《Of Blood, Steel, and Lasers》
The Galaxy
Common Terms and Abbreviations:
FTL - Faster Than Light. Often used when talking about the speeds of starships, or ''FTL drives'', where the method of FTL travel is unknown.
GCY - Galactic Common Year. Established by the Cha''karri - or other species still in existence during that time - during a time where no other species had achieved FTL travel. Outside of the Cha''karri records, the earliest recorded year of the Galactic Common Calendar is 157 GCY.
GCC - Galactic Common Calendar. Year as of "Chapter 5 - Rumblings in The Deep": 15739 GCY.
GST - Galactic Standard Time. 100 seconds go into a minute, 100 minutes go into an hour, 10 hours go into a day, 500 days go into a year. Every 10 years is a decade, 100 years a century, 1000 amillennium, 10000 a centennium, 100000 a "myriad of year." For unknown reasons, the phrase "Giga Life" from the cha''karri means "1 billion years." As for why there does not exist one for 1 million, 10 million, or 100 million is unknown as well.
SRW - Shattered Realms War. Further information is avaliable under section "Events," belonging to its own sub-section.
UNE - United Nations of Earth. Further information is avaliable under the sub-section "Humanity," in the section "Species in The Galaxy."
LVT - Lud Void Traversers. Further informations is avaliable under the sub-section "Ludrians," in the section "Species in The Galaxy."
OSP - Orbital Space Station. A space station that orbits around a planet, natural satellite, or any other orbitable celestial body that is not a star.
FDSP - Free Drifting Space Station. A space station that does not orbit around a celestial body, and instead, drifts freely in space.
SOSP - Solar Orbiting Space Station. A space station that orbits a star, often used in hostile or commonly travled solar systems to protect an asset in the system.
HSS - Humanity''s Spaceship. Prefix used for the UNE''s spaceships.
Species in The Galaxy:
Humanity (adj: Human, singular: Human, multiple: Humans):
One of the younger species in the galaxy, but also the fastest growing. Discovered FTL travel in 15639 GCY, and expanded rapidly before encountering the borders of other nations, where expansion stopped. Expansion recently resumed with the advent of the SRW. Their ruling body is the United Nations of Earth, and is currently headed by President Arthur Laudrick. They are a solitary force in the SRW with no direct allies or enemies. The only force that has actively engaged humanity in more than just skrimishes is the Tellairan Hive. As humanity is the lead species of this story, it will have far more information in it than the other races. Such as... Space Naval Rankings:
Private - The beginner, given the basics of duty, like handing over mass driver rounds or wheeling carts of energy batteries for the turbolasers.
??? - Ranks will go here, though it is currently uncertain as to what ranks shall occupy these positions.
Ensign - Somewhat low on the ranking specturm, though something to be proud of. The holder of this rank is commissioned a corvette to captain, and a new name for the ship if another one is unavaliable. Takes orders from their commanding Captain.
Captain - Medium-low on the ranking chart. The holder of this rank is commissioned a destroyer to captain, and the previously owned corvette is given to an Ensign or other commanding officer. The previous name of the corvette shall be removed from the vessel and transferred over to the new destroyer. Is the commanding officer of 5 corvettes and takes orders from their commanding Sergeant.
Sergeant - Medium of the ranking chart. The holder of this rank is commissioned a cruiser to captain, and the previously owned destroyer is given to a Captain or other commanding officer. The previous name of the destroyer shall be removed from the vessel and transferred over to the new cruiser. Is the commanding officer of 5 destroyers and takes orders from their commanding Lieutenant.
Lieutenant - Medium-high on the ranking chart. The holder of this ranks is commissioned a battlecruiser to captain, and the previously owned cruiser is given to a Sergeant or other commanding officer. The previous name of the cruiser shall be removed from the vessel and transferred over to the new battlecruiser. Is the commanding officer of 3 cruisers and takes orders from their commanding Major
Major - Medium-high on the ranking chart. The holder of this rank is either commissioned a carrier, or allowed to modify their current battlecruiser. Should the major choose to captain a carrier, the previously owned cruiser is given to a Lieutenant or other commanding officer. The previous name of the cruiser shall be removed from the vessel and transferred over the new carrier. Is the commanding officer of 3 Lieutenant-ranked battlecruisers and takes orders directly from the commanding officer of the fleet, which is either an admiral or a commanding officer directly under the admiral.
???- Ranks will go here, though it is currently uncertain as to what ranks shall occupy these positions.
Admiral - The commander of a fleet. Though fleets may be split into smaller fleets, the person who holds this rank has the final say in the fleet. Currently, there are 5 officers who hold the rank of Admiral.
Fleet Admiral - The commander of the space navy, the top brass, the one who makes the rules ''round here. This person is the highest authority in the space navy, and only one person can hold this rank at a time. Though this ranking can be held outside of wartime, the only time when the person who holds this rank actually does anything is duing wartime. This is a Branch Commander ranking.
Commander-in-Chief - The only person in the military that has higher authority than the Branch Commanders. This person is often only needed to settle legal disputes between the branches of the military, and the actual commanding is often left to the respective Branch Commanders.
Tellairan (adj: Tellairan, singular: Tellairan, multiple: Tellairans):
Referred to as the Tellairan Hive when speaking generally. A hive mind that predates most space-faring empires. The members of this speices are connected by a inherint neural link that connects all tellairans into one mind. Should any member of this species be disconnected from the neural link, it will quickly die. This bipedal species has an average height of 10 feet, with many similarities to the human race. Differences include a lack of body hair, two pairs of arms with four fingers, three sets of eyes, and a predominately white skin color, as well as a four-toed foot. No, not a human white, but the actual color white. This hive minds seeks only to conquer and expand, through any means necessary. Since they are all of one mind, there has is no actual government, or specialized members of the species. They are all drones for the mind, and an individual drone does not show any different talents or preferences compared to any other drone. A hive mind can only be destroyed by killing any and all drones. Its technological and military prowess are extremely high, and can only be matched by the cha''karri and riifrei.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Cha''karri (adj: Cha''karrian, singular: Cha''karran, multiple: Cha''karri):
An ancient species that is considered the first sapients in the galaxy. Ruled by the Cha''kaan Imperium, this species is known for its overwhelming superiority in every aspect, be it science, physical prowess, military, or history. This species closely follows the same beliefs as that of the Isolationist faction of humanity, and only gets involved when the Emperor deems it necessary. Though having scared off the tellairan military multiple times, small amounts of tellairan vessels harrass the cha''karri at every opprotunity. The cha''karri react only in self-defense, and have never been recorded to actively involve themselves in any "squabbles" between the other races. This bipedal species has an average height of about 4 feet, and is resembles dragons of human fantasy novels. This race''s legs are shaped like a lightning bolt, where the knees go back and slightly upwards, before continuing down until the three-toed claws are flush with the knees. They have a singular horn potruding back from their cranium, and extends about half a foot forward. This species has a single pair of arms that are similar to the legs, having three fingers/claws, but without the distinctive lightning bolt shape of the legs. Most often, the color of their scales are green, but other members of the race have blue, black, gray, or even red scales. The royal family is the only lineage known to have purple scales.
