Ghosts of Lyarra Read online

  Aen drew a deep breath, then realized he hadn’t pressurized the suit before leaving his ship. There was no air to breathe, but his body didn’t react as he had no need for air, food, or any other life sustaining act. It was in these times that he almost needed to remind himself of his true self; a thing that frustrated him constantly. As hard as it was to admit his immortality, Aen had a much harder time accepting it.

  It felt like he had been hovering above for hours, but it had been mere seconds since he had contacted the Elite commander below. His body had begun to anticipate what was to come and his heart raged as it poured out epic amounts of power; so much so that it had begun to slow time. It was a trait that he had to push hard to accomplish, but when it happened it was quite effective. Right now it was helping him focus on the task at hand, and letting Aen build up a huge charge of energy to unleash on the enemy below.

  He turned his attention to the rooftop below; the top of the temple rose so high in Ryas’ atmosphere that he really wasn’t more than eight to ten kilometers above; and he began to increase both the draw of the gravity anchor that held him there and the resistance to remain still. His body began to shudder; arching energy loops tore through the armor and extended in mini solar prominences as the power continued to build. Aen kept his heart churning faster and faster, until it felt like he was about to explode. Then, when he could no longer hold back, he stopped resisting the downwards draw and he shot towards the planet below at breakneck speed.

  Into the atmosphere he flew, igniting the gasses that surrounded him as he tore through them. Hurtling downwards, he hit the upper cloud line in a mere second and evaporated them before he even came in contact with them. Then, just over three seconds after he began, Aen struck the top observation tower of the temple. The structure disintegrated into thin air and Aen powered downwards into the stone temple itself with his full momentum at hand. Then he reached out and slowed time; giving himself the chance to enact the rest of his plan.

  As he passed through the center of the roof and into the top level, Aen released a bit of his stored energy. It ignited the air in the room in a violent explosive decompression. He saw the fires begin just as he struck the floor and powered through the age old stone to the next level to repeat it again. Floor after floor, Aen let out small spurts of his power to burn anything or anyone on the floor alive. With the heat blasting near two thousand degrees, whoever was there had no time to react and was turned to ash before they knew what was happening and their remains were blown out of the nearest exit by the pressure.

  Soon he knew he was reaching the bottom and let loose much more of his stored power causing the second story of the temple to rock with an atomic-like blast. It caused all the Guild assassins trying to run back in to fight the assailant to turn about-face and look to escape. Aen passed into the main chambers of the ground floor and let loose a torrent of a volcanic eruption within it. Inner walls began to melt, the gold statues within evaporated, and anything living didn’t remain so in an instant. While the other levels had multiple windows or doors upon the temple’s slopes, the main floor had only the grand entrance with its titanium gates lined with gold. Each of these mighty doors weighed several thousand tons and were built to repel an army; each were torn off the face of the building and burled away like they were made of balsa wood in a windstorm. A giant fireball reached outwards to the giant staircase hundreds of meters away while the rest of the blast wave tore back upwards to make the temple look like a ginormous volcano erupting.

  Fire kissed the heavens, the enemy had been obliterated, and Aen’s momentum carried him through the bedrock floor to where he finally stopped in a hundred meter deep crater. He had to shift the spectrum of light he was seeing in, normal light was overwhelmed by the intense heat and fires; as was infrared. On the UV spectrum, Aen could once again make out what was happening around him. As he crawled out of his hole, he could tell how devastating his assault had been. The hallowed halls of the Guild had been purged in fire as the Prophets had asked; the endless reserves of the Forgotten had been depleted.

  Looking outwards through the gaping mouth that was once the main gates, Aen saw a lone survivor from within. It was limping its way defiantly to engage the J’Karin celebrating at the crest of the stairs. Its progress was slow, and Aen strode to make up the distance quickly and caught him in a gravity well before he could reach the stunned J’Karin. Before anyone knew what was happening, the assassin turned to ash; Aen burned him at the cellular level before releasing his hold on the carcass.

  “It is done.” Aen exclaimed to announce the triumph.

  The Elite applauded him; their commander praised him endlessly, but the whole time Aen’s thoughts were millions of miles away on Thsin. His involvement here meant abandoning the Dark Light, and his daughter that was aboard. There had been no logic to support a decision to rush all the way out to Thsin to help; and even if he had the battle would be over long before he arrived. Being that he was just past Ryas on his way to Havyiin, the only choice was to come here and win one of the battles being lost; having faith that the Gods would change fate where he could not.

  Exchanging a few pleasantries with Narig, Aen began to shed his armor; or what remained of it. It had served its purpose, though his body hurt nearly everywhere from what he just went through. Without it, Aen would be forced to waste time he didn’t have to heal, as the crowning ceremony was almost at hand. He knew even though he was immortal, his physical form could take only so much without needing to heal and he was pleased at the minimal damage it sustained in the fall.

  He bid a quick farewell to the J’Karin forces and teleported himself back up to his ship waiting above. From the control room, Aen could see the flares of engines of the Paxyn reinforcements already on their way to help secure the Guild planet; Aen had summoned them just before leaving his ship earlier. Not wasting time, he set off for the throne world for his face to face meeting with the root of all this evil. His showdown with Myril would be seen by the entire galaxy; the treachery brought to light and her true motives exposed for the fraud she really was. It was time to take back the Empire from those who wished to darken its bright light.

