Homecoming, p.16
Homecoming, page 16
“Then what will you do? Let it sit on the outskirts? I think we can repair it if you don’t mind the science engineers take a whack at it.”
“We sent out an emergency beacon. There should be another ship coming to retrieve it soon.”
Terence halted at the front of the group.
“A Relliant ship is coming? When you say retrieve?”
“Grab and tow,” Bree said.
“We don’t want to cause a panic.” Gragor explained.
“Isn’t the Command Fleet under your orders?” Takayama asked looking concerned.
Gragor also stopped in his tracks.
“Yes and no. They will only obey to a degree. I am still the leader. Regarding what the general thinks, I am in the wind.”
“But why?”
“Treason.” Bree walked past Gragor, the two architects by his side. “We’re considered a hostile unit.”
Terence turned and found herself facing the wall of flesh that was Bree. She stepped back a bit and looked around him to Gragor.
“Then what stops this ship from coming out of jump and destroying your damaged one?”
“I have been assured...” Gragor began.
“You’ve been told what you want to hear!” She tapped her commlink. “Commander West, locate the Relliant ship. It’s probably cloaked.”
“And do what?” West’s curt response came through.
“Bring it down.” Terence turned to the architects. “I’m sure you can find a place for it to set.”
“Sure thing,” Zach said. “We’ll get right on it after this.”
“Why would you do this?” Gragor asked, frowning.
“Because I don’t trust Tartha as far as I could throw his narcissistic ass or the loyalty of your Command Fleet cronies.”
Bree sputtered, raising a hand to cover his mouth. Gragor stood with an expression of shock on his face as the rest of the group continued walking. Hoskins slapped a hand on his shoulder.
“I’m with her on this. You got too lax. There’s no way they’re coming on friendly terms.”
Gragor pursed his lips and started moving again. He wanted to think his fleet being independent of the Relliance would at least not turn on its own. Then he realized his mistake. It was because they didn’t answer to General Tartha unless it served their purpose. He clenched his hands and tried not to show his concern. Bree looked back at him. A knowing stare confronted him.
CHAPTER FOUR
Settling In
Roland watched the re-habitation of Earth unfold below and admitted his loss. He had so many plans on how to get rid of humans for good. None of them came to fruition due to something inside of him hesitating. Their paltry advance in technology was a blip compared to the rest of the known galaxy. His goal was to spare them the embarrassment and inevitable annihilation that came with it.
On top of a section near the dense forest, he spotted George, Kevin, Otto, and his sister conversing while Kevin used his power to move chunks of rock out of the way from beneath. That overconfident grin spread on his face as his eyes glowed. He held out a hand palm down over the edge and the ground shook from a boulder ready to dislodge itself.
Roland descend and landed directly behind him.
“Still playing with power you have no right to use?”
The group stepped away, startled. Kevin drew back his power and turned around jumping away from him.
“What the hell?” Kevin cried out.
“I warned you.” Roland conjured up a whirlwind of power. “Why do you not listen?”
Kevin’s glowing eyes returned and the two stood off.
“Because you’re wrong,” Kevin replied.
“Maybe you’ll understand better if there were no longer any distractions.” He turned to Otto and his sister and hit them with a wind blast that sent them over the ledge. George was about to head after them. Roland knocked him back. “Stay out of this!”
“You hurt my children, you die.” Kevin’s power surged.
“Why? They are nothing more than incomplete spawns.”
Right as Kevin was ready to hit him with a power filled with rage, Roland held out his right arm and turned his palm up. Otto and his sister rose encapsulated in a pale green energy bubble, their expressions changing from terror to confusion. It settled on the edge and dissipated. Taken off guard, Kevin’s power waned. Roland took the advantage and flash stepped mere inches from his face. They locked eyes. Roland stared at him for a moment then ran one hand down Kevin’s face.
He could see Kevin fight back tears. Seeing it made him feel a tightness within. Was this what humans called having their heart break? Roland stepped back and addressed George.
“If any harm comes to him, I will hunt you down.”
“I told you before,” George stood, brushing off his thighs. “I will take care of him.”
“Then do a better job.”
“Stop treating me like I’m a child!” Kevin yelled.
Roland gave him a small smile.
“But you are.” Kevin seemed to deflate and Roland felt that tug again. “You belong to us.” He turned to Otto and his sister. “Stay out of the pathways. You have no experience on how to hunt.”
Otto frowned at him, indignant. George snorted.
“I will teach them. Stop being so worrisome.”
“I’m leaving.” Roland stated. He saw tears fall from Kevin’s eyes. “Be careful. Live.”
Roland floated up not taking his gaze from Kevin.
“Wait!” Kevin’s cry was weak, his voice cracking as he raised an arm up to stop him.
Roland closed his eyes, not wishing to see anymore and continued up until he was back in space.
“Are you sure?” The female Arenan asked.
“I will return when needed. But, for now, he needs to find out the answers on his own.”
The second Arenan looked down on Earth.
“A new kind of Litigator. We shall see what becomes of him.” It turned to Roland. “Will you not stay and watch the humans’ reaction to our decree?”