Riifrei (adj: Riifrei, singular: Riifrei, multiple: Riifrei):
The riifrei are not like other species, in that the riifrei live in the vacuum of space. They feed off of UV rays and cosmic radiation, making them much like plants. However, they do posess a rather skewed technology. Most of their ''weapons'' consist of them using contraptions to amplify their already powerful biological weaponry. Though the actual workings of the riifrei and their technology are still not understood, many species assume they are the result of cha''karrian experimentation, due to the large amount of riifrei observed in cha''karrian space. The riifrei resemble whales from Earth, only that their size is that of asteroids and live in space. They come in green, red, or a greenish blue color.
Ludrians (adj: Ludrian, singular: Lundrian, multiple: Ludrians):
The ludrians are orginized under the Lud Void Traversers, a rather unique nation. The ludrians have no known systems under their control, instead preferring to roam the wonders and locations the galaxy contains. Orginized in an oligarchy, the government''s main purpose is to decide which system or other locations to visit next. There is only ever a need for diplomacy during first contact, as the ludrians most often have no need for anything from the nations they visit, nor do the nations they visit often need anything from them aside from knowledge, which most of which the ludrians are happy to cede. Though the ludrians only share information obtained in the galaxy they are currently in, it is speculated that the Lud Void Traversers have roots in other galaxies. The speculation has no base, but is quite popular among the other races. The ludrians hold their advantage in the field of FTL travel, as this is the focus of their entire civilization.
Events:
Shattered Realms War (SRW):
The Shattered Realms War is the focus of the story "Of Blood, Steel, and Lasers," and is the galactic equivalent of World War 1. Beginning on 15729 GCY, SRW has raged for 10 years, until we arrive at the current time of 15739 GCY. This war was begun by the Tellairan Hive, when it launched its massive forces to invade and enslave every species that was not tellairan. Though they offered preferrable treatment to those who willingly submitted, only a few submitted to them immediately. However, after a few years of the Tellairan Hive basically bullying the small and medium nations, many caved in and accepted vassaldom within five years. After 15734 GCY, the amount of nations that submitted to Tellairan display of force reached zero, and nations only submitted when they lost a large, or important, part of their territory. There were also some species that refused to bend knee, and were extinguished by the Tellairan Hive. Though these species were supposed to be eradicated by the Tellairan Hive, the riifrei, ludrians, or cha''karri would intervene to save a few members of each species, effectively preserving the species themselves. Currently, the Tellairan Hive is experiencing a roadblock in the form of powerful nations and the UNE, which had made it into the ranks of galactic superpowers in 15736 GCY.
Battle of Tau Ceti - The first major battle between the tellairans and humanity, conducted in the system of Tau Ceti. Humanity was able to repel the Tellairan Hive from Tau Ceti space, and secured themselves the first major victory in the SRW. Though a normal victory and loss on the surface, hidden whispers tell of a darker plan at work... Diagram of the battle in the post-chapter note.
Founding of The Galactic Calendar:
Though mostly a historic anomoly, this event actually happened. Though the only species that has knowledge of this event is the cha''karri, scholars of other races have tried constantly to obtain knowledge about this surely important historical event.
People (Persons, Individuals, Important Characters, Memorable Figure, etc.)
Taliseen Gunther Avet - The main character of "Of Blood, Steel, and Lasers" and a human in the service of the United Nations of Earth''s space navy. He holds the rank of Ensign and is the captain of the corvette "Duty." Was awarded the Bronze Star for Heroic Service for his actions in the Battle of Tau Ceti. His middle name is never actually mentioned in the story.
Captain Mary Reacher - A female captain belonging to the United Nations of Earth''s space navy. She captains the destroyer "Charmer." Was awarded the Bronze Star for Heroic Service for her actions in the Battle of Tau Ceti.
Major John Williams - A close friend of Mary Reacher, and is a major of the United Nations of Earth''s space navy. Was the leader of the forces that repelled the tellairans in the Battle of Tau Ceti. Was awarded the Silver Star forMeritorious Service for his actions in the Battle of Tau Ceti.
President Arthur Laudrick - The current president of the United Nations of Earth.
Orginizations and Members
Varth?r?? Council - An orginization shrouded in darkness. It seems to have some connection to the tellairan hive mind, but the exact nature of that connection is unknown. It also seems to have some ability to use psionic energy, and in possibly massive amounts. The names of the known members are:Hr?fg?ir,Dr?st?, andN??vg?.
Other (Anything important that doesn''t fall into any of the previous catagories):
Bronze Star for Heroic Service - A medal given to members of the UNE''s military for distinguishing themselves on the battlefield.
Mass Drivers - Kinetic batteries meant for space warfare. Has no explosive power, but has much of the destructive power of missiles and much of the speed of energy weapons. One of the three main forms of weaponry.
Energy Weapons - Energy weapons are weapons that use lasers as their way of injury. It has the fastest speed and melts through many things, but has trouble penetrating shields and uses the most amount of energy out of the three main forms of weaponry. Turbolasers and energy rifles are two applications of this technology.
Missiles - By far the most destructive of the three main forms of weaponry. Missiles either are on the level, or surpass that of nuclear missiles. This is mainly used in space-to-space and ground-to-space combat,and ground-to-ground and space-to-ground have less destructive missiles to avoid destroying the enviornment.
Hyperspace - A method of FTL travel where a ship uses a hyperdrive to access hyperplanes to travel between systems. Though fast and efficient, it is bound by hyperplanes, and must move through the hyperplanes to get from system to system. Enters hyperspace through hypergates, loose areas of space. Hyperspace travel isnot Intradimensional travel.
Wormholes - A method of FTL travel restricted by immoveable wormhole generators at the edges of solar systems. Wormhole generators generate wormholes for ships that lack FTL drives to move from system to system with. These wormhole generators, however, have a certain range, and new ones must be built to travel through the galaxy. Wormhole travel is different from intradimensional jump, as a wormhole "folds" space, instead of leaving it to enter another dimension.
