Battlelines

The Human Chronicles Saga

#14

an Adam Cain adventure

by

T.R. Harris

Copyright 2016 by T.R. Harris

All rights reserved, without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanically, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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Novels by T.R. Harris

The Human Chronicles Saga

The Fringe Worlds

Alien Assassin

The War of Pawns

The Tactics of Revenge

The Legend of Earth

Cain’s Crusaders

The Apex Predator

A Galaxy to Conquer

The Masters of War

Prelude to War

The Unreachable Stars

When Earth Reigned Supreme

A Clash of Aliens

Battlelines

The Copernicus Deception (coming July 26, 2016)

Jason King – Agent to the Stars Series

The Enclaves of Sylox

The Drone Wars Series

Day of the Drone

In collaboration with George Wier…

The Liberation Series

Captains Malicious

Contents

Prologue

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

Epilogue

Prologue

Two hundred thousand starships!

Admiral Andy Tobias had to shake his head each time he thought of the mind-boggling number. He tried to put it in perspective: the combined fleets of the Orion-Cygnus Union and the Juirean Expansion would come in somewhere near eighty-five thousand warships. Throw in all the other miscellaneous militaries in the Milky Way galaxy and one could stretch that number to one hundred thousand.

But the Hal’ic fleet, created on one world—and in secret—was twice what an entire galaxy could muster.

Tobias was just glad the Hal’ic were on his side…and that he was the supreme commander of the whole kit and caboodle.

“Admiral, mass forces are approaching Kor,” the Hal’ic liaison reported. The officer had been instructed by his superiors to use Andy’s Human military rank, even though Veritis was the official position to the native hierarchy. “There are inadequate defenses to prevent our objectives. Shall I give the order to proceed?”

“Hold on,” Tobias said. “Any word from Captain Cain and the others?”

“None, hallon.”

Andy had only been the head honcho for three days, but he knew the Hal’ic word hallon meant sir. Out of respect for local military customs, Andy had specifically requested that his translation bug keep the native pronunciation. Besides, the sooner he became acclimated to life on the planet J’nae, the better. It looked like he—along with the other five Human members of his staff—would be here for a very long time.

“And no trace of the Mark IV starship?”

“The same, hallon.”

The admiral’s jaw tightened. He’d warned them—repeatedly—and now it looked as though his worst case scenario was being played out.

Tobias addressed his liaison, Tier-Five Supervisor Miszn Obli: “Proceed to Phase One. Time to first contact?”

“Eighteen minutes.”

“Status on the portal assault?”

“Thirty thousand ships should be arriving on station at the remaining three trans-dimensional portals within the next six hours. The twenty thousand destined for the inter-dimensional cluster will take another three days to reach target.”

“Very good. Feed status reports from Kor to my second, Lieutenant Commander Paulson, as they become available.”

The alien scooted away quickly.

Andy lifted a cup of what passed for coffee on the planet J’nae and drank the last of it cold. He hadn’t slept in nearly thirty hours and the invasion of Kor was just beginning. It was going to be a very long day.

Since command of the Hal’ic fleet had been dropped in his lap, Tobias had already made an impression on the inexperienced native officers. Through a cautious release of his forces—rather than a mass reveal of the Hal’ic’s true combat strength—he had managed to get the Sol-Kor to commit far too many of their assets in a failed attempt to overwhelm the defenders from the planet J’nae. As a result, the home planet of the Sol-Kor was now left virtually defenseless. Tobias had to snicker. Even if it hadn’t been, the prospect of warding off over fifty thousand enemy warships would have been impossible in anyone’s book. Only now it would be more of a cakewalk for the Hal’ic.

But the invasion of Kor was only the first campaign in what was surely to be a titanic endeavor, and that was why Andy already had Phase Two underway: the isolation of the battlefield from potential reinforcements.

In his brief tenure on J’nae, Andy had learned of the existence of three major transit portal arrays within forty light-years of the planet. These were the facilities which maintained contact with the other universes the Sol-Kor operated within; there had been four, until Andy destroyed the transit portal to the Human universe. In addition, he had learned of over ninety other portal arrays that were used to move ships between points within the Sol-Kor universe. He had no idea this type of portal even existed, but when he thought about it, it made sense. Journeying from galaxy to galaxy was still a long and arduous process, requiring dozens of years even with the most-advanced starships. Long ago, the Sol-Kor had made these journeys and then built linking portals back to their home galaxy. Now they were able to hop around their universe with relative ease.

Throughout the millennia, the Hal’ic had acquired extensive intelligence on the Sol-Kor war machine, and as Andy scanned the numbers on his first day on J’nae, he felt like throwing up. The Sol-Kor numbered over one trillion individuals in their Colony, and each one was essentially a soldier. They also had vast manufacturing centers, and access to unlimited raw material from across multiple universes.

But the most sobering number of all—even though it was only an educated guess—was the estimated eight million warships the Sol-Kor had available—if they could be accessed.

That was why Andy had fifty thousand of his own ships heading off to destroy the portal arrays of the Sol-Kor.

If Phase Two was successful, the home galaxy of the Sol-Kor would be on its own against the Hal’ic forces. Unfortunately, the galaxy was also the most populated, and settled by the flesh-eating aliens, with an estimated five hundred thousand ships available. Even then, with the impending destruction of Kor, there was a very good chance the Hal’ic could deliver a crushing blow to the Colony, at least in the near-term. It would take time for the Sol-Kor to organize an effective counterattack. The Hal’ic were better prepared, and now with more experienced leadership.

Defeating the Sol-Kor, at least in this galaxy, was possible. With time, the Hal’ic could build defenses against the inevitable arrival of other Sol-Kor forces from the isolated regions.

The secondary benefit to Andy’s plan of isolating the primary galaxy of the Sol-Kor was the fact that all the other segments of the Colony would be cut off from their only source of repopulation—the Queen of the Sol-Kor. Given enough time, with no replacements arriving from the home galaxy, the ravenous hordes of flesh-eaters in faraway galaxies or distance universes would simply die off. If the Hal’ic could fend off reinforcements in the near-term, the Sol-Kor problem would cease to exist forever.

To the Hal’ic, time was on their side. Their race had been one of the first to be harvested by the Sol-Kor after the invaders had set forth from their homeworld in search of new crops on distant worlds. That was five thousand years ago, and during that time the survivors of that first harvest had gone on to build a thriving and technologically superior civilization beneath the ruins of their once great cities. They had planned for this very moment, designing and building weapons of war to be used against the evil Sol-Kor horde.

Even so, their moment of destiny had been thrust upon them unexpectedly only two months before, when word was received that the Eternal Queen of the Sol-Kor was dead, having been assassinated by none other than Adam Cain and Riyad Tarazi. That was great news. Added to that, all the Queen’s potential successors had also been killed. The Hal’ic saw this as the opportunity they’d been waiting for. Ancient battle plans were dusted off and strategies set in motion.

That was when the Hal’ic Scribes decided they needed experienced and seasoned leadership to pull off such a major undertaking. All the native warriors had been trained by simulator, without a single live battle to their credit. After learning that one of the Queen’s assassins had been captured by the Sol-Kor, the Hal’ic rescued Adam Cain and brought the Human to J’nae, placing him in charge of their massive fleet…

Until Admiral Andy Tobias had been unceremoniously—and unexpectedly—sucked into the Sol-Kor universe. At that point, Adam deferred to the admiral’s superior skill and experience, and within minutes of his arrival on the Hal’ic homeworld, Andy found himself in charge of the single largest military fleet anyone had ever seen. It was heady stuff for the sixty-nine-year-old Navy SEAL.

But now the inevitable unknowns of war were beginning to surface.

This last bit of news from Tier-Five Supervisor Miszn Obli could easily send even the best laid plans of the Hal’ic to hell in a handbasket, and in spectacular fashion.

And the most frustrating part: Andy had seen it coming.

The Mark IV prototype starship, the one Riyad Tarazi called the Najmah Fayd—or Star Panther—was missing and now presumed to be in the hands of the new Sol-Kor queen. At first blush, that didn’t sound too serious. After all, it was just one ship.

However, the craft was the only starship capable of making independent trans-dimensional jumps. All other ships were required to pass through huge rips in space created by planet-based arrays, whose towers climbed over a kilometer above the surface. Because of their size and complex construction, there were very few of these portal arrays around, which made them easy to target and destroy. Currently, Andy had fifty thousand warships tasked with doing just that.

Yet the Star Panther didn’t need any such array to make the transit between universes, or even within universes. It was a revolutionary machine, one which would rewrite how interstellar travel was achieved from here on out.

The thing that could spell complete and utter disaster for the Hal’ic—along with every other race in all the universes—was the fact that the Sol-Kor had the only working prototype, while Andy and his allies didn’t have a clue how to build one. Panur—that pain-in-the-ass immortal mutant alien—had built the only working model, leaving no instructions with the good guys on how it was done.

Even if the Sol-Kor didn’t have the ship—which Andy wasn’t one hundred percent sure they did—their new queen was a mutant genius as well, and an intellectual match for Panur. Just knowing that such a thing was possible would set her on a course to build her own TD-capable starship. Then millions more just like it.

Tobias and his side were short one immortal mutant alien genius of their own.

Even as the thought crossed his mind, Andy knew that wasn’t entirely true. There was Lila Bol, Adam Cain’s half-Human, half-alien daughter. She was also an immortal mutant alien genius, which it seemed were popping up everywhere these days. She had helped Panur build the first prototype. Theoretically, she could show how it was done.

Unfortunately, she was missing-in-action somewhere on the planet Kor, along with Adam, Riyad Tarazi, Sherri Valentine, and Arieel Bol. Hell, they even had a Juirean Overlord with them, which Andy found to be exceptionally unnerving.

As Admiral Andy Tobias watched the graphic of the massive Hal’ic fleet approaching the planet Kor, he suddenly felt nauseous. Once the Hal’ic were through with their vengeance attack on the planet, there wouldn’t be much left beyond piles of smoldering rubble. Even if Adam and his team were still alive, they wouldn’t be after the Hal’ic got done with the planet.

With the possible exception of Lila, of course.

Supposedly the girl couldn’t be killed, thanks to something called regenerative cells. But even that fact didn’t give Andy much comfort. Finding one individual survivor out of the maelstrom to come would be next to impossible. And without her to help Andy’s side counter the Sol-Kor’s anticipated technological leap in star travel, even two hundred thousand warships wouldn’t be enough to stop the flesh-eating aliens from conquering everything…and anywhere…they damn well pleased.

Adam Cain is an alien with an attitude.

His adventures continue….

Chapter 1

Adam Cain could smell the Juirean Overlord from fifty meters away.

It was a foul, sickening odor which stood out even on a planet full of foul, sickening odors. The alien’s condition—as he called it—was not only annoying, it was also dangerous. It would certainly give their position away should any Sol-Kor with a sense of smell happen by.

And now this.

“Yes, it is definitely a cave,” the excited, white-haired alien was saying. “We can seek shelter within.”

Within was the problem. That meant a confined space with very little ventilation. Adam patted the handle of his MK-17 flash weapon, knowing that the last battery pack was spent. If not, the fate of the odoriferous Juirean would have definitely been in question.

“Are we far enough down the mountain that an attack on the pyramid would not collapse such a refuge?” Arieel asked, working her way down a series of huge granite boulders, a small avalanche trailing out from her latest foothold.

Adam reached out and grabbed her arm, steadying her.

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “We’re almost to the bottom. It might be just as easy to keep—”

“Holy crap!” Sherri Valentine cried out. “That has to be the Hal’ic fleet.”

All eyes turned skyward, only to be covered by lifted arms to shield against the brilliant flare from above. The entire sky had suddenly caught fire, a vast sheet of blinding white light falling toward them.

“Hurry! To the cave!”

Lila, along with the Juirean, Benefis Na, was the first to duck inside the small, dark opening. Riyad was right behind them, with Sherri on his six. Adam and Arieel were the farthest from the entrance.

In the light gravity of Kor, Adam could have easily bounded his way the remaining fifty meters to the entrance, but he wasn’t about to leave Arieel. He wrapped an arm around her impossibly narrow waist and hoisted her over his shoulder. She let out a grunt, but then quickly surrendered to his machismo. Moments later they were in the cave.

And none too soon.

The cave was about three thousand feet below the top of the mountain that served as the base for the eighteen Sol-Kor pyramids within this settlement cluster, including the huge, black capital structure designated as M-1. This was the Hal’ic’s primary target, and the combined energy of over ten thousand flash cannon bolts fell upon the building with the force of a dozen nuclear bombs.

The ground shuddered, tossing them all to the musty cave floor. In another part of the cave the ceiling gave way, sending roiling clouds of choking dust racing for the exit. Adam and his team were coated in fine, gray powder. Even as the rumbles from above continued, they crawled desperately toward the opening and its promise of breathable air, gasping for breath

But then an avalanche from above reached the level of the cave, a torrent of boulders, rock, mud, and pyramid debris raining past the entrance. Adam pulled Arieel back inside just as Sherri flew over them, diving back inside for the relative protection of the cave.

The river of debris raced quickly past the entrance, creating a strong area of low pressure outside which literally sucked the choking dust from the cave.

Sweating, even in the frigid temperature, the team scampered further into the cave moments before the entrance collapsed, casting the interior with an impenetrable darkness. The three Humans carried compact flashlights on their utility belts, and soon arrows of light penetrated the still lingering haze.

Adam cast his light about, taking inventory. “Looks like we’re all here, and in one piece.”

“I am over here,” said Benefis from an alcove behind Adam’s position. “Your light did not reveal me.”

“That’s all right. I knew you were here without seeing you.”

“I said my condition is invol—”

“Give it a rest, Benefis,” Sherri said. “Your condition is the least of our worries.”

“Speak for yourself, Sherri,” Riyad said with a smile—sort of.

Clumps of ceiling continued to peel off and fall on them as the bombardment from above resumed. Even though the initial strike on M-1 had probably blown the entire structure into Lego-size pieces, there were still seventeen other pyramids along the ridgeline, as well as a gigantic spaceport on the other side of the mountain. The din of the one-sided battle outside was deafening, and the precarious integrity of the cave was growing more uncertain.

“Well, we can’t get out, even if we wanted to,” Adam said, his light dancing over the boulder-clogged entrance. “Let’s move further in. It might be safer.”

“This cave is made of granite and limestone,” Lila reported, “the product of ground movement and not alluvial action. However we may be able to link up with such a formation further in, since I noticed a spring escaping further down the side of the mountain.”

Riyad shook his head. “I know it sounded like English, but I have my doubts. What did she just say?”

“I think she said this cave wasn’t created by an underground river, but there may be one further in. I think she’s suggesting we find it and then follow the water to the outside.”

“That is what I said.”

Adam climbed to his feet and dusted off his pants and shirt. “Let’s get going. Sherri, hand Lila your flashlight and let her take the lead.”

“I do not require a light.”

“The rest of us do, sweetheart,” Adam said. “And only one on at a time. Save the others for later. Who knows how long we’ll be in here.”

********

The only true floor to the cave had been right near the entrance. As the group moved further into the mountain, the path devolved into a series of climbs over boulders and squeezes through narrow openings. Lila did an admirable job guiding them, even if she did reach the inevitable dead end now and then, requiring a time-consuming backtrack. Yet the instinctive nature of Lila’s genius allowed her to spot seams in the stone, as well as faint shifts in the thin air circulating by. Then her superior hearing began to lead them toward the sound of flowing water.

Lila pressed her way between two huge rocks to stand on a narrow ledge above a huge chamber with pin-pointed stalactites dotting the high ceiling. Casting the beam of light downward revealed a narrow and shallow stream slicing through the semi-flat base of the chamber. The water was mostly clear, but as they watched it began to turn a dark, rusty color.

“The source has been contaminated by the remnants of the water supply from the structures above,” Lila explained. “With so many buildings supporting such a large population, the mountain will soon become saturated with lubricating fluids of many kinds, including oils and coolants.”

“So you’re saying don’t drink the water?” Sherri said, having crowded next to Adam’s daughter on the narrow ledge. The rest of the team lay of the tops of boulders, looking down at the floor of the cavern.

“That is true,” Lila said, “plus the fact that the introduction of so much additional fluid into the system will weaken the structural integrity of the surrounding rock. We haven’t much time to find our way out.”

“Yeah, that would be a more urgent concern,” Sherri conceded, nodding.

Lila began to trace out footholds for the climb to the bottom of the cavern.

It wasn’t long before the group was soaked by an increasing shower from the ceiling, seemingly to be coming from everywhere. Leaks were popping out all along the vast domed chamber.

They reached river level five minutes later and began threading their way along its length, following the flow toward the left side of the chamber. They had to keep moving further up the sides as the stream rapidly widened, swollen by more rust-colored water being added to the growing torrent. At the end of the chamber, the watercourse—now a river—entered a triangular opening and disappeared into the darkness. Echoes of falling water could be heard from inside.

All eyes turned to look behind them as a deep rumbling reverberated throughout the chamber.  The far side ceiling suddenly crashed to the base of the chamber, followed by a waterfall of dirty water and mist. The entire mass crashed to the floor, sending a crest of rock and water five meters high rushing toward the far end of the chamber.

“Everyone—dive in!” Adam ordered.

“We could drown!” Benefis cried out.

“Fine! Then stay here and face that—”

The wall of water was only a hundred meters away and closing rapidly. The three Humans and two Formilians dove into the murky water and were sucked into the dark opening. Benefis took only a moment to have his concerns overridden by the roar of the coming wave. He dove in as well.

Adam had sucked in a deep breath before entering the river, and now he was caught in a raging torrent of water not unlike some of the water park amusement rides he’d been on as a kid. The problem here was he had no idea how long this dark passage would be, or if there would be any surfacing for air at the end of the ride.

He was slammed against rocks worn smooth over the years by the movement of water, precious air forced from his swollen lungs, depleting his meager supply even more.

Suddenly he was out of the water—and in the air. He had slipped over the edge of an underground waterfall and was careening backwards towards what he hoped was a deep pool of welcoming water not too far from the ledge. He smacked the surface of the underground lake with a thud and fell below the surface. Then something huge landed on him. He kicked out and fought for the surface, struggling to free himself from a mass of what appeared to be string.

When he broke the surface and took in a deep gulp of air, Benefis surfaced next to him, tugging at his long mane of white hair, trying to free it from around Adam’s head.

“Calm down, Benefis!” Adam cried out. “Let me do it.”

“You are pulling my hair!”

“I know. Stop struggling.”

There was only a hint of light in the pool, dancing on sparkles from beneath the surface. The water was much clearer here, though becoming darker by the second.

Lila surfaced next to Adam and Benefis, still holding the flashlight and looking as calm and emotionless as ever. “Are you all right?”

“We are,” Adam responded. “Do you see the others?”

“All were accounted for, until Sherri and Riyad were sucked into that far opening, the one we are rapidly being drawn into.”

No sooner had the words escaped her lips than the trio spun into another dark tunnel. Between intermittent gasps for air, they twirled and looped through a narrow passage, dropping several times into deeper pools before being unceremoniously sucked into even more looping tunnels.

Without realizing at first, Adam noticed Lila firmly gripping his arm, the flashlight in her other hand. Within the flashes of light he noticed the strong legs of his mutant daughter had Benefis in their clutches, keeping the trio together during their wild ride. She appeared to be in no stress from the prolonged periods of being submerged. At one point their eyes met and she smiled. Adam suddenly felt confident that everything would be fi—

He was airborne again, this time out in the open, with a series of competing lights illuminating the landscape far below. The two moons of Kor had turned blood red from the smoke in the air, and the fires that burned along the ridgeline were almost bright enough to confuse night with day.

It was all so surreal, even as he continued to fall…

Eventually he splashed down, falling deep into the warm waters of a newly formed lake at the base of the mountain. A strong hand pulled him upward. He was bobbing on the surface, Lila’s long black hair framing her glistening face, while the matted mess of the Juirean’s long white mane formed a perfect canopy over his cursing head.

Adam twisted around to look back at the mountain. They were in a strong current leading away from the fire-capped prominence and he found relief when he spotted three other bobbing heads nearby. Sherri, Riyad and Arieel.

A massive torrent of rust-colored water gushed out the side of the mountain above them, adding its incredible volume to the tide they were in. Seeking any natural path it could find, the water split off in two directions; fortunately, all those in Adam’s group were close enough together to be steered to the same channel.

Soon feet began scraping along a hard-packed base and the group paddled and staggered to higher ground, having to move further away as the water level continued to climb. A minute later they were on top of a huge granite boulder which directed the torrent away, while remaining above the waterline.

All six collapsed on the hard surface, panting and choking up residual water from saturated lungs. As was expected, Lila recovered first and stood up.

“We appear to be about five kilometers beyond the base of the mountain. There were settlements on this side as well. They are now in ruin.”

Adam rolled over on his stomach and looked in the direction Lila was indicating. For as far as the eye could see, there were patches of burning ruins. This had been the capital of the Sol-Kor Colony, and as such, was much more than just the ridgeline of pyramids supporting M-1. There had been manufacturing facilities, processing centers, living quarters, and more surrounding the mountain. All were completely destroyed.

As he watched, sorties were still being flown by Hal’ic pilots, releasing even more cannon bolts into the already flaming settlements, just to make sure every last Sol-Kor was dead.

He suddenly felt very exposed lying on the surface of this huge boulder.

“Let’s get down off this ro—”

He gasped when he saw Benefis standing to his full height of seven feet, waving both arms at an incoming Hal’ic vessel.

“I believe he sees us!” the Juirean declared with pride.

Adam tackled him, sending both of them rolling over the side of the rock and plunging hard into a fissure between its neighbors. All around, the other four members of the team were bailing from the surface as well.

