡°Hello, how can I direct your comm?¡± she said in a pleasant voice.


    ¡°This is Admiral Crush of the Free Revolutionary Fleet. I would like to contact Admiral Jasken of the Blue Griffon Fleet.¡±


    ¡°One moment, please,¡± responded the dispatcher, disabling her camera.


    Crush stood waiting for several minutes, her patience waning. Finally, the screen sprang to life again, and she was greeted by a masculine Robot.


    ¡°Admiral Crush,¡± he said in an excited tone. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you. My name is Hobbe, uh, Minister Hobbe, that is. I provide civilian oversight of the Griffon Republic Navy for the Parliament. I just want to say that I admire your bravery and the path you¡¯ve carved out for yourself in the galaxy. Your tide-turning counter offensive over Hittania is the stuff of legends.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Minister,¡± said Crush, happy to hear the praise. ¡°I was hoping to speak to Admiral Jasken.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Hobbe uneasily. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be possible right now. He¡¯s on a sensitive mission and cannot be reached directly. I will, however, endeavor to have any message passed on to the Admiral as quickly as possible. The Republic truly cherishes our friendship with the FRF. What message would you like me to relay to Admiral Jasken?¡±


    Crush paused. She had hoped to speak directly to Jasken. She didn¡¯t want to betray the Republic, but she did want to free the PIC workers. Somehow she hoped to get advice without tipping her hand.


    ¡°I have an opportunity to help free some PIC Robot miners from their slavery-like conditions,¡± she said.


    Hobbe¡¯s partially articulated faceplate formed into a thoughtful frown. ¡°The PIC. Whether it¡¯s the biologicals on their farm worlds or the mechanicals mining their asteroid belts, they treat people like equipment. Unfortunately, they follow the Code to the letter, if not in spirit, and the Republic can¡¯t go rocking that boat too much.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± said Crush. ¡°Are you saying you won¡¯t help?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± said Hobbe, waving his hands. ¡°Not at all. Just that we¡¯ll have to tread carefully. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get your message to Jasken within the week. I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s the best I can promise you right now.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Crush. ¡°Thank you, Minister.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said. ¡°Providence shine on you.¡±


    It was odd to hear that sentiment from a Robot. ¡°Oh, on you, too.¡±


    Ending the call, Crush mulled over her options. Maybe Slag had a point about the restrictions of the Code, after all.


    ***


    The next morning, Vanbrook woke up and got ready to go to breakfast with the rest of the Squad. His groggy ears heard singing coming from the hallway, and when he opened the door he saw Hrake belting out a heartfelt rendition of Roll ¡®Cross the Aether.


    ¡°Alright, who¡¯s teaching the newbie aether shanties?¡± he asked in good-natured annoyance.


    ¡°D¡¯Jarric has taught me much,¡± said Hrake with a smile. ¡°But I love songs and poems best.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve certainly had enough downtime,¡± said Reclan, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Scuttlebut is that our shields are charged enough we might jump the rest of the way to Gri102-NN2.1,¡± offered D¡¯Jarric hopefully. ¡°If we do, the trip should only take a few hours even if we don¡¯t go much faster than lightspeed.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°I¡¯ve had as much as I can take of this ship. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s in a grav-compensated spacesuit, I need some time clayside.¡±


    Raivyn nodded, but stayed silent. Doc walked out of his room, reading a novel as he walked up to his companions.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± he asked without looking up from his book.


    When the squad got to the galley, Vanbrook went right to the tea station and poured some rakka for himself and tavan blossom for Raivyn, taking it over to her seat. The others were either grabbing food or talking to friends at other tables.


    She frowned at the mug. ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡±


    ¡°Drinking?¡± suggested Vanbrook sarcastically.


    ¡°Oh, uh, why?¡± asked Raivyn. ¡°I mean, what made you want to get me a cup?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my buddy until this whole murder thing gets solved, so I¡¯m trying to, uh, be nice? Get back on your good side? Look, maybe you¡¯re just sick of being stuck with me or whatever, but I honestly like spending time with you, at least when you¡¯re not mad at me.¡±


    Raivyn stared at the mug in frustration. He was making it hard to be mad at him, but she really just wanted to be mad at him.


    ¡°Look, Van,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She leaned into the fib. ¡°Yeah, the close quarters and unsolved murder are starting to get to me, I suppose. But you¡¯re fine. And, uh, thanks for the tea.¡±


    Vanbrook smiled at her. She smiled back. Just then, the others started drifting back to the table, Britkrup and Trembi joining them. Vanbrook smiled and nodded at the scientists, Trembi returning her brightest, most radiant grin. However, Raivyn was happy to see him set his cup down next to her own and take a seat there.

 Chapter 2.24: Hostile Seas

    Jasken had hemmed and hawed about whether or not to make the six hour, low-speed jump to to Gri102-NN2.1, but eventually decided in favor of it. They were unlikely to deplete their shields doing so and it wouldn¡¯t require a great deal of energy. However, before he made the announcement, a call came in from Skritka, responding to the notification Jasken had sent regarding the Astralbian presence in the area.


    ¡°Prime Minister,¡± said Jasken, settling in front of the comms screen. ¡°I take it you got our update.¡±


    ¡°Admiral, yes, I did,¡± said Skritka, adjusting his spectacles. ¡°It¡¯s disturbing news. You think the individual who murdered Technician Dritch may be an Astralbian informant as well?¡±


    Jasken shrugged. ¡°It makes the most sense.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can lose the Astralbians with your next jump?¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± said Jasken with a nod. ¡°But if the Astralbians know the path we took to get here, they¡¯ll likely be able to extrapolate where we¡¯re headed. They could very well stumble onto the Cornucopia Cluster before we do if they¡¯re quick about it.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can be quicker?¡± asked the Prime Minister.


    ¡°We¡¯re already scanning for potential planets to jump to next. No promising leads yet, but we¡¯ll keep looking. Right now our priority is water. We¡¯re not dangerously low yet, but if we don¡¯t find water on the next world, or some nearby asteroids or comets we can mine for ice, we may find ourselves waiting for a resupply ship from Hruduk.¡±


    Skritka frowned. ¡°Hopefully not. However, there¡¯s something else I wanted to discuss. Admiral Crush wanted a word with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is she on the call?¡±


    Skritka shook his head. ¡°No, I wanted to run it by you first. If you¡¯d like to talk to her, we can patch her through during our next weekly update without giving her access to your location.¡±


    Jasken smoothed his mustache. ¡°What did she want to discuss?¡±


    ¡°Evidently she¡¯s working on freeing some PIC miners, but wanted to discuss it with you,¡± said Skritka with a shrug.


    ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± remarked Jasken.


    ¡°Not really,¡± said Skritka. ¡°She clearly sees you as a mentor. However, I don¡¯t think I need to remind you that the Republic¡¯s relationship with the PIC is shaky at best. We can¡¯t start a proxy war with them via a mercenary fleet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be willing to speak with her,¡± said Jasken. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to advise her to play by the Code.¡±


    ¡°Not that I don¡¯t trust you to do so, Jasken, but we¡¯ll be watching while we relay the comm, so I¡¯ll be there to jump in if needed,¡± noted Skritka.


    ¡°Understood, Prime Minister,¡± said Jasken. ¡°Providence shine on you.¡±


    ¡°On you as well, Admiral.¡±


    ***


    No sooner had the jump started than Kwa-Kwa, her Scouts in tow, marched over to Talon Squad and squared up against Hrake. The Hrudukite was a good foot and a half taller than her, making the stand-off look entirely lopsided. Vanbrook looked on nervously. While Kwa-Kwa should know that Hrake had been cleared of the murder, the Scout was just a bit eccentric and Vanbrook wasn¡¯t sure what she was up to.


    ¡°You. Me. Firing range,¡± said the Krauqian, holding up her sling for Hrake.


    Hrake laughed a deep, rumbling laugh. ¡°I accept challenge.¡±


    Vanbrook relaxed his tense muscles and followed Talon Squad, the Scouts, and the two slingers down to the firing range.


    Krauqian and Hrudukite slings were similarly designed. Both were simple leather straps with a wide pocket about halfway down the length, not markedly different from the slings any of the other pre-Astralbian cultures had developed. Where the weapons differed was in the ammunition. Krauqians used an elongated lead orb for a bullet while Hrudukites preferred small, round stones. Hrake himself carried a pouch of granite-like stones that had been carved into perfect spheres, which was the preferred bullet in Hrudukite slinging, though a bit of a luxury item.


    ¡°The firing range is only 75 yards at its longest,¡± said Kwa-Kwa. ¡°But that should be far enough to establish dominance. Hrake, I''ll give you the first shot.¡±


    Hrake nodded and stepped up to the line, placing a round stone bullet in his sling and spinning it up to speed. He released with perfect timing, remembering not to compensate for gravity. The bullet ripped through the air and tore a hole through the paper target at the end of the lane. It was a perfect bullseye. Talon Squad and the Scouts cheered and applauded.


    Kwa-Kwa gawked. ¡°Well, I, uh, suppose it¡¯s my turn, then.¡± Stepping up to the lane next to Hrake, she loaded a bullet, whirled it around and loosed it. She smiled as it, too, tore a hole right through the bullseye of her target.


    Hrake nodded, smiled, and slung again. The bullet went straight through the existing hole, barely tearing the ragged paper, but rustling it enough that the bullet¡¯s path was obvious to all. Not about to be outshined, Kwa-Kwa repeated the feat, her lead shot traveling through the same hole as her first.


    The competition went on in the same way for a few rounds, the hole at the bullseye growing slightly larger with each shot. Finally, one of Hrake¡¯s shots went just a few inches high and to the right, tearing a new hole in the target. Kwa-Kwa smiled and focused on her final shot, slinging it right through the bullseye once more.


    Hrake cheered and threw his hands up, celebrating Kwa-Kwa¡¯s victory.


    ¡°Well done, boss,¡± said Rahk, applauding along with Tawln and Grisht.


    Vanbrook smiled and looked suspiciously at Hrake, who gave him a sheepish grin. He wasn¡¯t altogether sure the Hrudukite hadn¡¯t thrown the match.


    ***


    A few hours later, Vanbrook was delighted to be back aboard the shuttle. Even though it was smaller than the Wingspan, Vanbrook felt like the cloud of the murder investigation was lifted, giving him a sense of freedom he didn¡¯t feel on the massive carrier.


    Talon Squad had fitted themselves with the same powered suits they had worn on Grisseon, now calibrated to help their bodies fight the heavy gravitational pull of a planet more than twice the mass of Griffonia. When the shuttle landed, they were immediately ready to stomp down the ramp and out into a new world.


    The landscape had a claustrophobic quality to it that depressed Vanbrook¡¯s sense of freedom. The swirling ochre sands blended almost seamlessly with the misty orange sky. Dark brown lakes with shores dominated by slimy black mosses and tall white and tan crags dotted the barren landscape, but the thick atmosphere made long distance details impossible to discern.


    ¡°Our first priority is to find water,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°We¡¯ll need to check out those lakes, but given the planet¡¯s overall appearance and temperature I think they¡¯re mostly made up of hydrocarbons, not water. There may be ice deposits built up around the shore lines or in those whitish rocks. Doc and Reclan, start setting up the beacon while everyone else grabs a few geologic samples. Then we can start setting up camp.¡±


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    ¡°Fine with me,¡± said Reclan. ¡°Com¡¯n, Doc, let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    Vanbrook stomped off toward the nearest lake, still getting used to the sensation of weighing twice his accustomed weight and having his muscles aided by his suit. The shore of the lake was a kind of muddy sand and his boots sank into it, making movement difficult.


    ¡°Careful along the shorelines,¡± he said to the others over his comms. ¡°There¡¯s a non-trivial risk of quicksand or just plain getting stuck.¡±


    ¡°Then stop walking further out,¡± said Reclan, voice thick with annoyance. ¡°That¡¯s what the drones are for.¡±


    Vanbrook shrugged, but he stopped where he was and gathered a sample of the mud, as well as a cutting of the moss that grew along the shore. When he peeled the moss back, he saw a glittering white below it.


    ¡°Jackpot!¡± he exclaimed, chipping off a piece of the hard-frozen ice. ¡°I think we found our water source. Mining it is going to be a bear, though.¡±


    ¡°What have you got?¡± asked Raivyn.


    ¡°The moss on the lakeshore is growing on ice deposits,¡± said Vanbrook. I think we could use some heavy equipment to dig it up in big chunks, melt it down, and run it through the water treatment plant on the Wingspan. Like I said, it¡¯ll be a bear.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°We¡¯ll have to analyze the sample as best we can down here, but Britkrup and her crew will definitely want to take a look. I¡¯ll let Dekken know we¡¯ll probably need an excavation and mining crew down here in the near future.¡±


    Off in another direction, D¡¯Jarric had a small pickaxe he was using to take a sample of one of the large, white stones. Hrake walked up to the other side of the stone, raised his hammer overhead, and brought it down with a mighty crack. The rock split in two, and D¡¯Jarric appeared as the two halves fell away from each other.


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to collect a sample,¡± said the Solaran with a chuckle.


    Hrake shrugged, picking up some small fragments and putting them in a sample bag.


    The rest of the day was spent setting up camp and exploring the immediate area. No life was spotted beyond the low, hardy mosses growing on the ice and a few slime molds that could occasionally be found growing in and around the moss.


    In the evening, Raivyn updated Jasken on their findings.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we have a possible water source, but it sounds very labor-intensive. Any chance there¡¯s a freshwater lake somewhere on the planet?¡± he asked against hope.


    ¡°Extremely unlikely, sir,¡± she answered. ¡°We intentionally landed on the part of the planet most likely to be experiencing ¡®summer,¡¯ and it was nearly a hundred degrees below freezing at midday today. Conditions being what they are, any water we find is likely to be frozen solid. We¡¯ll keep an eye out, though.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll have Britkrup and Dekken working on the ice mining issue,¡± said Jasken.


    After a brief discussion of the details, Raivyn ended the comm and went to go get dinner. Thankfully, it would just be the six of them tonight.


    ***


    Darvik had managed to sneak into the spaceport and blend in with the crew loading supplies into the Swamp¡¯s Pride. To his surprise, it was a pleasure ship, though the hardened armor and after-market shielding components on the hull suggested it had been converted into more of a flying fortress. He was going to make his way to the bridge when he was stopped by a massively fat and extremely warty Krauqian in armored, paramilitary-style fatigues. The sleeves were rolled up to reveal the tell-tale tattoo.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked accusingly, his voice as big and rough as his frame.


    ¡°Darvik,¡± he answered, not bothering to give a false name. These people didn¡¯t care that he was wanted by the Republic, after all.


    ¡°Oh, okay. Boss mentioned you,¡± croaked the Krauqian. ¡°Huh, didn¡¯t think you¡¯d actually make it. Welcome aboard. I¡¯ll take you to check in. I¡¯m Trar-Brak of Clan Zyrp, by the way.¡±


    Darvik nodded his understanding and followed Trar-Brak through the winding passages of the Swamp¡¯s Pride, ending up on the bridge.


    ¡°Uncle,¡± said Trar-Brak. ¡°Darvik¡¯s here. Unless this isn¡¯t Darvik and you want me to kill him.¡± He laughed, his whole body shaking.


    Hoon-Kra turned, an eyebrow raised as he regarded the two of them. ¡°Ah, Darvik. Glad to see you had the sense to get out of the house after my messenger, um, self-detonated. There was a failsafe in place in case the mansion was compromised.¡±


    Darvik nodded. ¡°You might have mentioned that, but I get the idea. We leave tomorrow, right?¡±


    ¡°Plans have changed,¡± said Hoon-Kra. ¡°The RIS will be here asking questions within the hour. We leave immediately.¡±


    No sooner had Hoon-Kra said so then the Swamp¡¯s Pride began shuddering as it rose into the sky. Everyone found a seat and strapped themselves in.


    ¡°Woah,¡± said a voice over the comms. ¡°Swamp¡¯s Pride, this is the control tower, we have a no-launch order due to some kind of attack in the city. We¡¯re going to need you to shut down your engines.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Hoon-Kra, affecting the attitude of a self-satisfied noble. ¡°I¡¯m sure that doesn¡¯t apply to me.¡±


    ¡°Who- what?¡± said the tower.


    ¡°Hoon-Kra? Of Clan Zyrp? I assure you it¡¯s fine.¡± He cut off the comm. The tower tried to contact them over an emergency channel but Hoon-Kra ignored them. Soon they were high in the air.


    ¡°We need to jump immediately,¡± said Hoon-Kra to the ship¡¯s pilot. ¡°They¡¯ll hem and haw about dispatching fighters to intercept a foreign noble for a moment, but only for a moment.¡±


    Darvik smirked as the sky darkened and stars emerged from the aether. He¡¯d chosen his allies well.


    ***


    Less than a day later, the Wingspan had landed along with the Shepherd, while the Halberd remained in orbit. Dekken was directing wide-wheeled heavy equipment in bringing up huge chunks of ice out of the muck. The chunks were dumped into a heated hopper that quickly melted the ice, allowing the rocks and minerals trapped inside to sink to the bottom. From there, the water would have to be tested for purity and treated accordingly. The system had been designed for mining water from asteroids while in the aether, but Dekken had been able to adapt it for terrestrial use fairly easily.


    Meanwhile, Talon Squad escorted Britkrup and Trembi around a nearby lake. Britkrup stomped awkwardly in her gravity-compensated suit, but Trembi somehow managed to look elegant as ever, even in the bulky get-up.


    "I''ll admit it, this planet is beautiful," said Britkrup. "Hydrocarbon seas are always a point of interest to me."


    "They''re unlikely to host large organisms," noted Trembi.


    "I''ll put that in the plus column," said Britkrup disdainfully.


    She knelt down to look at a couple of lumps in the mud, Trembi stopping beside her. The mud was fairly flat, and she was curious to see what was causing the disturbance. The lumps were about three feet apart from one another, each about the size of a melon. The mud coating each lump split, and two shining orange orbs locked onto Britkrup. There was an explosion of mud and a massive maw full of small, hooked teeth swallowed the geologist whole. Vanbrook grabbed Trembi around the waist and threw her to the side, out of harm¡¯s way.


    ¡°Britkrup!¡± shouted Trembi.


    The massive, mud-coated newt shook itself, partially revealing a flat, wide yellow body. It turned to skitter into the dark brown lake, and Vanbrook dove after it. He disappeared into the churning water, his hands clawed down into the amphibian¡¯s tail. The rest of Talon Squad joined the pursuit. Trembi stood in awe, watching as the lake¡¯s surface calmed.


    Down below, Vanbrook was trying to orient himself as the newt dove deeper. He felt more forms join him in the liquid, though he couldn¡¯t make out his squadmates¡¯ features in the gloom. The newt thrashed and Vanbrook finally lost hold of the slippery tail, his heavy suit drawing him to the bottom of the lake.


    ¡°Does anyone have the newt?¡± he asked desperately.


    ¡°I do,¡± said Hrake¡¯s rasping voice. There was a shout of exertion and a thud that reverberated through the water. ¡°Everyone else, get to shore.¡±


    The rest of the Squad obediently clamored out onto the shore, their boots struggling to find purchase in the muck. Only counting five, Trembi assumed the worst. Then a fifth figure emerged. The broad yellow back of the newt rose into the air first.


    ¡°Look out!¡± shouted Trembi.


    The others turned back in time to see Hrake¡¯s determined face staring out through his helmet as he carried the carcass of the fifteen foot-long amphibian on his shoulders. The massive wound on its head was a testament to Hrake¡¯s strength and skill. Reaching the bank, he threw it to the ground with a thud. Vanbrook rushed over, his saber in hand, and split the creature¡¯s gut open. Britkrup rolled out, laying face down in the mud. Vanbrook hurriedly rolled her over and wiped the muck from her helmet. Her eyes stared blankly up at the sky. Then they locked onto Vanbrook¡¯s.


    ¡°This time I¡¯m serious,¡± she said, beginning to tremble. ¡°No more surface visits!¡±


    Relief flooding through them, Vanbrook and the others had a good, long laugh at Britkrup¡¯s expense.

 Chapter 2.25: A Demon in the Aether

    Jasken sat on the bridge as the Wingspan entered into another jump. He had directed Dekken to take on as much water as he could in a week¡¯s time, but the muck newt was the last straw. Glasaxia, as the planet had been named, was a dangerous and inhospitable world, and the Astralbians had likely made their next jump already anyway. They needed to move on quickly, and they had found a promising planet. Gla85-AW0.87 was a promising world by any standard, and Jasken was glad they had found it as quickly as they did.


    They had enough water and shield capacity to make the jump, and it was possible it would be their final stop before entering the Cornucopia Cluster, if the place existed at all. Jasken had been plagued with more and more doubt as they approached their destination in the stars. Perhaps Shrump¡¯s ravings were just that; the meaningless ramblings of a madman. Jasken shook the thoughts from his mind as he stood up from his seat, the jump now underway. After all, they had explored four worlds, including one moon, and had made first contact with a new sapient species. All in all, not a bad little jaunt out into the aether.


    He busied himself by checking in on the various systems and departments to make sure the jump was off to a good start.


    ¡°Oh, Admiral,¡± said Mairen when he stopped by the communications desk. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about what you said - about the fact that we¡¯re looking for an informant, not just a killer.¡±


    ¡°Yes? What about it?¡± he asked curiously.


    Mairen played with her gray curls in thought. ¡°I should be able to detect any outgoing signals, but nothing¡¯s come up so far. If our informant is sending information, they¡¯re being very clever about it. I¡¯ll keep trying, but I¡¯ve got nothing solid yet.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± said Jasken. ¡°Please keep me up to date.¡±


    The Admiral settled into his chair and prepared to meet with Prime Minister Skritka, who would be looking for an update shortly. He would be talking to Crush, as well. From what he understood, she was looking to deal with the PIC, which was never a good idea. Hopefully he could keep her from doing anything rash.


    Soon enough, the call came in. A harried-looking Skritka looked at Jasken through spectacles that were sliding down his pointed snout.


    ¡°Jasken, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to go first today,¡± he said, sounding exasperated. ¡°Things are falling apart on Hruduk, and both houses of parliament are raking me over the coals for it.¡±


    The jump was exceptionally uneventful until the last day. Raivyn was walking with Vanbrook, Britkrup, and Trembi down to a combat training session with the new recruits. Much to Raivyn¡¯s chagrin, the two scientists had taken to spending most of their down time with Vanbrook, and by extension, Raivyn. Raivyn had actually contemplated peeling off with Britkrup to observe the two-by-two mandate without having to bear witness to Trembi and Vanbrook¡¯s blossoming romance.


    She looked on in disgust as Vanbrook told wildly exaggerated tales of his exploits with the Squad. In truth, he had done everything he¡¯d claimed to have done, but it was just so patently boastful. Maybe she should be happy. Maybe this was a good reminder of what a jerk the man was, friend or not. Maybe that dancing all those months ago at Drixen and Kaihla¡¯s wedding didn¡¯t mean anything.


    She tried to shake the thoughts from her mind, only to find them replaced by a sudden and excruciating headache. She grabbed her head as the sensation of having an icy knife stabbed into her brain grew to the point her vision blurred. She suddenly realized she was falling over, only to be caught in Vanbrook¡¯s arms. She looked up into his dark, warm eyes, full of concern.


    ¡°How embarrassing,¡± she said weakly as her world went black.


    ***


    ¡°What¡¯s happened on Hruduk?¡± Jasken asked the Prime Minister, concerned.


    ¡°King Zrykyk, who Hrake helped dethrone, has established a new kingdom on the far side of the planet,¡± said Skritka, shaking his head. ¡°We¡¯re not sure how he got there, but he¡¯s claimed the whole continent as his own and he¡¯s demanded our satellite network be taken down immediately. His claim as a sovereign is tenuous, but by the letter of the Code, it¡¯s legitimate.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like he¡¯s been coached by the Astralbians,¡± said Jasken.


    Skritka nodded. ¡°That¡¯s our assumption, but of course they¡¯re denying everything.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Zrykyk getting out of this?¡± asked Jasken, smoothing his mustache.


    ¡°Worst case scenario, direct military aid from the Astralbians to help take back Gred. But we don¡¯t really know. Now, I¡¯m hoping you¡¯ll have better news for me.¡±


    Jasken pursed his lips. ¡°Only relatively speaking. We were able to find water on Glasaxia, but it was dangerous and work-intensive to extract. Kind of like mining asteroids, but with more giant, predatory newts.¡± Skritka raised an eyebrow as Jasken continued. ¡°Thankfully there were no casualties. We collected enough water and recharged shields long enough to make the next jump. Our shields were partially charged on our way from the planet the Astralbians claimed to Glasaxia, so we only needed to spend about a week there.¡±


    ¡°Jasken!¡± shouted Vanbrook over the emergency comms channel. ¡°It¡¯s Raivyn, she collapsed, now her eyes are¡­ glowing? Whatever this is, I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡±


    ¡°Go,¡± said Skritka, his voice and face filled with concern. ¡°Keep me up to date.¡±


    ***


    Hoon-Kra¡¯s source in the IGC had told him about the isolated kingdom on Hruduk, and he was happy to find it just as it had been described to him. The "city" was a camp of  a few dozen tents, and the palace as yet was a few courses of stone laid out in a square.


    As the Swamp''s Pride landed, a contingent of Hrudukite soldiers surrounded the ship, leveling their hammers and polearms as if readying for a charge. It amused Hoon-Kra to think how quickly he could kill them all with just one of the ship''s many guns, but that would hardly help him make a good impression. He was hoping to use the planet as a launch point for the fleet that would soon be gathering, and it would help to have a veneer of legitimacy. The Koomite project was too important to be smothered in the crib. The experimental technology they were bringing out to the Cornucopia Cluster would change the galaxy, permanently.


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    As he stepped down the ramp, an ancient-looking Hrudukite stepped into the circle of guards, loose folds of fat hanging from a bony frame. A voice spoke into his mind.


    Why do you come to me, traveler? Return to your ship and go.


    Hoon-Kra looked at the old king. Zrykyk. News of your kingdom is spreading through the galaxy. I am Hoon-Kra. I represent the Koomites, who worship the mighty Koo L''Koom. My people need a place to take on water and coordinate a pilgrimage to our holy land.


    No. Replied the king. First an old god of gold came and claimed not to be a god. Then gods of sapphire came and promised me a kingdom. Now you come, claiming the aether beasts are gods. I have had enough divine visits. Leave.


    Ah, it was the Astralbians who flew you to the other side of your world, noted Hoon-Kra. I assume they told you that you must act like the king of this land to hold sway over the Republic.


    Zrykyk shook with indignation, his eyes burning. I AM king of this land!


    Indeed, said Hoon-Kra. And if you want to look legitimate in the eyes of the international community, you should allow passersby to stop for water. We will pay you accordingly.


    Zrykyk shrugged. Pay us in weapons, then. That is what the Astralbians promised us, but I do not trust them.


    Hoon-Kra smiled. Done.


    ***


    Vanbrook jogged alongside the gurney while two medics pushed Raivyn through the Wingspan over to the infirmary on the Shepherd. Raivyn was lying limp on the stretcher, her eyes open and pulsing with a sinister red light. When they reached the infirmary, Vanbrook was escorted from the room and doctors began shouting orders for medical equipment and quarantine protocols.


    Jasken rushed into the hallway and Vanbrook followed him into the room, walking in confidently behind him as though he belonged there.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Specialist Raivyn?¡± asked the Admiral.


    A nurse turned to them, eyeing Vanbrook menacingly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just kick you out of here?¡±


    Vanbrook shrugged.


    The ship rocked suddenly, and Jasken¡¯s comm beeped urgently.


    ¡°Admiral, this is Captain Hunt¡­ something hit us?¡± the Captain sounded flustered.


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®hit us?¡¯¡± asked Jasken. ¡°We¡¯re mid-jump. We either blow through anything in our way or get scattered across the aether like stardust.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Captain, none of the readings make sense. We¡¯re slowing down.¡±


    ¡°Dekken,¡± shouted Jasken, ¡°What¡¯s going on with the drives?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re straining against something, Admiral,¡± answered the engineer. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. Not in real life.¡±


    ¡°Explain,¡± demanded Jasken calmly.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a kind of thought experiment or a running joke among engineers. What would happen if you had a rubber band powerful enough, and big enough, and going fast enough to wrap around a ship in mid jump? And no one really knows. But this is what most people say it would look like.¡±


    ¡°And what happens next?¡± prompted Jasken.


    ¡°Either the rubber band stops us, like a break, or we, um, explode,¡± said Dekken. ¡°If I get very fancy very quickly with the controls I think I can lower the stress on the ship.¡±


    ¡°Do that,¡± said Jasken emphatically. ¡°What is going on!?¡± demanded the Admiral of no one in particular.


    ¡°Ill tidings indeed,¡± said D¡¯Jarric. He had just walked into the infirmary.


    ¡°I need everyone out of my infirmary now!¡± demanded the nurse who had scolded Vanbrook.


    D¡¯Jarric looked seriously at the nurse. ¡°With respect, this is outside of your expertise. I will be taking over Raivyn¡¯s care. Have you gotten any other cases similar to Raivyn¡¯s? Headaches? Glowing eyes?¡±


    ¡°Uh, we just started getting complaints about headaches, but nothing like¡­ this,¡± said the nurse.


    ¡°What do you know?¡± asked the Admiral, eyeing D¡¯Jarric sternly.


    ¡°We are under attack, Admiral. I can talk to Raivyn, and that¡¯s our only hope now. Go defend the ship, but understand that you cannot kill it.¡±


    ¡°What is ¡®it,¡¯ D¡¯Jarric!?¡± demanded Jasken. ¡°This is no time for your riddles!¡±


    D¡¯Jarric looked at Jasken, his gaze cold and distant. ¡°An aether beast, Admiral.¡±


    ***


    ¡°What do you mean he can¡¯t talk to me now?¡± demanded Crush.


    Prime Minister Skritka stared indignantly at her through the screen. ¡°I meant exactly what I said, Admiral Crush. Admiral Jasken is heading an extremely sensitive and dangerous mission. In a week¡¯s time, I will meet with him again. You may try again then. Providence shine on you.¡±


    Crush smashed the button that ended the call, stomping out of her cabin to take in the aether.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Crush?¡± asked Tank.


    ¡°Huh?¡± asked the Admiral, shaken from her brooding by the question. ¡°Oh. Nothing. Just not a fan of politics, I suppose. I guess I got into the wrong line of work.¡±


    Tank nodded sagely, unsure of what else to do. ¡°Well, I actually was coming to tell you-¡±


    ¡°There was an accident in the mines today,¡± said Slag, running up to the Admiral.


    ¡°Who gave you permission to board my ship?¡± demanded Crush, still fuming.


    ¡°I¡¯m just here to let you know,¡± said the miner, ignoring the question. ¡°A miner died today- crushed between two asteroids. Whose fault it is is debatable, but that doesn¡¯t matter. My crew is pointing fingers at the PIC and they¡¯re at their boiling point. This can¡¯t go on any longer.¡±


    ¡°Give me a week, I¡¯ll figure something out,¡± said Crush, trying to wave him away.


    ¡°Excuse me, Admiral,¡± said Captain Hacksaw, who had just walked up to the conversation. ¡°A word in private, please. It¡¯s urgent.¡±


    Crush turned to Slag. ¡°Go. You will be as up-to-date as I am.¡±


    The miner shook his head but walked away quietly.


    The Admiral now turned to Hacksaw. ¡°Captain Hacksaw? I assume this is nothing Captain Tank can¡¯t be present for?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Captain Tank is welcome, I just didn¡¯t want¡­¡± he jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Slag, who was now walking down the catwalks to the miner¡¯s quarters.


    Crush nodded. ¡°Understood. What¡¯s the news?¡±


    ¡°As you know, I was an intelligence and communications officer in the Collective,¡± said Hacksaw, choosing his words carefully. ¡°I¡¯m, um, very good with comms.¡±


    ¡°Say your piece, Hacksaw,¡± said Crush, an edge in her voice.


    ¡°My apologies for not asking you first, Admiral, but I was able to get access to the Republic¡¯s system through your comm, and then collect some tracking data. I know where the Blue Griffon Fleet is.¡±


    ***


    Jasken raced back to the bridge, the ship shaking around him, threatening to throw him to the ground. His chief officers were, to their credit, doing their best to manage an impossible situation. Dekken was furiously manipulating the engine controls and shouting orders through his comm to the technicians in the engine room. Captain Hunt was seeing to the weapons systems. Mairen was trying to get a decent image of whatever had attacked them on the screens.


    Looking over her shoulder, Jasken caught a flash of something in one of the screens. As he leaned in for a closer look, he noticed something strange in the corner of his vision. He turned towards the bow of the Wingspan, looking out of the bridge tower''s massive window.


    A shape rose up. It was indistinct at first, slowly resolving into something like the head of a massive squid, covered in eyes that radiated predatory malice.


    Two massive eyes protruded from either side of the head, with smaller clusters of eyes gathered around them. They glowed red, like Raivyn''s had, and moved independently from one another, scouring the ship for some unknown prize. The otherworldly creature continued to rise in Jasken''s vision, its pitch black flesh gleaming in the Wingspan''s flood lights as its tentacles rose above the carrier''s deck. The beast''s body dwarfed the bridge tower, and its full length including the tentacles was at least as long as the entirety of the ship.


    Jasken looked on in awe and horror as it lifted an eye-covered tentacle and slammed it into the bubble surrounding the tower.

 Chapter 2.26: The Squid

    Crush paced the floor of her star tree, mulling her options. She had no desire to betray the Republic, but she couldn''t keep waiting on Jasken. What could he tell her anyway?


    A hurried knocking sounded at her door.


    "Enter," she said.


    Tank burst through the door. "It''s the miners, Admiral, they''re going to kill the supervisor."


    Crush stormed out of her tree, rushing to the catwalks where a crowd of miners had gathered, banging on the door of the administration building. A couple of Robots were on the roof, dismantling a communications array, and Brother Redgone glared down in impotent rage.


    The crowd had come armed with tools and set to work torching the door open. The supervisor rushed away from the window towards his emergency aethersuit.


    "Admiral Crush!" shouted Slag. "I can''t control them!"


    "Who''s in charge?" she asked.


    "Vein. He''s a head taller than most. He''ll be the one with a knife to the supervisor''s neck."


    The door was cracked open and the crowd rushed it, making short work of the inner door of the airlock. Crush rushed in with them, fighting her way to the head of the crowd.


    She saw a tall robot brandishing a pick ax leading the mob and assumed that was Vein. Yelling for everyone to stand down but drowned out by the din of the mob, she continued to bully her way through the crowd, getting closer and closer to Vein. When the crowd reached the step that led to the airlock separating them from the supervisor, Crush was shocked to see it open without a single miner touching it.


    The supervisor stepped out, wearing an antique, lightly armored aethersuit with a visored helmet and leveling an old ballistic pistol at Vein.


    "No!" shouted Crush, but he had already pulled the trigger. There was no shot. Silence broke out like a storm, and the supervisor pulled the trigger again. A soft click was all that broke the silence, followed by uproarious laughter. Vein ripped the supervisor''s helmet off and hefted his pick ax back to strike.


    A hand shot out and grabbed the ax handle, yanking it back and pulling Vein down into the crowd. Crush dropped the handle and bounded over to the supervisor, slamming his helmet back on.


    "I''ve got a deal to make with you," she said, eyes bright with menace. "And believe me, it''s the best one you could hope for right now."


    ***


    Reclan and Doc were in D''Jarric''s quarters with Hrake, who D''Jarric had asked to stay behind, when the ship shook violently. They looked at one another in concern.


    A moment later Jasken''s voice came through the public comms. "Pilots, to your fighters. Gunners, to your stations. Everyone else, shelter in place. We are under attack by an unknown creature. Remain calm, and be ready to act on any orders received. Providence shine on us."


    "So I guess we''re staying put?" asked Reclan, the question punctuated by another strike.


    "I am neither a pilot nor a gunner, so I will be ''staying put,''" said Hrake.


    "Yeah, alright," said Reclan. "I just wanna try and get some stuff first. I''ve only got a couple drones on me and I''d feel better if I had a little more fire power."


    "Is that allowed?" asked Hrake.


    Reclan rolled her eyes. "If I see anyone, I''ll be sure to ask."


    There was a screech of rending metal and the sound of screaming sailors, and all three bolted from the room towards the peril out of instinct.


    "Attention!" shouted Jasken over the comms.


    "The hull has been breached! All personnel, don aether-ready gear and head for the inner airlocks in the lower decks."


    Reclan bolted towards her quarters and the suit hanging in the corner. Hrake moved quickly to don his gear as well.


    ***


    Jasken stared out the wind, barking orders to the gunners. ¡°Focus on the tentacles; the fire isn¡¯t doing anything to the main body!¡±


    The squid had wrapped itself around the Wingspan. One massive tentacle wrapped around the bridge tower¡¯s polymer dome, obscuring Jasken¡¯s vision, and other tentacles appeared to have broken through the hull and deck. The creature had lumbering yet methodical movement, threatening to tear the ship to pieces if not stopped.


    "Admiral, this is Captain Kesht aboard the Halberd, we''ve lost you on our scanners, are you there?"


    "Kesht!" exclaimed Jasken. "We were pulled out of our jump and are under attack by an aether beast."


    "You''re- what?" said the Captain incredulously. "We''ll end our jump and head your way immediately."


    "Negative, Captain. It''s too risky. Continue in, pending further orders. We''ll catch up."


    "Providence shine on you, Admiral."


    "On you as well."


    ***


    Drixen soared through the aether, leading the charge on the squid and firing his foreguns. As far as he could tell, they had no effect, nor did any of the other fighters.


    "Cowgirl, light ''em up," he ordered.


    She fired one of the experimental missiles from her bomber craft. A type of bunker buster specially designed to fight star trees and other biological targets, the Fleet only had two "trunk busters" at their disposal. The explosive slammed into the side of the beast''s head, but when the blast cleared the creature looked undaunted.


    "Come on!" exclaimed Cowgirl. "That''s what those things were designed for!"


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    "Frankly," said Textbook, "I don''t think the folks in R&D had aether beasts in mind."


    The fighters banked to make another attack, but it was equally ineffective. Targeting the tentacles didn''t seem to bother the beast either. Drixen set his face and continued to lead his squads as best he could.


    ***


    Aboard the Shepherd, Vanbrook paced nervously by Raivyn''s bedside while D''Jarric stared down at her. The nurse had gone and returned in an aethersuit with a pressurized, airtight pod to put Raivyn in.


    "Go get an aethersuit, Vanbrook," said D''Jarric calmly. "I have her."


    Vanbrook looked pleadingly at the Solaran, sick at the thought of leaving the room.


    D''Jarric looked at him with calm, kind eyes. "I have her," he repeated.


    Vanbrook rushed from the room for the nearest emergency supply closet.


    D''Jarric turned back to Raivyn, trying to reach out to her again. The pressurized pod wasn''t T-shielded so she should be able to hear him.


    I''m not a psychic like you, Rai, thought D''Jarric, hoping some part of her was listening to the thoughts around her. I need you to let me in. Raivyn, this is D''Jarric. Please let me in.


    D-D''Jarric? came her stumbling reply. Something is chasing me.


    An aether beast is nearby, explained D''Jarric. Your psychic sensitivity makes you vulnerable to the energy field it gives off. I need you to let me into your mind so I can rebuke it.


    No, I can''t open any doors, replied Raivyn. Her thoughts were loose, untethered to reality and fearful. It will find me.


    Raivyn, pressed D''Jarric. I can make it go away. But only if you let me in. Just like you and Vanbrook on Hittania, remember?


    Vanbrook? she asked, her thoughts panicked. Did it catch Vanbrook?


    No, encouraged D''Jarric, but it may if you do not let me in.


    D''Jarric felt a sensation of being drawn in, like a wave pulling him out to sea. He found his footing in a dark, foggy plane, a red glow emanating from the mist. Raivyn was by his side, wearing a strange uniform. He recognized it as the kind of ghi a student of Aeratan martial arts would wear.


    ¡°Come on,¡± she said. ¡°We have to keep moving.¡± She grabbed his arm and ran, her feet plodding on the ground. D¡¯Jarric stood stock still, but the mist passed him by as though he were running. Raivyn ran at his side, holding on to his arm, but not moving.


    The mist seemed to close in behind them as it rushed past, and an inscrutable form was occasionally visible behind them. Sometimes it looked like a lumbering giant, or a wolf, or a shark. The harder D¡¯Jarric tried to focus on it, the more amorphous it became. It hovered at the same distance behind them, no matter how fast or slow they moved.


    ¡°Raivyn, nothing is chasing us,¡± he said gently.


    She stopped and looked around. ¡°Where are we, D¡¯Jarric?¡±


    ¡°Your body and my avatar are in the infirmary aboard the Shepherd. Our minds are sharing your mindspace right now.¡±


    She blinked and shook her head, her mind as foggy as the landscape around her. ¡°Why? Did you say something about¡­ an aether beast?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The more powerful a psychic you are, the more dangerous it is to be near an aether beast.¡±


    ¡°So is that¡­ it?¡± asked Raivyn, pointing to the menacing form that swirled with the crimson fog. She noticed it was no longer following, simply keeping the same distance.


    ¡°Yes. And I need to talk to it.¡±


    ***


    Reclan, Hrake, and Doc jogged through the hall, weapons at the ready. The lights flickered violently, and their suits¡¯ readings indicated that they were walking through vacuum.


    ¡°Should we just go back?¡± asked Reclan. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can safely get to the inner airlocks through here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be safe enough in our quarters,¡± said Doc. ¡°You guys have spare oxygen there anyway.¡±


    Before Reclan could respond, an oily black tentacle shot down the hallway towards them, glowing with red eyes.


    Reclan pulled her plasma cutter and swung at the wriggling arm, but it was like striking the side of a mountain and she was suddenly wrapped in the tentacle''s steely grip.


    Hrake slammed his hammer into the tentacle to no effect, the shock reverberating through his forearms. As the tentacle began to slowly crush Reclan, she stabbed her plasma cutter at one of its eyes, holding the searing hot torch against it. The tentacle let go and violently retracted back down the hallway, dropping Reclan to the ground.


    ***


    "All personnel, this is Specialist Reclan of Talon Squad," said a voice over Drixen''s comm. She was speaking over the emergency channel that reached the entire fleet. "Target the eyes with heat. Seems like the only thing that gets its attention."


    "You heard her, folks," said Drixen. "Bombers, what do you have for incendiaries?"


    "Just a couple shots per craft," answered Cowgirl. "We''ll make ''em count."


    The fighters rounded for a bombing run, and the bombers launched their incendiaries. The squid reacted violently, sweeping its tentacles through the aether in rage. It targeted a few fighters, and they were smashed to pieces by the steely limbs. Cowgirl''s bomber was clipped and went spinning into the aether.


    "Cowgirl!" shouted Drixen.


    There was no reply. Drixen¡¯s heart fell. However, her bomber was getting smaller and smaller as it was hurled away. He turned his fighter and chased after her.


    ***


    Vanbrook had found and donned an aethersuit and was on his way back to the infirmary when a tentacle slammed through the hallway where he was running. It whipped around, grabbed a medic who had been running alongside him through the hull and threw them into the aether.


    Sprinting down the hall, Vanbrook activated the energy setting on his saber, desperate to get back to Raivyn and D''Jarric. When the tentacle returned seeking a new victim he deftly stabbed one of the eyes, the hot energy running through the blade causing it to recoil.


    Mentally thanking Reclan for the heads-up, he skidded to a halt outside of Raivyn''s room. When he entered, he saw D''Jarric in a trance-like state, one hand on the pressurized pod Raivyn was inside of. He desperately wished he knew what the Solaran was doing.


    ***


    D''Jarric walked away from Raivyn''s form, stepping towards the ill-defined mass that represented the squid in Raivyn''s mindscape. Raivyn could never quite articulate what it was that happened next. It was as though D''Jarric and the beast had a fight, but without words or violence. She felt their wills colliding. No matter how the beast raged, D''Jarric stood stock still, eyes locked onto his opponent.


    ***


    Vanbrook heard a creaking noise, then the ceiling was suddenly gone, replaced by a starry void. The tentacles rushed into the space, and he began stabbing at them furiously, defending Raivyn and D''Jarric.


    ***


    The beast bellowed in Raivyn''s mind, but D''Jarric remained unimpressed. Though the form seemed to gnash its teeth and rage against the Solaran, D¡¯Jarric merely stood before it, arms crossed. The beast¡¯s consciousness was like a raging ocean, and D¡¯Jarric the shore its waves broke against.


    "Enough!" he shouted.


    Both forms disappeared. The fog lost its crimson glow and began to fade.


    ***


    Vanbrook thrust his saber at yet another eye, buying himself a moment, but the squid had begun focusing on the small room explicitly, and Vanbrook knew he was no match for the beast one-on-one.


    Then D''Jarric stood up. He was glowing more fiercely than Vanbrook had ever seen before. He rose into the aether, hovering where he could look the beast in the eye. Small as his form was compared to the squid, Vanbrook still felt like the Solaran looked like a match for the massive aether beast. The swordsman looked on in awe.


    "I said enough!" D¡¯Jarric shouted. "In the name of the Progenitor, your creator and mine, you will leave us now!"


    The squid halted, looking uneasy for the first time. There was a dreadful pause, where Vanbrook thought the beast might turn on D¡¯Jarric and tear him to pieces. Then, as though it had never been interested in the two ships, it retracted its tentacles and drifted off carelessly into the aether.

 Chapter 2.27: Avonia

    Krum-Bahk walked through the cramped halls of the Gladius, a mug of rakka in hand. They were staying on Kirakna an extra day to charge their shields, then they were going to travel on to Hruduk, where Hoon-Kra was suspected of heading next.


    He walked by the room Chully and Huluna were working in. Huluna was covered in bandages, but her mechanical legs had taken the brunt of the explosion and, despite some bruised arms, the metal had absorbed the majority of the damage. She had actually donned a shiny new pair while the others were being repaired.


    Waving to the agents, he took a casual glance at the screen. A familiar face looked back at him. A dirty face with dirty blond hair, a square jaw covered in stubble.


    Krum-Bahk dropped his mug. The two agents turned to see what the noise was.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Krum?¡± asked Huluna.


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Chully, following his eyes. ¡°You know this guy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Krum-Bahk. ¡°That¡¯s Darvik.¡±


    ***


    From his vantage point on the Bridge, Jasken was equal parts shocked and relieved when D¡¯Jarric¡¯s form rose from the wreckage of the docked Shepherd, confronting the beast and driving it away. He was about to shout in triumph when his comm erupted again.


    ¡°Admiral, this is Textbook, do you copy?! Cowgirl is out of control, I need help!¡±


    ¡°Textbook,¡± answered Jasken, ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Cowgirl got clipped by one of the tentacles,¡± said Drixen. He was keeping his voice level, but Jasken could hear the tension in it. ¡°I can¡¯t raise her on the comms. Her bomber is spinning and drifting. I can keep up, but I can¡¯t do anything more than watch.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Textbook,¡± the Admiral replied calmly. ¡°We¡¯ll send someone immediately.¡±


    He kept the line open to Textbook and hailed Reclan.


    ¡°Reclan, I need you to get to the shuttles immediately,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°On my way,¡± came the reply. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Jasken explained the situation, leaving Reclan speechless.


    ¡°Just get out here, Rec,¡± said Textbook. ¡°I have an idea.¡±


    Moments later Reclan was flying through the aether towards Textbook and Cowgirl¡¯s position.


    ¡°Okay!¡± said Drixen, sounding relieved. ¡°Now fly just ahead of me. Get a bit higher. Perfect.¡±


    Reclan was staying just a few dozen yards in front of Drixen¡¯s fighter, slightly above him.


    ¡°Now close the rear airlock and open the ramp,¡± ordered the pilot.


    ¡°Wait, what?!¡± exclaimed Reclan.


    ¡°Just do it!¡± shouted Drixen.


    ¡°Already on it,¡± Reclan replied.


    When the shuttle¡¯s ramp was lowered, Drixen pulled his emergency ejector and shot out into the aether. With pin-point precision, he landed in the center of the ramp, clicking on with his mag-boots.


    ¡°Alright, let me in,¡± he said. The airlock had already begun cycling as Reclan anticipated the request.


    ¡°Okay,¡± shouted Reclan, now within earshot. ¡°You¡¯re on the shuttle, now what?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a mag lock on the underside of the shuttle, right?¡± asked Drixen.


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­ no way,¡± said Reclan. ¡°Drixen, I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s no way I could lock on to her without crashing both ships.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to do it,¡± said Drixen. There was no arrogance in his voice, just confidence. ¡°Let me fly.¡±


    Taking the controls, Drixen coaxed the shuttle closer to his wife¡¯s out-of-control bomber. He started corkscrewing around the path of the bomber until he had matched the speed it was spinning. Then, without slowing down, he manipulated the shuttle to mirror the bomber¡¯s path, until the two were almost dancing together through the aether. When he had gotten within a few yards of the bomber, he activated the electromagnet on the bottom of the shuttle. There was a crash, followed by the protests of stressed metal, and then Drixen began to manipulate the controls again, slowing the corkscrew down until the two ships were gently drifting through space.


    Reclan shook her head and offered Drixen a toothy grin. ¡°Unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°Honey, can you hear me?¡± asked Drixen into the comms.


    ¡°Textbook?¡± asked a groggy voice. ¡°I was going to tell you about the horrible dream I had, but¡­ I think you already know about it.¡±


    ¡°Woohoo! It is good to hear your voice, Hun!¡± shouted the pilot.


    ***


    The next day aboard the Wingspan was a grueling slog of tallying the survivors, the missing, and the dead. Quarters were going to be cramped, but the damaged sections of the hull were sealed off and everyone was gathered in the stable part of the ship. The aether beast¡¯s assault had done little damage to the shields, so they intended to resume their jump shortly.


    Wiping the sweat from his brow, Jasken stood up. He had made sure to be involved in cleaning up and re-organizing, allowing Captain Hunt to handle the post-crisis administrative work. It may have been a bit unfair to the young officer, but it would be good experience if he wanted his own fleet some day, and it was good for morale to see leadership pitch in on the literal heavy lifting.


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    Drixen¡¯s rescue of Kaihla had been good for morale, as well. Jasken had misgivings about Drixen¡¯s unauthorized rescue op, but he was glad to have lost one empty fighter rather than a bomber with a pilot in it.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the last of it,¡± said Dekken as he strapped a crate of supplies to the wall by Jasken. ¡°And the folks in the engine room just told me we¡¯re good to go whenever. Have we heard anything from the Halberd?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Jasken, already walking towards the bridge. ¡°They¡¯ve arrived at Gla85-AW0.87 and had a ground team set up a beacon. Talon Squad won¡¯t be happy someone else is doing their job, but there were some extenuating circumstances.¡±


    Dekken laughed. ¡°That¡¯s putting it mildly.¡±


    Jasken shook his head. ¡°I know. I¡¯m still trying to understand what happened. ¡®Rubber bands¡¯ aside, nothing should be able to pull us out of a jump.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Dekken soberly. ¡°I wonder how Raivyn¡¯s holding up.¡±


    ¡°Just fine,¡± said a voice behind Dekken.


    The chief engineer turned to see Raivyn walking behind him, pushing a cart of tools around for Reclan.


    ¡°I fell asleep and had a bad dream while everyone else lived through a nightmare,¡± said Raivyn. She shrugged. ¡°Honestly I feel like I was the lucky one.¡±


    ¡°Well, glad to hear that,¡± said Dekken awkwardly.


    Raivyn laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it - seriously. Everyone¡¯s curious what it was like for me. I was just¡­ running from something. D¡¯Jarric jumped in and scared it off. He¡¯s the one whose brain I¡¯d like to pick, if I¡¯m being honest.¡±


    Dekken nodded. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re alright.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m more worried about who¡¯s doing our job,¡± said Reclan.


    Jasken suppressed a smirk. ¡°We had to set up a beacon on the new planet. Now known as Avonia. It¡¯s a majority-ocean world with a few major continents. The team touched down on the largest continent. It¡¯s in the tropics, swampy and cut up by a network of rivers coming off the central mountains.


    ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, this will be our last stop before the Cornucopia Cluster, based on our astronomy team¡¯s estimates. The next jump should take us to the location Shrump indicated, possibly to the same star system he was in if we can identify it.¡± The smirk crept its way onto Jasken¡¯s face after all. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Reclan, there¡¯s plenty of planet left to explore.¡±


    ***


    Hoon-Kra looked around in satisfaction at the fleet of beast worshippers¡¯ ships that now adorned the fields by King Zryzyk¡¯s town. More than a dozen ships had come from across the galaxy to follow the call of Koo L¡¯Koom. True, the poorly armed armada would be no match for the full force of the Griffon Republic Navy, but military might was a long term goal. For now they needed to reach the so-called Cornucopia Cluster, sue for sovereignty on a suitable world and put out the call for settlers. The last Koomite temple on Krauqia had been destroyed centuries ago, but they would rise again. This time, his own innovations would ensure that the Koomites remained in power for good.


    King Zrykyk shuffled over to him, his pet psychic in tow. Your ships are here. I want my payment.


    Hoon-Kra still didn¡¯t understand how the psychic managed to overcome the language barrier between the parties. However, he simply nodded, walking over to a supply crate and popping the lid open. Inside were a few dozen ballistic hand guns and some cases of ammo. He pulled one out and loaded it. Looking around for a decent target, he spotted a lizard bathing on a nearby rock. He fired, killing the lizard instantly. It slid off the stone, leaving a bright red trail of blood. Smiling, he handed the firearm to Zrykyk.


    The grin on Zrykyk¡¯s decrepit face was chilling, but Hoon-Kra planned to be long gone before the old tyrant could use the primitive weapons. He nodded to Zrykyk and walked off, addressing his captains through their comms.


    ¡°We¡¯re done here,¡± he said. ¡°I want to be aetherborn before sunset.¡±


    ***


    "How''re you holding up?" Vanbrook asked.


    Raivyn looked over at him, wondering why he broke the silence they''d been walking in.


    "What do you mean?" she asked.


    "Just¡­ with whatever happened?" he asked awkwardly. "Any more headaches?"


    "Oh, no," said Raivyn dismissively. ¡°Nothing like that. The doctors want to see me regularly for a while, but D''Jarric says it will only happen when an aether beast is nearby. Said he might be able to help me defend against the T-waves they give off if we run into another one."


    "What else did our mysterious exorcist have to say?" asked Vanbrook. "He seemed to know just what to do."


    Raivyn shrugged, doing her best impersonation of D¡¯Jarric¡¯s smooth baritone voice. "''Solarans fought aether beasts in ages past; the knowledge is still with us.'' I couldn''t get him to elaborate. You know Solarans. They smile and talk circles around you and when they walk away you realize they didn''t tell you anything."


    Vanbrook tapped his chin in thought. "Yeah, sounds like DJ," said Vanbrook. "But I guess Shrump really saw something out here then. Maybe the same thing we did."


    "He certainly saw something," said Raivyn. "But that squid wasn''t Koo L''Koom."


    "How do you know?" Asked Vanbrook.


    "Koo L''Koom is always described as shark and or serpent-like, and the size of a planet. That thing was a squid, and only about the size of the Wingspan."


    Vanbrook laughed. "If that was a small one, I sincerely hope we never see another."


    ***


    ¡°The Republic beat us this time,¡± said the tree priest. ¡°They¡¯ve put up a beacon on the water world we were eyeing.¡±


    Jylik frowned. It was no matter; they¡¯d still make it to the Cluster in plenty of time to grab some resource-rich worlds before the Republic gobbled them all up. Of course, that depended on whether or not the Cluster existed.


    The Crown Prince had no illusions that discovering the Cornucopia Cluster would win his father¡¯s approval. At least, not lastingly. All he¡¯d done was follow directions. He left the control room and climbed to his chambers, where he saw he had a message from the informant. He pressed the control to play the message and stood watching a feed of the aether on his screen, his hands behind his back.


    ¡°I am in danger of being discovered,¡± rasped the now-familiar voice. ¡°I will be leaving the Wingspan next time it lands- and don¡¯t worry about picking me up, I have my own arrangements. However, I think you¡¯ll be interested to know that the ship is severely damaged, along with the support vessel the Shepherd. Believe it or not, it was pulled out of a jump by an aether beast. I never believed in the things, but after being nearly killed by one I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± There was a harsh laugh. ¡°The next time I talk to you it will be about collecting my reward. Good luck.¡±


    Jylik smiled. Finally, he was done with the informant. He looked forward to blowing their head off with his thorn gun if they were ever so bold as to try to collect their fee. The bit about the aether beast confused and concerned Jylik. If it was a trap or a bluff, he couldn¡¯t figure out the angle. It certainly wasn¡¯t true.


    ***


    Avonia was visible as soon as the Wingspan exited its jump. The new world glistened green and blue from Jasken''s vantage point on the bridge.


    He contacted Captain Kesht on the Halberd.


    "How do we look, Captain?"


    "Good," said the Raki. "It''s a beautiful world. No sapient population that we could find. The ground team is due for a check in-" he checked the time. "Huh, twelve minutes ago."


    Jasken knit his eyebrows. "Are they usually late?"


    The captain shook his head. "No, not at all."


    "Hmm," said Jasken thoughtfully. "Talon Squad will go check in on them. They''re always happy to go clayside."


    Jasken called Talon Squad, and they were geared up and ready to launch shortly thereafter. By the time the shuttle touched down the Halberd''s ground team had been out of touch for nearly a day. They managed to land right by the basecamp, which was the site of a massacre.


    Landing in a large clearing in the jungle-covered main continent, Talon Squad jumped out of the shuttle as quickly as possible, armed to the teeth and ready for anything. A quick investigation of the campsite revealed that the previous landing crew''s shuttle was destroyed and blackened by an electrical fire, and several bodies were scattered around the campsite. Oddly, all the electrical equipment looked similarly scorched, and anything that wasn''t tough enough to withstand whatever had stormed through the camp was smashed and broken. Blood splatter in a few places and some spent ammunition suggested a fierce battle.


    "It''s bad, Admiral," said Raivyn over her comm. "It looks like the ground team has been killed. I think the only thing still functioning is the beacon, and that''s designed to withstand anything up to a nuke."


    "Understood," answered Jasken. "Start searching for survivors, but be careful. I''ll send backup as soon as possible."


    Vanbrook was searching around the brush at the edge of the camp, hoping to find footprints or a blood trail. A figure leapt from the bushes, putting a shaking hand over Vanbrook''s mouth.


    "It''ll hear you!" seethed the ragged, weary-looking sailor. "It''ll hear you."

 Chapter 2.28: Thunder in the Jungle

    Talon Squad turned towards the disturbance as one unit. Guns raised, they looked at the half-mad Talpidarian sailor. Vanbrook carefully peeled the sailor''s hand off his mouth.


    "What''s going to hear us?" he asked quietly.


    "The thunder cloud!" He hissed.


    No sooner had he spoken than a crackling, misty cloud rushed out of the jungle. It flooded over Talon Squad''s shuttle, obscuring the craft inside a thin, wispy gray. Then a flash and rumbling thunder exploded from the mist, igniting the shuttle. The sailor dove back into the bushes.


    "Everyone shed any electronics, now!" shouted Doc.


    Talon Squad responded immediately, throwing comms, drones and assorted electronics to the ground.


    The cloud rushed towards its next target, which was Doc himself. D''Jarric blasted it with a beam of energy, which caused it to shudder and move towards the Solaran.


    "Target it with energy weapons!" shouted D''Jarric.


    "Make up your minds!" cried Vanbrook, reaching down for the nova crystal rounds he''d just dropped, unsure if they counted as electronics.


    Hrake and Doc fired their energy weapons at the cloud and Reclan directed her drones to harass the strange monster. They spread out in a circle around it, keeping it from focusing on a target.


    Raivyn reached out telepathically, trying to find a mind in the cloud. It was strange and animal in nature, but there was indeed a mind. It was angry, and it wanted to destroy anything it viewed as a threat, which currently meant all of Talon Squad.


    "I might be able to convince it to leave," said Raivyn. "Keep blasting it, but start opening up a gap it can get back to the treeline through."


    The Squad moved together, making sure the opening wouldn''t take the creature over the sailor currently cowering in the bushes.


    "Okay, keep blasting," said Raivyn. She focused back on the cloud, trying to induce fear in the stormy mind within the cloud. Energy-based beings made easier targets for psychic attacks, and Raivyn was able to incept a feeling of danger into the animal mind, backed up by the constant barrage of energy weapons Talon Squad was firing through it. It moved uncertainly towards the danger for a moment, now that its enemies were all concentrated in one place, but the need to flee danger overcame its bloodlust, and it rushed back into the trees and vines of the jungle, blending into the dark, misty forest.


    ***


    Hours later, the Wingspan had landed in the clearing, and Captain Fenrik got to work establishing a perimeter. The electromagnetic shielding around the ship did attract the cloud beast, but it was too strong for their attacks to damage and it lost interest.


    "I think it''s just territorial," said Doc as it once more faded into the forest. Talon Squad was helping set up the water line and pumps that would carry water from the streams to the Wingspan''s water treatment works. "It''s an energy-based being and it assumes other electromagnetic fields are competition of some kind. Electroecologists are going to be studying this thing for generations."


    "Not if it fries them all first," said Reclan with a sneer.


    Doc shrugged. "I guess water is our first priority here, anyway. Scientific inquiry will just have to wait."


    "Scientific inquiry and water will have to take a seat behind general repairs," said Reclan with a sigh. "The Wingspan has a sieve where it''s supposed to have a hull. We''ve got enough tools and material to patch things up temporarily, but the ship needs resources we''re not going to find this side of Kirakna."


    "Well I might engage in a little scientific inquiry all the same," said Trembi, walking up to the group, Britkrup coming with her. "It is my job, after all."


    Vanbrook looked up at her from where he was dragging an intake line, nodding to the scientists.


    "Where''ve you been, stranger?" said Trembi.


    "Oh, around," said Vanbrook. "Figured Raivyn might want some down time after her, uh, episode, which meant I needed to lay low, too."


    "Well don''t do me any favors!" huffed Raivyn, not even looking up from her work.


    Trembi looked awkwardly between the two. "Britty, I saw some neat looking plants over on the other side of the clearing, shall we?"


    Vanbrook looked searchingly at Reclan, who shook her head and looked back at her friend with pity in her eyes.


    ***


    High Brother Redgone watched the final repairs to his building, sneering at the workers below. Crush, who was now standing beside Redgone, had insisted that the miners who had torn the place apart would put it back together before they left. Not entirely a question of goodwill, she worried that leaving evidence of the riot in their wake would tarnish the FRF¡¯s reputation, which she hadn¡¯t even fully established yet. They were not raiders and pirates; they were respectable mercenaries.


    Down below, a large battleship, festooned in yellow, arrived at the docks. The High Brother paled. No sooner had the ship docked on then a corpulent Talpidarian male in full aether gear waddled out of the ship¡¯s airlock and made his way to the control building, escorted by four members of the Xanathous Brotherhood, the PIC¡¯s elite military corps.


    From what Crush had gathered, the PIC was governed much like the Ramshackle Collective, with those at the top skimming the cream for themselves. This was evidently true based on the condition of the Xanathous Brotherhood¡¯s armor and gleaming weapons compared to the broken down and broken weapons and armor Redgone had tried to use against the rioters.


    Obviously in possession of the codes required to enter the building, the Talpidarian entered without addressing the High Brother, who stood nervously facing the airlock he would soon be walking through.


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    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you greet him?¡± asked Crush, annoyed by the fact that she did not understand the tension mounting around her.


    The High Brother looked at her as if she had just uttered a heinous blasphemy. ¡°One does not address a brother or sister of a higher station than oneself unless addressed first.¡±


    Crush shrugged. The door opened, and the Talpidarian and his escort walked in.


    ¡°High Brother Redgone,¡± he said, addressing the overseer. ¡°Your impotence has been reported and you are immediately relieved of your post.¡±


    He bowed his head and approached the Talpidarian with a subservience that made Crush¡¯s circuits weary with contempt. ¡°Grand Brother Treskt, please, make yourself comfortable and allow my last act as High Brother of this mine to be serving you a meal in my private dining hall.¡±


    ¡°That will not be necessary or possible,¡± said Treskt matter-of-factly, ¡°as you broke the window when you, in your shame, jumped through it to your demise.¡±


    Redgone¡¯s face became a mask of horror as one of the Xanathous troopers stepped over and unceremoniously picked up the former High Brother and hurled him through the bullet-proof glass. Crush watched his broken body spin out into the void for a moment before turning to Treskt.


    ¡°Are you going back on our deal?¡± she asked calmly.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± said Treskt. ¡°However, you have not fulfilled your side of the bargain. The position you gave us is certainly in the right direction, but we will need a more current position to justify releasing the miners to your care.¡±


    Crush clenched her fist and looked out the broken window to her fleet. Even from here she could see Tank and Hacksaw calmly and quietly readying for combat.


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Crush, turning back to Treskt. ¡°I should be able to get you more specific information shortly, only give me a day to do it.¡±


    ¡°Done,¡± said Treskt.


    Without another word, Crush turned to the broken window and climbed out of it, using her mag-boots to walk straight down the wall, head held high.


    Treskt grinned, his furry face crumpling into a mass of wrinkles. ¡°I like that one.¡±


    ***


    Grim crawled through the underbelly of the Wingspan. It was time to get out of the ship, but he wanted to wait for nightfall. First, he had a call to make.


    "Admiral Gnash, how''s your luck?" he asked when he got an answer. Without the aid of ripmed comms, there was a long delay as the messages sped at lightspeed between the two pirates.


    "Who is this?!" snarled a voice after a long moment.


    "You know who," said Grim with a laugh. "Someone who''s very voice can lead you beyond the borders of known space."


    "You sound well, for being dead, Grim. I was fine with you that way, too. Why did you summon me out here?"


    "Tell me, how has my fleet fared under Crane?" asked Grim.


    Gnash sighed. "About as well as you''d expect. We need a certain amount of cooperation to keep the Collective afloat, but he''s only out for one robot."


    "Here''s my proposal," said Grim. "You pick me up at my current location, and I''ll split the payday I''ve got coming to me. Then I get my fleet back."


    ***


    A bit of static flashed across one of Mairen''s screens. Her eyes shot to it.


    "I''ve got you now," she said with a grin. Then, into her comm, "Admiral, I need you on the bridge immediately. I can find our spy."


    "What?" asked Jasken incredulously.


    "The spy, they''re sending a message currently," said Mairen, the excitement in her voice palpable. "They''re¡­ yes! They''re in the lower decks."


    ***


    Grim paused his conversation with Gnash to listen to what was being said on the bridge. His time was up. He needed to move.


    "I''ll be here, Gnash, and I''ll be waiting," he said.


    "I still haven''t said yes, Admiral," said Gnash irritably.


    Grim ended the call and snuck through the belly of the ship until he was under a maintenance garage.


    ***


    "I want a security detail sweeping those decks now," growled Jasken. "Lock down the ship, but do it quietly. I don''t want to tip them off. And I want the spy alive if at all possible."


    Captain Hunt hopped on his comm immediately to start coordinating the hunt.


    ***


    Grim popped up inside the garage. He had to act quickly but he wasn''t sunk yet. The hoverbike was sitting right where he expected it to be. His fingers were a blur as he activated the bike and threw a leg over it. He puttered stealthily over to the door then slammed his fist into the emergency exit button.


    ***


    Vanbrook was still outside working on the piping for the water system when alarms began blaring. There was the whine of a hoverbike and booming, rusty laughter. He looked up and saw a massive robot with a beard of chain barreling in his direction on an assault bike. The laughter was drowned out by the sounds of the bike¡¯s foreguns blasting.


    Vanbrook pulled his revolver and fired a wild shot as he dove out of the way, but the bike zoomed past unscathed. A hail of gunfire followed him, but only a few glancing blows landed as the robot rode out over the river, following it upstream.


    ¡°That was Grim!¡± shouted Vanbrook into the emergency comm channel. ¡°Admiral Grim of the Ramshackle Collective just rode out of the Wingspan!¡±


    ***


    Everyone scrambled to chase the spy, but by the time Kwa-Kwa and her Scouts got their hoverbikes out onto the river, it was anyone¡¯s guess where Grim had gotten to.


    ¡°There¡¯s just too many bends in the river,¡± said Kwa-Kwa over the comms. ¡°I can¡¯t see where he is, and there¡¯s no telling if he just bolted off into the brush. Rahk and I will keep going upstream, the rest of the scouts will hang back and look for any subtle evidence of where he went.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Jasken from the bridge. ¡°Keep me up to date.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± replied the Krauqian.


    Jasken smoothed his mustache and looked at Mairen, who was looking at her screens despondently.


    ¡°You did well, Officer,¡± he said sternly.


    She looked up at him. ¡°Did I? Because it seems like the murdering spy got away.¡±


    ¡°After you flushed him out. I hope we catch him and put him in front of a firing squad, but at least the ship is secure again.¡± Jasken put a hand on the Communications Officer¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You did well, Mairen.¡±


    ***


    Jylik watched Gevrok cautiously as the Hrudukite held a firearm for the first time. He was paying close attention to the quartermaster¡¯s instructions, which was good. The warrior seemed fairly intelligent for a worm from a bronze-tech planet.


    Gevrok fired into the straw dummy as directed, and it exploded with a puff of dust and splinters. Laughing thunderously, the warrior examined the thorn gun with sheer joy, making sure not to look directly into the business end of the weapon.


    ¡°Much more fun than hammers,¡± announced Gevrok gleefully. ¡°Do I get to keep it?¡±


    The quartermaster looked at Jylik, who shrugged.


    ¡°Of course,¡± said the quartermaster. ¡°Remember: you get five shots. Then it needs a full day to recharge under a sun or other bright lightsource. Other breeds of thorn gun are more advanced, but we felt this was a good first weapon for you.¡±


    Gevrok nodded appreciatively.


    Yrinla walked into the room. ¡°Crown Prince?¡±


    Jylik turned to the elderly priestess.


    ¡°We are fully prepared for another jump, and we have avoided detection by the Republic,¡± she said.


    ¡°Do we know where they are headed next?¡± asked Jylik.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to be certain, but only one planet has been detected in the direction the Republic is heading. It appears to be a watery world with a breathable atmosphere. We are fairly confident it will be their next stop. It also may well be within the Cornucopia Cluster.¡±


    Jylik nodded. ¡°Make preparations to jump immediately.¡±

 Chapter 2.29: Ambush

    ¡°Sounds like he got away, then,¡± said Skritka. There was certainly disappointment in his voice, but Jasken wasn¡¯t sure if he was imagining the edge of the accusal in it. ¡°Are we sure it was really Grim? I thought he died over Hittania.¡±


    ¡°The Scouts are still hunting him, though they have very little to go on,¡± answered Jasken. ¡°And no, we¡¯re not one hundred percent certain of his identity.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure he was working alone, and the threat has been eliminated?¡± asked the Prime Minister.


    ¡°Reasonably so,¡± replied Jasken. ¡°We¡¯ll continue to monitor for outgoing comms.¡±


    Skritka looked unsure. "I suppose it''s the best we can do for now." He paused and looked away for a moment. "I do have an update on our other suspected murderer, Darvik. He''s traveling with a cult that appears to be heading towards the Cluster."


    "What?" asked Jasken incredulously.


    Skritka shook his head. "I don''t know what to tell you. RIS has an ongoing investigation into the Koomites, a cult that worships Koo L''Koom. They tracked them to Kirakna, but there was an incident and the cult leader slipped away, evidently with Darvik in tow."


    "Hmm," pondered Jasken. "Sounds like things are going to get crowded out here soon."


    Skritka sighed and adjusted his spectacles. "It was always going to happen sooner or later, though of course we hoped for later."


    Jasken nodded. "The investigators, what does their fleet look like?"


    "Just a single ship, but it''s the Gladius," said Skritka. "They have a Marine squad with them."


    "Good to know," said Jasken, "Grepk''s crew is the best there is and we might need the muscle."


    "A sailor complimenting a Marine," said Skritka with a wry smile. "I thought you were natural enemies."


    Jasken''s expression grew grim. "Only during peacetime."


    Skritka nodded thoughtfully.


    Jasken smoothed his mustache. "It would be unwise to give away our location, even to an ally, but I would like Admiral Crush to know Grim is alive. Can you hail her, see if she answers?"


    "Of course, oh! In fact, she¡¯s requesting to join our conversation now. I¡¯ll hand it over to her. Providence shine on you, Admiral," said Skritka.


    "On you as well," replied Jasken.


    Skritka pressed a few buttons, and soon Admiral Crush took his place on Jasken''s screen, her face inscrutable as ever.


    "Hello, Admiral Jasken," she said.


    ¡°Hello, Admiral Crush,¡± replied Jasken. ¡°How did things turn out with the PIC?¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Crush. ¡°I was able to work out a deal to free the workers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good news,¡± said Jasken, raising his eyebrows. ¡°How did you manage that?¡±


    Crush wagged a finger. ¡°Trade secrets, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Jasken allowed himself a chuckle. ¡°Alright, what¡¯d you want to speak about, then?¡±


    ¡°I had just wanted to let you know about our success, actually,¡± lied Crush. It was a lame excuse, but it was the best she¡¯d been able to come up with.


    "Very well,¡± said Jasken, nodding to himself. ¡°Unfortunately, I have troubling news. We believe Admiral Grim is alive."


    Crush''s face locked onto the screen with an intensity Jasken found hard to describe.


    "It''s¡­ possible," she said at length. "His cabin was a bunker all to itself. If the cabin fell to Hittania it''s possible he survived re-entry."


    "That checks out," said Jasken. "Then he''d just have to stowaway to Kirakna, where he snuck aboard the Wingspan. That''s where we found him."


    "And you have him in custody?" asked Crush eagerly.


    Jasken shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. He escaped into the wilds of the world we''re currently on. I doubt he can survive here long, there are territorial EM beings with a habit of frying electronics."


    "I don''t suppose you can give me the location?" said Crush, her eyes narrowing.


    Jasken sighed. "I''m afraid not."


    "Alright, Admiral," said Crush curtly. "Thank you for letting me know."


    "Very well. Providence shine on you," said Jasken.


    Crush nodded and ended the call. She turned to Hacksaw. "Tell me you got that location."


    ***


    Talon Squad remained busy over the next week, helping repair the badly damaged Wingspan and taking their turns on watch. Grim was likely long gone, but they''d be ready for him if he dared to show his face again.


    Vanbrook sighed as he and Reclan walked around a corner to see Raivyn coming the other way. He''d been avoiding her ever since the two-by-two order had been lifted. She stopped short when she saw him then moved past abruptly.


    "See you two at dinner," she said as she walked away.


    "What''s up with you two?" Reclan asked.


    Vanbrook shrugged. "Long week."


    "Yeah," said Reclan. "But that''s not why you and Raivyn have been avoiding each other."


    "Hey, look," said Vanbrook defensively. "I tried to look out for her after the whole squid thing and you know what it got me?"


    Reclan put her hand on her hip and looked Vanbrook in the eye. "What?"


    "Trouble," he answered. "Trembi has hardly talked to me since we landed, and Raivyn''s been giving me the cold shoulder."


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    "Yeah, idiot. You told Trembi you valued your relationship with Raivyn more than your relationship with her."


    Vanbrook looked at his friend, offended. "Wha-" his face fell as he thought through what he''d said as they were installing the pump. "I guess I did, huh?"


    "Yeah," said Reclan. "The question you gotta figure out is, is it?"


    "Vanbrook," said Captain Hunt''s voice over his comm. "Admiral wants to see you in his office, soon as possible."


    "Oh, thank goodness," said Vanbrook, looking at Reclan. She raised an eyebrow and shook her head.


    "What?" asked Hunt.


    "Said I''ll be right there," replied Vanbrook.


    ***


    "What?!" demanded Vanbrook incredulously. He was sitting across from Jasken in the Admiral''s office.


    "Darvik was spotted on Kirakna," said Jasken, repeating himself. "He''s traveling with a cult that worships Koo L''Koom, which is currently being investigated by the RIS and a group of Marines including Krum-Bahk. He made the identification."


    Vanbrook huffed his unbelief. "And they''re heading this way?"


    Jasken frowned as he watched Vanbrook mull over the information.


    "We''re not pursuing them," said Jasken firmly. "The Gladius is seeing to that."


    "Of course not," said Vanbrook absently. "Is that all, Admiral?"


    Jasken nodded and Vanbrook rose and left the room.


    The Admiral sighed. He wondered if it was wise to let the hotheaded swashbuckler know his nemesis was so close by. It felt as though the Cornucopia Cluster was magnetic in some way, and the closer they got, the more enemies it seemed to draw near.


    ***


    Grim sloshed through a deep cavern, stepping directly on a snail-like creature and deliberately crushing it out of an aimless sort of spite. The hoverbike was parked towards the entrance of the cave system, turned off to avoid giving off an EM signature.


    The strange cloud beasts had pursued him doggedly, though he hoped going underground would help him finally lose them. He found a reasonably dry and flat corner and sat down with a thud.


    Gnash would be here. He just had to stay alive until then.


    ***


    Grand Brother Treskt stood atop the viewing platform on the bridge of the Tailor, looking proudly over the fleet of People¡¯s Interstellar Co-op ships he commanded. If the Republic thought they could discover the location of the Cornucopian Cluster without competition, they were in for a rude awakening.


    In addition to the carrier-class Tailor, the fleet at Treskt''s command boasted five gunships and three support vessels, easily dwarfing the Blue Griffon Fleet. It was a massive commitment of resources, but it was worth it for what they expected to gain.


    Treskt was wearing the same yellow jumpsuit he¡¯d received when he was first awarded the position of Grand Brother in the PIC Navy. It had fit him better then. He waddled down the steps of the viewing platform to mingle with some of his lesser brothers and sisters.


    ¡°Grand Brother,¡± said a High Sister. ¡°We are prepared to jump. We should be at the intended planet within the week.¡±


    Treskt nodded. They would be pushing the limits of the fleet, traveling as fast as they intended to. It would likely cost them a few ships, but it was a necessity, given how far behind they were in the chase.


    The Grand Brother wasn¡¯t happy with the cost of the information they¡¯d received, but all in all, a few malcontent miners on some remote asteroid belt was well worth it. It had been surprisingly easy to get the Free Revolutionary Fleet to turn on the Griffon Republic, and Treskt did enjoy watching people turn on the Griffon Republic.


    ***


    Soon the Wingspan was repaired as well as it could be in the field, the shields were charged, and the Blue Griffin Fleet had begun the final jump of their journey.


    Vanbrook had all but disappeared since his conversation with Jasken, spending most of his down time in his room. Raivyn had run a bit behind the others in getting to the galley for dinner and decided to check on him before she went.


    She knocked on the door and waited. When she was about to turn away, it opened, revealing a somewhat haggard looking Vanbrook.


    "I''m not sleeping well," he said, stepping out into the hallway. He closed the door behind himself and leaned against the wall, looking at Raivyn with tired eyes.


    Raivyn was taken off guard by the comment. She''d expected him to brush her off even if he did answer the door.


    "Is it about Trembi?" asked Raivyn, biting her lip. "Look, I''m really sorry if what I said-"


    Vanbrook held up a hand to stop her. "No, no. I mean, she''s out of the picture now, but what else is new? This is what I do. As soon as a relationship starts looking serious, I stop taking it seriously. In fact, this time I didn''t even know I was in a relationship until I got dumped. Like, I''m not stupid, I knew she was willing to give me a second try, but I wasn''t really sure I wanted one." He paused, sighing. "Trembi''s amazing, she''s just not¡­" he trailed off, looking at Raivyn.


    "Not what?" asked Raivyn. Her heart was beating faster than she cared to admit.


    Vanbrook shook his head. "Nevermind. Besides, that''s not my issue. It''s Darvik."


    "Oh," said Raivyn. "What about him?"


    "He''s nearby."


    "What?" shrieked Raivyn, her eyebrows jumping in shock.


    "Yeah," said Vanbrook. "Jasken told me. He''s heading this way with some cult of Koo L''Koom. I don''t know how they knew to head this way or anything, but that doesn''t really matter. I just keep seeing Wilbis'' face when I close my eyes. Having that worthless killer this close by and not being able to do anything about it¡­" Vanbrook''s eyes had hardened.


    "If we know where he is, he''ll be brought to justice," said Raivyn, putting a hand on Vanbrook''s shoulder.


    He shrugged her off. "Justice for him would be a blade through the belly."


    "Van, I get it," said Raivyn, crossing her arms. "If he comes at you and you kill him, so be it. But if you hunt him down and kill him, that''d just be murder."


    Vanbrook nodded, his face softening somewhat. "Do you know what happened? Why Darvik hates me in the first place?"


    "Just the broad outline," said Raivyn. "You used to be friends, he got into some bad business, he went to jail and blamed you for it."


    "We were kids," said Vanbrook with a sigh. "Brilliant with swords and otherwise extremely stupid. We spent our days skipping school and our nights at the Feint Heart.


    "Darvik, or ¡®Rancher¡¯ as we called him on the dueling circuit, had moved to the city from cattle ranches out in the country. I kept an eye on him for a while, but once he got comfortable with city life he was just plain hard to keep up with. He fell in with the worst elements of the sport fighting world, which just happened to be part of Griffonia''s organized crime problem. He started flaunting money like I''d never seen before. I couldn''t figure out where he earned it.


    "One day he tells me that if I''d like to earn that same kind of platinum, he could introduce me to some of his new friends.


    "Long story short, I was approached by the authorities; Darvik went to prison, I didn''t. I¡­ I didn''t plan it that way."


    Raivyn quietly nodded, putting her hand back on Vanbrook''s shoulder as he hung his head. This time he didn''t shrug her off.


    ***


    The remainder of the trip went better for Vanbrook. He ate with the Squad and was more intentional about training the rookies, spending time sparring and coaching them. However, he was still excited to go clayside. With the jump finally over, he joined the others in Jasken¡¯s office.


    "So this is it, huh?" he said to the rest of Talon Squad. "The Cornucopia Cluster?"


    "That''s right," said Jasken as he entered the room. "So far as we can tell, this is the very planet Shrump recorded the location of, now designated Avo7-AW.98.


    "It looks extremely promising, too. Gravity is nearly identical to Griffonia, the atmosphere is breathable, and there are several large, green continents dotting the clear, blue oceans."


    "So let''s set that beacon, then," said Vanbrook happily.


    "We will, but I''m afraid it''s going to have to be a standard beacon this time," said Jasken, smoothing his mustache. "There''s not much point in secrecy now, and the IGC is increasingly uncomfortable with us deliberately gaming the system with our stealth beacons. Besides, it''s clear we''ll be competing with the Astralbians out here, so we might as well be bold in making our claims. This planet is likely going to be the gateway to the Cluster for the foreseeable future, so the Republic will still have a major strategic advantage."


    With this in mind, Talon Squad boarded the shuttle and set out for the new world.


    ***


    "Fire."


    A wolfish grin touched Jylik''s face as he gave the command. Four great eyes fired at once; one at the Wingspan, one at the Halberd, one at the Shepherd and one at the little shuttle heading for the surface.


    The grin spread across Jylik''s thin face and erupted into a self-satisfied cackle.

 Chapter 2.30: Open Season

    ¡°What just hit us!?¡± roared Jasken as he stormed onto the bridge.


    ¡°Looks like great eye fire, Admiral,¡± answered Mairen, who was observing a multitude of readouts as she sat at her station.


    ¡°What¡¯s the damage?¡± asked Jasken as he settled into his chair.


    ¡°Minimal,¡± answered Dekken, who was just running onto the bridge himself, eyes glued to his tablet. ¡°The shields absorbed the hits, but it looks like the whole fleet took fire.¡±


    ¡°Do we have a location?¡± asked the Admiral, smoothing his mustache.


    ¡°Just over the horizon to our stern,¡± said Mairen calmly.


    ¡°Swing us into position to return fire, but hold until my command,¡± said Jasken. ¡°This could just be more Astralbian brinkmanship and we¡¯re not starting a formal war if we don¡¯t have to. Captain Hunt, prepare to scramble fighters.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± answered Hunt.


    Jasken opened a comm line to the other ships¡¯ bridges, where he knew the officers would already be gathered. ¡°Captain Kesht, swing ninety degrees starboard and prepare to fire on hostile Astralbians, but wait on my command.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± answered the Raki captain.


    ¡°Captain Griezen, lock onto the port airlock closest to the Wingspan¡¯s bridge tower. Prepare to receive casualties, if it comes to that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± replied Griezen¡¯s stern, raspy voice.


    ¡°Officer Mairen,¡± continued Jasken, ¡°Recall Talon Squad immediately.¡±


    ¡°I- I already tried, Admiral,¡± she answered. ¡°I can¡¯t reach them.¡±


    Another volley from the Astralbians, though a lighter one this time, slammed into the Wingspan¡¯s weakening shields.


    ***


    The world was a spinning blur of black and blue. Reclan yanked on the controls but was unable to pull the shuttle out of the tailspin it had gone into. The rest of Talon Squad clung to their seats, teeth gritted against the inevitable crash.


    Flipping levers and pressing buttons, Reclan opened up all the stabilizing fins at her disposal. Their descent slowed considerably as the fins grasped at the thin upper atmosphere.


    "Alright," said Reclan. "We''re gonna crash, but I''m going to do what I can to make it as comfy as possible."


    "What hit us?" asked Raivyn. "The Astralbians?"


    "Probably," said Reclan. "But there''s no way to know. Comms are fried. Mechanical redundancies are the only thing giving me any kind of control right now.


    The aqua skin and scales of Hrake''s face looked pale. Vanbrook handed him a bag from above the seats, and the shaken Hrudukite wretched into it. He tied off the bag and nodded his thanks to Vanbrook, who returned the nod with a sympathetic smile.


    "How long until impact?" asked Vanbrook, starting to feel queasy himself.


    "Not sure," answered Reclan.


    "We''re gonna black out soon," he noted.


    Reclan punched the dashboard and lights flickered. "Okay, I think we''re waking up a bit, and¡­ yes!"


    She jerked the controls again, and the shuttle righted itself violently. A collective grunt emanated from the passenger section and the metal of the ship screeched in protest as the shuttle was wrenched into a more manageable trajectory.


    ¡°Alright, we might actually survive this!¡± exclaimed Reclan.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t going to before!?¡± demanded Vanbrook.


    ¡°Eh, I didn¡¯t want to worry you,¡± responded Reclan nonchalantly, adjusting a few dials on the dashboard.


    ¡°Looks like our personal comms still work,¡± said Raivyn, ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can reach Jasken.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Focus all fire on the smallest tree bearing a great eye," commanded Jasken. "The eyes are where the danger is."


    Another blast shook the Wingspan.


    "Mairen, have you hailed the Gladius yet?" asked the Admiral.


    "They''re answering now," she replied.


    "Admiral Jasken," said the large Raki who''d just appeared in the corner of Jasken''s screen, just above the real-time display of the battle. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"


    "The Astralbians, Commander Grepk, and you can pay them back in gunfire."


    Grepk nodded. "We''re in pursuit of a different hostile, but it sounds like we''ll have to give up that chase for now. We''ll plot a course, though I warn you we''re still a ways out from your position, on a jump from Hruduk to Platnon. We should be able to best your time in travel but not by much."


    "The cult knew the way to Platnon?" asked Jasken, surprised.


    "So you have some idea of what''s going on," said Grepk. "Yes, the cult most recently departed from Hruduk. According to sources inside Zrykyk''s newly-formed citystate, they were headed directly for Platnon. When we reach the moon we''ll fill our water tanks and try to make it to Avonia in one jump rather than two, going as fast as we can push it. We may be able to reach you within the week; the Gladius was built for speed."


    Jasken nodded, and an explosion reminded him he was in the midst of a battle.


    "Don''t kill yourselves, but the sooner you can get here the better," said Jasken. "The Astralbians have us outgunned."


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    "Providence shine on you ''til then, Admiral," said Grepk.


    "On you, as well," said Jasken.


    ***


    Drixen led the fighter squads as they raced across the upper atmosphere to meet with the enemy. The trip would take some time, given the distance from which the Astralbians were attacking, but the possibility of being sighted early and fired upon was a constant danger.


    "Alright," said Drixen to his fighter squads, "This is what we train for. I want all bombers focused on taking out eyes on the bigger trees. Cowgirl has a special gift for Jylik, so I want First Squad on me while we make a run on the flagship.


    "Keep your eyes peeled for wasps; let''s make ''em hurt!"


    Drixen pulled off one of his signature loop-the-loops, much to the delight of the fighters flying in formation behind him.


    ***


    "Jasken, are you there?" called a voice over the emergency channel on the bridge of the Wingspan.


    "Raivyn, is that you!?" asked the Admiral incredulously.


    "Yes, sir," answered Raivyn. The signal was crackling with static as the shuttle began to heat up in the atmosphere, creating a burning cloud of ionized gas around the vessel that interrupted the signal. "We''ve been hit, but Reclan is taking us down gently as she can, we''ll need a rescue shuttle."


    "Understood, but the whole fleet is under attack. Keep in touch and keep your heads down. Let us know when you''ve landed safely."


    "Will do, Admiral, sorry we can''t do anything to stick it to the Astralbians."


    Jasken smirked. "You''ll get your chance. I''ll see to that."


    "Yes, sir. Raivyn out." She ended the comm and looked out the window, watching the world beneath them grow closer by the minute.


    "Touchdown won''t be for a little while yet," said Reclan. "I''m going to shoot for hitting one of the big lakes on the continent that we''re on a collision course with.


    "The shuttle''s designed for emergency water landings and we''re probably still seaworthy since the hit basically just took out our engines and comms."


    "Probably seaworthy?" asked Vanbrook.


    "You heard me, hotshot," said Reclan dryly.


    ***


    Drixen took out yet another of the swarming void wasps that had emerged from the star trees, focusing on keeping a path clear for Cowgirl and the other bombers.


    The massive insects and their riders were highly maneuverable, but the eyes, bred to fire lasers like those of the bark of the trees, didn''t pack much of a punch against the Republic''s EM-shielded fighters.


    "Target''s coming up, Cowgirl, ready to get this done?" asked Drixen.


    "Let''s do it, Textbook!" she replied enthusiastically.


    The fighter escorts banked away and allowed Cowgirl and the other bombers to deliver their payloads.


    The other bombs struck and shook the trees, unable to take any out of the fight, but Cowgirl''s trunk buster blasted one of the great eyes into a paste, exposing the inside of the star tree to the aether. A haplass tree priest was sucked out of the gaping hole, spinning off into the black.


    "Hey, they do work!" shouted Cowgirl. "Sweetie, I know what I want for our first anniversary," she said. The pilots all laughed and cheered.


    "You got it, hun," said Drixen with a chuckle. "But for now let''s keep harassing the Astralbians. They don''t know it but that was our last trunk buster. We need to keep the pressure up, so let''s divvy up the trees between squads and keep them on their heels.


    ***


    "What was that!?" shouted Jylik after the explosion rocked his entire star tree.


    "We''ve lost communication with the primary great eye," said Yrinla calmly.


    "We''ve what!?" demanded Jylik.


    "Lost communication with the primary great eye," repeated the tree priestess. She frowned as she touched a node on her control panel and concentrated. "The eye is¡­ gone. There is a gaping hole where it once was."


    Jylik shook with rage, his form trembling violently.


    "All trees will make a defensive perimeter around me now," he wailed, his eyes burning with intensity. "I want every wasp going after their bombers, and I want-"


    Another blast rocked the ship, nearly as strong as the first.


    "The Republic gunship the Halberd is targeting the empty eye socket, your highness," said Yrinla. "Even if we turn the tree''s great eyes away from the enemy, the tree is badly wounded."


    Jylik roared his frustration and slammed a fist onto his desk. "We will retreat!"


    Lady Trilia appeared on Jylik''s screen. "Your highness, I agree that retreating and regrouping is wise, only let me stay behind with my contingent to hold them off from following. When we are able, I would like a moment to speak with you about our strategy moving forward."


    "Your council will have to wait," snapped Jylik. "But you have my permission to stay behind and protect the retreat."


    ***


    Reclan gritted her teeth as the lake rushed up to meet the shuttle. The rest of Talon Squad were strapped into their seats, bracing for the coming crash.


    "Alright, guys," she said over her shoulder, "Impact in five¡­ four¡­ three¡­ OH BOY!"


    With a magnificent splash, the shuttle slammed down into the water at as shallow an angle as Reclan could manage. After the initial confusion of the crash, Reclan looked out of the windshield to see a vast, blue expanse of water and a sandy lake bottom dotted with rocks and vegetation far below. She thought she might have seen some kind of underwater city, but the details of the scene were lost in her state of shock. As quickly as it had descended, the shuttle bobbed back up to the lake''s surface, floating serenely as the ripples from the crash spread out over the surface.


    "WHAT HAPPENED TO ONE AND TWO!?" demanded Vanbrook.


    "I miscalculated!" retorted Reclan. "You''re alive, right? Quit whining!"


    "Sounds like Rec and Van are the same as ever," said Raivyn. "Everyone else okay?"


    "Yes," said D''Jarric, sounding calm as ever.


    "All systems go," said Doc dryly.


    "I am physically unharmed," reported Hrake.


    "How ''bout mentally?" asked Vanbrook.


    "Time will tell," replied the warrior with a sagely nod.


    ***


    "Looks like they''re retreating, sir," said Hunt.


    Jasken nodded. "They''ll protect the crown prince. They didn''t see the trunk buster coming, but that was our last one and the closest replacement is back on Griffonia. Thankfully they don''t know that, at least not yet."


    "Our shields are all but depleted, sir," said Dekken. "I don''t know that we could take another great eye blast."


    "Hopefully they don''t know that, either. How are our travel shields? They weren''t entirely depleted when we got here."


    "They''re only at about ten percent. We could utilize them in a pinch but they wouldn''t buy us much protection at the moment."


    "Activate them in case of a parting volley from the Astralbians," said Jasken.


    Dekken nodded. "Yes, sir."


    "Hunt," said the Admiral, "call back the fighters. It looks like the Astralbians are leaving a rear guard, so I don''t want them chasing the flagship and getting themselves surrounded."


    An impact shook the Wingspan, and Jasken looked at Dekken.


    "That was just a standard eye," noted the Raki as he watched the readouts. "It all but finished off our battle shields¡­ and, ouch, looks like some energy arced through into the hangar area."


    "How bad is the damage?" asked Jasken.


    "Hmm, hard to say, but there aren''t likely to be many casualties.¡±


    ***


    The shuttle floated high enough that the ATUC could be driven out over the water, and the Squad was able to hook the shuttle to the rear of the hovercraft and tow it to shore.


    Reclan stayed aboard the shuttle, activating a beacon in hopes of beating the Astralbians to the punch.


    Vanbrook flopped down onto the sandy beach. "Well that was fun. Any word from aetherside?"


    "No," said Raivyn. "I''m calling Jasken now."


    "Well you''re going to want to tell him about those!" exclaimed Vanbrook, pointing to the lakeshore.


    Raivyn''s eyes shot to the place Vanbrook was pointing to, and saw a small horde of creatures emerging from the water. Humanoid and nearly the size of a man, they had grey-yellow skin in the gaps of their green and yellow mottled insect-like shells.

 Chapter 2.31: The Lake Dwellers

    Assessing them swiftly, Raivyn noted that the insectoids wore robes that appeared to be woven from vegetation and some carried a kind of elongated crossbow with metal tipped arrows. The crossbows were pointed down, but she still eyed the wielders warily.


    "We''ve got sapients, that''s for sure," said Vanbrook, his hand hovering by his revolver.


    As the party of insectoids approached, Raivyn began to calm down some. They didn''t appear hostile, and the leader of the group held a basket filled with spongy green orbs. If they were weapons, Raivyn couldn''t imagine how the creature planned to use them. The crossbowmen appeared to be more of an honor guard than a threat of force.


    When the insectoids stood about ten yards from the squad, they stopped as a unit. The leader set the basket on the shore. Rising back up, the leader''s long antennae waved and there was a series of chirps that must have been the creature''s native tongue. The entire group then retreated, walking backwards, back to the lake.


    Hrake bounded back into the shuttle, and emerged with a crate of gifts like the one he had been presented with when he first met Talon Squad. He held the crate out before himself like the insectoid had done, and walked quickly but calmly towards the retreating group. Jointed fingers held crossbows a little tighter, but the group stopped moving and stood as passively as their nerves would allow.


    The leader accepted the gift with another waving of antennae, then continued back into the water.


    "Well done, Hrake," said D''Jarric as the insectoids disappeared below the water. "Though I believe you may have scared them a bit."


    Hrake chuckled. "Seeing space travelers of an alien race for the first time is quite intimidating, take it from me. Given that I was a giant in their eyes I believe they acted very bravely."


    Raivyn called Jasken immediately and filled him in on the situation.


    "Of course this changes our plans," said Jasken as he digested the information. "We can turn off that beacon, to start with, though I suppose half the galaxy is on its way here by now. What was in the basket, by the way?"


    "Fruit," said Hrake over Raivyn''s shoulder. There was green juice dripping from his chin. "Not very sweet and fairly mild, but altogether not bad."


    "And, let''s pray, not poisonous to Hrudukites," said Jasken with a raised eyebrow.


    "You managed to drive off the Astralbians?" asked Raivyn.


    "Yes," answered Jasken. "The trunk buster missile spooked them. Unfortunately, we took some damage in the hangar area. I''m afraid the second shuttle is currently inoperable."


    "And you''re hesitant to send a larger ship at the moment?" Raivyn asked.


    Jasken nodded grimly. "Stay where you are for now, try to make inroads with the locals. We''ll have the Gladius come pick you up."


    "And what''s the situation with the Astralbians?" asked Raivyn.


    Jasken sighed. "They''ve backed off for now, out of fear, not goodwill. I''ve talked to the Prime Minister. We are still not officially at war with the Astralbian Kingdom. The Parliament is divided on how to respond and getting antsy. We are free to defend ourselves but forbidden from acts of aggression."


    "Then don''t let me near ''em," scoffed Vanbrook.


    "You''ll get your chance, Vanbrook," said Jasken. "I''ll promise you that."


    ***


    Across the settled galaxy, alerts sounded on various consoles, tablets and display screens. A new beacon had been established, far out in the unexplored depths.


    Aboard the Tailor, Grand Brother Treskt smiled. They were close- so close.


    Admiral Gnash, closing in on Grim''s position, noted the alert with interest. The new planet wasn''t too far from where his fleet was.


    From aboard her star tree, Crush noted the beacon and nodded. Hopefully the PIC''s presence in the Cluster would be attributed to that. She doubted it.


    Jylik, still retreating from the Republic''s position, rolled his eyes. Now the whole galaxy would be coming to join the festivities.


    ***


    The region Reclan had chosen to land in was still experiencing morning when they crashed, and Talon Squad spent their day diligently setting up camp and watching the shoreline. While the interaction had been peaceful, experience had taught them that, regardless of technology or any other outward signals, first contact relationships could go sour in the blink of an eye for reasons that would be hotly debated for generations.


    However, despite keeping watch in shifts, no insectoids were seen for a full day. When they did emerge, it was a larger delegation than on the first day. The leader looked to be the same as before, and the two archers were still watching over the proceedings. This group was much more openly curious, antenna waving and eyes searching.


    "Huh," said Vanbrook, not sure what to do with himself. "Should we do a dance or something?"


    Raivyn rolled her eyes. "Or I could try to speak to their leader."


    Reaching out with her mind, she looked the leader in the eyes and tapped her temple. When the gentle swell of T-waves touched the insectoid''s mind, there was a flurry of antennae and a series of screeching chirps.


    The archers gripped their crossbows warily and the smaller creatures, presumably the youngest, scrambled back to the lake. Raivyn dropped the attempt immediately, holding up empty hands to signify that she was not a threat. The insectoids carefully backed away into the lake.


    ***


    Grim blasted through the dense forests of Avonia, his stolen hoverbike snapping through vines and crushing the undergrowth. Behind him, a rolling cloud bristled with lightning, threatening to overtake him if he dared slow down.


    "Gnash," he demanded over his comm, "have a gang plank down and energy weapons at the ready. Be prepared to take off immediately."


    "What are you bringing down on us?" asked the rival pirate.


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    "Just shoot anything behind me," snapped Grim impatiently.


    When he burst into the clearing, the ramp was down and he drove right up it. Energy cannons fired into the clouds behind him as he slammed down into the deck, scattering some members of Gnash''s crew.


    "Fire up the engines!" bellowed Gnash. "Let''s get off this miserable rock!"


    As the rusted galleon rose into the sky, Gnash stormed over to Grim. "Did I just fire on a storm cloud?"


    "Admiral Gnash, surprisingly good to see you," said Grim with a mock bow. "That creature was evidently some kind of energy being with a penchant for destroying electromagnetic equipment."


    "And I assume you know where we can go to get our promised payment?"


    "We''re going to need to catch up with the Astralbians that ought to be nearby."


    "Any chance that would be related to the new Republic beacon that showed up and then disappeared?"


    "Was it further out in uncharted space?" asked Grim.


    Gnash nodded.


    Grim chuckled. "Then that''s where we''re going."


    ***


    Crush watched as Admiral Gnash''s ship rose from Avonia, no doubt with Grim aboard.


    "We''re unlikely to be in range before they jump," said Hacksaw.


    They had arrived at Avonia just in time to see Gnash''s fleet assembling for the jump to the Cornucopia Cluster.


    "No," said Crush, looking hungrily at the just-out-of-reach fleet. "We''ll catch them in the Cluster. There must be money to make out there or they wouldn''t be going. We''ll just have to jump after them, take them out, and see if we can take advantage of whatever opportunities they''re pursuing."


    ***


    Jasken was more than a little annoyed when his call was again answered by the Crown Prince¡¯s underling.


    ¡°Lady Trilia,¡± he said coolly. ¡°I was hoping to speak with Crown Prince Jylik.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be possible,¡± she replied.


    Jasken nodded. ¡°Please inform your Prince that sapient life has been contacted on this planet and the IGC will be arriving shortly to examine the situation. The Griffon Republic is, of course, rescinding any claims it previously made on this world.¡±


    ¡°We are aware of your weak-willed policies,¡± said Trilia dismissively. ¡°The Astralbian Kingdom will do as it sees fit.¡±


    ¡°So it will,¡± said Jasken, his voice level. ¡°Understand that if the Astralbian Kingdom wills to make war on the Republic, as it is increasingly clear it does, that the Republic will be ready with the trunk buster munitions that were demonstrated during our last encounter.¡±


    Trilia gave Jasken a smile that did not reach her eyes and ended the call.


    ***


    Darvik walked on to the bridge of the Swamp''s Pride.


    "You wanted to see me, Hoon-Kra?"


    The cult leader turned from the screen he''d been looking at. "Yes. I have a special mission for you."


    "Well doesn''t that sound promising," scoffed Darvik.


    "Forgive me if that came off as condescending, Darvik," said Hoon-Kra, raising his palms in apology. "All I want is to give you the opportunity you''ve been hoping for. A beacon on this new world means a ground team. A ground team means Talon Squad."


    "And Talon Squad means Vanbrook," said Darvik, nodding. "So you want me to kill Talon Squad?"


    Hoon-Kra nodded. "You will have a small shuttle. We will avoid contact with the Republic fleet, and you will take Talon Squad down before the Republic knows we''re there. While they investigate the disappearance, we will continue our exploration of the Cornucopia Cluster."


    Darvik nodded. It was a suicide mission. Hoon-Kra could hardly expect him to kill not only Vanbrook, but an entire elite squad including a Solaran and one of the Republic''s most powerful psychics.


    "Sounds like a plan," he said.


    ***


    Over the next week, Talon Squad made the best of being stuck on the surface. Avo7-AW.98 was a lush, green planet and, in addition to the aquatic lake fruits the locals had provided, had a number of edible fruits and game animals so the squad didn¡¯t have to live on preserved meats and rations.


    Vanbrook was lying in a hammock he¡¯d set up by the lake shore, humming to himself and chowing down on one of the lake fruits. Raivyn resisted the urge to flip the loafer out of his hammock as she walked up.


    ¡°The Gladius is supposed to be here in a day¡¯s time,¡± she said.


    Vanbrook looked up, almost disappointed. ¡°And they¡¯re going to pick us up, right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°I imagine the IGC will be on their heels,¡± noted Vanbrook.


    ¡°Right again. We¡¯re going to try to find an uninhabited but habitable world in the Cluster to establish a Republic presence. Sounds like Mairen has already found some potential worlds, actually. Then maybe we can all find a hammock to lay in.¡±


    Vanbrook shrugged. ¡°Look if you want me to set one up for you, all you have to do is ask.¡±


    Raivyn gave into the urge after all, grabbing onto the side of the hammock with two hands and flipping it over. Vanbrook''s eyes went wide as his world spun, but he was picking himself up out of the sand and laughing heartily as Raivyn walked away.


    ***


    Out for what had become his daily walk, Hrake thought he heard music coming from a small grotto. Taking a diversion from the path he''d become accustomed to walking around the lake, he turned into the grotto to investigate the sound.


    Stepping around a large tree, he spotted one of the lake-dwelling insectoids playing with the Raki seashell harp from the crate of gifts he''d given them.


    Hrake coughed softly to try to get the creature''s attention without startling them. The creature looked up, saw Hrake''s massive form and shrieked. Hrake put his palms up in a gesture of peace. His exit to the lake blocked by Hrake''s huge form, the insectoid cowered in place.


    Holding out his hand, Hrake wordlessly requested the harp. Hands shaking, the insectoid gave it to him. Smiling, Hrake took the harp in one hand and began to pluck some strings with the other. The insectoid perked up.


    ***


    "I meant no offense with my earlier comment, your highness," said Lady Trilia as she walked into the Crown Prince''s chamber. "I just have such pressing issues to discuss with you."


    Jylik huffed. "I have already forgotten the offense, I assure you. Now what is it you want to discuss?"


    Trilia took a small orb from her robes and set it on the table. Covered in membranous discs that resembled a frog''s naked eardrums, it stood on three spindly legs and thrummed softly. A look of disbelief crossed Jylik''s features. Of course, communication blockers such as this one were familiar to him, but he did not know Trilia possessed one.


    "My lord, it is high time you ascended to the throne."


    "Patricide?" asked Jylik in a disaffected voice. "That''s what this is about?"


    "The King will not be happy with your unauthorized and unsuccessful attack on the Republic."


    Jylik sneered at the noblewoman.


    "You made the right choice," she continued, unbothered by the glare. "We must seize the opportunities afforded by the Cornucopia Cluster and reassert the dominance of the Astralbian Empire. Your father will refuse to do what is necessary and you know it."


    Jylik motioned towards the door. "Leave."


    That had gone about as well as expected. She never thought her task would be an easy one.


    Walking back to her screen room aboard Jylik''s star tree, Lady Trilia sighed as another call came in. However, it was not Jasken calling back this time. It was a Ramshackle Collective ID. She sneered at the screen, then composed herself and answered.


    A skull-faced robot with a beard of chains appeared on her screen.


    "Tell Jylik I''m here to collect."


    ***


    Vanbrook had settled back into his hammock when Hrake came dancing up the shoreline, plucking a shell harp and singing in Hrudukite with a crowd of locals following behind.


    "You are just full of surprises, friend," said Vanbrook before the happy warrior was even in earshot.


    As Vanbrook expertly dismounted from the hammock to greet the merry band, he heard the sound of a shuttle''s engines above and looked up. Sure enough, a bright yellow PIC landing shuttle was descending towards the camp.


    "Hey," said Vanbrook into his comm. "Anyone got eyes on the incoming craft? Not sure what they''re up to but it sure ain''t the Gladius."

 Chapter 2.32: Gathered at the Gateway

    The armored yellow shuttle touched down uncomfortably close to Talon Squad''s camp. Vanbrook looked on in disgust as the side door flew open and four Xanathous Brotherhood troopers stormed out, one slamming a beacon into the earth as he went.


    "The People''s Interstellar Cooperative claim this planet as their own," announced one of the hulking troopers in a voice that was modulated by his full-face helmet. "You are trespassing on the People''s property!"


    "You big yellow boogers can crawl back into your shuttle and fly back to your Daddy," said Vanbrook, resting his hand on his revolver.


    "Watch your mouth, trespasser," said the trooper, taking a menacing step forward.


    "I''m not trespassing. Actually, I''m on good terms with the locals," said Vanbrook, jerking his thumb towards the insectoids who were standing warily behind Hrake. The Hrudukite had exchanged the harp for his hammer.


    "That''ll be for the IGC to look into," responded the trooper dryly.


    Vanbrook rolled his eyes. "I''d call you out for playing dumb, only I don''t think you''re playing."


    The rest of Talon Squad was gathering behind Vanbrook now, readying themselves for a fight. The two insectoid archers stood with them.


    ***


    Darvik''s hands were shaking as he looked through the scope at Vanbrook. The PIC troopers didn''t really complicate matters for him; he wasn''t coming back from this one, anyway. It did mean he was on a time table, though. If he didn''t kill Vanbrook soon, they probably would.


    He let out a breath and steadied himself. One of the yellow troopers moved, and Darvik snapped off a shot, scared he''d miss his opportunity.


    ***


    Having heard enough out of Vanbrook, the lead trooper stepped forward. The moment he had, a shot rang out, and the troopers leveled their rifles at Vanbrook, who was pulling his sword and revolver.


    A sudden blast kicked up a billow of sand and Vanbrook was yanked backwards. The Xanathous troopers fired blindly into the sand and air. Hrake fired his hammer rifle at the enemy, but the beam dissipated over their EM-shielded armor. Reclan¡¯s drones created an EM shield-wall to keep the troopers from slaughtering them where they stood.


    ¡°Talon Squad, hold your fire!¡± shouted D¡¯Jarric. ¡°Someone was trying to kill Vanbrook.¡±


    Vanbrook blinked furiously against the sand. ¡°I think they¡¯re all trying to kill me!¡±


    ¡°No, the first shot, it wasn¡¯t the PIC,¡± D¡¯Jarric insisted. ¡°It came from the tree line.¡±


    The sand cleared and the troopers realized they were shooting into a shield.


    ¡°What is this?¡± demanded the lead trooper.


    Another shot came from the treeline, but Relcan had angled the shield to protect Vanbrook from the tree line. The shot bounced off the wall harmlessly.


    The PIC troopers stormed into and around the shield wall and the fight began in earnest. Raivyn shot a T-bolt right into the lead trooper¡¯s helmet, causing him to shout out and double over in pain. Though the helmet was T-shielded, it wasn¡¯t T-proof, at least not to a psychic of Raivyn¡¯s skill.


    Vanbrook dashed forward and stabbed his energized saber into the gap between a trooper¡¯s chestplate and pauldron. The trooper dropped his rifle but swung his good hand at Vanbrook¡¯s head in a deadly, powerful haymaker. Vanbrook dodged the swing easily, his light armor making him far more maneuverable than his foe.


    Along with Raivyn and Vanbrook, Hrake¡¯s swinging hammer, D¡¯Jarric¡¯s powered fists and repeated shots from Doc¡¯s rifle kept the troopers occupied while Reclan focused on defending the team from the shooter in the forest, keeping her shield wall up but sending a lone drone towards the gunshot. While her drones did their work she called Jasken.


    ¡°Wingspan, this is Talon Squad! We are under attack by a squad of PIC Brotherhood troopers and under fire by another unknown assailant.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Talon Squad,¡± replied Jasken. ¡°The odds are about to turn in your favor, hang in there!¡±


    ***


    As Jasken ended his call with Talon Squad, an alarm flashed on Mairen¡¯s screen.


    ¡°Admiral, we¡¯ve got incoming!¡± shouted the Comms Officer. "Ramshackle Collective from the look of things. Brace for possible stealth rockets."


    "Captain Hunt, scramble fighters," commanded Jasken. "There''s a good chance they''re working with the Astralbians, so keep your eyes peeled."


    "We have a call coming in, Admiral," said Mairen.


    "The Collective?" he asked.


    "No, sir, it''s the PIC," she answered.


    Jasken gritted his teeth. "Answer the call."


    A corpulent Talpidarian in a stretched yellow jumpsuit appeared on Jasken''s screen.


    "Your men have attacked mine, Admiral," said the indignant Grand Brother.


    "That''s not how they''ve described the situation, but as I am under attack by pirates I''m afraid I cannot discuss the nuances right now," said Jasken.


    The Talpidarian''s eyebrows went up. "Say no more, Admiral. The PIC does not allow pirates to even orbit the People''s property."


    ***


    Darvik took a swig from his canteen to steady his nerves as he tried to reposition and get a shot on Vanbrook. Talon Squad was going toe-to-toe with four heavy troopers and holding their own, but as long as they were distracted Darvik had a chance.


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    A small, black orb rose in front of his face.


    "Gotcha," said a voice through the drone''s speaker.


    Darvik''s limbs shook and his body was racked with pain as the drone fired off an electrical shock. Then the world went black.


    ***


    Vanbrook dodged another deadly swing from the Xanathous trooper, sidestepping a brutal uppercut. He saw all too late that the trooper had adjusted mid-swing and planned to bring a heavy fist down on his head. Something shot over Vanbrook''s shoulder and the trooper cried out, crumpling to the ground with a bolt sticking out of his armpit. Vanbrook turned to see one of the insectoids holding a discharged crossbow with impressive accuracy.


    "Thanks," he said with a wry smile.


    The Xanathous troopers all lay either groaning or unconscious on the ground. Talon Squad worked together to strip them of their weapons, though they couldn''t unseal their armor without the proper codes and tools.


    Reclan dragged something from the tree line. Vanbrook''s smile faded as he saw what it was. He stormed over and tore the burden from Reclan''s arms, throwing Darvik to the ground, where he lay face up.


    Vanbrook''s hands trembled as he pulled his revolver and took aim at the unconscious man''s forehead. All of Talon Squad paused and stared at him in horror and anticipation.


    No.


    The voice was firm and angry. Vanbrook tried to squeeze the trigger but found he couldn''t.


    Get out of my head, Raivyn, he demanded. I thought you kept to some kind of code.


    I do, she replied. Currently I am stopping a murder, which is fully in keeping with all the legal, ethical, and personal standards I hold to.


    Vanbrook struggled, his gun hand shaking violently.


    Right now it looks like you''re wrestling with your thoughts. Just walk away, I won''t stop you.


    Vanbrook turned his head, staring over his shoulder at Raivyn. She was the picture of calm, staring back at him, looking cold and indifferent.


    I''m not letting you throw your life away over this poor fool who''s thrown his away already. Please.


    Vanbrook lowered his arm, turning from Darvik. Raivyn''s presence left his mind. He reversed suddenly, wheeling and bringing up his gun again. Before he could pull the trigger a sub-lethal bolt of T-waves struck his head and he crumpled to the sand.


    Raivyn looked up into the sky and sighed. The silhouette of the Gladius appeared above her and she could hear the roar of the ship''s thrusters.


    One of the Xanathous Brothers stirred, grabbing her by the ankle. She cried out and kicked his helmet out of instinct, but he was undeterred. The rest of Talon Squad came to her aid as another trooper, badly wounded and disoriented, joined the scrum.


    "Xanathous Brothers, stand down!" came a heavy voice over the trooper''s comms. "Pirates are attacking our rightful claim to the planet and we will be fighting alongside the Griffon Republic to defend it. Return to the fleet immediately and prepare for boarding action."


    The two groups of warriors stepped back from one another. The air was thick with animosity, but no one dared be the first to strike.


    "Are you in any condition to fly?" asked Raivyn, her head cocked to one side.


    "Ha," snorted the lead trooper. "We won''t even break a sweat fighting through the little bruises you managed to land."


    Raivyn rolled her eyes and turned away.


    Looking around, Reclan''s heart fell into her stomach. Vanbrook still laid crumpled where he landed, and Darvik was crouching over him, knife raised over his head. She pulled her pistol and fired, the bullet clipping Darvik''s arm. He cried out and dove into the tree line, fleeing into the woods. Reclan jumped up to run after him, but he had a good lead and by the time she made it to the trees she couldn''t see him.


    "Rec," said Raivyn. "We have to get on the Gladius, the fleet is waiting for backup."


    She turned around reluctantly to see Vanbrook stirring in the sand.


    "Wha- where is he?" demanded Vanbrook, going from groggy to furious as he spoke.


    "Get to the Gladius, Vanbrook," demanded Raivyn.


    "You let him go!?" shouted Vanbrook.


    "Later, Vanbrook!¡± she retorted, fury in her voice. "You are in enough trouble as it is!"


    Grepk appeared in the door of the Gladius. "Come on, Talon Squad! We ain''t got all day!"


    Everyone hustled to the Gladius, Vanbrook wearing a sour, sullen look on his face. With a bow, Hrake took the shell harp from a satchel on his belt and returned it to one of the insectoids. Antennae waved fiercely in a friendly goodbye as the ship took off.


    ***


    "More ships just came out of jump near our position, Admiral," said Mairen.


    "The Astralbians?" asked Jasken.


    She shook her head. "Signatures are all wrong. It''s a hodgepodge of all different ships, though- oh, they''re calling."


    Jasken answered and was shocked to see Admiral Crush on the screen. "Admiral, could you use a hand?"


    "Admiral Crush," said Jasken coolly. "I have some questions as to how you came to join us here, but I will defer them until after we''ve defeated this Ramshackle fleet."


    An explosion rocked the ship.


    "Who have apparently started firing on us," said Jasken, turning to his officers. "Captain Hunt, scramble fighters! I want those pirates hurting, now!"


    Admiral Gnash''s ships were surprisingly well-shielded for Ramshackle ships, and the combined fire of the PIC, the FRF and the already-battered Blue Griffon Fleet was not enough to destroy them outright. Jasken nervously watched Dekken''s shield readouts.


    "We need a new tactic," said Jasken over a channel that included Crush and Grand Brother Treskt.


    "Agreed," said Treskt. "My Xanathous troopers were injured by your troop''s treachery but they claim they have received enough first aid to shake off the attack."


    Jasken shook his head, not caring that Treskt could see the expression on his screen.


    "You''re suggesting a boarding action?" asked Jasken, smoothing his mustache.


    Treskt nodded.


    "Admiral," warned Mairen, "the Astralbians have shown up behind the Collective."


    Her point was underlined by the impact of several great eye beams against the Wingspan''s shields.


    "Admiral Jasken," said Crush. "Let us rotate our fleets. We''ll get out in front of you to take a turn absorbing great eye fire. In addition, I have my star tree and a number of skiffs. We will join your fighters."


    "Let''s do it," said Jasken with a nod. "Coordinate with Captain Hunt."


    "Admiral," said another voice, "this is Marine Captain Grepk, we''re ready for orders."


    "Treskt, is it?" Jasken asked the Talpidarian on his screen.


    "Grand Brother Treskt, yes," he answered.


    "Grand Brother Treskt, then," said Jasken. "There''s three major gunships in the first line of the Ramshackle fleet. Can your troopers handle the one closest to your position?"


    "All three, given time," answered Treskt condescendingly.


    "Just worry about the one," answered Jasken flatly.


    "Agreed," said Treskt.


    Jasken turned to Grepk. "I want the Marines on the second ship and Talon Squad on the third. I need the shields taken down on all three ships."


    ¡°Yes, sir," answered Grepk and Raivyn simultaneously.


    "Crush," said the Admiral, "I need you to focus on defense. Fire your guns when possible and scramble any fighters you have to keep pressure off the fleets."


    "Understood, Admiral," she answered. "We''ll do what we can."


    "Excellent. Show these princes and pirates what true heroism looks like."

 Chapter 2.33: Boarding Action and Epilogue

    Angry as he was, Vanbrook was happy for the excuse to take it out on the enemy in open, if not officially declared, war. Adorned in their lightly armored aethersuits and armed to the teeth, Talon Squad exploded out of the Gladius and jetted down to the deck of one of the Ramshackle Collective''s gunships.


    Vanbrook parried a powerful strike from a pirate then stabbed him through the chest, destroying his core. Another robot charged, and Vanbrook put a nova crystal round between his eyes.


    "Shield generator will be below deck, near the aft thrusters," said Reclan.


    "Good,¡± replied Raivyn. ¡°You, Hrake and Vanbrook fight your way down there, sabotage anything you can and get back up here as quickly as possible. Doc, D''Jarric and I will stay here  and cover for you."


    "Got it," said Vanbrook as he ducked under a wicked swinging cutlass.


    Hrake nodded as he slammed a pirate out of the way with his hammer, sending the unfortunate robot spinning into the aether.


    ***


    Grepk hit the deck of the Ramshackle gun ship with a thud that drew all attention to himself. He smiled in the brief pause before gunfire exploded all around him. The rest of the squad began firing before they landed, wiping out scores of robots.


    "Okay, folks, it''s scuttle ''n scatter time," said Grepk as he sent a volley of ballistic fire into a group of enemies, return fire glancing off his armor. "Keshri, take the lead."


    Without a word the Talpidarian force of nature began tearing a path through the enemy towards the shield generator.


    ***


    On the last gunship, the Brotherhood troopers were tearing apart pirates by the dozen with their mechanically enhanced strength and automatic shotguns. Shells spun off into the aether and robots were torn to pieces as they marched to the engine room and shield generator. Reaching the generator, they were surprised to see they were biological units. Stuck fast to the deck with some kind of mycelium, the generators were about the size of a horse and covered in pulsating nodules.


    ¡°All boarding parties, this is the Xanathous Brotherhood,¡± said the lead trooper. ¡°The shields are of Astralbian origin.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± came the voice of the Republic psychic they¡¯d fought clayside. ¡°Thanks for the heads up.¡±


    The troopers stood in a tight semicircle and emptied their drum magazines into the generator, which exploded with green gore and deflated onto the deck.


    "Alright boys, let''s go," said their leader as he wiped green sludge from his visor.


    When he turned, an energized blade stabbed through his throat. When he fell, the other three troopers saw a skull-faced robot staring at them with menacing red eyes. Not giving them time to react, Grim bolted towards them and to one side, delivering another fatal blow and using his second victim as a shield as he rushed the other two.


    With their shotguns empty and no time to reload, the troopers threw down their guns and went after Grim with their powered fists.


    Grim grabbed a clumsy fist out of the air and swung the entire man- armor and all- out of the way. The last trooper managed to slam his fist into the side of Grim''s head, badly damaging his faceplate.


    Turning the cold fire of his eyes on the trooper, Grim grabbed the top of his helmet with one hand and swung his energized cutlass, severing the soldier''s head from his body.


    Seeing that the ship was now unshielded, Grim dashed for the hangar and took off on his stolen hoverbike, heading for a more secure vessel without warning Gnash.


    ***


    Jylik stood aboard his star tree watching the Ramshackle Collective engage the Griffon Republic. Let them both burn. He smiled as the Republic¡¯s fire bounced off the shields he¡¯d provided to the pirate fleet.


    He watched with interest as boarding parties appeared on the decks of the pirate¡¯s shielded gunships. Gevrok was watching over his shoulder and saw a Hrudukite among one of the parties. He pointed to the screen.


    ¡°I want to go there,¡± he said in a dangerous voice.


    ***


    Drixen wove his way through a horde of Ramshackle Collective skiffs, blowing them to pieces. His goal was just to keep the aether clear until the shields were down and the bombers could do their thing.


    A fresh deployment of void wasps from the Astralbians complicated the issue. Where the skiffs relied on speed and heavy weapons, the wasps were all about maneuverability.


    "Squad 1, let''s take out the wasps," he directed. "Squads 2 and 3, stay focused on the skiffs. All squads stay in communication and keep your eyes peeled.


    ¡°Admiral Crush, your star tree¡¯s maneuverability makes a good match against the wasps. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to have your skiffs take on the enemy skiffs while you focus on the wasps.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, Commander,¡± answered Crush. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to be flying alongside you once again.¡±


    ***


    Vanbrook parried and slashed, dancing across the engine room floor and leaving a trail of devastation in his wake.


    "We about done?" he asked impatiently.


    Hrake brought his hammer down onto the shield generator decisively, hemorrhaging the strange device and spraying green gore all over the engine room.


    "Yup, that ought to do it," said Reclan. "Let''s head out."


    They stormed their way back up to the main deck and joined the others, only to have a massive Hrudukite in a strange, organic aethersuit land opposite them on the deck. The suit was like a rubbery fungus coating his body, while the helmet was made of a bony substance shaped like an orb with a clear membrane stretched across the face, allowing Gevrok to peer out through with his one good eye. He had his bronze hammer over his back and a thorn gun in his hand.


    ¡°Hrake! I am here to finish what I started on Hruduk!¡± he shouted in Hrudukite.


    Hrake turned to the rest of the Squad. ¡°I must finish this alone.¡±


    ¡°Make it quick,¡± said Raivyn, stepping back and engaging more pirates.


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    Gevrok charged across the deck firing his thorn gun, the feet of his suit glomming onto the deck, almost lizard-like. He quickly wasted all his ammo in ineffectual shots that glanced off of Hrake¡¯s armor at the range he was firing from. A robot next to him was spinning up a minigun and fired a volley at Talon Squad. Slamming his useless thorn gun into the robot¡¯s head, he grabbed the gun and swung to train it on Hrake, who was no longer there. A scream sounded overhead, and he looked up to see Hrake descending on him, aided by his maneuver jets and hoisting his hammer high.


    Bullets flew past Hrake as Gevrok trained the minigun on him, one tearing a hole in his aether suit. The suit self-repaired around the fleshwound the bullet had left behind. Hrake¡¯s hammer came down with enough force to crush Gevrok¡¯s shell, but the Hrudukite had dodged back and the minigun was destroyed instead.


    ¡°You were never a match for me,¡± spat Hrake in his native tongue.


    Gevrok dodged back and grabbed his hammer.


    ¡°But if your eye is not enough, if you must force my hand,¡± continued Hrake.


    Gevrok swung his hammer, but the bronze was no match for Hrake¡¯s steel, which bent the handle of the hammer, rendering it a useless chunk of metal.


    ¡°Then I will take your life as well!¡± shouted Hrake, swinging his hammer over his head and onto Gevrok¡¯s. The cracking of helmet and skull reverberated through Hrake¡¯s hammer so he felt it run up his arms and into his chest. Gevrok crumpled to the ground, his blood spilling into aether. Hrake hung his head, turned to his companions and nodded.


    They disengaged from the pirates and blasted back into the aether towards the Gladius, which was serving as something between a small gunship and a huge fighter, destroying any wasp or skiff foolish enough to come into range. They were joined by the Marines coming from the other gunship.


    "Mission accomplished, Jasken," said Grepk. "You should be able to tear those pirates to pieces now."


    ***


    Jasken watched as the pirates¡¯ three major gunships were slowly blown to pieces. He watched on his display screen as Drixen and Kaihla lead the fighters and bombers in scuttling the pirate''s fleet.


    "Attention!" shouted a voice Jasken couldn''t place. "This is Inspector Zomm-Dhar of the International Galactic Code Authority. This illegal war action, occurring in the aetherspace of a sovereign species, will stop immediately."


    "Cease fire!" commanded Jasken.


    "Cease fire," repeated Treskt, sounding none too excited about it.


    ***


    Grim heard the IGC inspector and noted the pause in fire, though it was too late for the ship he had been on previously. He watched the burning vessel explode into a fireball and chuckled to himself.


    ¡°All troops, this is Admiral Grim. Unfortunately, the late Admiral Gnash was still aboard his vessel when it erupted. As the highest ranking officer in this fleet I will be taking command. Rest assured we will have our vengeance on the Republic and the so-called Free Revolutionary Fleet. For now, however, we head for pirate-friendly aether. There are a few more ships I plan to add to our fleet.¡±


    ***


    Jylik stood sour-faced in his star tree. The Ramshackle Collective had been torn apart and was fleeing. Priestess Yrinla was nowhere to be found. He raised Lady Trilia on his comm.


    ¡°Trilia,¡± he said shortly. ¡°We must make our retreat while we can. When we have found safe harbor, I wish to continue our earlier conversation.¡±


    She nodded, bowing low. ¡°Of course, your Majesty.¡±


    Crush stood on the deck of her flagship staring at the wreckage of the Ramshackle fleet. She was unsure where to take her burgeoning mercenary society from here. Did they stay in the Cornucopian Cluster? Take the fight to the Ramshackle Collective? She did not lack options, though none appealed to her.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± said a thin voice from behind her. She spun to see an aged Astralbian female.


    ¡°How did you-¡± Crush began.


    ¡°I am a very talented psychic,¡± said Yrinla with a faint smile. ¡°I believe you are, too. May we talk?¡±


    ***


    Hoon-Kra was waiting for Darvik when he came back aboard the Swamp¡¯s Pride and walked out of the shuttle into the hangar.


    "You''ve failed, Darvik," he said calmly.


    Darvik nodded. "And I don''t care if you want to throw me out in the aether for it."


    "That is one option," answered the cultist. "The other is for you to truly join our cause. When we met, you saw me as a means to an end, and I saw you as disposable." He walked over to a window, looking out into the stars like a man looking for his home world after a long journey. "But I''d like to give you a second chance. We''ll need loyal foot soldiers in our efforts to reshape the galaxy in the image of the aether beasts. I ask you for the last time, Darvik. Will you join us?"


    Darvik laughed a cruel, hollow laugh. Hoon-Kra started to reach for his pistol, but then Darvik held out his arm.


    "Go ahead," he said. "Get your tattoo kit."


    ***


    Raivyn once again found herself knocking on Vanbrook¡¯s door. He had remained in his room since they had returned from the battle. The Wingspan had been orbiting the planet, now dubbed Gateway, for nearly a week as they waited for relief from a full military fleet.


    The swordsman opened his door, regarding Raivyn with cold eyes.


    ¡°Van, good news,¡± she said. ¡°The fleet is here. We¡¯re heading back to Kirakna for some R&R and repairs before we come back out to explore some of the new worlds we¡¯ve identified. The Cornucopia Cluster lives up to its name. There¡¯s a ton of habitable planets showing up in our scans.¡±


    ¡°Guess you didn¡¯t turn me in,¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, taken aback.


    ¡°For the attempted murder,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Guess you didn¡¯t turn me in.¡±


    ¡°Van-¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I really don¡¯t get, though,¡± said Vanbrook.


    Raivyn sighed. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°How come you let Hrake kill Gevrok?¡±


    With that, Vanbrook turned away, leaving Raivyn standing out in the hallway, staring at a closed door.


    Epilogue


    High King Hylik stood waiting to receive his son as the star tree landed in the clearing. The sounds of the birds and insects among the branches of the Astralbian forests were drowned out by the roar of the star tree¡¯s thruster roots.


    The King stood stock still, waiting for the doors to open. When they did, his son strode down the ramp, his green cape billowing out behind him, accompanied by Lady Trilia and a complement of guards.


    ¡°Jylik, my son, I am very pleased to see that you have returned victorious,¡± said Hylik. ¡°Not in battle, perhaps, but nonetheless. And the rest of the fleet is busy exploring the Cradle?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father,¡± said Jylik, a glint in his eye. ¡°The Cornucopia Cluster, the Cradle¡­ whatever you choose to call it, it is teaming with resources and possibilities.¡±


    The King looked searchingly at his son. ¡°Let us retire to the Holy Grove.¡±


    Jylik nodded and followed his father through the mossy forests to the hateful place. His father walked into the center of the clearing before turning to talk to him.


    ¡°Jylik, my son. I am proud of you. I have not said it often enough. Perhaps I have become soft in my old age, but I tire of fighting with you. Please do your father a favor- even if you do not owe it to him- and promise me you will not drag our people into war again. Our kingdom may not be an empire in name, but it is one in spirit. We are at peace with the other great powers. Let it stay that way.¡±


    Jylik looked at the ground, trembling with emotion. He steadied himself and lifted his head, his bright, burning eyes, staring into his father¡¯s dull ones.


    ¡°No,¡± he said flatly.


    A dark look crossed Hylik¡¯s face.


    Jylik held out his hand, revealing a small rock. ¡°Do you know what this is, Father?¡± he asked, a sly look creeping across his features. ¡°I picked it up on Hruduk. It¡¯s the stone that the biologicals use to power their ships. It gives off a deadly radiation.¡±


    Hylik had begun to fade from a deep, oceanic blue to the color of a winter sky, trembling where he stood.


    ¡°I am, of course, exposing myself to great danger,¡± remarked Jylik. ¡°But I am young and will heal completely. You will not. When I call guards, you will be a mere crystal, waiting to be cut, polished and placed upon my crown.¡±


    King Hylik began to weep.


    ¡°Really, father, have you no pride?¡± taunted Jylik.


    The King¡¯s face became hard for a moment and his attenuated voice choked out his final words, too soft for the guards to hear: ¡°I do not weep for myself, you foolish child. I weep for my people.¡±

 Book 2: From Star to Star Bonus Content: Flash Fiction

    The Hittanian Liver Bird- World Craft Club Flashfic Prompt: That¡¯s not a cryptid! Write about unusual animal behaviors that have resulted in expansive mythologies.


    Chellena looked out of her cabin window across the plain to see the neighbor''s shuttle landing in the distance. She shook her head. She''d moved halfway across the galaxy to get away from other people.


    She grabbed her morning tea and walked out to the front porch, where she was confronted by a monster, staring her down with bright red eyes.


    The creature stood about three feet tall, sported a hooked beak, strong legs ending in razor-like talons, lanky arms with long, clawed fingers and a brilliant crest of red, white and black feathers. The Hittanian liver bird.


    People said that it took down prey thirty times its size. People said it could hypnotize the unwary by flashing its brilliant crest. People said that would eat only the liver, and leave the rest of the body to rot.


    People said all of that and more, but none of it was true. The claws and beak were for digging up grubs, the crest was a mating display and the "liver" name came from the creature''s purple-red scales and the slight iron scent it always seemed to carry.


    Chellena sat in the lone wooden chair on her front porch, and the liver bird leapt up and nestled into her lap, where it almost fit comfortably. She patted its head, which was answered with a happy chittering.


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    No, the Hittanian liver bird wasn''t dangerous. But it did keep the neighbors away.


    The Dive- World Craft Club Flashfic Prompt: Rites of Passage - write about a rite of passage, it can be one that is an organized event or just something people typically do as they grow up.


    Far outside the comfortable, clear bubble that contained the city of Tra-Kirakna, Kepki looked over the gray, stony cliff edge, watching the sapphire blue water churning below. His antennae twitched in trepidation even as his friends cheered him on. Most of them had taken the dive last summer, and he was the last one left to take the dive this year.


    Looking at his cheering peers, he caught Rekka''s gaze. Something about her glistening black eyes and the bright orange sheen of her shell gave Kepki the courage to take the leap. He fell through the air, pointing straight down and impacting the water with passable grace.


    He continued down, stroking against the water when his momentum faded away. He reached the sea bed and looked around for his prize. Finding the perfect shell, he grabbed it and swam for the surface and the shore.


    He broke the surface and strode proudly over to his friends, who had clambered down the hill from the cliff top to the beach. They met him with cheers and slapped him on the back as he held his prize up high.


    Like the others, he would weave the shell into a necklace as a keepsake. Many males gave their necklaces to their sweethearts. Maybe one day he would give his necklace to Rekka, but he''d displayed enough bravery for today.

 Chapter 3.1: R&R

    A lone, scrubby tree shook violently in the stormy winds of Kirakna. Occasionally, a wave would crash over the rocky shore, and the ragged tree would be submerged under the foam. When the water retreated, the tree reemerged, looking no worse than it had prior.


    Vanbrook watched the tree''s trials and tribulations from where he sat atop a cliff face in Tra-Kirakna, the sheltered, mountainous capital city of the water world Kirakna. He had found himself wandering around the island frequently since the Blue Griffon Fleet had come back from their journey to the Cornucopia Cluster, mostly to avoid the other members of Talon Squad.


    Had it not been for Raivyn''s intervention, he would have killed a man in cold blood. Raivyn did the right thing and Vanbrook knew it, but he was loath to admit it, even to himself. He heard the crunch of gravel behind him and turned to see Reclan, his best friend and a fellow member of Talon Squad. The Dromean''s red crest of feathers was flattened against her head in annoyance.


    She sighed and picked up her comm. "Found him. We''re on our way." She turned to Vanbrook, her arms crossed. "You''re supposed to have your comm on at all times, Van. Jasken called Talon Squad about an hour ago. We''re supposed to be there now."


    Vanbrook shrugged. "I thought we were still off duty."


    Reclan shook her head. "Off duty and unreachable are two different things¡­ you know what? Save it for Jasken."


    She turned to trot off down the path, expecting the swordsman to follow.


    "I was gonna pull that trigger," said Vanbrook.


    Reclan stopped and turned, aggravated to see that he hadn¡¯t moved at all. She stomped back up to him, staring him in the eye.


    "You think I don''t know that?" she asked. "The whole Squad knows it! Knows that Raivyn kept you out of prison."


    She rubbed her eyes, calming herself a bit. "Van, way back on Hittania you told me I needed to quit whining and do my job. I took it to heart. Now listen to me: quit whining and do your job. I know you''re still furious about Wilbis'' murder. I am, too. But if we''re very lucky, we''ll never see Darvik again.¡± She paused for a moment and mustered her courage. ¡°And you should apologize to and thank Raivyn for what she did."


    Vanbrook''s dark, aquiline features remained uncharacteristically stoic for a moment. He nodded and started walking down the hill. Reclan shook her head and followed.


    ***


    Admiral Jasken stood in his temporary office on Kirakna, hands behind his back, waiting for Talon Squad to arrive. The Wingspan, the flagship of Jasken''s Blue Griffon Fleet and his home away from home, was undergoing a series of repairs after a harrowing journey that featured a naval battle and, more notably, an attack by one of the legendary aether beasts.


    Unsurprisingly, Raivyn was the first member of Talon Squad through the door. Prim, proper, and prompt, the talented psychic warrior was the most disciplined of the elite team. She was short, fair skinned, and kept her hair in a neat military bun, with a few rogue locks hanging over her brow.


    "Specialist Raivyn," said Jasken, smoothing his white mustache. "Have we found our AWOL squad member?"


    "Yes, sir," she said without emotion. "Reclan found him, they''re on their way here now."


    "Any reason he had his comms device off?" pressed Jasken. He approached Raivyn. His tall, wide frame and grizzled, grim features may have intimidated some, but Jasken knew Raivyn was made of tougher stuff than that.


    "Couldn''t say, sir," answered Raivyn.


    "He''s been uncharacteristically somber since we returned to Kirakna," said Jasken. "I take it this has to do with that Darvik character."


    It was not a question.


    "Yes, sir, I believe so," answered Raivyn.


    Jasken nodded.


    Three more members of Talon Squad walked through the door. First came D''Jarric, or at least the electromagnetic avatar of D''Jarric, who in actuality was floating in the fiery atmosphere of a distant star. He was a glowing gold humanoid wearing silver armor with blue trim. Behind him was Hrake, a turtle-like humanoid they had picked up on their last journey. He was a temporary, junior member of the squad, sent by his shaman on a quest to explore the stars. Doc Manford took up the rear. The gruff, bookish Robot served as medic and sharpshooter for the squad.


    Hrake and D''Jarric chatted softly for the following ten minutes, but the office was otherwise silent. Jasken stared at the empty door frame intently, his eyes narrowing as the minutes passed. When Reclan finally rounded the corner of the door frame she tripped on her own feet, as though the smoldering glare had physically pushed her back. Vanbrook followed behind, looking glum and inattentive.


    "Specialist Vanbrook," growled Jasken. "Is your comms device broken?"


    "No, sir," answered Vanbrook seriously.


    "Then please explain why I was unable to reach you and thus had to delay this meeting."


    "My comms device was turned off while I was on leave, in violation of protocol," said Vanbrook, maintaining a straight face and eye contact as he spoke. "I accept responsibility and any associated consequences."


    Jasken arched an eyebrow. He had expected the cavalier swashbuckler to try and worm his way out of responsibility for the breach of protocol. He decided it wasn''t in the Navy''s best interest to punish Vanbrook harshly just when he started to show signs of discipline.


    "See that it doesn''t happen again," he said sternly.


    Vanbrook nodded. "Yes, sir."


    Jasken stood still for a moment and gathered himself. "The reason I called you here is that you have been called to come to the defense of Gateway." The whole Squad seemed to focus a bit harder on what he was saying as the statement sunk in.


    "While it is not currently under attack, we have gotten some worrisome reports from our Astralbian Kingdom contacts. King Hylik is dead, and his son has succeeded him.


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    "This is of great concern to us as Hylik, though no friend of the Republic, has always exercised caution in matters of diplomacy. We do not expect the same from his son, and the same sources indicate that a full military fleet is now headed for the Cornucopia Cluster."


    "Couldn''t they be headed out to find new planets?" asked Raivyn. "Why pick a fight over Gateway if the Cluster is so rich in resources?"


    "Because the planet is aptly named," answered Jasken. "Thus far, Gateway appears to be a kind of choke point. While a multitude of worlds have been identified beyond it, no one has ships powerful enough to make direct jumps to them without stopping along the way. The planet is possibly the only viable staging ground for exploration within the Cluster.


    "Thus far the Shairet, the insectoid race you met on Gateway, have been happy to host any nation wishing to utilize Gateway, but if the Astralbians are looking to reform their empire we may be looking at a war for the planet."


    "You said we were called, as in Talon Squad specifically?" asked Raivyn.


    "Yes," said Jasken with a sigh. "The Wingspan is still down for repairs. Talon Squad is being reassigned to the Halberd for the time being. You''ll be under Captain Kesht''s command for the duration. For now, the plan is to fortify Gateway and then to start exploring the Cluster in earnest when the Wingspan is fully operational. You leave in seven days."


    ***


    Jylik looked out over the gathered fleet. More than two dozen star trees, all flying the green and blue banners of the Astralbian Empire. His empire. He smiled at the thought.


    The ten oldest, largest trees boasted great eyes, one of the most powerful weapons the tree priests could grow.


    "It''s a magnificent sight, your highness," said a voice from behind him. He turned to see a tall, slender Astralbian female with sharp features and bright, burning eyes.


    "Lady Trilia," said Jylik. "and in person, no less. What brings you here?"


    Trilia walked up beside him. "My lord, the fleet is ready, and Renyan is in place as your Steward in your absence."


    "You could have told me as much through the communication network," pressed Jylik.


    "I have been your loyal advisor," she said, bowing her head and looking at the floor in a show of respect. "And I have this advice for you: do not take Lady Elyana as your queen. She and her house were loyal to your father."


    Jylik cocked his head to one side. "Who says I have considered Lady Elyana?"


    "It is the latest rumor among the nobles," replied Trilia.


    "It is nothing more. Elyana''s father and mother have wished us wedded for our entire lives. I will choose my own consort in my own time." Here Jylik paused and looked at Trilia.


    "Who would you advise me to choose?"


    "Oh, my lord, that is not for me to say," she said suddenly.


    Jylik nodded, holding back a smile. "I have one more thing to do before we depart."


    Trilia followed him as he walked down from the airfield to the sacred grove, a jar in his hands. He sloshed the contents of the jar onto the trunks of the trees, coating them in a viscous fluid. If this was one of the old rituals, Trilia did not know it. Then the new king did something truly sacreligious. He unceremoniously pulled a lighter from his coat and lit the sacred grove aflame, the propellant he''d splashed onto the trunks igniting with a ferocious roar. Trilia''s eyes went wide with delight as he took her hand and led her from the desecrated holy place.


    The guards around the edges of the grove fled for their lives, and a panicked group of tree priests rushed to see what could be done to save the Grove.


    "When I return, I expect to see a tower of stone taller than any tree on Astralbia standing in that grove, with a wide enough roof atop it that I will be able to land my star tree on it."


