Gravity storm order of s.., p.22
Gravity Storm: Order of Scion book 3, page 22
“Come, we have much to accomplish.”
He led them to a hatch that opened when he pressed his long, skinny hand on a metal release plate. The sunlight outside the ship was red. Mara followed Fors’No out onto what appeared to be a desert world. There were mountains nearby that had clearly been eroded and had dark openings. It looked like insect hives with crisscrossing tunnels throughout. There were also tents in the valleys, with sand-colored awnings that were tied to spikes with long ropes.
The trio of humans stopped for a moment, taking everything in.
“Cadish was once a lush world, not unlike your Earth,” Fors’No said. “But our star system is in the process of going nova. In time, the planet will be uninhabitable.”
Mara thought it looked that way already, but she knew a star going supernova could take thousands of years. On a galactic scale, it wasn’t slow, but neither was it so fast that an intelligent species couldn’t adapt. They followed Fors’No to what was a market of sorts. He purchased them animal hides that had been treated and tanned. It was thick but very soft. The hides came in a long strip about a foot wide. The vendor showed them how to wrap the hides starting in the middle. They held the long flap against their stomach, just above the hips, then wrapped it around their back, crisscrossing at their spine. The flaps then came up and over the opposite shoulder, forming an X on their chest, then tucking back through the lower portion that circled their hips. Their swords were also tucked into the straps.
“You look like Cadish warriors,” Fors’No assured them.
Mara hoped he was wrong. She didn’t want to look like the pug-faced aliens. Those on the planet seemed beaten down and resigned to a terrible life. It was a hot, gritty world. When the wind blew, it picked up sand particles. Many of the locals wore head wraps that covered their flat faces leaving only a strip for their beady eyes to gaze through.
Fors’No led the way up a trail that led to a cave in a nearby hillside. The interior of the cave was dark, but Mara could see where the walls and floor had been formed by flowing water. It was cooler in the cavern and the air seemed less choked with sand. A single occupant sat near a small device in the center of a thick rug. Fors’No sat on the rug opposite of the device and waited. Soon, the two Cadish spoke in the strange, alien language. Mara felt like they were at a disadvantage. Fors’No knew their language but she didn’t know his. They were forced to stand and wait. She used the time to practice sensing the gravity waves around her. She could feel the hill they were in, and the void of the cave. It reached back and met other openings deep inside the mountain.
Eventually, Fors’No stood up. There was a wide grin on his hideous face.
“The revolution has begun,” he said. “My master has struck a blow against the enemy.”
“Your master?” Mara asked.
“We all serve someone or some thing,” Fors’No said. “Powerful though I am, there are those with more control and with greater skills. I am committed to learning all I can. It is an example you should emulate.”
“What happened?” Flash asked.
“The Order of Scion fell into our trap,” the alien said. “Their numbers have been greatly reduced. And more will fall. The battle is just the beginning. When it is done, we will join the chase and track them all down until none are left.”
“What about those who turn away from the Order?” Mara asked, already feeling sick about what may have happened to Mitch Murphy. “Can they be spared?”
“You were once part of them, right?” Jingo chimed in.
“That was long ago,” Fors’No
said, clearly unhappy with the direction of the conversation. “None who still wear the Scion robes will be spared. It is time to begin your training. Come.”
They followed Fors’No back out of the cave. The sunlight was dull but hot just the same. At the bottom of the hill was a flat area. Several Cadish lingered near what looked like a well. At the edge of the flat area was a chest made of dark wood. Fors’No barked an order, and several of the locals pulled off their clothing until only a dirty strip of leather covered their hips. They took wooden swords from the chest.
“You are warriors,” Fors’No said. “Remove your weapons and take practice swords from the box. Show me your skills.”
“You want us to fight the locals?” Jingo said. “We might hurt someone.”
“That is unlikely,” Fors’No said. “Your race relies on firearms that are useless against the Order of Scion. You must learn to fight with more elegant weapons.”
“Kinda sounds fun,” Flash said.
“Don’t say we didn’t warn you,” Jingo added.