“What are you doing?” Benefis yelled. “We are going to be rescu—”

A plasma flash cannon fires a much more powerful bolt of energy than does a traditional ship-borne twin-battery weapon—about three times as powerful. So when the cannon bolt fired from the approaching starship hit the surface of the granite rock, it not only blasted off the top half of the huge boulder, it also formed a wave of superheated air that spread out like a liquid in all directions, including over the sides, filling the surrounding crevasses with searing gas that was nearly impossible to avoid.  

Cries rose up—from Adam as well—as flesh and blood creatures fought through the scorching pain. By the time the blast of heat evaporated, Adam already knew his left shoulder and the back of his neck had suffered second-degree burns, if not worse. He scooped up a handful of muddy soil at his feet and slapped in on his wounds. It helped…some.

He smiled.

The amused grin was the result of what he saw looking at the Juirean leaning on a rock next to him. All of the Juirean’s once magnificent crest of white hair had been burned off, leaving only a wisp of black smoke wafting up from his charred skull.

The alien was in shock, eyes vacant, jaw slack. Adam knew Benefis would recover from the shock, only to be presented with a second dose once the true extent of his injuries was realized. In the meantime, he looked ridiculous, with a relatively tiny head perched atop a seven-foot-tall frame, centered on impossibly wide shoulders.

Adam chanced a look over the edge of the boulder, seeing the glowing tail end of the Hal’ic starship racing off toward another target. A small cluster of Sol-Kor was hardly worth a second cannon bolt.

“How is everyone? Any seriously injuries?” Adam inquired.

“Fortunately Lila draped herself over the three of us,” Riyad answered. “Otherwise, who knows? Benefis looks…different.”

The Juirean blinked several times. “What did you say? I heard my name.”

“It’s nothing,” Adam said. “As I was saying, let’s get off this rock and try to find a working starship.”

“That would appear to be a lost cause,” Arieel said. “The Hal’ic have done a thorough job of defeating the Sol-Kor on Kor, or as far as I can see.”

“Hopefully there’s still one working ship left on the planet. We have to find J’nae and the Mark IV.”

“You think we have a chance to get the ship back?” Riyad asked. “We don’t even know where she’s taken it.”

“It would be to Silana,” Lila said. “That is the largest defendable planet nearest to Kor.”

“How do you know that?” Sherri asked.

“I do not know. It was something I read or heard, possibly from Panur. But my facts are accurate.”

“I have no doubt that they are. It’s just…it’s just I’m glad you’re with us.”

“I appreciate that, Ms. Valentine, especially coming from you.”

“From me?”

“Because of your past relationship with my father and your obvious antipathy towards my mother.”

“That’s long gone, sweetie,” Sherri replied. “We’re all on the same team now.”

“Good,” Adam said. He looked to Lila. “Now that that’s cleared up, any suggestions on where we should go?”

“Even in the face of overwhelming opposition, the Sol-Kor would have formed a staging area for the survivors, with the goal being to deliver a counterattack. In light of the size of the Hal’ic fleet, that directive may have changed, yet there should still be a concentration of Sol-Kor ships nearby.”

“And here we are, on foot and with an area the size of the Earth to cover. Where do you suggest we start?” Sherri asked.

Lila looked into the night sky. “There.” She pointed to the moons of Kor. “Surface locations on the planet would be easily spotted. However, I would speculate that the Sol-Kor have facilities on the moons as well. As air-less bodies bombarded by lethal radiation, these facilities would be conveniently located underground, making them harder to detect.”

“So how do we get from here to there?” Riyad chimed in.

“Our best option lies with securing one of the many starships that are present on the surface of Kor.”

“The Hal’ic?”

“Why do we not just turn ourselves in and get back to J’nae?” Benefis asked.

“Because we need a Sol-Kor ship to get to Silana,” Adam explained.

“Is that not a lost cause by now?” Riyad countered.

“We have to try. Otherwise J’nae—the Queen—will go on to build a fleet of universe-hopping warships. Once she does that, we’re all screwed.”

“She could probably figure that out on her own, even without the Najmah Fayd.”

“Then we should seek first to free Panur,” Lila offered. “We will need his expertise and special abilities to counter those of the queen.”

Sherri nodded. “Along those lines, I say we let Panur and Lila gang up on the queen and do a number on her. After all, without her the Sol-Kor are nothing. If Panur can be neutralized—as we’ve seen—then so can she. Let Andy and the Hal’ic keep the rest of the Sol-Kor busy while we concentrate on J’nae—J’nae, the Queen. Dammit, this name thing is too friggin’ confusing!”

“Blame Panur for that,” Adam said. “He’s the one who named the queen after the planet.”

“I am still at a loss as to how we are to acquire a starship.” Arieel was shivering in the cold night air, her soaked garment clinging desperately to every accentuated curve. Adam looked at the others. They were all suffering from the same condition, with the notable exception of Lila. They would have to find a place to dry out soon, otherwise the distraction of the cold would impair their judgement and fighting ability. Besides, one additional fire burning near the base of the pyramid mountain wouldn’t attract too much attention.

“I’m working on an idea to get us a ship,” Adam said. “In the meantime, let’s find someplace out of the wind and get a fire started. The sooner our clothes dry, the sooner we can concentrate on the mission at hand.”

Chapter 2

It took fifteen minutes for the team to move to a sheltered area with an abundance of dry wood nearby. Even before the bombardment, very few native trees had survived this close to the Sol-Kor capital. Thousands of years ago the area had been stripped clean for development. Now only a few stubborn evergreens grew near the base of the mountain, clinging to inaccessible areas between boulders or in deep runoff washes.

The Humans carried firestarters on their utility belts, and after a few moments of gathering tinder, a small fire was crackling in the middle of a sheltered clearing, surrounded by granite monoliths and a small grove of six scrawny trees.

The team gathered close to the flames, reveling in the soothing warmth. Arieel unabashedly removed her blouse and dangled it close to the flame on the end of a fallen branch. Lila was the only one not suffering any ill effects from the cold and wet. She stood near the opening of the clearing, standing watch.

“So what’s this plan you’re working on?” Riyad asked.

“We need to attract a Hal’ic ship to us—without getting our heads blown off. I think I have a way to get their attention.” Adam grinned, holding out his hands, palms parallel to one another. A moment later a small ball of flickering white and blue light appeared between his hands.”

Riyad was more upset than impressed. “You have an implant! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“After giving up my mine during the portal detector escapade, Arieel’s people saw fit me to give me a replacement. With the scandal going on over the Order and the powers of the Speaker, they felt it best not to advertise the fact.”

“They’ll give one to you, but not to their former Speaker? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“With her it’s political. For me it was public relations.”

“You know, Sherri still has hers too,” Riyad pointed out, the dejection evident on his face.

Adam cast an accusatory eye at Sherri. Even in the pale light of the fire, he saw her blush. “So sue me because I didn’t have mine deactivated like I said. You have to admit, they’re pretty cool to have.”

“It is true,” said Arieel, “that two Humans have been blessed with Gifts from our Gods, yet not Lila nor myself. And yes, I do know the true nature of the devices. Nonetheless the logic of the situation still escapes me.”

“Believe me, Arieel, I wish you had mine,” Adam said. “You’re so much better with it than I am.”

“Can we get back on topic?” Riyad asked. “What are you going to do with little balls of static electricity?” He was getting impatient. The eastern sky was beginning to glow an unnatural pink, as the sun of Kor—coincidentally named Sol—would be rising soon. Already it was beginning to add radiance to the raging fires encompassing the planet.

“I believe I can get a Hal’ic ship to land to investigate the mysterious dancing light on the surface.”

“The two mysterious dancing lights,” Sherri corrected.

Adam nodded. “We get them to set down at a location of our choosing, then Lila skips aboard and subdues the crew.”

“For the light to be noticed it will have to be done at night, and after we’ve found a suitable location,” Riyad said. “And only one ship. Two or more could be problematic.”

“Agreed, and the sooner the better. J’nae has at least a six hour head start on us. Lila, how far is Silana from Kor?”

“One hundred seventy-eight light-years.”

“In the Najmah Fayd, that’s about an hour or two in gravity-congested space.”

“There are numerous stellar systems along the away. Even so, she has reached her destination by now.”

Adam scampered to the top of a nearby boulder. Daylight was only an hour or so away. They would have to act fast to get the maximum effect out of the static electricity balls. From his vantage point, he could see approximately fifty glowing dots that were Hal’ic starships darting through the sky around them.

“There’s a relatively level plateau about a hundred meters away. Sherri, come with me. Lila, Riyad—and Benefis—take up positions on each side of the plateau.”

“I thought you said the mutant would lead the assault?” the Juirean said.

“She may need some help containing the crew. Just do it, will you?”

“If you insist.”

“I do. Now let’s go. We’re rapidly losing the darkness.”

********

Sherri and Adam took up positions on opposite sides of a large boulder at the head of the flat landing area. After mentally accessing their Artificial Telepathy Devices, they began to gather free electricity from the cold, dry air. Soon, two sparkling balls of light danced above the rock, about ten meters in the air. The two Humans were soon engaged in a playful game of cat and mouse, sending their creations in fast spirals that left trails of light swirling above the landscape.

After twenty minutes—and still no activity from the nearby Hal’ic ships—Adam began racking his brains for a Plan B. Short of hiking to the nearest Hal’ic base, which could take the better part of the coming day, he was at a loss for—

“I think one of those lights is getting bigger and brighter,” Sherri said through the telepathic link between their ATD’s. It had been a long time since he’d felt the intimate nature of such communication. Not only were words conveyed, but also emotions, and not only on a surface level. He felt what Sherri felt at the moment, which was a combination of excitement and anticipation, with only a trace of fear.

Adam could see the Hal’ic ship as it neared. He and Sherri continued their dance, not wanting to make it appear the lights were aware of the approaching alien starship.

Then a brilliant flare erupted from the forward section of the warship. The plasma bolt streaked out and ripped through the air where the balls of light had danced, before continuing on until it struck the surface a hundred meters beyond where the Humans were hiding.

The heat from the blast was both welcomed and terrifying, but it caused no serious injury, not this time.

A moment after the bolt dissipated, Adam and Sherri had their defiant balls of light up and dancing again.

Now the alien crew became even more curious. They’d sent a cannon bolt point-blank into the lights, yet the obnoxious balls were back, apparently suffering no ill-affect. The huge, oblong starship began to drop toward the flat slab of rock.

Hot clouds of chemical exhaust shot out over the surface, filling the gorges on either side of the plateau. Adam hadn’t counted on this, although he should have. Riyad and Benefis would be choked and blinded by the gas cloud, but not Lila. The two non-mutants would survive, but the Juirean—already suffering the humiliating effects of the first plasma bolt—would be pissed.

Soon the Hal’ic ship rested on the wide plateau, its metal hull creaking and popping, its forward section aimed at the still-bouncing balls of light. Five minutes passed before the portside hatch cracked open and an armored figure emerged. Just one. From his brief time on J’nae, Adam knew these ships carried a crew of six.

The lone figure cautiously approached the flickering lights, both of which moved slowly away the closer he got. From his vantage point, Adam saw Lila leap to the top of the rock platform and quickly enter the starship’s open hatch. Almost immediately the armored figure stopped and turned towards his ship. Seconds later, the area was once again bathed in a blast of gray smoke and gas. The starship shot into the air, leaving its stranded crew member rolling on the rock, having been blown off his feet by his companions’ violent departure.

Adam dissolved his static electricity ball and raced to the top of the plateau. He reached the fallen Hal’ic soldier three seconds later.

The Hal’ic were only slightly taller than Humans, yet not nearly as strong, so when Adam fell on the alien there wasn’t much of a struggle. The Human now had a weapon, along with four spare battery packs.

The shocked alien was soon surrounded by the rest of Adam’s team. He sat up and removed the helmet to his battlesuit.

“I recognize you—you are Veritis Adam Cain!”

“Former Veritis. But you’re right, I’m Adam Cain.”

“Then why have you attacked me? We are both fighting the Sol-Kor.”

“Sorry about that, but we need your ship.”

“Why did you not ask?”

“Because the Hal’ic seem to have a policy of blasting first and asking questions later. We had to find a way to get your ship to the surface without you killing us.”

“You created the curious lights?”

“That we did.”

“Even so, it appears your plan has failed. My crewmates have departed, having detected an intruder aboard. They will return to base and report this incident—”

The alien was interrupted by a low rumble growing in intensity and coming from the west, along the side of the mountain. All eyes turned to watch as the huge Hal’ic starship decelerated for its return to the plateau.

“Let’s get someplace safe before my associate lands your ship,” Adam said with a smile.

“My…your…?”

Adam let the alien work through his confusion as the dark ship landed. Once on the surface, the hatch slid open and the team—along with their captive—rushed aboard.

“What have you done to my crew?”

“I’m sure they’re okay. She didn’t need to kill anyone to take over the ship.”

“She…who?”

“My daughter!” Adam said proudly.

Sure enough, the other five crew members were seated in the corridor outside the bridge, looking dejected and secured by bent pieces of metal pulled from the interior skin of the ship. Lila stepped forward, a frown on her face. “I was at a loss for a means to bind the crew, so I improvised.”

“You did fine, Lila.” Adam turned to the armored crew member. “Like you said before, we’re all on the same side, so you won’t be hurt. We’ll let you and your crew off here. All we need is your ship.”

“We can take you back to J’nae, if that is what you seek? So your actions to this point have been unnecessary.”

“I appreciate your concern, but we have other plans, ones that don’t include a return to J’nae. Riyad, Benefis, please escort our guests to the door. The party’s over.”

Riyad smiled. “And here I thought it was just beginning.”

********

Fifteen minutes later, the Hal’ic ship was airborne again.

“You know we can’t just fly directly to the moons and land at the nearest Sol-Kor base, don’t you?” Sherri asked.

“I know. This is just the first step. Check the spacesuit inventory. We may need to take a little hike once we reach the moons.”

“There is a blockade around the moons,” Lila announced from the pilot seat. “As would be expected, the Hal’ic know the location of the Sol-Kor underground bases.”

“Join the blockade,” Adam ordered, “and then move us to the front of the line. Let’s see what we’re up against.”

Chapter 3

Estor Jan wore no emotion on his face as he delivered the report to Andy Tobias. For such a momentous and relevant event, Andy would have expected more.

“The destruction of Kor is proceeding according to schedule,” the former Veritis of the Hal’ic was saying. “Clearly ninety percent of all surface settlements have been hit and cleanup operations are underway to identify the last surviving Sol-Kor. A large number of enemy vessels have taken flight and are retreating to Silana.”

“As expected,” Andy said. “Are the intercept forces underway?”

“Yes, hallon. They are comprised of the units which destroyed the transit portals. The other force assigned to Phase Two has still to reach the inter-dimensional portal cluster. Yet as you surmised, the Sol-Kor are not using these portals to escape our onslaught. Only additional defensive units are arriving. However, they will be insufficient to influence the battle.”

“The Sol-Kor realize that sooner or later we’re going to destroy the portals, so they don’t want to send any of their units through just so they can end up isolated in some far-distant galaxy.”

“Correct. Yet I must point out, the defensive units being assembled on this side of Silana are quite substantial.”

Andy scanned the datapad. Estor was right. In the first few hours of the conflict, the Sol-Kor had already managed to call up over thirty thousand war ships to form a barrier between Kor and their second major settlement of Silana. With his available counter forces, Andy should win the day, yet at a heavy cost. Although he had overwhelming numbers on his side—at least for now—even in these early engagements the lack of skill and experience on the part of the Hal’ic crews was becoming apparent. The Sol-Kor weren’t that much more experienced—they relied too much on their suppressor beams to have been involved in very many dogfights in the past. However, they did have discipline and a single-minded determination, along with a fanatical devotion to their Colony. And when all was taken into consideration, they did outnumber the Hal’ic on a galaxy-wide basis.

That was why Tobias was shooting for a stalemate rather than an outright victory. By destroying the major population centers of the Sol-Kor early on, he was hoping for a retreat on the part of the aliens to a location that would allow the Hal’ic to form a large buffer zone, as well as give them time to reorganize and rearm. The industrial capacity of the planet J’nae was incredible, and now it was operating in the clear. Still, it takes time to build ships, and already nearly every Hal’ic on the planet was part of the war effort in one way or another. Even with more ships available, there would no one to pilot them.

Admiral Tobias digested all this information before responding to Estor Jan’s comment. “There’s a concentration of Sol-Kor on their moons?” he said, changing the subject slightly.

“Yes. Six bases, with two currently being used as staging areas. They will soon realize the futility of a counterattack and attempt to flee. That is when we will destroy them.”

“Very good. No point pressing the issue and causing more casualties on our side.”

Estor Jan leaned in a little closer to the Human. “Admiral, I have concerns. My estimates reveal that in sixty-four days—approximately—Sol-Kor and Hal’ic forces will reach parity. The enemy will have assembled enough defensive units to match our depleted numbers resulting from current and future battles. We have not worked all these centuries to achieve only a temporary advantage. Do you have any suggestions on how we can have a more permanent impact on the battlefield? Is there any chance of your galaxy joining in the effort?”

“If they did, we’d still need a transit portal in our galaxy, one tuned to your universe.”

“We know the methods for building portal arrays. Teams can be sent through personal portals to guide the construction crews.”

Tobias pursed his lips. “Even so, I’m pretty sure my people wouldn’t be willing to help.”

“They would be in control of the portal from their end. It would be secure.”

“That’s not it, Estor. It’s politics. However, I’ll keep the option open. So you have personal transit portals on J’nae that can access my universe?” Andy’s heart raced. This could be their way home…

“No. The nearest portals are now on Silana.”

Andy’s hope-balloon burst. “So how is that going to help us?”

“When we strike the planet, we shall endeavor to save some of these portals from destruction.”

Tobias was cautiously optimistic. This was the first he’d heard of another way back to his home universe, other than the starship Panur had stolen. No matter how much he enjoyed playing war with the Hal’ic and the Sol-Kor, more than anything else he wanted to get home. If the Sol-Kor threat could be isolated to this universe, Andy would bail at the first chance he got, even if that meant leaving the Hal’ic to fight the war alone.

The siege of the planet Silana had just taken on a special significance.

“The Queen has fled to Silana, as well,” Estor said, as if reading his thoughts. “She will be directing the defensive efforts.”

“What do you know of her? She’s some kind of mutant, isn’t she?”

“Yes, a byproduct of Panur and the Eternal Queen, from what we have learned. She has only been the Queen for a few short months. She is a genius, yet lacking in real experience.”

“We could use that to our advantage.”

“The Hal’ic, too, are lacking in experience.”

“Then we shall have to overcome both handicaps.”

“How?”

“By doing the unexpected.”

“The unexpected? And what would that be?”

Andy chuckled. “If I knew, it wouldn’t be unexpected, now would it?”

Estor Jan frowned. “I am afraid your answer has not instilled much confidence in the future outcome of this struggle, only confusion.”

Tobias smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll come up with something fantastic. And when I do, you’ll be the first to know.”

Chapter 4

The Hal’ic were biding their time. They had sufficient forces to obliterate any Sol-Kor on the moons of Kor, yet they weren’t attacking.

“What are they waiting for?” Sherri asked.

Adam shook his head.

“The outcome is inevitable,” Lila began. “Possibly the Sol-Kor will surrender, or attempt to flee to Silana.”

“I doubt they’ll surrender. I haven’t heard of that happening before…ever,” Adam said. “They must be waiting for them to liftoff so they can be shot out of the sky.”

Sherri placed a hand on Adam’s shoulder. “So…even if we do get our hands on a Sol-Kor starship, we’ll be a prime target for all these hungry Hal’ic ships just itching for something to shoot?”

“Gotta love a challenge, Ms. Valentine.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way. But we better do something quick before the Hal’ic we left back on Kor report their ship stolen, even if it was the great Adam Cain who did the stealin’.”

“Lila, can you simulate a flare-out in the engines, something that will get us heading to one of the moons for an emergency landing?”

“That should not be a problem. Flare-outs are rare, yet they do happen. I will arrange for a major containment breach that will send us tumbling out of the line. It will take approximately five minutes to prepare.”

“Make it so.”

“Yessir.” Lila lifted out of the pilot seat, a slight grin on her face. She was catching on, which was making her a little more…Human.

“Once again, we’re limited in the number of spacesuits we have aboard, along with their size.”

Sherri scowled at Adam.

“Yes, this time you can come along, though we will also need our ace-in-the-hole.”

“Lila?”

“Yep. You know what I always say: ‘Immortal mutant alien geniuses. Don’t leave home without them.’”

“I’ve never heard you say that.”

“You just did.”

********

The flaming gas plume shot out from the aft section of the portside engine room, sending the stolen Hal’ic ship in a slow spiral, centered amidships. It flew out of the barricade line toward the surface of the gray moon seven thousand kilometers below. Lila was on the comm immediately, using her recently acquired fluency in the Hal’ic language to report the emergency. She was given coordinates to avoid, if possible, to keep from falling into a nest of Sol-Kor. After a few moments of spinning, Lila compensated for the disrupting thrust of the blowout, yet still sent the ship on a wobbly course for the surface.

Knowing the location on the nearest Sol-Kor base provided her with a target. She exhausted the artificial flare moments before setting down in a cloud of powdery gray dust twenty kilometers from the base. Adam was sure the Sol-Kor had noticed their arrival, yet also had the ability to determine it was an emergency and not a prelude to invasion.

The three members of the away team were already in suits. At the airlock they donned their helmets. “These things have jetpacks, so we should be able to make good time to the Sol-Kor base,” Adam pointed out. “Sherri, our ATD’s should detect the presence of security monitors, even if we won’t be able to affect them, so be sensitive to any twitches you get.”

Moments later they stood on the surface of the moon, taking in first the stark, alien landscape of uniform hue, then next the dominant orb in the sky that was the planet Kor. It was an amazing sight. The entire world was shrouded in a whitish haze illuminated by thousands of pin-points of red. Even from this distance the fires flickered, while some appeared to link up to form vast swaths of light making the shroud glow with a pink, internal shimmer. This was the beginning of a nuclear winter, as the countless fires cast prodigious amounts of soot and ash into the atmosphere, limiting the amount of solar radiation that could reach the surface. The planet was doomed. Unfortunately for the victors, it was only one of a thousand such worlds inhabited by the Sol-Kor.