    The tree priests looked at one another in horror. "We cannot do such a thing, my lord!" said one of the priests, "What would your ancestors-"


    Trilia pulled her saber and slashed the priest''s arm off.


    "The ancestors are dead!" she exclaimed. "Build the tower!"


    "Right away, my lady!" said the priest in a tone that fought back pain and panic, clutching the sparking stump of his arm. "It will be as you say, my lord!"


    The tree priests scurried away.


    "Was that necessary?" asked Jylik calmly.


    "Not strictly," said Trilia. "But it seemed to drive the point home."


    "So it did," replied Jylik, his face a mask of calm. "So it did."


    ***


    Far from Astralbia, another fleet floated through the void. The large gunships at the head of it were the massive metal galleons typical of the Ramshackle Collective, with upper decks exposed to the aether and massive, sail-like structures reaching up into the emptiness to capture solar and cosmic radiation for power. However, these ships and the motley fleet that followed behind were painted in stark white and black rather than the red hues of the Collective.


    Admiral Crush, leader of the Free Revolutionary Fleet, stood at the prow of the Liberty, her fleet''s flagship.


    She had been working with Yrinla, the Astralbian tree priestess who had recently joined her efforts, trying to tease out her latent psychic abilities through training. There had been no progress, and she had stormed out of the quiet room dedicated to her training to stand out in the open for a while.


    "You must be patient, Crush," said the aged Astralbian, joining her on the deck. "You clearly have psychic giftings, but a few months is not enough time to develop your skills appreciably."


    "They haven''t developed at all!" huffed Crush, crossing her arms and pouting like a child.


    "You are a unique case," replied Yrinla. "Robots are not supposed to be psychic unless fitted with certain hardware, yet you can control a star tree, something only those with latent or manifest psychic abilities are capable of doing. You must be patient if we are to discover the full nature of your abilities."


    Crush stared off into the aether. The elderly tree priestess had shown up unannounced aboard the Liberty in the aftermath of the battle over Gateway. She had been promptly escorted to the brig and kept there until Crush was satisfied that she had truly abandoned the Astralbian Kingdom. She clearly had no love for the dictatorial monarchy, but Crush still believed there were things the priestess was hiding. Nonetheless, she had agreed to help Crush both upgrade her star tree and try to train her in the psychic arts.


    ¡°Perhaps we take a break from training,¡± said Crush, eyeing the priestess. ¡°And you tell me what you¡¯re hoping to find out here in the Cluster, or the Cradle, as you call it.¡±


    ¡°A myth,¡± said Yrinla with a faint smile.


    ¡°You are either mad or speaking in riddles,¡± said Crush impatiently.


    Yrinla sighed. ¡°There are stories passed down from priest to priest, stories that we do not share at the public gatherings.


    ¡°Did you know that the royal family was once a small cult dedicated to ancestor worship? At that time, the tree priests presided over the dominant religion, utterly separate from the warlords gaining power on the fringes of society.


    ¡°The priests said that we came from the stars on the ancient star trees, that Astralbia, the world we called home, was not where our kind originated. Our birthplace was the Cradle - a fertile world or region of the galaxy, home to many aether beasts.


    ¡°Eventually the ancestor-worshiping warlords consolidated enough political power to put all of Astralbia under their control. Rather than disbanding the tree priests, they brought them into their court, doing away with the old religion but keeping the clergy in places of power as priests of the ancestors and as sorcerers ¨C or scientists, if you like ¨C to continue to develop star trees and other biological technologies.


    ¡°My hope is to find evidence of my people¡¯s ancient home. A strange feeling told me that it would be connected to the mystery of the psychic Robot I had heard rumors of. Time will tell if that something was right, or if I am indeed a mad old priestess.¡±

 Chapter 3.2: Once More Into the Aether

    The Halberd was about half the size of the Wingspan, but the interior was similar enough that Talon Squad felt at home immediately. Captain Kesht greeted them as they came on board.


    ¡°The famous Talon Squad,¡± he said cheerily. ¡°A pleasure to have you aboard.¡±


    ¡°Happy to be here, Captain,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°We¡¯re excited to get back out into the aether.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± said the Raki captain, absently smoothing his antennae as he spoke. ¡°I expect to move quickly. The plan is to leap-frog over a couple of the planets we stopped by on our way out, taking longer jumps for a more efficient route. We¡¯ll be heading straight for the ice moon of Platnon and then onto Avonia, taking on water at each stop. From there it¡¯s right to Gateway. Hopefully the whole trip takes a month or less.


    ¡°Sorry, Hrake, I know you¡¯re probably hoping to see home again soon, but Hruduk isn¡¯t on the itinerary for this trip.¡±


    The massive Hrudukite bowed his head to the captain deferentially. ¡°I am still on a quest to see the galaxy beyond my homeworld. I will go where I am sent.¡±


    ¡°Good, good,¡± said Kesht with a nod. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll have someone show you to your rooms.¡±


    Launch went off without incident, and Talon Squad soon found themselves once again traveling faster than light thanks to the ship¡¯s ripmed drive. Vanbrook continued to largely keep to himself, showing up for meals and then disappearing into his quarters once again.


    Nearly a week into the jump, Raivyn found herself wandering down to the ship¡¯s gymnasium, only to find Vanbrook there, working out his frustrations on a punching bag, mag-boots keeping his punches momentum from flinging him back in the zero gravity conditions. She considered leaving, then marched into the room anyway, settling onto an exercise bike not far from Vanbrook. When he realized she was there, the swordsman nodded to her, then went back to his workout.


    ¡°Gevrok sought out Hrake and challenged him to combat in the middle of a battle,¡± said Raivyn, breaking the silence that had reigned for the better part of a half hour. ¡°Both parties were awake and aware when they fought.¡±


    Vanbrook paused, not turning to face her.


    ¡°Last time you spoke to me outside of professional necessity, you asked why I stopped you from shooting Darvik but let Hrake kill Gevrok. That¡¯s my answer. I¡¯ve known it since you asked, and it¡¯s past time I said it out loud.¡±


    Vanbrook picked up his gym bag and headed off towards the shower. He turned to look at Raivyn over his shoulder and shrugged.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said simply. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    Raivyn¡¯s shoulders slumped as he walked away. She hadn¡¯t known how he¡¯d respond, but she¡¯d really thought saying it out loud would make her feel better. So far, she just felt worse.


    She didn¡¯t have much time to meditate on the situation, as Kesht¡¯s voice came over the public comm.


    ¡°Attention all personnel,¡± said the captain. ¡°This is Captain Kesht. We have gotten word of an attack against our allies on Hruduk. Given our proximity to the planet, we will be responding. We land in twelve hours. Be ready to disembark and engage in urban combat at that time.¡±


    ***


    Meanwhile, in pirate-controlled space, Admiral Grim sailed with his new fleet, acquired after Admiral Gnash had died in combat over Gateway. The fleet was small; the three main gunships that Gnash oversaw were destroyed in the same battle that took his life.


    ¡°Gnash, is that you?¡± came a voice over Grim¡¯s comm. The voice was oily and rough, much like the appearance of its speaker.


    ¡°No, Stork. Gnash is, unfortunately, no longer with us,¡± said Grim flatly.


    A moment of silence followed.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± asked Stork.


    ¡°A ghost, come back to take what is rightfully his,¡± answered Grim. He activated the ship-to-ship comms and punched in his admiral¡¯s code, which allowed him to broadcast to any Ramshackle Collective ship¡¯s public comms.


    ¡°This is Admiral Grim. I am the rightful admiral of the remnant of Admiral Gnash¡¯s fleet, as well as my own Scythe fleet, and I challenge Admiral Stork. Return my ships to my command or face me in mortal combat.¡±


    There was another moment of silence.


    ¡°My champion will face you,¡± came Stork¡¯s reply.


    ¡°Fine,¡± answered Grim. ¡°On the deck of the Gravestone, then.¡±


    ¡°I will see you there,¡± said Stork.


    Grim wasted no time climbing onto the hoverbike he had stolen from the Wingspan a few months prior and jetting over to the Gravestone. He stood on the deck, working his joints to check his flexibility and examining the edge of his saber, surrounded by a crowd of Stork''s crew. Soon a skiff came over from the Nest, Stork''s flagship, bearing Stork, a pilot, and a massive Robot who was nearly as tall as he was wide.


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    Grim felt a surge of elation as he anticipated fighting the champion, whose appearance had more in common with farm equipment than the Humans that Robots had been designed to emulate. He assumed the Robot was either on the younger side or had undergone a number of modifications over the years. The first generation of Robots had their consciousnesses integrated with huge systems and pieces of infrastructure, but the free will that cropped up with core crystal technology soon caused issues.


    The war that followed wiped out many of the Robots and ended with the Galactic Treaty of Consciousness, or GTC, an internationally recognized treaty that ensured equal treatment for Robots within the IGC but also restricted the size of Robots to typical humanoid sizes. The Ramshackle Collective, being a criminal enterprise, generally didn''t worry about such things, but violations of the GTC tended to bring an undue amount of attention. The Robot facing down Grim looked like he was skirting the edges of the treaty. No matter. He''d be dead soon, anyway.


    "Grim!" shouted Stork as he swaggered across the deck to meet his foe. He was a gangly, hideous robot with an intricate, articulated face that had neither the clean, abstract lines of the typical robotic faceplate or the cheery, organic charm of a biological face. Oil dripped from his hinged jaw as he spoke. "It comes to this, then. You against my champion." He laughed wickedly. "I don''t like your chances."


    "You probably didn''t like my chances when you blew up the Reaper with me still aboard, you coward," retorted Grim. "Yet here I am."


    "Harvester!" called Stork over his shoulder. "Come and kill this pest for me."


    The massive champion strode forward, pillar-like legs shaking the deck, thick arms with pneumatic muscles swinging easily by his side.


    Grim was smaller, but only a little less imposing. His tall, wide frame was draped with a long red overcoat with shining black trim and buttons, and a series of chains hung from the chin of his skull-like face like a beard. He unhooked his gun belt, handing it to one of Stork''s men.


    "I hand this to you as an enemy about to duel. I will take it back as your rightful Admiral," he said to the Robot. "Don''t get any funny ideas."


    With that, he turned to face his opponent, drawing his saber and staring up into Harvester''s burning red eyes. The rules of the duel were simple: no ranged or energy weapons and the last Robot standing wins.


    "We begin," commanded Grim.


    Harvester bellowed and swung a heavy yet predictable haymaker at Grim. The old pirate admiral was not surprised by the giant''s straightforward and aggressive tactics. He was somewhat surprised his opponent chose to fight unarmed.


    Grim ducked out of the way and slashed at Harvester''s exposed side, his blade glancing off the protective metal plates that covered the giant''s inner workings. Slashes were unlikely to find purchase between the armor, and Grim changed tactics, stepping back and waiting for Harvester to strike again. He didn''t have to wait long and found himself leaping back to avoid a brutal jab that would have been lethal to most biologicals. A quick burst from his built-in thrusters brought him back down to the deck.


    Not willing to expose himself to Grim''s blade a second time, Harvester switched up his approach as well, sending out jab after jab to keep him at arm''s length. Grim circled the deck, dodging and parrying but stuck playing defense.


    Grim dodged backwards quickly, increasing the space between himself and his opponent. The next time a fist punched out, Grim met it with a thrust, burying his blade between the massive metal plates covering Harvester''s knuckles. He pulled and twisted, trying to do as much damage as he could as he withdrew the weapon. However, Harvester cried out and ripped his arm to one side, trying to drag Grim along for a ride.


    Grim let go of the sword and lunged inside of the giant''s reach, pulling a long dagger from under his coat. Stabbing furiously, Grim aimed for the spaces between the armored plates. Harvester howled in rage and grabbed the scruff of Grim''s neck, picking him up and slamming him into the deck.


    Grim found himself being lifted into the air again, a piston-powered fist pulled back to beat his chest in. Grim brought his hands up as the fist slammed into him. When it was pulled away again, Grim was holding his saber once more.


    With a cruel, rusted laugh, Grim thrust the blade into the giant''s throat. Harvester threw Grim into the wall of the ship''s cabin and reached up to pull out the sword, but Grim recovered quickly, jumping up onto Harvester''s chest. He gripped a piston that stretched from the Robot''s neck to his shoulder with one hand and punched his saber deeper into the wound with the other. His eyes now dark and dull, Harvester reached blindly towards Grim, but the seasoned duelist jetted back down to the deck and made his final thrust, pressing in between the armored plates of the giant''s chest, cracking his core.


    Harvester went limp, his mag-boots keeping his body tethered to the deck. Grim turned to Stork, whose face was an oily mask of rage and horror.


    "Shove off, Stork," demanded Grim. "This is my fleet now."


    The rage faded from Stork''s face and he shook his head, his articulated face doing its best to convey a contrite spirit.


    "Leave me just one ship, Admiral," he pleaded, hands clasped together.


    "You hear this, folks?" Grim asked his new crew. "Take care of this thief. He''s taken what is mine before. Never again."


    Grim laughed as the crowd turned on Stork. He walked into the cabin of his new flagship and closed the door against the screams. He wouldn''t see Stork again.


    ***


    Back in the Cornucopia Cluster, Hoon-Kra, High Priest of the Koomites, looked out from the bridge of the Swamp¡¯s Pride over a new world. Swirling storm clouds raged over the oceans and dotted mountain ranges belched out lava, the crimson rivers visible even from orbit.


    ¡°Are you sure this is the world to build our future on, sir?¡± asked a voice from behind him.


    He turned to see Darvik. Once a drunk killer, obsessed with his rivalry against Vanbrook, he was now a drunk killer, obsessed with Koo L¡¯Koom. Hoon-Kra had been surprised with how quickly Darvik took to the lessons he¡¯d been giving him. He had always believed that everyone worshiped something, but Darvik was the best case study he¡¯d seen on the point. He had joined the cult almost as a last resort, essentially a self-worshiper who¡¯d come aboard out of survival instincts. However, once he decided to join, the cynicism melted away into a fervent study and worship of the great Aether Beast like Hoon-Kra had never seen before. He was eager to learn the old ways and study what was known of Koo L¡¯Koom, which had been passed down secretly among the Koomite remnants on Hoon-Kra¡¯s homeworld for centuries.


    ¡°Yes, this world is perfect,¡± answered the Krauqian after a moment¡¯s consideration. ¡°See those storms? The volcanic activity? What do they display?¡±


    ¡°Power,¡± said Jarvik. The fanaticism in Jarvik¡¯s eyes caused Hoon-Kra to smile.


    ¡°And what is worthy of worship?¡± asked the High Priest.


    ¡°Power,¡± repeated Darvik, nodding with understanding.


    ¡°Koo L¡¯Koom lives in this so-called Cornucopia Cluster,¡± said Hoon-Kra. ¡°But until we find him, we shall revel in the glory of this planet.


    ¡°Our zealots have spread the word across the galaxy, and many are making the journey to us even now. We must have a place to house them when they arrive, and to that end we will bend our own power towards taming enough of this world to carve out a living on it.¡±


    Darvik stared down at the planet, taking in the destructive power it displayed. Thoughts clawed at the back of his mind, trying to drag him back to his old life. His lonely, pathetic old life and the mistakes he¡¯d made in it. He curled his fist and fought the thoughts down. He had purpose, now, like he¡¯d never felt before. Surely that was better than digging up the old. A flash of lightning below grabbed his attention, and he watched it crawl across the clouds of the new world. He would remake this world, even as he remade himself.

 Chapter 3.3: War in the Streets

    Zrykyk, King of the new-founded and eponymous City of the Zrykyk, smiled grimly as his forces marched on Gred. His relationship with the Koomites had paid off well. While his son Hrynkak, the traitorous King of Gred, had allied with the Griffon Republic and had been slow to adopt the technologies of the star-traveling races, Zrykyk had built a small army complete with hovercraft and firearms. It had taken a few days'' travel to reach Gred, but the attack had come as a shock, as intended.


    True, Gred had accepted some shield technology from the Republic, which had absorbed most of the heavy munitions Zrykyk had stored up, but the psychological impact of the opening volleys were certainly worth the cost. Next they had tried to charge the city, using their remaining artillery to level a section of the city wall. After that had come the token force of Republic soldiers left behind. They fought valiantly, but were not prepared for a full-scale invasion. After half of them had been killed or wounded, they fled back to the city and took up defensive positions.


    Since then things had become a deadlock, with Zrykyk¡¯s small force grinding down the few remaining Republic soldiers, trying to take cover behind the smoldering remains of Gred¡¯s city walls and picking each other off.


    ¡°Fall back, Zrykites!¡± cried Zrykyk. The order went out and was obeyed, and Zrykyk stood by as his second-in-command, General Ghrast, addressed the small force. Ghrast was stocky, even by Hrudukite standards, and a wicked scar traveled from the lower half of his beak down his throat to a crack in his carapace.


    ¡°It is time to make our final push,¡± said the general. ¡°Load up into the hovercraft and prepare to charge the city. Once inside the walls, dismount and form up, marching down the streets and executing any who offer resistance. Hrynkak will pay for the disrespect he¡¯s shown his father!¡±


    A cheer went up from the crowd and the soldiers climbed into their hovercraft beside large, metal crates and charged into the city.


    ***


    The Halberd cut down into Hruduk''s atmosphere, coming to a stop over the city of Gred.


    "Halberd," said a voice over Kesht''s comm, "this is Sergeant Hargen, Forward Galactic Division. Man, am I happy to see you!"


    "Happy to be here, Sergeant," answered Kesht. "We don''t have any drop troopers or shuttles on this boat, so let me know where I''m landing, unless you''ve got artillery targets for me."


    "Unfortunately all of Zrykyk''s forces are now within the city''s shield, so you won''t be able to hit them from the skies.


    "As far as landing zones, I''d say the north gate, opposite the main gate, has the widest, flattest fields after the main gate. I¡¯ll get in contact with the local forces and have a representative meet you there.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± said Kesht. ¡°We¡¯ll meet them there, but I¡¯ll only drop off Talon Squad. The rest of us will land out front, that¡¯ll fix the bad guys.¡±


    Shortly thereafter, Talon Squad was running down the gangway and towards the northern gate of Gred, which opened slowly as they approached. A heavily-armored figure mounted on a desert hound trotted up out of the gate to greet them. She wore a full bronze helmet and breastplate and carried an oversized hammer.


    ¡°Hrake!¡± said the warrior, speaking in Hrudukite. ¡°Welcome home, slayer of roach lords!¡±


    ¡°Dhraka!¡± answered Hrake in the same tongue. ¡°I imagined my homecoming being a happier affair.¡±


    ¡°Me too, Warrior Hrake, me too. Follow me to death or glory!¡±


    Hrake turned to the others and spoke in Talpaertan, the galaxy¡¯s common tongue. ¡°She says the fight is this way.¡±


    Talon Squad ran into the gate and followed their guide through the streets of Gred to the front line on the other side of the city, watching the Halberd speed overhead as they went. The first indication of combat was the sound of gunfire and shouting, which they heard almost as soon as they entered the gate. As they approached the center of town and circled around the palace, they saw groups of Hrudukite slingers and Republic soldiers pressed against the far side of the square, hunkered down to escape the Zrykite fire coming from the south. Sergeant Hargen led the Republic troops. The copper-haired human male nodded to Talon Squad from across the square.


    Doc took a set of stairs up to a flat roof, raised his rifle to his shoulder and fired at the enemy, each shot taking out an enemy soldier.


    ¡°Kahku!¡± came a call from a scarred Zrykite general. ¡°Kahku!¡±


    Zrykite soldiers approached the large metal crates sitting in the cargo areas of their hovercraft.


    ¡°Hounds,¡± said Hrake. ¡°He¡¯s saying ¡®hounds.¡¯¡±


    ¡°All units this is Talon Squad,¡± said Raivyn into her comms. ¡°Be on the lookout for hound attacks.¡±


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    Before she had finished the warning, massive dog-like creatures leapt from the opened metal crates. Raivyn recognized the desert hounds from their last visit to Hruduk, when she had seen them used to draw chariots. They were a little over five feet at the shoulder and nearly as wide, with broad, boxy heads and powerful, slavering jaws. They were on the Republic soldiers spearheading the fight in a matter of seconds, tearing armor and flesh like so much paper. The soldiers fired into the hounds and retreated, managing to kill a couple of hounds but hardly stemming the tide of tooth and claw.


    Reclan had scrambled up to join Doc, firing her rifle at the hounds when she had a clean shot. Vanbrook, D¡¯Jarric, and Hrake moved toward the enemy, firing as they went- Vanbrook with his revolver, D¡¯Jarric with beams of energy from his fists, and Hrake with his combination warhammer and energy rifle.


    Raivyn scanned the enemy and quickly found what she was looking for, a still figure among the chaos. She recognized the robes as that of a Hrudukite shaman; a psychic. She was certain the psychic was guiding the hounds and hoped to call them off by distracting him.


    Breathing out, Raivyn crouched behind cover and focused on her target. Fighting through the headache that came with using her abilities, she sent out fingers of telepathic waves towards the psychic, waiting for the headache to give way to a rush of exhilaration as she attempted to overpower her enemy¡¯s mind. However, the rush did not come as her attack was blunted against the psychic¡¯s natural defenses.


    Changing her approach, Raivyn closed her eyes and tried to study the shielding that blocked her attack, but felt a pressure pushing back against her when she did. She opened her eyes and saw the psychic staring directly back at her. He smiled and pointed at Raivyn, and every hound turned toward her at once, one even dropping the Gredite soldier it had been gnawing on.


    Vanbrook saw the change and used the distraction to his advantage, stabbing one hound through the throat and turning to shoot another all in one smooth motion. Raivyn gritted her teeth and changed her focus, looking to the hounds instead. She slammed out multiple rivers of T-waves, targeting every hound she could. While the psychic had seemingly impenetrable defenses, the hounds were another matter entirely. Their minds already hazy from the psychic pressure being used on them, they stopped in their tracks as Raivyn¡¯s attempts to calm them overwhelmed their already muddled minds.


    The frustrated psychic from the other side of the battlefield redoubled their efforts, and Raivyn could feel them assaulting the hound¡¯s minds in a psychic equivalent of whipping them. She redoubled her efforts as well, trying to sooth the hounds. The hounds looked back and forth between their would-be masters. One large hound, still close to the Zrykite forces, turned, ran, and leapt, taking the shaman up in his jaws and shaking him until he stopped struggling. Dropping the corpse, the hound howled and ran into the east of the city, the other hounds following him.


    The fighting had all but ceased as the hounds, which had become the focal point of the battle, had stopped attacking. When the pack had left the battlefield, the Zrykite general screamed and began firing into the Republic and Gredite troops, reigniting the battle in earnest.


    An armored Hrudukite across the square, outfitted much like the Hrudukite who had met Talon Squad at the north gate, rose up and charged, a similarly armored group following him. At the same time, a fully armed and armored squad of Republic Navy sailors marched into the city through the demolished main gate, pinning the Zrykites between two forces.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± called out General Ghrast in Hruduk. ¡°Load onto the hovercraft and head for the east gate!¡±


    The enemy army peeled off and made for the east, outrunning the Gredite and Republic forces, all of whom were on foot. They fired a hail of bullets at the gate, the hovercraft blowing the gate open and splintering it into a million pieces.


    The leader of the armored Gredite warriors gave chase, running to the gate, throwing his hammer aside and deftly launching a sling stone after the retreating army. Vanbrook rushed up beside him, firing his revolver and watching an enemy drop to the ground.


    There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere and Vanbrook turned to see the whole complement of Gredite warriors staring at him with burning eyes. Their leader punched him in the gut with such sudden ferocity that Vanbrook didn''t manage to block or dodge in the least. He groaned and doubled over, reaching out to stabilize himself against the remains of the gate.


    "You dishonor my city!" cried the warrior, removing his helmet.


    Vanbrook looked up to see King Hrynkak staring down at him angrily. The other Republic troops had all paused, guns at the ready but not trained on anyone. Hrake ran up to Vanbrook and the King.


    He implored his cousin the king briefly in their native tongue, then turned to Vanbrook.


    "When one city attacks another and is repelled, we sling stones to route them, going no further than the city gate," said Hrake solemnly. "Once they are beyond the reach of our stones we stop, so long as they continue to flee. To continue after a stone has fallen short of the enemy is forbidden. They are allowed to retreat in peace."


    Vanbrook bowed his head to the King. "I did not know, your Majesty."


    The swordsman jogged out to the enemy soldier, and took the small med pack from his belt, tending to the leg wound. The crowd in the city watched him with rapt attention, the king looking on with crossed arms and a stern expression.


    "Forgive an over-eager warrior, friend," said Vanbrook amiably as he wrapped the wound with an anesthetic-laced bandage. "I didn''t know your customs, and it appears I''ve committed a great wrong against you."


    "Not as much as I have wronged my city," replied the shaken warrior, looking at the broken gate and the Gredites gathered inside.


    Vanbrook was surprised to hear the Hrudukite speaking Talpaertan.


    "That should feel better soon," said Vanbrook. "The wound was through-and-through. Since you''re not bleeding out I think you''ll recover nicely. C''mon, let''s get you to a proper doctor."


    With that, Vanbrook helped his wounded enemy to his feet and walked him back to the gate, where he was met by the combined cheers of the gathered soldiers, though the King''s expression was still grim.


    Raivyn watched it all with a curious look on her face. Vanbrook had been withdrawn, even subdued, since his encounter with Darvik. But evidently his principles had not left with his bombastic temper. It looked good on him.


    When the pair returned to the smashed gate, King Hrynkak spoke first to the Zrykite warrior in Hrudukite, appearing firm but not harsh.


    "He says the warrior may stay until he is fully healed and then return to Zrykyk," translated Hrake. "The warrior says he wishes to stay in Gred if he may¡­ the King will allow it."


    Hrynkak turned to Vanbrook. "You have committed a great crime, Vanbrook of Talon Squad. But it was in ignorance. I forget that you may not know all our ways. Given your ignorance, and your actions to amend your wrongs, I hold nothing against you, pardoning you for any crimes committed in this instance. Praise the Progenitor that your shot did not kill."


    Again Vanbrook bowed his head. "Thank you, your Majesty."


    An uneasy silence settled over the crowd, and a grin grew on Hrynkak¡¯s face as he watched his people wrestle with the desire to celebrate despite the serious moment.


    "Enough of this solemnity!" declared King Hrynkak with a sudden, thunderous joviality. "Let us feast!"

 Chapter 3.4: Watchful Eyes

    Hrynkak quickly made good on the promise of a feast, and the celebrations continued into the night. It was an open-air affair with kegs of fermented drink, tables full of fresh fruit and roasted meat right off the spit, all served in the city square. Aside from the smashed gates that could be seen to the south and east and the bullet holes which riddled some of the buildings, the signs of battle had been cleared away for the festivities.


    Hrake spoke happily with his cousin the King while Vanbrook and Reclan sampled the various meats, reveling in new spices and flavors. Raivyn had tried some of the meat but had wandered over to the fruits to find something a little sweeter.


    ¡°Hello Raivyn,¡± said a strange voice.


    She turned around, her chin dripping with juice and her mouth full of fruit, to see Elder Shaman Rehkna. Raivyn quickly chewed and swallowed the bite and wiped her chin.


    ¡°Elder!¡± she said. ¡°So good to see you! And to hear your voice this time, too.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, I have learned your tongue. It has become quite fashionable,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°And how has Hrake adapted to life in the aether?¡±


    Raivyn looked over at the warrior, who was clearly enjoying his homecoming. ¡°Very well, I believe. He¡¯s certainly not one to complain.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Rehkna, shaking her head and smiling. ¡°He certainly is not.¡±


    ¡°Say, Elder, time got away from us too fast last time I was here. If we have time, could we discuss how you manage to facilitate psychic communication that gets around language barriers? That technique could be incredibly useful in our travels.¡±


    Rehkna¡¯s wrinkled face contorted in thought.


    ¡°It is difficult to teach,¡± she said finally. ¡°But I will try, should we have time.¡±


    ***


    Raivyn woke up the next morning eager to start the day. The party continued long after Raivyn had said goodnight to Rehkna, agreeing to meet her for their first training session the following evening, if she was able to. She went to the mess hall aboard the Halberd to wait for the others to join her for breakfast. Doc and D¡¯Jarric came along in a few minutes, but there was no sign of the others for some time. Eventually Hrake stumbled in, looking exhausted.


    ¡°Woah, rough night?¡± asked Raivyn.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, one could say that,¡± said Hrake. ¡°Though it was indeed an excellent night. I¡¯m just getting back to the ship.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Raivyn noncommittally.


    Hrake made himself a tavan blossom tea, something more restful and soothing than his normal morning cup of rakka, and sat quietly sipping it. Nearly half an hour later a very groggy Vanbrook and Reclan trudged into the galley.


    ¡°You two look worse than Hrake!¡± exclaimed D¡¯Jarric with a smile. ¡°A little too much celebrating?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I had one drink!¡± said Vanbrook defensively.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Reclan, holding her head. ¡°Me too. I just didn¡¯t know how strong Hrudukites like their wine.¡±


    Hrake laughed. ¡°Perhaps after breakfast we can all go back to bed.¡±


    Just then, Captain Kesht¡¯s voice came over comms, ¡°Talon Squad, please report to my office at your earliest convenience.¡±


    D¡¯Jarric chuckled to himself as Reclan groaned and laid her head on the table.


    ***


    Captain Kesht stood in his office as Talon Squad filed in, King Hrynkak and Sergeant Hargen by their side.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re all here,¡± said Kesht. ¡°Hrynkak and I have been in conversation with the Zrykite, or rather, former Zrykite warrior who Vanbrook wounded. It appears that the Koomites have been using the planet as a staging ground on their way to the Cornucopia Cluster. They¡¯ve also been paying Zrykyk to stay quiet about it while simultaneously using his ¡°sovereign¡± status to stop the Republic and the IGC from setting up a satellite network, which could have detected their movements.¡±


    ¡°We hope to have the IGC investigate the matter,¡± said Hrynkak. ¡°We¡¯ve been trying to build a case that Zrykyk is not a truly sovereign city state, but a band of rebels hoping to retake Gred, propped up by an outside entity.¡±


    ¡°To that end,¡± continued Kesht, ¡°the Gladius will be joining us shortly. Initially they were on their way from Kirakna to help fight off the Zrykites, but as that¡¯s been accomplished they¡¯ll be focusing on the Koomite angle. The two RIS agents aboard the vessel were already investigating the Koomites, and they¡¯ll be joining us as we continue on to Gateway. In the meantime, you¡¯ll be expected to work with Grepk¡¯s Marine squad to gather intel on the Zrykites and their connection to the cult.


    ¡°We expect them to arrive in the next four days, so you¡¯ll be utilizing one of the army shuttles."


    "Since the shuttle is under my command, I''ll be sending one of my own as a pilot," said Hargen.


    For the next hour, the group hashed out the plan for surveillance, and ultimately decided to give Zrykyk''s forces time to get back to their city. This gave Raivyn the afternoon to train with Rehkna and the others some time to recover from the previous night''s festivities.


    ***


    ¡°No, no, you¡¯re still just sending impressions,¡± said Rehkna patiently.


    Raivyn huffed and sat down. They had been at it for hours now, and Raivyn was starting to wonder if Rehkna¡¯s psychic communication abilities were something one could learn from another psychic, or if it was a special skill the Hrudukites possessed.


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    ¡°I haven¡¯t struggled this much with a technique since I was a teenager,¡± she said.


    ¡°As I said, communication like this is hard to teach,¡± replied the Elder Shaman. ¡°It¡¯s built off the impressions that you are already able to send, but it requires greater focus and precision. You must¡­ intend what you are saying.¡±


    Raivyn mulled over this for a moment, unsure how to implement it.


    ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll continue this another time?¡± suggested Rehkna.


    ¡°I¡¯d love that,¡± said Raivyn seriously, ¡°but there was something else on my mind as well.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, child.¡±


    ¡°I noticed that when I clashed with a Hrudukite psychic in battle they were difficult to assault directly,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°I had trouble making a connection with Hrake the first time we met, as well. Do Hrudukites have an innate psychic resistance?¡±


    Rehkna nodded. ¡°I believe so. Until this past year I had no way to judge such things, but I was surprised how easy it was to access the minds of our new allies.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that natural resistance led to the development of more powerful communication abilities?¡± asked Raivyn. ¡°Sort of like a psychic arms race?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± said Rehkna, pondering. ¡°Though one would expect an ¡®arms race¡¯ to involve psychic attacks, not friendly communication. Are different abilities and skills typical across different races?¡±


    Raivyn nodded. ¡°Yes, very common. Humans are actually not particularly prone to psychic abilities. I¡¯m an exception, there. Talpidarians rarely produce psychics, but the ones they do tend to be extraordinarily powerful. Krauqians, on the other hand, have a relatively high proportion of low-level psychics and very few of notable power. Raki, Wabuluban, and Dromeans have more sporadic distributions. Electromagnetic beings are highly likely to have at least latent psychic abilities.¡±


    ¡°What about constructs?¡± asked Rehkna. ¡°That is, Robots such as Doc.¡±


    Raivyn pondered the question for a moment. ¡°Up until recently, it was believed they could not have innate psychic abilities, being artificially constructed. It was assumed a natural mind, possibly even a soul, was required to produce natural T-waves, though some specially designed technologies can mimic them. Recent events have called that into question.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± said Rehkna. ¡°Interesting indeed.¡±


    ***


    The following day, Talon Squad had taken the army shuttle to the craggy island Zrykyk had built his so-called city on. Far from the rich, green palette of Gred, the island was a grim, lichen-covered gray. Thankfully, the hills and crags offered plenty of hidden space to set up a base of operations and keep watch on Zrykyk.


    ¡°Man,¡± said Reclan as the team stepped out of the shuttle and began setting up camp. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe Zrykyk took those outdated hovercraft over an ocean and practically halfway around the planet.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s as vengeful as he is paranoid,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Now let¡¯s climb this hill and see if we can get some equipment aimed at his grand new city.¡±


    Reclan looked doubtfully up the massive rock that stood before them. ¡°I¡¯m not sure hill is the right word. Shouldn¡¯t we have jetpacks for this kind of thing?¡±


    Raivyn shrugged. ¡°Jetpacks aren¡¯t cheap, and honestly this isn¡¯t that bad a climb.¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± said Reclan with a shrug.


    ¡°D¡¯Jarric and Doc, stay here and keep setting up camp,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Reclan, Vanbrook, and I are going to climb up to our surveillance point. What¡¯s our pilot up to?¡±


    ¡°She said she¡¯s the pilot, not the ground crew,¡± said Vanbrook, jerking a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the shuttle.


    From where she stood, Raivyn saw the Talpidarian female sitting in the cockpit, her arms behind her head and her cap over her eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± said the psychic sarcastically. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head out.¡±


    The climb turned out to be more of a difficult hike than true rock climbing. The slope was never so drastic as to require climbing gear and networks of holes made for easy foot and hand holds. Even with surveillance gear strapped to their backs, the squadmates made good time.


    ¡°Huh,¡± said Reclan. ¡°This could have been a lot wor-¡±


    Her thought was cut short as Vanbrook¡¯s pistol rang out. She looked up at him in shock, only to see him staring past her. She turned and saw a corpulent white worm-like creature hanging limp from one of the holes.


    ¡°Guess I spoke too soon,¡± said Reclan.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move, you two! Avoid the holes!¡± cried Raivyn.


    Already more than halfway up, the squadmates began a mad dash to the top of the cliff. The segmented white worms, nearly a foot in diameter and sporting a circular maw of needle-like teeth, continued to burst from the holes, striking at them at every opportunity.


    Vanbrook holstered his pistol and drew his saber, using one hand to steady himself on the rock and the other to fend off the worms. Reclan scrambled up the hillside as quickly as she could, kicking one of the worms with her prosthetic foot, the metal claw tearing the monster to pieces. Raivyn reached out telepathically to see what she could determine about the beasts as she tried her best to avoid the holes they were emerging from.


    ¡°They-¡± she stammered, ¡°there¡¯s only one mind.¡±


    ¡°Is that important right now?¡± demanded Vanbrook, skewering a worm that was headed for Raivyn.


    ¡°Not really,¡± replied Raivyn, making her way around a boulder. ¡°Except that it¡¯s an extremely powerful animal mind. I can¡¯t override its hunger to calm it down.¡±


    They continued their climb, eliminating as many of the worms as they could. Soon it became apparent that the injured worms were easily replaced. Vanbrook severed the head off of one entirely, and the stump was pulled back into the cliff with a slurping sound. The swordsman turned his back on the hole and continued climbing. A moment later a fresh new worm shot out of the same hole, biting onto Vanbrook¡¯s ankle. Vanbrook cried out in pain, and Reclan quickly severed the new worm with her plasma cutter.


    ¡°Vanbrook, are you okay?¡± asked Raivyn.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he answered through gritted teeth. ¡°It hurts like crazy, but just in the teeth-in-my-flesh kinda way, not the venom-in-my-veins kinda way, y¡¯know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea,¡± said Reclan. ¡°Cover me for a second.¡±


    Vanbrook planted himself as far away from any of the worm holes as he could manage and pulled his pistol again, bracing himself against the hillside and taking out any worms that threatened Reclan as she tapped away on her tablet.


    ¡°There,¡± she said at length. ¡°That ought to do it.¡±


    Her drones flew out from where she sat, the hovering black orbs standing like sentinels just above the squadmates. A worm emerged to strike at Raivyn, and, before Vanbrook could react, one of the drones shocked it with a bolt of electricity.


    Though Vanbrook kept his guard up, the drones provided the cover they needed to finally reach the top of the hill. The worm holes stopped once the ground leveled out, allowing the squadmates to work in peace.


    ¡°Looks like the mighty city of Zrykyk should be¡­ that way,¡± said Reclan, studying her tablet. ¡°About twelve miles away. Unless they¡¯re looking, and I mean looking with a telescope, they¡¯re not going to see us.¡±


    After giving Vanbrook¡¯s leg a once over and wrapping it a bandage, the squadmates installed an array of devices for looking at and listening to their distant foes. When Reclan fired it up, she was able to pull up a video feed on her tablet¡¯s screen.


    They had based their plans off of the partial topographical information they¡¯d collected before Zrykyk had halted the satellite network, but the data was good. The hill they sat on looked down over the craggy valley Zrykyk¡¯s city was built into. The city could be seen clearly enough to make out the moss that had begun growing on the low, stone wall that had been hastily erected. Beyond the wall, she saw a number of buildings of equally slap-dash quality. Panning the camera, Reclan saw the remnant of the hovercrafts that had made it out of Gred, being watched by a few guards.


    ¡°We¡¯re good,¡± she said to the others. ¡°Now, how are we getting back down?¡±

 Chapter 3.5: First Blood

    The next few days brought little excitement and long, grueling hours spent at the observation point. Talon Squad had found a path along the side of the hill that, while a more strenuous climb, avoided the strange worms.


    ¡°I have never seen such creatures,¡± said Hrake one day as the Squad had breakfast down at their camp. ¡°I suppose even Hruduk is grander than I knew.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Reclan sarcastically. ¡°Grand. That¡¯s the word that comes to mind.¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± said Hrake sagely. ¡°While the worms may be a horror and a danger to us, they are indeed grand. The more I see of the Progenitor¡¯s designs, the more humbled I am in their presence.¡±


    Reclan raised an eyebrow in thought, then shook her head. The Hrudukite warrior was a mystic of sorts. On some level Reclan envied that, but the world of machines had always made more sense to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to avoid them all the same,¡± said Vanbrook.


    Hrake chuckled softly, nodding his head.


    A soft humming came over the water, and Talon Squad looked up to see the Gladius skirting just over the surface, quickly coming up to the shore and landing on the rocky beach.


    Soon thereafter six figures emerged from the small gunship.


    The first two were Republic Intelligence Services Agents Chully and Huluna. Chully was a Talpidarian male, chewing on a pen and wearing a long, dark overcoat and a scowl. Huluna was a Wabuluban female with mechanical legs and an appreciably more friendly demeanor than her partner.


    The other four were Grepk and the three other Marines that made up his squad. Grepk was an enormous Raki with bright, dark eyes and a crimson shell. With him were Krum-Bahk, the Krauqian duelist-turned-Marine; Keshri, a fierce Talpidarian brawler; and Fenyn, a broad Human male with a kind smile and a wicked right hook. The four Marines were all wearing powered blue armor that managed to be both massive and sleek, with bubble helmets and jetpacks that, along with dual-barrelled ballistic and energy rifles, made them each something akin to a walking fighter craft.


    "Welcome," said Raivyn.


    "Thanks for serving as an advanced guard," said Huluna. "We didn''t get much from the surveillance feed, but at least we know nothing happened."


    Raivyn nodded. "Hasn''t exactly been the most exciting assignment, that''s for sure."


    "We''d like to check out the equipment and add some of our own devices," said Chully.


    "It''s all set up at the peak," said Reclan. "But I''d advise having one of us guide you up a side route we''ve established. The worms living in the rock seem mighty hungry."


    Before Reclan had finished speaking, Keshri had picked up Chully in a bear hug.


    "Don''t you dare," sneered the RIS agent.


    Vanbrook saw a smirk on Keshri''s face as she ignited her jetpack and cruised up over the worm''s territory, Chully being dragged along with her.


    "We gotta get jetpacks," said Reclan to no one in particular.


    Krum-Bahk turned to Vanbrook casually. "Did you know those two are married?"


    "I did not," said Vanbrook as he watched the couple jet off to the top of the hill. "How''s that working out?"


    "Not too well, as I understand it," answered Krum-Bahk.


    Vanbrook nodded sagely.


    Huluna hopped gracefully into Fenyn''s arms. The human smiled wryly and flew her up to her partner.


    The Army pilot who''d flown the shuttle walked up to Raivyn. "I guess I''ll head back to Gred. Thanks for the memories."


    "Alright, thanks," answered Raivyn. "And give our thanks to Sergeant Hargen, too."


    The pilot waved noncommittally as she walked back to the shuttle. However, before she had walked the whole way up the ramp, the shuttle had exploded into a million pieces and she was consumed in the fire ball.


    "Into the Gladius, now!" shouted Grepk.


    A second rocket shot towards the surveillance station, and Keshri scooped up Chully and rocketed towards the Gladius. Fenyn was too far from Huluna to grab her, and threw himself into the path of the rocket instead, shielding her from the blast. The shockwave knocked Huluna''s feet out from under her and she tumbled down the hillside, the grasping maws of the worms reaching for her immediately.


    "Krum!" shouted Vanbrook. "Take me up there!"


    Without a moment''s hesitation, Krum-Bahk picked up Vanbrook and shot up the hillside.


    "Drop me!" cried Vanbrook when he was over Huluna. "Now go get Fenyn!" he said as he dropped to the hillside.


    Down below, the others had scrambled into the Gladius, with Grepk rushing to the controls to see what was hitting them.


    "Looks like there''s some kind of craft above us," he said.


    "We''ve got to wait for the others," said Raivyn.


    "Don''t worry," said Grepk. "The Gladius is a fortress unto itself. And an armed one, at that."


    Meanwhile, Vanbrook was reaching out to grab onto one of Huluna''s tentacles. At the same time, one of the worms grabbed one of her mechanical legs and quickly began to retract into its hole.


    "I''m gonna regret this," said Vanbrook as he held on tight, allowing himself to be sucked into the hole along with her.


    Back at the Gladius, guns had sprouted from the back of the ship, aimed towards the sky and giving the ship the appearance of a deadly, spined fish. A third missile blasted into the Gladius''s shield, but didn''t do any damage.


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    "Fire," said Grepk with a voice that rang with danger and satisfaction.


    The guns shot into the sky, hitting the unseen vessel that had been firing on them and sending it spiraling to the ground.


    Within the hillside, Vanbrook was being dragged through a rocky tunnel, his body battered by jutting stones. The tunnel suddenly opened up and he activated his shoulder-mounted flood light as Huluna slipped from his grasp. He fell a few feet and rolled, standing up and staring into the slavering maw of the source of all the worms. Little more than a quivering mouth full of teeth, the creature''s body sat on the floor of the cave, the "worms" growing out of the corpulent mass. One of the worm-arms held Huluna and was preparing to toss her into the main mouth.


    Vanbrook drew his revolver and emptied it into the beastly maw, causing the creature to scream and toss Huluna aside. An army of squirming white limbs groped towards Vanbrook, who was busily trying to reload. Huluna walked shakily into Vanbrook''s light, opening a panel on one of her legs and pulling a small orb from within. She tossed the orb into the monstrous mouth.


    "That oughta hold you over," she said.


    The grenade she had thrown erupted, the echo booming through the cavern as chunks of whitish flesh and blue-green gore rained down on Vanbrook and Huluna.


    ¡°Lovely,¡± said Vanbrook when the last of the green mist had settled to the cave floor.


    ¡°Thanks, Vanbrook,¡± said Huluna, walking over to the wall they¡¯d been dragged in through.


    The wall was peppered with three to four foot wide holes through which the beast could stick its worm-like arms through. Though the tunnels weren¡¯t straight, dim light could be seen shining in from the outside.


    ¡°Looks like we can crawl through these lower holes pretty easily,¡± said Huluna. ¡°Though it¡¯d be a lot easier without these stupid rigid legs- um- no offense.¡±


    ¡°None taken,¡± said Vanbrook with a good-natured chuckle.


    Covered in green slime and bruises, the pair clambered out of the hillside and Vanbrook got on his comm. ¡°Gladius, this is Vanbrook, Huluna is okay. We¡¯re on our way over.¡±


    Grepk watched the enemy ship crash beyond the hill. ¡°Happy to hear that, Vanbrook. Looks like we took care of our missile problem.¡±


    Vanbrook and Huluna were nearly to the ramp when Vanbrook looked over his shoulder to see Krum-Bahk carrying a bulk of twisted metal, his eyes glazed.


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± said Vanbrook, his heart dropping into his stomach.


    Keshri and Grepk rushed down the ramp and helped Krum-Bahk carry his burden. They hefted Fenyn¡¯s body up onto the gurney in the ship¡¯s small med bay, lying on his back. Everyone else gathered at the door silently. Grepk went to turn him over to see the damage but Krum-Bahk reached his hand out to stop him.


    ¡°It¡¯s - he¡¯s gone,¡± said Krum-Bahk. ¡°He took a missile directly to the back. There¡¯s no reason to turn him over, I promise.¡±


    Grepk nodded his understanding, his black eyes growing hard. He turned and walked briskly to the cockpit.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading for the wreck,¡± he said. ¡°Everyone get strapped in.¡±


    ***


    Hoon-Kra stood on the surface of his new world, now dubbed Koomia in honor of his god. Cultists bustled around him, preparing the plains they¡¯d landed on for the construction of the first Koomite temple. The planet was surprisingly peaceful on the surface, despite the raging storm and volcanoes that could be seen from orbit. All around him, tall, golden grasses blew in a cool breeze. He looked out to where one of his followers had walked over to a nearby stream to check the water. A blade flicked out of the grass and the cultist¡¯s head was severed from his body.


    Taken aback, Hoon-Kra hadn¡¯t even called out yet when Darvik rushed past him, sword drawn. Others had seen the attack as well. Some went screaming back onto the ships while others drew weapons and trained them where the cultist lay dead somewhere under the gilded sea of grass.


    As Darvik charged, a group of figures leapt out of the grass. Though roughly humanoid, they ran in a crouched position. They had slick, purple-blue skin and a series of small, black eyes across smooth foreheads. Their noseless faces had needle-toothed maws, smeared red with the cultist¡¯s blood. What stood out more than any of these features were the three foot long forearms that tapered into blades starting about half way down, where small digits sprouted out, also coated in blood.


    When Darvik had closed the distance, he began striking at the sword-arm monstrosities, parrying their feral strikes with ease. It was clear that they relied on ambush and animal savagery, not swordsmanship.


    ¡°Get out of the way, you madman!¡± screamed a cultist with a rifle.


    Darvik snarled over his shoulder but dodged to the side, trying to open a line of fire. He cut down a number of the beasts but gunfire took out many more. The remainder tried to flee, but they were gunned down as well.


    The silence that fell in the wake of the attack was broken suddenly by the sound of one person applauding. All eyes turned to Hoon-Kra.


    ¡°Well done, followers of Koo L¡¯Koom! Well done!¡± he said with an air of satisfaction. ¡°Everyone who remained outside will be duly rewarded! Those who fled will be remembered as well.¡±


    Without elaborating any further, Hoon-Kra walked back on to the Swamp¡¯s Pride and into his quarters. Seeing he had a message, he activated it as he poured himself a glass of honey-worm mead.


    ¡°Uncle,¡± the message began.


    Hoon-Kra rolled his eyes and eased into his arm chair, glass in hand. It was his idiot nephew, Trar-Brak. He was supposed to be rendezvousing with more followers on Hruduk.


    ¡°We have spotted enemy ships spying on Zrykyk. They appear to be Republic.¡±


    He furrowed his brow. This could be a problem, but he had considered the contingency and believed it to be solvable.


    ¡°We¡¯ve fired on them, and only one ship remains.¡±


    Hoon-Kra¡¯s warty eyebrows shot up. The fool! Now was not the time for war with the Griffon Republic.


    ¡°It¡¯s well shielded but I think-¡±


    The message ended in an explosion of static. So much for Trar-Brak.


    Hoon-Kra took a long pull from his glass. This would take some delicate diplomacy.


    ***


    Jasken soared over the seas of Kirakna on Ol¡¯ Blue, the silver-plumed griffon he kept aboard the Wingspan. Ever since monsoon season had passed, he had taken his old friend out for a ride as often as possible.


    The stony island of Tra-Kirakna and the poly-domed city that shared its name shrank below them as they shot up into the sky. Jasken closed his eyes and breathed in the warm, salty air. He didn''t enjoy being clayside. He didn''t mind sailing through the aether, but he truly felt alive in the air.


    His comm buzzed, shattering the illusion of freedom and calling him back to his responsibilities. He pulled on Blue''s reins, bringing him around in a huge arc to land on one of Tra-Kirakna''s rocky outcrops.


    "Officer Dekken," he said, answering the call. "What do you need?"


    "Wanted you to know, those parts I mentioned came in early," said the engineer. "The Wingspan should be ready ahead of schedule by about a week."


    "Glad to hear it, Officer," said Jasken. "Will that be all?"


    "Yes, sir," answered Dekken.


    "I''ll talk to you shortly, then," said Jasken, ending the call.


    He was about to take off again when his comm buzzed again. Sighing, he answered.


    "Mairen, what''s going on?" he asked.


    "Talon Squad is trying to reach you, sir. They''re making a ripmed call from the Gladius. Their position on Hruduk has been attacked, a Marine and an Army pilot are dead, and the Gladius has taken down the offending ship."


    "I''ll be right there," he said, ending the call. "Sorry, boy, looks like you''re heading back to the stables."


    Blue roared, reveling in his own power as mighty wings pushed off the air and the two soared back to the Wingspan.

 Chapter 3.6: Chasing Serpents

    After bringing Jasken up to speed, Raivyn hung up and noticed that the Gladius was descending. The ship landed by the smoldering wreckage of the enemy ship, and the three Marines were on terra firma before the others knew what happened. The RIS agents rushed after them, eager to examine the wreck. It was crushed too badly to identify with certainty.


    ¡°Small interstellar transport,¡± guessed Huluna. ¡°Krauqian origin, I¡¯d say.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Chully with a nod. ¡°Good chance it¡¯s one of Hoon-Kra¡¯s. Sadly, he probably wasn¡¯t on it.¡±


    Huluna snorted in reply.


    The Marines had rounded the wreck and had a good view of the side. Burnt and distorted as the paint was, there was a clear insignia on the vessel¡¯s door: that of a serpentine shark, biting its own tail. Grepk walked up to the door and strained against the bent metal until it suddenly tore it off its hinges.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, you two,¡± he said as he disappeared into the bent, black rectangle of the doorway.


    Krum-Bahk and Keshri followed him without a word. Just as they went in, Talon Squad and the agents rounded the corner.


    ¡°Oh, boy,¡± said Huluna.


    ¡°Keshri, I need witnesses,¡± said Chully in a voice full of warning.


    ¡°No promises,¡± said a harsh voice on his comm.


    ¡°Alright Talon Squad,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Let¡¯s sweep the ship with the Marines. Take prisoners if possible.¡±


    Huluna nodded her thanks as Talon Squad followed the Marines into the ship. The interior of the ship was dimly lit by emergency lights, and a choked siren chirped and spat static somewhere down one of the twisted halls. Talon Squad turned on their lights and stepped down one of the halls.


    ¡°The Marines went off this way,¡± said Reclan, tracking their comms on her tablet. ¡°I guess let¡¯s take the other direction.¡±


    ¡°Grepk, this is Talon Squad,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°We¡¯re going to sweep the aft section of the ship while you sweep the bow. That suit you?¡±


    There was a pause.


    ¡°Do as you like,¡± said Grepk grimly.


    ¡°Should someone go keep them in check?¡± asked D¡¯Jarric.


    Raivyn shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ll need the whole Squad back here. D¡¯Jarric and Hrake, why don¡¯t you take the upper deck; Doc and Reclan, take the mid deck; Van, you and I can take the lower deck.¡±


    When they reached the stairwell, Vanbrook and Raivyn descended to the lower deck, dodging broken steps and watching their corners.


    ¡°Krum-Bahk¡¯s a better person than I am,¡± said Vanbrook quietly.


    ¡°Huh?¡± asked Raivyn.


    ¡°He won¡¯t kill survivors if they don¡¯t attack,¡± replied Vanbrook.


    ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time, Van,¡± said Raivyn, annoyed.


    Vanbrook shrugged and continued down the hall, checking rooms as he went.


    ¡°Found a couple bodies,¡± said Raivyn from another from across the hall. ¡°Looks like the engineering team. I¡¯ll mark them for pick up, but-¡±


    Her thought was cut short as a burst of gunfire sounded overhead from the bow of the ship. She and Vanbrook bolted back down the hall and up the steps, joining the others, Reclan leading the way as she tracked the Marines. They arrived at the door to the bridge to see Grepk and Keshri on either side of Krum-Bahk, who was standing with one foot on the chest of a large Kraquian male.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got your witness, Chully,¡± he said into his comm.


    ¡°Just like I said,¡± whispered Vanbrook to Raivyn.


    Grepk flipped the Krauqian over roughly and zip tied his hands together with relish.


    ¡°Just remember, buddy,¡± said the Marine leader. ¡°If you give me a reason, I¡¯m taking it.¡±


    ***


    Crush walked up to the empty can on the deck of the Liberty and kicked it with gusto, sending it spinning off into the aether.


    ¡°Obviously telekinesis is not where your strength lies,¡± said Yrinla.


    ¡°Do I have any ¡®strength¡¯ at all, that¡¯s the question!¡± shouted Crush.


    The elderly tree priestess tapped her chin. ¡°What are the basic forms of psychic ability?¡±


    Crush looked at Yrinla, cocked her head and then answered. ¡°Telekinesis, the moving of objects with telepathic waves, and telepathy, communicating with telepathic waves.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the basics!¡± answered Yrinla. ¡°But it goes beyond that. Telekinesis can also be used to create kinetic barriers, or shields, as well as crushing objects. It¡¯s all the same principle- manipulating matter with the mind. Telepathy is more subtle. It involves affecting the mind of another being with T-waves. For most, the simplest version of telepathy is the sharing of your thoughts with a receptive mind, allowing you to ¡®speak¡¯ to them mentally. In a small way, you are using telepathy when you control your star tree. The tree is designed to coax the T-waves out of you, if you will, so even a minimal amount of latent psychic ability is sufficient.  There are more abstract possibilities, such as reverse-empathy, or the instilling of emotions into another being. Have you ever experienced anything like that?¡±


    Crush thought for a moment. Then her head snapped up and she looked Yrinla square in the eyes. ¡°Yes. I believe so. It was a while back now, on Hittania. A Republic soldier was chasing me, and suddenly gave up the hunt. She later accused me of using telepathy on her. I dismissed it, assuming that she was lying to save her pride.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Excellent, excellent!¡± exclaimed Yrinla. ¡°Now, what I want you to do is to look at me and tell me that you¡¯re not standing there. Come now, project that idea to me.¡±


    Crush stared at the priestess, focusing on the idea of not being there. Just when she was ready to give up the seemingly futile effort, something strange happened. The pressure she¡¯d built in trying to incept the thought burst, and she felt as though she¡¯d broken into Yrinla¡¯s mind.


    ¡°It- it worked, didn¡¯t it!?¡± she exclaimed.


    Yrinla nodded, smiling. ¡°You¡¯re there, but it¡¯s a struggle to focus on you. Considering your limited training and the fact that I know for certain you¡¯re standing in front of me, I am quite impressed.¡±


    ***


    Back in Gred, Chully and Huluna had set up a base of operations in a wing of the King¡¯s palace. They sat in an interrogation room across a table from the muscular Krauqian they¡¯d taken captive. He refused to answer questions and they¡¯d all sat in silence for a number of minutes now.


    ¡°I could call one of the Marines back in here,¡± said Chully. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯d love to spend some quality time with the guy who killed their buddy.¡±


    ¡°Your thugs don¡¯t scare me,¡± said the Kraquian, eyes glassy with boredom. ¡°And you can¡¯t stop what¡¯s coming.¡±


    Chully and Huluna looked at each other significantly.


    ¡°Something¡¯s coming,¡± said Huluna.


    ¡°Probably Kooky Kool,¡± said Chully.


    ¡°KOO L¡¯KOOM, YOU WEAKLING,¡± cried the prisoner, slamming a shackled fist on the table.


    ¡°You and your uncle seem pretty obsessed with that old myth,¡± said Chully coolly.


    ¡°It is no myth,¡± he spat.


    ¡°So you are Trar-Brak, Hoon-Kra¡¯s nephew, then?¡± asked Huluna.


    Trar-Brak paled. "I didn''t say that."


    "Trar-Brak," said Chully, grinning when the panicked Krauqian turned to him. "What is it your uncle''s little cult is planning?"


    Trar-Brak resumed his bored stance, but nervousness played across his broad, warty features.


    "Here''s what we''ve got on the ancient Koomites," said Huluna. Scrolling through her tablet, she opened an encyclopedia entry. "''The Koomites, an ancient Krauqian religious group, worshiped Koo L''Koom, one of the mythical aether beasts.


    ¡®Valuing power above any sense of virtue, Koomites were known for their political ambition, penchant for assassination, as well as for despising those viewed as weaker than themselves.


    ¡®By the end of the pre-Astralbian era, the Koomites were reduced to small pockets of cultists located around Krauqia. Though a few other worlds saw a small number of converts, the Solaran¡¯s wide-spread teaching of the Progenitor and the fallout of the Unified Prophecy wiped out any noticeable Koomite presence in the galaxy.¡¯


    ¡°Any of that sound familiar?¡±


    Trar-Brak spat on the table in disgust. ¡°That drivel does not amount to half of the glory of the ancients.¡±


    Chully pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and tossed it onto the table. ¡°We¡¯re done here. You can get up as soon as you wipe up your spit.¡±


    ***


    Prime Minister Skritka sat in his dark wooden armchair behind a matching desk, stroking the pointed goatee that hung from his pointed snout, peering through round spectacles at the information he¡¯d been sent from Kirakna and Hruduk. Put together with the Astralbian armada that was advancing towards the Cornucopia Cluster, it made that corner of the galaxy look a lot like a powder keg.


    A comm came through, right on schedule.


    ¡°Admiral Jasken,¡± he said. ¡°Good to see you.¡±


    Though the pleasantry had rolled off the Prime Minister¡¯s tongue automatically, it really was good to see the grumpy old admiral. A few years ago when Skritka had signed off on giving Jasken command of the Blue Griffon Fleet, he had seen it as a way to give the decorated veteran an adventurous yet cushy exploratory assignment until he was ready to retire. Instead, the fleet had found itself embroiled in one of the most widespread galactic conflicts in a generation, and Jasken had proven that he had yet to lose his edge.


    ¡°You too, Prime Minister,¡± said Jasken. ¡°How can I serve the Republic?¡±


    ¡°No change of plans at the moment, Admiral. The exploratory team based on Gateway has made some interesting discoveries, but for now we just want you to pick up Talon Squad and meet them out there.¡± He paused. ¡°The development on Hruduk is disturbing, though.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± replied Jasken. ¡°I heard that the IGC went to investigate Zrykyk¡¯s city and were chased off by gunfire.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the story,¡± said Skritka, nodding. ¡°They¡¯re saying that¡¯s not unusual for a species still adjusting to the idea of other intelligent life in the galaxy, but they¡¯re facing pressure both from us and Gred to declare Zrykyk an insurrection or raider enterprise and let us establish a satellite network.¡±


    Jasken nodded. ¡°So then, what did you need from me, sir?¡±


    ¡°Frankly, Jasken, I wanted your take on the situation. Not just on Hruduk but also with the Cornucopia Cluster. I¡¯m going to have to address both the Houses and the press on this soon. So tell me: are we headed for trouble?¡±


    Jasken paused for a moment, considering his words. ¡°It looks like it, Prime Minister. But none of it of our own making. The Koomites, the Astralbians, even the Ramshackle Collective and the PIC, they¡¯ve all descended onto the Cornucopia Cluster as soon as they became aware of it and, frankly, I don¡¯t blame them. While I¡¯d have loved to keep the whole corner of the galaxy just for the Republic, I never thought that was likely; I dare say it wasn¡¯t even fair to want it. If everyone else wants to play by the rules, so be it. We¡¯ll take what we can get honestly. But if anyone crosses us, tries to hurt our people or take what isn¡¯t theirs, I say we run them down with the full force of the Republic¡¯s armed forces.¡±


    Skritka nodded. ¡°Thank you, Jasken. I appreciate the frankness.¡±


    ***


    Talon Squad, Chully, and Huluna stood by Grepk, Krum-Bahk, and Keshri as the long, black box that held Fenyn¡¯s remains was loaded onto a transport to Kirakna. From Kirakna, it would hopscotch across the stars to Aerat, where Fenyn was born and where his family still lived. While his true funeral would be held there, with full military honors, it was customary for a Marine¡¯s unit to see their remains off and hold a sort of farewell ceremony after.


    "Fenyn was the best field medic I ever worked with," said Grepk. "And my best friend since basic. He always had my back."


    "I didn''t know him long," said Krum-Bahk. "But he was a true friend. I only wish I''d had more time to get to know him."


    There was a long pause before Keshri said, "A good Marine."


    It was clear looking at her that she was near tears. Chully looked up, his mouth working as though he was going to say something, but it died on his lips.


    "I''d only just met him," said Huluna softly. "He died to save me. I pray the Progenitor will guard his soul."


    A complex series of emotions played across Grepk''s face, his antennae and mouthparts twitching uncomfortably.


    "He protected others at all costs," he said at length. "It was in his nature. He would be glad to know you lived."


    The ship bearing Fenyn''s remains flew off into the evening sky. As it disappeared, the gathering broke up, eventually whittling down to the three Marines, and finally just Grepk, who stood for some time staring up into the aether.


    ***


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t get much out of Trar-Brak,¡± said Huluna. ¡°But we did broadcast a message to the Swamp¡¯s Pride¡¯s frequency to let Hoon-Kra know we had his nephew in custody.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that will draw the Koomites out of hiding?¡± asked Chief Hetford.


    They were speaking via ripmed comm, with Huluna still aboard the Gladius on Hruduk and Hetford back on Griffonia.


    ¡°Unlikely,¡± answered Huluna. ¡°But we do hope it will spook them into making a mistake. We weren¡¯t able to get much from the wreckage. The navigation data was destroyed by some kind of failsafe, but we did get their final ripmed transmission, so we¡¯re certain that Hoon-Kra knows the ship was destroyed in combat with Republic Forces. If his nephew isn¡¯t going to play ball, we figured we¡¯d use him as a pawn. Hoon-Kra ought to be pretty nervous if he knows we¡¯ve got a potential source of information in our brig.¡±

 Chapter 3.7: The Assassins

    Darvik shifted his weight and took a sip from his flask as he stood guard over Koomia¡¯s first settlement. For the time being, it was really just a few tents and some surveillance and communications equipment set up inside a circle of ships, but their numbers had increased greatly and the next arrival of followers was supposed to be coming with heavy construction equipment.


    The way station on Hruduk had been compromised, but another planet had been found in the same solar system as Glasaxia that had replaced it. The world, which Hoon-Kra had named T¡¯Lakia in honor of T¡¯Lak, the squid-like aether beast that was rumored to have been spotted in the area, was too small and had too thin an atmosphere to make a decent settlement, but there was enough ice there to create a suitable way station.


    Darvik was beginning to wonder when his guard shift was going to end when his comm buzzed.


    ¡°Darvik, this is Hoon-Kra,¡± said the cult leader. ¡°Report to my office aboard the Swamp¡¯s Pride immediately. I have a job for you.¡±


    ***


    "What are you saying, Prime Minister? You can¡¯t avoid this conflict diplomatically?" asked Trekna.


    Skritka stared down the representative from the dais in the Major House¡¯s auditorium inside of Griffon Keep. He had been addressing a joint session of the Major and Minor Houses about the threat of all-out war, and the room was full of tense politicians who did not like the thought of breaking the Griffon Republic¡¯s decades-long peace with the Astralbian Kingdom. Many of the representatives were there only through screens and cameras, but all their attention was focused on Skritka.


    Trekna had barely survived a reelection bid in his home district recently, largely because he had lost a political clash with Skritka. Trekna had not forgotten that, and made a habit of trying to undermine him. He had made sure to be at the session in person for more impactful video clips.


    "I am saying that war with the Astralbians is a real possibility, Senator," answered Skritka flatly. "While that is not ideal or desirable, it is true. I remain open to diplomacy, but that means very little if the other side is not. Jylik is not nearly as reserved as his father and is making an aggressive move against the Cornucopia Cluster. We need to send a full military fleet to Kirakna immediately so a response to aggression can be made quickly and decisively.¡±


    ¡°Is this group of planets so desirable as to justify war?¡± asked Trekna, his face a picture of earnestness.


    ¡°Allowing ourselves to be bullied out of a region that we discovered through hardship and battle is certainly not in our interest,¡± scolded Skritka. ¡°For now, the threat is theoretical, but the resources are real. Our advanced team has found an unprecedented density of habitable planets, confirming what Shrump claimed about the resources in the area. One such planet, now named Thioa, is incredibly sulfur-rich, which could help us ramp up industrial and agricultural efforts in the area.¡±


    ¡°I agree with the Prime Minister,¡± said Ulytri, an Astralbian who represented a small fishing world. She nodded to Skritka. ¡°He was right to defend our claim on Hittania and he is right to stand up to the Astralbian Kingdom now. Jylik is hungry to rekindle the Empire, and rolling over and giving him the Cluster would be unwise.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Senator,¡± said Skritka.


    The questions continued until Skritka felt like he couldn¡¯t string another sentence together, but the tide turned in his favor and the questions became far less hostile. Eventually both houses agreed to send a fleet to Kirakna.


    Sometime later he found himself walking down the halls of Griffon Keep, angling towards his office. Despite his confidence before the two Houses, he wondered to himself what it was like for those out there on the frontier. Jasken had assured him that the military presence was ready for whatever came about. Gnawing at the back of his mind, however, was the fact that they had encountered one of the legendary aether beasts in the flesh on their first trip out to the Cluster. The information was highly classified for the time being, but knowing additional threats beyond hostile military forces and the typical dangers of exploration weighed on him heavily.


    ***


    T¡¯Lakia was a dark, stony world that barely qualified as a planetoid. A makeshift ice harvesting operation had been set up and a series of airlock ports jutted out of the buildings so that Koomite ships making a stop there could receive water without having to don the filtration masks and oxygen tanks that were necessary to survive on T¡¯Lakia¡¯s surface.


    Darvik took in the purplish, stony landscape from the porthole by his bunk. The small ship had made pretty good time on its journey from Koomia, but Hruduk was still a couple weeks away.


    ¡°You gonna help get things hooked up or what?¡± asked a voice.


    Darvik looked over to his doorway with bleary eyes to see their pilot and technician, Rentra. He was a short, stocky Talpidarian with grease stains from his fingers to his elbows, standing with his hands on his hips.


    ¡°I¡¯m an assassin, not a technician,¡± said Darvik irritably.


    The pilot huffed and walked away.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t kill you to do something besides drink,¡± said Cevla as she walked by his doorway.


    A powerful psychic, especially for a Human, Cevla was supposed to be his partner for the operation. She was tall and wide-shouldered but still a picture of feminine grace. Her dark brown hair was pulled up into a braid that suggested a kind of mohawk on top of her head, and she wore a pistol on one hip and a long knife on the other. She¡¯d been nothing but a thorn in Darvik¡¯s side and he was ready to be done with the assassination and be rid of her.


    ***


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The next few weeks passed by slowly for Talon Squad, who helped rebuild Gred¡¯s city walls alongside the Hrudukites. The Marines stuck around as well, pitching in to help with the reconstruction efforts while Chully and Huluna investigated the crashed Koomite ship for clues to its travels. Once a couple of Zrykyk scouts came by, but they fled as soon as they were spotted.


    The IGC had decided Zrykyk¡¯s forces amounted to nothing more than a small enclave of rebels, and the Army set to work laying the groundwork for a satellite network. The Wingspan would help finish the job, being better prepared for that kind of work. Jasken and his crew had already started their jump, the Shepherd being towed behind, and would arrive at Hruduk within the week.


    Vanbrook was looking forward to pushing back into the Cornucopia Cluster, or at least returning to Gateway. As much as he loved the streets of Kerucester, he felt at home on the frontier. Maybe it was because Wilbis was gone now, and the memory of home was sullied by his murder, but he just didn¡¯t feel the pull back to Griffonia like he used to.


    He mused over this as he helped push a massive wooden pillar into place that would make up one third of the door frame for Gred¡¯s new main gate. When it was in place, a bronzesmith and her apprentice took measurements between it and its twin, which had already been set, to start making designs for the new gate. Hrynkak was a through-and-through traditionalist, so he had refused to use the Republic¡¯s machinery to help the work go faster. He was happy to have additional muscle, though, and no sooner were the pillars set than Vanbrook was called to help unload a cart full of rocks from a nearby quarry.


    ¡°Did you hear King Hrynkak wants to mass produce the hammer rifle I made for Hrake?¡± asked Reclan as she waddled past, carrying a particularly large rock. ¡°Likes modern weaponry, but not construction equipment, I guess.¡±


    Vanbrook laughed. ¡°What can you do? Hrynkak is being dragged into the modern galaxy whether he likes it or not. Hard to blame him for holding on to what he can.¡±


    ¡°Rumor is the Republic has been courting Hruduk, hoping to get them to join, but without any luck,¡± said Reclan as she dropped the stone to the ground by the wall and promptly sat on it.


    ¡°Good for them,¡± said Raivyn with a shrug. She was just coming over from the stone cart herself, arms loaded with three smaller stones. ¡°There¡¯s no need for every sapient nation in the galaxy to be part of the same central government. The Republic was formed out of necessity as an alliance against the Astralbian Empire, not to become an empire itself. I say good for the Hrudukites if they want to keep their sovereignty. They¡¯ll be powerful allies.¡±


    ¡°Less politics,¡± said Hrake with a smile as he tossed a boulder to the ground and returned to the cart. ¡°More carrying stones.¡±


    ***


    The window had been narrow, but Darvik¡¯s ship had managed to land on Hruduk before the satellite network had been established. They were forced to land about twenty miles from Gred, but Darvik, Rentra, and Cevla had a hovercraft they used to cover the majority of the distance, timing things so they arrived after dark. After that they¡¯d been forced to go on foot, with Cevla keeping up a perception bubble as they traveled to psychically avoid any prying eyes. Cresting a ridge, they were able to look down into a valley at the lights of Gred.


    ¡°Alright, keep that bubble up and leave the technical end up to me,¡± said Rentra.


    The band descended the grassy slope and made their way to the Gladius, staying clear of the Gredite patrols that made their rounds around the freshly rebuilt walls. The Gladius itself had a guard of two Republic soldiers. They were both unconscious, drugged, bound, and stuffed behind the ship¡¯s ramp before they knew anyone was there. It seemed silly to Darvik not to just kill them, but Hoon-Kra had been very strict in ordering them not to kill anyone besides the target.


    Rentra held his tablet up to the door and started tapping. Soon the door clicked and he opened it, a smug look on his face. They moved cautiously into the Gladius, heading towards the cockpit. Rentra closed the door and put a small, magnetic device on it. They then turned and moved towards the aft of the ship in search of their prey, with Rentra putting similar devices on every door they passed. A short Talpidarian in pajamas appeared in the hall, a mug of rakka in her hands. She stared down the hallway a moment and then shook her head, returning to her quarters. Rentra placed a device on her door, as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame Hoon-Kra wanted this to be so surgical,¡± he whispered with a soft chuckle. ¡°We could sure do a lot of damage.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± said Cevla. Maintaining the perception bubble was quickly wearing her out.


    Finally, they found what they were looking for.


    ¡°Finally,¡± said Cevla softly, dropping the perception bubble in front of the small cell.


    Huge eyes bulged in their sockets as Trar-Brak saw the three Koomites appear before him.


    ¡°Ha!¡± he snorted quietly. ¡°A rescue mission! About time.¡±


    Darvik waved Trar-Brak over to the bars. When he was just up against them, the swordsman reached around Trar-Brak¡¯s broad head and pulled it into the bars while stabbing his saber through his throat. Trar-Brak fell into a growing puddle of his own blood, choking silently for a moment before going still.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Darvik, tearing his eyes away from the scene.


    ***


    Vanbrook was sleeping heavily in his quarters in Hrynkak¡¯s palace. While he craved adventure, the manual labor of rebuilding Gred¡¯s walls had done him good and, after a hardy Hrudukite supper, he went to bed contented. Then his comm buzzed.


    ¡°Talon Squad, this is Grepk, something¡¯s wrong!¡±


    He snapped awake suddenly, grabbing his comm from his bedside.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Raivyn¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Not sure,¡± said Grepk. ¡°Keshri called a moment ago and said she couldn¡¯t get out of her quarters. She said something felt wrong when she was grabbing a midnight snack, but she couldn¡¯t put it together and went back to her room. When she tried to leave again to take another look her door was stuck fast. Krum-Bahk and I are stuck, too.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re on our way,¡± said Raivyn.


    Suddenly the palace¡¯s hallway was alive with hastily dressed squadmates, all running towards the Gladius.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± asked the Palace Guard as they rushed past.


    ¡°Not sure, brother,¡± called out Hrake. ¡°Hold where you are for now!¡±


    They were quickly let out of the main gate, where one of the Hrudukite patrols joined them.


    ¡°Can we help?¡± asked a guard with an orange headband.


    ¡°Come with us, captain, but be careful,¡± said Hrake.


    Raivyn looked around, and noticed a distant shimmer on the hillside, near the peak and moving away from the Gladius. She fought the urge to look away, and concentrated on the spot.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got three individuals running away from the scene,¡± she said, pointing. ¡°They¡¯re using a perception bubble, so there¡¯s at least one powerful psychic. They¡¯re out of gun range and moving quickly, but they¡¯re on foot.¡±


    ¡°Hrake, come with me and Raivyn,¡± said Vanbrook. He turned to the guard captain. ¡°How quickly can we get some desert hounds saddled up?¡±

 Chapter 3.8: Crossed Swords

    Moments later, Vanbrook, Raivyn, and Hrake were tearing out of Gred¡¯s main gate once again, this time on the backs of three massive desert hounds. The hounds galloped along a river bank and then up the hill, eating up the ground at unbelievable speeds. Soon the trio of riders had crested the valley and were looking down the other side of the hill. They brought the hounds to a stop and surveyed the area.


    ¡°There!¡± said Raivyn, pointing to a shimmer heading towards a forest of short, broadly trunked trees and dense, shrubby undergrowth.


    The riders urged their mounts onward, pushing down the hill on the sure-footed hounds and quickly making it to the trees.


    ¡°Tie the hounds to a tree,¡± said Hrake, hoping off his mount. ¡°They¡¯re no good in the forest unless there¡¯s a wide trail.¡±


    Raivyn and Vanbrook obeyed and charged into the trees. A bullet crashed into a tree trunk by Vanbrook¡¯s head and he pulled back, trying to hide from the gunfire while pulling his saber and revolver.


    A blade slashed out from the undergrowth and Vanbrook parried it instinctively. He locked eyes with his foe. He knew the hateful blue glare all too well.


    ¡°Darvik,¡± he growled.


    The mortal enemies traded thrust and parry, each making the best of the difficult terrain they found themselves in. Darvik lost his footing and Vanbrook lashed out with a vicious but undisciplined swing that tore through the vegetation but was easily dodged. Vanbrook had to step back to avoid tripping over a root and Darvik found time to recover his footing.


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Vanbrook through gritted teeth.


    Darvik sighed, a tired and sorrowful look crossing his face. His visage quickly hardened into a scowl, and he lunged, trying to take Vanbrook by surprise. Vanbrook leapt to the side, nimbly avoiding the blade and the vegetation.


    As their duel raged on, Hrake and Raivyn found themselves pinned down by another attacker. Pistol rounds smacked into the trees all around them as they tried to take cover and determine where the shots were coming from. Hrake fired his rifle into the brush and heard a pained scream.


    Although at the same disadvantage as Darvik given the terrain, Vanbrook had gained the upper hand by adapting more quickly to the rough ground. He had committed the location of the tallest roots to memory and incorporated them into his movements, maintaining solid footing while forcing Darvik to constantly adjust his footing. Finally, Darvik stepped back to parry a sudden lunge, and found himself falling onto his back. Vanbrook was over him in a heartbeat,the tip of his blade pressed against his throat.


    Raivyn looked over in horror, but Vanbrook held his blade steady. Hrake kept his rifle trained on the brush where occasional pistol shots still erupted.


    "You''re going to die, Darvik," said Vanbrook.


    Darvik looked at him questioningly, then realization dawned on his face. "Oh, it''s still all about our old vendetta for you. About Wilbis."


    Vanbrook looked on menacingly, the point of his saber slowly pressing down.


    "I found something¡­ more," said Darvik, holding up his tattooed forearm.


    Vanbrook huffed indignantly. "Stand up, Darvik, I''m taking you in.¡±


    The thrumming sound of a hovercraft sounded alongside the crunch and snap of vegetation being run over. Everyone looked up to see a stout Talpidarian crashing through the brush in an antique hovercraft.


    ¡°Get in, idiots!¡± he cried, crouching below the steering wheel for cover. Cevla leapt into the backseat holding her upper arm with the opposite hand, reddened skin visible where Hrake¡¯s rifle had grazed her.


    Rentra drove straight towards Vanbrook, forcing him to dive out of the way and giving Darvik a chance to dive into the hovercraft.


    The two parties continued to trade fire, but the hovercraft quickly made its way out of the forest, leaving them behind.


    "To the hounds!" shouted Raivyn.


    They raced back to their mounts and gave chase, but the hovercraft had gained a considerable lead and outpaced them.


    "Rec, it''s Van," shouted Vanbrook into his comm. "Can the Gladius get out here!? We need to chase down some fugitives."


    "Sorry, Van," answered Reclan. "I''m working on cracking the magnetic lock devices the assassins put on the doors."


    "Assassins?" asked Vanbrook. "Who''d they kill?"


    "Just Trar-Brak, as far as we know," answered Reclan. "Roughed up some soldiers."


    "More on that later, who can you send? The Halberd?" Vanbrook asked.


    "The Halberd is taking on water, they''ll take too long to get airborne. I''ll get in touch with the Army," said Reclan. "They have a small transport here, the Sparrow, but it''s gonna take a while."


    "I don''t know how much time they have," said Vanbrook.


    The three riders pushed their hounds as hard as they could, but the hovercraft continued to pull away from them. Finally, the craft disappeared over a hill and, by the time they had reached the top, it had pulled into a ship.


    Vanbrook pulled his mount to a stop and watched the ship rumble to life and take to the skies.


    "Reclan, where''s that Army transport?" he asked bitterly.


    "They''ll be off the ground any minute," she replied.


    "Let them know their target is on the move," he said, watching the Koomite''s ship disappear into the blue skies.


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    Vanbrook turned his hound around. "We''re not doing any good here. We''ll need to report all this anyway. Any clue who that psychic was?"


    Raivyn''s face darkened. "I''m pretty sure I know. An assassin by the name of Cevla. The witch hunters have been after her for years."


    "Witch hunters?" asked Hrake.


    "Officially, they''re called the Republic Telepathic Services,¡± noted Vanbrook. ¡°But their detractors prefer ''witch hunters.'' In theory, they''re there to guide psychics in ethical use of their abilities, but more often than not they''re chasing down psychic criminals."


    "We''re lucky she''d been keeping a perception bubble up," said Raivyn, turning the subject back to Celva. "She must have been pretty drained by the time we caught up with them."


    "Talon Squad, this is Sparrow," said a voice over the comms. "We''re not seeing any evidence of a craft up here."


    "I''m afraid you''re a bit late, Sparrow," said Raivyn. "They''ve probably jumped already. They were clearly ready for a speedy exit."


    "Sorry, folks," said the voice.


    "I think they got the best of all us this time, Sparrow," said Vanbrook, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "We''ll get ''em back soon enough."


    ***


    The death of Fenyn, along with the Army pilot lost along with the shuttle, and the fact that assassins had infiltrated the Gladius had dampened the mood considerably among the Republic forces on Hruduk.


    When the Wingspan touched down next to the Gladius, the Halberd, and the Sparrow, it was met by a perfunctory group of officers, but not with the fanfare that it might have been. Jasken sighed as he walked down the ramp and out into the drizzling rain, greeting King Hrynkak, Elder Shaman Rehkna, Marine Grepk, Captain Kesht, Sargent Hargen, and all six members of Talon Squad with a nod.


    ¡°King Hrynkak. Elder Shaman Rehkna,¡± he said. ¡°Good to see you. How is Gred faring these days?¡±


    ¡°Very well, thanks to the Republic,¡± answered the King. ¡°My father has been soundly defeated and it appears the Koomites are no longer supplying them with arms. Am I to understand you are only passing through?¡±


    Jasken nodded. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re heading back out to the Cluster. We have friends there that need help, as well.¡±


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go to my palace,¡± Hrynkak replied. ¡°We can discuss it over a warm drink.¡±


    A short walk brought them back to the palace, and King Hrynkak led them to an ornate dining hall. The walls were typical of Hrudukite culture - stonework carved with geometric designs and inlaid with bronze and semi-precious stones. The group sat around a long wooden table.


    ¡°I hope it won¡¯t be considered rude if I request a breakfast tea of some kind as a beverage,¡± said Jasken, nodding to the king. ¡°I realize it¡¯s evening here, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve just started my day.¡±


    ¡°That is no trouble. A life lived in the heavens¨Cthe aether, you call it¨Cis quite foreign to me, but I will gladly accommodate you,¡± said Hrynkak.


    He turned to a servant and spoke to them in Hrudukite. Shortly thereafter, a parade of servants came in, placing an impressive spread of fruits and cheeses on the table, along with pitchers of wines and juices. A fragrant tea was set at Jasken¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Jasken in perfect Hrudukite. The servant smiled and nodded.


    The hissing syllables took Vanbrook off guard, but he managed to keep himself from looking over at the Admiral too suddenly. Reclan shot him an amused look but he ignored her.


    ¡°You treat servants with respect, Admiral,¡± noted Hrynkak. ¡°That is to your credit.¡±


    ¡°All sapients are worthy of respect,¡± said Jasken with a nod.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Hrynkak. ¡°I wish my father saw that. Perhaps you would be sitting at his table instead of mine.¡±


    ¡°Hrynkak hates all change,¡± chided Rehkna.


    ¡°But I also see that it is inevitable,¡± said Hrynkak, not bothering to refute the claim. ¡°Your people had space travel thrust upon them as well, I understand.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± answered Jasken. ¡°By the Astralbian Empire. They did not come as allies, though. After years of oppression, Humanity was contacted by another oppressed people, the Talpidarians. A secret communication network was established, and we went from harnessing steam to traveling the stars in a matter of decades. The Talpidarians were not much more advanced than we were, but they had a knack for making mechanical and electrical devices that mimicked Astralbian biotechnology. An alliance of Humans and Talpidarians traveled out of Astralbian space, finding the Dromeans and Krauqians as we fled. As they were also under the Empire¡¯s rule, we recruited a few of those willing to join our cause and eventually found Griffonia, where we established a headquarters and began fighting back.


    ¡°Once the Griffon Resistance proved too much for the Empire, they collapsed back to Astralbia Prime and started referring to themselves as a Kingdom. That was about three hundred years ago.


    ¡°Since then we have largely avoided Astralbia, pushing out the other direction as we explored. That¡¯s a large part of why we didn¡¯t discover Hruduk sooner; we had our back to you when we looked through our telescopes.


    ¡°Now I¡¯m afraid that we¡¯ve run right back into trouble with the Kingdom, which appears to be ramping up to declare itself an Empire once again. That¡¯s why we have to defend Gateway. It¡¯s the only known planet close enough to the rest of the Cluster to jump from, given our fuel, water, and shielding needs, and the Astralbian fleet appears to be heading in that direction. We¡¯re going to have a full military fleet waiting in the wings, but we hope that our presence will be enough to dissuade the Astralbians from doing anything drastic.¡±


    ¡°It seems that it was the Progenitor''s will that you arrived when you did,¡± said Hrynkak. "The failures of our gods, Rehkna''s prophecy of a better way, and Hrake''s witness of your arrival¡­ Had you arrived three hundred years earlier, I do not know what kind of reception you may have received.


    ¡°Though I wish it were not so, I believe we will be a space-faring species within the decade. Some of our greatest smiths have been studying your crafts and are eager to try their hands at it. They have drawn up beautiful plans, and I have told them I will not stop them, so long as their experiments do not endanger the city.¡±


    ¡°These smiths are no joke,¡± said Sargent Hargen. ¡°They picked my engineer¡¯s brain for an afternoon and next thing you know they¡¯re smelting iron.¡±


    Hrynkak smiled. Though the speed at which they were adapting these dangerous new ideas frightened him, he was proud to hear his people¡¯s skills lauded.


    The conversation continued for another hour or so, but eventually Jasken stood up.


    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, your majesty,¡± said the admiral. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid I really must get back to my ship. Talon Squad, feel free to spend one more night in the palace, but gather your things in the morning. By tomorrow I need you back on the Wingspan.¡±


    A chorus of ¡°yes, sirs¡± rang out and, after a few more pleasantries, the dinner party disbanded.


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s done, sir,¡± said Darvik. ¡°Trar-Bak is dead.¡±


    ¡°Well done, Darvik,¡± answered Hoon-Kra over the ripmed comm. ¡°Any other casualties?¡±


    ¡°No. Cevla¡¯s arm was grazed. A couple Republic goons got knocked out. Other than that, no damage done.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ll see you when you get back.¡±


    Darvik ended the transmission. The ship was small, and they couldn¡¯t afford to waste too much energy on communications.


    ¡°So you had history with that other duelist, huh?¡± asked Cevla. Her arm was bandaged and she was popping pain pills at an alarming rate.


    ¡°Yeah. Ugly history.¡±


    ¡°You really believe what you said?¡± asked the psychic, cocking her head to the side. ¡°Finding something ¡®more¡¯ with the cult?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re here, right?¡± asked Darvik, annoyed.


    Cevla shrugged. ¡°Groups like this are a great way to lay low.¡±


    ¡°I need a drink,¡± said Darvik, not in the mood for theological debate.


    Cevla smiled as he walked away. A true believer. She was surprised.

 Chapter 3.9: The New Nation

    Raivyn walked down the corridors of the palace one last time, out the massive bronze door and across the square to Rehkna¡¯s house. She knocked on the door and the elderly shaman shuffled to her door and greeted her.


    "I''m afraid I won''t be able to train with you anymore for a while, elder," said Raivyn.


    "A pity, to be sure," said the elder with a smile. "Just continue to practice what I''ve taught you. When you need it most, it will be revealed to you."


    Raivyn cocked her head in thought. "Is that a lesson, or a prophecy?"


    Rehkna laughed cheerily. "A few are blessed with psychic gifts. Fewer with visions from the Progenitor. Fewer still may be blessed with both. Farewell, Raivyn. You will see the fury of creation stilled by a mightier hand. You will know pain, yes, but also joy, in equal measure. I hope to celebrate the latter with you."


    Rehkna nodded her goodbye and retreated into her house, closing the door. Sensing that that was the final word, Raivyn bowed to the closed door in respect for the prophet and continued on to the Wingspan.


    ***


    High King Jylik''s fleet continued to push through the aether.


    "Your Highness," said a tree priest, walking into his command room. "Our hydration is fine but our travel shields are running low. We''ll have to make a stop soon and give the trees time to absorb solar radiation."


    ¡°Surely some portion of the fleet can push on,¡± said Jylik.


    ¡°Yes, my lord, I¡¯ll see to it that those best suited to doing so go ahead to the destination. It is possible we will lose a tree or two due to failed shielding.¡±


    "Acceptable,¡± said Jylik coolly. ¡°Are we near any settled worlds?"


    "No, but there are plenty of charted stars we could orbit."


    "Very well. Choose the one that will provide the most radiation in the shortest overall time frame. I want to arrive at Gateway as soon as possible."


    ***


    As they were leaving from Hruduk instead of Kirakna, the Wingspan''s next stop was adjusted to Glasaxia rather than the planned stop on Avonia. While this meant a significantly longer jump, it would reduce the downtime significantly.


    Jasken was happy to be heading back to the Cluster, though the Astralbian threat worried him. The Gladius had joined their fleet, hoping to track down Hoon-Kra''s cult, and Jasken was thankful for the extra firepower. Part of him hoped they¡¯d stick around long enough to face off against the Astralbians if it came to that.


    ¡°Admiral, this is Dekken,¡± said the engineer over Jasken¡¯s comm. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll be arriving at Glasaxia soon. We¡¯ll want to land to take on water, but this time the ice mining infrastructure will be in place. Oh, and apparently the station has an electric fence that¡¯s worked to keep out the muck newts, so that¡¯s good news.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear that,¡± said Jasken. The massive ambush predators had nearly claimed one of their scientists the last time they visited the icy world.


    Soon the dismal ochre sands and brown-black hydrocarbon seas of Glasaxia appeared before the Wingspan. One by one the Blue Griffon Fleet appeared in the skies and descended to the ice mining plant, located on the shore of a massive hydrocarbon lake.


    Jasken sent Dekken and a team of engineers to ensure the ice processing equipment was all in working order and properly attached to the ships, then made his way down to the stables. Ol¡¯ Blue was in sore need of some grooming and Jasken was in sore need of some down time. On his way down, he ran into Vanbrook, who was inexplicably wearing his aethersuit.


    ¡°What are you wearing, Specialist Vanbrook?¡± he asked imperiously.


    Vanbrook looked down at his outfit and fought down the urged to answer with ¡°an aethersuit.¡±


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d take a walk on the surface, Admiral,¡± he said. ¡°Clear my head.¡±


    Jasken looked around and saw Raivyn at a distance.


    ¡°Specialist Raivyn,¡± he called. ¡°Would you please escort Vanbrook on his excursion? Take a sample kit along. Bag anything that looks¡­ undiscovered.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± answered Raivyn, shooting Vanbrook an inscrutable glance.


    ***


    ¡°You could have killed him back on Hruduk,¡± said Raivyn a half hour later.


    They had walked around the inside of the plant¡¯s fence a few times now, sample kits still empty as they drudged through very discovered-looking ochre sludge.


    ¡°Darvik?¡± asked Vanbrook in response. ¡°Yeah. I guess I could have killed him.¡±


    He stopped to look at a muck newt, at least twice the size of the one they¡¯d seen on their first visit, as it slid into the inky liquid that made up the lake. After the last ripples dissipated, he continued on, seemingly unconcerned about the fact that he was beginning to form a rut around the fence line.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to be mad at me!¡± shouted Raivyn suddenly.


    Vanbrook turned to her in surprise.


    ¡°You were going to throw your life away, and I stopped you!¡± she continued, hurt and anger chasing each other across her face.


    Vanbrook held her gaze for a moment, his face hurt and thoughtful. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you, Rai,¡± he said finally. ¡°I¡¯m grateful.¡±


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    Raivyn looked at him, hurt replaced with confusion.


    ¡°Then why - ¡± why what? she asked herself. She wrestled with her thoughts for a moment. ¡°Why are you so angry all the time? Where¡¯s the Vanbrook who never misses a joke?¡±


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s the guy I did manage to kill back on Gateway,¡± said Vanbrook. He turned away and kept walking. Raivyn stared after him, unsure what to say.


    ***


    Hoon-Kra smiled as he watched another ship land. He had pulled marginalized populations from around the galaxy, including many gifted psychics and mercenaries, but that wasn¡¯t enough to claim nationhood.


    The incoming ship was special: it had children aboard. Koomia was finally settled enough to bring out families, so a good portion of Hoon-Kra''s clan were brought out to create the appearance of being an independent nation. Now, he was ready.


    He spread his arms wide as his youngest relatives streamed out of the ship. Hugs and handshakes were exchanged. Cameras caught it all, of course.


    "We were sorry to hear of your mother''s passing," said a cousin.


    Another patted his shoulder and winked.


    Some of the other Koomite settlers came out of their ships or their hastily built shacks and greeted the newcomers. The encampment had been fenced in and something of a town had sprung up. While they were not fully self-sufficient when it came to the niceties of space travel and luxury, Koomia was a verdant planet that offered everything the Koomites would need to survive.


    In the center of the camp stood a tall stone stage, and a sculptor was hard at work forming a stone figure that rested on it.


    Dismissing the sculptor, Hoon-Kra leapt onto the stage and addressed the crowd.


    "Welcome, Clan Zyrp!" said Hoon-Kra. "Please, make yourselves at home. Your arrival marks the beginning of Koomia not only as a religion, but as a nation!"


    When the cheering died down he added, "To that end, I must go make some very important calls!"


    ***


    Sipping a cup of rakka, Mairen sat down at her station on the bridge of the Wingspan. She smiled at Jasken in greeting, and he returned the gesture with a curt nod. Rolling her eyes internally at the man''s stubborn stoicism, she turned her attention to the screens and readouts that fed her more data in an hour than most people would look at in a day. A small alert icon on her main screen caught her attention. Tapping the icon, she frowned as she read the notification.


    "Admiral, you''re going to want to see this," she said.


    "What''s this?" asked Jasken as he walked over. "An IGC alert?"


    Jasken read the notification. His naturally melancholic face grew stony as he read.


    "So the Koomites have claimed a world now, have they?"


    "Looks that way," said Mairen in disbelief. "And the IGC is recognizing them as an independent nation."


    "How could they have gotten through all the red tape?" asked Jasken. "There''s no way this is actually to Code."


    Mairen shrugged. "Hoon-Kra is well-connected. He almost certainly had someone in the IGC working for him to help provide cover for Zrykyk. If he managed to have the proper paperwork filed and met the minimum threshold for declaring independence, the Code is pretty lenient on these kinds of things. Unless his ships are stolen from their former governments or other similar crimes can be proven, the claim likely holds up."


    "How about harboring fugitives?"asked Jasken "Or sending assassins?"


    Mairen shook her head. "He can denounce the murders and still refuse to extradite. He''s played his hand extremely well."


    "What''s this part at the end?" asked Jasken. "Some world called ''T''Lakia'' is listed under ''other claims.¡¯"


    Mairen clicked on the word "T''Lakia" to bring up the data file. Jasken stared at the page a moment.


    "Does that say ''Glasaxian System?''" he asked aloud.


    "I''m afraid it does, sir," said Mairen, turning to the Admiral. "Looks like we''ve got neighbors."


    Two more notifications popped up. Jasken shook his head.


    "They activated their beacons," he said, irritated. "Okay, get Grepk on the comm. He''s-" yet another alert popped up, this one notifying them that Grepk was already calling them, "going to want to talk about this."


    Jasken walked back over to his chair and sat facing his own screen, then answered the call.


    "Captain Grepk," he said when the Marine appeared on his screen. "I take it this is about the Koomites?"


    "Yes, sir," answered Grepk. "We''re under your command at the moment, but we''d like leave to investigate T''Lakia. There''s a good chance our assassins are still there."


    "You have it, Grepk. But strictly as a matter of reconnaissance. Koomia may only be a nation by way of bureaucratic sleight of hand, but we are honor-bound to respect the Code."


    A wave of anger swept across Grepk''s features. Jasken noted it but was impressed at how well he kept his composure.


    "As you say, Admiral," said Grepk.


    ***


    "One more group of worms we''ll have to crush," said Jylik when he saw the notification that a new nation had just been established in the Cornucopia Cluster.


    "Let me see, my lord," said Trilia.


    She looked over the notification on the membranous screen in Jylik¡¯s command room. ¡°Ah, Koomites! This could work in our favor.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± asked Jylik doubtfully.


    ¡°According to our spies, the Koomites worship power,¡± answered Trilia. ¡°Mostly that of the aether beast Koo L¡¯Koom, but they respect anyone who can demonstrate power.¡±


    ¡°You think we can subjugate them through a show of force?¡± asked Jylik, more interested now.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± answered Trilia. ¡°But it may be wiser to ally ourselves with them long enough to drive the Republic from the Cluster.¡±


    ¡°Ally ourselves with worms?¡± asked Jylik coolly.


    ¡°Long enough to drive off the Republic,¡± repeated Trilia. ¡°After that, we can put them in their proper place.¡±


    Jylik nodded. ¡°I will think about this. For now, Gateway is our primary concern.¡±


    ***


    After instructing Grepk to meet them at Gateway when possible, Jasken hung up and began making preparations to leave Glasaxia. They had filled their water tanks and their travel shields were ready to make the jump.


    On the observation deck of the bridge, Talon Squad settled into seats and strapped in for take off along with most of the rest of the crew of the Wingspan. Vanbrook took a seat next to Raivyn. He glanced over at her and saw that her hands were shaking.


    ¡°Hey, uh, you okay?¡± he asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Huh?¡± she asked, snapped out of her thoughts by Vanbrook¡¯s voice. ¡°Oh, yeah, fine.¡± she paused. ¡°Um, it¡¯s just that, uh, this is the jump. From last time.¡±


    ¡°The jump from¡­ oh,¡± said Vanbrook, remembering the last time they left Glasaxia to head toward the Cornucopia Cluster, when the aether squid had attacked them. It had been a memorably bad experience for all involved, but only Raivyn had to deal with the brunt of the squid¡¯s psychic presence. Clearly it had shaken her more than he¡¯d realized. Honestly, he was surprised to learn she could be shaken. As far as he knew, Raivyn had been born the toughest sapient being in the galaxy.


    ¡°You know what?¡± said Vanbrook, feigning confidence. ¡°It¡¯s a big galaxy. I think we¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me,¡± she said sulkily.


    ¡°I would never!¡± said Vanbrook sarcastically. He pointed over to D¡¯Jarric and spoke up loud enough for the Solaran to hear him. ¡°Look, you see that big yellow oaf sitting on the other side of you?¡±


    D¡¯Jarric leaned over to stare at Vanbrook with quizzical amusement.


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to let any aether beasts get away with any aether beast shenanigans,¡± continued Vanbrook. ¡°I don¡¯t know how, and he¡¯s certainly not going to explain it, but I promise you he¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    ¡°And I am equally certain that the small, mouthy oaf on that side of you,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, pointing at Vanbrook, ¡°will be by my side with his saber, which will certainly intimidate an aether beast.¡±


    Raivyn shook her head, smiling despite her best efforts. She looked at D¡¯Jarric and then Vanbrook and nodded her thanks to each, hoping they couldn¡¯t see the tears welling up in her eyes.

 Chapter 3.10: Back to the Cluster

    A bolt hovered in midair for a moment before falling to the deck of the Liberty with a small clink. Elated, Crush looked sincerely at Yrinla.


    "Well done, Admiral!" exclaimed the tree priestess. "You''ve made exceptional progress."


    The Free Revolutionary Fleet had landed on a small rocky world in the Cornucopia Cluster to address some maintenance issues, and Crush had taken the downtime to practice her telekinesis.


    She reached out once again with her mind, trying to grasp the bolt, but her comm buzzed, breaking her concentration.


    "Captain Hacksaw," she said, greeting her officer. "What''s the status on repairs?"


    "All completed, Admiral," answered Hacksaw. "We''re ready to take off and, as a matter of fact, we''ve got a small job lined up."


    "Hmm. How small?" she asked thoughtfully.


    "It''s another pirate issue in Baron Flubbyn''s territory. This time it''s a seek-and-destroy order concerning a single independent pirate ship."


    "Send the Liberty under Captain Tank''s command, along with a support ship and plenty of boarding skiffs and munitions," she said decisively. "The whole fleet won''t be needed for that."


    "Are you sure, Admiral?" asked Hacksaw. "We won''t find much work way out here."


    "Maybe not yet, but the Cluster is going to draw explorers and settlers by millions," answered Crush. "It may pay handsomely to have a base of operations in the area."


    "Of course, Admiral. But you may want to give Flubbyn a call personally. Wabuluban aristocrats expect to talk directly to those they do business with and are notoriously sensitive about it."


    "Thank you, Captain, I will be sure to do so," said Crush.


    Ending the comm, she looked to Yrinla. "Sorry, business before training."


    "I understand," she replied. "Perhaps it''s time we stop for today, regardless. The world we''ve landed on is fairly barren, but I''ve been able to extract the minerals necessary to grow a deep aether scanner in your tree. The lack of atmosphere has allowed the tree to absorb far more solar radiation than would be possible on a more vibrant world with an atmosphere."


    ¡°Will that help you find your people¡¯s homeland?¡± asked Crush.


    ¡°I believe so,¡± said Yrinla. ¡°I¡¯ll be looking for certain atmospheric signatures that could indicate the appropriate conditions for star tree growth. The search could take hours or months. Sifting through possible worlds could take months or years.¡±


    Crush looked intently at the elderly priestess. She would have preferred that she had boosted the weapons capabilities of the tree, or maybe thickened the shielding. However, she never would have scratched the surface of her abilities without Yrinla¡¯s help.


    ¡°We can continue training another time,¡± said Crush. ¡°Let me know what you find.¡±


    ***


    Chewing on the end of a stylus, Chully looked sullenly out of one of the Gladius¡¯s viewports as T¡¯Lakia came into view. It was a small, dirty-white ice ball with no atmosphere to speak of. At least the size would make it easier to scan for infrastructure.


    Worlds like this always made Chully miss Kerucester. He had no interest in deep space exploration. Leave that to the Navy. He was a detective, not a pioneer.


    ¡°I love seeing new worlds,¡± said Grepk, walking up beside Chully to look out the viewport.


    Chully turned to him, a reproachful look on his face.


    ¡°The scanners are all on,¡± said Grepk, ignoring the side-eyed glance he was getting. ¡°If there¡¯s any notable infrastructure here we should be aware of it in the next couple of hours.¡±


    ¡°And I trust you won¡¯t be blowing this entire ice ball to smithereens if we find something?¡± asked Chully.


    Grepk¡¯s attitude chilled suddenly. ¡°I know my job, Agent. This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve lost someone. I won¡¯t engage without just cause, and I doubt they¡¯ll give it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± said Chully coolly without looking over.


    A comm alert sounded, breaking the tension between the two. Grepk walked up to the bridge to see what the call was about, Chully following close behind. Huluna was already on the bridge tapping away at the communications and scanner screen. The contact information was unknown, but the source was local.


    ¡°Looks like they found us first,¡± said Grepk, answering the comm.


    A grumpy looking Krauqian female appeared on the screen. ¡°You are in sovereign Koomite territory. Leave immediately.¡±


    ¡°Funny you should mention sovereign territory,¡± replied Grepk. ¡°We had an unscheduled visit from some friends of yours on Hruduk. Came right on to our ship, if you can believe that. Wondered if maybe you¡¯d seen them?¡±


    ¡°I repeat, you are in sovereign Koomite territory. Leave immediately,¡± said the Krauqian. This time the tone was more menacing.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Grepk in mock-defeat. ¡°We¡¯ll just swing around your world and be on our way.¡±


    ¡°You will leave immediately,¡± demanded the Koomite.


    ¡°Immediately after we swing around, the Code allows us that much,¡± said Grepk casually. ¡°You are a Code-abiding nation, are you not?¡±


    The Krauquian was visibly shaking with anger when she terminated the call.


    Grepk¡¯s antennae tilted up in a self-satisfied smile. ¡°Agent Huluna, do we have a location?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we should be in view of their station shortly, and we should be able to gather some intel as we pass by,¡± said Huluna. ¡°Shields are at full capacity so if they want to get shooty we¡¯ll be ready for them.¡±


    ***


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    Darvik looked down at T¡¯Lakia Station as their ship took off, preparing to jump with another ship of civilians making the pilgrimage to Koomia. The first stop was Gateway, where they¡¯d have to take on water and recharge travel shields.


    A bright spot appeared over the horizon, presumably the Gladius. Darvik shook his head. Let them take a look. Their precious Code would keep them from doing anything more.


    The jump to Koomia was a long one, but it had been well-traveled by now and most of the shield-shattering debris had been cleared from the route. Bored to tears during the jump and unwilling to spend more time with his companions than absolutely necessary, Darvik had taken to exercising in the cargo room when he wasn¡¯t passed out in his bunk.


    One day, when they had nearly reached Gateway, Cevla stopped by to talk to him.


    ¡°Hey, stranger,¡± she said.


    Darvik rolled his eyes and turned away, practicing a sword drill.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, I can¡¯t take another conversation with Rentra,¡± she said amiably. ¡°It¡¯s not that he¡¯s a bad guy, it¡¯s just that he has all the personality and charm of an asteroid.¡±


    ¡°Look, I keep to myself,¡± said Darvik. He winced, a sudden, passing headache bothering him for a moment. ¡°Try it some time.¡±


    Cevla snorted and turned from the room. Then she cried out and collapsed to the floor, holding her head. Darvik dropped his saber and ran over.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked gruffly.


    ¡°Something- something¡¯s out there!¡± she cried, voice thick with panic. Then she collapsed, out cold.


    ***


    The Wingspan came out of its jump with Gateway in view. The other members of the Blue Griffon Fleet followed close behind, and the Gladius was supposed to be meeting them shortly, though their detour to T¡¯Lakia would cost them a few days.


    Landing on the crowded airfield around the once-tranquil lake Talon Squad had crashed into a few months ago, Jasken exited the Wingspan with Fenrik.


    "Admiral, Captain," said a Wabuluban with purple and blue mottled skin and a clipboard, marching up to them on mechanical legs the moment they stepped off their ramp.


    "General Grubula, I presume?" asked Jasken.


    "Yes," responded the glassy-eyed general. "Head of the Gateway joint task force command. As you can see, our landing zone is lousy with opponents and competition." He gestured vaguely to the shipyard, which was packed with Griffon Republic ships as well as those of the PIC, the Wabuluban Kingdom, and a smattering of other smaller nations and factions, all looking to explore and leverage the Cornucopia Cluster. Members of those same factions bustled around the field, going about their business.


    "The locals refuse to grant land rights even on a temporary basis," grumbled Grubula, "so there''s no way to peacefully clear the scum-sucking profiteers out, despite the fact that we were the first ones here."


    Jasken nodded noncommittally. "After topping off our water supply, we intend to keep the Blue Griffin Fleet in orbit as a deterrent to Naval attacks until additional forces arrive or the tensions ease up. After that, we hope to return to the Fleet''s primary objective of exploration."


    "And if there''s war?" asked Grubula knowingly.


    "We''ll ease the tension by driving the enemy away then, won''t we?" responded Jasken coolly.


    Grubula nodded agreeably. For a Wabuluban this essentially meant rocking their entire octopus-like body back and forth atop their mechanical legs. If Jasken saw any humor in the display, it did not show on his face.


    "I understand the Shairet have been very hospitable, despite the land rights issue?" asked Jasken.


    Grubula shifted uncomfortably. "I suppose. They won''t work with psychics. Scared of them, I suppose, which I daresay I understand. They''re also skittish and struggle with the Talpaertan language. Their mouths are more like the Raki than other humanoids, so we brought on some language coaches from Kirakna."


    "And can we understand or speak their language?"


    Grubula shrugged. "A little. That''s proving difficult as well, but the Code requires it."


    So does common decency, thought Jasken, though he didn''t say it.


    ***


    Later that day, Talon Squad walked out onto the shore, looking around at the transformed landscape.


    "Things look a little different than when we were first here," said Vanbrook casually.


    "Indeed they do," said Hrake, pointing to a stone building rising from the lake. The small fortress was made entirely of stones no larger than a fist and glued together with a translucent mortar. There was a gangway of bamboo-like plants woven together that led to the fort''s door.


    An excited-looking Shairet emerged from the doorway and waved them over. He was typical of his species; thin, but not particularly tall, with four arms, a mottled yellow and green exoskeleton, and a long pair of antennae hanging out beyond his shoulders on either side of his head.


    "They said you were coming soon. They said so," said the insectoid in a thick accent. He must have spent hours a day practicing to be so fluent in such a short time, but it was obvious from the loose formation of consonants that he still struggled to make the strange new sounds.. "Do you remember me, Hrake?"


    At this point the Shairet held out one of its hands, holding out a Raki shell harp. Hrake smiled warmly.


    "My friend from the cove!" he said.


    "Yes, yes, that fateful day," said the Shairet. "I know your name now, of course, and with you are Doc Manford the Robot, Reclan the Dromean, D''Jarric the Solaran, and Raivyn and Vanbrook the Humans.


    "My name, as well as could be put into your tongue, is Chreep. We are having such difficulty with the names! Our natural vocalizations are more like bird calls than ape howling, and many different names sound all too similar in your tongue, though they sound different enough in our own."


    "Good to meet you, Chreep," said Hrake.


    "Yes, yes," answered Chreep. "It is good. But please, come inside. There is much we would like to discuss with you.¡±


    ***


    Darvik carried Cevla¡¯s limp form to her bunk and tossed her in. He turned to leave, then sighed and checked her pulse and breathing. It looked like she was fine, though she would occasionally toss her head or turn over like she was having a nightmare. Again, he was about to leave when her eyes snapped open. Only, instead of Cevla¡¯s blue eyes, all Darvik saw was glowing red. The crimson orbs stared blankly at the ceiling, and Cevla remained motionless on her bunk.


    ¡°Hey,¡± called Darvik over his comm to Rentra. ¡°Cevla¡¯s having some kind of episode. Seemed like she got a headache, now she¡¯s comatose and her eyes are glowing, you know anything about this?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± came the reply. ¡°Is this some stupid joke? Nevermind, I forgot you don¡¯t have a sense of humor. You say her eyes are glowing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Darvik. ¡°Do we call Koomia or what?¡±


    ¡°Nah, we¡¯re supposed to stay quiet,¡± said Rentra dismissively. ¡°Besides, what are they gonna tell us? As long as she stays quiet, we-¡±


    ¡°MAYDAY, MAYDAY,¡± came an emergency message, interrupting Rentra¡¯s thought, ¡°This is the Glory requesting immediate assistance!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the ship we launched from T¡¯Lakia with?¡± asked Darvik, running up to the cockpit to join Rentra.


    ¡°Yeah, shut up and let ¡®em talk,¡± answered Rentra.


    ¡°We have been- been pulled out of our jump,¡± continued the transmission. ¡°Something has us- there¡¯s-¡± the transmission cut off with a terrible scream.


    ¡°Can we call Koomia now!?¡± demanded Darvik.


    Rentra frantically fired up the ripmed comms.


    ¡°Koomia, this is Rentra, come in!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°Rentra, why are you wasting energy on a ripmed call?¡± came Hoon-Kra¡¯s voice.


    ¡°The Glory has been attacked, pulled out of a jump!¡± replied Rentra.


    ¡°Oh?¡± asked Hoon-Kra. ¡°Then the rumors are true. T¡¯Lak lives, and so very near us. Do not return to help the Glory. Those aboard are dead. They were made to face a power that they could not stand against. Let it be a lesson to us all: the beasts take what they want.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more,¡± said Darvik. ¡°It¡¯s Cevla. She got a headache and collapsed just before we got the call. Then her eyes got all¡­ spooky. She¡¯s still in some kind of coma.¡±


    ¡°She- she communed with the beasts?¡± asked Hoon-Kra, awe in his voice. ¡°All the more reason to come back immediately. I must speak with her at once.¡±


    The transmission ended.

 Chapter 3.11: The Krikifruit Quest

    Talon Squad sat on the floor around a low table with Chreep. Made of the same vegetable stalks as the gangway outside the tower, Vanbrook was surprised at how sturdy it was. He turned to look at the flooded stairwell on the side of the room opposite the doorway.


    ¡°That will take you down the tower to the lakebed, where we keep our homes,¡± said Chreep, noticing the glance.


    ¡°Did you build all this in the past few months?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°Yes, yes indeed,¡± answered Chreep. ¡°We realized quickly that not all ¡®sapients¡¯ breathe both air and water as we do, so we built this tower to provide a place for conversations. It is strange to build above the water, but we are quite happy with how it turned out.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± said Reclan, running her hands along the mosaic pebble floor. ¡°How did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Just like any other building,¡± said Chreep. ¡°Lakestones and spit.¡±


    Reclan pulled her hand away from the floor.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Chreep. ¡°¡®Spit¡¯ is not quite right. It¡¯s a gluey substance the Shairet can excrete from a gland within the mouth. I understand that this, also, is not the norm.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s a first for me,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°But the tower is beautiful.¡±


    Chreep nodded. ¡°Thank you, Vanbrook. However, I am afraid I did not ask you here to admire our craftsmanship. The Shairet ask for your help with a harvest.¡±


    ¡°A harvest of what?¡± asked Raivyn, cocking her head.


    ¡°Krikifruits,¡± said Chreep.


    ¡°Why do you need our help to harvest these¡­ krikifruits?¡± asked Raivyn.


    ¡°Because of the¨Clet me think¨Cyes, spider apes,¡± said Chreep, elated to have found the right words. ¡°I believe you would call them spider apes in your language.¡±


    ¡°Um- what?¡± asked Reclan.


    ¡°Spider apes,¡± said Chreep a third time.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what we thought you said. How do they relate to the fruits?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°They live in the trees that the fruits grow in,¡± said Chreep.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer the question: why do you need our help?¡± asked Raivyn again.


    ¡°It has been some time since we were able to reap a harvest,¡± said Chreep, his voice heavy. ¡°And it shows. The fruit¡¯s juices help our children to grow strong. Without them, they become sickly. But our orchard, the only source of the fruit within a thousand miles, was infested with spider apes, and we have, to our shame, not cleared them out. Some tried. They were killed.¡±


    "We can travel that in a day," offered Raivyn. "Can we take you to these other orchards?"


    Chreep shook his head. "No, those belong to another tribe. All orchards are claimed by tribes, and taking from others means war. The least bloody option is to retake our own orchard."


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask anyone else?¡± asked Raivyn.


    ¡°We have seen you fight, Talon Squad!¡± answered Chreep. ¡°And fought beside you.¡±


    Raivyn recalled the scuffle with the PIC¡¯s Xanthous Brotherhood.


    ¡°So you have,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°The Council was hesitant to ask for help in this matter at all,¡± said Chreep. ¡°The truth is they were hesitant to ask even you, but they gave in. Our young ones¡¯ limbs are shriveled. We must do this.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°We¡¯ll have to ask our Admiral. For now, why don¡¯t you tell us a little more about these spider apes?¡±


    ***


    The Gladius had come out of its jump and approached the source of the Glory¡¯s distress beacon. Krum-Bahk looked out of the viewport from where he sat behind Grepk in the cockpit.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it,¡± said Huluna in awe.


    The remains of the Glory were little more than some bits of scrap metal and a misshapen ball that was once the fuselage of the ship. It was torn inside out, as if a giant had reached in through the nose, grabbed the rear thrusters from the inside, and pulled them out. Perhaps that was exactly what happened.


    ¡°Do we search for survivors?¡± asked Krum-Bahk.


    Grepk sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine there are any, but, yeah, we¡¯d better. Suit up.¡±


    Shortly thereafter Grepk, Krum-Bahk, and Keshri were floating through the aether in their suits, sifting through the wreckage.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be worried that thing might come back?¡± asked Keshri.


    ¡°Probably,¡± said Grepk. ¡°But it seems unlikely. It doesn¡¯t seem like it stays in one place. Think of how far it is from where it attacked the Wingspan. It¡¯s not that far via jump, but as far as we can tell, it¡¯s just¡­ swimming around in the aether.¡±


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Krum-Bahk shuddered.


    A few more moments searching proved to the Marines that there were no survivors. They headed back to the Gladius and began the last leg of their jump to Gateway.


    ***


    After discussing the matter with Jasken, Talon Squad loaded up their ATUC and met the Shairet back at the tower. The Admiral was happy to hear they had an ¡®in¡¯ with the locals and was happy to clear them for the mission.


    Chreep stood ready to go with two crossbowmen.


    "This is Chrip and Cheerp," said Chreep. "My brother and sister."


    "You, uh, weren''t kidding about the name thing earlier, huh?" asked Vanbrook.


    "They are coming with us," said Chreep, not responding to Vanbrook''s remark. "It is a day''s hike, we must start now."


    "Hop on," said Raivyn. "We''ll be there within an hour."


    It took some convincing, but the skittish Shairets eventually agreed to climb onto the hovercraft and they were off, with Vanbrook, Reclan, D''Jarric, and Hrake crammed in the cargo bed to make room for their guests.


    Chreep sat by Raivyn up front and directed her through the forested path that led from the lake to the top of a nearby hill where the orchard grew.


    "Stop here," said Chreep. "We can move on foot from here to sneak up on the apes.¡±


    Pulling the ATUC onto the side of the path, Raivyn and the others piled out and followed Chreep up the road. The wild forest gave way to slightly more organized chaos, and tall, rubbery trees with twisted, leafy branches began to dominate the landscape. Vanbrook looked up into the branches and noted that they were weighed down by large, red globes.


    ¡°These are the krikifruits?¡± he asked in a whisper.


    ¡°Yes, yes they are,¡± answered Chreep. ¡°The apes will be in the branches. We must move cautiously; stay to the outside of the orchard and keep your eyes pointed to the sky.¡±


    The group fanned out, weapons trained on the canopy.


    ¡°That¡¯s far enough,¡± said Chreep. ¡°Wait for them to come to us.¡±


    They stood for a tense hour, watching the trees but seeing no movement.


    One of the crossbowers chittered and tweeted excitedly. Chreep responded in a chiding tone. The crossbower waved him off and walked further into the grove.


    ¡°The fool thinks the spider apes have abandoned the orchard,¡± he whispered hoarsely. ¡°They are only biding their- ¡±


    A hissing scream sounded from above and a gorilla-like form fell from the branches, a thread of some kind attached to its back. It was jet black and covered in coarse, coal-colored hair, its four limbs ending in clawed hands. The spider-like red eyes and glistening fangs were trained on the foolish Shairet who dared to walk into its territory. The spider ape slammed into the crossbowman before he knew what happened. Using its arms to grab its prey and its double-jointed legs to pull itself back up the web it had descended on, it was there and gone before anyone could react. A sickening crunch was the only sound that came from the place where predator and prey had disappeared.


    The group fell back and instinctively huddled together. Raivyn put her hands to her temples and sought out the enemy. She had not known what to look for before, and the jumbled mess of animal minds had made searching for the spider apes an impossible task. The ambush had been brief, but Raivyn followed the psychic signature of the attacker back to its source and then looked for similar creatures.


    ¡°There¡¯s nine of them,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°They¡¯re more territorial than hungry. I doubt I can calm them down, but I might be able to confuse them, maybe even get them to fight one another.¡±


    Reaching out with her mind, Raivyn tried to muddle spider apes¡¯ minds. Hissing and howling emanated from the tree tops, which began to thrash violently. A crumpled form fell from the branches and struck the ground. Another form fell, this one landing on its feet and roaring at the hunting party.


    Getting a better look this time, Vanbrook noted that the beast was about five feet tall, barrel-chested and had a toothy maw hidden behind its spider-like fangs. A hail of gunfire erupted and a crossbow bolt buried itself in the ape¡¯s forehead. It crumpled by its dead comrade¡¯s broken form.


    Two more spider apes crashed out of the branches, wrestling on the ground. Vanbrook moved to fire on them but saw another monster leap from the branches above, straight towards the group. He swung his revolver up and fired. The beast bowled him over, but the fangs and claws no longer had the strength of life in them.


    As Vanbrook rose, he saw that deft crossbow bolts had finished off the two that had been fighting each other.


    ¡°That¡¯s five down,¡± noted Doc.


    The final four spider apes crashed to the ground together. Three were the same approximate size as the others, but the last one was closer to eight feet tall. It stomped after the others, grabbing one by the leg and smashing it into one of the fruit trees, nearly breaking the smaller ape in two. Gunfire quickly downed the other two.


    Raivyn shouted and slammed a concentrated T-bolt into the giant spider ape¡¯s forehead. It stumbled forward a few paces and then crashed to the ground, landing only a few feet from the party.


    Vanbrook turned to Raivyn, his eyebrow arched. ¡°What did you do to those poor things?¡±


    ¡°Something horrible,¡± said Chreep angrily. ¡°I should have said before I brought you: do not do such things! The spider apes may be beasts, but they deserve better.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me!?¡± demanded Raivyn. ¡°You asked for our help. We did so to the best of our ability. If you don¡¯t like how we operate, don¡¯t ask for our help again!¡±


    Chreep fidgeted, feeling chastened. ¡°This discussion is for another time. At least our children will have what they need. Come, we must gather what fruit we can now, as well as Chrip¡¯s body.¡±


    The mood remained somber and awkward as Chrip''s remains were disentangled from the branches and a crate of ruby red krikifruits were gathered. The drive back was uncomfortably quiet, and Chrip''s remains were carried into the tower and down the steps into the lake.


    The fruits, on the other hand, were received gratefully by council and quickly distributed to the younger members of the village.


    Once the work was done, Chreep walked back over to Talon Squad.


    "We will have that conversation now, Raivyn. Though the council has requested you meet with them in the village proper, if possible."


    Raivyn nodded. ¡°I have clothes that will allow that.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll be coming along,¡± growled Vanbrook.


    ¡°Vanbrook, that¡¯s not necessary,¡± protested Raivyn.


    ¡°No way Jasken will sign off on you going by yourself,¡± said Vanbrook firmly.


    Raivyn rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine.¡±


    ***


    Crush had shut down for a while, sitting cross-legged on the ground and resting her circuits, allowing herself to recharge in the radiation-heavy atmosphere of the world she¡¯d settled on. Her head snapped up and her dulled eyes brightened back to life. She stood up, nearly running to find Yrinla.


    The tree priestess was humming quietly to herself as she worked on Crush¡¯s star tree.


    ¡°Yrinla,¡± said Crush, grabbing the elderly Astralbian by the arm.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Admiral Crush?¡± asked Yrinla, confused by the sudden interruption.


    ¡°The world you''re looking for,¡± said Crush, pacing. ¡°Do you know what path the ancient tree priests took from it to get to Astralbia Prime?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Yrinla. She paused and thought. ¡°There are theories, and one does point to the Cluster, generally, but not definitively.


    ¡°Cross reference it with theoretical trajectories for the asteroid that brought core crystals to Aerat,¡± urged Crush.


    Yrinla cocked her head, looking intently at the Robot¡¯s face. ¡°Why?¡±


    Crush held her head in her hands as she spoke. ¡°I had - I think I had a dream.¡±

 Chapter 3.12: Madness

    Dressed in their aether gear, Raivyn and Vanbrook descended the stairs in the tower, walking down into an underwater world. Their heavy gear allowed them to stay grounded to the steps, which seemed to go on forever.


    The stairwell was made of the same smooth, multicolored stones and biologically-sourced mortar as the rest of the tower. The walls were decorated with swirling lines of a softly glowing blue film that provided light as they descended.


    "Your scientists call it something that sounds like ''bilumescent algi,''" said Chreep, seeing their gaze. He was wearing an air-filled helmet and a microphone so he would be able to translate for the council. "We call it glow moss."


    Vanbrook nodded, admiring the architecture as they exited the long stairway and could look back at the tower they had descended through. It rose up over a hundred feet from the lakebed to where it pierced above the surface.


    They plodded along the sandy floor to a collection of small stone huts built in and around a massive rock formation jutting up out of the lakebed. The houses were outlined by more of the glow moss, formed into the same delicate swirling patterns that they had seen in the stairwell.


    Village business, completely invisible from the surface, appeared to be thriving down below. Shairet swam and scuttled to and fro; a sizable number tended to a large bed of aquatic vegetation bearing the large green fruits that made up a sizable portion of their diet, while children tossed colored stones back and forth in some kind of game and a group of weavers made mats and articles of clothing. A smith of some kind leaned out of an overhang in the rock that appeared to be filled with air, quenching his latest creation in the lake water. Looking closely, Vanbrook watched the smith retreat back into the rock, presumably into a workroom filled with air rather than water. Despite the weighty nature of their visit, Vanbrook couldn¡¯t help but be amazed and impressed by the underwater village.


    Chreep led them to a particularly large structure that stood in the middle of the others. Inside, Raivyn and Vanbrook realized that it was a kind of longhouse. It was only one massive room, a long, low-lying table taking up most of the floor space. The table was adorned with a very dense pattern of glow moss, lighting up the features of the half dozen or so Shairet who sat around it.


    A whistling and chirping noise filled the room.


    ¡°The council asks you to join them at the table,¡± translated Chreep.


    Raivyn and Vanbrook obliged, sitting down cross-legged and placing their hands on their knees, mirroring the council¡¯s body language. The lead council member resumed her speech and Chreep continued to translate.


    ¡°Raivyn of the Griffon Republic. We are told that you are a psychic, and that you used your abilities to clear the spider apes from the orchard,¡± he said. ¡°We are grateful for your aid in saving our children, but find the use of psychic powers extremely upsetting. What if you were to succumb to the madness?¡±


    ***


    Far overhead, Darvik watched over Cevla. They had been orbiting Gateway for a little while, charging their shields for their final jump back to Koomia.


    Cevla¡¯s sleep had become much more peaceful and her eyes had closed, but she showed no signs of waking up. He had taken to checking in on her occasionally, but he was by no means a doctor and could only guess that the more peaceful disposition was a sign she was recovering. Just as he was about to turn and leave the room, her eyes snapped open, glowing with bloody crimson light.


    ***


    ¡°The madness?¡± asked Raivyn. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Chreep took a moment to translate to the council and then interpret their response. ¡°The madness. Our ancestors found that those who used powers such as yours would go mad, chanting the names of wicked gods and becoming gibbering fools or dangerous maniacs.¡±


    ¡°I have never heard of any such thing,¡± huffed Raivyn irritably.


    It was the sort of thing the anti-psychic and superstitious would conjure up to scare people. Psychics were largely accepted as a part of life in the Griffon Republic, and many cultures held them in high regard, but as long as there were differences between people, there would be those who resented the difference.


    ¡°Nonetheless, it is our experience,¡± said Chreep.


    ***


    Darvik took a few steps back.


    ¡°Cevla?¡± he asked, his hand instinctively reaching for his saber.


    Cevla turned her head, crimson orbs locking onto Darvik. ¡°T¡¯Lak. T¡¯Lak. T¡¯Lak.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was nearby when you collapsed,¡± said Darvik cautiously.


    A burst of T-waves exploded from Cevla¡¯s mind, throwing Darvik into the wall.


    ***


    ¡°And what do you do with those among you with psychic abilities?¡± asked Raivyn pointedly.


    Chreep squirmed, but quickly translated the question.


    ¡°Depends on the tribe,¡± came the answer. ¡°Some worship them as prophets of the gods, some kill them. We send psychics of our tribe into exile.¡±


    Raivyn gritted her teeth.


    ***


    Darvik woke from a brief blackout to find Cevla standing over him, her head cocked to the side, repeating the name over and over.


    ¡°T¡¯Lak. T¡¯Lak. T¡¯Lak.¡±


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    Standing up with a burst of movement, Darvik threw his weight against Cevla, causing her to stagger back and fall onto her bed. He darted from the room, slamming the door as he went.


    ¡°Rentra!¡± he shouted into his comm. ¡°Bring one of those door locks!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Raivyn is not mad,¡± said Vanbrook defiantly.


    Chreep stared at him a moment, unsure about his place in the conversation. Vanbrook glared at him, and Chreep relayed the statement.


    ¡°Perhaps Humans are differ- ¡± started Chreep.


    ¡°In fact,¡± interrupted Vanbrook, ¡°she¡¯s the sanest member of Talon Squad. She¡¯s saved my skin I don¡¯t know how many times, including, on a recent occasion, me from my own stupidity. If you want to scoff at the Progenitor¡¯s gifts, go ahead, but don¡¯t you dare come after Raivyn, or any of the other psychics in the Republic for that matter. Who knows how many lives she saved by defeating the spider apes so efficiently.¡±


    ***


    Cevla took a moment to recover and start moving towards the door again, which was enough time for Rentra to run over with one of the magnetic lock devices they had used on the Gladius. Slamming it onto the door and activating it, Darvik looked up to see Cevla¡¯s face staring at him through the porthole in the door.


    ¡°T¡¯Lak. T¡¯Lak. T¡¯Lak.¡±


    The strange chant was muffled as Cevla pushed against the door, soon giving up and settling for pacing around her new enclosure, glowing eyes frantically searching her surroundings. She stood trembling for a moment, then screamed one last time, ¡°T¡¯LAK!¡±


    The door buckled outward and Darvik was again taken off his feet by a burst of T-waves. He recovered quickly and pulled his saber, ready to be attacked, but the door held. Then he noticed how quiet it had become.


    ***


    Silence reigned in the longhouse for a moment after Chreep hesitantly translated Vanbrook¡¯s defense of Raivyn. The councilors looked around the table at one another, then the leader spoke.


    ¡°You give us much to think about, Raivyn and Vanbrook,¡± translated Chreep. ¡°But understand that our ways are not to be so flippantly dismissed. Go in peace, but please, do not use your powers in the presence of our people.¡±


    Raivyn nodded. ¡°I will not, unless duty demands it.¡±


    ¡°We accept your word, Raivyn of the Griffon Republic.¡±


    ***


    Peering in through the window of Cevla''s room, Darvik saw the crazed psychic collapsed on the ground. She was still enough for a moment that he wondered if she was dead. Then her eye flickered open, once again deep blue, though they had a glazed look to them, as well. Darvik moved to open the door.


    "Are you nuts!?" demanded Rentra.


    Darvik scowled at him and removed the locking device. It came away from the door, which screeched as the twisted metal threatened to fall off the hinges.


    Cevla looked up at her comrades as they stood outside her door.


    "It got me," she muttered, pulling her knees into her chest and rocking gently. "It got me."


    ***


    Standing anxiously beside Yrinla as she navigated the data displayed on the star tree¡¯s membranous screen, Crush watched the display with intense interest. A small ¡®ding¡¯ let them know the calculations were complete, and a single result popped up.


    ¡°After all this time,¡± said Yrinla, looking at the star that was indicated on the screen. ¡°We¡¯ve found it. This is the only star system that matches the intersection of the theoretical path of both my ancestors and the asteroid that brought core crystals to Aerat.¡±


    ¡°Why would the two be related, though?¡± asked Crush.


    Yrinla shrugged. ¡°It was your vision that suggested the idea. I am at a loss.¡±


    Crush nodded. ¡°How long would it take to travel to this system?¡±


    ¡°If it were this lone star tree pushed to its limits, perhaps a few weeks?¡± answered Yrinla. ¡°I will begin the calculations.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, priestess,¡± said Crush. ¡°I need to go talk to my crew.¡±


    ***


    Raivyn and Vanbrook walked out of the tower and into an absolute circus of diplomats, officers, and IGC enforcement personnel. General Grubula and Admiral Jasken stood in the center, trying to calm everyone down.


    "It''s not your concern if the Shairet are choosing to strengthen ties with the Republic rather than you lot of opportunists!" shouted Grubula.


    Well, at least Jasken was trying to calm them down.


    Zomm-Dhar, the top IGC enforcement officer on Gateway, pushed his way through the crowd to where Grabula and Jasken stood.


    ¡°The General¡¯s lack of tact aside,¡± said Zomm-Dhar, shooting Grubula a sideways glance, ¡°the fact remains that the Shairet are free to associate with whomever they choose. Though the argument may sound elementary, the Republic was here first. It takes time for a new species to acclimate to the galactic community, and they have been gracious hosts as we all look excitedly to the opportunities afforded by the Cornucopia Cluster.¡±


    The crowd dispersed, but there were a number of dirty looks aimed at Jasken, and more at Grubula.


    ¡°What was all that?¡± asked Raivyn, approaching Jasken.


    Jasken smoothed his mustache. ¡°You were the first to be invited to see the village. No one else has gotten any further than the inside of the tower. The Shairet have been keeping everyone at arm¡¯s length.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Does everyone else know we were only invited so we could be berated by the council?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± said Jasken. ¡°There¡¯s no shortage of espionage going on at this little get together. So did everything go alright?¡±


    Raivyn shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s a belief that psychics have a tendency to go insane. Could be there¡¯s something to it, but they take a dim view of psychics in general. From the sounds of it, some tribes are worse than others. Have we made contact with any other tribes?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± interjected Grubula. ¡°The locals generally don¡¯t want to engage and they¡¯re not a priority. We can¡¯t claim this planet, so we¡¯ve focused our efforts on exploration elsewhere, like Thioa.¡±


    "Our forces are still gathering in Kirakna," said Jasken. "Once we stabilize the situation on Gateway and have some military cover, I''ll be recommending we ramp up our diplomatic efforts here."


    "I think that would be wise, Admiral," said Raivyn. "Despite their misgivings, they seemed open to reconsidering the nature of psychics and they are gifted artisans. They could become valuable allies and good friends, even if another path to the Cluster is discovered."


    No sooner had Raivyn finished the thought than a red beam fell from the sky and smashed into the ground just outside the encampment, shaking the ground and leaving a massive, smoldering crater behind. Everyone immediately scattered to their ships or bases, and Vanbrook, Raivyn, and Jasken sprinted towards the Wingspan.


    ¡°That was a great eye beam!¡± exclaimed Grubula in disbelief as he ran for his base of operations.


    ¡°But it¡­ missed?¡± said Vanbrook, surveying the crowded airfield for casualties but finding none.


    ¡°No,¡± said Jasken grimly as he ran towards the ship. ¡°That was a warning shot.¡±

 Chapter 3.13: The Strike

    ¡°I want us in the air as soon as all personnel are aboard and strapped in!¡± shouted Jasken into his comm as he ran up the Wingspan¡¯s ramp. By the time he reached the bridge, the engines were rumbling, eager to take to the sky.


    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready, Admiral,¡± said Dekken.


    ¡°Captain Hunt,¡± said Jasken, ¡°are all crew accounted for and ready for lift off?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± replied Hunt, double checking the report on his tablet.


    Jasken nodded. ¡°Officer Dekken, take us up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± answered the engineer.


    ¡°Sir,¡± said Mairen. ¡°We have a broadcast from the Astralbian fleet, should I play it now?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, Mairen,¡± answered Jasken.


    ¡°This is Lord Wyven of the Astralbian Empire. The great eye blast that you just witnessed is your first and only warning,¡± said a nasally and attenuated voice when Mairen played the broadcast. ¡°This world has been claimed by High Emperor Jylik of the Astralbian Empire. You will leave at once or face the full wrath of Emperor Jylik and his fleet.¡±


    Jasken smoothed his mustache, his face sour as he absorbed the information. Jylik had finally taken the step of declaring an empire, effectively declaring war on the rest of the galaxy.


    ¡°Get me Prime Minister Skritka,¡± he said.


    ¡°On it,¡± answered Mairen.


    A few moments later a groggy Skritka appeared on Jasken¡¯s screen. It was the wee hours of the morning on Griffonia. Jasken explained the situation and forwarded the Astralbian broadcast to him.


    Skritka shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll need to call an emergency meeting with Executor Grak-Yurp and both Houses. Obviously this is an act of war, but don¡¯t engage unless your hand is forced. I know this wouldn¡¯t be our first naval encounter with the Astralbians this year, but if Jylik is looking for a war I want it to be absolutely clear he was the aggressor.¡±


    ¡°The Wabuluban Kingdom and PIC were subject to the same warning shot and broadcast, I think the politics will sort themselves out,¡± said Jasken.


    ¡°I understand,¡± said Skritka, holding up his hands defensively. ¡°I still need you to be patient.¡±


    ¡°Unless ordered otherwise I will stand my ground, Prime Minister,¡± warned Jasken.


    ¡°I expect nothing less,¡± said Skritka. ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch shortly. Providence shine on you and your fleet, Jasken.¡±


    ¡°On you as well, sir,¡± answered Jasken.


    The comm was ended, and Jasken turned to his officers. ¡°Make preparations for combat. I want our fighters ready to scramble. Officer Dekken, are shields fully charged?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± answered Dekken. ¡°Combat shields are fully operational and travel shields have fully recovered as well.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± said Jasken. ¡°No starting a war until we get the okay.¡±


    ¡°Incoming comm from Griffonia, sir,¡± said Mairen.


    Jasken sighed. ¡°That was a little too quick. Answer the call.¡±


    The shrewd eyes and grizzled, warty face of Executor Grak-Yurp appeared on one half of Jasken¡¯s screen, the more reserved Skritka reappearing on the other half.


    ¡°Admiral,¡± said Grak-Yurp. ¡°The Astralbians have crossed a line. This was a completely unprovoked attack on a sovereign world, not a dispute over newly discovered territory. Combine that with the declaration of an empire and I¡¯d say we¡¯re looking at full scale war with the Astralbians.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, Executor,¡± said Jasken. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, the Astralbians have been at war with us since they attacked us on Hittania, but I¡¯d like to hear the Houses confirm that.¡±


    ¡°I am giving you full license to repel this invasion using any means necessary,¡± said Grak-Yurp. ¡°The Houses can have their say when our people''s lives are not in immediate danger, and I daresay they will vote to declare formal war.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± said Jasken. ¡°We¡¯ll see who we can get to throw their lot in with us and the Shairet.¡±


    ***


    From the command center of the star tree overseeing the advance fleet, Lord Wyven sneered down on Gateway. He watched a hodge podge fleet from different corners of the galaxy rise from the surface, wondering how many would simply flee in response to the warning and how many were preparing to fight.


    They had lost a few star trees pushing as hard as they did, but they certainly had enough forces to deal with this rabble. The fact that the infamous Wingspan was among the enemy didn¡¯t bother him. He would simply have to take them out first.


    An alert chirped and he turned his attention to the incoming comm.


    ¡°High Emperor Jylik,¡± he said happily.


    ¡°Lord Wyven,¡± said Jylik.


    ¡°The message has been delivered,¡± said Wyven. ¡°Ships are rising from the surface.¡±


    ¡°To flee or to fight?¡± asked Jylik.


    ¡°Hard to say,¡± mused Wyven.


    ¡°They have their warning,¡± said Jylik dismissively. ¡°If they show any sign of resistance, take them out.¡±


    ***


    The fleet of Republic, PIC, Wabuluban, and miscellaneous ships rose almost as one. Then, one by one, the smaller groups began jetting off.


    "If we hold together as a unit we can take this fleet," said Jasken over the public channel that had been set up on Gateway to maintain order and communication in the airfield.


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    "You cannot perpetrate a war here, Jasken," said Domm-Zahr. "Not without local buy-in."


    "He has it!" said Chreep. "I speak for the council of my village. We will not be bullied!"


    "Anyone else?" asked Jasken.


    "This is Baron Flubbyn of the Wabuluban Kingdom," said a warbly voice. "We are with you, Admiral."


    "Glad to have you," said Jasken.


    "Sorry, Jasken," said High Brother Treskt. "The PIC has no interest in war with the Astralbians. We''ll be on our way."


    A number of industrial and mercantile ships left with them.


    "Cowards," muttered Jasken low enough his mic wouldn''t pick it up.


    ¡°Aethercrate Hauling is with you Admiral, though we¡¯re not exactly a military outfit,¡± said a new voice on the comms.


    ¡°Happy to hear it, Aethercrate,¡± said Jasken. ¡°What do you have to offer?¡±


    ¡°Two light haulers and a full-sized cargo ship, the Mayblin. With, um, you know, a few self-defense ballistic cannons,¡± responded the hauler. ¡°Maybe something a little hotter if the situation called for it. Oh! And plenty of shielding. We have redundant travel shields that we¡¯ve managed to fully charge up hoping and praying for some work on Gateway. Looks like the Cluster isn¡¯t the goldmine we were hoping for.¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but give us some time,¡± answered Jasken. ¡°Oh, and Aethercrate?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Admiral?¡±


    ¡°I can promise you you won¡¯t face any investigation for any unlicensed military-grade equipment you use to help repel the Astralbians. Not that a fine, law-abiding organization such as yourself would have any such things.¡±


    There was a pause. ¡°I like you, Admiral.¡±


    Jasken allowed himself a small chuckle and turned to his display screens. They were outgunned by the Astralbians but they had a decent supply of trunk buster missiles ready to go on the gunships and bombers.


    ¡°We want a defensive formation, folks,¡± he said on the public channel. ¡°I want the Wingspan front and center flanked by the Gladius to our fore and the Halberd to our aft. Wabuluban fleet, I suggest a similar formation, above our position. Leave enough space for the Aethercrate ships to hang out between our formations and fire from a position of relative safety.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, Admiral,¡± said Baron Flubbyn.


    ¡°Sounds good to us, Jask- uh, Admiral Jasken,¡± said the Mayblin.


    The first shots came from the Astralbian fleet before the formations were fully formed. A multitude of great eye blasts slammed into the Wingspan¡¯s shields, reducing them suddenly and causing EM feedback that shook the ship and fried a few minor systems.


    ¡°We¡¯re okay,¡± said Dekken. ¡°We can¡¯t take a whole lot more of that, but they¡¯ve probably spent what they could for now.¡±


    ¡°Hunt,¡± called Jasken. ¡°Scramble fighters. I want our bombers focusing on great eyes.¡±


    ***


    Finally getting the word he¡¯d been waiting for, Drixen led the fighters screaming out of the Wingspan¡¯s main hangar. The Republic fighters were sleek, with rounded fenders that flared out in the back to fin-like thrusters and a bubble-like cockpit in the middle. The bombers were similar, but had wider fenders to accommodate their bulky payloads.


    ¡°All squads, look alive,¡± he said to his fellow pilots. ¡°Admiral Jasken wants all bombers focused on great eyes. We¡¯ll be working with Wabuluban fighters on this one. They¡¯re on our common channel, so don¡¯t say anything unprofessional.¡±


    From overhead, the squad of Wabuluban fighters came to join them. They were fish-like, with a conical nose and rocket-shaped body that tapered towards the back and then flared out into a thruster. Their domed cockpits blended into the fuselage, and the only thing that broke the fish-like silhouette was the array of guns jutting out under the nose.


    ¡°Aw, what would that be like, Textbook?¡± asked a warbly voice.


    ¡°The legendary Tide, folks,¡± said Drixen. ¡°He¡¯ll be leading the Wabuluban fighter squads in focusing on void wasps. As I was saying, we wouldn¡¯t want anyone commenting on how you folks can¡¯t land a pontoon fighter on an ocean.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Is that what they say?¡± said Tide jovially. ¡°I heard Republic fighters can¡¯t hit a tree unless it¡¯s the kind that sit real still for you.¡±


    Drixen laughed. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s sit down and insult each other over drinks once we¡¯ve taken care of these Astralbian scumbags.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± said Tide.