  —

  Imperial Docks of Thsin; Lyarran Vessel Dark Light

  It was hard to watch the Ifierin wait to die, but Sara seemed helpless to do just that. And after they had been defeated, the Dark Light would be stormed by the enemy forces and all within would pay the ultimate price for this failure. She was scared; more scared than ever before in her life, and she clutched her seat as it all unfolded. Nearly frozen in terror, it was a whisper in her mind that snapped her out of a near catatonic trance.

  “You can help, Council.” The voice whispered. “You are powerful and strong, don’t cower in fear when destiny is calling.”

  It was no more than a mental tap on her shoulder, but it was the push in the direction that she needed to act. Sara’s mind - once paralyzed with fear - now raced furiously for a solution. There was no way she wanted to die out here; not after they had come so close to the end, Then it hit her, and she shot out of her chair to her feet in an instant.

  “Who is in command of this ship?” she called out; knowing Caretaker was always listening.

  It was more of a delay than she wanted for an answer, but they had demanded a lot of the AI and it was running at near its limits.

  “Lyxia’s second in command – Onai - has command of the Dark Light.” It replied.

  “And who is the ranking officer aboard right now?” she demanded.

  “The current ranking officer is yourself, Council Sara Foster; though to assume command of a ship assigned to another Council elect is only a result of the inability to command or in extreme cases in time of war.” The AI answered.

  “We are at war now!” she exclaimed. “So dust off those regulations because I’m going to need you to have my back in a few seconds.”

  Sara marched to the door of the room she had been left in, waited for Caretaker to unlock t
he door and strode into the midst of the Operations Control room of the Dark Light. Inside, it was a hive of activity as all within were trying to organize and problem solve for the troops within the Thsin station. For a minute, her presence was unnoticed, but soon she caught the attention of Onai, who looked upon her with disdain and annoyance.

  “We are busy here, Council.” The officer sneered. “Go back to the room and keep yourself entertained.”

  “So we can watch the Ifierin be slaughtered while you sit here and wait to be next?” Sara snapped as she approached the Paxyn in the command station.

  “You will remove yourself from my presence child!” Onai hissed. “Before I have you removed forcefully.”

  “You will get the fuck out of my chair and let me do something other than just watch.” Sara barked back loudly. “As you are ineffectively commanding this vessel and its forces in a time of war; and as holding the rank of Council, I hereby relieve you of command of the Dark Light.”

  “Security!” Onai hollered.

  “I am afraid the Council is just and within her rights to remove you from station.” Caretaker piped up. “Section seventy four dash sixty two, subsection four states a Council aboard another Council’s ship may assume command of said vessel in the light of an inability to command or lead a triumphant operation. Seeing as you have led the Captain and his Ifierin into a no win situation, I am afraid under Imperial and Fleet law you must step down.”

  The entire room was silent; all within stood with mouths agape in disbelief. There was no disputing the facts as they were, but yet no one moved a muscle. Sara stood above the seated Onai and glared down at her until she moved hesitantly. But Sara did not sit in the seat; she turned and looked about the room before beginning to bark out orders.

  “Get the damn engines online and get that fucking docking arm off my ship!” she screamed.

  They rushed to comply with the new commander and a blur of activity coincided. She felt the thump of the docks releasing as the ship pulled free before depressurizing the connection. The floor beneath her feet pulsated as the thrusters pushed the ship backwards away from the station.

  “There are inbound fighter class ships en-route.” One of the stations reported. “No distinction on friend or foe.”

  “Arm the plasma turrets and fire if they advance within four hundred kilometers.” She shouted. “We will sort out which side they were on later.”

  “We are clear of the docks.” Another called out. “Awaiting co-ordinates.”

  “Set course to the Fleet Command section.” She ordered. “Get us there fast and hold position thirty thousand kilometers from the hub; nose in.”

  “May I inquire to what you have planned?” Caretaker asked; his holographic sphere avatar flickered as it strained in effort.

  “Time to destination?” she hollered.

  “Two minutes, Council.”

  “Bring up the same layout map I had in the chamber.” She demanded of Caretaker.

  His avatar disappeared and was replaced by the complete map of the station. Those not busy at their stations watched eagerly; even Onai leaned in with interest. Sara pointed out the positon of the enemy battlements and the structures of cover which the Ifierin huddled behind in hopes of survival. She highlighted the blast door which was presently opened with the enemy forces settled in just behind its massive doors.

  A thump distracted her; then another and another. Sara looked at the weapons station with annoyance.

  “Pretty sure that means they are hostile.” She said sarcastically. “Make them not be here, don’t care how you do it but do it fast.”

  “One minute from destination.”

  “Do you have control over the station?” she asked the AI. “Specifically, those doors?”

  “I am accessing the related systems now,” it droned. “But you have not answered my question. What is the plan?”

  “Thirty seconds, Council.”