After getting their bearings, Adam allowed Lila to take the lead, something he was falling into the habit of doing quite often. He had yet to fully bond with her, unable to develop the same feelings he’d had for his Human daughter Cassie. Lila was…different. Even if she wasn’t a mutant…and immortal…and a genius, he would still have a problem relating to her.

Arieel, on the other hand, was fully committed to the relationship with her daughter. It was Lila who was having attachment issues with her mother, unable to fall into the traditional role of mother-daughter. Each case was understandable. Lila was different; she knew it, as did everyone else. It was just that Adam felt guilty using his daughter to do all the dirty work for him and the team. She didn’t seem to mind; however, recognizing the logic and necessity. Now she took flight, using the jets built into her spacesuit to make half-kilometer leaps in the light gravity, soaring over craters and large, craggy rocks.

“No monitors yet,” Sherri reported.

“Yeah, I’m not detecting anything, either.”

“Could it have something to do with the Sol-Kor—once again—never imagining anyone would challenge them, especially in their home system?”

“I hope that’s it. But even if they don’t have any active security outside the base, it’s a good bet they’ve beefed things up inside since the Hal’ic arrived.”

During one of the long, almost leisurely hops, Adam checked his wrist monitor. “Only three klicks to go. Should start seeing some signs of the base.”

“You are correct, Father. The base is located in that mountain ahead of us. You can see the entrance.”

Adam squinted. All he saw were a series of unnaturally straight lines near the mountain, and what seemed to be a black point near where the mountain met the plain.

“I can see no outside fortifications,” Lila reported. “However, there is a secondary doorway to the right of the entrance. It is large enough to accommodate starships, whereas the other opening is not.”

“You can see that?” Sherri asked.

The question had also been on Adam’s mind as well.

“Yes, quite clearly. No movement outside.”

“Just us.” Sherri’s tone was grim.

“Let’s walk the rest of the way,” Adam suggested. “These suits have plenty of metal on them. No need to look like three incoming missiles to any local radar.”

The remaining two kilometers were covered in ten minutes, leaving Adam, Sherri, and Lila standing before the looming black entrance to the underground Sol-Kor base, wondering what to do next.

“It’s just a huge, black metal door,” Sherri said. She stepped up to it and ran a gloved hand over the surface. “Anyone see a doorbell…or even a doorknob?”

“I’d settle for an airlock.”

Lila pointed. “There are tread tracks leading in and out of this entrance. Yet the area outside the large hangar door is clear, a result of exhaust gases stirring up the surface and depositing a fresh layer of dust with each passing.”

“I’m surprised they’ve allowed us to walk right up to the door,” Adam said. His stomach tightened. “Add to that the fact that no monitors were detected and I’d say this place is abandoned.”

“I heard that,” Riyad said through the comm-link. “Now what?”

“First we make sure.” Adam went to the side of the entrance and picked up one of the few rocks lying on the ground nearby. Then he stepped up to the metal door and began banging on it with the rock. No sound was heard through his helmet, as the airless environment didn’t allow for sound promulgation. But if there was an atmosphere on the other side, the banging would be heard.

A light began to flash off to their left. Adam stopped hitting the door and stepped back, replacing the rock in his hand with a flash weapon. Lila stepped between the Humans and the flashing light.

A blade of light slashed out from the side of the mountain next to the black door, as a small panel, disguised as natural rock, slid open. It was four meters wide by six high. The polarizing feature in the helmet visors dimmed the harsh light so the trio could see inside. It was a room with white walls and equipment attached to the side. It extended into the mountain about ten meters before ending at another security door.

It was an airlock, and why it had opened left Adam and the others guessing. Was it automated, activated by sound? Or had a living being opened it?

Weapons in hand, they entered. The outer door closed slowly behind, almost leisurely. If they wanted, there was time to rush out before it sealed. Instead, they waited patiently as the airlock ran through its cycle.

As the inner door swung open, a dozen armed Sol-Kor stood waiting.

Lila again took the lead, stepping boldly out of the airlock and up to the line of flesh-eaters, who were all dressed in black, helmetless armor. The airlock door closed.

“You are the invaders who have destroyed Kor,” said one of the armored figures, the one with the double white stripe on his chest. “Why have you come here? We followed your arrival in the stricken ship. You cannot be expecting assistance from us. You should have waited in your vessel until help could come from your fleet.”

Lila removed her helmet, as did Sherri and Adam.

“The emergency with the Hal’ic ship was a ruse,” Lila said. “As you can see, we are not Hal’ic.”

Adam and Sherri gasped when they saw the face that was revealed when Lila removed her helmet. It was that of J’nae, Queen of the Sol-Kor.

The guard hesitated, studying the face with a scaly frown. “Yes, I see similarities in you to the Sol-Kor, yet not in your companions.”

“Do you recognize my gender?”

“I am not sure. You are…different.”

“That is because I am different. I am J’nae…your Queen.”

A nervous murmur passed through the ranks. The officer stared at Lila’s converted face, suspicion in his expression.

“The Queen is relatively new, and not all of us have had the opportunity to view her.”

“I have,” said one of the Sol-Kor within the ranks. “She is our Queen.”

Still the guard hesitated. “How can we know for sure?”

“What have you been told of me?”

“That you are a special breed of female,” said someone behind the officer.

“What else?”

“That you are a…a mutant. Forgive me if that is offensive.”

“No need to forgive. Yes, I am a mutant. As proof—” Lila lifted her weapon, prompting the squad of Sol-Kor to refocus their own weapons on her. But then Lila placed the barrel of the flash weapon under her chin and pulled the trigger. Her head was thrown back as all those around her suffered a moment of temporary blindness from the flash. She fell back, toppling to the floor in the slow-motion gravity of the moon. Adam and Sherri—along with every Sol-Kor nearby—stood transfixed by the sudden, totally unexpected event.

The murmurs began again as Lila’s glowing body sat up on the floor. She stood. Her face was no longer her own. It was a shattered mess, which was in a rapid state of rebuilding as all looked on, mesmerized. When reassembled, she once again looked like the Queen.

“My Queen! How is it that you have come here? We were told you had departed for Silana.”

“My journey was interrupted. I used my powers of reconstruction to disguise myself.”

“How do we know now that you are not using those same powers again?” asked one of the single-white stripes in the front row of guards.

For an answer, Lila stepped forward quickly, and with deadly force stabbed her left hand into the chest of the Sol-Kor soldier, through armor and flesh. His eyes grew wide as life remained in them for a full three seconds. Then she pulled back her gloved hand, covered in thick blood and chunks of flesh, and the guard crumpled to the floor.

“Is there anyone else here who questions my identity—or my authority?”

There was a long, awkward moment of silence.

“My Queen, forgive us,” said the High Noslead. “It is just that we are trapped in our base, even as we prepare to make our breakout. Recent events have left us unsure and confused. Will you assist us?”

“That is why I am here. I require a ship of my own, with which I will lead all of you to safety, and ultimately to victory. The aliens have shaken the Colony with their attack on Kor. But that is all they have done…shaken us. We are not defeated. Kor is but one world out of many. Now, High Noslead, lead us to a ship.”

********

 “Adam Cain? Is he sure?”

“Yes, Veritis—Admiral—Tobias.”

“And their ship was tracked to the blockade of the moons before announcing an emergency and landing on the Sata Moon?”

“Then they’re alive, and trying to secure a Sol-Kor ship!”

“To what end?”

“To fly it to Silana.”

Estor Jan’s expression only turned more sour. “They will not make it off Sata alive. There are three hundred ships prepared to fire on any vessel leaving the surface.”

Now Andy’s expressed matched that of Estor’s. “Send instructions not to fire on the ships leaving that particular base. It should happen soon. Adam can’t wait too long before following the Queen to Silana.”

“How can you be sure he will acquire a ship?”

“Believe me, he will. Your ships must be ready. Don’t make it appear too obvious. Concentrate your forces above the other bases, leaving only a token number above this one.”

“I had the impression you did not wish Adam Cain to go to Silana?”

“I didn’t want them using the prototype vessel for any excursions away from J’nae. When Panur left with the Mark IV, all bets were off.”

“Bets? Were there wagers?”

“It’s an expression.  Now get your people ready.”

“Yes, hallon.”

Andy watched the confused alien move away. So Adam’s alive, and Lila is undoubtedly with him. He would have loved to issue the orders to apprehend them all and return Lila to J’nae. But with the team intact—and Lila with them—there was still a chance Adam could recover the Mark IV. The Hal’ic would track all the ships leaving that particular moon base. At some point—from maneuvering skills or otherwise—Andy should be able to identify which one carried Adam and his team. He would help if he could. If not, and the team appeared to be in imminent danger, he would intervene…if he could. 

For now he was content to let Adam play out his gambit. He’d come too far for Andy to screw it up.

********

“This is it?” Lila/J’nae questioned.

“Is the ship not adequate? It is the best we have, and similar to all the others.”

“No, I meant are these all the ships you have remaining?”

The officer shuffled nervously. “We are a lower tier base, my Queen. We have never had a very large inventory. And now our numbers have been reduced even further to serve defensive duties. No departing ships have returned. I doubt they will.”

“I was not being critical, Noslead. I am simply shocked at the low level of the fleet after the Hal’ic attack.”

“Most ships have already departed for Silana. The moon bases were left active to serve as a staging area. The two major bases on Cata are where the bulk of the remaining mainships are located.”

Lila looked at Adam and nodded. “Then I shall order the ships on Cata launched immediately,” she said to the Sol-Kor officer. “They will clear a path for me and the ships leaving from here.”

“They will be met with devastating consequences, my Queen.”

“I do not care about that, only for the welfare of the Colony. It is a priority that I reach Silana safely.”

“Then my ships will serve as your escorts?”

“Yes, at least initially. Moving as such a large group would broadcast the fact that an important figure is with you. Hal’ic spies may be everywhere, knowing that I am not yet on Silana. They could draw a conclusion that I am being escorted there within your eighteen vessels. At that point, several thousand Hal’ic ships will be launched against us. Therefore, once clear of the most immediate threats, my ship will break from your escort and attempt to reach the planet in a single ship, raising no alarms.”

“That is a very wise course of action.”

“I do not require your approval or compliments, High Noslead, just your obedience. Now go and prepare your ships for launch.”

Looking stunned from the offhand rebuke, the Sol-Kor officer slunk away. That’s when Lila turned to Sherri and Adam and whispered. “Have Riyad pilot the Hal’ic ship to the outer hangar doors. I will instruct the Sol-Kor to accept the ship.”

“You hear that, Riyad?” Adam said with a smile.

“Every word, both yours and Lila. Dang, I like that daughter of yours. She’s sharp as a tack.”

“And she’s not allowed to date until she turns sixteen.”

“Which was about five minutes after she was born.”

“That’s beside the point. Now stop messing around and get that bucket of bolts over here. I’ll feel a lot better when we’re all together again.”

“Oh, honey, you miss me?”

“Cain out!”

Chapter 5

Even though the orders were issued to the Hal’ic forces surrounding the moons of Kor with minutes to spare before the first Sol-Kor ships bolted for space, many of the inexperienced commanders panicked and began firing at anything that moved, including starships rising from the base on Sata. Only Lila’s supernatural coordination and instincts allowed the mainship she piloted to avoid being hit. As it was, of the High Noslead’s eighteen escorts vessels, only six survived to reach open space.

It took another hour before Hal’ic command could convince the commanders to call off their pursuit of the small convoy and return to the moons for cleanup duties. Once the Hal’ic were off the screens, Adam and his team relaxed. In a Sol-Kor mainship, they had a nineteen hour journey to Silana, which was just another nineteen hours J’nae had to learn the secrets of the Mark IV’s TD-capable star drive.

Six hours after departure from Sata, Lila steered the mainship away from the small cluster of escorts. The original High Noslead’s second-in-command—the highest ranking officer to have survived the run through the Hal’ic gauntlet—now pleaded with Lila/J’nae to remain with them. While still wearing the face of the Sol-Kor Queen, Lila assured him she would be safe, and ordered them not to follow. She was obeyed.

With slack jaws, all watched as Lila’s face returned to normal. They’d all seen plenty of movies showing this same thing, but in real life it was so much more impressive.

“Does that hurt?” Sherri asked, immediately embarrassed by the naiveté of her question. Of course it didn’t hurt. Nothing hurt Lila.

“I am quite fine. Thanks for asking. Would you care to join my mother and myself as we attempt to modify some of the Sol-Kor clothing into something a little more appropriate for us females?”

Sherri blinked several times. “You mean like…like a girl thing?”

“Precisely.” Lila’s smile was warm and genuine. “I imagine your time with the males can be very stifling.”

“You got that right, sister. Let’s go.”

Adam and Riyad were in shock. Was this the same Sherri they both knew and loved, heading off to have some girl-time with the other females on board? What alternate universe had they just entered?

Soon their attention was averted as they noticed Benefis, seated at the comm station, attempting to fashion a head covering out of utility rags he’d found in the engine room. For the past two days he’d been incredibly self-conscious about his missing mane. His burnt scalp had blistered initially, and now it was scabbing, and still very sensitive to the touch, which was giving him fits as he struggled with the head cover.

“Want me to help?” Riyad asked. “Where I come from, we are quite familiar with this type of headgear.”

“Yet you still have hair, although weak and short.”

“Do you want my help or not?”

“Please. I cannot go another moment looking at what I have become.”

“It’ll grow back,” Adam said.

“That is not certain. With the scarring, and my advanced age, I may remain like this for the rest of my life.” The Juirean paused and scowled at Adam. “Which, if I remain with the two of you, could be a very brief time.”

“Then you’ll only have to put up with it for a while longer. You’re welcome.” Adam had never had anything close to a Juirean friend before. In fact, he could name his alien friends on one hand: Kaylor, Jym, Kroekus—for a while—and of course, Arieel. Could he call Panur a friend? That was a subject for debate. But one thing he had to admit, he found the cowardly Juirean a refreshing anomaly within his stern and humorless race.

“Uh oh,” Adam said, glancing at the main proximity monitor. Riyad left Benefis with the head wrap half completed and met Adam at the station.

“We were expecting this,” Adam said.

“We were? I wasn’t…at least not this.”

“Get the others up here. We have some decisions to make.”

********

 “What’s that saying: from the frying pan into the fire?”

Adam scrunched his face at Sherri’s pessimistic observation. It was true, and now all eyes were once again on him, expecting him to pull some profound, mission-saving strategy from his ass. Honestly, this was getting old. At some point he would welcome some help.

“The Hal’ic forces have formed a battleline facing the Sol-Kor defenders of Silana,” Lila said, answering Adam’s unspoken prayer. “There appear to be more defenders than would be expected. Our dilemma is that we’re on the Hal’ic side of the line, and in a Sol-Kor mainship.”

“Oh, and add to that,” Sherri began, “a dozen Hal’ic ships have just broken off from the main line and are heading our way. Awaiting your orders, Captain Cain, sir.”

So much for answered prayers…

“Speaking of that, anyone here willing to take over command? I’m open to giving up my seat. I’m about as commanded out as a guy can get.”

“Look on the bright side, my friend,” Riyad said with a smile. “You have about forty-five seconds to come up with a plan before the Hal’ic are upon us. Time enough for a cup of coffee before the situation becomes critical.”

“I suppose we could threaten to commit suicide if they come any closer,” offered Adam with a smirk.

Benefis was literally bouncing in his seat from nerves. “I do not see how that would be effective!”

“It was a joke.”

“I do not see anything funny in the comment.”

“No, you wouldn’t…”

“Tick-tock, Captain,” Sherri chided.

“All right, since we can’t outrun them and we can’t out-gun them,” Adam said, “the only option left is to attack.”

“Attack!”

“Great idea, Benefis, wish I’d thought of it. Riyad, ready on the cannon. Lila all power to forward shields. Compensators on full. Sherri, execute an escape maneuver. Come about in as tight a circle as we can stand. But make them think we’re running first.”

“Strap in, everyone!” Sherri ordered. “Full acceleration in three…two…one—now!”

Adam shook his head at Sherri’s dramatic dialog, seeing her maneuver was fully absorbed by the compensators aboard the mainship. They were designed to handle the maximum capacity of the ship, so there was no sensation of movement at all on the bridge, just the shifting of starlight in the forward viewport. Even when she pulled back on the stick and brought the Sol-Kor ship into a tight loop back toward the pursuing Hal’ic ships, no one aboard felt even the slightest vibration.

“That was…disappointing,” Riyad whispered. “But we have caught the Hal’ic by surprise. In range in five seconds. Do I really fire on our allies?”

“They will on us. Target their engines.”

“At this vector speed, I’ll be lucky to hit anything as we pass.”

“Even so, do your best not to get too lucky.”

This time the ship did shift slightly as four flash bolts were pumped out of the cannon. The mainship was beyond the shocked pursuers before the first bolts reached target range. There were nine ships after them, but only one bolt found something to strike. It hit a diffusion shield square on, causing no damage.

The squadron of Hal’ic warships attempted to follow. Unfortunately, the inexperienced pilots didn’t execute the turn maneuver in unison. Nearly all of them took independent paths, often steering into the course of another. Shields contacted shields—which they were never designed to do—and fierce, electric tug-of-wars began, as each shield fought to absorb the other. All this did was set up a strong dynamo effect, as power was flipped from one shield to the other in an ever-increasing cycle, with each flip pulling even more energy from the source vessels. The effect tended to meld the shields together, refusing to let the ships separate. Eventually, the buildup became too intense, and both ships exploded in a ball of eerily-shimmering blue light.

This happened with four of the Hal’ic ships. The other five scattered, taking precious minutes to form up again before heading off after Adam and the Sol-Kor mainship.

“The Hal’ic will not be able to blame us for that,” Benefis said, a lack of confidence in his tone.

“We are now ahead of our pursuers—yet still on the Hal’ic side of the battleline,” Lila pointed out.

“Well, I don’t feel like running the gauntlet of the main force, so let’s avoid it. Sherri, steer one-eight-zero, plus ninety. Let’s go vertical and hop over the line. If we can get far enough on the other side, the Hal’ic should hesitate before following, reluctant to trigger the start of the major engagement. Right now, it looks like everyone is just getting dressed up for the coming party. They’ll be ordered to hold and let us go. After all, we’re just one ship out of thirty-thousand.”

“That’s a sobering thought,” Riyad said. “And about seventy thousand Hal’ic. This is going to be one hell of a big battle…and this time the Sol-Kor know exactly what they’re up against.”

“This will be the largest space battle in history,” Adam said. “Fortunately, we can use it to get lost in the confusion and make it to Silana without being noticed. How we doing, Sherri?”

“So far the Hal’ic haven’t sent any other ships after us. We’re about to pass the farthest reaches of the Hal’ic battleline and head toward the Sol-Kor side.”

“May I make a comment?” Lila asked.

“Of course…please do,” Adam prompted. Hopefully his genius daughter would come up with something that would save the day.

“Estimating the losses the Hal’ic have suffered both at J’nae and Kor, plus the anticipated losses resulting from the upcoming battle, the Hal’ic will be down to fifty percent of their original strength after only twelve days of the war. Silana will undoubtedly fall to them, yet there are another six major population centers on this side of the galaxy alone. The Sol-Kor could easily sacrifice all their forces in this region and still have ample reserves to retake all that the Hal’ic will have gained.”

This wasn’t what Adam had been expecting to hear, but he had no doubt Lila’s conclusions were accurate. Instead of saving the day, Lila had just pointed out that the Hal’ic were fighting a losing battle.

“I thought they could at least fight them to stalemate, and then have time to regroup and resupply. But you’re saying that won’t happen?”

“I’m not saying it won’t happen, just that there is no need to let it happen. The Sol-Kor have enough assets to overwhelm the Hal’ic, if they choose to employ such a tactic.”

“And being the mindless flesh-eaters they are, why wouldn’t they?” Sherri added.

“After such a battle,” said Lila, “Sol-Kor population numbers will be reduced. The new queen’s capacity for replacing the dead is greatly diminished compared to the Eternal Queen. There are females now growing within the Sol-Kor Colony, yet they are many years from maturity.”

“Are you saying the Sol-Kor may choose not to waste billions of their Colony, but rather preserve what they have?” Arieel asked of her daughter.

“Placing myself in the mind of the Queen, I would be willing to make the sacrifice in Sol-Kor forces and flesh. The Colony will survive, the enemy will be vanquished, and there will ample time to carry on with my plans to convert the Sol-Kor to more traditional mating and procreating practices. Yet to the general population—an all male population—they may not be so willing, since they do not possess the Queen’s vision.”

“So it all comes back to J’nae—the Queen,” Riyad said. “She is the key to everything.”

“Indeed,” Lila said. “If she were to be neutralized, the Colony would be in a very fragile position. The relatively few females born to date would not be added to, so the growth of the Colony would be greatly restricted. Billions would die off who cannot be replaced. Add to that a very costly war in regards to loss of life, and it would be prudent for the Sol-Kor to petition for peace at the earliest opportunity—should the Queen be removed from the equation.”

“The Hal’ic threatened Panur with a bath of liquid nitrogen,” Adam began. “And the cold of space did render both him—and you—inert, for lack of a better word. That will be our weapon against J’nae.”

“Is there a supply of such liquid aboard the mainship?” Arieel asked.

“Not readily,” Lila answered. “Yet a fair amount of the atmosphere we are breathing contains nitrogen. In fact, nitrogen gas is not a necessary ingredient to super-cooled, liquefied air. It is simply a convenient label. I can devise a liquefying apparatus to achieve our goals. The delivery method should be very straightforward. Bathe the Queen in such liquid, and her outer body will freeze. During that brief period we must place her into a more permanent containment module. I will begin work on all these requirements during our transit to Silana.”