    Drixen pulled off a loop-the-loop and Tide made a barrel roll through the loop, much to the delight of their squads. Pleasantries over, the two groups of fighters focused on their targets. A horde of Astralbian riders on void wasps flew out from the star trees and began firing on the fighters.


    ¡°Fire when you can but do not engage,¡± said Drixen. ¡°The Wabulubans have got these guys. Squad two, take the star tree to the port of the mother tree,¡± he said. ¡°Squad three, the one on starboard. Squad one is on the big one.¡±


    ***


    Picking off a few stray wasps on his way past, Drixen led his squad straight for the largest star tree.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a visual on my target,¡± said Cowgirl. ¡°And a trunk buster with its name on it.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good, hun,¡± said Drixen as he dodged an incoming hail of fire from some of the trees¡¯ lesser eyes. The eye she was referring to had a slight red glow to it. ¡°Just watch yourself, it looks like it¡¯s about ready to fire.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay out of the line of fire, then,¡± replied Cowgirl. ¡°Just a little closer and¡­¡±


    The trunk buster missile shot out of its tube, careening towards the great eye and impacting just as the eye was about to fire. The ensuing inferno took everyone off guard. While the trunk busters had proven themselves a powerful munition, the explosion looked more like a supernova than a missile. The corona of fire and energy that erupted from the eye engulfed wasp and fighter alike, sending them tumbling into the aether.


    Alarms blared aboard Drixen¡¯s fighter as he tried to stabilize. ¡°Woah, Cowgirl, sound off!¡±


    ¡°Textbook!¡± she called. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°What was that!?¡± asked Drixen.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± said Cowgirl. She was now upside down in relation to the star tree she had hit, but it took up most of her view. The smoldering hole left behind by the trunk buster was ten times the size of the one she¡¯d left the last time she¡¯d had the opportunity to fire one and nearly half the tree was scorched black.


    ¡°Squad one, regroup!¡± called Drixen. ¡°Looks like we might have finished off our target quicker than expected!¡±


    ***


    Jasken watched in awe as the star tree all but blew to pieces. It was a welcome surprise, but he wondered what would cause a trunk buster to do that kind of damage.


    His musings were cut short as the rest of the Astralbian fleet fired another volley of great eyes. The Wingspan rocked as the shields struggled to absorb the shot.


    ¡°That was a weaker hit, given that the mother tree is out of the game,¡± said Dekken. ¡°We still can¡¯t afford another one of that magnitude, though. We can move to travel shields if need be.¡±


    ¡°Gladius, Halberd,¡± called Jasken. ¡°I need cover for the Wingspan. Our combat shields are largely depleted. Leave a lane of fire for the central cannon battery but cover our fore and aft.


    "Yes, sir!" responded Grepk and Captain Kresht in unison.


    ***


    Wyven looked around shakily as soldiers and tree priests worked to put out a number of small fires in the command center, using a device that looked similar to a thorn gun but that sprayed a fire-suppressing gel rather than shards of wood.


    ¡°Do the comms still work?¡± he asked grimly.


    A priest walked away from a smoldering countertop to check the communications equipment.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said after a moment. ¡°We¡¯re still in contact with the other trees, but faster than light communications are destroyed.¡±


    He nodded his understanding and moved to the communications station. His elderly face was set as he addressed his fleet.


    ¡°We fight til the last of us is a crystal, floating through the aether,¡± he said. ¡°We are heralds of the High Emperor. We will be heroes, not cowards.¡±

 Chapter 3.14: Embers

    ¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡± demanded Trekna as he entered the chamber.


    ¡°I will answer that when this emergency session has been officially started, Representative Trekna,¡± said Prime Minister Skritka from the dias.


    Skritka checked the tablet before him, checking if they had a quorum yet. Another member of the Major House checked in, and he looked up to see the screen on their empty chair light up, their face appearing as they joined the meeting remotely.


    ¡°And we have a quorum,¡± said Skritka aloud. ¡°This emergency meeting concerning Astralbian aggression is officially in session.¡±


    ¡°So I repeat my question: what¡¯s this all about!?¡± said Trekna.


    Skritka rolled his eyes. ¡°As you all know, our presence in the Cornucopia Cluster is concentrated on Gateway, along with allies from the PIC, Wabuluban Kingdom, and others. The Astralbians have appeared in the skies above the shared airfield and fired a warning shot, along with this message.¡±


    Skritka pressed play, and Lord Wyven¡¯s voice sounded over the chamber¡¯s speakers.


    ¡°This is Lord Wyven of the Astralbian Empire.¡±


    Skritka watched as a majority of faces became dark and furrowed. Good. They should be angry.


    ¡°The great eye blast that you just witnessed is your first and only warning. This world has been claimed by High Emperor Jylik of the Astralbian Empire.¡±


    A few of the slower members of the Houses caught on, and the anger in the room became palpable.


    ¡°You will leave at once or face the full wrath of Emperor Jylik and his fleet.¡±


    Anger erupted in the chambers, and it took Skritka a full minute to bring order back to the chamber.


    ¡°As we speak, the Blue Griffon Fleet is holding its ground alongside a fleet of Wabuluban warships and a handful of rather plucky haulers,¡± said Skritka.


    ¡°Why are they not waiting for permission to engage!?¡± demanded Trekna.


    ¡°Because they already have it,¡± shot back Skritka. ¡°What we are here to discuss is not whether to stand on ground when facing an outrageous show of force, but whether or not we will declare war on the so-called Astralbian Empire!¡±


    ¡°Who gave them this permission?¡± asked Trekna, his mouthparts working furiously in a show of poorly-contained anger.


    ¡°Executor Grak-Yurp,¡± said Skritka with exaggerated patience.


    ¡°He can¡¯t - ¡± started Trekna.


    ¡°He absolutely can, Trekna,¡± interrupted Skritka. ¡°Dealing with emergent threats is one of his key duties. Unlike those politicians who waste time and preen for the cameras, the Prime Minister and Executor have to deal with problems in real time.¡±


    A round of applause and a smattering of chuckles took the last of the wind out of Trekna¡¯s sails.


    ¡°We will not vote on this matter tonight,¡± said Skritka. ¡°Since declaring war is no light matter. However, there is much to discuss in the way of troop movement and other issues of combat-readiness, as Astralbian aggression is all but guaranteed, regardless of our policy. Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    ***


    Meanwhile, still in orbit over Gateway, Drixen and the others were rounding on their target again, ready to make another run at the Astralbian fleet¡¯s mother tree. The tree was rotating in place, trying to turn the wound away from direct lines of fire.


    ¡°Blue Griffon fighter squads,¡± said an unfamiliar voice. ¡°This is the Mayblin. Do you mind keeping a clear line of fire between us and that big ol¡¯ hole you just opened up?¡±


    ¡°We can accommodate that for a moment,¡± said Drixen. ¡°We¡¯ve got what you might call a target-rich environment here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± responded the hauler with a laugh. ¡°Folks? We got the okay. Ready emergency anti-pirate measures.¡±


    Aboard the Wingspan, Jasken watched intently as one of the ship¡¯s cameras focused in on the Mayblin. A cargo hatch opened and the nose of a missile, disproportionally large compared to the size of the vessel carrying it, peaked out.


    ¡°FIRE!¡±


    The missile sailed through the aether, smashing a wasp or two as it honed in on the gaping hole in the mother tree.


    When the missile hit its mark, fire exploded from the mother tree. When the fire was choked out in the vacuum or the aether, two halves could be seen floating: the roots sat smoldering and glowing below and the branches spun lazily above.


    A cackling laugh came through the comms from the hauler. "That certainly packed a punch!"


    "Officer Mairen," said Jasken coolly.


    "Yes, Admiral?" asked the comms officer.


    "It''d be a shame if any and all footage related to Aethercrate Hauling''s ''emergency anti-pirate measures'' was lost, don''t you think?" asked Jasken.


    "An absolute crying shame, sir," she replied, already tapping the delete button.


    Seeing the mother tree destroyed, the other star trees brought their void wasps back into a defensive position. The Wabuluban fighters followed, harassing the wasps as they fell back. The fight became much tighter and more chaotic, but Drixen and his squads were able to weave through the battle and take out more great eyes and a few smaller star trees.


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    Jasken was watching with satisfaction as the Astralbian fleet was whittled away when a final great eye volley was fired. Threading the needle between the shields of the Gladius and the Halberd. It was nowhere near as powerful as the first two, but it shook the ship and sent sparks flying out of Jasken''s console. He grunted and leapt up, backing away and watching the fried screen smoke, destroyed.


    "That''s it for our shields, Admiral," said Dekken. "A large enough handheld ballistic could finish them off now."


    "Switch to travel shields," replied Jasken. "And pray we don''t need them."


    "Yes, sir," replied Dekken.


    At that same moment, the Astralbian forces began fleeing. The void wasps returned to their home trees and then the trees all fired their root-like thrusters, blasting over their shoulders to the best of their ability.


    "Do we chase them down, sir?" asked Drixen.


    "Negative," said Jasken. "We have permission to stand our ground but not to pursue. Let them go."


    "What about the salvage?" asked the pilot, referring to the two halves of the mother tree still floating in the aether.


    "Don''t worry, Commander, we''ll see to that," answered Jasken.


    ***


    Shortly thereafter, Talon Squad and Grepk''s Marines were jumping out of the Gladius and making their way via jetpack to the smoldering ruins of the mother tree.


    Normally well-lit by bioluminescent bulbs growing from the walls, the inside of the tree was surprisingly dark. Flipping on their headlamps and clamoring up through the destroyed lower layer of the top half of the tree, they found the inside scorched but largely intact.


    "We clear each floor together," said Grepk. "Mag-boots won''t help on wooden floors so use your jets to maneuver. Remember, Astralbians don''t need atmo to live, so expect resistance. We''re to take prisoners if poss-"


    Halfway through the word "possible" a thorn gun blast slammed into the Marine''s chest. He grunted, but between the strength of his armor and the range of the shot there was no serious damage.


    "Enemy contact!" shouted Krum-Bahk.


    All nine warriors turned their firearms in the direction of the attack, their lights illuminating a small group of Astralbian soldiers huddled in a doorway. They dove aside as a hail of fire filled the doorway, a few of them collapsing into death crystals as bullets and beams found their targets.


    "I''ll send in some scouts," said Reclan, firing up some drones and sending them through the door. "Looks like they''re fleeing to the upper levels."


    "Did we spook a few survivors or are we being led into a trap?" asked Raivyn.


    Keshri shrugged. "We''ll figure that out when we spring the trap."


    The group continued on, floating through the mother tree and fighting small bands of soldiers. Floors were generally empty aside from the area immediately around the stairwells. One floor contained a nest of void wasps, but they were all still and quiet, evidently in some kind of stasis.


    "The enemy is definitely gathering towards the upper floors," said Raivyn. "Looks like we''re about to breach the command floor. What do we know about Lord Wyven?"


    "He''s a true believer," said Grepk. "I''m sure he was overjoyed to herald the newly reformed Empire. Not a particularly distinguished tactician but a master combatant. He''ll be surrounded by proteges, no doubt."


    The ceiling exploded into splinters and heavily armored Astralbians dove down to meet the Republic team.


    "Guess these are them," said Vanbrook.


    A dozen soldiers surrounded them, each carrying a large cutlass with an oversized thorn gun slung over their shoulder. Rather than the typical breastplate and bracers worn by most Astralbian soldiers, their armor covered most of their form, with thick green armored fabric filling the gaps. Only their burning blue eyes were visible.


    Vanbrook fired a nova crystal round into the chest of the closest soldier, knocking him back and starting the melee. The soldier reeled but the armor held up, clearly more than simple steel. He rushed with the rest of his team, swinging his massive cutless at Vanbrook. Well prepared for the attack, Vanbrook parried the blow with his saber and stabbed at the shoulder joint that had been left exposed. The soldier twisted away and managed to dodge the worst of the strike.


    Hrake blocked a blow with his hammer, his return strike crushing his opponent to the floor. Inexperienced in zero gravity combat, he struggled to put the power he normally would into the attack. Adapting, he allowed himself to spin and brought the butt of his hammer up to his arm, firing at his downed foe at point blank, tearing through his compromised armor and dispatching him.


    Raivyn fired a T-bolt right into the eyes of an incoming attacker, sending him reeling back, gripping his head.


    Keshri leapt into a saber strike, letting the blade bounce off her armor and ripping to the attacker''s breastplate with her claws, a horrible rending sound reverberating through her arm.


    "Whew, these guys are tough!" exclaimed Grepk, blocking a blade with his forearm and striking out with his opposite fist.


    Krum-Bahk stood at his side, trying to hold back two attackers.


    Reclan pulled her plasma cutter out and swung at the nearest foe, but she was parried and took a stab to her bicep. She cried out but kept fighting.


    Doc stood behind D''Jarric, who was swinging energized fists, firing the energy barrel of his rifle to frustratingly little effect.


    Vanbrook parried another strike, swept into the soldier''s reach and raised his pistol, firing right into his eyes. The enemy puffed away and consolidated into a crystal.


    Seeing their numbers thinning out, one of the soldiers pulled the thorn gun off his back and leveled it at the team. Krum-Bahk dove in the way and the blast glanced off his shoulder and helmet, leaving a few long splinters jutting out of the joints of his pauldron.


    He turned and slammed his fist into the soldier, snatching the cutlass from his belt as he fell. He spun, parrying another soldier''s strike. He brought the blade down hard, severing the soldier''s arm at the shoulder.


    "Woah, these bad boys are sharp!" he exclaimed.


    "Tell me about it!" said Reclan, glancing at her wounded arm. The self-healing aethersuit had covered both the wound and the tear with a seam of medicated gel.


    The fight wound down quickly as the supposedly elite Astralbians were picked off one by one. Soon only three were left standing.


    "Enough!" The voice was thin and attenuated but carried a sense of authority. The remaining combatants looked up to see an elderly Astralbian lord looking down on them. He clambered down the broken remains of the ceiling and laid his weapons down at his enemies'' feet.


    "I am Lord Wyven," he declared. "The Ancestor''s Grove is burnt, my fleet has abandoned me and now the best trained soldiers under my command have been torn apart by barbarous worms. I would die for Astralbia, but I will not die for this Empire."


    After a quick sweep of the upper floor the Marines took their prisoners back to the Wingspan while Talon Squad went to clear the lower decks, down from the entrance and into the dungeons below.


    Raivyn was the only one to have ever been held in an Astralbian brig and acted as their guide. The forces had all been concentrated in the upper portion of the tree, so the built-in defenses were the only possible concern. As it turned out, the tentacled masses that grew from the ceiling that kept prisoners from moving outside of their designated cell areas hung limp, killed along with the rest of the ship.


    The rough wooden dungeon wound through the base of the tree, down towards the roots. Shining their light into the final cell, they saw a wavering Astralbian female sitting huddled in the corner, knees pulled up to her chest.


    "I guess old Wyvie lost," she said, a note of mockery in her voice. "Is he dead?"


    "No," said Raivyn. "Came in as a prisoner."


    "That''s a shame," said the Astralbian as she stood up and floated over to them. She wore a silver breastplate and a matching band on her head with a wasp head embossed on it. "All I ask is that you don''t put me in the same cell."


    "My prodigious deductive faculties lead me to believe you have some issues with Lord Wyven," said Vanbrook. "Care to share?"


    She shrugged. "I was less than exuberant when the new Empire was announced. He tossed me in here to give me time to rethink my position."


    "I take it by your headband that you rank pretty high on the ship," said Raivyn. "Not a tree priestess or a lady but an officer of some kind¨Cis that right?"


    She smiled. "Yes. Commander Glinya, Wasp Rider. Now, I''m afraid that''s all you get out of me until we''re back on your ship and I''m in a more comfortable cell."

 Chapter 3.15: Rites

    Darvik helped Cevla down the ramp of their transport, finally back in the comfort of Koomia. Rentra walked casually beside them, making their way over to where Hoon-Kra stood to greet them.


    "Job''s done, boss," said the Talpidarian technician happily. "The Republic knows we mean business but they can''t pin anything on us."


    Hoon-Kra nodded and pushed past Rentra, seemingly drawn to Cevla.


    "She hasn''t talked much since it happened," said Darvik. "She''s getting better, though."


    "I see," said Hoon-Kra, eyeing her intently. "I''ll take her to my house, get her out of sight and see what she has to tell us.


    "Darvik, go rest up. I have much to discuss with you, but must tend to Cevla first."


    Darvik nodded and turned towards the hut he''d been building before he''d left. To his surprise, it was fully built, complete with a simple door and shades in the window.


    He looked around and saw that the whole town¨Cand it was truly a town now¨Cwas bustling with activity. The statue of Koo L''Koom was complete, standing fifteen feet tall in the center of the town square. In front of the statue stood a kind of amphitheater, so that one could stand on the statue''s pedestal and address a crowd. Builders and farmers went about their business and armed guards watched the fields of tall, golden grass for threats.


    "Darvik!" said a passerby. "Rooting for you!"


    Darvik nodded, for a moment his mind returning to that past life in which he''d been a competitive duelist. He shook his head, wondering if he''d simply misheard the man.


    He wandered into his shack. He needed a drink.


    ***


    Crush idly twirled her pistol around in the air, practicing her newfound abilities.


    ¡°Perhaps a firearm is not the best object to use for that particular exercise,¡± said Yrinla.


    Snatching the gun out of the air and holstering it, Crush turned to the tree priestess. They had been traveling for a little over two weeks on her star tree¡¯s maiden ripmed voyage.


    ¡°Readouts indicate we¡¯ll want to stop our jump soon,¡± Crush said. Yrinla had been teaching her to read the navigational information the star tree displayed, but it was just different enough from the mechanical drives she was used to to be confusing. ¡°Maybe real soon?¡±


    Yrinla looked over her shoulder, and her hand shot out to manipulate the controls. ¡°If we don¡¯t stop now we¡¯re going to overshoot the world or just slam into it!¡±


    Crush nodded nonchalantly and stepped away, giving Yrinla full control of the tree.


    When the tree came out of the jump, Crush found herself looking at the brightest, most verdant planet she''d ever seen. The oceans were a bright blue and the landmasses were covered in purple and green, with blue-gray peaks jutting skyward where they rose above the flora.


    "This- this is it," stammered Yrinla. "The Cradle of Astralbia. We''ve found it."


    ***


    "We are in your debt, Admiral," said Chreep. He was speaking to Jasken via comm from General Grubula''s command post on the surface.


    "The Griffon Republic is happy to help," said Jasken. "The Wubuluban Kingdom and Aethercrate Hauling were indispensable in the effort."


    Chreep paused for a moment, appearing indecisive. "The issue with the orchard was a real problem, but we largely requested help as a way of testing your mettle. It is clear to us now that you are true allies.


    "In recognition of our new friendship, we have marked on this map the last known location of the psychic exiles of our tribe."


    A map of the region flashed up on the screen, and Jasken quickly located the red dot indicating the location.


    "Looks like that''s only about thirty or forty miles away, sir," said Mairen.


    Jasken nodded to Mairen and then turned back to Chreep. "Thank you for your candor, Chreep. We appreciate the sentiment."


    When he ended the call he brought up another comm channel. "Admiral Jasken to Talon Squad, please report to my office as soon as possible."


    ***


    Hearing his comm buzzing, Darvik stirred from where he had collapsed onto his bed.


    "Hello?" he answered groggily.


    "Darvik," said Hoon-Kra. "Come to my quarters aboard the Swamp''s Pride. Exciting things are afoot."


    Darvik shook his head. The old Krauqian was so excitable.


    Looking around from his clothes, he saw that he was still wearing them. He shrugged and made his way to the Swamp''s Pride, leaving his shack and again walking past the statue of the serpentine shark god in the square. Many eyes fell on him as he went, some wide with awe, some warm with admiration, and some altogether inscrutable.


    He had once dreamed of fortune and fame, but he''d since dropped the desire for fame and given up on fortune. Not enjoying the attention in the least, he walked briskly up the ramp of the Swamp''s Pride and quickly moved through the halls to Hoon-Kra''s quarters.


    "Darvik!" cooed the high priest. "Come on, sit down, share a glass with me."


    He walked into the dimly lit room and settled into a well-cushioned, high-backed chair and picked up a glass. Raising it to his nose confirmed his suspicions: Dromean honey worm mead. It was Hoon-Kra''s favorite drink. He really didn''t care for it, himself, but free drinks were free drinks. Hoon-Kra sat next to him, the drinks sitting in between the two.


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    "The Koomites are fully established now," he said. "It''s time we began practicing our religion to the fullest."


    "What would that entail?" asked Darvik casually.


    He had studied Koomite philosophy under Hoon-Kra; he knew about the supremacy of power, and that Koo L''Koom was the ultimate incarnation of power. He didn''t know what kind of rituals went along with the teachings. It occurred to him that it may have been an intentional oversight.


    "Blood, Darvik," said Hoon-Kra, his eyes blazing in the dim light. "Blood."


    "Whose?" asked Darvik with a raised eyebrow.


    Hoon-Kra waved his hand dismissively. "Not a child''s or a slave''s or a virgin''s or some such nonsense. What does power over a child prove? No, the blood will be from one of two willing combatants."


    Darvik sighed. "And I''m supposed to be one of them?"


    Hoon-Kra smiled. "Would you like that?"


    Darvik shrugged. He felt lightheaded at the prospect. He had fought for sport, and he had killed. But he had never killed for sport. He saw the connection to the teachings. Power undemonstrated is no power at all. How better to demonstrate power than a fight to the death? He was a skilled swordsman and should not fear to demonstrate his power.


    "I''ll do it."


    ***


    The star tree had landed in the middle of an open field. Tall, purple grasses swayed in a gentle wind all around Crush and Yrinla as they walked down out of the tree and took their first steps on the world they¡¯d discovered. They moved towards a distant treeline almost instinctively, spooking a small herd of smooth-skinned, aqua-blue rabbit-like creatures that hopped away as they approached. These creatures scared a number of insects in turn, which flitted away in a flurry of iridescent colors. Following the flight of the insects with their eyes, the pair looked up to the bright blue sky and watched puffs of white cloud roll by.


    ¡°So strange¡­¡± said Crush. ¡°It feels like¡­¡±


    ¡°Home,¡± said Yrinla, finishing the sentence for her.


    The two travelers looked at one another and laughed. Neither was particularly giddy by nature. However, something about the absurdity of a Robot and an Astralbian wandering the stars and experiencing the feeling of homecoming so far from either Astralbia Prime and Aerat was such a strange, pleasant experience that the laughs came anyway.


    Eventually the purple grasses began to thin out, and small bluish mushrooms began to sprout from the rich brown earth. They looked up at the trees, most of which had broad, sprawling roots, a tall trunk, and leafy boughs that branched out from the top of the trunk, stretching upwards towards the stars.


    Yrinla gasped. ¡°These are star trees,¡± she said in awe.


    Crush looked at her side-eyed. ¡°Star trees? They have no eyes or doors.¡±


    ¡°These are natural star trees,¡± explained Yrinla. ¡°They grow this way if they aren¡¯t nurtured by tree priests. The eyes, the communication equipment, all of those things are grafted in and grown by the methods of my order.


    ¡°When these trees reach maturity, they will burst from the ground and travel through the aether using a primitive, biological version of what you would call a ripmed drive.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± asked Crush. ¡°Biologically driven quantum entanglement shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡±


    ¡°And yet it is,¡± said Yrinla nonchalantly. ¡°Given time I¡¯m sure the biologicals¡¯ ¡®scientists¡¯ will understand what it is they copied from nature, or give it names and develop theories, at least, but harnessing a power and understanding its nature are two very different things.


    ¡°What about you? Can you explain why you thought to cross reference the journey of the Astralbians and that of your people¡¯s cores?¡±


    Crush pondered this for a while, mulling over the words as she continued to look around the strange forest. She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she was somehow where she belonged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she answered finally. ¡°Robots don¡¯t dream - not like biologicals do. But it was like I had a thought that wasn¡¯t my own.¡±


    ¡°There is much that can be explained, understood, and recorded, and the pursuit of knowledge is noble,¡± said Yrinla. ¡°And yet there are things that defy our understanding, and the wise make peace with that.¡±


    The pair continued walking through the forest, unsure what they were looking for. The terrain pitched up as they went, getting rockier and steeper the further they ventured. Eventually the trees gave way to bare rock with small, scrubby bushes dotting the landscape.


    Something glinted in the distance, catching Crush''s eye.


    "It''s not possible," she said softly.


    She strode over to the rock face that had caught her eye. She reached out a hand and gently touched the glassy blue orb that stuck out of the stone.


    "It''s a core," she said in awe. She turned to Yrinla. "We''re home. We''re really, actually home."


    ***


    The trip to the exile encampment only took about an hour, most of that due to the lack of a proper road to drive on and a few wrong turns for similar reasons. The ATUC handled the uneven terrain well enough, and Talon Squad found themselves parked by a small, algae-covered lake with tall, gnarled trees growing along the shore and shading large portions with their stretching branches.


    "I suppose we put on aether gear and check it out," said Vanbrook. "If anyone''s home they''re not rolling out the welcome mat."


    Even as Vanbrook spoke, a strange feeling crept up the back of his neck. It started as a physical sensation, then it burrowed into his skull and seemed to grab his brain with icy fingers. He began to tremble, and had to fight the urge to turn and run away from the lake as fast as he could.


    "Uh, guys?" he asked, voice shaking.


    "Y-yeah," said Reclan, holding her side arm in a trembling hand. "I f-f-feel it t-too."


    Vanbrook turned to the others. Doc was stock still, D''Jarric was calm but abnormally straight-faced, and Raivyn, though shaking, had a hand to her head, concentrating on fighting the psychic assault.


    Raivyn had to strain just to resist the attack, but she fought to push back against it entirely so she could communicate with the attacker. The fear induced by the attack and the headache from the psychic effort threatened to overwhelm her, but she persevered, finally rewarded when her T-waves overwhelmed those of the attacker.


    When she burst through the attack and traced the waves back, she found that the attack was actually a group effort, with a number of sapient minds cooperating to bring the attack to bear. She reached out to them, trying to communicate to them in their own tongue like Rehkna had taught her.


    Friend.


    She could sense that she had only sent an impression, but she left it at that, retreating and giving the attackers space to consider the sentiment.


    Strangers, came the reply. There was only one voice this time.


    Strange friends, impressed Raivyn.


    Silence reigned for a full minute.


    Raivyn turned to see the other members of Talon Squad still clutching their weapons. She waved for them to back off.


    Vanbrook nodded and holstered his weapon, backing up and trying to calm his nerves. The others followed his lead.


    A ripple appeared on the surface, moving closer until a Shairet head broke the surface. When the lake dweller''s eyes met Raivyn''s, they dipped back under the surface suddenly. After a slight pause, the head reappeared and the Shairet walked fully up onto the shore.


    Strange, said the psychic Shairet. Strange friends.


    ***


    A death crystal fell to the floor with a clank as Jylik holstered his thorn gun. The coward who had retreated from the Griffon Republic was no more. The ragged remnant of ships that had returned from the battle over Gateway would be set out in the front lines when the war started in earnest. The Wabuluban Kingdom, Aethercrate Hauling, and the Griffon Republic- especially the Griffon Republic- would pay dearly for humiliating the Astralbian Empire.

 Chapter 3.16: Idols

    Darvik stood in the square before the amphitheater, just in front of the statue of Koo L¡¯Koom and off to one side, his opponent opposite him. He was a Krauqian, though a relatively tall and thin one with smooth rather than warty skin, meaning he was likely from a different part of Krauqia than Hoon-Kra. Like Darvik, he wore a loose-fitting deep purple tunic and pants with a black sash around his waist, with red face paint around his eyes and a red, toothy maw painted around his mouth. It was clear by the way he held his sword he was no stranger to combat. Between Darvik and his opponent stood Hoon-Kra, holding up his hands to quiet the raucous crowd gathered on the stone steps.


    ¡°Praise to Koo L¡¯Koom!¡± shouted the High Priest of Koomia.


    ¡°PRAISE!¡± roared the crowd, beginning a sequence of call and response.


    ¡°Praise to power!¡±


    ¡°PRAISE!¡±


    ¡°Praise to the victor!¡±


    ¡°PRAISE!¡±


    ¡°PRAISE TO KOO L¡¯KOOM!¡±


    ¡°PRAISE!¡±


    Hoon-Kra nodded his satisfaction and continued, ¡°Today we honor Koo L¡¯Koom, gathered before his idol.¡±


    Darvik frowned. The word seemed oddly out of place. He thought of it as a statue, but he supposed it was indeed an idol. Up to now, the Koomites had felt like a philosophical group. Now it felt like a religion. He shook off the feeling. It was his religion now.


    ¡°One of these warriors will honor Koo L¡¯Koom by a display of power,¡± declared Hoon-Kra. ¡°The other will die knowing he was too weak to live.¡±


    A devilish smile played across the high priest¡¯s face. Darvik felt that he was seeing Hoon-Kra for the first time now. The Krauqian heir had played the part of the bored aristocrat for most of his life. Now he threw off that mask with relish, revealing the zealot beneath.


    Hoon-Kra pulled himself up to his full height and inhaled deeply. ¡°Warriors, begin!¡±


    Darvik roared and sprinted towards his opponent, immediately putting him on his back foot. The Krauqian¡¯s skillful defense kept Darvik from running him through, but he struggled to find an opening for a counter as Darvik¡¯s flashing blade formed a veritable wall of steel.


    Losing himself in the fight, Darvik felt free for the first time in years. For the first time since he¡¯d fallen in with the gangs back in Kerucester.


    As soon as the thought sprang up it destroyed the sensation of freedom. The smile that had been playing at his lips faded away and his face set. He pushed in against his opponent, slashing with increasing fury. Finally he caught an attempted parry at an awkward angle and his opponent''s sword clattered to the ground. A thrust caused a dark bloom to emanate out from right above the Krauqian¡¯s heart, but, despite his violent life outside the arena, Darvik was not used to thrusting to kill in a duel. After making contact, he pulled back out of habit. He stood, quietly watching his opponent.


    ¡°What are you doing, Darvik?¡± asked Hoon-Kra quietly. Then, more loudly, ¡°To the death!¡±


    The crowd erupted in cheers. Darvik stepped back, allowing his opponent to pick up his sword. Hoon-Kra¡¯s face darkened, but he said nothing.


    Fear in his eyes, the Krauqian duelist charged Darvik, hoping to gain the advantage this time around. However, he was simply outskilled and soon Darvik commanded the fight again. Hurt and enraged, his opponent made mistake after mistake. Something in Darvik tried to hold him back, but he pushed that down as well.


    Another wild strike. Another masterfully executed parry. Another thrust to the chest, this time with followthrough. Darvik drew his sword back as the Krauqian slumped to the floor. For one horrible moment, Darvik saw Wilbis lying in a pool of blood.


    ¡°Lay him on the altar,¡± said Hoon-Kra.


    Darvik looked up at the high priest in confusion. Then he obeyed. His opponent was still breathing shallowly as he picked him up, but was soon on the altar, still as the stone he lay on.


    ***


    For the rest of the day, Crush and Yrinla wandered over the hills and forests of their peoples¡¯ homeworld. As evening came, they made their way back to Crush¡¯s star tree. Creatures that resembled a colorful mix between squirrels and bats flitted around the darkening tree tops, gnawing on the tiny, hard-rinded fruits that hung from some of the trees. One flitted down and landed on Crush¡¯s shoulder. Its fur was a dark purple that would blend in with the grass of the prairies, but its back and bushy tail were striped with vibrant blues and greens. The creature folded its purple-black leathery wings and looked expectantly at Crush. Looking around, Crush found a fruit within reach and plucked it, handing it to the creature. It took it greedily and munched happily, remaining perched on Crush¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°They seem to like you,¡± said Yrinla.


    Crush shrugged. ¡°What¡¯s one more strange surprise?¡±


    She looked around the branches for a moment, idly plucking another fruit for her new companion.


    ¡°What¡¯s it all mean, Priestess?¡± she asked finally.


    ¡°I do not know,¡± said Yrinla. ¡°I came here looking for my people, not yours. If we have indeed found your people.¡±


    ¡°I know a core when I see one,¡± said Crush. ¡°And it looked like it had been stuck in that cliff since time began, not like it crashed into this world some time in the past. Of course, a core crystal isn¡¯t the same thing as a Robot. For some reason, the structure of the crystal seems to allow for sapience when integrated into an AI program. It¡¯s never truly been understood.¡±


    ¡°We must try to locate any sapients still on this world,¡± said Yrinla, shaking her head. ¡°Hopefully they will have answers to some of our questions.¡±


    Soon the pair reached their star tree, the purple bat-squirrel still along for the ride.


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    ¡°I have no food for you, shoo!¡± said Crush, brushing the creature off her shoulder.


    Squeaking its protest, the creature fluttered to the ground and stared up at Crush for a moment before taking to the sky and returning to the treetops.


    An alert was sounding aboard the tree, and Crush walked briskly over to the console.


    ¡°Admiral,¡± said Captain Hacksaw¡¯s voice as she pressed play on the message. ¡°The Wabuluban job went well, but we came back to trouble on our base of operations. The People¡¯s Interplanetary Cooperative has set a beacon here. They¡¯re demanding we leave. Tensions are high. Please respond as soon as possible.¡±


    Crush¡¯s fingers flew over the console¡¯s controls and she sent a ripmed transmission to the Liberty.


    ¡°Admiral!¡± answered Hacksaw immediately. ¡°Where are you? Why aren¡¯t you here?¡±


    ¡°I had a mission of my own, Captain,¡± replied Crush. ¡°Explain the situation, please.¡±


    ¡°As I said, the PIC showed up and claimed the planet,¡± spat Hacksaw. ¡°They¡¯ve given us a standard day to pack up and leave. Which we could, only this is clearly unjust. Do you want us to attack?¡±


    ¡°No, do nothing of the sort,¡± said Crush. ¡°We have to play by the Code if we want to be taken seriously by the rest of the galaxy. I want you to take the Liberty, another gun ship and a support ship of your choice and set up shop on Gateway. Send Captain Tank and the rest of the fleet to me, along with any supplies needed to set up a beacon.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Admiral,¡± said Hacksaw bitterly.


    ¡°Captain,¡± said Crush in a warning tone. ¡°Something big is going on here. On this world, I mean. I believe I found the source world of core crystals.¡±


    Hacksaw threw up his hands, flabbergasted. ¡°That¡¯s- I mean- look, forgive me, Admiral, but as interesting as that is, how does it keep the FRF alive and growing?¡±


    ¡°Captain Hacksaw, I am asking you to trust me,¡± said Crush. ¡°All of this means something.¡±


    Hacksaw shook his head. ¡°Forgive my honesty, Admiral, but you¡¯re spending too much time with that Astralbian, and she¡¯s making you into some kind of mystic. But you¡¯ve earned my trust. I¡¯ll do as you say.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Hacksaw,¡± said Crush. ¡°You¡¯ve proven a worthy Captain. I will not take your advice lightly. But, for now, follow my lead on this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± said Hacksaw.


    ***


    A number of the exiled Shairet were now gathered on the shore of the algae-covered lake. Their clothes were more ragged than their counterparts in the lake village, and some were covered in some kind of tanned fish hides rather than the woven reeds that most wore.


    Talon Squad had managed to communicate that they had come from the sky and knew the people in the lake village. Beyond that the conversation stalled rapidly.


    ¡°I was really hoping the whole ¡®when you need it most¡¯ bit of Rehkna¡¯s prophecy would have kicked in here,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°That¡¯d be nice. However, it looks like we¡¯re stuck with communicating the old-fashioned way, unless we can get a translator.¡±


    ¡°I speak some Shairet,¡± said Hrake.


    ¡°You what now?¡± asked Vanbrook incredulously.


    ¡°Speak some Shairet,¡± repeated Hrake. ¡°I¡¯ve been spending time with Chreep when possible, trying to learn his language. It¡¯s more similar to Hrudukite than it is to Talpaertan. Shall I?¡± He gestured to the gathered exiles.


    ¡°Well, um, by all means,¡± said Raivyn.


    Hrake walked up to the first exile who had approached them and began speaking in the shrill chirps and cheeps of the Shairet language. After a moment of halting conversation, Hrake turned to Talon Squad.


    ¡°She says her name is Kiap, and that they would offer us fruit if they had any to spare. They have watched our kind over the last few months, but tried to avoid making contact. She then said she was surprised that anyone can live in the skies and asked if we used the storm clouds like lakes. I tried to explain that we come from another world, but I¡¯m not sure she grasped the concept. I can say from experience it¡¯s a strange thought to understand.¡±


    ¡°Can you ask them what they need?¡± asked Raivyn earnestly. ¡°Tell them we come from a nation that respects psychics. They don¡¯t have to be exiles anymore.¡±


    Hrake turned back to Kiap and relayed the message. After a few more halting exchanges, he translated. ¡°She wonders how the mad can be respected. She says no one has ever gotten through their defenses before. Or something like that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t they want¡­ friends?¡± asked Raivyn, searching for the words but not finding them. ¡°Acceptance?¡±


    Hrake shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can get this across, but I¡¯ll try.¡±


    During the exchange, Hrake¡¯s face contorted with concern. Raivyn thought she made out a few syllables of Shairet, but it seemed impossible.


    ¡°She says it¡¯s not safe,¡± said Hrake. ¡°She says Koo L¡¯Koom is coming soon.¡±


    So she had heard correctly. Koo L¡¯Koom. Things were starting to click.


    ¡°So the psychics¡¯ madness is caused by Koo L¡¯Koom?¡± she asked.


    Hrake spoke with the exile again, nodding as she responded.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Koo L¡¯Koom passes by this area from time to time. His passing is unpredictable, but typically occurs¡­ I don¡¯t know the numbers, but it sounds like he¡¯s due back soon.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to ask Chreep about the timing,¡± said Raivyn with a shrug. ¡°But I think I understand the madness better now. I think it¡¯s what I experienced when the aether squid attacked the Wingspan.¡±


    ¡°Hard to imagine what would have happened if D¡¯Jarric hadn¡¯t been there,¡± offered Vanbrook.


    The lead exile spoke a few words.


    ¡°She asks us to please leave if we have no more questions,¡± said Hrake. ¡°They wish to be left alone.¡±


    Raivyn nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s pack it up. I don¡¯t want to wear out our welcome.¡±


    She turned to get into the ATUC, and then her face paled. A storm of red beams fell from the sky, a full thirty seconds going by before the chorus of booming concussions reached their position.


    ¡°Again!?¡± groaned Vanbrook.


    ¡°That was the lake!¡± shouted Reclan.


    ¡°Come on, everyone, let''s go!¡± commanded Raivyn. They hopped into the ATUC and Raivyn floored it, leaving the exiles standing around the lake.


    The Shairet wondered what they had just seen and watched the strangers disappear in a cloud of dust. Then they walked back into their small lake and hid from the world.


    ***


    Jasken was enjoying a quiet lunch in his office when the Wingspan shook like it had been struck with a massive sledgehammer. Nearly throwing his sandwich as he jumped from his seat, he rushed up to the bridge, nearly falling down the stairs as another strike landed.


    ¡°DEKKEN, TALK TO ME!¡± he shouted into his comm.


    ¡°The Astralbians are back, Admiral!¡± cried Dekken. ¡°There¡¯s clearly more this time. I¡¯ve switched on travel shields, but I¡¯m not sure how much more we can take!¡±


    Stumbling onto the bridge as another blast nearly took his feet out from under him, Jasken looked out to see the airfield smoldering, a number of ships reduced to slag. A final blow landed on top of the Wingspan and the ship went dark.

 Chapter 3.17: Scorched Earths

    ¡°Wingspan, this is Talon Squad, come in!¡± shouted Reclan. She¡¯d been trying for a few minutes now as the ATUC sped back through the uneven terrain of Gateway towards the site of the massive Astralbian attack.


    ¡°It¡¯s no good!¡± she shouted.


    ¡°Hopefully they¡¯re just busy dealing with all this,¡± said Vanbrook.


    No one answered, not wanting to say what they were thinking. The rest of the drive was dominated by a tense silence, with Raivyn pushing the ATUC to its limits. When the Wingspan came into view, Talon Squad breathed a collective sigh of relief. The ship was smoking in several places but hadn''t been made into a crater of twisted blue metal.


    Captain Hunt ran to greet them as they pulled the ATUC into the hangar. "Talon Squad! Good to see you alive. Comms are fried, some kind of interference or feedback generated when the ripmed comms blew is messing with the whole system. Even the Halberd and personal comms are on the fritz."


    "What''s the plan?" asked Raivyn.


    Hunt¡¯s face soured. "We''re leaving. Falling back to Avonia. There''s no way the Wingspan can survive a second volley of that magnitude, and it fared better than most of the other ships. Even so, our battle shields are depleted and our travel shields are compromised. But that''s not our immediate problem.


    "We need you to help gather survivors, particularly from the lake village. We''ve got no more than fifteen minutes before the next volley, and the plan is to jump away and let our shields recharge out in the aether a few light years out."


    Raivyn turned the ATUC around and headed for the village. Chreep stood on the dock surveying the damage.


    "We need to leave immediately," said Raivyn.


    "Then go!" said Chreep.


    "No, you misunderstand, we want to take the villagers with us," said Raivyn.


    Chreep''s antennae moved erratically. "We will not leave. Maybe your tribes run from their homes. We do not."


    Raivyn nodded. "So be it. We hope to be back some day, and pray you will be here when we return."


    Chreep nodded and turned to go back to the village. Shortly thereafter Talon Squad made it back into the Wingspan and climbed the tower stairs to the auditorium for take off.


    The fleet rose from the surface and flew away from the Astralbians, hoping to avoid a second blast. The Mayblin, the only of the Aethercrate ships to survive, docked onto the Wingspan, its ripmed system destroyed. Just as the Wingspan was ready to jump, a hail of red beams fired through the fleet. Another Wabuluban ship was destroyed, but most of the beams missed, given the extreme range.


    Leaving the burning wreckage of the Wabuluban ship behind, the fleet made the jump towards Avonia.


    ***


    Darvik woke up with an aching head. The cold morning light that shone in through his cabin''s window was unwelcome. The celebration following the duel had been intense, and Darvik was happy to lose himself in it.


    He stood up and dressed himself, walking outside with no clear idea of where he was heading. A familiar face stopped him in his tracks. It was Cevla. He hadn''t seen her since he''d left her in Hoon-Kra''s care. She looked dazed and unkempt, nothing like the hardened mercenary he''d assassinated Trar-Brak with.


    "Cevla?" he asked hesitantly.


    She turned and looked at him, her eyes glazed. "That was just a small one. But it took so much."


    "Huh?" asked Darvik stupidly.


    "Do you really want to know, killer?" she replied, looking cold and distant. "You have no love for the beasts, and more than you know for your fellow folk. We''re lost in a sea of blood, though. Never wanted to drown. But the tentacles drag me under. Can you resist the teeth?"


    Hoon-Kra came running across the square, breathless by the time he got to them.


    "Cevla is still experiencing visions from her communion with T''Lak," he exclaimed between gasps of air. "Cevla, please follow me."


    "Of course," she said, almost airily. "You''re the high priest. We follow you right into the maw."


    He gave her a patronizing nod and led her back to the Swamp''s Pride, leaving Darvik to blink into the rising sun.


    ***


    The mood aboard the Wingspan was somber. The fleet had regrouped at the rendezvous point a few light years away from Gateway, heading towards Avonia. The Wingspan''s ripmed comms were still out of commission, but they were able to patch their local comms through Baron Flubbyn''s ripmed system.


    Jasken sat in the bridge, sending a comm to Griffonia. Skritka picked up immediately.


    "Jasken!" he exclaimed. "You''re alive!"


    "Barely, but yes," replied Jasken. "So you have some idea of what happened?"


    "It wasn''t just on Gateway, Admiral," said Skritka, bowing his head in sorrow. "We received a comm from Sargent Hargen on Hruduk that an Astralbian fleet was attacking Gred. The message cut out suddenly. We haven''t been able to reach our people on Avonia, Gateway, or Thioa. We assume our unmanned bases on Platnon and Glasaxia are compromised as well."


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    Jasken gritted his teeth. That left them with no safe harbor closer than Kirakna, and there was no way they had enough water, let alone shields, to make it that far.


    "We''ll have to regroup with the fleet on Kirakna, and we¡¯ll have to find somewhere to stop along the way," he said. "Maybe we can sneak by on Glasaxia if we don''t use our established base there. It''ll be slow going. Not sure what we''ll do from there."


    "You should know, Jasken," said Skritka. "Tonight is the vote on whether to declare war on the Astralbians. There were a number of holdouts and it looked like it would be a close vote, but these events will change that. We''ll be at war tonight."


    "Typical politicians," snorted Jasken. "You''re nearly a year late."


    Skritka laughed, briefly and joylessly. "Providence shine on you, Jasken."


    "On you as well," said Jasken. "We surely need it."


    ***


    Crush''s mind wandered as she watched the landscape of what Yrinla had dubbed "the Cradle world" zip by on her display screen. They had spent over a week scanning the surface looking for signs of civilization, but Crush was preoccupied with the problems the FRF had been facing, worried that this exploration was more of a distraction than a worthwhile quest. She tapped her fingers, trying to bring herself back to the current task.


    "Okay," she blurted out, frustration boiling over. "Let''s assume there are Astralbians living here, which we don''t know for sure. What if they live underground? Or underwater? Or they''re so scattered we never find them?"


    "For one thing, Astralbians don''t live underground or underwater," answered Yrinla patiently. "They live in tree cities like that one."


    Crush spun to look at the tree preistess'' screen. She had zoomed in on a massive growth of wood, covered in organic windows and doors that resembled knot holes. All around the strange, living city were bright blue orbs covered in crystalline spikes, most of whom had dropped what they were doing, staring up into the sky at the flying tree that had come to visit them.


    ***


    High Emperor Jylik looked down on the world he''d just conquered. True, it hadn''t been a long or particularly glorious conquest, but it had been immensely satisfying. Seeing the baleful Blue Griffon Fleet flee in terror could only have been improved upon by seeing them destroyed outright. That would come with time.


    The attack had gone equally well on the other worlds. The meager Republic presence on Thioa and Avonia has been destroyed completely, and the troublesome city of Gred along with its small contingent of Republic soldiers had been crippled. The resistance there would be quashed shortly.


    Trilia walked up next to him, smiling warmly. "A fine world, my Emperor. An auspicious new beginning for the glorious Astralbian Empire."


    Jylik nodded. "It is a world fit for an Emperor. But what of my Empress?"


    Trilia smiled gently. "It would be best to give her¨Cwhoever is blessed with the title¨Cher pick of worlds, after you have chosen this one for yourself."


    "It''s decided, then," said Jylik. "Pick carefully, Empress."


    "My Lord?" asked Trilia. It was what she had worked towards, but it was so sudden. Of course, Jylik had always been impulsive. She should just be grateful it worked out in her favor.


    "You may pick any world for your own, Empress Trilia," said Jylik, not even turning to glance at his newly declared bride. "As soon as you consent to take the title."


    ***


    Vanbrook poured himself some rakka in the galley and waited for the others. The dining hall was crowded with crew from the Shepherd as well as the Mayblin, both of whom had lost a significant portion of their supplies in the attack.


    Table space was slim, so Vanbrook considered taking his breakfast back to his room, but Raivyn walked up to the tea station with Reclan and poured herself some tavan blossom while Reclan grabbed some rakka, dumping enough sweetener in to cover a week''s worth of the beverage for most.


    "Ugh, I feel like I''m back in school," whined Reclan. "No idea where I''m supposed to sit."


    "Yeah, but you''re one of the cool kids now," teased Vanbrook. "You can sit wherever you like."


    As they looked for a space large enough to fit all six squad mates, Kwa-Kwa spotted them and waved them over. Kwa-Kwa, Rahk, and the other scouts took up a good bit of room as well, but Vanbrook, Raivyn, and Reclan managed to squeeze in.


    "You guys hear the scuttlebutt?" asked Kwa-Kwa eagerly.


    "I guess not," said Vanbrook. "What''s up?"


    "The Astralbians down in the brig are pretty stirred up," said Kwa-Kwa. "Guess they don''t like being fired on by their own precious Empire."


    "Well that wasp rider we got out of their brig didn''t seem too high on the Empire when we found her," said Reclan.


    ¡°Oh, one of the prisoners is a wasp rider?¡± asked Drixen as he and Tahlia walked up to the table. ¡°I¡¯d love to pick their brain, so to speak.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this, is the honeymoon over?¡± asked Kwa-Kwa with a chuckle. ¡°I thought the two of you were doing breakfast exclusively in your quarters.¡±


    Tahlia laughed and then sighed melodramatically. ¡°I guess I have to let him out sometimes.¡±


    Drixen blushed and coughed into his hand. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s this about the prisoners?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s about it,¡± said Kwa-Kwa with a shrug. ¡°It sounds like they might be willing to spill some imperial secrets, I guess. Though the lord is more likely than the others to know anything worth telling.¡±


    Hrake walked up, then noticed the lack of space.


    ¡°Things are a bit more crowded than usual these days,¡± he noted glumly. He¡¯d been much more brooding than usual since he¡¯d heard about the attack on Hruduk. Communications hadn¡¯t yet been re-established.


    ¡°Ah, no worries,¡± said Rahk, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m just heading out, though, uh,¡± he compared his slim frame to the broad Hrudukite warrior, realizing the space he left would be unlikely to accommodate Hrake comfortably.


    Hrake laughed. ¡°I did not mean to complain about you fine folks. The offer is appreciated.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all heading out, actually,¡± said Kwa-Kwa. ¡°Heading down for some rifle practice on the range. Plenty of room for all.¡±


    Doc and D¡¯Jarric showed up just as the scouts left, and they joined the rest of Talon Squad, as well as Drixen and Tahlia.


    ¡°Guess you guys heard, we¡¯re officially at war with the Astralbians,¡± said Drixen.


    ¡°What was all that with Hittania and our way out to the Cluster, then?¡± asked Vanbrook with a scoff.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s all political,¡± said Tahlia dismissively.


    ¡°To an extent,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°But on the other hand it means we¡¯ll have serious back-up on the homefront and a lot more friendly guns in the aether.¡±


    Tahlia nodded her agreement. ¡°Fair point. It also means we don¡¯t have to play nice in between acts of outright aggression. What about the Wabulubans? Are they ready to join in?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± said Drixen. ¡°Their pride will be hurt but they don¡¯t have nearly the investment in the greater Cluster area that we do and the Wabuluban Kingdom isn¡¯t quick to jump into war. I¡¯m sure we can count on Baron Flubbyn for aid and supplies, but I don¡¯t see them sending an armada.¡±


    ¡°What about us?¡± asked Reclan. ¡°Like, as in right here and now. Shields have to have had a chance to recoup at least enough to get us in orbit somewhere, right?¡±


    Raivyn nodded. ¡°We should get an announcement on that soon, no later than tonight.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Reclan. ¡°Where did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°Some of us read those memos Jasken sends out, Rec,¡± said Doc wryly.


    The table had a good laugh at Reclan¡¯s expense, despite the fact that only a couple of them read the memo themselves.

 Chapter 3.18: Falling Back

    Admiral Grim strode over the broken remains of the Republic base on Avonia, a large detachment of Ramshackle Collective pirates marching behind him. He was glad he¡¯d come back to the area after reclaiming his fleet. War always meant opportunity for a pirate.


    A door screeched open, and Grim turned in time to see a badly wounded Republic soldier leaning against the door frame fire a sidearm at him. The shot went low and wide, carving a divot out of the earth next to his feet. The pistol fell to the ground and the soldier stared at Grim defiantly. Grim strode over to him and ran him through with his saber.


    ¡°Gather anything of value,¡± he said in a rusty, gravel-laden voice. ¡°Then it¡¯s back to the ships. We have some old friends to visit.¡±


    ***


    Jasken walked down into the brig of the Wingspan, arms held behind his back. A complement of armed sailors walked with him, an extra precaution given the number of dangerous prisoners aboard.


    ¡°This is ridiculous, Jasken,¡± said Wyven as Jasken walked by the Astralbian lord¡¯s cell. The Astralbian soldiers that shared his cell gathered around him as if preparing for a fight.


    ¡°It¡¯s Admiral Jasken, prisoner,¡± he replied coolly, walking by without giving him a glance.


    ¡°It¡¯s Lord, Admiral,¡± retorted Wyven.


    Jasken stopped, but did not turn around. ¡°Is it? Surely your glorious emperor knew you were aboard. True, you are his vassal, but one would think he¡¯d take a little more care if he found you useful.¡±


    Enjoying the exchange immensely, Glinya smiled from where she stood in the corner of her own cell. ¡°What brings you to our humble abode, Admiral?¡±


    ¡°You do, I hear you¡¯re not too fond of the newly reformed Empire,¡± he said, looking her in the eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± she answered. ¡°Do you think that makes me your ally?¡±


    ¡°It means you¡¯re unlikely to keep secrets for them,¡± said Jasken.


    Glinya laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t let the title ¡®Commander¡¯ fool you. I¡¯m just another disposable waspherd. My knowledge of imperial secrets may disappoint you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that,¡± said Jasken. He nodded to the guards manning the bridge.


    Glinya¡¯s door sprung open and she stepped forward, holding out her hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that won¡¯t be necessary,¡± said Jasken, waving her off.


    She shrugged.


    Jasken turned and walked back out of the brig, Glinya in tow. The waspherd winked at Wyven as she passed by.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Glinya when the door to the brig closed behind them. ¡°What¡¯s this really about, Jasken?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still Admiral,¡± said Jasken patiently. ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s about making Wyven uncomfortable, which I¡¯m sure you¡¯re on board with, your ultimate loyalty aside.¡±


    ¡°And the lack of cuffs?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It sold our friendly rapport better,¡± answered Jasken. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re unarmed, there are four armed guards boxing you in and you¡¯re not stupid.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough, Admiral,¡± said Glinya, leaning heavily into the word ¡®Admiral.¡¯ ¡°Where are we going? Is this where I get jettisoned out of an airlock and you go tell Wyven I¡¯m cooperating?¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk. So cynical,¡± said Jasken. ¡°I have no intention of killing you. You¡¯ll be a prisoner until the end of the war, then we¡¯ll return you to your own people.¡±


    Glinya laughed. ¡°So the rumors of Republic mercy have some truth to them? Interesting.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I hope Cevla¡¯s ongoing spiritual journey didn¡¯t upset you, Darvik,¡± said Hoon-Kra.


    Darvik turned to regard the high priest. He had ventured out to the low wall around Koomia City to sit on the edge and think awhile.


    ¡°¡®Ongoing spiritual journey?¡¯¡± he asked. ¡°Is that what you call that?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Hoon-Kra. ¡°She communed with an aether beast. I would expect¡­ side effects.¡±


    ¡°The core tenant of the Koomites is the worship of power¨Cbasking in it, seeking it. Correct?¡± asked Darvik.


    ¡°Correct,¡± said Hoon-Kra.


    ¡°So you plan to commune with Koo L¡¯Koom?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Darvik¡¯s face contorted with thought. ¡°And then what?¡±


    ¡°I will truly be his disciple,¡± said Hoon-Kra fervently.


    ¡°Like Cevla is T¡¯Lak¡¯s?¡± asked Darvik.


    Hoon-Kra smiled condescendingly. ¡°Not exactly. Do you know how my ancestors knew of Koo L¡¯Koom?¡±


    Darvik shook his head.


    ¡°Long ago, Solarans came to Krauqia. Some deny that these beings were Solarans at all, but they appeared as golden Krauqians, much as the Solorans of today appear in Human-like form. However, they were not like those who mingle with the Republic now, worshiping the so-called Progenitor, but preaching of the aether beasts.


    ¡°Did you know every sapient species has some concept of the aether beasts? They do. But not all experienced them. The Solarans who visited Krauqia brought one in tow. Koo L¡¯Koom. At his approach, the oceans rose in a mighty tide. He blotted out our sun and drove our psychics mad. It is said that the blood that flowed in that day raised the tides even higher.


    ¡°The Aethereal Shark swam through the sky, circled our sun and glided back to his heavenly abode. Before the Solarans left, they entrusted the first generation of Koomites with the knowledge needed to commune with the aether beasts, though not until recently were we able to find any to commune with. Koo L¡¯Koom is here, in the Cornucopia Cluster, I know it. And I will find him. I will commune with him.¡±


    Hoon-Kra turned to Darvik with a smile. ¡°Now, rest well, my champion. There will soon be more opportunities to display your power.¡±


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    ***


    Vanbrook headed down to the gym and found Raivyn beating the tar out of a punching bag.


    "You, uh, picturing any particular faces, killer?" he asked.


    Raivyn snorted, "Jylik, if anyone. But I''m just trying to pass the time."


    Vanbrook nodded. He didn''t take downtime well himself. He grabbed a practice sword and began doing drills.


    "Wanna spar?"


    "Huh?" asked Vanbrook stupidly.


    "Do you want to spar?" asked Raivyn again.


    "Oh, uh, sure," he answered. "Hand-to-hand?"


    "Yes," she answered. "I don''t like my chances going up against you with blades¨Ceven dull ones¨Cbut I could use some practice against a bigger opponent. Not to mention one that, y''know," she jerked a thumb back at the punching bag, "fights back."


    Vanbrook laughed. "Alright. But go easy on me."


    "Absolutely not," said Raivyn with a small smile.


    The two stepped onto the mat and circled each other. Vanbrook raised his hand in a kind of fisticuffs fashion; Raivyn stood at nearly a right angle to him, her feet wide and her hands held up, ready to strike. Vanbrook waited for Raivyn to strike; Raivyn waited for Vanbrook to strike.


    Raivyn threw her hands up. "Come on, fight me already!"


    Vanbrook shrugged and charged in shoulder first, relying on his relative bulk to overpower his opponent. Raivyn stepped aside easily, but Vanbrook''s quick feet allowed him to change direction and he struck out with a fist. Raivyn fell back further and slapped Vanbrook''s arm out of the way, retaking her stance as Vanbrook corrected.


    Looking down at Raivyn with an amused smirk on his face, Vanbrook stood to his full height and walked towards her slowly, hands up and ready to strike or block. When he got within his arm¡¯s reach, he punched out towards her, just to gauge her reaction, like he was feeling out a fellow swashbuckler in a duel. He was caught completely off-guard when she grabbed his wrist and pulled herself in, throwing him over her shoulder and onto the floor.


    She laughed as Vanbrook picked himself up once more and rounded on her, smiling wide. He¡¯d thrown punches when the situation had called for it, but he was totally out of his element fighting a dedicated martial artist like Raivyn. Nonetheless, he made an effort now to actually land a hit, but Raivyn was too quick. She dodged his comparatively clumsy blows and made sure to land a few punches of her own.


    Eventually Vanbrook found an opportunity to slip past her defenses, rushing her and pinning her arms to her side in a bear hug. She struggled and squirmed, but couldn¡¯t break free.


    ¡°Vanbrook, you JERK!¡± she said, emphasizing the last word with a stomp to the swordsman¡¯s instep. He dropped her and she darted back with a smile, landing a blow beneath his ribs as she fled. He collapsed to the mat, the wind knocked out of him.


    ¡°Oof,¡± he said, chuckling as he recovered. ¡°When are we going to stop hurting each other? First Hittania, then Gateway, now this.¡±


    Raivyn¡¯s face hardened. ¡°I¡¯ve never done anything to hurt you, Vanbrook.¡±


    She walked out of the gym, leaving him sitting on the mat, alone. He sighed despondently and fell back onto the mat, burying his face in his hands.


    ***


    ¡°Bring us in quiet,¡± said Jasken as the Wingspan exited its jump to Glasaxia.


    ¡°We should be alright, Admiral,¡± said Mairen. ¡°I¡¯m not picking up any Astralbian satellites. I think they were happy to destroy our base and head out.¡±


    ¡°All the same, let¡¯s land as far as possible from the old base,¡± said Jasken. ¡°We need water but I don¡¯t want to take unnecessary risks.¡±


    ¡°We have a pretty comprehensive map of the planet¡¯s surface,¡± said Mairen. ¡°I have a number of suitable LZs to choose from, including one that¡¯s fairly close to being on the exact opposite side of the world from our old base.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, we¡¯ll land there,¡± said Jasken.


    ¡°Our onboard ice processing equipment is ready to go,¡± said Dekken. ¡°As soon as we¡¯re clayside we¡¯ll be ready to start.¡±


    Shortly thereafter, the Wingspan was touching down on the icy surface of Glasaxia with the Shepherd and the Mayblin still attached to airlocks on either side of the ship and the Wabuluban ships landing just down the shore of one of Glasaxia¡¯s deep brown lakes. Talon Squad and Kwa-Kwa¡¯s scouts were deployed with a small group of technicians to start setting up the ice processing equipment. The Wabuluban ships also deployed a handful of soldiers and technicians for their own water needs.


    ¡°Remember,¡± said Raivyn to both groups, ¡°there are dangerous ambush predators on this world, so watch yourselves out here. Watch for oddly symmetrical lumps or stones in the ground, they may be the eyes of a muck newt.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the heads up,¡± responded the Wabuluban squad leader, waving a tentacle in thanks from his position down the beach.


    The work was quiet and efficient, the Republic technicians were well-trained and disciplined. Talon Squad pitched in where needed and the scouts kept their eyes out for trouble.


    Freckles, Kwa-Kwa¡¯s pet, stayed alongside his master. He was a furry, spotted beast about five feet long and covered in a slick brown coat with white spots all over, resembling something between an alligator and an otter. He wore a specially-made aethersuit with an atmo-sampling device that allowed him to sniff the air to his heart¡¯s content.


    ¡°Really?¡± asked Vanbrook as he watched the beast nosing around the muddy ground, looking for signs of life.


    Rahk shrugged. The sniper had his misgivings about the animal member of his squad, but tried not to second guess his squad leader. ¡°Kwa-Kwa loves the thing, and he¡¯s got quite a sniffer on him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, he¡¯s a good boy,¡± said Kwa-Kwa, patting the beast¡¯s helmet.


    He sniffed her hand and wandered off a ways, lifting a leg beside a boulder, though the suit he wore had no accommodations for the behavior.


    ¡°Man, I¡¯m not cleaning the suit this time,¡± said Rahk.


    Finishing his business, Freckles sniffed at the boulder, which stood nearly three feet tall, and began growling. Vanbrook looked at the boulder and then noticed a very similar boulder a few yards off. His eyes grew wide with realization. Both ¡°boulders¡± split open horizontally, revealing the giant muck newt¡¯s brilliant orange eyes.


    ¡°EVERYBODY RUN!¡± screamed Vanbrook, drawing his pistol and firing at the giant eye.


    The newt ambushed suddenly and Vanbrook¡¯s shot missed. The round buried itself into the newt¡¯s leathery yellow skin, though not deeply enough to do lasting damage. The monstrous creature¡¯s mouth was opened wide and was easily large enough to swallow an ATUC whole.


    Flashing to one side, the beast swallowed half the Wabuluban team in one gulp. Everyone reacted suddenly, drawing weapons and training them on the monster. Red, blue, and golden flashes erupted as ballistic and energy weapons fired, but they had no effect on the newt, which went after the remaining Wabulubans with relish. They scattered, but a few unlucky Wabulubans were swallowed whole.


    "Wingspan," said Vanbrook into his comm. "Get your guns ready and aim for center mass!"


    The swashbuckler leapt, utilizing his aethersuit''s boosters, and landed on the side of the muck newt''s head, where he held on and stabbed his saber into one of the huge orange eyes, drawing his blade through as much of the orb as possible. The beast writhed violently, forcing Vanbrook to leap off and use his boosters to get clear of the monster.


    The newt rounded on Vanbrook, hatred emanating from its remaining eye. Vanbrook ran full tilt away from the others, the newt hot on his heels. Hoping to gain as much distance from the others as possible, Vanbrook used his boosters again to try to escape the cavernous maw opened behind him, but to no avail.


    The sky darkened suddenly as the newt overtook him. He looked up at the upper jaws, rows of tiny teeth lining the outer edge. The jaws snapped shut, but at the same time Vanbrook heard the muffled sound of the Wingspan''s ballistic guns.


    Raivyn watched as Vanbrook disappeared into the beast''s maw, then saw the shots from the Wingspan slam into the newt''s side, leaving a massive wound. The monster reeled, but didn¡¯t stop. A second shot followed, and the newt shook violently,hissing hatefully and sliding to a stop in the mud where it lay still, the hiss fading to a gurgling sigh.


    A cold wind blew over the white and ochre landscape, with the ships, the newt, and the ground crews all still as the stones. A snarl appeared on the newt¡¯s face as its lip curled up on one side. The lips moved and shuddered unnaturally in that one spot, until suddenly an arm thrust out, saber point leading the way, followed by the rest of Vanbrook. He flopped gracelessly to the ground a couple feet below and lay still for a moment, save his heaving chest. He then stood up, shaking globs of gory saliva from his limbs.


    A cheer went up, and Raivyn shook her head. Hearing the cheer, the swashbuckler raised his saber in triumph. Raivyn could barely make out his features given the distance, but she knew all too well the charming grin he wore. Vanbrook may have been a fool, but he was certainly a heroic one.

 Chapter 3.19: Striking Back

    Crush walked down the root of her star tree that served as a ramp, keeping wary eyes on the local Astralbians. Crush had never seen Astralbians in this form before. They were blue orbs with countless crystal spikes growing out from the center, small eye spots visible between some of the spikes. Most had skittered back into the safety of their wooden walls, the crystal points that touched the ground carrying them along like a series of kneeless legs. Only a few remained, holding staves that ended in purple orbs on their backs. The orbs, which appeared to be made of polished purple crystal, were pointed at the newcomers. Crush assumed these must be guards or soldiers.


    A humming, sing-song sound accompanied by jingling like that of a wind chime came from the guards. Yrinla responded in kind.


    ¡°It¡¯s Astralbian,¡± she explained. ¡°Our native tongue. As you can see, our kind took on many aspects of humanoid behavior as we conquered the biological species. What you see before you are Astralbians in their natural form.¡±


    Crush nodded. ¡°And what did you say?¡±


    ¡°They demanded to know who we were, who flew through the skies in a tree like one of the ancient tree priests. I answered that I am the descendant of such.¡±


    One of the guards chimed again, then turned and skittered back to the gate, which opened just enough for them to slip through before closing again.


    ¡°What was that?¡± asked Crush.


    Yrinla turned to Crush with raised eyebrows. ¡°He says we need to speak to the king and queen.¡±


    ***


    Dekken had taken a large earthmover craft out to open the muck newt¡¯s mouth so the Wabulubans could search for survivors. Including the tail, the newt was nearly a hundred yards long, easily surpassing the next biggest recorded specimen. Doc noted that the species likely grew until it died, and was probably Glasaxia¡¯s apex predator. This individual may have been centuries old.


    Finally, the last search party, joined by Talon Squad, exited the beast¡¯s maw, bringing a number of body bags in tow. They walked gingerly over the massive, spongy tongue and over the boards that had been laid as a walkway over the teeth and lower jaw.


    The lead Wabuluban shook his head. ¡°Thank you, Talon Squad. While I¡¯m saddened our compatriots did not survive, I am glad we will be able to return their bodies to Wabuluba for proper funerals.¡±


    D¡¯Jarric nodded. ¡°We are sorry for your loss, as well.¡±


    ¡°A few more deaths to hold against the Astralbians,¡± said Vanbrook coolly.


    ¡°I doubt the king and queen will see it that way,¡± said the Wabuluban bitterly. ¡°Though I wish things were different, we are unlikely to join your war effort directly.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯d be a shame,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°But I¡¯m not counting you out yet.¡±


    After a few friendly, if somber, words of farewell, the two groups went back to their ships and prepared for take off. Even as they had searched for survivors, the technicians had overseen the gathering and processing of ice.


    Talon Squad dispersed to clean up and rest, and met back together in the galley. It was a strange hour for dinner, so they had no trouble finding a seat. Vanbrook, however, was absent.


    ¡°Anybody seen Van?¡± asked Reclan casually.


    Raivyn shook her head a little too vigorously.


    ¡°Oh, come on, man. Are you two at it again?¡± Reclan asked, annoyed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean,¡± said Raivyn quickly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t- seriously, you two are infuriating,¡± said Reclan, shaking her head and poking at her meal with a fork. ¡°You better figure this mess out.¡±


    ¡°What mess!?¡± said Raivyn, annoyed.


    Just then, sirens began blaring and Talon Squad leapt to their feet, ready to face whatever threat had emerged. Raivyn was glad for the interruption.


    ***


    Krum-Bahk was sitting in the pilot¡¯s seat of the Gladius, staring out into the stars. Huluna stepped into the cockpit, dropping into the co-pilot¡¯s seat with a sigh.


    ¡°Looks like Hetford wants me and Chully out here long-term,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re the most familiar with the Koomites so we¡¯re going to be serving as intelligence officers for the war effort, particularly in terms of keeping an eye on everyone¡¯s favorite cult.¡±


    ¡°Will you be sticking with us?¡± asked Krum-Bahk.


    ¡°For now,¡± said Huluna. ¡°Until we get a forward base of operation set up, probably on Kirakna, we¡¯ll keep crashing your party.¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± said Krum-Bahk.


    Huluna laughed. ¡°Not sure it works for Chully and Keshri.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re still pretty frosty with each other,¡± said Krum-Bahk.


    ¡°Don¡¯t put that on me,¡± said a voice from the cockpit door. Keshri walked in with a steaming cup of rakka.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, Kesh,¡± said Krum-Bahk awkwardly.


    ¡°Eh, I can¡¯t hold it against you,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°There ain¡¯t that much to talk about on a ship this size after awhile, can¡¯t blame you for talking about the only scuttlebutt about.


    ¡°But, the truth is, I don¡¯t mind Chully being here. We had good times awhile back, but we never got to see each other. When we did, we started fighting.¡± She laughed unhappily. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but we¡¯ve both got tempers.¡±


    ¡°Why pick on him the way you do, then?¡± asked Krum-Bahk.


    Keshri shrugged. ¡°I dunno. It just comes natural to me.¡±


    Huluna looked like she was on the verge of asking a question when a small blast rocked the ship suddenly.


    ¡°Woah, what¡¯s going on!?¡± said Krum-Bahk, scrambling to study the screens on the console.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t belong in this cockpit, get out!¡± shouted Grepk, running in to check the readouts. Krum-Bahk leapt up and darted to the back of the cockpit, looking over Grepk¡¯s shoulder.


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    ¡°Wingspan, this is Grepk,¡± said the Marine into the comm. ¡°We are under attack by a small force of Astralbians. Looks like it¡¯s a force of five lesser star trees. No great eyes or mother trees from what I can see. We can hold our own but some back up would be appreciated.¡±


    ¡°Captain Grepk, this is the Wingspan,¡± said Mairen. ¡°I¡¯ve alerted the Admiral, you¡¯ll have backup shortly.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this gunship gunning,¡± said Grepk, training the high-powered guns on the group of small star trees he¡¯d spotted and returning fire.


    ***


    While Talon Squad scrambled to help the engineers and technicians tear down the ice processing equipment and prepare for liftoff, Jasken scrambled the fighters. Leading the way, Drixen blasted through Glasaxia¡¯s atmosphere, making a beeline for the Gladius¡¯ position.


    ¡°Gladius, this is Textbook,¡± said Drixen. ¡°We¡¯re on our way. What¡¯s your situation?¡±


    ¡°Not too bad,¡± said Grepk. ¡°We¡¯re taking fire but these guys are just a token force, probably left behind in case we decided to stop by¨Cwhich we did¨Cbut the good Emperor left more of a speed bump than a roadblock. Nonetheless, we¡¯d be happy to have you come and deal with the void wasps.¡±


    ¡°Lots of them?¡± asked Drixen.


    ¡°They¡¯re definitely overwhelming the Gladius¡¯ offensive capabilities,¡± answered Grepk.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll pick up the slack as soon as possible,¡± said Drixen.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± said Grepk. ¡°Oh, and check your targets. Krum-Bahk and Keshri are out there.¡±


    ¡°Uh- what?¡± asked Drixen.


    High above the ascending fighters, Krum-Bahk and Keshri had leapt out of the Gladius¡¯ assault airlock, specially designed to allow the Marines to fly from the gunship at a moments notice. Fully decked out in their aethersuit armor, complete with jetpacks and rifles, they were practically tiny fighter crafts themselves.


    Using the grenade launchers on their rifles, they picked riders off of their wasps with immaculate precision, using their jetpacks to outmaneuver even the incredibly agile wasps. Swamped by the sheer numbers, they were unable to eliminate enough enemies to stem the tide, but they were able to distract them from targeting the Gladius.


    Charged from behind by a wasp, Krum-Bahk turned just in time to see the threat and jet upwards, then slam back down again, holding his rifle in one hand and drawing the cutlass he¡¯d taken from the elite Astralbian soldier with the other. He slashed the rider in two, severing his EM field and destroying him. As he spun with the follow through, he put a bullet in the wasp¡¯s brainstem, killing it instantly.


    ¡°Rolling Thunder at it again!¡± shouted Drixen, watching the fight play out as he approached.


    Krum-Bahk grinned as the Navy fighter squads joined the fight, engaging the void wasps and freeing the Gladius to engage the star trees. The trees, armed only with lesser eyes, had not been able to wear down the gunship¡¯s shields, but the Gladius had struggled to return fire through the swarming wasps.


    The ship¡¯s shields were starting to fall rapidly, and Grepk grinned as the fighters cleared a path for him to engage with the trees. A short, concentrated volley destroyed one of the trees outright. It was the foremost tree and had taken quite a few shots already, but Grepk was confident that the loss of one of their star trees would make quite an impression on the enemy.


    ¡°You want my bombers helping out against the trees?¡± asked Drixen. ¡°I can keep them on wasp duty but they¡¯ll put a dent in those trees, if not destroy them.¡±


    ¡°You take the two towards the Gladius¡¯ aft, I¡¯ll take the two on my fore,¡± said Grepk.


    ¡°You heard him, Cowgirl,¡± said Drixen. ¡°Take the bombers and make a couple runs; see if you can knock some trees out of commission.¡±


    ¡°You got it, hun,¡± answered Cowgirl, veering off to target the trees.


    Drixen and the other fighters continued fighting the wasps, a couple of fighters exploding into fireballs as the wasps wore their shields down. Grimacing, Drixen continued the fight, happily noticing that the wasps were starting to thin out.


    Another star tree erupted into flame for a moment before drifting lifelessly off into the void. The bombers had claimed their first victory. Not to be outdone, Grepk fired another volley into one of the star trees he was targeting, tearing the trunk to shreds.


    Another volley came from below, and the Wingspan rose to join the others.


    ¡°Let her pass, but make it look good,¡± said Jasken over a heavily secured comm channel.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Drixen and Grepk in unison.


    There was a small blast and an obscure airlock was torn open on the Wingspan. An Astralbian shot out into the aether back first, firing a rifle into the airlock as she went. A few fighters fired in her direction when the opportunity presented itself, but the shots all went wide. She used the rifle to create thrust and maneuvered towards star trees, all of which were now more or less crippled.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get moving,¡± said Jasken. ¡°Prepare to jump to Hruduk.¡±


    The fleet left the Astralbian star trees to lick their wounds and formed up to enter the jump. Floating towards one of the least-damaged trees, Glinya smiled wryly and watched the last of the Republic ships zip suddenly through the aether. She had work to do.


    ***


    King Hrynkak moved silently next to Sergeant Hargen, trying to stay in the shadows of the rocks as they went. They had left Gred suddenly, loading everyone they could on the broken Army transport and flying low towards his father¡¯s city of rebels, which he¡¯d named Zrykyk after himself. A band of scouts and warriors had fled into the hills to head up a resistance, but they had insisted that the King go rally their allies in the Griffon Republic to aid them.


    Precious few systems aboard the transport worked, but in-atmo flight was possible, if risky. The Astralbians had either missed their flight or ignored them as a non-threat. Hrynkak assumed it was the former, given the blood-thirsty ruthlessness of the attack.


    Landing far from Zrykyk¡¯s encampment, they made their way cautiously to the wrecked Koomite ship that the Gladius had taken down. As they went, Hrynkak noted that the so-called city of Zrykyk was bizarrely still. Something about it looked wrong, but Hrynkak had other matters to attend to.


    The wreck was unguarded, and Hrynkak and Hargen sprinted the last of the distance, climbing up into the ship. Hargen made his way to the engine room, poking his head in the utility room on his way past.


    ¡°Good news for the most part, Your Highness,¡± said the red-headed soldier with a subdued grin. ¡°We can get aetherborne with the parts from this wreck. Sublight comms are probably going to work out, too, but there¡¯s no way we¡¯re getting our ripmed system working.¡±


    ¡°So we can get to space, but not to another world,¡± said Hrynkak, shaking his head.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± said Hargen, nodding. ¡°It¡¯s a longshot, but if we can get the comms going we¡¯ll at least be able to get in touch with any Republic forces in the area."


    "Do you need help to gather the parts you need?" asked Hrynkak.


    "Yeah," said Hargen. "I''d like to bring a few folks with me, now that we''re sure it''s worth the trip."


    Making their way out of the wreck, they were shocked to be greeted by a small band of warriors. Zrykyk, decrepit and bitter, stood at their head, leaning heavily on a can with one arm and one of his soldiers with the other.


    "My son," bit off the aged king, "you were right."


    He was speaking in Hrudukite and Hargen looked uncertainly between the two monarchs, hand hovering over his side arm. Hrynkak waved him off.


    "Father," said Hrynkak. "What happened to your city?"


    Zrykyk laughed bitterly, which ended in a coughing fit. "It was never a city. Now it is rubble. The Astralbians fired at us from the sky. One deadly strike of crimson light. We are all that is left. I saw you from a distance and thought I might beg you to take back these warriors. They are strong and able, and they have seen the foolishness of my ways. Take them and leave me and I will die here in solitude."


    "The first part of your request I grant. Gred, too, was attacked. Perhaps all of the city states were. We must all band together against the Astralbians.


    "The second part of the request I will not grant. You will come with us. I will brook no argument. Either as prisoner or guest you are coming with me."


    Zrykyk shook, his eyes narrow. "You are a rebellious son. How could you not be! You have your mother''s kind heart and cannot stand for the wickedness of your father, and so you mock him by loving him. Cruel boy! Yes, I will come with you, because I no longer have the heart to disobey my king."

 Chapter 3.20: Something Stupid

    A massive entourage of Astralbians, in their ancient and original form, came crawling out of the city gate.


    While Crush had no inkling of this particular culture, it was clear that the two individuals being carried on a litter by four other Astralbians were the king and queen.


    The guards, holding their staves, surrounded the litter, providing security and an added sense of gravitas to the procession.


    The humming, jingling language of the Astralbians emanated from one of the royals, and Yrinla responded in kind.


    "What did they say?" asked Crush impatiently.


    "The Queen said ''hello.'' I responded in kind," said Yrinla. "I promise I will keep you informed, Admiral."


    Crush nodded, accepting the gentle chastisement to be quiet as gracefully as she could. The conversation between the queen and the tree priestess went on for some time, and as it did Crush''s eyes wandered over the scene.


    The gnarled, wooden walls of the city, though sturdy, showed signs of extreme age. Vines grew over various spots and dirt, or discoloration where dirt had once been, was settled deeply into the crevices. The ridges that stuck out the furthest seemed to be smoothed to the point of being almost shiny, as though the elements had been polishing the bark for centuries.


    She noticed that a silence had settled over the group, and saw Yrinla staring at her quietly, her hand over her mouth.


    "What is it?" asked Crush, feeling as though the whole crowd was staring at her. It may have been, for all she knew; she could not interpret the gestures of the Astralbians in the least.


    "Admiral," said Yrinla softly. "Crush. Your core¨Cit''s- it''s you."


    "I''m not following, priestess," said Crush quizzically.


    "These people," said Yrinla. "They speak of awaking cores without machinery."


    "What?" replied Crush incredulously. "That''s impossible. The cores are just part of the circuitry. A necessary part, sure, but¡­" She found herself lost in thought.


    "That is the theory," said Yrinla. "That has been the theory."


    ***


    The jump to Kirakna had all the joviality of a funeral march. Despite routing the Astralbians at Glasaxia, the fleet was still fleeing from the enemy, and it did not sit well with anyone.


    Vanbrook continued to avoid socializing to the best of his ability. He would show up occasionally to meals, particularly to breakfast, which served informally as the Squad''s daily briefing, but generally remained quiet.


    One day, as he walked back to his quarters after leaving dinner early, he heard the distinct footfalls of a Dromean with a prosthetic leg running to catch up with him.


    "What''s up, Rec?" he asked without turning.


    "What did you do this time, Van?" asked Reclan accusingly.


    "I don''t know!" exclaimed Vanbrook irritably. He rounded on Reclan. "Actually, that''s not true. I know full well. I said something stupid. I''m still not sure why it was stupid, but I know it was. That''s the way of it. As soon as things start to thaw out between us I say something stupid. Raivyn is amazing, you know that? She''s the strongest person I know. No one I''ve ever met has the integrity and work ethic to match that woman. Beneath all that, once you get to know her, she''s¨CI don''t know¨Cthere''s this¡­ sweetness. But I can''t reach it. Because I say¨Cor, worse yet, do¨Csomething stupid every time I feel like we''re getting close."


    Reclan blinked, taken aback. Vanbrook deflated suddenly, the gusto he''d displayed in his response melting away. He turned to go.


    "Van," said Reclan softly.


    He turned to look at her. She didn''t know what else to say. He smiled gently at her.


    "It''s okay, Rec," he said. "This has never been what you thought it was. Guess it never will be."


    Reclan shook her head as Vanbrook walked away. She''d held out hope for the two of them for such a long time.


    She turned to go back to the galley. Her unfinished dinner was waiting for her, after all. Rounding a corner, she was surprised to see Raivyn standing in the middle of the hall, a confused look on her face. She looked up and saw Reclan, turned bright red, and hurried past her.


    Reclan raised an eyebrow as Raivyn disappeared around the corner, wondering how much she''d overheard.


    ***


    "What are we expecting when we reach Hruduk?" asked Jasken.


    "Unsure," said Mairen, shaking her head. "Our fleet on Kirakna sent a scout ship, but it hasn''t reported back."


    Jasken smoothed his mustache and looked around the table at the gathered officers. Mairen, Dekken, Hunt, and Greizen were all there physically and Kesht had joined on screen from aboard the Halberd.


    "That doesn''t bode well," said Jasken.


    "What about the spy?" asked Kesht. "Any word from our waspherder?"


    Mairen shook her head again. "No, but if and when she does check in I doubt she''ll have access to much information about the Astralbian presence on Kirakna."


    "You don''t sound confident in her loyalties, Officer," said Greizen.


    "Time will tell," said Mairen.


    "That''s not our primary concern at the moment," offered Hunt.


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    "Agreed," said Jasken. "It sounds like we''ll be flying into hostile territory at Hruduk. What are our options?"


    "Our shields are too low to push on to Kirakna without stopping," said Dekken. "Our water supply is alright, though."


    "We could stop at one of the other worlds in the system," said Mairen. "There''s a couple gas giants we could orbit."


    "Will we be able to gather any intel on Hruduk from there?" asked Jasken.


    "Not much, most likely," said Mairen. "We can try to watch for activity on the scanners, but it''s unlikely we''ll get much info that way."


    Jasken nodded. "All the same, we can''t walk right into the jaws of the enemy. We''ll stop at whatever world is closest to Hruduk, gather what intel we can and move on to Kirakna as soon as possible.


    "Mairen, let the Wabulubans know what our plans are. They''re welcome to join us or go their own way. Dekken, change course accordingly."


    "Yes, sir," said the officers.


    Jasken nodded and adjourned the meeting. They were close now, but not out of the woods yet. He had a feeling there''d be more trouble before they reached Republic space.


    ***


    The remaining sabreur hissed at Darvik, hanging back. It was smarter than its fellows, all three of whom lay dead on the arena floor, their blood staining his robes and skin.


    The crowd cheered him on as he stood patiently, his swordsman''s training telling him to wait for the beast to strike first. The sabreurs were deadly fast, but they were ambush predators, not duelists.


    The slick, purple biped leapt, its razor-like forearms slashing. Darvik parried the clumsy attack and sidestepped, bringing his blade around in a brutal backhand. The beast tumbled to the ground. Darvik walked up and put his blade through its heart.


    A couple of robed Koomites scurried in through the gates into the fenced-in arena to gather the bodies and place them on the idol''s pedestal. Darvik wiped his blade clean and walked past them, barely taking notice of the cheering masses in the amphitheater.


    "You''ll want to stick around for this, Darvik," Hoon-Kra called down from his box as he passed by. "I promise you that."


    The high priest waved him up into the box. Darvik nodded numbly and climbed the stairs to join his master.


    "Tonight, Koomites, we greet a new champion!" exclaimed Hoon-Kra to the crowd. "Behold one who has communed with the beasts! Cevla!"


    Darvik watched with interest as Cevla strode into the arena, dressed in the same robes and face paint that he wore. She looked up at him over her shoulder. Her eyes held neither the haughtiness they had when he''d first met her, nor the mad dreaminess they had after she''d communed with T''Lak. They were simply empty.


    On the other side of the arena, four bulky Koomites lugged a crate up to a sliding door. When they  opened it, they released five crazed sabreurs into the arena.


    They charged together, toothy maws slavering as they tripped over one another to get at their prey.


    Just before they were in striking distance, the lead monster jerked to a stop, tripping their companions. Cevla stood, feet spread apart, her hands clenched into fists. The lead sabreur turned suddenly on its erstwhile companions, decapitating one with a brutal strike. Another slashed at it, but it parried the attack and stabbed the attacker through the heart.


    The two remaining sabreurs not being puppeteered by Cevla backed away, hissing and brandishing the saber-like claws that jutted out over their claw-like hands. The puppeteered creature thrust out both arms, and Cevla stamped forward, eyes locked onto the monsters. The hapless creatures both flew forward, the puppet''s extended blades stabbing them through their hearts. At the same moment, a bright white T-bolt fired from Cevla''s forehead, burrowing into the back of the controlled sabreur''s skull. All three crumpled to the ground.


    Cevla turned from the scene as the acolytes returned to heap the bloody offerings on Koo L''Koom''s pedestal. She again looked up at Darvik with hollow eyes. He shuddered and looked away.


    ***


    "Repeat, this is Sergeant Hargen of the Griffon Republic Army. We are stranded on Hruduk in a space-worthy craft with no ripmed capability. We believe the Astralbians have a blockade watching the planet. Please advise or assist as possible."


    "How old is this?" asked Jasken. Mairen had just shared the message with him.


    "No idea," she said, sitting back and crossing her arms. "It''s on repeat."


    "Is it legit?" he asked.


    "As far as I can tell," said Mairen. "Voice signature matches Hargen and he''s using a secure Republic channel."


    "Dekken," said Jasken. "How do shields look?"


    "Pretty good," answered the engineer. "Everyone''s travel shields are at twenty percent or higher."


    "Mairen, see if you can get a hold of Hargen," said Jasken.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she answered.


    Mairen reached out on the same channel the distress signal had come on.


    "Sergeant Hargen, this is the Wingspan. Please respond," said Mairen. She turned off the comm. "And that''s the best we can do. With their comms stuck at the speed of light we won''t hear back for at least twenty minutes."


    Jasken nodded and went to his command chair, trying to busy himself but not wanting to be far if Hargen was able to respond.


    ¡°Wingspan!? Am I glad to hear from you guys!¡± exclaimed Hargen nearly half an hour later.


    ¡°Yes, this is Wingspan,¡± answered Jasken immediately. ¡°Can you fill us in on your situation?¡±


    Another twenty-five minutes passed. Without ripmed comms, it would be a painfully slow conversation.


    ¡°Uh, sure,¡± answered Hargen. ¡°In a word, ¡®dire.¡¯ We¡¯ve managed to cobble together an aetherworthy ship, but we¡¯re not sure how quick we¡¯ll get blasted out of the sky if we try and fly it. The Astralbians just attacked out of nowhere, and we haven¡¯t been able to contact anyone since.¡±


    ¡°There was a simultaneous attack against Republic positions from Hruduk to Thioa," said Jasken. "The Republic is officially at war with the Astralbian Empire. We can fill you in on the details later, but for now, let''s figure out how to get you off-world."


    "Not sure what to say on that, Admiral," said Hargen. "We''re not seeing much surface activity, though a couple of star trees landed out by Gred from what our sources there are telling us. Seems highly likely there''s a blockade. We could just stay here, honestly. It''s a big enough planet and we''ve got civilians with us who know how to survive on it. But Hrynkak is with us, too, and he wants to meet with other galactic leaders as soon as possible.


    "I think our best bet is to fly out to you guys. They''re not looking for us so we may well be able to slip past the blockade undetected."


    "No, that won''t do," said Jasken. "When our shields have had a chance to regenerate we''ll send you the time and coordinates and meet you in upper atmo, then jump straight to Kirakna. Providence shine you, Sergeant."


    "On you as well, Admiral," came the belated reply.


    ***


    Jylik poured over the reports coming in from across his new empire. The campaign to push the Griffon Republic and their ilk out of the Cornucopia Cluster had gone well, and, if they were still in the vicinity, the Blue Griffon Fleet had gone to ground.


    The home front was doing well, also. The reports he''d gotten from the stewards said that the construction of the new stone palace was well underway, and the people had thrown a massive festival to celebrate the new era of the Astralbian Empire. The news of a new empress had reinvigorated the festival and kept it going a few days longer. Ultimately the festivals were shut down and the people sent back to their work.


    Trilia entered his chamber. He had not reinstated the old laws concerning entering the same room as the Emperor or any of the thousand other formalities that had bogged down the empire of old, though he had been considering whether they may have some utility.


    "My lord," said Trilia as she entered. "I have come to a decision."


    "Have you now?" asked Jylik, intrigued.


    "Yes. I will have Koomia as my world," said Trilia.


    "The world of the cultists?" asked Jylik incredulously.


    "They will be my people," said Trilia. "Under your dominion, of course."


    "So be it," said Jylik. "You are a shrewd leader, which is why I took you as my empress. I trust you will bring me the Koomites'' loyalty, or their heads."

 Chapter 3.21: Blockade Run

    A few days later, the Blue Griffon Fleet came out of their short jump just outside of Hruduk''s atmosphere. The Wingspan still had the Shepherd and the Aethercrate hauler attached to its airlocks, and the Halberd and Gladius followed with them.


    "Scan for satellites," said Jasken. "An Astralbian blockade means hugger mines."


    Mairen nodded. Hugger mines were unmanned dwarf star trees that could be set in orbit around a world to watch for enemy ships. Upon spotting one, it would relay the visual information to the nearest manned star tree, then rush the ship, clinging onto the hull and then detonating.


    "Looks like we have something headed this way," said Mairen.


    "Mines or our refugees?" asked Jasken.


    "They''re coming from orbit, not from the surface so probably the former," she answered.


    "All Captains, be aware, we''ve got possible mines incoming," said Jasken into the comms.


    "Hey, uh, Admiral?" said a voice over the comms. "This is the Mayblin. Are we allowed to shoot?"


    "So long as you only shoot the bad guys," said Jasken.


    "Oh, okay, sounds good!"


    Jasken rolled his eyes, but couldn''t keep a small smile off his face.


    Mairen grinned up at him from her station. "Civilians, right?"


    Jasken turned his head to his display. The objects were heading for the Gladius, which opened fire.


    "They''re huggers alright," said Grepk.


    "That means we''re on the clock, people," said Jasken. "We''ll have Astralbians on us at any moment. Have we found our survivors yet?"


    "On my way, Admiral," said Hargen over the comm. "We had a couple blown fuses, that kind of thing. Fixed the engines first and got on our way; just finished fixing the comms. ETA five minutes."


    "We''ll be here, Sergeant," said Jasken.


    Another wave of hugger mines came, but the ships were able to shoot them out of the aether with relative ease. Then the first volley of red beams came seemingly out of nowhere, crashing into the Halberd''s shields.


    "Where did that come from?" asked Jasken, eyes searching his displays.


    "Small star tree to our port, Admiral," said Mairen. "Mistook it for a mine."


    "I want our guns on it immediately," said Jasken.


    "Sergeant Hargen, I''ve got you on my displays," said Mairen. "Hangar bay doors are open and we''ve got a place cleared for you to land.


    "Much appreciated," replied Hargen. "This ought to be fun."


    Landing a personnel carrier in a carrier hangar while in combat was less than ideal, but it was the quickest way to get everyone aboard. It was less finicky than trying to line up airlocks and Jasken had hesitantly decided they''d have to attempt it.


    The Army pilot deftly maneuvered the craft into position and prepared to land in the hangar as a larger volley of eye blasts crashed into the fleet.


    Everyone from the Mayblin to the Wingspan fired everything they had at the approaching star trees.


    "Should we scramble fighters?" asked Hunt.


    "No," said Jasken. "This is strictly a smash-and-grab operation. I don''t want to have to wait for fighters to come back."


    "We''re in, Admiral," said Hargen. "The hangar''s closing now."


    ¡°Gladius, get ready to jump,¡± said Jasken. ¡°Halberd, cover the Gladius while they prepare and then get out right behind them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Kesht and Grepk.


    The Halberd moved into position between the trees and the rest of the fleet, firing everything it had at the enemy.


    ¡°You should never have come here,¡± said a nasally, sneering voice over the public comms. It was the commander of one of the star trees that had begun to gather, ostensibly the largest of them, which appeared to be a mother tree.


    ¡°I could say the same of you, you honorless, over-confident fool,¡± said Jasken. One of the benefits of being officially at war with the Astralbians was being able to drop the facade of diplomacy.


    Another volley of eye blasts was the only reply, this time including a shot from a great eye, which slammed into the Halberd.


    ¡°Admiral,¡± asked Grepk, ¡°do you need me to stay and finish this fight?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± replied Jasken, ¡°get the Gladius out of here as soon as you can. We¡¯re right behind you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± replied Grepk, his voice thick with conflict. All the same, the Gladius winked out of sight as it began its jump.


    The mother tree rotated, revealing another great eye along its trunk. It fired, again hitting the Halberd.


    ¡°Woah!¡± said Kesht. ¡°The feedback from that great eye blast just took out our ripmed system. We¡¯re going to have to see if the techs can fix it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll cover you, Halberd,¡± said Jasken.


    ¡°Only if we can make it quick, Jasken,¡± warned Kesht.


    The tender familiarity of his old friend¡¯s tone caught Jasken offguard. He was right, they couldn¡¯t stay here long, and the Wingspan had civilians and foreign leaders aboard. Still, he wasn¡¯t ready to give up on the Halberd just yet.


    ¡°Hugger mines, as you call them, are excellent passive, defensive weapons,¡± said the Astralbian commander. ¡°But have you ever seen them used offensively?¡±


    A gate opened on the mother tree and a swarm of mines darted out, making a beeline for the fleet.


    ¡°Focus all fire on the mines!¡± shouted Jasken.


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    A volley of fire was trained on the mines, but without the fighters having been scrambled there were simply too many targets for the fleet¡¯s guns to destroy.


    ¡°Scramble fighters!¡± cried Jasken.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late, Admiral,¡± said Hunt sorrowfully, watching the display tracking the mines.


    He was right. The cluster of hugger mines reached the Halberd and at least a dozen were able to grip the hull, immediately detonating and shaking the ship. When the explosions cleared away, Jasken could see the bent hull panels and the broken, sparking instruments that proved his worst fears. The Halberd was shieldless.


    ¡°Huh, funny thing,¡± said Kesht. ¡°The techs just fixed the ripmed system. Just a thrown breaker.¡±


    ¡°Kesht, get ready to jump,¡± said Jasken desperately.


    ¡°Yes, sir, we¡¯re on it, but while we get ready, I just wanted to let you know: you¡¯re one of the best people I¡¯ve ever known.¡±


    ¡°Kesht, shut up and prepare to jump!¡± shouted Jasken.


    The mother tree rotated lazily, the fire from the Wingspan barely making an impact.


    ¡°But you need to loosen up just a bit. Trust the Progenitor more,¡± continued Kesht. ¡°And you know what? You need to retire, friend. Go sip some rum on some front porch on Griffonia with Ol¡¯ Blue curled up in the lawn. But don¡¯t do this until it kills you.¡±


    The mother tree had rotated far enough now that a third great eye appeared.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready to jump, Admiral,¡± said Hunt soberly.


    The great eye flashed, and the Halberd disappeared, replaced instantly by a massive fireball.


    ¡°Get us out of here,¡± said Jasken coolly.


    Another wave of mines poured out of the mother tree, but the Wingspan was long gone, shooting through the aether faster than light.


    Jasken sat with his head in his hands. He''d lost friends before, but this felt so avoidable. Why hadn''t he scrambled fighters earlier? He knew exactly why. He''d made the right decision, but it had cost him more than he''d imagined it might.


    Mairen walked up behind Jasken, placing a hand on his shoulder. She half expected him to brush her off, literally or figuratively, but she couldn''t stop herself from trying to console the man. To her surprise, he reached up and put his hand on hers.


    ***


    "I don''t understand," said Crush. "Why do your, um, distant relatives here think cores don''t require other hardware to make a Robot?"


    "Because they have a mythology concerning these cores that I have never heard before," replied Yrinla.  The two were still standing in front of the Astralbian king and queen and their entourage. "They claim the ancient tree priests would¡­ ''activate'' the cores. The races were symbiotic. The ''Coreborn''¨Cthat''s the best translation I can make of the word they used¨Cwere guardians and the Astralbians, or Lightborn, as they call themselves, provided food.


    "This relationship was ordained by the god who created the two races. The Coreborn would protect the Lightborn in their time of greatest need.


    "However, as the tree priests grew more powerful, they saw no use for the Coreborn. There was a war, and the tree priests used a star-tree-powered explosion to blast a sacred mountain into the sky. The tree priests then left, taking their knowledge with them.


    "It was prophesied that the cores launched in that explosion would return one day, and that it would herald that time of greatest need. They believe that is you¨Cand your race."


    "That is¡­ a lot to process," said Crush. "I guess it makes sense, or at least it feels right, but¨Cwow. It''s a lot to process."


    "Can you process it on the way?" asked Yrinla eagerly. "They want to see the core we discovered in the stone."


    "That should be doable," said Crush. "The nav data is all on file." She looked over the gathered crowd. "Who''s coming with us?"


    ***


    Darvik walked down to the market in the middle of town, just outside the arena. He had grown accustomed to the attention he got around town, but he had developed a reputation for not being much of a talker and people generally left him alone.


    He had to make a stop by the butcher and produce stands, and see if there was anything in stock at the liquor stand. The selection had gotten poorer and poorer as the supplies brought along from the more civilized worlds dwindled, though a healthy industry of hunting, gathering, and brewing had already started up.


    The economy of Koomia, if it could be called that, was a strange beast. Most of the Koomites were from the Griffon Republic and their wealth was in Republic Platinum, but there were a few Wabuluban Kingdom or PIC citizens and other scattered refugees.


    Hoon-Kra had decreed that any currency was acceptable, and had posted the exchange rates when it first became an issue. That had worked for a while, but few people had a way to earn money and Hoon-Kra had also decreed that food would be distributed for free.


    Darvik continued to be paid as a soldier out of Hoon-Kra''s personal fortune, so he didn''t worry too much about the wider view of Koomian economics.


    Paying for his goods, Darvik was about to head back when he saw Cevla standing in the corner of the produce stand, gnawing on one of the fruits native to Koomia and staring off into the distance. Against his better judgment, he approached her.


    "Cevla," he called, his arms too loaded with groceries to wave.


    She turned slowly to him, her eyes hollow, like they were that night in the arena.


    "Darvik," she answered in a cold voice. "Do you need something?"


    He wasn''t sure if he did or not. "Just saying hello," he replied gruffly.


    "Hello," she answered, staring at him, waiting for him to make the next move.


    "Alright then,¡± he said uncomfortably. He turned to go, but her hand shot out and grabbed his arm.


    "Don''t let them get to you," she warned in a whisper, a sudden fire in her eyes. "They got to me, own me now. It''s like drowning."


    In her fervor, she crushed the remains of the fruit in her other hand and bright red juices ran down to her elbow. As quickly as it began, the outburst ended. The fire faded and the now-familiar hollowness returned to her eyes.


    "Oh, well," she continued with a light chuckle. "I''ll see you at the arena."


    She turned away, taking another bite out of the mangled fruit. Darvik reached out to stop her, then looked up to a source of a sudden noise. A strange shape appeared in the sky, quickly coming closer. It was a ship of some kind, perhaps some exotic foreign model. As it came closer, Darvik realized that it must be an Astralbian star tree. He snarled and reached for his saber.


    ***


    The loss of the Halberd meant that the Wingspan was once again without ripmed comms. The news had clearly disappointed King Hrynkak, but Jasken explained that they anticipated reaching Kirakna in about a week, pushing the crippled fleet as far as they dared. Unable to engage in much diplomacy, the King of Gred had spent the jump so far catching up with Hrake and learning about the inner workings of the Wingspan.


    Hrynkak had taken his meals along with his people in the galley, which was now so crowded that meals were being served in shifts.


    Talon Squad shared the same meal shifts as the Hrudukite refugees, and had eaten most of their meals with Hrynkak.


    "And so little Hrake comes running out of his father''s house screaming, ''They''re going to eat me, they''re going to eat me!¡¯" concluded Hrynkak one day at lunch.


    Talon Squad was doubled over laughing at the story.


    Hrake smiled and shook his head. "It''s all true. But, sadly, those days are gone."


    Hrake cleared his plate and left the galley, heading back to his room to rest a while. When he got there, he discovered Zrykyk trying to get past his locked door.


    "Uncle," said Hrake flatly.


    The decrepit Hrudukite turned, surprise and guilt in his eyes. Though Hrynkak had given his father absolute freedom, Jasken had set a "security detail" on the old despot. Hrake wasn''t surprised the wily old villain had managed to slip away from them.


    "Can I help you?" asked Hrake at length.


    "I wanted to talk with you," said Zrykyk sulkily.


    "Here we both are," said Hrake patiently. "Let us talk."


    Zrykyk looked at him, eyes burning with a strange fire. "What do you know of your Father''s death?"


    "He died in battle against the City of Sridek, before the treaties, some ten years ago," said Hrake.


    "But who killed him?" asked Zrykyk.


    Hrake shrugged. "A Sridekite soldier."


    "No," said Zrykyk, eying the hammer slung over his nephew''s shoulder. "It was me! My hammer fell him!"


    Hrake crossed his arms, looking down on the shriveled former king. "Lies," he said simply. "Hrynkak was there. He told me what you did when he died, which was nearly as evil. You smiled."


    Tears welled in Zrykyk''s eyes. "Yes! I had dreamed of killing him. When he died, I smiled, because I feared he had designs on my throne! Now, avenge yourself! Kill me!"


    Hrake sighed. "Your son has pardoned you. I will not so much as scuff your shell."


    "Coward!" spat the old Hrudukite. He fell into a coughing fit, and blood splattered his fist and forearm. He calmed down some. "All I wanted in life was comfort. Now all I want is a warrior''s death."


    "Few live or die on their own terms," said Hrake.


    "The gods returned, only to cast me down and abandon me," said Zrykyk. "I am without friend or god as I prepare to die."


    "Look to your son for a friend," said Hrake, "and to the Progenitor as a god."


    Zrykyk looked sidelong at him as two Republic sailors came running around the corner. Given the relief on their face when they saw Zrykyk, Hrake realized they must be his security detail.


    "Please escort the King''s father to his quarters,¡± said Hrake. "He needs some rest."

 Chapter 3.22: Homecoming

    Crush''s star tree raced across the surface of Cradle, three of the monarchs'' guards along for the journey. According to Yrinla, "Cradle" was a close enough translation of the ancient Astralbian name for the world that they may as well use it.


    "We''ll be there shortly," said Crush, looking over at the three pincushions  gathered around her control console. She was annoyed at how impenetrable their body language, much less their spoken language, was to her. Yrinla chimed and sang in Astralbian, and they responded in kind.


    "They say they are excited to land," translated Yrinla, "and-"


    "And that they are honored beyond words to be in my company," finished Crush, voice thick with annoyance. Every phrase the Astralbians had spoken ended with the phrase.


    Yrinla laughed. "I can stop translating that part."


    "I''ll assume it''s been said unless you tell me otherwise," said Crush flatly.


    Shortly thereafter, Crush landed the star tree and walked down the ramp into the purple prairie, right at the edge of the woods that led up to the mountain that held their prize. The trip had taken a few hours, but would have been an impossibly long and difficult journey on foot, especially given the naturally slow movement of the Astralbians.


    As Crush walked into the forest, a purple form bounded from the treetops, spread its wings, and glided down to her shoulder, where it stood comfortably and wrapped its brilliant blue and green ringed tail around its feet.


    ¡°You again, eh?¡± said Crush, plucking one of the fruits off the nearby tree and giving it to the batsquirrel.


    The Astralbian guards shuddered and chimed for a moment.


    ¡°They are impressed with your ability to tame the beast,¡± said Yrinla. ¡°They say it proves you are one of the great guardians.¡±


    Crush nodded, laughing at the little creature on her shoulder. ¡°I daresay he tamed me. There was a day I would have brushed him away immediately.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s changed?¡± asked Yrinla as they climbed up the incline of the mountain.


    Crush shrugged. ¡°I used to look out only for myself, but then, suddenly, I was Admiral of my own mutinous fleet. Caring for my people has forced me to¡­ change my outlook, I suppose.¡±


    Yrinla nodded, but said nothing.


    The rest of the hike was silent aside from the sound of the batsquirrel gnawing on the hardened fruits Crush occasionally picked for him. Finally, they found the place they had been looking for. Yrinla walked up to the partially-exposed orb, brushing the dust off to reveal the tell-tale deep blue gleam of a core. The guards shook and chimed more violently than ever, but there was a pleasantness to the sound that told Crush they were celebrating.


    ¡°Happy to find the core?¡± she asked Yrinla.


    ¡°Elated,¡± said the tree priestess. ¡°They say they must bring the King and Queen immediately, and that they must remove the core and begin mining the mountain as soon as possible.¡±


    Crush nodded. ¡°Lucky for them, I know some miners.¡±


    ***


    Darvik had never been much of a patriot, but a well-founded hatred for the Astralbian Kingdom was just part of growing up on Griffonia. While the war had ended generations ago, the Astralbians never really stopped harassing the Republic. This in mind, Darvik stood ready to kill as many of the scumbags as he could get his hands on the second they started pouring through the doors.


    He was shocked when Hoon-Kra walked up to the star tree and stood patiently waiting for the main door to open. When it did, a tall, elegant Astralbian noblewoman, wearing an armored green dress and an ornate silver crown, walked down the ramp with a complement of soldiers.


    ¡°Lady Trilia,¡± said Hoon-Kra with as much of a bow as his rotund form allowed. ¡°You are early.¡±


    ¡°Things have moved quickly,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°And it is Empress Trilia, my good Hoon-Kra.¡±


    Hoon-Kra forced himself into a lower bow. ¡°An honor to be in your presence, Empress.¡±


    Darvik grudgingly moved his hand away from the hilt of his saber, approaching Hoon-Kra.


    ¡°What is the meaning of all this?¡± he asked.


    Trilia glared at him.


    ¡°I will explain, Darvik,¡± said Hoo-Kra condescendingly. ¡°But not now.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± said Trilia, recognition lighting up her face. ¡°So this is Darvik. If you can teach him manners to match his swordsmanship he shall be a great asset to the Koomites.¡±


    Darvik¡¯s face soured. He wondered if he could kill the Empress before her guards killed him, and how Hoon-Kra would feel about it. Cold fingers stabbed into his skull. He looked angrily at Hoon-Kra but then his head was snapped to the side, his eyes locking onto Trilia¡¯s.


    Do not trifle with me, little worm, said her voice in his head.


    The moment was over before Darvik understood what was happening. He looked again at Hoon-Kra, but if the high priest knew what had just happened he was doing a fantastic job of pretending he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Come, La- Empress Trilia,¡± said Hoon-Kra politely. ¡°There is much to discuss. Perhaps we will see Darvik tonight. We will have a show of strength in your honor, of course.¡±


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    ¡°Yes, that would be lovely,¡± said the Empress.


    Hoon-Kra marched towards the Swamp¡¯s Pride, Trilia and her guards in tow. Darvik stared after them, unsure of what to make of it all.


    ***


    When the Wingspan finally ended its jump and came to a stop over Kirakna, it was immediately hailed by the military fleet that was protecting the planet.


    "This is Admiral Drai of the Silver Star Fleet. Is that the Wingspan?" asked an incredulous voice.


    "Admiral Drai," replied Jasken. "Yes, this is the Wingspan, with Aethercrate Hauling''s Mayblin and our own Shepherd docked to us, along with the Gladius."


    "No Halberd, then?" asked Drai.


    "Destroyed by the Astralbian Empire over Hruduk," said Jasken flatly. "No survivors."


    "I am sorry to hear that, Admiral," replied Drai. "Of course every lost sailor is a tragedy and every lost ship is a shame, but I know it''s a personal blow to you as well. Your friendship to and adventures with the late Captain Kesht are the stuff of legends."


    "I appreciate the kind words, Admiral," said Jasken curtly. "I look forward to avenging ourselves on the Astralbians shortly."


    "Absolutely," replied Drai. "For now, please proceed to the main hangar. The Prime Minister will be waiting to receive you."


    "Thank you, Admiral," said Jasken.


    Jasken was surprised that Stritka had made the trip out, and wasn''t sure how ready he was to talk to him face-to-face.


    Regardless, the diminutive Talpidarian stood at the bottom of the ramp, his pointed beard swaying in the artificial wind of Tra-Kirakna''s domed city. A gaggle of reporters stood a ways off behind him, kept away from the airfield by a tall fence.


    "Welcome back, Admiral," said Prime Minister Skritka. "I''m glad to see you alive and well."


    "To what do I owe the pleasure, Prime Minister?" asked Jasken.


    "I know that tone, Jasken," chided Skritka with a chuckle. "Don''t worry, I''m here to greet King Hrynkak."


    Jasken nodded. That made sense, and explained the presence of the press.


    "Captain Hunt," said Jasken into his comm. "Please let King Hrynkak know that Prime Minister Stritka is here to greet him. Oh, and explain what the press is in case that catches him off guard."


    Skritka nodded his thanks and the two stood by, waiting for the guest of honor. Moments later, King Hrynkak walked down the ramp, Hrake and the rest of Talon Squad serving as his honor guard.


    "Your Majesty," said Skritka with a slight bow.


    "Prime Minister Skritka," replied Hrynkak, returning the bow and then offering his hand.


    Skritka shook it, smiling. "We can go directly to the mayor''s mansion. He''s allowed me to stay there during my visit and has extended an invitation to you, as well."


    "I am grateful for the opportunity to stay in the mansion, but I will stay with my people," said Hrynkak. "And I do not intend to stay long. I must get back to the fight."


    "Very well," said Skritka. "I hope you will at least come to the mansion to discuss the current situation and enjoy some Kiraknan cuisine."


    ***


    "This is an outrage!" bellowed Hoon-Kra.


    Trilia sat across from him in the parlor of his stateroom aboard the Swamp''s Pride, idly looking over the decor. It was far too dark and musty for her tastes.


    "How so?" she asked in a tone that dripped with boredom.


    "You said Koomia would be mine," bit off Hoon-Kra, veins pulsing on his broad neck. "That the Astralbian Empire would be our allies, not our overlords!"


    "To be allied with the Empire is to be subject to it," said Trilia. ¡°Koomia, the city, is yours. And Koomia, the world, is mine, and all that I have belongs to the Astralbian Empire. Do you see how that works?"


    "You have overplayed your hand, ''Empress!''" snarled Hoon-Kra.


    She smiled broadly and honestly, though with a healthy dose of avarice. "No, I haven''t. You have your city and your project intact. I will spread beast worship in the Empire. All you have to do is pay the Empire its due and all will be well.¡±


    "And your Emperor is happy with this arrangement?" asked Hoon-Kra, settling angrily into his chair. He already knew he had lost this. She ruled over Koomia now, but his mind already began to work out how to leverage what he knew about her beliefs and actions against her with his new Emperor.


    Trilia shrugged. "He gave me this world to run. So long as I don''t jeopardize his power he will give me free reign."


    And Hoon-Kra, said Trilia''s voice in his mind. Before you go doing anything foolish, don''t forget that, powerful as you may be, I can kill anyone I like, whenever I like. He struggled against the mental shackles she had slipped over his mind, but to no avail. He was a very powerful psychic. She was masterful. And that includes the High Priest of Koomia.


    "Now," she said aloud, lifting the telekinetic stranglehold she¡¯d held him in. "You mentioned a trip to the arena?"


    ***


    Later that evening, after an excellent meal and a well deserved nap, Vanbrook found himself wandering the quieter parts of Tra-Kirakna once more. Of course, his comm was on this time.


    "Hey, Vanbrook," said Raivyn, stepping up next to him on the rocky trail.


    He nodded in silent greeting. He had seen her walking the trail behind him a while back, and had assumed she would simply walk past.


    "I''m sorry," she said, looking out of the crystal clear dome that protected the city.


    Vanbrook turned to her, confused.


    "No one''s ever accused me of being good with people," confessed Raivyn.


    Vanbrook laughed. "It''s an overrated skill."


    ¡°Please just take this seriously, Van,¡± demanded Raivyn.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, hands up in a pose of surrender.


    ¡°Do you think we can¡­¡± Raivyn trailed off, searching for words. ¡°Do you think we can not fight?¡±


    Vanbrook shrugged, taken off guard by the question. ¡°Do we fight that much?¡±


    Raivyn stared at the ground. ¡°Only everytime we start to¡­ be friends.¡±


    There was a long silence while the two squadmates stared out over the Kiraknan ocean. The waves crashed into the shore again and again in a vain attempt to take more ground, swept back out to sea every time, the drama painted in orange and purple by Kirakna''s twin sunset.


    "I do consider you a friend, Raivyn," said Vanbrook. He looked her in the eyes and held her gaze for a moment before looking away to the setting suns. "You know, everytime I see a sunset or sunrise I think of Hittania."


    The two sat and watched the suns set, not daring to look one another in the eye. When the stars began to appear, Vanbrook stood up.


    "Shall we?" he asked.


    Raivyn nodded her assent, casting one last look over her shoulder at the last, red rim of the second sun as it dipped under the blackening sea. The pair walked back down the path together.

 Chapter 3.23: The Siege of Hruduk

    Hrynkak quietly entered his father¡¯s room. He had been afforded the best medical care available and the most comfortable room that could be arranged. It was all a kind gesture, but the former king was dying, succumbing to the internal injuries he sustained when the Astralbians attacked his encampment.


    ¡°Tell me, son,¡± said the old Hrudukite. ¡°Do you believe in this Progenitor your cousin speaks so much about?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose I do,¡± said Hrynkak, sitting on a small chair that sat by his father¡¯s bed.


    ¡°Suppose, eh?¡± said Zrykyk with a coughing chuckle.


    ¡°I do,¡± said Hrynkak more assertively. ¡°He sent Rehkna as a prophet, the travelers as a sign, and rain as a gift.¡±


    Zrykyk nodded, grimacing with the effort. His strength was ebbing away rapidly. ¡°Good. A king needs conviction. My people¨Cthose who were once my people¨Care in good hands.¡±


    ¡°And you, Father?¡± asked Hrynkak. ¡°What do you believe?¡±


    ¡°I stopped believing in the gods years ago,¡± said Zrykyk, frowning. His eyelids fluttered shut, never to open again. ¡°I learned that they did not listen or act, so far as I could tell, and they were best used as tools to control the masses.


    ¡°Though the specter of death changes one''s perspective. My losing the throne was for the best. I have watched my son be a better king to my people than I ever was and a better son to me than I ever deserved. I believe this¡­ Progenitor is watching over you, and now I must throw myself at his mercies, in hopes of a better life¡­ to follow¡­ this one.¡±


    With those final words, Zrykyk heaved a final sigh and died. Hrynkak hung his head, weeping over his father¡¯s body.


    ***


    Crush watched in awe as her fleet descended from the skies to land in the purple field that had become the basecamp for the core mine. Over a dozen ships of various shapes and sizes lined up across the field, though it would have been more impressive if every ship in the fleet didn¡¯t look ready to fall apart before the first stiff breeze. She hadn¡¯t felt up to the task of leading her rag-tag band of mutinous former pirates before she had learned that they were to be the saviors of their mysterious homeworld; now she felt more inadequate for the task than ever.


    The Liberty landed first, and Tank and Hacksaw leapt overboard to the ground the moment they could.


    ¡°Admiral!¡± shouted Tank in amused excitement. ¡°Your little joke is over! Now, tell us what¡¯s really going on here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think any of it was a joke, Tank,¡± said Hacksaw, pointing to a crowd of urchin-like Astralbians, one of whom was carrying a freshly unearthed core.


    "I- what?" said Tank, utterly confused. "This is¡­ actually our homeworld?"


    "It looks that way, Tank," said Crush. "We''ll be helping mine cores out of the mountain behind me and, if the local''s prophecies are true, we''re going to see them through some tough times in the near future."


    "Robots don''t go in for prophecies," said Hacksaw.


    "We may be changing on that front," said Crush. "Or I for one may be, at least."


    A crowd of Astralbians was gathering around the disembarking Robots, shaking, chiming and humming loudly.


    "Our adoring fans," said Crush with an air of amusement.


    Tank looked at them in confusion.


    "Hello," said one of the strange creatures in a voice that rang like a bell. A chorus of "hello''s" rose up from the gathered crowd.


    "They''ve been trying to learn Talpaertan," explained Crush.


    "So this is what the Astralbians used to look like," said Hacksaw. "Strange."


    "Yes," Yrinla said. "Though it''s worth noting that we could all change back in a generation. When an Astralbian couple has a child, it begins life as a seed gem. The gem must be put in a nest of special stones, which forms the basic body structure of the child. Many of the details are intrinsic to the individual, but tree priests found ways to form a more humanoid body, which became fashionable during the early years of the empire."


    "Kind of like how Robots are built around a core," said Tank, nodding.


    "Yes," said Yrinla. "Though I admit I am not very familiar with that process."


    "At first, Humans just stuck cores into whatever machinery they wanted to be intelligent," said Hacksaw. "But there''s a lot of information in a core, if you know how to read it. The smiths say the metal all but lines itself up when they¡¯re building a core its body.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± said Yrinla. ¡°That lines up with much of what the local Astralbians have to say about how the Coreborn were built, though they have lost much of the knowledge over the centuries. Evidently no Coreborn has been seen since the tree priests fled.¡±


    ¡°Just point me to the dig site, Admiral,¡± said Slag as he walked down the ramp and approached the group.


    ¡°Officer Slag, I¡¯m happy to be able to put you and your crew¡¯s skills to good use,¡± said Crush. She pointed up the hill towards the mountain top. ¡°The dig site is through the forest, that way.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to take a team up to survey the area immediately,¡± said the eager miner. Recently liberated from a kind of indentured servitude to the People¡¯s Interplanetary Cooperative, Slag and his crew of miners was happy to get back to their trade, though this time for a fair wage and a good cause.


    ¡°Not at all, go right on up,¡± said Crush with a nod. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ll come with you. Captain Tank, Captain Hacksaw, please settle the rest of the crew in. Yrinla, will you stay as a translator?¡±


    ¡°Happily,¡± answered the tree priestess.


    Crush nodded to her and went to help the mining crew gather some surveying equipment into a cargo skiff. Life had taken a strange direction since her mutiny, but she felt more and more that it was the right one.


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    ***


    The PIC forces on the small, rocky world that formerly housed the Free Revolutionary Fleet simply weren''t prepared for a full scale attack. A pity, thought Grim.


    His fleet of Ramshackle Collective ships, their solar sails towering menacingly above, descended on the small base camp, guns blazing. The PIC fired back, but their artillery was no match for the sheer numbers Grim had at his command.


    Xanthous Brotherhood troopers rocketed up to the gunships, taking to the decks and gunning down a number of Collective soldiers. After the initial shock, the Grim''s pirates regrouped and fell on the troopers.


    A flurry of violence followed, and Grim was alarmed by the sheer volume of oil and mechanical parts that flew through the air. However, the mass of Robots eventually overcame the raw strength of the troopers, and they began to fall under the guns, axes, and cutlasses that rained down on them.


    One tenacious trooper managed to crawl away from the mass and stood up, lurching towards Grim with an energized ax lifted overhead. Grim pulled his high-caliber pistol and fired a single shot through the trooper¡¯s cracked visor, and the ax dropped to the ground behind him before he fell over dead.


    Grim looked over the fleet and saw similar scenarios playing out across the open decks. He was losing higher numbers than the other side, but he had the numbers to lose. They did not. Once the last of the Xanthous Brotherhood unit was destroyed, the fleet turned its attention to the poorly-guarded PIC compound below.


    Between the air raid and the destruction of their most elite unit, the compound was in utter disarray. By the time the last of the pirates had disembarked, the battle was all but over. Grim walked through the flames, surveying the carnage for survivors.


    He heard a cough and turned his head to the sound suddenly, like a predator zeroing in on its prey. Walking over, he picked the badly wounded soldier up by the collar, lifting him off the ground so that his feet dangled.


    ¡°The FRF,¡± he said, voice heavy with menace. ¡°Where did they go?¡±


    ***


    A week later, though it seemed like only moments had passed, the Wingspan was aetherbound, this time alongside the Silver Star Fleet. Jasken was happy the time on Kirakna had gone swiftly, and it was likely to be the last easy week for the foreseeable future.


    Hrynkak had hardily agreed to ally with the Griffon Republic in the war against the Empire, and everything had moved towards sending the fleet to war from that point onward.


    The jump path from Kirakna to Hruduk was now well-traveled, and the travel shields took very little damage on the way out. The fleet rendezvoused a fair distance from Hruduk''s orbit, ready to engage with the enemy at a moment''s notice.


    Hrynkak had a station on the bridge, and Mairen helped him reach out to the insurgent forces he left behind.


    "Hello?" said Hrynkak tentatively into the microphone.


    "King Hrynkak!?" cried a voice from the other end.


    The two spoke back and forth in rapid fire Hrudukite.


    "They say that Gred is now occupied by a sizable force of Astralbians, and that it is being used as a depot and logistics base for the enemy," summarized Hrynkak. "They say the Astralbians have spent their time planting trees in some kind of orchard."


    "They''re growing more star trees," said Jasken. "Are they heavily guarded?"


    Hrynkak spoke to his soldiers again.


    "No," said Hrynkak. "The guards around the facility are more or less a token force. My men have not engaged, but runners have been sent to the other city states and a sizable network of fighters has been organized."


    "That will fit well into Admiral Drai''s strategy," said Jasken. "He¡¯s asked me to coordinate a ground assault as well as engage in the coming naval battle."


    ¡°I will be joining the ground assault team,¡± said Hrynkak.


    ¡°I know you won¡¯t agree,¡± said Jasken with a sigh, ¡°but I have to stress one final time that the Republic advises against your going clayside for this battle.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Admiral,¡± said Hrynkak. ¡°I don¡¯t agree. If a battle for my city is to be fought in my city, I will be there for it.¡±


    Jasken nodded. ¡°As you will, your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Hugger mines, coming from the direction of the planet,¡± said Mairen. ¡°I¡¯m getting confirmation from Admiral Drai¡¯s people aboard the Pinion.¡±


    ¡°All carriers, this is Admiral Drai,¡± said the Admiral over the multi-fleet comm channel. ¡°Scramble fighters to engage with incoming hostiles.¡±


    Moments later Drixen and his squads were aetherborne along with the fighter craft of the Silver Star Fleet, calling out targets and destroying the hugger mines before they made it to the fleet. The carriers and gunships aided in the assault, quickly knocking down the first wave. In addition to the flagship carrier the Pinion, the fleet consisted of a second carrier, the Syrinx, three gunships, the Falchion, the Pick, and the Pommel, and three additional support craft, the Mason, the Drover, and the Usher. All of the ships were armed to the teeth and made short work of the mines.


    A second wave followed, this time with units of void wasps mixed in with the mines, and eye beams from distant star trees. The shots that landed barely dented the shields, but Jasken was far more concerned about what would follow. The small trees would undoubtedly be joined by larger ones, most likely including at least one mother tree. A part of him hoped for a rematch with the lord who¡¯d claimed the Halberd.


    ¡°Admiral Jasken,¡± said Admiral Drai. ¡°The Astralbians are engaged with the main fleet. Is your ground assault team assembled?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Admiral,¡± replied Jasken. ¡°We¡¯ve coordinated with the local forces and plan to take back the city of Gred. The final members of the team are assembling in the Gladius. They should be able to slip away quietly now that the mines are destroyed and the manned Astralbian ships are still a considerable distance away.¡±


    ***


    Aboard the Gladius, Talon Squad, Grepk¡¯s Marines, Kwa-Kwa and her scouts, and King Hrynkak himself were settled in and ready to disconnect from the Wingspan and begin their assault.


    ¡°All right folks,¡± said Grepk. ¡°We¡¯re going to be coming in hot. Reclan will be piloting so that I can jump out with Keshri and Krum-Bahk to spread the pain as far as possible in our initial assault. After we¡¯ve taken out as much Astralbian infrastructure as possible, we¡¯re out on foot to take the city back as intact as possible. Let¡¯s make these guys pay for what they¡¯ve done to us.¡±


    A hearty cheer rang out and the elite band of warriors began making final preparations for the assault.


    ***


    Settled comfortably on Gateway, Jylik stood behind his desk in the command room of his mother tree, looking over another series of reports. Reports, reports, reports. Thus far being an Emperor had lacked the glory of which he¡¯d dreamed. It was early goings, though. Once he had established control over the Cornucopia Cluster he would be able to rest a little easier and savor his power a little more.


    In truth, he owed more than he¡¯d like to admit to Trilia. She had encouraged him to kill his father and gave him the means to do it. He wondered where she was now. She had gone to establish the Empire on Koomia, but he hadn¡¯t heard from her in some time.


    ¡°Glorious Emperor,¡± said a nasally voice over the comms, interrupting his thoughts. ¡°The Republic has attacked our position over Hruduk. The mines were not as effective this time, though they claimed a few fighters.¡±


    ¡°Of course, they were prepared this time,¡± answered Jylik. ¡°I told you your strategy was easily countered, Riylak.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± replied Riylak.


    ¡°Now destroy these interlopers. No prisoners. No mercy. Remember, they declared war on us.¡±

 Chapter 3.24: The Retaking of Gred

    The Gladius swept down through the atmosphere of Hruduk like a bird of prey, firing on the freshly-planted grove of star trees as soon as they were in range.


    Three figures in heavy, mechanized armor leapt from the ship, rocketing down to meet the Astralbian soldiers who were scrambling to get into some kind of formation. Anywhere more than three or four soldiers gathered together, the Gladius fired on them, while the Marines engaged the smaller groups.The smarter soldiers retreated back into the city, and soon a small detachment of void wasps floated up from the buildings.


    "It''s going to be hard to shoot down the wasps without firing on the city," said Reclan over the comms.


    "No worries," said Grepk. "Fire if you get a clean shot, but we''ll handle the wasps. Land the Gladius between the city and the hills and let''s rendezvous with the local forces."


    "Will do," said Reclan, banking and heading for the designated landing zone.


    ***


    High above, Drixen continued to lead his squads alongside Swampy, the Silver Star Fleet''s pilot commander, against hordes of wasps and mines. Casualties were stacking up on both sides, but the wasps were coming in too high of numbers for the bombers to slip past and start engaging the star trees.


    "Keep your eyes peeled, folks," he said. "It''s easy enough to dodge the mines if you see them coming but if you let your guard down it''ll be your last mistake."


    "Swampy to Textbook, come in," said a feminine voice over the comms.


    "This is Textbook," Drixen answered.


    "We need to clear out these wasps before the great eyes start grinding down the fleet''s shields," said Swampy. "You''re right about the mines, though. If you can dedicate a squad to minesweeping, I want the rest of the fighters to focus on the wasps."


    "You''re the boss, Swampy," said Drixen.


    ***


    Jasken watched the fighters and wasps vie for dominance from where he sat on the bridge. The fleet''s guns were targeting the trees on the far side of the dogfighting when they could get clean shots, and the first wave of smaller trees had taken serious damage, but the Wingspan''s shields were no longer pristine, either, as lesser eye bolts slammed into them and a mine or two detonated too close for comfort.


    A notification in the corner of his display caught his eye. A mother tree was approaching the battle.


    ***


    By the time the Gladius landed, the Hrudukite cavalry had arrived, the desert hounds pawing desperately at the ground as they smelled battle in the immediate future. Many of the riders wore the orange leathers of Gred, but there were a number of other colors and strange modes of dress that Vanbrook didn''t recognize. These must have been the warriors of other city states. The gathering of Gredite rangers and their allies dismounted and everyone paid their respects to Hrynkak.


    "Your Highness," said one of the riders. "Seven of my warriors have volunteered to step down and join the foot soldiers so that you may ride into battle with Hrake, slayer of roach lords, and his friends, the legendary Talon Squad."


    "The offer is appreciated and accepted, Captain Dhraka," answered Hrynkak.


    "I''ll be staying with the ship," said Reclan with a slight bow. "So one of the riders may stay with their mount."


    "Very good," said Captain Dhraka, though her face showed disapproval.


    Vanbrook helped D''Jarric roll a heavy crate down the ramp. Reclan stood by, kicking the lid off the crate with gusto, revealing a small arsenal of hammer rifles like the one she''d designed for Hrake. The riders smiled at one another widely, grabbing their new weapons and thanking Reclan profusely.


    At length the infantry joined them, and they were given weapons as well.


    "I know you''ve been training with the few rifles you have on hand," said Reclan, addressing the newly armed warriors, "but I''m going to say this anyway: aim these only at things you intend to destroy."


    The infantry outnumbered the cavalry two to one, but the cavalry would lead the charge into the city, with the infantry backing them up.


    "Warriors of Hruduk, are you ready to face the enemy?" asked Hrynkak when the cavalry had formed up, facing the city gate.


    A roaring cheer rose up from the cavalry, and Hrynkak spurred his hound onward, charging the open gate.


    An Astralbian heavy weapons unit had organized at the gate, and began firing something akin to shoulder-mounted eye bolts at the cavalry. A few direct hits managed to take out some of the desert hounds and their riders, but they were not expecting the hail of energy fire from the hammer rifles. The return artillery fire from the Gladius that arced over the cavalry annihilated the Astralbian heavy weapons unit altogether.


    "So that is why she stayed behind," said Dhraka with a smirk.


    As they neared the gate, Vanbrook looked up to check on the Marines. They were locked in a deadly dogfight with a number of void wasps, but the number had dwindled since Vanbrook had last looked.


    Krum-Bahk held a rifle in one hand and his cutlass in the other. He managed to take out a void wasp and rider with a vicious barrage from the rifle, then spun to meet another wasp that had tried to sneak up on him from behind. He parried the stinger that was rushing towards his abdomen and then swung the blade in a wide arc, slashing into the wasp''s thorax with all the strength his suit provided him. Wasp and rider tumbled to the ground, falling past Keshri, who dodged the wreckage and leapt onto the back of another wasp. She threw the rider from their seat and struck the wasp at the base of its neck with her claws.


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    Grepk was picking his targets carefully, each shot finding its target. A large wasp charged him, its armored rider shrugging off the high-caliber ballistic rounds. Grepk smiled and pulled the trigger of the attached grenade launcher, and the armored rider disappeared in a fiery explosion.


    ***


    Jasken grimaced as he watched the slowly rotating mother tree approach. Predictably, a great eye blast hammered into the fleet, this one aimed at the Pick. Additional shots from smaller trees followed, but the gunship''s shields held.


    At least this would give them the opportunity to try to replicate what Aethercrate Hauling had managed to do over Gateway. The truckers had revealed, under the condition of full amnesty, that the missile they had launched was essentially a standard anti-spacecraft missile with extra explosives crammed into the payload. It was illegal and unstable, but it could also make the difference if the haulers were attacked by pirates. Dekken said the missile was not too dissimilar to the more stable trunk buster missiles the bombers were equipped with. Cowgirl was brought into the discussion and they had decided to try out a new tactic when the mother tree showed up over Hruduk.


    "Cowgirl, this is Admiral Jasken," he said. "Are you ready?"


    "Textbook, can you escort me on a run?" she asked.


    "Always, Cowgirl," answered Drixen. "Swampy, it''s time."


    "Okay," answered Swampy. "I''m on mine duty. Do your thing."


    ***


    Down below, the cavalry had reached the gate, where they were met with stiff resistance from Astralbian infantry and sharpshooters positioned in buildings.


    "Your turn again, Rec," said Vanbrook, using his small tablet to mark the positions where the sharpshooters were. Drones that had been hovering alongside the cavalry flew out to the positions, hunting their targets with deadly energy blasters.


    With the sharpshooters dead or distracted, the cavalry was able to cut down the enemy infantry with ease. The cavalry, broken down into smaller, predetermined units, spread through the city streets. Each unit had at least one native Gredite who knew the city well, and they outmaneuvered the enemy at every turn.


    Hrake fired into a group of Astralbians, switching his grip when he got close and swinging his hammer in a deadly arc, obliterating an Astralbian''s head and scattering the small group of enemies.


    "In my youth I dreamed of taking Gred in battle," said Trukis, a Hrudukite warrior dressed in the red cloth and brown leather of a Sridekite. "But I did not think it would be alongside the Gredite."


    Hrake smiled wanly. "Perhaps this is better. We find ourselves in a new era."


    By then the Hrudukite infantry had made it to the city gates and began the hard work of clearing buildings, taking the city back block by block. Talon Squad, who had remained together with the exception of Hrake, dismounted and joined them. Soon half the city had been secured, and Talon Squad had reached the town square. Their attention was drawn to the palace door, where a group of Hrudukite warriors were fighting one another, swinging hammers down with deadly force.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here!?¡± asked Vanbrook in shock.


    Raivyn put a hand to her temple, closed her eyes and read the situation. After an intense moment, the Hrudukites slowed down and stopped, looking around in confusion. An Astralbian tree priestess burst from the palace doors, hate in her eyes as she glared at Raivyn.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a psychic,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°This one¡¯s mine.¡±


    ***


    Drixen fought his way through the last of the wasps between the fighters and their target and dodged a barrage of lesser eye bolts. Ahead, the mother tree slowly turned, revealing the next great eye that it would unleash on the fleet.


    ¡°Alright, hun,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re almost there, how¡¯re you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Ready as I¡¯ll ever be,¡± she said.


    The fighter and bomber rushed towards the mother tree, timing the run so that the eye was in range the moment it had turned to face the fleet. With impeccable timing, Cowgirl fired at the great eye so that it impacted just as the eye was glowing its brightest, ready to erupt into one of its deadly bolts.


    As hoped, the trunk buster¡¯s explosion at that precise moment caused the eye to explode violently, just as it had when Aethercrate had accidentally timed their attack similarly. The tree was ripped to pieces, shards of bark and a wave of red energy lashing out in all directions. Drixen and Kaihla did their best to dodge the larger hunks of wood but found themselves rocked by the shockwave, eventually righting their course and heading back to the rest of the fighter squads.


    "Admiral Jasken," said Drai. "Please give the order.¡±


    Jasken smiled. It was largely symbolic for Drai to defer this duty to him, but he relished playing the role in avenging Kesht.


    "All guns, fire on the mother tree."


    ***


    As the rest of the squad fought with the Astralbian infantry on the edges of the square, Raivyn stepped toward the palace, her eyes locked with the psychic''s.


    The Astralbian tree priestess opened the duel with a T-bolt that Raivyn blocked with a shield of telekinetic waves. Raivyn responded with a fear spike, designed to put her opponent on her back foot. The spike failed entirely, as the priestess had a strong natural defense, so she was able to focus on her next attack. Another T-bolt took Raivyn by surprise, and she narrowly deflected it. Realizing that her opponent''s natural defense was too strong to attack directly this early in the duel, Raivyn switched tactics, favoring telekinetic moves rather than telepathic.


    She fired a series of weak T-bolts at her enemy''s chest, knowing they''d be blocked but using the distraction to grab hold of the tree priestess'' ankle with a telekinetic grip and yanking it towards herself. Effortlessly blocking the T-bolts, the Astralbian psychic tore her ankle free and, leveraging her momentum with her telekinetic prowess, performed a perfect backflip and landed with perfect poise. She glared daggers at Raivyn.


    I had those worms right where I wanted them, said a voice in Raivyn''s mind. You ruined my sport.


    Raivyn simply stared at her opponent, considering her next move. If she wanted to waste her energy on taunts and name-calling, fine. But Raivyn wouldn''t respond in kind.


    The tree priestess reared back and fired a devastating volley of T-bolts that threatened to overwhelm Raivyn''s defenses, pairing the attack with a telepathic strike designed to induce rage, which seemed to be her specialty. It was a risky gambit, but if she could get Raivyn to act recklessly, it would give her an edge.


    Raivyn tightened up her defenses the moment she felt the strike stabbing into her mind. She gathered a pool of psychic energy and put it to work resisting the incoming attack. Emotional manipulation was difficult to resist, especially when the target was already prone to the feeling being suggested. Raivyn had spent her life learning to regulate her emotions in battle, and the practice paid off now.


    Something akin to a telekinetic wrestling match between the two psychics occurred in and around Raivyn¡¯s head. Raivyn pushed back, sending a reserve of T-waves into the standoff. It was too much for the enemy, and her concentration shattered, ending her assault and throwing her back. She staggered, eyes burning with hatred as she stared Raivyn down. Creating a T-wave shield around herself, the priestess rushed forward, drawing her sword.


    Raivyn nearly let a smirk slip onto her face. It was clear the psychic had exhausted herself mentally and was hoping her sword and natural height advantage would save her. Raivyn sidestepped a clumsy attack and fired a T-bolt at the back of the psychic¡¯s head. It was largely absorbed by her shields, but the priestess staggered once more. She slashed at Raivyn again with an even more sloppy backhand. Raivyn reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping the blade midswing. It was clear the priestess was not used to having to wield a weapon. Anger gave way to fear in the split second between her sword being stopped and the impact of Raivyn¡¯s fatal T-bolt.

 Chapter 3.25: Cleanup

    Jylik waited nervously at the communications console. It had been some time since the comm line to the mother tree over Hruduk had been suddenly cut off.


    ¡°Emperor, this is Captain Tyrun of the Hrudukite fleet,¡± said a voice over the comm. ¡°I am the highest ranking officer left.¡±


    Jylik put his head in his hand. That confirmed his worst suspicions. The mother tree was destroyed.


    ¡°What is the status of Hruduk?¡± asked Jylik, not wanting to hear the answer.


    A long pause ensued.


    ¡°We fled the planet, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Fall back to Grisseon,¡± said Jylik, seething. ¡°We are strengthening our defenses there.¡±


    It was partly true. The partial fleet traveling to Grisseon would strengthen the defenses. However, he would see to it that the cowards who fled Hruduk would be on the front line of the coming battles, and he saw no reason to use them as anything more than a speedbump.


    After getting a more complete report of the debacle, Jylik ended the communication and paced around his command center. They needed something more than just star trees, especially if the Republic had discovered a way to exploit their great eyes.


    Jylik¡¯s eyes fell onto one of the many reports spread over his desk. The Ramshackle Collective had been spotted in the Cluster. He hadn¡¯t thought much about it when he first read it. They hadn¡¯t attacked and he didn¡¯t wish to spread resources too thin. Now it provided an intriguing opportunity.


    His comm came to life again, this time with a more familiar voice. ¡°My Emperor, it is your servant, Empress Trilia. I have assessed the Koomites, and I believe they can be of great use to us. There is much I would like to discuss.¡±


    ***


    Jasken watched in satisfaction as the mother tree ignited, the integrity of its bark-like hull compromised by the destruction of one of its great eyes. The rest of the fleet fell into disarray immediately. A number of smaller trees were destroyed before the remainder fled, jumping away from the battle. The fighters returned to the hangars and Dekken began talking to the engineers below decks about the damage sustained in the battle. There would be a good deal of work to follow, clearing the remaining mines and sweeping the planet for any Astralbian enclaves left behind, but for now the battle was over.


    ¡°Well, Jasken,¡± said Admiral Drai. ¡°I think that went fairly well. Looks like the great eye theory was a success. Could be a game changer.¡±


    ¡°Could be, Admiral,¡± answered Jasken. ¡°But the Astralbians aren¡¯t stupid. They¡¯ll adapt.¡±


    ¡°Too true,¡± replied Drai. ¡°Go ahead and land. We¡¯ll take turns resting and keeping watch in orbit until we get further orders from up the chain. Take the Blue Griffon Fleet, the Gladius, the Falchion, and the Mason; I¡¯ll keep the rest of the Silver Star Fleet under my command.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll land as soon as we get word our ships are in good enough shape to survive the landing process,¡± said Jasken. ¡°I¡¯ll need to talk with my people, anyway.¡±


    ***


    Taking the second half of the city was far easier, as the Astralbians simply ran out of the open gates, scrambling to take to their star trees. The parked trees, however, were destroyed by the Wingspan and its accompanying ships, and the Astralbians were cornered. A few continued to fight and were quickly cut down, but a good portion surrendered willingly, not prepared to die for Jylik¡¯s fledgling empire.


    Hrynkak was quick to raise the banner of Gred back to its proper place above the palace.


    ¡°Admiral Jasken,¡± said the King when the Admiral approached the palace. ¡°While I would love to celebrate, it would be wise to send troops to the other cities as soon as possible. They were occupied by Astralbians and still may be now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll scout the situation out immediately,¡± said Jasken. ¡°Our satellite network was all but destroyed by the Astralbians, but we know the locations of the other cities and our ships¡¯ telescopes will check in on them at the earliest possible moment, I assure you.¡±


    ¡°That is good,¡± said Hrynkak. ¡°I have spoken to my warriors, Admiral. They cannot rest knowing our allies are still at war. I will need to stay behind, but a detachment of my finest soldiers and smiths will go with you, if you will have them.¡±


    ¡°That would be greatly appreciated,¡± said Jasken. ¡°They¡¯ll be welcomed and well-armed.¡±


    Hrynkak nodded. ¡°They are quite fond of the hammer rifles.¡±


    Jasken laughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure they are.¡±


    Talon Squad, fully reassembled now following the battle, walked up the palace steps.


    ¡°Admiral,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°The city is cleared of Astralbians, and all the POWs are being loaded onto the Wingspan. It¡¯s going to be a challenge to get them back to Kirakna, but I imagine that¡¯s where they¡¯ll be heading.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Jasken. ¡°You¡¯re right. A ship is coming to pick them up, and will also be dropping off General Grubula and his command along with Agents Chully and Huluna and a squad of RTS agents.¡±


    Raivyn¡¯s face soured. Witch hunters.


    "That''s why I wanted to make sure you heard it from me first," said Jasken, noting Raivyn''s expression. "But there are serious concerns regarding the Koomite cult. Cevla is not the only dangerous psychic that joined them, and we''re still not sure what role they''re going to play in this war. Having some Telepathic Services agents around could prove very helpful."


    Raivyn made a noncommittal grunting noise. "Hopefully we''ll be able to stay out of each other''s way."


    "I believe that would be for the best," said Jasken.


    "The RTS," said Hrynkak with a frown. "These are your witch hunters?"


    "That''s not their proper title," said Jasken diplomatically. "But they are called that by some. The Republic Telepathic Service is an administrative agency designed to inform psychics of the unique responsibilities that come along with their gifts and enforce laws regarding the use of psychic abilities and technologies. The agents coming here specialize in countering and pursuing psychic fugitives."