Roland smiled, a laugh escaping.
“No. I have an idea how they will take it. I’ve abstained from hunting long enough.” The two Arenan’s gave him horrified looks. “After I’ve had my fill, I will return to Granada and await a new assignment.”
“Just go home now and skip the carnage,” the first nearly spat out at him.
“There’s no fun in that.” Roland gave them a flourished bow and floated backwards into an opening pathway. “Don’t be too hard on them.” He said regarding the humans and disappeared into the void.
Kevin slumped down on top of the platform’s outer section and pounded a fist on the surface. He raised his head and yelled out into the horizon. He had always wondered what it was like to have parents the way normal humans did. George and Roland may not have been ideal, showing up so late in his life, but knowing their connection to him gave him some sense of hope in finding out that mystery.
George came over and knelt by him. He seemed awkward, his arms rising and falling a couple of times. Then he wrapped his arms around Kevin and held him tight.
“I’m not good at this whole parent thing,” he whispered. “If you’ll have me, though. I’ll figure it out.”
Kevin’s body sagged against his like a small child would and he gripped one of George’s wrists. Otto and his sister stayed a few feet away, Otto with an uncertain expression. This was not how he wanted to see his father. George understood.
A vortex opened behind the crippled Relliant ship and from the darkness emerged a Command Fleet ship with General Tartha’s insignia. Two more flanked behind it on each side. They kept in formation as they slowed to a stop. Commander Anbo stood on the platform on the bridge and watched the viewscreen above showing live feed from the rear cameras. He sucked in his breath at the sight. In contrast, Fravral was beaming. The commander had a sudden fear envelope him. The ship in front was well known in the Command Fleet. More famous than Gragor’s. When the general gave an order, the front ship did not ask questions or waver. Even though the Command Fleet itself moved independently of the militia, they chose to obey the leader of Rellia, regardless of who it may be.
“Opening communication channel,” his communications officer said. “We are being hailed.”
“On screen.” Commander Anbo relaxed his stance, realizing how tense he was.
The display was filled with the image of the front ship’s commander. Long, jet black hair blended into a black shaggy fur cloak draped around his shoulders. Piercing blue eyes amid pale skin stared down at the crew of the bridge.
“Commander,” he addressed him. His gaze shifted to Fravral. “Commander Fravral. Good to see you are still alive.”
“It would take more than those humans to end me.” Fravral smirked.
“Indeed.” The commander looked straight ahead. “I have a present for you.”
The screen changed to zoom in on the ship to the right. It had Fravral’s crest on its side. The commander’s voice continued.
“One of the other ships was able to rescue most of your crew. The ship itself was a loss so we rebuilt it.” The commander came back on screen. “Your crew is ready for you to take the reins.”
Fravral’s eyes went wide with joy.
“Right now?” Fravral asked.
“Of course. It’s your ship. You can do as you please. A retrieval unit is coming from your ship.”
Fravral turned to the damaged ship’s commander.
“I wish you safe journey and many victorious battles.” To the operations officer he gave his order. “Have my Cybok ready for transport.”
Fravral walked off the bridge and headed for the hangar. When he arrived, the bay doors were already open and the Cybok’s pod sat at the edge. A small ship also displaying his crest came into view and landed on the hangar floor. The moment the ramp slammed down, a crew ran out, and with the help of the damaged ship’s men, grabbed hold of the pod and rushed back to the opened hatch. They passed the two soldiers standing on either side. Fravral marched up the ramp with authority. He recognized the two soldiers.
“You will be greatly rewarded. I am glad you made it.”
The first on his left, saluted him.
“We are honored to have you back as our commander.”
“Cybok is secured,” one of Anbo’s crewmen called out as the others followed him off the small craft. “May you find good battles.”
The crew lined up in a row beside each other and saluted Fravral. He returned it and headed into the unit. Its hatch sealed and the ship took off in a streak back to its main ship. Fravral watched it approach the open hangar of his newly built command ship. From his view he could see how unscathed it was. The hull had a beautiful sheen that reflected the small craft as it passed.
They docked in the hangar and Fravral marveled at the speed his crew went to close the hangar and get the Cybok’s pod inside. Maybe a bit too rushed? He asked himself, then shrugged it off. He couldn’t blame them for wanting to get out of Earth space as fast as they could. The moment he set foot on the bridge, the crew stopped for a split second to salute him and went back to their tasks.
“Welcome back, commander.” One of his soldiers came to stand next to him. “I have been promoted to your second in command due to the death of the previous one.”
“That’s a shame. Dirty humans.” He turned his head towards the soldier. “Congratulations. I hope you serve me well.” The bridge crew scrambled around in haste. “My Cybok is no longer of use. I am taking him back to the main factory.”
“Is that our first priority?” Before Fravral could reply, the second officer yelled out to the navigator. “Set course for Estelar.”
“You are efficient,” Fravral said followed by a short laugh.
“We must leave in earnest per the commander of the main ship.”
“Is that so? Then let’s hurry. I’m sure none of you want to see that planet again.”
The second led him to the command platform and they strapped in.
“No. We don’t.” The second gestured with one hand to the viewscreen. “On your command.”