Intradimensional Jump - As the name suggests, a method of travel (not actually FTL travel) that allows the ship outfitted with this drive to move into a different dimension (often called the 5th dimension, energy dimension, or the Broken Plane), and then leave the 5th dimension and appear elsewhere in the original dimension. Possible application of this technology include the visitation of other dimensions, or even harnessing the power of these dimensions to create energy.
Warp - A versatile method of FTL travel where a ship is surrounded by a warp bubble that allows it to reach speeds faster than light. Though somewhat slow, it is not restricted to hyperplanes or bound by wormhole generators.
Cloaking Ship - A starship that serves only to cloak a larger fleet. It is effectively useless in combat, and, once the fleet it is protecting reaches its destination, it usually leaves immediately unless it it destroyed first. It has no weapons and armor just strong enough to not be destroyed by a vacuum.
Prologue - Shattered Realms War
It was year 15729 of the Galactic Calendar, and the Shattered Realms War had been continuing for ten years. From the galaxy¡¯s Outer Rim to the Core Sectors, the war raged. The myriad of empires, federations, unions, and other nations threw their military at each other, leaving thousands of systems littered with space debris. Ideologies clashed, as fierce and common as physical combat. Some worlds were bombed so heavily, they turned into uninhabitable tombs. Other planets were left in far better conditions, their inhabitants, however, were not so lucky.
As many nations as there were in the galaxy, the amount of sapient species numbered far more. Out of the countless species, there were five major factions in the SRW (Shattered Realms War). The first and strongest was the cha¡¯karri, who had existed for the longest amongst the known sapients in the galaxy. Second was the tellairans, a hive mind that lived by devouring other species. Many of the planets under their command were previously owned by other species. Most of their technology was stolen from those same species. Third was the ludriauns, a species from outside the Milky Way. Though most of their technology was focused on faster than light travel (FTL), recent political tensions had incentivized their need for war technology. Fourth was the Riifrei, a species that could survive ¨C and in fact, thrived¡ªin the vacuum of space. They were a mostly peaceful species, but the increased conflicts had made them feel threatened, and they revealed an unparalleled strength the galaxy had never expected from them.
The fifth was the humans, a young species in the galaxy. They discovered FTL in year 15693, and by 15710, they were already an extremely powerful nation. Unlike most powers, they were a democratic nation, where every citizen could have a say in the government. Though most had assumed this would just lead to chaos, it seemed to have propelled the humans forward far faster than what was expected. However, despite their extraordinary nature, they were still too young, and could not be counted as a galactic superpower; until the advent of the SRW, where a metaphorical sleeping giant had been awoken, and the humans began to single-handedly crush bordering nations that had turned hostile. From there, they had earned their place as one of the galactic superpowers.
But that was the past, and the general rankings had already been solidified. Unless a nation lost a major battle, there would not be any ranking changes. In the Tau Ceti system, one of those major battles were off in full force. On one side were the humans, who had the advantage of having owned the Tau Ceti system for years, and had established multiple defense platforms in the system. On the other side were the tellairans, who held the advantage with both superior numbers and technology. Currently, the humans were being pushed back by the overwhelming firepower of the tellairans, and only held control of three of Tau Ceti¡¯s seven planets. Tau Ceti VII, VI, and V specifically, their natural satellites included.
Though the lack of habitable planets or orbital habitats made this system rather unattractive, it was a symbol of humanity¡¯s might, and losing it would be destructive for humanity¡¯s morale. Therefore, it was no surprise that a massive skirmish was taking place between Tau Ceti V and IV. Belonging to the tellairans were 3 Keeper-class cruisers, 8 Enforcer-class destroyers, 15 Bruiser-class corvettes, and 31 Pin-class bombers. The humans controlled 2 defense stations, each equal to a Keeper, a single Raven-class cruiser, 4 Enigma-class destroyers, and 12 Scimitar-class corvettes. Purely in terms of numbers, the humans were hardly a match for the tellairan ships. However, the humans did not intend to give up so easily.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
¡°Ensign Avet, orders to the front! Protect the ¡°Charmer¡±!¡± The earpiece in Ensign Taliseen Avet¡¯s ear alerted him of new orders.
Taliseen¡¯s eyes flickered to a display on his right, showing a rapidly flashing blue dot being surrounded on one side by multiple smaller red dots, all flashing at different speeds. He replied in the affirmative, and turned to his navigator, whom he relayed the orders to. With a grim acceptance, the navigator punched in the coordinates, the computer handling the rest. With a slight tremor through the ship, ¡°Duty¡± went from stopped, to pushing on lightspeed as it maneuvered in front of the destroyer ¡°Charmer.¡± Almost immediately, a loud rumble echoed through the command room, causing Taliseen to unintentionally give the head engineer a sharp glare.
¡°Status report.¡± Taliseen said, his voice icy cold.
¡°Direct hit on storage room D-5, estimated two casualties.¡± The head engineer reported back, his voice hoarse.
¡°Two? What were people doing in...- never mind, focus all energy weapons and nuclear missiles to the ship marked B-001. All mass drivers are to intercept any enemy fire. Mathis, I¡¯m leaving targeting to you.¡± Taliseen gave orders easily and without hesitation.
A pale-faced Mathis who sat at a slightly different computer desk nodded and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He picked up a device similar to a welding goggles, but equipped with a black box around the actual lenses, making it into a black rectangle. A black and red wire led from the black rectangle through a hole in Mathis¡¯s desk, leading to somewhere unknown. Opening a drawer without looking, Mathis pulled out two objects that looked like gun handles. Upon taking hold of these two objects, the black rectangle on his head made a whirring sound. Outside the ship, the two mass drivers stopped their robotic movements and stopped firing. Obviously, the objects Mathis was using were controllers of some sort.
¡°This is Ensign Avet of the ¡°Duty¡± to ¡°Charmer,¡± what¡¯s your status?¡± Taliseen pressed two fingers to his earpiece and spoke.
¡°This is Captain Reacher of the ¡°Charmer¡± to ¡°Duty,¡± thank you for the assistance. Hulls are severely damaged, two mass drivers, a turbolaser, and seven tube launchers are out of commission. Torpedo and missile supplies nearly depleted, energy levels critical. We¡¯ll be forced to switch to backup power or initiate emergency FTL jump in thirty minutes. In a nutshell, we¡¯re fucked.¡± A haggard female voice responded.
¡°¡°Duty¡± to ¡°Charmer,¡± have you received withdraw orders? Any orders at all?¡±
¡°¡°Charmer¡± to ¡°Duty,¡± negative. We¡¯ve been ordered to stay and fight. And that¡¯s what I plan to do.¡±
Captain Reacher¡¯s voice sent chills down Taliseen¡¯s spine. Her tone had clearly shown that she would happily send her ship into the heart of the enemy, had she not had a crew to take care of. A smile tugged at the corner of Taliseen¡¯s lips.