“We still need to find her and then get close enough so she can be sprayed,” Sherri said.

“Exactly,” Adam said. “And that’s why I’m delegating the solution to that problem to you, Ms. Valentine.”

“Bullshit! You ain’t delegating nothing to me, Mr. Cain! You’re the hero around here, not me. I’m just the obnoxious love interest in the story.”

“In that case, we play it by ear. Let’s get us to Silana first—and before the Hal’ic destroy it, like they did Kor. If we can do that, and find the Queen, I’m sure we’re the last people she would expect to see show up at her doorstep.”

Chapter 6

 “I assume the Humans—along with your girlfriend, Lila—will be attempting to reach us here on Silana,” J’nae said, staring at the still frozen body of her creator, Panur. “Perhaps I should make it easy on them? But first, let me revive you.”

J’nae hesitated a moment and frowned. She was talking to herself—aloud—something she found herself doing quite often these days—a sign that she had no one else to share her thoughts and feelings? Was that why Panur had elected to take a companion? Fortunately for him, he was able to find one of near-equal intellect. The Queen had no such option—not unless she created one for herself. She shrugged. Panur had created her, so she knew it was possible.

She was confused by the strange emotion she felt. Was it…loneliness?

Carrying the unsettling thought forward, she now understood why Panur sought out other races with which to interact, other than just the Sol-Kor. Even though these foreign races were inferior to him in every way, they still added variety to his life, giving him something to not only study, but also to experience.

Was she reaching that stage in her development? Was she already bored of the Sol-Kor?

J’nae quickly dismissed the possibility. Unlike Panur, she was the leader of the Colony. Whatever variety and stimulation she sought she could find it through them as she guided her people to more exploration, more growth, more invention. Even as the thought raced through her mind, she found it vacuous and unfulfilling when confronted with reality.

Her mood turned even more sour. Whatever the future held for her and the Sol-Kor, it would only happen when this damn Hal’ic war was settled. It was a distraction, and a losing proposition on the part of the Hal’ic, even if they didn’t realize it. As such, J’nae had relegated the conflict to a non-priority status in her mind.

Now she would amend that. The war had become an annoyance, keeping her from exploring all the avenues her position and genius offered, along with the chance to solve other mysteries that were filling her mind.

Such as Panur and his friends. The dynamic between her creator and the Humans was a curiosity to her, one she found stimulating—and enviable—having once had a Human plaything of her own.

Suddenly she had an epiphany, one of such profound insight that many things became abundantly clear.

Her creator, Panur, had himself been created by the Colony in an experimental breeding of the Hal’ic and the Eternal Queen. In his early years, his only option was to learn from the Sol-Kor and experienced life through the Colony, much the same as J’nae had over the past six hundred years. Unfortunately for her—and her creator—absorbing the sum total of all the Sol-Kor had to offer took less than a month to accomplish. The creatures from Kor had no culture, no creativity, no real purpose for living…except to feed. As a result, there were no extensive libraries or advanced research centers from which she could absorb more knowledge. For the mutants, the Sol-Kor were an intellectual dead-end.

Thousands of years ago, Panur had reached this same conclusion, and looked outward, beyond the Sol-Kor and the relatively few worlds they’d reached with their primitive space drive. Beyond the Colony was an expansive and thrilling universe, full of knowledge and intriguing beings. If for no other reason than to learn from them, Panur developed the first gravity drive engines so he could reach this plethora of vibrant species, knowing full well that contact with the Sol-Kor would doom them to eventual extinction.

Panur didn’t care. It took only a short time for him to absorb all the knowledge he desired from these races; afterwards, the harvesters would move in.

The epiphany J’nae had that moment was not that Panur had sought out these alien races for their knowledge. It was the realization that the entire outward migration of the Sol-Kor, along with all the countless species they had consumed over the past five millennia, were a direct result of Panur’s unquenchable thirst for knowledge…at any cost. More than the Eternal Queen herself, it was Panur who was responsible for what the Sol-Kor had become, along with all the death and destruction they’d wrought.

That was what he meant when he’d said she was but a child. No super-being capable of incredible learning could ever advance much beyond childhood if they relied solely on what they could learn from the Sol-Kor. More and varied contacts were needed, and this took time and opportunity to accomplish. Panur made that possible—for himself. Unfortunately, J’nae had no such opportunity, not without venturing out among the stars on a long, individual sojourn of discovery.

As the leader of the Colony, that would not be possible. And if not, then she would be forever an underachieving genius, lacking not in ability, but experience.

Her thoughts both saddened and angered her. How was she to overcome this handicap? If she didn’t figure a way, then Panur—and even his female friend, Lila—would continue to be superior to her. That she could not accept.

Then her spirits rebounded!

“There is an entire world of Humans!” she said, aloud. The Humans had intrigued Panur more than any other race he’d encountered. Now J’nae grew excited imagining what joy she could have playing puppet master to billions of Adam Cains. What knowledge she could acquire!

Though she—as Queen—could not leave her responsibilities for long, she could indulge her need for experience by being selective with her encounters. What better race to begin with than the Humans? With the means to transit universes at will using the prototype starship in her possession, she would journey directly to Earth and begin her advance training immediately upon resolution of the Hal’ic annoyance.

As an immortal, mutant genius, the need for stimulation and challenge was a constant, and a planet full of unpredictable and emotional Humans was just what she needed to overcome the deficit she now acknowledged was real.

Once again, her creator had been right.

********

High Noslead Gorvus had followed J’nae’s instructions to the letter and built a containment chamber to hold Panur. It was made of six-inch thick reinforced plastic, with a series of injection jets that could fill the interior with liquid nitrogen in under a second. A simple bed, chair, and table had been moved inside—that was all Panur required. The Queen then placed a chair and table on the opposite side of the wall from Panur’s; she knew there would be many long hours of conversation between them.

The small box containing the frozen body of her creator was moved inside the room and the containment controls turned off. He would thaw on his own. In the meantime, J’nae went to where the Human starship Panur which had converted into a trans-dimensional vessel was stored, to study its construction and learn its secrets.

It was frustrating for a creature of her intelligence to not fully comprehend an invention. It wasn’t that the technology was beyond her grasp, it was just that she had never come in contact with some of it. Knowledge was not absorbed out of thin air, it came from research, experience, and deductive reasoning.

So J’nae began her examination of the Panur TD-drive by removing the exterior panels to the generators in the twin engine rooms. She recognized most of the systems and equipment, even though some were alien even to her.

Of course Panur had left no operating instructions in the ship’s database. He didn’t need to.

So began her long and arduous process of reverse engineering. She did this knowing what the TD-drive accomplished and then traced it backwards to figure out how it did what it did. If a component was located here and connected to this, then it would have to produce…what effect? That would mean it must do such-and-such, which could only be achieved by…this means. For a normal intellect, this process could take years—if ever—to figure out. For J’nae, she was beginning to see the light after only six hours of work.

But then she got the call that Panur was awake.

********

The four-foot-tall alien, dressed in a dark blue tunic, was seated at the table and displaying a sly smile. He watched in silence as J’nae entered the containment room and sat in a chair on the other side of the thick plastic wall.

“Are you feeling proud of yourself?” he asked once J’nae was settled in.

“In a way,” J’nae admitted. “You are a powerful being, and I managed to capture and constrain you. That should warrant some admiration.”

“That it does. However, have you asked the question that maybe you were allowed to capture me, and that I am exactly where I had hoped to be?”

“The thought did cross my mind. However it is irrelevant. I believe your prison is infallible, so no matter your ulterior motives, you are now subject to my control.”

“No prison is infallible.”

“That we shall see.”

“So why am I here?” Panur asked. “You could have easily dumped my body into the nearest star. Eventually, I would work my way to the ejecta and be released from my captivity, but that could take thousands—even millions—of years. Instead, you have kept me close for a reason.”

“You are my creator. Is that not reason enough?”

“That is a reason, but not the only reason. It is because you are feeling insecure. You are of superior intellect yet you are also a child among adults, as we have discussed before. You have so much more to learn. You will learn—much quicker than anyone other than me—but it is still a process. In the interim, are you seeking my assistance, a partnership in the management of the Colony?”

“You must admit it is an intriguing idea,” J’nae said. “You have always accepted a secondary position under the Eternal Queen. This is your chance to lead, without interference or question.”

“Only from you.”

“You have said it: I have much to learn. Lead the Colony to glory—teach me—and then when you grow bored, I will reassume power. By then, the Colony will have been transformed, becoming less dependent upon a single entity for survival or leadership.”

“So you wish the Colony to survive?”

“And you do not?” J’nae’s tone was incredulous.

Panur was contemplative for a moment before responding. “Prior to your creation, I had come to realize that the Colony served no useful purpose. It exists solely to feed itself and to grow larger. It produces nothing, it contributes nothing. Yet with the structure it will eventually evolve into, it will have to change, thanks to you—my creation. Relationships between members will become more significant. Communities will develop to house and cater to these new unions. The Colony will become more productive and diverse as a necessity. So, yes, eventually, the Colony will become more necessary, more interesting. Yet that will take millennia. In the meantime, it is a destructive force in the universe—in several universes. It stifles development and innovation. It indiscriminately kills off entire species, creatures who have evolved over billions of years just to have their light snuffed out at their moment of contribution. I ask you, is the Colony worth saving? What would be the purpose for allowing it to exist just to have more death and destruction continue into the foreseeable future? I say let it die. No one will mourn the loss of the Sol-Kor. And the universe will suffer no ill-effects from their passing.”

J’nae sat stunned during and after Panur’s diatribe. In a way, she could understand his viewpoint, even if she saw it as hypocritical in light of her recent epiphany. It was Panur who’d allowed the Sol-Kor to become the destructive force he now railed against.

Yet she also understood her point of view. She was more Sol-Kor than Panur. She looked like them; she had more Sol-Kor blood in her veins. She was the new mother of the race, and her offspring looked like her, unlike those produced by the Eternal Queen. This was her race and her people. Yes, they needed to change, and they would…if allowed. Yet Panur was suggesting they let the entire race die off—now—before letting them evolve into something greater.

Perhaps she should have cast him into a raging inferno when she had the opportunity...

“I can tell by your silence that you do not agree with my analysis.”

“Of course not! How could I? You are part Sol-Kor, as I am mostly Sol-Kor. I cannot even entertain the thought of letting my people die.”

“They will—and do—all the time. That is something you will have to come to terms with, J’nae. They can die, yet you will live on.”

“As will the Colony.”

“Which will hasten the demise of countless other, more productive races. It is a choice that must be made.”

“Not by me! I have already made my choice.”

“That I knew even before we began this conversation.”

“Then why did you bring it up? Why provoke me?”

Panur smiled. “Because it’s fun.”

Chapter 7

Sergeant First Class Travis Morgan pushed through the crowd of Hal’ic in the command center, making his way toward Admiral Tobias. Andy saw him and motioned him forward.

“Dang, how can anything get done in this chaos?” Morgan said as he huddled with his commanding officer.

“We’re opening a second CIC next door. That should thin the herd out a little in here. Is that the map?”

“Yessir. It’s as you suspected.”

Tobias had his own sequestered operations section within the large room, with LCDR Paulson and Ensign Wyatt serving as guards to keep the hordes of Hal’ic from crowding in. Andy took the offered datachip to a workstation and sat down. Morgan stood behind him, looking over the admiral’s right shoulder.

The screen showed a graphic of half of the Sol-Kor galaxy, filled with such a plethora of red dots that it looked like an outbreak of the measles. “Twenty-four hundred settlements of varying populations, but only six major centers,” Morgan summarized. “Silana is right here on the edge of the battleline.”

“Seven billion Sol-Kor are there, along with a fleet of thirty thousand warships preparing for defense of the system,” Andy mused. “Perfect.”

“Our skirmish line extends for eighteen light-years, the bulk of the seventy-K Hal’ic units fronting the Silana system.”

Andy pointed at the swath of blue contacts located in the upper left hand corner of the screen. “These are the twenty thousand units that just obliterated the inter-universe transit portals?”

“Yessir. We lost only a hundred ships in the attack. It seems none of the Sol-Kor in the galaxy are running away, so the portals were lightly guarded. They know that if they do jump over to another galaxy or universe, they’ll never get back to help with the defense.”

“So that part of the operation is complete. The Sol-Kor galaxy is isolated from reinforcements…”

“For at least the next couple of decades, considering the speed of the fastest Sol-Kor ships. Unless…”

Tobias grimaced. “Yeah, unless.” He turned in his chair. “Tom, could you join us?”

Lieutenant Commander Tom Paulson moved over to the station.

“Let’s get this thing started,” Tobias said to his second-in-command. “How many divisions have you been able to create?”

“At least fifty, and with another twenty thousand ships joining up, it could be another fifteen or more.”

Tobias smiled. “That should open up a hell of a lot of battlefronts.”

“Still going to give Silana a pass?”

“Yep, we have to leave the Queen a safe place from which to operate. We can’t have her retreating to another heavily guarded population center farther into the galaxy.”

“Cain?”

Tobias nodded. “We have to contain his target to a specific location. Can’t have him chasing her from here to Timbuktu.”

“Assuming he’s made it to Silana.”

“I have every confidence he has. We tracked his ship to the battleline, and then let it join up with the Sol-Kor. The Hal’ic spies on Silana should give us word if anything changes in the leadership of the Sol-Kor. Now, let’s get this parade started. Jump off is in fifteen minutes. Prepare to deploy units.”

********

The Hal’ic forces consisted of fifty-thousand ships clustered in an oblong ball twenty light-years from Silana. The remaining twenty thousand were spread out in two directions in an ever-thinning line from this concentration. Facing them were thirty thousand defenders of the Sol-Kor fleet, yet they were mainly bunched in the space between the main Hal’ic force and the planet of Silana. The Sol-Kor’s responsibility was defense of the planet—and in light of the superior enemy units placed against them, to then provide enough time for the leadership of the Colony to evacuate to Bymis, the next major population center further in toward the center of the galaxy.

On command from the Human Admiral Andy Tobias, the huge formation of Hal’ic ships began to move forward. Seconds later, the Sol-Kor advanced to meet them.

One would expect that with such a vast number of warships coming together, space would have been ablaze with fireballs of plasma energy visible from even beyond the galactic plane. But that wasn’t the case. A light-year is an incredible distance, and the warring vessels were initially separated by thousands—if not millions—of kilometers. What made up for these great distances and separation was the speed at which the units joined. A light-year could be covered in minutes in most cases, and soon the battle was joined, as squadrons matched squadrons and small, concentrated areas of fighting lit up.

The Hal’ic vessels carried beam disruptors, so the primary weapon of the Sol-Kor was negated. Yet mainships still carried plasma cannon, and it appeared that in the brief interim since the war began, most had had their output capacity upgraded with the addition of an extra generator or two. These units were plentiful and easy to install, having been stripped from non-combat vessels.

For their part, the Hal’ic had studied the Sol-Kor warships for centuries and had built their own ships to be superior in both speed and armament. The increase in bolt energy did come as a surprise to the Hal’ic, but it wasn’t a game-changer. It just meant each opposing side was now more evenly matched as far as weapons strength was concerned.

Tobias watched on his screen as the first battles were concluded. Conflict in space normally didn’t last very long. Units met, bolts were released, and shields lasted for as long as they could. After that, the losing side usually ended up nothing more than a thin field of debris, destined to become a navigational hazard for future travelers through the region.

Four thousand Hal’ic vessels engaged in the first sorties. Twenty-eight hundred survived, although nine hundred of those were damaged to some degree. Andy knew the combined Sol-Kor fleets vastly outnumbered even the two-hundred thousand units of the initial Hal’ic war machine. And although his allies were cranking out twenty new ships per day, that wasn’t nearly enough to keep up with battle attrition. No, matching the Sol-Kor one-to-one in casualties was not the answer.

That was why he’d come up with the unexpected, as he had promised the former Veritis, Estor Jan.

“It’s all yours, Mr. Paulson,” Tobias announced over the din of the command center.

Tom Paulson had commandeered a third of the room for him and his team, which consisted of Ensign Stevie Wyatt and thirty Hal’ic. Each native had his own command screen, and on Paulson’s orders they sent out pre-recorded instructions to their specific sections of the fleet.

The concentration of Hal’ic units near the Silana system suddenly began to scatter, streaming off in clusters in nearly every direction, most heading further into the galaxy. It would take these units two days on the average to reach their targets, so the whole affair was anti-climactic in the command center.

With the battle having just begun—and then suddenly called off—there was confusion in the ranks. Some units chose to pursue the fleeing Hal’ic ships, until they were called back to consolidate the defense of Silana. Tobias was sure there was a moment of celebration within the Sol-Kor fleet—if the alien bastards ever celebrated anything. Then he saw the cloud of defenders begin to pull back and to form a more uniform shield around the entire system, rather than a single front facing the Hal’ic.

The Sol-Kor believed the Hal’ic fleet was repositioning in order to come at the planet from all directions, and they were preparing.

Andy smiled. I love it when a plan comes together…

********

A few days before, Andy had given up trying to get any sleep in the palatial accommodations the Hal’ic had provided for him, and had a cot brought to his work area. He now fell back on the soft fabric and rested his head on a satiny pillow. The Hal’ic were not only master shipbuilders, they were also great with synthetic materials that resembled the finest silk from Earth.

Sergeant Morgan was in the command area with the admiral. “Now all we do is wait.”

“Just like any major operation, there’s a time delay from deployment to engagement,” Tobias said as he rested his arm across his forehead. “What’s funny is that even though the distances are about a billions times longer, with the speeds involved the time is about the same as sending a team out from Little Creek to the Middle East. For us in command, that means a lot of time sitting around and waiting for the action to begin.”

“Get some rest, sir. You’ve been at it for days.”

“Wake me if anything unusual happens.”

“I’m surprised you can sleep with all this noise around you.”

“I’d be more concerned if things were quiet.”

“Yessir. I’ll keep on top of things.”

Chapter 8

The individual strike forces Paulson had deployed had no trouble locating juicy targets to hit. Bypassing the major population planets of the Colony, that still left scores of lightly-guarded settlements that were easy pickings for the Hal’ic warships.

Names like Calimor, Nasxix, and Dis’op-Kor flashed on the screens at the Hal’ic command center on J’nae, as squadrons of a thousand ships or more streamed into the star systems. Token defenders—left there after the bulk of their forces were pulled away for the defense of Silana—were quickly swept away, leaving the planets to be strafed and bombarded from space, low-flying ships dispensing a form of Napalm that lit the surface afire.

But then the Hal’ic ships didn’t linger. Their job was not to conquer and control, but rather to decimate and move onto the next target. Thousands—if not millions—of Sol-Kor died in these hit-and-run attacks, and whatever contribution each of these planets made to the welfare of the Colony was terminated, at least for the foreseeable future.

Two days after the brief encounter between massive fleets outside Silana, the new strategy of the Hal’ic was visible to the Sol-Kor. Over a hundred planets had been attacked and there was nothing to stop the tens of thousands of rampaging Hal’ic ships from ravaging hundreds more.

********

Though she knew nothing of the Human commander of the Hal’ic forces, the Queen of the Sol-Kor was in the makeshift combat center that mirrored that of Admiral Tobias.

The tactic the Hal’ic were employing had been unexpected, but now it made sense. They were causing incredible death and destruction to the fringes of the Colony, leaving the major centers unscathed. The enemy was also experiencing very few losses of their own along the way. This troubled J’nae. She knew the Sol-Kor could win a war of attrition against the Hal’ic, at least in a straight-up fight. But now she could see the logic in this new strategy. A lot of damage could be caused with very little loss on the part of the Hal’ic.

Already hundreds of outlying worlds were screaming for the return of their ships, most of which had been pulled from their systems to help defend Silana. Should she send them back? Should she reduce the size of the fleet around the planet and send it off in a multitude of directions to counter this new strategy? If so, then the Hal’ic could sweep back in and attack Silana. Was that their ultimate plan?

J’nae had absorbed all the data available on past Sol-Kor battle tactics, finding them lacking in any kind of diversity or creativity. For millennia they had relied primarily on their suppressor beams to subdue their enemies, both in space and on land. There had been very few outright space wars where advanced battle tactics were called for. Once again, this was an example of how a genius could seem an idiot without the proper data or experience as a foundation.

Yet she was a genius, and a very fast learner.

In her moment of desperation, she concluded that what she really needed was more access to the history of the Humans. She thought it odd that she would think of this inferior species at a time like this. For all their shortcomings, the aliens sure did know how to fight.

J’nae put the thought out of her mind. The Sol-Kor had some limited information on the Humans, but not enough to justify her time and effort to scrounge the records for anything useful. She had to deal with the situation at hand, and she had to do it quickly. Her Nosleads were becoming restless—and concerned.

At least she had a base of operations that appeared—for the moment—to be secure.

“Noslead Kacis, disperse half of the defense fleet to regions further in toward the core. Trace the assault lines of the enemy and anticipate their targets.”

“Yes, my Queen. And of the systems already attacked?”

“Leave them. Once the Hal’ic forces begin to thin out, there will be time enough to send recovery units. Besides, the enemy does not appear to be placing any occupying units at these locations.”

Kacis left to carry out his orders. J’nae then called in another High Noslead, her trusted assistant Gorvus.

“I see that all my offspring made it off Kor alive.”

“Yes, my Queen. Sixty-eight, plus the eighteen you have birthed since arriving on Silana.”

J’nae grimaced. It took an hour of her day to birth the six to eight new females she was currently producing. If she had more time, she could do more. But the war—and her pre-occupation with Panur and the TD starship—didn’t allow her more than an hour. These distractions were upsetting her timetable. By now she had expected to have several thousand females birthed and maturing. It soured her to think that it would still be six long years before the first of her offspring would be able to reproduce on their own. If not for the upset in her timetable, in six years there would have been thousands of females coming to maturity. A critical mass would have been reached, at which point she could have stepped back from birthing duties altogether.