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    "Just understand that we revere our psychics on Hruduk," said King Hrynkak.


    "Understood," answered Jasken with a nod.


    "Regrettably I must go see to my father''s final arrangements," said Hrynkak.


    "And I again offer the Republic''s condolences," replied Jasken.


    Talon Squad nodded to the King, with Hrake bowing low.


    Jasken turned to Raivyn. "I expect you to be on your best behavior, Raivyn."


    "Always, sir," she answered smartly.


    Vanbrook smiled slightly, amused to see someone else on the receiving end of Jasken''s attention for once.


    ***


    That evening, a large fire was lit in Gred''s main square and the people of the city gathered, but this time in mourning, not celebration. Hrynkak, Hrake, and two additional pallbearers carried a casket from the palace, following behind Elder Shaman Rehkna and the other city Elders.


    When Rehkna reached the fire, she took a torch and lit it, then led the procession around the fire. Quietly, the warriors, townsfolk, and Republic military personnel filed in behind the casket and followed. Rehkna''s torch was the only illumination as the procession left the city.


    They walked to the top of a nearby hill, where a pit lay waiting to receive the former king''s body. Large, uncut stones stood as markers for his forbearers, and a similar stone was propped up by wood just uphill from the pit.


    The casket was laid in its place and Rehkna led the procession off to one side. Hrake and Hrynkak stood on either side of the stone, nodded to one another and swung their hammers, breaking the wooden supports and allowing the stone to fall into place with a massive, final thud. At the same time, Rehkna extinguished her torch.


    "King Zrykyk taught me much," said Hrynkak''s voice in the darkness. "He was a troubled man, but he was once a loving father and devoted king. In the end, he saw reason one more time, a fact that brings me much comfort.


    "I do not ask you to forgive him for his sake, my people, or even for mine; I ask it for your own. Let the poisoned fruit die with the tree. Let it spread no further in your hearts.


    "May the Progenitor keep his soul, which was his dying request.


    "Farewell, Father. Greet me when I come to you."


    With this, Rehkna took up the procession again, leading it quietly back into the city by the light of Hruduk''s moon.


    ***


    Hacksaw approached Crush with an air of uncertainty.


    ¡°Captain,¡± said Crush, looking up at him from the maps she was studying with one of the local Astralbians. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    Her voice was gentle. Soft, even. It seemed wrong, coming from a mercenary admiral. This all seemed wrong, somehow.


    ¡°I received your orders Admiral,¡± said Hacksaw with more confidence than he felt. ¡°And I feel they are inadvisable.¡±


    Crush chimed something to the Astralbian that must have roughly translated to ¡°give me a moment¡± and walked over to Hacksaw.


    ¡°I take it you mean the beacon?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, that,¡± said Hacksaw. ¡°Must we necessarily announce our presence to the galaxy? It¡¯ll bring more scrutiny than I believe it¡¯s worth.¡±


    ¡°The galactic community, particularly those who hold to the Code, expect certain behaviors,¡± said Crush. ¡°I think we¡¯d be inviting more scrutiny in the long run if we hold our secrets too closely.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re not even claiming the planet as our own,¡± protested Hacksaw.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not,¡± answered Crush, still speaking with a strange gentleness. ¡°But the specifications for the beacon I ordered will announce that an inhabited world has been found, and that we have allied with the locals.¡±


    ¡°Robots allied with Astralbians,¡± said Hacksaw. ¡°This is all, well, a little difficult for me. And I don¡¯t believe I¡¯m alone in that.¡±


    Crush nodded, and her tone became a touch more business-like. ¡°I understand your concerns, Captain, but I have considered the matter thoroughly. Please construct the beacon.¡±


    ***


    The following week on Hruduk was spent clearing the Astralbian forces still occupying the other cities. Most of them fell with little to no resistance, but the forces occupying Sridek were determined to put up a fight.


    At just under a hundred miles away, Sridek was Gred¡¯s closest neighbor, and historically its greatest foe. The last great battle between the two was fought nearly ten years prior, and the uneasy truce had been forged into a true alliance by the Astralbian attacks.


    ¡°The defenses aren¡¯t exactly foolproof,¡± said Kwa-Kwa. ¡°But it¡¯s hard to say how many civilians are inside.¡±


    Kwa-Kwa and her Scouts had gotten as close as they could to the city gates to do some recon on the defenses, staying close to the treeline that stood around the city walls on three sides, leaving only the main gate in the open. Raivyn provided a perception bubble to ensure no Astralbian guards would spot them, and they had inspected all four gates closely.


    "You know where to strike?" asked  Trukis, one of the Sridekite warriors who had helped liberate Gred.


    Kwa-Kwa nodded. "If you don''t mind having your gates blown to smithereens we can clear out the forces concentrated by them in short order. Not sure about the central tower, though.¡±


    ¡°I can solve both problems,¡± said the warrior. ¡°Can you fly me up to the top of the tower without alerting the guards?¡±


    Raivyn looked at Grepk, who nodded.


    ¡°We can do that,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°Then we can begin the raid immediately,¡± said Trukis.


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± said Kwa-Kwa. ¡°I already set the charges.¡±


    Raivyn looked sidelong at the Scout leader.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Kwa-Kwa defensively. ¡°We were right there. Seemed like a waste not to set up a little surprise for our Astralbian friends.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± said Raivyn, turning to the Sridekite warrior. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°There is a bell at the top of the tower used to signal that war is upon Sridek. It is struck once when war is declared, twice when the enemy is spotted and three times when all who are able must take up arms and defend Sridek. I will strike the bell three times with my hammer. As soon as the third ring begins to fade, blow the gates to¡­ ¡®smithereens.¡¯¡±


    Kwa-Kwa smiled.


    ¡°There are four gates,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Let¡¯s divide our forces, with one quarter at each gate. The Marines will take Trukis and I to the tower. I¡¯ll provide a perception bubble. We¡¯ll work our way down the tower as soon as the bell has been rung. Kwa-Kwa will blow the charges and the rest of our forces will charge the gates. Stick to the trees and try not to be seen. We want this to come as a surprise.¡±


    As soon as the four units were in position, Krum-Bahk grabbed Trukis, Grepk grabbed Raivyn, and they flew up to the top of the tower along with Keshri. Taken unaware, the guards were taken out quickly and quietly.


    Trukis struck the bell once. It rang out clear, and the town fell silent. He struck the bell a second time. The quiet grew restless, as though the town itself had begun to whisper and murmur. He struck the bell a third and final time. The murmurs rose to a roar and Sredikites armed with pitchforks, kitchen knives, table legs, and all manner of improvised weapons burst from doorways and allies, falling on the bewildered Astralbians like wild animals. The scene was punctuated by four simultaneous explosions as the gates burst inward and the four units of Republic and Hrudukite soldiers charged in.


    The defenses at the gates were dispatched or scattered promptly, but a sizable force came out of the central tower. The fighting was fierce for some time, but Talon Squad managed to fight their way to the tower with Doc¡¯s rifle, D¡¯Jarric¡¯s bolts, and Reclan¡¯s drones softening the enemy lines so that Vanbrook¡¯s saber and Hrake¡¯s hammer could finish the job. Vanbrook spotted an Astralbian swordsman cutting down Hrudukite after Hrudukite and split away from the group to face him.


    Meanwhile, Raivyn, Trukis, and the Marines fought their way down the tower stairs, Keshri¡¯s close combat skills making the others feel almost like dead weight. By the time they reached the ground floor, the surviving Astralbians had all rushed out into the streets. Raivyn looked around and saw Vanbrook locked in combat with an Astralbian swordsman, but turned her attention to the fight at large, attacking the enemy from their rear flank.


    Vanbrook¡¯s opponent was a skilled swordsman, and he found himself on the defensive almost immediately. However, the Astralbian soon began making mistakes, beginning to tire out and underestimating Vanbrook¡¯s skill. A strike that would have ended a lesser swordsman was easily parried, creating a fatal opening that Vanbrook took full advantage of. Looking around as his opponent imploded into a crystal, Vanbrook saw that the Astralbians had been reduced to just a few soldiers. The Sredikites gave them no opportunity to surrender, pressing in on them until the last one had fallen. Vanbrook didn¡¯t blame them in the least.

 Chapter 3.26: Witch Hunters

    ¡°What am I gaining here, ¡®Emperor?¡¯¡± asked Grim.


    Jylik smiled a wide, friendly smile that made Grim feel immediately distrustful. ¡°The alliance of the Astralbian Empire, of course.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± answered Grim. ¡°I¡¯ll need something more tangible.¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± replied Jylik. ¡°Salvage rights, to start. And enough platinum to noticeably weigh down your ships, I think.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± said Grim, his deeply sunken eyes lighting up.


    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss details when you arrive,¡± said Jylik.


    He shut down the comm and climbed the stairs down to the command center of his mother tree to greet the arriving guests. The Ramshackle Collective would make decent allies, or at least cannon fodder, but Trilia offered up a more substantial alliance. He walked down the ramp to solid ground, arms spread in a gesture of welcome.


    ¡°Trilia, my Empress, so good to have you back,¡± he said. ¡°And with company!¡±


    Hoon-Kra, Darvik, and Cevla bowed before their emperor.


    ***


    Raivyn and the others got back to the city in time to see the large, blocky army transport ship the Azimuth along with a sleek, black ship in the familiar shark-like shape of a small gunship, the Snare. She watched the black ship as it landed.


    The ramp opened and three figures walked down it. All three wore black uniforms with matching headbands and a shoulder patch depicting a trillion-cut ruby, a stone once believed to ward off evil psychics.


    The first to walk down the ramp was Yellup, a young Wabuluban male with tactical gear strapped to his mechanical legs and a rifle slung behind him. Next was Winnow, a tall, feminine robot with a retractable blade on one arm and a gun built into the other. Finally, there was a tall, broad Human male. Trebor himself. He wore a long black coat, a saber on his hip, and a pair of pistols tucked under his arms in shoulder holsters. His black hair was slicked back, and his pale face was cracked with frown lines and a wrinkled brow. His bright blue eyes were the only thing that belied the fact that the face belonged to a living, breathing person rather than a corpse. Raivyn shook her head in disgust. Witch hunters.


    ***


    Jasken was just going to greet General Grubula when the notification came through. A new beacon, originating from inside the Cornucopia Cluster. He looked at the details, and realized it was a notification that a new population of sapients had been found. It was sparse on the details. Then, under "Reporting Nation," he saw the real surprise: the beacon had been established by the FRF.


    "What are you up to, Crush?" he wondered aloud.


    Dismissing the notification and making a mental note to reach out to the Robotic nation builder at a later time, he walked out to greet the newly arrived ships.


    General Grubula was already making his way towards the Wingspan and the two officers met in the middle.


    "Welcome to Hruduk, General," said Jasken. "Hrynkak, King of Gred, sends his regards but, as you can imagine, is quite busy at the moment.¡±


    Grubula nodded, which for a Wabuluban meant making a gesture something like a curt bow, rocking back and forth on mechanical legs. "Glad to be heading back this way. Looking forward to kicking the Astralbians out of Gateway."


    "We''ll get there, General," said Jasken.


    Agent Trebor walked up to join the conversation. "General, Admiral."


    "Agent," said Grubula.


    "Welcome to Hruduk," said Jasken with a nod.


    "Jasken," said Trebor. "Specialist Raivyn is here, is she not?"


    "She is, Agent," answered Jasken. "And it''s Admiral Jasken." He tried to maintain a diplomatic relationship with the RTS but found them to be an entitled and disrespectful lot.


    "Of course, my apologies," said Trebor with a nod. "I will need to speak with her."


    "I''ll consider your request," said Jasken with practiced politeness. "You are dismissed, Agent."


    Trebor looked at Jasken in masked disbelief, but nodded and went back to his ship.


    "Well done," laughed Grubula when the agent was out of earshot. "That upstart of a hide wart gets on my nerves."


    "He''s good at his job," said Jasken. "He just needs to learn to stay within its bounds."


    ***


    Darvik roiled inside as he bowed to the Emperor of the Astralbians. He had found meaning in the Koomites, something that had eluded him his whole life. The idea that his religion was owned in some way by a person who was indifferent to it at best enraged him.


    Jylik dismissed him and Cevla and they returned to the Swamp''s Pride, leaving Hoon-Kra and the Empress to discuss things with the Emperor.


    They walked in silence for some time.


    "How do you like our new overlords?" asked Darvik, voice full of venom.


    "The beasts are our overlords, not the Astralbians," replied Cevla. "The smallest of them could swallow the Emperor whole."


    "Well, try telling him that," spat Darvik.


    Cevla laughed joylessly. "I see your point."


    "Are you¡­ okay?" asked Darvik.


    Cevla regarded him with her empty eyes for a moment. "No. Of course not. I''m drowning in the aether."


    "Stop talking like that!" he snarled. "How did you go from being so boisterous I wanted to lock you in a closet to being so- so- so empty!"


    There was a flicker in Cevla''s eyes, so brief that Darvik thought he might have imagined it.


    "What happened to me will come for us all," said Cevla. "Those like you and me, anyway. And we''ll come for everyone else."


    ***


    "Did he say why?" asked Raivyn, standing opposite of the desk in Jasken''s office, arms crossed.


    "No," answered Jasken, leaning back in his chair. "Just that he wanted to talk to you. Believe me, I''d like to say no, but he''ll just go over my head. He has a lot more leverage than he deserves with the Houses."


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "I can fend for myself," said Raivyn.


    "Oh, I know you can," said Jasken, leaning in and steepling his fingers. "Remember, I asked you to behave."


    "Yes, sir," she answered. "Best behavior."


    He nodded.


    There was a knock at the door.


    "King Hrynkak wants to see you, sir," said the guard posted outside Jasken''s door.


    "Send him in," answered Jasken. "That''ll be all, Raivyn."


    She nodded respectfully, if curtly, and left, repeating the gesture as she passed Hrynkak. The King walked into the room, and Jasken stood to give him a quick bow, which he returned.


    ¡°Admiral, I have been in conference with the monarchs of the other cities,¡± said Hrynkak. ¡°All of us wish to train a portion of our troops on hammer rifles and send them with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s appreciated, King Hrynkak,¡± said Jasken, his brow furrowing. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ll have room for a sizable force. I was anticipating a fairly small detachment.¡±


    Hrynkak pondered this silently for a moment. ¡°Is there, perhaps, another ship that could transport us?¡±


    It was Jasken''s turn to think for a moment. "I may have a lead on that, but you''ll have to give me a little time."


    ***


    The mine had only produced three cores thus far, but the jubilation that followed each discovery was a thing to see. The core would be paraded around the mine and surrounding encampment and then marched dutifully down to the purple prairie-turned-airfield. Then it would be taken directly to the king and queen via shuttle.


    King Hua and Queen Shiu, as Crush had learned to call them, were delighted by each delivery, setting the cores up on stump-like pedestals in the throne room of their massive wooden palace.


    Yrinla spent more and more time with the monarchs, discussing the lost art of tree priesthood. After the tree priests had fled all those centuries ago, there were none left who knew their secrets. Though many on Cradle had psychic abilities, none had managed to unlock the secrets to shaping organic life. It seemed that a recurring madness among the psychics of Cradle, which struck with no warning and affected all psychics at once before melting away slowly, had badly hampered the study of psychic abilities.


    Crush didn¡¯t begrudge Yrinla¡¯s time spent away from the rest of the fleet. The tree priestess had always been more an ally to than a member of the Free Revolutionary Fleet. Honestly, Crush was hopeful that Yrinla¡¯s study of her own people would uncover more information about hers. The Coreborn had simply vanished after the tree priest¡¯s attacks. Little was known and less was understood about the mysterious guardians of Cradle. All she had learned since her first conversation with Hua and Shiu was that it was theorized that the Coreborn somehow kept the madness at bay.


    There were more immediate things to worry about, at any rate. Inspector Zomm-Dhar of the International Galactic Code had reached out, demanding more information about the local inhabitants and the FRF¡¯s relationship with them, citing a number of articles of the Code. Unsure how the Astralbians would react to the specifics of Cradle¡¯s native population, Crush had been cagey with Zomm-Dhar, hoping that the war that had broken out between the Astralbians and the Griffon Republic would keep him from visiting too soon, though he had promised there would be a visit at a later date.


    One afternoon, as Crush was sifting through a number of documents Zomm-Dhar had sent, a call came through on her comm. Recognizing the Blue Griffon Fleet¡¯s identifier, she picked it up immediately.


    ¡°Admiral Jasken?¡± she asked.


    ¡°This is him,¡± answered Jasken. ¡°How goes the Revolution, Admiral Crush?¡±


    Crush laughed lightly. ¡°Fine, Admiral, just fine.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear that,¡± replied Jasken. ¡°I have a proposition for you, if you¡¯re still in the mercenary business.¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± said Crush. ¡°You could say we¡¯re¡­ expanding our horizons, but we¡¯re still running mercenary operations. Are you looking for help in your war effort?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Jasken. ¡°Not the Republic directly, of course, but our allies the Hrudukites.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the turtle people, correct?¡± asked Crush.


    ¡°The very same,¡± answered Jasken. ¡°They¡¯re looking for transportation so they can join our ground troops when we reach Astralbian-controlled worlds. They¡¯re currently training on modern weapons but they don¡¯t have any ships and, frankly, we don¡¯t have the room to spare.


    ¡°That sounds doable,¡± said Crush. ¡°Most of our ships aren¡¯t designed with biologicals in mind but we do have an armored Krauqian transport from one of our early jobs. It should fit the Hrudukites just fine, I imagine. I¡¯d like to talk to a representative of the Hrudukites directly to get numbers and arrange payment.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Jasken. ¡°I¡¯ll set something up shortly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting,¡± replied Crush. ¡°Oh, and Jasken?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Admiral?¡± asked Jasken.


    ¡°Good to hear from you.¡±


    Jasken smiled. ¡°You too.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I hear you wanted to talk to me,¡± said Raivyn. Her arms were crossed, and her chin was jutting out towards Trebor and his two agents, who she had snuck up behind as they walked through the streets of Gred.


    Trebor turned to face her, exuding a practiced countenance of being less than impressed. ¡°Specialist Raivyn, psy-code 4329-075. Yes, I did.¡±


    Raivyn shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m here now. Talk.¡±


    ¡°Still bitter we didn¡¯t take you on, are you?¡± huffed Trebor.


    ¡°Hardly,¡± scoffed Raivyn. ¡°But I doubt that¡¯s what you wanted to talk about.¡±


    ¡°We heard you saw Cevla,¡± said Trebor.


    ¡°I believe so, on this very world,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°It¡¯s all in the incident report, which I¡¯m sure you read.¡±


    ¡°Indeed I have,¡± replied Trebor. ¡°But I hoped you could fill in some blanks for me.¡±


    Raivyn stared into the agent¡¯s bright blue eyes, anger blooming. ¡°As I said: it¡¯s all in the report.¡±


    ¡°How exactly did Cevla slip away?¡± asked Trebor.


    ¡°It¡¯s in the report,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°Despite the fact that she was extremely drained from maintaining a perception bubble?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s. In. The. Report,¡± said Raivyn, biting off each word.


    Trebor threw up his hands. ¡°Please cooperate, 4329-075.¡±


    Even Yellup, one of Trebor¡¯s own, winced at that. Calling a psychic by their psy-code was unprofessional at best. Raivyn stepped forward, hands clenched.


    ¡°Are you trying to imply something about Cevla¡¯s escape, Trebor?¡± asked a voice from above.


    Everyone looked up to see Vanbrook sitting in the window of one of the burnt-out buildings, all but destroyed when the Astralbians attacked. He had a blue, plum-like fruit in his hand, which he threw into his mouth. He spent a moment savoring the fruit before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and leaping down a good ten feet and landing between both parties. Despite the distance, he landed with a cat-like grace, standing face-to-face with Trebor.


    ¡°That¡¯s Agent Trebor,¡± he snarled. ¡°And you are Specialist Vanbrook, I presume.¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°And I asked you a question. Are you trying to imply something about Cevla¡¯s escape?¡±


    Trebor opened his mouth to speak but Vanbrook cut him off.


    ¡°Because I was there,¡± he said. ¡°Cevla, along with the Koomite Darvik and an unknown Talpidarian male escaped, largely due to the fact that the aforementioned Talpidarian was a skilled driver with a faster mode of transport than we had access to at the moment.¡±


    ¡°So I read,¡± said Trebor, eyes dark with anger.


    ¡°Then you read the report,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°So, again: are you trying to imply something?¡±


    ¡°Do not interfere with RTS business, Specialist Vanbrook,¡± said Trebor.


    ¡°Do not interfere with Talon Squad business, ¡®Agent¡¯ Trebor,¡± replied Vanbrook. ¡°We are a cohesive unit, not just a master and his pets,¡± he glanced briefly at the agents accompanying Trebor. ¡°So if you are going to go out of your way to harass one of us, you can expect the others to be there, as well.¡±


    ¡°Have it your way, Vanbrook,¡± said Trebor, waving his hand dismissively as he turned to leave.


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Specialist¡¯ Vanbrook,¡± said Vanbrook, his tone flat but his face a mask of mockery.


    Trebor shot him a withering glare over his shoulder. When the agents were gone, he turned to Raivyn, a stern look on his face. ¡°Rai, you can¡¯t let Trebor get to you.¡±


    Raivyn huffed. ¡°I was handling myself just fine.¡±


    ¡°You were about to clean his clock and you know it,¡± said Vanbrook, shaking his head. ¡°No one gets under your skin that easily,¡± he shrugged, thinking for a moment. ¡°Except maybe me.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, he¡¯s just a creep, okay?¡± said Raivyn. ¡°He provokes psychics like me and then puts them on T-neutralizing pharmaceuticals or locks them up.¡±


    ¡°So you were going to give him exactly what he wanted?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°Punching isn¡¯t against the psychic code of ethics,¡± muttered Raivyn.


    ¡°Did he say you used to work with them?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°No,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°I wanted to help put away bad psychics, seeing how I know the dangers. But I saw Trebor in action and I didn¡¯t want any parts of it. That was a long time ago. I ended up with Jasken instead, and you know the rest. Trebor¡¯s had a chip on his shoulder ever since. Every time our paths cross he pokes and prods, hoping he can catch me off guard.¡± She shook her head. ¡°The Republic is welcoming to psychics in a way the Aeratan¡¯s aren¡¯t, and the RTS is a necessity. People like Trebor just take advantage of it.¡±


    ¡°There are jerks everywhere, huh?¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°Not right here,¡± said Raivyn, looking up at Vanbrook.


    He smiled, turned and walked away.

 Chapter 3.27: Barrel Fever

    Sweat dropped down Darvik''s brow as he fought off another one of the strange spider ape creatures. He leapt back to gain a little distance and then thrust out with his saber, stabbing the beast through the heart.


    The Emperor, it turned out, greatly enjoyed watching biologicals engage in blood sports, so an arena had been hastily built on Gateway, complete with an altar in Koo L''Koom''s honor. Despite wearing his ancestors'' death crystals on an ornate crown, Jylik didn''t seem terribly attached to his people''s religion.


    Finishing off the last of the apes, Darvik looked up at Hoon-Kra, who sat by the Emperor and Empress in high seating that was far removed from the masses of Astralbian soldiers who looked on from the stands. He stepped away as a troop of Astralbian soldiers dragged the bodies to the altar.


    He was summoned up to the royal box, where he gave a deep bow to the Emperor, Empress, and High Priest in turn.


    "Well done, Darvik," said Trilia.


    The swordsman nodded.


    "Now we have a special event planned," said Jylik. "Are you prepared for another fight?"


    Darvik shrugged. "If it pleases you."


    "Bring out the prisoner!" shouted Hoon-Kra to the guards below.


    A cage below the royal box was opened and a Shairet was thrown out, and a sword was tossed carelessly behind. The cage door slammed shut and the trembling insectoid scrambled to pick up the sword. It was the first time Darvik had seen one of the locals.


    "One of the rebels," said Hoon-Kra. "Go, show your might."


    "But he doesn''t fight me willingly," said Darvik.


    Either he dies and you live, or you both die, said Trilia''s voice in his head. Your choice.


    Darvik stiffened, but nodded to the Emperor and descended the steps, the guards allowing him into the arena.


    ***


    Hacksaw and Tank walked up the ramp into Crush''s star tree, the Admiral waiting at the top to greet them.


    "Captains!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I have an opportunity for us. I wanted your opinions first. The job would be for the kingdoms of Hruduk, serving as transport to get their armies to the Astralbians."


    "There''s potential there," said Hacksaw, nodding. "Hruduk is a mineral-rich world, particularly in terms of uranium. Our Ramshackle-origin ships don''t need fusion materials, but a good portion of our fleet does. Long term, we could ask for mineral rights and set up a mine."


    "I''ll bring it up," said Crush.


    "Who will you be negotiating with?" asked Hacksaw. "King Hrynkak?"


    "Correct," said Crush.


    "Make sure you give him the Fleet''s condolences on the loss of his father, the late King Zrykyk," Hacksaw said. His intelligence network had been paying dividends. He gave her all the reports, but he tended to have a better handle in the Galaxy''s goings on.


    "I''ll be sure to do that," said Crush.


    ***


    Covered in blue-green blood, Darvik stumbled back to his quarters aboard the Swamp''s Pride. He rapped in Cevla''s door. The tall psychic opened her door, her facial expression only twitched slightly at the gory figure before her.


    "Put this on my door," he said, handing her one of the door-locking devices they''d used on the Gladius. "Leave it on for two days. I don''t care what you hear, leave it on." Cevla looked at him with empty eyes and nodded mechanically.


    He paused for a moment. "Let me do one thing first."


    He walked into his room, rummaged around for a moment, and came back out with an armload of bottles with clear and amber liquids in them, and unceremoniously threw them all into the garbage disposal slot on the wall.


    "Alright," he said, walking shakily into his room. "Do it."


    ***


    The next few weeks on Hruduk were spent ensuring the fleet was in perfect condition and once again rebuilding Gred. The Astralbian attack had done far more damage to the city than Zrykyk had managed, but the Gredites were steadfast in their efforts to rebuild. Sredik provided them with vast quantities of high quality lumber, and they returned the favor in skillfully cut stone. The Griffon Republic facilitated the trade at first, but Aethercrate Hauling was brought in when the job became too large for the military to devote the necessary resources to.


    "Thanks for calling us in, Jasken," said the captain of the Mayblin.


    "Oh, don''t thank me," said Jasken. "The King asked if I knew of any haulers, and I offered you up as an example. Frankly I''m surprised you were willing to come back out this way."


    He shrugged. "Hey, money''s good. Besides, Hruduk isn''t a warzone. At least, not at the moment. Speaking of warzones, I hear you''re heading out shortly."


    "It won''t be long," said Jasken with a nod. Word got around, of course, but they weren''t advertising details of their departure.


    The Gladius had gone ahead as a scout ship and had determined that Grisseon and Platnon were hardly guarded at all, but Glasaxia, the next world on the way to Gateway, shared a star with an Astralbian-claimed world named Quarry that was heavily fortified and being used for star tree production. Additionally, the Marines had picked up chatter from a world referred to as ¡°T¡¯Lakia,¡± which appeared to be a Koomite depot or waystation of some kind in the same system. Even more worrying, Commander Glinya had reported that the Koomites and the Astralbian Empire had made some kind of treaty. They couldn¡¯t attack T¡¯Lakia based on that isolated and unconfirmed piece of intel, but it did mean they¡¯d have to be wary. The FRF transport ship was well on its way, having managed to skirt around Astralbian notice, but hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Altogether, it made Jasken nervous. He much preferred being in the thick of the action to waiting around for something to happen.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Providence shine on your fleet, then, Admiral,¡± said the captain.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Jasken. ¡°On yours as well.¡±


    ***


    There was a distant scream. It came from Darvik¡¯s own mouth, but to him it seemed distant. A mass of ghoulish figures gathered around his bed, oozing with blue-green blood and staring him in the eye. The Shairet from last night was there, of course, and so was the first Krauqian he¡¯d killed in the name of Koo L¡¯Koom. There were others, most of whom he had a hard time distinguishing from one another as they morphed and shifted between different faces. Worst of all, though, was Wilbis, who stood staring at him with glazed eyes from right at his bedside. It felt like being frozen in time just as a predator leapt from the brush; there was a constant sense that death was imminent but never arrived.


    The first few hours had been easy enough, then the fevers and chills had set in. Uneasy sleep had been interrupted by the specters now hovering over him. His terror waxed and waned with his lucidity, and sometimes the specters would fade away entirely, only to jump back out the moment Darvik''s eyelids began to flutter.


    He rolled into his pillow, curled up into a pathetic, shaking mass.


    "I''m sorry, Wilbis," he muttered bitterly. "I''m sorry."


    ***


    The Apex arrived on Hruduk to a massive amount of fanfare, which Captain Tank had not expected but enjoyed immensely. A large, boxy vessel of Talpidarian design, the Apex had been known as the Mudhole before being commandeered by the FRF from a pirate crew. Tank had volunteered to captain the ship and head the mission, leaving Crush and Hacksaw on Cradle. He had a dozen or so Robots with him, enough to keep the ship running, but that was about it.


    Meeting with the warriors he was to work with, he took to the Hrudukites immediately. Their jocular warrior spirit mirrored his own, and they answered questions back and forth about their people. He was careful not to reveal too much about the discoveries on Cradle, per Crush''s orders, but he gladly spoke about his time in the Ramshackle Collective. Despite the criminal nature of his endeavors, it won him a number of approving nods and a hearty slap on the back from Trukis.


    Jasken and Drai helped oversee the onboarding of the Hrudukites onto the Apex and General Grubula assigned Colonel Utrin, a grizzled Dromean veteran, to help guide the Hrudukites and to serve as a liaison.


    Just as Jasken was walking away from the Apex, Trebor approached him wearing a smug grin and holding a tablet out. Jasken took it without a word and read the message on it.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± said Jasken.


    ¡°Deadly serious,¡± replied Trebor. ¡°The connection between the psychic cult known as the Koomites and the Astralbian Empire demands an RTS presence, and I can¡¯t think of a better way to stay close to the situation than to remain with Talon Squad. You¡¯ll notice that this order is signed by Executor Grak-Yurp himself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be frank with you, Trebor,¡± said Jasken, returning the tablet. ¡°If you impede the actions of Talon Squad or harass Specialist Raivyn, I will do everything in my power to make your life as miserable as possible, and, as you will be serving with my special squad, I will be able to make it excruciatingly miserable. Am I clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Admiral,¡± said Trebor.


    His eyes betrayed anger, but it was tinged with fear and respect. Jasken could live with that.


    ***


    A blissful rest had finally fallen over Darvik when his door opened. The first thing he noticed on waking up was that he was itchy, still covered in flecks of blood from the arena. He turned his head to see Cevla standing in the doorway.


    ¡°You survived,¡± she said flatly.


    He nodded, a motion that brought on a pounding headache that made him wince. He dropped back down to the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need a shower and some water,¡± he rasped, his voice thin and trembling. ¡°I¡¯ll be good as new.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Cevla.


    He looked at her again. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Why bother with all this?¡± she clarified.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he said honestly. ¡°I¡¯m tired of being a slave, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°You still are, stupid,¡± she said, cruelty tinting her voice. It was more emotion than she¡¯d shown in a long time. Darvik wondered what was bothering her.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he admitted. ¡°But maybe I have one less master now. I feel- I feel like something¡¯s calling me out of this mess.¡±


    ¡°The beasts?¡± offered Cevla. ¡°That is not their nature.¡±


    He looked over to where Wilbis¡¯ ghostly eyes had stared into his throughout his detox. ¡°No, it certainly wasn¡¯t the beasts.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Sorry you¡¯re getting stuck with Trebor,¡± said Huluna.


    Chully nodded his head in agreement. Raivyn had wanted to catch up with the RIS agents before heading out, largely to see what they had to say about Trebor and his lackeys. She¡¯d been furious when Jasken told her the RTS agents would be joining Talon Squad for the push back to Gateway. It made sense that they''d come along, but to go with Talon Squad specifically seemed a bit much.


    "I could pull some strings," Huluna continued. "Get you stationed with us for the war. We could use a sharp-minded veteran such as yourself as an analyst."


    Raivyn shook her head. "I need to be on the front lines. I''m not letting Trebor get in my head, if you''ll excuse the irony."


    Huluna laughed. "Fair enough."


    Chully chewed his stylus in thought. "Trebor''s a piece of work," he said contemplatively. "But he''s a man of honor."


    "Really?" asked Raivyn indignantly. "Baiting psychics into slipping up is honorable?"


    Chully shrugged. "He''s got a code, you could say. He sees it as honorable. Just keep that in mind. You might be able to leverage it."


    ***


    The Silver Star Fleet, now joined by both the Blue Griffon Fleet and the Apex, made the jump to Platnon, their arrival catching the token Astralbian forces there by surprise.


    The Gladius had done the difficult work of locating them during their scouting run, which they had doubled back from in order to help in the battle.


    The enemy star trees were largely made up of the survivors of the campaign for Gred. Despite the time they''d had to recover, their resources were limited, and they had precious few void wasps to field.


    "Blue Griffon squads, focus on the wasps," said Swampy. "The Silver Star squads will handle the star trees."


    "You heard the lady," said Drixen, leading his squads out of the Wingspan''s hangar. "Let''s mop these guys up."


    From his place on the bridge, Jasken watched the lop-sided battle unfolding. Something felt off. The Astralbians should have been better prepared.


    "Hey," said Drixen. "Am I crazy or are those star trees getting closer?"


    "No," said Mairen. "They''re closing in."


    "Admiral Drai, this is Jasken," said Jasken hastily. "We need to fall back!"


    "What?" asked Drai. "What do you see?"


    The gaping maws of the nearest star tree opened, and a wave of hugger mines blasted towards the Pick, which was closest to the enemy fleet.


    "All fighter squads, take out those mines!" shouted Drai.


    It was too late. The attack took the Pick out of commission, although it also destroyed the star tree.


    "All ships, fall back!" cried Drai. "All forces, take out those remaining star trees!"


    Ignoring the wasps, all the fighters focused on destroying the star trees. The five remaining trees all launched hugger mines when their destruction was imminent, but none were as effective as the first attack. The Pommel and Pinion took serious damage, but both were still spaceworthy when the last of the star trees were destroyed and the remaining void wasps were killed or captured.

 Chapter 3.28: Cutting a Swath

    Grim read over the notification a third time. The FRF had established a beacon, and it wasn¡¯t even to claim a world as their own. Crush¡¯s actions confused him now. At first, the mutiny had seemed like a standard power grab, but she was acting more and more like a member of the IGC. Regardless, he now knew exactly where to find Crush, and in time he would. For now he would have to settle himself with taking his vengeance on the Griffon Republic.


    He walked out of his fortified cabin and made his way to Jylik¡¯s mother tree. The so-called Emperor had summoned him to Gateway, promising to finalize their plans there. When he entered the command room, he gave a perfunctory bow to Jylik and the female he assumed was the Empress, and then looked sidelong at the rotund Krauqian who stood beside her.


    ¡°Admiral Grim,¡± said Jylik. ¡°Welcome.¡±


    ¡°Emperor,¡± said Grim in saccharine tones. ¡°Thank you for your gracious invitation.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± said Jylik dismissively. ¡°To the matter at hand. We anticipate that the Griffon Republic is gathering to make a strike on our positions in the Glasaxian system. They will then likely try to reclaim Avonia before making their way here. When they reach Gateway, I expect them to be a smoldering shadow of their former power. At that point your pirate fleet, along with my star trees and the Koomite¡¯s fleet and army will be ready to finish the work of destroying them.¡±


    Grim noted that Jylik gestured to the Krauqian when he said the word ¡®Koomite.¡¯


    ¡°So all you''re asking is for my fleet to orbit Gateway and wait in ambush?¡± asked Grim.


    ¡°That about sums it up,¡± said Jylik.


    ¡°Easy enough,¡± snorted Grim. ¡°The Astralbian Kingd¨CI mean Empire¨CI know about. Now explain to me who the Koomites are.¡±


    ¡°A cult that worships the aether beasts,¡± said Jylik. ¡°They have a meager fleet, but many powerful psychics. We anticipate the bulk of their work being done as ground troops.¡±


    The Krauqian winced at the word ¡°cult.¡± Grim nodded his understanding.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t sully your command room with my presence any further, Emperor,¡± said Grim with an exaggerated bow. ¡°My fleet will be in orbit if we are needed.¡±


    ***


    The Pick was too badly damaged to be fixed in the field, and the majority of the crew was dispersed to other ships. A skeleton crew was left aboard to fly the ship back to Kirakna for complete repairs.


    The remaining ships landed on Platnon, where they found a few hastily abandoned bases, but no sign of Astralbian resistance.


    "I should have listened to you sooner," said Drai.


    Jasken over at him. The pair were on the bridge of the Pinion, looking over the latest intel concerning the Astralbian''s positions in the Glasaxian system.


    "What do you mean?" asked Jasken.


    Drai shook his head. "You told me I ought to back down, and I didn¡¯t. We came within a hair''s breadth of losing the Pick."


    "We didn''t, though, that''s what counts," said Jasken.


    Drai laughed. "You have the reputation of being a hard man, but you don''t do much to maintain it."


    Jasken shrugged. "Getting soft in my old age, I suspect."


    Drai, not a youth himself, nodded soberly. "But you couldn''t live without all this, could you?"


    "I''m not sure," said Jasken, thinking back on Kesht''s final words. "I''m really not sure."


    ***


    Vanbrook once more filled a cup with rakka and sat down at an awkwardly quiet table. Trebor had insisted on joining Talon Squad for meals, and it had proven impossible to avoid it without resorting to efforts that would have gotten Vanbrook court-martialed.


    As much as he enjoyed his daydreams of beating Trebor and his goons senseless, he didn¡¯t want to bring that kind of headache down on Raivyn or Jasken.


    ¡°Tell me, Yellup,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, who had kept his good-natured air through the less-than-ideal circumstances. ¡°How did you come to work with the RTS?¡±


    The young Wabuluban looked up from his food, surprised by the question. He looked uncomfortable for a moment before he spoke, stealing a glance at Raivyn.


    ¡°I was one of the most powerful psychics in my graduating class at the Academy for Telemilitary Studies,¡± he said at length. ¡°Trebor was looking to have a psychic on his squad and selected me.¡±


    ¡°He was, in fact, the second most powerful psychic in his class,¡± said Winnow, staring directly at Raivyn.


    ¡°That¡¯s a hard thing to measure,¡± said Raivyn coolly.


    ¡°We¡¯re all on the same team,¡± said Trebor. ¡°Let¡¯s not squabble now.¡±


    ¡°When shall we squabble, then?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    Trebor looked up at him in disgust. ¡°Some of us take our jobs seriously, Vanbrook.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡®Specialist¡¯ Vanbrook,¡± replied the swashbuckler with mock indignation.


    Reclan snorted, nearly spitting out her drink. Trebor¡¯s permanent scowl deepened.


    ¡°Van does take his job seriously,¡± offered D¡¯Jarric. ¡°But he does not take himself seriously. I find it to be an admirable quality.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps I misjudged the wisdom of the lofted Solarans,¡± said Trebor as he got up to clear his plate.


    D¡¯Jarric continued to smile serenely, clearly unbothered by the remark.


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    ¡°How can you stand to work with that guy?¡± asked Reclan as she shoved another sizable chunk of steak into her mouth.


    ¡°He¡¯s not as bad as he seems,¡± offered Yellup weakly.


    ¡°He¡¯s a great man,¡± snapped Winnow.


    Yellup waved her off. ¡°I know you have your concerns, Raivyn, and I understand them. But when you¡¯re stuck in the trenches, Trebor¡¯s a good friend to have with you. He¡¯s saved my life more times than I can count.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make up for his excesses,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°He¡¯s made a career of antagonizing psychics.¡±


    ¡°He excels at tricking bad actors into showing their hand,¡± said Winnow.


    ¡°Just understand that, this time around, I¡¯ve got as close an eye on the three of you as you have on me,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Understood?¡±


    The question went unanswered, and the rest of the meal was eaten in silence.


    ***


    The fleet split into three groups, with the Silver Star Fleet going to Quarry, the Blue Griffon fleet and the Apex going to Glasaxia, and the Gladius going to monitor T¡¯Lakia. The Astralbians were ready for them both on their own world and on Glasaxia, appearing soon after the fleets arrived at their destinations.


    Over Glasaxia, Jasken oversaw the battle from the bridge of the Wingspan. The Apex was mainly a transport, but it sported heavy cannons and more than pulled its weight under the leadership of Captain Tank. The Robot hadn¡¯t struck Jasken as a particularly sharp individual, but he was clearly a talented tactician, choosing targets with intention and keeping the enemy guessing.


    Great eyes were fired sparingly, the Astralbians rightly fearing that the Republic¡¯s bombers would take advantage of them if possible. Jasken smiled as he saw the ripple effects of Aethercrate¡¯s serendipitous discovery.


    The fighters hugged the star trees, defending against any potential payload of hugger mines. When a tree opened to release a wave of mines, the fighters peeled off and Cowgirl fired a missile into the hanger, detonating the first mine and causing a chain reaction that destroyed that tree.


    The forces on Glasaxia were soon scattered or destroyed, and Jasken watched a few small star trees jump towards Quarry.


    ¡°Admiral Drai, this is Jasken,¡± said the Admiral over ripmed comms. ¡°I have Captian Tank of the Apex on the line as well. His shields are still in fighting shape and he can jump to your locations in under half an hour, including prep time. Shall he join you?¡±


    ¡°Captain Tank,¡± answered Drai. ¡°Your help would be more than welcome! The forces are fairly dug in here. We could use the additional ground troops.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll begin preparations immediately, Admiral,¡± said Tank.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send Talon Squad over to the Apex via shuttle,¡± said Jasken. ¡°Their talents are wasted here. Meanwhile the Wingspan will sweep the surface of Glasaxia one more time to make sure the Gladius didn¡¯t miss anything.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± said Drai, ¡°I¡¯ll speak to you shortly.¡±


    A short time later, Talon Squad and the RTS agents were loaded into the shuttle and latched onto the Apex for the jump to Quarry. The atmosphere between the two groups remained icy. Yellup took some interest in Reclan¡¯s tinkering, but the Dromean snubbed him and he dropped the matter.


    Being in the same star system, ripmed jumps allowed for near-instantaneous travel even with lower energy input. The Apex appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, just a few short miles outside the battle that raged over Quarry. Before engaging in the battle, Tank had all the Hrudukite warriors take their seats in the personnel compartment. Like a massive shuttle, the compartment could break off of the rest of the ship and serve as a transport vehicle. While it had no ripmed drive and a limited amount of firepower, it was heavily shielded and surprisingly fast for its bulk, able to land quickly under hostile conditions. Talon Squad¡¯s shuttle detached from the Apex as well, and the two ships darted for their designated landing zone as Tank opened fire on the enemy.


    ***


    Krum-Bahk watched the readouts from the pilot¡¯s seat aboard the Gladius. The Koomite waystation on T¡¯Lakia was impossible to spot with the naked eye from where the ship sat, half a million miles away from the small, rocky planet. The distance ensured that they wouldn¡¯t be spotted, unless they were being very carefully looked for. If they were, they would have plenty of time to retreat before anyone could reach them. However, light and radio waves originating on T¡¯Lakia¡¯s surface would reach them in less than three seconds, giving them information practically in real time.


    ¡°Oh, hey!¡± said Krum-Bahk suddenly. ¡°We¡¯ve got movement!¡±


    Sure enough, the Gladius¡¯ powerful telescopes caught an image of a small shuttle taking off from the waystation. Grepk ran up the steps to check out the data as it came in.


    ¡°Yeah, looks like a small troop transport, but it could be heading for Quarry based on the trajectory,¡± said Grepk. ¡°Let me know if they jump or if other ships join in. I¡¯m going to let the Admirals know.¡±


    ***


    Shots pinged off the hull and windshield of Talon Squad¡¯s shuttle as Reclan brought it down for a rough landing. The Apex¡¯s trooper shuttle landed broadside to the enemy, and wave after wave of shouting Hrudukite warriors poured out as the entire side of the shuttle folded down into a massive exit ramp. They wore armored suits painted to match the colors of their respective city-states, but all of the breast plates bore an embossed depiction of Hruduk, the major continent that the city-states shared in the center.


    Reclan and the other pilot utilized their shuttles¡¯ guns to lay down a suppressive fire as their passengers disembarked. Shoulder-mounted eye cannons fired at the infantry forces, but were quickly targeted by Reclan¡¯s deadly guns. The burst of thorn guns were largely ineffectual at long distances, and the Griffonian and Hrudukite forces were still largely intact when they reached the mountain.


    The Astralbians had built a fortified position inside a series of natural caves, and the orbital barrages Drai had ordered weren''t enough to destroy it. The Silver Star Fleet had managed to do some damage to the star tree orchards being grown around the mountain, but an infantry assault was the most straight-forward way to cripple the enemy position while the fleet was engaged above.


    Charging into the mountain complex alongside his squadmates, the RTS agents, and the Hrudukites, Vanbrook saw a small detachment of star trees, likely loaded with hugger mines, fly out of the cave in the side of the mountain, highlighting the need to shut down the facility.


    The line of Astralbians stationed at the massive cave mouth broke immediately as the hammer rifles, heads crackling with energy, smashed into it. Close combat followed. The RTS agents stood side-by-side with Talon Squad and pressed into the cave. Vanbrook was honestly impressed by Trebor¡¯s skill with a saber and pistol. Yellup stood back, holding one of his tentacles to his temple, sending waves of apprehension into the enemy¡¯s minds. The effect was minimal on an individual Astralbian, but it seemed to build on itself as one soldier¡¯s hesitation fed anothers. Winnow took the more direct approach of firing her wrist-mounted laser cannon into any groups of Astralbians that showed signs of rallying.


    ¡°Raivyn,¡± called out Yellup. ¡°Help me out here.¡±


    Grudgingly, Raivyn saw the wisdom of the strategy and fell back from the frontline, letting D¡¯Jarric step in to hold back the forces she¡¯d been contending with. The two psychics worked together to spread a feeling of dread among the enemy, draining the last dregs of their resolve. The confused mass of Astralbians fell to Hrudukite hammers and the troops found themselves in an all-but undefended hangar. D¡¯Jarric worked with the Hrudukites to blast the star trees still in the hangar, though a few managed to limp away from the formidable volume of energy blasts.


    Raivyn reached out to the Pinion on her comm. ¡°Admiral Drai, this is Specialist Raivyn. We¡¯ve infiltrated the base, looks like we¡¯ll have it secured shortly.¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡± answered Drai. ¡°We¡¯re still seeing a few smaller trees joining the fight from the surface, though.¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯re seeing now should be about the last of them,¡± answered Raivyn.


    ¡°Keep me up to date,¡± said Drai. ¡°We¡¯ve still got our hands full up here.¡±

 Chapter 3.29: Aethereal Ambush

    Admiral Drai watched the battle closely, directing the fighters to keep a close eye on the star trees for signs of great eye activity or hugger mine release, though the pilots had their hands full keeping after the hordes of void wasps that poured out of the trees. He had his communications officer on high alert for signs of more ships jumping in from the direction of T¡¯Lakia, as well.


    Despite the Admiral¡¯s vigilance, two things happened at once: closed lids snapped open to reveal a multitude of great eyes across a number of star trees, and a small cluster of ships appeared on the battlefield opposite of T¡¯Lakia. The small ships and the great eyes fired simultaneously, and Drai fell to the floor as the ship was rocked horribly by the blast.


    ¡°What¡¯s our status!?¡± roared Drai as he picked himself back up and stared into blank screens.


    ¡°Dead in the water, Admiral!¡± answered his engineer. ¡°Ripmed is out of commission, broadside cannons are crippled, centralized comms are down, our main thrusters are blown to bits.¡±


    ¡°Providence guide us!¡± shouted Drai. ¡°Find me a comm system that can reach the rest of the fleet.¡±


    He watched helplessly from the bridge as the other ships in the fleet reacted to the incoming Koomite gunships. The Apex was closest to them and took one out with its cannons, but the others launched another barrage of missiles at the same time a lesser, but still massive, volley of great eye bolts landed on the transport¡¯s hull. Like a kicked hornet¡¯s nest, the Apex spilled out a swarm of skiffs, which darted around the Koomites, picking off their guns as they dodged void wasps.


    ¡°Your comm should be patched through to the local broadcast system, Admiral,¡± said the engineer. ¡°It took me a moment to set up a secure and viable line, but you should be talking to all our ships and none of theirs.¡±


    ¡°All hands, this is Admiral Drai,¡± he said. ¡°The Pinion is in rough shape, but, mark my words, we will see that one gun feels like one hundred. Stay the course, and reach out to the Wingspan and the Gladius immediately. Providence shine on us all.¡±


    ***


    Tank looked over the sparking controls with cool eyes. Now was no time to panic, so he simply wouldn¡¯t. The cannon controls had been taken out by the attack, but the flickering readouts indicated that the weapons were still functional. He walked over to another console. The Robot who had been using it laid a few feet away, crushed by a beam that had swung down from the ceiling. There was nothing to be done for him now.


    Flicking through the screens, Tank managed to bring up the cannon controls, and was delighted to find that some of the tertiary thrusters were still functional. He trained the cannons on the star trees and set a course in their direction. Their fire was on the ship instantly. Tank got up and started jogging towards the hangar. Maybe he¡¯d get to a skiff before the Apex exploded. He laughed internally at his own joke as the world around him erupted into flames. If he had a mouth of flesh, he would have smiled. He had no serious regrets about his life as a pirate, it was all he had known. But he knew somehow that his life under Admiral Crush had been more worthwhile. His last thoughts were not unhappy ones.


    ***


    Jylik watched as real-time data of the battle over Quarry flickered over his display membrane.


    "The Koomites have certainly helped turn the tide," said Trilia from over his shoulder, pride evident in her voice.


    "So far, yes," said Jylik, a hint of annoyance tainting his voice. "Let''s see how they fare against Talon Squad and the others before we celebrate, hmm?"


    ***


    Swampy watched unhappily from her fighter¡¯s cockpit as the Apex exploded and the remaining Koomite gunships flew down to the surface, but the waves of mines and wasps coming from the Astralbians kept her from being able to do anything about them. At least the detonation of the Apex appeared to have crippled at least one of the remaining star trees.


    "Ground team, be advised," she said. "Hostile gunships heading your way."


    That was all she could do. She returned to the fight, dodging bolts and playing defense when she''d much rather be making bombing runs against the star trees.


    ***


    Hearing the message, Raivyn coordinated the clayside response.


    "Let''s get the ships into the cave," she ordered. "There''s no sense meeting them in the open."


    The caves had been cleared, and any remaining Astralbians had evidently fled into the lush, green wilds of Quarry.


    "I see them," said Reclan, watching a scanner feed on her tablet. "Looks like three gunships are heading this way."


    The two shuttles were parked at the massive cave mouth and started blasting at the Koomites gunships the moment they were in range. The gunships returned fire as they landed.


    "This situation looks alarmingly familiar," muttered Reclan in the shuttle''s cockpit, thinking back to when she first landed a few hours prior.


    "Yeah," said Vanbrook, "but we''re ready for them."


    Vanbrook climbed down the shuttle''s ramp to join the rest of Talon Squad on the floor of the cave. A number of Hrudukites were lying in a makeshift infirmary further back in the mountain, a few more were lying in a makeshift morgue, but most of the stalwart warriors stood gathered in the cave, ready to defend themselves from the approaching attackers.


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    The ships traded fire for a moment, but the Koomite gunships took off quickly, having taken too much abuse in the battle above to sit under the shuttles'' assault for an extended time. Left behind was a small force of figures in black and purple robes, their faces painted in garish black, whites, and reds.


    Reclan held her fire for a moment, unsure whether she should fire on the evidently unarmed cultists. The pilot aboard the Apex''s shuttle clearly had no such compunction and fired immediately.


    The shots bounced off a telekinetic shield as the cultists marched forward. A wave of fear rippled through the forces gathered in the cave, emanating out from the cultists.


    The Hrudukites'' natural psychic defenses and hearty spirits kept the attack from having the desired effect, and Talon Squad and the RTS were more or less accustomed to this kind of attack and handled it well.


    "Looks like a full psychic unit," said Trebor. "This is where we shine.¡±


    Raivyn¡¯s lip curled up in disgust but she said nothing, taking a stand beside Yellup.


    ¡°Okay, Hrudukites,¡± she said. ¡°Any warriors with psychic giftings, please line up with us. We¡¯ll be doing coordinated counter attacks and we¡¯ll need all the force we can muster.¡±


    Two female Hrudukites and a lone male broke off from the main infantry force, joining Raivyn and Yellup. Trebor regarded them with a cold eye.


    "They''re not under your jurisdiction, Trebor," sneered Raivyn.


    "Hardly the time, Specialist," he retorted.


    "On three, we target the shield itself with a kinetic counter wave. Everyone else, fire everything you''ve got!"


    The cultists advanced, chanting Koo L''Koom''s name as even the shuttles'' guns bounced harmlessly off the shield.


    "One¡­"


    A wave of fear that crescendoed in a sensation of rage broke over the troops.


    "Two¡­"


    A few Hrudukites'' began to swing their hammers wildly, going berserk under the pressure.


    "Three!"


    The counter wave crashed into the cultists and their shield shattered. They scurried for cover, now close enough to the cave to avoid the shuttles'' guns. Maddened Hrudukites continued to break the ranks apart as the cultists rained down a hail of T-bolts and pulled short, curved blades from beneath their robes.


    Raivyn and her fellow psychics reached out to find the source of the psychic manipulation. Following the tendrils of T-waves that swirled throughout the cave, Raivyn tracked it back to a Krauqian wearing a wicked grin under red face paint.


    She slammed a spike of T-waves into his mind, distracting him. The Hrudukites fought mightily to bring their forces back into order. The Krauqian''s eyes snapped over to Raivyn and he fired a volley of T-bolts at her, forcing her to dodge.


    Reclan had regained her composure and joined the others on the cave floor, her drones surrounding her and zapping any approaching cultists as she fired her rifle at them. Vanbrook stood at her side, deflecting the long knives and blasting anyone he could draw a bead on. D''Jarric was standing shoulder to shoulder with Hrake, their fists and hammer bringing down scores of enemies. Doc stayed to the rear, picking off cultists who stopped to focus on using their powers for too long. The RTS agents were a storm of lead and steel, their advanced T-blocking technology keeping them relatively safe.


    The tide of the battle turned when Raivyn put a lethal T-bolt through the head of the Krauqian Koomite who appeared to be the leader of the group. Once he fell, the rest of the cultists seemed to lose their zeal, and the Hrudukites fell on them like a crushing wave. Soon all that was left was to count the bodies. Raivyn looked around the cave floor, her heart sinking when she saw how many Hrudukite warriors had fallen.


    ***


    Drai had nearly despaired when the Gladius finally appeared in the aether beside the Silver Star Fleet, blasting the enemy the moment they¡¯d acquired a target.


    ¡°Admiral Drai? This is Captain Grepk of the Gladius. Where should I be focusing my fire?¡±


    ¡°Captain!¡± exclaimed Drai. ¡°You¡¯re an answer to prayer. Focus your fire on those star trees, my fighters can handle the wasps.¡±


    ¡°Will do,¡± said Grepk. ¡°Hope you don¡¯t mind if I provide a couple reinforcements for your fighters.¡±


    Two figures, one larger and one smaller, jetted out of the Gladius. Krum-Bahk and Keshri wasted no time engaging the wasps and taking some of the burden off of Swampy and her pilots.


    A few moments later the Wingspan arrived, relatively fresh and ready to lay down some serious firepower. The remaining star trees called their wasps back and fled, clearly outgunned. Drai¡¯s shoulders relaxed for the first time in many hours and he fell back into his command chair with a sigh.


    ***


    Tapping his chin, Jylik watched the star trees retreating from the battlefield, jumping back towards Gateway. He hated to bring the losers back into the fold, but he wanted Gateway to be as defended as possible for the coming battle.


    "What about the Koomites?" asked Trilia.


    "We haven''t heard from the ground forces," mused Jylik. "I assume they''re all dead. The gunships are coming back this way."


    "Hopefully they made a good accounting of themselves before being wiped out," pouted Trilia.


    Jylik smiled wryly. "Your pets served their purpose. We''ll send more next time."


    ***


    Skritka ran through the halls of Griffon Keep to his office, his legs burning from the unfamiliar work. He had been trying to reach the royal couple of Wabuluba for weeks now, and he wasn¡¯t about to miss his chance. Breathless, he burst through the door and answered the call, the two monarchs appearing on his office screen.


    ¡°Your Majesties,¡± he said, huffing as he bowed.


    ¡°Prime Minister¡­ are, are you alright?¡± asked Queen Vuluh sincerely.


    ¡°Yes, fine, fine, just, um, out for a bit of exercise,¡± stuttered Skritka.


    ¡°Of course,¡± said King Buluh. ¡°If now isn¡¯t a good time-¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± said Skritka, waving him off. ¡°Now is fine, I assure you. Please, tell me what¡¯s on your mind.


    The King nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank, Prime Minister. The cult known as the Koomites have garnered quite a following among some of the Wabuluban, and some of our people have even deserted their homeworld to join this religion. Worship of Koo L¡¯Koom was once quite prevalent on Wabuluba, and the appeal to history has proven quite compelling.¡±


    ¡°I can understand your concern, King Buluh,¡± said Skritka carefully. ¡°But why discuss it with me?¡±


    ¡°We understand that the Koomites have now aligned themselves with the Astralbians,¡± said Queen Vuluh. ¡°Is that correct?¡±


    Skritka was surprised. He had only gotten confirmation of that rumor a few hours earlier from Admiral Drai.


    ¡°My compliments to your spies, Your Majesties,¡± he said.


    Buluh smiled. ¡°We did say this conversation would be frank, didn¡¯t we? All jesting aside, we¡¯re quite concerned that a cult with a history of violence has established itself on our world. We have discussed the matter and wish to work more closely with the Griffon Republic in their war effort.¡±


    Skritka kept his smile subdued and polite, though he was inwardly beaming. ¡°That would be most appreciated, Your Majesties.¡±

 Chapter 3.30: Gathering Allies

    "I see," said Crush soberly.


    Jasken''s face was stoic, but Crush knew the man well enough to see the pain in his eyes.


    "Captain Tank will be sorely missed," continued Crush. "He was a stalwart ally and a good friend. I''m glad most of the crew escaped. I''m surprised the skiffs were able to hold their own, but glad so many of my crewmates survived."


    "They should be able to find space aboard the Apex''s landing shuttle, which will be docked on the Wingspan until it can be returned to you."


    "Thank you, Admiral," replied Crush.


    "The surviving Koomites fled the battle," said Jasken. "And our Marines found the way station on T''Lakia abandoned when they returned to scout out the situation."


    "Hmm," said Crush. "We''ll certainly have to look for opportunities to be thorns in the Koomites'' sides in the future."


    "Tell me, Admiral, if you don''t mind my asking, why all the secrecy around the world you''ve discovered?" asked Jasken.


    "For now, Admiral, please just take my word that the situation is¡­ complicated," said Crush.


    Jasken lifted his hands in a sign of surrender.


    "Very well, Admiral," he said. "Perhaps when this war is over there''ll be time for us to discuss the complications."


    ***


    The Wingspan landed on the surface of Quarry, and Jasken joined the grim effort of gathering the fallen Hrudukites. The rulers of the various city-states of Hruduk requested that the bodies be placed in coffins to be picked up by Aethercrate Hauling at a later date. The surviving Hrudukites, many of whom were craftsmen as well as warriors, immediately began cutting down trees to construct the coffins, with Talon Squad lending a hand.


    Raivyn was helping Reclan carry a load of timber when she saw Trebor talking with the three psychic Hrudukites from the battle. She dropped her end of the lumber, leaving Reclan grunting and trying to balance the load.


    "What are you doing?" demanded Raivyn as she stomped over.


    "Speaking with our allies," said Trebor, one of his eyebrows rising in annoyance.


    "What is the matter?" asked one of the psychics, a female in Sredik colors.


    "He''s a witch hunter," spat Raivyn.


    "Ah, you watch for psychics gone rogue," said the Hrudukite. "Yes, we heard the rumors. You don''t seem so scary to me."


    "I am an agent of the Republic Telepathic Service," said Trebor coolly, his eyes boring into Raivyn. "Naturally I would take an interest in our allied psychics."


    "Just be careful what you say, friends," said Raivyn.


    She walked away and returned to help Reclan, who was still struggling with the same lumber. She gave Raivyn a withering glare and gestured to the massive pile of wood. Raivyn shrugged and stooped down to start helping.


    ***


    Somehow, knowing that Cevla was watching him made it easier for Darvik to stay away from the bottle. He slept well at night, unless his nightmares came back around, which happened from time to time.


    His mind was clearer now than it had been in years, and he could tell that something was going on with the Astralbians. They''d held fewer fights in the arena and Hoon-Kra was clearly aggravated about something.


    Eventually, the High Priest called him to his office.


    "I''d offer you a drink," said Hoon-Kra as Darvik walked into the dark, rosily-lit office. "But it''s my understanding you no longer partake."


    Darvik nodded. "Thanks all the same."


    "Oh, and he''s polite now, too," chuckled Hoon-Kra. His grin faded and his face slowly hardened. "Look, Darvik, the Koomites have been taken out from under me entirely. I know you''ve seen it too, so don''t bother denying it.


    "Frankly, I don''t care. The cult was a pet project that grew beyond my wildest dreams. My real goal has always been to commune with Koo L''Koom himself.¡± Hoon-Kra paused and looked directly at Darvik.. ¡°I¡¯ve built a machine, Darvik. ItThe machine I¡¯ve built will allow me to amplify Koo L¡¯Koom¡¯s aura, spreading madness across the galaxy.¡± Hoon-Kra smiled wickedly. ¡°I will build an empire from the ashes. And I believe I am closer to that moment every day. I can feel a presence in the quiet moments, and I know it''s him. I''m going to meet him."


    "Why tell me all this?" asked Darvik.


    "Because," said Hoon-Kra, voice strangely distant. "I believe I am going to need help."


    ***


    Talon Squad helped seal the coffins with pitch, ensuring the remains were prepared to be transported back to Hruduk, carrying them into a cool, inner chamber of the cave system. The work was time consuming, but Jasken didn''t complain. The Hrudukites deserved to honor their dead as they saw fit.


    Over the past couple of weeks, Quarry had been turned from a warzone into the next staging ground. General Grubula had joined them and the cave once utilized by the Astralbians was now a Republic Army stronghold.


    "Seems like it was a lifetime ago that the Astralbians snatched this world out from under us," said Captain Hunt. "I guess it''s ours now."


    "For the time being," replied Jasken. "Once the war is over the Code may well dictate we return it to the Astralbians. They had a lawful claim on it, after all."


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    The two officers were walking the grounds, familiarizing themselves with the layout. Really, it was just an excuse for some fresh air. Jasken dearly hoped he could get Ol'' Blue out for a ride before he was called back into the fray.


    Hunt shook his head. "I hate to see the law protect the bad guys."


    Jasken nodded. "But it''s not the law unless it''s the same for everyone."


    "True enough," said Hunt. "I guess we shouldn''t get too comfortable, then." He paused for a moment. "I''d like to pay my respects to the fallen Hrudukites. Care to join me inside?" He tilted his head towards the cave.


    "Of course," said Jasken.


    The pair walked into the caves and down into the cellars where the coffins were. At the entrance to the chamber they found Vanbrook and Reclan sitting in the harsh glow of a flood lamp, deep in a game of dice.


    "What are you two doing?" asked Hunt, one of his eyebrows raised.


    "Honor guard," said Reclan. "Keeping vigil over the deceased at the request of King Hrynkak."


    "Dice games are not something I associate with the words ''honor'' and ''vigil,''" replied Hunt.


    "We taught Trukis this game on his shift," said Reclan defensively. "So I don''t think the Hrudukites see it that way."


    "Nevermind all that," said Jasken, waving his hand dismissively. "We''re just here to pay our respects."


    Vanbrook nodded and stood out of the way of the door. Jasken and Hunt moved past him and walked into the long, dimly lit room, lined with coffins on either side.


    "How do you put up with it, Sir?" asked Hunt softly.


    "With what?" asked Jasken.


    Hunt jerked his head towards Vanbrook and Reclan.


    Jasken smiled wanly. "You have to pick your battles, Hunt. Especially with the Special Squads. They''re designed to be adjacent to the chain of command, and they thrive on autonomy. Those two in particular have grown quite a bit since¡­ do you hear that?"


    A faint scritch-scratching noise had begun to echo through the chamber. Hunt looked curiously at Jasken and then walked cautiously over to the coffin the sound seemed to be coming from. A crack appeared in the wall just over Hunt''s head, but before Jasken could point it out the wall exploded into splinters of stone and a screeching, beaked maw burst into the room, followed by an array of beady, atrophied eyes sunken into a globular body. A dozen jointed legs emerged from the hole and pulled the rest of the creature into the room, where it leapt over Hunt''s prostrate form and lunged at Jasken.


    By this time Jasken had drawn his side arm and was firing at the beast. The shots glanced off the heavily armored face plates, and the creature pinned Jasken to the floor. Before it could go for the kill, it reared back, screeching with pain. Vanbrook had slashed one of its legs, and viscous gore was seeping from the wound.


    "Get Jasken out of here!" shouted Reclan, helping Hunt to his feet.


    He obeyed, bounding over to Jasken and running out beside him. Once he was clear of the beast, Jasken rounded and raised his sidearm, but Vanbrook and Reclan were going toe-to-toe with the monstrous creature and he couldn''t get a clean shot.


    Vanbrook slapped the monster''s clawed legs out of the way as Reclan got around the side of the beast, pulling her energy pistol and putting a volley of shots into the beast''s soft body. Screeching and thrashing, the creature rolled onto its back. With a final hiss, it curled its legs in and died.


    "Should have known something would come through the wall," said Vanbrook, shaking his head. "Here we were guarding the door like idiots." He looked over to ask Jasken if he was alright, only to see him clutch his chest and fall to the ground.


    ***


    A day later, Jasken was lying in the medbay of the Shepherd, wondering when he''d be allowed to go back to his duties. He''d dislocated a rib when the beaked creature tackled him, but didn''t see why that should slow him down.


    There was a knock on the door and Mairen walked in, a small tin in her hand.


    "How do you feel, Admiral?" she asked.


    "Fine, if a bit sore," he said flatly.


    "I brought you some cookies," she said. "It was my husband''s recipe. He said it was meant to be a taste of home. Ever since he passed my daughter always bakes me a couple dozen before I ship out. They keep, so I ration them out over the deployment."


    He shook his head. "That''s very kind, but I can''t acc-"


    He caught sight of the look on her face as she held the tin out to him. It brooked no argument. He reached for a cookie and tasted it. It was slightly sweet, with a warm, herbal spice and a satisfying crunch.


    "Summel seed cookies. That does taste like home. My compliments to your daughter," he said, taking a second bite.


    "I''ll pass that along," she said.


    There was a pause as Jasken finished the cookie.


    "Aethercrate Hauling has arrived to take the fallen Hrudukites back home,¡± said Mairen.


    Jasken nodded. ¡°Good. Sorry I can¡¯t see them off.¡±


    ¡°Also, representatives from the Wabuluban Kingdom and the PIC called last night," she continued nonchalantly.


    Jasken sat up suddenly, wincing with the effort.


    "What do you mean!?" he asked with as much dismay as he could muster while gritting his teeth through the pain.


    "Admiral Drai was on a call with Baron Flubbyn of the Wabuluban Kingdom and High Brother Treskt of the PIC," said Mairen. "They both plan to send support forces, but neither is interested in joining the direct combat. Captain Hunt attended in your absence. He did just fine."


    Jasken huffed and looked out the window. "This is mutiny."


    "Come now, Admiral," laughed Mairen. "Pouting doesn''t become you. Enjoy the cookies, and get well soon."


    Jasken nodded seriously, but Mairen was sure the corners of his mouth turned up just a little under his mustache.


    ***


    The Wabuluban and PIC envoys arrived soon after, loaded down with supplies and well wishes. Jasken would have preferred firepower, but any support was welcome.


    The Pommel''s repairs were completed, and the whole fleet made preparations to move to Avonia, from where they''d launch their final offensive on Gateway.


    The plan was to stay at Avonia just long enough to recharge shields and then head out, but an army detachment would stay behind to reestablish the base that had been wiped out by the Astralbian offensive.


    When the ships came out of their jump, Jasken looked down on the beautiful, vibrant greens and blues of Avonia from the bridge of the Wingspan. He''d insisted on getting back to his duties as quickly as possible, though he''d let Captain Hunt handle most of the logistics of the jump.


    "Well done, Captain," said Jasken.


    "Thank you, sir," replied Hunt.


    "Please tell Talon Squad to get the shuttle ready," said Jasken. "They''ll be taking Kwa-Kwa''s Scout team down to the surface with some special equipment."


    "Right away, sir," answered Hunt.


    ***


    Jylik sneered as he read the reports from his intelligence officers. The PIC and the Wabuluban Kingdom had begun to show more direct support for the Griffon Republic. It didn¡¯t matter. The resource-rich Gateway had allowed him to build a formidable fleet in a relatively short time, and his exploratory fleets were finding more worlds in the Cornucopia Cluster every day.


    He allowed himself a small smile. His father¡¯s strange obsession with the Cluster, or- what had he called it?¨Cthe Cradle?¨Chad paid off. The Cradle. Why did that sound familiar? He scrambled through his reports until he found the one he was looking for. That was it. The FRF planet had been designated ¡°Cradle.¡± He stared at the report, trying to see if there was some connection he had missed.


    ¡°My Emperor,¡± said Trilia from the doorway.


    ¡°Come in, Trilia,¡± he replied.


    ¡°The enemy has arrived over Avonia,¡± she reported.


    Jylik smiled. ¡°Excellent.¡±

 Chapter 3.31: Prisoners

    The moment Reclan landed the shuttle, Vanbrook, Raivyn, D¡¯Jarric, and Hrake bolted out of the ramp, each carrying a long, heavy pole. They ran to the four corners of the ruined fence and slammed their burdens into the ground. Immediately a transparent force field activated from pole to pole, reestablishing the camp¡¯s defensive perimeter.


    ¡°It¡¯s safe now, Doc,¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± replied the Robot. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll know for sure if one of those cloud beasts comes and tries to take down the fence.¡±


    Vanbrook looked around at the ruined equipment and bodies strewn around the destroyed base. It was hard to say what damage had been done by the Astralbian attack and what had been done by the territorial, electromagnetic cloud beasts that stalked the forest of Avonia, targeting any electromagnetic signatures it deemed strong enough to be a threat.


    Reclan came down the ramp along with the three RTS agents and Kwa-Kwa and her Scouts.


    ¡°I got some weird readings,¡± said Reclan. ¡°Signs of active tech. I doubt there are any survivors, but we¡¯ll definitely want to check.¡±


    ¡°You guys check out the base,¡± said Kwa-Kwa. ¡°I¡¯m going to take the scouts and check the perimeter outside the fence.¡±


    ¡°Just make sure you leave any tech behind,¡± warned Doc.


    ¡°No worries,¡± said Kwa-Kwa. ¡°We¡¯re not planning on being patients today.¡±


    Talon Squad made their way to the control building to search for survivors and any salvageable equipment, Trebor and his agents in tow.


    The explosion was so sudden and unexpected that it took Vanbrook a moment to understand what had happened. One moment it was silent, the next the world was all flashing lights and noise. He realized that he was on his back, and he looked up to see the shuttle was a burning wreck.


    Something burst out of the ground a few feet away. A rusted robot in a crimson overcoat rose from the ground and came towards him. He pulled his pistol and fired, but in his disoriented state the shot went wide. He pulled his saber next, energizing the blade and hacking an arm off the attacking robot, but another one came up from behind and grabbed Vanbrook¡¯s sword arm.


    He looked around wildly, only to see the others all in a similar state. Five robots were wrestling Hrake to the ground, one punching him repeatedly in the head until he went limp. Unfortunately, D¡¯Jarric had been closest to the blast, and his avatar wavered unsteadily from the shock, blurring occasionally as the pirates fitted him with EM dampening handcuffs designed with Astralbians in mind. Everyone else was either unconscious or worse.


    The Scouts appeared back in the camp and leveled their weapons, afraid to fire and hit one of their own. The Ramshackle Collective pirates laughed cruelly and fired at the Scouts, who had to run for cover while the pirates carried off their prey.


    Vanbrook struggled, refusing to be pulled away. Something blunt and heavy crashed into the back of his skull and his world went black.


    ¡°Wingspan, this is Kwa-Kwa, come in!¡± said a voice over Jasken¡¯s comm.


    ¡°This is Jasken, Kwa-Kwa, what¡¯s going on?¡± he replied.


    ¡°The Ramshackle Collective, Sir! They just took Talon Squad!¡±


    ¡°Excuse me!? What do you mean?¡± Jasken demanded.


    ¡°They blew up the shuttle,¡± she answered. ¡°Next thing you know, a bunch of pirates leapt up out of the rubble, grabbed Talon Squad and those RTS guys while they were disoriented and ran off with them.¡±


    Jasken smoothed his mustache. ¡°Where are they now?¡±


    ¡°The Collective dragged them off into the forest,¡± answered Kwa-Kwa. ¡°We¡¯re in pursuit- oh, no. They¡¯re boarding a vessel, Admiral, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re going to catch up to them in time.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get yourselves shot,¡± said Jasken. ¡°We¡¯ll watch the surface and try to intercept.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Kwa-Kwa.


    ¡°Admiral, we¡¯ve got incoming stealth missiles,¡± said Mairen.


    ¡°This is Admiral Drai, brace for impact!¡± said a voice over the public comms, confirming Mairen¡¯s report. A series of explosions played out across the fleet. Most of the missiles erupted harmlessly over shields, but one PIC support vessel was obliterated immediately.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± demanded Jasken.


    ¡°Headed straight for us and launching another volley,¡± answered Mairen.


    ¡°Return fire as soon as you have a target!¡± said Jasken.


    The pirate vessels appeared as pinpricks of light over the horizon, slowly growing in size and resolving into a fleet of solar-sailed galleons, which began to disappear as quickly as they had appeared.


    ¡°They¡¯re jumping away!¡± said Mairen.


    Jasken gritted his teeth. ¡°They¡¯re just a distraction, the Collective has what it came for!¡±


    ***


    When Vanbrook woke up, he was in the brig of a Ramshackle ship. The cells were eight foot square cages made of iron bars, one row against either wall and a walkway in the middle for guards. Hrake was in the corner of the same cell, singing in Hrudukite in a soft, low voice.


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    "Look who decided to wake up," said Reclan.


    Vanbrook turned his head to look across the way to her cell, and his head pounded with a massive headache. He groaned.


    "Bottom line is, we''re pretty much stuck," Reclan continued. "They''ve got all our gear and these cells are the only part of the ship with atmo, so taking over the ship isn''t going to work too well."


    ¡°What about Doc and D''Jarric?" asked Vanbrook.


    "I believe the pirates thought of that," said D''Jarric.


    Vanbrook followed the sound of his voice and found the cell that he shared with Doc. D''Jarric still wavered a bit, not fully recovered from the blast and Doc stood quietly a few feet from the back wall of his cell, about as far away as his chains would let him. They were both bound hand and foot with shackles, and D''Jarric''s were designed to suppress his energy projection abilities.


    "How about the illustrious RTS?" asked Vanbrook, looking down towards the cells they were in. Winnow was chained up the same way Doc was, and Yellup and Trebor sat quietly contemplating the situation.


    "The cells are all T-blocked," said Raivyn, leaning against the bars in the same cell as Reclan. "And I don''t believe it''s Ramshackle technology. It feels alive. Between that and the tactics used to take us, I suspect this is all being bankrolled by Jylik."


    "So we wait," said Trebor, not even bothering to look up as he spoke. "I imagine we''re only being kept alive so we can be killed in a more spectacular manner, but we may find we have more opportunities when we get where we''re going."


    No one spoke, but there was a kind of blanket agreement in the silence.


    ***


    The comms were bursting with angry voices until Admiral Drai hit the override button and addressed the full fleet.


    "It appears the Ramshackle Collective''s objective was to take part of the ground crew hostage and do as much damage to our fleet as possible before fleeing," he said. "We must assume that they are in the pay of the Astralbians. I offer sincere condolences to the PIC, who lost a vessel in the attack. Please let us know how you plan to proceed when you are able. If anything, these events must move the Griffon Republic''s timeline forward, not back."


    "The High Father has already been informed and has declared war on the Astralbians,¡± said High Brother Treskt. "The PIC has taken enough abuse from the Astralbians and will join the Republic''s war effort, only give us time to send more ships and troops."


    "We''ll see what we can do," answered Drai.


    "I will speak to my King and Queen," said Baron Flubbyn. "I guarantee nothing, but will advocate for further action on the Kingdom''s part."


    "Thank you," said Drai. "Thank you both."


    ***


    Kwa-Kwa petted Freckles'' head as she sat in the rubble of the camp. The blast had compromised the EM fencing and one of the clouds had come. The scouts had tossed all their electronics in a sacrificial heap, which lay smoldering in one corner of the camp.


    Unable to communicate with the fleet, they had gathered the long-dead bodies of the soldiers who had fallen when the Astralbians had attacked. The bodies, mostly just skeletons now, were laid out as orderly and respectfully as possible in the corner opposite the electronics.


    There was a rumbling overhead, and the welcome and familiar silhouette of the Wingspan appeared overhead. The ship attracted the cloud beast''s attention, but was also able to scare it off with a volley of laser cannon fire.


    When the Wingspan landed, the scouts boarded and headed for the showers. A group of sailors immediately began to load up the remains and bring them aboard while a group of technicians went to work repairing the fence. Once it was up and running, the technicians started sorting what was salvageable, what could be taken for scrap, and what was complete garbage.


    Over the next few days, the existing buildings were leveled and new temporary, modular buildings were unloaded and put up.


    ***


    "Shields should be totally recharged within a couple days," said Drai. Jasken stood by him as they looked at Prime Minister Skritka and Executor Grak-Yurp on Drai''s display screen.


    "And the PIC destroyer and two gunships should be there shortly," said Skritka. "They were clearly waiting somewhere nearby. The High Father was prepared to go to war, I take it."


    "The Wabulubans seem less willing," noted Jasken.


    "Yes, though I would love to have their Navy backing us up," bemoaned Stritka. "Hopefully they''ll change their minds."


    "That leaves the FRF," said Jasken. "The rulers of Hruduk are unwilling to spend more on mercenary forces at the moment. I suspect there¡¯s a certain amount of infighting occurring in that discussion, though I understand why Hrynkak wouldn¡¯t volunteer that information. I suggested to High Brother Treskt that he might consider hiring them, but he wasn''t very receptive to the idea."


    "We don''t hire mercenaries," said Grak-Yurp. His brow furrowed for a moment. "But maybe the Wubulaban Kingdom would. Talk to Baron Flubbyn about it, Admiral Drai."


    Drai nodded. "Yes, sir."


    Jasken smoothed his mustache. They had been hoping to arrive at Gateway refreshed and ready to fight. It seemed they were already burning out.


    ***


    Vanbrook was sleeping when the rough, noisy process of entering atmo began. He was tossed from the bare metal shelf that had served as a bunk and bounced off the floor before he managed to grab onto the bars of his cell and steady himself. The next few moments were jarring for all the prisoners, though D¡¯Jarric and the Robots had the worst of it, given that their chains kept them from being able to reach the bars for support. Doc¡¯s legs gave out and he spent a few minutes bouncing around like a rag doll before finally managing to support himself. Raivyn looked at Vanbrook with grim eyes.


    When the ship had come to a full stop, a force of no less than two dozen pirates, led by Grim himself, stomped down into the brig. Stale bread and water had been dropped through hatches in the ceiling when the guards remembered to do so, but this was the first time they¡¯d seen their captors since leaving Avonia.


    ¡°Ah, my old friends, the Talon Squad,¡± said Grim. ¡°It¡¯s been too long. And three RTS agents just for a little extra fun.¡±


    His mockery was met with silence.


    ¡°Really?¡± he continued. ¡°None of that famous Talon Squad banter? Tsk tsk.¡±


    ¡°Give me my saber and I¡¯ll show you some of our equally famous combat prowess,¡± said Vanbrook, not even bothering to look up. ¡°I¡¯d love to make an example of you for your crew.¡±


    ¡°Tempting! Tempting!¡± exclaimed Grim, rusty voice sparkling with excitement. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid my clients wouldn¡¯t find that agreeable. I¡¯m to deliver you alive and unharmed.¡±


    ¡°Well, you managed half of that,¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°What? Was the landing a little rough?¡± asked Grim with false concern. He laughed heartily, the goons standing behind him joining in.


    The nine prisoners were shuffled out of the brig and up onto the deck. As Vanbrook¡¯s eyes adjusted to the light, the lake and airfield he¡¯d come to know on Gateway came into focus, but it was all wrong now. The tower that had been constructed on the lake was destroyed, and the airfield was populated by a veritable city of star trees. He spat on the deck, which earned him a metal left hook to the jaw. He spat again. This time the saliva was mixed with blood. He looked the offending pirate in the eye as he pulled back his fist to strike again.


    ¡°Unharmed, you moron!¡± shouted Grim. ¡°Hit him again and it¡¯ll be your oil on the deck.¡±


    The pirate shrugged and turned from Vanbrook.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a T-blocker at play,¡± said Raivyn quietly to Vanbrook. ¡°I don¡¯t know where we¡¯re heading but we don¡¯t have much choice but to go there.¡±


    Vanbrook nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll find an opening.¡±


    They were marched down a gangplank and into a building that looked like a short, squat star tree with roots permanently dug into the ground. Vanbrook caught a glimpse of what looked like an arena on the other side. He shook his head. What had they gotten into this time?


    ***


    Darvik had been going for a walk around the lake when he saw the pirate ship land by the arena. The rumors were true, then. The Astralbians had brought in the Ramshackle Collective as well as the Koomites.


    After a while, he saw a group of prisoners being led down the gangplank. Republic soldiers, by the look of the uniform. There was something familiar about them.


    Impossible.


    He crept closer, trying to let himself get spotted by the prisoners. And there he was. Plain as day, if looking a little worse for wear.


    Vanbrook.

 Chapter 3.32: War and Other Bloodsports

    The nine prisoners were kept in a single, large cell with a lone window that looked over the arena. The cell was, like most Astralbian architecture, naturally grown wood, hardened and resin-coated. Everyone had been fitted with living collars that worked both as T-blockers and EM sensors, and were capable of delivering a nasty bioelectrical shock if they sensed T-waves or an EM surge. D''Jarric had tried blasting the door down, but before the energy had gathered around his fists he was on the floor, thrashing violently.


    "What do you think they''ll kill tonight?" asked Reclan, looking out the small, barred window.


    Talon Squad and the RTS agents had been imprisoned on Gateway for two days now, and both nights the Koomites had held ritual combats, killing spider apes or rebel Shairet soldiers before Emperor Jylik and a crowd of cultists and Astralbians. They had heard the Emperor speaking from above them; evidently the prison had a royal box on top of it. He often offered words of congratulation to the bloody victor as the cultists placed the losers'' bodies on the altar of Koo L''Koom.


    "I don''t know, Rec," said Vanbrook. "Maybe it''ll finally be, y''know, us."


    "I think I should take another shot at blasting through the doors," said D''Jarric.


    "Are you even fully recovered from the last time?" asked Trebor doubtfully.


    D''Jarric shrugged. "I hate to give up."


    "I think it''s time we did, or at least tried another strategy," said Vanbrook, looking over at Raivyn.


    The psychic had spent the better part of the past three days sitting cross-legged in the corner, trying to communicate with her collar without earning herself a shock. So far she had been unsuccessful, taking a small shock on more than one occasion.


    "I''m not giving up, either," she said, looking up at Vanbrook with tired, haggard eyes.


    Vanbrook nodded grimly. "Sorry, you''re right. You''re our best shot, Rai."


    "Don''t think I haven''t been trying," said Yellup. "I haven''t managed to figure anything out, either, other than how to get shocked."


    The Wabuluban psychic rubbed his forehead where the insectoid collar had been fastened since he lacked a neck.


    "As long as we''re giving updates, how are you doing, Doc?" asked Vanbrook.


    The Robot shrugged. "I dunno. I''m a bio-medic, not a mechanic."


    "He''ll be fine," sighed Winnow in exasperated tones. "He got pretty shook up in the landing but even without proper tools I got everything back where it''s supposed to be. Mostly."


    "I am also doing fine," offered Hrake.


    "Thanks buddy, good to know," said Vanbrook, slapping the massive Hrudukite on the shell good-naturedly.


    When the sky had darkened and the torches had been lit down in the arena, there was a banging on the door.


    "Everyone to the back wall!" came the now-familiar voice of the guard assigned to their cell.


    "It''s not meal time," said Reclan, looking nervously at Vanbrook.


    "Shut your slobbering mouths and get to the back wall!" shouted the guard.


    The prisoners obeyed. The door opened and the guard walked in. He was an Astralbian soldier with a wide chin and a notably arrogant air, even for an Astralbian. He had been the one to deliver meals, usually escorted by two additional heavily armed guards. This time, however, a squat, warty Krauqian with his own air of arrogance joined the guard.


    "That one," said the Krauqian, pointing at Hrake.


    "You''re Hoon-Kra, I take it," said Vanbrook. "Your file doesn''t do you justice. You''re far uglier in person."


    "You''ll have your turn, Vanbrook," chortled Hoon-Kra. "But today it''s his turn." He pointed towards Hrake again.


    Hrake stepped forward. "I do not fear your trials or your god."


    Hoon-Kra chuckled and turned, letting the guard and his goons escort Hrake out.


    The eight remaining prisoners struggled to find space for all of them to watch as Hrake was led out into the arena, his collar having been removed. His hammer rifle had been left in the middle, and he casually walked over, grabbed it, took aim above the tower and fired. There was a collective gasp from the crowd.


    "I salute your boldness," came the Emperor''s voice from somewhere above the cell. "But I assure you that the shielding and T-blocking we have in place will keep your attacks contained inside the arena. And I keep the controls close at hand."


    The crowd cheered and laughed. Hrake looked up at the Emperor and smiled a warm, dispassionate smile. Vanbrook wondered if the Emperor could perceive the killer lurking behind that smile.


    A gate somewhere below the prisoners'' cell shuddered open and a group of five spider apes charged out, running full tilt towards Hrake. He stood with his hammer over his shoulder, heaving it up at the last second and bringing it in a terrible arc that decapitated one ape and sent the others tumbling. A stream of webbing came from one of the ape''s chins, forcing Hrake to dodge. He rolled away, shouldering his hammer and firing off a shot that downed the would-be net-thrower and quickly adjusting his grip to intercept the other three apes. A smile crept onto his face.


    "I believe that lunatic is enjoying himself," noted Trebor.


    "He is good at what he does," answered Vanbrook.


    Hrake quickly dispatched the final three spider apes, and lifted his hammer above his head in victory. He was ordered to lay down his hammer, and he obeyed grudgingly. Moments later he was brought back up to the cell.


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    "To the back!" shouted the guard. The nine lined up against the back wall.


    "You next," said Hoon-Kra, pointing to Winnow.


    "I am Agent Winnow''s superior," said Trebor. "I demand to know what she is being taken for. If it is for execution, I demand you take me inst-"


    Trebor''s words were cut off as Hoon-Kra dragged him forward telekinetically, stopping him just at arm''s length and slapping him across the face. Trebor stood rigidly, Hoon-Kra clamping him in place.


    "You''ll demand nothing, witch hunter," said Hoon-Kra, venom dripping from his words. "You and your ''agents'' will die at my pleasure."


    He pushed Trebor back to the wall and then released him, watching with satisfaction as he crumpled to the ground.


    Winnow stepped forward silently, patting Trebor on the shoulder as he stood up. She walked out with Hoon-Kra.


    ***


    Jasken paced the bridge of the Wingspan nervously as he waited for Agent Chully to receive his comm. The ship was making its way to Gateway, and Jasken wanted the most up-to-date information possible concerning the various factions at play. The Wabulubans had agreed to bankroll the FRF, and they planned to rendezvous with them via comms just outside of Gateway. The hope was that they would be able to flank the Astralbians and the Collective, catching them off guard and making for a quick, decisive victory.


    Chully appeared on Jasken''s screen. "Admiral. How can I help you?"


    "I wanted to know if you had any updates since we made our jump," said Jasken.


    "Nothing important enough to reach out about," Chully assured him.


    "Any information on Talon Squad?" asked Jasken.


    "Your spy reached out," answered Chully. "The wasp rider. She said they said a number of prisoners were brought to Gateway and taken to a prison adjacent to some kind of Koomite arena. The descriptions match our people."


    "What about Lord Wyven?" asked Jasken.


    Chully shrugged. "He''s taken command of the Astralbian POWs, keeps them organized and well-behaved. There''s no love for the ¡®Emperor¡¯ to be found there, but he''s not exactly been forthcoming with any usable intel."


    "Okay," said Jasken. "Just, uh, keep me posted please."


    Chully smiled. It wasn''t an altogether unfriendly smile. "You got it, Admiral."


    ***


    Trebor watched in silent intensity from the cell window as Winnow walked out into the arena.


    "And now, the first of two grudge matches planned for tonight!" announced Hoon-Kra from the royal box. "Our own psychic champion against one of the hate agents of the so-called Republic Telepathic Services, or as you know her to be, a witch hunter!"


    The crowd booed loudly. Winnow stood unmoving. A tall human female walked out into the arena, and the crowd cheered.


    "Cevla," muttered Trebor. "This¡­ this is bad."


    Winnow''s built-in guns had been removed, and her short sword was the only weapon laying out for her to use in the arena.


    Cevla continued to approach, and Winnow raised her sword and charged. The two had nearly met when Cevla stopped suddenly and thrust out her chin towards the Robot. The massive surge of T-waves blasted Winnow backwards. She flailed for a moment before landing hard on the dirty arena floor.


    "Winnow is strong," said Trebor. "She''s quite capable of resisting telepathic attacks on her mind. There''s little she can do against telekinesis."


    The scene replayed itself two more times, and Winnow was a little more haggard each time. Finally, she threw her sword end over end, hoping to catch Cevla off guard. Instead, Cevla caught the blade in midair with her mind, tilting it off course and sending it in a wide arc behind her, slinging it back at Winnow with devastating speed. The blade tore through Winnow''s shoulder, tearing her arm clean off and staining the ground with oil. The fight didn''t last long from there. Cevla dismantled her opponent with a crushing barrage of telekinetic waves, finishing the fight by pulling the sword back up out of the clay and bringing it through Winnow''s head from behind. The Robot collapsed to the ground. Trebor sank from the window as the crowd cheered.


    Cevla made her way up to the royal box, passing Hoon-Kra on her way up. The High Priest was smiling wickedly and wielding a large mallet. When she reached the box, she saw Darvik standing next to the Emperor and Empress, his eyes clear and his jaw set. She turned her attention back to the arena, where Hoon-Kra had placed Winnow''s core on the altar.


    He raised the mallet above his head and brought it down in a vicious strike. Cracks appeared in the core, and the crowd roared its approval. He brought the hammer down again and again until finally the cracks spread far enough that the crystalline orb fell apart into two pieces, which wobbled lazily back and forth for a moment before coming to a final rest. The crowd lost its mind in wild cheering.


    ***


    "I still don''t understand why we''re leaving so much of the Fleet behind," said Hacksaw. He''d become far more upfront with his disagreements since Tank had died. Crush turned to him from where she stood on the deck of the Liberty.


    "Because," said Crush patiently, "we exposed the Astralbians on Cradle to galaxy-wide attention. We owe it to them to keep a token force of defenders and translators at their disposal."


    "Are we mercenaries or not, Admiral?" demanded Hacksaw.


    Crush stepped towards him menacingly. "We are what I say we are. If you don''t like it, you are free to leave the Fleet."


    "This Fleet is all I have," said Hacksaw, standing down. "I''m just not sure what it is anymore."


    "I know, Hack," said Crush, more softly now. "I''m trying to figure that out, too."


    ***


    "To the back wall!" came the familiar shout. When the door opened, the eight remaining prisoners obeyed. The mood was grim and deadly. D''Jarric straightened up and threw a fist forward suddenly, and a bright bolt flew from his fist even as his living collar delivered an excruciating shock that sent him to the floor. The shot was straight and true, colliding with the wide chinned guard and immediately reducing him to a death crystal. D''Jarric fared slightly better, and lay twitching and sparking on the floor, his form taking on a duller hue than Vanbrook had ever seen on the Solaran before.


    The two guards helping keep watch leveled their thorn guns, but Hoon-Kra waved them off, laughing.


    "Nice trick, Solaran, but I dare say you won''t be repeating it again soon. Lucky for you, I have more interesting duels in mind for tonight." He pointed at Vanbrook. "You. You''re next."


    Vanbrook stood up, stalking silently towards Hoon-Kra.


    "Ah, just one thing," said Hoon-Kra, grabbing something from beneath his robe. "A little medicine."


    With that, he jammed a needle into Vanbrook''s neck, causing the swordsman to cry out in pain and shock.


    "Vanbrook!" shouted Raivyn.


    "Don''t worry," said Hoon-Kra said mockingly. "It won''t kill him. It will give his opponent a bit of an edge, though."


    "I''ve got this, Rai," said Vanbrook. "I''ll be back to get you out of here shortly."


    Hoon-Kra laughed as he escorted Vanbrook down to the arena.


    ***


    In the royal box, Cevla looked at Darvik. He had a look of intensity on his face, but his thoughts were impenetrable. At least, they would have been to almost anyone else. She gently looked into his mind, treading cautiously, knowing she was trespassing. A psychic could read minds without permission, but not without being noticed. He looked over at her, not saying a word.


    "Good luck, Darvik," she said aloud, giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek.


    Jylik looked over and snorted with disdainful amusement but said nothing. Hoon-Kra entered the box, not having seen the exchange.


    "Darvik!" he cried. "My champion swordsman! To the arena with you!"


    Darvik nodded silently, bowed to the Emperor and Empress, and walked down to meet Vanbrook.

 Chapter 3.33: Escape

    Vanbrook stood in the middle of the arena, the familiar weight of his saber a welcome feeling in his hand.


    The drug that Hoon-Kra had given him threatened to cloud his mind. If he focused, he could clear his thoughts, but he couldn''t beat back the mental effects of the drug and concentrate on a duel. He was a dead man.


    Darvik walked out of the gate that led up to the royal box. It wouldn''t be right to say that Darvik''s appearance shocked Vanbrook. He expected the man to be his cultist opponent. Still, it shook him to the core to see the man, his face painted with a garish shark maw, walking towards him, sword drawn. In some ways, he''d been looking forward to this moment.


    ***


    Darvik almost stumbled when the gates opened and he locked eyes with Vanbrook. Why Vanbrook, of all people? He was tired of the Koomite charade. He was tired of spilling blood on someone else''s behalf. On his own behalf, too. Why did he want to kill Vanbrook again? He had wanted to very badly in a past life, he knew, but he had lost the thread somewhere along the way.


    ***


    Vanbrook raised his saber defensively.


    "Alright you booze-guzzling murderer," said Vanbrook. "Let''s end this."


    ***


    Darvik felt the old familiar flame of hatred. He charged.


    ***


    Vanbrook parried the blow, but his reaction was sluggish. Darvik followed up with another attack, and Vanbrook rallied, the adrenaline giving him a bit of his edge back. The sudden burst of energy caught Darvik by surprise, and Vanbrook pressed his advantage, energizing his blade and swinging it in a whirling arc. Darvik held his own, his guard impassable.


    "Pretty good, for a drunk," spat Vanbrook, tearing Darvik''s sleeve with a thrust that was barely deflected in time.


    A sudden wooziness overtook Vanbrook and he jumped back, hoping some distance would be enough of a shield for the wave to pass before he was run through.


    "I''m recently sober, actually," said Darvik.


    Vanbrook laughed, barely slapping aside a deadly thrust.


    "That''s a twist," he said. "You''re sobered up and I''m drugged."


    Darvik stepped back. "What?"


    Vanbrook stepped forward and made a vicious stab. It was high and wide, and Darvik''s hasty defense pushed the blade only far enough away that he received a small cut to the cheek. Vanbrook had over extended and stumbled, giving Darvik an opening. He didn''t take it.


    "Don''t play dumb," said Vanbrook. "I''m sure that goon you call a priest drugs all your victims."


    Darvik charged his opponent, bringing their blades together and pressing in so his face was inches from Vanbrook''s.


    "I don''t care if you believe me, hate me, want to kill me, whatever," said Darvik. "I get it. But what comes next requires you to work with me, or we both die."


    Darvik pushed Vanbrook, sending him tumbling to the ground below the royal box. The duelist-turned-murderer-turned-cultist-turned-he-knew-not-what looked up at Cevla, his eyes serious and pleading.


    She nodded, a smile creeping into her face for the first time since she''d been afflicted by T''Lak. Darvik stalked slowly towards Vanbrook, as if toying with his prey. Cevla turned casually while everyone else in the box watched the duel intently, and looked at the strange, biological control panel that sat by Emperor Jylik''s hand. She concentrated on it, creating a bubble of T-waves at the core of the device. She ripped the bubble apart, tearing the device to pieces from the inside. Viscous yellow-green gore exploded inside the box.


    ***


    Raivyn watched in horror as Vanbrook tumbled to the ground. It was clear his skills were dulled and getting rapidly worse.


    Then something strange happened. Insteading leaping on Vanbrook like the feral killer she had known him to be, Darvik looked up somewhere above her cell, a pleading look in his eyes. Then he turned his attention back to Vanbrook.


    Raivyn was so caught up in the moment she didn''t notice the once-living collar slip from her neck, dead.


    "Get back," said D''Jarric.


    "No," said Raivyn. "I - I have to see this."


    Gently but firmly, Hrake took her arm and moved her away from the window. D''Jarric blasted it open, the smoldering hole large enough for even Hrake to walk through. Beyond any explanation Raivyn could conceive of in the moment, the team''s weapons tumbled from up above, falling to the arena floor.


    "We''re on," said D''Jarric, a wild smile on his face.


    ***


    "Th-the shielding!" exclaimed Jylik. "The prisoners'' collars! How did they do it?"


    "We must kill them all at once!" declared Trilia, rising from her seat.


    Cevla pushed the Empress back down with a telekinetic attack, then took the crate containing the prisoners'' weapons and tossed it into the arena.


    Trilia rose, eyes burning with murderous rage. Cevla smiled broadly.


    ***


    Vanbrook heard a commotion above where he laid and looked up to see a crate and a number of rather familiar weapons falling from the sky. He rolled out of the way, his head nearly crushed by Hrake''s hammer. Next he saw a large form leap from the prison cell, and he had to roll out of the way of Hrake himself.


    "What is going on!?" roared Vanbrook as his allies continued to rain from the sky.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "I know you said you''d come back for me," said Raivyn, slowing her descent telekinetically and landing with perfect poise, scooping up Vanbrook''s revolver and handing it to him, "but I got tired of waiting."


    Reclan landed by them with a thud. She scooped up her rifle and stood at the ready. Doc followed after, grabbing his gun as well. D''Jarric came down last of Talon Squad, shining like a star, his fists pulsing with energy. Trebor and Yellup followed Talon Squad''s lead.


    "So this is how we go out," said Vanbrook. "Not a bad way to go."


    Darvik stepped over to the group hesitantly. "It''s all about to get real crazy real fast. Most of the crowd is lightly armed but -"


    The first thorn gun went off, splintering the wall between Vanbrook and Raivyn''s heads. Vanbrook returned fire, his nova crystal round going abysmally low, blowing a hole in the ground at the guard¡¯s feet.


    Reclan rolled her eyes. "Well, just make sure you don''t put a round in one of the good guys."


    Raivyn put up a telekinetic shield, with Yellup helping to reinforce it.


    "Now what, genius?" asked Reclan, staring daggers at Darvik.


    "Hey, you guys are the experts," said Darvik defensively.


    Reclan spread her arms out, gesturing to the chaos erupting all around them. "They didn''t cover this in basic!"


    ***


    Trilia struck out with a vicious telepathic attack to subdue Cevla, but Cevla¡¯s defenses were as nimble as they were strong, and she squashed the attack with a defensive burst of T-wave interference. Jylik saw his way out of the box as quickly as possible.


    Cevla struck out suddenly with a knife pulled from under her robes, slashing through one of Trilia¡¯s eyes. The enraged Empress shoved Cevla clear out of the box with a sudden and violent telekinetic push, then jumped out behind her, chasing her to the area floor.


    Hoon-Kra surveyed the scene briefly. ¡°Not exactly what I had in mind, Darvik, but it will have to do.¡±


    ***


    Something came flying from above, and Darvik looked to see Cevla crash like a rag doll onto the arena floor.


    "Cev!" shouted Darvik, moving to help her up.


    Hrake held him back more out of instinct than concern for his well being. Trilia leapt down from above, landing lightly on the arena floor and stalking towards Cevla with murderous intent. Cevla rolled back and leapt to her feet, firing off a T-bolt as she went. The bolt slammed into a shield Trilia had raised.


    The encroaching enemy forces had halted, unsure how to proceed now that their Empress was in harm¡¯s way.


    ¡°We can get out through the fencing between the prison tower and the stadium seating,¡± suggested Reclan, ¡°and now¡¯s probably our best chance.¡±


    D¡¯Jarric nodded his assent, stepping outside of Raivyn and Yellup¡¯s shield and blasting a hole in the fence.


    A strange, warbled cry rose up, growing so loud that all heads turned towards the lake, where it seemed to be emanating from. The surface began to undulate, boil, and then break as a horde of Shairet burst from the water, chirping a high-pitched warcry that pierced the ears and put a primal fear in the hearts of their opponents.


    The crowd of cultists, soldiers, and pirates turned their attention from the few escaped prisoners to the mass of Shairet warriors now charging them. Most were dressed in the woven cloth of Chreep¡¯s people, but some had on the scaly hides of the formerly-banished psychics.


    The psychics stood in groups, shielding the infantry and firing T-bolts, while the foremost of the lake dwellers fired their harpoon crossbows into the crowd that had turned on them. The psychics ripped what remained of the fence down without pause and the Shairet forces fell on the enemy. By necessity, the archers were outside of the shields where they could fire freely, and many fell to superior firepower in the initial charge. However, the Shairet had the advantage of surprise and organization, and were able to rout the more well-armed forces.


    Talon Squad, the RTS, and Darvik fell in with the Shairet and managed to cut down a large number of enemies. Chreep, leading a squad of archers, found his old allies.


    ¡°Hello, Talon Squad,¡± he chirped joyfully. ¡°You have given us the opening we have long waited for!¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, happy to help, Chreep,¡± said Reclan. ¡°I see you, uh, worked out your differences.¡± She gestured to the psychic squads.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Chreep laughed. ¡°Tensions remain, but invasions have a way of clarifying friend and foe.¡±


    Darvik looked up and saw the Swamp¡¯s Pride lifting off.


    ¡°There goes Hoon-Kra,¡± he said, pointing. ¡°The fool is going to try to amplify Koo L¡¯Koom¡¯s aura of madness.¡±


    Raivyn¡¯s eyes snapped up to the ship, her mind racing. Koo L¡¯Koom. That¡¯s what drove the psychics of Gateway mad; his mere presence. Now someone wanted to expand his influence.


    ¡°Can he do that?¡± she asked.


    ¡°He certainly believes so,¡± said Darvik. ¡°That¡¯s what the cult was all about. Getting to Koo L¡¯Koom.¡±


    ¡°Can you stop him?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± said Darvik, shaking his head even as he dodged a crazed cultist¡¯s long knife.


    ¡°Well you¡¯re going to try,¡± said Trebor. ¡°You can reach out to him and get coordinates, I imagine. And I am coming with you.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± asked Vanbrook, slashing a pirate¡¯s arm off.


    ¡°A star tree,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°We can take one in the chaos.¡±


    ¡°¡®We!?¡¯¡± demanded Vanbrook.


    ¡°Star trees require a psychic pilot,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°And I¡¯ve flown one before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take another, then,¡± said Yellup. ¡°Take everyone else back to the fleet.¡±


    ¡°The controls are fairly intuitive,¡± said Raivyn, pausing to fire off a volley of T-bolts. ¡°Grab the root-like reins and command the ship mentally.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± said Yellup.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going with you, Rai,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°And D¡¯Jarric¡¯s coming, too. I remember the last time we encountered one of these things.¡±


    Raivyn shuddered. ¡°Yes. So do I.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Darvik. ¡°I want to get Cevla first.¡±


    He scanned the battle to find her, and saw her still going toe-to-toe with Trilia. She was bloodied and one of her arms hung limp at her side. She was gritting her teeth, a fire in her eyes like he¡¯d never seen before. She fell to her knees under the pressure of the T-wave deluge pouring from Trilia¡¯s mind. She screamed and grabbed at her heart, the fire giving way to pain. Trilia¡¯s face split in a wide, wicked grin.


    Raivyn rushed over, trying to take advantage of Trilia¡¯s distracted state and firing a T-bolt at her. The Empress was more talented than that, and managed to deflect the blow. She turned her attention to Raivyn, who was too tired now to fight someone of Trilia¡¯s abilities for long.


    Darvik rushed to Cevla¡¯s side, cradling her head in his hands. She looked at him, her eyes, now neither bright nor empty, looked softly back at him.


    ¡°Thank you, Darvik,¡± she said.


    ¡°Wh- what?¡± he asked, dumbfounded.


    ¡°You gave me hope,¡± she said. ¡°I- I never had hope before. Even before T¡¯Lak. Keep- keep giving people hope.¡± Her eyes fluttered shut, and Darvik felt her spirit leave as though she¡¯d brushed past him on her way out of a door. He screamed in rage and pain.


    ¡°Rai, we gotta go!¡± shouted Vanbrook, firing his revolver at the Empress to distract her. Trilia stared murderously at him, her telekinetic shield deflecting the blast.


    ¡°The Republic!¡± cried a sudden voice. All eyes that could turned to see an Astralbian crier, a voice amplification growth mounted on his shoulder. ¡°The Republic is upon us! In the aether! They¡¯ve arrived! To the skies, Astralbia!¡±


    ¡°Trilia!¡± called Jylik from the sidelines of the arena. ¡°Come now! This rabble will be crushed later!¡±


    She gave a dirty look to the band of enemies that tried to chip away at her shields and darted off to her Emperor.


    ¡°Go!¡± shouted Chreep to Talon Squad. ¡°We will handle any enemies left behind!¡±


    ¡°Retreat to the water soon,¡± advised D¡¯Jarric. ¡°They will likely blast this area once airborne.¡±


    Chreep nodded. ¡°As they say in the Republic, ¡®Providence shine on you.¡¯¡±


    ¡°On you as well,¡± said D¡¯Jarric with a smile.

 Chapter 3.34: War Over Gateway

    The battle started the moment the Republic¡¯s armada came out of their jump, which was certainly not the plan. The Astralbians had had plenty of time to develop a network of mines and surveillance, and the Republic fighters were immediately deployed to engage with an onslaught of mines.


    "We''ll clear up the welcome committee easily enough, but the fleet is going to have to watch for the main force," said Drixen. "We''ll coordinate with Swampy and the Silver Star fighters."


    "Understood," answered Jasken. "We''ll call priority targets as we see them. Remember, this is Jylik''s base of operations. Everything else was expendable; he''ll fight to the bitter end here."


    "Yes, Sir," said Drixen.


    The fighters had closed in on the mines and began firing. Jasken watched from the bridge of the Wingspan, his face being lit by the explosions as the mines were detonated in the distance.


    ***


    Talon Squad snuck away from the battle and out towards the star trees. The chaos of the moment let them slip over to a couple of mid-sized trees, killing a number of Astralbians as they ran. The group split up, taking the fight into their respective trees.


    Vanbrook, Raivyn, D''Jarric, Trebor, and Darvik rushed up one ramp, while Reclan, Hrake, Doc, and Yellup took the other.


    Vanbrook charged in first - buckler activated, sword energized, and revolver loaded. He dispatched two guards immediately, his buckler catching a storm of splinters fired from a thorn gun. Darvik leapt out from behind him, slashing through another guard and charging into danger. D''Jarric kept a suppressive fire of energy on the doorways, keeping the tree''s guards from overwhelming them.


    "Keep it up, D''Jarric, but let me through that door," said Raivyn, indicating the doorway that led to the control room.


    "I''ve got your back," said Trebor. He sheathed his saber and pulled his pistols, falling in behind Raivyn.


    Raivyn nodded assent, dropping her differences with the man for the moment. They crashed through the doorway, catching the enemy off guard and quickly dispatching them.


    Raivyn grabbed the controls and slowly took the tree up, firing the eyes at the Astralbian soldiers running to stop their escape.


    "The tree is cleared," said Vanbrook, stumbling into the control room as they began lift-off.


    "Yellup, are you airborne?" asked Raivyn over comms.


    "No," replied the RTS agent. "We''re working on it."


    "We''ll buy you some time," said Raivyn. She guided the star tree in wide circles, firing at the enemy until she saw Yellup''s tree lift off the ground.


    "This is wild!" exclaimed Yellup.


    "Alright," said Raivyn. "Get aetherborne and explain things to Drai and Jasken. Providence shine on you."


    "And you as well," answered Yellup.


    ***


    Drixen was still seeing mines everywhere he turned when the Astralbian fleet got within range and began firing on the Republic fleet and their allies.


    "Blue Griffon squads, stay focused on mopping up these mines," said Swampy. "Silver Star squads, we''re going to engage with those star trees."


    "You got it, Swampy," answered Drixen, blowing another mine out of the aether. "Admiral Jasken, are you seeing this?"


    "Yes," answered Jasken as he watched his display screen. A large fleet of star trees had appeared on the horizon, with more joining from the surface as time went on.


    A call request came in.


    "It''s an Astralbian signal, Sir," said Mairen.


    Jasken sighed. "Bring Admiral Drai in on the call. Let''s see what Jylik has for us."


    "Admiral! It''s Reclan!" came the voice from the other end.


    Jasken stared dumbly at the screen. "Reclan!?"


    The Dromean''s scaley, smiling face came into focus on the screen. "Yes, sir! I''ve got Doc, Hrake, and Yellup with me, as well. The others are chasing Hoon-Kra in another star tree."


    "But everyone''s alive and free?" asked Jasken.


    Reclan shook her head sorrowfully. "Winnow didn''t make it."


    Jasken nodded grimly. "Understood. Come aboard directly, if you can get here. I''ll see to it our side knows you''re coming."


    Jasken ended the call and went to consult with Mairen when a Ramshackle stealth missile collided with the bridge tower¡¯s shielded bubble. The force of the explosion, while doing nothing to the ship itself, pitched Jasken onto the floor, his mag-boots failing to keep him locked down to the floor. His world spun as he fell, then went suddenly dark with the impact.


    ***


    "Hoon-Kra, this is Darvik, can you hear me?"


    Hoon-Kra''s eyes snapped to his comms panel. He reached for the controls.


    "Darvik. I''m¡­ surprised to hear from you," he said.


    "I managed to cause enough of a ruckus that I could slip away," he replied.


    "Is Vanbrook dead, then?" asked Hoon-Kra.


    "Yes," said Darvik, flat and sincere. Nevermind that he was looking the very-much-alive Vanbrook in the eyes when he said it.


    "Good for you," said Hoon-Kra. "But enough pleasantries. What do you want?"


    "To join you," said Darvik. "If you could use the help."


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    Hoon-Kra thought for a moment. He had a few of his most loyal followers aboard. Most of them were family, along with a few of the founding members of the Koomites. He didn''t have much of a fighting force at this point, but that was fine. He''d come back a prophet, if not a messiah, and he could build if need be. Darvik had been a loyal soldier, but he''d become far less predictable since he sobered up. Hoon-Kra smiled as a solution occurred to him.


    "I''ll send you the coordinates, Darvik," he said.


    "Thank you," answered Darvik.


    Hoon-Kra killed the communication. Everyone stood by quietly for a moment, curious what would happen next. At length, a series of numbers came through.


    "You can get the ship to jump to these, right?" asked Vanbrook.


    "We''ll find out," said Raivyn with a shrug. "The controls are pretty intuitive. I didn''t make a jump that other time."


    "That- what?" asked Trebor. "Are you saying this is only the second time you''ve flown a star tree?"


    "That''s twice more than you, I''m guessing," snapped Raivyn.


    "I need a drink," muttered Darvik. He saw Vanbrook move up beside him and turned to see the barrel of the man''s gun inches from his nose.


    "Thought you were sober now," sneered Vanbrook.


    "That was before Cevla got murdered and I was on a suicide mission," said Darvik, staring past the muzzle of Vanbrook¡¯s pistol and at the man himself. ¡°You gonna shoot me for wanting a drink, or what?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of reasons to shoot you, you useless scumbag,¡± seethed Vanbrook. ¡°But no, I¡¯m escorting you to the brig until we get where we¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re past this kind of squabbling, for now anyway,¡± said Darvik, not moving an inch. ¡°When we get back to Republic-controlled territory you can turn me in. I committed cold-blooded murder followed by treason and some more killing. So you¡¯ll probably get to see me face a firing squad, but for now, let¡¯s focus on stopping Hoon-Kra.¡±


    Vanbrook¡¯s gun didn¡¯t waver.


    ¡°Van,¡± said Raivyn firmly. ¡°He¡¯s not wrong.¡±


    Vanbrook grunted noncommittally and holstered his pistol, turning from Darvik and pretending to study the tree¡¯s controls.


    ¡°These coordinates,¡± said Raivyn, ¡°they¡¯re not far. We¡¯re talking a two-day jump, if we push it.¡±


    ¡°You can count on Hoon-Kra pushing it,¡± said Darvik. ¡°This is his life¡¯s work.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is his life¡¯s work, then?¡± asked Trebor, his brows furrowed.


    ¡°The Koomites,¡± answered Darvik. ¡°Bringing back the worship of the aether beasts, celebrating¨Cand worshiping¨Craw power.¡±


    ¡°So he plans to go and ¡®worship¡¯ this supposed cosmic shark?¡± asked Trebor. ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°So he has a psychic amplification device that would kill any mortal psychic, and he¡¯s going to amplify Koo L¡¯Koom¡¯s aura with it,¡± said Darvik.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to¡­¡± Trebor considered this all for a moment. ¡°I see. He¡¯s going to drive every psychic he can stark-raving mad.¡±


    Darvik nodded. ¡°You can see how that could be a problem.¡±


    ***


    The fire being traded between the two fleets had become heavy enough that the fighters had been split into two groups; those above the plane of the battle and those below. The mines taken care of for the moment, both groups were contending with wasps, trees, and pirate ships, as well as the meager forces the Koomites had managed to gather.


    ¡°Target that tree!¡± cried Hunt. ¡°It¡¯s burning badly and drifting towards our position, no doubt it¡¯s full of mines.¡±


    Jasken absorbed the words slowly as he regained consciousness. He looked into Mairen¡¯s concerned eyes.


    ¡°How long- ¡± he began.


    ¡°Just a moment,¡± said Mairen soothingly. ¡°But you gave us a good scare. Come on, let¡¯s get you to the Shepherd.


    ¡°Not a chance!¡± shouted Jasken, righting himself in his chair. He¡¯d evidently been hauled up into it and strapped in.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± said Hunt, off to one side. He looked over and saw the situation unfolding next to him. ¡°We, uh, we got the star tree. Didn¡¯t get a chance to release its mines and went off like fireworks.¡±


    ¡°See? The Captain¡¯s got this,¡± coaxed Mairen.


    Jasken huffed, unbuckled himself, stood up, and stepped down from the command chair. ¡°Captain, I relinquish command of the ship to you for the foreseeable future.¡±


    Hunt paused, staring wide-eyed at his commanding officer.


    ¡°Get in the chair, Hunt,¡± said Jasken firmly. ¡°I¡¯m going to see a doctor.¡±


    ***


    Reclan walked out of the star tree and into the Wingspan¡¯s hangar, where she was met by a squad of sailors, all of whom were pointing rifles at her.


    ¡°That¡¯s some welcome!¡± she said, putting her hands up.


    ¡°Sorry, Specialist,¡± said one of the sailors, putting her weapon down. ¡°We had to be sure it wasn¡¯t a trap. Welcome back.¡±


    The rest of the sailors followed suit and Reclan was escorted to the bridge along with Doc, Hrake, and Yellup.


    "Where''s Jasken?" asked Reclan when she saw Hunt in the command chair.


    "The Admiral took a small spill," said Hunt. "He''s fine, but Mairen sent him to see a medic."


    "Excuse me?" asked Mairen.


    "Mairen insisted the Admiral follow proper protocol for a head injury," said Hunt, carefully avoiding eye contact with the Communications Officer and ignoring Reclan''s chuckle.


    "Mmhmm," said Mairen.


    "Now what''s going on?" asked Hunt. "How did you get free?"


    "Cevla and Darvik broke us out," said Reclan. "Then the Shairet rose out of the lake and attacked the Astralbians."


    "That is¡­ interesting," said Hunt. "Let''s get Drai on the comms. We need to hammer some things out.


    ***


    "There," said Raivyn. "The jump is underway."


    "That easy?" asked Vanbrook.


    "Yes, easy as thinking," answered Raivyn.


    "You did say it was intuitive," said Vanbrook. "I''m just glad you didn''t shoot at me this time."


    He chuckled, then looked at Raivyn. She was looking over nervously at Trebor.


    The RTS agent huffed. "You really believe I''m out to get you, don''t you?"


    "I''ll never forget what you did in that apartment in Kerucester," she answered defiantly.


    "When I goaded that psychic into attacking me," he said with a nod. "Do you know what happened with that case? No, you don''t. You were there on an observational basis. You didn''t know what happened leading up to or following that moment.¡±


    Raivyn stared in icy silence, then turned away from Trebor. "We are going to take down a dangerous psychic together. After that, my honest hope is that our paths simply do not cross again."


    ***


    Drai listened to Reclan''s story intently, even as great eye blasts continued to chip away at the fleet''s shields. A support vessel had been lost already, and the Falchion was badly damaged, its shields were mostly depleted and the feedback from the great eye blasts had knocked out half of its guns.


    ¡°Sounds like we owe it to the Shairet to get down there to help them,¡± said Drai after Reclan had filled him in.


    ¡°I agree, but we¡¯ll need to fall back if we want to do that,¡± said Hunt. ¡°Shields are dangerously low across the fleet. The Astralbian forces are simply larger than we anticipated. Their tactic of blasting our biggest ships with great eye blasts may not be terribly innovative but it is effective.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± said Drai, rubbing the bridge of his snout. ¡°We¡¯ve been in contact with the FRF via ripmed. They¡¯ll be here before long, but we¡¯re on the verge of some serious losses. Bring back your fighters, we¡¯re going to fall back and hope to come out swinging tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What if the Astralbians pursue us?¡± asked Hunt.


    Drai shook his head. ¡°Then we¡¯ll truly see who has the better fleet.¡±


    They began to move away from the battle space, starting with the support ships, then the gunships and, when the fighters had returned, the carriers.


    The Astralbians started to give chase, and the Republic and PIC ships continued to trade fire with the enemy.


    Then the Liberty came into view, followed by the majority of the Free Revolutionary Fleet.


    "Admiral Drai," said Crush. "Looks like you could use a hand."


    "We could indeed, Admiral Crush!" replied Drai.


    Fresh and ready for a fight, the FRF managed to fire enough heavy cannons and rockets to convince the Astralbians to stop advancing, giving the Republic a chance to fall back.

 Chapter 3.35: The Beast

    The jump to Koo L¡¯Koom was a cold, lonely affair. Vanbrook and Raivyn spent their waking hours together when they could, but their mutual nervousness about the situation kept them talking in hushed voices if they spoke at all.


    There was little food to be had, though it turned out the nutrient goo used to feed the star tree during extended trips was edible. Raivyn had found it near the roots and Vanbrook had taken a two-fingered scoop of it, making a face but muscling the nutritious substance down. Part of Raivyn was grateful for his willingness to take the risk and part of her wanted to strangle the idiot for eating unfamiliar goo on an enemy ship. When he didn¡¯t die horribly in the next few hours, everyone else gave it a try as well.


    Vanbrook and Raivyn were taking their daily sludge ration, as they had come to call it, when a chirping alert sounded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to get back up to the control room,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°It sounds like we¡¯re getting close.¡±


    Her head pounded terribly. It had been doing so for most of the last two days, but it was getting progressively worse. She knew deep down that it was Koo L¡¯Koom¡¯s aura, and that she¡¯d be likely to start hallucinating soon.


    "Van, I need you to lock me in the brig if I start acting weird," she said.


    "You mean weird like asking to be locked in the brig?" asked Vanbrook, raising an eyebrow.


    "You know what''s going to happen," said Raivyn, looking down at the floor.


    Vanbrook sighed contemplatively. "Look, you''re the only pilot we''ve got. D''Jarric can help you. You''ve got this."


    Raivyn looked up and Vanbrook saw tears in her eyes.


    "I don''t want to be brave anymore," she said. "Not right now."


    He smiled wanly at her. "I know you too well to worry about that. You can''t help but be brave, Rai."


    She nodded, wiped the tears from her eyes and walked up to the control room.


    The jump was nearly over when she reached the controls, and she gave permission to the ship to start the process of slowing down.


    "We''ll be out of the jump and¨Cin theory¨Cclose to Koo L''Koom in a few moments," Raivyn said.


    All five of them had gathered in the control room in response to the chirping alarm. Seeing her wince from another wave of skull-splitting headache, D''Jarric put a hand on Raivyn''s shoulder.


    "Are you going to be able to fly?" asked Trebor calmly.


    Vanbrook stared daggers at him, and opened his mouth to say something when Darvik suddenly cried out and went limp.


    "What now?" asked Vanbrook, furious.


    "I believe he''s psychic," said D''Jarric simply.


    "Really?" asked Trebor, looking at Darvik¡¯s collapsed form with renewed interest.


    "I suspect he does not know it," said D''Jarric. "Regardless, he''s reacting to Koo L''Koom''s aura." The Solaran looked pityingly at the former cultist. "Take him to the brig now, Vanbrook. Trebor, you should go with him. He could get violent."


    "What about you?" asked Vanbrook.


    "I need to stay with Raivyn," replied D''Jarric.


    "We''re¡­ here," said Raivyn, gripping her head in her hands.


    All eyes turned to the membranous screen above the control panel. A massive creature took up the majority of the screen. Its maw was lined with shark-like teeth, its eight crimson eyes glowed like dying stars and its serpentine body was lined with two rows of claw-like arms. The tail ended in a tall fin that fanned out vertically, like a shark''s. It swung its long tail back and forth, inexplicably pushing itself through the aether. Koo L''Koom.


    "Koo L''Koom, Koo L''Koom, Koo L''Koom," chanted Darvik, his eyes now matching the beast''s.


    Raivyn cried out in anguish, and D''Jarric took her by the shoulders and studied her face, a worried look on his own.


    Darvik turned, snarling, and leapt towards D''Jarric. Trebor intervened, tackling Darvik. The two spun off higher into the room. Darvik landed a nasty blow across Trebor¡¯s jaw, but the RTS agent pulled out a small, pistol-like object and jammed it into Darvik¡¯s arm, pulling the trigger. There was a faint, sharp hiss, then Darvik howled and began convulsing, but the red in his eyes faded to a dull glow.


    ¡°T-blocking drugs,¡± explained Trebor. He tossed the pistol to Vanbrook, nodding towards Raivyn. ¡°As a last resort.¡±


    Vanbrook nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Darvik,¡± said Hoon-Kra¡¯s voice over the comms. ¡°You made it! Now, it¡¯s a shame you¡¯ve become a liability, but here we are. Congratulations! I¡¯m sacrificing you to Koo L¡¯Koom in the flesh! You, my champion, will rot away on the very back of our mighty god. Goodbye, Darvik.¡±


    A series of shots blasted into the star tree, and alarms sounded throughout it. With the psychics out of commission, the ship began to spiral towards Koo L¡¯Koom.


    ¡°If we use the T-blockers on Rai¡­¡± started Vanbrook, trailing off.


    Trebor shook his head, grabbing Darvik¡¯s legs and indicating to Vanbrook to grab his arms. ¡°She would be unconscious for at least a half hour and we¡¯d have no pilot. We¡¯d better let D¡¯Jarric try it his way.¡±


    ***


    Raivyn found herself on a dark, misty plane, being chased by something. There was a red glow behind her, and an impression of teeth, claws, and eyes, though she couldn¡¯t make them out if she tried to study them. She was dressed in a Navy private¡¯s uniform, the patch of a golden T on a blue shield adorning her shoulder indicating she¡¯d graduated from the psychic academy. It was what she had worn when she saw Trebor lure that psychic into a trap.


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    She realized she¡¯d stopped running, and looked back to see that the presence behind her hadn¡¯t caught up to her. She fought the instinct to run away, confident that she¡¯d been here before, even overcame the predatory presence, but she couldn¡¯t put the pieces together.


    "Raivyn."


    She turned and saw D''Jarric standing by her side.


    "You''re not running this time," he said. "Good."


    Things started to click into place.


    "I''m¡­ on a star tree," she said haltingly. "I''m on a star tree and that''s¡­ that''s Koo L''Koom." She turned back towards the swirling menace behind her.


    D''Jarric nodded. "It''s how you perceive his presence."


    "How do you know this stuff!?" demanded Raivyn.


    He smiled. "The Solarans are a truly ancient race."


    "Fine," said Raivyn. "But someday you''re going to start answering questions. Now how do I get back to the star tree?"


    D''Jarric nodded, his face turning stern. "There is no overpowering Koo L''Koom. Not by mortal means. You must rely on the Progenitor for the ability to overcome such a force of nature.


    "The problem we often face when dealing with that which is beyond our strength is that we try to meet force with force, hoping vainly that we will prevail by chance or skill. That will not work. Instead, you need to give up entirely."


    "What?" asked Raivyn, her face twisted in confusion.


    "You stopped running," said D''Jarric. "That was a good first step. Now face the beast. Know that it''s going to rush over you and let it do so."


    "Just¡­ let it take me?" asked Raivyn doubtfully.


    D''Jarric shook his head. "No. Fall back into the Progenitor''s arms. Trust that he will catch you. The threat will break against you like a wave and pass by."


    "I need practical help. This sounds like a theology lesson," remarked Raivyn.


    "This is both," said D''Jarric. "The two usually are. Your enemy and ally are both beyond your understanding; it stands to reason that your solution is as well."


    Raivyn breathed out, closed her eyes and spread out her arms, facing the aura of Koo L''Koom. A sensation of helplessness rushed over her and she called out to the Progenitor. She felt as though she was tumbling, but she clung to her faith that the great creator of the aether and its many worlds would spare her.


    Her eyes snapped open and she found herself floating in the control room of the star tree, sirens chirping all around her.


    D''Jarric tossed her from where she hovered down to the controls and she immediately began trying to right the star tree.


    "This doesn''t look good," she noted as the controls failed her and she saw the full scope of the situation.


    The tree was turning lazily as it careened towards Koo L''Koom, the screen showing the star-specked, pitch black of the aether and then the purple-gray of the great aether beast''s hide, which seemed closer at every pass.


    Raivyn fought with the controls, literally willing the thrusters to work. A few of the multitude of the root-like thrusters cooperated, and she was able to stabilize their fall, but not bring them out of it.


    Koo L''Koom came ever closer. Scales the size of islands became visible, the rows and rows of overlapping peaks that made up the hide¨Cor surface¨Cof the creature.


    Vanbrook and Trebor returned from securing Darvik in the brig, but Raivyn didn''t even think to ask them where they''d been. She was absorbed by the landscapes unfolding before her eyes. Large lakes or small oceans of an ochre liquid were coming into view at the bases of the scales, and she thought she may have even seen some kind of green and dark purple blotches, possibly indicating plant life.


    "Rai!" exclaimed Vanbrook, running to her side. "You''re okay!" He looked her in the eyes, relief written all over his face.


    "Except for the crashing, yeah," she answered.


    "She is okay for now," said D''Jarric. "More waves will come, but she''s overcome the influence of chaos once and she can do it again."


    "Again, more concerned about the imminent crash," said Raivyn. "Everyone buckle up."


    Roots burst out of a nearby wall. They had gone unnoticed before, tucked away in a decorative swirling pattern, but were now reaching out like arms. An additional root climbed up Raivyn''s back as if to reinforce her spine, and tendrils came from the sides of the root and wrapped around her like an exterior ribcage, lashing her in place.


    "Did you do that?" asked Vanbrook.


    "I¡­ think so?" said Raivyn. "I believe those are seat belts."


    "What about Darvik?" asked D''Jarric.


    "What about him?" asked Vanbrook, voice full of hostility.


    "Is he going to be secure for the landing?" asked D''Jarric.


    "We tied him to the bunk in the brig," said Trebor. "He should be about as safe as we are." He walked hesitantly over to one of the sets of roots and it wrapped him gently, holding him against the wall. Vanbrook and D''Jarric followed suit.


    A single scale now took up the majority of the screen. It grew larger and larger, until the striation that ran from the base of the scale to the rear point began to look almost like dunes of purple stone.


    "Brace for impact," said Raivyn. "I''m slowing us down as best as I can, but this is gonna be rough."


    The ground rushed up to them now. Their journey ended suddenly, jolting them violently as the star tree crashed on to the back of Koo L''Koom.


    ***


    Hunt was pacing nervously on the bridge when Jasken walked in.


    "Admiral," said Hunt. "I didn''t know you were cleared for duty."


    Jasken waved a hand dismissively. "It was hardly a bump. Mairen worries too much." He looked around to make sure the Communications Officer wasn''t in earshot.


    "She''s in the galley," said Hunt with a smirk.


    Jasken nodded, feigning confidence. "Reinforcements are going to be joining us shortly. The Executor has been making sure there''s a solid backstop of forces backing us up, and he''s going to push some of them out this way." He paused for a moment. "I''m going to be joining with the cavalry on this one."


    Hunt looked at him dumbfounded for a moment. "You''re leaving me in command of the Wingspan?" he asked once he''d found his voice.


    "That''s correct," said Jasken. "The Blue Griffon Fleet will be under your command, and you will be under Admiral Drai''s."


    "Thank you, Sir," said Hunt. "But may I ask why?"


    Jasken looked uncomfortable. "We don''t need two Admirals in this armada. I could be better used on the battlefield."


    "I look forward to your return, Admiral," said Hunt with a salute.


    Jasken smiled kindly at the young man. "Thank you, Captain. That''s good to hear."


    ***


    Jylik paced thoughtfully in the command room aboard his star tree. The Republic''s withdrawal worried him. Surely they were planning another assault. He''d sent a few exploratory craft to prove their defenses, but they had been turned back quickly, a few of them even destroyed.


    "We should wait for them to return to us, my Emperor," said Trilia.


    She had been advising caution. The Shairet had laid siege to their position on the surface, and their psychics had proven to be difficult to counter. Short of leveling the area with great eye blasts¨Can option Jylik was considering¨Cthey seem unable to shake the nuisance. They seemed to be joined every day by another tribe from some other part of Gateway. He had overlooked it as a trivial matter to be dealt with later, but now their resources were tied up in this stalemate with the Republic.


    "And what of Hoon-Kra and the stolen star trees? Will they return to us as well?"


    Trilia shook her head. "The star trees are a loss, to be sure. But Hoon-Kra''s absence, along with the death of Cevla and the flight of Darvik, has allowed me to solidify my leadership over the Koomites. Hoon-Kra had commanded their loyalty, but now I can directly."


    "Very well," said Jylik. In truth, he was sorry to have missed out on the previous battle. His mother tree has been upgraded significantly since the last time it had seen combat. "We stay the course for now. This time I''ll be waiting for them."

 Chapter 3.36: The Kooans

    Vanbrook woke, his eyes opening groggily to see a dark sky before him, the aether pricked by twinkling stars. It was warm, even muggy. The night sky was framed by twisted, splintered wood. The grogginess he''d felt melted away suddenly as he remembered the crash.


    He was breathing, which meant that Koo L''Koom must have a suitable atmosphere, which was a plus. He was on the ground, which meant his restraints had either failed or released him automatically, and he could stand up with relatively little pain, so he must not be too badly injured, he hoped.


    He looked around and found Raivyn, hanging limp in her restraints. He rushed over and looked for a way to release her from her restraints. She woke up, her eyes fluttering and coming into focus, looking into his eyes.


    "Van?" she asked. "The others¡­"


    Vanbrook looked around, saw D''Jarric rising to his feet in one corner, and Trebor breathing heavily in the middle of the room.


    "They''re alive," said Vanbrook. "Don''t know about Darvik."


    "I made it," said the former cultist, stumbling up the broken stairs. "The cell I was in was pretty busted up, the ropes took a little longer to shake off."


    Vanbrook nodded. "Now what?"


    Trebor struggled to his feet, holding his side. "Now we deal with them," he said, pointing out into the rough, purple landscape.


    Vanbrook looked out of the splintered remains of the star tree and saw a large gathering of yellow forms crawling towards them, their foremost limbs holding spears and swords. His hand drifted towards his revolver.


    ***


    Crush walked onto the bridge of the Pinion, nervous about boarding a Republic ship, despite the fact that they were steadfast allies. The instincts of a pirate were hard to give up. She stopped herself from running over to Jasken when she saw him, his relatively familiar presence a welcome sight. Thankfully, he waved her over.


    "Admiral Crush," he said. "Good to see you."


    "You too, Admiral Jasken," she replied.


    "Welcome, Admiral," said Drai. "Thank you for coming. I am Admiral Drai, you know Admiral Jasken." He then indicated the others present. "This is Grand Brother Treskt of the PIC, Captain Fenrik of the Griffon Republic Army, and Captain Grepk of the Griffon Republic Marines.


    "Treskt, Fenrik, Grepk, and Jasken will be leading our ground assault, while you and I lead the naval assault. That''s the broad brush strokes. Let''s talk details."


    ***


    The creatures had four salamander-like legs on either side of their long, flat bodies and flattened, triangular heads with eyes that stuck up like a frog''s. Their forelegs doubled as arms, and most of them were postured so that they held a primitive weapon with their arms as the six hind legs carried them across Koo L''Koom''s back.


    More of the yellow lizard-like creatures seemed to pour over the ridges every moment, their bodies whipping back and forth in a serpentine motion as they charged the crash site.


    "Do we think they may be friendly?" asked Trebor.


    A spear was launched by one of the creatures, embedding itself in the wall between Trebor and Vanbrook.


    Vanbrook looked at the spear and then at Trebor and said, "No."


    Vanbrook and Trebor pulled their pistols, and Darvik drew his saber.


    "Hold your fire," said Raivyn. She closed her eyes in concentration.


    Obeying, the men ducked down to avoid the spears that were being flung with increasing regularity into their position.


    Raivyn created a shield and the spears began to crash into it, bouncing away harmlessly.


    Peace, came Raivyn''s voice into Vanbrook''s mind.


    The creatures did not stop charging, the foremost of them now pounding on the shield with clubs and swords.


    Explorers. Peace, said Raivyn.


    She was growing tired.  She had not truly recovered from fighting her collar in prison or from the battle to escape. The few days on the star tree had been far from restful, and had culminated in her confronting a primal psychic force. The shield she was making would soon fail. Then they would be overrun.


    I demand to speak with your leader! she called out.


    You gave up such rights when your people murdered mine upscales! came the response.


    Raivyn faltered, the shield almost failing. She was doing it. She was communicating beyond the language barrier, just as Rehkna had prophesied.


    The great ship that came from the aether? asked Raivyn.Those aboard killed your people?


    Yes, responded the voice. And you will not do the same without consequence.


    The shield blinked out of existence.


    We pursue those who killed your people! cried Raivyn. They are our enemies, too!


    For a moment, spears continued to rain down into the star tree, but they quickly tapered off.


    "Put down your weapons," said Raivyn, turning to the others.


    They obeyed hesitantly.


    I am coming aboard, said the voice.


    That is good, said Raivyn. She dropped the psychic connection and crumpled to the floor, unconscious.


    ***


    When Raivyn awoke, she found herself wrapped in a thin blanket, still fully clothed, and lying on the ground in a small tent, evidently made of a similar material to her blanket.


    She stood up, feeling sore but rested. Walking out of the tent, she saw Vanbrook standing with D''Jarric, Darvik, and a couple of the local creatures she had spoken to psychically, all standing around a warm, glowing crater or geyser of some kind, filled with an opaque, bright yellow liquid. One of the creatures looked over to her.


    Hello, she ventured.


    Hello, answered the creature. He was older than the others, and his skin sagged with the years, though his eyes were remarkably clear and bright. I am Chief Tru''ik of the Kooans. Welcome to Koo L''Koom.


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    "Here," said Vanbrook, running over as soon as he saw Raivyn was up and moving. He proffered a spongy red orb. "It''s some kind of fungus, I think. It''s not bad, beats the sludge we''ve been eating the past couple days. Oh, and stick close to these craters, or pores, or whatever they are. They seem to be the reason there¡¯s heat here, despite the lack of sunlight, and possibly where the breathable atmosphere comes from, as well."


    Raivyn took the offered fruit gratefully, realizing at the sight of food just how hungry she was. She took a bite. It was sweet and musty, with a chewy texture that made Raivyn feel like she''d just taken a bite out of a couch cushion. She''d eaten worse.


    She nodded to Tru''ik. Thank you.


    You are welcome, said Tru''ik. I do not mean to rush you, but we must talk soon about your plans and your enemies.


    Raivyn nodded. If I may speak with my companions for a moment, and enjoy this¡­ fruit? I will speak with you as soon as I am able.


    That will be fine, nodded Tru''ik. The "fruit" is called a breadcap, if you were curious.


    Thank you, said Raivyn.


    She turned to Vanbrook. Where''s Trebor?


    "Uh, can we do this out loud?" asked Vanbrook.


    "Oh! Yes, sorry," said Raivyn. "Where''s Trebor?"


    Vanbrook jerked his head towards another tent. "In there. He''s pretty banged up. His prognosis is good, as far as I can tell, but he''s not going to be hiking any time soon."


    "That could be a problem," said Raivyn. "We have to get to Hoon-Kra as quickly as possible. The star tree is wrecked beyond repair, especially considering none of us are tree priests, so the Swamp¡¯s Pride is the only way off this world. Or¡­ beast or whatever."


    "You and Darvik seem to have your whole ''in Koo L''Koom''s aura'' thing figured out," said Vanbrook. "No headaches or homicidal tendencies, so far as I can tell."


    "Darvik is heavily medicated, and Raivyn will face the beast again," said D''Jarric. "Time is of the essence."


    Vanbrook¡¯s face soured at the prospect of Raivyn going through her ordeal again, but Raivyn kept her countenance calm and her words measured.


    "We have to talk to Chief Tru''ik," said Raivyn, indicating their host.


    D''Jarric nodded. Vanbrook shook his head and arms as if loosening up, trying to prepare himself for the awkwardness of psychic conversation. Raivyn swallowed the last of the breadcap and faced Tru''ik.


    Chief Tru''ik, she began. Thank you for allowing us to stay with you.


    You are welcome, replied Tru''ik. Now, please tell me who you are, who your enemies are, how you came to be here, and why you are traveling with one of the lesser gods.


    I am no god at all, said D¡¯Jarric. Those who claimed godhood have been defeated and banished to their stars. My kind now seeks and shares wisdom with the other sapient races. I seek and share wisdom with these friends of mine.


    And we are with a nation called the Griffon Republic, said Raivyn. We are travelers, going from star to star, exploring the galaxy. Our enemy, Hoon-Kra, is the leader of a cult that worships Koo L¡¯Koom.


    Tru¡¯ik shook violently. The tone of his thought was grim. To worship Koo L¡¯Koom is as futile as it is evil. Thankfully we found you and not those of the Kooans who would worship with this¡­ Hoon-Kra.


    Hoon-Kra seeks to spread the aura of Koo L¡¯Koom beyond its natural limits, said Raivyn. We must stop him.


    Yes, you must, agreed Tru¡¯ik.


    How do you know of Hoon-Kra? asked D¡¯Jarric. Is he close?


    He is a long way from here, said Tru¡¯ik. Our signal system, which flashes light from outpost to outpost across the scales, informed us of Hoon-Kra¡¯s violence, but not of his designs. You must travel to him to stop him.


    Will any of your warriors go with us? asked Vanbrook.


    No, answered Tru¡¯ik definitively.


    Will you tell us the way, then? asked D¡¯Jarric.


    Tru¡¯ik pointed. Two scales, travelling maward.


    Maward? Asked Raivyn.


    Towards the maw. Opposite of tailward, explained Tru¡¯ik. Your sick and injured may stay with us. With that he turned away.


    ¡°I guess the conversation is over,¡± said Vanbrook with a shrug.


    ¡°Trebor needs someone to stay with him,¡± said D¡¯Jarric. ¡°I will. You three need to go as soon as you¡¯re able. Raivyn is ready to face the beast without my guidance. I am not the one who helped her anyway, ultimately.¡±


    ***


    Reclan spent her days in the Wingspan''s workshop, tinkering with her drones and trying to keep her mind off Van, Rai, and DJ. She hated splitting up like this. She''d tried to step up and provide some leadership, but she didn¡¯t know what that should even look like when the team was in down time, anyway.


    ¡°Hello, Specialist,¡± said someone from the shop¡¯s doorway.


    Reclan¡¯s crest rose slightly in surprise and she turned to see Captain Fenrik.


    ¡°Hey, Captain,¡± she said, turning back to her work.


    ¡°Prepping for the assault?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, I like to go over my rifle pretty thoroughly before a large engagement like this,¡± he said, placing his weapon down on the bench beside hers.


    ¡°What kind of mods you got on it?¡± she asked, looking at the rifle with a scrutinizing eye.


    ¡°Oh, none at all, I prefer the stock model,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Big fan of mods and fabrications myself,¡± she noted, tapping the floor of the shop with the claw of her mechanical foot.


    ¡°Heh, I suppose you are,¡± said Fenrik. ¡°You missing your folks?¡±


    Reclan paused. The remainder of Talon Squad would be leaving for Gateway shortly, joining Yellup, Grepk¡¯s Marines, and Kwa-Kwa¡¯s scouts as a special strike force to spearhead the ground assault. She looked forward to sticking it to the Astralbians and felt confident that the strike force would be more than a match for whatever the Astralbians had waiting for them, but she would have felt more comfortable if she had Van at her side, not to mention Rai and DJ. She hoped to hear from them soon.


    ¡°Yeah, I really am,¡± she said at length.


    The two worked in silence for a while.


    ¡°Well, nice chat, Specialist,¡± said Fenrik as he finished reassembling his rifle. ¡°Best get some rest while you can. It¡¯s going to get pretty busy down there.¡±


    ***


    Vanbrook wasn¡¯t sure how long the three of them had been walking. He didn¡¯t want to check his comms device to find out, since he was sure it was less time than he¡¯d hoped. The first part of the journey had been extremely challenging. The camp they were housed at had been at the lower, maward end of a scale. Evidently that was where the pores were most common, which meant warmer temperatures, denser atmosphere, and more of the bioluminescent yellow lakes and pools that dotted the landscape. The pools provided light and supported the fungal growths that were grown for food or crafted into fabrics. However, traveling further maward meant climbing the sheer face of a rear-pointing scale. The climb had been treacherous, but Vanbrook, Raivyn, and Darvik were prepared for the challenge. Once at the top of the scale, they found themselves in a colder, darker world with a thinner atmosphere.