  “Heat the Plasma Accelerator Cannons!” she called out. “I want them ready to fire in one minute! And get me in touch with Axyn.”

  “Line open.”

  “Captain, this is Council Foster. I need you to fall back one kilometer and shut the pressure doors behind you.”

  “I would love to comply, Council.” He answered. “But we are pinned down. We move, we die.”

  “Caretaker?” she hollered.

  “System accessed.” It replied.

  “Close the blast doors now!” she ordered. “Your distraction is starting Captain. Move your men as soon as it’s clear, but move them double time!”

  They all watched as the holographic representation showed the two story doors shutting; effectively cutting off the attack and allowing the Ifierin to escape. She watched keenly as the dots showing Axyn’s men moved down the hall as planned.

  “In position; thirty thousand kilometers and nose in Council. Fleet Command dead ahead.”

  “Open their comms.” She said coldly.

  A hush fell over the room as she waited for a line to open. An indicator flashed blue, and without being told, she knew she had her stage. Sara stood tall and proud as an Admiral appeared on the screen with a look of hatred on her face.

  “How dare you attack…..” the Paxyn began.

  “You have committed treason against the Empire.” Sara began, quoting the proper text in which one was formally charged with such an act. “You have engaged in a coup attempt to help the Guild rise to power and usurp not only the Throne of Light, but every position of power throughout the Empire.”

  “And that gives you the right to stand in our way, human?” the Admiral asked. “You have already lost; you just don’t know it. After we are done here your world will burn.”

  “Your actions have made your lives forfeit.” Sara continued unfazed. “We have retaken the Fleet; it is you who have lost without knowing.”

  “Axyn and his men are clear.” Onai announced quietly.

  “You have no idea what you have done.” The admiral spat. “I will personally see to it that your family is erased from existence. I will finish what the Husk started and pummel your race into submission before…”

  “We are nose in and hot?” Sara asked Onai, interrupting the rant.

  Onai nodded to confirm, and Sara smiled devilishly as she turned back to the screen.

  “For all the good soldiers that you killed to get this far, for the honor you have stolen from those deserving, and on behalf of every living human,” she screamed at the traitors in Fleet Command. “Fuck you and see you in Hell! Fire all cannons!”

  Her stomach lurched as all three magnetic coils beneath the ship sent their payload hurtling at the Fleet Command Hub at near the speed of light. The rounds flared as they shot out from the cannons, and hit their mark a fraction of a second later. In an instant, the three story main hub of the Thsin station was no longer there and the three rounds continued past and into the gas giant’s atmosphere; leaving black scars behind. The very corridor where the Ifierin had fled from, now hung in tatters as it barely stayed attached to the rest of the station. The pressure doors that kept the Ifierin safe remained intact; they were safe from the assault.

  “What in the name of the God’s was that?” hollered Axyn over the comms.

  “Reporting that the Wings of Auris had docked and intercepted the remaining Guild forces.” Caretaker announced. “They claim victory was swift and very glorious.”

  “It was victory.” Sara answered the Captain. She let out the breath that she forgot she was holding the entire time. “Proceed with your men to dock three- two; you are to stand down and return to the Dark Light. The garrison of the Wings of Auris will mop up for you.”

  There was a brief hesitation before Axyn replied. “As you wish, Council. May I say that before this day I would serve none other than Council Lyxia in command, but now I proudly proclaim that if assigned to your command I would be more than honored.”

  “No more honored than to have you and your men at my side.” She r
eplied with a tear in her eye. “You have made the Empire proud. Come home, the Dark Light beckons her heroes.

  ”As you wish.” He exclaimed.

  Sara turned to Onai and the Paxyn officer bowed in respect. She took little joy in showing the proud officer up earlier and would apologize later. First, she needed to restore the room’s faith in their former leader before it was unrecoverable.

  “I need you to assemble all medical staff - anyone with medical skills - and meet them in the loading docks.” She said to Onai. “Our honorable warriors have fought through hell and back; they will be hurt and exhausted. See to it they are given the best of care and honor they deserve.”

  Onai smiled and stood up proudly; nodded, then ran out to carry out her orders. Sara could feel the mood lighten in the room; the weight of her confrontation earlier faded from memory as they began to celebrate and laugh with each other. Sara remained focused, and a thud on the hull from the fighters that still swarmed the ship reminded her that it was far from over.

  “Get us to dock three- two.” She ordered. “And someone kill those annoying fighters already.”

  “With pleasure!” the weapons officers exclaimed as they went about their task.

  The helms officer nodded and got the Dark Light moving. Sara finally sat back in the command station and relaxed; albeit slightly. She was still in command of her friend’s ship, and part of her hoped Lyxia wouldn’t be upset at the way she acquired it. Her thoughts turned to Lyxia, Iana and Aen; she hoped that things would go much smoother for them than it had here. While this battle had a little room for error, there was none to be had on Havyiin.

  —

  Havyiin Orbit; Guild Stealth Vessel

  Aen looked at the planet of Havyiin as it loomed large beneath him. He had been there before, but his mind was focused and running on automatic. This time he was whole in body and mind; this time he was taking it in for all its immense beauty.