The Queen looked at the patient High Noslead standing before her. “Forgive my silence, Gorvus. It is just that many complications have arisen since I first devised my strategy for the future of the Colony.”

“How could the Hal’ic have been forecast?” Gorvus said. “Their very existence was unknown to us.”

“Yes, and now they appear to be employing an almost unnatural ability in battle tactics. Do we not have any capacity to learn of their command structure?”

“We have taken several prisoners from Kor. The evacuating forces have brought some to Silana for interrogation.”

J’nae’s expression lit up. “Excellent! I wish to participate in the interrogation.”

“As you wish. Shall I have the prisoners brought here, or will you journey to their holding center?”

“Bring them here. I cannot afford travel time. Make it happen now.”

********

During the battle for Kor, several Hal’ic ships had been shot down and a number of crews taken prisoner. Normally, the Sol-Kor would not have taken prisoners, yet the Hal’ic were unknowns and there was much to be learned of them.

Even still, only eighty prisoners were evacuated from Kor before the entire planet was abandoned. Eight of the highest ranking were brought into the command pyramid where the Queen had set up her base of operations.

The first two prisoners were brought into a small room and placed at a table. J’nae sat on the other side, her seven-foot-tall frame dominating the much shorter Hal’ic. To her surprise, the two aliens did not appear to be frightened. They met her steady gaze.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Yes, you are the Queen of the Sol-Kor,” said the older of the two prisoners.

“Who are you?”

“I am First-Tier Savan Loc, and my companion is First-Tier Was Qint.”

The Queen smiled. “Do you know my name?”

There was a hesitation before Savan Loc answered. “Yes…it is J’nae.”

“Just like the name of your planet. Do you not find that odd?”

“I have not thought much on the subject.”

“I was named after your planet by my creator, the mutant Panur.”

“We have heard of him. He is a pariah to the Hal’ic.”

“And why is that?”

“Because he has used his genius to assist the Sol-Kor in their evil ways.”

“Panur is half Hal’ic.”

“That we are aware.”

“I am also part Hal’ic. So you see, I also rule over your kind, just as I rule over the Sol-Kor.”

“You do not rule over us!” said Was Qint, speaking for the first time. “You are as much an abomination as is Panur.”

“Yet I have Hal’ic blood in my veins.”

“Which only adds to the insult that is your existence.”

J’nae pushed back in her chair and grimaced. “You do realize no Sol-Kor would be allowed to speak to me in such a manner?”

“We are prisoners of the flesh-eaters. Our fate is already pre-determined. At this moment, you are speaking with the walking dead. You can do no more to us.”

“I can shorten your suffering—or I can make it last…much longer.”

“As we said, we are already dead. We accept whatever you wish to do to us.”

J’nae’s right hand, resting on the table, began to slowly extend, stretching out as new cells were created by the conscious effort of the queen. Both aliens watched in disgust as the limb grew to almost twice its normal length, until it reached the other side of the table. Then J’nae used long, creepy fingers to crawl up the tunic of Savan Loc, until they danced across his perspiring face. Both prisoners found the episode disturbing, to the say the least.

“You are indeed an abomination,” said Was Qint.

The Queen shifted her hand to Qint’s face. He recoiled, but the hand clamped around his neck and pulled him back. The grip began to tighten.

“There are many more prisoners I can play with,” J’nae said. “The two of you are expendable.”

She squeezed. The pressure came with such speed and intensity that Qint’s eyeballs literally popped out of his skull, leaving one dangling by optic nerves; the other launched itself at the Queen. J’nae released the dead alien, turning her attention to the bloody ball resting in her lap. With her normal hand, she picked up the eyeball.

“You may not beware, Savan Loc, but I do not require normal food.” The alien watched with horror as the Queen studied the eye, turning it in her fingers so she could see it from all angles. “Yet I do have taste buds…” She popped the eyeball into her mouth.

Savan vomited.

“That was delicious.”

J’nae waited until the Hal’ic pilot composed himself.

“I will keep you alive…as long as you and I can have conversation. I seek no tactical information—your strategy is now obvious to me. What I am curious about is how it is that the Hal’ic can be so proficient at battle tactics when you have no experience to draw upon.”

“I will tell you nothing.”

The Queen’s obscenely extended arm shifted over in front of the surviving alien. “As a mutant, I have other abilities of which you are not aware. It may interest you to know I can enter your mind through incisions at the base of your skull and absorb your thoughts directly. I do not need your cooperation to acquire the information I need. Of course, once I am done, your brain is nothing but a mess of torn gray flesh—which to a Sol-Kor is the ultimate in gourmet cuisine.”

“I do not understand the reference.”

“It means we love to eat brains more than anything else. Now, let us not delay any further. Why are the Hal’ic so good at war?”

J’nae began to drum the fingers of her extended arm on the table in front of Savan. He watched the rhythmic movements with bulging eyes.

“It matters not,” he said finally. “In fact, it may come as a form of bitter justice for your efforts against them in their own universe.”

J’nae frowned. “What are you saying?”

“I am saying that the Hal’ic are being led by another of your victim species.”

“Which one?”

“The Humans.”

J’nae’s eyes burned into the Hal’ic officer. “Adam Cain!”

“No, not any longer.”

“What does that mean? He was in command, but now he is not?”

“That is correct. We are now led by a great and experienced Human warrior named Admiral Tobias.”

J’nae was aware of the military ranks of the Humans, so she knew an admiral was a high-ranking position reserved for only the most proficient of officers, even if the name was unknown to her. She leaned back in her chair and thought on this news.

This explained much. She was up against an individual with vastly more tactical experience than she possessed at the time.

“And what of Adam Cain?”

“He was first appointed Veritis, before surrendering the position to Admiral Tobias.”

“Veritis is your supreme military commander?”

“That is correct.”

“What became of Adam Cain?”

“I do not know. I am not of sufficient rank to be aware.”

“Thank you, Savan Loc. You have been most cooperative.”

Her extended arm extended even further, until the fingers wrapped around the thin neck of the alien. Once again she squeezed hard, and both eyeballs popped out of their sockets. She pulled the inert body over the table, using her other hand to pluck out the dangling orbs. She placed then in her mouth.

“Indeed, tasty.”

She tossed the body aside.

“So where is Adam Cain?”

Chapter 9

From orbit, the planet Silana was a pale, tan, reflective globe, dominated by a near-continuous desert broken only by a series of large blue lakes near the poles and a thin spread of vegetation along the equator that supplied oxygen to the atmosphere. Huge swirling dust clouds swept over most of the surface, and there appeared to be only one major settlement on the planet, positioned just south of the lakes.

But major it was. It consisted of a triangular pattern of huge pyramid structures visible from space, with individual buildings numbering into the hundreds. Without any mountains to speak of on Silana, the traditional Sol-Kor constructs rested on the flat desert floor instead of atop ridges. The buildings in this complex were arranged much closer together than they were on Kor, and keeping with tradition they ran along three long lines forming a triangle, with four other, albeit smaller patterns contained within the defining outer perimeter. In the very center of the formation was one over-sized pyramid of titanic proportions.

This would be where they would find the Queen.

Three huge spaceports were located along each of the outer boundaries. With the largest space battle in history taking places only a few light-years away, one would expect these ports to be beehives of activity. Instead they sat virtually empty, except for a staggering number of ugly transport vessels all piled to the south end of the western-most spaceport. On closer examination, huge rear panels on these ships had been pulled away, leaving gaping holes in their hulls. Something had been removed from the engine rooms of these ships and no effort had been made to reseal them for flight.

Adam let his curiosity fade as he used the telescope aboard the mainship to scan the other two spaceports. The Najmah Fayd was a unique vessel and should be easily visible from space—if it was at one of the space ports.

“She probably has it over at that big-ass pyramid,” Sherri said, reading Adam’s mind.

“Of course she would. Wouldn’t want to make anything easy on us, now would she?”

“What a shithole,” Sherri continued, scowling at the monitor. She checked the readouts. “Surface temperature around a hundred, typical Sol-Kor atmosphere mix—so little red pills for the Humans—no readily apparent water supply to provide for such a large population except those meager lakes on the other side of the hills. Probably why they built the complex here. Like I said, a shithole. Why the SK’s would pick a planet like this to settle on is anyone’s guess.”

“Maybe so they can work on their tans?” Riyad said with a brilliant smile. “Some people have to do that, while the more fortunate among us are blessed with a perpetual bronze glow.”

Sherri snorted. “Yeah, this place should make you feel right at home, King Tut.”

“Tut was Egyptian. I’m Lebanese.”

“Yes, I’m fully aware of that.”

“Knock it off, you two. Get ready for landing. Once down, Riyad, Lila, and I will put on those shiny armor suits they have aboard and go take a look around.”

“Why can’t I go?” Sherri asked.

“Because someone has to watch the ship.”

“I should see if there’s a deck of cards around. Hanging out with Arieel and Benefis while you guys go have all the fun is getting kind of old.”

“Once we figure out how to get to the main pyramid, we’ll come back for the rest of you. Besides, with our ATD’s, you and I will be able to communicate without fear of our conversation being intercepted.”

“Be careful.”

“Always.”

“Pfft. Yeah, right. That would be a first.”

********

With all the confusion resulting from the battle in space, Adam was able to land the Sol-Kor mainship at the spaceport with all the derelict bulk transports, and at a spot close to the outer perimeter of pyramids. Once on the surface, the sheer size of the pointed-top structures became apparent; however, the rust-colored one at the center of the complex ruled over them all.

The shiny battlesuits the three wore was something new—all the other armor they’d seen from the Sol-Kor had been charcoal black. These were lightweight and air conditioned, and even had built-in armaments on each arm. A separate articulated glove below each weapon allowed for more intricate operations while in the suits—like opening doors.

It was strange stepping out onto the light-gravity desert world and staring up at the impossibly long row of reddish pyramids towering beside the spaceport. In the spaces between the buildings, Adam could see the next row, and then the next. But in the center of it all, and reaching twice the height of any of the other structures, was the main pyramid.

What made it all seem really strange was the fact that no one had approached them or challenged their arrival. In fact, there wasn’t a Sol-Kor to be seen for several hundred meters, and these were in small, open-air shuttles rushing through the harsh mid-day sun for destinations unknown.

The trio stood on the shimmering, pebble-strewn tarmac, wondering what to do next.

“There is a hangar of some kind to the south. We might find a shuttle of our own within,” Lila suggested.

There was a towering wall separating the spaceport from the pyramid complex, and scanning along its length, no openings were seen. “Sounds like a plan,” Adam said. “Besides, it looks like we have a ways to go to find the exit out of this place.”

Riyad stepped away from the others, placed one leg in front of the other, and lifted his weapons-equipped arms in a show of power and dominance. “I could get used to wearing one of these suits. Do I look badass or what?”

“Or what, I’d say,” Adam said. “Now stop screwing around. We have a hike ahead of us.”

********

After fifteen minutes in the sweltering heat of Silana, Riyad had changed his impression of the suits. Yes, they did have air conditioning, but not enough to counter the baking the two Humans were experiencing. And although he could see out the visor, for the life of him he couldn’t figure out how to open the damn thing to provide ventilation short of removing the helmet. Granted, the gravity was light on Silana, but after a while the heat had sapped his energy so much that the suit became just so much deadweight to carry.

When they reached the hangar, Riyad yanked open a small side door and quickly stepped inside, temporarily blinded by the relative darkness inside, oblivious to what was inside. It was fitting that he would tumble over something just beyond the doorway.

“Take caution!” a voice cried out.

Riyad was on his back, lying on the concrete floor of the hangar. Towering over him stood four Sol-Kor technicians. None wore armor, yet they did carry sidearms, along with angry sneers.

“You are allowing the heat to enter,” another of the aliens complained. His expression changed as he peered through the tinted glass of the visor at the odd, hair-covered face inside the helmet.

In the first few moments of confusion, Riyad had slipped his hands from the flexible gloves to the weapons controls. Both his arms were elevated, each aimed point-blank at a Sol-Kor. When the expression of the complaining alien switched from anger to recognition, Riyad fingered the triggers of his hand guns.

A series of miniature flash bolts erupted from the barrels, ripping two of the four Sol-Kor in half. Unfortunately for Riyad, their blood rained down on his suit, blanketing the helmet and visor in a blinding coat of red. Then something hard and hot impacted the chest of his suit. A painful heat entered, but not enough to burn. Then he felt relatively cool air spreading across his chest. His suit had been punctured. Another shot at the same location would be deadly.

Then it was his turn to have something heavy fall on his body, following two quick flashes of light that penetrated the red sheath covering his visor. Both his arms were grasped by hands of incredible strength.

“Don’t shoot, dickhead!” Adam cried out. “The other two are dead.”

His arms were released and Riyad quickly shifted his hands into the gloves. He wiped wet blood from his visor.

A dead Sol-Kor was still draped over him. A quick glance around showed three more dead aliens sprawled nearby.

“That was real smart, asshole,” Adam’s angry voice was saying. “There could have been a hundred of them in here.”

“Sorry, the heat got to me.”

“And you of all people.”

“Very funny. Help me up.”

Lila had already located a shuttle cart; the hangar contained about fifty of them. The trio surveyed the hangar for any computer equipment or map of the complex, but neither was found.

“Let’s each take a cart and get back to the ship,” Adam commanded. “We’ll follow along the wall until we find a way out.”

“What about cover for the other three?” Riyad asked. “There were only three battlesuits aboard the ship.”

“Grab some of those tarps. We’ll cover them with those. And dammit, Riyad, clean the rest of the blood off your suit. No need to attract any more attention than we already have.”

********

 “Is that blood?” Sherri asked. “You didn’t go kill some aliens and not invite me along for the fun, did you?”

“Sorry, honey,” Riyad replied, wiping the telltale trace of dried blood from his suit that he’d missed earlier. “Next time I’ll be sure to save you a few.”

“You better!”

“If you like, you can ride with me.”

“Under the tarp, in this heat?”

“No other choice. You don’t look enough like the natives around here to ride up front with the grownups.”

Sherri climbed under the thick, heavy cloth. “Don’t kill anyone without giving me heads up.”

“Relax, I’m sure you’ll meet your quota by day’s end. After all, there have to be about a billion Sol-Kor within a ten-kilometer radius.”

“Ah, now I’m getting aroused.”

“What is it with you two these days?” Adam scolded. “We’re a team of six mismatched individuals, on a desert world located in a foreign universe, with—as you say—a billion flesh-eating aliens, and all you want to do is crack jokes.”

“Did you hear what you just said, Mister Cain?” Sherri asked.

Adam stopped in his tracks next to Riyad’s cart. “Damn…you’re right. In light of a menu like that, there’s no need getting all serious. The situation’s serious enough already.”

“Bingo, big dog.”

Adam passed by the tarp-covered lump that was his former girlfriend. Taking a calculated guess, he slapped one of the protruding bulges.

“Ow! You’re lucky that wasn’t my head.”

“I know. I often get the two of them confused.”

“Screw you!”

“Are we leaving or not?” the Juirean Overlord asked. He, too, had crawled under a tarp, this one on the back of Lila’s cart. He was still in a foul mood after losing his hair to the plasma bolt back on Kor. It had been a week and still no trace of growth could be seen. The magnificent manes of either white, green, or blue worn by the seven-foot-tall Juireans were their trademark, an intimidating element that added a full foot to their height while creating an almost savage, primal look to their already imposing bulk. But for Benefis, not anymore. Now the true size of a Juirean head was revealed, appearing even smaller when resting atop the towering body and broad shoulders.

“Our friend is right,” Adam said as he boarded his own cart, this one with the lumpy figure of Arieel Bol hidden under the tarp. “Let’s get going. We have one immortal alien genius to capture, and another to set free.”

“All in a day’s work,” Riyad said.

Adam looked at the armored figure in the cart next to him. “You still have a little alien blood under your right earhole.”

“The stuff tends to get in every little nook and cranny.”

“I hear ya.”

********

Adam was getting nervous. He saw on the small control panel of his cart what looked to be a charge indicator, and if he was reading it right, his cart was getting dangerously low on juice—yet still no break in the ten-meter-high wall lining the spaceport.

Besides that, they were getting closer to more Sol-Kor workers at this end of the base.

“Are we there yet?” Arieel inquired quietly from under the tarp. “It is extremely warm under here.”

“Sorry, sweetheart, but I don’t see an opening yet. Hang in there; there has to be one along here somewhere.”

“Hang in…oh, yes. I will hang in there.”

“Yo-yo! Did you just see that?” Riyad called out from the lead cart.

“Yeah, the wall slid open but then closed again.”

“We may have passed a dozen such doorways during our journey,” Lila commented.

“Pull over up ahead, Riyad. Let’s see if we can get it to open for us.”

“Heads up. There’s a contingent of Sol-Kor about half a klick away.”

The three carts came to stop where Riyad had seen the huge wall slide away. Upon closer examination, there were protruding boxes all along the wall. Now they had some idea what they were for.

Adam climbed from his cart and approached the nearest box. The cover lifted away easily. Inside was a single knob about four inches in diameter. He reached in and turned it.

Immediately, an obnoxious, high-pitched squeal was heard coming from the wall. A large section, about five meters wide, was displaced toward the row of pyramids, before it began to roll away to the side, accompanied by even more squeaks and groans.

Adam turned nervously toward the cluster of Sol-Kor soldiers who, over the flat open expanse of the spaceport, couldn’t help but hear the grating sounds. The soldiers were dressed in shiny silver armor just as they were, and several helmets turned toward the irritating noise.

“Dammit,” Adam grunted under his breath. “This thing just opened. You would think it wouldn’t be so rusty…or slow!”

Out of a sense of duty—or boredom—two of the soldiers activated a cart of their own and took off toward the wall. The moment the carts could squeeze through, Adam led his three carts to the other side. He jumped off his shuttle and surveyed the wall for a matching control box, and panicked when he didn’t find one.

Nodding at Riyad, the two Humans placed their carts at either side of the opening; Lila parked hers next to Adam and got out from behind the controls, ready for action.

Adam wasn’t so worried about these two Sol-Kor, but the others could sound the alarm. And that would be very, very bad.

The alien cart pulled up to the now fully-opened wall panel and one of the soldiers climbed off. He stepped up to the opening, taking a moment to check the locations of the three shuttles and their drivers. He then turned to the box on his side of the wall.

“I will close it for you,” he announced. “The trip mechanism for this panel is not working.”

Adam didn’t want to say anything, knowing that not all Sol-Kor had embedded translation devices. If this was one of them, then his Human voice would be a dead giveaway.

“Your assistance is appreciated. We have just arrived. Could you direct us to the Queen’s location? We have important news for her.”

Adam’s head jerked around to the figure standing next to him, and the strange, deep voice he’d just heard. It was Lila, speaking perfect Sol-Kor, and with the timbre of a male.

The Sol-Kor soldier stepped to the other side of the opening. He pointed down the wide thoroughfare that bordered the wall. “Proceed along this road until you come to the Trimeth Towers. That path will lead through the surrounding structures and end at M-2. Guards there can direct you to the Queen’s location.”

He returned to the other side the wall…but then stopped and turned toward Lila.

“Any news on the battle? We have conflicting reports that the enemy has fled, that we have been victorious. Is this true?”

“We have been under communication silence since embarking on our mission. We are not aware of any such developments, although the possibility for such an outcome remains.”

The silver helmet nodded. “It is confirmed that a large number of mainships are in transit back to Silana. We shall learn more from them.”

Without another word, the parties separated.

All the members of Adam’s team had translation bugs programmed with the Sol-Kor language, so they had heard the conversation with the soldier. “Could that be true?” Arieel asked from still under the tarp. “Could the Hal’ic have been defeated, and in such a short time?”

“I don’t know,” Adam replied. “I can’t see that happening, especially not with the Admiral in command. There must be more to the story.”

“Look,” Lila said, pointing into the brilliant sky of Silana. “Ship trails.”

She was right. The sky above them was now full of white streaks descending from space. There were hundreds of them.

“They wouldn’t be landing if a Hal’ic fleet was on their asses,” Adam said. “Something has gone terribly wrong.”

“That’s all we need here now, about a million more Sol-Kor on shore leave,” Sherri said from under her tarp.

“Relax, everyone. It will take them a full hour or more to land and disembark, so we have the jump on them.”

“Good,” Riyad said from his cart. “I was beginning to think we could be in trouble.”

Chapter 10

Adam had been right about his cart. About a kilometer from where they’d passed through the spaceport wall, his shuttle gave out and he had to hitch a ride with Riyad, placing both Sherri and Arieel under the same tarp. For a moment, he was tempted to take the long way to what the Sol-Kor soldier had called the M-2 pyramid, as a form of torture for the ladies. But Riyad was driving, and after one long psychic glance at each other, the men decided it best just to get to their destination as soon as possible. They had enough on their plate as it was.

Along the way, Adam still questioned why the Sol-Kor had selected Silana as the site for their second capital. It was obviously too hot even for them, as evidenced by the near total lack of pedestrians on the streets. What Sol-Kor they saw—not in battle armor—exited transports and entered the nearest building without delay. The result was that Adam and his small caravan had the roads essentially to themselves.

Occasionally, Adam would look back and see the women peeking out from under their tarp, both to get some air circulating and to gawk at the massive pyramids towering along the way. The scene was like the pyramids of Giza on steroids, dozens of huge structures all in perfect rows, separated at their wide bases by fifty-meter wide roadways. Like the pyramids of Kor, these were also constructed of huge uniform modules, yet these were stacked in a neat order, each pyramid identical to its neighbor. This settlement had been built after the Sol-Kor developed their traditions on Kor, which had evolved over time to become what they were—or had been until the Hal’ic arrived. When they came to Silana, the aliens had learned how to construct their pyramids with more style and symmetry, giving this complex the look of having been built all at once.