“Engines ready?” He asked the operations officer.
“They are a go. All systems blue.”
“Course set?” To the navigator.
“Ready to engage jump drive.”
“Alright. Proceed.”
Fravral settled in his command seat and felt the slight pull of the ship as the engines engaged for the jump. He smiled, grateful to be back in command of his own ship.
Gragor’s hand clenched on the surface of the conference table as he watched the scene unfold on the holoscreen above. Terence stood beneath it staring up. Regis crossed her arms, head tilted to one side.
“That was awfully fast,” she quipped.
“Commander Fravral is probably quite pleased with himself.” Bree said.
“They sure got him out of the way pronto.”
“They’re going to kill them all,” Gragor said through gritted teeth.
“Obviously,” Terence added. She tapped her earbud. “Make sure we have a good lock on that ship. We have to bring it down now.”
The voice of Zach Reimer came through from the other end.
“Don’t worry, we got it. The site is ready for placement.”
“Tap into the communications feed. I doubt they care who’s listening.” Takayama said.
“Do you really want to hear what that monster has to say?” Bree asked.
Onboard the damaged ship, Commander Anbo watched Fravral’s ship shoot forward towards an already opening vortex on the opposite side of Earth and punch through it, disappearing in a wink of light. The vortex snapped shut. The fleet commander’s expression turned sour as he stared down at Commander Anbo.
“General Tartha has deemed you unworthy of carrying out your duties. We are grateful for the care of Commander Fravral. You disgraced yourselves in harboring the enemy and humans. The traitor Gragor and his soldiers will be dealt with in time.”
The entire bridge went silent and the commander became angry.
“We fought for Rellia! Circumstances dictated we had no choice but to take in Commander Gragor and his entourage. What would you have had us do?” Commander Anbo felt his body vibrate from rage.
“Simple.” The fleet commander leaned forward. “Remove Gragor from command. Permanently. He did not fulfill his directive. His officers would follow in his demise.”
“We do not murder our own!”
The fleet Commander’s demeanor went dark.
“In the name of our General,” his eyes narrowed. “We do.”
His emphasis on ‘we’ made Commander Anbo rear his head back in fear. The fleet commander’s image left the viewscreen as the connection was severed. Commander Anbo turned his attention to the live feed and gasped as both ships’ main cannons glowed. The other weapons bays came online and he finally understood what was about to happen. They weren’t just going to be murdered. They would be destroyed. Nothing would remain to signify they ever existed. The blasts would also hit Earth.
“Shields!” He cried out.
“And that would do what?” His second in command yelled back.
The ship rocked as a tractor beam grabbed hold. He fell to one knee and braced himself with one hand grabbing hold of the platform rail.
“Where is that coming from?”
“Earth,” the navigator replied. “They’re trying to pull us down.”
“There’s no time,” his second in command said softly. “We won’t make it.”
Commander Anbo stood, planting his feet in a wide stance.
“Open the channels.”
The icon on the viewscreen blinked on indicating the commlinks were on.
“We have reached our end. There is no escaping this moment of death. General Tartha and the Command Fleet has forsaken us and we are deemed unworthy to breath air. Our victories will remain. They cannot take those from history. May we all find great battles in our journey to darkness.”
The commlink went off and everyone on the bridge left their stations. They stood together in the center; their gaze unwavering at the cannons trained on them.
“Goddamnit!” Hoskins swore, slamming a fist on the main console of Metropolis’ bridge. “We can’t get them down here faster?”
“We have more pressing matters.” On a separate screen was Veronica. Her voice was an octave higher than normal. “That blast will be massive. It would destroy a third of Earth.”
“Not to mention the evacuation ships still in the vicinity,” Terence’s commander added.
“Pulling it faster will only make it break apart before it reaches the stratosphere.”
“Then what?” Hoskins yelled. The screen lit up with blinding yellow and blue light. “Oh my god!”
The cannons fired. Their glowing strands reaching out to devour the damaged Relliant ship sitting helpless in space with Earth in its path behind it.
Cresnia leaned forward in his seat, mouth on the verge of salivating at the carnage that would result from the blast. His workers in the assembly line halted their tasks in anticipation of incoming fresh supplies. He smiled seeing the futile tug of war between Earth and the ship’s unwillingness to fight for its own survival.
And then he frowned in disappointment.
Floating down back to back in the cannons path were the two Arenans. One stared down the Relliant main ship while the other faced the damaged one. In one instance, they opened separate vortices. The first vortex enveloped the damaged ship and disappeared. The other grew wide enough to accommodate the blasts and swallowed them whole. It snapped shut and the Arenan glared at the Relliant ships.
“You dare to come here and ruin the work we have accomplished?”
The fleet commander frowned. His face scrunched up in disgust at the being. All the personnel on the bridge seemed to shrink away from the image on the viewscreen. Surrounded in darkness with a bright white aura, the Arenan was the epitome of an end. Its dark skin and glowing eyes did it no favors.
“You will leave here and never return.” The Arenan’s hands glowed and it raised them to its shoulder. A different light spilled out around it. “Or face our wrath.”