¡°To the last man?¡±
¡°To the last man.¡±
A wicked grin spread across Taliseen¡¯s face.
Chapter 3 - Duty
¡°It¡¯s always a sight seeing a ship in repair.¡±
Taliseen stared up at the ¡°Duty¡± as multiple small repair craft whizzed around it¡¯s hull, sparks raining down from above. Suspended by anti-gravs and cables, the ¡°Duty¡± was a sight to see. The damage was extensive, and required many days to be repaired. In the mean time, Taliseen was regulated to desk duty meant to ¡°relax his mind¡± from the stress caused by the Battle of Tau Ceti. Though he appreciated the gesture, he was in sound condition, and would rather get back in the fight than write papers and referrals.
¡°Certainly, but you should see it when one of the bigger ones get repaired, like a dreadnought or a battlecruiser.¡±
A voice from behind him spoke up. Taliseen turned around, searching for the speaker. A man in a gray naval uniform was walking up to him, and he saw that Taliseen had turned around, he raised his right hand in greeting. Uncertain as to who he was, Taliseen took a glance at the ranking insignia on the man¡¯s shoulder. Upon seeing the six-point golden star on his shoulder insignia, Taliseen instantly snapped to attention.
¡°Major, sir!¡± Taliseen saluted.
¡°At ease soldier.¡± The major waved his hand.
Taliseen relaxed slightly. ¡°May I ask why what you¡¯re doing here major?¡±
¡°What, I can¡¯t take a stroll in the hanger?¡±
¡°N-no, of course you can, sir! I was just curious as to why-¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± The major dismissed his excuse with a chuckle. ¡°I just wanted to tell you that Reacher¡¯s looking for you.¡±
¡°Captain Reacher,¡± Taliseen was confused. ¡°But isn¡¯t she a lower rank? Why are you searching me out for her?¡±
¡°We¡¯re friends. She wanted to see you and I didn¡¯t have anything to do. She¡¯s in the medical ward, room 514.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir.¡±
¡°Dismissed.¡±
Taliseen once again saluted to the major, then began the walk towards the medical ward. As he was far above the medical ward, he had to take the elevator down multiple floors. Twelve minutes later, he was walking into the medical ward, and stepping up to the reception desk. He patiently waited for the receptionist to finish her work on the computer.
¡°How may I help you?¡± The receptionist looked up at Taliseen and asked.
¡°I¡¯m here to visit Captain Mary Reacher. I was told she was in room 514.¡± Taliseen replied.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
¡°Mary Reacher¡ Yes, down the hall to your left and her room will be in the right.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
Taliseen gave the lady a smile and went to the left, glancing at the room numbers on the right, looking for 514. After passing by a number of doors, he spotted the black ¡°514¡± next to a door, the braille underneath it. The knocked on the door three times, and heard a muffled ¡°come in¡± from the inside. Straightening the ensign cap on his head, he pushed open the door and walked in.
Inside was a bed, table and a TV opposite the bed. On the TV was a news station currently covering the Battle of Tau Ceti. Under the covers of the hospital bed was a woman with long blond hair that was currently tied up in a ponytail. Her left arm was wrapped up in a cast, and her other arm was covered in bandages. As Taliseen entered, she turned her head away from the TV turned her gaze to Taliseen. Her right eye was covered by an eye patch, and multiple other bandages dotted her face as well. Her sole, uncovered jade-green eye stared back at him, welcoming him in with a smile and a nod of the head. Taliseen returned the greeting with a salute. He walked over to the desk and pulled out the chair, setting it next to the bed and sitting down on it.
¡°Major Williams found you then?¡± Captain Reacher asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Taliseen nodded, then chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you managed to get a major to listen to you, even going as far as to ordering him around. You are more mysterious than you let on.¡±
¡°No no, it¡¯s nothing like that. Me and Michael were just friends since before we joined the military. Also, what you mean ¡®than I let on?¡¯ Since when have I even ¡®let on¡¯ anything?¡±
¡°Ever since you fell down the stairs and landed yourself in the hospital?¡±
¡°It was the stairs of the capitol building! You know how dangerous they are!¡±
¡°Yeah, they don¡¯t call them the seven thousand steps for no reason.¡±
Taliseen laughed as he imagined the dignified Captain Reacher slipping on a stair and falling down to the bottom. It was something quite out of character.
¡°Anyway, what did you need me for?¡± Taliseen stopped laughing and asked her.
¡°I never got the chance to thank you for saving the ¡°Charmer¡± in Tau Ceti, did I?¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t, but don¡¯t worry about it. I was following orders, there¡¯s no need for you to feel thankful to me.¡±
¡°Orders that seemed like suicide. I¡¯ll admit, if I was in your position, I¡¯m not sure if I would follow through with them.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t need to be so humble. If you were in my position, you probably never would¡¯ve received that order in the first place. Many of us see you as a genius strategist and a banging hottie, there¡¯s no way you would¡¯ve had to struggle like I did.¡±
¡°Thanks for the compliment, but please don¡¯t say ¡®banging.¡¯¡± Captain Reacher made a disgusted face.
¡°Yeah, that was fucking terrible.¡± Taliseen agreed.
There was a brief moment of awkward silence, before Captain Reacher coughed.
¡°Right,¡± Captain Reacher turned serious. ¡°Ensign Avet!¡±
¡°Yes, ma¡¯am?¡± Taliseen stood up and gave a salute.
¡°I have new orders for you. You are to report to Denns back on Earth, I have recommended you for officer training. You have done good work soldier, I¡¯m proud of you.¡±
¡°...¡±
Taliseen was silent for a moment, completely stunned. Earlier, he was being humble when he said he just following orders. He was rather proud of surviving that battle, but he knew he could¡¯ve only done it with the work of his crew, so he didn¡¯t dare brag. Therefore, for him to be recommended for officer school because of that surprised him. He was excited, but at the same time, he felt as though he didn¡¯t deserve it. Even so, he still decided to accept the offer.
¡°Understood ma¡¯am, I shall leave immediately!¡± Taliseen saluted, then turned and left the room, heading towards the elevator that would take him to the hangar.
Back inside room 514, Captain Reacher sighed. She didn¡¯t believe Taliseen was yet ready for officer school. The man had talent, sure, but talent wasn¡¯t enough. To succeed in officer school, one often needed years of front line experience to know how to command troops. For Captain Reacher, she had once been faced with the task of commanding her own troops in a mock battle, where she had failed drastically. It was because of this she realized how hard being a strategist was. She couldn¡¯t just throw her troops at the enemy, hoping that they would do the rest. No, she had to think, to find flaws in the enemy, to recognize the strengths and weaknesses in play, to do more than just fire a gun.