The dominant structure known as M-2 was twice the height of the other buildings covering a footprint eight times larger than any other. Either from design or nature, the exterior of the building—like all the others on Silana—was a ruddy rust color as opposed to the black of the Kor-based pyramids, and shared the same stair-step form, layer upon layer of terraces and windows climbing high to the central point. Adam got the impression the complex had been built not as a supplement to Kor, but rather as a replacement. There was more organization here, and as they passed the surrounding structures it was obvious that these were huge processing and manufacturing centers. Everything that had been scattered haphazardly across the surface of Kor was consolidated into this massive complex and supported by the three nearby spaceports. Although he hadn’t had a chance to survey the rest of the planet from orbit, he would have been surprised to find any other settlements. None were needed.

Keeping with the policy of staying sheltered from the blazing light and heat of the planet, the M-2 structure was perforated along its base by hundred-meter-wide openings that allowed traffic and pedestrians to enter the building from just about any point. Riyad and Lila steered their carts into the welcoming shade, and were further rewarded by a blast of cool air originating from within. This soothing air was free to escape into the outside desert environment without regard for conservation or containment, a consequence of an unlimited supply of energy, another sidebar invention of the enigmatic mutant Panur.

Unlike the world outside, there was a frenzy of activity taking place within the incredible volume of the main receiving area beneath the pyramids. As it was on Kor, there was no need for security. Everyone here was of the Colony, brothers and offspring of the Eternal Queen. The only restrictions came within the quarters of the Queen herself, and not from fear of attack, but rather to keep the adoring masses from bothering her, driven by a desire to be in the presence of their creator.

After only three months as the leader of the Colony—and the mother of none of these workers—Adam was sure J’nae’s status was different. She would surround herself with security in order to keep the likes of Adam and his companions from reaching her. She would also know a bounty had been placed on her head by the Hal’ic. They knew the makeup of Sol-Kor society, and eliminating the Queen—by whatever means possible—was the ultimate goal. Without a queen, the Colony would die.

At least that’s the way it had always been until J’nae’s arrival. Now it was imperative that Adam and his team nip things in the bud before Panur’s creation could set the wheels in motion that would ensure the survival of the Colony even without a queen.

Somewhere in this building was both creator and creation…and hopefully the Mark IV starship.

Light streamed into the vast chamber from outside, revealing a solid square structure placed at the center of the pyramid, with hundreds of elevator doors set in its walls. Riyad steered his cart to a place between two of the large outside openings and Lila pulled up next to him. There was a problem—several in fact.

“No one is wearing armor,” Adam pointed out.

“And I can’t see a way to get Sherri, Arieel, and Benefis into an elevator without being spotted. There’s only Sol-Kor here, not even a few of the Salifens around,” said Riyad, adding to the menu of challenges they faced.

“Are those elevators large enough for a cart to fit in?”

“Most are not, yet there is a bank of larger doors spaced after ten of the smaller ones,” Lila reported. From this distance, and with the glaring light from outside interfering with his vision, Adam was grateful for Lila’s superior eyesight. Now he saw that transports even larger than their electric carts occasionally entered through the larger elevator openings, to be carried to their destinations within the pyramid. The building was certainly large enough to support its own internal highway system—another design element to save the Sol-Kor from spending too much time outside.

“So where to?” Riyad asked.

“We learned on Kor that the Queen’s chambers were on the ground floor.”

“That seemed to be the result of evolution rather than design,” Riyad pointed out.

“Exactly. M-1 was built around the Queen. But here, the planning was after the fact. If I had to guess, I would go high. The pyramid is twice as tall as anything around it. There has to be a reason.”

“Your reasoning makes sense,” Lila confirmed. “We should begin our search for the Queen at the top.”

“Everyone okay under the tarp?”

“For now,” Sherri answered. “Thank God it’s cooler in here. But hurry, Arieel’s boobs keep poking me in the face.”

The helmeted heads of Adam and Riyad turned towards each other.

“Minds out of gutters, boys,” Sherri said from underneath the tarp.

“Just give us moment,” Adam said.

A moment later, the two carts set off for the nearest freight elevator.

********

 “What is it with these alien bastards?” Adam exclaimed. “Don’t they believe in floor numbers?”

“Each panel appears to correspond to a section of the pyramid,” Lila tried to explain. “Let me do it.”

Adam stood aside, and as his daughter punched six blank panels on the wall of the elevator in a specific order, he couldn’t follow her logic, but soon the car was moving.

“That should place us at the upper level for this particular elevator. Transports would not be accommodated beyond a certain level, based on the narrowing of the building near the top.”

The two females and Benefis kicked off their tarps, faces beet red and covered in perspiration, even after some relief from the air conditioning inside the building. The thin blouses of both women were soaked with sweat, and for a moment it looked as though they had just competed in a wet t-shirt competition. It was no contest—Arieel won.

“So we have no idea how close to the top we can get?” Benefis asked. “That will still leave us exposed when we can no longer hide under the cloth.”

Sherri stepped up to where the Juirean was sitting on the back of the cart. “You have an uncanny ability to state the obvious.”

“Thank you.”

“It was an insult, you pinhead.”

“Are you referring to my lack of majesty?”

“Majesty? Is that what you guys call your manes?”

“Manes? The translation refers to an animal’s crest of hair or fur. We do not have manes.”

“That’s what we call them.”

“Then you are mistaken!”

The car began to slow.

“Back under the tarps,” Adam ordered.

A moment later, the elevator door opened and two Sol-Kor officers stepped in. They wore the white stripes of High Nosleads. Both crinkled their noses as the door slid shut.

“Your shielding is not required within the structure,” one of them said to the trio of armored occupants. He then scanned them up and down. “Are you juveniles? Your suits have been adjusted to their minimum.”

“Yes, we are trainees,” Lila answered in Sol-Kor.

“Trainees in what… smelling foul?” said the other officer.

“We have been outside.”

“That is why you should have left your shields at Level One. Now you are contaminating the air around you. What are you bringing into the structure? It, too, has an awful odor.”

“Subdued food samples taken from those who struck Kor.”

Before he could be stopped, the first Noslead pulled back a tarp, revealing Sherri and Arieel in fetal positions, their eyes closed yet breathing. Both Sol-Kor stepped back; each were armed, the protocol during time of war. They drew their weapons.

“Do not shoot!” Lila said. “They are to remain alive to provide the freshest meat for the Queen and her entourage.”

“What are they?”

“We do not know.”

“Through the stench of perspiration, I now sense a very…inviting aroma. This is indeed prime stock. You say this is the race that attacked Kor?”

“It is one of them.”

“There is more than one race aligned against us?” asked the second officer with emotion.

“Yes,” Lila replied. “At least ten, and in vast numbers.”

Both Sol-Kor looked at each other. “We were not informed of such, and we are senior in the Colony.”

“That is because we are on Silana,” countered the second one. “It is obvious now that information has been withheld. That is how it has always been between Kor and Silana.”

“But now the Queen is among you,” Lila pointed out.

Again the two Sol-Kor shared a look. “Yes…the Queen.”

“The new Queen.”

Listening to the exchange, Adam noticed the helmeted head of Lila nod slightly in his direction. Then she turned back to the aliens.

“We have never been this high in M-2 before. Once we reach our maximum level, what is the process for delivering our food stock to the Queen?”

The first High Noslead shook his head. “Were you not briefed? These carriers only reach two-thirds up. There will be smaller motorized carts with which you can transfer your catch.” He looked at his companion. “The Queen is in Combat Sec Four, is she not?”

“When last reported. Either there or on ninety-eight, with the other mutant.”

The car came to a stop and the doors opened. The two Sol-Kor stepped out, as did Adam and Riyad.

“No…this is forty-nine,” said the second Sol-Kor officer. “You will continue to eighty. We took the transport carrier because they are often faster than the personnel carriers. Go back inside.”

The two Humans obliged. But before the elevator door closed, the first officer made one last comment. “I would advise that you remove your shields and your offensive odor before presenting these creatures to the Queen. If not, her appetite may be affected.”

“We will heed your superior advice,” Lila said as the door slid shut.

“Excellent!” Adam exclaimed. “We’ve learned the tentative location of J’nae, as well as Panur. Lila, the liquid nitrogen canister next to Benefis is yours, so you make the call. The Queen first, or Panur?”

“My equipment is primitive and not designed to subdue an aware target. Entering a major command center with the intention of freezing the Queen could be challenging. However, Panur is in a static location, and quite possibly alone. My choice would be free him first. That way we also gain a capable ally.”

“He’s always been a loose cannon,” Riyad said. “He may follow his own agenda.”

“Agreed, but he does have skills that could come in handy against J’nae.”

“No argument there. All right, it looks like Panur first. I hope he doesn’t leave us hanging.”

“He will not,” Lila said. “He seeks a resolution to this current crisis, one for which he accepts some of responsibility.”

“Some?” Sherri said. “I’d say everything bad that’s happened for the past five thousand years can be traced back to him.”

“That is unfair, Ms. Valentine. He is simply a living creature attempting to make the most significant contributions possible.”

Sherri sucked in a chest full of air, preparing for the diatribe she was about to deliver. Fortunately, the elevator began to slow before she could get started.

“Assume the position…please,” Adam said to her.

After presenting Adam with a look that could kill, Sherri resumed her fetal position, spooning Arieel. Benefis pulled the tarp over him and Lila’s compact liquid nitrogen dispenser.

“We’re on eighty, having to get to ninety-eight,” Adam summarized just as the door began to slide open. “Here we go.”

********

The moment the carts could clear the opening, Riyad and Lila had their vehicles out the elevator. They turned right, for no other reason than that was the direction the other carts in the vast chamber were headed. They had emerged into a large parking and staging area, the last refuge for the larger vehicles that traveled throughout the huge structure. A little past the elevators, traffic divided, most continuing to loop around to the right, while some entered the central parking area.

With a moment’s decisiveness, Riyad turned into the parking area. He had spotted a neat row of gurney-like carts clustered in two sections and pulled into a stall next to one of the rows.

There were dozens of Sol-Kor in the area, each towering over the three armored intruders by nearly two feet. Adam felt like he had a K-Mart Blue-Light Special sign flashing on his head, knowing that every flesh-eating alien in the room knew the truth as to who they were. Granted, all three of them had built-in hand guns, as well as backup bolt launchers attached to their suits, but that only made Adam more nervous. In the event of an emergency, he might be tempted to use them.  And that would not end well for him and his team.

Adam and Riyad lifted first Sherri and then Arieel and placed them on a cart each, covering their bodies with tarps, including the extra one Adam had transferred from his powerless shuttle. Lila effortlessly lifted the much larger Juirean and placed him on a cart. Then she took the nitrogen dispenser and placed it on her back using the shoulder straps she’d attached to the canister.

“Is that wise?” Adam asked.

“With it in clear sight, no one will suspect it is a weapon. It could simply be an attachment to the suit.”

“I’m sure if you’re questioned, you can talk your way out of it.”

“Please let me lead. I can act as a shield should anything unforeseen occur.”

Within his suit, Adam smiled. “That’s my girl. Thanks.”

“We must proceed to another array of elevators. Security should be enhanced the further up we go.”

Guiding three gurney-sized wheeled carts in front of them, the caravan set off for the nearest elevators. They had no problem finding them, or in securing a private car for themselves. It was a tight fit with three carts, yet even then two Sol-Kor attempted to crowd in. After just a moment next to the offensively armored juveniles, they held the door and departed.

“Can you decipher the controls?” Riyad asked Lila.

“One day I shall endeavor to teach you. These are operated by Sol-Kor; they are not complicated.” She punched the tabs again and the car began to move.

When the door opened this time, they were met by six heavily-armed guards, looking serious and unamused by the intrusion.

“You are not authorized at this level,” said a guard with the double white strips on his chest.

“We have been instructed to deliver these prisoners to the containment chamber of the mutant,” Lila said.

The guard stepped up to Lila, towering over Adam’s daughter in her shiny metal suit. “Who has instructed you…juveniles…to accomplish such a task? There is no authorized entry on this level except for the Queen herself.”

“Councilmember Timous directed us.”

“Timous? I know of no Councilmember by that name.”

“Do you know all Councilmembers?”

The guard stood up straighter. “That is an insulting comment. What is your name?”

Adam stepped forward, crowding in front of Lila. “Allow me,” he said in English. “I’m Smith, and this here is Wesson…”

What happened next was a blaze of flash fire from the arms of shiny suits. The rapid-fire capability of the armament made short work of the guards, and afterwards the two Humans rushed into the room beyond the elevator, sweeping it for any additional targets.

It was clear, and soon Sherri was standing between the two of them. “Subtle, but effective.”

“Took a chance that with such restricted access there wouldn’t be a lot of extra people hanging around.”

“This way,” Lila called out. She was already through a wide portal that opened into a much larger room.

When the rest of the team reached her, she was at the thick plastic wall of Panur’s containment chamber. The demure mutant was dressed in a dark blue, one-piece tunic, seated at a table, a thin grin stretching his lips. He made a gesture as if to check a watch he wasn’t wearing.

“Only slightly behind schedule, but acceptable,” he said, his voice being projected from speakers outside the chamber.

“Bullshit,” Sherri said. “You couldn’t have known we’d come here to rescue you.”

“Probability, Ms. Valentine. There was an overwhelming chance that you would try, but the odds of you actually appearing here were much lower. Now, my dear Lila, I must warn you about the security measures surrounding my prison.”

“Even if you are exposed to the nitrogen, we will have you out of there soon enough that the effects would be quickly recoverable.”

“No, I’m speaking of the ones outside the chamber. My creation is quite cunning. Although they are not apparent, I believe she has installed countermeasures to guard against just such a rescue attempt. She, too, can calculate the odds.”

“Please heed his advice.” The Juirean’s voice trembled as he spoke. “A bath of freezing nitrogen liquid will kill us, while only inconveniencing the mutants among us.”

“What happened to your hair?” Panur asked, his smile now more pronounced.

“Is that really important at this moment?”

“Perhaps not, but I must know.”

“Later, Panur,” Adam said, taking command. “So what do we do? You’re saying this whole place could become a frozen food locker at any time.”

“Correct. You may even be under surveillance at this time. Your suits will protect you to a degree, but not so those uncovered.”

“So…any ideas?”

“I have an idea.” All eyes turned to Arieel.

“You do?” Adam blurted out.

The Formilian huffed. “Yes, I am capable of creative thought, just as you are.”

“Of course. It’s just—”

“Leave it alone, Adam,” Sherri advised. “So what’s your idea?”

“Since Panur and Lila have concluded that the most effective means of defense against rescue is the freezing liquid, we can use that to our advantage.”

 “Now you’ve lost me,” Sherri said.

“Our ultimate goal is to capture and neutralize the Queen, and that can be achieved with the liquid. Let us lure her in here and then trigger the secondary defense ourselves.”

“Without killing us, right?”

“Without killing us.”

Sherri turned to Adam and Riyad. “Take off those silly helmets. You don’t need them anymore.”

“Panur said—”

“They will protect you against freezing for precisely seven seconds,” Panur offered.

The two Human males removed their helmets, as did Lila.

“Arieel has a great idea, all we have to do is figure out the details,” Sherri said.

“I think I may have an idea….” Adam said, his face displaying a devious smile of his own.

Chapter 11

J’nae had reason to believe her prison could hold her creator, yet she also had to plan for the possibility she was wrong. Guards were required to check in every fifteen minutes by sending a simple confirming tone to her belt-communicator. That way, if Panur did manage to escape, he would never have more than a fifteen minute head start on her.

When the signal was only half a second overdue, an alarm sounded on her communicator. It wasn’t loud or obtrusive, but it did have significance to her.

She was in Combat Section Four on the ninetieth level, charting the advance of the splinter Hal’ic forces as they sacked world after world along the outer edges of the Colony’s settlements. She had been calculating how many units she could send against J’nae—the planet. With the loss of Kor and the consolidation of her forces at Silana, mounting an assault on the distant homeworld of the Hal’ic was much harder than it looked. She still had no idea as to the full strength of the enemy fleet.

And now the missed deadline. She took the communicator off her belt and activated the video feed, displaying the chamber and the surrounding room. She snickered at what she saw.

It was the other mutant—the offspring of Adam Cain and an alien named Arieel Bol. Her name was Lila, and she was the love interest of her creator, if the word love could even be used in its proper context with Panur. She was the vessel he’d chosen to bring forth a new race of super-mutants, believing it easier to create them in the traditional manner rather than how J’nae had been birthed.

Somehow the female had made it to Silana and into the room with Panur’s containment chamber, and was currently surveying the perimeter for a way to free her partner.

Then J’nae noticed something else on the floor of the outer chamber. Three silver Sol-Kor armor suits, two lying on their fronts, a third on its back. Each had individual flash weapons resting on the floor beside them, and there was a conspicuous hole in the chest of the one on its back.

And there was more. Nearby were the bodies of four of her guards, bloodied with their torsos shredded by bolt-fire. The bodies lay close enough to the armor suits for J’nae to realize the size difference. The suits had a built-in sizing feature to match that of their wearer, and these were much shorter than the bodies of the dead Sol-Kor guards next to them.

The suits were of Human size.

J’nae made no excuse. She stood from her chair and left the room, entered the priority elevator, and punched the panels for the ninety-eighth floor.

So Adam Cain and his friends had finally met their fate. She had to give him credit; he made it pretty far before succumbing. Panur’s friend Lila was immune to the attacks from her guards, so of course she had survived, and more than likely had dispatched the surviving guards after they had killed her friends. Now she was trying to figure a way to free Panur without triggering the defensive measures she knew had to be present.

As the elevator came to stop and the door slid open, J’nae was conflicted in her thoughts and feelings. She admired the tenacity of Adam Cain and his friends, as well as their loyalty to Panur. How had he achieved such devotion from the Humans? He was so vastly superior to them that it had to have something to do with god-worship. It was the only explanation. On his own, Panur was not the most likable creature.

Outside the elevator, the Queen found several other members of her guard contingent, evidence that the battle had begun the moment the elevator doors opened. She listened. There were no obvious sounds, either groaning from the wounded, traces of movement from survivors, or a continuation of the battle. Only Lila remained.

That was a challenge. She was a mutant, much like herself, although mutants didn’t come with a uniform set of abilities—as far as she knew. Each would have differences, some subtle, some not so subtle. What surprises did Panur’s Lila have waiting for her?

As the Queen passed through the portal leading to the containment chamber, she held her communicator firmly in her right palm, ready to trigger the release of liquid nitrogen into the room outside Panur’s prison. If worse came to worst, she would trigger the bath, freezing both her and the other mutant. Then Gorvus would be notified. He would place Lila in the chamber with Panur, while J’nae recovered naturally within a few minutes of exposure.

That was probably how the scenario was going to play out. But first she wanted to learn from Lila…

********

 “Please do not probe much deeper. You could activate the security measures within the chamber.”

Lila turned to the source of the words. Her face was calm, displaying no shock at J’nae’s presence. Yet the mutant did assume a defensive posture, preparing for hand-to-hand combat.

“We will not be engaging in a physical confrontation, Lila,” the Queen said. “Such would be a futile waste of time.”

“I only came for Panur. Let me take him and you can continue with your agenda. You will never see us again.”

“How sweet. Just the two of you off procreating a whole race of super beings. Do you not see how they would eventually become a threat to me? Immortality makes even the most unlikely events a possibility—an eventuality. It is always better to plan ahead.”

“I will take him,” Lila said defiantly.

“I do not believe that will happen, and let me tell you why.” The two mutant females kept their distance, Lila skirting the clear plastic wall of the containment chamber as J’nae stayed back near the limits of the room.

“Caution, Lila,” Panur said over the speakers. “She is quite devious.”

“Something I learned from you, my creator.”

“And why will I not be taking him?”

“Because, if I am correct, you are but a child. You may possess the body of an adult, yet you lack a certain level of experience that comes with time.”

“You are inexperienced as well. Panur has told me.”

“That is true, in certain subjects. Yet I have been alive for six hundred years. Yes, I have only recently been exposed to the outside universe, but I have still absorbed vastly more knowledge than you have had time to do. You cannot think like I can, nor as creatively.”

“She is trying to deceive you, Lila,” Panur said. “You are just as capable as she.”

“Listen to the timbre of his voice, young one. You can tell he does not believe what he’s saying.”

“I detect no such tone.”

“Which only proves my point. You have little experience with lying.”

Lila’s eyes darted around the room. J’nae could see she was desperate for a solution to her problem, and time was running out.

“Let me offer a compromise,” J’nae said. “You wish to be with Panur, and he wishes to be with you. Since neither of you can die, why not join him in the chamber? I am forced to keep him under lock and key, well, forever. Why not the two of you together, forever, within this chamber, or some better quarters I will have built? The two of you may continue to think, to ponder, to even create within your minds. You will be together, and I will be safe from you and any of your future offspring.”

“Don’t listen to her, Lila.”

“Why not? Do you not wish me to join you?”

“Of course I do, but not within a prison.”

“Is not our very existence a prison?”

“Perhaps she is more perceptive than I gave her credit for,” J’nae said. “That was a profound and true statement, young one.”

“Stop calling me that!”

“Lila…listen to me,” Panur yelled. Slowly, Lila turned to him.

“What?”

“You have a much more important task ahead of you than saving me.”

“What could that be?”

“The TD ship. You must not let it survive. With it J’nae will build an unstoppable fleet that will ravage countless worlds, galaxies and universes. With her longevity, she has the capability of destroying all life.”

“All life except the Sol-Kor!” J’nae countered. “And not all life would be extinguished. We must sustain our food sources.”

“Does she not know the secrets of the TD ship already?”

“To a degree. Yet as I was building it, I planned for an eventuality where she would acquire the ship. I have installed many false leads which will take considerable time and effort to discover and amend.”