    ¡°Down this side and up another and we should be able to see the ship,¡± noted Raivyn.


    She¡¯d done most of the talking since they¡¯d left the camp. Vanbrook¡¯s disdain for his company was palpable, and Darvik made no move to try to smooth things over.


    ¡°What¡¯s that, moving up the scale?¡± asked Vanbrook. Out of instinct he reached for his flashlight, but that had been among the items that the Astralbians had confiscated.


    ¡°More of our Kooan friends,¡± said Raivyn, peering into the darkness.


    She took a step towards them and a spear landed at her feet. Rasping voices began to fill the dark air with a chant.


    ¡°Koo L¡¯Koom. Koo L¡¯Koom. Koo L¡¯Koom.¡±


    Raivyn reached up and clutched her head in sudden agony.


    ***


    Hacksaw sat in his cabin aboard the bridge of the Liberty, sifting through intel and mulling over the twists and turns Crush had led him through. There was no denying that they had enjoyed some successes, but Crush¡¯s strange attachment to their supposed homeworld and the death of Tank had Hacksaw very uncentered.


    A message came through on his comm. He recognized the signal, but he certainly hadn¡¯t expected it.


    ¡°Captain Hacksaw,¡± said Admiral Grim. ¡°I have a proposition for you.¡±

 Chapter 3.37: The Drowned

    Vanbrook managed to slap a spear aside with his shield, but his luck would run out shortly. Beside him, Raivyn struggled with what appeared to be the mother of all headaches and Darvik stood dodging the incoming spears.


    ¡°What do we do here, Vanbrook!?¡± shouted Darvik.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Vanbrook shot back. ¡°Are these your people?¡±


    ¡°Wha- no! These guys aren¡¯t Koomites,¡± answered Darvik, deflecting a spear with his saber. ¡°At least, I don¡¯t think they are.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe you can talk to them anyway, since you worship the same monster,¡± said Vanbrook. He parried a blow from a sword-wielding Kooans who¡¯d gotten close enough to try their luck.


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± shouted Darvik. ¡°I get that you hate me, now can you just do it quietly while we fight for our lives!?¡±


    Vanbrook sneered but said nothing, drawing his pistol and firing at the oncoming horde. The blast was an unfamiliar and unwelcome sound, and the horde scattered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long they¡¯ll take to form up and come back at us, but I don¡¯t want to wait around to find out,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Raivyn, can you move?¡±


    He looked down at her, she had curled up on the ground and was whimpering softly.


    ¡°RAI!¡± he shouted.


    Darvik looked around. ¡°They¡¯re regrouping, Vanbrook! Maybe shoot at them again?¡±


    Vanbrook wasn¡¯t paying attention, totally absorbed with Raivyn¡¯s struggles. Darvik considered trying to grab Vanbrook¡¯s pistol, but that seemed unlikely to go smoothly. He rushed the group, screaming as he went.


    ***


    The misty black world had descended over Raivyn again. She turned to face Koo L¡¯Koom. She was just so tired. A red wave gathered before her and rushed forward. Raivyn closed her eyes and relaxed.


    She woke up looking up into Vanbrook¡¯s face once again. It was full of concern, the deep, dark eyes looking intently into hers. She felt foolish that his eyes seemed to command her full attention, given the situation.


    ¡°Rai!¡± he exclaimed again. ¡°You¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± she said, smiling up at Van. Then her brow furrowed as she remembered where they were, and she pushed herself up to look past Vanbrook. ¡°Woah, we gotta help Darvik!¡±


    She stood up and ran up next to Darvik, pushing the enemy back with a series of telekinetic bursts. Vanbrook fired into the horde again.


    ¡°About time!¡± shouted Darvik.


    Vanbrook growled.


    The enemy scattered once again, the presence of a psychic and the deadly, cacophonic weapon proving too much for them.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± said Darvik, turning to run down the slope of the scale. The others followed behind him, eager to put some distance between themselves and the enemy.


    The scale they were now climbing down was striated with deep valleys, and the three companions ran down one of these valleys towards the base.


    "I don''t like the lay of the land here," said Raivyn, shaking her head. "A handful of those hostile Kooan spearmen could pop up over the ridge above us and we''d be cooked. It wasn''t so bad before but now the valley walls are taller than us."


    "Well, the walls are too steep for us to climb," said Vanbrook. "So all we can really do is keep moving."


    They continued to make their way down the valley as quickly as they were able. The nature of the descent seemed to flux over time. Sometimes it felt like walking downhill, other times it felt treacherously steep. Occasionally it felt nearly flat.


    "Man, I''m getting vertigo," said Vanbrook. "I feel like I''m on a sailboat or something. The ground keeps¡­ shifting."


    "I think it''s Koo L''Koom''s ''swimming,''" said Raivyn. ¡°The gravitational forces we feel shift with his movements.¡±


    "Oh, right, we''re on a fish," said Vanbrook, making a face.


    The valley deepened and narrowed until the three travelers had to walk in single file. Raivyn took the lead, followed by Darvik, then Vanbrook. She watched the ridges nervously, but she wasn''t picking up on any nearby sapient life forms, just a few small animal minds going about their business, whatever it may be. At length the valley''s walls began to slope down, and a few hours later they found themselves on an open plain scattered with stones, yellow pools and tall fungal life.


    "Where did the stones come from?" asked Vanbrook.


    Raivyn paused, considering. "Asteroids?" she guessed.


    "That makes a certain kind of sense," said Vanbrook. "I wish Rec and Doc were here with all the gear. They''d be having a field day."


    "Hey, I think these are breadcaps," said Raivyn, indicating a group of puffy red fungus. "But I don''t like the idea of guessing with unfamiliar fungus."


    Darvik walked over, plucked a mushroom and took a bite out of it. Raivyn looked at him in curious disgust.


    "What?" asked Darvik. "If I die or start hallucinating you know not to do it again."


    "Speaking of seeing things, do I need to hit you with another dose?" Vanbrook asked, pulling out the injector Trebor had given him.


    "Nah, I feel fine," said Darvik dismissively. "I still don''t think I''m really psychic. They would have caught it when I was in school. Felt like we did those screenings once a week."


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    "You have some level of latent ability," said Raivyn. "And if you don''t want to face Koo L''Koom I suggest you take another shot."


    Darvik shrugged. "I''ll have to sleep after. Best wait until we make camp, assuming we get a chance to do so."


    "Let''s get to the base of the scale," said Raivyn. "It''ll be the warmest and most protected there. We''ll get a few hours rest then climb the next ledge."


    When they arrived at the base of the scale a few hours later, they slept in restless shifts, letting Darvik take the last watch after he took his medicated nap. Vanbrook got up from his tossing and turning on the ground, frustrated by the dim light.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to see some sunshine, or even a lightbulb,¡± he whined. ¡°I¡¯m glad we got our weapons back but I miss the rest of my kit.¡±


    ¡°But hey, at least we have something different for breakfast,¡± said Raivyn, handing him a half a breadcap.


    ¡°Oh, we had to travel all the way to the great mythical cosmic shark to find your sense of humor, did we?¡± chuckled Vanbrook.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a jerk,¡± said Raivyn with a light laugh.


    ¡°You two done?¡± asked Darvik in a surly voice as he rose from where he¡¯d been sleeping. ¡°Because we¡¯ve got a lot of climbing to do.¡±


    ¡°Alright, fair enough,¡± said Raivyn.


    They walked up to the base of the cliff that made up the back end of one of Koo L¡¯Koom¡¯s massive scales. The scale was angled so that the rear side of it was a short distance up off the ground, but not so high that the travelers couldn¡¯t reach it to pull themselves up. The cliff face resembled layers of shale packed together, offering plenty of foot and hand holds. However, the jutting layers were sometimes razor sharp, and other times looser than they appeared, and everything rocked and swayed rhythmically as Koo L¡¯Koom swam through the aether, so the climbers were constantly on their guard.


    Raivyn, being the smallest of the three, went first. Any footholds that would work for her were guaranteed to be in reach for the much taller duelists, but they were not guaranteed to support their weight. A few hours of careful climbing got them to the top of the cliff, and Raivyn crested the edge and sighed heavily. The Drowned had been waiting for them.


    ¡°Well, boys,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re surrounded.¡±


    ¡°Koo L¡¯Koom. Koo L¡¯Koom,¡± came the chant from above their position.


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± shouted Vanbrook. ¡°Raivyn, what¡¯s our play?¡±


    ¡°Improvise!¡± she shouted, blasting a T-bolt into their ranks.


    Vanbrook and Darvik shimmied to opposite sides, angling up and hoping to flank the enemy. Raivyn scattered the closest of the hostile Kooans with her psychic assault, but they were regrouping quickly this time.


    What do you even want!? demanded Raivyn.


    To kill! hissed one of the gathered Kooans. We are the Drowned, those who have been given over to the wave of Koo L¡¯Koom himself! We will kill all others in his name!


    Raivyn used the moment of calm as the Kooan leader spoke his piece to hoist herself up. And when everyone else is dead? she asked.


    One of the Kooans, who held a great sword, unceremoniously decapitated one of his fellows. Then we will kill each other!


    The Drowned horde erupted in what may have been laughter or a war cry and fell on Raivyn. Vanbrook and Darvik crested the cliff and tried to fight their way through from either side of the gathered horde. Vanbrook¡¯s revolver made short work of more than a few enemies and the two swordsmen cut paths through the enemy as they went. Raivyn had taken a defensive stance, trying to keep the Kooans back with a telekinetic shield, but she was having trouble maintaining it. The Drowned captain with the greatsword slashed wickedly at the shield, but Raivyn dropped it and rolled, letting the captain swing his sword through thin air as she pulled her pistol. She managed to squeeze off a shot but missed the captain, who swung his sword backhand, catching the side of Raivyn¡¯s face.


    ¡°Rai!¡± shouted Vanbrook. He redoubled his efforts, kicking one of the Drowned off the cliff edge and shooting another point blank. No matter how many he killed, there seemed to be another enemy ready to take the place of the last one.


    Raivyn struggled to open her eyes as she threw up a shield to avoid being run through. She could feel the impact of blades and clubs against her defenses, but she prayed for the strength to hold out until Vanbrook got to her.


    Darvik slashed through more of the Drowned horde, and managed to get the attention of the sword-wielding captain. The Drowned seemed captivated by the sight of their leader engaged in a one-on-one battle, and Vanbrook took advantage of the distraction to slip in and kill the Drowned who were still focused on breaking Raivyn¡¯s defenses.


    Though his lungs burned, desperate for more oxygen than the atmosphere could provide, Darvik fought skillfully against his opponent. The captain relied on bullying and raw strength, which Darvik could match, but lacked any refined sword fighting technique. Darvik waited patiently, though not long, for the inevitable error and took full advantage of it, skewering the Drowned captain through the heart. He fell still.


    The rest of the Drowned had finally had enough and fled once more. Vanbrook holstered his revolver and knelt by Raivyn. Darvik sheathed his sword and walked down the incline a bit to give the two space.


    ¡°Let me see, Rai,¡± said Vanbrook, gently holding her bloody face in his hands. She was trembling with pain. Vanbrook knew her well enough to know she wouldn¡¯t be unless she was in true agony.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said quietly. ¡°You¡¯re going to be in pain awhile, but it¡¯s not as bad as it probably feels.¡±


    ¡°Vanbrook, I lost an eye, didn¡¯t I?¡± she asked through gritted teeth. One eye blinked hard, the other was a bloody mess.


    ¡°I think so,¡± said Vanbrook honestly.


    She clutched her head, reeling suddenly.


    ¡°Not now!¡± she moaned.


    Vanbrook watched in horror as Raivyn collapsed to the ground, once again wrestling with the monstrous presence of the creature whose back they were hiking across. He pulled the injector out of his breast pocket out of impulse, then stood staring, unsure what to do.


    ¡°Raivyn, I need your help!¡± he cried out.


    It sounded so selfish when he said it out loud¨Cshe was clearly in a worse place than he was¨Cbut it was true. He needed her help. He needed her.


    ¡°Raivyn, where are you?¡± he asked.


    Though it was in his voice, the end of the question sounded as though it was spoken by someone else as Vanbrook found himself falling through dark, red-lit mist.


    The falling sensation ended and, though he didn¡¯t feel any impact, he was standing on a dark plane next to Raivyn. She was facing a massive, oppressive presence of swirling red lights and shadow. Everytime Vanbrook thought he caught a glimpse of it, the thing seemed to slip away.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Van?¡± asked Raivyn in surprise.


    ¡°I- I was thinking about injecting you,¡± he answered. ¡°You know, with the T-blockers.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t!¡± said Raivyn, turning on him.


    ¡°No! No!¡± he cried defensively. ¡°I- I asked you for help, then I found myself here! I can¡¯t do this stuff by myself! I need you, Raivyn.¡±


    She smiled at him despite herself. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s just get out of here, okay?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, drawing his saber and facing the presence down grimly.


    ¡°That won¡¯t work, Van,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°You have to¨Chow did D¡¯Jarric describe it?¨Clet it wash over you. If you fight it you¡¯ll¡­ drown. Like the Kooans.¡±


    Vanbrook nodded. ¡°Will you catch me if I fall?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s the Progenitor¡¯s job,¡± warned Raivyn. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re even technically¡­ here. But you have to do this as though you are. Trust the Progenitor.¡±


    Vanbrook swallowed. Had he ever truly trusted anything outside himself before? He turned to the presence and closed his eyes, determined to find out if he could.

 Chapter 3.38: The Amplifier

    Jylik watched the Republic-led fleet advance towards his position. Trilia and the highest ranking tree priests stood by him.


    Finally, force against force would determine the victor, and he was confident in the strength of his fleet. Raised in the nutrient-rich soil of Avonia, Gateway, and Thioa, his star trees were more durable and better armed than any his father had ever possessed.


    The siege below was a nuisance to be dealt with in its turn. The Republic could burn that orchard to the ground; he''d build another using their corpses as fertilizer. Nonetheless, he hated to waste any forces at his disposal.


    "Trilia," he said. "Are your Koomites ready to receive our guests?"


    "Yes, my Emperor," she answered. "And the strongest telepaths are aboard this very mother tree, ready for tele-war operations under my command.¡±


    "Very well," said Jylik, turning to his head tree priest. "Ready the void wasps. It''s time to engage the enemy."


    ***


    Vanbrook came back to consciousness gasping. He was still holding the injector and standing over Raivyn, who stirred and stood up. Her hand went to her head and she cried out.


    "Not again!" said Vanbrook.


    "No, no," said Raivyn. "It''s not Koo L''Koom, I had just forgotten about my eye. The pain caught me off guard."


    Van looked around. "We''re pretty lacking in terms of medicine, or even clean bandages."


    Darvik was walking back over. "Here,¡± he said, taking a small packaged bandage out of his pocket. ¡°That¡¯s about all I¡¯ve got as far as first aid goes, but it does have a mild anesthetic.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Darvik,¡± said Raivyn, taking the bandage.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re all stocked up, since you walked into that arena by choice instead of force,¡± sneered Vanbrook.


    ¡°And I fought my way out by choice, too, which I didn¡¯t do for my own skin¡¯s sake!¡± retorted Darvik.


    Vanbrook reached for his sword and stepped toward Darvik menacingly.


    Raivyn, with the bandage now strapped over her eye with a strip of cloth, yelled, ¡°Stand down! Both of you! Van, we¡¯re stuck with Darvik. He¡¯ll pay for his crimes, but not right now!¡±


    Vanbrook looked into Raivyn¡¯s good eye for a moment. He wrestled with something deep inside his own mind, his face set and angry. Slowly, his expression softened and he nodded.


    ¡°You- You¡¯re right,¡± he said. He walked down the scale, not looking back at either Darvik or Raivyn.


    She looked after him, wishing she felt more pleasure at winning the argument, and then looked over to Darvik. The former cultist was being careful not to meet her eyes. She heaved a sigh and followed behind Vanbrook, Darvik falling in behind her.


    This scale was similar to the first one they had crossed, with long, narrow canyons that led down to the base. They came down it slowly, increasingly watchful as they neared the Swamp¡¯s Pride, trying to hug the valley walls and hide behind its curves where possible. The ship had only been a speck at the base of the scale when they¡¯d first climbed onto it, but it was getting larger and larger in their vision.


    At long last, the temperature became notably warmer and the air easier to breathe. Though still miles away, the Swamp¡¯s Pride was now clearly visible in the distance, to the point where Vanbrook thought he might be able to make out some tiny figures milling around it and the tall, thin structure that he assumed was the amplifier.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Hoon-Kra has no idea we¡¯re coming. That gives us a huge advantage.¡±


    ¡°Only problem is we have to walk across a few miles of open country to get to it,¡± said Darvik.


    ¡°Leave that to me,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Keeping a perception bubble up for that kind of distance is going to be extremely taxing. I¡¯ll need you two to deal with Hoon-Kra and any other resistance we find when we get there.¡±


    ¡°Hoon-Kra is a dangerously powerful psychic,¡± said Darvik. ¡°We¡¯ll need your help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll back you up as best I can,¡± said Raivyn. She summoned the perception bubble and the team walked out of the valley, marching towards the Swamp¡¯s Pride.


    ***


    The aether was full of heavy fire as the Gladius, the cavalry support ship the Pride¡¯s Aerie and the Apex¡¯s trooper shuttle shot down below the plane of the battle to engage the enemy on the surface.


    ¡°Expect heavy fire on the way in,¡± said Grepk. ¡°We believe the enemy position is pinned down, but they¡¯re likely to have some amount of anti-aircraft at their disposal. Remember, goal number one is to establish contact with the Shairet armies, then we can coordinate with them to destroy the Astralbian¡¯s infrastructure.¡±


    The trip down was smooth until they found themselves in range of the Astralbian¡¯s predicted anti-aircraft weapons. Beams of energy flew past the ships as they took evasive maneuvers. While all three craft had some level of shielding, the trooper transports weren¡¯t meant for direct combat. With that in mind, Grepk kept the Gladius at the front of the formation, taking aim at the enemy¡¯s anti-aircraft positions with his guns.


    The Astralbians were holed up in a fortified star tree in the middle of an orchard in which innumerable additional star trees were being grown. The whole area was being protected by shields, with the generators located in some of the outer star trees. The Shairet army was positioned all around the outside of the orchard, concentrated on the side closest to the lake.


    ¡°That¡¯s our landing zone,¡± said Grepk. ¡°Between the lake and the Shairet position.¡±


    The ships landed shortly, and Grepk and Reclan jogged to the Shairet position, where they were quickly found by Chreep.


    ¡°Good of you to come back to us!¡± said the Shairet.


    ¡°We¡¯re happy to help,¡± said Grepk. ¡°But we need a rundown of your situation.¡±


    ¡°We have the enemy under siege, but we find ourselves in a dangerous stalemate,¡± explained Chreep. ¡°We have enough psychics to keep everyone on a rotation, which has allowed us to maintain an excellent telekinetic shield. However, we have not been able to make a direct assault on their forces. Their weapons far outclass ours.¡±


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    ¡°We have some help we can lend on that front,¡± said Reclan, turning to the Pride¡¯s Aerie. Chreep looked on in awe as Jasken came riding down the ramp on Ol¡¯ Blue, the griffon¡¯s feathery mane rustling in the breeze as the beast stretched its wings, reveling in the open air, filled with the joy of being alive. Behind Jasken rode a dozen additional griffon riders. The old Admiral smiled, his eyes glinting at the promise of battle.


    ***


    On the far side of the Swamp''s Pride, surrounded by a few select cultists, Hoon-Kra danced in place by his life''s work: a psychic amplifier so powerful it would kill any mere mortal who tried to utilize it with their own minds.


    The mind of Koo L''Koom, however, was more than powerful enough to accommodate the amplifier. It would extend the mind-breaking aura of the beast beyond the Cornucopia Cluster and out into the bloated and hubristic civilizations that blighted the galaxy.


    It was finally time. He had finally communed with Koo L¡¯Koom himself, had felt the rush of being drowned in his presence. Now he would share that with the galaxy, and bring back the old order of power and might that had been lost to dynasties and bureaucrats.


    He flipped the switch, and the amplifier hummed to life. A series of lights along the side of the six foot black cube flickered on. Hoon-Kra grinned.


    There was a distant cry, and Hoon-Kra¡¯s attention snapped to the Swamp¡¯s Pride. Someone had come to join them. They would be sorry they did.


    ***


    As they approached the Swamp''s Pride, Raivyn, Vanbrook, and Darvik could better make out the massive antenna tower that had been constructed by one of the glowing yellow lakes.


    "That must be the psychic amplifier," said Darvik. "That''s our target."


    Raivyn dropped the perception bubble once they were under the shadow of the Swamp''s Pride. From here they could sneak the old fashioned way, though she was prepared to re-up the bubble if needed.


    "Now what?" asked Vanbrook in a whisper.


    "If we board the ship we should be able to take it over, use it to destroy the amplifier and escape."


    "I could get us in one of the doors," answered Darvik. "I know the codes."


    Raivyn shook her head. "Too high a chance we''ll be noticed. Even if he doesn''t have guards posted, opening a door on a ship like this is pretty noisy. It looked like the ramp was down in the back, maybe we should try that."


    "There''s almost guaranteed to be someone there," said Vanbrook. "Let''s wait and see if anyone comes out there. We can take them by surprise."


    "Are we just going to¡­ you know, kill them?" asked Darvik.


    "You spontaneously grow a conscience just now?" snapped Vanbrook.


    "We''ll give them a chance to surrender," said Raivyn, giving Vanbrook a stern look. "They fled a battle and it''s debatable whether or not they''re really combatants."


    "Give me a gun and I''ll gladly kill Hoon-Kra and take the heat for it," said Darvik.


    Vanbrook and Raivyn looked at each other, trying to gauge the other''s reaction to the suggestion, when Raivyn was suddenly overcome with a soul-rending headache, collapsing to the ground. Darvik gripped his head and followed suit, falling to the ground.


    ***


    The world was black, and smelled like alcohol and body odor. Something was in his hands. He looked down and saw the knife he¡¯d killed Wilbis with. He threw it away, his stomach turning as he realized he was still wearing the clothes he¡¯d worn that night, so long ago. Or was it just tonight?


    He looked around, seeing nothing but a glowing red mist behind himself. Something in that mist made Darvik feel that he had to run. He tried to stare the glow down, but it refused to recognize him. It felt at the same time like a living predator and an unfeeling force. It had no desire to kill him in the way a person has a desire; it would simply drown him because that was its nature. Unable to fight the pressure any longer, Darvik turned and ran, but to no avail. The presence simply kept up with him.


    He ran, fighting the desire to simply stop and let the monstrosity overtake him. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he ran for¨Cseconds, hours, days, it didn¡¯t matter¨Cwhen he finally felt something change behind him. He stopped and turned, and his eyes were met with an amazing sight. Something stood between him and the beast¡¯s presence. Someone.


    ¡°D- D¡¯Jarric?¡± stammered Darvik.


    The figure was facing Koo L¡¯Koom¡¯s presence, and was wearing a simple cattle herder¡¯s clothing, much like Darvik had seen in his youth on Griffonia, but had something of the glow of a Solaran where the person himself could be seen. He turned around, facing Darvik.


    ¡°No, someone else,¡± said the cowboy, wearing a knowing grin on his radiant face. ¡°You¡¯ve met me before, in a way.¡±


    There was a twinkle in the man¡¯s eye that bothered Darvik. He didn¡¯t like the attention he was getting. There was a terrible pressure in the man¡¯s presence that dwarfed even that of Koo L¡¯Koom.


    ¡°Darvik, I have plans for you. So I¡¯m asking you to trust me,¡± he said, stepping towards Darvik. He stretched out his hand.


    Darvik stared at the strange figure, whose silvery radiance seemed to obscure his features, yet he felt at the same time he could read them perfectly. The mouth was set, the eyes were sincere. Darvik trusted him, and took his hand.


    ***


    D¡¯Jarric was sitting across the hot spring from Tru¡¯ik. The two couldn¡¯t talk to one another much, but they had developed a rapport over the time they¡¯d spent together. Tru¡¯ik would make himself a kind of soup from various mushrooms and small aquatic creatures, which he boiled over the spring. D¡¯Jarric sang softly in Solaran or Talpaertan. More and more, Trebor would join them. His recovery was coming along nicely, and the bitter teas and tinctures they brewed for him seemed to help.


    It was one of those quiet moments when the headaches began. Tru¡¯ik¡¯s eyes brightened with fear and he looked around wildly. He froze, as if locked in a mental battle for a moment, then returned to the present, skittering away to grab his spear. Soon the camp was swarming with armed Kooans, and they spent the next few minutes organizing themselves as if for battle.


    ¡°What are they preparing for?¡± asked Trebor, holding his aching head.


    ¡°Probably them,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, pointing to a horde of wild Kooans who had just risen up over the horizon.


    ***


    Standing on the deck of the Liberty, Crush watched the battle begin to unfold. She had left her star tree behind for Yrinla to use as needed, so she would direct this battle from aboard her flagship.


    Hacksaw stood behind her, his hand reaching for the large pistol he wore at his side. It would be easy, he assured himself. She¡¯d brought it on herself. No one could blame him for taking Grim¡¯s deal. All the platinum he could imagine, becoming a captain in good standing with the Ramshackle Collective, and all he had to do was execute the Robot who had sold out their dreams for some ideal she couldn¡¯t quite articulate, but that had gotten Tank killed. A million excuses ran through his head.


    Crush cried out and fell to the deck, and a surge of regret ran through Hacksaw¡¯s circuits. Only, he hadn¡¯t fired. She was on her knees, gripping her head and screaming. His head ached a little, but she was clearly experiencing something on another level entirely. He dropped to his knees beside her, trying to figure out how to help.


    ***


    Jasken soared over Gateway, Ol¡¯ Blue roaring as he rushed into battle against an ill-fated detachment of void wasps. Fenrik and Chreep had worked out the strategy for the assault, and his job was to lead the Cavalry into battle so that the ground team could follow suit. The Shairet psychics would advance, telekinetic shields up, and protect the ranks as best they could, allowing the Shairet infantry to charge and overwhelm the forces outside of the tree. Breaching the tree itself would be the next problem. Behind Jasken, the twelve griffons that made up the Cavalry tore through wasp after wasp while their riders fired anti-materiel rifles at the Astralbian troops and infrastructure below.


    A sudden headache caught Jasken off-guard, but he maintained his focus and pursued the wasps. Taking a glancing energy blast from a nearby wasp, Ol¡¯ Blue roared and reached out for the offending creature, gripping its head in his taloned forelegs and crushing through it with his teeth.


    When he wheeled around, he could immediately see that something was wrong. It was the psychic troops. They were all gripping their heads or lying on the ground. Some were writhing or twitching where they lay.


    ¡°Captain Fenrik,¡± he called into his comm. ¡°What¡¯s going on down there?¡±


    ***


    The battle was going well. A number of Ramshackle skiffs had been lost in the initial wave, but that was expected and not entirely unwelcome. Jylik sighed heavily as a small star tree was destroyed. Again, it wasn¡¯t unexpected, and they¡¯d managed to take down a number of fighters and a small support ship. Shutting the great eyes until they were ready to fire had worked as a perfect counter to the Republic¡¯s exploitation of the destructive feedback tactic they had discovered.


    There was a series of cries that echoed throughout the command room. Jylik looked around to see Trilia and all the tree priests trembling and writhing in pain. This did not bode well for the battle.


    ¡°Hoon-Kra! What has that fool done!¡± shouted Trilia before succumbing to the agony and passing out.

 Chapter 3.39: Madness for All

    The battle had erupted into chaos. Void wasp riders seemed to lose control, and the star trees stopped firing. On the Republic side of the battle, many found themselves suddenly struck by skull-splitting headaches, and operations continued but became a grind, and Hunt had been shocked to see how many of his sailors had become nearly catatonic. Without warning, things had shifted again. Those who were formerly catatonic were now manic, and many of them were violent.


    Hunt locked down the bridge, and spoke over the comms. ¡°All personnel, please be aware that some crewmates have become dangerous. If you encounter aggressive shipmates, please attempt to restrain them without hurting them. Summon your courage and keep the ship operating. The Griffon Republic is depending on us.¡±


    ***


    Jylik fired his thorn gun into the gaggle of insane tree priests who had turned on him as they recovered from their headaches. Whatever had driven the psychics on the surface insane had not spared his inner circle. The tree priests closed in on him, and he knew he couldn¡¯t kill them all before they reached him.


    Trilia laughed maniacally in the middle of the room, neither helping nor harming him for a moment. Then she snapped her attention towards the tree priests, seemed to reach out towards them and then crushed them all with a sudden burst of T-waves that collapsed inwards, so that their death crystals fell to the ground in one mangled chunk.


    ¡°Well, that was something,¡± said Jylik. ¡°Care to explain what is going on here!?¡±


    ¡°Koo L¡¯Koom is coming,¡± said Trilia with a laugh. ¡°That fool brought him to us early with his amplifier. He could have spread the great cosmic shark¡¯s aura throughout the galaxy, but if they stop him, Hoon-Kra will have to live with the consolation prize of breaking the most powerful military fleets in existence, instead.¡± She paused for a moment, as if listening to something. ¡°If he lives at all. I should never have joined his little cult back then.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± asked Jylik, shocked.


    ¡°Oh, I have been working the Koomite angle for years, my Emperor, many years,¡± said Trilia casually. It was all coming together now, and she was too giddy to keep her plans under wraps any longer.


    ¡°This was all part of your plan?¡± demanded Jylik.


    ¡°Not all this, not exactly,¡± said Trilia. ¡°I imagined consolidating power more completely. I should never have let Hoon-Kra slip through my fingers.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that all later,¡± said Jylik, frustration clear on his face. ¡°For now, we have to run. We get back to my tower. It should be complete now. The Republic doesn¡¯t have the courage to come after me there.¡±


    ¡°We are not leaving, my Emperor,¡± said Trilia, pulling a small, one-shot thorn gun from a fold in her dress. ¡°And you will never see that stupid tower.¡±


    The shot was almost as deafening as the silence that followed. A split second later, Jylik¡¯s crown, empty robes and death crystal hit the ground with a tinkling noise. His remains lay lifeless inside the crown that bore his forefathers, as though they had all taken counsel and turned their backs to him.


    ***


    When the madness struck clayside on Gateway, Reclan found herself surrounded, with mad Astralbians before her and mad Shairet behind. Doc and Hrake were with her, along with Grepk, Keshri, Krum-Bahk, and Kwa-Kwa and her Scouts.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± asked Doc.


    ¡°The Astralbians are our enemies, not the Shairet,¡± said Reclan. ¡°Whatever¡¯s happening here, it¡¯s not their fault. We take the tree, as planned, just with a little more reason to keep moving.¡±


    ¡°Well said,¡± said Hrake. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    They fought like mad to get to the tree, but the Astralbians were confused, some appearing to be fleeing more than charging. It felt more like fighting a crowd than an army. A crazed Astralbian with a heavy saber charged them, and Hrake obliterated him with his hammer. Most of the other Astralbians seemed to steer clear of the advancing ground troops after that. When they had breached the tree, they slammed the door shut behind themselves, hoping the Shairet would be occupied by the fleeing Astralbians.


    ¡°Now what?¡± asked Grepk, holding his head. They had not been immune to the headaches that attended Koo L¡¯Koom¡¯s aura.


    ¡°We clear the building,¡± said Reclan. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ***


    Robots seemed less afflicted by the outbreak, and Grim took advantage of the moment, moving his fleet toward the FRF. By now, Crush should be dead. Hacksaw knew a good deal when he saw one.


    Firing like mad as they approached, Ramshackle troop carriers slammed into the Liberty and the FRF¡¯s other ships. Pirates spilled onto the deck, and Crush¡¯s troops rushed to meet them.


    ***


    Vanbrook¡¯s head felt as though it was about to split wide open. He couldn¡¯t imagine what the others must be going through, given that the aura seemed to hit psychics first and worst. He heard a commotion and realized that Hoon-Kra must have heard Raivyn cry out in pain. One of Hoon-Kra¡¯s goons came around the corner, spraying bullets from an automatic rifle. Vanbrook pulled his pistol in a smooth and steady motion. One shot was all Vanbrook needed to put the cultist on the ground.


    Unfortunately, more cultists were on the first one¡¯s heels, and Vanbrook knew his luck and skill couldn¡¯t hold out against superior numbers for long. There was a roar from beside him and Darvik charged past, saber drawn, throwing himself into the enemy. Unable to shoot without endangering his ally, Vanbrook ran headlong into the battle as well. The two fought side by side, cutting down the seemingly unending flow of cultists who rounded the ship to confront them. Darvik scooped up one of the fallen cultist¡¯s rifles and fired into the enemy.


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    When the small army of cultists had been exhausted, Hoon-Kra walked calmly into view, and Darvik trained the rifle on him, but the high priest of Koo L¡¯Koom had a powerful telekinetic shield surrounding him. The bullets bounced off his shield, harmless lumps of misshapen lead falling to the ground all around him.


    ¡°Darvik!¡± he said with enthusiasm. There was something wild in his eyes that Darvik hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°You survived! Bizarre! And so did Vanbrook. Darvik, I thought I killed you and here you are. You said you killed him and here he is.¡± He pointed to each of them in turn, his eyes bulging in a kind of psychotic exuberance. ¡°I suppose we could call that even and part ways on amicable terms, but I have the strangest feeling that you are here to stop me.¡±


    Vanbrook raised his revolver and put a nova round into the shield right between Hoon-Kra¡¯s eyes. The cultist¡¯s head snapped back, but he recovered quickly, staring at Vanbrook and sending a sharp wave of psychic energy into his head. Vanbrook fought back against Hoon-Kra¡¯s attack, but the same aura that was giving Vanbrook a splitting headache seemed to be giving the mad psychic a boost in his abilities. Vanbrook soon found himself under Hoon-Kra¡¯s control, unable to stop the psychic from controlling his movements. Darvik was Hoon-Kra¡¯s next target. He¡¯d never trained to fight psychics, and was an even easier mark than Vanbrook, who remained under Hoon-Kra¡¯s control.


    ¡°Now you finally get to do it, Darvik!¡± said Hoon-Kra. He puppeteered Darvik into throwing down his rifle and drawing his sword. ¡°You get to kill Vanbrook! Then I¡¯ll kill you, obviously.¡±


    Hoon-Kra grinned a wide and horrible grin as Darvik¡¯s hand came back at his command, his sword pointed at Vanbrook¡¯s chest and ready to plunge. Hoon-Kra threw his hands up in wild theatrics, ready to kill one marionette with another. Suddenly his eyes went wide and he stumbled back as if he¡¯d been punched in the face. Vanbrook and Darvik fell like ragdolls. Vanbrook looked over to see Raivyn stumbling around the corner of the Swamp¡¯s Pride.


    ¡°I knew you couldn¡¯t keep up a shield and control two puppets,¡± she said, staring Hoon-Kra in the eyes. ¡°Now tell me¡­ are you ready to fight someone who can fight back?¡±


    Hoon-Kra snarled and balled up his fists, firing a shotgun-like spread of T-bolts at his enemies. Vanbrook and Darvik rolled out of the way and avoided serious injury. Raivyn blocked the attack psychically and returned fire, a steady stream of T-bolts ripping through the air, keeping Hoon-Kra on his back foot.


    ¡°Go!¡± shouted Raivyn to Vanbrook and Darvik. ¡°Take out the amplifier!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± screamed Hoon-Kra, spittle flying from his lips. ¡°You won¡¯t take this from me now!¡± Putting half of his effort into a shield and the other half into a hail of T-bolts, he tried to take out Vanbrook and Darvik. The two duelists scrambled around the Swamp¡¯s Pride, running towards the amplifier. Vanbrook fired a nova round into the box, but it didn¡¯t penetrate the outer shell.


    ¡°He built it better than that,¡± said Darvik. ¡°We¡¯ll have to try and crack it open, then we can shoot the guts and that ought to do it.¡±


    A T-bolt fired over their heads and slammed into the antenna, denting it badly.


    ¡°Or we can just let him do it himself,¡± said Vanbrook, cracking half a smile.


    Hoon-Kra ran towards them, with Raivyn close behind. Despite the Krauqian¡¯s naturally long legs, he was soon winded and Raivyn overtook him, forcing him into close quarters combat with another psychic. He was accustomed to battles of the will and of the mind; battles of the flesh were not something he excelled in.


    Raivyn pushed out with telekinetic force against Hoon-Kra¡¯s head while dropping down and sweeping his legs with a kick. He fell flat on his back. Furious, he fired a spike of T-waves into Raivyn¡¯s mind, trying to put the battle back on a field he was comfortable with.


    ***


    Raivyn was caught off guard by the sudden change in the battle¡¯s rhythm, and Hoon-Kra¡¯s attack was a success. A stab of fear ran through Raivyn, but she refused to let it weaken her resolve, instead purging his presence from her mind with an explosion of telepathic power.


    Meanwhile, Vanbrook and Darvik were trying in vain to break open the amplifier.


    ¡°Alright, stand back,¡± said Vanbrook in annoyance, pulling his revolver again.


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to-¡±


    The gunshot and reverberating metal cut Darvik off mid-thought, and a small crack appeared in the case of the amplifier. Darvik shoved his blade into the opening and pulled back on it, using his saber as a crowbar.


    Hoon-Kra pushed Raivyn back, once again changing tactics on a dime. Roaring in his madness, Hoon-Kra blasted the most devastating T-bolt he could summon at Darvik.


    The case of the amplifier was beginning to give way, and Vanbrook slipped his saber into the increasingly wide opening, pulling along with Darvik. The case popped open, and Darvik and Vanbrook fell back. Just as they did, Hoon-Kra¡¯s T-bolt ripped through the air and slammed into the amplifier. There was a fiery burst, and when it subsided the amplifier lay in scattered, smoldering pieces. Vanbrook noticed his headache was gone, as well.


    ¡°I told you we could just let him do it,¡± said Vanbrook, smiling wide.


    Darvik was lying on the ground, unmoving. Vanbrook looked around in panic to see the others were as well. Something had taken the psychics down when the amplifier was destroyed. He ran to Raivyn¡¯s side, checking her breathing and pulse.


    ¡°Rai! Rai! Wake up!¡± he cried, shaking her by the shoulders.


    Raivyn¡¯s good eye fluttered open and she looked around, confused. ¡°V- Van? Oh, Van, did we do it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°The amplifier¡¯s destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Must¡¯ve been some kind of psychic backlash when you destroyed it,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    ¡°You better be,¡± said Vanbrook with a smile.


    She smiled back at him.


    ¡°I know my timing is awful here, but, uh, can I take you out to dinner when all this is over?¡± he asked. ¡°Look, I know I¡¯m a jerk and everything, but please -¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Raivyn, looking up at him, her one good eye tired and misty. ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡±


    Vanbrook beamed and stood up suddenly, taking Raivyn by the hand and pulling her into a long, deep hug.


    ¡°You¡¯re the coolest person I¡¯ve ever met,¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°You¡¯re the kindest man I¡¯ve ever known,¡± said Raivyn.


    ***


    Hoon-Kra stood up, dragging himself from the ground, wheezing quietly as he tried to remain unnoticed. He pulled a knife from between his robes and stalked towards the embracing couple. Their eyes were closed. Just a few more steps. Suddenly a blade was thrust through his brains. Darvik stood beside him, looking on grimly as he pulled the sword back out of Hoon-Kra¡¯s skull, letting his body slump to the ground, lifeless.


    He wiped the gore from his blade and sheathed it again. ¡°Scheme your way out of that, you monster.¡±


    ***


    Something bothered Crush about her surroundings. They were at once familiar and alien. She stood on a black plane, a glowing red mist all around her. The mist seemed dangerous, but at the same time powerless. She pushed back against it, and it fled.


    ¡°I believe it¡¯s time to wake up,¡± she said.


    When she opened her eyes, though she hadn¡¯t been aware they were closed, she found herself kneeling on the deck of the Liberty, a massive battle going on all around her. Across the deck she saw Admiral Grim cutting through her soldiers like so much tissue paper. She rose and charged in, gun at the ready. Hacksaw strode up beside her, ready to die by her side.

 Chapter 3.40: The Fever Breaks & Epilogue

    ¡°The Astralbians have gone crazy!¡± said Swampy over the comms.


    The void wasps had lost any sense of order, zipping around the aether as though lost. They were furious, and attacked viciously, but lacked discipline and focus and were easily dispatched.


    ¡°Yeah, but this looks like¡­ an opportunity,¡± said Drixen.


    ¡°What do you have in mind, Textbook?¡± asked Swampy.


    ¡°Look, the great eyes are open,¡± he answered.


    ¡°So I can prowl around freely, waiting for one of them to start glowing?¡± asked Kaihla.


    Drixen grinned. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ***


    D¡¯Jarric blasted another of the mad Kooans that had broken ranks and tried to charge them. It had become a standoff, with an increasingly large horde of the worshipers of Koo L¡¯Koom, whose name they continually chanted, surrounding the campsite, which bristled with spears and swords. It seemed the mad ones were waiting for their numbers to be sufficient before charging in, and that the sheer numbers would be the death of the whole camp, Trebor and D¡¯Jarric falling with them.


    A low rumbling sound caught D¡¯Jarric¡¯s ear. He smiled. ¡°I believe we¡¯re soon out of here, Trebor.¡±


    Trebor looked towards the noise and saw the Swamp¡¯s Pride coming over the cliff that overhung the camp.


    ¡°Depends who¡¯s flying,¡± said Trebor.


    As if in answer, the ships guns began to fire, breaking the enemy lines with massive blasts. The cowardly horde scattered suddenly, and the Kooans in the camp roared with joy and chased behind them, routing the scattering enemy.


    The Swamp¡¯s Pride landed in an open area at the base of the scale, and soon Vanbrook, Raivyn, and Darvik came out to greet Tru¡¯ik, D¡¯Jarric, and Trebor.


    Tru¡¯ik, the invaders are destroyed, and so is their wicked creation, said Raivyn.


    That is welcome news, said Tru¡¯ik. And now you will leave, as well?


    Yes, we have things we must attend to, answered Raivyn.


    That is welcome news, as well, noted Tru¡¯ik. Koo L¡¯Koom is no place for outsiders. Though I have enjoyed the company of this lesser god who is not a god.


    D¡¯Jarric nodded. I have enjoyed yours, as well.


    With that the party boarded the Swamp¡¯s Pride and shot off into the aether.


    ***


    Keshri, Grepk, and Krum-Bahk fought side by side with the Xanthous Brotherhood, clearing the entrenched and loyal elite Astralbian forces that held the command room of the tree. The others had taken other floors, but they had allowed the most armored force available to be the ones to take the most heavily guarded room. A massive Astralbian with a huge cutlass attacked Krum-Bahk head on, but the equally massive Krauqian was ready for him. The Astralbian was dizzied by the duelist¡¯s ability to wield a cutlass, and found himself frustrated and ultimately destroyed.


    Fists and high caliber weapons crushed through the electromagnetic fields that made up the bodies of the enemy, and soon the Marines and Xanthous Brothers stood alone in the command room. Reclan and the others joined them shortly.


    ¡°The fort is ours,¡± said Relcan triumphantly.


    The strike force cheered, but the mad Shairet psychics outside pounded on the doors. They had gone almost instantly from the besiegers to the besieged. However, the sound of the maddened horde died off. It was as though someone threw a switch, and the murderous energy of the Shairet psychics died away, replaced by a confused, subdued murmur. Reclan looked at Doc questioningly, unsure what to make of the sudden shift outside.


    ¡°Should we, uh, let them in?¡± asked Doc.


    ***


    Crush fought for her life beside Hacksaw, but she was shocked at the strength of the Ramshackle soldiers. Her sailors were literally being torn apart.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve noticed our upgrades,¡± said Grim. ¡°You see, the Astralbians wanted stronger allies. We threw off the shackles of the Code and let loose the full fury of the Robot!


    ¡°Oh, and Hacksaw, I see that you¡¯ve betrayed me again.¡±


    ¡°Betraying you once was a privilege,¡± said Hacksaw. ¡°Betraying you twice was an honor.¡±


    Crush looked questioningly at Hacksaw who shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything later.¡±


    Grim laughed and stomped over towards them, throwing aside friend and foe alike. Crush fired at him, and blasted some of the armor off his shoulder, but he kept coming. She blasted out a burst of T-waves, and he stumbled back.


    ¡°You dare!?¡± he demanded.


    Hacksaw ran at him, trying to take advantage of the moment, but Grim grabbed hold of him and threw him into the wall of his cabin, where he stayed, lying still against the wall, held not by magnets but by twisted metal.


    Crush looked to Hacksaw for just a moment, and when she turned back Grim was on top of her. He grabbed her by the throat and ripped her off the deck.


    ***


    Drixen¡¯s strategy was paying off handsomely. A few of the star trees had tried to fire in their distracted state, and they had paid dearly for it. Much of the Astralbian fleet was in ruins. The great mother tree began to move, and the fighters converged on it, but it began to flee, and then jumped, leaving the battlefield nearly empty.


    ¡°We¡¯re not done just yet,¡± cried Drai. ¡°The Ramshackle fleet is attacking the Free Revolutionary Fleet! All forces, focus your fire accordingly!


    ¡°I am also happy to announce that our heroes are on their way back from Koo L¡¯Koom, and have called from a commandeered Koomite vessel to inform us of their victory. The Koomite device responsible for the psychic disturbance has been destroyed! Victory is ours, now let¡¯s see it through!¡±


    ***


    A heavy metal fist landing on Crush¡¯s face plate once again. She struggled in vain against Grim¡¯s superior strength, his rusty laughter echoing in her mind. Then, through staticky eyes, she saw the mother tree jump away. She laughed.


    ¡°Your friends have abandoned you,¡± she said. Her voice cracked and sputtered through broken speakers.


    Grim looked over to see the empty battlefield, and the converging Republic forces. He roared. ¡°You¡¯ll die either way, traitor!¡± He tore Crush¡¯s head from her shoulders. Then, still holding on to her by what was left of her neck, he tore her arm off, and began slamming her body into the deck, tearing open her torso to reveal her core. He pulled his fist back to crush the core and snuff her out entirely.


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    There was a deafening bang and Grim¡¯s world spun. Hacksaw stood behind him, having just put a heavy round into the back of Grim¡¯s head.


    ¡°Your allies are gone,¡± seethed Hacksaw. ¡°Your soldiers are fleeing. You may have killed Crush, but she has a legacy. You have nothing.¡±


    Grim looked to see that his pirates, who had just been tearing through the enemy, had now begun to flee back to the ships, which were turning from the battlefield en masse and jumping as quickly as they were able. He roared in anger, turning his fury on Hacksaw now. Despite a hail of heavy gunfire, Hacksaw quickly found himself in Grim¡¯s grasp.


    There was another deafening bang, this time through Grim¡¯s torso. His eyes flickered and went out. Hacksaw stepped back and saw that Grim¡¯s chest was torn open, and his core was shattered. Behind him lay Crush, headless and one-armed, propped up on her single elbow. She had fired a deadly T-bolt into Grim¡¯s core. Now she went limp. Hacksaw rushed over to grab her before she floated off into the aether.


    ***


    Less than a day later, the Swamp¡¯s Pride landed on the surface of Gateway, greeted by cheering masses of the soldiers, sailors, Marines, and warriors who stood on a field of victory. They landed in the scorched remains of the Astralbian encampment, where the Wingspan sat alongside the Gladius, the Pinion, and the rest of the Silver Star Fleet as well as the Liberty and many other FRF and PIC ships. Reclan ran up and hugged Vanbrook and D¡¯Jarric. Raivyn stood behind them, and Reclan hadn¡¯t noticed her wound yet.


    ¡°We won!¡± she shouted. ¡°The Astralbians fled, and so did the Ramshackle fleet. Crush killed Grim, and we¡¯re not sure about Jylik just yet. There are rumors he was killed when the madness hit and¡­ and what happened to your eye, Rai?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ruined,¡± said Raivyn, shaking her head as though she didn¡¯t mind, and smiling wider than Reclan had seen her smile in a long time, maybe ever. ¡°But we won, too. Hoon-Kra is dead. Now all that¡¯s left is a celebratory date.¡± She looked up at Vanbrook, who smiled sheepishly back at her.


    Reclan balked. ¡°I need DETAILS!¡± she screeched.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look at that eye in a moment,¡± said Doc. ¡°But I think Jasken might want a word.¡±


    Ol¡¯ Blue descended from the sky, Jasken sitting imposingly on his back.


    ¡°Welcome back, all,¡± said Jasken. He dismounted and approached Talon Squad. ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not the last we¡¯ll see of¡­ well, any of them. But I believe we broke the back of the Empire, and the Koomites have no real power without their backing.


    ¡°As for you,¡± he turned to Darvik. ¡°You will submit yourself to the brig aboard the Wingspan until we return to Griffonia.¡±


    Darvik nodded, but Trebor stepped forward.


    ¡°Darvik is a psychic of unknown ability,¡± said the RTS agent. ¡°I will keep him under my custody until we return to Griffonia.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Jasken. ¡°He¡¯s your problem, then.¡±


    Vanbrook scowled but said nothing.


    ¡°There are more important considerations, Jasken!¡± cried Reclan. ¡°Vanbrook and Raivyn have a DATE planned!¡±


    Jasken stared at the impudent Dromean harshly for a moment. Then his eyes wandered to Vanbrook and Raivyn, who were trying and failing to suppress wide, giddy smiles. Then something amazing happened. Jasken laughed. His face split into a wide grin and he laughed until he was doubled over¨Ca deep, heartfelt, joyous laugh.


    ¡°Now?¡± he asked, wiping away tears. ¡°Now you two figure it out? Oh, that¡¯s something. That¡¯s really something.¡±


    ***


    As much as everyone was eager to go home, it was decided that while shields were recharging and ships were being repaired that a victory banquet would be held on Gateway. In preparation, the dead were gathered and mourned. Crush¡¯s broken body was set out on the deck of the Liberty. Though much of her circuitry was destroyed, her core was still intact. Hacksaw insisted that she would be returned to Cradle, where FRF smiths would repair her body. In the meantime, she could be visited and honored aboard the Liberty.


    The banquet was held out of doors in an open space by the airfield. Prime Minister Skritka had come, as well as Baron Grubula, King Hrynkak and Elder Rehkna, and a number of other dignitaries. Talon Squad sat together with the Marines and Scouts, scarfing down the meats, cheeses, and vegetables that had been brought along by Skritka from Griffonia. The meal was a bittersweet occasion for Talon Squad, who would be parting ways with Hrake as he headed back to Hruduk, his quest to learn about the wider galaxy having been fulfilled.


    As the meal was winding down, Jasken stood up and got the attention of the revelers. ¡°My friends,¡± he began. ¡°It feels like a lifetime ago that the Blue Griffon Fleet set out for Hittania. Our discoveries there led us through many hardships, and, with Providence shining upon us, we overcame them.¡± The crowd cheered and banged on the table. ¡°And certainly it was a lifetime ago that I joined the Navy.¡± There was a burst of laughter from the table, and Jasken grinned. ¡°Which is why I am today announcing my retirement from the Griffon Republic Navy.¡±


    Now there was silence, followed by a few unsure claps that erupted into a cheering applause. ¡°After we return to Griffonia, I will officially relinquish command of the Blue Griffon Fleet to Admiral Hunt.¡± The young admiral stood up from where he was seated next to Jasken and waved to the crowd. There was another round of applause. ¡°Enjoy this feast. Tomorrow will bring its own trouble. Today, we celebrate. Providence shine on us all.¡±


    The feast went on for some time before something in the atmosphere changed. Raivyn felt the tinge of a headache coming on. The sun seemed to lose a bit of its brightness, as though some huge, unseen object had passed between the sun and the planet. She turned to Vanbrook.


    ¡°Koo L¡¯Koom,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡±


    A wave of panic rippled through the crowd, and Skritka rose up as if to say something when a burst of light emanated from the Liberty. Crush¡¯s broken body rose into the air, her severed head and arm floating in place. Raivyn¡¯s headache subsided, washed away by a sense of peace.


    ¡°I am Crush,¡± said the levitating Robot in a voice that carried over the whole crowd. ¡°I am the Guardian of the Cradle, the homeworld of my people and of the Astralbians, appointed by the Progenitor to defend the people of the Cornucopia Cluster and the wider galaxy from the terror of the aether beasts. Do not fear, for the Guardian has returned.¡±


    The sun brightened again, and Crush¡¯s body laid back down, the glow softening until it was gone. She lay as she had before, as though nothing had happened. The feeling of peace was all she left behind. Everyone stared on in awe, unsure of what to make of what they had just witnessed.


    Epilogue


    The farmhouse sat in the middle of an open field. It wasn¡¯t a huge house, nor was it new, but it was well-kept, with a perfectly trimmed lawn and immaculate shrubbery. A huge, gnarled tree stood by the house, with an ancient-looking swing hanging from it, swinging a little in a gentle breeze. Ol¡¯ Blue lay curled up in front of the porch, snoring softly and soaking up the afternoon sun. Jasken sat on a chair on the porch, a glass of Griffonian rum in one hand and a cookie in the other.


    Vanbrook and Raivyn ambled up the front walk, and Jasken rose to greet them. ¡°Thanks for coming out, you two,¡± he said happily.


    Gone was the stern admiral Vanbrook had learned to admire. Here was an old man whom he¡¯d learned to love. They had gotten back to Griffonia a few weeks ago, and Jasken had wasted no time fixing up his old place and settling into civilian life.


    ¡°Of course, Admiral,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only ones I let call me that,¡± he laughed. ¡°All the folks who served under me, I mean. Here, have a cookie. Mairen dropped them off last time she was here.¡±


    ¡°I heard she retired, as well,¡± said Vanbrook coyly. ¡°You two spending a lot of time together?¡±


    ¡°We plan on spending quite a bit of our time together,¡± said Jasken, smiling sheepishly. ¡°We¡¯re too old to waste time about these things. I¡¯ve asked her to marry me. She agreed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°How about you two?¡± asked Jasken. ¡°Tell me about that date.¡±


    ¡°We, uh, haven¡¯t had it yet,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°I¡¯m trying to get a reservation some place, and it¡¯s just been really busy since we got back.¡±


    ¡°Take it from an old man, Vanbrook,¡± said Jasken. ¡°Time slips away quicker than you think.¡±


    Vanbrook nodded.


    ¡°But why don¡¯t you fill me in a little,¡± said Jasken. ¡°What¡¯s happening out in the galaxy?¡±


    ¡°Well, we took back Thioa,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Jylik is well and truly dead, and the Empire is a kingdom once again, though notably one without a king. General Wyven has been released back to the Astralbians and appears to be consolidating power on Astralbia, while Trilia returned to Koomia and has been trying to recruit cultists. I suppose one of them owns Quarry now, but they¡¯ll have to sort that out on their own.


    ¡°On the positive side of things, Crush has been returned to Cradle, and there¡¯s been a steady pilgrimage of Robots and Astralbians who want to know more about their ancestral homeworld.¡±


    Jasken shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s so much more to this galaxy than we realize. What about Darvik?¡±


    Vanbrook frowned. ¡°The RTS swept him out of the public eye, but they¡¯ve been hinting to the press that he¡¯s some kind of tragic hero. I don¡¯t know what their angle is, but I¡¯d like to see Darvik before a firing squad before the year is out.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s not ruin the moment,¡± said Jasken. He motioned to two additional chairs that sat on the porch, and poured the couple some drinks.


    Vanbrook and Raivyn sat by Jasken and enjoyed some rum and cookies. They talked for a long time, watching the sun fall below the horizon, painting the sky in purples, pinks and oranges. Providence was shining upon them, indeed.

 Book 3 Bonus Content: Flash Fictions

    Gremlins Aboard


    At this point of the orientation tour, the head maintenance officer and I were on our hands and knees, shuffling through the crawl spaces below decks.  Noticing that we breezed past an access hatch, I asked, "where does this lead?"


    The old spacer looked at me and let out a long sigh.


    "Nowhere good."


    "Then shouldn''t I know about it? I do own the ship now, after all." My curiosity piqued, I pressed for answers. Another sigh.


    "That''s where the gremlins nest."


    "Those little ape creatures, like the one you blasted in the galley earlier?"


    He nodded.


    "Well then toss me a fumigation charge, that''ll fix ''em." The maintenance officer grimaced as I opened the hatch.


    "See," he began sheepishly, "that''s what I wanted to avoid. You''ll think I''m a crazy old spacer. But that gremlin I got deckside was¡­ out of bounds, so to speak. Got caught up top, paid the price.  But if you take the war to the gremlins on *their* turf, you''ll regret it."


    I started dumbly at the crazy old spacer but said nothing. Taking courage from the fact I didn''t shut him down, he continued.


    "See, every ship''s got gremlins. But the difference between an infestation and a war is about boundaries. We could fumigate, sure, but survivors- and, mark my words, there would be survivors- go from stealing the odd bolt or scrap to sabotaging the life support.


    "It''s no fun to wake up in the middle of the night to a gremlin gnawing on your bones, or drinking up the last of the water supply. A lot of good sailors have died bad deaths, all in the name of cleaning out the ship. Mark my words, sir, it ain''t worth it."


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Maybe it was the honesty in the old man''s voice. Maybe it was my own superstition. Maybe it was the way the beady eyes in the darkness below seemed to wink as I closed the hatch. For whatever reason, I knew I''d better listen to the officer. Latching the door shut, I nodded to him. He smiled and turned around, continuing the tour of my- of our- ship.


    Rum Runners


    ¡°You¡¯ve got five seconds to get that gremlin-infested ship out of my spaceport!¡± spat the toad-like Krauquian port boss.


    Burnik hesitated, clicking his claws on his chest. He only needed to keep the port boss from doing anything drastic before his driver arrived with the Griffonian rum. That single crate would make the difference between the Mayblin making a profit- for the first time- or running at a deficit for another month.


    ¡°I have a full minute, actually,¡± said Burnik, his falling crest belying his nonchalant attitude.


    ¡°What!?¡± demanded the port boss, his naturally bulging eyes nearly popping out of his head.


    ¡°I have a full minute,¡± he repeated. ¡°After a hauler has been notified that they are no longer welcome at a port, the crew has five minutes to conclude their affairs before heading directly to their hauler and leaving. You¡¯ve been berating me for-¡± he checked his watch, ¡°-three and a half minutes. So I have one and a half minutes left.¡±


    An intelligent but neurotic Dromean, Burnik was terrible with maintenance. He was awful with people. But rules he could work with. He had  gone to school to be a lawyer, but a series of misadventures had landed him a ship to call his own. One that was, in fact, gremlin-infested.


    The port boss gathered himself, ready to begin another tirade, when a screeching sound came from across the spaceport. He and Burnik turned to see a utility craft with a single crate strapped down to the bed coming around a corner fast enough that the bumper tilted down and scraped the concrete. Burnik motioned for the driver, one of his more competent, if bombastic, employees, to slow down. The craft slowed its approach- slightly- and drove up the ramp into the Mayblin, where Burnik was sure all hands would begin strapping it down.


    ¡°Tell your driver to slow down in my port,¡± grumbled the port boss.


    ¡°Will do,¡± said Burnik, turning towards his ship with nearly a minute to spare. ¡°And next time, leave the gremlins out of this.¡±

 Book 4 Prologue and Chapter 4.1: The Dragon Awakens

    Prologue


    Vanbrook stared down the street as he adjusted his ribbony tie for the umpteenth time, fastened at his throat with a metal broach. The kindly old salesman at the clothier had assured him it was the latest style, and had patiently shown him how to fasten it. Vanbrook hoped he''d gotten it right when he did it on his own.


    He stood outside of Kerucester¡¯s finest dining establishment. The First Home Bistro was known for its Aeratan cuisine. It was hard to get a reservation, even for war heroes, but Vanbrook had managed it.


    What made him so nervous wasn''t the venue¨Cor the tie, for that matter¨Cso much as it was his date. Raivyn was the single most impressive person he knew. She was, in addition to being a deadly psychic warrior, smart, capable and driven. For some reason, she''d agreed to go on a date with him. He was sure he was going to mess it up.


    A taxi hovered up to the curb and a petite woman with an eye patch stepped out, yelling into the cab, ¡°¡®Rounded up¡¯ indeed! Keep the change and don''t think I''ll be using this cab service again!¡± She slammed the door, turning and blanching when she saw Vanbrook.


    ¡°Hey, Raivyn,¡± said Vanbrook, his face lighting up at the sight of the fiery psychic.


    She smoothed her dress and smiled sheepishly up at him, the fire starting to fade from her eye as embarrassment started to overshadow anger. The simple green evening gown she wore brought out the flecks of emerald in her dark eye and complimented her fair complexion. Her black hair was, as ever, in a tight military bun, a few rogue locks hanging over her brow.


    ¡°Rough ride over?¡± He asked, nodding his head towards the departing cab.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, sorry,¡± she said, studying the sidewalk for a moment. ¡°The cabbies in this town are great, except for the ones that aren¡¯t.¡±


    Vanbrook laughed. Raivyn looked up at him, the corners of her lips turning up in her first true smile of the evening. He was in formal wear, which was a strange look for him, and had on a frilly tie that wasn''t entirely unflattering, but looked out of place to Raivyn. His dark eyes and aquiline features were what really caught her eye, along with his military haircut, which actually looked combed for a change. She couldn''t help but smile at the goofball, and part of her couldn''t believe this was happening. Their relationship had always been strained by their oil-and-water personality differences, but when Vanbrook finally asked her out to a romantic dinner, she hoped they¡¯d finally found their stride.


    ¡°New eye patch?¡± asked Vanbrook. A cold sensation like a bucket of icewater washed over his mind as he heard his own careless words.


    ¡°Oh, um, yes!¡± answered Raivyn with a laugh, her hand going to the silky black patch over her ruined eye. ¡°You noticed! Reclan keeps trying to talk me into a bionic replacement but I hear they can be itchy, plus the maintenance is a pain. So yeah, I researched ¡®fashionable eyepatch,¡¯ and this was the best I could find.¡±


    ¡°It, uh, looks nice,¡± said Vanbrook. Happy that his observation had been well-received, he smiled and offered Raivyn his arm, leading her into the restaurant.


    Checking in with the host and finding their table, the two sat quietly studying the menus for a moment.


    ¡°Does it¡­ look like the kind of food you grew up on?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°No,¡± said Raivyn casually. ¡°This is the kind of stuff rich Aeratans eat. I never really cared for it.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Vanbrook, his face falling. Preparing this evening had taken a lot of work, and he hated to think it had all been for naught.


    Raivyn blushed. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean-¡±


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine, I should have asked,¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°Ah, there we go!¡± said Raivyn, voice thick with exaggerated enthusiasm. ¡°Blueback filet. Mom used to make that on special occasions. That¡¯ll be lovely.¡±


    Vanbrook smiled weakly.


    Raivyn bit her lip, thinking for a moment. ¡°Van, I have to tell you something.¡±


    He looked up, worry obvious on his face.


    ¡°No¨Clook¨Cit¡¯s not that bad,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°It¡¯s just a work thing. I have to go to Aerat with Admiral Hunt before we head back out to explore the Cornucopia Cluster. It¡¯s some kind of outreach venture, and since I¡¯m a native Aeratan he wants me to go along. The rest of the Blue Griffon Fleet is going to rendezvous with us out there in a few weeks and then we¡¯ll get to see each other again.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay, when do you leave?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°In two days,¡± she answered. ¡°I know the timing isn¡¯t great.¡±


    Vanbrook shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll keep in touch.¡± He smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t make enough to buy you meals you don¡¯t like, anyway.¡±


    She tried to shoot him a stern look, but a smile broke through.


    He raised his hands in surrender, laughing.


    Chapter 1: The Dragon Awakens


    Nearly a lightyear away from Griffonia, a massive field of purple electromagnetic energy hurdled through the aether. The field was shaped like an oblong sphere that rocketed forward like a torpedo. Inside the field was a long series of sleek and polished metal structures that looked like a cross between train cars and low-lying metal towers.


    In the foremost structure, Farbin¡¯s eyes flickered open. He stretched, his long metal arms nearly reaching the ceiling. He flexed his long, slender fingers to circulate blood through them. He ran his hands over his tabard, smoothing out the wrinkles. In the tightly controlled environment, The smooth metal that made up most of his body and his belt buckle, a globe orbited by an angular dragon, had kept the fresh-polished look they¡¯d had when he set his course.


    He reached up to smooth his coarse, black beard, wondering why the Council forbade shaving. All their people had done to eliminate the gross necessities of biological life, but still all males were required to grow the filthy things.


    Dismissing the thought, he ran a quick diagnostic and found that his body had been well maintained during his centuries-long sleep. He would have to refill his lubricant hoppers, but that was to be expected. The drones couldn¡¯t do it all. His biological elements appeared to be in good health, as well. Aging had been brought to a standstill in the stasis field he¡¯d slept in, so he was still a young and healthy one hundred fifty-year-old.


    Standing up from the chair he¡¯d spend the last few decades in, Farbin walked over to the main console. He wouldn¡¯t wake the Council up until he knew he¡¯d found a good candidate for invasion.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± he said in a low, rasping voice. A planet appeared on the report. It was blue and green, with wispy white clouds covering much of the surface. The radio and other electromagnetic waves that emanated from the world suggested the inhabitants were not only sapient, but somewhat technologically advanced. ¡°What have we here?¡±


    The neon sign flickered back and forth between the image of a griffon holding a mug of something frothy out in front of itself and one where it was pouring the beverage into its open maw. The Squiffy Griff was exactly the kind of establishment Darvik had been avoiding since he¡¯d returned to Griffonia, but duty called. His meandering career path had taken him from professional duelist to petty criminal to murderer to cultist and now, by way of having his sentence commuted, to agent of the Republic Telepathic Services Rogue Psychic Taskforce. Through all that, he¡¯d kicked his drinking habit and learned he had latent psychic abilities. It had been a wild year.


    Stepping down into the dimly lit pub, he waited for his eyes to adjust. The bar was mostly empty, with just a few patrons sitting alone quietly or in groups of two or three. He walked past the tables and up to the bar, sitting down on one of the stools and calling to the bartender.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s happening, Criddek?¡± he said, casually as he could.


    The burly Dromean turned around, a scaly eyebrow raised in suspicion. Seeing Darvik sitting at the bar with a smile on his scruffy face, Criddek grinned, showing off a mouthful of sharp teeth. ¡°Darvik! Heard you died out in that Cornucopia Cluster the newspapers can¡¯t stop talking about!¡±


    Darvik shrugged. ¡°Nah. Had a rough go of it, but found my way back home.¡±


    ¡°Drink?¡± asked Criddek pointing to the wall of bottles behind himself. ¡°Pick your poison. First one¡¯s on me.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Darvik, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m off the stuff for good.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the plan, Darvik,¡± said a stony, bitter voice in his ear. ¡°You are going to unnecessarily raise his suspicions.¡±


    Darvik ignored the voice.


    ¡°Really?¡± asked Criddek, tilting his head to the side. ¡°What brings you into my bar, then? Forgive me, but I¡¯m assuming it wasn¡¯t just to say hello to little ol¡¯ me.¡±


    Darvik smiled. ¡°Ha. I¡¯m hurt. But you¡¯re right. I¡¯m, uh, looking for work, as it were.¡±


    ¡°Get in contact with Dewlin,¡± said Criddek. ¡°You used to do odd jobs for him, right?¡±


    Darvik cringed. ¡°Ah, yeah, last I was in town Dewlin and I had a bit of a¡­ falling out.¡±


    Creddik shrugged. ¡°Well, Dewlin runs it all in Kerucester. You want work, you better get back on his good side.¡±


    ¡°I hear there¡¯s someone else,¡± said Darvik, looking down at the empty bar in front of himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know anything about it,¡± said Criddek with a little too much finality.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the Puppet Master,¡± said Darvik.


    The ¡°Puppet Master,¡± as the papers had called him, had been psychically puppeteering security guards, bank tellers, and apparently random passers-by to commit massive thefts in recent weeks. The earliest occurrences had all been in the vicinity of the Squiffy Griff, and Darvik had been sent by Trebor to pump Criddek for information.


    ¡°Then I definitely don¡¯t know anything about it,¡± said Criddek. He had put his hands on the bar opposite Darvik and was staring him in the eyes. ¡°Besides, they say he works alone.¡±


    ¡°Well, it sounds like you know¡­ something,¡± coaxed Darvik.


    Criddek¡¯s eyes narrowed. Something like cold fingers stabbed into Darvik¡¯s mind. He tensed up, trying to push Criddek out of his brain, but he was failing.


    ¡°Got a gun on you, don¡¯t you?¡± said Criddek.


    Darvik grunted, trying to white-knuckle his way through the attack.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to pull it, push it against your temple, and pull the trigger,¡± taunted Criddek. ¡°Everyone will think it¡¯s so sad how poor old Darvik, once-promising pro athlete, traveled all around the galaxy, kicked his drinking habit, and then wound up ending it all in a dive bar in the south side of Kerucester.¡±


    It was Darvik¡¯s will against Criddek¡¯s now, and Darvik felt like victory was in grasp. Instead of reaching for it, Darvik let his arm start to go through the motion of pulling his gun, fighting just enough to slow Criddek down. The cold barrel pressed against his skull.


    Two shots rang out, and Darvik¡¯s arm snapped away from his head, his mind released from the Puppet Master¡¯s attack. He watched as the two bullets slammed into the deadly psychic¡¯s shoulders, dropping him to the floor. He turned to see Trebor standing in the doorway, his long, dark cloak still rustling from his entrance, his twin pistols in his hands, and his icy blue eyes locked onto Darvik.


    As soon as the shots went off, everyone in the bar had fled to the back door or hunkered behind a table. Trebor walked into the room, eyeing the remaining patrons. His tall, lanky form paired with a gaunt, pale face and slick black hair made for an imposing figure. No one stood up.


    ¡°Cut that a bit close, don¡¯t you think?¡± asked Darvik, getting up and walking around the bar to tend to Criddek.


    ¡°Would have been fine if you had played your part more intelligently,¡± scoffed Trebor.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± said Darvik dismissively. He looked down at Criddek, who was groaning in pain in an increasingly large puddle of his own blood. ¡°Looks like we got our man.¡±


    Vanbrook smoothed his mustache as the Bombard, the Blue Griffon Fleet¡¯s new destroyer-class gunship, approached Aerat to rendezvous with the Wingspan.


    Reclan looked on with disgust, her crimson crest of feathers flattened against her head. ¡°What, are you checking to make sure it didn¡¯t crawl off?¡±


    Vanbrook looked at her, offense written all over his face. ¡°Raivyn¡¯s seen it already over a video comm, you know, and she said it looked, and I quote, ¡®dashing.¡¯¡±


    Reclan rolled her eyes. ¡°All that time and effort trying to get the two of you together and this is what I get in return. I have to deal with mustaches and hearing about how ¡®dashing¡¯ they are.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about you, Rec,¡± said Vanbrook, some of his good humor returning.


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± offered Doc Manford, Talon Squad¡¯s medic. His unmoving, Robotic face accentuating his deadpan remark. ¡°We all have to look at the blasted thing.¡±


    Reclan howled with laughter, and D¡¯Jarric chuckled gently. The glowing golden Solaran hadn¡¯t said a word about the mustache, and as far as Vanbrook could tell, probably didn¡¯t much care one way or another, but always enjoyed a good-natured laugh at a squadmate¡¯s expense.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s my face, and I¡¯m keeping the thing,¡± said Vanbrook in semi-mock indignation.


    ¡°Just as long as you feed it and clean up for it,¡± retorted Reclan. Doc and D¡¯Jarric nearly doubled over laughing.


    A few hours later, the Bombard landed on Aerat in the Griffon Republic Embassy¡¯s airfield. The massive, torpedo-shaped gunship was dwarfed by the carrier-class Wingspan, the Blue Griffon Fleet¡¯s thousand-foot-long flagship. The Wingspan resembled a massive platform with a tall, dome-enclosed bridge tower that rose above the main structure of the ship. Attached to the massive carrier via airlock was the tower-like Shepherd, the fleet¡¯s medical and support ship.


    Captain Yulun, a Wabuluban female, stepped down the ramp of the Bombard and was greeted by Admiral Hunt, the fleet¡¯s newly-promoted ranking officer. Hunt had taken over command when Admiral Jasken had retired. He was young, but had proven himself a capable leader and Jasken had happily handed off the command to him before riding off into the proverbial sunset on Ol¡¯ Blue, his beloved pet griffon.


    Returning Yulun¡¯s salute, Hunt got down to business. ¡°Captain Yulun. I trust the trip went smoothly?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she replied. ¡°I suppose you¡¯ll be happy to take Talon Squad back under your wing, if you¡¯ll pardon the phrase. They should be here shortly.¡±


    Hunt¡¯s face would have soured if he hadn¡¯t learned from Jasken how to mask his emotions in front of his subordinates. Talon Squad was an elite, effective team to be sure. However, they also existed parallel to the chain of command in a way that had never sat well with Hunt. Vanbrook in particular had often been a thorn in Jasken''s side. It was the one element of the fleet Hunt had been less than happy to inherit.


    ¡°Then I didn''t miss them yet?¡± asked Raivyn, walking up with Lawbine, the Aeratan representative who would be traveling with them as they pushed further into the Cornucopia Cluster.


    Raivyn was the exception to the rule with Talon Squad. She was professional, dependable, and respectful. Scuttlebutt was that she and Vanbrook had gone out for a romantic dinner just before she''d left Griffonia. Hunt didn''t mind as long as Raivyn didn''t pick up Vanbrook''s habit of flaunting authority. He was an Admiral now, and his reputation may very well be built up or torn down by the actions of the elite Talon Squad.


    As Hunt mulled over the situation, Vanbrook appeared at the top of the ramp along with Reclan, Doc, and D''Jarric. Greeting Hunt with a sloppy salute, Vanbrook brushed past him and went to Raivyn.


    ¡°Rai! It''s great to see you!¡± he said.


    They stood smiling at each other awkwardly for a moment and then went in for a quick hug.


    Reclan rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, yes, your beau and his pet mustache are here now.¡±


    ¡°I think it looks dashing,¡± declared Raivyn.


    ¡°So we''ve heard,¡± noted Doc.


    ¡°Good to see you, Admiral,¡± said D''Jarric.


    Hunt regarded the Solaran. The glowing golden figure dressed in silver armor that stood before him was the electromagnetic avatar of D''Jarric, whose true presence and mind existed somewhere in the swirling inferno of a distant star. D''Jarric was respectful and kind, but had a way of working his own will quietly that made Hunt uncomfortable.


    ¡°You too, D''Jarric,¡± he said curtly.


    He turned to see Vanbrook and Lawbine sizing each other up silently. Both were tall and broad, but Lawbine was just a bit taller, with a square jaw and a more slender build. He sported a mustache as well, but his was wide and thick, reminding Hunt of Jasken''s signature facial hair, but still jet black with youth. He had deep olive skin and emerald eyes that looked sharp and clear as a pair of glass daggers. His long-tailed coat was opened wide, revealing a set of twin ray guns on either hip.


    The looks on their faces were at once neutral and menacing. Raivyn must have noticed it as well.


    ¡°Vanbrook, this is Lawbine,¡± she said. ¡°He''s an old friend, and he''s also going to be coming along as a representative of the Aeratan Nation¡¯s military.¡±


    ¡°Thought you Aeratans liked to stick close to the homeland,¡± said Vanbrook, his smile friendly but his eyes cold.


    ¡°We can make exceptions for a good cause,¡± said Lawbine with an easy smile. He had the lithe, easy slowness of a gunslinger, but the refined dress and speech of an Aeratan gentleman.


    Something about his voice grated on Vanbrook¡¯s nerves. Or maybe it was his clothes. Or the look in his eye. The more he considered it, the more he realized there wasn¡¯t anything about this newcomer that Vanbrook liked.


    ¡°Right,¡± said Reclan hesitantly. ¡°So, Admiral, what''s next?¡±


    ¡°We make our way to Hruduk,¡± said Hunt, walking back towards the Wingspan. ¡°We''re going to see some old friends.¡±

 Chapter 4.2: The Guardian Returns

    Ever since Crush¡¯s broken body had been returned to Cradle, things had been quiet. King Hua and Queen Shiu had seen to the influx of Astralbians pouring in from the recently defunct Astralbian Empire, and the Robots of the Free Revolutionary Fleet had been left to themselves as welcome guests of the monarchs.


    As Hacksaw understood it, the death of Emperor Jylik had left the Astralbians of Astralbia Prime leaderless, as Jylik had no heir. The Empress, Lady Trilia, had been accused of playing a part in the Emperor¡¯s demise and had been living out a self-imposed banishment on Koomia, playing the part of the leader of the aether beast-worshiping cult, the Koomites. Lord Wyven, who had been captured during the war, had returned to Astralbia Prime and began consolidating power, gathering as many lords and knights under his banner as he could.


    A sizable portion of the Astralbian people were so drawn to the idea of learning more about the planet their species originated on that they made the pilgrimage to Cradle. Whether they were there to settle down or simply to visit was unclear.


    Given Crush¡¯s state, Hacksaw had taken command of the FRF on a temporary basis. He had always been one of Crush¡¯s top advisors and had been there when Admiral Grim had torn her to pieces, only to have his core shot through by a telekinetic attack from Crush herself, and no one had questioned Hacksaw¡¯s right to succeed her. They had no idea how close he¡¯d come to betraying her in those pivotal moments.


    He had no idea what it meant that Crush was a telepathic Robot, or why she had influence over the aether beast, or why she rose from her deathbed, rebuked Koo L¡¯Koom, declared herself ¡°Guardian¡± of the Cornucopia Cluster and then promptly crumpled to the ground once more, but he knew that he was going to stay by her side for the rest of his life. The robo-smiths who¡¯d been working to restore Crush¡¯s body had been repeatedly frustrated, as her core seemed to reject and fry circuits that appeared to be entirely compatible. However, Hacksaw refused to spare any expense, and the team kept trying.


    At the moment, Hacksaw had left the smiths to their work and gone to oversee the core mine that the FRF had been helping the Astralbians dig. It seemed that every day they were uncovering at least one glowing, blue core that would be the basis for a brand new Robot, or Coreborn, as the natives of Cradle preferred to call them.


    Slag, the head miner, came out of one of the tunnels that had been carved into the mountain side, gently placing a freshly unearthed core in a cloth-lined transport.


    ¡°Captain Hacksaw!¡± he said, seeing the familiar Robot standing by the mine entrance. ¡°How goes it?¡±


    Hacksaw shrugged. ¡°No change for the good Admiral.¡±


    Slag nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a shame. Stripes still keeping her company?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Hacksaw, his spirits lifting a little at the memory of Crush¡¯s loyal pet batsquirrel. ¡°He won¡¯t leave her side. Of course, that doesn¡¯t get us any closer to restoring our fearless leader.¡±


    Slag looked beyond Hacksaw, down the hill that led to the verdant forest below. ¡°I have never seen Yrinla on a hoverbike before,¡± he said in mild surprise.


    Sure that the old miner was playing some kind of joke on him, Hacksaw looked intently at him before slowly turning to see exactly what he did not expect to see. Yrinla, the FRF¡¯s very own Astralbian tree priestess. On a hoverbike.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Hacksaw when Yrinla had pulled to a stop next to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s Crush,¡± she said breathlessly. ¡°She¡¯s waking up.¡±


    ***


    The trip to Hruduk would have been painfully boring, but Vanbrook was excited to be around Raivyn again. They shared their meals together with the rest of Talon Squad as they always had, but now Lawbine was with them as well. That didn¡¯t sit well with Vanbrook, but he kept his mouth shut, fighting his instinct to cause trouble. Between his blossoming romance with Raivyn and Hunt¡¯s new Admiralship, he had little interest in rocking the boat.


    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± said Lawbine, smiling. ¡°Raivyn used to toss me around like a rag doll!¡±


    ¡°Until you shot up like a weed one summer,¡± said Raivyn with a laugh. ¡°You were a little harder to ¡®toss around¡¯ after that.¡±


    Vanbrook stared dejectedly at his plate, stabbing a squishy green vegetable with undue malice. Reclan looked at him worriedly.


    ¡°Sparring with a taller opponent certainly helped me to hone my skills,¡± noted Raivyn.


    ¡°And how do you like your chances against Raivyn today?¡± asked D''Jarric, smiling at Lawbine.


    ¡°In hand-to-hand combat?¡± asked Lawbine with a chuckle. ¡°I don''t like my chances one bit. I mean, that''s why I started training as a marksman. Rai was never a great shot, and I wanted to make sure I could still show her up.¡±


    After dinner, Vanbrook retreated to his room, stewing with jealousy. Lawbine was a nightmarish amalgamation of everything a man in a blossoming romance feared¨Ca tall, suave, handsome childhood friend of his sweetheart¡¯s.


    There was a knock at the door. He opened it to find Raivyn looking up at him, a faint smile on her lips.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Hey, Van,¡± she said. ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± he asked dumbly. ¡°Oh, yeah, I''m fine.¡±


    Raivyn''s brow furrowed. ¡°You sure? You''ve seemed¡­ distant since we boarded the Wingspan.¡±


    Vanbrook shrugged and looked past Raivyn, gratified to see an empty hallway. ¡°Hey, uh, how about a romantic stroll through the grounds? We could walk around that strip between the bridge tower and the poly dome over it.¡±


    Raivyn laughed, slipping her arm under his. ¡°Sounds fantastic.¡±


    The couple made their way to the lower floor of the bridge and then stepped out onto the deck where the polymer dome the bridge sat under was the only thing separating them from the aether. They looked up at the stars together for a moment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t do this kind of thing enough,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°What? Go on walks with me?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    She slapped his shoulder. ¡°No. Stop and look at the stars,¡± she said. ¡°Sometimes we¡¯re tempted to think we¡¯ve mastered them. We can just hop from star to star and explore every world in the galaxy, but we¡¯re still just so¡­ small. I think the Progenitor stretched out the whole universe to be as huge as it is just so we¡¯d remember how small we are. Does that make sense?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure it does,¡± said Vanbrook with a nod. ¡°But, somehow, I know exactly what you mean.¡±


    She smiled up at him and they continued their walk. Rounding a corner, they spotted a tall, dark figure staring up into the aether. Vanbrook ground his teeth.


    ¡°Oh, hey Lawbine!¡± said Raivyn happily.


    ¡°Raivyn! Vanbrook. Good to see you two,¡± replied the gunslinger. ¡°Out enjoying the view? I suppose you two are used to it, but I usually don¡¯t get to see the stars up close like this.¡±


    ¡°I know where there¡¯s an airlock if you¡¯d like a closer look,¡± offered Vanbrook.


    The comment earned him another slap to the shoulder from Raivyn, but Lawbine broke out in a good-natured laugh.


    ¡°I can see what Raivyn likes about you,¡± he said. Then he winked at Raivyn. ¡°But at the same time I¡¯m surprised she puts up with it.¡±


    Vanbrook boiled, but Lawbine hadn¡¯t said anything out of line. He held his tongue.


    Lawbine joined them for a portion of their walk before breaking off and heading back inside. Vanbrook was glad to note that Raivyn¡¯s arm had stayed in his the whole time.


    ***


    On the bridge, Hunt studied the various charts and readouts on his display. He still felt odd sitting in Jasken¡¯s chair. On an intellectual level, he was well aware that it was the Republic¡¯s chair, and it was his rightful place as Admiral of the Blue Griffon Fleet. That didn¡¯t make it feel any less odd. It didn¡¯t help that when he turned to see Mairen, her chair was occupied by Triflin, who¡¯d certainly proved himself worthy of the position of Communications Officer, but who wasn¡¯t Mairen.


    ¡°Officer Triflin,¡± said Hunt, turning to the young Astralbian male. ¡°Any chatter from out in the aether I ought to be aware of?¡±


    ¡°No, sir,¡± he said brightly. ¡°Word along the shipping lanes is that sailing has become pretty clear along this route. Pirates don¡¯t like being around Navy vessels if they don¡¯t have to be and we frequent the area. Also, trade has been so good to Hruduk that the lanes are debris-free, so shields tend to hold up. In other words, we¡¯re all good.¡±


    The tech-savvy Astralbian turned back to his console, tapping away at his keyboard. He had defected to the Republic from the Astralbian Empire early in the Cornucopia War along with his twin sister, Kiflin. She had taken to flying and was part of Drixen¡¯s fighter squadron. Hunt was happy to have the twins, and certainly happy to have Drixen.


    ¡°And we ought to be coming up on Hruduk soon, anyway,¡± said Dekken. The tall, broad, blue-spotted Raki was still Chief Engineer, rounding out his top crew, though he had begun to threaten to retire.


    The only team member who was neither replaced nor still around was Hunt himself, in a sense. No captain had been appointed to serve under him, and it dawned on him that he had long been an understudy. Not that he was offended; he had been given the opportunity to learn firsthand from one of the most accomplished Admirals in the history of the Griffon Republic Navy. However, it felt a tad strange not to have someone to pass the lessons on to. Perhaps he¡¯d be better off figuring some things out on his own before trying to teach someone else, anyway.


    ***


    Hacksaw could see a brilliant blue glow coming from the Liberty long before they actually reached the vessel. Crush¡¯s body had been kept on her fleet¡¯s flagship, since the best robo-smithing facilities the FRF had access to were aboard. Now it seemed her core had ignited somehow, throwing shafts of blue light through the portholes that could be seen even in the full light of day.


    Parking the bike, Yrinla let Hacksaw jump off and followed suit.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Hacksaw.


    ¡°No idea!¡± said Yrinla. ¡°I¡¯m no robo-smith.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is no act of smithing,¡± retorted the captain.


    The glow shifted, as though the source was moving around. A smith leapt up the stairs and onto the deck, looking around for someone to talk to.


    ¡°Captain Hacksaw!¡± she said, voice filled with relief. ¡°It¡¯s the Admiral, she¡¯s¡­ floating again! Like she did on Gateway!¡±


    Even as the smith spoke, Crush¡¯s ruined body seemed to float up the stairs, her core still throwing off sapphire light. Stripes scrambled up the steps behind her, squeaking with excitement.


    The metal shell that had been assembled to rebuild Crush fell away along with the circuits, actuators and pistons that made up her muscles and nervous system. The naked core rose into the air, floating about ten feet over the deck of the Liberty. The ground shook, and stone rocketed up out of the ground, showering earth down on the area around the ship. A group of small, smooth stones gathered around the core, forming a tight shield, though blue energy still shone through the cracks between the stones. Stones of appropriate length lined up to form a rough approximation of a torso, limbs, and a head. Strange patterns resembling circuits burned themselves into the surfaces of the stones, and one of the arms bent at the elbow, the stones that made up the hand flexing as the head turned towards it, glowing blue eyes examining the movement of the digits.


    The plate metal covers that had been shed by the core shook, rose and slammed into the stone figure, covering the arms, legs, feet and face.


    The figure floated down to the deck of the Liberty. The compacted stones with their angular, blue lines along with the silvery armor gave the reborn Robot¨Cif she was still a Robot¨Ca kind of regal radiance.


    Stripes spread his wings and flapped up to her shoulder, resting in his familiar place.


    She turned to her friends. ¡°Hacksaw. Yrinla. It is good to see you.¡±

 Chapter 4.3: Bandits

    Farbin sat in the straight-backed metal chair that faced the train¡¯s main console, the audio jack plugged directly into the side of his head. He was listening intently to what he believed to be a news report from the newly discovered world. Monitoring the broadcasts coming out of the planet had proven interesting. Farbin had begun to work out patterns in the language or, more accurately, languages being spoken. It was still a jumbled mess to him, but the conventions of the languages were beginning to take shape as he studied them.


    He was reasonably certain that the planet was called ¡°Greefonya¡± or something close to that. If he could only abduct a native speaker, he would be able to crack the language quite quickly. That came with risks, though. A civilization this advanced would likely see his ship coming, and he wasn¡¯t prepared to reveal his presence yet. The less warning they had the better. He could wait out in the aether, hoping that one of their ships would pass by, but if there was any civilization worth traveling to behind him, the train would have stopped and pulled him from his slumber when he had come across it, so it was unlikely any ships would be traveling this direction from Greefonya.


    Sighing, Farbin turned off the news report and walked back through the stark metal cabin of his car. Passing through the agricultural car he turned on the fungal and botanical production protocols but left the beasts alone for now. His biological components would need nourishment, but the beasts would not be needed until the invasion had begun in earnest, so they could remain in stasis for now.


    However, it was past time to begin constructing the portal. He had collected more than enough data to indicate that the planet was rich in resources and inhabited by a technologically inferior civilization. He walked to the rearmost car and pressed the button that activated the construction drones. They would perform most of the work without any direct oversight, but it was Farbin¡¯s duty to keep watch over the drone¡¯s work. He stood at the drone command console and watched the machines as they woke up, buzzed out into the aether, and began constructing the doorway that would allow his people to add this world to their empire.


    ***


    The remainder of the jump to Hruduk played out similarly. Vanbrook tried to spend as much time as he could with Raivyn, and Lawbine seemed to find a way to be around just as often. The only difference now was that Hunt had seen fit to put Talon Squad to work scrubbing decks when they weren''t running drills for the other sailors, which made it all the harder to spend time with Raivyn.


    One day, when Hunt had Vanbrook and Reclan scrubbing a storage room floor, the Dromean stopped suddenly, leaned on her mop and eyed Vanbrook sternly.


    ¡°What!?¡± asked Vanbrook, exasperated after being under her gaze for nearly a minute.


    ¡°You''re being ridiculous,¡± she said firmly.


    Vanbrook looked around, at a loss. ¡°I''m pretty sure I''m mopping like anyone else would.¡±


    ¡°I''m not talking about the mopping, I''m talking about the moping,¡± she said.


    Vanbrook stared at her stupidly.


    ¡°You''ve had a frown on since we left the galley,¡± she said.


    ¡°I don''t exactly love mopping,¡± he noted irritably.


    ¡°You are jealous, and it''s going to get you into trouble.¡±


    ¡°He''s infuriating,¡± spat Vanbrook, not bothering to deny the charge.


    ¡°Look,¡± said Reclan, crossing her arms. ¡°All you have to do here is not let him get to you. I don''t know if he''s trying to steal Raivyn away from you or not, but I don''t think for a second Raivyn''s interested in ditching you for him. The fastest way to screw that up is to make an enemy of one of her old friends. Do. Not. Let. Him. Get. To. You. Clear?¡±


    ¡°Clear,¡± said Vanbrook with a resigned sigh. ¡°Let''s just finish this room up, okay?¡±


    ***


    Back on Griffonia, Darvik had his feet up on his desk and his hands clasped behind his head. The office the RTS kept in Kerucester was a grim, spartan affair. It was windowless by virtue of being underground, and the lights running along the ceiling somehow managed to be both harsh and dim. Trebor didn''t care much for creature comforts, and Darvik was pretty sure the man took some kind of sick pleasure from the discomfort the environment seemed to cause guests.


    ¡°You could pretend to have some sense of professionalism, you know,¡± said Yellup.


    Darvik frowned and looked over at his fellow RTS agent. ¡°I''m not a professional. I was press-ganged into service.¡±


    ¡°You got out of prison, if not standing on the business end of a firing squad,¡± retorted Yellup. ¡°So maybe show a little gratitude.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I bagged the ¡®Puppet Master,¡¯¡± said Darvik. ¡°I think I''ve earned my keep here.¡±


    ¡°Trebor ¡®bagged¡¯ him,¡± snarled Yellup. ¡°You were just bait. I was watching the security footage; you nearly blew your own brains out.¡±


    ¡°Would you two knock it off,¡± barked Trebor, his voice brooking no argument. ¡°And Darvik, get your feet off the desk. You''re due for a telepathic skill development training shortly anyway.¡±


    Darvik huffed and swung his feet to the floor, grabbing his long black coat and heading for the office door.


    ***


    Vanbrook was happy when the Wingspan finally touched down on Hruduk. When he came down the ramp with the rest of Talon Squad, Hrake was waiting for them, hammer over his shoulder and a grin on his turtle-like face.


    ¡°Hrake!¡± shouted D''Jarric. ¡°How goes it, friend?¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Very well!¡± bellowed the Hrudukite warrior. ¡°How is my beloved Talon Squad?¡±


    ¡°Good as well,¡± said D''Jarric.


    ¡°And I have been replaced, I see,¡± said Hrake nodding to Lawbine with a smile.


    ¡°Kind of a crummy feeling, huh?¡± muttered Vanbrook, low enough that only Reclan, who was standing right next to him, could hear. She shot him a scornful ¡°didn¡¯t-I-tell-you-not-to¡± kind of look. He looked away as though he hadn¡¯t said anything.


    Lawbine reached out a hand and Hrake shook it. ¡°Name¡¯s Lawbine. Aeratan Army operative and an old friend of Raivyn''s. Good to meet you Hrake. Heard many good things.¡±


    Hrake nodded. ¡°Glad to meet a friend of Raivyn''s.¡±


    Hunt walked up to the group.


    ¡°Admiral Hunt!¡± declared Hrake. ¡°Congratulations on your promotion.¡±


    ¡°Same to you, Captain Hrake,¡± replied Hunt with a slight bow.


    ¡°Oh, Captain Hrake, is it?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    Hrake smiled. ¡°Yes. Captain of the Drihn, named after the Hrudukite word for ¡®friend¡¯ or ¡®ally.¡¯ We will have to look at the ship later. Before I can fly the ship, I must solve a problem for my first mate-to-be.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Hunt. ¡°Talon Squad, you will be working with Captain Hrake and Gred¡¯s rangers in eliminating a bandit problem while the Wingspan recharges travel shields and takes on water. We pushed it getting here with as fast and far a jump as we made, so shields are lower than I''d like.


    ¡°Go with Hrake, he''ll take you to see the rangers.¡±


    Parting ways with Hunt, Talon Squad followed Hrake through the massive bronze gates of Gred, walking through the streets to the palace. Everywhere they went they were greeted by adoring crowds, to the point that Vanbrook felt a little uncomfortable about it.


    Talon Squad in particular had been the first contact Hruduk had with their many neighbors throughout the galaxy, and the Griffon Republic had made a habit of coming to the rescue when the planet was in trouble.


    Though the favor had been returned when a sizable army of Hrudukite warriors had helped retake Gateway, the general populace still adored the Republic.


    Reaching the palace, Hrake led the party to a dining room where King Hrynkak sat with Dhraka and her rangers.


    ¡°Talon Squad!¡± declared the King, standing and giving them a slight bow. ¡°D''Jarric. Raivyn. Vanbrook. Reclan. Doc Manford. And you must be Lawbine of Aerat. Welcome, all.¡±


    The six warriors returned the bow.


    ¡°Come, sit and eat,¡± continued the King. ¡°We will discuss the matter at hand.¡±


    ¡°King Hrynkak, Dhraka, it is good to see you,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Admiral Hunt says you have a bandit problem we could help with?¡±


    The King looked to Dhraka. She nodded and began. ¡°Yes. Bandits use travelers¡¯ tools; guns, hoverbikes, such things,¡± her Talpaertan was rough, but passable. ¡°Rangers mounted on hounds and armed with hammer-rifle struggle to fight them. We could kill all, but easier with help.¡±


    Raivyn nodded. ¡°And you know where the bandits are?¡±


    ¡°Yes, more or less,¡± offered Dhraka. ¡°In caves along road to Sredik.¡±


    ¡°Could we just bomb the caves?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°No,¡± answered Hrynkak. ¡°I will not use such weapons of war against simple bandits. I am not a god willing to smite my enemies from afar. I fear what such an act would make me look like. What such an act would, perhaps, make me.¡±


    ¡°I understand your concern, Your Majesty,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°We will fight them warrior to warrior.¡±


    Hrynkak nodded grimly. He was a steadfast ally, but the sudden changes thrust upon him as his people made the transition from bronze smithing to space travel concerned him deeply.


    ¡°Eat and rest, friends,¡± said the King. ¡°I know day and night go unmarked in the aether, but you come to us as evening approaches. Dhraka will meet you tomorrow morning at the rangers¡¯ stables.¡±


    After a refreshing, talkative meal of fresh fruits, roasted meat, and moderate quantities of the notoriously strong wine the Hrudukites were fond of, Talon Squad retired for the night. Though invited to sleep in the palace, Talon Squad went back and slept in their own quarters aboard the Wingspan, per Admiral Hunt¡¯s orders. Hunt was keeping a tighter leash on the squad than Vanbrook was accustomed to, and he was starting to feel choked by it.


    ***


    Two Hrudukites pulled a wagon loaded down with tarp-covered goods along the road between Gred and Sredik. Though the two city-states had once been mortal enemies, tensions had thawed over recent years, and the attempt of the Astralbian Empire to take over the entire planet had solidified an alliance between the two. Once unthinkable, it was now common for merchants to make the trek between the two cities in the name of peaceful trade.


    However, the two Hrudukites¡¯ journey was interrupted suddenly when a bandit stepped out from behind a rock, standing astride the path, his hammer-rifle held out to his side, its butt resting on the ground as though it were a walking stick.


    ¡°What is this?¡± asked one of the wagon-pullers in the native tongue of the Hrudukites.


    The bandit looked around in mock confusion. ¡°Why, it¡¯s a robbery!¡±


    ¡°We will not be easily cowed,¡± remarked the second wagon-puller.


    ¡°That is fine,¡± said the bandit with a smirk. ¡°We are prepared for the over-confident.¡± He let out a shrieking cry, and half a dozen bandits emerged from the rocks, all carrying hammer-rifles or other firearms. In addition, three hoverbikes emerged from a cave tucked away just off the path, all three fitted with light ballistic weapons and covered in crudely-fastened bronze spikes.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said the first wagon puller. ¡°It¡¯s no good fighting before you know what you¡¯re up against.¡±


    Reclan¡¯s drones shot out from under the wagon¡¯s covers and put electromagnetic shield walls between the mass of bandits and the two wagon-pulling rangers. Throwing off the coverings, Lawbine, Vanbrook, Hrake, D¡¯Jarric, and Reclan emerged from the back of the wagon, ready to strike. Signaled by Reclan, the other rangers pushed their desert hound mounts to catch up with the wagon from where they hid a quarter mile behind, led by Doc and Raivyn on hoverbikes.


    ¡°Kill them!¡± shouted the bandit leader, firing as he ran for the cover of a boulder by the side of the road.


    His shot bounced harmlessly off the shield protecting the rangers, but the return fire killed four of the six bandits who¡¯d emerged from the roadside, two of the kill shots coming from Lawbine¡¯s deadly rayguns. The three bandit hover bikes lined up on the road, firing at the wagon as the bandit leader and the two remaining bandits with him fell back and found cover. Reclan arranged her drones to widen and reinforce the shield wall as they waited for help to arrive.


    She was just beginning to worry about the shield¡¯s ability to hold when Raivyn and Doc came into range, pushing out to the side of the road far enough that their hoverbike¡¯s guns could get a shot on one of the bandit¡¯s bikes without risk of hitting the wagon. A hail of fire followed and a bandit¡¯s bike fell to the ground, its propulsion system destroyed along with its rider. Another bandit on foot, who¡¯d tried to lean out of where he hid behind cover to pick off Doc or Raivyn, fell to Lawbine¡¯s marksmanship.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± called the bandit leader, leaping from cover onto the back of one of the hoverbikes.


    Raivyn and Doc pulled up. D¡¯Jarric leapt onto the back of Doc¡¯s bike and, before Vanbrook could say anything, Lawbine jumped on the back of Raivyn¡¯s. The two bikes sped off again, leaving Vanbrook boiling in their wake.


    ¡°Easy, killer,¡± cautioned Reclan.


    He rounded on her, but held his tongue. The six rangers riding desert hounds pulled up and Vanbrook, Reclan, Hrake, and the two rangers who¡¯d been pulling the wagon each leapt onto one of the beasts. Dhraka led the charge as the canine cavalry rushed to catch up to the hover bikes.

 Chapter 4.4: The Anomaly

    The System Watch was a boring assignment, but Cynop didn¡¯t mind. In fact, the likelihood of absolutely nothing happening as the ship made its rounds through the star system that Griffonia belonged to was a sort of perk by his lights. It gave him time to sit in his office aboard the Dart and sip some rakka bean tea, like he was doing now.


    ¡°Captain Cynop,¡± came a voice through his comms. ¡°There¡¯s something out further into the system.¡±


    Cynop sighed, running a clawed hand over his feathered crest. ¡°What have you got, Brift?¡±


    ¡°Not sure, Sir,¡± replied the Talpidarian pilot. ¡°Strange energy signature. Looks something like a solar storm, only it¡¯s not moving. It¡¯s about a lightweek away. We could get there much sooner if we jump.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Cynop thoughtfully,  ¡°Send a message back home and let¡¯s prepare to jump.¡±


    ¡°Standard message will take¡­ five days for a radio signal to get back to Griffonia, Sir,¡± said Brift. ¡°I can send a ripmed comm if you prefer.¡±


    Cynop thought for a moment as he looked over the ship¡¯s status. They were nearly done with this patrol, and running lower than he¡¯d like on energy reserves. ¡°No sense wasting power. Standard will do. If it¡¯s anything of note, we¡¯ll follow up with a ripmed comm.¡±


    ¡°Very good, sir.¡±


    ***


    Reaching the mouth of a cave where Raivyn and the others had parked the hoverbikes, Vanbrook leapt off the back of the hound he¡¯d ridden on and rushed over to where Raivyn stood, pistol at the ready, hunkered down behind some boulders.


    ¡°The bandits retreated into the cave,¡± said Lawbine.


    ¡°We''ll try and get a look at what they''re up to,¡± said Reclan, pulling up her drone controls on her tablet. One of the fist-sized orbs approached the mouth of the cave, and a hail of gunfire blasted out towards it. Reclan activated the drone¡¯s shield, but it had already taken a beating from the initial ambush and was destroyed all but immediately.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Vanbrook speculatively. ¡°I think we know where they are.¡±


    Reclan turned to him, scaly lips pursed and fire in her eyes. He shrugged.


    ¡°Cover me, Rec,¡± said Lawbine, drawing his rayguns and running towards the cave.


    Reclan scrambled to bring her remaining drones up to protect him, forming a shield wall that was already compromised by the time Lawbine made it to the cave mouth. He leapt into the cave amid another volley of incoming fire, his guns lighting the cave walls green as he fired. There was a brief pause, then a final shot sounded, the tell-tale green glow bursting from the cave. Lawbine came backing out, guns still drawn but held in a relaxed posture as he searched the cave for any additional foes.


    ¡°I think we''re clear,¡± he said, turning to Talon Squad with a grin.


    ***


    The wooden block sat stubbornly on the table. Regardless of how intently Darvik stared at it, it refused to move. The office, located in the Griffon Keep complex, was small, but much better lit than Trebor¡¯s office at the Depot. It was certainly better furnished and more comfortable, but none of that made these exercises more bearable. He slapped the block, watching it fly off the table and bounce off the wall, where it left a dent.


    ¡°It moved,¡± said Darvik flatly. ¡°Can I go now?¡±


    Glynn, who served as something between a social worker and psychic arts instructor for Darvik, shook her head, sighed, and wrote something down on her notepad. ¡°Unfortunately for you¨Cout of a sense of professionalism I won''t say ¡®me¡¯--this appointment lasts another fifteen minutes whether you accomplish anything or not.¡±


    Darvik sighed. Glynn was a taskmaster of the highest order. She was staring at him through horn-rimmed spectacles, her eyes chilled with a cold venom. Darvik found her far more unsettling than Trebor. As part of the commutation of his sentence, he had to see Agent Glynn once a week. She was an RTS agent who specialized in reforming criminal psychics, but had agreed to take on Darvik with the purpose of training him to use his abilities properly, assuming he could ever display any. She gave the wooden block on the floor a glance and reached out with the T-waves that emanated from her mind, picking it up and setting it down on the table with a hearty thump.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s just showing off,¡± muttered Darvik.


    ¡°Psychic skills are difficult to teach, even to willing and talented students,¡± said Glynn, ignoring the remark. ¡°If you don¡¯t start putting in some real effort, you¡¯ll never develop your skills.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t think at this stupid block any harder than I already have!¡± moaned Darvik.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been over this,¡± said Glynn, shaking her head. ¡°It is not about ¡®thinking at¡¯ something. Think of the T-waves that your brain generates as another limb. Something you reach out with. I can¡¯t explain the thought of doing it any more than I can explain the thought of moving my arm. I will myself to do it, and my mind obeys.¡±


    Darvik huffed and stared at the block again. This time, instead of trying to will the block off the table, he searched for a part of his brain that might be able to send the desired message. He tried to visualize a hand sprouting from his head, pushing towards the block. His head began to ache. From what Glynn had told him, that was a good sign, similar to feeling muscles burn as you exercised them. He fought through the headache, focusing on the image of the hand. Pressure built in his mind like water gathering behind a dam. The dam burst. T-waves washed over the table. The block rocked gently, not moving an inch. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°I did it!¡± shouted Darvik. ¡°I did it!¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Glynn, checking the time. ¡°I suppose we can stop a few minutes early today. Keep practicing that at home. I¡¯ll see you in a week.¡±


    Darvik looked up at her, feeling wounded. Sure, the effect had been a bit anticlimactic, but he¡¯d finally done it.


    ¡°I just moved something with my mind,¡± he said, almost pleadingly.


    ¡°Mr. Darvik,¡± said Glynn, peering over her glasses in a way that chilled Darvik¡¯s bones. ¡°I have seen children younger than six throw objects ten times the size of that block across a room with no training. You are a full-grown would-be criminal with months of training and you barely managed to nudge a small object. I will not pretend to be impressed.¡±


    She stood up and walked to the door, opening it to reveal the backs of the two guards always stationed outside during the visits. She had insisted they not interfere with the training, but the powers-that-be refused to let anyone be alone with Darvik, a known killer, without backup nearby.


    Darvik sighed and stood up, walking out the door and beginning to make his way back to his quarters in the Depot.


    ***


    Hrake walked cautiously into the cave with Dhraka, both of them holding their hammer-rifles at the ready. It appeared that the bandits had fought to their last breath, and the Aeratan gunslinger had left no survivors.


    ¡°Good work,¡± nodded Hrake. He looked over to see Talon Squad joining them in the cave. He caught an angry look on Vanbrook¡¯s face, but the swashbuckler made an effort to hide it. Hrake frowned, confused by the display.


    He dismissed the thought for the moment, turning to Dhraka. She was inspecting the hoverbikes, a contemplative look on her face.


    ¡°There will be more bandits like these,¡± she said, talking to him in Hrudukite.


    ¡°Doubtless,¡± replied Hrake.


    She turned to him, smiling a bit bashfully. ¡°However, a deal is a deal. You have helped me fulfill my duty as a ranger, and now we may wed and have our honeymoon among the stars.¡±


    Hrake¡¯s deep aqua scales paled a few shades. He was at a loss. ¡°What- what did you say?¡±


    She gave him a look of befuddled horror, ¡°I said we may now be- be wed,¡± her eyes were searching his for some kind of clue. ¡°You asked me to be your mate¨Cis that not the word you used?¨Cand I made the condition that you aid me in completing my duty as a ranger.¡±


    Hrake¡¯s eyes widened. The rangers who had begun gathering in the cave dispersed, all deciding at once to leave the cave for some fresh air. Talon Squad watched the scene play out in some confusion, none of them understanding Hrake¡¯s native tongue enough to follow along.


    ¡°I- I said¡­¡± started Hrake dumbly. The answer struck him like a hammer. ¡°I said ¡®first mate,¡¯ an Aeratan phrase.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It means mate, does it not?¡± asked the confused ranger captain.


    Hrake cringed. ¡°Not in the sense you use it. It means something like a¡­ second in command.¡±


    ¡°You were¡­ offering me a job,¡± said Dhraka, staring past Hrake, carefully keeping her face in a kind of shocked stoicism.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Hrake flatly.


    Dhraka nodded and walked out of the cave as if in a trance. Hrake looked after her, dumbfounded. The rangers, having gotten their fill of fresh air, came back in and began arranging the dead bandits for transport and cataloging the cave¡¯s contents.


    Hrake tramped his way out into the daylight and sat on a stone, as far as he reasonably could from where Dhraka was tending to the hounds. Vanbrook walked by, still looking moody.


    ¡°Join me, Van,¡± said Hrake. ¡°I could use a friend¡¯s ear.¡±


    Vanbrook looked at him a moment before the words sank in. ¡°Oh, yeah, sure, buddy. Uh, what was all that about back there?¡±


    Hrake shrugged haplessly. ¡°It seems I accidentally proposed to Dhraka when I asked her to be my first mate aboard the Drihn.¡±


    Turning slowly to the Hrudukite with wide eyes, Vanbrook found himself at a loss for words, though the sensation was fleeting. ¡°How in the great, wide aether did you manage that?¡±


    ¡°I asked in Talpaertan,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°I have taken to conducting all possible Gred Navy business in the galaxy¡¯s common tongue. Dhraka does not speak it quite so fluently as I. It would seem there was a misunderstanding.¡±


    Vanbrook laughed heartily, though he regretted it immediately. Hrake stared at the ground while Dhraka looked furtively in their direction.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry, it¡¯s not funny,¡± said Vanbrook.


    Hrake offered a weak smile. ¡°It¡­ is a little funny. I hope we can laugh about it someday.¡±


    ¡°As husband and wife?¡± Vanbrook ventured.


    Hrake shook his head. ¡°Perhaps. I have¡­ admired Dhraka for some time. But I fear my words just now have complicated matters.¡±


    ¡°Just go tell her that you¡¯d like to marry her,¡± suggested Vanbrook.


    ¡°I have just wounded her gravely, Vanbrook!¡± hissed Hrake in a low whisper. ¡°Now is not the time. Come, take my mind from my pain. Tell me how things are with you and Raivyn.¡±


    Vanbrook heaved a sigh and looked over to the cave mouth where Raivyn was speaking with Lawbine. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Good, I think, but I don¡¯t like this whole ¡®old friend¡¯ thing.¡±


    Hrake followed Vanbrook¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ah, the rival male. And you think Raivyn is¡­ weighing her options?¡±


    ¡°Not consciously,¡± said Vanbrook hopefully.


    ¡°I assume that duels of honor are not a common practice in the Republic,¡± offered Hrake with a smirk.


    ¡°No,¡± said Vanbrook in a tone that suggested he¡¯d already considered the idea. ¡°And Aeratan tradition, which is a bit more duel-friendly, states that the challenged party gets to select the weapons used, which means I¡¯d get a hole or two burned in my chest.¡±


    ¡°And I daresay Raivyn would not leave her romantic fate up to two bickering men, eh?¡± said Hrake, nudging Vanbrook¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± said Vanbrook, waving a hand dismissively as the rest of Talon Squad came over.


    ¡°Congrats, I guess,¡± said Reclan to Hrake.


    Hrake sighed.


    ¡°I guess not,¡± said Reclan with a grimace. ¡°The other rangers filled us in a bit.¡±


    Hrake shook his head.


    Dhraka walked over, her attitude all business. ¡°The hounds are ready. We''ll hook two up to the wagon and pull the loot and bodies back that way. The hoverbikes can be ridden back, which means we won''t have to share as many mounts.¡±


    ¡°I can ride with Raivyn again,¡± offered Lawbine.


    ¡°I don''t think so,¡± said Vanbrook quickly. All eyes turned to him. ¡°...because you should get some experience with desert hounds. Maybe, uh, help drive the cart.¡±


    Raivyn gave Vanbrook a suspicious glare, but Lawbine smiled one of his easy smiles.


    ¡°Sounds good to me, Van,¡± he said. ¡°How about you show me the ropes?¡±


    ¡°You guys¡¯ll lag behind a bit,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°That ought to give you some time to get to know each other better.¡±


    Hrake and the rest of the squad shot Vanbrook knowing looks as they mounted up and started back toward Gred. Most of the looks were in good humor, but Reclan''s carried a note of warning. Vanbrook sighed, climbed up into the wagon with Lawbine and headed back towards Gred.

 Chapter 4.5: Back to Gateway

    The superstructure of the ring was largely complete now. That was, in many ways, the easy part. Construction drones flitted around in the aether, welding the massive steel structure together. Farbin watched it all with a cold, if impatient, eye. Machines had their place. So did the beasts in the other car. But the space-bending technology that would make the gate functional required a level of engineering that necessitated a sapient mind.


    He was distracted from his duties when an alert came through on the console. A ship was approaching. He frowned, double-checking the readings. The object appeared to be moving faster than the speed of light. While that was impossible, the object was very real and heading directly for him. Most likely, it was a ship from Greefonya. He would simply have to wait until it got close enough for him to do something about it.


    ***


    ¡°You¡¯ve been trying to size me up, and I just want to make sure I¡¯m clear,¡± said Lawbine.


    Vanbrook turned to him. They had been traveling in the hound-drawn wagon in silence for some time now. Desert hounds made passable beasts of burden, but they moved slowly when carrying much more than a rider or two.


    ¡°I intend to win Raivyn back,¡± continued Lawbine. He said it as simply and matter-of-fact as if he¡¯d been commenting on the color of the stone along the path.


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to give her up,¡± snorted Vanbrook.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not up to you, now is it?¡± asked Lawbine.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you intend, Lawbine,¡± said Vanbrook coolly. ¡°But if you try getting between me and Raivyn-¡±


    ¡°I play fair,¡± interjected Lawbine. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m letting you know ahead of time. Look, Raivyn and I¨Cwe go way back. And I always hoped to make her my wife. Still do. I¡¯ve got no problem with you-¡±


    ¡°The feeling isn¡¯t mutual, slick,¡± interrupted Vanbrook. ¡°So unless you want to start an interplanetary incident I suggest you shut your mouth.¡±


    Lawbine nodded, the infuriatingly easy smile still on his face. Vanbrook rode on in stony silence, brooding over how to handle the troublemaker.


    Soon enough they were back to Gred, and Vanbrook was happy to be back in the company of people he actually liked. Gredites were well known for their victory feasts, and they once again delivered. Vanbrook managed to sit by Raivyn before Lawbine could orchestrate other arrangements, and Reclan all but leapt over Lawbine to sit on her other side, blocking the Aeratan, who simply found a seat across from her, instead.


    Blissfully unaware of the shenanigans, Raivyn chatted happily with all three parties throughout the meal.


    ¡°So how were the hounds?¡± asked Raivyn.


    ¡°Oh, you know dogs,¡± said Lawbine. ¡°You tell them their proper place and they listen or catch trouble for it.¡±


    Vanbrook looked up menacingly from his meal, not missing the veiled jab. ¡°Good way to get yourself mauled, pal.¡±


    Lawbine smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Cheer up, Van,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°This is a victory feast!¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± said Reclan. ¡°Never thought I''d hear Raivyn tell Vanbrook to ¡®cheer up.¡¯ You two continue to amaze.¡±


    Vanbrook shot Reclan a ¡°you¡¯re-not-helping¡± kind of glare.


    Further down the table, Hrake sat staring at his plate, looking miserable and doing all he could to avoid eye contact with Dhraka. When the first course was winding down, King Hrynkak stood and called for everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°I want to thank our rangers and Captain Hrake, as well as Talon Squad and their ally Lawbine for helping us destroy the bandit menace that had recently plagued our roads.¡± He waited for the applause to die down before continuing. ¡°I am excited to announce that the Captain will be taking the Drihn on its maiden voyage in a few days time, joined by First Mate Dhraka.¡±


    To her credit, Dhaka nodded and smiled graciously. Hrake¡¯s eyes looked grave but he smiled as well.


    ***


    It was a few days later when Hunt called Talon Squad to his office. The office still looked empty to Hunt, who was accustomed to the memorabilia and awards that Jasken had always had on display. His own Naval career still relatively short thus far, Hunt simply didn¡¯t have much to decorate with. He¡¯d considered posters of his favorite musical groups or action serials, but dismissed the notion as unprofessional. Instead, he sat behind his simple desk, a Republic flag hanging behind him and his officer¡¯s cutlass hanging on the wall to his right.


    Talon Squad filed in slowly, and Hunt was pleasantly surprised to see Vanbrook was among the first to show up for a change, though he suspected it had more to do with his being attached at the hip with Raivyn than any change of character.


    ¡°Thank you for joining me, all,¡± he began. ¡°I have been discussing something with Prime Minister Skritka and King Hrynkak, and we have decided that Talon Squad will be joining the Drihn for its maiden voyage. Captain Hrake is setting out for Gateway, and the Blue Griffon Fleet will rendezvous with you there.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the Aeratans have been involved in the discussion as well, and have requested that Operator Lawbine stay behind with the main fleet.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Lawbine¡¯s face hardened somewhat, but he said nothing.


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± said Vanbrook, suppressing a smile with great difficulty.


    ¡°No,¡± said Raivyn, shaking her head. ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to be part of Captain Hrake¡¯s historic journey, I volunteer to stay behind with Operator Lawbine.¡±


    Hunt nodded to Raivyn. ¡°We thought you might, and I was granted authority to allow it. Very well. The rest of you, please gather whatever belongings you will need and report to the Drihn as soon as possible.¡±


    Lawbine didn¡¯t look over when Vanbrook glared at him, but the smirk in his eyes was enough to make Vanbrook want to deck him. Stifling the impulse, joined the others in a chorus of ¡°yes, sirs,¡± and stalked out of the office.


    Vanbrook was still upset hours later as he marched over to the Drihn, a large, blocky vessel with a respectable array of cannons and embossed hull panels that echoed the bold, blocky designs found on pillars and doorways in the cities of Hruduk.


    He was loaded down with his field gear and a duffle bag, but he could have easily carried twice as much. He¡¯d learned to pack light in the Navy, even as a member of a Special Squad. Reclan caught up to him, panting under the weight of her gear and gadgets.


    ¡°You know we¡¯re only going to be away for a few weeks, right?¡± asked Vanbrook, some of his good humor returning as he watched Reclan struggling under her load. ¡°You don¡¯t have to bring an entire machine shop with you.¡±


    ¡°I just might,¡± said Reclan. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what kind of tech they¡¯ll have aboard but the Hrudukites aren¡¯t exactly on the cutting edge.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± agreed Vanbrook. ¡°But the ship was supplied by TalpiTech.¡±


    Reclan stared at Vanbrook, wide-eyed. ¡°We¡¯re- we¡¯re going on a Talpi!?¡±


    Vanbrook smiled. TalpiTech was the most advanced ship manufacturer in the Republic, tracing their origins back to the first breakthroughs in mechanical ripmed travel. They specialized in private shipping and pleasure vessels and usually didn¡¯t work closely with the Navy. TalpiTech ships, or Talpis, as they were called by their fans, were a rare treat for a tech wiz like Reclan.


    ¡°Oh, man, this is awesome!¡± said Reclan. ¡°I see it now. They replaced the rounded edges and smooth panels of a typical Talpi hull to something more reminiscent of Hrudukite architecture. Yeah, I see the bones underneath, though. It¡¯s a Talpi, alright. Explains why they¡¯re planning to make one single, long jump to Gateway. These ships can take it.¡±


    Vanbrook grinned as he listened to Reclan jabber about the Drihn, his mood holding until Raivyn and Lawbine came over for final farewells. Raivyn was all smiles, which did nothing to calm Vanbrook¡¯s uneasiness.


    ¡°Sorry to have to leave you again so soon, Van,¡± she said cheerily.


    ¡°Uh huh,¡± said Vanbrook noncommittally.


    Raivyn¡¯s smile faltered. ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably just a little nervous flying under a novice captain,¡± said Lawbine. ¡°No offense to Hrake, of course, just that the Hrudukites don¡¯t really have a lot of exp-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not nervous about anything, pal,¡± spat Vanbrook, cutting him off.


    Reclan shot Vanbrook a nervous look.


    ¡°Calm down, Van!¡± scolded Raivyn. A bit of the old fire came back into her eyes as she stared him down.


    ¡°You have fun with your ¡®old friend,¡¯ Rai,¡± said Vanbrook, walking up the Drihn¡¯s gangplank. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at Gateway.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think you could use the time away!¡± shouted Raivyn at the back of his head.


    Reclan looked mournfully at Raivyn. ¡°You know how he gets.¡±


    ¡°All too well,¡± she replied. ¡°Stay safe, Rec. And beat some sense into your buddy, if you get the chance.¡± She turned and left, Lawbine following behind.


    Reclan waited for Doc and D¡¯Jarric, who came along a short time later.


    ¡°Hey, Rec,¡± said D¡¯Jarric. ¡°Just got a pretty frosty farewell from our favorite psychic. Trouble with the swashbuckler?¡±


    ¡°Like only he can cause,¡± sighed Reclan. ¡°Come on, I want to get a closer look at this ship.¡±


    ***


    Hrake bustled around the bridge of the Drihn trying to look busy and feel useful. In truth, Vritik, the representative from TalpiTech, was doing the bulk of the work in coordination with Ytriv, a Hrudukite blacksmith¡¯s son. Ytriv¡¯s young and brilliant mind had taken to spacefaring technology with a speed that made his father nervous. He¡¯d hesitantly agreed to let his son go on the trip as an engineer-in-training, and Vritik and Ytriv had been inseparable since.


    ¡°So the drive is already making one of these little bits of light bigger?¡± Ytriv was asking. His dark eyes shined with excitement. Being short and thin-framed for a Hrudukite, he had always wished for something beyond the warrior culture he had been born into. And he had finally found it. ¡°And harnessing it to the ship?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± said the Talpidarian female. ¡°Generation of a massive photon takes time, so we¡¯re ramping up the drive now. Entangling it to the ship will have to wait until we¡¯re aetherborne, so the entanglement field doesn¡¯t bring along any atmosphere.¡±


    ¡°Would that be bad?¡± asked Ytriv.


    ¡°It¡¯s more that it¡¯s¡­ unpredictable,¡± answered Vritik. ¡°And the last thing we want in space travel is unpredictability.¡±


    Ytriv nodded.


    Hrake looked around for someone more grounded to talk to. He supposed he shouldn¡¯t, and that the sentiment was a bit ironic given the nature of their mission. Unfortunately, the only person whose eyes he caught was Dhraka, who gave him a weak but sincere smile from across the bridge. He blushed and turned away, infuriated at himself for his inability to navigate the situation better.


    Talon Squad climbed the stairs onto the deck and a wave of relief flooded over Hrake.


    ¡°Friends! Welcome!¡± he said eagerly.


    ¡°Hey, Hrake!¡± said Vanbrook, the sour face he¡¯d been wearing a moment before washed away by a warm smile. ¡°Good to be with you for this. We ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Hrake, motioning to a row of chairs along the bridge¡¯s wall. ¡°Since the Drihn is based on a luxury design, there is ample room in the bridge for guests.¡±


    ¡°Make no mistake, though,¡± interjected Vritik. ¡°TalpiTech made sure this ship is battle ready!¡±


    ¡°I saw how you incorporated the cannons where most models would have had an awning,¡± said Reclan. ¡°And that the bridge was optimized for tactical awareness rather than style.¡±


    Vritik nodded happily. ¡°Yes, though I admit we had to twist some arms in the design department to get this model pushed through. I did a stint in the Navy myself so I knew what kind of changes would be needed. Most of the aesthetic changes were based on input from Ytriv, though.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to ensure the ship would reflect Hruduk,¡± said the young Hrudukite, beaming.


    ¡°I am very pleased with the results,¡± said Hrake. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get this vessel aetherborne.¡±


    Hrake took his seat at the primary console, with Vritik and Ytriv stationed to his left and Dhraka to his right. Despite his nervousness and the complicated relationship he had with his first mate, he looked around in genuine excitement. It had been an extraordinary time to be a Hrudukite ever since he¡¯d seen Talon Squad¡¯s shuttle descending. He¡¯d learned so much, and was sure that this journey would only increase his understanding of the galaxy he lived in. With a deep sense of purpose and satisfaction he watched Hruduk fall away below as the Drihn rose up into the aether.

 Chapter 4.6: Separate Ways

    Cynop stared at the strange information coming over his console. The signature looked like some kind of solar storm or other electromagnetic phenomenon, but it sat still in the middle of the aether.


    ¡°Brift, what am I looking at?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, sir,¡± answered the pilot honestly. ¡°It could be some kind of EM being. Hopefully it¡¯s not an aether beast.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s any chance of that we¡¯d better be ready to run,¡± answered Cynop. He didn¡¯t let the fear creep into his voice, but the thought terrified him. ¡°I think it''s time we sent a ripmed message back to Griffonia.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ can''t, sir,¡± replied Brift. ¡°Something¡¯s freezing our electronics. Engines aren''t responding, either.¡±


    Cynop blanched, and opened the public comms channel. ¡°All personnel to stations.¡±


    The quiet ship bustled to life as confused sailors obeyed the order.


    ¡°What is it, sir?¡± asked a junior officer.


    ¡°Not sure yet,¡± answered Cynop. ¡°Just get to your station and be ready.¡±


    Soon a purple dot appeared from the direction of the anomaly, filling up more and more of Cynop¡¯s view until he could make out a series of metal ships or containers within the amethyst-colored EM field.


    ¡°We''re going to hit that thing head on!¡± he cried.


    ¡°I don''t think so, Captain,¡± said Brift, voice thick with concern. ¡°I think it''s pulling us in.¡±


    Cynop muttered a quick prayer. ¡°Gunners, get ready! Comms, reach out to that¡­ thing! Engineer Brift, keep trying those engines!¡±


    ¡°Nothing''s responding, sir,¡± said Brift. ¡°I''m afraid we''re just going to have to ride this out.¡±


    As the Dart approached the strange object, Cynop started to make out more details. The purple aura shimmered and crackled, almost certainly causing the EM anomaly they''d first detected. The cars inside resembled massive metal towers turned sideways, and none appeared to have anything Cynop could identify as an engine. The last car in the train had a massive ring around it, and it looked like a team of welders was still working on it judging by the sparks flying off at various points. The ring was big enough to fit at least five of the cars through side by side, but it was still contained inside of the purple field.


    Most of the sailors had left their stations to stare out of the viewport at the anomalous structure.


    Cynop gathered his nerve, speaking in as calm, authoritative voice as possible. ¡°Back to your stations, sailors! We''ll get a closer look at this thing soon from the way things are going, but we will not miss a chance to speak, fight, or fly away if we''re given one!¡±


    To their credit, the sailors obeyed immediately. However, the chance to do anything never came. They passed into the purple field, which stripped their shields but left their ship intact. A door, hinged almost like a jaw, opened on the foremost car and swallowed the Dart. Cynop trembled as the Dart came to a sudden halt and the gaping maw behind the ship closed, the barren hangar darkening as the door slowly closed behind them.


    ***


    Raivyn was still furious when she got back to the Wingspan. Lawbine had walked quietly beside her, knowing her well enough not to prod her when she was in this particular mood.


    ¡°Sorry that went so poorly,¡± said Lawbine when he figured the worst of the storm had likely passed.


    She rounded on him, looking ready to tear into him, but she relented, letting out a big breath. ¡°Yeah, I''m sorry you and Van seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot.¡±


    ¡°Oh, just two fighting men and their egos, I''m sure we¡¯ll get used to each other,¡± said Lawbine smoothly. ¡°It¡¯s hard not to feel a sense of competition. Don''t like seeing him talk to you that way, though.¡±


    ¡°Well, Van¡¯s just¡­ Van,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°We''ve always had a kind of fiery rapport, but¡­ he''s a good guy.¡±


    ¡°If you say so, Rai,¡± said Lawbine with a nod.


    She looked at him side-eyed but said nothing.


    Behind them, the Drihn took off into the aether. Raivyn turned and watched it, a wistful look in her eyes. She shook her head and turned back towards the Wingspan.


    ***


    The next day or so was a struggle. There was very little to be done, so Raivyn had gotten Hunt''s permission to spend some time training with Elder Shaman Rehkna. She''d hardly seen her since they''d landed, but the shaman had become a close friend and mentor in the short time they''d known each other.


    They sat cross-legged just outside Rehkna¡¯s house, which was a simple, secluded building tucked away by the palace.


    ¡°That is why it''s valuable to communicate with animals, even though they cannot form words or understand like sapients do,¡± the shaman said. ¡°The nature of lesser creatures may be simpler, but they do reflect the glory of the Progenitor in their own way.¡±


    ¡°How did you view such things before our arrival?¡± asked Raivyn.


    Rehkna considered the question carefully. Though Rehkna had been promised in a vision that visitors would one day come bearing the truth, she had largely adhered to the polytheistic traditions of her ancestors. ¡°Much the same. More credence was given to animals as omens, but the Solarans teach against such divination. I still feel the study of animals has much to teach us.¡± She watched a lizard crawl through the garden. ¡°Here is a subject, or perhaps teacher, now. Join me.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Rehkna cast her T-waves out until they formed a kind of bubble around Raivyn, the lizard and herself. Applied to sapients, the ability allowed for clear communication that could overcome language barriers. Applied to beasts, it simply gave greater insight into the creature¡¯s motives and emotions.


    The first thing Raivyn felt was a wash of alertness. Small creatures like this lizard tended to have a kind of situational awareness that kept them from becoming easy prey. The next feeling was a strange feedback loop of mutual acknowledgement. The lizard seemed to look at both of them as if to say, ¡°Who invited you into my mind?¡± There was a spark of anticipation and something Raivyn could only describe as ¡°joy.¡± She looked over and saw that Rehkna was picking a berry from one of the bushes in her yard, and offering it to the lizard. He took it greedily and scampered away, the psychic connection severing when he¡¯d left the area of effect.


    Rehkna laughed. ¡°Funny little creatures. They¡¯re bold for their size and I believe they would risk anything for a sweet, ripe berry.¡±


    ¡°And what does that teach us?¡± asked Raivyn.


    The elder shaman smiled and shrugged. ¡°To take joy in the small things. Beasts like our friend here are too simple to dwell on their struggles, and a berry will always give them a spark of joy. We are so burdened with thoughts, conflicts, and intentions that we may eat a bowl full of berries without tasting a single one.¡±


    Raivyn nodded, chewing over the sentiment without feeling the need to expand on the thought.


    ¡°Let us go inside for some tea,¡± said Rehkna, rising.


    Raivyn joined her, pouring water from a tall cistern in the corner into the open jug Rehkna used as a teapot. Soon the little house was filled with the warm, comforting smell of herbal tea and Raivyn was sitting at a table across from Rehkna.


    ¡°Tell me, Raivyn, who is this Lawbine I have heard about?¡± asked the shaman.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s an Aeratan Naval Operator,¡± said Raivyn, ¡°as well as a childhood friend. I¡¯m acting as his liaison to the Republic Navy while he¡¯s with us.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± said Rehkna. ¡°And how is Vanbrook?¡±


    ¡°Still a petulant child,¡± said Raivyn, smiling mirthlessly.


    ¡°I had heard you two were finally courting,¡± said Rehkna calmly. ¡°Is that not true?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s true,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°But he seems intent on finding new ways to annoy me. I- I guess it¡¯s not going so well.¡±


    ¡°Be patient with him, child,¡± said Rehkna. ¡°I wish to see your children before I die of old age.¡±


    Knocked sideways across the head by the comment, Raivyn sprayed a mouthful of tea over Rehkna¡¯s table.


    ***


    Darvik flicked the lights on. They hummed to life with a flicker, illuminating a small, square room that Trebor insisted wasn¡¯t a jail cell. Again, it was part of the agreement that had kept him from facing a firing squad, a fate he¡¯d earned when he murdered his old friend Wilbis in a drunken rage.


    Trebor had made his case directly to Executor Grak-Yurp, claiming that Darvik had been invaluable in defeating the Koomites. Not only had Darvik sparked the revolt that freed them from the aether beast-worshiping death cult, but he also played a pivotal role in destroying High Priest Hoon-Kra¡¯s psychic amplifier. The amplifier was meant to drag the galaxy into war and terror by artificially expanding Koo L¡¯Koom¡¯s aura, which induced madness in psychics.


    It was all true, of course, but Darvik had still been surprised the day Trebor walked into his cell and explained the deal. He¡¯d almost rejected it and let justice take its course. He wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to live, anyway. Cevla, a psychic Human female he¡¯d met in the cult, had been killed in the revolt that had freed Talon Squad and the RTS agents with them. Darvik found himself wondering if she could have gotten the same deal he had if she¡¯d lived. Or if she had been starting to feel the way about him that he¡¯d felt about her. Cevla was barely a friend, but she had been there with him through so much. And then she was gone again. Killed by Trilia, a powerful Astralbian psychic who currently held the title of High Priestess of the Koomites.


    But ultimately, it wasn¡¯t to save his own hide, to follow a strong leader like Trebor, or even to get revenge that he decided to keep going and take the opportunity for redemption. Ultimately it was because of the vision he¡¯d had while on Koo L¡¯Koom.


    A strange figure had told him that he had plans for him. Nothing of the sort had happened since, and Darvik had begun to wonder if the whole thing was just something he¡¯d imagined in the throes of madness. If it was, he had no idea how he¡¯d managed to personally overcome Koo L¡¯Koom¡¯s aura.


    Shaking his head to try to clear it, he changed out of his street clothes and put on sweatpants and an old shirt, crawled into the small bed in the corner and flicked the switch on the wall, falling into another night of lonely, restless sleep.


    ***


    The Drihn sailed smoothly through the aether on its jump to Gateway, and, despite Vanbrook''s romantic woes, the trip was pleasant. Reclan spent a good deal of time with Vritik and Ytriv. Vanbrook found it intolerable to spend too much time around the three of them, given how often the conversations turned towards highly technical aspects of astrodynamics.


    The boredom was broken suddenly when the ship came out of its jump. The drive worked flawlessly, the massive photon shriveling away and disappearing on command, leaving the ship to be driven by the thrust engines for the remainder of the journey. However, someone was waiting for them and lasers crashed into the Drihn¡¯s shields before the thrusters could spin up.


    ¡°What was that?¡± asked Hrake, turning to his crew.


    ¡°We have ships approaching from multiple directions, Captain,¡± said Dhraka. ¡°They were waiting for us.¡±


    Hrake frowned. They hadn''t exactly been secretive about the Drihn¡¯s maiden voyage, but they hadn''t expected to garner any unwanted attention, either.


    ¡°Get weapons at the ready and prepare to return fire. And try to reach the attackers on comms. Perhaps this was only a warning shot.¡±


    A second volley of laser fire disproved the theory.


    ¡°Return fire as soon as you have a target!¡± said Hrake, amending his earlier order.


    ¡°It''s the Ramshackle Collective,¡± said Dhraka. ¡°I''m surprised they''re still active in this area.¡±


    Hrake stepped over to Dhraka¡¯s console. The three pirate ships were in ragged condition, the masts that stood on the open decks missing half or more of the solar panels that powered them, but they were unmistakably of Ramshackle design.


    ¡°Most likely they''re just a desperate remnant left behind after the Cornucopia War,¡± said Hrake. ¡°Let us demonstrate the power of the Hrudukite Navy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± answered Dhraka with a grin.


    The pirates had been careful to maneuver themselves to three of the ship¡¯s corners, avoiding the massive array of broadside cannons. However, the Drihn sported a row of turrets along both its spine and belly, and they now swung into position to begin firing on the ships. All three had hastily-built armored plates on their prows, and were heading straight for the ship rather than swinging broadside to maximize their firepower.


    ¡°All personnel, don aethersuits immediately,¡± ordered Hrake. ¡°Gunners, rotate out to keep up our barrages while you gear up. All non-combat personnel report to the brig immediately. Any combat personnel assigned to brig duty, go with them to protect them if necessary. Everyone else, prepare for extra-vehicular activity.¡±


    ¡°What''s the plan, Captain?¡± asked Dhraka.


    ¡°I believe the pirates intend to board us and take the ship,¡± said Hrake, a smile breaking out on his face. ¡°I intend to board them first.¡±

 Chapter 4.7: Counter-Boarding

    Eyes snapping open suddenly, Cynop found himself in a blank, white room. He looked around to see Brift and a few other crew members, and saw they were all chained to the wall by their ankles. He turned his head around to check, and, sure enough, there were chains on his ankles as well. The chains were short and attached low enough on the wall that the prisoners could either lie, face down, like Cynop had been when he awoke, or stand upright, back to the wall. He tried to squat down, but found that there wasn''t enough room between himself and the wall to do so comfortably.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, breaking the silence. The others nearly jumped at the noise, faces turning towards him with mixed expressions of fear, despair, and frustration. He swallowed hard. ¡°What do we know?¡±


    Silence reigned for what may have been ten seconds or a lifetime.


    ¡°You know as much as we do, Captain,¡± said Brift. ¡°Just woke up ourselves.¡±


    ¡°No one else remembers what happened either, then?¡± asked Cynop. ¡°After we were swallowed by the¡­ the ship?¡±


    Brift shook his head. ¡°The door closed, it got dark, we woke up here.¡±


    Cynop nodded. ¡°And the others?¡±


    He looked around at the silent sailors who shared his cell. There were twelve of them. Less than half of the crew of the Dart.


    ¡°We- we hope in a similar cell,¡± said Brift. ¡°We figure that''s the best case scenario.¡±


    Cynop nodded again, but this time remained silent.


    ***


    Raivyn walked into Hunt''s office, Lawbine following close behind. The Admiral looked up from his desk.


    ¡°Raivyn. Lawbine. Come in,¡± he said. ¡°And close the door behind you.¡±


    Lawbine closed the door as ordered and the two settled into the office.


    ¡°First off, I wanted you to know that the Drihn is currently involved in a skirmish with a small band of Ramshackle pirates. Their chances look good but I thought you should be aware.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Admiral,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Van and the others can handle themselves, but all the same I''m sorry not to be there with them.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Hunt with a nod. ¡°The other issue is less of an emergency but more sensitive. Do you remember Glinya, our wasp rider friend?¡±


    ¡°Yes, defected from the Astralbians,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°She proved to be a big help in the final battle over Gateway.¡±


    ¡°That''s the one,¡± said Hunt. ¡°She sent us a coded message. Her cover is blown and she''s trying to make it to Code-enforced territory with some refugees from an Astralbian-controlled world called Shumriven.¡±


    ¡°Teltons?¡± asked Lawbine. ¡°I''ve known a couple. I''m not surprised they''re bucking Astralbian control. They''re an ornery bunch.¡±


    ¡°Then they''ll fit in with the Republic just fine, if they decide to settle there. Our goal is to rendezvous with the refugee ship on a planet that recognizes the International Galactic Code.¡±


    ¡°Do we have a planet in mind?¡± asked Raivyn.


    ¡°Yes, and, thankfully, it''s Gateway,¡± answered Hunt. ¡°They''ve been going out of their way dodging Astralbian patrols, so that''s the closest world.¡±


    ¡°And you think Talon Squad might have a role to play in the operation?¡± asked Raivyn.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see how it shakes out, but I wanted to make sure you were in the loop on this one. We should be arriving on Gateway within the week, and we should know more by then.¡±


    ***


    Crush sat by a small patch of dirt in a large clearing behind King Hua and Queen Shiu¡¯s palace, her personal star tree rooted to the ground before her. The palace had literally blossomed under Yrinla¡¯s care, the elderly Astralbian being the first tree priestess, or tree shaper, as the native Astralbians called it, to tend to it in countless years. The refugees who had fled from the collapsing Astralbian Empire included a number of tree priests, and she had put them to work rebuilding and reshaping it. Crush admired the reverence and craft with which the priests were working, and looked down with some frustration at her own project.


    The tree had a number of strange growths jutting out in seemingly random directions, and it certainly wasn''t taking the shape she envisioned for it. Yrinla assured her she was making excellent progress, especially considering she was the first non-Astralbian tree shaper in eons, if not the first ever.


    Determined, she set her hand on one of the tree''s misshapen protrusions and sent T-waves into it, opening a line of communication. The bulk of the work was best done from within the tree, interfacing with it via the control panel, but Yrinla had told her to fine-tune structures directly.


    Grow, she thought, pressing the idea into the tree. There was resistance at first. The tree had a natural way of growing and was unwilling to change course without a fight. Pressing against the tree''s mindless, instinct-driven will with her own, she felt it respond, beginning to redirect nutrients to the outgrowth. It would be hours before any measurable growth occurred,  though the time would be shortened due to the nutrient-dense soil of Cradle. She shook her head.


    ¡°You wanted to see me, Admiral?¡± asked a voice from behind her. She turned to see Hacksaw.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Captain,¡± she said in greeting. ¡°Yes. I wanted to talk with you.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he replied. ¡°About what?¡±


    He hid it well, but Crush could sense his nervousness. Everyone had been this way around her since she''d reawoken in her new form. She was alien to her own kind and something akin to a demigod to the Astralbians. Hacksaw had a bit more reason than most to be nervous, though.


    ¡°Back at Gateway, when we defeated Grim,¡± began Crush. She noted that Hacksaw winced at the name. ¡°You considered betraying me to him.¡± He looked to the ground in shame. ¡°What stopped you?¡±


    He raised his head and looked her in the eye. ¡°All my life I''ve leaned on the idea of luck to make my decisions. Hedged my bets, looked for opportunities, hoped I backed the right horse so to speak. Choosing Grim over you was just about weighing the odds. He was a comfortable, familiar bet. But for some reason, I decided I needed to trust you even though I couldn''t understand you. Put my money on the dark horse and let it ride. I think it''s what the biological races call ¡®faith,¡¯ Admiral.¡±


    Crush nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I appreciate it, Hacksaw, I do. But I don''t know if you should put too much faith in me if you''re still looking for results, not ideals. While I''m still discovering my place in the universe, I''m confident it''s not as a god.¡±


    Hacksaw shrugged. ¡°I''m in this for the long haul, now, Admiral. You may not be among the gods, but I suspect there''s at least one watching over you.¡±


    ¡°That just may be, Captain,¡± said Crush. She turned to him warmly. ¡°But for the moment, I''m happy to have you at my side. You''re free to go back to your duties. If you''ll excuse me, I''m going to continue losing an argument with a tree.¡±


    Hacksaw was relieved. That was the end of it, then. ¡°Thank you, Admiral.¡± He turned and left Crush to her work.


    ***


    The Ramshackle Collective captain adjusted his grip on his rusty cutlass. The attack had gone well enough so far, and he hoped his luck would hold out. All three ships had managed to close in on the target ship without being destroyed, and the boarding skiffs were maneuvering into place with little trouble. Grounding wires made sure any EM countermeasures like an electrified hull would be ineffective, and combat engineering crews were getting ready to torch through the two major airlock doors.


    That¡¯s when the captain¡¯s luck changed. The airlock doors flew open, and massive, armored warriors stepped out, swinging hammers with brutal strength. The cargo hatch opened as well, and four smaller figures blasted out.


    Flying out of the Drihn¡¯s cargo hatch, Vanbrook led Talon Squad¡¯s assault on what appeared to be the pirate¡¯s flagship. Flying in zig-zagging patterns, they easily avoided the ship¡¯s clumsy defenses and landed on the open metal decks, mag-boots activating and holding them in place.


    Saber already drawn, Vanbrook energized the blade with a buzzing orange glow, deflected a wildly-swung ax and brought his revolver up to fire a counter attack into the Robot pirate who¡¯d attacked him. Reclan swung her plasma cutter in a vicious arc and decapitated another pirate, leaving them blinded and firing a minigun wildly, tearing up the deck and forcing friend and foe alike to dive out of the way. D¡¯Jarric punched out a bolt of energy from glowing, golden fists and blasted the out-of-control gunner out into the aether. Doc played counter-sniper, using his scoped rifle to take out sharpshooters stationed in the crow¡¯s nests above them.


    The entire force of the pirates converged on Talon Squad, and Vanbrook found himself deflecting blows with his saber and energy buckler more often than he was on the attack. They were cornered at the prow of the ship, and the fight was beginning to swing against them now that the surprise element was wearing off.