The only reason she had recommended him for officer school was to draw out his talent. Taliseen was a natural strategist, capable of calm decisions and even creating miracles from hopeless situations. In the Battle of Tau Ceti, Taliseen had, multiple times, risked his own ship to save other ships. Yet, despite the mounting odds, he had managed to survive long enough for reinforcements to drive the enemy back. To pay back her debt, and bring forth his hidden talent, Mary Reacher had decided to send Taliseen Avet to officer school. For better or for worse, she did not know.
But war is approaching swiftly, and humanity needed every man, woman, and child out there. Come hell or high waters, she would do whatever it took to destroy the enemies of humanity. It was her duty.
Chapter 4 - The Benefits of Failure
Thinking back to Captain Reacher¡¯s recommendation, Taliseen couldn¡¯t understand what exactly she was thinking when she filed a recommendation. In a mere three days, he had been expelled due to ¡°inadequate qualifications.¡± Although it seemed like a slap in the face, it was indeed true. He had actually failed the very first test meant to gauge a new applicant¡¯s abilities. Situations presented to him in the simulation portions were outright insane, and Taliseen barely managed to make it two minutes without having failed miserably. He could tell just from the proctor¡¯s near tangible disappointment.
As he sat, rubbing the armrest of the transport ship¡¯s seat, he laughed to himself. He had been enlisted in the army for less than a year, what made him think he was capable of officer school. While others had entered and passed the officer school with less years in the military than him, their situations were quite different. All those officers had training since they could understand Lingua, and had been geniuses in their own rights. To top it off, most of them had received training from officers higher level than anyone he had a relationship with. Compared to them, Taliseen was just another scrap of cannon fodder, a cog in the machine at best.
However, it was useless comparing himself to those legends. All of them had made names for themselves and had settled down comfortably in near the top. To get where they wore, they had taken tens of years, others had even took hundreds and were near the end of their lifespan. Taliseen didn¡¯t even dare try to compare himself to them. For now, it was all he could do to learn from his failure and improve.
The trip back to the Alpha Centauri system would take a day, and the starship had only just set off. Begrudgingly remembering the work load he had been given by the officer school to help him improve, he whipped out a pencil and brought up the folding desk next to his legs. He pulled out the first packet of paper, and set to work on it.
**Alpha Centauri IVa-OSP II, 5th floor, medical wing, Room 514. 5:68:32 GST.**
¡°Mary, I know you feel indebted to the guy who saved your life, but please, don¡¯t just send him to the officer school for the hell of it.¡±
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Currently, Captain Reacher was lying in her bed in the medical ward, a computer on her lap. On the computer, was the familiar video chat screen and a small blue and white S logo. The man on the screen was the major Taliseen had met, only now, he was dressed in civilian clothes. Rubbing his the stubble on his chin, he sighed.
¡°Don¡¯t worry John, I know better than to waste the instructors¡¯ time. He isn¡¯t even able to pass the preliminaries. There were also only 3 other applicants that day, so the proctor shouldn¡¯t have been busy.¡± Captain Reacher waved her hand and laughed it off.
¡°That¡¯s exactly the problem, you shouldn¡¯t be throwing newbies at the officer school. If you do, they¡¯ll revoke your right to recommend!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be such a hard ass John, they¡¯ve changed their policies for wartime.¡±
Major John was stupefied for a moment. ¡°What do you mean they changed their policies?¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Captain Reacher raised an eyebrow. ¡°The infamous Major John Williams, who led the charge to drive the tellairans from Tau Ceti doesn¡¯t even know about the officer school¡¯s wartime policy change?¡±
Major Williams grimaced. ¡°Don¡¯t try to be funny Mary, just tell me what changed.¡±
Captain Reacher giggled. ¡°If an applicant fails in the preliminaries, as long as they have a talent-group recommendation, then they¡¯ll receive a mock first-year final exam, along with other study guides and materials. Depending on the performance in the preliminaries, they might even allow access to a portion of the digital library.¡±
For a moment, Major Williams was slack-jawed. Breaking his trance, he removed his New York Giants hat and ran a hand through his shiny brown hair.
¡°Well damn,¡± Major Williams awkwardly chuckled. ¡°That is important.¡±
¡°Told ya,¡± Captain Reacher grinned smugly. ¡°If he¡¯s lucky, he¡¯ll learn a lot from this and apply it in the next major skirmish, and then earn himself some merits. After a rinsing and repeating a couple of times, he should receive an invitation from the school again.¡±
¡°Haah...¡± Major Williams sighed. ¡°I wish that policy was around when I first applied. I could¡¯ve really used that information.¡±
¡°Yes, you failed spectacularly.¡± Captain Reacher laughed.
¡°Well, I hope he doesn¡¯t get too discouraged. He should know that almost nobody has passed the preliminaries on their first try.¡±
They continued to talk for a while, until Major Williams decided it was time for him to return to his activities. They ended the call, and both went back to their respective duties. For Captain Reacher, it was just another day in the bed, waiting for her full recovery. Already feeling the boredom, she turned her head to look out the window. Though the windows were nearly pitch black, she could still see the brightness of the binary stars of Alpha Centauri. The twin bright white stars created a beautiful sight, lulling Mary sleep.
The Battle of Tau Ceti was just the tip of the space iceberg, who would be able to tell if, one day, the light of these two beauties of the universe would one day, wink out of the sky, forever turning dark and cold¡
Chapter 3 - Duty
¡°It¡¯s always a sight seeing a ship in repair.¡±
Taliseen stared up at the ¡°Duty¡± as multiple small repair craft whizzed around it¡¯s hull, sparks raining down from above. Suspended by anti-gravs and cables, the ¡°Duty¡± was a sight to see. The damage was extensive, and required many days to be repaired. In the mean time, Taliseen was regulated to desk duty meant to ¡°relax his mind¡± from the stress caused by the Battle of Tau Ceti. Though he appreciated the gesture, he was in sound condition, and would rather get back in the fight than write papers and referrals.
¡°Certainly, but you should see it when one of the bigger ones get repaired, like a dreadnought or a battlecruiser.¡±
A voice from behind him spoke up. Taliseen turned around, searching for the speaker. A man in a gray naval uniform was walking up to him, and he saw that Taliseen had turned around, he raised his right hand in greeting. Uncertain as to who he was, Taliseen took a glance at the ranking insignia on the man¡¯s shoulder. Upon seeing the six-point golden star on his shoulder insignia, Taliseen instantly snapped to attention.