J’nae snickered. “That would be so like you, Panur. And it explains much.”

“Lila, you must destroy the ship.”

“That will not happen,” J’nae said confidently.

“Lila, she cannot hide it from you. You are too smart, your deductive powers too great.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes!”

“No! He is only trying to bait you into trying. And even if you knew where the ship was located, you are not going to be allowed to leave this room of your own free will.”

“I will…if I can get past you.”

Lila shot off toward J’nae. Unfortunately, J’nae was just as fast and had been anticipating this moment. Before the Formilian mutant could reach her, she pressed the button on the communicator.

Chapter 12

Adam pulled his ear away from the metal of the door as it suddenly turned icy cold. This was the moment they were waiting for. But how long would they have to remain closed off in the anteroom? He had no idea, and they couldn’t stay in here long enough for J’nae to thaw out.

And his armor suit was lying empty on the floor outside the containment chamber.

“Everyone stand back,” he commanded. “I’m going to try the door.”

Like most doors in modern buildings, this one was operated by motors which slid the panel into a pocket in the wall. These motors were also affected by the cold.

“Dammit! It won’t open.”

“Let me try,” Benefis said. He pressed past Adam and placed his large fingers in the recessed activation panel. Nothing happened.

“So now we wait until the door thaws—just like what’s happening to J’nae?” Sherri said. “And you know she has backup on the way.”

Adam looked around the small room. It was your typical supply closet, something no building could survive without, even in a far distant universe full of flesh-eating aliens. He spotted a thick-handled mop. Grabbing it, he began to bang on the wall where the servo motor was located, hoping to break it free. Riyad kept activating the controls.

“This is just great,” Sherri said. “A perfectly good plan gone to shit…”

“Inside the room, have patience. We will free you soon.”

All mouths fell open in the storage closet. There were Sol-Kor in the room outside, and they were going to open the door.

“Anyone have a gun with them?” he whispered.

“I left mine by the armor,” Riyad whispered back.

“Mine, too,” said Sherri.

Adam pursed his lips. “Well, isn’t this special. No choice…let’s get ready to rumble.”

The door suddenly slid open, and Adam, Riyad, and Sherri rushed out ready to attack anything within striking distance. What they hadn’t figured on was that the rapidly evaporating liquid would leave residual moisture on the smooth, stone floor.

The trio slipped and fell, sliding along the smooth surface, coming into contact with unsuspecting legs along the way. They tripped four Sol-Kor soldiers before regaining their bearings. Well-placed elbows and fists took care of the aliens on the floor, yet a quick glance around the room revealed another five or six huddled before the hunched-over figure of their Queen.

They took notice of the scuffle across the room, drawing weapons. Adam attempted to lift himself from the floor, using a sprinter’s starting pose to rush toward the cluster of soldiers. But he slipped again and fell on this face—luckily at the precise moment a flash bolt passed over him.

Wet with freezing water, he rolled to his left, toward a table near the containment chamber. Another bolt flashed by, missing him by inches. Then a huge figure crashed into the contingent of Sol-Kor and they toppled over—Benefis Na riding the pile. Arieel was there too, lifting a chair she’d found somewhere and crashing it onto an exposed head.

Sherri managed to get some traction and joined the fight. With Human strength, she tore into the pile, relieving one of the Sol-Kor of his flash weapon. Brilliant flashes lit up the room as she pressed the barrel against the flesh of the soldiers and triggered the weapon. It was over a moment later.

A light mist of nitrogen gas still hung in the air, rapidly dissipating as the temperature in the room warmed. Adam and Riyad recovered weapons from the fallen Sol-Kor and took up sentry posts near the portal opening.

“There’s a control near the far wall,” Panur called out through the speakers. “It will flood my chamber, but the doors will then be free to open.”

Sherri rushed to the control and without hesitation flicked the switch. The interior of the chamber filled with gas, obscuring Panur from view. She rushed back to the door to the chamber and waited for the cloud to dissipate.

“Benefis, get Lila’s gas tank. It’s in the storage room,” Sherri commanded.

The Juirean ran back to the small room and emerged a moment later with the gas canister.

“Make sure the Queen doesn’t thaw out,” she said to the alien.

He ran to where the pile of dead Sol-Kor lay. Pulling back the bodies, he found the inert figure of the Queen. Already her flesh was showing signs of color.

He pulled the applicator wand from its holder and triggered the release. A stream of gas and liquid shot out, coating the Queen in a crust of light blue ice.

“Don’t use it all,” Sherri called over to him. “We’re going to need it later on, I’m sure.”

“Understood.”

The door to Panur’s prison could now be opened, and Sherri rushed in once the gas was clear. Like Lila and J’nae, Panur was hunched over and frozen.

“We’re certainly racking up a fair number of frozen mutants today,” she called out to the men. “How we going to move them around until the good ones thaw out?”

“I’ll grab the gurneys,” Adam said. “There’s a box in Panur’s room which looks like a smaller containment unit. Put J’nae in it and try to hook the gas canister hose to one of the connections. Hurry. There have to be reinforcements heading this way as we speak.”

Riyad guided a wheeled cart into the main room and over to Arieel and Benefis, who lifted Lila onto it. Sherri took Adam’s cart into Panur’s prison and struggled to get the heavy containment box transferred over, before pushing it to the inert body of the Queen.

“Houston…we have a problem.”

The box had been built to hold the four-foot tall Panur. Now it had to accommodate a seven-foot tall Sol-Kor queen, whose frozen body wasn’t as hunched over and compact as they would have preferred.

Adam rushed over. J’nae would fit in the containment unit, but it would take a Herculean effort to stuff her in. Still, the two Humans tried. They used surplus clothing from the dead guards to protect their skin from the cold of her body, which continued to give off a constant cloud of wispy gas as the nitrogen evaporated. It took two more coats of liquid nitrogen before the Queen was fully ensconced in the box and frozen enough for a short trip. The insulating value of the unit kept the cold in, which was a relief. From the diminished weight of the gas canister, Adam could tell it was running dangerously low of its valuable contents.

“How’s Lila and Panur?” he asked.

“Still frozen, yet with a little color returning, especially with Lila,” Arieel replied. “Even then, it will be several minutes before the first level of recovery will be reached.” Adam could see the anguish in Arieel’s eyes. She still hadn’t come to accept the fact that her daughter—their daughter—was beyond feeling pain.

“Where to now, boss?” Sherri asked as she stepped up to Adam, holding one of the flash weapons from the dead guards.

“I have no friggin’ idea. We have to find the Mark IV. A ship that big isn’t easy to hide. It’s a hundred meters long, so it wouldn’t fit anywhere within the upper levels of the pyramid.”

“So back down?”

“The Queen should have an express elevator somewhere. She wouldn’t want to mix with the common folk. That could lead us to a special hangar somewhere.”

“Wow, such wishful thinking. Why can’t you just admit we’re screwed?”

“Okay…we’re screwed. Any better ideas?” Adam asked.

“Yeah. Let’s beat the truth out of one of these Sol-Kor assholes.”

Adam nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. Riyad, come with me. Let’s go find some willing volunteers.”

“I want to go!” Sherri said.

“No, you stay here. We’re the only ones who can communicate by ATD. Once we have some intel, I call you. In the meantime, do what you can to get Lila and Panur thawed. And make sure that doesn’t happen to the Queen.”

Sherri sulked, but she saw the logic in Adam’s plan.

The two men rushed to one of the open elevator cars and stepped in. Having watched Lila manipulate the floor panels a couple of times, Adam sent the car higher up the pyramid, assuming those at the upper levels would be the highest ranking and therefore have the most knowledge. Of course, he had no idea how many floors he’d selected, and so it was a nerve-racking thirty seconds before the car slowed to a stop and doors slid open.

The damn place was full of Sol-Kor. Fortunately, none paid too much attention to the door opening, so Adam and Riyad had a chance to empty four power packs worth of flash bolts into the unsuspecting aliens. They saved three to interrogate, running to intercept the fleeing officers who had trouble navigating the carnage littering the floor.

Adam swung a fist and knocked one of the aliens to the floor. Riyad trapped two more in an alcove off the main corridor, at a locked door. After the much-taller aliens realized Riyad wasn’t going to shoot, they made the mistake of thinking they could out-fight him, having never experienced a diminutive Human before. With wicked grins, they came at him, swinging their long limbs while also opening their mouths wide, displaying two rows of needle-sharp teeth.

The aliens blinked their eyes rapidly when their fists met only air. Then Riyad was behind them, and his powerful fist impacted the back of the neck of a Sol-Kor soldier, who tumbled forward, unconscious.

When the other alien turned to confront Riyad, he was met by a thunderous punch to the chest, expelling air from his lungs and sending the creature falling to his knees, gasping for breath. Riyad needed the Sol-Kor conscious, not like his sleeping companion.

Adam met Riyad at the alcove, dragging a compliant Sol-Kor after him. He tossed the submissive creature next to Riyad’s slowly recovering prisoner.

There was a trace of fear in their eyes, but not much. These were members of the Colony; they had very little self-worth or awareness. Yet they also wore double white stripes on their uniforms, indicating they were High Nosleads. This class of Sol-Kor were the most intelligent, the best-trained.

“The Queen came in a starship of unique design. Do you know where it is?”

The blank look in their eyes spoke volumes.

Adam repeated his question, only to be rewarded by the same vacant expression. Then one of the Sol-Kor spoke.

“I do not understand your language.”

Adam and Riyad cringed. These creatures were not equipped with universal translation bugs.

This was going to take longer than anticipated. Adam opened a link through his ATD to Sherri.

How’s it going there?

Fine. No company yet. How about you?

Found a couple of Sol-Kor who don’t understand English. How’s Lila?

Still frozen. She won’t be much help, at least not in the time we have.

Okay. Let me know if any company shows up.

Adam turned back to the Sol-Kor. He said: “J’nae…Queen.”

“Yes, J’nae.”

“Good,” he said to Riyad. “At least we have one word in common.”

Using his hand like a flying craft, Adam flew it down to the floor. “J’nae…” He pointed to his open-palmed hand.

“Yes, the Queen arrived in a starship.”

The alien’s companion scowled at the other one. “Do not speak with these creatures. They have killed Sol-Kor.”

Adam turned to the protester and grabbed him around the neck, squeezing hard. “And I’ll kill you, too.”

“Rassif, I believe they can understand Sol-Kor,” said the first alien.

Adam released the Noslead—Rassif. The creature rubbed his neck. “I tend to agree.”

Adam nodded. “Yes, I understand.”

Both aliens nodded. Then Adam turned his attention back to his flying palm pantomime. He placed it on the floor again, and then cast his other hand in a wide circle. “Where?” His tone was questioning.

The two Sol-Kor stared at him for a moment, before the first one spoke. “Kor.”

Adam nodded. “Yes, Kor. Then Silana.”

Both aliens recognized the word Silana.

“Where on Silana?” Adam wet his finger and then drew the figure of a pyramid on the floor. Before his saliva could evaporate, he took his flying hand and pointed to the pyramid. “Where?”

Light dawned in the eye of the Sol-Kor named Rassif. Adam saw it, as did Riyad, yet the creature do not speak. Adam was on his knees; he leaned in close to the foul-smelling alien. “Where?” He reached out with his hand, forming a ‘c-shape’ with his fingers, leaving them hovering inches from the neck of the Sol-Kor. “Where?”

Resignation entered the eyes of the alien. He pursed his thin lips in surrender.

He pointed to what remained of the pyramid drawing, at a point near the base. That didn’t do Adam much good. He wet his finger again and drew a larger version of the pyramid, with four lines radiating out. To any intelligent creature, the lines would indicate magnetic directions.

With a sigh, the alien pointed to the southern side of the pyramid, and then about a third of the way along the length. Then he drew a path under the triangle.

Adam scampered to his feet, grabbing the informant by the collar and dragging him through the pooling blood of his fellow Sol-Kor toward the elevator. He heard a thud; turning, he saw Riyad emerge from the alcove, alone.

Adam pointed to the elevator. “J’nae?”

A frown crossed the Sol-Kor’s face. Leaving the officer in Riyad’s custody, Adam stepped into the open car. “J’nae?” Then he motioned with his hands up and down.

“Yes…this is the Queen’s lift chamber, yet I do not know her location. You may kill me, but I cannot help you find my Queen.”

Adam smiled. “J’nae—” He pointed to himself and then to Riyad before running a finger across his neck.

The Sol-Kor turned pale. He grasped the meaning of Adam’s universal gesture immediately.

“You have killed the Queen?”

Adam nodded, still grinning, selling the lie.

“She cannot be killed.”

Adam shook his head this time and repeated the neck-slicing gesture.

“She is—was—our only Queen. What…what is to become of the Sol-Kor now?”

Adam stepped out of the elevator car and up to the pale, panicking alien. Then slowly, he repeated the slicing gesture for the third—and last—time.

From behind the alien, Riyad finished up the interview with a quick twist of Rassif’s head. Then the two Humans boarded the elevator.

Sherri, I have a bead on the Mark IV. It’s vague, but it’s on the ground floor, south side.

Sherri didn’t answer.

Sherri, can you hear me?

Nothing.

“Riyad, grab as many weapons as you can from the dead Sol-Kor. Sherri’s in trouble.”

“What do you mean? You can’t contact her?”

“That’s right.”

“That means she’s unconscious…or worse.”

“I know. Hurry, and give me a couple of power packs. I only hope J’nae hasn’t had time to thaw out.”

********

The elevator opened on a floor free of aliens, or the telltale signs of a battle. It was the wrong floor. Cursing, Adam tried punching the buttons again. This time the door opened, catching a contingent of Sol-Kor by surprise, but not that much by surprise. The Humans could hear alarms going off in the building.

They pumped the foyer full of brilliant flash bolts until the door closed and the car was moving again.

On the third try, it opened to a familiar scene, a handful of dead Sol-Kor lying in pools of drying blood.

Cautiously, the pair slipped out of the elevator and made their way to the portal leading to the large containment unit, Panur’s old prison. Peeking around a corner, Adam saw at least a dozen Sol-Kor meandering around the room. The bodies of Lila and Panur still rested on gurneys, and the cramped up form of the Queen was still in her box, yet a gathering of four Sol-Kor were fighting frantically to free her without breaking off any limbs. They were not as confident in their Queen’s healing abilities as were the Humans.

One majestic looking High Noslead stood back from the effort, looking concerned in profile as Adam watched. Scanning the rest of the room, Adam spotted Sherri sitting on the deck, leaning against the plastic wall of the containment room. Blood radiated around a wound on her right side, evidently from a flash bolt that had burned through her blouse and ripped into the skin on her side, the same side where her artificial telepathy device was embedded.

Adam let out a sigh of relief. She wasn’t seriously injured, but her ATD was either damaged or completely out of service.

He had more pressing matters. The Sol-Kor had managed to free J’nae from the containment box; the mist around her rapidly thawing body was becoming more pronounced as she warmed.

The supervising Sol-Kor turned to another Sol-Kor in the room. “Place the other two in the larger containment room, along with the other three. Then reactivate the locking protocols.”

Adam didn’t give them a chance to obey. He was in the room in a flash, Riyad a split second later. Targeting the Sol-Kor who were armed, flashes of plasma temporary blinded the aliens, at least those who remained alive. Soon only one remained—the leader—who was unarmed. He barely moved from his original location as the one-sided battle erupted around him. It was over in three seconds.

“Riyad, find the gas canister. Give J’nae another dose. Hurry!”

The hose to the canister had been removed from the box by the Sol-Kor and the gas tank lay on the floor a few meters from where the now-wriggling figure of the Queen. Her eyes were moving, glowing with their own intense fire. She was attempting to generate a stronger internal heat to help with the thawing process.

Riyad took a moment for their eyes to meet and flashed his trademark smile. Then he triggered the canister control. A cloud of white gas erupted into the room, and once again the Queen was bathed in the freezing liquid.

Then the stream sputtered and came to an end.

Panicking, Riyad shook the canister, and turning it upside down tried to milk it for every last drop of the freezing liquid it could muster. Just a few extra sputters, and then nothing.

“That’s it, Adam. It’s something, but it won’t last long.”

Adam helped Sherri to her feet. Benefis and Arieel had been unharmed and unbound. They stood up as well.

“They came on us all at once. I took a hit before I knew it.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I suppose my ATD is toast?”

“Looks like it.”

“Any news on the Mark IV?”

“We have a lead. Ground floor, along the south side, within the building.”

Sherri looked at the steaming figure of the Queen. “She’s not going to stay frozen much longer.” Fortunately, Lila was beginning to stir, while Panur had been bathed in nitrogen a few minutes later. He had more time to thaw yet.

“Doesn’t look like we’ll be able to get J’nae back in the containment box,” Sherri said. “Do we leave her?”

“Hell no! She’s the key to victory against the Sol-Kor. Somehow we have to make her a non-factor going forward. It’s the only way the Sol-Kor will wither and die.”

“I understand that. But she’s going to be one nasty and pissed off bitch if—when—she thaws out.”

“That’s why we need to keep her under until Lila and Panur can recover. Then it’ll be two immortal mutants against one.”

Adam then felt the firm grip of the Sol-Kor flash weapon in his hand. “I have an idea. Everyone, stand clear of Lila and Panur.”

“You plan on shooting Lila!” Arieel yelled out. “I cannot allow that.”

“Riyad, move her away. Relax, Arieel. To Lila and Panur, shooting them with plasma energy is a real high. They actually enjoy it.”

“Enjoy…how can that be?”

“Trust me.” He opened fire.

At first, the flash bolts did what they normally do. They struck the target and left glowing burn marks. But as he continued to lay bolt after bolt into the bodies, changing out two additional power packs, the glowing impact points began to spread and retain the pink light for much longer than normal.

Lila’s eyes began to glow with a white, pulsating light.

“You are hurting her!” Arieel cried out.

A grunt was heard from Lila’s now glowing body. Arieel stared into the blinding eyes. This time the words were more pronounced.

“I am fine, Mother.”

Arieel attempted to free herself from Riyad’s grip so she could run to her daughter, but he held her firm.

“Do not come near,” Lila said. “I will burn you. Please, Father, concentrate fire on Panur now. I am recovering quickly on my own.”

Adam followed instructions, and two minutes later both Panur and Lila were standing in the center of the room, butt naked, all their clothing burned off, and glowing like lighted Christmas ornaments.

“We’ve run out of liquid nitrogen to keep J’nae subdued,” Adam reported to Panur, standing as close to the radiating body as he could tolerate.

“Our body heat is not helping the situation, either,” the mutant said. “It is increasing the temperature within the room.” He pointed to another door placed in the outer wall of the room. “In there are the controls for my containment room. There are other modules built into the unit and the room, in case multiple doses might be needed.  There should be emergency canisters inside, to be used in a last ditch effort should I manage to escape. We can use them to keep the Queen frozen. But hurry, I see her eyes are moving even now.”

Even with her injury, Sherri was the first to reach the door and the room beyond. As Panur had indicated, there were four large canister backpacks with straps to hold them on the back of the huge Sol-Kor. Sherri grabbed one and carried it into the larger room. She had the nozzle out and pointed at J’nae even before she was within range.

J’nae stood up and Sherri recoiled, slipping on the wet deck and falling on her back The Queen had a wicked, savage look on her face as she closed the distance between her and Sherri. Then she stopped and hovered over the wide-eyed Human, sucking in a deep breath, preparing to strike—

Then her figure was shrouded in a large cloud of white gas. It hit her from behind and flowed around her body to the front. J’nae turned, quickly at first, and then much slower. Just as she made her full turn, the gas cloud struck her square in the face. She took a step toward her new assailant, but then the movement turned into slow-motion, until there was no motion at all.

Benefis held the heavy gas canister, trembling, not only from the fear he felt in the presence of the Queen, but also from the cold that now surrounded him. Yet there was heat coming from behind. He turned to find Lila’s glowing, naked body approaching. He set the backpack on the floor and backed away.

“You did a fine job of saving Sherri, Benefis. You should be proud.”

The Juirean blinked several times. “Thank you. But I just…reacted.”

“Such is the sign of a true hero.”

Chapter 13

 “What now?” Sherri asked. “She won’t fit in the box anymore, not all stretched out like that. And I don’t think the Sol-Kor will take too kindly to us carting their frozen Queen a hundred floors down to ground level, spraying her with liquid nitrogen as we go.”

“Any suggestions?” Adam said to the slowly cooling Panur and Lila.

“We need a new containment unit,” Panur said, “yet there is not time to build one.”

“What about the battlesuit?” Arieel asked. “I heard they are adjustable.”

“And they are made of articulated segments,” added Lila, “allowing us to dress the frozen Queen even in her current state.”

“Use the one with the hole in the chest,” Adam offered. “Then we can attach a hose to it and keep the suit filled with the liquid.”

“Excellent ideas!” complimented Panur. “However, I recommend others do the work, at least until Lila and I return to normal. In the interim, we shall maintain lookout positions.”

Using clothing from the dead Sol-Kor once again, all non-glowing members of the team went to work disassembling Riyad’s old battlesuit and placing the segments around J’nae’s frozen body. It sounded easy at first, but it was anything but. Her limbs were rock-hard and it took precious moments for the suit to adjust to the new size of the wearer. They scrunched and shoved and pinched and prodded, until the suit was back together in one piece, this time with the Queen inside.

Another of the backpack nitrogen units was brought out and the hose forcibly shoved into the hole made earlier by a flash bolt to Riyad’s chest. A hefty amount of Sol-Kor duct tape held it in place.

Riyad carefully tested the release valve on the gas canister, flooding the interior of the suit with just enough freezing liquid to fog up the helmet visor. There were leaks—in fact quite a few. But most of the cooling was contained.

“Damn, I think this is going to work,” Riyad said. “So just load her on a gurney and cover it with tarp? Still going to attract attention.”