They removed their swords and the long hides they had been given. The leather rolled up easily, and they each got a wooden sword from the chest. It was a bit heavier than the Cidian short swords, but the same shape. The edges were dull, but Mara knew with enough force they could still break bones. On the opposite side of the flat place were six locals armed with practice swords. And on the edges of the fighting pit, more locals gathered to watch.
“You want to take the lead, Mara?” Jingo asked.
“With pleasure,” she said, swinging the practice sword to warm up her shoulder and back muscles.
Two of the aliens left their group and started toward her. She couldn’t help but smile. Since going through the LE Protocols there wasn’t anything she enjoyed more than sparing. She rarely got the chance with hand weapons. Ninja had been the blade expert of their squad, and he rarely worked with swords. The two locals were half her size. She was a full head taller than they were and much thicker. She didn’t understand the Cadish anatomy. They clearly had bones, but where their muscles were she had no clue. Yet they handled the practice swords with ease.
The Cadish on her left was older, with a scar across his jowl that left a V-shaped notch in his lip. He came straight at her, swinging the sword in an overhead chop. It was a slow attack. The aliens were going easy on her. She stood still, the practice sword held low. She let the chop fall toward her and swayed to the side to avoid it. Then, with a quick flick, she ripped the alien’s long fingers with the tip of her sword. The scarred Cadish fighter yipped in pain and dropped his sword. There was a look of surprise on his pugish face, but Mara had already turned toward the other alien. It was surprised too, but adapted quickly. He feinted one direction, then slid toward the other and lashed out with his practice weapon. She brought her wooden sword up to block. The wooden swords made a ~thock!~ sound when they hit. She felt the wood give slightly as if it had a spongy consistency.
The alien recoiled and moved back out of reach. Mara stepped closer, driving the alien back with a quick thrust that wasn’t meant to land. The alien was adapting to the fact that the humans were more skilled than they expected. They might not know how to wrap themselves in Cadish clothing, but they were formidable fighters. The alien set his feet, preparing to strike at her again, but Mara pivoted on one foot, then lashed out with a hard kick that landed right in the alien’s stomach. The surprised fighter flew back and crashed to the ground.
The scarred alien had picked up his wooden sword again. He came at Mara with a flurry of blows. He was obviously a skilled swordsman, but what Mara lacked in skill she made up for in speed and athleticism. And while the alien was talented with his blade, he wasn’t the fighter Mara was. Every part of her body was deadly. Their swords clashed together and their bodies were close for a second. It was just long enough for Mara to grab onto the skinny alien. She twisted her hip and flung him over her back. The alien hit the ground hard, his sword bouncing away.
There was a roar of outrage from the Cadish swordsmen. They rushed toward Mara, but so did Flash and Jingo. They were much bigger than their opponents, but they moved faster than expected. Flash was so quick that he swept the legs out from under one of the attackers before he could swing his wooden blade. Jingo swung his sword so hard it knocked the practice weapon from his opponent’s hands. It flew straight into the face of the alien next to him, smashing the pug-faced being’s eye and causing him to stumble backward.
Flash quickly moved around behind the four swordsmen and slashed his wooden blade across one alien’s back. It shouted in pain and turned in time to catch Flash’s second slash which made contact with the alien’s thick jaw. His head snapped to the side, and his knees gave out beneath him. Meanwhile, Jingo grabbed his unarmed opponent and shoved him so hard, he flew back into his companion. They crashed together hard and then dropped to the ground.
Mara hadn’t moved and didn’t need to. The three members of Leo Squad had taken down the six Cadish swordsmen. She looked over at Fors’No. It wasn’t clear if he was upset or not. But she thought that he looked like he was planning something. She wasn’t very skilled at controlling gravity, but the three humans with swords were a force to be reckoned with. If he could get them close, they could probably dispatch nearly any enemy. She was fully aware of what they were capable of. And so, it seemed, was her captor. It was valuable information that she would need to manipulate so that they could get free of him. Mara had no idea what he was really up to, or if what he had told them about the Order of Scion was true. But she knew he had taken her, Flash, and Jingo without their consent. It didn’t bode well for her, or speak highly of the righteousness of his cause. Whatever he had planned, she wanted no part of it. Better to find a way to break free than to be forced to do Fors’No’s bidding.