¡°Major, sir!¡± Taliseen saluted.
¡°At ease soldier.¡± The major waved his hand.
Taliseen relaxed slightly. ¡°May I ask why what you¡¯re doing here major?¡±
¡°What, I can¡¯t take a stroll in the hanger?¡±
¡°N-no, of course you can, sir! I was just curious as to why-¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± The major dismissed his excuse with a chuckle. ¡°I just wanted to tell you that Reacher¡¯s looking for you.¡±
¡°Captain Reacher,¡± Taliseen was confused. ¡°But isn¡¯t she a lower rank? Why are you searching me out for her?¡±
¡°We¡¯re friends. She wanted to see you and I didn¡¯t have anything to do. She¡¯s in the medical ward, room 514.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir.¡±
¡°Dismissed.¡±
Taliseen once again saluted to the major, then began the walk towards the medical ward. As he was far above the medical ward, he had to take the elevator down multiple floors. Twelve minutes later, he was walking into the medical ward, and stepping up to the reception desk. He patiently waited for the receptionist to finish her work on the computer.
¡°How may I help you?¡± The receptionist looked up at Taliseen and asked.
¡°I¡¯m here to visit Captain Mary Reacher. I was told she was in room 514.¡± Taliseen replied.
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¡°Mary Reacher¡ Yes, down the hall to your left and her room will be in the right.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
Taliseen gave the lady a smile and went to the left, glancing at the room numbers on the right, looking for 514. After passing by a number of doors, he spotted the black ¡°514¡± next to a door, the braille underneath it. The knocked on the door three times, and heard a muffled ¡°come in¡± from the inside. Straightening the ensign cap on his head, he pushed open the door and walked in.
Inside was a bed, table and a TV opposite the bed. On the TV was a news station currently covering the Battle of Tau Ceti. Under the covers of the hospital bed was a woman with long blond hair that was currently tied up in a ponytail. Her left arm was wrapped up in a cast, and her other arm was covered in bandages. As Taliseen entered, she turned her head away from the TV turned her gaze to Taliseen. Her right eye was covered by an eye patch, and multiple other bandages dotted her face as well. Her sole, uncovered jade-green eye stared back at him, welcoming him in with a smile and a nod of the head. Taliseen returned the greeting with a salute. He walked over to the desk and pulled out the chair, setting it next to the bed and sitting down on it.
¡°Major Williams found you then?¡± Captain Reacher asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Taliseen nodded, then chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you managed to get a major to listen to you, even going as far as to ordering him around. You are more mysterious than you let on.¡±
¡°No no, it¡¯s nothing like that. Me and Michael were just friends since before we joined the military. Also, what you mean ¡®than I let on?¡¯ Since when have I even ¡®let on¡¯ anything?¡±
¡°Ever since you fell down the stairs and landed yourself in the hospital?¡±
¡°It was the stairs of the capitol building! You know how dangerous they are!¡±
¡°Yeah, they don¡¯t call them the seven thousand steps for no reason.¡±
Taliseen laughed as he imagined the dignified Captain Reacher slipping on a stair and falling down to the bottom. It was something quite out of character.
¡°Anyway, what did you need me for?¡± Taliseen stopped laughing and asked her.
¡°I never got the chance to thank you for saving the ¡°Charmer¡± in Tau Ceti, did I?¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t, but don¡¯t worry about it. I was following orders, there¡¯s no need for you to feel thankful to me.¡±
¡°Orders that seemed like suicide. I¡¯ll admit, if I was in your position, I¡¯m not sure if I would follow through with them.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t need to be so humble. If you were in my position, you probably never would¡¯ve received that order in the first place. Many of us see you as a genius strategist and a banging hottie, there¡¯s no way you would¡¯ve had to struggle like I did.¡±
¡°Thanks for the compliment, but please don¡¯t say ¡®banging.¡¯¡± Captain Reacher made a disgusted face.
¡°Yeah, that was fucking terrible.¡± Taliseen agreed.
There was a brief moment of awkward silence, before Captain Reacher coughed.
¡°Right,¡± Captain Reacher turned serious. ¡°Ensign Avet!¡±
¡°Yes, ma¡¯am?¡± Taliseen stood up and gave a salute.
¡°I have new orders for you. You are to report to Denns back on Earth, I have recommended you for officer training. You have done good work soldier, I¡¯m proud of you.¡±
¡°...¡±
Taliseen was silent for a moment, completely stunned. Earlier, he was being humble when he said he just following orders. He was rather proud of surviving that battle, but he knew he could¡¯ve only done it with the work of his crew, so he didn¡¯t dare brag. Therefore, for him to be recommended for officer school because of that surprised him. He was excited, but at the same time, he felt as though he didn¡¯t deserve it. Even so, he still decided to accept the offer.
¡°Understood ma¡¯am, I shall leave immediately!¡± Taliseen saluted, then turned and left the room, heading towards the elevator that would take him to the hangar.
Back inside room 514, Captain Reacher sighed. She didn¡¯t believe Taliseen was yet ready for officer school. The man had talent, sure, but talent wasn¡¯t enough. To succeed in officer school, one often needed years of front line experience to know how to command troops. For Captain Reacher, she had once been faced with the task of commanding her own troops in a mock battle, where she had failed drastically. It was because of this she realized how hard being a strategist was. She couldn¡¯t just throw her troops at the enemy, hoping that they would do the rest. No, she had to think, to find flaws in the enemy, to recognize the strengths and weaknesses in play, to do more than just fire a gun.
The only reason she had recommended him for officer school was to draw out his talent. Taliseen was a natural strategist, capable of calm decisions and even creating miracles from hopeless situations. In the Battle of Tau Ceti, Taliseen had, multiple times, risked his own ship to save other ships. Yet, despite the mounting odds, he had managed to survive long enough for reinforcements to drive the enemy back. To pay back her debt, and bring forth his hidden talent, Mary Reacher had decided to send Taliseen Avet to officer school. For better or for worse, she did not know.
But war is approaching swiftly, and humanity needed every man, woman, and child out there. Come hell or high waters, she would do whatever it took to destroy the enemies of humanity. It was her duty.
Chapter 4 - The Benefits of Failure
Thinking back to Captain Reacher¡¯s recommendation, Taliseen couldn¡¯t understand what exactly she was thinking when she filed a recommendation. In a mere three days, he had been expelled due to ¡°inadequate qualifications.¡± Although it seemed like a slap in the face, it was indeed true. He had actually failed the very first test meant to gauge a new applicant¡¯s abilities. Situations presented to him in the simulation portions were outright insane, and Taliseen barely managed to make it two minutes without having failed miserably. He could tell just from the proctor¡¯s near tangible disappointment.