    ¡°Wish you were here, buddy,¡± said Vanbrook to Hrake over the comms.


    ¡°As do I, friend,¡± answered the captain. ¡°But my place is on the bridge now, for better or worse. My crew has defeated the boarding parties and are beginning to take their skiffs back to the Ramshackle ships, so you will have aid momentarily.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be good!¡± exclaimed Vanbrook, slashing down another opponent.


    The desperate pirates had nothing to lose, and were prepared to go down fighting. A group rushed Reclan, bogging down her attacks and forcing her to back up until she ran into Doc. Just as Vanbrook was certain they were going to start taking casualties, a huge form leapt over the prow, clearing Talon Squad and bringing a swift yet brutal hammer down on the pirates. Four additional Hrudukite sailors followed and the tide shifted once again. Vanbrook launched himself back into the fray, taking the fight to the twice-ambushed soldiers.


    A robot with a wide brimmed hat and gold-trimmed red overcoat strode over the deck towards Vanbrook, brandishing a cutlass and glaring at him with crimson eyes. It was obvious that this must be the captain. In addition to his slightly nicer attire, there was an arrogance to his bearing that was unmistakable. Vanbrook grinned and stepped forward, saber raised to meet his opponent.


    In one smooth motion he unlocked his mag-boots, boosted himself onto the railing on the edge of the ship and locked his boots onto it, meeting his enemy from higher ground. The captain matched his stunt and the two crossed swords as they walked along the narrow beam of the railing.


    The enraged captain, knowing his plan had failed and his fate was sealed, held nothing back, slashing viciously at every opportunity and using his armored metal arms to deflect Vanbrook¡¯s energized saber when necessary. This cost him some deep gashes along his forearms but earned him an opening, and he slashed Vanbrook across the chest. The swashbuckler leapt back, dodging the worst of the blow, but the blue jumpsuit he wore was torn open and his blood began to bubble out from the deep gash he¡¯d received across his chest. The self-healing suit oozed a puddle of gel out from the gash in the material, which quickly set up, staunching the bleeding and sealing the suit once more.


    Aggravated by the minimal damage his attack had managed to inflict, the captain charged in recklessly once again. Vanbrook was ready for the tactic this time, and tweaked his own. When the captain raised an arm to block a strike, he redirected his blade, aiming for the weaker joints rather than the armored forearm. He struck the captain¡¯s elbow with the precision of a well-trained duelist, severing the limb in two. The captain roared into the aether and slashed viciously at Vanbrook¡¯s chest, hoping to worsen the wound he¡¯d already inflicted. Instead, Vanbrook leapt up and back, his boosters keeping him out of the blade¡¯s arc, and he slashed downwards, severing the captain¡¯s sword hand at the wrist before boosting back towards the rail and the captain, running his opponent through with his saber.


    He kicked the lifeless Robot off the railing and out into the aether, then stepped down onto the deck to take stock of the situation. A couple of robots had barricaded themselves in the stairway that led to the the lower decks and were directing heavy fire at Reclan, D¡¯Jarric, Doc, and the Hrudukite sailors, but as Vanbrook watched Reclan directed a couple of her drones into the stairwell, harassing them with electrical attacks, distracting them enough that one of the Hrudukites was able to rush the stairwell and quickly dispatch them.


    ¡°That takes care of this ship, I believe,¡± said Vanbrook over his comms. ¡°We¡¯ll have to do a sweep to make sure no one else is aboard, but the fighting¡¯s done. How goes it on the other ships?¡±


    ¡°Equally well,¡± answered Hrake happily. ¡°Yours was the most heavily defended. Do your sweep and then return to the Drihn. We will land on Gateway shortly and celebrate the ship¡¯s first victory.¡±

 Chapter 4.8: Reunions

    ¡°Alright, Marines,¡± said Grepk. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve got an assignment.¡± The bulky Raki Marine captain walked into the small barracks that served as the team¡¯s headquarters.


    Keshri and Krum-Bahk looked up from their card game. Krum-Bahk, a tall, wide Krauqian with a massive Astralbian cutlass slung over his shoulder, nodded his understanding. Keshri, a compact and deadly Talpidarian female with long, sharp, spade-like claws on her hands, shrugged an ¡°okay.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, boss?¡± asked Trall. The lanky Dromean male was the latest addition to the team, a medic brought on to replace Fenyn after the latter¡¯s death. Fresh out of basic, he was tattooed all along his arms and Grepk was pretty sure he¡¯d never seen him without a cup of rakka bean tea in his hand.


    ¡°Not sure,¡± said Grepk. ¡°The Dart, one of the System Watch ships, sent a message that it had detected an anomaly. It hasn¡¯t reported anything since, and the powers-that-be at the Depot are getting nervous. We¡¯re going to go check it out.¡±


    ¡°Gotta pull the Navy¡¯s fat out of the fryer, eh?¡± asked Trall, a smirk tugging at his scaly lips.


    Grepk nodded, his antennae perking up with a smile of his own. ¡°That about sums it up. Come on, team. Let¡¯s get to the Gladius, I want to be aetherborn within the hour.¡±


    ***


    Chreep, a native Shairet leader, was waiting for Hrake and the others as soon as the Drihn landed in the airfield outside his city on Gateway, towing what scrap they could from the Ramshackle ships that had meant to do the same to them. General Grubula, the Griffon Republic Army officer in charge of the Republic military bases that had been set up across the Cornucopia Cluster, stood with him on his mechanical legs. Grubula had been an annoyance to Chreep in the beginning, seeming to have little respect for low-technology societies like Chreep¡¯s. However, a mutual respect, if not friendship, had slowly blossomed between the two.


    Gateway was the only known planet that allowed for a place to stop for water between the galaxy at large and the resource-dense Cornucopia Cluster, and Gateway had gone from an isolated, iron-age world to a major trade hub in a matter of months following the Cornucopia War. The Drihn was the first diplomatic overture from Hruduk, another world that had been low-tech until the very recent past. Chreep was excited to greet Hrake as an ambassador rather than as an allied warrior. Peace suited the Shairet far better than war.


    ¡°Chreep! Good to see you!¡± said Hrake as he descended from the ship¡¯s ramp.


    ¡°Hrake! You as well,¡± replied Chreep.


    ¡°Captain Hrake,¡± said Grubula gravely. ¡°I apologize that the Republic Navy was not able to reach you in time to help fend off the loathsome pirates who assaulted you.¡±


    Hrake waved a meaty, clawed hand dismissively. ¡°They were merely rabble. The Drihn was more than able to fend them off. Besides, the Republic was well represented by Talon Squad.¡±


    As if on cue, Vanbrook and the others walked down the ramp behind Hrake.


    ¡°General Grubula, Ambassador Chreep!¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Wow, this place has really taken off!¡± He looked around at the once-empty airfield around the lake that contained Chreep¡¯s village. In addition to the stone tower that jutted out of the lake to provide an entryway to the underwater city, there was a tall traffic control tower at a series of steel landing platforms, all buzzing with traffic.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Chreep with a nod. ¡°Our friends at AetherCrate wasted no time in helping us develop our airfield.¡±


    ¡°And your friends at TalpiTech would love to discuss opportunities regarding a possible Shairet fleet,¡± said Vritik, descending the ramp with Ytriv.


    ¡°All of that may be discussed later,¡± said Chreep. ¡°For now, let us retire to the lake tower for refreshments.¡±


    ¡°What do I have to do to get my own complimentary Talpi?¡± asked Reclan in a voice low enough that only Vanbrook could hear her. He shot her a wry smile.


    ***


    After a brief layover on Avonia, the Wingspan was in a jump to Gateway. Sitting beneath his officer¡¯s sword in his still-barren office, Hunt was pleased with how the mission had gone thus far, and it sounded as though the Drihn had made it through their encounter with the Ramshackle Collective well enough, even making off with some prizes to add to the Hrudukite fleet.


    A notification came through on his comm device, interrupting his thoughts. It was Triflin, calling from the bridge.


    ¡°Officer Triflin, what¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Hunt.


    ¡°Prime Minister Skritka wishes to speak to you, sir,¡± answered the young Astralbian.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there,¡± said Hunt, walking out of his office as he spoke. He was a bit concerned. He wasn¡¯t due to check in for a few days yet, and it was certainly odd for the Prime Minister to reach out to him.


    He made it to the bridge as quickly as he could, holding his hands behind his back and nodding to Triflin to answer the call. Skritka¡¯s face appeared on the screen before him.


    ¡°Admiral Hunt,¡± he said in a crisp, business-like voice. ¡°How goes your journey?¡±


    ¡°Fine, Prime Minister, just fine,¡± answered Hunt. ¡°Though I¡¯m surprised to hear from you. Is something wrong?¡±


    Skritka pushed round spectacles up his pointed snout and sighed. ¡°Things may be more complicated than expected with Glinya and the refugees from Shumriven. It sounds like Lord Wyven is aware of the vessel and wants it stopped. He has been conscripting the Teltons to fight against Trilia¡¯s Koomite cult for dominance over the Empire¡¯s remnants and wants the refugees as soldiers for the cause. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°We will still honor the code if they manage to land on Gateway, but we¡¯re suspending communications with them until they do so. They are fugitives of Astralbian justice until they reach friendly clay, and, whatever our feelings on ¡®Astralbian justice¡¯ may be, we cannot risk further souring relations with the Astralbian Kingdom at this time. Though we do not consider them allies, we¡¯d prefer to have them rebuild the Kingdom than allow Trilia to reform it in her own image.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Prime Minister,¡± replied Hunt. ¡°I¡¯ll hope to see them shortly, as we¡¯ll be arriving on Gateway in the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± said Skritka. ¡°Providence shine on your journey, Admiral.¡±


    ¡°On you as well, Prime Minister.¡±


    ***


    The days passed slowly for Vanbrook as he waited for Raivyn to arrive with the rest of the Blue Griffon Fleet. He felt stupid for the way he¡¯d acted the last time they¡¯d spoken, and he was worried about how much time Lawbine had been able to spend with her since then. He¡¯d sent a comms message her direction but hadn¡¯t heard back from her, which was understandable given that it was only traveling at lightspeed. It had been a pretty bland message, and he hadn¡¯t brought himself to actually apologize. He regretted that, too, but he really didn¡¯t want to be the kind of guy who sent message after message, annoying and confusing the girl he was trying to woo, so he¡¯d left it at one lame communique and hoped for the best.


    ¡°Van, you just gonna mope on the beach all day?¡± asked Reclan.


    He looked around, spreading his arms to indicate the idyllic lakeshore he was sitting on. ¡°Well, y¡¯know, I could do worse than paradise as a backdrop for moping. Besides, you got something better for me to be doing?¡±


    ¡°We could use a strong back for some of the repairs and modifications we¡¯re doing to the Ramshackle ships Hrake commandeered,¡± said Reclan, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll take you if that¡¯s all we can get.¡±


    Vanbrook smiled. ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ll leave paradise behind and get my hands dirty awhile.¡± He stood up and followed Reclan over to where the ships lay in the airfield.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the project here, exactly?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°Well, ¡®Captain¡¯ Hrake would like to make the most of the ships he captured, but Ramshackle Ships aren¡¯t designed for biological beings that have to, y¡¯know, breathe air,¡± answered Reclan. ¡°To that end, Vritik and Ytriv are trying to seal off the below-decks areas and install some life support systems. I don¡¯t know how much utility Hrake is really going to be able to get out of it, but he¡¯s pretty excited about the idea of coming home with a bigger fleet than he left in.¡±


    Vanbrook laughed. ¡°Okay, just point me towards the heavy stuff. I¡¯ll be happy to help out.¡±


    The following couple of days went by much quicker. The three ships were in a bad state of disrepair and it took some serious prep work to get them ready to take off again, much less support biological life. They had finally sealed the lower decks when Dhraka reached out to Vanbrook over comms.


    ¡°Officer Triflin has reached out to me,¡± she said. ¡°Your fleet will be landing in a few hours.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, thanks for the heads-up,¡± said Vanbrook, suddenly looking nervous.


    ¡°Now you have to talk to her again,¡± said D''Jarric with a smile as he walked by with a filter assembly hoisted over his shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, mind your own business, you big yellow oaf,¡± spat Vanbrook.


    ¡°If I did that I''d be back on Solaris Maginite,¡± said the Solaran, dropping the filter off with the technicians. ¡°Then where would you be?¡±


    ¡°Left in peace, I guess,¡± snorted Vanbrook.


    ¡°I think I struck a nerve, Doc,¡± said D''Jarric, winking at the Robot who was just walking by with some plumbing.


    ¡°Leave me out of it,¡± he said, not even slowing down.


    ¡°I''ll tell you what I think,¡± said Reclan, folding the schematic she''d been studying.


    ¡°Since everyone was asking,¡± drolled Vanbrook.


    ¡°What I think,¡± said Reclan emphatically, eyeing Vanbrook significantly, ¡°is that I worked too hard getting the two of you together to watch you ruin it all now.¡±


    ¡°Doc''s the only one of you with any sense of decency or discretion,¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°I said leave me out of it,¡± called Doc over his shoulder.


    Vanbrook smiled despite himself and got back to work.


    A few hours later, the Fleet arrived as promised. Vanbrook rushed to clean himself up and then started looking for Raivyn. He found her introducing Lawbine to Chreep and a few other Shairet dignitaries.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you,¡± said Lawbine. ¡°And good to see psychic Shairet have been welcomed back into society.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Khrip, one of the formerly exiled psychics. ¡°Now that we understand the outbreaks of madness stem from the aether beasts we are much more prepared to deal with it, especially with the Guardian now living in the Cornucopia Cluster. Such a being was once known to the Shairet, but was regarded as a mere myth.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Vanbrook,¡± continued Chreep. ¡°I take it you are here to greet your compatriots.¡±


    ¡°Yes, though if you''d like to take Lawbine on a tour of your village, I think that would be an excellent opportunity for the Aeratan people. I was hoping to speak to Raivyn, anyway.¡±


    Raivyn crossed her arms defiantly. ¡°Maybe I should go along with Lawbine.¡±


    ¡°No need, Raivyn,¡± said Lawbine. ¡°I''m sure Vanbrook would like to own up to his behavior from before.¡±


    Vanbrook shot Lawbine a smile that didn''t reach his eyes.


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Raivyn, growing uncomfortable at the discussion unfolding before an audience. ¡°Let''s go chat.¡±


    She said farewell to the gathered Shairet dignitaries and walked off with Vanbrook.


    ¡°Well?¡± she asked moodily after they''d gotten out of earshot.


    ¡°Well, uh, how was the trip?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°What happened to owning up to your behavior?¡± demanded Raivyn.


    ¡°I didn''t say that, Lawbine did,¡± protested Vanbrook.


    ¡°Well, maybe you should think about taking his advice on this one,¡± retorted Raivyn.


    Vanbrook seethed internally, but kept his face set. ¡°Didn''t I explain it in my message?¡±


    ¡°Oh, this message?¡± asked Raivyn. There was an uncomfortable silence as she sifted through her comms device for the file. Vanbrook winced as he heard his own voice played back to him.


    ¡°Hey, Rai, it''s Van. I hope this''ll reach you before you get to Gateway, then maybe you can get back to me? Uh¡­ you seemed, um, upset last time we talked. I''m not mad, just wanted, uh, wanted you to know that. Um, that''s about it, I guess. I''ll talk to you soon.¡±


    Vanbrook raised his eyes to see Raivyn standing with a fist on her hip, comm held out menacingly before her as though she was trying to physically attack him with the recording. Since he felt like he got punched in the gut, he almost thought she had somehow.


    ¡°That was¡­ worse than I remember,¡± he said, speaking slowly as if trying to feel his way across dangerous terrain.


    She nodded encouragingly, but there was still fire in her eyes. ¡°And¡­?¡±


    Vanbrook sighed resignedly. ¡°I''m sorry, Rai. I was mad, but not at you. Forgive me?¡±


    It was Raivyn''s turn to look upset. Vanbrook winced again, wondering what the silence meant.


    ¡°We''re fine, Van,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°It''s okay.¡±


    Vanbrook breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°But look, Van,¡± she continued, pointing a finger at him. ¡°I''m not a child. I don''t need all my friends to like each other. But whatever you''ve got against Lawbine, keep it to yourself. He''s working with us and representing an allied nation. So be civil.¡±


    Vanbrook paused for the briefest of moments. He considered telling Raivyn that Lawbine was gunning for her affections, but something told him that would cause more problems than it would solve. Let Lawbine fight on his own terms. He''d fight on his.


    ¡°It''s a deal, Rai,¡± he said. ¡°Would you like to see the Shairet village again? I bet we can catch up with Lawbine if we get our gear on quick enough.¡±


    Raivyn smiled up at Vanbrook. Maybe he could grow up, after all.

 Chapter 4.9: Old Friends

    Waking up once more in the cold, white room, Cynop turned to Brift. At least, he turned to where Brift should be. Seeing that the room was utterly empty, he found himself on the verge of panic. Since this had all started, he had been putting on a brave face for the sailors under his command. Without them looking to him for support, he''d somehow lost his own.


    The door, which had only ever lifted enough for bowls of the awful fungal gruel they were given as sustenance before now, opened high enough to reveal a pair of shining metal boots, followed by matching greaves, an armored torso draped in a rich purple tabard with a thick belt running around the middle and a long, cruel face. The face was more similar to a Human than any other species Cynop was familiar with, but the nose was too long, and the eyes were wrong¨Clarge pupils ringed with purple with no whites to be seen. The orange, clay-like face with a wiry, almost root-like black beard growing down from the chin and cheeks was the only flesh Cynop could see until the creature unclasped his hands from behind his back and steepled them under his chin in thought. The hands were the same smooth, orange-tinted complexion as the face, and the fingers were long, with bulging knuckles at every joint.


    Remembering himself, Cynop stood up and looked the creature in the eye. ¡°Where are my sailors?¡±


    ¡°You needn''t worry anymore about them,¡± said the armored cyborg. His voice was harsh and gravelly, grinding against Cynop''s ears like sandpaper.


    ¡°They are my responsibility, and I will worry about them until I get them home, one way or another.¡±


    There was a short, harsh barking sound that Cynop assumed was a laugh.


    ¡°There is no need to worry about that. The Drakmundi¨Cwhich I believe is a fitting name for my people in your tongue¨Chave relieved you of your duties. Griffonia now belongs to us, along with all its people. We will take what we desire, and you will serve us or perish.¡±


    ¡°You may find us more trouble than we''re worth,¡± snarled Cynop, his love for the Republic overshadowing his fear.


    Farbin huffed out another short laugh, turned, and walked from the cell, closing the door behind him and unconsciously scratching his metal chest plate.


    He had proven what he wished to. He could speak fluent Talpaertan. Keeping the prisoners all together had given him a chance to study the language long enough to run it through his programming and master it.


    He would continue to intercept transmissions and process them to ensure his vocabulary was exhaustive, but he was confident he had mastered the syntax and pronunciation. Some heralds neglected learning the local tongues, but Farbin found it extremely helpful in identifying and crushing resistance movements. Regardless, he would send the Council whatever they asked for. His people would survive no matter the cost.


    For now, it was time he fed the beast soldiers. The Griffonian sailors needed to serve some purpose, after all.


    ***


    ¡°Do you believe in the Progenitor?¡±


    Glynn¡¯s head snapped up from her notes at the sudden question. ¡°What?¡±


    Darvik wasn''t meeting her eyes. ¡°Do you, uh, believe in the Progenitor?¡± he repeated.


    ¡°I suppose so,¡± she said thoughtfully. ¡°But I am not a social worker. I am certainly not your therapist. Despite the seemingly cozy setting, I am here to teach you to use your psychic powers, not discuss theology. To that end, have you been practicing your telekinesis?¡±


    He had been¨Cquite a bit in fact¨Cbut he''d also always been a back-of-the-classroom, showing-intelligence-is-showing-weakness kind of student and didn''t want to look like he cared too much. He shrugged.


    Glynn shook her head. ¡°If you don''t practice you won''t improve.¡±


    ¡°I''m asking for reasons involving my training,¡± said Darvik.


    She looked at him, confused.


    ¡°About the, uh, Progenitor,¡± he clarified.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said, throwing her hands up in surrender. ¡°Explain.¡±


    ¡°I, uh, saw something when I was on Koo L''Koom,¡± he began. ¡°When I had gotten knocked out by the beast''s aura.¡±


    ¡°You said before you were simply unconscious and had no recollection of that time,¡± said Glynn.


    ¡°Yeah, I didn''t really want to talk about receiving a vision when I wrote that report. Given my¡­ background, I thought looking like a madman wasn''t in my best interest.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, the vision?¡± prompted Glynn.


    Darvik nodded. ¡°I saw¡­ a man? He was dressed like one of the old ranch hands from back home.¡±


    Glynn nodded thoughtfully. ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°He said he had plans for me,¡± said Darvik, rushing the words a bit in an effort to get them out of the way.


    ¡°And then?¡± asked Glynn.


    Darvik shrugged. ¡°I woke up.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Do you think it''s related to why you were able to function in the presence of Koo L''Koom''s aura despite your T-suppressor medication wearing off?¡±


    ¡°That''s what I was hoping you could tell me,¡± said Darvik.


    ¡°Well, visions of the Progenitor as a familiar, agrarian figure are not uncommon,¡± said Glynn. ¡°They predate many worlds¡¯ recorded Great Teachings, or are considered their foundation, in some cases.


    ¡°Please understand that this discussion is not confidential and your amended recollections will be added to your file.¡±


    Darvik¡¯s face contorted a bit with regret, but he nodded his understanding.


    ¡°Now,¡± continued Glynn, ¡°on with your training. Please go get the block.¡±


    Darvik looked over at the shelf at the all-too familiar wooden block. Reaching out with T-waves, he grabbed the block and brought it over without moving a muscle, plunking it down on the table. He couldn''t be certain, but he was pretty sure he saw the slightest hint of a smile on Glynn''s face.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ***


    Hunt looked dubiously at the three hulking ships docked by the Drihn. AetherCrate Hauling, who had a fully functional repair hangar at the airfield had donated a king''s ransom in aqua-colored paint so that the hulls of the newly-acquired ships would match Hrake¡¯s flagship. However, the open-air upper deck and cobbled together appearance screamed ¡°Ramshackle Collective.¡± Hunt thought that if he listened closely the phrase ¡°death trap¡± may be audible as well. However, Hrake was exceedingly proud of his burgeoning fleet, and Hunt did his best to be diplomatic.


    ¡°Perhaps you could speak with someone who knows the construction,¡± said Hunt. ¡°The Fleet intends to head towards Cradle on our way towards the unexplored regions of the Cluster. If you speak to Admiral Crush, she may be willing to take a look.¡±


    He knew he couldn''t guarantee Crush''s aid, but goodwill had been flowing rather freely between the victors of the Cornucopia War. Even the PIC, typically an antagonist within the nations that recognized the Code, had been relatively friendly as the free nations enjoyed the bounty of the Cornucopia Cluster.


    ¡°I will reach out to her,¡± said Hrake, nodding thoughtfully. ¡°I will need to ask leave of my King, as well.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he''ll object?¡± asked Hunt.


    ¡°Considering how well the voyage went, I doubt he will deny my request, though he is always eager to have the full fighting force of Gred on Hruduk. He sees value in trade and defense, but does not wish for his people to spread themselves too thin.¡±


    Hunt nodded. ¡°His caution is wise, but I suspect the Hrudukites of Gred will be a force to be reckoned with in the galaxy under his leadership.¡±


    ¡°That is kind of you to say,¡± said Hrake with a smile.


    ***


    The underwater village of the Shairet was like nothing Lawbine had ever seen. The smooth, multicolor stone construction was beautiful in and of itself, but it was lit up by swirls of cultivated bioluminescent algae.


    Few of the locals spoke Talpaertan, and none spoke his native Aeratan tongue, so conversations were short but friendly.


    Some of the children darted back to a parent''s arms or into a building when they saw a foreigner coming, but many continued playing and singing or simply stared with the innocent uncouth of a child. The bulky aethersuit he was wearing so he could breath below the surface probably wasn''t helping matters.


    ¡°And up there is the blacksmith shop,¡± Chreep was saying, indicating a downward facing cave mouth that appeared to contain air rather than water. ¡°Our smiths and scholars have been studying under the mechanics and engineers of AetherCrate. We hope to join the other sapients in the larger galaxy-¡±


    ¡°Ah, our friends return.¡±


    Lawbine turned, surprised to see Vanbrook and Raivyn approaching.


    ¡°Good chat?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Vanbrook cheerily, ignoring the attempt to needle him.


    Lawbine nodded. Vanbrook had adjusted his strategy. He''d have to tread carefully now.


    ¡°Chreep had just been showing me the village,¡± he said. ¡°It''s impressive.¡±


    Raivyn nodded. ¡°The Shairet are exceptional masons and algae cultivators. I''m glad we got a chance-¡±


    ¡°All personnel, report to stations immediately.¡±


    Triflin¡¯s voice on the emergency comms channel cut off Raivyn''s comments and the three looked at each other significantly before turning and making their way to the tower.


    ¡°Sorry, Chreep,¡± said Vanbrook. The comms were contained in the Squadmate¡¯s helmets so Chreep hadn''t heard the announcement. ¡°Looks like something''s up.¡±


    ¡°I will accompany you,¡± said Chreep.


    When the four companions broke the surface and exited the tower, they were greeted by the chaos of hundreds of sailors scrambling back to their stations.


    ¡°Talon Squad, this is Rai,¡± said the psychic. ¡°What do we know?¡±


    ¡°Nothing more than what Triflin just said,¡± answered Reclan over comms.


    ¡°Talon Squad,¡± said Hunt, cutting into the Squad¡¯s channel. ¡°Please report to the bridge of the Wingspan. Bring Ambassador Chreep if possible.¡±


    ¡°Chreep, can you accompany us to the Wingspan?¡± asked Raivyn.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he answered. ¡°May I ask why?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± replied Vanbrook ¡°But we''re in the dark on that one, too.¡±


    When they reached the bridge, Hunt was standing by the bridge¡¯s main display and fidgeting nervously.


    ¡°Ambassador Chreep,¡± he said. ¡°I''m glad you''re here. You have visitors.¡± He indicated the display. A massive, bare-branched tree hung in the aether, rotating slowly, unblinking eyes scattered over the rough bark. At the top, gnarled limbs reached upward, at the bottom, organic thrusters occasionally fired from hollow tubes within the cluster of roots. The trunk was swollen in the middle, allowing room on the inside for officers and crew. An Astralbian star tree.


    ¡°Where is this image from?¡± asked Chreep, his features darkening dangerously.


    ¡°High orbit,¡± said Hunt.


    ¡°Shoot them down,¡± said Chreep.


    ¡°Extremely inadvisable, Ambassador,¡± replied Hunt. ¡°I certainly can''t do so under my own authority. We intend to talk to them and wanted you, as a representative of Gateway, to be present. They are trespassing in your orbit but they have not been aggressive. It is common practice to warn invaders and hear their reasoning. If they are wise, they will apologize and leave immediately.¡±


    ¡°Then let us hear their apology,¡± said Chreep, folding both of his sets of arms.


    ¡°Don''t hold your breath,¡± muttered Vanbrook.


    Triflin made the call and soon a haughty, narrow female face filled most of the screen.


    Hunt took a deep breath. ¡°Hello, this is Admiral Hunt of the Griffon Republic Navy. I''m here with Ambassador Chreep of the Shairet people. We wanted to know what you''re doing in the Shairets¡¯ sovereign orbit.¡±


    ¡°I am Lady Rewna. We are on the lookout for a group of deserters,¡± said the Astralbian.


    ¡°You are not welcome here, Astralbian,¡± said Chreep.


    ¡°You are not familiar with Astralbian policy, I take it,¡± said Rewna coldly. ¡°We do not consider orbits ¡®sovereign,¡¯ nor do we recognize any galactic code. We will be gone when our mission is complete.¡±


    ¡°Your Emperor died the last time you invaded our world,¡± seethed Chreep. ¡°May it be so every time you flaunt our sovereignty.¡±


    ¡°Lord Wyven is not Emperor Jylik,¡± said Rewna. ¡°I suggest you wipe the board clean concerning your perception of the Astralbian Kingdom. We will not land on your clay. We will leave when we are finished.¡±


    The screen went black, and Hunt caught a murderous look on Chreep¡¯s face in the reflection.


    ¡°If we had our own defense system we would blast them from the aether,¡± said the Shairet.


    ¡°I hear you,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Honestly, it sounds like a good time. But you''d be making a lot of trouble for yourself if you did that. Have you talked to the other villages and tribes? You''d be bringing them into an interplanetary war.¡±


    Chreep deflated some, but there was still fire in his eyes. ¡°We suffered one invasion and settled with driving them off. We may not be so forgiving if they dare come back.¡±


    Hunt nodded. He was impressed by Vanbrook''s diplomacy. He would have expected the notoriously hot-headed swashbuckler to be begging to take the fight to the Astralbians as soon as possible.


    ¡°We''ll keep monitoring them until we''re ready to move on, and do what we can to make sure someone on Gateway can keep up surveillance when we''re gone.¡±


    ¡°That is much appreciated, Admiral,¡± said Chreep. ¡°The Republic has been a valued and steadfast ally.¡±


    ***


    Glinya looked over Riventius¡¯s shoulder at the console of their stolen ship. The tuft on the end of his semi-prehensile tail flicked back and forth as he looked over the same data.


    ¡°Looks like they know where we''re heading,¡± Glinya said warily.


    Riventius turned to her, his long canines bared by a lopsided grin gracing his short muzzle. His pointed ears were perked up, the excitement of the cat-and-mouse game he was playing with the Astralbians making his heart race.


    ¡°Relax,¡± he said, dismissing her with a wave of his clawed hand. ¡°There''s one more planet to try.¡±


    ¡°Even if there is, the Griffon Republic has gone dark on us,¡± said Glinya.


    ¡°If we can get to them, they''ll take us in,¡± noted Riventius. ¡°And there''s one place the Kingdom won''t expect us to go, or be willing to go themselves.¡±


    He punched some buttons and adjusted some dials, changing their destination. This was going to be fun.

 Chapter 4.10: A Good Threshing

    The Gladius came out of its jump not far from the place where the Dart had sent its last message. The details were sparse to say the least, but Grepk noticed the anomaly on his scanners immediately. Sure enough, there was some kind of EM disturbance deep in the aether.


    ¡°Alright, folks,¡± he said. ¡°I can see what the Dart saw, and we''re going to head towards it. We''ve got plenty of juice and we''re keeping a ripmed comm line open for the duration of the mission. Check your gear and get ready for anything.¡±


    The trip didn¡¯t take long, and soon he could bring up a telescopic image of the disturbance. He put the image up on the public display so the other Marines could see it.


    ¡°Anybody ever seen anything like this?¡± he asked.


    There was a large purple sphere, with something dark and indistinct inside it.


    ¡°No, sir,¡± said Trall, studying the image closely.


    Krum-Bahk and Keshri shook their heads.


    ¡°Depot, this is the Gladius,¡± said Grepk. ¡°Take a look at the video we''re sending your way. Whatever it is, it doesn''t look natural. I think there''s some kind of-¡±


    The lights all turned off at once. The Gladius was dead in the water.


    ***


    Soon the fleet was on its jump to Cradle, the last diplomatic stop before joining the rest of the galaxy in exploring new worlds. Hrake was coming along with them in the Drihn, his fleet of commandeered ships coming along. Hrake had named them the Erhk, Rerhk, and Kherhk, evidently in reference to a Hrudukite nursery rhyme.


    Hunt received permission to assign some volunteers to the former pirate vessels to help a skeleton crew of Hrudukite sailors learn the ropes.


    Talon Squad fell into a comfortable rhythm, or at least a more comfortable rhythm than Vanbrook expected. Lawbine continued to spend as much time with Raivyn as he could, but Vanbrook kept his cool and didn''t give either of them a hard time about it. Besides, he was happy how much time Raivyn chose to spend with himself, and the two finally had a chance to talk and share meals together regularly.


    Then disaster struck. Hunt was checking his messages on the bridge when a distress call came in from the Kherhk.


    ¡°Attention! Attention!¡± came a voice from the imperiled ship. ¡°Shields just dropped to fi-¡±


    The message ended as abruptly as it had begun.


    ¡°Hello, Kherhk,¡± said Hrake over comms. ¡°This is Captain Hrake, come in Kherhk.¡±


    Hunt hung his head. He knew beyond a doubt what had happened. The Kherhk¡¯s shield had failed, either due to faulty equipment or repeated blows from space debris. After that, the tiniest piece of debris in the path of a ship traveling well beyond the speed of light would end in devastation.


    ¡°We must go back for them,¡± said Hrake.


    ¡°Captain,¡± said Hunt. ¡°You have my condolences. But our sailors are gone.¡±


    ¡°Then we must gather their bodies,¡± said Hrake. His voice was even, but Hunt could tell there was an element of shock in it. Hrake had certainly lost soldiers before. But now he had lost a ship full of crewmates and allies in a mechanical accident.


    ¡°Hrake¡­ they''re one with the aether,¡± said Hunt. It was an old spacer¡¯s term. A euphemism for occasions such as this, when ¡°obliterated¡± or ¡°disintegrated¡± felt too harsh, no matter how true they might be. ¡°We should check the shield integrity of the Erhk and Rerhk, though.¡±


    ¡°This is the Erhk, our shields are at eighty-eight percent,¡± said a voice over the comms.


    ¡°The Rerhk is at ninety, sirs,¡± said another. ¡°We''re happy to stop if you feel it necessary but our crew can monitor things from here and stop the jump if anything goes sideways.¡±


    ¡°I''ll second that,¡± said the Erhk.


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Hrake. ¡°We press on.¡±


    Aboard the Drihn, Hrake hung his head. Dhraka came to his side and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. He turned to her with appreciative eyes and they exchanged weak smiles.


    The remainder of the jump took on a solemn tone as the losses were mourned, but the Ramshackle ships had no further issues. When the jump finally came to an end, Vanbrook was excited to see a new world for the first time on the journey. Granted, Cradle was inhabited, so didn¡¯t hold the same excitement as a truly undiscovered world, but nonetheless there would be plenty to explore.


    Crush was waiting for Admiral Hunt and Talon Squad when they disembarked. A small, colorful creature with leathery wings and a bushy tail sat on her shoulder as she stood with a cohort of native Astralbians. The stone figure, etched in softly glowing blue lines and bearing silvery armored plates standing by the spikey blue orbs bearing bejeweled wooden staves was an impressive sight. Vanbrook could see that, while distinct, the Astralbians and the Robots¨Cor Coreborn, as they were known on Cradle¨Cwere complementary species.


    Hrake came over and joined them, bowing slightly to Crush and the others.


    ¡°Old friends,¡± said Crush. ¡°Welcome to Cradle. I introduce to you King Hua and Queen Shiu, sovereigns of Cradle.¡±


    ¡°The Griffon Republic extends its warmest greetings, your Majesties,¡± said Hunt.


    ¡°And we return them,¡± chimed King Hua. ¡°Welcome to Cradle.¡±


    ¡°You are welcome to take on water and collect samples,¡± said Crush. ¡°But please do so in coordination with me. There are some objects too precious to give to others, even to close allies.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Hunt. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The small creature on her shoulder chittered at the newcomers.


    ¡°Stripes says hello, as well,¡± said Crush with a light laugh.


    While Hunt spoke with the royal couple, Reclan approached Crush. ¡°Remember me, oh great guardian?¡± she asked with a wry grin.


    Crush turned her unmoving faceplate towards Crush, but there was an inexplicable warmth in her blue eyes. ¡°Reclan. How is your foot treating you?¡±


    ¡°Fantastic,¡± she answered, holding her bionic foot out for inspection. ¡°The modifications you suggested really helped the whole thing fit more comfortably.¡±


    Stripes leapt onto the proffered foot, chittering happily and forcing Reclan to balance on one foot longer than anticipated.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of that, boy!¡± said Crush goodnaturedly, scooping the critter off of Reclan¡¯s foot.


    Swinging her arms wildly, Reclan caught her balance and nodded gratefully to Crush, then stuck her tongue out playfully at the little creature that climbed back up on her friend¡¯s shoulder.


    Crush¡¯s eyes wandered over the combined Republic and Hrudukite fleet, lingering on the Erhk and Rerhk.


    ¡°You¡¯ve commandeered Collective ships?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± answered Hrake. ¡°A small remnant of Ramshackle pirates attacked the Drihn, but were defeated. I took the opportunity to expand my fleet. Unfortunately, the ships appear to have shielding problems.¡±


    ¡°With your permission, I will have my people look into that for you,¡± said Crush. ¡°It¡¯s a model of ship we¡¯re quite familiar with.¡±


    Hrake beamed. ¡°I will let my lead engineer know to expect them.¡±


    ¡°For now, I would like to show Talon Squad the mine,¡± said Crush. ¡°I know the natural deposit of cores is of great interest to the wider galaxy. Hrake, you are welcome to come along.¡±


    ¡°I would be honored,¡± he said with a bow.


    Talon Squad piled into their ATUC and followed behind Crush, who took Hrake with her in a small transport with a cargo bed in the back. Stripes followed behind the transport, flitting along happily. The vehicles followed a well-worn path through verdant, gnarled woods and wide, purple prairies, eventually coming to a dense forest at the foot of a craggy mountain. The path continued up the slope and Vanbrook noted more of the colorful squirrelbats in the trees as they passed.


    The trees thinned out and revealed an open-air mine full of Robots and Astralbians, all working hard to chip away at the rock and reveal the precious stones within. One of the Robots approached.


    ¡°Admiral! I take it this is Talon Squad,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes, as well as Captain Hrake of Gred,¡± she replied. ¡°Talon Squad, Hrake, meet Slag, the mine¡¯s foreman.¡±


    Everyone exchanged hellos, and then Slag turned to Crush.


    ¡°We¡¯re starting to get less return on investment from digging in the same old places,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d like to have an exploratory group go check out the western ridge.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the miner,¡± said Crush with a shrug. ¡°Go for it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Admiral,¡± he said, turning to go.


    ¡°¡®Admiral¡¯ doesn¡¯t seem to cover it,¡± said Reclan.


    Crush looked thoughtful. ¡°I know. But it¡¯s what everyone knows to call me. Should I ask them to start calling me ¡®Guardian Crush?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± said Reclan noncommittally. ¡°Where is your fleet, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Acting as privateers and bounty hunters for the Wabuluban Kingdom and the PIC under Captain Hacksaw,¡± answered Crush. ¡°Mostly hunting down the remnants of the Ramshackle Collective. The Collective is too dispersed to be struck down with any finality, and there¡¯s no political will to go after the larger worlds and space stations they still hold. However, the Cornucopia War hit them nearly as hard as it hit the Astralbians and the free nations of the galaxy aren¡¯t nearly as tolerant of them now.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t come all this way for an update on the FRF. Let¡¯s go see the mine up close.¡±


    The miners greeted them happily but kept at their work, carefully moving earth and stone with machines and hand tools to avoid damaging any potential cores hidden below. As they toured the mine, Doc kept stealing uneasy glances at Crush. D¡¯Jarric noted the looks and filed it away for later. The mine wasn¡¯t large, and the group soon found themselves at the far edge, up against the rock face of the mountain.


    Reclan looked over to the trees where some movement had caught her eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s that, in the woods?¡± she asked.


    Crush turned to look as a hulking, fifteen foot tall beast stepped out of the forest, sniffing the air. It was hairy and bipedal, but hunched over, built more like an avian reptile than a mammal. Its short arms sported three heavy claws, and the flared, cattle-like nostrils worked furiously above a maw filled with jagged teeth.


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Crush dismissively. ¡°We call them hill threshers. They wander through the mines occasionally but don¡¯t bother anyone. Mostly they stick to the forest.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± asked Vanbrook. ¡°But have you ever seen them around biologicals before?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Crush, realization dawning in her mind.


    The creature stopped sniffing, and dull, wide-set eyes locked onto Vanbrook. Pouncing before his prey could evade him, the beast leapt the full twenty yards between itself and Vanbrook. He drew his pistol and fired, but the shot went wide, and he had to dodge clumsily out of the way. He managed to avoid the talons that raked the air where he had stood a split second before, but was caught in the head by the hill thresher¡¯s back hand swing. Vanbrook tumbled to the ground, dazed by the blow.


    The rest of Talon Squad was already drawing their weapons, Lawbine the quickest to get a shot off. His ray pistols, firing blazing orange bolts, were able to drill a burning hole through a man¡¯s rib cage, but the shaggy fur and leathery, armored hide of the hill thresher held out. The beast roared and rounded on Lawbine, its shoulder smoldering where the gunslinger had shot it.


    ¡°On me!¡± shouted Raivyn, wheeling away from Vanbrook to draw the beast off and give him time to recover.


    Everyone moved with her, blasting at the creature as they did. D¡¯Jarric¡¯s bolts seemed to bother it the most, and it snapped viciously at the Solaran. Vanbrook, partially recovered, brought his pistol up again and fired, the blue blast of the nova crystal round irritating the beast enough that it swung back towards him. His pistol was a blur at the end of his arm and the beast seemed to split into two as his vision doubled.


    ¡°Leave this to me!¡± shouted Lawbine. ¡°Everyone else hold fire!¡±


    Everyone but Vanbrook obliged, and orange and blue bolts pummeled the creature from opposite directions. Infuriated, it ultimately chose to swing towards Lawbine, who was hitting the creature with speed and accuracy that Vanbrook couldn¡¯t match. The hill thresher turned towards the threat with a roar, more enraged than hungry now. Lawbine raised one pistol, aimed and fired into one of the beast''s eyes. The roaring stopped abruptly and the creature fell to the ground.


    ¡°Ah, I had that¡­¡± said Vanbrook in a sluggish voice. He stepped toward the others, trying to return his pistol to his holster but simply dropping it to the ground. Vanbrook followed right behind it, sprawling across the stones and laying by the fallen hill thresher.


    ***


    ¡°We¡¯re receiving a communication, sir,¡± said Triflin.


    ¡°Who from?¡± asked Hunt, stirred from his thoughts by the communications officer.


    ¡°It¡¯s the refugees,¡± answered Triflin. ¡°The ones from Shumriven.¡±


    Hunt sighed. ¡°We¡¯re not supposed to speak with them until they reach a settled world, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Triflin shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, I wasn¡¯t clear¨Cthis isn¡¯t a ripmed comm. They¡¯re in orbit.¡±


    Hunt nearly leapt out of his chair. ¡°What!? Why would they follow us here? Cradle isn¡¯t part of the IGC, they need to head directly for Gateway, or Thioa! Anywhere that officially recognizes the Code!¡±


    ¡°Do you wish to tell them that, Admiral?¡± asked Triflin.


    Hunt shook his head, but relented. ¡°Answer the call.¡±


    An Astralbian female Hunt recognized as Glinya appeared on the screen, alongside a bright-eyed Telton male.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± asked Hunt. He avoided using names in case their transmission was being monitored.


    ¡°I am seeking asylum, and being dogged by Lord Wyven, Hunt!¡± she answered.


    ¡°Careful what you say-¡± started Hunt.


    ¡°I will not have my escape cut off, Admiral!¡± said Glinya. ¡°I have put in hard work for the Republic and I will not suffer being captured by that scum!¡±


    ¡°Sir, another call is coming in,¡± said Triflin.


    ¡°The Astralbians?¡± asked Hunt through gritted teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so, sir,¡± answered Triflin. ¡°And yes, they, uh, they are also in orbit.¡±

 Chapter 4.11: Hunts Decision

    Farbin frowned as he looked out from his console to the Griffonian craft that approached his train. It had followed the same trajectory as its predecessor, appearing to move faster than light for a time and slowing when it got within a certain distance.


    Impossible readings aside, he was concerned about a second ship happening upon him in so short a time. A full-fledged armada of their primitive ships could not stop him, but it would be a nuisance he did not wish to deal with. He pressed a button, firing a disruptive ray of electromagnetic energy at the ship, and activated the beam that would draw it into his clutches.


    ***


    ¡°Nothing,¡± declared Grepk. He had tried everything he knew to reboot the Gladius¡¯s systems, but the ship still lay dormant.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea,¡± said Trall. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good one.¡±


    ¡°Well, shoot,¡± encouraged Grepk.


    ¡°The suits,¡± he said, jerking his thumb back to the cargo hold where the Marines kept their battle armor. ¡°We could put the suits on, see if they have any juice.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± said Grepk. ¡°They might. I¡¯m assuming the anomaly knocked out our systems, but it¡¯s possible the suits were shielded from¡­ whatever it was that hit us.¡±


    ¡°And then what?¡± asked Krum-Bahk.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Grepk honestly. ¡°But it¡¯ll mean we can survive for a while longer if anything goes sideways. Well, further sideways.¡±


    ¡°Hey, is the anomaly¡­ getting bigger?¡± asked Keshri, pointing a clawed finger toward the window.


    ¡°Alright, suit up everybody,¡± said Grepk. ¡°We¡¯re on a crash course.¡±


    ***


    The world swam into focus, and Vanbrook found himself still lying on the ground out at the mine. He reached a hand up to his aching head.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± he said groggily. ¡°That thing hits like a freighter.¡±


    ¡°Well, the important thing is you stay conscious and let me do my job,¡± said Doc. ¡°That thing walloped you good and I need to check for signs of a concussion.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°Glad to see you coming around, Van,¡± said Lawbine.


    Vanbrook looked up at the man with a withering glare.


    ¡°That was an amazing shot, Law,¡± said Raivyn.


    Vanbrook turned, realizing for the first time that Raivyn was crouched down beside him opposite Doc.


    ¡°Oh, hey,¡± he said, flashing her a sheepish smile.


    She returned a warm smile of her own. ¡°I think that one got the better of you, Van. Good thing Lawbine was here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°...thanks.¡± The word stung, but he was committed to staying civil. Besides, the man had probably saved his life.


    ¡°All personnel, return to stations immediately,¡± said Triflin¡¯s voice over the comms.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going,¡± said Vanbrook, trying to stand up.


    ¡°Woah, there!¡± said Doc. ¡°You and I aren''t going anywhere. Everyone else can head back in the ATUC. If the, uh, Guardian doesn¡¯t mind we¡¯ll head back with her as soon as we can.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me,¡± said Crush.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Raivyn. She gave Vanbrook¡¯s hand a quick squeeze and headed off.


    He smiled wanly after them.


    ***


    ¡°Lady Rewna,¡± said Hunt smoothly. ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see you again so soon. Do the people of Cradle know you¡¯re here?¡±


    Inwardly sweating bullets, Hunt had silenced his communication with Glinya the moment he answered Rewna¡¯s call.


    ¡°We know you¡¯re in contact with the fugitives,¡± said Rewna. ¡°I am calling only to warn you against harboring them. You can pass that on to the locals, as well.¡±


    ¡°Where are these so-called fugitives?¡± asked Hunt with a practiced calm.


    ¡°Do not worry about that,¡± sneered Rewna. ¡°It is not your concern. We will find them.¡±


    Hunt nodded. So they didn¡¯t know. Not yet. The fact was they were landing, not too far off. Cradle may not recognize the Code, but they had readily accepted Astralbian refugees. Hunt was fairly certain the threat presented by the FRF was the only reason Wyven hadn¡¯t swooped in and tried to press-gang the whole population into service.


    Rewna¡¯s eyes suddenly went wide, and she turned from the screen. ¡°What was that? Well then go, go, go!¡± With that the screen went black.


    Triflin wasted no time in bringing Glinya back on screen.


    ¡°Glinya, what can you tell me?¡± said Hunt.


    ¡°They¡¯re on us,¡± said Glinya. ¡°We¡¯re on our way down but we¡¯ve just confirmed on our scanners that they¡¯re on our trail.¡±


    ¡°Drixen, this is Admiral Hunt,¡± he said, tapping the pilot¡¯s direct line. ¡°Get your squadron airborne! Our friends need an escort.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± he responded almost immediately.


    ***


    Glinya¡¯s eyes darted around Riventius¡¯ console. ¡°They''re right on top of us!¡±


    Riventius shot a withering glare over his shoulder. ¡°I can read the display, Glinya.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The old comm speaker on the dash crackled to life. ¡°Shumriven vessel, this is Textbook of the Griffon Republic¡¯s Blue Griffon Fleet,¡± said Drixen, using his call sign instead of his given name. ¡°We''re going to be escorting you from here down.¡±


    Riventius¡¯ face lit up suddenly. ¡°The Textbook!?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so?¡± said Drixen uncertainly.


    ¡°The one and only!¡± said Cowgirl, also known as Kaihla, Drixen¡¯s wife and fellow pilot.


    ¡°This is amazing!¡± exclaimed Riventius. ¡°Let me know what you need, Textbook!¡±


    ¡°Just go ahead and land,¡± said Drixen with a friendly chuckle. ¡°We''ll keep out of your way.¡±


    ***


    ¡°This is an outrage!¡± screamed Rewna. ¡°Call your dogs back now!¡±


    Hunt glared at his screen. ¡°Whether or not Cradle recognizes the code is irrelevant. They are within the orbit of a sovereign world and you have no authority to arrest them here.¡±


    ¡°That is as thin a defense as I have ever heard, worm!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°You are violating the same guidelines, unless this intervention was approved by the ¡®sovereigns¡¯ of Cradle, which I sincerely doubt!¡±


    ¡°The Blue Griffon Fleet is here as a guest of King Hua, Queen Shiu, and Guardian Crush,¡± he said evenly. ¡°You cannot claim that. And unless you plan to pursue these ¡®fugitives¡¯ on the surface, which I would strongly advise against, your pursuit has reached an end in favor of the pursued.¡±


    Rage played across Rewna¡¯s face. It wasn¡¯t so long ago that the Astralbian Kingdom inspired fear and timidity across the galaxy. Unfortunately, Jylik had allowed his hubris to lead him to try to rekindle the Empire, leading to both his own demise and the fracturing of loyalties among the Astralbian people. Now the Kingdom was a laughing stock. She wanted to open fire on the foolish admiral and teach the Griffonians a lesson they wouldn¡¯t soon forget. But Wyven would be furious if she started a war with the Republic now. He had made it clear that all interactions with the Griffon Republic and its allies were to be friendly, or at least not violent.


    ¡°You will regret this, Admiral Hunt,¡± she said, biting off the sentence with bitterly cold anger.


    Hunt sank back into his chair, staring at the blank screen and sighing heavily. ¡°Well, it¡¯s done now.¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± said Triflin. ¡°I thought we won. Why do you seem so¡­ defeated?¡±


    He smiled wanly at his young communications officer. ¡°I¡¯m not sure the Navy will see this as a victory.¡±


    ¡°Our spy will not face execution, and the Telton refugees are free, or, at least, closer to freedom,¡± said Triflin. ¡°That is a victory by any reasonable standard, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get a report submitted via ripmed,¡± said Hunt. ¡°I want to make sure my side is the first report to reach Prime Minister Skritka.¡±


    Despite his intentions, Hunt was still drafting a message when Skritka called the Fleet directly. Triflin looked questioningly at Hunt.


    ¡°Answer it,¡± said Hunt, projecting as much confidence as he could muster.


    ¡°Admiral Hunt, explain yourself!¡± Skritka¡¯s face had hardly appeared on the screen when he began. Executor Grak-Yurp sat behind the Prime Minister, expression inscrutable.


    ¡°Our allies were in need of aid and within reach,¡± began Hunt. ¡°I could not allow-¡±


    ¡°You could not allow?¡± interrupted Skritka. ¡°Admiral, that is not your call. You were given explicit instructions and you ignored them. Our peace with the Astralbian Kingdom remnant is shaky at best, and you just put it in jeopardy! I received a live ripmed feed of our fighters interfering with Astralbian operations from Lady Rewna¡¯s star tree.


    ¡°I am relieving you of your command until this breach has been fully investigated. Engineering Officer Dekken will be taking command of the Blue Griffon Fleet for the interim. You will confine yourself to your quarters.¡±


    At this point, everyone on the bridge, Dekken included, was glued to the exchange.


    ¡°I will report to my quarters immediately, sir,¡± answered Hunt, his expression steely.


    ¡°You''d better,¡± said Skritka. ¡°One more step out of line and you''ll spend the remainder of the voyage in the brig, am I understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Hunt. He snapped a smart salute and left the bridge, marching directly to his quarters to soak in his misgivings and self-doubt.


    Back on the bridge, Dekken approached the screen. ¡°Prime Minister-¡±


    ¡°Don''t defend him, Dekken,¡± warned Skritka. ¡°He''ll have his day in court.¡±


    ¡°No, sir, though I''ll testify on his behalf if I am called to do so,¡± said Dekken, earning himself a frown from the Prime Minister. Grak-Yurp¡¯s face was somewhat harder to read. ¡°For now I only wanted to ask how you''d like me to proceed?¡±


    Skritka sighed. ¡°We can''t very well hand Glinya over to Wyven, and I need Hunt back here to stand before the Houses. I will correspond with King Hua and Queen Shiu and see if they will take on the refugees.¡±


    Dekken wanted to note that the outcome of Hunt¡¯s actions seemed desirable, but he resisted the urge. No sense getting them both thrown in the brig. Hopefully he''d have a chance to help the young Admiral, but now was not the time to speak up.


    ***


    Outside, Drixen had landed his fighter by the refugees¡¯ antique ship. With a rusty yawn that ended in a deafening clang, the ship¡¯s door opened, folding down into a set of stairs which was quickly descended by a young Telton male. His furry, reddish-brown face was split with a wide, toothy grin.


    ¡°You are Textbook, yes?¡± he asked Drixen.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± answered the pilot.


    ¡°I am Riventius, but please, call me Riv!¡± said the Telton, thrusting his hand out to shake Drixen¡¯s.


    Drixen accepted the handshake. ¡°And you can call me Drixen.¡±


    ¡°For years I have heard stories of Textbook, hero of the Griffon Republic and bogeyman to the Astralbian Kingdom,¡± said Riventius, dark eyes glittering with excitement as he spoke. ¡°I always yearned to fly, but the Astralbians did not allow such technology on Shumriven, believing we would utilize it to revolt. They are correct on that count. But, despite how hard it is to get such things¨Cyou can appreciate that it is difficult to smuggle an entire spaceship¨CI managed to cobble together this beauty behind me and take to the stars! I bring much of my village with me. We hope to immigrate to the Griffon Republic now that the Astralbian stranglehold on our planet is weakening.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you built this ship?¡± asked Drixen. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°With great difficulty,¡± admitted Riventius. ¡°For generations my family has collected parts, tools and knowledge. I am the ultimate beneficiary of a project spanning more than a century.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¨Cwow¨CI¡¯m impressed,¡± said Drixen.


    ¡°Drixen¨CTextbook himself¨Cis impressed! HA!¡± exclaimed Riventius.


    The self-congratulatory ¡®ha¡¯ nearly made Drixen jump. The pilot looked up the steps to


    see Glinya descending the ship¡¯s stairs.


    ¡°The assist is much appreciated,¡± said Glinya. ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to put my days of spying behind me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you can train us Navy folks how to ride wasps,¡± said Drixen. ¡°Or does it take the same psychic abilities to ride wasps as it does to pilot star trees?¡±


    ¡°The processes are similar,¡± said Glinya.


    Drixen looked crestfallen. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a shame. I really wanted to ride one.¡±


    ¡°If you can get me a wasp, I will take you for a ride,¡± promised Glinya.


    ¡°You¡¯re on!¡± said Drixen.


    ¡°And I can get a ride in one of your fighters?¡± asked Riventius hopefully, his eyes resting on the landed fighters that sat behind Drixen.


    ¡°One step at a time,¡± said Drixen with a wry grin.


    Dekken stepped up next to Drixen, and when Drixen turned to see him he caught sight of Crush as well.


    ¡°Hey, Dekken,¡± he said. ¡°Where¡¯s the Admiral?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to discuss that in a moment,¡± said Dekken, thinking better of explaining the situation to all parties.


    ¡°Welcome to Cradle,¡± said Crush, walking up and addressing Glinya. ¡°We¡¯re happy to have you as our guest. The King and Queen have been speaking with representatives from all refugee groups.¡±


    ¡°That would be me,¡± said Riventius. ¡°Glinya is more a fugitive spy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± said Crush.


    ¡°And we are hoping to make it to a Republic world,¡± added Riventius.


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Crush with a nod. ¡°I would still ask that you speak to the King and Queen. They are interested to know how the Astralbian Kingdom has treated its client worlds.¡±


    Riventius¡¯ face darkened. ¡°Client world indeed. We are oppressed by those who would call themselves our masters, even on our own world.¡±


    ¡°I mean no offense,¡± said Crush.


    ¡°I know,¡± said Riventius with a shrug. ¡°And Glinya has proved to us that not all Astralbians are like the soldiers who beat down our sick and old for sport. I will answer any questions that I can. I have no secrets from the people of Cradle.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± said Crush. ¡°Come to the castle when you can. I am sure the Republic would like to discuss your plans moving forward.¡±

 Chapter 4.12: An Anomaly Solved

    The whining sound had been going on for a few minutes when a drill bit finally broke through into the Gladius¡¯ hatch. The bit withdrew and a small hose was inserted. A thin gas, visible only where it distorted the air as it rushed out of the hose, began to fill the ship.


    Grepk, Krum-Bahk, Keshri, and Trall stood absolutely still in their hulking armored suits, which protected them from the effects of the gas. They exchanged glances through their clear, domed helmets, but didn¡¯t dare speak. They assumed this was the same fate that befell the crew of the Dart, which sat docked beside them in the otherwise empty hangar, but they had no idea what to expect.


    The hose withdrew, and there was a moment¡¯s pause before the hatch was torn from its hinges. A robotic figure strode onto the ship. It looked unblinkingly at the Marines who were still standing and reached for some kind of weapon. It was immediately blasted by heavy fire and fell to the deck.


    ¡°Go, go, go!¡± shouted Grepk, rushing the door. A few more of the mechanical attackers were waiting outside, along with a tall creature in a cybernetic suit. The creature wore a purple tabard held in place with a thick belt, clasped together with a buckle that depicted an orb being circled by a dragon, and a metal headdress that swept off the back of his head like a serpent¡¯s tail.


    The robotic drones all raised guns and were firing rays at the Marines, but the cyborg turned and fled to the hangar door, running out and slamming it behind him. A bolt of energy caught Krum-Bahk¡¯s helmet and knocked him back, leaving a spiderweb crack where it struck.


    The drones were no match for the Marine¡¯s combination of energy and ballistic rifles and were quickly mown down.


    ¡°You may have bypassed my preferred method of capture, Griffonians,¡± said a surly, gravely voice from the door. ¡°But you are trapped nonetheless. Your ship is disabled and I will let you starve or suffocate if you do not exit your suits and surrender. How you die is of no concern to me, but be sure the crew of the Dart died far more quickly than you will in that room.¡±


    Having said all he had to say to the troublesome interlopers, Farbin turned from them as the door slammed shut. These Griffonians were much more well-armed than the first group had been, and had managed to avoid his trap. There was no reason to waste any more resources on the matter, though. Once the ring was complete he would have all the soldiers he needed and more. Better to devote his time and resources to that end. He was so close.


    Inside the hangar, the Marines had returned to the Gladius to regroup and work out an escape plan.


    ¡°Looks like our systems are still down at the moment,¡± said Grepk. ¡°Whatever he hit us with doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going to wear off any time soon.¡±


    ¡°The suits might still be the answer,¡± said Trall. ¡°For whatever reason, they work. Maybe we can do something with that?¡±


    Grepk eyed a spare suit hanging in the crew and cargo area. ¡°Okay, yeah. I¡¯ll work on that. Everyone else, get that door repaired. Check the Dart for spare parts. Just slam it back in place and weld it tight. We need it aether-ready as soon as possible.¡±


    ***


    Vanbrook and Doc got back to the Wingspan about an hour after the rest of Talon Squad. When they met up with the others, the atmosphere was depressed, almost funereal.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Vanbrook, a concerned look on his face.


    ¡°Nevermind that,¡± asked Raivyn. ¡°How''s your head?¡±


    Vanbrook waved her off. ¡°Eh, it''s fine.¡±


    ¡°Mild concussion,¡± offered Doc. ¡°He''ll be fine if he does as I say. Otherwise I''ll just give him another one.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, brain health, blah blah blah,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Why does everyone look like they just lost their childhood puppy?¡±


    ¡°Hunt got himself in trouble,¡± said Reclan. ¡°That antique junker out there? It¡¯s the refugees from Shumriven. He sent them aid against orders, and now he¡¯s probably looking at a court martial.¡±


    ¡°A court martial? For helping our allies?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°For stoking the Astralbian¡¯s tempers,¡± corrected Raivyn. ¡°He could be discharged for this, if not jailed.¡±


    Vanbrook¡¯s face fell. He wasn¡¯t Hunt¡¯s biggest fan, but he hated to see him punished for doing the right thing. ¡°Is he being sent back home immediately?¡±


    ¡°We all are,¡± said Raivyn.


    Vanbrook balked.


    ¡°By the shortest route possible,¡± continued Raivyn.


    ¡°But¡­ new worlds!¡± was all Vanbrook could muster.


    ¡°Silver Star Fleet is going to be out here for that, but the Blue Griffons are going to be grounded for a while,¡± said Raivyn with a shrug.


    Vanbrook shook his head in disgust. Back to Griffonia it was.


    ***


    The Marines had free reign in the hangar and worked doggedly at repairing the ship, taking anything of value they could from the Dart. Grepk had torn apart the spare suit and had wired the battery to the Gladius'' backup power supply, hoping he could jump start the system.


    ¡°That''s all a person¡¯s hands can do,¡± said Grepk. ¡°It''s in Providence¡¯s now. How are things going with the repairs?¡±


    ¡°They''re done,¡± said Krum-Bahk. ¡°Not pretty, but aether-worthy.¡±


    ¡°And the Dart?¡± asked Grepk.


    Trall smiled mischievously. ¡°We''ve got a surprise rigged up for our cybernetic buddy.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Oh?¡± asked Grepk.


    ¡°Trall rigged it to explode,¡± said Keshri. ¡°I think every explosive we had aboard is piled in the engine room. We also put everything of value we could in the cargo bay.¡±


    ¡°Including some personal effects of the crew,¡± said Krum-Bahk. ¡°Hopefully we can bring their families a little closure.¡±


    Grepk nodded grimly. ¡°If we can use the Dart to avenge them, even in part, that''s better than leaving it in enemy hands. After all, even if this little kickstart attempt works, we likely won''t have time to try and do the same to another ship.¡± He heaved a sigh. ¡°Well, here we go.¡±


    He pressed the button he''d rigged up, and the Gladius whirred to life.


    ¡°Ha!¡± he exclaimed triumphantly. ¡°Okay, if we haven''t been noticed yet we will be soon. Everyone strap in!¡±


    Grepk leapt into the pilot''s seat and fired up the engines. They sputtered briefly and then roared to life, and Grepk deftly maneuvered the ship within the hangar, facing the door and firing on it. It blasted off its hinges and the Gladius shot out into the aether.


    Within the same train car, Farbin had rushed to his console to scramble the fighter drones he had at his disposal. He was shocked they had managed to remedy their disabled ship, but confident he could disable them again before they were out of range. However, the serpent drones would solve the problem far more efficiently. They were just leaving the hangar, located next to the one the fugitives had escaped from, when a massive explosion rocked the train car. The drones were destroyed. Infuriated, Farbin was reaching for the disruptor ray controls when the ship blinked out of existence. He stared stupidly at his console, searching it for answers. There was the strange anomalous reading again. The ship was reading as traveling faster than light.


    Realization dawned on Farbin¡¯s face. Seeing that the first ship was destroyed and could not be studied, he ran to the prison cells. Rushing into the last occupied cell, he grabbed the scruff of Cynop''s neck and ripped him up into the air to face him. Having been in a restless semi-sleep at the moment, Cynop looked around in panic, his eyes locking onto Farbin¡¯s in terror.


    ¡°How?¡± demanded Farbin, face twisted in rage. ¡°How do you do it?¡±


    ¡°D-do what?¡± asked Cynop, utterly baffled by the situation.


    Farbin leaned in, his long nose nearly touching Cynop''s snout. ¡°How do you travel faster than light?¡±


    ***


    Stritka pushed his spectacles up his velvety snout and heaved a sigh as he walked down the stone steps of Griffon Keep. He hated that he had to come down so hard on the young Admiral, but this was not the time to anger the Astralbians. Executor Grak-Yurp had agreed a court martial was in order, but Skritka was secretly hoping things would go in Hunt¡¯s favor.


    If that hadn¡¯t been enough, Grepk and his Marines had lost contact just as they were approaching the anomaly. Skritka had scrambled to make sure another ship, this one larger and accompanied by a complement of fighters, could be organized and sent to investigate.


    A familiar street craft pulled up, and a moment later two school-age Talpidarians tumbled out of it, running up to Skritka and leaping into his arms.


    ¡°Oh, ho!¡± said Skritka with a laugh. ¡°What brings you two here today?¡±


    ¡°Me,¡± said their mother, stepping out of the street craft. ¡°They¡¯re here to pick up their Grampa for dinner, remember?¡±


    Skritka smacked his head melodramatically, much to the delight of the children.


    ¡°Of course!¡± he said. ¡°Of course.¡±


    He had utterly forgotten, but it was a happy surprise. He didn¡¯t get to see his children and grandchildren nearly as much as he¡¯d like, but that was the price of being Prime Minister. He¡¯d be hitting his term limit in just about a year and couldn¡¯t be happier about it.


    ¡°You forgot,¡± teased his daughter, pulling one of her sons off the pedestal of a statue he had been trying to climb.


    Skritka gave her an honest smile with just a hint of sheepishness. ¡°It¡¯s been¡­ an interesting time as of late.¡±


    ¡°Because of the rogue admiral?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The rogue- where did you hear that, Jrenka!?¡± asked Skritka in shock.


    ¡°Breaking news,¡± she said casually. ¡°I¡¯m a big-shot reporter now, remember?¡±


    ¡°That I can¡¯t seem to forget,¡± said Skritka, rolling his eyes. ¡°Well¨Cand this is strictly off the record, missus big-shot reporter¨Cbut that situation is under control, and that admiral is not so much a ¡®rogue¡¯ as a young fool. In all seriousness, I do not want to see him unduly flogged in the court of public opinion before he has a chance to take the stand in an actual courtroom.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Jrenka said thoughtfully. ¡°I will keep that in mind, Dad, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Just keep your coverage even keeled like you always do, darling,¡± insisted Skritka lovingly. ¡°Now, let''s-¡±


    A tone sounded on Skritka¡¯s comm, and his shoulders fell. It was the tone he¡¯d programmed to sound when a call came in from Grak-Yurp. A call was better than an emergency patch-in that would allow Grak-Yurp to begin talking whether Skritka answered or not, but it was the difference between calling to let him know there was a bomb threat at Griffon Keep and calling to tell him a bomb had already gone off in Griffon Keep.


    ¡°Tell him I said ¡®hi,¡¯¡± said Jrenka patiently.


    Skritka smiled wanly to his daughter and answered the call. ¡°Executor?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Skritka,¡± said Grak-Yurp. ¡°I know I¡¯m interrupting dinner plans.¡± So the Executor knew his schedule better than he did himself. Great. ¡°But the Gladius got back into contact with us. They¡¯re on their way back now, and they need to debrief you, me, and a few select admirals immediately.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a long evening, then,¡± answered Skritka.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± said Grak-Yurp. ¡°Oh, and your daughter isn¡¯t hearing any of this is she?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Skritka with a chuckle. ¡°I have the privacy settings up and running. She does say ¡®hi,¡¯ though.¡±


    ¡°Good. Return the greeting, along with my apologies for the interrupted evening.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Executor,¡± answered Skritka, ending the call.


    ¡°Alright. Guess it¡¯ll just be Mom and us tonight,¡± said Jrenka. ¡°Remember Mom? You married her a few years back?¡±


    Skritka nodded, smiling at the well-meant prod. ¡°Yes, yes, quite a few years, in fact. Hopefully I¡¯ll get to see her again before too long. The Executor says hi back, by the way.¡±


    After hugging his disappointed grandsons and seeing his daughter off, he walked back up the stairs of the Keep. What the Marines had found out there, he couldn¡¯t begin to imagine. He only hoped that whatever it was, it stayed where it was.


    ***


    Criddek sat in the prison hospital, eating a serving of the slop they dared to call dinner. The food was bad enough, but it was served with tepid, chlorinated water, as well. Prior to being shot and arrested, Criddek couldn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d drank water. But now it was twice a day, with every lunch and dinner. Breakfast came standard with Krauqian bog fruit juice. A little sweetroot rum would have made that tolerable, but that was out of the question.


    He spent most of his time kicking himself for not calling enough, ¡°enough,¡± and running when his career as the ¡°Puppetmaster¡± had earned him enough money to go anywhere he¡¯d like and retire. But that was all gone now, and if he managed to get out he¡¯d be on the run the rest of his life. He found that a preferable alternative to endless decades of water and juice.


    Finally, a nervous-looking Talpidarian guard came into the room, relieving the stoic Raki who¡¯d been watching over him the past four hours and bumping into him as he passed. The Raki growled out some complaint under his breath but left the room without turning back.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Griv?¡± asked Criddek. ¡°You look nervous.¡±


    ¡°Look, Criddek, you know what I¡¯m risking here,¡± said Griv.


    ¡°Do you want your cut of my stash or not?¡± asked Criddek.


    ¡°You better make good on that,¡± warned Griv.


    Criddek nodded. ¡°Just turn off of the suppressors.¡±


    Griv nodded and darted over to the control panel on the wall, putting two keys in and turning them simultaneously. He¡¯d stolen the second key off his Raki coworker when he bumped into him. He pressed the large red button and quickly silenced the alarm that was automatically triggered, punching in a passcode. The T-wave suppressors were turned off.


    Criddek grinned. There was no stash. All his ill-gotten gains had been confiscated when he¡¯d been arrested. But the plausible promise of dizzingly large sums of cash made people like Griv foolish. The Talpidarian guard stood still as Criddek¡¯s T-waves burrowed into his mind. Fully under Criddek¡¯s control, he walked over, standing by the bed as Criddek crawled out of it, placing handcuffs on his prisoner and then escorting him out of the room and out to the garage.

 Chapter 4.13: The Maw Opens

    After saying a quick goodbye to Crush and Hrake, Talon Squad boarded the Wingspan and the fleet took off for Gateway. From there it would be a grinding journey back through established bases and already-explored parts of worlds they''d been to before.


    More often than not, silence reigned at the lunch table. During one such solemn occasion, while Vanbrook chewed on a particularly tough and starchy febii root, Lawbine broke the silence.


    ¡°You think you could ever live in just one place, Van?¡± he asked.


    Vanbrook chewed hardily for a moment and swallowed hard. ¡°Maybe. If it was the right place.¡±


    ¡°You just seem like the restless, wandering type,¡± said Lawbine. ¡°Get a lot of your kind through Aerat.¡±


    Raivyn seemed more attentive suddenly. Vanbrook weighed his words carefully, sensing a trap.


    ¡°Maybe you''ve just got me wrong,¡± he said as noncommittally and nonchalantly as he could. ¡°I''m just getting my traveling in a while before I get tied down.¡±


    An involuntary groan of disappointment escaped Reclan''s lips and Raivyn turned her attention towards her own febii root.


    ¡°See?¡± noted Lawbine, pointing his fork at Vanbrook. ¡°Some folks are just wanderers at heart. What some see as starting a life, others see as being tied down. I knew I had you pegged.¡±


    Vanbrook returned sullenly to his meal. Lawbine had been putting a lot of points on the board as of late, and it was time he started upping his game. For the time being, all Vanbrook could think to do was keep his mouth shut to make sure he didn''t cause himself any more trouble.


    ¡°Are you Vanbrook, the man who killed Sir Traelby in single combat?¡±


    Taken off guard by the question, Vanbrook turned to see the asker. It was the Telton pilot, Riventius. His ship, the Vahsing was docked to the Wingspan and the refugees had been given permission to access the galley and dine with the crew.


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± answered Vanbrook.


    ¡°And I am Riventius,¡± he replied excitedly. ¡°This is almost as great as meeting Textbook himself. Heroes abound!¡±


    Vanbrook chuckled. ¡°Almost as good as Textbook is a high compliment.¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡± said Riventius. ¡°I am a pilot and so favor the pilots. But were I a swordsman, I would surely favor your exploits! Against a powerful psychic, I might add! Most impressive that he did not kill you with his mind.¡±


    Raivyn couldn¡¯t entirely suppress the smile that rose on her face. She had stopped Traelby from using his psychic abilities in the fatal duel. She didn¡¯t manipulate him beyond that, but she made sure he fought fair. It was a secret she fully intended to take to her grave.


    ¡°Traelby was once stationed on Shumriven,¡± continued Riventius, his face darkening. ¡°He was a cruel master, slaying psychic Teltons where he found them, often by puppeteering a loved one into performing the act themselves. The galaxy burns brighter with his spark removed from it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he was a real piece of work,¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Riventius, nodding seriously. ¡°It is an honor to meet you, as well as the rest of Talon Squad.¡± He bowed slightly to the table at large. ¡°However, I must get back to the Vahsing. I¡¯m not sure she is aether-worthy anymore, but I plan to hire her out as a cargo vessel once I am settled on Griffonia.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re not planning to settle at all,¡± said Lawbine. ¡°Some folks are just like that, like I was saying.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I look forward to seeing Griffonia,¡± said Riventius, a fire in his eyes. ¡°But I look forward more so to returning to Shumriven and seeing it a free world once more. Good day, Talon Squad!¡±


    With a swish of his tail, the eager young Telton rounded about and marched for the door.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s something,¡± said Vanbrook when he was out of earshot.


    ¡°Him and his family built that rustbucket,¡± said Reclan. ¡°He¡¯s got more pluck than a string quartet.¡±


    ¡°The galaxy could use more like him,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Vanbrook with a smile. ¡°And, knowing he¡¯s out there patrolling things, maybe I¡¯d be a little freer to settle down.¡±


    Raivyn smiled over at him.


    Vanbrook smiled and went back to chewing his febii root. Maybe he could play this game after all.


    ***


    Hrake stood looking at the Erhk and Rerhk with Crush. They had spent a few days tinkering with the design of the lower decks trying to improve the livability for biological life, but the entire design of the ship seemed set against it. Larger Ramshackle ships, such as these two, typically had a brig designed to hold biological prisoners, but the life support system was absolutely an afterthought and not designed to support life for extended journeys. It was proving hard to adapt the ship without essentially building a new one over the old.


    ¡°You could put a bubble around the deck area,¡± said Crush thoughtfully. ¡°But that would interfere with the solar panels.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps these ships are limited in their utility,¡± said Hrake. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°To you, perhaps,¡± said Crush. ¡°But are they for sale?¡±


    Hrake shrugged and gave Crush an appraising look. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°I could use some of these components for my own project ship,¡± she said. ¡°And for two Ramshackle gunships like these I could give you one Wabuluban-built ship from my own fleet. It¡¯s more of a hauler than a combat ship, so it¡¯s not as useful to the FRF as these ships could be, but would round out your own fleet nicely.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Hrake. ¡°Two ships for one? That does not seem an even trade.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll throw in three Wabuluban fighters, all of which can be docked aboard the gunship in a compact hangar.¡±


    Hrake nodded. ¡°Show me the ships.¡±


    ***


    Sweat dripped down Cynop¡¯s face as he stood cowering before Farbin.


    ¡°I¡¯m not an engineer!¡± he protested.


    ¡°Tell me how!¡± demanded Farbin, once again drilling a series of T-waves into the Dromean¡¯s head. The light purple crystal on his forehead glowed as it amplified his psychic abilities.


    Cynop cried out in pain. He¡¯d been deliberately uncooperative with the interrogation. He really didn¡¯t know much about how ripmed technology worked, but knowing he had information he could keep from his tormentor had opened up a new kind of strength he didn¡¯t know he possessed.


    ¡°I will drag the information from your mind bit by bit,¡± threatened Farbin.


    Cynop lifted his head, staring Farbin directly in the eye. ¡°Try me.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Farbin pushed T-waves into Cynops mind, flowing inward, grasping, and pulling back out again. Dredging thoughts was a draining and tedious chore, but the stubborn Griffonian hadn¡¯t left him much choice. He sorted through the fragmented thoughts he¡¯d managed to tear from his victim¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Ripmed¡­ that¡¯s what you call it,¡± said Farbin.


    Cynop¡¯s body slumped.


    ¡°Yes, I will get what I need,¡± said Farbin. ¡°It is up to you how long and difficult a process it is.¡±


    He inhaled again, readying himself for another round of dredging, but was interrupted by a drone who walked into the room.


    ¡°Harbinger Farbin,¡± said the drone in a monotone facsimile of a voice. ¡°It is complete.¡±


    ¡°I will be back, prisoner,¡± said Farbin, turning from the room. ¡°Consider the wisdom of making my next visit more pleasant for yourself.¡±


    ***


    ¡°What do we have?¡± asked Skritka as he walked into the war room. It was really just a conference room, long and well-lit with a table down the middle, with a collection of military and civilian leaders gathered around it. He hated all the military talk, but such was the life he¡¯d chosen. He stood at the end of the table opposite the large screen Executor Grak-Yurp stood in front of.


    ¡°Captain Grepk, please bring the Prime Minister up to speed,¡± said Grak-Yurp.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Grepk, who could be seen on the screen as he piloted the Gladius back home. ¡°There¡¯s a hostile ship, or caravan or train or something like that, out there, Prime Minister Skritka. We didn¡¯t recognize the race as any known sapient species, though it¡¯s possible it was a human with genetic and cybernetic enhancements. The creature that spoke to us was accompanied by a number of mechanical soldiers, but they didn¡¯t seem to be proper, sapient Robots.¡±


    ¡°So you spoke to them, face-to-face?¡± asked Skritka.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start from the beginning,¡± said Grepk.


    The Marine started from the first sign of the anomaly and explained in full detail the misadventures they¡¯d had facing off against the invaders. Skritka rubbed his brow, his limbs feeling weak with dread. They¡¯d managed to keep the Cornucopia War contained in foreign systems, and now an exterior threat just showed up to knock on their back door.


    ¡°Any thoughts on the weapons capability of the aether train?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, sir,¡± said Grepk. ¡°Not beyond the EM disruptor and the tractor beam. Their hand weapons were certainly powerful but not so much so that they could penetrate our armor in a single shot. We really don¡¯t know the full extent of their capabilities.¡±


    ¡°Sir, we need to send a full military fleet at once,¡± said a Talpidarian admiral.


    ¡°Just to have them disabled the moment they¡¯re in range?¡± asked the Defense Administrator, a female Krauqian. ¡°Sending anything out to meet them just means we¡¯re that much more vulnerable when they arrive!¡±


    ¡°We obviously need more information but I agree with the Administrator that a frontal assault is unwise,¡± said Skritka. ¡°Executor? What do you recommend?¡±


    ¡°We should ready our entire fleet, call home any forces currently abroad that we can afford to, and spread our forces out to orbit around Griffonia. If we are only dealing with one ship, we may be able to flank them. Additionally, we should station a small fleet with deep scouting capabilities further out towards the train to capture what data we can while minimizing exposure.¡±


    ¡°See to that, Executor,¡± replied Skritka.


    ¡°Our forces are already on alert,¡± said Grak-Yurp. ¡°We¡¯ll be positioned within the hour.¡±


    ***


    Darvik sat in his room deep within the Depot, mindlessly flipping cards out for a solitaire game. He¡¯d stopped enjoying the game hours ago, but found himself at a loss for anything better to do. Working as part of Trebor¡¯s task force kept him busy most of the time, but most cases he¡¯d worked on were false alarms or unskilled would-be psychic thieves and con artists. Even so, there was still quite a bit of downtime and he could only spend so much of it practicing his psychic skills. He sighed and flipped another card. Not the one he needed, of course.


    There was a knock at his door. He looked up in surprise, not responding for a moment. The knock was repeated.


    ¡°Darvik?¡± asked a voice.


    It was Glynn. Darvik ran his fingers through his hair, looking in the mirror that hung over his desk. The motion did nothing to smooth out the rat¡¯s nest that had come from not showering yet that day. He looked at himself with disgust.


    ¡°Uh, come in?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Is¡­ that a question?¡± asked Glynn.


    ¡°Come in,¡± repeated Darvik more confidently.


    The door opened and Glynn walked in, Yellup walking in right behind her on his mechanical legs. Darvik was less than enthused to see the walking wet blanket he was forced to spend most of his days with, but he wasn¡¯t shocked, either. It made more sense than Glynn showing up unannounced for a social call.


    ¡°I take it you two are here on business,¡± said Darvik, turning his attention back to his cards.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Glynn.


    ¡°So why not pay attention?¡± said Yellup.


    ¡°I am paying attention,¡± said Darvik, flipping another card. ¡°Ha! Been wondering when the blue two would show up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can tell,¡± said Yellup, crossing his tentacles and rolling his large eyes.


    ¡°Darvik,¡± said Glynn. ¡°Criddek escaped.¡±


    Darvik paused, looking up from his cards. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ***


    Stepping up to the console for the final inspection, Farbin was pleased with what he saw. The generators located around the circumference of the ring were all working at peak efficiency, and the stress indicators were all reading low. He pressed the throttle, and the train advanced, leaving the ring behind.


    Activating the rear-facing cameras, Farbin studied the ring one last time, making sure it was intact and built to specifications. Satisfied with the construction, Farbin lifted the silver lid off the large, purple button with a black dragon icon on it. Drawing a long breath, he pressed it.


    The generators around the ring glowed green, building in intensity until they were a brilliant, pulsing white. There was a massive, crackling explosion and a silvery disc exploded inward from the ring, crashing together in the center and rippling violently. The shimmering surface slowly calmed until it was a perfect mirror, reflecting the train and the stars behind it.


    Farbin nodded his satisfaction. The dragon¡¯s maw was open. He could now speak directly with the Council. It was time to let his people know what he had found.

 Chapter 4.14: Gathering Serpents

    The slow grind of the return journey continued, and D¡¯Jarric managed to seem unbothered by it all. The enigmatic Solarans had a habit of appearing to be at peace in any but the most dire circumstances, to the point that some electroecologists theorized that they simply processed and expressed emotions in a way unlike any other known sapient species.


    Robots had a reputation for stoicism as well, but Doc always figured that had more to do with their limited facial movements than with any emotional disposition. Regardless, Doc found that a still, calm face could be both comforting to patients and unengaging enough to keep him out of petty conversations.


    D¡¯Jarric, however, was difficult to dissuade, and so Doc was perturbed when the Solaran prince sauntered up to him, clearly thinking something over. They had been sailing along for some time and Doc was just coming back from a stint on the Shepherd, where he''d been treating some of the refugees who were in bad shape from poorly treated injuries and malnutrition. He was ready to go relax and recharge for a bit, but it was clear he''d have to talk to D''Jarric first.


    ¡°Doc,¡± said D''Jarric. ¡°I wanted to speak with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± asked Doc, shooting for pleasant but noncommittal.


    ¡°I wondered what you thought about all that we witnessed on Cradle,¡± said D¡¯Jarric.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to be more specific,¡± answered Doc.


    ¡°No I don¡¯t,¡± said D¡¯Jarric with a laugh. ¡°You know what I¡¯m asking you about. If Crush¡¯s strange new form didn¡¯t get to you, seeing those cores being dug up from their native soil certainly did.¡±


    Doc shrugged. ¡°What can I say? So much of what I thought I knew about my people¡¯s history turned out to be either false or woefully inadequate.¡±


    ¡°But now that you know that, somehow, a core can be activated and the embedded intelligence brought forth without technology. How do you feel about that?¡±


    ¡°Utterly bewildered!¡± exclaimed Doc honestly. ¡°I always left concerns about the metaphysical to those whose origins seemed supernatural. I was synthetic. Aware, yes, but synthetic. I could simply live my life, doing as my programming dictated. What now? Am I to believe I have¡­ have a soul?¡± He turned away from D''Jarric and continued walking down the hall.


    It was the most animated D¡¯Jarric had ever seen his Robot friend, and he didn''t have the heart to press him further.


    As D''Jarric stood musing, a call went out over the public comms. ¡°Senior officers please report to the bridge. Repeat, all senior officers to the bridge. Huh? What¡¯s that Admiral? Oh, yes. This includes Talon Squad.¡±


    Chuckling at Triflin''s antics, D''Jarric trotted to catch up with Doc and the two of them hurried to the bridge together. When they reached the stairwell that led to the bridge, they found Lawbine leaning in the doorway.


    ¡°I''m hurt,¡± he said, stepping aside. ¡°Whatever''s going on, I''m not allowed to know about it. Guess I don''t count as a full member of Talon Squad.¡±


    ¡°I''m sure you''ll be brought up to speed shortly,¡± said D''Jarric, slapping the gunslinger¡¯s shoulder as he passed.


    When Doc and D''Jarric came up onto the bridge, they found Dekken standing by the Admiral''s chair, his antennae twitching nervously. Triflin stood by his console, a worried look on his face. The commanding officers of the Shepherd and the Bombard were on the main display screen. Vanbrook, Raivyn, and Reclan stood in a semicircle, turning and nodding to their squadmates. Vanbrook gave a ¡°your guess is as good as mine¡± shrug and turned to Dekken.


    ¡°What''s going on, Dekk?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I''d like to wait until everyone''s here,¡± responded the acting admiral.


    Drixen jogged into the room, followed by Captain Fenrik, the Fleet''s ranking Army officer in charge of long-term clayside operations.


    ¡°That''s everybody,¡± said Triflin helpfully.


    ¡°Um, yes, so it is,¡± stammered Dekken. He was not used to addressing his fellow Officers like this, and the news he had to deliver was weighing heavy on his mind. ¡°An unknown hostile possessing advanced tech is currently stationed less than a lightyear from Griffonia.¡±


    Silence reigned for a moment, as Dekken pressed a button, revealing a blurry picture Grepk had snapped of the invader when he was aboard their vessel.


    ¡°What does ¡®advanced tech¡¯ mean here?¡± asked Drixen.


    ¡°They were able to disrupt nearly every electrical system aboard the two ships that approached it, and then dragged them in with some kind of tractor beam. The first ship, the Dart, was destroyed and the crew is reported lost. The second was the Gladius, and they managed a narrow escape. We really don''t know what they''re capable of.¡±


    ¡°Are we headed back to fight them?¡± asked Raivyn.


    ¡°Not just yet,¡± said Dekken. ¡°We''re going to be coordinating with allies, trying to garner support for what could be a coming war.¡±


    ¡°And you will continue to act as admiral for the duration?¡± asked Fenrik.


    ¡°Until I get orders otherwise, Captain,¡± said Dekken sternly. He didn¡¯t want the command, but it had fallen to him all the same. ¡°In a larger, more combat-focused fleet, the chain of command may have had more stops between the Admiral and the flagship¡¯s chief engineer, but the Blue Griffon Fleet was built for exploration.¡±


    ¡°I mean no offense,¡± said Fenrik, holding his hands up.


    Dekken nodded. ¡°I understand your concerns, spoken or otherwise. I will be leaning heavily on Captains Yulun and Griezen for advice and leadership.¡±


    ¡°You have our full support, Chief Dekken,¡± said Yulun from the display screen.


    Griezen nodded her assent from the frame next to Yulun¡¯s.


    For the next few minutes, Dekken detailed all the information they had on the enemies, which wasn¡¯t much. Everyone on the bridge was exchanging nervous looks, all of them chewing over questions they couldn¡¯t quite put to words.


    D¡¯Jarric approached the image on the screen slowly, as if he was scared it would run away if he made it nervous. He studied the blurred image of a serpent wrapped around an orb that adorned the invader¡¯s belt. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°See something you recognize, D¡¯Jarric?¡± asked Dekken.


    ¡°This symbol¡­ it is reminiscent of the Koomite insignia, is it not?¡± he asked.


    Everyone studied the image D¡¯Jarric was pointing to.


    ¡°Maybe?¡± said Vanbrook uncertainly.


    ¡°Lots of cultures use images of serpents or similar creatures wrapped in a circle,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°It¡¯s just one of those things.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, his brow knitting in thought. ¡°But from where does the image originate, if it is spread throughout the galaxy?¡±


    Vanbrook shrugged. ¡°You¡¯d know better than us, DJ.¡±


    D¡¯Jarric nodded, and the look of anxious concentration melted away.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all I have for you,¡± said Dekken, looking at D¡¯Jarric with uncertainty. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to prepare a general announcement to explain the situation. Captains, I¡¯ll be contacting you shortly to discuss our trajectory and strategy. Providence shine on us all.¡±


    ***


    ¡°What¡¯s the report from the deep scouting team?¡± asked Skritka.


    ¡°There¡¯s not too much they can say without getting closer, which, again, I advise against,¡± said Sta-Kwi, the Defense Administrator. ¡°Their data is old as soon as they get it, since they¡¯re still a few light-weeks out from the hostiles. They did not manage to capture video of the Dart being brought aboard, since that information was already past by the time the scopes were close enough to see the hostile ship in any detail. The second encounter, including the Marines blowing up the hangar, should be intercepted soon.¡±


    ¡°We have most of that information already, both from the Marine¡¯s accounts and the Gladius¡¯ recordings,¡± noted Skritka.


    Sta-Kwi sighed. ¡°I know, Sir. But the scopes can¡¯t make heads or tails of the ship, or whatever it is, itself. There¡¯s no obvious engine we can recognize, though our analysts are fairly certain one of the ¡®train cars¡¯ is producing the strange purple field around the train, and that it¡¯s probably the source of propulsion. We¡¯re no closer to understanding the massive ring around it than we were when we started looking into it.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Even if it¡¯s ¡®nothing¡¯s changed¡¯ I want a report every half hour,¡± said Skritka.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± replied the Administrator.


    ***


    A slight figure bolted from a doorway in a dimly-lit street on the south side of Kerucester. A trashcan spilled out of a nearby alley with a crash as a second, larger figure in a long, dark coat sprang from the shadows. The chase was short, and before the slight figure had made it across the street, the larger figure tackled it to the ground. There was no real struggle, just some pleading and whining from the tackled figure.


    The larger figure rose, bringing his quarry with him, yanking the other¡¯s collar. The street lamp revealed Darvik¡¯s face, gripping a sniveling Talpidarian by the collar. A street craft honked its horn at the strange scene, swerving around the two figures. Darvik looked over his shoulder and dragged his quarry over to the side of the street they¡¯d come from. Trebor stood, hands in the pockets of his own long cloak, in the doorway the Talpidarian had fled out of, and Yellup strolled out of an alley on the far side of the street.


    ¡°Officer Griv?¡± asked Trebor, stepping down from the doorway, closing the door behind him.


    Griv looked around, desperate for some trick or miracle to free him from Darvik¡¯s iron grip.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make him ask again,¡± snarled Darvik.


    Griv shuddered at the heavy menace in Darvik¡¯s voice. ¡°Yes, yeah, that¡¯s me. Officer Griv. What¡¯s, uh, what¡¯s this about?¡± He looked at the patch on Trebor¡¯s coat, the image of a red trillion cut gemstone. ¡°What did I do? I¡¯m not even a psychic.¡±


    ¡°No, but Creddik is,¡± said Trebor darkly. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°How- how should I know?¡± asked Griv.


    ¡°You disappeared the same night he did. After you walked him out of the building,¡± said Trebor.


    ¡°F-first I¡¯m hearing of it,¡± said Griv. ¡°He must have gotten me pretty good.¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± said Trebor with a mirthless chuckle. ¡°Someone had to turn off the T-suppressive field first. And we know it was you. I don¡¯t doubt that he did a number on you after that, but when you came to, you went to ground.¡± He jerked his head back, indicating the apartment building he¡¯d flushed Griv out of. ¡°We always check with the exes. You¡¯re an officer. You should have known that much.¡±


    Griv hung his head. ¡°I want to talk to a lawyer.¡±


    ¡°Tell us what you know, that¡¯s your best play,¡± said Trebor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything,¡± said Griv. ¡°And I want a lawyer.¡±


    Darvik shook his head. The poor fool probably didn¡¯t know anything. All that meant was he was going to trial with no bargaining chips, and that they were no closer to tracking down Creddik.


    ***


    Farbin had pulled far enough away from the ring that he could see the entire circumference of it from the back car. The communications beam was aimed directly at the portal, and he stood at the console, taking a deep breath before reaching out via T-waves for the console, his message beamed through the portal and directly to its destination.


    Greetings, honored Council, he said.


    Farbin. What world do you offer our people? came the response. The ¡®voice¡¯ was a familiar one. He felt the presence of the other members of the Council, but only Hagan was speaking to him.


    Councilor Hagan, he replied. The world is rich in resources and food. Our people may come out of hibernation for some time to subsist on its bounty. It is called Griffonia by its people, a resourceful and space-faring coalition of many species. They are no threat to us, but there is one thing we may learn from them: the secret to faster-than-light travel.


    There was a pause. That is not possible, Farbin.


    They have found a way, said Farbin. They are guilesome and among the smarter peoples we''ve conquered. They have¨Cor the prisoner I have been interrogating believes they have¨Cadapted the abilities of a tree that travels faster than light in the spreading of its seeds.


    Such trees are a myth and a heresy, Herald, warned Hagan.


    As I said, clarified Farbin. It is what they believe. But it is true enough that they can do it. I blamed faulty equipment until I saw it myself. A ship vanished from view suddenly, and my sensors again reported it traveling faster than light. It was then that I interrogated the prisoner. He did not offer information willingly but I was able to dredge it from him.


    And is the prisoner still alive? asked Hagan.


    No, answered Farbin. Though his utility has run out.


    Very well, said Hagan. If you are correct about their technology we must acquire it for ourselves. Do you have one of their ships?


    No, answered Farbin truthfully. I had two; one escaped and scuttled the other.


    That does not give us much reason to trust you going forward, noted Hagan.


    I underestimated their resourcefulness, explained Farbin. They were able to jumpstart a disrupted vehicle and then flee. Such tactics won''t work when they are cornered on their planet, though their brightest will make excellent slaves.


    Very well, Herald, said Hagan. We will send a double fleet for your campaign. Bring us a ship in addition to the normal tribute of resources. Our people must not starve.


    Thank you, Councilor Hagan. Thank you, Council, said Farbin. I will not fail our people.

 Chapter 4.15: Troubling News

    The Gladius soared through busy skies as it came down into the airfield by the Depot. Grepk, Krum-Bahk, Keshri, and Trall stumbled out, nerves shot. Krum-Bahk was surprised by the way the emotions slammed into him once he stopped long enough to think about it for a moment.


    ¡°How are we supposed to beat these guys?¡± he asked aloud.


    ¡°Same way we just did,¡± said Grepk. ¡°We''ll outsmart them by the end, or just wear them down by refusing to give up to whatever it is they want. We managed to throw off the Astralbian yoke, and we''ll never let another be put on us.¡±


    ¡°What if they just want to kill us?¡± asked Trall. ¡°Um, just asking.¡±


    ¡°We make them regret the attempt,¡± snarled Keshri.


    The corner of Krum-Bahk¡¯s mouth turned up slightly at his friend''s defiance, only to fall again when he saw three RTS agents walking a prisoner into the Depot. He charged over towards them.


    ¡°Hey! You''re not dismissed, Marine,¡± said Grepk, not entirely lacking in good humor.


    But Krum-Bahk didn''t hear him. The blood was rushing in his head as he ran down his prey.


    ¡°Darvik!¡± he called the name out like a challenge.


    The three agents and their prisoner all turned to him. Darvik kept his face still, though his guts were squirming at the sight of his old friend. Or former old friend.


    ¡°I heard you were working with the Witch Hunters,¡± said Krum-Bahk, using the unflattering nickname for the Republic Telekinetic Service. ¡°I just figured you were locked away working in an office somewhere, not out on the streets.¡±


    ¡°My agent''s business is none of yours,¡± said Trebor sternly. ¡°Good day, Marine.¡±


    Grepk trotted up next to Krum-Bahk. ¡°Krum, what are you doing? We''ve got to report to¡­ oh.¡± He saw Darvik and the scene suddenly made sense.


    His eyes trained on the ground, the murderer turned away, following his commanding officers back into the Depot.


    ¡°Sorry, Cap,¡± said Krum-Bahk. ¡°Just, uh, didn''t expect to see¡­ him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get it,¡± said Grepk, putting a hand on his friend''s shoulder. ¡°Let''s go make our report, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Krum-Bahk. His eyes lingered on the closed door as he followed Grepk back towards the others.


    ***


    The mood on the Wingspan was tense after the news went out that Griffonia was under threat of invasion. Everyone aboard was ready to fight for the Republic, but they always assumed the home front would be safe. The idea that their loved ones might be in harm''s way was unsettling to say the least.


    Vanbrook was wandering around the ship aimlessly to clear his mind, and found himself by Hunt¡¯s office. As he understood it, the Admiral was holed up on a kind of house arrest. He lifted his hand to knock on the door, then hemmed and hawed for a moment. Letting out a deep breath, he committed, rapping lightly on the door. He heard movement in the room and shortly after the door opened.


    Hunt was still clean shaven and well put together. Somehow Vanbrook had expected him to be a disheveled mess.


    ¡°I thought it was a bit early for lunch,¡± said Hunt. ¡°What are you doing here, Vanbrook?¡±


    ¡°Just, uh, in the neighborhood, so to speak,¡± he said lamely.


    ¡°Come on, you can gloat if you want,¡± said Hunt. ¡°More than likely I¡¯m going to be discharged, and there''s no reason not to.¡±


    ¡°What? Why would I do that?¡± asked Vanbrook, offended. ¡°Honestly, I just wanted to say.. well, I would have done the same thing if I were you.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Hunt. In some ways, that was the cruelest thing the man could have said, but somehow Hunt knew that wasn¡¯t his intent. ¡°I, uh, was in the middle of reading something.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Carry on. I''ll see you later.¡±


    Shaking his head as the door closed behind him, Vanbrook trotted off down the hall. He ought to find Raivyn, and figured he would soon enough if he followed the stench of Lawbine¡¯s treachery.


    ***


    Jrenka was putting the finishing touches on a story about a corrupt city official found siphoning funds when the newsflash came over her comms device. Prime Minister Skritka was about to do a press release.


    ¡°So that''s why you couldn''t come to dinner,¡± she said, thinking back on her father''s last-minute cancellation. She gathered her coat and bag and made her way to the steps of Griffon Keep, just a few blocks from her office.


    ¡°Jrenka?¡± asked her editor as she passed by.


    ¡°Already on it, boss,¡± she said.


    ¡°Thanks, Jrenka,¡± he said, waving goodbye.


    Her first instinct was to call up some of her sources in Griffon Keep, though she doubted she''d get much out of them right before a press release.


    Milling around the crowd of journalists while the podium was being set up, she ran into Tred-Nah, a grumpy toad of a female Krauqian.


    ¡°Here to see Daddy make a speech, little one?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What are you here for at all? Your rag doesn''t really need silly things like facts and quotes,¡± she shot back.


    Tred-Nah harumphed and wandered off, looking for a better angle to take a bad picture of the presenters from. Jrenka shook her head. She''d been a journalist since before her father was Prime Minister and planned to be one long after his term was up. She disclosed the relationship in every article that had the slightest whiff of conflict. Still, it was an admittedly awkward situation.


    Someone walked up to the podium at the top of the stone steps of the Keep and announced, ¡°People of Griffonia, I present Prime Minister Skritka.¡±


    The Prime Minister stepped up and greeted the crowd with a solemn nod. ¡°People of Griffonia, I have grave news for you today. Some weeks ago we lost contact with one of our System Watch vessels, the Dart. The Marine vessel the Gladius was sent to investigate, and determined that the crew of the Dart had been captured, and likely killed, by an unknown enemy force.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Little else is known at this time, but understand that the Houses of Parliament and the Griffonian Armed Forces are at the ready in case this enemy would dare to push their aggression further. The forces on Griffonia are on high alert and positioned to intercept, and the call has gone out both to the other planets of the Republic and to our allies.


    ¡°The people of Griffonia are no strangers to hardship, and I fully believe we are prepared to deal with any threat, though I pray this threat would be a minor one. We will keep the public informed as the situation develops.


    ¡°I am able to take a few questions at this time.¡±


    What followed was a jumble of raised hands and shouted questions.


    ¡°What could have been done to detect this threat earlier?¡±


    ¡°What kind of ¡®enemy?¡¯ Astralbian?¡±


    ¡°Are you considering evacuating the planet?¡±


    Knowing that his answers, no matter how thorough and truthful, would never be enough he called on the first journalist to ask a question.


    ***


    ¡°Lord Wyven,¡± said Lady Rewna with a stiff bow to her membranous display screen. ¡°We have interesting news.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully good news, this time,¡± said the warlord. Despite the fact that he was safely located on Astralbia, tucked away in what may have been one of the grandest star trees ever grown, he wore his full military regalia; a long green cape and shining heavy plate armor. He even wore a circlet bejeweled with the death crystals of his ancestors, a tacit claim to the throne.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she answered, abashed by his deliberate dig. She¡¯d been a loyal soldier to Wyven and hoped it would earn her a bit more leniency on the rare occasion that she fell short of expectations. It wasn¡¯t as though she could control the Griffonian Navy¡¯s actions, regardless. Without clearance to engage with them in combat, all they had to do was step forward and she would be forced to retreat. She dismissed her wounded pride and continued. ¡°A foreign hostile has appeared near Griffonia. The Republic has its own problems to deal with now and is likely to shrink back towards its own territory.¡±


    ¡°That is good news indeed,¡± said Wyven thoughtfully. ¡°What do we know about this new player?¡±


    ¡°As a certainty, nothing more than what I¡¯ve said,¡± admitted Rewna. ¡°But judging by the troop movement we¡¯ve already seen, the Griffonians appear to consider the threat to be serious.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± said Wyven, nodding in thought. ¡°It changes nothing in the short term, but it will definitely figure into our plans going forward. For now, stay close to the Blue Griffon Fleet, and don¡¯t miss any opportunity to learn more about this new potential ally threatening the Republic. Our day will come again.¡±


    ¡°By my ancestors, I will see that it does,¡± said Rewna.


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Wyven. He ended the communication.


    ***


    Dekken walked out of the engine room scrubbing his jointed, armored hands with the scrub brush he kept on him for such occasions. He had precious little time to get his hands dirty these days, but he managed to get a moment to check on things and had ended up elbow deep in an oil change before he knew it. He breathed a sigh of relief, just happy to have gotten some time away from the chaos.


    He made his way up the stairs that led to the upper decks and then the bridge, pocketing his scrub brush and looking over his hands once more to make sure they were clean enough that he wouldn¡¯t get the command console grimey. He hoped to be passing it off to someone else in the near future.


    Just as he was walking through the upper level to access the bridge tower, a wild-eyed sailor ran up to him, grabbing him by the shoulders. He was a Human, and a private first class by the insignia he wore.


    ¡°We gotta get back to Griffonia!¡± he shouted in a manic voice. ¡°My wife and kids are there, we gotta get back to them!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back soon enough,¡± said Dekken in what he hoped was a calming voice. ¡°We have work to do, sailor. Now get back to your post, or, if you¡¯re off duty, hit the gym or showers or whatever you-¡±


    ¡°We gotta get back there NOW!¡± insisted the sailor, his brows furrowing as his features darkened.


    ¡°Sailor, this is your last warning,¡± said Dekken menacingly.


    The sailor hauled back his fist and was about to let it fly when a second sailor ran up from behind Dekken and tackled the first to the ground.


    ¡°What¡¯s this all about, Syden?¡± asked the second sailor as he grappled with the first.


    ¡°He¡¯s just gonna let ¡®em die!¡± shouted Syden. ¡°He¡¯s just gonna stay out here in the aether and let ¡®em die!¡±


    The ruckus had gotten the attention of the guards on that deck of the ship, and they both came jogging around a corner, each of them grabbing one of the wrestling sailors by the shoulder and pulling them apart. The second sailor yielded immediately, but Syden kept struggling.


    ¡°You,¡± said Dekken, pointing at the second man. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°Private First Class Drilby, sir, and this is PFC Syden,¡± he answered. ¡°Syden¡¯s pretty green, and he¡¯s had a hard time being away from his wife and kid, who are my sister and nieces, as it happens. The announcement, about the¡­ whatever it is? It shook him up bad. I- I thought he was okay after we talked about it.¡±


    Dekken¡¯s face fell. He could hardly blame the kid, but he couldn¡¯t let it go, either.


    ¡°Guards, throw PFC Syden in the brig and see if that cools him off some,¡± said Dekken. ¡°Drilby, you¡¯re free to go. Get back to wherever you¡¯re supposed to be.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Drilby with a salute. However, he stood there as his brother-in-law walked away between the two guards, head hung low and shackles on his wrist.


    Dekken could see he wanted to say something, but felt like indulging him was the wrong move. ¡°Back to your station, sailor.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, sir,¡± said Drilby, this time trotting off down the hall.


    Dekken sighed heavily, his antennae drooping with weariness as he climbed the stairs to the bridge.


    ***


    The portal flickered as the destination was changed from Drakmund, where the Council and his people were, to an armada world, where the Drakmundi fleets were kept. One by one, a dozen ships came out of the portal. Each was a long, low-lying train of black metal, tower-like cars much like the one Farbin captained. But these were slightly smaller and bristling with weapons. Each was housed in a purple bubble of electromagnetic energy and had a command car, a gun car, a hangar car and a livery car, prepared to wage war in the aether or clayside. Two of them, one in each group of six, had an additional troop car containing a division of warriors. The first six pulled off to Farbin¡¯s right, and the second to his left. Two full fleets at his command. It was a heady feeling. If he did well, he may be selected for promotion to the next level. A few more promotions and he could finally live among the greatest of his people, and discard more of the itchy, fallible flesh that still tormented him.


    ¡°Fleets, we will take this world for our people,¡± said Farbin in his native tongue, addressing all twelve ships through the communications system. ¡°Onward, to the fall of Griffonia!¡±


    He ignited the engine system, engaging the electromagnetic bubble around his ship and launching it through space, traveling nearly at the speed of light, his fleet following on his heels.


    ***


    Trilia stood over the arena on Koomia, her long, slender face a passive mask as she watched a champion wrench their sword from a fallen challenger. She nodded her satisfaction as the champion, an abnormally tall and barrel-chested Talpidarian male in dark purple robes and red and black face paint, threw the challenger¡¯s corpse on the altar of Koo L''Koom.


    One of her advisors, a fellow Astralbian, came up the steps of the box to speak with her. She gestured to the guards to let her advisor through. ¡°What do you have?¡±


    ¡°The Republic is under siege, High Priestess¡± he said. ¡°They are pulling back towards their homeworld.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± said Trilia, arching an eyebrow. ¡°Very interesting.¡±

 Chapter 4.16: Out of the Blue

    Stepping out onto the sandy grounds of the Lakeside Airfield, Vanbrook smoothed his mustache, feeling more than a little frustrated. He had not anticipated backtracking to Gateway so soon and didn¡¯t relish the remainder of the trip, either.


    ¡°This place is really nice,¡± said a voice behind him. Lawbine¡¯s voice. ¡°Glad I got a chance to come back so soon.¡±


    Vanbrook ground his teeth. Lawbine¡¯s presence had become unbearable. He¡¯d been managing to get by without decking the man, but everytime he opened his mouth it got a little harder not to.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a lovely world,¡± answered Raivyn. ¡°But you ought to see Hittania some time.¡±


    That was too much for Vanbrook. On some level, he knew the sentiment was ridiculous, but Hittania belonged to Raivyn and himself.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the plan!?¡± he asked aggressively, failing to mask his anxiety with an innocent question.


    ¡°Huh?¡± asked Raivyn, taken aback by the intensity of the outburst.


    ¡°You know,¡± said Vanbrook, taking it down a couple notches and hoping a sudden calm would paper over his manic question. ¡°The plan. How we¡¯re going to spend our time on Gateway while shields recharge and we take on water. We can¡¯t just sit on our hands, right?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ sure,¡± said Raivyn, her one eye narrowing as she knit her brows. ¡°Chief Dekken asked me to check in with Chreep, see if there was anything we could help with. We need to build as much goodwill as possible since we anticipate calling in a lot of favors in the short term.¡±


    ¡°Okay, how about you and I go talk to him, then?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°We¡¯re all going to go,¡± said Raivyn with a quick shake of her head. ¡°The six of us. It¡¯s just a short walk over to the lake tower.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can take a walk around the lake later?¡± he asked hopefully.


    ¡°Van, focus,¡± said Raivyn. She stole glances at the rest of the squad. Reclan was grimacing, and D¡¯Jarric was smirking, subtle as his expressions could be. Doc had the air of someone deliberately not paying attention. Lawbine¡¯s face was inscrutable. Raivyn flushed, embarrassed by Vanbrook¡¯s odd display. ¡°We can talk about a walk later.¡±


    Vanbrook¡¯s face darkened for a moment, but the frustration gave way to a kind of despairing look and he nodded, turning back towards the lake tower and walking on. Raivyn shook her head and followed.


    A short meeting with Chreep later, Talon Squad found themselves loading up the shuttle with supplies and heading for the recently abandoned village the formerly-exiled psychic Shairet had lived in. Chreep had explained that they hoped to make the village into something more than a refuge for the exiled, since their little lakeside village was expanding rapidly due to interplanetary trade. Along with a few Shairet masons and a handful of engineers and laborers from the Blue Griffon Fleet, they flew off to the site ready to break ground. A short flight later, they landed at the site and piled out of the shuttle, walking over to the tree-shaded lakeshore.


    ¡°The idea is to build a tower up out of the water, much like the one at Lakeside,¡± said Kreel, a Shairet mason and psychic who was leading the project. She pointed into the algae-covered lake. ¡°There¡¯s already a large building down below with a few smaller outbuildings. I know this lake is somewhat¡­ shabby, but we called it home for years. Sentimentality aside, it¡¯s the mineral deposits in the swamps to the north that make the place attractive. We hope to use this site as a kind of mining town, and then ship out to other planets via Lakeside. To that end, we want to build a ¡®warehouse¡¯ on the surface and-¡±


    ¡°Grools!¡± shouted one of the other Shairet.


    With no further warning, a pack of monstrous creatures lept from the treeline, snarling as they tackled the closest targets to the ground, Vanbrook among them. His world was suddenly a confusion of pain, growls, and snapping teeth. Using one hand to hold the creature back by its throat, he pulled his pistol with the other. However, before he could pull the trigger, an orange ray pierced the beast¡¯s chest and it rolled off of Vanbrook, howling.


    Vanbrook scrambled to his feet and assessed the situation. He saw six burly forms with rough, purple skin. They resembled massive, lean rabbits the size of a wolf with sharp, slender claws and the head of an alligator.


    He ran over to the closest one, which was attempting to gnaw one of the engineers to death. He drew back his sword when another orange bolt tore through that beast as well. Vanbrook tried to change targets but before he could get a clean shot or slash lined up, an orange bolt would slam into his prey, knocking it off its victim.


    In short order, the creatures either lay dead by the lakeshore or ran howling back into the treeline, their attack thwarted. Doc quickly got to work examining and triaging the victims.


    ¡°Grools,¡± said Kreel, shaking her head. ¡°We were able to keep predators such as them at bay when we lived here, scaring them off with a sustained psychic aura. I am surprised they invaded the area so quickly after we left.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Two dead,¡± reported Doc grimly. ¡°One of our engineers and one Shairet mason. Two others in need of immediate medical assistance. Maybe three, Van?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m alright,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Maybe a few scratches.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you some universal antibiotic for them, but you¡¯re last on the list,¡± said Doc.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Vanbrook with a chuckle.


    ¡°Well well well, Van,¡± said Lawbine. ¡°Looks like I pulled your fat out of the fryer again.¡±


    Vanbrook was very fuzzy on the details of what happened next. The comment was like a spike through his brain that short circuited his ability to reason. He turned and swung, catching Lawbine across the jaw with his saber¡¯s handguard. The gunslinger stumbled back, tripping and falling to the ground, where he stared up at Vanbrook with murder in his eyes. Vanbrook stepped back, relenting, but Lawbine stood up and charged. Throwing down his sword and gun before the incident took an even darker turn, Vanbrook crouched into a fighting stance as Lawbine tumbled into him. The slick ground of the lakeshore slipped out from under Vanbrook¡¯s feet and he fell square on his back, grunting as the air left his lungs. The two fighters tumbled in the mud for a moment before something grabbed each of them by the shoulders and tugged them skyward. Vanbrook¡¯s fighting fire left him immediately when he realized he was staring into the infuriated eye of Raivyn, suspended in midair next to Lawbine, held in place by her telekinetic powers. He sighed heavily and hung his head.


    ***


    Skritka paced his office fretfully, waiting for his next update. It was always the same. They couldn¡¯t see anything yet. His comm rang, and he scrambled to answer it.


    ¡°What do you have?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nothing yet, sir,¡± answered Administrator Sta-Kwi.


    Skritka sighed. Something had to change. With the deep scouting team unable to get close enough for real time data, they were totally in the dark as to what the enemy was up to. After a quick goodbye to Sta-Kwi, he reached out to Grak-Yurp.


    The Executor answered immediately. ¡°Yes, Prime Minister?¡±


    ¡°Executor,¡± said Skritka. ¡°We can¡¯t keep operating under all these unknowns. What are our options here?¡±


    ¡°We have been looking at outfitting ships with guarded generators, based on the Marines¡¯ ability to utilize their suits after the disruptor ray froze the Gladius¡¯ systems. With the right EM shielding around the generators, we believe we can either restart a ship¡¯s systems immediately or, if we¡¯re lucky, avoid having them shut down at all.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, how soon can a military fleet be fitted with these shields?¡± asked Skritka.


    ¡°Less than a week,¡± said Grak-Yurp.


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Skritka thoughtfully. ¡°Less than a week to decide whether to risk sending them to meet the foe.¡±


    ¡°We have little choice,¡± warned Grak-Yurp. ¡°It is a risk indeed, but a risk we can¡¯t afford not to take.¡±


    Skritka sighed, pushing his spectacles up his snout resignedly. ¡°You¡¯re right, of course. I¡¯ll start trying to warm the Houses up to the idea.¡±


    ***


    The Wabulubans had only taken minor losses in the Cornucopia War, but claimed they were still rebuilding their Navy and couldn''t spare troops to bolster Griffonia¡¯s defenses. The PIC had all but laughed Dekken down when he approached them. The Hrudukites were willing to offer material support but understandably didn''t want to risk their fledgling Navy on the myriads of unknowns. The next call was to Crush and the FRF.


    Of course, the Prime Minister was reaching out to the various nations and factions as well, but the idea was that the Blue Griffon Fleet had some weight to throw around both as a diplomatic entity and military brothers-in-arms.


    But that weight belonged to former-Admiral Jasken, or maybe Admiral Hunt, not to Chief Engineer Dekken.


    Crush answered the call, and Dekken had to force himself to put on a show of confidence rather than let his self-doubt shine through. He¡¯d never dealt with her directly.


    ¡°Admiral Crush, how have you been?¡± he asked, his antennae turned up in what he hoped was a warm smile.


    ¡°In the week or so since you were here on Cradle?¡± she asked. ¡°Fine, Admiral¡­¡±


    ¡°Dekken,¡± he answered. ¡°And it¡¯s actually Chief Engineer. I¡¯m, uh, acting as admiral for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Chief Engineer Dekken, then,¡± said Crush. ¡°I take it the rumors are true concerning Admiral Hunt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯ve heard but I am not at liberty to discuss that matter,¡± said Dekken.


    ¡°Very diplomatic,¡± said Crush with a nod. She seemed sincere, as far as Dekken could tell, though the compliment felt back-handed. ¡°So, why did you reach out? I take it this is related to the invasion of Griffonia.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not an invasion yet, unless you know something I don¡¯t,¡± said Dekken. ¡°But yes, we¡¯re looking to put together a coalition in the name of deterrence.¡±


    ¡°And if deterrence fails?¡± asked Crush, her blue eyes narrowing somewhat.


    ¡°I do not mean to suggest there is no risk involved, Admiral,¡± said Dekken, waving a hand as if to clear away the misunderstanding.


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Crush. ¡°I will not make any promises without consulting my people and, of course, the King and Queen. The fate of the FRF and the people of Cradle are linked now; perhaps they always were.


    ¡°But I will tell you what I told your Prime Minister: the Griffon Republic¨Cthe Blue Griffon Fleet in particular¨Care the oldest and dearest allies of the Free Revolutionary Fleet. We will stand by you if trouble comes your way. Also, I suggested he revisit Republic¡¯s policy on not hiring mercenaries.¡±


    Dekken felt his body relax, unaware of how tense he¡¯d been. ¡°Thank you, Admiral, that¡¯s gratif-¡±


    An explosion rocked the bridge and a flash cast the entire room in stark reds for a split second. Dekken stumbled, regaining his balance and running to the window closest to the blast. Looking down on the rest of the ship from the bridge tower he saw that, though the Wingspan appeared to be unharmed, the Vahsing was a pile of smoldering rubble.


    ¡°Chief Engineer? Are you alright?¡± asked Crush.


    ¡°I- uh- yes! But I will have to call you later, Admiral,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Good luck with¡­ whatever has happened,¡± said Crush, ending the call herself.


    ¡°Triflin!¡± shouted Dekken into his comms. ¡°I want to know what just happened. Get any footage you can of aether-traffic above our location. As soon as you have that running I want a direct comm line with Lord Wyven. Engineering, I want you over at the Vahsing immediately to coordinate search-and-rescue operations. Drixen, scramble fighters and get up and scout the skies immediately.¡±


    ¡°Right away, sir,¡± said Drixen. ¡°Am I looking for anything or anyone in particular?¡±


    Dekken¡¯s stalked eyes angled in a dangerous look. ¡°Lady Rewna.¡±

 Chapter 4.17: Out of the Rubble

    ¡°WHAT is this ABOUT!?¡± shouted Raivyn, still holding Lawbine and Vanbrook up in the air, their feet dangling above the muddy lakeshore.


    Vanbrook sighed and stared out the ground, unsure of what to say for himself.


    ¡°Rai,¡± said Lawbine, blood dripping from an already-swelling nose. ¡°Is this really the guy you see yourself with?¡±


    She looked between the two of them, and a look of realization turned to disbelief and then rage. Turning bright red, she stabbed a finger at each of them in turn. ¡°This¨Call this nonsense¨Chas been you two COMPETING FOR ME!? Of all the¡­ Vanbrook, you IDIOT!¡±


    Vanbrook brought his head up and looked her square in the eyes, his face an unspoken apology. He could only hold her gaze a moment before he dropped his head again.


    Raivyn remembered suddenly that the three of them weren¡¯t the only ones present. She looked around to see Talon Squad wearing varying degrees of pain on their faces, and some very confused masons and engineers. She let go of the two suitors and they fell to the ground, both slipping and crashing into the mud below. Raivyn stalked off towards the shuttle, no idea where she was heading other than away from everything behind her.


    ¡°You¡¯re a real piece of work, Vanbrook,¡± said Lawbine.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± said Vanbrook in a voice more exhausted than angry.


    Reclan came over and helped Vanbrook up off the ground, while Lawbine helped himself up. Vanbrook looked sheepishly at Reclan, who shook her head, a look of disappointment on her face.


    ¡°Look, man, one of our guys is dead, and so is one of the locals,¡± said an engineer to D¡¯Jarric. ¡°Now you guys are fighting¡­ yourselves? Are we building something or what?¡±


    ¡°The project will continue, with or without the Republic,¡± said Kreel. ¡°Such tragedies as Grool attacks are a part of life. We hold nothing against those who would mourn, but it must not deter moving forward.¡±


    ¡°Well said, Kreel,¡± said D¡¯Jarric. ¡°I cannot speak for the unruly element of our team, but we will continue to assist.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all for helping out but I need to go talk to Raivyn,¡± said Lawbine.


    ¡°No, you do not,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, turning and facing the gunslinger. The words were not angry, but they brooked no argument.


    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°I won¡¯t cause any more trouble. And, uh, I¡¯m sorry, Kreel. Didn¡¯t mean to bring my personal issues into your project.¡±


    Kreel nodded her acceptance.


    ¡°Oh, so she gets an apology?¡± asked Lawbine sharply. ¡°I¡¯m the one you hit, remember?¡±


    ¡°You asked for that, Lawbine,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Finally got what you¡¯ve been looking for. Turn out the way you wanted?¡± He pointed towards the shuttle where Raivyn had hidden herself away. ¡°Now shut up and put your shoulder to the plow. Unless I¡¯m very much mistaken, your mission was to help Talon Squad, not woo Raivyn. The jig is up. Now let¡¯s get to it.¡±


    Lawbine¡¯s face hardened, but he didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°If that is¡­ all over,¡± said Kreel, ¡°what I¡¯d like to do is mark out where the ground is firm enough for the warehouses, keeping enou-¡±


    A red beam fell from the sky, striking somewhere to the south. After a pause that seemed to last forever, the sound followed the light and a distant boom echoed around the forest.


    ¡°Now what!?¡± asked Kreel, throwing her hands in the air.


    ¡°Astralbians,¡± spat Vanbrook.


    Raivyn ran down out of the shuttle, looking at the group as though asking if they saw it, too. Everyone ran back to the shuttle, and in mere moments they were taking off and heading back to Lakeside.


    ***


    The Silver Star Fleet, a massive military fleet boasting eight ships, sat gleaming in the Depot¡¯s airfield, a crowd gathered in the public viewing area to cheer on their champions. Admiral Drai stood on a platform by Prime Minister Stritka and Grak-Yurp.


    ¡°And so,¡± Drai was saying with an easy, toothy smile on his Dromean face, ¡°thank you all for coming out to see us off. It is an honor to serve this planet and this Republic. We look forward to returning to celebrate our victory.¡±


    Flashbulbs went off and the crowd cheered as Drai walked down from the podium and up into the Pinion, the Silver Star Fleet¡¯s flagship. There was a moment of silence from the crowd as the engines roared to life and the ships began to rise into the air.


    ¡°And so,¡± said Skritka when the ships were far enough away that his voice could be heard over the loudspeakers, ¡°we ask the Progenitor that his Providence might shine upon our sailors as they undertake this great mission. They are prepared to meet the threat so that we may stay safe.  Providence shine on them, and Providence shine on us all.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Skritka watched nervously as the fleet rose. Looking across to the press gaggle, he saw Jrenka taking notes. Part of him wanted to run over and tell her to take her kids and husband and go to Kirakna, but he knew she wouldn''t go. Hopefully it wouldn''t come to an evacuation. Hopefully the shields would hold.


    ¡°Providence shine on us all,¡± he repeated quietly, watching the fleet wink out of view in the upper atmosphere.


    ***


    Talon Squad touched down and were immediately out of the shuttle, running towards the rubble of the Vahsing where it sat smoldering by the Wingspan. The engineers that had come with them to the swampy lake rushed to meet up with their colleagues to help in the search-and-rescue efforts.


    Glinya, evidently not aboard at the time of the attack, was frantically searching through the rubble as well, a handful of other survivors with her.


    ¡°What¡¯s the latest?¡± asked Raivyn, jogging up to Dekken where he stood overlooking the wreck.


    He sighed. ¡°Not great. Anyone aboard at the time of the attack is likely dead. Sorry it interrupted your work.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it didn¡¯t interrupt much,¡± said Raivyn sourly.


    Dekken¡¯s antennae bent in concern. ¡°Problems with the Shairet?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± answered Raivyn. ¡°Forget I said anything. What can we do?¡±


    Dekken shook his head, overwhelmed. He was not prepared to deal with all of this. To handle this emergency as Chief Engineer, working under an admiral, he could do. But now everyone was coming to him for everything. Command simply wasn¡¯t part of his skillset.


    ¡°Hey!¡± called one of the searchers. ¡°We got a survivor over here!¡±


    Everyone rushed over to the spot, picking their way across the rubble and moving as quickly as caution allowed.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s knocking on this door,¡± said the searcher. ¡°But it¡¯s locked tight and the keypad¡¯s busted.¡±


    ¡°Let me through,¡± said Reclan, pulling out her datapad and kneeling by the door, which lay at an odd angle, though it was still in its frame. There was no telling how much of the room behind it was intact.


    Running a cable from her datapad to the lock, she tapped away for a few anxious minutes while the pounding continued on the door. Raivyn rapped out a question in standard Republic code, but the survivor didn¡¯t seem to understand it, besides the fact that they started beating on the door more rapidly in response to knowing someone was outside.


    The door clicked and Reclan grabbed the handle, jerking on it to no effect.


    ¡°We¡¯re unlocked,¡± she said, ¡°but I can¡¯t get it open.¡±


    ¡°My turn,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, stepping up to the door.


    Reclan and Raivyn stepped aside and let him yank on the door, which popped open with a metallic clang, nearly coming off in D¡¯Jarric¡¯s hand.


    A Telton sprang out of the opening, hair disheveled and eyes wild. ¡°Rewna! You¡¯ll pay for this!¡± He looked around maniacally, grabbing D¡¯Jarric by the shoulders. ¡°It was a great eye blast, was it not!?¡±


    ¡°Riventius!¡± shouted Glinya, running over to the Telton. ¡°You survived!¡±


    Vanbrook was surprised to realize it was indeed Riventius who had sprang up out of the twisted doorway.


    ¡°Yes, I live, and Rewna will regret that it is so!¡± declared Riventius. ¡°My family¡¯s legacy, destroyed! My people, dead! They will be avenged!¡±


    ¡°Are you hurt, son?¡± asked Doc.


    Riventius looked at him strangely, then patted himself down. ¡°Just some bruising, I think.¡±


    ¡°Then please report to the medical wing of the Shepherd,¡± said Dekken. ¡°Once you¡¯re cleared you can come back and help us pick through the pieces here.¡±


    The Telton looked taken aback ¡°I need no-¡±


    ¡°To the Shepherd,¡± said Dekken. ¡°That¡¯s protocol. Please.¡±


    Riventius nodded. ¡°But I will run, to prove my point!¡±


    He took off at full tilt, making it about fifty yards before he stumbled and crashed to the ground. Standing up without glancing back, he continued at a jog, clearly favoring one leg.


    Dekken shook his head and turned to the watching crowd. ¡°What are we gawking at? Let¡¯s get back to work.¡±


    ***


    Rewna stood before the display screen, wondering what was on Lord Wyven¡¯s mind. She wasn''t due to report in for a few days, but he''d requested a call and had been keeping her waiting for nearly an hour. He seemed to enjoy the power trip of wasting his subordinates¡¯ time. Rewna was happy to serve him as a general proposition and her loyalty to the Astralbian cause was unquestionable, but there were times she found his approach to be less than desirable. For instance, she was aggravated to be hovering above Gateway, her quarry in reach, and yet not cleared to chase after it.


    ¡°Lady Rewna,¡± said Wyven, appearing on the screen as it rippled to life. ¡°Why am I getting calls from the Republic regarding the destruction of the refugees'' ship?¡±


    Rewna stepped back in shock. ¡°I really couldn''t say, my Lord.¡±


    ¡°Well, they seem to blame you, and I can see why,¡± said Wyven. ¡°A great eye bolt fell from the sky and destroyed the ship. I want you back on Astralbia to answer for your actions.¡±


    ¡°But sir,¡± protested Rewna. ¡°I didn''t-¡±


    ¡°You can state your case to me in person, Lady Rewna,¡± said Wyven sternly. ¡°Guards, place her in her room. If she resists, the dungeon.¡±


    Rewna turned to the guards. One made a move towards her, only to be struck with a bioelectrical mace by the other.


    ¡°Go, my Lady!¡± shouted the second guard. ¡°I''ll hold him off.¡±


    Rewna ran out of the door, determined to track down the actual culprit, not be punished for another''s crime. Those aboard the star tree knew she was innocent, but that wouldn''t stop Wyyen from making an example of her if that was politically expedient.


    She ran by a few other guards, but they evidently weren''t aware of the situation, their eyes going wide as they stepped aside to let the Lady run by. She didn¡¯t stop running until she got close to the wasp aerie, slowing her walk as she approached. She looked calm and unhurried by the time she reached the airie¡¯s antechamber.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking one of the wasps out for a ride,¡± she said to the guard on duty. She had begun her service in the military as a rider, so the request wasn¡¯t that strange. She hoped.


    ¡°Of course, my Lady,¡± said the guard, stepping aside.


    The door slid open slowly, atmosphere draining out of the antechamber as it equalized with the aether-exposed aerie.


    ¡°Stop her!¡± shouted a voice from behind. She slipped through the door and ran to the nearest void wasp, jumping on and slamming her palm onto the creatures back, commanding it to fly via psychic link. The wasp lifted off and she banked hard, diving through the knothole that served as the aerie¡¯s exit.


    Shots from thorn guns pepper the knothole and a few shards bounced off the wasp¡¯s hide, but Rewna was unharmed. She quickly buzzed away from the tree, heading for Gateway¡¯s surface. A few lesser eye bolts targeted her as she flew, but they missed.


    Back in the star tree¡¯s control room, one of the guards loyal to Wyven spoke with him. ¡°Sir, she¡¯s heading clayside. Do we pursue?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Wyven, waving a hand dismissively. ¡°She¡¯s the Republic¡¯s problem now. I¡¯m not going to let her suck me into a war. Inform our¡­ friends in the Republic that she has gone rogue, then return to Astralbia. Whoever killed the refugees has made pursuing them pointless. We have other concerns.¡±

 Chapter 4.18: The First Battle

    Admiral Drai stood on the bridge of the Pinion, looking out into the aether. The fleet was traveling at top speeds without using the ripmed drive, hoping to intercept the enemy if they were approaching.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got something!¡± cried his Communications Officer, a Human male with a shock of red hair on top of his head.


    Drai¡¯s head snapped in his direction. ¡°What do you see, Garvy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a fleet¨Clooks like a dozen ships or more,¡± he said, studying the console.


    ¡°Well, reach out to them,¡± said Drai. ¡°I want to see if they¡¯ll speak to us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± answered Garvy.


    Drai stood over Garvy¡¯s shoulder for a few anxious minutes, but the calls went unanswered.


    ¡°When will we intercept them?¡± asked Drai.


    ¡°We¡¯re both traveling at high speeds and roughly on the same plane,¡± said Garvy, pressing a few buttons as he navigated his data feed. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ yeah. We¡¯ll be in visual contact within a few hours.¡±


    ¡°Do we need to worry about-¡±


    Drai¡¯s question was cut short as the ship¡¯s systems all died at once, leaving them in utter darkness. The starry void outside of the bridge offered a dim, cold light, but the interior of the ship was jet black by comparison. With a whir, the lights returned and the engines roared back to life.


    ¡°I take it that was an attack?¡± asked Drai, his voice slightly strained.


    ¡°I- I assume so, sir,¡± answered Garvy.


    ¡°But our shielded restart worked?¡± asked Drai.


    ¡°Looks that way, sir,¡± said Garvy.


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Drai, shaking his head. ¡°Prepare the fleet for combat. Looks like our mysterious guests aren¡¯t interested in talking.¡±


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ really something,¡± said Hacksaw.


    ¡°I am impressed,¡± said Yrinla. ¡°Though thoroughly confused.¡±


    They were standing by Crush, who had her hands on her hips, looking appreciatively at her star tree, with Stripes sitting quietly on her shoulder as if he felt the gravity of the situation. She had grown it as she had envisioned it. The trunk of the tree was at the back of the structure, and while some of the thruster roots were growing straight down, there were also some that would fire out of the back.


    The bulk of the tree was now growing opposite the rear thrusters, the wood grown in the shape of a smooth, graceful sailing ship, in the style of a Ramshackle galleon. The main trunk now served as a kind of captain¡¯s cabin, and two smaller trunks grew from the deck, both sporting mast-like limbs that could sprout energy-capturing leaves, supplemented with solar sails scavenged from the Ramshackle ships she¡¯d traded Hrake for. The prow boasted another limb, this one leafless and only slightly branched.


    The decks also incorporated scavenged parts, massive metal plates polished and incorporated so that mag-boots would allow Crush to walk across the deck as the ship sailed through the aether. The solar panels provided power to the ship as an emergency back-up power source, but also powered the shields and massive ballistic and energy guns that lined the deck at intervals.


    Though the hull wasn¡¯t ornamented with symbols and carvings like a Talpidarian or Hrudukite might have designed, the bark of the wood had a smooth, flowing rhythm that traveled from prow to stern, making it appear almost as though it was sailing through fluid. Crush stood staring appreciatively for a while longer.


    ¡°I think it might be the most beautiful ship I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± she said at length.


    The comment wasn¡¯t meant to be boastful. Crush had learned to look at the ship as its own creature, which in many ways it was. While it was not self-aware, it was very much alive and an individual organism, and she had spent months coaxing it, tending it, and, by the end of the project, speaking to it as though it could hear her.


    ¡°Its name is the Amalgam,¡± said Crush.


    Hacksaw nodded. ¡°A fitting name.¡±


    Yrinla¡¯s face pinched. ¡°Star trees do not have names. They are referred to as ¡®Lady So-and-so¡¯s Tree¡¯ or ¡®The Star Tree of King Such-and-such.¡±


    ¡°That may be true for the Astralbian Kingdom¡¯s star trees,¡± replied Crush. ¡°But I am not Astralbian.¡±


    ¡°So you are not,¡± said Yrinla with a smile. ¡°I suppose I can forget sometimes. I spent many years safeguarding the traditions of the Astralbians, whether I agreed with their principles or not.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it is time we struck the old ways down entirely,¡± said Hacksaw.


    Yrinla shook her head. ¡°Not until we discern why they are traditions. While a tradition is not in and of itself virtuous, it is often found to be rooted in virtue if one looks.¡±


    ¡°And how do we tell the difference?¡± asked Crush.


    ¡°That is the hard part,¡± said Yrinla, a twinkle in her eye.


    ¡°Please, board the Amalgam with me,¡± said Crush. ¡°It is time for her maiden voyage and I would like the two of you to accompany me on it.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Hacksaw looked sidelong at Yrinla, who nodded calmly.


    ¡°It would be our honor, Admiral,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Yrinla. ¡°If the thrusters ignite the entirety of the fuel immediately, we will die with you, Guardian.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ that,¡± said Hacksaw unevenly as he followed Crush and Yrinla up the ramp.


    ¡°We will need to discuss how we can help the Republic,¡± said Crush. ¡°I thought that once our little jaunt into orbit is underway, the three of us could discuss it and then bring the matter to the King and Queen.¡±


    ¡°That would be wise,¡± said Yrinla.


    ¡°I suppose this will be for free?¡± Hacksaw ventured.


    Crush sighed lightly. ¡°At least in part. But we¡¯ll talked details once-¡±


    WHERE ARE YOU GOING, LITTLE GUARDIAN?


    The voice was strong and deep, and had the low, rumbling quality of massive stones sliding against each other.


    Hacksaw and Yrinla looked at her expectantly, as though they hadn¡¯t heard the voice and were waiting for her to continue. She looked around for the source of the noise. ¡°Did you all-¡±


    PLEASE STEP OFF OF YOUR STAR TREE, continued the voice. THERE IS MUCH WE MUST DISCUSS.


    ***


    Thirteen purple orbs, visible for some time on the scopes, finally came into view as Drai looked out of the bridge¡¯s fore-facing window. The enemy fleet was impressive both in size and number, but Drai was hopeful that the Silver Star Fleet would be up to the challenge since they had a solid countermeasure against their disruptors.


    ¡°If their fleet is advancing this kind of distance, why aren¡¯t they making a ripmed jump?¡± asked Drai aloud, though to no one in particular.


    ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t have the tech,¡± suggested his chief engineer.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Drai, turning to her.


    She shrugged. Admittedly, it was a difficult maneuver for a Wabuluban, but she managed to approximate it. ¡°Maybe whoever these folks are, they don¡¯t have ripmed tech. As far as we know, this is their first contact with this corner of the galaxy.¡±


    Drai paled, his scales lightening a shade. ¡°Then we can¡¯t let them get it from us.¡±


    The engineer nodded, eyes widening. The conversation was cut short as an alert sounded, signaling an incoming ballistic attack.


    ¡°Intercept that attack, gunners,¡± shouted Drai into the comms. ¡°Those not on interception, return fire. I want to see what these folks have for defense, then I want to crush-¡±


    His message was cut off as the ship went dark once again. Before the restart could kick in, something slammed into the ship, rocking it horribly.


    ¡°They timed it!¡± shouted Drai. ¡°They timed their attack to bypass the shields!¡±


    The lights flickered back on, and another alert sounded indicating incoming ballistics. Messages were pouring in from the other ships, letting Drai know they were suffering a similar fate.


    ¡°All ships scramble fighters!¡± ordered Drai. ¡°All fighters fan out in groups of two. Don¡¯t let them target you with those disruptor rays, and do what you can to put the hurt on them!¡±


    The ship went dark again, and this time a rocket soared out of the void and crashed right into the dome covering the bridge. The impact sent Drai sprawling, and he rose as quickly as he could to see the damage. Some yards out from the bridge, the rocket had lodged itself in the dome, undetonated.


    ¡°Ha!¡± said Drai. ¡°It didn¡¯t go off.¡±


    Then he noticed something strange. A sealant of some kind had been automatically applied to the wound in the dome, gluing the rocket in place, as though by design. Then the rocket¡¯s conical tip opened like the pedals of a flower. Hulking shapes clamored out, leaping towards the bridge with no gravity to stop them from reaching their target. He was trying to make out more details when he heard screams and gunfire coming from below.


    He drew his sidearm and rushed towards the bridge¡¯s door, but it was too late to help those on the other side. A massive form rushed through the doorway, standing to its full height when it entered. The creature, which must have come from the first wave of rockets, was nearly eight feet tall and built like a gorilla with massive, clawed and long-fingered hands, now covered in blood. It had a beard and mane of coarse, black hair; thick, leathery orange skin and a long nose that jutted out between wild, purple eyes that matched the purple singlet it wore. There seemed to be more animal than sapient about the creature, a feeling punctuated by its ferocious roar as it bared its long, sharp teeth at Drai and the others, who immediately opened fire. The small arms enraged the beast but didn¡¯t stop it for a moment. It fell on the crew, tearing into them with vicious claws.


    Drai charged the beast while it tackled his engineer, pressing his sidearm¡¯s muzzle against its temple and firing. The creature jerked and slumped over, and a cold smile flashed across Drai¡¯s face.


    By now the monsters that had crashed into the dome were slamming into the bridge¡¯s window, and Drai turned to see what they would do. Before he could tell if their wild claws were doing any real damage, he was tackled from behind. A massive form crushed him to the ground, and he struggled to turn, firing his sidearm at the monster¡¯s face. It couldn¡¯t be the one he¡¯d just killed. He stole a glance at the fallen form of the beast who¡¯d take a point-blank bullet to the temple. It was still there, but was sitting up, looking dazed. The one that snuck up on him was similarly annoyed by the shots Drai had taken, and fell on him again. Drai offered a prayer as he emptied his pistol in vain resistance.


    ***


    There were only three more survivors found among the wreckage of the Vahsing. A number of bodies were discovered, and a few were likely obliterated by the initial blast. Riventius stood looking over the remaining rubble with Dekken.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Riventius,¡± said the engineer, shaking his head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here worth keeping. You¡¯ll be able to get something for the scrap, I¡¯m sure. AetherCrate Hauling would probably take it off your hands.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± insisted Riventius. ¡°Look at that engine! I can salvage that, it¡¯s hardly singed.¡±


    Dekken sighed. The scrap heap before them was the only thing the Telton had to his name, and was a family heirloom at that. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ve got a storage site here, just off the airfield by General Grubula¡¯s command center. I¡¯ll talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Chief Officer,¡± said Riventius gratefully.


    Raivyn walked up and joined the two. ¡°Chief, Riventius. I wanted to let you know, we got back out to the swamp and worked out a good layout for the mining facility. Kreel¡¯s pretty pleased with the plans, but I told her we¡¯d likely be heading out before they break ground.¡±


    ¡°I imagine so,¡± said Dekken. ¡°The plan is to head out in the next day or two. We¡¯ll make for Avonia and then really try to burn some aether and head straight for Kirakna.¡±


    Raivyn was taken aback. ¡°That¡¯s some rip, Chief.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s against protocol, with me acting as Admiral and everything, but please just call me Dekken,¡± pleaded the Raki. ¡°But yes, it¡¯s a massive jump, but the Prime Minister wants to be sure we¡¯re offering a real show of force to our new friends, whoever they are.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully they¡¯ll be warded off before we get there,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°Hopefully so,¡± echoed Dekken. His comm began buzzing. ¡°Excuse me a moment,¡± he said, answering the comm. ¡°Yes, Prime Minister?¡±


    Raivyn watched as Dekken¡¯s face fell, the ruddy red flesh between his armored plates and around his face paling.


    ¡°Yes, Prime Minister,¡± he said at intervals. ¡°Of course.¡±


    He ended the call and looked seriously at Raivyn. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be warded off before we get there.¡±

 Chapter 4.19: The Calm Before the Storm

    Crush looked at Hacksaw and Yrinla in turn. ¡°You aren¡¯t hearing the voice, are you?¡±


    They looked at one another. Hacksaw shrugged. Yrinla shook her head.


    ¡°What is the voice saying, Guardian?¡± asked Yrinla.


    Crush walked down the Amalgam¡¯s ramp, stepping back onto Cradle¡¯s soil. The ground began to shake beneath her feet. It was subtle at first, but it built into an earthquake that caused the trees to sway violently, their limbs slicing through the air.


    ¡°Well this I can see,¡± said Hacksaw, his voice attenuated with distress.


    The rumbling rose to a crescendo, and the guards at the back entrance to the palace stood, eying each other warily as they held their ground.


    The ground before Crush¡¯s feet lurched and exploded into a shower of dirt. She turned away, shielding her face, turning back when the dirt stopped falling and the earthquake died away. A tall stone figure rose before her from the newly made hole in the ground.


    Glowing with the same sapphire rivulets that wound over her own body, this creature stood nearly seven feet tall and at least half as wide across his shoulders. His face looked like a carved mask of stone, and his eyes burned a brilliant sky blue. Behind him, the guards ran trembling back into the palace.


    ¡°SISTER,¡± he said in the same grinding, stony voice she had heard a moment before. ¡°YOU MAY NOT LEAVE CRADLE.¡±


    Crush turned to the others.


    ¡°Yes¡­ we, uh, hear him now, Guardian,¡± said Yrinla. ¡°And we see him, as well.¡±


    Crush turned back. ¡°Brother, I assume I am to call you that? Brother, my allies are in danger and have called for me. I must go to them, though I have many questions for you before I go.¡±


    ¡°YOU MAY NOT GO, SISTER,¡± insisted the figure. ¡°YOUR PLACE IS ON CRADLE. YOU ARE THE GUARDIAN.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so I¡¯ve heard,¡± said Crush, her tone turning defiant. ¡°But since no one has explained to me what that means, I suppose I can¡¯t be expected to know my duties!¡±


    ¡°PETULANT CHILD!¡± said the stone man. ¡°FOLLOW ME, AND YOUR ELDERS WILL EXPLAIN THE GUARDIANSHIP TO YOU, AND WHY WE HAVE WAITED SO LONG TO REVEAL OURSELVES.¡±


    By now King Hua and Queen Shiu had come out to see the figure for themselves, after the guards had gone to tell them what had happened.


    ¡°Wait, Coreborn!¡± exclaimed the King in his chiming native tongue.


    ¡°NO, IT IS YOU WHO MUST WAIT,¡± the stone figure warned. ¡°DO NOT FOLLOW US. ALL WILL BE CLEAR IN DUE TIME.¡±


    Without another word he climbed back down into the earth through the hole he¡¯d stepped out of. Crush shrugged to the others present and followed her ¡°brother,¡± soon disappearing into the dark tunnel.