“That it?” Jingo asked, looking around.
“Too easy,” Flash said.
“Marauder was just toying with them,” Jingo continued. “Did we pass the test?”
“With flying colors as your race is prone to say,” Fors’No said. “Come, let us resupply the ship and be on our way.”
Mara looked at Flash. There were still too many obstacles in their way. If they attacked Fors’No on Cadish, they had no way to get home. And while they were formidable up close and personal, they weren’t strong enough to fend off his gravitic powers. They needed to wait, which meant going along with the alien, if only for a bit longer.
“We doing this?” Flash whispered.
“Not yet,” Mara said.
“Don’t want to get stranded on this rock,” Jingo said. “Ain’t no other way home but with Fors’No.”
“You believe him?” Flash asked.
Jingo shook his head.
“No,” Mara said. “But he’s not stupid. He wouldn’t have given us weapons if he wasn’t capable of protecting himself.”
They fell in behind the alien after gathering their new garments and swords. The defeated swordsmen were getting slowly to their feet and checking their injuries. Mara knew it only took one mistake to get oneself killed in a fight. And underestimating one’s enemy was nearly as bad as overestimating oneself. She wasn’t going to give in to the temptation of gloating. The six Cadish fighters had simply been a test. Fors’No wanted to see what they were capable of. And they had obliged him. Perhaps it was a mistake, but Mara felt pretty certain that they had just proven their worth to their captor. It wouldn’t take much more effort to win his trust. Once they had that, they could take Fors’No down whenever it best suited them. And she would be ready when the opportunity came. In the meantime, she hoped she might find out what had happened to Mitch Murphy.
CHAPTER 29
G’all Gotha had made the jump to the edge of the Ventron System. He was just inside the heliosphere with the star system between the Anathema and Pappisbad. It was a risk, to be sure, but he was desperate to know if the plan was going to work. Perhaps the members of the Order of Scion would notice him. But even if they did, they probably wouldn’t recognize him as a threat. G’all preferred to use proxies to carry out his bidding. The Order knew of his existence, but only a handful had ever been close enough to see or sense him.
The anticipation of the attack was so great that the Fray Master couldn’t sit still. He paced on the deck of his ship, all his attention on the convention hall far away on Pappisbad. He could feel that the Hyperion Compound was still intact. It was only a matter of time before the maintenance worker G’all’s emissaries had bribed to let the deadly concoction of chemicals destroy the facility’s support pillars initiated the destructive plan. When they gave way, the entire building would collapse on them. It was an ingenious plan and one he had worked through hundreds of times. He had all the facts and figures that could be gleaned from the facility’s building plans which were on file with the district office on Pappisbad. G’all Gotha knew as much about the auditorium building as anyone alive. And yet, he still felt the tension that arose from knowing just how incredibly powerful the combined might of the Order of Scion could be. They were truly poking the bear, and not just any bear, but the biggest, most dangerous bear in the galaxy.
As much as he had promoted it, the plan did not originate with him. It was given to G’all by a Mover, one of the inter-dimensional creatures that could take on many forms. G’all had been clever enough to realize that those dwelling in the hidden dimensions had greater access to the power that the Fray and the Order of Scion used. Movers could do more than bend space, they could open portals between dimensions. It was a deeply complex task, especially given that G’all, like all mortals in the universe, could only operate in the basic four dimensions of time and space. G’all had spent years searching for a way to make contact with the other dimensions. And eventually, one of the beings in the hidden realms had found him. It called itself Heylel, although G’all thought that was just a moniker. The being was very secretive, very sly. It taught him things, but never directly. Using hints, and even manipulation, it had caused G’all to grow in his power. And, after years of work, seeking the Mover’s favor, Heylel had shared the idea of luring the Order of Scion into a trap.