As he sat, rubbing the armrest of the transport ship¡¯s seat, he laughed to himself. He had been enlisted in the army for less than a year, what made him think he was capable of officer school. While others had entered and passed the officer school with less years in the military than him, their situations were quite different. All those officers had training since they could understand Lingua, and had been geniuses in their own rights. To top it off, most of them had received training from officers higher level than anyone he had a relationship with. Compared to them, Taliseen was just another scrap of cannon fodder, a cog in the machine at best.
However, it was useless comparing himself to those legends. All of them had made names for themselves and had settled down comfortably in near the top. To get where they wore, they had taken tens of years, others had even took hundreds and were near the end of their lifespan. Taliseen didn¡¯t even dare try to compare himself to them. For now, it was all he could do to learn from his failure and improve.
The trip back to the Alpha Centauri system would take a day, and the starship had only just set off. Begrudgingly remembering the work load he had been given by the officer school to help him improve, he whipped out a pencil and brought up the folding desk next to his legs. He pulled out the first packet of paper, and set to work on it.
**Alpha Centauri IVa-OSP II, 5th floor, medical wing, Room 514. 5:68:32 GST.**
¡°Mary, I know you feel indebted to the guy who saved your life, but please, don¡¯t just send him to the officer school for the hell of it.¡±
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Currently, Captain Reacher was lying in her bed in the medical ward, a computer on her lap. On the computer, was the familiar video chat screen and a small blue and white S logo. The man on the screen was the major Taliseen had met, only now, he was dressed in civilian clothes. Rubbing his the stubble on his chin, he sighed.
¡°Don¡¯t worry John, I know better than to waste the instructors¡¯ time. He isn¡¯t even able to pass the preliminaries. There were also only 3 other applicants that day, so the proctor shouldn¡¯t have been busy.¡± Captain Reacher waved her hand and laughed it off.
¡°That¡¯s exactly the problem, you shouldn¡¯t be throwing newbies at the officer school. If you do, they¡¯ll revoke your right to recommend!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be such a hard ass John, they¡¯ve changed their policies for wartime.¡±
Major John was stupefied for a moment. ¡°What do you mean they changed their policies?¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Captain Reacher raised an eyebrow. ¡°The infamous Major John Williams, who led the charge to drive the tellairans from Tau Ceti doesn¡¯t even know about the officer school¡¯s wartime policy change?¡±
Major Williams grimaced. ¡°Don¡¯t try to be funny Mary, just tell me what changed.¡±
Captain Reacher giggled. ¡°If an applicant fails in the preliminaries, as long as they have a talent-group recommendation, then they¡¯ll receive a mock first-year final exam, along with other study guides and materials. Depending on the performance in the preliminaries, they might even allow access to a portion of the digital library.¡±
For a moment, Major Williams was slack-jawed. Breaking his trance, he removed his New York Giants hat and ran a hand through his shiny brown hair.
¡°Well damn,¡± Major Williams awkwardly chuckled. ¡°That is important.¡±
¡°Told ya,¡± Captain Reacher grinned smugly. ¡°If he¡¯s lucky, he¡¯ll learn a lot from this and apply it in the next major skirmish, and then earn himself some merits. After a rinsing and repeating a couple of times, he should receive an invitation from the school again.¡±
¡°Haah...¡± Major Williams sighed. ¡°I wish that policy was around when I first applied. I could¡¯ve really used that information.¡±
¡°Yes, you failed spectacularly.¡± Captain Reacher laughed.
¡°Well, I hope he doesn¡¯t get too discouraged. He should know that almost nobody has passed the preliminaries on their first try.¡±
They continued to talk for a while, until Major Williams decided it was time for him to return to his activities. They ended the call, and both went back to their respective duties. For Captain Reacher, it was just another day in the bed, waiting for her full recovery. Already feeling the boredom, she turned her head to look out the window. Though the windows were nearly pitch black, she could still see the brightness of the binary stars of Alpha Centauri. The twin bright white stars created a beautiful sight, lulling Mary sleep.
The Battle of Tau Ceti was just the tip of the space iceberg, who would be able to tell if, one day, the light of these two beauties of the universe would one day, wink out of the sky, forever turning dark and cold¡
Chapter 5 - Rumblings In The Deep
It wanted to kill. To rip them apart limb by limb. To drink their blood and eat their flesh. Oh how it would relish in the kill. It would bring honor to his lord and species. But the¡ -what was it the elder had called them, humans?- whatever they were were clever. They did not approach the prison they had put it in. Not did they leave any gaps or chances for him to free itself. To it, they were cowards. Spineless cowards who cried injustice when the strong beat them. They hid behind laws and their hard matter. No matter how many times it challenged them to a duel, it would be refused. It was very angry. It did not like the honorless way of the humans.
All it felt for the humans was disgust. How dare they proclaim themselves powerful when they relied on tools? If not for the fact that its species could not breathe in space, it would¡¯ve engaged in combat with its own four claws, teeth, and two legs. It would not fear death like these cowardly humans. Only through battle could one prove themselves as worthy to Korphniir (God). Since these humans had dared to forsake the sacred traditions of battle, it did not feel the need to comply with what they did. Heretics would burn. This species would turn to dust. And the Hakt Dothuum Korphniir (Hand of God) would be the one to do so.
It laughed, for it saw the fate of the humans. From the lands of Kenyreat (loosely translates to ¡°heaven for brave warriors¡±), he would watch them perish. It¡¯s laughter swelled as it imagined the technology the cowards were so proud of turn to flames. Kavard Uuthrym Davkoor Korphniire Quazzentur Bothrunn Galaznto (¡°Cowards shall perish in God¡¯s flames¡±)!
¡°Would you like to join your brothers?¡±
It shivered. It¡¯s God had spoken.
**Malachor V Prison Complex, 10:52:00 GST**
¡°That thing¡¯s laughing again.¡± A prison guard looked through the blue energy screen at the alien prisoner.
The prisoner was a bipedal, four-armed humanoid creature. It¡¯s face was that of a reptilian, with the scales to match. Though through the blue energy screen it couldn¡¯t be seen well, the reptilian alien¡¯s scales were all a deep blue, of a similar color to the oceans of Earth. The reptilian¡¯s species was infamous for its strength, and it took an entire squad of professionals to capture it. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that it had slaughtered a group of human citizens for refusing it¡¯s ¡°challenge,¡± nobody would¡¯ve ever bothered with it. Unfortunately, it came from a primitive world, so by galactic laws, they couldn¡¯t kill it unless it committed an even more heinous crime.