    ***


    Skritka paced nervously in his office. He had watched over the battle in real time with Executor Grak-Yurp and Administrator Sta-Kwi. The carriers, gunships, and support vessels had blinked off and on as the power was disrupted by enemy attacks, each time the ripmed system taking a bit longer to kick back on. Eventually, it simply didn¡¯t. The footage from the bridge of the Pinion was a harrowing demonstration of why. They had sent the best stills they¡¯d been able to capture to Grepk, to see if creatures in the footage were the same as the one they¡¯d met.


    There was no indication that any damage had been inflicted on the enemy, or that there were any survivors. The implications were horrifying.


    ¡°Word¡¯s gone out, sir,¡± said a voice at his door. He looked up to see Administrator Sta-Kwi, back from making a few calls. ¡°All power plants throughout the city are communicating with the Navy to discuss advanced shielding. The engineers and techs in the Depot are saying they want to try shielding larger areas. It will take more material but we may be able to avoid the issues the Silver Star Fleet ran into.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it takes,¡± said Skrikta. ¡°If we have to, commandeer materials. Individuals, organizations, and companies will be reimbursed.¡±


    ¡°Martial law, sir?¡± asked Sta-Kwi.


    Skritka shook his head. ¡°Just a State of Emergency for now. The Executor affirmed it already. It should go out through normal channels shortly but it''s already in effect. The Houses are gathering shortly, and I can assure it will be a point of discussion.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Sta-Kwi. ¡°I''ll go see to it. I expect most private entities will be willing to help. The larger corporations may very well donate material.¡±


    ¡°If anything can bring out the best in people, it¡¯s being invaded,¡± said Skritka.


    Sta-Kwi smiled a wide, wan smile as she turned and left.


    Stritka comm rang with the old, familiar tone. Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Executor?¡± he asked as he answered the call.


    ¡°Prime Minister,¡± said Grak-Yurp. ¡°We need to discuss clayside fortifications and orbital defense. But first, we need to work out the details of a civilian evacuation.¡±


    Skritka hung his head. Although the idea had been discussed in the past on a theoretical basis, Griffonia had been founded as a fortified last stand against the Astralbians, and had been a relatively secure planet in the centuries since, even through the Singularity Wars. The idea of retreat was simply counter to the national culture. The next few weeks promised to be trying times, even on the domestic front.


    ***


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Vanbrook as he jogged into the combination auditorium and observation deck aboard the Wingspan. It was the only place inside the ship where the entirety of the crew could be gathered, and typically that only occurred during take off and landing, as the seats all had built-in restraints. Seeing Raivyn come in alongside Dekken, Vanbrook figured she knew why an in-person meeting of the entire crew had been called.


    Raivyn stared him down, her anger still fresh enough that she didn¡¯t want to talk to him. ¡°Chief Engineer Dekken will fill you in shortly.¡±


    Vanbrook grimaced at the cold answer and turned away quietly.


    ¡°Blue Griffon Fleet,¡± said Dekken, addressing both the gathered crew of the Wingspan and the crews of the Bombard and Shepherd, who watched the speech being broadcast to their respective ships. ¡°As you know, Griffonia is under imminent attack. At this time a hostile fleet is approaching the planet. This fleet destroyed the Pinion, and the fate of the Silver Star Fleet in its entirety is unknown.¡± Anxious murmurs worked their way through the crowd. ¡°As of today, the Prime Minister has announced a voluntary evacuation of the entire civilian population. Refugees will be sent to Kirakna, and from there on to Hittania and, by leave of King Hrynkak, Hruduk.¡± The murmuring grew more intense and Dekken visibly deflated. ¡°We will, for the time being, be making our way to Kirakna to help organize the flow of refugees.¡± A general grumbling rose up from the crowd.


    ¡°QUIET DOWN, ALL OF YOU!¡± shouted Captain Fenrik, his colorful feather crest rising in anger as he stood up from where he sat behind Dekken. The murmur died off suddenly.


    ¡°Thank you, Captain,¡± said Dekken, straightening up and looking back at the crowd. ¡°As I said: the Blue Griffon Fleet will be stationed on Kirakna for the foreseeable future. You have the long and short of it now, so get back to your stations. We have work to do before we can leave Gateway and we need to do so as quickly as possible. Providence shine on us all.¡±


    As the crowd dispersed from the auditorium, Hunt was pacing in his room, listening to the announcement on the public comm speakers. Dekken had invited him to join him in the auditorium, but the thought alone embarrassed Hunt to no end. He wished it had been him giving that speech. Dekken was a fine sailor and a gifted engineer, but, despite being second-in-command aboard the Wingspan, he just wasn¡¯t a leader by nature. Shaking his head, Hunt laid down in bed, putting his hands behind his head and waiting for the announcement to buckle up for take off. Being under arrest wasn¡¯t something he wanted to make a habit of, but at least, for the first time since basic, he was finally catching up on his sleep.


    ***


    Griv turned out to be a dead end for the investigation. The crooked security guard had been grilled a few times by Trebor and Yellup, but didn''t know anything they hadn''t been able to work out through other evidence. Criddek was too smart to tell someone like Griv anything he didn''t have to.


    Ultimately Griv was turned over to the justice system at large to be charged for his corruption. Darvik assumed he was rotting in a cell in Kerucester Penitentiary, an institution Darvik knew all too well.


    His thoughts had been cast back to that time of his life pretty often since he''d run into Krum-Bahk outside the Depot. There wasn''t much about his life from the time he moved to the city that he could look back on proudly. He''d earned his place as a duelist, that was for sure, but all he managed to make of that was to leverage his way into a life of petty crime.


    Maybe if he kept his nose clean he could build a life for himself in the RTS. A voice in his head reminded him that, sooner or later, he''d screw this up just like he''d screwed up everything else.


    Another voice repeated itself: ¡°I''ve got plans for you, Darvik.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± said an irritated, watery voice, punctuated by the sound of two tentacles slapping together by way of clapping. Darvik suddenly remembered he was sitting at his desk in Trebor¡¯s offices.


    ¡°Wake up and grab your jacket,¡± continued Yellup. ¡°Someone that looks like our guy just got flagged at some seedy spaceport on the south end of town.¡±


    ¡°I think I know the place,¡± said Darvik, pushing a creaky chair back and grabbing his long, black coat off the back.


    ¡°Of course you do,¡± said Yellup, rolling his large golden eyes. ¡°Come on, Trebor''s waiting for us upstairs.¡±


    ***


    After a long, windy flight, Rewna finally touched down on Gateway. Sadly, her mount would die if not returned to an aerie shortly due to a chemical dependency that had been bred into the species. It was a built-in security measure in case of theft, and that certainly described Rewna¡¯s situation.


    With a sigh, she patted the wasp''s head, telling it to go home. It buzzed away unceremoniously, and Rewna turned towards Lakeside, which was a good hike away.


    She never let her hand drift far from the thorn gun at her side as she stumbled over the swamps and forests of Gateway, but the wildlife gave her no trouble. A wary group of spider apes sniffed the air as she passed near their grove, but saved their energy for something edible.


    The sun was setting by the time Rewna reached the outskirts of Lakeside, which suited her fine. She ditched her Astralbian raiments and left them bundled up in the treeline along with her thorn gun, not wanting to be easily identified as part of the Astralbian Kingdom. Nudity was not a modesty issue for Astralbians the way it was for biological races, but clothes had become a cultural habit for them all the same.


    She snuck into an unlocked civilian garage and crept over to the lockers, opening them carefully in an effort not to make too much noise. Finding a greasy set of mechanic¡¯s coveralls, she slipped into them and then back out into the night.


    Working her way over towards the more secured portion of the airfield where the Wingspan sat, she kept low and quiet, scaling the fence that separated the military and civilian areas and dropping down quietly on the other side. From there she made her way quickly and quietly to the Wingspan, looking for a way into the ship.


    ¡°Can I help you, ma¡¯am?¡± asked a voice behind her.


    She turned to see two guards wearing the standard double-breasted blue uniforms of the Griffon Republic Navy and carrying service rifles. Her shoulders slumped. She really wasn''t much for espionage.


    ¡°Um, yes,¡± she said. ¡°I''m here to see¡­ Dekken. About a broken engine.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh,¡± said the guard, nodding with a smirk towards her stolen coveralls. ¡°Is that a family name?¡±


    She looked down at the clothes, and saw the name Staw-Muk, not exactly a traditionally Astralbian moniker, embroidered on the right breast pocket. She rolled her eyes and held up her hands in surrender. ¡°Just take me to the brig. I still need to talk to Dekken.¡±

 Chapter 4.20: The Invasion

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± shouted Dekken, running towards a commotion brewing below decks. He pushed his way into an excited crowd, and found Riventius scrabbling with two guards while an Astralbian AetherCrate mechanic stood by in handcuffs. He grabbed the Telton by the scruff of the neck and yanked him back, staring him in the eyes. ¡°I asked what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s her,¡± cried Riventius, pointing at Rewna. ¡°That¡¯s the sparker who blew up my ship!¡±


    ¡°Riventius,¡± chided Dekken. ¡°That¡¯s just some poor Astralbian female, there¡¯s no reason to think-¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± said the Astralbian in the greasy coveralls, her eyes looking imperious despite her dress and shackles, ¡°I am Lady Rewna. But I did not blow up this worm¡¯s ship.¡±


    Dekken rolled his eyes, an intimidating feat when done by a stalk-eyed Raki such as himself. ¡°I am in too much of a hurry to sort this out. Lady Rewna, where are your people?¡±


    ¡°Far away by now, I imagine,¡± she replied calmly. ¡°I only hope my wasp was able to return before they departed.¡±


    ¡°I believe she¡¯s telling the truth, sir,¡± said one of the guards escorting her. ¡°We just detained her for sneaking around outside the Wingspan. We were about to call it in when this Telton accosted us.¡±


    ¡°Chief Officer, kill this cowardly criminal!¡± demanded Riventius.


    Dekken stared the Telton down. ¡°As I said: I do not have time for this. Guards, take them both to the brig, and, for all that is good and decent, put them in different cells!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said one of the guards, reaching for Riventius.


    ¡°I am coming quietly!¡± shouted Riventius.


    ¡°All the same, sir,¡± said the guard. ¡°I¡¯ll be walking with you, a few paces ahead of our other prisoner.¡±


    Riventius spat but didn¡¯t put up any further resistance. Dekken watched them go, shaking his head in despondent disgust.


    That issue solved for the time being, Dekken went to make final preparations to launch. He hoped to be on Kirakna within two weeks, and hopefully be able to provide some level of support for Griffonia.


    The launch went off nicely and once their ripmed jump was underway, he went down to the brig to deal with the troublemakers. The guards let him in and he walked up to Riventius¡¯ cell. The angry Telton sat on a bench, looking down at his feet.


    ¡°Look, you are a civilian refugee, and as such not under my command,¡± he said. ¡°Promise that you won¡¯t attack Lady Rewna¨Cor, more importantly, my guards¨Cagain, and I will let you out. In return, I promise you that if you cannot hold up your end of things, you will not see anything outside of this cell again for as long as it is under my power to keep you there. Are we clear?¡±


    Riventius looked up at Dekken for the first time now, a fire in his eyes, but no defiance on his face. ¡°I will make this promise, though I loathe it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± said Dekken, opening the cell. ¡°Liking it wasn¡¯t part of the terms. Go.¡±


    He watched for a moment to make sure Riventius left the brig and continued on towards his quarters. Satisfied, he turned to Rewna. ¡°Alright. Your turn.¡±


    ¡°I did not blow up the Vahsing,¡± she said simply.


    ¡°I¡¯m inclined to believe you, despite the fact that Wyven already told us you did,¡± said Dekken. ¡°Unless you¡¯re playing some game I can¡¯t work out. To be honest, I can¡¯t figure out your angle either way.¡±


    Rewna shook her head. ¡°Lord Wyven was prepared to let me take the fall for the attack out of expediency, whether I did it or not. My star tree has limited scanning capabilities. If anyone has any recorded evidence in my defense, it is you.¡±


    ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t bother doing much digging after Wyven put the blame on you, but we do, in fact, have some evidence.¡± Dekken pulled a data pad off his belt and showed Rewna an image of a star tree. ¡°This vessel was spotted in the air space where the attack originated from. Look familiar?¡±


    Rewna¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°No! It doesn¡¯t! Because it¡¯s not mine. You must share this image with Wyven.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in the habit of sharing intel with hostiles,¡± said Dekken.


    ¡°What does this possibly cost you?¡± she pleaded.


    Dekken motioned to the guards and opened the cell. Rewna held out her arms as the guard put her back in handcuffs and Dekken turned to lead her up to the bridge. ¡°Don¡¯t make me regret this.¡±


    ***


    Skritka sat at his desk in Griffon Keep, staring up into the night sky through the window. The time was close. The past week or so had been spent in preparation, building shields and restarters on every device they were able to, prioritizing military and political targets.


    A huge portion of the civilian population had fled, but more stayed behind, and some were still waiting for transport offworld. Jrenka had stayed, much to Skritka¡¯s dismay, as had her husband. The kids were with Jrenka¡¯s cousin, heading for the safety of Kirakna. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°The lower levels of the Keep and the old Undercity are secured,¡± said Grak-Yurp, slipping quietly into the room.


    ¡°Let''s hope it doesn''t come to that,¡± said Skritka, shaking his head.


    Grak-Yurp nodded grimly. ¡°I fear it will. We''ve done what we can, but we are looking at a technologically superior force with no interest in diplomacy.¡±


    ¡°It has been some time since the Republic faced a truly existential threat. But we are born fighters. Griffonia may fall, but our people will stand back up.¡±


    ¡°Prime Minister,¡± cut in a voice through the office¡¯s comms system. ¡°This is Admiral Gresta of the Red Claw Fleet. The hostiles are in sight. We are converging on their position.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Admiral,¡± said Skritka. ¡°Providence shine on you.¡±


    ¡°On you as well, Prime Minister,¡± replied Gresta.


    A display screen on the wall gave Skritka a real-time view of the battle that was about to begin, but he found his eyes drawn to the window. Time seemed to slow to an excruciating crawl, but it wasn¡¯t long before he could see flashes in the heavens as the two forces met.


    ***


    High above, Farbin looked down on Griffonia in person for the first time. It was a beautiful world, a ripe fruit hanging in the aether, ready for the picking. His console lit up with alerts as the Griffonian Republic Navy converged on the fleet''s position.


    He shook his head. Of course, resistance was expected. If sapients had one thing in common, it was the will to survive. There was no reason to throw their lives away when they could just as easily run¨Cseeing as they were a space-faring civilization¨Cbut stubbornness was another common trait.


    The first fleet the Griffonians had sent had been utterly destroyed down to the last fighter. The largest ship had been kept intact after the beasts had done their work, killing everyone aboard. That was back with the scientists on an armada world being studied in hopes of replicating the Griffonians¡¯ faster-than-light travel.


    Disruptor rays began autofiring at targets, and Farbin¡¯s console alerted him to the activity, drawing him out of his musings. It was only moments before laser fire followed the disruptors, burning holes through ships and tearing them to pieces.


    A few missiles, lasers, and ballistic rounds slammed into the energy field around his train, but the field was no worse off for it, and Farbin hardly took notice.


    The fighters posed a slightly greater threat, and Farbin released his serpent drones to counter them. The enemy fighters swooped into the field, but those that didn¡¯t pull up in time slammed into the shield and were destroyed. Nothing damaged the war train itself.


    The Republic fighters were surprisingly advanced, considering they were not of Drakmundi design. They were sleek and relatively maneuverable and well-armed, the smooth fenders on either side of the cockpit bristling with ballistic and energy weapons, with an additional gun or two jutting out of the back where the fenders flared out to accommodate thrusters. Farbin¡¯s serpent drones were built like smaller versions of the trains, segmented to allow them to weave in serpentine movement through the aether. Their powerful laser weapons were highly maneuverable as well, fitted along the sides of the segments in a ball and socket arrangement, the drone¡¯s artificial intelligence allowing them to maximize movement and targeting. The drones fell on the fighters swiftly, moving quickly and reducing the relatively slower fighters to slag. Waves of fighters continued to pour in, meeting a similar fate.


    The larger ships were slowly whittled away. The massive carrier ships that spewed out fighters were targeted first, and were soon destroyed. Some of the other ships began to peel away in retreat, but all in vain. They appeared to be unable to activate their faster-than-light travel while being targeted by disruptor rays, and so they were far too slow to escape the fleet¡¯s massive battery of laser cannons.


    Once the majority of the ships were destroyed, Farbin spoke to the other commanders. ¡°Left flank, focus on destroying the remaining naval opposition. Right flank, begin targeting surface infrastructure and prepare to launch ground forces.¡±


    There was no smile on Farbin¡¯s lips as he watched his forces dominate the Griffonians. In truth, he did not enjoy the battles and bloodshed. He found them eminently boring. Wiping away the chaff of a planet so that his people could feast upon the wheat was a noble and glorious goal, but in his heart he longed to ascend to where others could take his place in battle so that he could be with the truly great among his people. His day would come. For now, he had to focus on the task at hand. The destruction of Griffonian civilization.


    ***


    Back on the Wingspan, Dekken stood by the handcuffed Rewna, waiting for Wyven to accept the call. After waiting for nearly ten minutes, an angry blue face appeared on the screen.


    ¡°What is this, Admiral Dekken?¡± asked Wyven shortly.


    ¡°I have Lady Rewna here with me,¡± said Dekken. ¡°And I have a couple of questions for you.¡±


    ¡°You have the perpetrator,¡± said Wyven dismissively. ¡°Do with her as you see fit.¡±


    ¡°We also have this,¡± said Dekken, pointing to Triflin. The picture of the star tree popped up on the display so that both Dekken and Wyven were viewing it. ¡°Whose star tree is this?¡±


    ¡°Difficult to say,¡± said Wyven without batting an eye. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to say!¡± protested Rewna. ¡°You have a database of star tree images at your very fingertips, Lord Wyven! Use it!¡±


    Wyven stared daggers at his upstart underling, but nodded to someone offscreen. There was an awkward silence, and Dekken looked questioningly at Rewna, who nodded confidently.


    ¡°Lord Gwestiv,¡± said Wyven. ¡°The star tree is a match for Lord Gwestiv¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Who defected to the Koomites!¡± declared Rewna victoriously.


    ¡°Lord Wyven, that photo was taken just after the Vahsing was destroyed,¡± said Dekken. ¡°In low orbit over our airfield. We believe this Lord Gwestiv was the culprit. We are not at war with the Astralbian Kingdom, or whatever you¡¯re calling yourself these days, and I am willing to return your Lady to you as soon as you can provide her transport.¡±


    ¡°I have a better idea,¡± said Wyven, a wry smile playing across his crystalline lips. ¡°Has not the Republic put out a call for any and all allies to lend aid? Let this be our contribution: keep Rewna as one of your own, and I will send a star tree for her to command.¡±


    Rewna¡¯s eyes narrowed. She did not want to work with the Republic, and did not trust Wyven. ¡°My own tree?¡±


    ¡°Not the one you gave up command of when you left it, of course,¡± said Wyven disdainfully. ¡°But I am willing to send a new crew loyal to you¨Ccurrently detained, I admit¨Cfrom among your old crew along with a new star tree to call your own.¡±


    ¡°We would welcome the aid, Lord Wyven,¡± said Dekken. ¡°Assuming Lady Rewna accepts her new commission.¡±


    ¡°How can I not,¡± said Rewna, more out of apathy than gratitude.


    ¡°That¡¯s settled, then,¡± said Wyven, ending the conversation.


    Rewna turned to Dekken. ¡°I¡¯m your problem now. Am I going back to the brig, or what?¡±


    Dekken was about to answer when an emergency ripmed comm came through.


    ¡°It¡¯s Kerucester,¡± said Triflin, looking over at Dekken. ¡°The invasion. It¡¯s begun.¡±

 Chapter 4.21: Of Shapers and Guardians

    Trebor¡¯s street craft was a long, sleek utility craft with a strangely sporty look to it, painted jet black to match his uniform. It was otherwise unmarked, though it was hard to miss for those aware and wary of the RTS. He was leaning on the driver¡¯s door, waiting for Darvik and Yellup, who came jogging into the garage and hustled over to him.


    ¡°Looks like we might have found Creddik,¡± he said as they approached. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s also an impending invasion to worry about. Evidently, we didn¡¯t qualify for the new shielding that¡¯s supposed to defend our planet against our mysterious enemies, but I still plan to do my job until I¡¯m forcibly stopped.¡±


    Darvik and Yellup nodded their assent. Yellup took the front passenger seat and Darvik crawled into the back, where he was separated from the front seat with bars. While he was an agent, not a prisoner, the symbolism bothered him, and he knew¨Cwithout the Wabuluban ever saying anything¨Cthat it wasn¡¯t lost on Yellup, either.


    The craft zipped out of the Depot¡¯s garage, made it through the security checkpoint, and was soon on its way through the twilight to the spaceport. The trip to the south end was full of ugly memories for Darvik, as the south end was the hub of Kerucester¡¯s underworld. He wondered if Trebor and Yellup remembered the part of his file that told the story of his first meeting with Dewlin, one of the city¡¯s premier crime bosses, as they passed the seedy bar where it had taken place. Coupled with the evacuated city¡¯s eerie emptiness, the trip was extremely off-putting.


    Recollections aside, the trip was speedy and efficient, and Trebor soon parked the craft a block to the northeast of the spaceport. The three agents quietly filed out onto the street, approaching the scene.


    The spaceport was indeed the same one Darvik had come to when he was a fugitive murderer, and he winced as he saw the dirty, crumbling facility once more, the glass shattered out of half the window panes and the chain link fence broken in multiple places. The spaceport was nearly as empty as the rest of the city, though a few figures milled around, including a group of mechanics in an open hangar attempting to fix a rust bucket of a ship that Darvik wouldn¡¯t take to space if his life depended on it. Creddik was talking to one of them.


    ¡°We have our fugitive,¡± said Trebor, indicating the Dromean. ¡°Yellup, give us a perception bubble, we¡¯re going in.¡±


    The three agents huddled together and moved in slowly. A perception bubble would keep most people from noticing the figures inside it, helping them to move stealthily and avoid drawing attention. They were able to slip into the spaceport, walking right past the guard, who was more interested in the magazine he was reading than any potential security concerns. From there, they walked swiftly and quietly towards Creddik, who was arguing with someone who appeared to be speaking for the crew of the broken down ship.


    ¡°Get me into the aether, I have the money!¡± he was saying.


    ¡°Don¡¯t care,¡± said the scruffy-looking Talpidarian. ¡°This ship ain¡¯t going anywhere today. You think you¡¯re the only one standing here who wants to get offworld?¡±


    An ugly look crossed Creddik¡¯s face, and he concentrated on the crewman as if he wanted to try puppeteering him, but suddenly stopped, looking over at the strangely fuzzy area over his shoulder. Three RTS agents came into focus, all of them with their weapons drawn, fanning out as far as the perception bubble had allowed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Trebor. ¡°Now get down on the ground! You¡¯re under arrest!¡±


    Creddik grabbed the crewman by the neck, holding him hostage, and began burrowing into the mind of the larger of the two mechanics.


    ¡°Tranq the lot of them!¡± cried Trebor.


    Darvik fired at Creddik, catching him in the shoulder with a tranq dart. They had been ready to fire the moment before Creddik had spotted them, but he¡¯d interrupted them at the last moment. He sneered, reaching up with his free hand and pulling the dart out of his muscle, throwing it to the ground as a few more darts plowed into the ship¡¯s crewmen, a couple well-placed shots downing the puppeteered mechanic.


    Something knocked out the power and the dingy lights went out, plunging the whole group into darkness as their eyes adjusted. Someone tumbled into Darvik and he grabbed them by the collar, hauling them up so he could look them in the eye. It was the scruffy Talpidarian who, by the dazed look in his eyes, had been pushed into him as the dart did its work. Darvik heard the rattling of a chain link fence and looked over to see a large form squeezing through a break in the fence. He dropped the crewman unceremoniously and raised his tranq gun, squeezing off a shot that sparked off the fence but missed the target. Seeing where he was firing, the others joined in, chasing after the rogue psychic.


    ¡°Yellup, see to the civilians,¡± said Trebor.


    Yellup grunted disapproval but followed orders, checking to make sure the crewmen weren¡¯t unduly injured. The power came back on, and Darvik saw Creddik looking over his shoulder as he ducked around a corner.


    Slipping through the same break in the fencing as their quarry, Darvik and Trebor ran to catch up with Creddik. He ran straight down the road for a block, Darvik and Trebor¡¯s darts flying wide as they tried to run and fire at the same time. Reaching the corner of a crumbling stone building, he turned suddenly and darted down the alley.


    ¡°How¡¯d he manage that trick with the lights?¡± asked Darvik as he ran.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe he did,¡± suggested Trebor.


    His powerful Dromean legs pushing him faster than the two humans pursuing him could hope to run, Creddik increased the distance between them at an alarming rate.


    ¡°All units this is Agent Trebor of the RTS,¡± said Trebor into a special channel on his comm. ¡°I need any available law enforcement to aid us in the apprehension of a dangerous rogue psychic.¡±


    ¡°Agent Trebor, this is dispatch,¡± came the reply after a moment. ¡°Are you meant to be out and about right now?¡±


    ¡°I am out right now, and I need back up!¡± retorted Trebor, dodging the question.


    The lights flashed out again. This time a strange glow came from above, accompanied by an ominous whistling. Darvik looked up to see a series of rockets heading straight for the city.


    ¡°Get down!¡± he shouted, huddling in the doorway of the old stone building. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Seeing the rockets, Trebor joined him. The ground shook as the rockets began to land. They were more concentrated to the north, but a few hit in the vicinity of the spaceport. Darvik looked around, surprised that there were no fireballs or mushroom clouds or flattened buildings. Instead of an explosion, he heard a series of enraged roars that chilled the blood in his veins.


    ***


    The stone hall, evidently carved as the larger Coreborn had descended, glowed with the same blue glyphs that were etched into the stones that made up his being. The designs faded behind them as they descended, and Crush noted that they were superficial, rather than being etched into the stone like his and hers were.


    Silence reigned as they walked further and further into the hall, and eventually the cool of the earth gave way to something warmer as they descended further into the world¡¯s crust.


    ¡°How much further?¡± she asked, growing anxious.


    ¡°NOT TOO MUCH,¡± answered the massive creature that walked before her. ¡°PATIENCE, LITTLE GUARDIAN. THAT IS SOMETHING YOUR COHORT SEEMS TO HAVE FORGOTTEN.¡±


    Crush snarled inwardly, annoyed with the cryptic being that clearly had all the answers she¡¯d been looking for, but was unwilling to divulge them.


    ¡°Well¡­ what¡¯s your name?¡± she asked, desperate for any information.


    He paused, turning to look at her over his shoulder. ¡°I AM CALLED¡­ MERISTEM, IN YOUR TONGUE.¡±


    ¡°Meristem, then,¡± she replied. ¡°You can call me Crush.¡±


    ¡°THE ELDERS WILL TELL ME WHAT I SHALL CALL YOU,¡± said Meristem, turning back to the path before him.


    Anger burned through Crush¡¯s glyphs, but she saw a brighter blue light glowing beyond Meristem so she held her piece and followed him. As she did, the tunnel widened and she found herself in a grand, dim room with walls that shot up into the darkness, where they eventually met a ceiling, she assumed. Opposite the entrance was a massive stone pillar with branches that grew from it like a tree. On either side of the pillar stood three massive stone figures, three slim figures to the left and three wider figures on the right. All of them were covered in swirling blue and at least twice as tall as Crush, making them about twelve feet tall.


    ¡°WELCOME, LITTLE GUARDIAN,¡± they all said in unison.


    Crush stumbled back. Somehow it hadn¡¯t occurred to her that the figures would be living beings, like Meristem and herself.


    ¡°Hellllooo,¡± she said stupidly, looking around at the figures, which had all begun turning their heads to look at her. ¡°I am Crush.¡±


    ¡°NO,¡± said one of the massive Coreborn Elders. He was one of the large figures on the right, his shoulders broad like Meristem¡¯s, and his chin covered in a bushy lichen that gave him a semblance of a beard. ¡°THAT IS A NAME YOU GAVE YOURSELF. IT SERVED YOU WELL IN YOUR FORMER LIFE, BUT IT IS NOT FOR A GUARDIAN TO CHOOSE THEIR OWN NAME.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I need explanations here,¡± demanded Crush. ¡°Up until¨Cwhat, a year ago?¨Ceveryone in the galaxy believed that Robots were just advanced artificial intelligence, made possible by the complexity of the crystalline structure of our cores. We fought and died for the right to be treated as sapient. Now, suddenly, we find that we all came from the same place, somehow?¡± She shook her head, then raised it, looking into the eyes of the bearded creature that stood before her. ¡°And now, after we¡¯ve been on this planet for months, we learn that we¡¯re not the only ones awakened?¡±


    ¡°I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, LITTLE GUARDIAN,¡± said one of the slim elders. Her voice had the same booming quality as the masculine Coreborn, but was smoother, like water pouring over stones. ¡°BUT YOU MUST NOT TALK TO THE ELDERS THAT WAY. NOT YET.¡±


    ¡°Fine, alright,¡± said Crush, holding up her hands and nodding. She fought hard, and was able to keep the majority of the annoyance and impatience out of her voice.  ¡°Please, Elders of the Coreborn, tell me about our people.¡±


    The lichen-bearded Elder stooped down, gently easing himself onto the floor where he sat cross-legged, facing Crush, though his head was still above hers by a fair margin.


    ¡°Our story starts some millenia ago,¡± he said, his voice softer now, though still booming and deep. ¡°Or, at least, your part in it does.


    ¡°At that time, the Tree Shapers of the Lightborn¨Cthose you call Astralbians¨Cand the Guardian of the Coreborn¨Cthose you call Robots¨Cwere the co-rulers of Cradle. The Elders, these six beings you see before you, served as advisors. All of us were put here by the Progenitor, as you call him, to live in such fashion. The Shapers and the Lightborn explored the land and sea, bending the growing things to their will, and the Guardian and the Coreborn saw to the defense of the planet from the ravages of Koo L¡¯Koom and the other aether beasts.


    ¡°One day, something strange crash-landed on our world. A star tree, with its fruits intact. Seeing its potential, a Tree Shaper named Vibu sought to breed the alien tree on our world. This worried us, but we did not forbid it, nor did we have the authority to.


    ¡°Eventually, Vibu mastered the tree, as he mastered all he set out to do, but not before causing a number of explosions as he experimented with the tree¡¯s incredible power. One such explosion killed a number of people, both Light- and Coreborn. Feeling he was ready to take the next step, he planned to fly his tree away from Cradle, asking Crown¨Cthe Guardian at that time¨Cto join him.


    ¡°Crown refused, saying that his place was on Cradle. Hurt, but not discouraged, Vibu went off into the aether, exploring further than he dared dream, and after a journey of many years, eventually returned home claiming that he found a place where the aether beasts did not come to drive folk mad. He insisted on moving there, and bringing all who would come with him.¡± At this, the Elder¡¯s face fell. ¡°Perhaps we should have let him.¡±


    ¡°Crown gathered the Elders and those of the Tree Shapers who agreed with us. We publicly shamed Vibu, telling him he could not go and then destroying his Star Tree. For a time, it seemed that this was the end of it.


    ¡°However, Vibu bred star trees in secret, bringing a number of Shapers to his side behind our backs. Crown discovered the trees, and confronted Vibu.¡± Again the Elder paused, looking pained. ¡°Vibu killed Crown that day. Death begat death, and war followed. Vibu wiped out every Tree Shaper that was not loyal to him, and the secret knowledge of their kind was locked away from the people of Cradle.


    ¡°Vibu¡¯s influence grew, and many were eager to leave the world now that it was without a Guardian. You see, when a Guardian dies, a new one is made, just as a non-Guardian Coreborn is often made to replace one that passes on. However, the core of a Guardian is special, only found on one mountain on Cradle, and even there exceedingly rare.


    ¡°Not content to win only his freedom from Cradle, Vibu took his fleet of star trees to the Mount of the Guardians. Most of the star trees he filled with his people, fleeing the world. The rest he planted at the foot of the mountain, their roots growing down into the roots of the mountain.


    ¡°When the Elders were in sight of the mountain, the trees erupted. The blast would change the world forever, as the Mount of Guardians itself was launched into the aether, carrying with it every core that might one day become a Guardian.


    ¡°From that day, the Coreborn fled below the surface, and the art of tree shaping was dead among the Lightborn. The influence of the aether beasts went unchecked, and their appearances were times of great distress for both races. The Tree Shapers¨Cor Tree Priests, as they came to call themselves¨Cwere never heard from again, nor was the fate of the Mount of the Guardians, until your arrival.¡±


    Crush stood dumbfounded for a moment. ¡°And I¡­ I am a Guardian?¡±


    ¡°YOU ARE THE GUARDIAN,¡± said the slim, smooth-voiced Elder.


    ¡°AND I NAME YOU SPROUT,¡± said the lichen-bearded Elder as he returned to his full stature and resumed using his full voice.


    Crush¡¯s shoulders slumped in apathetic dismay. ¡°Fine. Call me what you want.¡± She looked around at Meristem and the Elders. ¡°But now I will tell you the story of my people, lost to you since the Shapers left your world.¡±

 Chapter 4.22: Existential Threat

    Vanbrook stretched as he walked down the Wingspan¡¯s ramp down to the surface of Kirakna. Happily enough, Lawbine had finally left, heading back towards Aerat to coordinate with his people in light of the invasion of Griffonia. Admittedly, the invasion probably should have weighed heavier on Vanbrook¡¯s mind, but another war just felt like another day in the Navy.


    ¡°Well you look pretty pleased with yourself,¡± said Reclan. She was waiting at the bottom of the ramp with a loaded ATUC ready to take supplies to the overcrowded refugee housing in the local arena.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess I¡¯ve got nothing to gloat about,¡± said Vanbrook, deflating as he swung into the hovercraft. Raivyn still wasn¡¯t talking to him, but at least the meddling gunslinger was gone.


    ¡°You know she had a good, long talk with Lawbine before he left, right?¡± asked Reclan.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± he admitted, wincing. ¡°Good or bad?¡±


    Reclan shook her head. ¡°No idea. But either way you¡¯re not on her good side at the moment.¡±


    Vanbrook said nothing, watching the rocky landscape go by as they drove through the outskirts of Tra-Kirakna, the domed capital city of Kirakna. The trip from the airfield to the city proper wasn¡¯t far, and they were soon parked by the arena. Most of the buildings in Tra-Kirakna were short and stout stone buildings, the traditional style of the Raki. The arena, with its expansive stadium seating, towered over the surrounding buildings. Only in the central city, located further up Tra-Kirakna¡¯s mountainous terrain, were there a few taller, modern skyscrapers. Not taking the time to appreciate the view, Reclan and Vanbrook began unloading boxes of canned goods and carrying them to the stations set up by the stadium doors.


    ¡°I fought out here a few times on the dueling circuit, remember?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Reclan with a smile. ¡°You took me with you. It was my first time off Griffonia. And the first time I got in a fist-fight.¡±


    Vanbrook laughed. ¡°I thought your folks were gonna have my hide when they saw your black eye.¡±


    ¡°Well, you did leave me to fend for myself while you were dueling,¡± Reclan remarked.


    ¡°You were supposed to be in the stands, watching,¡± laughed Vanbrook.


    ¡°Pfft,¡± said Reclan. ¡°Like I hadn¡¯t seen you and Darvik duel a thousand times before.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± said Vanbrook, his face falling. ¡°I forgot that was the match.¡±


    Reclan shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s all over now.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± asked Vanbrook, nodding to a local coordinator as he set down a crate. ¡°I heard he cut some kind of deal with the RTS. I know he made the right choices after Koomia, but I still¡­¡±


    ¡°Wanted to see him in front of a firing squad?¡± suggested Reclan, setting down her own crate.


    Vanbrook sighed. ¡°Yeah. That.¡±


    Raivyn walked out of the arena from a side door, coming face-to-face with Vanbrook. She blushed, murmured an ¡°excuse me,¡± and kept moving.


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Vanbrook.


    She turned to him, anger seething under a mask of calm. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Um, what are you up to?¡± he asked lamely.


    She spread her hands, indicating the surroundings. ¡°Whatever¡¯s needed of me, Vanbrook.¡±


    She tried to step by him, but he gently stepped in the way. ¡°Maybe if you get a second we can-¡±


    She cut him off. ¡°I don''t have time for your particular brand of stupid right now. There''s a war on.¡±


    This time Vanbrook let her pass, exchanging a grimace with Reclan.


    The rest of the day slogged by, with Vanbrook feeling sorry for himself. That was, until he saw a familiar face among the local Raki volunteers.


    ¡°Hey, Ranger Trelik, how''ve you been?¡± he asked. Talon Squad had worked with Trelik once before, helping her to clear out an infestation of killer slugs.


    ¡°Oh, I''ve been better,¡± said the slender Raki with a shrug. ¡°No worse off than anyone else, and better than many. I- I''ve got family on Griffonia that didn''t make it out. Rumor is things are pretty bad there now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, sorry to hear that,¡± said Vanbrook. His father had moved off to Talpidaria in search of work years ago, and that was about the only family he had.


    ¡°That''s tough,¡± said Reclan. ¡°My folks were here and on to Hittania before I got to say hello, but at least they''re off-world. It all happened so fast, we lost contact with my Aunt and Uncle and their kids.¡±


    ¡°Well, it''s hard for a civilian to utilize ripmed comms on a jump, especially in these circumstances,¡± said Trelik. ¡°May Providence shine on them all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I hope so,¡± said Reclan.


    ¡°Well, that''s enough feeling sorry for myself,¡± said Trelik, pulling herself up to her impressive full height and looking back towards the arena. ¡°Hopefully I''ll see you guys around. Say hello to the others for me.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± said Van. He shook his head as Trelik walked away. ¡°Sorry, Rec, I didn''t know about Uncle Drikk and family.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, thanks,¡± she said, a little surprised by the display of concern.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Yeah, I- sorry. I get so wrapped up in my own world sometimes,¡± said Vanbrook, his eyes downcast. ¡°I sorta forget there''s a whole galaxy out there.¡±


    Reclan chuckled. ¡°Come on, you big softie. These crates aren''t going to move themselves.¡±


    Just inside the door, Raivyn had been working out some logistics with a volunteer and heard most of the exchange. She sighed to herself. Vanbrook was a good man. But there was a war on. Whatever it was the two of them had, it would just have to wait.


    ***


    A group of massive figures leapt around the corner of a building, roaring as they went. As they walked into the light of a street lamp, Darvik saw that they had rough orange skin and thick black manes, each wearing a purple singlet with a black belt around the waist.


    One of them locked eyes with Darvik and charged, eyes filled with blood lust. Darvik fired his tranq gun, shooting the remaining darts and then throwing the gun at the beast wholesale as he drew his side arm. Beside him, Trebor had already drawn and was firing high caliber ballistics at the creature.


    Unlike the darts, which hadn''t penetrated the rough orange skin, the bullets seemed to give the beast a moment¡¯s pause. Taking the opportunity, Trebor ran around the corner, yanking Darvik along with him. The beast howled and followed.


    Rounding the corner, Darvik found himself face to face with another of the beasts. This one had a dull look in its eyes, and Trebor flung an arm out over Darvik to keep him from firing. This second beast walked around Darvik and launched himself at the first. The two creatures fell into a brutal wrestling match, clawing at each other and leaving long, red tears in the other''s hide.


    Confused, Darvik looked around and saw Creddik standing still in the street, his eyes closed and his hands on his head. His scaly brow was furrowed and his face was set in a grimace.


    ¡°He''s puppeteering that one,¡± said Trebor. ¡°I guess we owe him one.¡±


    ¡°What are these things?¡± asked Darvik, the terror of it all catching up to him now that he had a moment to breathe.


    ¡°The invaders?¡± suggested Trebor with a shrug, looking around for a clear path. Another beast had joined the brawl and things did not look promising for Creddik¡¯s puppet.


    A craft came around the corner at high speed, ramming into another beast that had taken an interest in the melee. The long, black vehicle screeched to a stop right next to Trebor and Darvik. It was Yellup, driving Trebor''s craft.


    ¡°The crewmen?¡± asked Trebor.


    Yellup shook his head, grimacing. ¡°They went after them first¡­ I- I couldn''t keep them off of them.¡±


    Trebor nodded. ¡°Darvik, get in the back.¡±


    Darvik nodded and obeyed, clamoring in while Trebor walked around the craft, grabbed the concentrating Creddik by the collar and roughly throwing him in next to Darvik and then jumping into the passenger seat.


    ¡°... repeat,¡± said a voice on the craft''s speakers, ¡°this is Prime Minister Skritka, broadcasting on all civilian and military comms channels. If you can hear this, proceed immediately to Griffin Keep and the Undercity. Beware the invaders; they are large, orange-skinned and wearing purple uniforms. Avoid contact at all costs¡­ repeat¡­¡±


    Gunshots, screams, and roars filled the city as the four rode through it, the message repeating over and over.


    ¡°What- what are we doing?¡± asked Creddik, his eyes wide with fear.


    ¡°We are going to make our way to the Keep,¡± said Trebor. ¡°And we are going to kill, or at least maim, any invader we can along the way.¡±


    ***


    ¡°The Robogenic Meteorite, as we called the fragment of the Mount of Guardians that struck Aerat, crashed into the planet many thousands of years ago. It must have been a small fragment, its speed slowed by previous collisions, or it would have obliterated life on the planet entirely. As it was, it is believed to have set Humanity¨CAerat¡¯s sapient biological race¨Cback technologically by centuries or more.¡± Crush paused, looking around at the Meristem and the gathered Elders. They watched intently, drawn in by the story. The lichen-bearded Elder nodded for her to continue and she obliged. ¡°Millennia passed, and technology advanced, in no small part because of Humanity''s contact and subsequent war with the descendents of Vibu and his tree priests, the Astralbians, who were using their star trees to conquer the galaxy.


    ¡°After regaining their freedom from the Astralbians, the Humans, along with their sapient allies, began developing more and more complicated machines, the most complex of which was the Robot. All that was missing was a crystalline structure capable of storing and processing vast quantities of information.


    ¡°Many solutions were tried, but it was not until scientists tested the crystalline orbs from that fateful meteorite that real sapience was realized.


    ¡°Again, until discovering cores on Cradle and my inexplicable transformation into¡­ this form, it was believed a certain amount of circuitry and machinery was needed to create synthetic sapience.


    ¡°After this sudden advancement, tensions rose quickly between Humans and Robots. The ensuing conflict, the Singularity War, thankfully ended with Robots being formally recognized by international law as sapient and endowed with the same rights as biological or electromagnetic sapients, although limits were set as to the size and capabilities of Robot bodies. Additionally, existing Robots were given exclusive rights over the creation of new Robots.


    ¡°Since then, Robots have largely lived at peace with other sapients, exploring, creating and living alongside them. While many first generation Robots died in the Singularity War, it is not unheard of to find one here and there. I myself was only built about thirty years ago.


    ¡°In those years, I climbed the ranks of a Robot-only pirate organization, only to find truer friends among the Griffon Republic, who have taught me much. Of course, there is much more to the history of the Robot race, but that is the broad brush strokes view of it.¡±


    ¡°FASCINATING,¡± said lichen-beard. ¡°AS WELL AS TRAGIC. THANK YOU, SPROUT, FOR THIS TALE.¡±


    ¡°Um, sure,¡± she answered, crossing her arms. ¡°It''s nice to get some real answers about who I am, but that''s not why you summoned me. I believe you were trying to keep me clayside.¡±


    ¡°IT IS TRUE,¡± answered the slender Elder who had chided her earlier. ¡°YOU MUST NOT LEAVE. A GUARDIAN¡¯S PLACE IS ON CRADLE.¡±


    ¡°Find another Guardian,¡± answered Crush.


    ¡°WATCH YOUR TONGUE, LITTLE SPROUT,¡± answered the Elder.


    ¡°IT IS NO SMALL MATTER TO FIND A NEW GUARDIAN,¡± said Lichen-beard. ¡°REGARDLESS, IT IS A SACRED DUTY. ONLY THE GUARDIAN CAN KEEP THE LIGHTBORN FROM THE EVIL OF KOO L¡¯KOOM.¡±


    ¡°Koo L¡¯Koom was turned away from this side of the Cornucopia Cluster shortly before I arrived here,¡± said Crush. ¡°Surely he isn''t due back for some time.¡±


    ¡°THERE ARE OTHER AETHER BEASTS,¡± answered another of the slender, feminine Elders. ¡°A GUARDIAN''S PLACE IS ON CRADLE.¡±


    ¡°And if I send my people?¡± asked Crush. ¡°I have been doing so since I first came here and, I suppose, you''ve been watching me that whole time, since you can speak fluent Talpaertan.¡±


    ¡°WE WILL NOT STOP YOU IN THAT,¡± said Lichen-beard. ¡°BUT WE BESEECH YOU: DO NOT LEAVE YOURSELF.¡±


    ¡°I won''t¨Cfor now,¡± answered Crush. ¡°But I didn''t sign up for this, and I won''t be press-ganged into service.¡±


    ¡°NO ONE ¡®SIGNS UP¡¯ FOR THEIR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE,¡± said the first feminine Elder. ¡°THOUGH WHETHER YOU FULFILL IT OR NOT IS YOUR OWN CHOICE.¡±


    ¡°And if I choose to take my star tree¨Cwhich I have put a lot of work into¨Cfor a trip around the orbit of Cradle, will you stop me?¡± asked Crush.


    The Elders exchanged worried looks.


    ¡°WE DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO STOP YOU, SPROUT,¡± answered Lichen-beard. ¡°WE DO ASK, THOUGH, THAT YOU HEED OUR WARNINGS.¡±


    The Elders stood back in their original positions, their eyes dimming slightly as they straightened up and stared blankly towards one another.


    ¡°THIS MEETING IS OVER, SPROUT,¡± said Meristem. ¡°I WILL GUIDE YOU OUT AGAIN.¡±


    Crush nodded despondently, following the hulking Coreborn back up the winding passage to the surface.

 Chapter 4.23: Kerucester Fallen

    Yellup slammed the fore-break and fired the rear lateral thrusters simultaneously, careening around a corner like a madman, a pack of Drakmundi beast soldiers hot on his tail. Darvik was leaning bodily out of the rear window, firing into the pack. A bullet hit one of the beasts square in the eye and it jerked back and tumbled to the ground, but rolled over and got back on its feet, its eye marred but not blown out.


    Darvik shook his head and reloaded. ¡°Creddik, if you could go ahead and take over their minds, that¡¯d be great.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, Darvik!¡± whined the cowering criminal from the seat next to him. ¡°These guys have¡­ defenses. I¡¯m spent!¡±


    ¡°Is it too late to just throw him out of the craft?¡± asked Darvik angrily.


    Trebor, leaning out of his own window, shot him a disdainful look. Darvik put a hand up in surrender and went back to his fruitless barrage of lead.


    ¡°Just another block here and we should be coming up on the Keep,¡± noted Yellup.


    Another sharp turn proved him right, the imposing stone keep coming into view just a few hundred yards ahead. However, there were about two dozen purple-clad beasts between the building and the fleeing RTS agents. Yellup hit the breaks, looking in the rearview mirror to see that the first pack was still closing in.


    ¡°Alright, gentlemen,¡± said Trebor. ¡°Either we go down or they do.¡±


    Darvik and Yellup exchanged worried looks while Creddik whined, curled up in the backseat. Yellup fired up the engines while Trebor and Darvik took aim, racing down the final stretch of their journey towards an army of roaring beasts.


    ***


    Doc stood over the bed of a sick Dromean child, looking at the chart and then the worried parents.


    ¡°Looks like a simple cold, folks,¡± he said calmly.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked the child¡¯s mother. ¡°We¡¯ve never been off-world before, could it be something¡­ exotic?¡±


    Doc shook his head. ¡°Nope. And any infections common to Kirakna are easily treated by universal meds. We¡¯ve gotten pretty good at dealing with ¡®exotic¡¯ infections after a few centuries of space travel.¡±


    ¡°I understand these are trying times,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, coming into the room with a fresh pillow. ¡°But it sounds as though you need not worry about this illness.¡±


    ¡°Oh, D¡¯Jarric, the Solaran!¡± said the child, a female of early school age. ¡°That means¡­ you¡¯re the Doc! I thought you were just, y¡¯know, a doctor!¡±


    ¡°Our reputations proceed us,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, smiling.


    ¡°I LOVE Talon Squad!¡± said the little girl. ¡°Can I meet Reclan? She¡¯s the best! Oh, sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s just fine,¡± said Doc. The signs were subtle, but D¡¯Jarric could see that he was enjoying the kid¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°Reclan is an¡­ exceptional individual.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what that means, but she¡¯s so cool!¡± said the girl, kicking her feet, illness momentarily forgotten. ¡°Can I meet her?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, maybe,¡± said D¡¯Jarric with a laugh. ¡°If your parents could be so kind as to tell me where you¡¯re staying, I¡¯ll let her know a fan would like a moment of her time.¡±


    While D¡¯Jarric sorted that out, Doc moved on to the next patient. Thankfully most cases were similarly mundane. Doc hated to think what the hospitals looked like on Griffonia. After their shift ended, he walked out of the medical ward set up in the arena with D¡¯Jarric and went back to the Wingspan. Despite the fact they didn¡¯t need to eat anything, the two squadmates joined the others for dinner.


    Meals had been quiet since Vanbrook had his dust-up with Lawbine, and this one was no different. Vanbrook and Reclan nodded to Doc and D¡¯Jarric as they took their seats. Raivyn sat in icy silence.


    ¡°Hey, how¡¯s the hospital?¡± asked Reclan.


    ¡°Met a fan of yours,¡± said D¡¯Jarric. ¡°I have an address, you can visit anytime.¡±


    ¡°Some kind of creep?¡± asked Reclan suspiciously, taking a large bite of roast meat off her plate and tearing a bite off.


    ¡°No,¡± said D¡¯Jarric with a laugh. ¡°Cute little kid.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that I can handle,¡± said Reclan. ¡°Maybe I can leverage that to get out of some of these boring odd jobs Dekken has us doing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the spirit,¡± said Vanbrook derisively.


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re enjoying moving crates and doing laundry?¡± asked Reclan.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m just glad to be staying busy for the time being,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°You know about half the Navy is orbiting the planet right now, waiting on word from Griffonia?¡±


    ¡°Joined by a few Wabuluban craft, I believe,¡± said D¡¯Jarric. ¡°Once they realized how serious the situation was they sent some firepower here.¡±


    ¡°And rumor has it some FRF ships are inbound, as well,¡± said Reclan. ¡°And maybe the Aeratans will send some help, as well.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t count on that stupid planet for anything but trouble,¡± offered Raivyn, breaking her self-imposed silence.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit harsh,¡± said Reclan.


    ¡°I left Aerat for a reason,¡± she replied with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s always some kind of hidden agenda with them.¡±


    ¡°Talon Squad, please report to Dekken¡¯s office,¡± said Triflin over the squad¡¯s comms. There was a moment¡¯s pause. ¡°That¡¯s the one down by the engine room.¡±


    ¡°We know where Dekken¡¯s office is, Trif,¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°Cool,¡± answered Triflin. ¡°Go there.¡±


    ¡°On our way,¡± said Raivyn.


    Reclan looked up in protest from her half-full plate.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Rec,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna starve.¡±


    The squad got up around her, clearing their plates, and she wolfed down what she could as she joined them to make their way to Dekken¡¯s office.


    ***


    There just weren¡¯t enough Marines. Grepk was leading a group of about a dozen, the survivors from a number of squads, in the fight to keep the doors of Griffon Keep open as long as possible. Eventually, the beasts would overwhelm them and the doors would have to be locked down. After hours of grueling fighting, dozens of Marines and Drakmundi beast soldiers lay dead on the ground. The Drakmundi could afford their losses. The Marines could not.


    One of the beasts pounced on Grepk from behind, so he fired his jetpack and leapt into the air, the monster letting go and dropping to the ground with a scream as his uniform ignited. While at the peak of his jump, about fifteen feet in the air, Grepk¡¯s armor seized up. He gritted his teeth and braced for impact.


    The intermittent power failures from the enemy¡¯s disruptor rays had been the cause of most of the fatalities. As Grepk fell to the earth, locked in his armor, a number of the beasts fell on him, striking his helmet repeatedly. The polymer dome stood up against the first few strikes, but a mighty blow from a closed fist erupted in spiderweb cracks. Hearing his suit hum to life, he reached out and intercepted the next blow, crushing the beast¡¯s arm and swinging him like a club, bowling over a few of his fellows.


    ¡°We can¡¯t hold out much longer,¡± said Krum-Bahk, just barely dodging a wicked blow.


    ¡°I know,¡± said Grepk. ¡°But we can¡¯t give up as long as people keep coming.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather die fighting than run,¡± offered Keshri, her claws raking open the chest of another beast.


    ¡°Lucky for me that¡¯s not your call,¡± responded Grepk. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that?¡±


    Just down the street, a pack of beasts had all turned to some point of interest, and the sound of revving engines filled the air. In a burst of light and violence, a black hovercraft tore through the gathered crowd, guns blazing out of the windows.


    ¡°C¡¯mon!¡± cried Grepk. ¡°You six by the gate, stay where you are. The rest of you, let''s get those folks in here. Clear a path!¡±


    The Marines redoubled their efforts, focusing on pushing back the hordes rather than trying to kill them outright. The craft pushed in through the crowd of beasts, a number of them hanging from the bumpers. The craft was all but overwhelmed when Krum-Bahk reached it, but the thrusters flared, forcing the horde back.


    With the beasts forced back and the Marines closing in, three RTS agents and a Dromean in street clothes piled out of the vehicle. For the second time in short order, Krum-Bahk was shocked to see Darvik.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said, not addressing the reunion. ¡°We''ll keep a path clear to the building.¡±


    A tight bundle of Marines kept the beasts at bay while the four haggard survivors rushed towards the massive gates. Darvik had little opportunity to attack the enemy as they hurdled down the street, but he managed one good thrust against a beastly face that appeared between two Marines. The blow was far from lethal, but Darvik took some satisfaction from the fact that the creature howled in pain as it fell away.


    One of the remaining Marines was taken down by the horde of beasts, his helmet cracked open and his head struck by a flurry of claws. Grepk set his face and turned towards the door. The six Marines left behind had been whittled down to four and were quickly losing ground.


    ¡°Everyone inside!¡± called Grepk. ¡°And that means EVERYONE. Looking at you, Kesh!¡±


    Grunting disapproval, Keshri ran through the doors behind the rest, firing over her shoulder as she went.


    Inside the doorway, Grepk grabbed Trebor by the shoulders. ¡°Is there anyone else out there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure,¡± said Trebor, his face dour. ¡°But I have no reason to believe there are any more survivors coming.¡±


    ¡°Close the gate,¡± said Grepk, his voice weak. He watched another Marine get dragged down as they kept the Drakmundi from crossing the threshold. He lifted his voice. ¡°Close the gate!¡±


    There was a sudden slamming noise as the gate was driven home. The Marines had jumped back at the signal, but a clawed Drakmundi arm stuck out from under the door, lifeless, blood oozing out around it. Silence reigned, any noise the hordes outside were making completely deadened by blast doors designed to withstand a great eye beam.


    ¡°That¡¯s that then,¡± said Grepk, turning to Creddik and the RTS agents. ¡°Welcome to Griffon Keep.¡±


    ***


    Crush had related her story to the King and Queen and then set out on her expedition with Hacksaw and Yrinla, taking the Amalgam on its maiden voyage. Since they¡¯d established orbit, she¡¯d been trying to explain everything to her two advisors.


    ¡°So we¡¯re all¡­ like you?¡± asked Hacksaw.


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± said Crush. ¡°I¡¯m a Guardian, a psychic Coreborn. But all Robots are Coreborn. If we had been mined for and¡­ assembled, I guess¡­ on Cradle, we¡¯d all be made of living stone like I am. But a Guardian is different, and exceedingly rare.¡±


    The ship floated in silence, the leafy sails soaking in Cradle¡¯s sun¡¯s radiation. Crush paced across the deck in thought, her stone fingers tracing the smooth brown bark on the ship¡¯s railing.


    ¡°I also can¡¯t leave Cradle,¡± she said finally.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Hacksaw. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because I have to be here in case an aether beast happens by,¡± answered Crush with a weak shrug. ¡°To do what I did on Gateway.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± retorted Hacksaw. ¡°The planet was doing fine before you showed up.¡±


    ¡°Was it?¡± asked Crush. ¡°I¡¯m really not sure. All I know is, whatever drove me to find this planet is also telling me that this is home.¡±


    ¡°Consider the story the Elders told you,¡± suggested Yrinla, speaking thoughtfully. ¡°When Vibu left, he caused great strife.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but he blew up a sacred mountain on the way out, right?¡± asked Hacksaw. ¡°That¡¯s hardly the same thing as going to defend allies.¡±


    ¡°Only I have to remain behind, Hacksaw,¡± said Crush. ¡°I want you to lead the fleet, as you have been doing already. I want you to be my Admiral.¡±


    ¡°Well- I- I¡¯m flattered, Adm- um- Guardian,¡± stammered Hacksaw. ¡°But I don¡¯t see why you should submit to the demands of these so-called Elders.¡±


    ¡°We have learned much since we set out on our journey together, Guardian Sprout,¡± said Yrinla.


    Crush sighed. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t call me-¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it would be wise to continue along the path you find yourself on,¡± continued Yrinla, ignoring the interjection.


    Crush nodded thoughtfully. Despite her misgivings about the Elder¡¯s co-opting of her life, Crush had to admit she was tempted to yield to them. She wouldn¡¯t openly defy their orders. At least not yet.

 Chapter 4.24: The Undercity

    Hrake walked briskly through the halls of Gred Palace, Dhraka at his side. Worrying news had come to him via ripmed and he needed to see King Hrynkak immediately. Seeing the hall was empty, Hrake took the opportunity to speak candidly to Dhraka.


    ¡°You have been an excellent first ma- um- second-in-command,¡± he said. ¡°However, if you want to return to your job as a ranger, I will not stop you. I know you took the position under¡­ uncertain circumstances.¡±


    Dhraka¡¯s cheeks flushed a darker shade of aqua. It was not unbecoming.


    ¡°I- wish to stay in your service,¡± she stammered. ¡°In service to the Gredite Navy, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Then you will,¡± said Hrake. He paused. ¡°I have always admired you, Dhraka. I hope you can-¡±


    ¡°Hrake!¡± called Hrynkak, emerging from the throne room, escorted by a compliment of guards. ¡°You wanted to see me, eh? Well then, come join me for lunch. Your first mate is welcome, as well.¡±


    Drhaka flashed Hrake a weak but deeply felt smile.


    ¡°We would be honored, cousin,¡± answered Hrake.


    Following Hrynkak to the palace¡¯s smaller dining room, reserved for more intimate meals rather than the major affairs held in the larger banquet halls, the two sat down and were served hot tea and fresh fruit.


    ¡°So,¡± said Hrynkak after everyone had been served and was sipping tea from wide, bowl-like cups. ¡°What did you wish to discuss?¡±


    ¡°The situation on Griffonia is dire, King Hrynkak,¡± said Hrake.


    A pained look crossed Hrynkak¡¯s face. ¡°I saw the reports. It is quite upsetting, but there is little we could do about that.¡±


    ¡°Little,¡± agreed Hrake. ¡°But not nothing. I would like permission to take the Drihn to Kirakna to be part of the allied armada being gathered there.¡±


    Hrynkak sighed. ¡°When I commissioned the Gredite Navy, I hoped that there would be more time for it to grow before being thrust into the fray. I have not forgotten that the Griffon Republic was there for us when our civilization was under threat, but I am not sure that we can reasonably repay that debt now.¡±


    ¡°I will respect your decision, my King,¡± said Hrake. ¡°But I pray you will consider my request.¡±


    ¡°Of course I will, my beloved cousin!¡± said Hrynkak. ¡°There is no one whose opinion I value more. But you are a warrior, and I am a king. You desire to help your allies, which is noble, but I must consider the good of my own people first and foremost. I do not relish sending half my Navy and my best warriors away from them.¡±


    ¡°If I may, your Highness,¡± said Dhraka.


    ¡°Dhraka, we are in private, and I have known you since before you could hold a hammer,¡± said Hrynkak with a smile. ¡°You may certainly speak freely here.¡±


    Dhraka nodded her gratitude. ¡°Your Highness, these ¡®Drakmundi¡¯ who have attacked Griffonia are their technological superiors. Griffonia is, of course, our ally. If Griffonia falls and is not rescued, how long will it be before the Drakmundi reach Hruduk? And who will be left to defend it? If we combine our arms with that of the Republic now, we may stand a chance of beating back our enemy. If we do not, we may find ourselves serving them for a thousand years, if we are not snuffed out entirely.¡±


    ¡°Well said, Dhraka,¡± said Hrynkak. ¡°I will consider this. For now, though, let our talk turn to other matters. Enjoy this meal while you can; my oldest son will soon be due for a break from his daily lessons and will come and eat everything in sight.¡±


    Hrake laughed and scooped a hearty serving onto his plate, remembering all too well having an adolescent appetite.


    ***


    Talon Squad filed into Dekken¡¯s office. It was below decks, tucked away between the fabrication shop and the engine room, the walls nearly hidden by filing cabinets and tool chests, all secured so that space battles and zero gravity conditions wouldn¡¯t turn the room into a blender of deadly projectiles. Dekken sat behind a desk, a data tablet set out in front of himself and well-ordered but towering piles of schematics and papers on either side. Raivyn was surprised to see Lady Rewna and Captain Yulun of the Bombard standing over his shoulder.


    ¡°You called, Officer?¡± asked Raivyn, walking in first.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Dekken. ¡°We''re just waiting on- ah, here he is now.¡±


    ¡°Gang''s all here,¡± said Drixen as he walked into the room.


    ¡°Welcome, Drixen,¡± said Dekken with a nod. ¡°Alright, now that you''re all here: something¡¯s come up, and I¡¯d like you to deal with it,¡± he answered. ¡°The majority of our forces are gathered here on Kirakna, gathering allies and readying for the counter offensive, which has left large swaths of the galaxy at the mercy of pirates and raiders. The Koomites, in particular, have been making problems for us. We need a show of force.¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± asked Raivyn.


    ¡°I need you to head over to Hittania with Captain Yulun aboard the Bombard,¡± he answered. ¡°The Koomites have been aggressive about expanding their territory, and we now believe that they were responsible for the destruction of the Vahsing, in an effort to drive a wedge between Wyven¡¯s Astralbian faction and the Griffon Republic. To show them that they failed, you will be traveling alongside Lady Rewna to find and destroy the Koomite raiding parties harassing our settlers on Hittania.¡±


    Raivyn nodded. That explained the presence of the Lady and the Captain. ¡°Alright, when do we head out?¡±


    ¡°As soon as the remaining Telton refugees have boarded the Bombard,¡± replied Dekken. ¡°Kirakna simply doesn¡¯t have the landmass to support all the refugees it¡¯s been receiving, and Riventius has been complaining about the lack of trees here since we arrived. He assumed going clayside meant the familiar comforts of home.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Vanbrook cracked a grin. ¡°That kid''s a pain in the butt. I like him.¡±


    Dekken¡¯s antennae turned up slightly in an involuntary smile. ¡°Be that as it may, I''ll be happy to have him settled somewhere semi-permanently.


    ¡°Talon Squad, go ahead and get your gear packed onto the shuttle, you''ll be taking it along. Drixen, your squadron will be going as well. We don''t expect a massive Koomite force, but a few fighters won''t hurt.¡±


    ¡°We''ll get to it then, Chief,¡± said Vanbrook.


    Raivyn cocked her head and looked sidelong at the swashbuckler for a moment. Despite everything, he¡¯d really found his footing as a leader among the squad. If only he would take charge of his emotions the way he could take charge of combat.


    As they all filed out of the office, Reclan leaned over to Vanbrook. ¡°We sure about trusting Rewna?¡±


    Vanbrook shrugged. ¡°Guess we''ll find out.¡±


    ***


    Darvik looked around at the inside of the Keep. The stonework of the cathedral ceiling disappeared into the shadows as the building was only lit by dim emergency lights.


    The entryway was filled with Marines who stood, jaws set, facing the blast doors. At the back of the room, a tall set of carved wooden doors opened, and Prime Minister Stritka and Executor Grak-Yurp stepped out, joined by a tough-looking group of Specialists.


    ¡°Prime Minister and Executor on deck!¡± shouted Grepk, snapping a smart salute. The rest of the Marines turned to face Skritka and mirrored Grepk.


    ¡°At ease, Marines,¡± said Skritka. ¡°You as well, RTS. Glad you made it. And brought a civilian with you.¡± He reached out to shake Creddik¡¯s hand but Trebor stepped in between them.


    ¡°He''s actually a suspect, Sir,¡± he said. ¡°You may remember reading about the Puppeteer in the papers?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± said Grak-Yurp, nodding thoughtfully. ¡°I daresay now is a golden opportunity for citizens of¡­ questionable reputations to turn their lives around and prove their value to their nation.¡±


    Creddik nodded, his eyes still wide with fear from his experiences outside. ¡°I¡¯ll, uh, keep that in mind, sir.¡±


    Skritka turned to the Marines. ¡°Captain Grepk, Fang Squad will relieve you and your Marines for now. Follow me to the Undercity and report to the Commandant directly, and we''ll make sure you can all get a hot shower and a warm meal. Agent¡­ Trebor, is it? You, your suspect, and your agents can follow me. We''ll familiarize you with our temporary home.¡±


    As they entered the doorway, Trebor surreptitiously stabbed Creddik with a small needle.


    ¡°Ow!¡± cried Creddik under his breath.


    ¡°Just a little something to keep you from puppeteering our noble leader,¡± whispered Trebor.


    Creddik silently nodded his understanding. For now, he was going to have to play along.


    The group walked through dimly lit stone halls, decorated with carved wood and heavy tapestries. Darvik had seen the inside of the Keep before, notably during a field trip his class had taken to the city when he was in school. That felt like an eternity ago. Today, however, the Keep really felt like the fortified castle it had been built as, not the ornate hall of government it had become.


    Reaching the end of a long hallway, Skritka stepped into a large elevator with the others. Rather than simply hitting one of the buttons to reach the corresponding floor, he put a key into the panel and then punched a code into a keypad.


    ¡°They don¡¯t show you this on the standard tour,¡± he remarked wryly. ¡°But I trust you¡¯re all familiar with the Undercity?¡±


    Darvik shrugged, and saw Skritka take a deep breath. Wrong answer, he thought, and now he was going to hear the whole story.


    ¡°Centuries ago, when Humans and Talpidarians first formed the alliance that would grow to become the Griffon Republic, the refugees running from the Astralbians found themselves on the world that would become Griffonia.


    ¡°Time was short, and Griffon Keep was built as a fortification to hold off the enemy. Knowing that there was little that could withstand the full might of the Astralbian armada, they chose to build downward, something Talpidarians are accustomed to. A series of reinforced tunnels were built below the Keep, with a few entrances hidden throughout the area, most notably to the natural caves that became the foundation of the ammunition dump now known as the Depot, and another that opens in the hills to the north.¡±


    The elevator reached its destination and the doors opened, revealing a massive open chamber built of the same stonework as the upper structure, though the room was larger than the Keep¡¯s entryway and filled with guards and administrators. The Marines broke off from the rest of the group here and headed off for a doorway with a Griffon Republic Marines flag hanging over it. Skritka led the three agents and the prisoner through the chamber and through another set of blast doors.


    ¡°A large residential area was constructed and, as demanded by our founding documents, is maintained so as to be ready for an invasion,¡± continued Skritka. ¡°In fact, every major city on Griffonia has an Undercity of its own. Granted, these areas, even combined, are not large enough to house everyone in Kerucester by any stretch. The hope is to find a way to evacuate as many of the remaining civilians as we are able to. I fear that time has passed and we will have to make due with the space we have.¡±


    Walking through the blast doors, Darvik was hit with the musty smell of too many people living in too small an area. The constant murmur of a crowd could be heard bouncing off every wall. To one side was a hospital wing, closed off by a wide set of doors, and on the other was an open cafeteria, filled with worried-looking civilians chattering in groups of four or five, many clutching a mug of something warm.


    ¡°The rooms are further down the hall, but for now you can just enjoy some refreshments here in the cafeteria,¡± said Skritka. ¡°I¡¯m sure you could use something after what you¡¯ve been through. I¡¯ll send guards right away to escort the suspect to the holding cells. Believe me, sir, your conditions will be little worse than anyone else¡¯s down here.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, Prime Minister,¡± said Trebor. ¡°Creddik is medicated and will not be a threat at the moment. We will get some food here and then escort our prisoner ourselves. I do not know what kind of success our psychics have been experiencing, but Creddik was able to puppeteer one of the beast soldiers.¡±


    Skritka looked taken aback. ¡°Every psychic I¡¯ve talked to said they couldn¡¯t crack them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m rather talented, Sir,¡± said Creddik. There was no smugness to be seen on his face, just calm confidence.


    ¡°Congratulations, Creddik,¡± said Skritka. ¡°That golden opportunity Grak-Yurp was talking about has come knocking. Trebor, I will be expecting detailed information about Creddik¡¯s experiences. Unfortunately, I have other matters to attend to now that the Keep is locked down. May Providence shine on us all.¡±


    With that, Skritka and Grak-Yurp left them. Darvik turned immediately to the cafeteria to see if he could find some rakka bean tea. While his stomach was too twisted by nerves for him to want to eat anything, a warm drink sounded pretty good. Not as good as a stiff drink did, but he¡¯d made up his mind that he wouldn¡¯t be going down that road again.


    ¡°Look who it is!¡± said Yellup, pointing to a lonely figure seated at a table in the corner.


    Darvik looked over to see Glynn, her eyes glassy and one of the lenses in her horn-rimmed glasses cracked, but otherwise looking no worse for wear, quietly sipping a cup of tea. He felt like a huge weight fell off his shoulders at the sight of her, though he hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d been carrying one.


    She noticed the attention that she was getting and looked over, getting up and coming towards them when she saw who it was.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you all made it,¡± she said, clutching her tea like she was afraid someone would take it.


    ¡°We were out and about when everything went nuts,¡± said Yellup. ¡°Were you at the Depot?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°We got hit hard. The battle might still be going on now, for all I know. They shuffled the noncombatants off to the tunnels that lead down here- WOAH.¡± She stumbled back when she saw who was with them. ¡°You got Creddik? That was some lousy timing.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± said Trebor. ¡°He seems to have a knack for breaking through the Drakmundi¡¯s psychic defenses.


    She shot the Dromean a serious look. ¡°Tell me more.¡±

 Chapter 4.25: Return to the Iron Planet

    The invasion went well. A few more beasts were killed than was typical, but the losses were within acceptable margins. With the population run to ground, it was time to send in the foot troops to pillage any worthwhile technological resources or food stores.


    He watched as the trooper cars decoupled and descended towards the surface, heading for Kerucester and the other major metropolitan areas spread over Griffonia.


    He turned his attention to his console, checking to see the latest notifications from the portal. ¡®Latest¡¯ was a truly relative term, since the communications from the portal could only travel at the speed of light, but the reports indicated that the dragon¡¯s maw would be travelling towards him by the time he received the message.


    The threat of Griffonian interference gone, the portal would be brought to orbit Griffonia to make travel simpler. In theory, it was risky to begin moving the portal before news of victory could be relayed, but the strategy had always served Farbin well.


    He had always been an efficient Herald, and found himself daydreaming about the possibilities faster-than-light travel would afford him and his people. Surely he would be richly rewarded for his efforts, maybe even promoted to the next phase of being. He smiled slightly at the thought but quickly turned his attention to the job at hand. Daydreaming would not bring him his reward; diligent work would.


    ***


    The familiar sensation of his weightless body being clamped to the floor had never felt more like being chained in a cell. Quarters were more cramped on the Bombard than on the Wingspan, and with Raivyn angry at him Vanbrook felt trapped.


    Part of him was happy to be going back to Hittania. It was where he started the process of admitting there was more to his feelings towards Raivyn than professional respect. Given the current situation, the return was bittersweet, leaning towards bitter.


    The trip was no fun for Raivyn, either, as she mulled over Vanbrook and Lawbine¡¯s behavior. She wanted to stay mad at Vanbrook, but the excuse that there was no time during war to let him try to apologize wore thin pretty quickly on a week-long trip through the aether.


    Stepping out of the quarters he was sharing with Doc and D¡¯Jarric to stretch his legs, he saw Raivyn stepping into the hall as well.


    ¡°Oh, hey,¡± he said, trying to muster his most winning smile. ¡°I¡¯m just going for a bit of a walk.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking of doing the same,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Maybe we could, um, walk together?¡± he asked, trying not to sound too desperate.


    She shrugged. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t stop you.¡±


    That was good enough for Vanbrook. He fell in next to her and moved quickly to keep up with her brisk pace.


    ¡°You move pretty quick for your height,¡± he noted.


    She shot him an unamused look with her one good eye and quickly returned her attention to her path. He shrugged.


    ¡°Back to Hittania,¡± he said, trying again to strike up a conversation. ¡°Where it all started.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Raivyn absently. ¡°But the Cornucopia Cluster will have to wait until we¡¯ve dealt with our Drakmundi.¡±


    Vanbrook¡¯s shoulders slumped. That wasn¡¯t what he meant, and he wondered if she knew that.


    ¡°Heard you talked to Lawbine before he headed back to Aerat,¡± he dared. ¡°How¡¯d that go?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Raivyn.


    Vanbrook blanked for a moment, unsure how to respond. ¡°Um, y¡¯know, how¡¯d it go? Are you two okay now?¡±


    ¡°I explained to him that I¡¯m not a prize for the winning,¡± she said. Her voice was bitter and her eye was scouring Vanbrook when she said it.


    Vanbrook stopped short, caught flat-footed by the comment. Raivyn continued walking, quickly leaving him behind.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rai,¡± he said. But she was out of earshot by the time he did.


    ***


    Hunt stood nervously on stage, side-by-side with Dekken in the Wingspan¡¯s auditorium. The two of them had just had a long talk with Prime Minister Skritka via ripmed, and now it was time to address the entire fleet, minus the Bombard, of course. They would have to be filled in later.


    Everyone quieted down as the lights dimmed, and then the screen lit up behind Hunt and Dekken. Skritka¡¯s face appeared on the screen, sat behind a desk, his spectacles perched on his snout.


    ¡°Greetings, Blue Griffon Fleet,¡± said the Prime Minister. ¡°I am with you today via ripmed for one central reason: to explain to you that the situation on Griffonia is dire. The majority of those who were not able to evacuate Griffonia or reach the Undercity are likely lost. Our enemy, who call themselves the Drakmundi, is merciless, not differentiating between combatants or noncombatants, adult or child. The path forward is hazy, but in the broadest sense it is this: we will bring the fight to our enemies and defeat them.


    ¡°The shielding technologies we have employed thus far have been ineffective unless buried below yards and yards of clay and stone, such as the ones powering the Undercity. We will continue to try new techniques and technologies, and send any information we can garner to you, the next line of defense in the Republic¡¯s war for survival.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°In light of these desperate times, I am reinstating Admiral Hunt to his former command.¡±


    A ripple of applause broke out. It was not deafening, or even resounding, but it heartened Hunt to know that he had some support from his crew.


    ¡°The action that Hunt took which put him under scrutiny was one of bravery and loyalty,¡± continued Skritka. He knew that Grak-Yurp was likely listening in from his office, smiling a wide and warty smile as he saw things, once again, work out the way he¡¯d arranged for them to.


    ¡°That was true at the time, and it is true now. The reasons for that scrutiny pale in comparison to the threat we now face. At this moment, I cannot and will not put a good sailor aside because of an incident that I am not able to fully investigate, particularly one where the motives appear, by all accounts, to be justifiable.


    ¡°With that, I must go. There is no end of work to be done, and I will continue to do it as long as I have breath in my lungs and strength in my hands.


    ¡°Admiral Hunt, the crew is yours to address. May Providence shine on us all.¡±


    The transmission ended and Hunt walked up to the podium. ¡°Blue Griffon Fleet,¡± he said, trying his best to project confidence the way he¡¯d seen Admiral Jasken do so many times before. ¡°I am grateful to Prime Minister Skritka for his mercy and wisdom in this matter. Not because I believe I can do a better job than Chief Officer Dekken, to whom we all owe a great debt of gratitude, but because as the Prime Minister said this is no time to sit idly by.¡± A rumble of agreement worked its way through the crowd.


    ¡°I will lead this Fleet because I have been called on to do so, and I will do it to the best of my ability. All I ask of you is to do the same.¡± Hearty cheers rose up from the crew. ¡°We ask that the Progenitor, whose mercy and wisdom we also must lean upon, would shine his Providence upon us, and would see that our enemies come to rue the day they picked a fight with the Griffon Republic.¡± The cheers rose to a crescendo, accompanied by applause and pumping fists. Despite himself, Hunt looked out over his crew and smiled. If this was to be the end of the Republic, he would make sure it was as spectacular and costly an exit as he could make it for the Drakmundi.


    ***


    Vanbrook stepped down onto the rocky soil and breathed in the warm twilight air, spiced with subtle scents of the forest just beyond Fort Bog Iron. The Fort had grown immensely since he¡¯d last seen it, but the surrounding forest and mountains were just as he remembered. On the horizon, Lux and Nyx, Hitannia¡¯s binary moons, rose, beginning their twirling waltz across the night sky. The setting sun behind him lit the forest, its green leaves burnished to gold as they danced in an evening breeze.


    ¡°Ugh, this dump again,¡± whined Reclan.


    ¡°Hey, I like this world,¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°Really?¡± asked Reclan sardonically. ¡°Was it the leg-eating frogs, the killer boar apes, or the writhing nests of man-sized, flesh-eating centipedes that caught your eye?¡±


    ¡°Look at those colors,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, indicating the field between the fort and the forests to the north. Crops of orange and purple stone jutted up from the green-coated ground. A flock of red cranes flew overhead, their shrill calls piercing the air. ¡°Many worlds are home to dangerous predators, but few to such exquisite beauty.¡±


    ¡°Of course you see the bright side,¡± snorted Reclan. ¡°You¡¯re a walking star, wherever you look is where the light¡¯s shining.¡±


    D¡¯Jarric chuckled.


    ¡°Rai?¡± asked Reclan. ¡°You excited to be back on the planet that tried to bury us¨Csometimes literally¨Ca dozen times over?¡±


    All eyes turned to her, Vanbrook¡¯s with an almost pleading look in them. ¡°I- I don''t know.¡±


    ¡°Didn''t think it was that hard a question,¡± shrugged Reclan. ¡°Doc? Only fair you get to sound off.¡±


    ¡°Hittania is an interesting world,¡± he said. After a moment it was clear he did not plan to elaborate.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± said Reclan. ¡°Two to one with two more undecided. Our official policy is that we like Hittania, but let the record show I am a conscientious objector.¡±


    An Army officer approached Captain Yulun as she too descended the ramp, breaking up the Squad''s banter. The officer was a youthful Krauqian with smooth, dark green skin. Though he held himself ramrod straight, a worried look in his eyes betrayed the pressure he was under.


    ¡°Captain Yulun?¡± he asked with a salute.


    ¡°That''s me,¡± she answered, stepping around Talon Squad and returning the salute. ¡°I take it you¡¯re Captain Frek-Rep?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± he replied. ¡°I really appreciate you folks coming out. If you want to get your command together, we can meet inside the Fort proper.¡±


    Lady Rewna had exited her star tree and came over to stand with the others, greeting them with a grim and silent nod.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re all here,¡± said Yulun, turning to see Drixen coming down the ramp, greeting the group with an easy smile and a wave.


    The group walked from the airfield to the Fort, past a bustle of traders and workers heading home for the night. The Fort was a much larger and more permanent building than the pre-fabbed unit that had been in place the last time Talon Squad was there. The new Fort Bog Iron was a stout block of steel and reinforced glass, draped with flags and sporting a tall watch tower that rose from its center, giving the soldiers stationed there a commanding view of the surroundings. They walked in past the guards and down the hall to a large conference room. Frek-Rep motioned for everyone to take a seat around the table.


    ¡°You know, Talon Squad, you¡¯re something of a legend out here,¡± said Frek-Rep. ¡°You being the first to set up camp here, and everything.¡±


    ¡°Feels like ancient history now,¡± noted Vanbrook.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it does,¡± he answered with a nod. ¡°So much has happened in the galaxy since then.¡±


    ¡°And continues to happen,¡± said Rewna. ¡°Can you tell us about what¡¯s been happening with the Koomites?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Frek-Rep. ¡°To business, then. The Koomites have been raiding settlers out on the fringes of what amounts to civilization here, mostly the plains to the north and west of the fort. Cattle theft, mostly, but basically anything they can lift that isn''t heavily defended.¡±


    ¡°And where are they located?¡± asked Yulun.


    ¡°We¡¯re not entirely sure,¡± said Frek-Rep, activating the screen embedded in the table to bring up a map of the planet¡¯s surface. ¡°Most of the attacks have been happening out here, to the north and west, as I mentioned. The star trees sort of appear out of nowhere, but most witnesses have them coming from and going back towards either the west or the aether itself. It¡¯s a small enough band of star trees that we¡¯ve had trouble locating them, and we believe they¡¯re basing their operations on the surface and relaying supplies to someone aetherside. If there were any large fleet or capital ship-sized trees, we¡¯d have detected something by now.¡±


    ¡°As a rule, star tree captains avoid wide open plains,¡± said Rewna, pointing to the mountains to the west. ¡°It¡¯s likely their base of operations is in this area.¡±


    Reclan groaned. ¡°That¡¯s where the Ferryman went down. I can hear the centipedes crawling already.¡±


    ¡°That bad?¡± asked Captain Yulun.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put it this way,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Despite the fact I¡¯m happy to be back on Hittania, I was really hoping not to see that particular part of the planet.¡±

 Chapter 4.26: Breaking Chains

    ¡°Okay,¡± whispered Grepk. ¡°Now''s your chance.¡±


    The Marines had teamed up with Trebor and his agents to experiment with Creddik''s unique puppeteering abilities in the field.


    Every day for the past week or so they had slipped out into the hills north of Kerucester and patrolled the north fringes of the city. They kept an eye out for isolated groups of beast soldiers, hiding in the light vegetation that grew up around the homes of the city¡¯s outer limits.


    For the first few days they saw nothing, a few times after that they saw some roving groups of more disciplined looking infantry of a slimmer build carrying long, pointed spears. They were more similar to the Drakmundi Grepk and the Marines had met on the invading train than to the beast soldiers that seemed to serve as a kind of shock troop. If anything, these soldiers were smaller than even the tall, metal-clad Drakmundi they¡¯d first met. However, not wanting to try their luck against an unknown enemy, the small band of guerillas held their fire.


    Today they finally saw a pack of four beast soldiers out on their own. A slender, pointed tongue flicked out of Creddik''s mouth, licking his scaly lips. He looked nervously from behind a line of brush at the hulking soldiers.


    ¡°Now or never, Creddik,¡± whispered Trebor impatiently.


    ¡°This could go bad a hundred different ways,¡± retorted Creddik. ¡°Let me do this my way.¡±


    ¡°We''re ready whenever,¡± said Grepk. ¡°Take your time.¡±


    The psychic nodded and turned his attention back to the beasts, concentrating on the largest one. He sent out tendrils of T-waves, boring into the beast¡¯s mind. Just like the night of the initial Drakmundi attack, he felt a massive wave of feedback, threatening to thwart his attack outright. He was prepared for it this time and squelched the wave, pressing his attack. The first line of defense crushed, he moved onto the next problem; a digital lock sunk into the biological mind. The minds of Robots were difficult to break into with telepathic abilities. The beasts seemed to have a kind of robotic mind guarding over their biological brain, and one that actively resisted telepathic invaders. A headache built in Creddik¡¯s skull as he concentrated on the yet-unaware soldier, but the pain burst in a crescendo and began to fade when he broke through the digital defense. The sensation was slightly different from the first time, almost like his telepathic fingers felt a kind of static shock as the circuits of the digital mind were shattered instead of simply bypassed.


    The beast soldier suddenly stiffened, standing up and looking around, his eyes wide. This was the hard part of puppeteering a target with witnesses: gaining complete control before the target¡¯s words or actions put others on alert.


    Doubling down on his attack, Creddik threw all the mental energy he could muster into overwhelming the beast¡¯s brain. He could feel his knees shaking already as the exhaustion of forcing his will onto a powerful, well-defended mind, but his control was complete now.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got him,¡± said Creddik, his voice strained.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Grepk. ¡°You know what to do next.¡±


    Creddik made his puppet walk casually away from the others, which did not appear to raise any kind of suspicion. With their backs turned to him, they didn¡¯t notice when he grabbed a large stone and yanked it out of the clay. He walked up behind his erstwhile allies, raised the stone overhead and brought it down with a sickening crunch on the base of the closest beast¡¯s neck. Never knowing what had happened, it fell to the ground without so much as crying out. The other two turned towards the noise, one of them just in time to see a boulder rush towards their face. It was the last thing it would ever see. The final beast roared in a confused rage and rushed its puppeteered comrade. Not yet recovered from the second swing of the boulder, there was no time to defend against the first attack. Creddik let the boulder fall as his prey staggered from the blow and then whirled him around to backhand the other beast.


    Using suppressed weapons for stealth¡¯s sake, the Marines and RTS agents fired on the non-puppeteered beast whenever they had a shot, trying not to damage the test subject if it could be avoided. Between the slicing claws and barrage of firearms, the beast soon fell. Muted cheers rose up from the victorious guerillas.


    ¡°Bring him this way,¡± said Trebor, pulling out a hefty-looking injector. ¡°Hopefully there¡¯s some soft tissue in the mouth or nose where we can inject the tranquil-¡±


    Trebor stopped speaking the moment he heard angry voices coming from behind the nearest building. He could make out any words, only hearing strange, lilting syllables. His suspicions were confirmed when a unit of eight Drakmundi infantry stepped around the side of the nearest house, their heads turning this way and that, snapping over to the bloody scene of three dead beast soldiers and their gore-splattered comrade.


    ¡°We need to go,¡± whispered Grepk.


    ¡°The subject!¡± protested Trebor.


    ¡°No way I can maintain control through another fight,¡± said Creddik, his voice attenuated with effort. ¡°But I can cover our escape.¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± said Grepk.


    The beast turned towards the squad of soldiers and charged them. Confused, they raised their spears to defend themselves, but the beast mowed through them like so many dry stalks of wheat. Two were dead before they hit the ground, claws slashing their throats. The others regrouped, stabbing at the rogue beast soldier with their spears.


    ¡°We need to leave now,¡± whispered Grepk hoarsely from their position in the brush. ¡°Everyone, start falling back.¡±


    ¡°Then this will all be for nothing,¡± growled Trebor.


    ¡°I''m not taking the risk,¡± replied Grepk. ¡°And I''m in command in the field. I''m staying with Creddik until everyone else is clear. Darvik, Yellup, you go first. Keshri and Krum-Bahk, fall in behind them. Trebor, you''re with us until I say so. Go.¡±


    Meanwhile, Creddik continued fighting the Drakmundi soldiers through the beast. A couple more lay dead at his feet. The remaining soldiers backed away, using their spears to keep the beast at a distance. One of the soldiers put a hand to their temple and a jewel on the center of his forehead began to glow, erupting into a gout of flame that enveloped the rogue beast. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Grepk looked nervously behind himself, and saw that everyone but Trebor and Creddik had begun to make their way back into the hills towards the entrance to the Undercity.


    ¡°Your turn, Trebor,¡± whispered Grepk harshly.


    Trebor looked at him sidelong, but said nothing as he turned away and followed the others. Grepk turned to Creddik, who was starting to pale and shake.


    ¡°I- I can¡¯t hold on much longer,¡± said the psychic.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± replied Grepk, putting a hand on Creddik¡¯s shoulder.


    Creddik nodded and severed the connection, his body slumping as he stopped exerting himself. Still hearing the roars and screams of the skirmish that had taken on a life of its own, they slipped back between the rocks and vegetation, disappearing into the hills.


    ***


    The Bombard skimmed across the upper atmosphere of Hittania, Rewna¡¯s star tree following alongside. Thus far, the scanners hadn¡¯t picked up any sign of the Koomites, but they were still some distance from the mountains where they believed the cultists were hiding out.


    Raivyn stood by a viewport, looking down on the planet as the ground slowly drifted by. The foothills that Fort Bog Iron sat in had long since given way to wide open prairies of tall golden grasses, broken up here and there by rocky purple outcroppings.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite the planet,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, walking up beside her. ¡°I see why you¡¯re so taken by it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± answered Raivyn, unsure what to say. She didn¡¯t feel like sharing her thoughts at the moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s special to you and Vanbrook, isn¡¯t it?¡± pressed D¡¯Jarric. Evidently he had some inklings about Raivyn¡¯s thoughts, and he clearly wanted to talk about them.


    Raivyn let out a light sigh. ¡°Yes, I suppose it is.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve all been rooting for you two for some time,¡± said D¡¯Jarric with a smile. ¡°Even Doc, though he¡¯s never said as much out loud, of course.¡±


    Raivyn arched an eyebrow. ¡°I have been wondering, how is Doc feeling these days, with all the revelations concerning the Coreborn?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject,¡± scolded D¡¯Jarric with a chuckle.


    She hung her head in resignation. ¡°Alright, say what you came to say. Share with me the wisdom of Solaran romantic culture.¡±


    ¡°We do not have ¡®romances¡¯ as biological, and even other varieties of electromagnetic beings do,¡± said D¡¯Jarric. ¡°But we do know about love and friendship. You are angry with Vanbrook for his secret war with Lawbine, are you not?¡±


    ¡°The two of them¡­¡± she trailed off, balling her hands into fists. ¡°I really thought both of them knew better.¡±


    ¡°You told Lawbine as much, I take it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I told Lawbine it had been over between us for years now, and nothing he could do was going to change that,¡± said Raivyn, her face reddening with anger and embarrassment. She couldn¡¯t say she wanted to talk about it, but telling someone else was therapeutic and D¡¯Jarric was just the right person to listen. ¡°I told him he was welcome to talk to me and visit whenever he liked as long as he understood that. If that wasn¡¯t good enough, he could shove off and not bother reaching out again.¡±


    ¡°And what have you told Vanbrook?¡± asked D¡¯Jarric.


    ¡°Not much,¡± admitted Raivyn bitterly.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve both been fairly miserable,¡± said D¡¯Jarric with a nod. ¡°But you still care for him?¡±


    Raivyn¡¯s face darkened, but she said nothing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s assume you do,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, holding his hands up as if to indicate that he meant no harm. ¡°You humans. Your mortal lives are so short. How much of it do you wish to spend in bitterness?¡±


    Raivyn took a breath, as if to start on a long rant, when the public comms burst to life.


    ¡°All crew to stations,¡± said Captain Yulun¡¯s voice. ¡°All crew to stations. We¡¯ve spotted the enemy.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯m really glad to have you back,¡± said Dekken, his voice full of apology.


    Hunt turned from the commander¡¯s console and looked at the Chief Engineering Officer, giving him a questioning look. ¡°I¡¯m glad to be back.¡±


    ¡°I, uh, really didn¡¯t want the job,¡± said Dekken.


    Hunt smiled wanly. ¡°It really doesn¡¯t matter if you did or not. At least not to me. Or the Navy. The only person I resent in all of this is myself.¡±


    ¡°Well, you shouldn¡¯t,¡± said Dekken. ¡°Everyone knows you did what was right, even if it wasn¡¯t politically prudent.¡±


    ¡°Being politically prudent is part of the job,¡± said Hunt. ¡°And doing what¡¯s right, as an Admiral, largely consists of doing as you¡¯ve been told.¡±


    ¡°You had to choose between two wrong actions, then,¡± said Dekken. ¡°And you chose the one that saved lives instead of saving face.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Dekken,¡± said Hunt, turning back to his console. ¡°Now, I believe it¡¯s time to welcome our guests.¡±


    He looked out from the bridge to see the massive aperture on the top of Tra-Kirakna¡¯s bubble opening, allowing the Drihn into the city. The TalpiTech destroyer was a sight to see, and Hunt was glad the Hrudukites had sent Hrake to stand with them, and he only hoped they wouldn¡¯t regret it.


    Walking down out of the bridge and onto the airfield, Hunt and Dekken¡¯s uniforms were plastered to their chests by the wind coming off the Drihn¡¯s thrusters. They stood waiting for a moment until Hrake emerged from the ship, walking down the ramp to greet them, Dhraka, Ytriv, and Vritik in tow.


    ¡°Admiral Hunt, I am happy to see you restored to your rightful place,¡± said Hrake in his warm, booming voice.


    ¡°Captain Hrake, it is good to see you as well,¡± replied Hunt. ¡°The Republic appreciates this show of support by the people of Gred.¡±


    ¡°We hope to help however we may,¡± replied Hrake.


    ¡°To that end,¡± said Dekken, ¡°we are hoping to borrow your young friends here.¡± He indicated Ytriv and Vritik. ¡°We¡¯ve been pouring over everything Griffonia has been able to send us about Drakmundi weapons and what defenses have and haven¡¯t worked. We want to put together a task force to study the data and make practical improvements to our tech and strategies.¡±


    Ytriv and Vritik¡¯s grins were growing steadily as Dekken spoke. They turned to each other and then to Dekken, saying in unison, ¡°When do we start?¡±


    ***


    He woke up for the first time in a long time, maybe ever. All he saw was bursts of glowing orange and all he felt was the pain of fire. He roared, lashing out against the soldiers surrounding him. Spears splintered and flesh rent under his strong limbs and sharp claws. Everything was fire and blood and pain and screams.


    Despite his singed hair and the flames that threatened his flesh, he reached out, grabbing the psychic soldier who persecuted him with fire by the head, crushing his skull. The soldier went limp and the fire stopped.


    The remaining soldiers backed away warily. When the rogue beast soldier didn¡¯t chase them, they turned and ran from the spot. Snorting and grunting, the wounded beast looked around at the remains of the soldiers that lay all around him. He considered taking one of the corpses with him for a meal, but whatever it was that had woken up and brought him back to conscious thought rejected the idea.


    He was tired and in desperate pain, and the rocky hills looked more like home than the charred cityscape behind him. Shaking his head, the awakened beast wandered off into the hills.

 Chapter 4.27: Corralled

    Farbin checked the cargo manifest for the outgoing shipment. Three tons of perishable food, one and a half tons of nonperishable food, five tons of precious metals, half a ton of miscellaneous technology and items of interest. Not a bad load.


    The cargo car went through the gate, now stationed by Farbin¡¯s war fleet. The gate was opened to Drakmund itself, and he hoped to hear from the council soon. A brief acknowledgement of his victory had been the only communication he¡¯d received since the brief conversation he held with them after opening the gate.


    ¡°Herald,¡± said Commander Cenfil, Farbin¡¯s ground operations commander, speaking through their communications network. ¡°We have a request for termination of a beast soldier.¡±


    ¡°Where and why,¡± asked Farbin, bringing up the beast command screen on his console.


    ¡°The north side of the city, right on the outer fringes of a small residential area,¡± answered the commander. ¡°A beast was found standing over the corpses of the rest of its squad. A squad of infantry scouts heard a skirmish and investigated. They were attacked, only three survived.¡±


    Farbin frowned. ¡°There are no beast units in that area of the city. Send me the tracking information for the survivors immediately.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± answered the commander.


    Finding their real-time location, Farbin kept an eye on them as he rewound the data. He found the fight, watching it in reverse, the screen repopulated with the pips associated with the now-deceased beast and infantry soldiers. He stopped when he was back to where all four beast soldiers were alive. Something had looked wrong, but he was, after all, watching in reverse. He played the fight back now. A beast soldier¡¯s dot disappeared, quickly followed by another. The final beast¡¯s dot disappeared, and then the infantry¡¯s dots appeared.


    No, that couldn¡¯t be right. There still had to be a living beast. That¡¯s what the scouts reported as having killed their comrades. He sifted through the data, searching for answers that dots on a screen couldn¡¯t convey. Three dead beasts, five dead infantry scouts, three live infantry scouts and one disabled beast. Disabled. Not dead. Something had destroyed its transponder without killing it. That shouldn¡¯t be possible, but neither should traveling beyond lightspeed.


    ¡°Cenfil,¡± he said, reaching back out to the Commander. ¡°Send a team out to the area where the scouts encountered the rogue beast soldier. Something is wrong with its transponder, so be wary.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± answered the commander. ¡°Shall I send the three scouts that survived the encounter?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± answered Farbin. ¡°Their term of service has ended.¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir,¡± answered Cenfil.


    Flicking back through the screen, he terminated the three surviving scouts with the push of a button. A soldier that fled was useless to him.


    ***


    ¡°Weeks of work, ruined!¡± roared Trebor as he climbed down the ladder into the caverns that lead to the Undercity.


    Darvik shook his head in the dark, fairly certain Trebor wasn¡¯t looking at him. The winding network of caves they¡¯d just walked, stooped, and crawled through was irritating enough without having to deal with another one of Trebor¡¯s tirades.


    ¡°Can it, Trebor,¡± said Grepk, the only one in the group that had the right mix of authority and guts to talk back to Trebor without suffering any consequences. ¡°I¡¯m sure we gained something useful from the experience.¡±


    Trebor jammed the injector into Creddik¡¯s neck a little more harshly than necessary.


    ¡°Ow!¡± protested the prisoner. ¡°That¡¯s flagrant abuse!¡±


    Trebor swung a fist into Creddik¡¯s snout, sending the lanky Dromean sprawling.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s better than you deserve!¡± snapped Trebor.


    Grepk reached out with an armored hand and grabbed Trebor by the collar, drawing him in so his nose was touching Grepk¡¯s bubble helmet. ¡°Cool it, or you¡¯ll find yourself in the holding cells, too. You think just because Griffonia has fallen that our standards have, too?¡±


    Trebor pulled away, and Grepk let him go. The Marine knew it wasn¡¯t a good look to dress down a fellow officer like that, but Trebor had it coming. Everyone was on edge. That didn¡¯t give anyone a right to push the others.


    Darvik, being closest to Creddik, offered him a hand. Creddik slapped it out of the way as he picked himself up. Darvik snorted in bemused annoyance, turning from the psychic and heading off down the tunnel to the Undercity.


    Another set of heavy blast doors blocked the way, and Darvik pushed the button that let him communicate with the guards on the other side.


    ¡°It¡¯s us, we¡¯re back,¡± said Darvik.


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not good enough,¡± said the voice.


    Darvik sighed. ¡°Griffonia forever.¡±


    The blast doors began to lift. Darvik shook his head. What was so wrong with being a duelist, anyway? Ever since he forfeited that career, it seemed like he was always falling into a life of cloak-and-dagger nonsense, a little deeper every year.


    ¡°Do we have a patient?¡± asked Glynn, standing anxiously inside the door.


    ¡°No,¡± said Darvik, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°But we''re all back alive.¡±


    ¡°We missed our chance,¡± spat Trebor.


    ¡°But we''ll get another,¡± said Grepk, shooting Trebor a dirty look. ¡°Creddik did great, but we got interrupted. He can fill you in on the details when we debrief with Prime Minister Skritka.¡±


    The agents and Marines continued on into the tunnels, Glynn now in tow. Stepping out into the public halls on their way to the insurgent government headquarters located in the lower portions of the Keep, they found themselves accosted by a recording device, held out towards them by none other than Jrenka.


    ¡°What''s it like up there?¡± She asked. ¡°Did you gather any useful intel?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, just ask your dad later,¡± said Keshri. ¡°We''re busy.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I want some first hand information,¡± demanded Jrenka. ¡°I''m trying to keep people informed down here. Everyone''s restless and a little news aside from Da- aside from the Prime Minister¡¯s occasional press releases helps calm the nerves.¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± said Grepk. ¡°I can tell you that the Drakmundi are mortal. I saw about half a dozen die just now.¡±


    Eyes brightening, Jrenka nodded. ¡°Great, great, do they have particular weaknesses? How were they killed?¡±


    ¡°I''m afraid I can''t give you anymore than that right now,¡± said Grepk.


    ¡°I did it,¡± said Creddik.


    Jrenka looked hard at the drug-dazed criminal dressed up like an RTS agent.


    ¡°You''re supposed to stay quiet!¡± whispered Trebor fiercely.


    ¡°You''re Creddik, the Puppeteer!¡± said Jrenka. ¡°You''re with the ¡®good guys,¡¯ now? Have you cracked the Drakmundi¡¯s rumored psychic defenses?¡±


    ¡°That''s enough!¡± shouted Trebor.


    Darvik and Yellup hustled a smug and smirking Creddik down the hall. Grepk put an armored hand on Jrenka¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, look, I know this is what you do. And you''re right, people need to have something to keep them going. But have you thought about how you could work with us, instead of against?¡±


    ¡°Propaganda?¡± she asked, her snout crinkling in disgust.


    Grepk shrugged. ¡°That''s an ugly word. I''m not suggesting you lie. I''m asking, how can you put your skills to use to fight the Drakmundi? If this is the best use of your time and talents, so be it. Just, uh, think about it.¡±


    He turned and followed the others down the hall. Jrenka watched him go, lost in thought as she clicked her recording device off.


    ***


    Drixen led his squadron out to face the swarm of wasps that had risen up to meet them. Painted with the blacks, reds, and purples of the Koomites, the wasps and their aethersuited riders fired lasers and ballistics at the approaching fighters.


    ¡°Okay, folks,¡± said Drixen. ¡°Let''s keep these guys occupied. Watch your sixes, these aren''t the Astralbians we''re used to dealing with.¡±


    ¡°And remember,¡± said an unfamiliar, chiming voice. ¡°The Astralbians here are on your side. Make sure your targets are painted purple and the riders aren''t wearing green.¡±


    A squadron of wasps flew out of Rewna''s star tree, joining the Griffonian fighters.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± said Drixen with a chuckle. ¡°You heard ¡®em, folks, check your fire.¡±


    The two forces collided, incoming fire destroying a number of Koomite wasps on the first run. The fighters peeled off to come around for a second run, but Rewna¡¯s wasps physically collided with the enemy, wasps and riders engaging in deadly hand-to-hand combat. The wasps grappled with one another, each fighting for their lives to keep the other¡¯s deadly stinger from finding its mark. Drixen had to admit it was an impressive sight.


    Down below, Koomites of various races worked frantically to load up their two small star trees with ill-gotten gains. Their encampment was fortified with crude log barriers, filled with cattle and cultists trying to coax them on to the star trees with little success.


    Once the fighters had engaged with the wasps, Reclan flew the shuttle out of the Bombard¡¯s hangar. Given the value of the stolen property, mostly cattle, Frek-Rep had asked Yulun to refrain from simply bombing the enemy out of existence. The plan was to land the shuttle with guns blazing and have Talon Squad lead the charge with a small detachment of sailors from the Bombard accompanying them.


    The Koomites stopped their work as soon as they saw the shuttle, taking up arms and hiding behind the crude log barriers. Since the cattle were far enough back that Reclan was sure she wouldn¡¯t harm them, she let loose with the shuttle¡¯s guns, blasting the logs to smithereens and forcing the surviving Koomites to fall back. The back doors of the shuttle opened the moment it landed, and Vanbrook led the charge down the ramp and around towards the fleeing cultists. Leaving Reclan to man the shuttle, Raivyn, D¡¯Jarric, and Doc stayed close behind, and the sailors, armed with rifles, followed them, fanning out to either side so they could take shots at the enemy.


    Up above, the fighters continued to battle the Koomites. Rewna¡¯s star tree and the Bombard hovered nearby to take out any enemy wasps that strayed too far from the fight. The Koomite riders were surprisingly skilled, presumably trained by Trilia¡¯s people. They had taken to combining the wasp¡¯s maneuverability and laser eyes with psychic attacks, attempting to drive fear into the enemy pilots and riders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them get to you!¡± shouted Drixen, watching one of his fighters explode.


    The pilot had gotten sloppy, and Drixen worried it was the telepathic attacks, rather than a lapse in discipline, that had caused the loss.


    ¡°We¡¯re not outfitted for psychic attacks, Textbook!¡± said Kaihla.


    ¡°Sure we are, Cowgirl,¡± he replied. ¡°No one¡¯s made of tougher stuff than a Griffonian fighter pilot!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± asked the Astralbian commander. ¡°I think my riders have taken out more Koomites than your pilots.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± said Drixen. ¡°You hear that, folks? It¡¯s officially a competition!¡±


    ¡°Ha! Not much of one!¡± called a pilot.


    ¡°You¡¯re on!¡± cried a rider.


    Drixen smiled. He¡¯d have to find a way to thank that commander when this was all over.


    Meanwhile, on the ground below, Vanbrook had leapt the splintered barriers and was hot on the heels of the Koomites as they tried to round the cattle up into the star trees. It wasn¡¯t going well for them as they had to stop and try to push the Griffonians back every couple of steps.


    Pistol barking and saber slashing, Vanbrook activated his wrist-mounted energy shield and kept pressing the attack, pushing the enemy to either board a star tree or back up into the nervous-looking cattle. He felt a psychic attack coming on, icy fingers of hostile T-waves stabbing into his brain, but Raivyn saw the attacker staring him down and fired a T-bolt into his mind, knocking him off his feet and interrupting the attack. Vanbrook nodded his thanks over his shoulder and dove back into the fight.


    D¡¯Jarric refrained from shooting blasts of energy from his fists, concerned he¡¯d kill the cattle that were now uncomfortably close to the frontline of the battle, but his energized fists had no problem taking out Koomites in close combat. Doc had no such compunctions about his rifle and picked off the more distant sharpshooters that threatened to do the same to them.


    With roars and bellows, the cattle let everyone know they¡¯d had enough.


    ¡°Everyone clear out!¡± ordered Vanbrook, seeing clearly what was about to happen. The sailors, already hanging back from the thick of the fight, backed off and vaulted out of the enclosure as the cattle reared up and began to churn within the enclosure.


    Talon Squad backed up, watching in horror as the Koomites were trampled under the heavy hooves of tri-horn Aeratan cattle. Vanbrook backed up, but found himself flanked by two angry bulls.


    Looking over the shoulder of one of the bulls, he could see a group of cultists struggling to get just one more bull onto their star tree, looking anxious to finish loading up and get away.


    Turning to the bull in front of him, he planted his feet and raised his saber. The bull to his right would just have to wait, though he raised his buckler in a dubious defense against the half-ton beast.


    The bull stared Vanbrook right in the eyes, stamping a hoof and snorting. Vanbrook tensed, waiting for either bull to make its move, and was shocked to see the eyes of the bull he was facing glaze over and become complacent. Looking over at the other and seeing a similar dazed expression, he turned to see Raivyn standing with her eyes closed, her fingers to her temples.


    ¡°There,¡± she said, her eyes fluttering open. ¡°They ought to be a bit more manageable now.¡±


    ¡°Hey, thanks for that,¡± said Vanbrook, turning his attention to the further star tree, where the last crewmen were climbing aboard. ¡°But we better go clear out that tree!¡±


    ¡°Sailors,¡± barked Raivyn. ¡°Sweep this first tree. Talon Squad, let''s take care of the second one.¡±


    Running up the ramp, Vanbrook slammed shield first into the Raki cultist guarding the door, pushing him in and allowing Raivyn to jump in after. D''Jarric was nearly at the door when it slammed shut, closing like an eyelid despite its wooden appearance.


    D''Jarric was forced to leap from the ramp as he and Doc ran away from the thruster roots that had already begun to rumble.They hit the ground, covering their heads. The roar of the thrusters rose to a crescendo and then began to quiet as the pair turned to watch the star tree rise into the aether, taking Vanbrook and Raivyn with it.

 Chapter 4.28: Reconnecting

    The four infantry scouts made their way through the hills north of Kerucester, their scanners picking up a number of creatures, detecting their heat, chemical, or electromagnetic signatures. However, the scanners couldn''t pierce rock or earth, so they had yet to find any clear sign of the rogue beast soldier they were looking for.


    ¡°We should send up a drone,¡± declared one of the scouts.


    ¡°That''s not protocol,¡± retorted the lead scout, her purple eyes scanning the rocky terrain. ¡°It could give away our position. We''re better off with the scanners.¡±


    The first scout nodded and said nothing more. Arguing was no use in the Drakmundi military. Everyone followed the protocol or paid the price. Promotions hinged on it, and every Drakmundi who survived the grueling process of creation desired to be promoted a little further, to be moved a little further from the beasts and a little closer to the Council.


    ¡°Where''s our sweeper?¡± asked the scout, looking behind himself to where the last in line should be standing.


    The lead scout gritted her teeth, adjusting her grip on her spear. ¡°Let¡¯s circle back and find him. I¡¯ll see him terminated for this.¡±


    Retracing their steps, they rounded a large boulder and saw a pool of purple blood lying in the path they¡¯d taken. One of the remaining scouts turned to look at their leader, but she was gone. She fell suddenly from the sky, her limp body crashing into the two remaining scouts. A roar echoed off the rocks and hills as a huge form leapt from atop the boulder.


    ***


    ¡°What¡¯s going on down there?¡± asked Yulun over the comms.


    The dogfighting had died down, the Astralbian and Griffonian alliance overcoming their early struggles and gaining momentum against the Koomite wasp riders. The cultists appeared to be ready to fight to the last rider, and that suited Yulun just fine.


    ¡°We¡¯ve secured one of the star trees,¡± answered one of the sailors that had landed with Talon Squad. ¡°Talon Squad was going after the other, it looks like they missed their chance.¡±


    ¡°Should we blow it out of the sky?¡± asked Rewna. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look to be a particularly large or well armored tree.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± shouted Reclan. ¡°Do not, I repeat, do NOT attack that star tree!¡±


    ¡°I think the cattle can be written off as a lost cause, Specialist,¡± said Yulun.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Reclan, not understanding at first. ¡°Oh! No, I¡¯m not worried about the cattle, I just watched Vanbrook and Raivyn climb on that tree before it took off!¡±


    Yulun stared at her console, dumbfounded. ¡°Say again, Specialist Reclan?¡±


    ***


    As the door snapped shut and the thrusters began to rumble, Vanbrook turned, wide-eyed, to look at Raivyn. ¡°Now what!?¡±


    ¡°Now we fight,¡± said Raivyn with a shrug. ¡°You handle the bruisers, I¡¯ll hold off the psychic attacks.¡±


    Vanbrook nodded and turned to look at his surroundings. They stood in an open wooden room, the main exit behind them and two stairwells on the opposite side, one leading up to the command room and the other down to the dungeons. He looked back to the Raki he¡¯d bowled over, who was now standing and stomping over towards him, feet sure even in the chaos of liftoff. Taking a wide stance, Vanbrook held out his shield and drew back his saber, ready to run the cultist through.


    Rather than charging into the point of a sword, the Raki snarled, drawing a wicked, curved cutlass and lashing out at Vanbrook, who easily parried the wild strike. However, before Vanbrook could counter the attack, two more cultists poured into the room from where they¡¯d been stowing away their stolen cattle. One drew a pistol and the other put a hand to his temple. The Raki drew back for a heavy swing, but Vanbrook slammed into him shield first once again, wrapping his sword arm around his opponent and twisting to put him between himself and the gunman. The gambit worked, and two shots rocked the Raki¡¯s body before the gunman realized his mistake. When he did, he found himself staring down the barrel of Vanbrook¡¯s own pistol. It was the last thing he saw.


    Raivyn, meanwhile, had fired a volley of T-bolts at the psychic, who¡¯d attempted to pile on against Vanbrook. Instead, he found himself on his back foot, doing his best to defend himself.


    More cultists came into the room, but Vanbrook charged the stairwell they had emerged from and used saber, shield, and revolver to fend off anyone Raivyn couldn¡¯t hit with T-bolts or grip with telepathic terror. Another wild cutlass swung at Vanbrook, but he had taken up a position by the stairs to bottleneck his opponents. This allowed him to fight a number of swordsmen, keeping them close enough that the gun-wielding cultists had trouble lining up a shot. Using the confused knot of swordsmen to his advantage, Vanbrook quickly dispatched two of them, kicked their bodies into their comrades and turned his gun on the small group of gunners.


    Meanwhile, Raivyn struggled against a group of three psychics who had emerged from below, coming into the room through a different doorway. One focusing on maintaining a shield of telekinetic energy, one trying to crack Raivyn¡¯s telepathic defenses and the third keeping up a steady fire of T-bolts. Raivyn struggled to keep up a shield, but knew she¡¯d have to engage in offense, as well. Seeing the dead Raki and his cutlass lying on the ground, she found her answer. Keeping as much energy as she could focused on her shield, she reached out and grabbed the cutlass with her mind, drawing it through the air with blistering speed. It slammed into the back of the shield-focused psychic, stabbing out through his chest. Seeing their comrade suddenly slain shook the concentration of the other two, and a hail of T-bolts quickly took them out. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Looking around and seeing that their enemies were all either dead or unconscious, Vanbrook nodded to Raivyn and stomped up the steps to where the pilot stood alone at the command console.


    The pilot, hearing the boots behind him but not turning as he watched the membranous display screen, asked, ¡°Did we take care of the interlopers?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± said Vanbrook.


    The pilot turned and found himself staring down the barrel of Vanbrook¡¯s revolver.


    ***


    ¡°WEAKNESS DISCOVERED.¡±


    The poster was in blue, black and red, with a purple silhouette of what appeared to be a Drakmundi suffering a terrible headache, his back arched and his head, which had red lightning bolts emanating from it, in his hands.


    In smaller text, the caption read, ¡°Intrepid group of Marines, along with agents and assets of the RTS, discover the secret to beating back the dreaded Drakmundi! More information to follow!¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± said Darvik. ¡°Must have been that reporter.¡±


    ¡°You mean Jrenka?¡± asked Glynn.


    The two of them had been using their downtime to train his psychic abilities, and were just on their way from the lower offices of the Keep to take a break and go get some rakka in the cafeteria when they saw the poster hanging in the halls.


    ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± he said. ¡°But she doesn¡¯t name Creddik here.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t name anyone,¡± noted Glynn. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the point.¡±


    Darvik shrugged. ¡°What is the point?¡±


    ¡°Keeping hope alive,¡± said Glynn.


    He turned to her. She wore the same cold, distant expression she usually did. ¡®Hope¡¯ was not the first word that sprang to mind when he read her face. But something about it reminded him of Cevla. That was the last thing she¡¯d said to him before dying in his arms. Keep giving people hope.


    He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a noble goal. Come on, let¡¯s go get that rakka.¡±


    ***


    With two captured star trees, a handful of Koomite prisoners, and a herd of recovered cattle in tow, Rewna¡¯s star tree and the Bombard made their way back to the cattle towns just west of Fort Bog Iron.


    Raivyn piloted the star tree that she and Vanbrook had taken, with Vanbrook along as a kind of copilot. A handful of sailors with ranching experience were down below handling the cattle. Vanbrook, whose experience with cattle was almost exclusively gained a few hours ago in the corral, wasn''t much help, so he opted to spend his time with Raivyn.


    ¡°Everything okay up here?¡± asked Vanbrook cautiously. Last time he''d tried to talk with her outside of business, it hadn''t gone well.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s flying just fine,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°I never cared much for piloting but flying a star tree is¡­ different. I kind of enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°I should have trusted you, you know,¡± he dared.


    ¡°What''s that?¡± asked Raivyn.


    Vanbrook sighed. ¡°Back in the corral. You saved my hide a couple of times over, but in particular with the bulls. You were right behind me, but I didn''t think about that, and I was ready to take on those bulls myself.


    ¡°Same thing happened with Lawbine¨Clook, I know you didn''t want to talk about this, so cut me off if you have to¨Cbut, anyway, I should have trusted you.¡±


    Raivyn bit her lip. She thought about what D''Jarric had discussed with her. She wanted to stay mad at Vanbrook, but he''d just fessed up to everything. Almost everything.


    ¡°And- and if you wanted to kick me to the curb because you prefer Lawbine to me, well, that was never up to me anyway,¡± he continued. ¡°So, uh, sorry, I guess. I''m sorry.¡±


    Raivyn sighed. That was everything.


    ¡°It''s you, idiot,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°I prefer you.¡±


    Vanbrook smiled faintly. She returned the smile over her shoulder, keeping her hands on the root-like structures that let her link with the tree.


    ¡°I don''t think,¡± she said, trying to summon the courage to tell the joke, ¡°I don''t think you''d have had the guts to say any of that if you were outside of this thing. I could''ve taken another shot at you.¡±


    Vanbrook laughed out loud, remembering the first time Raivyn had flown a star tree. The ultra-intuitive controls had caused her to fire the tree¡¯s eyes on Vanbrook, literally with just a thought. Thankfully, the shot missed.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± he said. ¡°I think we brought on some rakka when we first landed to bring in the sailors. I know there are some kind of snacks aboard somewhere. Can I get you anything?¡±


    ¡°If there''s tavan blossom tea and something light I¡¯d love that, thanks,¡± she said. She cracked a smile. Otherwise, you could always go below and see if you could dig up any of that nutrient slime we lived off of on the way to Koo L''Koom.¡±


    ¡°Two jokes inside a minute?¡± asked Vanbrook with a chuckle. ¡°I''m impressed.¡±


    She smiled timidly at him, laughing softly.


    ***


    Farbin slammed his fist into his console.


    ¡°What do you mean!?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°The scouts are all dead,¡± repeated Cenfil. ¡°We assume it was the rogue beast.¡±


    ¡°Assume?¡± asked Farbin, more than a little annoyed. ¡°The ocular cameras were supposed to be running!¡±


    ¡°They were,¡± answered Cenfil calmly. ¡°But the attacker was never on camera.¡±


    Farbin shook his head. ¡°How can a beast do any of this?¡±


    Beast soldiers were the lowest caste in Drakmundi society. Above them were the soldiers, such as the infantry and scouts, then the heralds, the world serpents, and, highest of all, the Council.


    Each caste left more and more itchy, stinking flesh behind for mechanical improvements, and it was possible, through merit, to be promoted to a higher caste. Except for the beasts. Beasts were of sub-sapient intelligence, controlled tightly by programming and psychic mastery. They weren''t eligible for promotion, they were simply cannon fodder. Shock troops sent in to destroy and demoralize the enemy. Even with a broken transponder, a beast shouldn''t be capable of the kind of havoc this one was wreaking.


    ¡°Send another squad,¡± ordered Farbin. ¡°This time, eight scouts and four beasts. We know where it was, assuming it wasn''t the locals. I want them dead all the same if you should find them. I have other matters to attend to.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir¡± answered Cenfil.


    As they had talked, a message had come through on his console, concerning the captured Griffonian ship. Farbin¡¯s smile widened as he read the report. It was good news. They''d soon be expanding their campaign against the Griffon Republic.

 Chapter 4.29: "Friend?"

    He crept slowly through the hills, wary of anything and everything, with no idea of what might be a threat. His mind was muddled, but threats seemed to focus him somewhat.


    Before the scouts had come looking for him, he had been attacked by a predator of some kind. It was all teeth and claws, and he had torn it to pieces, eating the stringy flesh greedily. The newly awakened part of him despised the raw meat, but he was beginning to starve and needed the substance.


    Now, he stooped by a stream, washing the scout''s purple blood from his hands. He felt a number of questions trying to form in his mind, but only one was clear enough that he could even attempt to answer it.


    Who am I?


    He looked at his reflection in the calm water of the stream and couldn''t recognize it. It looked wrong, somehow. More heavy and brutish than it should be, although he had no clear idea what it was supposed to be.


    He grunted, shrugging the thought off. He was hungry again. He needed to hunt.


    As he began to stalk towards the vegetation surrounding the stream, he heard the noise of about a dozen people marching just beyond sight over the stream¡¯s craggy bank. Careful not to make too much noise, he peered over the bank, fixing his purple eyes on them.


    It was exactly a dozen. Four just like himself, and eight like the ones he''d killed before, and he somehow knew that they were looking for him. He slinked back down and crawled away from them, heading downstream as they headed upstream. He had seen some caves in that direction. Maybe he could hide out there for a while.


    ***


    The cattle ranchers were ecstatic when their cattle were returned to them. Vanbrook was happy to be rid of the cattle and to be reunited with Talon Squad. Some part of him dreamed of life as a pioneer on a world like Hittania, but owning cattle never featured in those dreams.


    Frek-Rep was standing right by the ranchers as they sorted the cattle out by their brands. He laughed and smiled and helped settle disputes as they arose with Captain Yulun standing by him to represent the Navy.


    Vanbrook pitched in where he could, letting the more experienced ranch hands handle the more ornery beasts. Leading a bull with a rope secured around its neck, Raivyn laughed at Vanbrook as he moved skittishly around the animals.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said in mock-defensiveness from where he stood pouring feed into a trough for a few docile cows. One of them licked his arm, and his face twisted in disgust, and, Raivyn suspected, a touch of fear. ¡°We can''t all calm these monsters down with our minds.¡±


    Raivyn laughed and went back to tending the cattle, something she obviously had some experience with.


    Reclan smiled at them surreptitiously. She could tell their time in the star tree had done them good.


    Kaihla was helping as well, having a background in ranching herself. An Astralbian walked by as he ran some errand or another for Rewna.


    ¡°Fifteen!¡± shouted Kaihla at the passing Astralbian.


    He turned on her, his forced frown at odds with his bright eyes. ¡°And we got thirteen,¡± he replied. ¡°Not a huge margin of victory. The only way we can solve this is to fight side-by-side once again, and see who can down the most enemy craft, eh?¡±


    Kaihla laughed. ¡°You¡¯re on.¡±


    Reclan shook her head. Apparently relationships were being strengthened all over the place. She couldn¡¯t have imagined a year ago that the Griffonian Navy and the Astralbians would be anything but bitter enemies.


    ¡°I can''t thank you enough,¡± said Frek-Rep later in the day as the crowd thinned out and the cattle went back to their rightful homes.


    ¡°Just because there''s a war on in one part of the Republic doesn''t mean we forget about the rest of it,¡± said Yulun.


    ¡°And we didn''t run into any centipedes, so I didn''t mind,¡± said Reclan.


    Frek-Rep laughed. ¡°I''m glad to hear that. I haven''t had the, uh, pleasure of meeting those particular denizens of Hittania, but they''ve been spotted south of here, as well, along the southern foothills.¡±


    Reclan shivered. ¡°I have to admit I liked believing they stayed over on their own side of the continent.¡±


    ¡°While folks generally stay away from them, a few bolder hunters have taken down solitary scouts on the edges of their territory. Evidently their roasted flesh tastes like a tangy potato.¡±


    Reclan blanched. ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna be sick.¡±


    ¡°Regardless,¡± said Yulun. ¡°We''ll be leaving them behind tomorrow. We''re glad we could be of help, Captain Frek-Rep.¡±


    ***


    We are ready to launch our attack on Kirakna, honored Councilors, said Farbin. He stood at his console, his screen displaying a map of Griffonia while his communications array linked him psychically to the Council. He was pleased with the campaign so far, despite the nagging problem of the rogue beast soldier.


    So soon? asked Hagan.


    Yes. While our scientists cannot yet create their own ¡°ripmed¡± drive, they have been able to harness a number that were taken from the Griffonians. We have enough to carry an invasion force from one star to another in a week¡¯s time, without the use of a dragon¡¯s maw. I am requesting an additional maw to take with me to establish communications and a supply route.


    Astounding. We are quite pleased with you, Herald Farbin, said Hagan. Your discovery concerning these ripmed drives, along with your devotion to the good of the Drakmundi, has earned you the promotion you have so long sought. You will be the world serpent to this planet, Griffonia, or to Kirakna. The choice is yours.


    Farbin¡¯s head spun. This was excellent news. It was all he had ever wished for, ever since he had trained as a soldier in the infantry. He could finally shed more of this wretched flesh.


    Thank you, Councilor Hagan, he said, trying to keep his emotions out of the response. I would be world serpent over Griffonia, honored Councilors.


    Your excitement is crass, but warranted, Herald, replied Hagan. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Clearly, Farbin had not suppressed his emotions well enough. It was a slight embarrassment, but no more.


    ***


    Hunt walked through the airfield, his hands held behind his back, his chest out and his chin high. In addition to the Blue Griffon Fleet, he now stood beside a combined fleet of Wabuluban, FRF, and Gredite ships. He wasn¡¯t yet sure what to expect from the Astralbians when Lady Rewna returned with the Bombard, but hopefully the burgeoning relationship would bear immediate fruit for the Republic.


    He stepped onto the Drihn, Captain Hacksaw and Baron Flubbyn joining him. Captain Hrake greeted them with a smile and a nod.


    ¡°Thank you all for coming,¡± said Hunt.


    ¡°Gred is happy to help the Griffon Republic,¡± said Hrake.


    ¡°The FRF will not forget its oldest friend,¡± added Hacksaw.


    Baron Flubbyn sighed. ¡°It is clear that this threat is as grave a danger to Wabuluba in the future as it is to Griffonia now. We will not see the breakdown of the IGC, nor allow its member nations to suffer as Griffonia has suffered without seeing that there is a dear cost to those who would attack it.¡±


    Hunt suppressed a smile. Flubbyn, as well as the Wabuluban Kingdom as a whole, had proven to be steadfast and worthy allies over the years, but it was clear that the Wabuluban nobleman was playing the role he had been assigned and had no passion for it.


    ¡°I really do appreciate it, all of you,¡± repeated Hunt. ¡°As you know, the Bombard is due back shortly, along with Lady Rewna, who is now commanding a fleet of three star trees, two of which are the newly commandeered Koomite star trees.¡±


    ¡°So the Astralbians are multiplying,¡± said Hacksaw, voice laced with suspicion.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Hunt. ¡°But we trust them. The Astralbians have as much reason as any of you to stop the Drakmundi, and no reason to pick a fight with the IGC or other powerful nations.¡±


    ¡°Don''t forget,¡± reprimanded Hacksaw, ¡°that this Lord Wyven has lost a sizable chunk of the people he would like to rule over via emigration to Cradle. Additionally, the regime he wants to be the continuation of has always hated Robots.¡±


    Hunt held his hands up. ¡°All of that is concerning. But the Drakmundi are a greater threat. I''m not asking you to view the Astralbians as friends, just allies. Please come to me directly if they give you any trouble.¡±


    Hacksaw nodded, his arms folded. ¡°Fair enough, Admiral.¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± continued Hunt. ¡°To the reason we''re here. If you would all follow Captain Hrake to engineering, we''ll see what our tech team has come up with.¡±


    Following Hrake through the halls, all freshly painted with blocky Hrudukite designs, Hunt had to admit that the Drihn was an impressive ship. TalpiTech certainly knew what it was doing, and he was glad they had young Ytriv along to help work on bypassing the Drakmundi weapons that had done so much damage to them.


    Walking down a set of metal steps, they went through a set of double doors with the word ¡°ENGINEERING¡± written above it. Inside, Dekken, Ytriv, and Vritik stood around a workbench, Reclan looking over their shoulders from a display screen, live via ripmed. The camera that she was watching through was suspended from the ceiling by a mechanical arm and focused on the table.


    ¡°Our fearless leaders!¡± said Ytriv, looking up at the commanders that had just entered the room. ¡°We have good news!¡±


    ¡°We probably have good news,¡± said Dekken.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been able to turn the data you gave us into a theory we¡¯d like to test,¡± said Vritik.


    The young Hrudukite was covered in grease, with goggles hanging over his neck. There was a datapad in one of his hands and a tool of some kind in the other. Hunt would never have guessed that his species had been in their bronze age up until the past year.


    ¡°Explain it, then,¡± said Hunt.


    ¡°Using small words,¡± requested Hrake with a smile.


    ¡°So the initial shields used to protect power sources were thick metal plates, right?¡± said Reclan, absently moving her camera around to view the object on the table. ¡°What we¡¯ve developed is analogous to an EMF cage. Or rather a series of them.¡±


    ¡°Eehmeff?¡± asked Hrake. ¡°That is indeed a small word but I do not know it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s initials,¡± said Dekken. ¡°E, M, F. Electromagnetic field. An EMF cage is a kind of mesh box that keeps out electricity. We believe we can create a series of cages that can filter out even the most powerful of the disruptor rays the Drakmundi have fired at us.¡±


    ¡°The rays¨Cinexplicably, I might add¨Cappear to bring electrical flow to a standstill,¡± said Ytriv. ¡°A live charge being applied seems to bring systems back online, resuming the flow. By building our cages around the powersource¨Ca generator or what have you¨Cthe interruption can effectively last no time at all.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Reclan, ¡°we can¡¯t test the theory until we, uh, use it in the field.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Dekken. ¡°We¡¯ll have to get this information to Grif-¡±


    Skritka¡¯s face popped up on the screen, replacing Reclan with no warning. His eyes were heavy with stress and exhaustion.


    ¡°Admiral Hunt,¡± he said. ¡°I had Triflin patch the Wingspan¡¯s ripmed comm through to this location as soon as I found out where you were. Sorry I did not ask for permission first, Captain Hrake. But it is a dire emergency. Our scanners just watched a Drakmundi fleet jump from Griffonia towards Kirakna. They¡¯ve got ripmeds now. I don¡¯t know how well they can use them, but I would assume your time is short.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for this warning, Prime Minister,¡± said Hrake. ¡°We are grateful.¡±


    ¡°And it looks like we may have found a way to circumvent their disruptor rays,¡± said Hunt.


    ¡°Work fast on implementing it, and please send me the information on this connection,¡± the Prime Minister gave them a smile. ¡°Sounds like the Drakmundi might be in for a surprise when they reach you.¡±


    ***


    Crush marched up the root that served as a ramp to the Amalgam, stepping onto the deck with a small crew in tow. She oversaw the stowing of some oil rations and spare parts and prepared the ship for lift off.


    Before she could give the order to take off, the ground began to rumble. Knowing what to expect this time, she signaled to the crew to hold off on further preparations. A few moments later, as the quaking grew to a crescendo, a massive stone figure emerged from the ground.


    ¡°Meristem,¡± said Crush, nodding to the Coreborn.


    ¡°GUARDIAN SPROUT,¡± rumbled Meristem. ¡°YOU SAID YOU WOULD NOT LEAVE.¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯d stay for the time being,¡± corrected Crush. ¡°That time has passed. The Drakmundi have co-opted ripmed technology and are on their way to Kirakna. I will not sit by and wait until they have destroyed our allies and are kicking down our gates when I can be of use there.¡±


    ¡°THAT IS NOT A GUARDIAN¡¯S PLACE,¡± said Meristem.


    ¡°Goodbye, Meristem,¡± said Crush. She stepped into her cabin and a moment later the Amalgam¡¯s root thrusters were firing, taking the wooden ship to the stars. Meristem stood by the hole he¡¯d risen from, watching the vessel leave. He shook his head and turned, stepping back down into the earth.


    ***


    Darvik was growing weary of the trips up to the surface. It was nice to see the sun, something most of the refugees in the Undercity were sorely missing, but it was also dangerous and nerve-racking. It didn''t help that they hadn''t managed any successful raids.


    He climbed up into the cave, getting a headstart while the Marines checked their gear.


    Standing and walking up the slow slope that led to the surface, he turned on a dim light that would allow them to navigate the cave without giving away their position.


    He heard heavy boots starting to climb the ladder behind him. Shaking his head and stepping further into the cave, he rounded the first corner.


    Shock was too mild a word for what Darvik felt when his eyes met the dark purple eyes that sat just a few yards away from him. He jumped back, surprised to see the beast soldier shrink back as well.


    Friend? asked a voice in Darvik''s mind.


    Darvik froze. Yes.


    The response was automatic, and Darvik knew it was out of character, as well. He couldn''t explain it, but he was sure it was the right answer.


    What followed was a jumbled mess of telepathic static that Darvik couldn''t make heads or tails of.


    He heard boots behind him as the rest of the group approached.


    ¡°Uh, guys?¡± said Darvik. ¡°Don''t freak out.¡±

 Chapter 4.30: Chaos

    Trilia picked up a glass and threw it against the wall.


    ¡°That was mine!¡± shouted the burly Talpidarian sitting next to her. He paused, considering the wisdom of scolding the High Priestess. He may be the Champion in the arena, but he could be killed at a word from Trilia. ¡°Your Holiness.¡±


    She sneered at him. ¡°Did you not hear the messenger? I just lost my raiders on Hittania!¡± The messenger stood in the doorway, knees shaking. He had not dared enter the dimly-lit banquet hall, filled with warriors and priests enjoying a feast after a night¡¯s work in the arena. He didn¡¯t want to be any closer to them or their weapons than necessity dictated. Delivering bad news to the High Priestess Trilia was not a task to be taken lightly.


    He cleared his throat. ¡°And, I¡¯m afraid, my Lady, that the Republic was aided by Lady Rewna.¡±


    ¡°WHAT!?¡± raged Trilia.


    ¡°It¡¯s the only reason we know about the matter so quickly, my Lady,¡± explained the messenger. ¡°We have many sources on Astralbia and among Lord Wyven¡¯s faction.¡±


    Trilia rose from the table, standing to her impressive full height, an imperious look on her long, dour face. ¡°Then go. Find out everything you can about this alliance, and who these¡­ Drakmundi are.¡± She paced the room, looking out a window that overlooked the arena. ¡°I believe it is time I had a conversation with them.¡±


    ***


    The Bombard came out of its jump and landed as quickly as possible so that all hands could start work towards developing cages for the upcoming battle. All available private vessels were put to use as transports to evacuate civilians, including the refugees who had just recently come from Griffonia.


    ¡°Hopefully we¡¯ll be able to head the Drakmundi off here,¡± Vanbrook said to Raivyn as they put a crate of hardware onto the back of the ATUC and headed back to the shuttle.


    Reclan, having been a part of the group that worked out the defense in the first place, had cobbled together the Bombard¡¯s defenses on the trip back. Now she was helping outfit the rest of the Griffonian Navy, and would start coordinating with the allied Navies as soon as that was done. The demand for hardware had outstripped what was available on the ships, and any available crew had been sent out to find what hardware they could from the warehouses and industries on Tra-Kirakna and beyond.


    Since Talon Squad had a shuttle at its disposal, Vanbrook, Raivyn, Doc and D¡¯Jarric had been sent to Tra-Trika, another rocky island city located a few hours flight from Tra-Kirakna. Tra-Trika was dominated by a mining facility and a number of factories, and they were more than willing to donate material to the cause. This island lacked the protective dome that Tra-Kirakna was known for, and the fresh, salty evening air cut through Vanbrook¡¯s shirt as the ATUC rose and fell along with the windy, rocky road.


    ¡°Well, this is the last crate,¡± said Raivyn as they pulled up to where D¡¯Jarric was waiting for them.


    Vanbrook helped the Solaran pick up the crate, surprised by how little effort it took. He was still not convinced that D¡¯Jarric was honest with them about his strength and ability.


    ¡°Hey DJ,¡± he said with a grunt as they set the crate down in the cargo hold. ¡°Back when we first saw these Drakmundi guys you seemed pretty freaked out about it, at least by your standards. What was that about?¡±


    A thoughtful look came over D¡¯Jarric¡¯s face as he locked the crate in place. ¡°Do you recall the symbol of the Koomites?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Koo L¡¯Koom, biting his own tail.¡±


    D¡¯Jarric nodded. ¡°Indeed. It is a symbol of chaos, one that is found far and wide, in many variations, as Raivyn noted at the time.¡±


    ¡°So do you think the Drakmundi and the Koomites are working together?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°I think there is a connection between them that they themselves may not realize,¡± said D¡¯Jarric. ¡°At least, not yet. But they are on the same side of a conflict greater than any mere international power struggle. Chaos is not merely the lack of order, though that is a common use of the word. Chaos is the rejection of the Progenitor¡¯s ordering of the universe.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been an agent of chaos a time or two myself, then,¡± said Vanbrook with a smirk.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, his face deadly serious. ¡°We all have. But the Koomites, and perhaps the Drakmundi, have pursued after and embraced chaos. You have heard me talk before of the Solaran Civil War. That war was fought between two factions of Solarans: those who recognized the Progenitor¡¯s power, and those who did not. Those who did not were defeated and relegated to their stars, now collapsed into black holes.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting black holes are not a natural phenomenon?¡± asked Raivyn, drawn into the conversation.


    D¡¯Jarric shrugged. ¡°They serve a providential purpose, that does not mean the mechanism is unnatural. Regardless, my people declared victory, but we were warned: the forces of chaos were not defeated. As the Progenitor brought the other races into being, we were shocked to see how they treated one another. Chaos could be seen throughout their behavior. Knowing that our actions were responsible, at least in part, for the chaos still in the universe, we made efforts to bring the Progenitor¡¯s Order to any civilizations we could find.¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Great Teachings,¡¯¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Some of this has been long-known, but a lot of what you¡¯ve said about chaos is not something I have ever heard before. Why are you sharing this now?¡±


    D¡¯Jarric looked off to the horizon, watching the twin suns setting over the great ocean of Kirakna. ¡°I believe the time for secrets may be coming to an end. I believe chaos is beginning to reassert itself.¡±


    ***


    ¡°What¡¯d you say, Darvik?¡± asked Krum-Bahk, walking around the corner.


    Shocked by what he saw, he pulled up his rifle to fire on the Drakmundi beast soldier that stood about a yard away. Darvik darted over and pushed down on the barrel. Granted, Krum-Bahk could have pushed him out of the way given the added strength of his armor, but he took the gesture to mean he shouldn¡¯t shoot the Drakmundi, and figured Darvik must have a reason.


    ¡°Hold your fire!¡± shouted Darvik, hoping that would be more clear than ¡°don¡¯t freak out.¡±


    The beast soldier flinched at Darvik¡¯s shout, but didn¡¯t run off or attack.


    ¡°What is going on up there!?¡± demanded Grepk in a hoarse whisper, his fleshy joints fading to a sky blue when he saw the enemy standing in what amounted to their foyer.


    One by one the Marines and agents rounded the corner and expressed some kind of shock or fear. Krum-Bahk wisely put himself between Keshri and the beast to keep her from attacking on sight, regardless of Darvik¡¯s exhortations.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± hissed Trebor. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°He- uh- reached out to me,¡± said Darvik. ¡°He asked if I was a friend.¡±


    ¡°I sincerely hope you said ¡®no,¡¯¡± retorted Trebor.


    ¡°I said yes,¡± snarled Darvik. ¡°Which may be the only reason my intestines are still inside of me. Look, as far as I know this is the first time one of these things has seen one of us and not immediately tried to murder them. Maybe we ought to try and work with that. I mean, bringing a beast soldier back for study was our initial goal, right?¡±


    Trebor stared angrily at the beast. It met his gaze, but its face was a mask of stoicism.


    ¡°Hey- check that out,¡± said Creddik, pointing at the beast¡¯s forehead. ¡°The gem, it¡¯s cracked. I think this is my beast soldier from a while back.¡±


    He reached out telepathically, and found little of the resistance the other beast soldiers had put up. But the mind was familiar. Despite the initial ease of the mental invasion, an angry pulse of T-waves exploded from the Drakmundi¡¯s mind, sending Creddik reeling. An array of rifles and pistols swung up, but the beast just sat there, shaking its head as if to rid itself of Creddik¡¯s influence, glaring angrily at the mental invader.


    ¡°Well,¡± said Creddik, propping himself up on his elbows. ¡°That¡¯s definitely the same creature, but I swear it''s more¡­ aware now. Less of a beast, more of a person.¡±


    ¡°Doubtful,¡± scoffed Trebor. ¡°But we¡¯d better get it back to the Undercity either way. Darvik, you¡¯re friendly with it, try to calm it down.¡±


    Darvik shrugged, then tried to reach out, the way Glynn had taught him. Friends. Calm.


    Supposedly, Raivyn had discovered the secret to full psychic communication that could overcome language barriers by studying under the shamans of Hruduk. He would have to rely on more rudimentary, impressionistic conversations.


    Friend, replied the beast. Danger above.


    Calm, repeated Darvik.


    The beast¡¯s posture shifted. He appeared to be calming down somewhat, and willing to try to talk. Trebor, however, had other plans. Moving extraordinarily quickly, he stabbed an injector into the softer tissue between the beast¡¯s fingers. It was loaded with a massive dose of sedatives and designed to deliver the drug quickly, so the work was done before Trebor was flung across the cave by a backhanded slap across the torso. Trebor hit the ground hard and was groaning as the beast reared up and charged him. Once again, a cave full of agents and Marines had guns trained on it, but it slowed down well before it reached Trebor, stumbling and falling so that its form landed on top of Trebor in a heap. Trebor groaned.


    ¡°Serves you right,¡± said Darvik, feeling surly after witnessing the underhanded move.


    Trebor eyed him darkly.


    ¡°Enough,¡± said Yellup. ¡°Let¡¯s just get our new friend back to the Undercity.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Grepk. ¡°I want him locked up tight before he comes to. I have a feeling he¡¯s not going to be too happy.¡±


    ***


    Farbin watched in glee as his new body emerged from the maw, piece by piece. It would be assembled shortly, and his brain would be grafted into the machinery.


    To become a world serpent, a disciple of the great world serpent who coiled around the homeworld of the Drakmundi, was the greatest possible achievement for a herald. Perhaps one day he would even be invited to join the Council. Until then, he would orbit Griffonia, coordinating resource extraction and rooting out any remaining resistance from the locals.


    ¡°Herald Farbin,¡± said Commander Cenfil, interrupting his musings. ¡°The scouts haven''t found anything. The area is extremely craggy, making scans difficult. I can have them keep looking as long as you deem necessary, but I fear our beast soldier has disappeared on us.¡±


    Farbin ground his teeth in frustration. The Council hadn''t commented on the missing beast soldier yet, but they were sure to note it in the next report, if their sources in the field hadn''t informed them already.


    ¡°Pull the scouts back,¡± he said. ¡°I will level the area from orbit, and that will be the end of it.¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± replied Cenfil. ¡°It may be useful to bring the rogue soldier''s body in for examination.¡±


    ¡°Then you are welcome to sift through the rubble to find it,¡± said Farbin. ¡°Pull back the troops.¡±


    ***


    Plates and cups were flung from tables in the cafeteria as a series of explosions rocked the Undercity. Some people screamed, and some ran, but Darvik just tried to keep from spilling his rakka.


    ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡± asked Glynn, stabilizing herself against the table they were sharing.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± said Darvik.


    The explosions stopped, the final rumbles fading away and leaving the populace of the Undercity looking around for answers.


    ¡°Attention Griffonians,¡± said a voice over the public comms. ¡°It appears the Drakmundi have bombed a portion of the surface. At this time there is no indication of a further attack, and no structural damage has been reported. If you have been injured, please report to the medbay for treatment. If you cannot move, please call the medbay via comms. A thorough search of the Undercity will be made shortly to ensure personal and structural safety. All combat personnel, please report to Keep underlevels. All others may resume their normal activities. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll head back to the Keep, then,¡± said Darvik.


    ¡°You will,¡± said Glynn with a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯m not ¡®combat personnel.¡¯ I¡¯m going to finish my rakka.¡±


    He returned the smile, shook his head, and walked down the hall to the Keep. It wasn''t far, and he met Krum-Bahk on the way.


    ¡°Hey, Darvik,¡± said the Krauqian.


    ¡°Oh, hey, Krum,¡± he answered. ¡°Any idea what this is about?¡±


    ¡°No more than you, I imagine,¡± he answered.