The one thing that was certain about the strange, inter-dimensional being was that it hated the Order of Scion. G’all had no idea why, and if he had really thought things through, he might have concluded that a being who was so clearly evil wouldn’t help him to destroy the Order of Scion if it wasn’t truly from the Creator. But G’all had no interest in the Mover’s motivations. All he wanted was more power. That was at the heart of everything he did. Heylel had given G’all the nexus of the plan, and G’all had spent years developing it. He had learned the best way to bring the building down and found the best substance to bring the destruction about. Then, he learned how to make the acid itself using mundane materials that wouldn’t trigger the Order of Scion’s security beings. There were more than enough members of the Order with the skill and knowledge of the gravitic forces to be able to isolate and identify the ingredients of the deadly acid. Fortunately, those ingredients were part of common cleaning supplies. Even if someone within the Order knew the ingredients to make the acid, it was doubtful they would put it all together and realize the danger they were in.
Explosives would have been recognized right away, and so would weapons of any kind. If the Order of Scion had any weaknesses, it was their arrogance. They thought themselves above everyone else, including their enemies. They were too smart, too powerful, and too deluded to sense the danger that was literally right below them. G’all watched and waited for the moment he had planned for. It had taken years of research, planning, and maneuvering, but the trap was set. The Order of Scion was in the danger zone, all that remained was for the building to collapse around them.
“Oh, yes,” he said, his voice trembling with excitement. “Yes, yes, yes!”
It had begun. Even from thirty billion kilometers away, G’all Gotha could feel the building tremble. Its support was damaged and gravity was beginning to shift the entire structure. Another pillar failed and rocked the building in a new direction. Gravity was pulling it down, and the materials used to hold the auditorium up began to break apart. For the next minute, G’all Gotha trembled with ecstasy as his enemies died in great numbers. He couldn’t detect their hearts beating, but he knew that the destruction was catastrophic. Some would survive, some always did. Which was why the second that the last of the building fell, G’all Gotha activated his communication system. It was already set to send a tight beam signal straight to the planet. It would have to be bent around the star system, but that was well within G’all’s abilities.
“Nevis’tawn,” he said. “Send them. Send them all now. Do not hold back. Strike them from every side.”
The beam carrying the communication signal was invisible to the eye, but G’all felt it streaking through the gravity waves of the system. It was aimed straight for Pappisbad, but the sun was in the way. Gravity near the star was so strong that it would bend the signal downward. But G’all wrapped it in a bubble of gravity that not even the star system’s intense gravity could overcome. The beam circled around the star and shot off straight toward the planet. Pappisbad, like most technologically advanced worlds, had fleets of drones for things like fires and emergency services. G’all’s servant, a Hatiak named Nevis’tawn had infiltrated the city systems and reprogrammed the drones. And that was just the first wave of attacks that G’all had seen to. He was leaving nothing to chance. It was the best opportunity to kill as many members of the Order of Scion as possible. An opportunity that would likely never come around again. If a remnant of the Order remained, they would be forever vigilant. The tricks he had used up to that point, all learned from the Mover Heylel, would no longer work against his enemy. Which meant he could not let even a single member live. Not if he could help it.
Watching from a distance was hard, but necessary. G’all was not the sword, he was the arm that wielded it. He must be ready to react to any and every threat. The trap had gone off perfectly, but his enemy was too powerful to be slain so easily. G’all had to be ready to cut them off from the help they needed, to thwart any plan of retaliation. His forces were hidden nearby. He sent another message, this one into open space toward a preset rally point. It would take twice as long to reach the recipients there, and equally as long for them to reach the system. He ordered them to move. They were the final component of the trap he had carefully set. Their task would be to mop up any survivors trying to flee the system. At last, there would be no resistance to his rule, not as an overlord or emperor, but as the god of the galaxy. Every planet would bow to him. Every world would praise him alone. The name of G’all Gotha would echo through the universe and be remembered for eternity. It was within his grasp. All he had left to do was take hold of it. No one could stop him, and nothing would.