¡°Ugh, really? Fucking hate that thing, it¡¯s so creepy.¡± The guard¡¯s buddy shivered as he spoke.
¡°Why can¡¯t we just kill it and say it committed suicide? Coming from a barbarian species, surely it wouldn¡¯t be too weird, right?¡± The guard nervously eyed the small black bulge in the ceiling that was the camera.
¡°Don¡¯t even try it,¡± the guard¡¯s friend shook his head. ¡°If you did, our superiors would be forced to report us. Although they hate this thing as much as us, they aren¡¯t willing to break galactic law for us. Better to just let it sit and rot.¡±
¡°Rot? You think it¡¯ll rot? It has moved since we brought it here, and it refused to eat anything. I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s still alive!¡± The guard motioned with his hand.
¡°Enough. Just tune it out. If you can¡¯t do that, listen to some elevator music or something.¡± The guard¡¯s friend sighed and turned around, continuing his patrol.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°¡ Fucking hell.¡± The guard grimaced, then pulled out a chair from a nearby desk and sat in it.
With a passing scowl aimed at the prisoner, the guard pulled out his phone and began to browse the web. Naturally, the longer he focused on his phone, the more his attention was focused on his phone instead of the prisoner. Eventually, he had completely relaxed, and even set his rifle down. Some time later, a notification pooped up on his phone, notifying him that he had less than 20% battery power left. Sighing, he turned it off and slipped it in his pocket. He picked up his rifle and turned to look at the prisoner¡¯s cage.
¡°GRAAAAAH!!¡± The prisoner roared at him, his bloodied hands pressed against the blue energy wall that was slowly fizzling out.
Startled, the guard jumped back and instinctively pulled the trigger. The bullets were disintegrated by the energy field before they could hit the reptilian. Those shots only served to anger the reptilian, as it roared even loader, and started using its four arms to beat the energy field. Strangely, the energy field that was able to vaporize even tough titanium alloys was unable to damage a single scale on its hands.
¡°A-A prisoner¡¯s escaping! The containment field is ineffective! Send a Justiciar! Block B-3c, send help immediately!¡± The guard cried into a radio in his free hand.
¡°*Static* Repeat¡ soldier¡ are you there¡ *Static*¡± Someone on the other side of the radio spoke, but it was filled with static.
¡°Block B-3c! Prisoner escaping! I repeat, a prisoner is escaping in block B-3c! Send reinforcements!¡± The guard repeated desperately, seeing the energy field fading away faster and faster.
Unable to hear anything on the other side of the radio, the guard picked up his gun, and shakily aimed it in the direction of the raging reptilian. With a final roar and blow, the energy field shatter and fell apart. Fear climbing into his throat, his were short and ragged as he pulled on the trigger. Bullets flew at speeds faster than the human eye could see, most of them hitting the torso of the reptilian, others either zipping by or hitting elsewhere.
Within seconds, only the electric hum of the building and the empty click that signified the gun was empty. However, the reptilian was still standing, its scales dyed blood red. A guttural growl came from its mouth. The guard started, slowly edging away from the reptilian as he reached for another magazine. Slipping in a new magazine, the guard rose his gun again, and moved his finger to the trigger. A bloodthirsty roar interrupted him, and a charging blue form tackled him soon after.
Chunks of flesh and blood flew from the guard¡¯s body as the reptilian shredded his body to pieces with its claws. Heavy, deranged breathing came from the reptilian¡¯s mouth as it slowly lowered its head to eat the guard¡¯s body. It devoured with unholy speed, gulping down the remains without care for the blood that left its mouth. It ate the body until there was only bones left, white and gleaming after having been licked clean.
¡°Good.¡± A voice spoke into the reptilian¡¯s mind.
It was rough, and gravely, like it had been the victim of a millennium long cold. However, there was something about that inspired a great amount of dread. Perhaps it was the sheer power of the voice. Strong enough to make the air around it vibrate intensely. One could only imagine what it would be like if it was there in person.
¡°There are more coming.¡± A different voice spoke.
Or perhaps it was the ever-changing nature of it. Sometimes it would be kind and warm, feminine, masculine, cold and steely, or apathetic and empty.
¡°Kill them all.¡±
¡°Yes, my lord.¡± The reptilian¡¯s voice sounded like grating steel as he complied to the orders.
But it was most likely the time when it spoke all at once. In sync, a multitude of voices had spoken. Not fulfilling a harmony, nor creating a tune. It was simply monstrous. A collection from every single possible voice speaking the same thing, all at once. This. This was what it worshiped. And it would fulfill all of its wishes.
**Unknown Time, Cha¡¯karri territory.**
The ones in the Varth?r?? Council were quiet. Though the meeting place was immaterial, and the manifestations of themselves were only thoughts, the atmosphere was heavy. Or perhaps it was the feeling of worry that made the pressure they felt so tangible. In a world of thought, every emotion is an event, a real thing.
¡°Please tell us you have good news, N??vg?. I can hardly take it anymore.¡± Spoke Hr?fg?ir.
¡°No.¡± N??vg? sighed.
The Council was quiet once more, the feeling of dread and despair manifesting as a gray thread that drifted in the air, each council member contributing one.
¡°Then we launch a true assault, there¡¯s nothing left to do.¡± A voice, unheard in many centuries spoke.
Immediately, the gray threads winked out of existence, replaced by a golden glow of awe and worship. The thought manifestations of the Council members formed into the shapes of different species, some imitating the cha¡¯karri, some the ludrians, some human, and a mixture of many others. They all, without exception displayed subservience to the voice that spoke. And, in one voice, spoke the same thing. ¡°Venerable One.¡±
The voice spoke once again, solemn as ever. ¡°The time for action has come, and by my name, I shall see it through.¡±
The mental space shivered as the Venerable One¡¯s voice filled with power. Some of the weaker members of the Council felt their thought manifestations weaken, and grow blurry. But all, without exception, felt completely assured in their hearts. For the Venerable One, nothing was impossible.
Having Trouble.
I''m sure you''ve all noticed the lack of chapters posted. I do try to do once a week, when the time allows, but I''ve recently hit a roadblock. I''m running a little dry on ideas, and my grades are lagging behind, so I''m going to be focusing completely on school until I feel that my grades are high enough to write comfortable again. Don''t worry, I won''t be quitting or stopping, I just need some time to deal with real life. I''m not sure when I''ll be able to get the next chapter out, but it should be within the week if I''m lucky, the next ten days if I''m not. Thanks for sticking around during my absence!If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.