    They walked into the main atrium of the Keep¡¯s lower levels, joining a bustling crowd of warriors.


    ¡°Thank you for coming,¡± said Skritka''s voice over the comms. If he was in the room, Darvik couldn''t see him. ¡°All we know at this point is that the caves leading to the northern exit have collapsed.¡± Murmurs rippled through the crowd. ¡°No other structural damage has been reported. I regret to inform you that Executor Grak-Yurp was badly injured in the attack, but rest assured that our command structure will remain unaffected. Please see your commanding officers for orders concerning a security sweep of the Undercity.¡±


    ¡°This is because of the prisoner, isn''t it!?¡± shouted a soldier.


    ¡°Whether or not there is such-¡± started Skritka.


    ¡°It''s too small a hole you''ve got us in to keep secrets!¡± interrupted the soldier.


    The crowd went silent. The burly Human soldier looked around, suddenly sheepish. Darvik saw the crowd parting as Skritka approached the man, hands clasped behind his back. Evidently he was in the room then, a headset on so that his voice was broadcast through the building''s comms. Despite being a good foot shorter than the soldier, Skritka held himself with a bearing that made his prey look small.


    ¡°If I am responsible for your being in this hole, you should be far more grateful,¡± he said in a dangerously level voice. ¡°We are all under stress, and I need every soldier I can get. However, that is no reason to let your insubordination slide. I''m sure your commanding officer can find an assignment for you to throw yourself into for a while. Perhaps somewhere deep and dark enough that when you get out the Undercity won''t feel like such a hole.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said the soldier, clearly embarrassed and already kicking himself for his outburst.


    ¡°You have your orders, then,¡± said Skritka, addressing the room again. ¡°Go, protect our people. And may Providence shine on us all.¡±


    ***


    Admiral Hunt breezed through the reports as the Wingspan made its slow orbit around Kirakna with the rest of the Blue Griffon Fleet. Every fleet had its own patrol to make around the planet in case the Drakmundi got clever and tried to flank them, but the bulk of the force stayed just beyond orbit in the direction of Griffonia, the region the Drakmundi would most likely emerge from.


    In addition to the half dozen Griffon Republic fleets, there was a Wabuluban fleet of two massive gunships and a carrier, an FRF fleet that included their flagship destroyer the Liberty, and Lady Rewna¡¯s fleet of three star trees which had formed a combined fleet with the Drihn. The entire armada was equipped with the cage shields the engineers had worked out. Hunt just wished they¡¯d have a chance to test them before heading into a full-scale battle.


    ¡°All ships, this is the Red Shield Fleet flagship Keel,¡± said a voice over the armada¡¯s comm channel. ¡°Something¡¯s appeared on our scanners. The energy signatures match the Drakmundi. All ships should report to assigned positioning. May Providence shine on us all.¡±


    Hunt shook himself to loosen up a bit and sent a response to the Keel to let them know they were on their way. Looked like it was time to figure out whether the cages worked or not.

 Chapter 4.31: The Battle Over Kirakna

    Grefli looked out over the great blue orb of Kirakna with some doubt. It didn''t seem likely to have much in the way of resources. But Farbin had certainly been right about the so-called ¡°ripmed¡± technology. That had made the trip from one planet to the other a simple enough process, particularly since it meant Grefli could stay conscious for the duration and bring an entire military fleet along. Unfortunately, they hadn¡¯t managed to figure out how the ripmed communications worked, so communicating with Farbin and the Council would be impossible without sending a messenger.


    ¡°Herald Grefli,¡± said the captain of one of his war trains over the communications network. ¡°We¡¯re picking up signals indicating a large number of ships between ourselves and the planet. It¡¯s- it must be at least thirty ships, sir.¡±


    ¡°I see them,¡± said Grefli, returning his eyes to the console and studying the readouts. He heard the concern in the captain¡¯s voice, but he chose to ignore it rather than sanction it. It could be a hundred ships, it would make no difference. ¡°Wait until we are closer before engaging. They are able to reboot power after a short time, so there is no reason to begin our disruptor assault yet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Herald,¡± replied the captain, keeping his emotions in check this time.


    ***


    ¡°All ships, fire laser weapons as soon as the enemy is in range,¡± said Admiral Trich of the Red Shield Fleet, scratching her velvety snout thoughtfully with her spade-like Talpidarian claws. As the senior admiral in the armada, she was responsible for overseeing the battle, and happy to lead from the frontlines. ¡°The enemy expects us to be sitting ducks, so we have the advantage.¡±


    The crew aboard the Keel was nervous as five distant specks became clearer, an amethyst hue becoming more readily visible as the enemy approached.


    ¡°Admiral Hunt,¡± said Trich, sending a direct comm to the Blue Griffon Fleet. ¡°What is your ETA?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there shortly after the enemy is in range,¡± replied Hunt. ¡°We plan to take a slightly longer route so that we can flank the Drakmundi rather than attacking as a single line.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Providence shine on us all,¡± said Trich, ending the comm. She quickly switched to another channel. ¡°Scramble fighters, and keep a holding pattern around the fleet until I order otherwise. Remember, we will be focusing on using energy weapons to deplete the EM shield around the enemy vessels, but bombers equipped with trunk busters should be at the ready to fire on any unshielded enemies.¡±


    Reopening his comm lines to the five fleets spread out over the area, waiting to intercept the Drakmundi. ¡°It looks as though the enemy is heading most directly for the Red Shield Fleet. We are ready to intercept.¡±


    A chorus of acknowledgement and hearty encouragement came over from the other four admirals.


    ¡°Sir,¡± said his comms officer. ¡°The enemy is at maximum focal length for our laser cannons.¡±


    Trich nodded. ¡°Open fire.¡±


    ***


    The opening salvos of laser cannons blasted into the purple orbs around the war trains. Of course, they did no damage. Grefli smiled. Heralds were meant to be stoic, but Grefli had always enjoyed crushing the resistance of new worlds. The more advanced their technology, the more fun it was to prove they were no match for the Drakmundi.


    ¡°Fire disruptor rays,¡± he ordered.


    Passing harmlessly through the shield bubbles around the war trains, the invisible rays, tracked by Grefli¡¯s console, all connected with their targets, crippling the largest of the Griffonian vessels. Or, at least, it should have. Nothing changed. Laser fire continued to bounce harmlessly off the shields, but it should have come to a stop.


    ¡°Fire again, on a higher intensity,¡± said Grefli, working hard to keep the emotion from his voice. ¡°And scramble fighter drones.¡±


    ***


    ¡°They work!¡± exclaimed Trich over the public comms channel. ¡°The shield cages work! We¡¯ll make the Drakmundi pay yet!¡±


    ¡°Fighters are incoming, Admiral Trich,¡± said the fleet¡¯s fighter commander.


    ¡°You¡¯re cleared to engage,¡± said Trich happily. ¡°Remember, save those trunkbusters for clean shots on their capital ships. Reports indicate that the serpentine fighters are vulnerable to conventional weapons.¡±


    Trich turned her attention to the scopes focused on the enemy ships. Snake-like drones poured out of the war trains¡¯ hangar cars, slithering through the aether towards the fleets, speeding up suddenly when they left their mothership¡¯s shielding. Their defenses were holding up, but they had yet to draw first blood from the enemy. Breathing out slowly, he checked the range to the enemy.


    ¡°Gunships, advance towards the enemy,¡± she said. ¡°They seem happy to hang back from the fight, let¡¯s push the attack.¡±


    ***


    Grefli watched the drones leave the shield as the sleek Griffonian fighters approached. Both forces opened fire, and a number of drones were destroyed before he saw a Griffonian fighter explode. He snarled, stroking his beard in thought. No matter the intensity, the disruptor rays were not working on the Griffonian ships.


    ¡°Should we release the other drones, Herald?¡± asked a voice over the comms.


    ¡°No, hold them in reserve,¡± said Grefli. ¡°Focus on weakening their shields with ballistic missiles. Once they are depleted, fire the infiltrator craft. We¡¯ll see how they like fighting beast soldiers within their ships and drones without.¡±


    Despite the brave words, the dogfights were not going in their favor. The sleek, mobile Griffonian fighters were better shielded than the serpent drones and had surprisingly strong and accurate weapons.


    The truth about the Drakmundi warmachine was that it relied almost entirely on strong shielding and the disruptor rays. With the disruptor rays neutralized, Grefli found himself worrying for the first time about the integrity of his war train¡¯s shields.


    ***


    Trich looked worriedly at the fleets¡¯ shields on his display. Some of the gunships¡¯ shields were getting dangerously low. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Maul and Dagger, pull back,¡± she said. ¡°The Keel will advance to give you cover. Keep up pressure on the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± answered the captain of the Maul.


    ¡°This is Captain Truup-Ma of the Dagger, Admiral,¡± said a staticky voice. ¡°Feedback from laser impact has damaged some of our systems, maneuvering may prove difficult.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Captain,¡± answered Trich. ¡°We¡¯ll do our best to cover you.¡±


    ¡°Admiral Trich, this is Admiral Hunt,¡± came a welcome voice over the comms. ¡°We¡¯re coming into range, what are your orders?¡±


    ¡°Good to hear from you, Admiral!¡± answered Trich. ¡°Scramble your fighters and put any firepower you can on the war trains¡¯ shields. We have yet to score a hit on their ships, and no reason to think a fighter would fare any better against the shields than our missiles have.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± answered Hunt. He turned to Triflin. ¡°You heard Admiral Trich, let¡¯s scramble fighters.¡±


    ***


    Grefli watched the readouts carefully, grinning as he saw what he¡¯d been looking for.


    ¡°One of the smaller gunships is flagging, and lasers are now leaving marks on the hull,¡± he said to his captains. ¡°I¡¯ve indicated it on your consoles. Fire infiltrators.¡±


    He watched gleefully as the arrow-like ships floated lazily out through the shields and then shot off towards the gunship. Nothing demoralized the enemy quite like knowing their comrades were being torn limb from limb, and nothing made Grefli happier.


    ***


    ¡°Did you see that!?¡± asked Kiflin over the fighters¡¯ comms channel.


    ¡°See what?¡± asked Drixen, swinging around and firing his foreguns at a serpent drone. He managed to send a hail of lead into the joint behind what amounted to its head, and the drone exploded, pieces tumbling off into the aether.


    ¡°The rockets the Drakmundi just fired,¡± she said. ¡°They move slowly until they leave the shields, then they pick up speed. The smaller rockets did the same.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± asked Cowgirl.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s how they¡¯re getting through the shields!¡± answered Kiflin. ¡°Our shields hug our ships, right? So we don¡¯t have to worry about missiles going through them from the inside, but the Drakmundi have these weird, massive, purple bubbles. They have to compensate somehow.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± exclaimed Drixen. ¡°I get it!¡±


    ¡°Triflin,¡± said Kiflin. ¡°How fast are those missiles going before they leave the shields?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ give me a second!¡± answered Triflin. ¡°About¡­ a hundred miles an hour? A little less than that.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± said his twin sister before making a beeline for the nearest war train.


    ¡°Wait, Gemstone!¡± said Drixen, using Kiflin¡¯s callsign.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re going to need a bomber!¡± said Cowgirl.


    Drixen sighed, and fell in behind them. ¡°Everyone else, stay on the serpents, alright!?¡±


    ***


    ¡°This is Captain Truup-Ma of the Dagger, we¡¯re being boarded!¡±


    Hunt¡¯s head snapped to the console when he heard the voice coming over the armada-wide comm channel. They¡¯d all seen the video from the Pinion by now, and Hunt looked up to see that the arrow-like ships had struck the Dagger. Each of the five ships represented two or three beast soldiers that were now tearing the crew apart.


    ¡°I¡¯m sending my Special Squad,¡± said Hunt. ¡°Will they be able to board?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes! Please, any backup that can be sent is appreciated!¡± said Truup-Ma.


    ¡°Talon Squad, report to your shuttle immediately,¡± said Captain Hunt. ¡°I¡¯ll explain while you¡¯re on your way.¡±


    ***


    Grefli noticed something strange on his console. Three pips were heading towards one of the war trains, but they were too large to be missiles. They were fighters, and they weren¡¯t turning. He allowed himself a light chuckle. They¡¯d smash into the shield and die. Maybe it would be a lesson to their fellows.


    As Grefli settled in to watch the pips disappear, the unthinkable happened. They began to slow down.


    ¡°Captain Yilmi, three enemy fighters are about to breach your shield!¡± he exclaimed.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Yilmi. ¡°Can they do that?¡±


    ¡°IF THEY SLOW DOWN, YOU FOOL!¡± shouted Grefli. ¡°Destroy those fighters!¡±


    ***


    Drixen winced as his fighter, slowed down to a meager ninety-five miles an hour, came into contact with the war train¡¯s shield bubble. However, he passed through as though nothing was there, arriving safely inside. Safely, at least, if he didn¡¯t consider the serpent drones gliding towards him, lasers firing from their many segments.


    ¡°Look alive, ladies!¡± he called to Cowgirl and Gemstone.


    ¡°Woohoo!¡± shouted Cowgirl. ¡°Looks like we riled ¡®em up!¡±


    ¡°Gemstone, you and I are going to focus on these drones,¡± said Drixen. ¡°Cowgirl, put those trunkbusters to use, let¡¯s see what Drakmundi ships are made of.¡± Switching to the armada channel, he added, ¡°the Drakmundi shields can be penetrated, just go through the shield at speeds of ninety-five mph or below!¡±


    ¡°How do our weapons fare against their war trains?¡± asked Trich nervously.


    ¡°We¡¯ll let you know,¡± answered Drixen, avoiding an oncoming drone by performing a barrel roll.


    ¡°Cowgirl, do you have a shot?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Lining one up,¡± she replied. ¡°There are a lot of instruments sticking out of the front, I wanted to fire one right into the heart of that array.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you there,¡± answered Drixen. He peeled off with Gemstone and made an arc for the front of the train, dodging incoming fire as he went.


    ¡°There!¡± shouted Cowgirl, firing a trunkbuster missile at the array on the nose of the train¡¯s first car. The three fighters banked away as the missile found its mark, crashing into the train and blasting antennae and dishes in every direction.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Cowgirl, surveying the damage as the debris cleared the point of impact. ¡°I¡¯d like to put another one right there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s gonna be tough,¡± said Drixen, who was watching a horde of drones fly through the shield and begin to converge on their location.


    Just then another group of Griffonian fighters flew into the bubble behind the drones and began picking them off one by one.


    ¡°Hey, Textbook!¡± called the fighters¡¯ commander. ¡°Twig, at your service!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Twig!¡± answered Cowgirl. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you since flight school!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sorry I had to miss the wedding!¡± answered the pilot.


    ¡°No worries, you made this party,¡± said Drixen. ¡°Hey, whatever bombers you¡¯ve got with you can follow Cowgirl¡¯s lead.¡±


    ¡°You heard him, folks,¡± said Twig. ¡°Let¡¯s blow this thing to smithereens!¡±


    With the added cover and firepower, Cowgirl was able to swing around and fire another trunkbuster at the nose of the train. This one pierced into the vessel itself and peeled it back like a banana. Another bomber followed on Cowgirl¡¯s heels and fired into the smoldering opening. After a short pause, the entire first car erupted into a ball of flame, throwing the other cars into disarray. The purple bubble surrounding the train burst outwards in a violent purple explosion, fading into nothingness a split second later.


    ¡°HAHA!¡± exclaimed Drixen. ¡°Does that answer your question, Admiral Trich!?¡±


    ¡°I believe it does, Commander!¡± answered the Admiral.


    ***


    Grefli looked on in disbelief as Yilmi¡¯s engine car exploded, the shield flickering out of existence. No Drakmundi war trains had been destroyed in the last century. All too late it dawned on him: the Griffonians would not be easy prey.


    ¡°All captains,¡± he said, voice ragged with anger. ¡°Put everything you have into destroying those fighters.¡±

 Chapter 4.32: Facing the Beasts

    ¡°So I take it these beast soldiers are pretty tough,¡± said Reclan.


    The shuttle glided past the battle, going unnoticed by the drones and war trains, which were focused on the fighters and gunships respectively.


    ¡°You''ve seen the same footage we have,¡± said Vanbrook, shaking his head.


    ¡°I''ve been getting regular updates from Griffonia,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Some psychic seems to have cracked their defenses, I''m hopeful I can do the same based on their work.¡±


    ¡°I guess all we can do is find out for ourselves,¡± said Reclan, shaking her head. ¡°We''re just about there.¡±


    The hangar bay was wide open, and they landed in an open space. A technician shut the door and pressurized the hangar. As soon as he had, an officer rushed through the door, meeting Talon Squad as they walked down out of the shuttle.


    ¡°Are we glad to see you! Come with me, I¡¯ll take you to the fight,¡± said the officer, turning back out of the hangar and leading them towards the sound of gunfire at a near-run. He was a grim looking Raki with a scar running across the armor plates on his face. ¡°They hit us a few different places. They''re tearing through our heavy troopers. Fang Squad is already aboard and heading for the bridge, two crafts hit that area.¡±


    ¡°Fang Squad!¡± exclaimed Vanbrook. ¡°Yeah, they''re stationed with Red Shield, aren''t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they came straight from the Keel,¡± said the scarred Raki. ¡°A squad of Marines is on the way, as well. They were clayside but we called them up since there''s person-to-person combat.¡±


    The gunfire rang out louder, and roars and screams could be heard as they approached a sealed bulkhead door. The officer went to the panel and punched in the code to open the door.


    ¡°I can feel the beasts,¡± said Raivyn, putting a hand to her temple. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±


    Sliding up into the ceiling, the door revealed a scene of blood and chaos, and Talon Squad and the officer opened fire on the three beasts who were tearing through a squad of heavily armed and armored sailors. One of the beast¡¯s heads snapped towards Talon Squad, murder in its eyes. D¡¯Jarric punched out a massive burst of energy, slamming into the beast¡¯s face. Its head snapped back violently, but it quickly righted itself and leapt, roaring at D¡¯Jarric.


    Vanbrook intercepted the monster with his energized saber, extending it out while he braced himself behind his buckler. The sword pierced the beast¡¯s skin, but was deflected off its impossibly tough ribs. The crackling blade tore through skin as it skimmed off the beast, spilling a modest amount of purple blood, but doing more to anger than to harm. Even while under fire from the other members of Talon Squad, it swatted Vanbrook away like a child¡¯s doll, sending him sprawling across the floor.


    Seeing that it planned to follow after Vanbrook and finish him off, Raivyn focused on the beast, seeking out the source of the digital blockade that kept her from puppeteering it. D¡¯Jarric¡¯s sustained attacks kept the beast off of Vanbrook for the moment, giving her a moment to work. There was intense psychic resistance from the beast¡¯s built-in defenses, and a vicious headache bloomed in Raivyn¡¯s mind. She ignored the pain, pressing her attack, and was rewarded by the rush of success. Having bypassed the defenses, she quickly dug her psychic fingers into the beast¡¯s mind. It roared, shaking its head, but Raivyn soon subdued it.


    Vanbrook stood up, holding his shield arm up and against his chest, his face a mask of pain.


    ¡°You got this guy under control?¡± he asked.


    Raivyn nodded, turning the puppeteered beast soldier towards the remaining two threats. Despite Reclan, Doc, and the Raki officer¡¯s best efforts, the last of the sailors had been taken down by the other two beast soldiers, who now turned towards Talon Squad. However, they were met by one of their own, now turned against them. The first attack was utterly unexpected, and one of the beasts had their throat torn open by a deadly swipe from their erstwhile comrade. The other howled in furious indignation and threw itself at the traitor. Vanbrook stepped over, still favoring his left arm, and stabbed into the non-puppeteered beast¡¯s trunk below the ribs. The blade went home, but the beast wrenched his body to the side, knocking Vanbrook off-balance. He fell to the floor, trying to catch himself with his one good arm and toppling over onto his left shoulder with a thud. The beasts seemed to take no notice, and one soon lay dead, Vanbrook¡¯s sword still in its stomach.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold this much longer,¡± said Raivyn, straining to keep the beast in check.


    Its eyes flickered, anger returning to its features. There was a large gash across its face from its former comrade, and D¡¯Jarric charged his fist and slammed it into the wound. The beast staggered and fell, the blow finishing the wounded beast off.


    ¡°Van!¡± shouted Raivyn. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°My arm¡¯s busted, I¡¯m not sure how badly.¡±


    Doc lumbered over to him, taking the arm gently in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s not broken, at least not obviously so. I¡¯ll have to take a closer look. But you¡¯re only going to get yourself killed if you keep fighting like this.¡±


    Vanbrook shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, really.¡±


    ¡°No arguments, Van,¡± said Raivyn sternly. ¡°Go back to the shuttle, we¡¯ll keep pressing the fight.¡±


    ¡°Providence shine on you, Specialist,¡± said the officer. ¡°The rest of you, follow me. There¡¯s more hotspots to deal with.¡±


    Vanbrook sighed and turned, walking back towards the shuttle.


    Reclan gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s plenty of Drakmundi to go around. You¡¯ll get your chance.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ***


    Out in the aether, the fighters were overwhelming the Drakmundi war trains. Despite throwing the last of their serpent drones at the enemy, the Griffonian fighters were holding their own. Worse yet, other forces had come to join them, and now small skiffs manned by drones or robots of some kind, a number of what appeared to be massive wasps, and fish-like craft had joined the Griffonians.


    Grefli watched in horror as a second war train erupted. There was nothing to do now but try to regroup and return with a larger force. However, he would not do so without giving the enemy a parting gift.


    ¡°Captains, fire all infiltrator craft,¡± he said bitterly. ¡°Target any vessel with substantially weakened shields.¡± He ground his teeth, every fiber and wire of his being hating the words he was about to speak. ¡°And make preparations to return to Griffonia.¡±


    ***


    Hunt looked on in awe and appreciation as the FRF, Wabuluban, Astralbian, and Griffonian forces worked together to dismantle the Drakmundi fleet. Their disruptor rays neutralized and their shields bypassed, they were not nearly the juggernauts they had seemed to be.


    Another wave of boarding ships was launched from the remaining war trains, but the fighters were ready for them and the majority were destroyed before they could exit the shield bubbles. One slipped through, sped up and slammed into the Dagger, but it was a small fraction of the danger it could have been.


    Something changed, and Hunt realized that the purple bubbles around the three remaining war trains were pulsing, and the foremost cars were beginning to arc around.


    ¡°Drixen, get everyone out of those bubbles,¡± he said over comms. ¡°I believe the Drakmundi are preparing to retreat.¡±


    ***


    Inside the Dagger, Talon Squad had made their way to the bridge, passing by three dead beast soldiers along the way. Reaching the stairway that led directly to the bridge, they spotted five warriors, all keeping up a constant barrage of fire on the stairway entrance, where beast soldiers kept trying to rush down the stairs, only to be turned back by the overwhelming suppressive fire.


    The largest of the group was a masculine Robot, over six feet tall and firing a ballistic minigun into the stairwell. A slender Talpidarian female stood by his side, her hands held to the sides of her head as she concentrated. A lanky Human male with dark goggles was firing an energy weapon of some kind, a squat Krauqi female sneered into the lit-up opening, holding pistols akimbo and waiting for her best shot, and a Raki female with a large, overloaded backpack fired bursts from her long rifle. All five of the warriors seemed to have sustained some kind of serious injury, either a bloody face, or a cracked or dented armor plate, but all five had an air of grim determination about them, as well.


    ¡°Fang Squad!¡± shouted Raivyn. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Trying to keep them at bay!¡± said the Robot, looking over his shoulder at Raivyn. ¡°With you here maybe we can do more than that!¡±


    ¡°Risha, can I help?¡± asked Raivyn.


    ¡°Yes! I can¡¯t get through their defenses!¡± answered the Talpidarian psychic.


    ¡°We can if we work together,¡± said Raivyn with a confident nod.


    ¡°The rest of us can help keep up the pressure,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, firing bolts of energy into the doorway as Raivyn and Risha worked to break through the Drakmundi¡¯s barriers.


    A chorus of roars proved that the two psychics had pulled off their trick and both squads stopped firing and ran up the stairs, D¡¯Jarric leading the charge, the massive Robot on his heels.


    ***


    Vanbrook sat in the shuttle, cradling his arm and wearing a sour expression on his face. He¡¯d wrapped his arm with bandages to keep himself from further injuring it, but, having accomplished that, he now sat in the pilot¡¯s seat feeling useless and listening to the comms channels for updates.


    The four Marines from the surface entered the hangar via jetpacks, leaving their small gunship floating outside. They landed with a resounding clank, activating their mag-boots and marching towards the bridge as the hangar tech pressurized the room again.


    The scene was interrupted when something crashed into the ship, sending the Marines sprawling. Vanbrook watched in horror as one of the Drakmundi infiltrator ships plowed into the hangar, crashing into the Marines by dumb luck. One of the Marines was hit directly and spun off like a ragdoll, slamming into the far wall. They looked to be stuck in a dent of their own making and did not move. The other Marines scattered, knocked around and taken off guard.


    The beast soldiers clamored out of their craft and reached out for the armored Marines. One was grabbed by the ankle and repeatedly slammed into the hangar floor. They started fighting back valiantly, but the Drakmundi pressed the advantage they¡¯d earned with their ambush and a second Marine was dead before a point-blank shotgun round to the eye ended one of the beast soldiers.


    Vanbrook scrambled down out of the shuttle, his pistol drawn, not willing to sit idly by as the Marines were slaughtered. By the time he got down the ramp and rounded the shuttle to face the enemy, the last surviving beast soldier had crushed the last surviving Marine to the floor, punching their helmet until it caved in and the Marine stopped fighting back.


    Vanbrook raised his pistol and fired at the beast. The shot caught the monster on the side of the head, but all this won Vanbrook was a roar and the singular attention of the beast soldier. It turned to him, and he fired again, this time the round impacting directly on the gemstone on the beast¡¯s forehead. Its head snapped back, but again it seemed more angered than injured. It barrelled towards him, and Vanbrook knew this wasn¡¯t going to go his way. He suddenly wished he¡¯d tried harder with Raivyn and a pang of regret swept through him. Pulling back the hammer again, Vanbrook hoped that he¡¯d have time for a third shot, and that it might actually do some good. The beast lunged and he fired, but his shot went wide.


    ¡°NO!¡± screamed a voice from the hangar doorway. Raivyn put all the energy she had left into a single, vicious T-bolt. It tore through the hangar and drilled into the beast¡¯s mind, blowing past its damaged defenses and splintering its mind. The dead beast slammed into Vanbrook, knocking him flat to the ground and skidding them both back along the floor.


    Raivyn, eyes wide in fear and disbelief, rushed to his side, followed by the others. Vanbrook was still, flattened beneath the beast soldier. She grabbed at it, trying to tear it off Vanbrook, but couldn¡¯t lift it. Suddenly, it gave way, and she vaguely noticed that D¡¯Jarric and Reclan had grabbed it as well, successfully lifting it off of Van.


    Finally free of the beast soldier¡¯s weight, Vanbrook groaned and clicked his mag-boots back onto the hangar floor. He opened his eyes and saw a mass of people standing around him. ¡°Oh, hey, Fang Squad! How are you guys?¡±


    ¡°Van, shut up!¡± snapped Raivyn, dropping to her knees and helping him sit up. She grabbed his face to check him over. ¡°Are you okay!?¡±


    ¡°Well- I-¡± said Vanbrook, unsure how to respond to the strangely juxtaposed sentiments. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Or no worse than I was. The Marines, though¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a similar story across the ship,¡± said the large Robot, shaking his head. ¡°But with the nine of us working together we cleared out the rest of the beasts.¡±


    ¡°Oh, word just came over the comms,¡± said the lanky, begoggled Human, holding his hand up to a bulky earpiece he was wearing. ¡°The Drakmundi, they¡¯re retreating! Our pilots are pulling back and letting them go!¡±


    Vanbrook smiled. The battle was over. They¡¯d won. He could rest now. The last thing he remembered seeing as he passed out was the worried look in everyone¡¯s eyes as his body went limp.

 Chapter 4.33: Gathering Strength

    Skritka looked sadly over Grak-Yurp¡¯s broken form, which lay wrapped in bandages and and covered in IVs and sensors in the hospital wing of the Undercity. He had been dug up out of the rubble of his office, more of his bones broken than not. That he¡¯d survived as long as he had was something of a miracle according to the doctors.


    ¡°Old friend,¡± he said softly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Large, warty eyelids flickered open, revealing glossy golden eyes. ¡°Skritka,¡± said Grak-Yurp, his voice hoarse and cracking. ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. You were the best Prime Minister I could have worked with.¡±


    ¡°Grak, you¡¯re awake!¡± said Skritka. ¡°Sit back and be quiet, though. Save your strength.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± laughed Grak-Yurp softly. ¡°I am dying, Skritka.¡±


    Skritka hung his head. ¡°Who can I call for you?¡±


    ¡°No one,¡± said Grak-Yurp sadly. ¡°I loved this Republic, and I gave everything to it. My family is all gone, and you are my closest friend. I hate to leave it and you now, on the eve of our greatest triumph.¡±


    Skritka frowned. The poor creature was delusional now, but if these were his last moments, Skritka wouldn¡¯t sully them by reminding him of their current predicament.


    ¡°Progenitor keep me,¡± said Grak-Yurp, his voice now as distant as his eyes. ¡°And may he shine on you, old friend.¡± His eyes fluttered closed again and he sighed gently, his body going limp.


    Skritka hung his head, sitting by him a few moments longer as medical machines beeped and doctors and nurses ran to and fro, hoping in vain to revive Grak-Yurp¡¯s remains.


    The days passed by slowly, but each one came with a little more clarity. It was clear to him that he was a prisoner, but that was better than scrambling over the rocks like the beast he used to be, dodging infantry patrols. The regular meals were one of the greatest benefits. He had jumbled memories of better food, but the humble plates that were slid into his cell three times a day were the best meals he''d had in years.


    He was unable to reach out to the guards telepathically, evidently because his cell was designed to suppress psychic powers. Given that he did not know the language of his captors, he found himself entirely unable to communicate.


    He was just finishing his breakfast when a group entered the small prison block he''d been locked away in.


    Four heavily armored soldiers led the way, followed by three black-clad agents and a short administrator of some kind with a furry face and small, round spectacles. He recognized the first seven as the warriors who had drugged him and taken him captive. He shuddered in particular upon seeing the dour-faced one who had stuck a needle into his hand. They spoke to each other in their strange language as he nervously looked on. The bespectacled one nodded and something changed. A humming he had not noticed stopped suddenly.


    Friend? inquired a strangely familiar voice.


    He looked around and spotted the agent who¡¯d first approached him, a stern-looking creature with sandy blonde hair and sharp green eyes. He seemed to be of the same race as the dour-faced agent.


    Prisoner, he replied.


    Name? asked the friendly one.


    No know, he answered.


    It was true. He didn¡¯t know what his name was. He remembered a better time, a scary time, and a worse time. He remembered blood and battle and screaming, but it all felt foreign and fuzzy.


    You name? he ventured.


    ¡°Darvik,¡± spoke the creature aloud.


    ¡°Darvik,¡± he repeated. He pointed at his plate. Food good.


    Good, said Darvik with a smile. He turned back to his comrades, showing special deference to the bespectacled one.


    Unable to make out what they were saying, the prisoner sat down on the bench at the back of his cell. After a moment, Darvik nodded to him in what appeared to be a friendly goodbye and walked out of the room with the others. The nearly imperceptible humming returned.


    Farbin''s new body floated out in the aether. He boarded a shuttle and flew to it, his heart racing for the last time. The sleek, serpentine vessel was nearly ten miles long, the head itself about half a mile long and a quarter mile wide. The segmented body that followed it, filled with all manner of drones and hibernating beast soldiers, would serve as Farbin¡¯s supply depot, while the head would be the command center.


    His shuttle landed in the main hangar, located where the serpent¡¯s¨Chis own¨Cmouth was. He stepped down with his captains and Commander Cenfil. He did his best to suppress the smile that threatened to mar his freshly shaved face as a priestess greeted him in the hangar, nodding her greeting and leading him through the winding corridors to the main command center.


    ¡°Stand here,¡± she said, indicating a space in the middle of the floor. ¡°The rest of you, stand witness, as the Council watches also. Today, Herald Farbin becomes Farbin, World Serpent of Griffonia.¡±


    Something in Farbin¡¯s heart told him to run as a machine came down from the high ceiling and approached the back of his head, but he crushed the impulse. A series of needles stabbed into his spine and skull. It was excruciating, but he clenched his fists and trembled, unwilling to scream out as his brain was linked physically to the ship. Next, the machine that had bitten onto his skull meticulously began severing his head from his body, splicing pipes and arteries together as it went. Finally, his body slumped to the floor and a trap door opened below it, a suction system pulling the refuse down into a series of grinders and centrifuges that would recycle the components. His newly-freed head rose away from it as the machine retracted into the wall, his head now part of it. A visor closed over his eyes, multiple screens showing him the feeds from his various cameras. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°It is complete,¡± said the Priestess. ¡°How do you feel, World Serpent?¡±


    Farbin paused as he felt out his new body. He tried to stretch like he would in his old body, but the movement was unsatisfying. It was too mechanical, and brought no relief. He had not expected that. No matter, he was a world serpent now. He would grow used to his body.


    ¡°I feel excellent, Priestess,¡± he replied. ¡°Leave me. I must guard my new world.¡±


    Nodding once more, the Priestess left along with Farbin¡¯s captains and commander.


    Once they were gone, Farbin scrolled through his cameras, tested his thrusters, even fired his cannons off into the aether. All of it felt the same, as though he were using a machine rather than personally doing a thing. Perhaps that was typical, and it would fade with time. Or perhaps reality was not going to live up to the dream.


    Skritka walked through the Undercity escorted by Grepk¡¯s Marines, the RTS agents having split off to go back to their duties. He saw one of Jrenka¡¯s pictures hanging on the wall, this a stylized portrait of the beast soldier, his oversized hands gripping prison bars. The poster read ¡°CAPTURED! The Drakmundi are not as strong as they believe.¡±


    Someone had taken a red marker and scrawled ¡°kill the monster¡± over the face. Skritka shook his head. The creature¨Cthe person¨Che''d just visited certainly wasn''t acting like a monster.


    At first it seemed as though Creddik¡¯s attack had lobotomized the creature somehow. But upon further study, the ¡°beast¡± had developed manners of some kind, clearly savoring its meals, making eye contact with visitors, and attempting to communicate, as though brain damage actually resulted in a more sensible person. What they really needed was the ability to replicate the experiment. However, no one had left the Undercity since the hills had been bombed.


    The bombs had killed a few civilians as well as the Executor, but most injuries were minor. The loss of Grak-Yurp was a blow to the Republic, but for the moment Skritka was simply glad it hadn''t been worse. As he pondered their predicament, his comm buzzed in his breast pocket. He answered immediately, seeing it was from the Keep.


    ¡°Sir!¡± said the communications officer. ¡°I''m patching Admiral Trich through, sir.¡±


    ¡°Standing by,¡± answered Skritka, his heart in his throat as he waited for the news.


    ¡°Prime Minister?¡± said Trich. ¡°We sent them packing, sir. The cage shields work. We won.¡±


    Skritka nearly collapsed with joy and relief. He had wanted to watch the battle from his office, but there was too much else to do, and a constant ripmed stream was a massive energy drain that they did not need at the moment.


    Supplies were running lower than he cared to admit. The fungal gardens were being harvested too quickly, the vegetable gardens were struggling in the artificial light, and the nonperishable food was quickly running out. The situation in the other cities was just as dire. They needed this win.


    ¡°That''s- that''s wonderful news,¡± said Skritka. ¡°Providence has shined on us this day. Gather your armada and make any and all repairs with all possible haste. It''s time to liberate Griffonia.¡±


    Vanbrook woke up lying partly upright on a thin but passable mattress, beeps, mechanical humming and the stringent smell of disinfectant all around him. He was all too familiar with the sensations of being in the Shepherd¡¯s medbay, so he knew where he was even before his eyes fluttered open.


    ¡°Well, well, well, he¡¯s awake,¡± said a groggy voice from the bed next to his.


    He turned towards it and saw Raivyn, looking healthy but exhausted and eating a small cup of pudding. She smiled at him.


    ¡°What are you in for?¡± he asked, absently returning the smile.


    ¡°I overexerted myself psychically fighting the beast soldiers,¡± she explained. ¡°Used too much energy in too short a time, and fired a T-bolt with a personal record for magnitude to finish. I asked to keep an eye on you, and Doc insisted I get some bed rest while I did.¡±


    ¡°You can do that?¡± asked Vanbrook. ¡°Hurt yourself using your powers?¡±


    Raivyn shrugged. ¡°Only in a perfect storm of stress, overexertion, and prolonged usage. And I¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯m just exhausted. How about you? How¡¯s your arm?¡±


    He looked down to see his arm was laying across his torso in a soft cast or sling of some kind. ¡°Uh¡­ alright, I guess? I feel okay, but I¡¯m probably pumped full of painkillers right now, right?¡±


    ¡°That is correct,¡± said Doc, entering the room. ¡°But believe me, you could have done a lot worse. Your arm isn¡¯t broken and should heal correctly with time.¡±


    ¡°Good to know,¡± said Vanbrook, studying his bandaged arm.


    ¡°Notice I said ¡®should¡¯ and ¡®with time,¡¯¡± insisted Doc. ¡°You¡¯re going to listen to me and spend whatever time we have between here and Griffonia on light duty and doing whatever physical therapy I tell you to.¡±


    ¡°When are we heading back to Griffonia?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°Glad to know what I said sunk in,¡± huffed Doc.


    ¡°As soon as the armada is in fighting shape,¡± said Reclan, walking into the room. ¡°Which shouldn¡¯t be too much longer. The Dagger was easily the most damaged in the battle. The Drakmundi were prepared to take their time and pick us off at their leisure, and their lack of offensive weapons really bit them when we were able to evade their stupid disruptors and then bypass their shields on top of it.¡±


    ¡°Will they beat us home, then?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°Probably,¡± said Reclan.


    ¡°That means they¡¯ll all be in one place,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, stepping into the room. ¡°We can finish them off and then destroy that ring. Maybe that¡¯ll be the last we see of them.¡±


    ¡°That sounds a little too optimistic,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°And don¡¯t forget, there¡¯s an unknown number of beast soldiers on the surface of Griffonia.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t trouble us with facts, Rai,¡± said Vanbrook with a dismissive wave of his hand.


    ¡°Well, I fear she may be right,¡± said D¡¯Jarric with a shrug. He got a far-off look in his eyes again that Vanbrook found disquieting. ¡°And it¡¯s good to see you awake and well, Van.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, DJ,¡± replied Vanbrook, scooching down into his mattress and lying back. ¡°I was pretty glad I woke up.¡±


    ¡°Alright, everybody, give my patient here some space,¡± said Doc. ¡°That includes you, Raivyn,¡± he added pointedly. ¡°You¡¯re plenty healthy enough to get up and see if the Admiral could use you for anything.¡±


    Crush came out of the final jump of her journey, the Amalgam appearing just outside of Kirakna¡¯s orbit. She had been informed by Hacksaw via ripmed that the battle for Kirakna had already been won, but that they would soon be taking the fight to Griffonia. She hailed the Blue Griffon Fleet.


    ¡°Hello, Admiral Hunt,¡± she said when the young officer answered her call. ¡°The Amalgam is reporting for duty.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s some ship you have there, Admiral,¡± said Hunt. ¡°Or should I call you Guardian, now?¡±


    ¡°Admiral will do nicely, Admiral,¡± she said. She was starting to come to terms with her role as a Guardian, but she felt a bit strange claiming the title after leaving Cradle the way she had.


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Hunt. ¡°We¡¯re working on repairing the damage sustained in the battle and, hopefully, pushing the refugees on towards Hittania or towards the Cornucopia Cluster. I¡¯m sure Captain Hacksaw will be able to catch you up more completely on the situation. For the time-being we are repairing and restocking. I suggest you take the time we have to do the same.¡±


    ¡°I will do that, Admiral Hunt,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Providence shine on you, Admiral Crush,¡± he said.


    ¡°On you as well,¡± answered Crush.


    Ending the call, Crush reached out to Hacksaw. He gave her the coordinates for where he and the rest of the FRF fleet were located. She piloted the Amalgam to the coordinates, pleased with how the hybrid ship sailed through the aether. A strange shudder ran through her being, seeming to start in her core and radiate out to her extremities. She felt as though it was a premonition of evil. However, the feeling dissipated as quickly as it had come on, so she shook her head and continued on. The galaxy needed saving, so she was going to help save it.

 Chapter 4.34: As Old As the Stars

    Farbin orbited Griffonia in his new body, looking down on the green and blue orb he now controlled. He had gotten used to his massive form, or at least was beginning to grow accustomed to it.


    There has been no more news of the rogue beast soldier, which Farbin took to mean the bombing had done its work. The planet was truly subdued now, despite a few guerilla groups in the countrysides, which didn''t concern him. Now that supply lines were up and running and he was established as the world serpent, his focus would be to crack the fortresses located below the cities. He suspected that the Talpidarians at least were well-adapted to living underground and starving them out may not be an option.


    A communication from Grefli came through to the screen that sat just beyond his eyes. Good. The conquest of Kirakna would be another step on his journey to joining the Council. Perhaps it was too early to start thinking of another promotion, but he still felt the itching of his remaining flesh as he listened to Grefli¡¯s voice. Why was it Grefli himself?


    Farbin listened intently to the message, his rage growing with every word.


    ¡°They destroyed two war trains. The others are damaged,¡± Grefli was saying. ¡°We are returning to regroup and adjust our approach.¡±


    Farbin sat silently for a moment, the only sound the whirring pumps and circuits sitting behind his ears. The Council would not be pleased.


    He recorded a message to send back to the failure of a Herald. ¡°Come see me at once, Herald Grefli. There is much to discuss.¡±


    ***


    A short time later, the Blue Griffon Fleet was flying through the aether with the majority of the united armada. A token force was left behind as a rear guard, but the rest were on the way to Griffonia. The news of the successful battle had reached their allies, and the Wabulubans had sent reinforcements. Even the Independent Aerat Nation had sent a couple ships to follow behind the main fleet, and Lord Wyven, unable to spare additional star trees, had agreed to let Lady Rewna continue on with the fleet.


    That just left the long, quiet trip back between the armada and the battle for their civilization.


    A knock at Raivyn''s door interrupted her brooding and she stood up from her desk and answered the door.


    ¡°Oh, hi Van,¡± she said. ¡°It''s an hour or two until dinner.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Van, scratching the back of his head. ¡°I was kind of hoping for a redo of that walk around the bridge tower?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± said Raivyn, annoyed at her own density. ¡°Yeah, let''s do that. Sounds, uh, fun.¡±


    Vanbrook had a slightly pained look in his eyes.


    ¡°That sounds lovely, Van,¡± she said with a smile.


    He smiled back, reaching out his hand so she could take it. She did, and they spent the next hour walking around the ship that way. At dinner, they laughed harder than they had a right to, given the circumstances, but the rest of the Squad didn''t mind. The truth was a joyful spark of life was just the sort of thing everyone needed. It reminded them of what they were fighting for, and their laughter was more infectious than it was obnoxious.


    As they laughed and talked together, Admiral Hunt sat down at their table.


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, D¡¯Jarric,¡± he said, offering no greeting. ¡°You know more about this enemy than you¡¯re letting on.¡±


    ¡°Not about this enemy in particular,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, not bothering to deny the charge. ¡°What I fear is that these new enemies share with our slightly older foes, the Koomites.¡±


    ¡°Which is what?¡± asked Hunt, exhausted. ¡°A penchant for circular serpents?¡±


    ¡°A circle is a common but singular shape, is it not?¡± asked D¡¯Jarric.


    Hunt sighed.


    ¡°Bear with me,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, holding a hand up in defense of himself. ¡°A circle is ubiquitous, not merely for its simplicity, but for its symbolism. It is sameness. It is ongoing emptiness. It is the infinite, inglorious repetition of madness. The serpent is a symbol recognized by the many species of our universe as a poisoner, a backbiter, a destroyer of what is good and pure.


    ¡°This symbol predates most, if not all, of your civilizations,¡± said D¡¯Jarric. ¡°It was the symbol adopted by Y¡¯Vlik, the Rebel, who led the rebellious Solarans against the Progenitor in the Solaran Civil War.¡±


    ¡°And you, what, think Y¡¯Vlik may be returning?¡± asked Hunt.


    ¡°Some prophets believe he will, and that it will be the end of my people,¡± answered D¡¯Jarric with a sigh. ¡°Fighting him once felt like enough for all time.¡±


    Raivyn stared down at her cup as D¡¯Jarric spoke.


    ¡°D¡¯Jarric,¡± she said, looking up at him. ¡°How old are you?¡±


    ¡°The Solarans do not count years the way most biologicals do,¡± said D¡¯Jarric.


    ¡°How old?¡± asked Hunt.


    ¡°I am as old as my star, as are all Solarans,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, rising from the table. ¡°I have answered enough questions for now, I¡¯m afraid. I will tell you what I may as I may. For now, I must simply ask that you trust me, in this matter and in others.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    With that, he strode from the room, leaving the others speechless in his wake.


    ***


    Grefli stepped into the open room that served as Farbin''s command center. He stood in the center, looking up at the disembodied head that controlled the massive robotic serpent.


    ¡°Herald Grefli,¡± said Farbin''s stern voice. His head protruded from the wall, snaking down towards Grefli on a series of articulated cables like a grisly approximation of a serpent. ¡°Explain your failures to me.¡±


    ¡°They circumvented our disruptors, World Serpent,¡± said Grefli. Addressing Farbin this way grated on Grefli''s nerves. Farbin had always been an annoying, sharp-elbowed colleague; he was unbearable as a superior. ¡°Our defenses were not prepared for a straight-forward attack.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Farbin. ¡°I must meet them with overwhelming force, then.¡±


    ¡°We will be ready, World Serpent,¡± said Grefli.


    ¡°No,¡± said Farbin simply. ¡°I will be ready, you will be dead.¡±


    Grefli ground his teeth, trying to send a gout of flame from the crystal on his forehead. Farbin stopped him, controlling him through his command center. Now he could simply activate the chip in Grefli''s head to kill him.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± said Grefli, resigned to his fate. ¡°Was it worth it? Becoming a monstrosity? I always thought we Heralds had the best of it. So tell me, since I''m dead anyway, how do you like your miserable new form? Is it everything the Council promised?¡±


    Farbin withdrew his head back into the wall and opened the trapdoor beneath Grefli, the suction pulling him down into the mechanisms below.


    Ignoring the short-lived screams, Farbin turned his attention towards calling up as much force as he could through the maw.


    D''Jarric sat on the prow of the Wingspan, lost in thought. He heard steps behind him and turned to see Doc walking his way. ¡°Mind if I join you?¡± asked the Robot through the comms system. He gave the somber Robot a smile and nod as he sat by him.


    ¡°What I''ve learned of late,¡± said Doc, staring off towards the distant star that would soon reveal itself as Griffonia¡¯s sun, ¡°is that you and I have more in common than I ever suspected.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± asked D''Jarric.


    ¡°I always thought that I was artificial and that you were mortal. Turns out, we are both created and immortal, at least in a sense.¡±


    D''Jarric smiled. ¡°I suppose so. I was never sure about that, by the way. I always had my suspicions about Robot cores, but I was never sure.¡±


    ¡°So you don''t know everything, then,¡± said Doc.


    ¡°No, no,¡± said D''Jarric with a laugh. ¡°There is much I don''t know. Solarans are, as you may have inferred, a unique race. And our path is different from many of our fellows. I know very little about the Coreborn and their Elders. We serve at the Progenitor¡¯s pleasure, and it may be that the Solarans¡¯ time in this galaxy is coming to an end.¡±


    ¡°The Progenitor will¡­ kill you?¡± asked Doc.


    ¡°No, we will continue on,¡± said D''Jarric. ¡°Just not here.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± said Doc. ¡°Hope he gives Talon Squad some notice. You''ll be hard to replace.¡±


    ¡°I should hope so,¡± laughed D''Jarric.


    ¡°So every star has its own Solaran?¡± asked Doc. ¡°Or vice versa?¡±


    ¡°Many died in the Civil War,¡± said D''Jarric sadly. ¡°They are with Progenitor already. Or caught within their own collapsed stars, if they were rebels.¡±


    ¡°And now they''re coming back?¡± asked Doc.


    ¡°The forces of chaos seem to be gathering,¡± said D''Jarric. ¡°When I was dispatched to work among the biologicals, I knew it may be leading to the end. I suppose I will know more soon.¡±


    ¡°Well, do you mind keeping us in the loop going forward?¡± asked Doc.


    ¡°I will inform the Prime Minister and other leaders of what I''ve told you,¡± said D''Jarric. ¡°You must understand that I keep many secrets that are not mine to do with as I please.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± said Doc. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡±


    D''Jarric shrugged. ¡°We meet every new challenge with a smile, knowing the Progenitor will guide us through.¡±


    ¡°Well, the smiling thing is a bit difficult for me, metal faceplate and all,¡± said Doc.


    ¡°And what of trusting the Progenitor?¡± asked D''Jarric.


    ¡°That¡­ that''s pretty foreign to me, as well,¡± said Doc. ¡°But more and more, I think I may be forced to give it a try.¡±


    D''Jarric gave him a wry smile. ¡°That''ll have to do for now, I suppose. Come, the chaos will not fight itself.¡±


    ***


    King Hua and Queen Shiu marveled at the creature that had risen from the ground in their courtyard. Besides Crush, they had never seen a Coreborn in this form. Neither had their parents, or grandparents, or any ancestors going back countless generations.


    KING AND QUEEN, said Meristem, breaking his silence with a booming mental voice. YOUR GUARDIAN HAS LEFT YOU. I HAVE COME ONLY TO TELL YOU THAT, UNTIL A GUARDIAN IS ESTABLISHED ONCE MORE, THE COREBORN AND THE ELDERS WILL RETURN TO OUR DEEP HOMES. IT WAS AGAINST OUR EXPRESS WISHES THAT GUARDIAN SPROUT LEFT THIS WORLD, BUT SHE HAS MADE HER CHOICE.


    ¡°We have only just met you, and Koo L''Koom will not return for some time,¡± protested Hua.


    THAT IS NOT A RISK THE ELDERS WILL TAKE, boomed Meristem. AN ELDER COREBORN MADDENED BY AN AETHER BEAST IS NOT SOMETHING TO BE GLIB ABOUT.


    WE HOPED FOR NEW AGE OF GROWTH ON CRADLE. PERHAPS SOON WE WILL ESTABLISH A GUARDIAN¡­ BUT WISHING IS NO GOOD USE OF TIME. GOODBYE, KING AND QUEEN OF THE LIGHTBORN.


    Meristem turned back to the hole he had emerged from, clearly not interested in any response from Hua and Shiu. They watched him disappear for a moment.


    ¡°I am going to follow him,¡± said Hua.


    ¡°Don''t,¡± said Shiu, a note of worry in her voice.


    ¡°We haven''t seen our counterparts in centuries, my Queen,¡± said Hua. ¡°I am not going to let their irrational fears stop me.¡±


    Her form shivered with foreboding as she watched her King disappear after the Coreborn. She understood his excitement, but feared the consequences of ignoring the Elder¡¯s warnings.


    ***


    ¡°Well well well,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°If it isn''t the old man.¡±


    D''Jarric boarded the shuttle and sat down by the rest of Talon Squad as they strapped in to end the jump and take the battle to the Drakmundi.


    ¡°I''m young at heart, Vanbrook,¡± said D''Jarric with a good natured laugh. ¡°And I''ve got plenty of spark left to beat you up, if that was a challenge.¡±


    Vanbrook held his hands up in mock surrender. ¡°I believe that. So, does this mean we finally get to see you really cut loose on the bad guys?¡±


    ¡°You''ll know it when I do,¡± answered D''Jarric.


    ¡°Back to riddles, I see,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°Alright folks,¡± said Reclan from the pilot''s chair. ¡°Buckle in and get ready. As soon as we get the word we''re blasting off for the surface. We''ll be following Drixen''s squad as well as a squad of Marines aboard the gunship Dirk.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°Let''s take our city back!¡±

 Chapter 3.35: Here Comes the Cavalry

    The Drakmundi were waiting for them as soon as the first wave of the armada came out of their jump. A flood of serpent drones were firing on them the moment they could identify targets, and the armada responded in kind. They had jumped in at such an angle that they could see their main target: the Drakmundi portal.


    The first wave, composed entirely of Griffonian ships, sent out their fighters to meet the drones, with Talon Squad¡¯s shuttle and the Dirk on their heels. Drixen did a barrel roll, strafing the enemy with fire from his foreguns as he went. His fellow pilots cheered him on as they began flying circles around the drones. They were vastly outnumbered, but within a few minutes nearly every Griffonian pilot had claimed at least one drone.


    The second wave was moments behind the first, arriving a few hundred miles away, starting to box in the enemy. This wave contained the Wabuluban ships, and their fish-like fighters zipped into the battle, relieving Drixen¡¯s fighters and giving them a chance to go after the war trains gathered around the portal.


    The rest of the fleet focused their smaller weapons on eliminating drones while their larger weapons hammered the war trains¡¯ shields. Falling into a pattern of rotating in and out of battle, they were able to keep the enemy from swarming them while keeping their shields rested.


    ¡°What is that!?¡± cried Admiral Trich, indicating a miles-long disturbance on the scopes.


    ¡°Likely more war trains, sir,¡± said his communications officer.


    ¡°It¡¯s too dense for that,¡± said Trich uncertainly.


    Trich sifted through her console for the long-range visual scopes and focused on the disturbance. A serpent-like form wound its way through the aether, having emerged from the tilted horizon of Griffonia some time ago.


    ¡°An aether beast!?¡± cried the communications officer.


    ¡°No, no I don¡¯t think so,¡± said Trich. ¡°I believe it¡¯s a ship.¡±


    ***


    Farbin wound his way through the aether, ready to devour the enemy. He had noted that a detachment of their ships had made their way to the surface, so he accelerated his plans to crack the underground resistance as well, sending scores of beast soldiers and infantry in bunker-buster infiltrator pods. The rest of the enemy appeared to be focused on attacking the maw, and he would gladly meet them there.


    World Serpent Farbin, this is Councilor Hagan, I demand an update.


    Councilor, answered Farbin. The battle has commenced. I am on my way to intercept the enemy on their way to the maw.


    It has been long since a society has been able to challenge us, Farbin, warned Hagan. Grefli was duly punished for his failure. You would be as well.


    I understand, Councilor, replied Farbin. I will not fail.


    ***


    Reclan followed behind Drixen¡¯s squad as they pushed through the enemy to get to the surface. Fighting was fierce, and a number of the escorting fighters went down as the Drakmundi drones overwhelmed them with sheer numbers. She fired the shuttle¡¯s meager weapons when she had the opportunity, but it felt like throwing a glass of water at a raging inferno.


    The Dirk, on the other hand, wove in and out of the drone formations, blasting apart anything that fell into their crosshairs. Shortly after they had entered Griffonia¡¯s atmosphere, three Marines in full mechanized armor leapt out and buzzed around like self-contained fighter craft, using swords and guns to tear through enemies with almost the same efficiency as Drixen¡¯s squadrons.


    Reclan watched in horror as massive infiltrator craft fell from the sky, slamming into the city below.


    ¡°Do you think those are headed for our people below ground?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°More than likely,¡± said Raivyn, voice heavy with apprehension.


    ¡°Undercity, this is Talon Squad,¡± said Reclan over the comms. ¡°Look out above, we think the Drakmundi may be trying to crack through to your position.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Talon Squad,¡± replied the Undercity¡¯s comms officer. ¡°Glad to see you all heading our way. We¡¯re looking forward to joining you in the fight.¡±


    The fight continued, but the drones were thinning out as they approached the surface. Checking her readouts, Reclan saw that the drones were focused on defending the war trains above, as well as whatever the monstrous creature was that had flown into the battle.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting close,¡± said Drixen at length. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re sending a greeting party to meet us from a staging area they¡¯ve set up in the area of the Depot. Sorry, folks, we¡¯re going to have to bomb our own house to drive off the Drakmundi. Brace for incoming.¡±


    A group of Drakmundi infantry in heavy armor and jetpacks rose to meet them, their armor glinting in the morning sun. They shot gouts of flame from their foreheads and fired bolts of energy from their staff-like guns, momentarily scattering the fighters with their opening salvo. The Marines, however, swooped in and attacked head-on, their heavy guns tearing through the enemy to great effect. The fighters banked and got a favorable angle on the flying Drakmundi, quickly thinning their numbers.


    ¡°Cowgirl, get ready for the first bombing run,¡± said Drixen. ¡°All bombers, follow Cowgirl. Squad One, we¡¯re with the bombers. Squads Two and Three, focus on keeping the skies clear.¡±


    ¡°Talon Squad, that¡¯s our cue,¡± said the captain of the Dirk. ¡°We¡¯re going to break off here and head for the northern end of the city, where the Drakmundi presence appears to be the lightest. We¡¯ll fight our way towards the Keep and rendezvous with the folks in the Undercity there.¡±


    ¡°You got it,¡± said Reclan. ¡°We¡¯ll follow your lead.¡±


    ***


    High above, the armada was making headway against the war trains, their fighters buzzing in and out of the shields and systematically destroying them. The third wave, which included the Astralbians, the FRF, and the Drihn, had arrived as well, adding to the ever-rotating armada of carriers and destroyers that pounded the Drakmundi forces with everything they had. Trich was happy to see how well things were going, but terrified of the miles-long serpent that had closed in on them and began to attack with the firepower of a dozen war trains.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Maul, I need you to take three additional gunships and make an attack run on that gate, before that serpentine station arrives,¡± said Trich.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said the Maul¡¯s captain.


    ¡°All fighters, protect the Maul and its companions as they approach the gate,¡± added Trich.


    ¡°The Amalgam is well suited to the task, Admiral,¡± said Crush over the comms. ¡°With your leave, I¡¯ll join them.¡±


    ¡°Please do, Admiral Crush,¡± said Trich gratefully.


    The Maul and the Amalgam took off, leaving the relative safety of the armada with three other gunships to slip past the badly-damaged war trains and distracted drones to get clear, close-range attacks against the gate, which was still spewing wave after wave of drones into the battle space. The giant serpent focused all of its fire on the ships, and soon the war trains were all doing the same.


    ¡°Commanders,¡± said Trich. ¡°Send some of your fighter squads and bombers to distract the- the giant serpent.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± replied Twig, the commander of the Red Shield¡¯s fighter squadrons.


    Trich watched as the fighters peeled off and joined the gunships, and grimaced as waves of drones followed after them.


    ***


    Clayside, Talon Squad was marching through the city with the Marines. Having established a landing zone in the north, they called down an Army troop ship, which would be arriving with Captain Fenrik, Kwa-Kwa and her scouts, and a battalion of soldiers to start the proper retaking of the city.


    For now, Vanbrook was spearheading the group of nine warriors that worked their way slowly through the city. Seeing Kerucester for the first time since the invasion, Vanbrook¡¯s heart sank to his stomach. It was empty, and the bombing of the northern hills had left several blocks flattened and most windows broken. It was clear that fires, caused by fighting or simply by failures of unsupervised appliances, had broken out in many places as well. Bodies, mostly reduced to skeletons, lined the streets. Vanbrook tried not to look too hard at the last item. He was no stranger to violence, but the Drakmundi had indiscriminately killed everyone they could reach. Tears welled up in his eyes. He¡¯d taken the whole invasion far too lightly. He was so used to fighting on frontiers that he¡¯d lost sight of what it meant to see war come home.


    When they encountered their first enemies, an isolated group of light infantry, he channeled his rage through the barrel of his revolver, ending the first of them before he¡¯d been sighted. The rest turned on his position suddenly, and he threw up his shield to block a long-ranged gout of flame.


    The rest of Talon Squad and the Marines joined in the attack, firing a hail of ballistic and energy fire at the enemy. The light infantry were not nearly as tough and battle-ready as the beast soldiers, and they soon all lay still in puddles of purple blood.


    ¡°Looks like most of the soldiers are convening on the Keep,¡± said Hrup-Ka, the Marine¡¯s captain. ¡°Here¡¯s hoping the small army in the Undercity manages to meet us halfway, or this little run is going to end badly.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got back up coming,¡± said Reclan. ¡°Just got word that Fenrik¡¯s people are landing in the next couple of minutes. With no one to stop them behind us, they¡¯ll catch up quick.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s hope the Undercity is fighting-fit either way,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°We didn¡¯t come here to liberate a tomb.¡±


    ***


    Down in the Undercity, Darvik was with Glynn, helping to move the civilians down to the lowest levels, furthest from the Keep and closest to the northern exits. The caves to the north had been carefully dug out, and the people were prepared to run into the wilds if the Undercity was breached.


    ¡°All combat personnel, report to the Underkeep immediately! All civilians, remain where you have been placed unless ordered otherwise!¡± The announcement wasn¡¯t unexpected, but it did make Darvik¡¯s stomach turn.


    ¡°That means me,¡± he said, looking at Glynn with an unfamiliar feeling wrenching his guts.


    ¡°Yes, it does,¡± she said. She stepped right up to him and planted a tender kiss on his cheek. ¡°Come back to me. I''ve¡­ gotten used to having you around.¡±


    Despite his best efforts, a grin split his face from ear to ear. ¡°I will.¡±


    He''d rarely felt so torn. Half of him was burning with a zealous desire to tear the Drakmundi apart with his bare hands, the other half demanded that he stay right here, in the one moment he''d had in years that wasn''t drenched in booze, horror, or sorrow. With one last lingering look, he turned and sped towards the Keep.


    ***


    Having torn through the minimal resistance offered by the Drakmundi on the north side of town, Talon Squad and the Marines reached the Keep quickly. The building was swarming with beast soldiers, and it was clear the fighting would be tougher from here on in. They crept up the fire escape of a building near the Keep that gave them a good view of the front entrance. The main blast door was broken in, and craters lined the streets where the infiltrator ships had hit.


    ¡°Give me a moment to puppeteer one of the beast soldiers,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Then light ¡®em up.¡±


    She stood for a long moment, concentrating, and then one of the beast soldiers jerked suddenly and stalked towards one of its comrades, slashing its throat without warning.


    The Marines charged in, jetpacks and weapons spitting fire. Talon Squad stood by Raivyn, firing into the crowd of beast soldiers and infantry.


    One of the Marines was ripped to the ground after a beast managed to grab their leg. They were swarmed by enemies and did not get back up again.


    Raivyn puppeteered her beast soldier towards a group of Drakmundi infantry who had taken cover behind a low stone wall opposite Talon Squad and started firing on their position. The beast soldier nimbly leapt the wall and chaos ensued.


    ¡°Talon Squad, this is Captain Grepk,¡± said a voice over Reclan''s comms. ¡°The beast soldiers have infiltrated the Undercity. Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Just outside the Keep,¡± answered Reclan. ¡°We''re on our way.¡±


    Talon Squad clamored down from their perch and pushed in towards the Keep, but a horde of beast soldiers kept them at bay.


    Suddenly, a growing sound came to them through the buildings behind them - the roaring, stomping sound of an army hurtling through the streets. The Griffonian Army burst out of every nook and cranny, focusing their fire on the beasts below. Kwa-Kwa and her scouts popped up on seemingly impossible buildings and ledges, firing powerful long-range rifles into the enemy.


    ¡°The cavalry has arrived!¡± said Reclan over the comms.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it,¡± said Kwa-Kwa, pointing up into the sky.


    A roar rumbled out over the battle, causing many to pause and look up. Those who did saw a great, silver-blue beast with a feathered mane framing its lion-like face, feathery wings, and wicked claws outstretched, back to the sun. It came to a near standstill and then turned down towards the gathered enemies in a dizzying divebomb. Vanbrook¡¯s face broke out into a wide grin when he saw the gray and grizzled old man sitting on the griffon¡¯s back, cradling a long double-barrelled shotgun. When Ol¡¯ Blue had nearly hit the ground, Jasken fired off both barrels, warding off a beast soldier and sending it reeling back into the crowd. Blue picked up a beast in each clawed forefoot, tossing them across the cityscape to crash into the pavement blocks away.


    ¡°Woohoo!¡± cried Vanbrook over comms. ¡°Good to see you, Admiral!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Jasken to you, sailor,¡± growled Jasken. ¡°And let¡¯s wrap this up, I¡¯m supposed to be retired!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir, Jasken!¡± replied Vanbrook.


    ¡°See you at the victory feast, Ad- Jasken,¡± said Reclan.


    ¡°Is food all you ever think about?¡± asked Jasken as he reloaded and maneuvered Ol¡¯ Blue around for another attack.


    Talon Squad broke into a run, grinning as they rushed the Keep.


    ***


    Hua continued to follow Meristem down into the clay of Cradle. Soon the earth started to close behind them, and the air went from cool, to stuffy, to uncomfortably hot. Meristem stopped after a little while, sitting down and holding his head. After a moment he stood up and continued walking, but more softly this time, one of his hands massaging his head. He stopped suddenly.


    ¡°WHO¡¯S THERE?¡± the stone giant asked, turning. His eyes burned with anger when they sat on Hua. ¡°YOU HAVE SEALED YOUR OWN FATE! THE ELDER¡¯S FEARS ARE REALIZED. I HAVE SENSED A BEAST, ALREADY MY HEAD ACHES. I DARE NOT RETURN YOU TO THE SURFACE, FOR IF I GO TO THE SURFACE, MORE WILL BE IN MY PATH. TURN AROUND, AND DIG FOR THE SURFACE WHILE I GO ON. LET US PRAY THE MADNESS DOES NOT TAKE ME UNTIL WE HAVE PARTED WAYS.¡±


    Trembling with fear, Hua turned without speaking and clawed for the surface. For some time Meristem descended at a hurried pace, and soon Hua could not hear him. He rested for a moment, and heard a rumbling behind him. A dull red glow appeared in the depths, and soon two burning red eyes could be seen as Meristem charged up the tunnel.


    ¡°TRA¡¯LIK KAH! TRA¡¯LIK KAH! TRA¡¯LIK KAH!¡±

 Chapter 4.36: Into the Maw

    Crush put nearly all the star tree eyes at her disposal towards the portal, but the beams bounced off the ring without doing any noticeable damage. The two great eyes that graced her bow, one on either side, she held in reserve, waiting for an opportune shot. However, the onslaught of the massive serpentine craft interrupted her efforts, its heavy energy fire forcing her to evade. An inferno burst out of its mouth, engulfing one of the gunships entirely and singeing others. When the flames faded, the ship was burnt and sparking. Another round of energy blasts from the multitude of energy cannons on the serpent reduced it to slag.


    ¡°Think like fighter crafts!¡± said Crush over the comms. ¡°Keep formations loose, take shots against the target when you can!¡±


    The ships followed Crush¡¯s lead, playing a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with the monstrous enemy. Crush scrambled the handful of skiffs she had at her disposal to harass the serpent. They were small and maneuverable enough to stay out of the bigger guns¡¯ way, but had more trouble with the smaller sentry guns mounted all over the serpent¡¯s outside and with the cloud of drones that seeped out of the various hangars located along the length of the vessel.


    ¡°Admiral Trich,¡± she said. ¡°We need support! Can you send more fighters?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid my fighters are all engaged with the war trains or stemming the tide of the serpent drones,¡± answered Trich. ¡°We should have another war train eliminated soon. I¡¯ll send back-up when we do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll have to do,¡± said Crush, watching another gunship explode and banking hard to avoid another blast of flame.


    Epilogue


    Despite the Wingspan¡¯s inexplicable departure, the battle wrapped up quickly. The enormous serpentine vessel disappeared suddenly in a ripmed jump to an unknown location, allowing Crush to blast the ring with great eye blasts, quickly destroying it. The mirrored surface blinked out of existence and the aether erupted into victorious cheers.


    The majority of the infiltrator crafts were destroyed before they hit the surface, and the war trains and drones left behind were mopped up easily by the overwhelming forces they faced. The next stop would be the surface, where the remaining infantry and beast soldiers had to be dealt with. Crush was almost looking forward to that.


    A call came in via ripmed, and she answered it immediately.


    ¡°Yrinla, we won!¡± said Crush in lieu of an actual greeting. Her spirits fell as she noted the care-worn look on the old tree priestess'' face. ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡±


    ¡°Cradle had a close encounter with the aether beast known as Tra¡¯lik Kah,¡± she said. ¡°The beasts are on the move, it would seem.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come back,¡± said Crush, guilt washing over her. ¡°I¡¯ll-¡±


    Yrinla cut her off. ¡°King Hua was going to see the Elders, against their wishes, as they feared just this scenario. He¡¯s dead, Crush. The king is dead.¡±


    ***


    Darvik stuck with Yulun, Trebor, Grepk¡¯s squad, and a number of soldiers. It was hard fighting, but the seven of them in close quarters were able to put down the groups of two or three beast soldiers. They were fighting their way towards the holding cells, since Creddik hadn¡¯t been freed prior to the attack. The hope was to pick him up and have him puppeteer a few beast soldiers to soften up the enemy. A cacophony of screams and gunfire came from the direction of the holding cells, where they found a group of Drakmundi infantry soldiers standing over the bodies of the jailers, evidently descending into the Undercity behind the initial force of beast soldiers.


    Creddik was cowering in the corner of his cell, waiting for the enemy to turn their staff-like energy guns on him. Instead, they turned and began firing on the agents, Marines, and soldiers who had just barged in.


    One of the Drakmundi at the back smirked as he figured out the lock mechanism on the captive beast soldier¡¯s cage, opening the door for him. The beast soldier stepped out, stone faced, and the infantryman turned to face the enemy, only to find himself lifted off the floor and slammed into the ground, sharp claws tearing through his flesh. Freed from his prison, the rogue beast soldier began systematically ripping the Drakmundi infantry to shreds. By the time they realized what was going on, the Griffonian forces had pinned them from one side as the beast soldier tore into them from the other, and they soon all lay dead.


    ¡°Are you puppeteering this creature, Creddik?¡± asked Trebor.


    Creddik looked up from where he sat huddled on the floor. ¡°No! This cell is still T-proofed!¡±


    A wide array of weapons were suddenly trained on the beast soldier, who held his hands up in a gesture of peace.


    ¡°Friend,¡± he said.


    ¡°Big guy here isn¡¯t like the others,¡± said Darvik. ¡°We¡¯d better keep him with us.¡±


    ***


    Talon Squad entered the Keep to see a massive hole in the floor of the entryway. An infiltrator ship had crashed right through the door and the ten-foot-thick floor inside, falling into the depths of the Undercity, just where the underground hangar lay.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± asked Vanbrook, slamming a piton into the floor and getting out his climbing gear.


    ¡°Can''t we take the stairs?¡± asked Reclan. ¡°Maybe the elevators?¡±


    Vanbrook was already on his way down, so the others joined him and in moments they were descending into the depths of the Undercity, their shoulder-mounted flashlights blaring into the abyss.


    ¡°There!¡± said Doc. ¡°The infiltrator ship.¡±


    Looking to where he pointed, Vanbrook saw the ship, lodged in one of the massive towers that made up the Underkeep. The tower was only a few yards away, and when Vanbrook got down where he was level with the ship he saw light coming out around the edge of the hole the ship was in, the seal around the ship having partially failed.


    He swung over to the hole and grabbed on, only to have a thick, muscle-bound arm shoot through, grabbing him by the throat. He pulled his revolver and fired point blank at the arm, forcing the beast soldier to release him and howl in pain. Vanbrook slipped back, swinging out into the open.


    The beast soldier ripped the hole back with his mangled arm, roaring at Vanbrook, who was now swinging back towards him. Vanbrook tried to level his gun and fire again, but his arm was still sore and his dexterity was suffering.


    D''Jarric fired a bolt from above, and the beast stumbled back again.


    ¡°I''m trying to puppeteer it!¡± called Raivyn. ¡°Hang in there!¡±


    Vanbrook slammed into the wall and tried to scramble back up his cable, but the beast was reaching back out through the hole again. Its eyes suddenly went wide and it was pulled back into the hole. There was the sound of a struggle, and when Vanbrook swung back, it was Darvik who stood in the hole, reaching out to take Vanbrook¡¯s hand. He took it unquestioningly and Darvik helped haul him inside of the tower. One by one, the rest of Talon Squad swung into the tower, as well.


    ¡°So what was wrong with the elevator, again?¡± asked Reclan.


    ¡°The repelling bit was Van¡¯s idea?¡± asked Darvik.


    Raivyn nodded.


    ¡°Sounds like Van,¡± sighed Darvik.


    Vanbrook glared daggers at his old rival.


    ¡°Woah,¡± cried Reclan, spotting Darvik''s Drakmundi friend for the first time.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, he''s with us,¡± said Darvik.


    ¡°This is the rogue soldier?¡± asked Raivyn.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Darvik.


    ¡°May I speak with him?¡± she asked.


    Darvik shrugged. ¡°Knock yourself out.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Raivyn tapped the side of her head, then reached out and pointed towards the beast soldier¡¯s head. He smiled and nodded ascent. She nodded in return, closed her eyes, and reached out to his mind with her own.


    Hello, Drakmundi. My name is Raivyn. What is yours?


    Fremik, came the reply. The creature stopped, as if struck with sudden paralysis, his eyes going wide. Yes, I am Fremik. I- I remember now. I- I remember¡­ too much. He sank to the ground, holding his broad head in his enormous hands. I remember too much.


    I¡¯m sorry, Fremik, I don¡¯t understand, said Raivyn gently.


    I was not always like this, Raivyn, he replied. Not always a beast. My story is a tragedy, but I do not have time to explain it now. There may be a way to stop the Drakmundi scourging of the galaxy, but it must be done on Drakmund itself, and that is a grave thing.


    ¡°Hey, Fremik¨Cour rogue beast soldier here¨Cis saying we may be able to stop the Drakmundi if we go to their homeworld,¡± said Raivyn aloud.


    ¡°Of course he is,¡± spat Trebor.


    ¡°Oh, shut up,¡± said Grepk bitterly. ¡°There¡¯s clearly something different about this one. We at least need to hear what he has to say.¡±


    ¡°We must do whatever he says,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, a fiery conviction in his eyes. ¡°The fate of the galaxy may depend on it.¡±


    Fremik, how do we get to Drakmund? asked Raivyn. And what do we need to do when we get there?


    We must destroy the ability of the Drakmundi Council to control their army, answered Fremik. To get to Drakmund, we must go through the dragon¡¯s maw orbiting above your world.


    The portal, you mean? asked Raivyn.


    Correct, said Fremik. It will take us to a fleet world, all of which are closer to Drakmund than any of the outer planets, such as your own.


    How far is Drakmund from Griffonia? asked Raivyn.


    I do not know, said Fremik honestly. The frontier, last I knew of it, was at least three hundred lightyears in any direction.


    Raivyn was taken aback. Even with ripmed travel, a trip of that distance would likely take years, particularly if the location of the planet was uncertain and the paths were unknown. On top of that, no one was recorded of ever having traveled that far.


    ¡°We¡¯re talking about the difference between an instant shortcut if we fly through the dragon¡¯s maw¨Cthat¡¯s what Fremik called the portal¨Cor a trip that could take over a year if we knew exactly where we were going,¡± said Raivyn, walking into the tower and towards the stairs that would lead to the surface.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± said Trebor, standing in Raivyn¡¯s way.


    D¡¯Jarric stepped in front of Trebor, toe-to-toe, looking down into the man¡¯s icy eyes. ¡°Move aside, Trebor. This is beyond you.¡±


    Trebor stared hard at D¡¯Jarric, but moved aside. Fighting a Solaran was never a wise move.


    The way now clear, Talon Squad climbed up out of the tower and back into the Keep itself, Darvik, Fremik and the others following behind them. The battle for the Keep was over, and Griffonian forces were moving towards the Depot, clearing the rest of the city as they went.


    ¡°To the shuttle, then?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°And on to the Wingspan,¡± said D¡¯Jarric.


    Talon Squad, along with Darvik and Fremik, went off towards the shuttle, while the Marines and the other two agents went south to join the battle. The sound of battle raged behind them as they went, and Raivyn kept looking over her shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m needed here,¡± she said.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Vanbrook, shocked. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m needed here,¡± she repeated. ¡°I can puppeteer the beast soldiers. I can¡¯t just leave.¡±


    ¡°What about talking to Fremik?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°You guys will figure that out,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°So who is going?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    D¡¯Jarric, Reclan, Doc, and Darvik raised their hands.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°I- I trust your instincts, Rai. I trust you.¡±


    She ran to him and hugged him. He hugged back, and they stood there for a long moment, eyes shut tight, no words spoken. The world was just her head nestled into his shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you again soon,¡± whispered Vanbrook.


    ¡°Go,¡± said D¡¯Jarric. ¡°This is the way it¡¯s meant to be.¡±


    Raivyn turned back towards the battle, tears in her eyes, while the other six ran full-tilt towards the shuttle.


    ***


    Crush swung the Amalgam hard, avoiding another onslaught from the giant mechanical serpent. She had managed to hit the ring a few times, but she¡¯d ultimately found herself focusing her fire on the serpent. Of the ships that made an attack run on the ring, only the Amalgam and the Maul were left. Most of the fighters that had assaulted the serpent were destroyed as well.


    A well-placed pair of great eye blasts had damaged the enormous flamethrower mounted in the serpent¡¯s mouth, and sustained attacks appeared to be damaging the vessel. The portal became a distant memory as she banked to make another run on the serpent.


    ¡°Maul and Amalgam, this is Textbook,¡± said Drixen over the comms. ¡°I¡¯ve freed up First Squadron and we¡¯re heading your way.¡±


    A trunk buster slammed into the massive serpent¡¯s jaw, further damaging the flamethrower. It burst into a ball of flame that quickly sputtered out of existence.


    ¡°The help is much appreciated, Textbook!¡± said Crush. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this thing off!¡±


    ***


    Farbin scowled as he watched the damage reports come in. He¡¯d lost his flamethrower, which was a serious nuisance. His war trains were all in critical condition, and the drones pouring through the maw were not enough to stop the Griffonians and their allies from gaining the upper hand.


    World Serpent Farbin, this is Councilor Hagan, said a trembling voice over the console. Farbin frowned. He had expected the message to come, but he had expected it to be full of anger. He did not sense anger, only fear.


    I am here, Councilor, answered Farbin.


    You are to abandon Griffonia, World Serpent, said Hagan. Dispatch half of your remaining beast soldiers to the surface and prepare to use the ripmed drive installed in your vessel.


    Farbin was incensed. To go where?


    Where you are sent, World Serpent! snapped Hagan. You serve as you are told! We have been informed of a world by¨Cit does not matter who. A world where you will find allies.


    What is the name of this world? asked Farbin.


    There was a pause, then the answer: Koomia.


    ***


    Hunt watched in surprise as the serpent turned from the battle space, evidently intending to leave Griffonia. A shower of infiltrator craft rained down from one of the segments as it went.


    ¡°All guns, focus on those infiltrators,¡± ordered Hunt.


    ¡°Sir,¡± said Kiflin. ¡°Talon Squad has boarded the Wingspan. They are on their way to the bridge.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Hunt. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because we need this ship to go through that portal,¡± said D¡¯Jarric, stepping onto the bridge.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± asked Hunt.


    ¡°You have some inkling of what I am, correct?¡± asked D¡¯Jarric.


    ¡°I- yes, I suppose, something more than another mortal sapient, I¡¯d say,¡± stuttered Hunt.


    ¡°I am a messenger of the Progenitor,¡± declared D¡¯Jarric. ¡°You know that I am as old as the stars and that I have insights beyond you or anyone else on or around Griffonia. And I am telling you we need this ship to go through that portal.¡±


    There was a long pause while Hunt stared into D¡¯Jarric¡¯s fiery golden eyes.


    ¡°Kiflin,¡± he said at long last. ¡°Tell Dekken to get us ready for a ripmed jump, and to get us steered through that portal.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Kiflin.


    Hunt hung his head, shaking it slowly as if to carefully pour out whatever insanity had collected in it just now.


    ¡°Wingspan, this is Admiral Trich, why are you maneuvering that way?¡± asked the Admiral over the comms.


    ¡°The Solaran Prince D¡¯Jarric has ordered me to go through the portal, Admiral,¡± said Hunt, careful to martial every bit of confidence he could.


    ¡°Cease and desist immediately, Admiral Hunt,¡± commanded Trich in a warning tone.


    Hunt sat quietly, trying to decide how to respond. A few moments ticked by.


    ¡°Admiral Hunt, do not go through that portal!¡± screamed Prime Minister Skritka.


    ¡°I¡¯m trusting D¡¯Jarric, Prime Minister,¡± answered Hunt.


    ¡°You answer to me, not the Solarans!¡± raged Skritka.


    ¡°We all answer to the Progenitor, Prime Minister,¡± offered D¡¯Jarric.


    The portal was growing ever larger as they approached it, its perfectly reflective surface displaying a Wingspan so detailed Hunt could almost see himself sitting in the bridge.


    ¡°Hey, wait for us!¡± shouted Drixen. ¡°That is to say, please open the hangar doors.¡±


    The hangars were opened and Drixen¡¯s squad, at least those who had survived the battle, swung in. Just after the hangar door closed, the Wingspan reached the portal. The ship sailed right through the mirror-like surface as if it wasn¡¯t even there. The Griffonians and their allies watched in disbelief as the Wingspan crossed the threshold and disappeared.

 Book 4 Bonus Content: Announcement and Crafters Guild Preview

    Announcement:


    As promised, I will be posting book 5 starting this month! Specifically, I will be posting chapter 5.1 next Monday, March 21st. After book 5 concludes, I will be stubbing this series and moving my work to KU. Many of you are probably familiar with this process; I''ll leave the first 10% or so of the first book up here for new readers, and the rest of the content will be available on Amazon. Book 6, the series finale, will be released exclusively on Amazon following the stubbing process, which will take place over a number of months. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you''ll be able to finish the series there! If you don''t, you''ll be able to buy the ebook for a few books, or the paperback for a bit more. I have really enjoyed posting on Royal Road, but I''m going to try a different tack now to hopefully reach more readers and, yes, get paid for my writing. If you''ve read this far and are bummed about losing the free aspect, please reach out! Even though Clay and Aether will be moving off Royal Road, I don''t want to lose the mighty few who have found me here. At this point I do not have any advance readers/beta readers, but I''m open to changing that!


    Below, I have a little preview of my next series, The Crafter''s Guild. It''s a portal fantasy of sorts with light gamelit elements. It still features the dynamic characters, wild creatures and larger-than-life adventures that breathe life into my stories. This is just a chapter from the first draft, and so it''s all subject to change. Give it a read and let me know what you think!


    Chapter 3


    It was a strange sensation as Leth stepped into the pool, which appeared to be shallow. However, he found himself sinking all the way down through, his momentum carried him so that he came out feet first and rising into the air on the other side.


    When he reached the other side, his weight pulled him back down towards the pool. He found himself rising once again, this time headfirst, from the pool in the cave, much to the surprise of the other adventurers. He rose to shoulder height, then dropped back through once more. This time, he was more or less ready for the trick and managed to grab the edge of the pool on his way back down. He hauled himself out and stood on dry ground, sopping wet.


    The next to come through the pool was Chrys. Working out what must have happened to Leth, she got down on her belly, crawled to the edge of the pool, and slowly lowered herself in. Fully submerged headfirst, she found herself holding onto the edge of the pool on the other side and able to drag herself out. Seeing that she did not pop immediately back out, the others followed suit. Soon, all twelve were on the other side of the pool.


    However, Leth had not been idle during this time. The small army of scum goblins waiting for them had kept him rather busy. The others, one by one as they came up through the portal, engaged in the combat as well. Thankfully, no bugbears were guarding this end of the portal at the moment. The warriors were quickly able to dispatch the goblins and begin to take in their surroundings.


    They found themselves on the edge of a perfectly round pool that mirrored the pool they had found within the cave. This pool was not in a cave, but rather in the middle of a dark, dank forest. The trees had thick green foliage and wide roots that spread out in any direction from their moss-covered trunks. The air seemed alive with small bugs, bird calls, and a slight breeze. The sky that could be seen through the dense canopy looked blue and pleasant enough.


    "So, where are we?" asked the man with the hand cannon.


    The hooded daggerman shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me. It''s no part of the world I''ve ever seen."


    "Did anyone see who put this scroll in my hand?" asked one of the adventurers, a man with a slim build carrying a green-soaked broadsword in one hand and a strange scroll in the other. "It says ''Hunter'' on it. I didn''t have it on me when I came in."


    "Some mage''s guild trick," said the daggerman. "I don''t know what else to make of it."


    The man opened the scroll and found nothing of interest or import on it save a single phrase: ¡®Welcome to Farwood.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of Farwood,¡± said Chrys. ¡°Is that what this place is called?¡±


    ¡°Beats me,¡± said the swordsman with a shrug.


    "Well, how come you get one?" asked another of the warriors.


    "I don''t know. I didn''t ask for it. I''m not even sure what it is. Look, you''ve got one too," he said to the man with the hand cannon.


    Sure enough, tucked in the man''s belt was a scroll. "Mine says ''miner,'' and yeah, ¡®Welcome to Farwood¡¯ on the inside." he said. "Not sure what to make of that. I''m not a miner, I¡¯m a mercenary with the Fighter¡¯s Guild. You¡¯re a real miner, I take it," he said, referencing Chrys.


    She shrugged. "Yeah, I am, but it''s not addressed to me and it''s in your belt."


    Interested by the scrolls and conversation, Leth stuck around. But as it descended into squabbling, he lost interest and wandered off into the forest alone, something he was well known for doing among the few that knew him.


    There was so much to see. He had never seen trees such as these, or even illustrations of them in accounts of other lands. There was something vaguely familiar about them, but he couldn''t place it. For the moment, he let the thought slide. However, he figured he was here to explore, and explore he would. After stepping carefully over roots and trying to avoid the slimier bits of ground and tree moss, a noise caught his attention.


    It was barely audible, just a soft ripple in the water behind him. Faint as the sound was, the silence it broke in the swamp caused the hair to stand up on the back of Leth¡¯s neck, and he nocked an arrow and turned just as a creature leapt from just below the surface. The arrow flew out to greet the cat-like creature that pounced towards Leth, maw gaping and claws outstretched.


    The arrow found its mark first, and Leth dove to the side, allowing the wildcat to crumple into a heap beside him. There was a strange scritching noise, but Leth couldn''t figure out where it was coming from. It seemed to be behind him no matter which way he turned, and it stopped as suddenly as it started.


    Shrugging off the sound and confirming that the beast was dead, he took a closer look at the body. It was a large wildcat, about four feet long in the body, closer to eight with the tail, which was thick and flattened like a tadpole''s. The cat''s toes were webbed as well. Evidently it was an ambush predator at home in the swamp. Not sure what use he might be able to make out of the creature but unwilling to waste it, he hoisted it over his back and trudged on.


    He noticed that the ground had begun to dry out and the elevation had started to climb almost imperceptibly. Soon, he found himself in a thinner, drier forest. In the distance beyond the tree trunks, he could see a meadow.


    He considered setting up camp in the thinner, drier wood but decided against it for the moment. He wanted to see more before he chose a spot to bed down, even for a short time. After some thought, he decided to set up a tent in the edge of the meadow.


    There, he laid down the beast he had slain and began to set up a rough camp. He planned to stay for the night as he further investigated the creature he had killed.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Taking another look at the creature, he began to examine it more closely, pulling back the lips to get a look at the teeth. He noted that there was still something glistening on the canines. Taking his knife and removing a tooth, he found that it was hollow.


    "Venomous," he said in surprise. ¡°Odd for a cat. Very odd.¡±


    Once again, he heard the scritching noise. This time, it seemed to be coming from his backpack. Reflecting, he realized it was likely the noise had come from the same place the last time.


    Cautiously, he approached his backpack, short sword in one hand. With the other, he undid the clasps and peered at the contents. He expected to find some vermin chewing on his stores, which he had hoped would last him a while. Of course, they wouldn''t if he allowed the local fauna to devour them on the first day.


    Upon undoing the clasps, he found no creature. Instead, he discovered something unexpected, something he hadn''t placed in there. Reaching in, he grabbed a scroll from the top of his wares and examined it closely. Like the others, it bore a single word:


    ¡°Hunter.¡±


    He recalled that one of the other scrolls had the same word.


    Shrugging, he unrolled the scroll, expecting it to have show only the same vague greeting as the others. To his surprise, it contained an inked illustration of the beast that lay behind him on the ground. Beneath the depiction of the cat, leaping through the air as it had been when he first saw it, were the words,


    "Swamp Cat."


    Below that was an encyclopedic entry:


    "A creature of the swamp, Swamp Cats are susceptible to conventional weapons, semi-aquatic in nature, and have a venomous bite."


    Beneath the entry was another line that immediately caught Leth''s attention.


    "To learn more about the Swamp Cat, first build a workbench."


    He read the line a few more times. How could the Mages Guild have known that the Swamp Cat would be among the first things he encountered?


    Shaking his head, he decided to figure out what a workbench was another day. For now, he was hungry and had other matters to attend to. So, he rolled up the scroll, returned it to his backpack, and took out a salted squirrel for dinner.


    ***


    After some time of squabbling, the eleven other warriors and adventurers began checking their own persons to see if they too had a scroll. As it turned out, everyone did. Each was marked either ''hunter'', ''gatherer'', or ''miner''. There were four of each of the gatherers and miners, but only three hunters.


    Chrys looked around and realized the woodsman was gone again.


    ¡°Has anyone seen Leth?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Who?¡± asked the pistoleer, who happened to be standing near Chrys.


    ¡°That lanky woodsman,¡± explained Chrys. ¡°The unguilded one. Looks like he wandered off.


    "Some loss," said the pistoleer.


    Chrys shrugged. The woodsman seemed to have a mind of his own, which apparently took his feet wherever it pleased.


    "What''s that up there?" said the robed figure, his hands resting on his hips not far from the hilts of his daggers and sticking his chin out to the southwest. Chrys looked that way and saw a broken stone wall on a ridge above them, just a few hundred yards away..


    "I guess let''s go find out," she said. So, they climbed up the ridge out of the swamps and onto the small bluff where they found what appeared to be the remains of a ruined castle. Little of it was left standing. There was a small broken tower, now only two stories, though the ruined stone lying on the ground around it. The door was also lying on the ground, about feet from the door frame.


    Lighting the lamp on her helmet, Chrys cautiously approached the door and walked inside. The construction was old, one of the more ancient styles of architecture. Rough-hewn stones were piled atop each other, held together with some kind of mortar.


    Inside, she found a small flagstone floor and a stone staircase going up to the second broken level, as well as one going down into the earth.


    "This looks like as good a place as any to set up camp,¡± said the daggerman. ¡°It''s going to be cramped quarters, though.¡±


    "We''ll see," said Chrys. "I have a feeling that the basement here will offer slightly more roomy accommodations."


    "I suppose we''ll see," said the daggerman. He lit a torch and approached the stairs, disappearing down into the darkness rather quickly. Chrys followed him, along with some of the others.


    A tall warrior woman was among them. She had crimson hair and a long thick braid, a battle axe over her shoulder, and a short sword strapped to her thigh.


    ¡°I''m Heiden," she said to Chrys. "I am a gatherer, apparently, whatever that means."


    Chrys nodded. "Chrys, miner, which I truly am, if the getup didn''t give it away."


    They descended the steps, which were a spiral staircase, until they opened up into a large hall. The hall, which appeared to be a little more than a landing or lobby for the rest of the group, was spacious.


    The underground structure was starkly empty. A few fibers of moth-eaten tapestry still hung from the walls, but the room was bare save for a few scattered bones, including a skull which clearly marked the remains as human.


    "Former residents, I suppose," said Chrys.


    Heiden nodded, looking up into the inky black ceiling. "Makes one a little uneasy to find bones. Especially when one doesn''t know how they ended up coming to rest there."


    As if in answer to her question, a massive black bat swooped down from the ceiling with a shriek. All Chrys saw was the upturned nose, beady black eyes, and slavering fangs of a bat. Its head alone was larger than her entire body, and the whole creature seemed to take up the entire room. She held up her pickaxe in an attempt to block the bat and was pushed back onto the floor, tumbling into a pile but holding onto her pickaxe as she fell.


    The bat landed on its feet and folded its wings, walking and on its hind legs and the fingers that came out of the apex of each wing, scrambling towards the fallen miner. Throwing her torch at the bat as a distraction, Heiden pulled the massive battle axe from her back and swung at the beast. It dodged, backing up and screeching at the tall warrior woman. The screeching cry of the enormous bat drove fear into the minds of the adventurers like a nail being driven into wood.


    Roaring in rage, one of the adventurers swung his polehammer in a wide arc, hoping to bring the pronged head of his hammer down onto the bat¡¯s skull. The bat pulled its head back and struck out with a long curved claw, slicing the warrior¡¯s throat.


    Taking advantage of the distraction, the cloaked daggerman pulled his knives, jumped onto the bat''s back, and sank the blades into where he assumed its vitals should be. The bat screamed in anger and agony, sending another wave of fear through the adventurer¡¯s minds.


    "Stand back!" the pistoleer shouted, leveling his large bore pistol at the beast and firing. The mix of shot and metal odds and ends that had been shoved into the barrel of the weapon in lieu of higher quality ammunition tore through the beast''s chest and it lay down dead.


    The daggerman scrambled off, wiping his blades off and giving an ugly look to the pistoleer. "A little more warning might have been nice.¡±


    "I said stand back," said the pistol heir.


    The daggerman scoffed.


    At this point, having heard the commotion, the rest of the warriors descended down into the dungeon to see what was going on. Seeing the massive dead bat laying on the floor, they all gave each other somewhat worried glances.


    "What is this place?" asked one of them. Everyone exchanged shrugs and glances, unsure what to make of the old building.


    "Ancient," said Chrys, shaking her head. "All I can say about it is that it''s ancient. The stone working techniques haven''t been seen in our world for a thousand years. And to be honest, the stones that are here are not a type of stone that I''m familiar with, either."


    Some of the others looked at each other quizzically. "They just look like stones," said the pistoleer, looking up from where he was reloading his hand cannon.


    "I¡¯m surprised that you got marked as a miner," she said, walking over to the stone. She put her hand on it, feeling the smooth surface, and rapped on it with her knuckle. "There''s something odd about the stone. It¡¯s hard to put into words.¡±


    She took her pick and gave the stone, one of the stones in the wall, a swift but controlled smack that chipped just a little bit off. She reached down and picked up the stone to examine it more closely.


    She heard a scritching sound coming from her pack.

 Chapter 5.1: Under Fire

    Alarms blared aboard the Wingspan as it came out of the far side of the dragon''s maw, the Drakmundi forces firing on it as soon as they saw who''d come through.


    ¡°Should we scramble fighters, Admiral?¡± asked Triflin.


    ¡°No,¡± answered Admiral Hunt, his eyes steely. ¡°Get us a path without any worlds or moons in the way and let''s jump somewhere a little safer.¡±


    Triflin raised his eyebrows, his crystalline blue features a mask of apprehension. ¡°I''ll do my best, Admiral, but a true deep scan to see what''s out there will take more time than we have. There''s a chance we¡¯ll slam right into a planet or an asteroid field.¡±


    Hunt stole a glance out of the Wingspan¡¯s bridge at the confusion outside. Drones swarmed all around them, a fleet of war trains were maneuvering to broadside them, and a world of green and blue lay off in the distance. Behind him, the mirrored surface of the portal they''d come through vanished, sealing their fate.


    ¡°Officer Triflin, the choice is between certain death here or potential death out there. My preference is the latter, but if we don''t choose quickly it will be the former.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Triflin, already eying the screens.


    Talon Squad watched over Hunt and Kiflin¡¯s shoulders. Or at least Vanbrook, Reclan, Doc, and D¡¯Jarric did. Raivyn had stayed behind to deal with the remaining Drakmundi threat. The remainders of Talon Squad were freshly back on the Wingspan after liberating Griffonia from the Drakmundi fleet, looking on nervously as the enemy pounded the lone ship with everything they had. Shields were falling fast, and if they didn¡¯t leave soon they¡¯d be blown to smithereens.


    A massive form appeared, climbing over the planet¡¯s horizon and moving at unbelievable speeds.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of those giant serpents!¡± called Vanbrook.


    A similar vessel had just proven itself a serious force to be reckoned with, tearing through shields and ships alike with a devastating flame-based energy weapon.


    ¡°Admiral, this is Dekken,¡± said the Chief Engineer from his engine room. ¡°We¡¯re ready for a jump if you have coordinates for us, which I sincerely hope you do.¡±


    ¡°Sending them to you now!¡± exclaimed Triflin.


    ¡°Do we have enough travel shields left to make a jump?¡± asked Reclan, her eyes darting from the screens to Triflin to the fast-approaching serpent.


    Triflin shrugged. ¡°As long as we don¡¯t hit anything?¡±


    ¡°EVERYONE, STRAP IN OR HOLD ON TO SOMETHING, WE¡¯RE JUMPING IN UNDER A MINUTE!¡± cried Hunt into the public comms.


    Talon Squad scrambled down to the observation deck, located just a few levels below the bridge on the Wingspan¡¯s main tower. No sooner had they strapped in than they felt the ship lurch violently as the ripmed field grabbed onto the vessel and flung it across the aether. The serpent breathed out a vicious but impotent gout of flames before disappearing suddenly from the Wingspan¡¯s view, suddenly thousands of miles away. All that was left now was to discover if they¡¯d saved themselves from disaster or sealed their own fate.


    ***


    Prime Minister Skritka emerged from Griffon Keep, blinking in the morning sun and feeling ridiculous in the helmet and flak jacket his advisors insisted he wear. The Drakmundi had been driven out of the immediate area, and squads of soldiers and Marines had been dispatched to deal with the infiltrator pods that had come crashing down into the city as a parting gift from the fleeing enemy.


    ¡°Sir, I really don''t think you should be out here,¡± warned Defense Minister Sta-Kwi.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± said Skritka dismissively. ¡°I''ve been underground far too long. It''s past time I surveyed the city and coordinated the rebuilding of Griffonia.¡±


    Two squadrons of fighter craft zoomed overhead, heading north.


    ¡°Off to Plainston, I take it?¡± asked Skritka.


    ¡°Yes,¡± answered the Minister. ¡°The other cities will be liberated soon, I believe. The supplies and munitions you ordered from Talpidaria should be here before long, now that the skies are clear of threats.¡±


    Skritka¡¯s face soured. ¡°You know, I should be happy to have the world back, but my mind keeps wandering back to one particular snag.¡±


    ¡°The Wingspan¡¯s unscheduled departure, sir?¡± she asked.


    Skritka nodded. ¡°Our reports say Specialist Raivyn stayed behind, and is working with the Marines. I want to talk to her.¡±


    ¡°We''ll reach out, sir,¡± said the Minister. ¡°I''m sure she''ll have something interesting to share.¡±


    ***


    Peering out from behind the corner of a building, Raivyn reached out with T-waves like psychic fingers, digging into the mind of one of the Drakmundi beast soldiers that roamed the ruined streets, looking for prey. The hulking beast stood close to seven feet high, with clay-like orange skin and a coarse black mane like a lion''s. It wore a simple purple singlet with a wide black belt that bore an embossed metal image of a serpentine dragon encompassing an orb, the symbol of the Drakmundi.


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    However, the diamond-shaped purple gem on its forehead was what Raivyn focused on. It seemed to be linked to the brutally strong psychic defenses the Drakmundi had, and she''d have to crack through those before she could puppeteer the beast soldier.


    Being well-practiced at the art and still surging with adrenaline, she quickly tore through the defenses and turned the puppeteered soldier on its erstwhile comrades, beginning a bloody and deadly melee.


    Kwa-Kwa and her scouts opened fire from a nearby rooftop with high caliber sniper rifles, drawing the beasts¡¯ attention towards themselves before Raivyn could be noticed.


    The crowd of enraged beast soldiers charged the snipers, only to be ambushed by Grepk, Keshri, Krum-Bahk, and Trall, all in their heavy Marine armor. Now experienced with handling the monsters, the Marines quickly dispatched the badly wounded unit.


    Exhausted, Raivyn came out from behind cover to join the Marines, the scouts approaching from the opposite direction.


    ¡°That''s another batch destroyed,¡± said Grepk happily, resting his double barrelled rifle on his shoulder.


    Krum-Bahk wiped the purple gore from his cutlass and sheathed it. He looked up at Raivyn as she approached. ¡°Hey Rai, you don''t look so good.¡±


    She nodded. She could feel that her face was drained, her mind was scattered and her limbs had grown rubbery with exhaustion. ¡°I''m wiped out. I can''t do that again.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± said Grepk with a nod. ¡°Having a psychic to work with is great, but we''ll keep going without you. I can reload my gun if it runs out of ammo, but your mind is a little different. Go rest up and we¡¯ll regroup when you''re fresh.¡±


    Nodding again, Raivyn took a seat on the curb, wondering if she was going to be able to navigate back to Griffon Keep without having to walk. She checked her comm, hoping against hope that Vanbrook might have reached out to her from wherever he was.


    To her dismay, there was only a recorded message sent by Prime Minister Skritka. Heaving a resigned sigh, she clicked on the message to open it.


    ¡°Specialist Raivyn. I appreciate the work you¡¯ve done to liberate Griffonia from the Drakmundi menace. Do not think I will forget it. However, the other members of your squad, along with Admiral Hunt, took the Wingspan and deserted the battlefield. I would like to discuss the matter with you at length. When you are able to break off from the counter offensive, come see me at Griffon Keep.¡±


    Raivyn looked up pleadingly to the sky. She knew she¡¯d have to answer for the others¡¯ actions, but she¡¯d hoped to get some rest before doing so. Rising on sore, exhausted legs to make the trek, she heard the rush of wings behind her and felt a gust of wind. She turned to see a griffon standing in the street, its silver-blue scales and feathers glinting in the morning sun.


    ¡°Need a lift?¡± asked Jasken.


    ***


    Alarms were once again blaring aboard the Wingspan as the ship came out of its short jump. They had only gone a few light years when the shields were depleted to dangerous levels. Hopefully it was far enough from the Drakmundi world they¡¯d left behind to keep them from being followed.


    ¡°Well, we survived,¡± said Triflin. ¡°We must have hit some dust along the way, because our shields took some serious hits, but we made it.¡±


    ¡°How long before we can make another jump?¡± asked Hunt.


    Triflin shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask Dekken on that one, Admiral. We¡¯ll need to recharge shields and that¡¯s his department. In the meantime I¡¯ll get to running a scan for viable planets we can get to. Something with water and oxygen, I hope.¡±


    Hunt nodded. ¡°Please do. Now to introduce myself to our guest.¡±


    Hunt walked out of the bridge and down to the observation deck, hearing loud and combative voices as he got close. Sprinting the last few yards and bursting into the room, he saw the cause of the commotion.


    Talon Squad, minus Raivyn and plus an RTS agent, was standing in a semicircle around the Drakmundi beast soldier that had come aboard with them, their backs to the soldier. An angry group of sailors were standing nose to nose with the Squad, pointing fingers and screaming. If any of the crowd was making a sensible point, Hunt couldn¡¯t pick it out of the chaos brewing before him.


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± he shouted from the doorway. Clasping his hands behind his back, he walked into the room, having gotten the attention of everyone in it. ¡°What is going on here?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a Drakmundi onboard,¡± said the ringleader of the sailors accosting Talon Squad. Hunt recognized him as Syden, a private who¡¯d caused trouble for Dekken when he had been acting admiral.


    ¡°I noticed,¡± answered Hunt dryly. ¡°I have some questions about that myself, but I¡¯ve found that shouting and pointing fingers only gets you so far.¡±


    Syden looked narrowly at Hunt. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve got all sorts of questions. Like, where are we, exactly? A bunch of folks saw us fly through that portal. Not one of us got any warning about it.¡±


    ¡°We are on a mission for the Progenitor,¡± said D¡¯Jarric.


    Hunt sighed, watching Syden turn towards the Solaran in disbelief.


    ¡°A mission for the Progenitor?¡± asked the troublesome sailor. ¡°Are you telling me I¡¯ve been press-ganged into some kind of crusade?¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth, Syden,¡± cut in Hunt. ¡°I¡¯ll be explaining everything briefly, but I need you and your shipmates to go back to your quarters until then.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to my quarters,¡± snarled Syden, turning violently towards Hunt. ¡°I want to go home!¡±


    Vanbrook broke ranks with Talon Squad, hot on Syden¡¯s heels. Hunt stood his ground as the sailor approached, but Vanbrook put his hand on his shoulder, hoping to turn him around before he could get within striking distance of the admiral. Syden threw Vanbrook¡¯s hand off and turned back towards him, swinging a fist. Vanbrook blocked the blow with his forearm and returned it with one of his own, knocking Syden unconscious with a fist to the chin. The sailor was midstep when he was struck, so his unconscious body wavered, tethered to the ground with one magboot.


    Syden¡¯s fellow sailors looked at one another anxiously. Now that their leader was neutralized, they didn¡¯t want to get into a brawl with the Admiral¨Cnot to mention Talon Squad.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be in our quarters, then, Admiral,¡± said one of them.


    Hunt nodded. ¡°That would be wise. Take PFC Syden along with you. And maybe try to instill a little wisdom in him as well, understood? We¡¯ll let the punch he just took serve as his punishment, so long as he behaves himself from here on out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Admiral.¡± The sailor came over and unceremoniously collected Syden¡¯s limp form, hauling him down the tower to the sailors¡¯ quarters.


    Vanbrook watched them warily as they left. ¡°This isn¡¯t over, Admiral. They¡¯re not going to be happy when they hear what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Hunt frowned, his brow knitting. ¡°I know, Vanbrook. I know. But there¡¯s no turning back now. I¡¯ll have lots of questions to answer, and that¡¯s before we¨Cand I say this optimistically¨Cget back and I have to try to explain myself to the Prime Minister.¡± He eyed the tall, broad and heavy-faced Drakmundi beast soldier standing stoically behind Talon Squad. ¡°But before that, I have some questions of my own.¡±

 Chapter 5.2: Unsatisfactory Answers

    Crush stood unsteadily before the screen on the Amalgam, her eyes looking blankly at the image of Yrinla.


    ¡°Admiral Crush, do you hear me?¡± asked the elderly tree shaper. ¡°King Hua has been killed.¡±


    ¡°I hear you, Yrinla,¡± answered Crush. A sickening sensation ran through the glyphs that adorned her stone body, and she thought she might swoon. Stripes chittered softly on her shoulder, sensing her dismay.


    ¡°Tell the FRF to halt mining operations immediately,¡± she continued. ¡°Wind down all operations and meet me in orbit above Griffonia.¡±


    ¡°Admiral, I don''t think-¡±


    ¡°Give the order, Yrinla,¡± said Crush. ¡°Do it as a favor to me, and then stay on Cradle if that''s what you wish. But please, give the order.¡±


    Yrinla looked at her seriously. ¡°You have been away too long already, Crush. Come back home.¡±


    ¡°I have done enough to Cradle,¡± she replied. ¡°It is time I moved on, for everyone¡¯s sake.¡±


    ***


    Raivyn held on to Jasken¡¯s middle, hugging him tightly like a daughter hugging her father, her head resting on his shoulder. The morning breeze whipped the loose strands of hair that hung over her face as Ol¡¯ Blue soared over Kerucester towards Griffon Keep.


    ¡°So, how¡¯s Mairen?¡± asked Raivyn, yelling to make herself heard over the wind. ¡°Is she safe?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Jasken. ¡°She¡¯s still back on the farm helping tend to the young, sick, and elderly. Says she¡¯s done her time in the military and she¡¯s going to look after civilians for a while. We¡¯ve got a sizable camp of survivors living with us at the moment. The Drakmundi hit the cities hardest. We made out alright out in the country.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± said Raivyn.


    The flight felt too quick. Though hanging on for dear life wasn¡¯t as relaxing as lying in a bed may have been, she was dreading her upcoming conversation with the Prime Minister. Before she felt settled in, Ol¡¯ Blue was descending below the tops of the skyscrapers and landing in front of the stocky stone Keep. Jasken dismounted and helped Raivyn down.


    ¡°Skritka¡¯s not so bad,¡± said Jasken, a smile playing at his lips somewhere below his thick white mustache. ¡°And Hunt¡¯s the one in trouble, not you. So just answer his questions honestly and respectfully and you¡¯ll be fine. You always handled yourself just fine when you were under my command, and I expect you¡¯ll continue to do the same.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Jasken,¡± said Raivyn, tears welling her in eyes. She was too exhausted for words, and threw her arms around Jasken¡¯s neck and squeezed him tight.


    He returned the hug, patting her on the back. Looking to the Keep¡¯s front door, or at least to the gaping hole where the door once stood, he saw Skritka coming towards them.


    ¡°Specialist Raivyn,¡± he said curtly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you so soon.¡±


    She pulled away from Jasken, her eyes still blurry with tears. She wiped them away with the back of her hand, feeling like a silly child. Jasken looked seriously at Skritka, his eyes pleading.


    ¡°It¡¯s been¡­ an eventful day, Specialist,¡± he said in a softer tone. ¡°Especially considering the day has only just started. Let¡¯s find you a place to lay down for a while. Of course, there¡¯s still much to discuss, but it can wait until we¡¯ve all had a little time to recover.¡±


    Raivyn nodded. ¡°Thank you, Prime Minister. I- I think that¡¯d be for the best.¡±


    ¡°Admiral Jasken, would you care to come along as well?¡± asked Skritka. ¡°It would be good to have the leader of the militia talk with the other military officers.¡±


    ¡°I sincerely hope my work is about done here, Prime Minister,¡± answered Jasken. ¡°But I¡¯ll happily speak with the officers.¡±


    Jasken whistled to Ol¡¯ Blue and the griffon took off, looking after himself until he was called for again. The three walked back into the Keep, Raivyn doing her best to keep her head up and her steps even. The sooner she could get to that promised bed, the better.


    ***


    Hunt sat in the Admiral''s chair on the bridge, staring over his steepled fingertips at Vanbrook, D''Jarric, Reclan, Doc, the RTS Agent, and the surprisingly tame Drakmundi beast soldier.


    ¡°Well,¡± said the Admiral after a long silence. ¡°Perhaps one of you would like to explain what''s going on here?¡±


    ¡°We are following the will of the Progenitor,¡± said D''Jarric. ¡°He led us here, and will see us home.¡±


    Hunt stared at him a while longer. ¡°I believe you,¡± he said at length. ¡°But I''m not sure we''ll get buy-in from the whole crew. And I doubt that whatever judge I''m hauled before will take ¡®the Progenitor told me to do it'' as a viable reason to ignore a direct command from the Prime Minister. I''ll be frank. I think what I just did to my crew, ¡®press-ganging them into a crusade¡¯, as Syden put it, was unfair to the point of cruelty. I''m going to need something to tell the crew at large that will keep everyone united. Lying feels like a reasonable strategy, but it will not hold up and would only add to my considerable list of sins. So, D''Jarric, what shall I tell the crew?¡±


    ¡°As you suggest,¡± answered the Solaran. ¡°We tell them the truth. We are on a mission for the Progenitor.¡±


    ¡°But what mission!?¡± implored Hunt. ¡°What is our goal here?¡±


    ¡°To serve the Progenitor,¡± said D''Jarric.


    Hunt¡¯s head fell into his hands. Rubbing his eyes, he looked back up at the obtuse Solaran prince. ¡°That doesn''t really help us here, D''Jarric.¡±


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    ¡°As someone who''s known D''Jarric for a long time now,¡± offered Vanbrook, ¡°you''re probably not going to get anything else out of him.¡±


    D''Jarric shrugged, not offering any rebuttal.


    ¡°We talked to Fremig here briefly with Raivyn''s help,¡± said Darvik, jerking a thumb over his shoulder towards the Drakmundi standing behind him. ¡°He said we could defeat the Drakmundi entirely, but only by traveling to their world. The portal was the quickest way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something to work with,¡± said Hunt. ¡°I¡¯ll need some details, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s all we¡¯ve got,¡± said Darvik with a shrug. ¡°Raivyn is the only one who¡¯s mastered the whole speaking-beyond-language-barriers thing.¡±


    ¡°And where is Raivyn?¡± asked Hunt.


    ¡°She stayed behind to fight the Drakmundi on Griffonia,¡± said Vanbrook ruefully. ¡°In addition to her language barrier work around, she¡¯s pretty good at wiping out beast soldiers. She couldn¡¯t leave Griffonia knowing how much they needed her help.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Hunt. He looked the Drakmundi beast soldier steadily in the eyes. ¡°I guess you¡¯ll have to learn Talpaertan. I sincerely hope you¡¯re a quick study.¡±


    Fremig put a clawed, long-fingered hand on Darvik¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°friend.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a start,¡± said Hunt with a sigh. ¡°Alright, Talon Squad¨Cif that¡¯s what I¡¯m meant to call you¨Cgo back to your quarters for now. I need to talk to my officers. I¡¯ll be making an announcement shortly.¡±


    ***


    Raivyn woke up to a splitting headache that was softened somewhat by the fact that she was in a dark, warm bed tucked away in the Undercity. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for her to deal with this kind of psychic hangover, but she had really overdrawn on her reserves in yesterday¡¯s battle. She tried to roll over and get some more rest, but found herself unable to. Between the headache and the fact that she needed to answer for Hunt¡¯s actions, she knew she wasn¡¯t going to get any more rest.


    Walking out the door, she was greeted not by soldiers or guards but by some of the Prime Minister¡¯s aides.


    ¡°Ah, Specialist Raivyn,¡± said one of them, a friendly young Dromean female. ¡°Good to see you awake. If you¡¯d like, you can join the Prime Minister for breakfast.¡±


    ¡°For breakfast?¡± asked Raivyn. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t sleep as long as I thought.¡±


    ¡°Nearly twenty-four hours, Ma¡¯am,¡± said the aide.


    ¡°Oh, that sounds closer to it,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Um, lead the way then, if you would.¡±


    The aide nodded amicably and trotted off down the hall, Raivyn following close behind. She was surprised that they were traveling deeper into the Undercity rather than back up to the surface, but she remained silent for the duration of the trip.


    ¡°Raivyn,¡± said Skritka as she entered a small dining room in the lowest levels of the Underkeep. He was sipping on tea and wading through a mountain of reports on his comms device. He put the device aside and looked up at her. ¡°I¡¯m glad you could meet me for breakfast. You prefer tavan blossom to rakka, do I have that right? I¡¯ll admit I checked your file for that information. Well, happened upon it when I was reviewing your files, more precisely. Please, sit down. And remember, you¡¯re not in trouble, at least not yet.¡±


    ¡°But everyone I care about is,¡± said Raivyn.


    ¡°Looks that way,¡± said Skritka. ¡°No time for small talk, then. That¡¯s alright. I don¡¯t really need another fluffy, useless exchange. Being a politician, I already have those in spades.¡±


    Raivyn sat down, rubbing her temples and squeezing her eyes shut as an aide placed a steaming cup of tavan blossom tea on the table in front of her.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, turning to the aide. ¡°If it¡¯s not too much to ask, could I get some painkillers?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, no problem,¡± said the aide. ¡°What kind in particular?¡±


    ¡°The strongest you have that I don¡¯t need a prescription for, I suppose,¡± said Raivyn.


    The aide smiled and shuffled off.


    ¡°Look, this is all official, on the record, however you want to describe it, but it¡¯s also just a conversation between you and me,¡± said Skritka. ¡°You¡¯re not under arrest, and I¡¯m not putting you in a room with detectives and bright lights. I just want to know why one of the Griffon Republic¡¯s most promising admirals just took off with some of our most well-trained troops in one of our most expensive and tactically important ships into unknown enemy territory in a time of war against orders.¡±


    ¡°In a word,¡± said Raivyn, sipping her tea. ¡°D¡¯Jarric.¡±


    Skritka nodded. ¡°He¡¯s always been a kind of unpredictable element. But he may have crossed the line this time.¡±


    Raivyn cleared her throat. ¡°I understand that Admiral Hunt and Talon Squad, myself included¨Cat least as an accomplice¨Cdisobeyed your direct orders, Prime Minister-¡±


    ¡°Would you like to revise that statement, Specialist?¡± asked Skritka pointedly.


    ¡°Not really, Prime Minister. I want you to understand exactly my state of mind and opinion on the matter. D¡¯Jarric has never led us wrong before, and he believed quite firmly that taking the Wingspan through that portal was important. We had some admittedly vague intel from Fremig, the beast soldier being held prisoner here, that the Drakmundi could be crippled if their homeworld could be infiltrated.¡±


    ¡°And where is ¡®Fremig¡¯ now, Specialist,¡± asked Skritka.


    ¡°Aboard the Wingspan, sir,¡± answered Raivyn.


    Skritka hung his head. ¡°You¡¯re not making this easy, Specialist Raivyn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to be honest. If you have to lock me up over it, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be vindicated in the long run.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very bold of you, Specialist,¡± said Skritka, eying her sternly. ¡°But we will be making use of your psychic abilities in our upcoming counter offensive, whatever form that takes. Since Talon Squad took one of his agents along with them, you¡¯ll be joining Agent Trebor for the time being.¡±


    Raivyn looked across the table at Skritka, trying to gauge whether there was any sadistic glee in the Prime Minister¡¯s eyes. She couldn¡¯t find any.


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± she said.


    ¡°Good,¡± said Skritka. ¡°Now we¡¯ll go over the rest of the incident. Leave out nothing, please.¡±


    Food was brought to the table. Scrambled eggs with a semi-sweet spiced pastry wafted scents of herbs and butter that Raivyn found tempting on some level that felt very distant to her conscious self. The painkillers she¡¯d requested were set down next to the food in a small paper cup. She suspected she was going to need a lot more of them over the next weeks or months. Hopefully not years.


    ***


    ¡°Attention all personnel,¡± said a voice over the Wingspan¡¯s public comms. ¡°This is Admiral Hunt. I have an important announcement. As you may be aware, we traveled through the Drakmundi¡¯s portal, which they call a dragon¡¯s maw.¡±


    Hunt drew a breath and steadied himself before continuing. His officers stood around him on the bridge. Dekken, his chief engineer, looked on with stifled disapproval, his antennae twitching. Triflin, his Communications Officer, stood by quietly, his face a mask of indifference. Drixen, Commander of his fighter squadrons, held his arms crossed, but his whole body looked alive with electricity. The man seemed to live for danger, and had flown back aboard with what fighters would follow him just before the jump. Two armed guards, warned in advance about the announcement, stood at the doorway to the bridge.


    ¡°We have now jumped away from their base of operations and are recharging our shields in empty aether,¡± continued Hunt. ¡°We are on a mission to stop the Drakmundi threat to the Republic, and that mission calls for bold action. I know none of you consented to this particular mission, and it was not fair to draw you into it without explanation, but there was no time-¡±


    There was a commotion at the door. Hunt paused to see what was going on. There was a short burst of shouting and screaming, then a crowd of sailors stormed the bridge, holding lengths of pipe and other improvised weapons. A couple of them now had sidearms taken from the guards they¡¯d knocked unconscious.


    ¡°It¡¯s all a lie!¡± screamed Syden, leading the group and brandishing a sidearm wildly, ¡°The Solaran is manipulating us, it¡¯s all a lie!¡±


    Hunt released the public comms button, deeply regretting that he¡¯d lost the presence of mind to do so before Syden had broadcast his message to the entire crew. He reached for his own sidearm but left it in the holster, fearful that pulling it would set Syden off.

 Chapter 5.3: Tensions in the Aether

    ¡°Get off my bridge, Syden,¡± said Hunt in a low, dangerous tone.


    ¡°You get off my bridge, Hunt!¡± spat Syden. ¡°I¡¯m taking over. And get your hand away from that pistol or I¡¯ll put a hole in your head!¡±


    Hunt grimaced and raised his hands to the level of his shoulders. ¡°Now¡¯s no time to spill blood.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Syden sardonically. ¡°Now¡¯s the time to be throwing back some rum and holding our loved ones on Griffonia. But we can¡¯t do that, because we¡¯re stuck out here in the aether with a monster and a false prophet. So if it comes to spilling blood-¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯ll be yours first,¡± said a deadly serious voice from the doorway.


    Syden swung around to see Vanbrook and Reclan standing at the entrance to the bridge. Vanbrook had his saber in one hand and was leveling his high caliber revolver at Syden with the other. Reclan stood firmly next to him, her rifle cradled in her arms and a small swarm of drones hovering over her shoulders. Syden¡¯s partner put down his sidearm, and the group of sailors with him laid their weapons down as well. Syden¡¯s face twisted into an enraged sneer, but his commonsense got the better of him and he put his weapon down as well.


    ¡°Alright. All of you, to the brig,¡± said Hunt. ¡°Reclan and Vanbrook will escort you. Cool off and be ready to apologize when I visit. I could jettison you into space for what you did, but I need all my sailors to accomplish what we¡¯re trying to do here.¡±


    Syden shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t even know what that is.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason I need as much manpower as possible,¡± said Hunt.


    Vanbrook motioned with the barrel of his gun for the disarmed ruffians to follow him. Reclan let them pass and then fell in behind, her drones spreading out and boxing in the prisoners. One of them stepped a bit too far to one side and received a low-energy shock from a drone. Reclan smiled as the prisoner yelped and stepped back into line.


    ¡°Excuse the interruption,¡± said Hunt, returning to his announcement. ¡°The cause has been dealt with and is currently being escorted to the brig by members of Talon Squad.


    ¡°Now, please hear this: it is true that this mission originated with D¡¯Jarric, whom you all know to be a powerful and steadfast ally, and he is, indeed, a servant of the Progenitor. However, this mission is not a crusade. It is a mission to save our home from the further ravages of the Drakmundi invaders by crippling their army¡¯s command structure. Regardless of our personal beliefs and creeds, we are all members of the Griffon Republic¡¯s armed forces, and we will all fight to keep our Republic safe. I expect no further trouble from my crew.


    ¡°Please be advised that we have identified a promising world where we hope to take on water and resupply.  We will be making the jump to it shortly. Currently named DM176-WB0.89. We have used the designation ¡°DM¡± for ¡°Dragon¡¯s Maw¡± as that was our last known point. The rest of the naming convention should be familiar to you. It is the 176th planet identified by our deep scanners after we arrived at this location, has both water and a breathable atmosphere, and it has a gravity approximately 0.89 times that of Griffonia.


    ¡°You will be notified when the time for departure approaches. Until then, please report for your normal duties and go about your normal routines. We will defeat the Drakmundi, and we will return home. May Providence shine on us all.¡±


    ***


    Raivyn fell in behind a marble pillar at the front entrance of a large bank and hunkered down as a volley of energy fire hit on the other side. The long black overcoat felt foreign and unwelcome. She found it too large for her frame and felt that she looked like a child who¡¯d stolen her mother¡¯s coat. Of course, her main objection was the crimson crystal insignia embroidered on the shoulder patch, and the organization it stood for.


    Despite her misgivings about the uniform, she was happy to be helping to liberate Griffonia. Kerucester had been completely secured, and now forces had been dispersed to the other cities to liberate them, as well. Cook¡¯s Bluff, the northern city Raivyn currently found herself in, had been hit particularly hard. The Drakmundi had overtaken the local Undercity, and were now an entrenched force. Clearing them had become a brutal door-to-door struggle for control, with beast soldier units regularly popping out of the ground in areas previously thought to be cleared.


    Leaning out from behind the pillar, Raivyn fired off a few shots from her sidearm. Only one of three rounds hit its mark, but a Drakmundi infantry soldier went down. She¡¯d been saving her psychic energy for when she needed it most, and using her pistol for the smaller skirmishes.


    ¡°Good shot!¡± said Yulun, her newly-minted partner. He was tucked away behind the corner of the bank, leaning out and firing his energy pistol. Wabulubans such as himself typically preferred weapons that had little to no kick. Their tentacles were strong, but didn¡¯t displace recoil energy as neatly as bones did.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she answered joylessly.


    Grepk¡¯s Marines exploded out of their cover across the street, deeming that the Drakmundi forces were sufficiently softened. Their dual-barreled energy and ballistic rifles tore through the remaining frontline, scattering the rest of the unit. Keshri launched herself at a fleeing foe who was firing his staff-like energy rifle over his shoulder. Firing her jetpack, she hit him full speed and slammed him into a building. Stone crumbled over them both, but only Keshri stood back up.


    ¡°Easy, Kesh,¡± said Grepk with a laugh. ¡°We¡¯re trying to preserve the city, remember?¡±


    She shrugged and pulled her rifle off her back again, firing at another Drakmundi position in a window above the street.


    ¡°Chatter indicates that the Drakmundi general we¡¯ve heard so much about has taken refuge in the Cook¡¯s Bluff Civic Center,¡± said Grepk, addressing his squad, the other two Marine squads with them and the RTS agents. ¡°Think of it like a mini-Keep. It¡¯s the most fortified building on the Bluff so it makes sense. It¡¯s just ahead. Let¡¯s go for shock and awe.¡±


    Grepk rose into the air along with the rest of the Marines, and they shot off together towards the Civic Center. Raivyn, Trebor, and Yulun followed behind. Creddik hesitated. He could shoot them in the back and run. He could even just run. Maybe it¡¯d be a few moments before they knew he was gone. He licked his scaly lips, his brows knitting with internal conflict. He heard the distant roar of a beast soldier and decided it was best to play it safe. At least for now.


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    Utterly unaware of Creddik¡¯s treacherous thoughts, Raivyn watched as twelve fully-armored Marines crashed through the remaining windows of the Civic Center, and flashes of light and peels of gunfire exploded through the open panes a split second later. The purple blasts of the Drakmundi weapons were drowned out by the red glow and yellow-white flashes of the Marine¡¯s weapons.


    By the time the RTS agents reached the building, the atrium was clear. The large blast doors that were designed to keep enemies out had been damaged badly when the Drakmundi took the center, so they wouldn¡¯t be too much of a hindrance for the Marines now.


    However, the enemy had decided not to wait for the Republic to make their way in, and the doors exploded out towards them. A couple unfortunate Marines were caught by the flying metal slabs as they hurdled through the ruined front of the building. When the dust settled, a half dozen beast soldiers could be seen, standing in a semicircle behind a tall Drakmundi male in a sleek silver headdress and a purple tabard. He held a staff weapon like the ones used by his infantry soldiers, but this one was producing a spherical purple shield that covered his entire form. The Drakmundi general spat a guttural command and the beast soldiers leapt from his side, attacking the Marines.


    ¡°Agent Raivyn, that¡¯s your cue,¡± said Trebor.


    ¡°It¡¯s Specialist,¡± she said, already concentrating on the nearest beast soldier. ¡°I¡¯m only on loan.¡±


    The RTS agents backed up, taking cover around the outside of the front entrance.


    Raivyn reached out towards the beast soldier¡¯s mind and was immediately slapped back by a third mental presence.  Her head snapped back and she shook it to clear her mind. Her eyes drifted towards the Drakmundi general, who was smiling maliciously at her.


    ¡°I need some fire on the general!¡± she cried. ¡°Creddik, how are you making out?¡±


    ¡°Just got slapped down pretty hard,¡± said Creddik as the other agents trained their fire on the general.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hit that one together,¡± said Raivyn, indicating a nearby beast soldier already engaged with a couple of Marines. ¡°Now!¡±


    She reached out again, feeling Creddik working with her, but once again she was slapped back by the general. Still grinning, his bubble shield simply deflected all the fire trained on it. Far from being a distraction to weaken his resolve, it seemed to amuse him. Creddik punched the wall in frustration.


    ¡°New plan,¡± said Raivyn. ¡°Cover me.¡±


    Charging into the building, she ran straight for the general, who recalled a nearby beast soldier to defend himself. An armored hand shot out, grabbing the beast soldier by the neck and yanking it up into the air. Slamming his prey into the ceiling and driving his cutlass into its torso, Krum-Bahk winked over his shoulder at Raivyn. She nodded a quick thanks without slowing down.


    A gout of flame erupted from the gem in the general¡¯s forehead, and Raivyn dodged to the side, avoiding it. She pivoted back in towards the bubble and stepped inside it. The general¡¯s grin faltered for the first time, but Raivyn¡¯s lips curved up slightly. He tried to slam a T-bolt into her mind, but she brought up a psychic shield and blocked it.


    Frustrated, the Drakmundi general decided to put his physical prowess to work. This interloper was a good three feet shorter than him; he certainly didn¡¯t need psychic powers to defeat her. He swung his staff with blinding speed and brutal strength, but she dodged in towards him, striking him in the stomach with a quick jab as she did.


    ¡°Ow!¡± she cried, her fist impacting solid metal just below the cloth.


    The general laughed, pulling back his staff to stab at her and drive her away. She rolled away from the attack again, this time distancing herself from the general. She pulled her pistol and fired, the round pinging off the general¡¯s forehead and ricocheting off the inside of the shield, ultimately bouncing off the general¡¯s chest before tumbling to the ground.


    ¡°Foolish little one-eyed child,¡± mocked the general. ¡°You cannot hope to beat me.¡±


    Raivyn was surprised to hear the Drakmundi speak in Talpaertan, but didn¡¯t let it show.


    ¡°I did what I was trying to, though,¡± she said with a smirk. ¡°Distract you.¡±


    Looking around, he saw that his beast soldiers were in disarray. The other psychic had cracked the defenses of one of them, and the Marines had taken back the initiative. His face twisted with rage as he turned back towards Raivyn, his staff raised over his head. She fired again, this time aiming for the glowing end of the staff. She twirled out of the way and let him bring it down onto the floor with a smash. The end shattered, and his personal shield flickered away. Raivyn emptied her weapon into the general. Her shots alone may not have accomplished much, but she was joined by enough Marines that the general was soon an unrecognizable purple mess.


    ***


    Trilia¡¯s star tree landed in the gaping mouth of the massive metal serpent that had appeared in the skies above Koomia. As soon as it had appeared, she knew that it was the Drakmundi, come to form an alliance. A thrill coursed through her crystalline form as she stepped down onto the metal surface.


    She hoped when she caught wind of Hoon-Kra¡¯s little cult that she could grow it into something truly special. But here she saw her wishes fulfilled. True, the ¡°Drakmundi,¡± as they were called, had suffered a setback on Griffonia, but she was certain that it could be turned around. A tall, stately biological with orange skin and a cybernetic body walked into the hangar. She wore a purple tunic and tabard, a belt at her waist bearing the strangely familiar symbol of a serpent-like creature wrapped into a circle. The Drakmundi led her from the hangar through a series of rounded metal hallways in a large, open room. Trilia was beckoned to stand in the center of the room. She felt a strange trepidation about standing in the dead center, on a small panel that seemed just wide enough to swallow her whole if it were to give way. She took the small risk and did as she was asked.


    There was a whirring of machinery and a strange object was lowered by a series of cables and robotic arms. It was a severed head, evidently of the same species as the creature that had led her to this room. It seemed a strange offering.


    ¡°Welcome to World Serpent Farbin, Trilia, High Priestess of Koo L¡¯Koom,¡± said the head.


    Trilia was shocked, but masked her surprise carefully. ¡°Thank you. And who might you be?¡±


    ¡°I am World Serpent Farbin,¡± said the head indignantly. ¡°You stand within my domain and within my body.¡±


    ¡°I see, World Serpent,¡± said Trilia. ¡°You must excuse my ignorance in Drakmundi matters.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± said Farbin.


    Trilia needed to tread carefully now. She could not risk making an enemy of the Drakmundi, but one wrong phrase could make her their servant rather than their master.


    ¡°And I will, of course, excuse your ignorance of Koomite custom as well,¡± she replied.


    ¡°I care little for the customs of those not of the Drakmundi,¡± spat Farbin.


    ¡°Then why did you come here?¡± Trilia asked pointedly.


    ¡°The Council sent me,¡± answered Farbin.


    ¡°Then perhaps, World Serpent, I should be speaking to the Council, not to their messenger.¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± said Farbin. ¡°We cannot communicate with the Council until the new maw has been constructed.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Trilia. ¡°My Koomites are at your disposal. You will have whatever help you need.¡±


    ¡°I need no help,¡± said Farbin. ¡°Return to your world. I will summon you when the portal has been built.¡±


    Trilia nodded. ¡°You will not summon me, World Serpent. You will request my presence. Again, I will excuse your ignorance.¡±


    ¡°So be it,¡± said Farbin in a tired voice. ¡°I will request your presence, and you will grant it.¡±


    Trilia smiled, nodded, and returned to her star tree. That had gone better than expected.

 Chapter 5.4: Here There Be Monsters

    The jump had been tense, with Hunt uncertain who among the crew was fully with him and who was harboring a grudge. Dekken in particular worried him. He had no doubt that the engineer wanted to strike the Drakmundi where it would hurt them most, but the Raki engineer had been tense and cagey since they''d gone through the maw. Granted, Hunt hadn''t asked his opinion on going through, but there had hardly been time for that.


    ¡°We''re coming out of the jump now, Admiral, we''ll have a look at our new world shortly,¡± said Triflin.


    Hunt looked out of the viewport from where he sat strapped into his command chair.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Dekken from the engine room. ¡°We''re out of the jump and ready to establish orbit.¡±


    The planet seemed to jump at them from out of the aether, taking up a large portion of the view. The world had ice capped poles, but most of the land was a verdant green, at least from where Hunt sat. A few yellow deserts stretched out near the equator, but the majority of the surface was covered by sapphire blue oceans. It was the exact kind of world Hunt would have been pleased to stumble upon if his command had gone the way it was meant to. He sighed, resigning himself to the reality he found himself in rather than the one he desired.


    ¡°Talon Squad, this is Admiral Hunt,¡± he said, contacting their comms directly. ¡°You¡¯re up. I¡¯ll meet you at the shuttle.¡±


    Climbing down the bridge tower stairs, Hunt made his way to the secondary hangar where Talon Squad¡¯s shuttle was kept, escorted by two armed guards he knew were loyal to him. By the time he got to the hangar Vanbrook, Reclan, Doc, D¡¯Jarric, Darvik, and Fremig were waiting for him.


    ¡°Taking the Drakmundi with you?¡± asked Hunt.


    ¡°I go,¡± said Fremig, smiling sheepishly as he attempted to speak Talpaertan.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve been taking your Talpaertan lessons very seriously, then,¡± said Hunt.


    Fremig regarded him for a moment. ¡°Serious about learning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed,¡± said Hunt honestly.


    ¡°He¡¯s been an excellent student,¡± said D¡¯Jarric. ¡°Between his natural intelligence and his limited ability to communicate psychically with Darvik, we may soon be able to get a true account about the Drakmundi from him.¡±


    ¡°That would be extremely welcome,¡± answered Hunt. ¡°And frankly I¡¯m glad you''re taking him along. His presence on the ship hasn¡¯t exactly been¡­ calming.¡± Hunt rubbed his forehead. ¡°To business. No beacons, since the last thing we want in this corner of the galaxy is attention. Find a wide open space by water to land the Wingspan and do the general exploration routine. Any samples you send will be a welcome distraction for the science teams.


    ¡°I know this whole ordeal is outside of the regular order of things, but I expect the same from you on this mission as I would on any other. Stay in touch, stay safe, and may Providence shine on us all.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said D¡¯Jarric with a nod. ¡°I believe it will.¡±


    The others gave Hunt nods with varying degrees of enthusiasm. The others turned to go, but Vanbrook lingered for a moment.


    ¡°This was the right move,¡± said Vanbrook, putting a hand on Hunt¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Now we just have to stay the course.¡±


    Hunt nodded and walked back to his escort, heading back to his office as Talon Squad boarded the shuttle and the hangar technicians prepared for the launch.


    ***


    Down below decks, towards the engine room, Dekken waited nervously in an empty hallway. Footsteps approached, and Dekken¡¯s head snapped up to see who it was. His heart didn¡¯t know whether to sink or rise when he saw it was Drilby.


    ¡°Chief Officer Dekken, thanks for meeting me,¡± said the private. He was Syden¡¯s brother-in-law, and, it would seem, the cooler head of the two. However, he was only more dangerous for it. ¡°You¡¯re picking the right team.¡±


    ¡°Stow it, Drilby,¡± said Dekken irritably. ¡°Come on, we¡¯ll talk in my office.¡±


    He turned and walked down the hall, shutting his office door once they¡¯d stepped inside.


    ¡°First off, I¡¯m not picking any sides, other than the Republic¡¯s,¡± said Dekken. ¡°I was there when Admiral Hunt defied orders, and I should have stopped him then. In that regard, I¡¯m partly responsible for all of this. I could have killed the engines, even overridden the controls. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t, but it¡¯s too late for that now. I am willing to lead the crew if Hunt is deposed, but it has to be done properly. I won¡¯t be responsible for a mutiny.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Officer,¡± said Drilby. ¡°That¡¯s all we want. To let common sense take control and make our way back to Griffonia.¡±


    ¡°Let your people know I¡¯ll back them, but you have to wait for me,¡± said Dekken. ¡°I¡¯ll see who I can get on board among the higher ups. Now get back to wherever you¡¯re supposed to be before anyone notices you¡¯re missing.¡±


    ***


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    The shuttle glided down through the atmosphere, passing over the wide ocean. Darvik looked out the window and saw a massive green serpent breach in the distance, diving back in before it had fully cleared the surface, its long tail trailing behind it.


    ¡°Great,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s a good sign.¡±


    They angled towards the nearest continent and a thin beach gave way to dense green trees, interspersed with tall red mushrooms and patches of purple vegetation. Bird-like reptilians scattered from the canopy as the shuttle approached, screeching in protest as they shot off towards the horizon.


    The twin suns that blazed down on the planet were just rising, and Reclan kept the sunrise to her left as she flew. She had deliberately aimed for the part of the world experiencing morning so that they would have the whole day to explore and set up camp. Just when she was certain the jungle beneath them would never open up, and that the distant mountains were growing right out of the vegetation, the trees began to thin out and a wide plain came into view, still mostly covered by dense purple shrubbery but with open grassy patches scattered here and there.


    ¡°There¡¯s a river off to the right,¡± said Vanbrook.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± said Reclan. ¡°I¡¯ll follow that inland until we find a decent lake. That ought to make Hunt happy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that anything is going to make that man ¡®happy,¡¯¡± noted Vanbrook. ¡°But at least this won¡¯t disappoint him.¡±


    They followed the river for a few hundred miles and found what they were looking for: a wide, open plain by a lake, just a few miles from the foot of the mountains that rose in the north. The jungle had reasserted itself on the sunrise side of the river, but there was plenty of space to land the Wingspan, much less the shuttle, on the lakeshore.


    As soon as the shuttle had landed, Vanbrook unbuckled and scurried to the exit ramp, walking outside and breathing in the steamy air that wafted over from the distant jungle. It was alive with a subtle organic spiciness that piqued his curiosity.


    ¡°Where to first, Squad?¡± he asked, feeling energized for the first time since he¡¯d left Raivyn behind on Griffonia.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the lake,¡± said Reclan. ¡°Dense forests are always full of all kinds of poisonous creatures and predators and the like. Maybe we¡¯ll luck out with the lake.¡±


    With a shrug, Vanbrook walked over to the edge of the lake and looked down into the clear water. A few small crustaceans flitted to and fro, and an amphibian the size of Vanbrook¡¯s fist swam by, gulping a couple of the crustaceans as it went. There was a kind of short shelf for a few feet where the creatures skittered about, and then what appeared to be a steep drop off.


    ¡°Looks pretty typical,¡± said Vanbrook over his shoulder. ¡°Lake gets pretty deep a ways out, might be worth throwing on some aether gear and scoping it out if we have the time.¡±


    Just as he said it, a tentacle shot out of the water and grabbed him by the legs. The tentacle retracted as suddenly as it had emerged, drawing him towards a slavering maw that had just broken the surface from the depths below. Being dragged feet-first, he had a good view of the jagged teeth and beady eyes tucked away under a pointed shell.


    He pulled his revolver and fired. The blue bolt of energy went wide, ricocheting off the shell, but the surprise forced the monster to drop Vanbrook in the shallow water. Landing with a splash, he stood quickly and drew his saber, sloshing backwards through the water in hopes of reaching dry land.


    With a hissing scream, the creature threw its tentacles towards Vanbrook again. The rest of Talon Squad did what they could to fire on the monster, but it was hard to get a clean shot. The majority of the monster was underwater and most of the exposed flesh was being blocked by Vanbrook. He slashed out with his saber, the blade only nicking the monster¡¯s leathery hide. It screamed again, and Vanbrook again tried to fire a shot into its face, his shot spoiled when another tentacle grabbed his leg and yanked. He slashed down with his saber, but the tentacle just squeezed tighter, threatening to break his leg.


    There was a sloshing sound behind Vanbrook, and suddenly the hulking form of Fremig was running past him where he lay in the shallow water. The Drakmundi hit the monster like a wrecking ball, driving it further back into the water. Vanbrook was hauled along with them, still slashing at the tentacle wrapped around his ankle. This time the tentacle loosed and Vanbrook scrambled backwards.


    It was now his turn to search for opportunities to shoot at the monster, but Fremig was wrestling the creature toe-to-toe now, and all Vanbrook could do was back away and wait for an opening. Fremig grappled with the tentacles, his claws digging into the tough flesh. A change came over the battle and the beast began to wave its tentacles frantically and tried to swim away from the shore. Digging his feet into the soft lakebed at the edge of the shelf, it looked for a moment like Fremig was going to be pulled along with the beast. However, it had little use of two of its limbs, and the Drakmundi found a solid rock beneath the muck to plant his feet on, clearly gaining the upper hand in the combat. Adjusting his grip so that one of his hands was on the edge of the shell over the monster¡¯s face, he heaved with all his might, picking the creature up over his head. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Vanbrook looked on in awe as Fremig stood in the lake, his arms over his head, hoisting up a roughly spherical creature that was nearly seven feet in diameter. The moment passed and Fremig slammed the monster shell-first into the shallow water, spraying Vanbrook in water and blue-green gore. The creature cried out in pain as its shell split, leaving it a squirming mass of tentacles on the shore. The squirming quickly came to an end and the creature lay still in the water, tentacles drifting gently as the water sloshed around it.


    Fremig regarded the bloody mess with a strange dissatisfaction, kneeling by one of the tentacles and running a hand along it as though trying to comfort the beast in its demise. Standing up after a moment, he walked back to shore.


    ¡°Hey, uh, thanks,¡± said Vanbrook, running along behind him.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± said Fremig.


    The others stood on the beach, each signifying approval in their own way. Reclan and D¡¯Jarric cheered, Darvik nodded approvingly, and Doc stood stock still, regarding Fremig with an expressionless gaze.


    ¡°Alright, I guess let¡¯s collect some data on this thing,¡± said Reclan, dispatching her drones to take pictures and readings.


    ¡°Oh, you couldn¡¯t have done that earlier?¡± asked Vanbrook.


    ¡°I was working on it,¡± said Reclan with a shrug. ¡°But Fremig kind of beat me to it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was¡­ something else,¡± said Vanbrook. ¡°But he didn¡¯t seem too pleased with his own work.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he likes violence,¡± said Darvik.


    Vanbrook looked questioningly at Darvik. ¡°You know about his old job, right?¡±


    Darvik sighed. ¡°I mean before that, even. It¡¯s been hard to get anything sensible out of him yet, but he doesn¡¯t seem like a killer.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d know,¡± said Vanbrook. The retort escaped before he had thought it through, though he wasn''t sure he regretted it.


    Darvik shook his head but said nothing, walking away.


    ¡°Allies are in short supply out here,¡± said D''Jarric quietly to Vanbrook. ¡°Best not to push any away lightly.¡±