Adam nodded toward the portal and the two mutants standing in the hallway just beyond. “Not as much as they are. We can’t hang around here much longer. Someone is bound to start asking about the Queen and all the missing guards.”

“Do you think her express elevator will take us all the way to the bottom without stopping?”

“Panur?”

“I heard the question,” the mutant said. “I have been to M-2 many times before. The express elevator was designed for the Eternal Queen yet seldom used by her. If I recall correctly, she only made the journey to Silana nine times in the three thousand years the facility has been here. She came for dedication ceremonies and to show good will among the population.”

“Don’t get pissed, but I don’t need a history lesson,” Adam said, growing nervous and anxious at the same time.

“I was simply adding context to the conversation. Since J’nae has become the Queen, I honestly do not have the answer to your question. As you would imagine, with the Queen visiting so seldom, the elevator could be used by anyone with the proper clearance, and probably has been throughout the millennia. With J’nae in the building, that practice has probably come to a stop.”

Adam shook his head. “So…it should get us to the bottom without interference.”

“That would be my conclusion as well.”

“Well, there just went two minutes of escape time.” Adam turned to the team. “Saddle up. Get J’nae on a cart and let’s go. Benefis and Arieel, grab all the weapons and power packs you can.”

Adam picked up one of the two remaining tarps—one was being used to cover the metal-encased body of the Queen, and taking a small knife from the utility belt he still wore, he cut the tarp into two pieces and made a slit in the center of one, which he handed to Panur.

“Put your head through the hole in the middle. Wear it like a poncho.”

“It won’t make for a very good disguise.”

“Disguise my ass, I just want to get something over your glorious naked body.” He handed the other half of the tarp to Lila.

Both mutants obliged. They had just about returned to normal temperature, all except for the dim glow still visible within their eyes.

“All right, everyone in the elevator.”

********

Sol-Kor elevators were not the fastest things in the universe, and with eight occupants in the somewhat compact car, things began to get uncomfortable right away. It seemed that the two mutants had not cooled down as much as Adam had thought, plus the porous battlesuit containing the body of the Queen was leaking frigid coolant like a sieve. Depending on where they stood in the car, they were either freezing or burning up. Eventually a kind of equilibrium was reached, but not before all the non-mutants in the car were irritable and ready for the ride to end.

Lila had originally fingered in the controls, and now she informed the others that even the Queen’s private elevator had its limitations. They would have to transfer to a second car very soon to complete the trip to ground level.

There was also an annoying amber light flashing along a narrow strip near the rear ceiling. A faint alarm was also sounding.

“Is that for us?” Sherri asked Panur.

“Undoubtedly. Enough abnormalities took place within the upper levels that a building-wide alert has gone out.”

“Hopefully they won’t check the Queen’s private ride.”

“If you recall what I said earlier, the Sol-Kor on Silana are not familiar with J’nae, or even the proper protocols for a visiting Queen. Many may not even realize this is the Queen’s personal transport.”

Sherri turned to face the radiating alien. “Just what made you take the Najmah Fayd in the first place? If you’d left it on J’nae, none of this would be happening. And another thing…why did you name the Queen after a planet?”

“In regards to the naming…it seemed like a good idea at the time. And as far as taking the starship, it was the only way I could assure the capture of the Queen.”

“Again, bullshit. You can’t convince me you had this planned all along.”

“On the contrary, the Queen is what keeps the Colony alive, so whether they have a TD-capable starship or not, without her the Sol-Kor lifespan is limited. I used the Najmah Fayd to lure her to me.”

“So you could be captured?”

“I admit, that part of the plan was unexpected.”

“I knew it!”

“We are nearing the transfer point,” Lila said, interrupting the conversation.

“Where are we?” Adam asked, checking the reading on his flash weapon’s power pack.

“Thirtieth floor, Security Station 10-16.”

“You didn’t mention a security station before.”

“It would be expected for a priority elevator stop.”

“Does this place also have stairs as well as elevators?”

“Of course.”

Adam looked around at the anxious and nervous faces watching him. “If things get dicey, I would prefer the stairs. Don’t feel like being trapped in an elevator car while the enemy waits at the end for us to show up. We can’t outrun radio communications.”

He could feel the car slowing.

“Get ready. There’s no place to hide in here, not with so many of us. It will be balls to the wall the moment the door opens.”

Benefis frowned. “Balls to the wa—”

The car stopped with a slight jolt, and the door opened.

Lila had neglected to tell them that this was the main security station for the entire pyramid, teeming with personnel responding to the on-going security alert.

It was obvious that some in the large room and behind the main reception counter knew this was the Queen’s elevator, because they were up and ready to greet their Queen the moment the door opened. Adam found it actually amusing to watch their ecstatic expressions at the prospect of meeting their beloved Queen change suddenly to looks of confusion and then panic.

Anticipating the worst, Adam was prepared. He had taken one of the flash weapons and bent the barrel to a ninety-degree angle. He had also dialed up the bolt intensity to maximum. As the first bolts erupted from the weapons held by Sherri, Riyad, Benefis and Arieel—lighting up the interior of the vast staging room—he triggered the weapon and tossed it far into the room.

Return bolts began splashing into the elevator car, many impacting the once-cooling mutants Lila and Panur. They began to glow anew, forcing the mortals in the car toward the back, where the gurney carrying the frozen Queen was placed. The metal walls of the car was trapping the heat radiating from the mutants, making the situation turn from annoying to critical.

Then the flash weapon Adam had tossed into the room exploded. With the barrel bent and the charge cycling, the handgun had become a fairly large hand grenade. The force of the blast came as a surprise to all in the security room, all except Adam and his team.

“Now! To the stairwell.”

“Which is where, exactly?” Sherri questioned.

“Lila!”

“To the right, end of the hallway!”

“Cover us!”

Adam lead the way, hugging the wall on the elevator side of the wide foyer. Sherri was at his side, Riyad behind her. The combined bolts unleashed by the three Humans cleared the path ahead; Benefis and Arieel rolled the Queen’s gurney out of the elevator a moment later. Lila and Panur brought up the rear, acting as shields against the incoming bolts from the security personnel.

Adam burst through the door to the stairwell, holding it open as Benefis raced through with the Queen. Moments later, all the team was on the landing platform—all except Panur and Lila.

“Where are they?” Arieel asked.

Adam returned to the doorway and cracked it open carefully. He couldn’t see very well or very far through the thin haze of flash bolt residue and fallout from his makeshift bomb, but he saw enough.

The two mutants were streaking through the security room using white-hot limbs to melt through dozens of Sol-Kor personnel. They moved with such speed and precision that hardly a bolt was released in their direction, and a moment later the room turned unnaturally quiet.

Then the two casually strolled up to the stairway.

Adam recoiled from the intense heat.

“You should not have waited for us,” Panur said. “We wished to eliminate some of the expected pursuit. I believe that has been accomplished.” He looked to his companion, who nodded curtly and returned his satisfied grin. “Now go, we will trail behind. Unfortunately, our body temperature will prevent us from assuming the lead; your path would be unbearable.”

“Roger that,” Adam said. Then with a smile: “Try to keep up.”

The team abandoned the gurney, Riyad draping the arms of the battlesuit containing the Queen over his shoulders from behind while Adam grabbed the legs. It was awkward, yet the light gravity of Silana helped. Sherri took point, Benefis and Arieel behind her.

The alarms were louder in the stairwell, and it soon become apparent that the chaos Lila and Panur had created on the security level had left most of the Sol-Kor responders confused and disorganized. No one thought to check the stairwell.

Even still, thirty flights of stairs—especially with the taller Sol-Kor stories—was a lot to cover. About twenty floors down, a door burst open and a flood of aliens poured in, turning abruptly to the right and heading up the stairs. Sherri was only ten feet away, on her way down.

Her rapid bolt fire contrasted sharply with the slower, targeting-computer-controlled fire from the Sol-Kor, pumping out ten shots for every two of theirs. The battle lasted less than a minute before no Sol-Kor remained alive in the stairwell, and without reinforcements entering through the doorway.

Sherri ducked outside quickly and returned a heartbeat later. “All clear. I’ve been counting. We only have ten more flights to go?”

“Sounds about right,” Adam said. “Keep going.”

The journey from the thirtieth to first floor took less than ten minutes. By then, everyone was panting like racehorses. An interesting fact also came to light. The super-charged mutants discharged more radiant heat through intense activity, while retaining it if they remained static. As it was, by the time they reached ground level, both Panur and Lila could be tolerated, if not touched, without being burned.

To their utter amazement, the area outside the stairwell door was clear of any Sol-Kor troops. Adam had been expecting a welcoming committee, one which undoubtedly would reenergize his two favorite mutants. But now they were able to exit the stairwell and take a moment to look around.

“Any idea which way is south?” he asked.

“To your right,” Lila answered.

“You sure?”

“Pretty much. I seem to have a keen sense of direction.”

“Then please, lead on.”

Lila took off at a slow sprint—slow for her—until she disappeared behind the huge central pillar of the large open-air underground section of the M-2 pyramid.

“Lila! Wait!”

Adam’s daughter returned a moment later, grinning from ear to ear.

“You will not believe what I have just found.”

Chapter 14

The M-2 pyramid was approximately two kilometers on each side, so a hundred-meter long starship fit quite inconspicuously in the vast shaded area below the structure. Out of convenience, J’nae had placed it close to her private elevator, so the team had been lucky in that regard.

Other things about the ship and its location weren’t so lucky.

First of all, there were guards positioned outside the ship, although Panur and Lila made short work of them. Yet if was when they went aboard that they discovered their true challenge.

J’nae had stripped off nearly every covering panel for all the equipment systems, both on the bridge and in the twin engine rooms. She had dissected entire stations with little regard for their eventual reassembly. She was out to learn, not to preserve. Once she understood the operation of the ship, she could build thousands of them, so the Najmah Fayd was expendable.

“Can you put it back together?” Arieel asked Lila. She and the two mutants were in the portside engine room, while the Humans and Benefis were surveying the starboard compartment.

Lila deferred to Panur for the answer. He moved among the loose cover plates and stuck his head into dim recesses. “Of course it can be reassembled. The question is how much time do I have, and if any serious damage has been caused which will require off-site replacements?”

“Then we destroy it.”

Heads turned to the source of the comment. “That may not be necessary, Adam,” Panur said.

Adam and the other two Humans stepped up to the confusing mass of wires and engine parts, many of which were scattered about the deck. “It’s the same on the starboard side, a friggin’ mess. Still, we can’t risk leaving it in the hands of the Sol-Kor, not even with the Queen gone.” He shrugged. “And although we may have possession of J’nae at the moment, you know how slippery you mutant aliens can be.”

“Remember, Adam, although we may be mutants, from our vantage point you are the alien.”

“So I’ve been told. Just give it to me straight. Can you get this thing going before the Sol-Kor start missing more dead guards and send in about a million reinforcements?”

Panur looked at the huge mass of the portside engine. “I might have an interim solution.”

“Go on.”

“J’nae appears to have been concentrating on learning the secrets of my trans-dimensional drive, virtually ignoring the standard engine components. It will be fairly simple to bypass the TD-drive and return the ship to conventional power.”

“The Najmah Fayd never was a conventional ship,” Riyad pointed out. “She was the fastest thing in the galaxy, even before you started messing with it.”

“For the time being, we don’t need TD capacity—although eventually we will,” Sherri added. “How long to make the bypass?”

“With Lila’s help, under an hour.”

“Get working,” Adam ordered. “Benefis and Arieel will help if you need them. The rest of us will erase any trace of the little skirmish that took place outside. Keep it quiet and we’ll act like no one’s home.”

********

“There has to be something else we can do,” Sherri was saying.

“Seal up the leaks, keep more of the liquid inside?” Riyad offered.

“That will help…I hope.”

The three Humans were standing around the shiny armor suit that contained J’nae, looking at the numerous points where wispy clouds of white gas were erupting, mainly at the joints. The armor was never intended to seal in the occupant, just to protect them from the harsh environment of Silana. Now the pressure gauge on the backpack nitrogen canister was in the red.

“We only have to keep her on ice until we get into space,” Adam said. “After that we can chain her to the outside of the hull to keep her cold if need be.”

There was a hose attached to the blast hole in the chest of the suit, held there by the Sol-Kor equivalent of duct tape. Now the three of them set out searching the Human starship for the real thing.

“I know there was some here,” Riyad said, “or there had been. No telling what those alien bastards did with it.”

“Got it!” Sherri called out. “But only one roll.”

“I have an idea,” Adam said. “Lay her on her stomach with the legs and arms hanging over the side of the table, then seal those up real good. That way the liquid will pool around her hands and feet. Even if the rest of her warms, I doubt she could do much without them.”

“That still doesn’t help with the cold-ass liquid supply problem.”

“Just make sure the extremities stay covered,” he said to Sherri. “Riyad, come with me back to the bridge. Fill me in on the defensive capabilities of the ship. If Panur’s estimate is correct, we still have forty-five minutes to keep the wolves at bay. I’m betting that won’t be possible.”

********

 “I’m sorry I’m not much help, but I never had to get into any real detail about the finer workings of the ship,” Riyad said. He and Adam were scanning through the operating guides for the Mark IV starship on the ship’s computer. At first, the processor was offline, having been toyed with by the Queen. Lila broke away from her work with Panur to take a look at it and twenty seconds later the computer was working again and she rushed back to the engine room without a word.

After a brief moment of embarrassment, the two men set to work learning all they could about the ship in the brief time available.

“Here it is…planetside defensive measures,” said Riyad. “Looks like the standard stuff: electroshock, four projectile ports…that’s about it.”

“I wonder what would happen if we activated the shields while on the ground?” Adam asked. He couldn’t hide the smile on his face. Riyad joined in.

“That would be…something. I don’t know what, but…something. Can it even be done? Aren’t there safety measures and overrides?”

“I don’t know. Even if they could be activated, it couldn’t be a full array, maybe just port, starboard, forward, and aft.”

“The shields are much taller than the ship itself,” Riyad pointed out. “Wonder what that would do to the building?”

“Rip it apart, I hope,” Adam said.

“Not until we’re clear, my friend.”

“What are you two talking about?” Sherri asked, entering the bridge. She stepped up to a monitor and turned it on. After typing something on the embedded keyboard, a surveillance image of the Queen’s form-fitting prison appeared. “She’s all tucked in, for now.”

“Good,” said Adam.

“Why the smiles? I didn’t know there was anything about our situation that warranted smiles.”

“We were just wondering what would happen if we activated the shields.”

“On the ground?”

“Uh huh.”

“Do we have enough power?”

“Power’s back to full,” Riyad reported.

“Then maybe we should find out.”

“It could cause a pretty big mess outside. Might even collapse this part of the building.”

Sherri continued to look past the two men, toward the forward viewport. “Well, that may be the only chance we have of saving ourselves from…that!” She pointed.

Around the side of the large central pillar outside, a two-tracked tank of alien design was just coming into view. A support squadron of a dozen rifle-armed Sol-Kor flanked the vehicle. Another tank appeared from around the corner.

Adam and Riyad dove for the weapon’s station; Sherri beat them to it. She pressed the shield activation button a split second before the lead tank released its powerful burst of plasma energy.

What happened next was unexpected, for both sides of the conflict.

For the Sol-Kor, the powerful cannon blast was absorbed by a glowing blue wall of crackling energy, sending spiderweb-like lines of white electricity streaming away from the contact point. Even though the tank fired a much more powerful bolt than any portable flash weapon, it was still woefully weak when compared to what a space-based cannon could fire. So the tank’s first bolt, along with its second and third—as well as those added by the second tank—were easily absorbed and dissipated.

For the other party involved, namely those aboard the Najmah Fayd, the effect of lighting off the shields on the surface was much more…pronounced.

Without thinking, Sherri had activated the entire shield array, surrounding the ship on all sides with wide panels of counter-electricity. Unfortunately, the ceiling was only ten meters above the highest point of the starship, while the floor was four meters below the hull, which rested on six landing pads.

Both upper and lower shields radiated from their projectors outward—until they came in contact with something solid. In the micro-second that the lower shield met the floor, and before the upper shield contacted the ceiling, the starship was hurled upward, riding the lower blue-tinted electromagnetic panel. This caused the upper shield to impact the ceiling with a tremendous surge, sending a sonic shock wave rippling into the building above. The wave impacted six floors before losing strength and fading away. 

The side shields were also taller than the underground structure, so large swaths of floor and ceiling were shoved aside by the intense energy fields.

What followed was a rainstorm of building debris, deflected by the shields in places, yet able to penetrate where the shield breaks came. The cascade of metal and stone striking the hull was deafening.

Panur was on the bridge in a blur. “What did you do?”

“We activated the shields,” Adam yelled above the din of the falling debris. “Can we move the ship?”

“By chemical power only.”

“Good!” Adam fell into the pilot seat, grasping the control stick while flicking the switch that activated the chemical rockets. These were used primarily for landings and take offs—never for maneuvering under gigantic pyramid structures.

Adam channeled the primary exhaust to the forward jets, sending the Najmah Fayd racing backwards on its metal landing skids. The rain of debris ceased suddenly, replaced by the blinding glare of desert daylight flooding through the forward viewport. Twisting the stick, the ship turned tail to the building, aiming directly for another huge pyramid straight ahead.

“Look out!” Sherri yelled.

The stick bent to the left, and the black and silver starship skidded toward a wide, mostly-deserted avenue. The few transports nearby were unceremoniously crushed or cast aside by the huge craft speeding along the thoroughfare, between one, then two of the inner triangular rows of buildings.

Looming ahead was the ten-meter-high stone wall of a spaceport.

Adam channeled the fiery exhaust to the underside of the ship, sending her skyward. Theoretically, orbit could be reached on chemical drive alone, and with the light gravity of Silana, that was possible. But without star drive they would be easy targets for the Sol-Kor. Instead, Adam nose-dived the Najmah Fayd, aiming for a narrow pass in the low-lying mountain range to the north of the pyramid complex.

The dry, volcanic hills were striped with red rock, little to no vegetation growing on the barren slopes. Adam took a sharp left after clearing the pass, traveling this course for a full thirty seconds.

“Where are you going?” Riyad asked, as he squinted into the bright sunlight.

“There!”

Directly ahead was one of the few blue-water lakes on the surface of the planet. It lay near the poles, and as the ship drew closer, everyone on the bridge noticed that the lake wasn’t that blue after all. It was brackish, with vast areas near the shore crusted over with deposits of salt crystals. They soared over lake’s surface, not knowing how deep it was, and near the center, Adam pulled back on the stick and set the Najmah Fayd down on the reddish brine.

The viewport was immediately covered as the ship sank under the surface. It continued to drop lower before coming to a slow stop in a deep layer of thick goo at the bottom of the lake.

Sherri was at the viewport, looking up. “Fifty, maybe eighty feet deep would be my guess. How tall is the ship?”

“Maybe forty,” Riyad replied, joining her at the window. “Not much cover. We should be visible from the air.”

“The dark and cloudy nature of the lake should help,” Panur said. Adam had forgotten the mutant was on the bridge. “However, we shall indeed be visible. I believe it should be a priority to make sure the Sol-Kor do not destroy the ship. I shall need a communication station.”

Chapter 15

 “Are you positive?”

“Yes, Callos Fran. All areas of M-2 have been searched. The Queen cannot be located.”

Edei Fran was one of ninety members of the Sol-Kor Applying Council. He had tested highest for intelligence and aptitude, and had been assigned to his post, as there was no such thing as elections in Sol-Kor society. Within the Colony, each individual was assigned to his most beneficial position based on ability. Edei Fran was the most proficient of the Queen’s offspring—the Eternal Queen—making him the head of the Council with the title of Callos.

With the Queen missing, he suddenly found himself the de facto leader of the Colony—again. There had only been the briefest time before—after the assassination of the Eternal Queen and her Zygotes—that the Colony had been led by a male. Edei was that male then, as he was now.

In most other societies, beings reaching this level of achievement usually welcomed the opportunity to either serve or rule at the pinnacle of power. For the males of the Sol-Kor, they desired neither. The present situation was so unique, so unexpected, that no male could have ever aspired to such a position.

“She must be in the alien ship,” Edei pronounced. “It has been tracked?”

“Quite easily. It now rests at the bottom of Unikis Basin.”

“Of its own free will, or was it shot down?”

“It landed there.”

“Take caution. If the Queen is aboard, we cannot risk harming her.”

High Noslead Mortis Fre frowned. Sensing his concern, Edei Fran continued. “I, too, have been told of the Queen’s immortality—much like Panur’s. Yet I have not seen it demonstrated. At this moment, the risk is too great to act recklessly.”

“Panur is aboard the alien craft. He is requesting communication with you.”

“I was informed, yet I would not accept his link without guidance from my Queen. Now I will accept. Create the link, Mortis.”

The link was established visually, even though interference with the water of the lake caused the image to waver at times. Panur was seated, alone, at a console in a dimly lit control room. If others were aboard, he did not reveal them.

“Callos Fran, how does it feel to be in charge of the entire Colony?”

“I do not lead. My Queen leads. I am told she may be aboard your vessel.”

“That she is, and that is why I have insisted on this communication. My cargo is much too precious for you to risk attack.”

“Like you, the Queen cannot die—”

“Who told you that?” Panur interrupted, laughing.

“It is true. She is immortal.”

“Councilmember, I created J’nae, and I assure you with full measure that the Queen is as mortal as—well, as you. I am the only creature who cannot die. Even our beloved Eternal Queen was not so eternal in the end. Please do not trust in rumors and superstitions. The risk to the Colony is far too great.”

Edei looked at his aide, High Noslead Mortis. Both were confused, and if a Sol-Kor could ever be termed nervous, these two would qualify. “What you say is contradictory to other information I have received, yet I agree, the risk is too great. What is it you want for the return of my Queen—your Queen as well, if you still consider yourself part of the Colony?”

“I am still of the Colony. After five thousand years the bonds are much too strong to break.”

“Then return the Queen.”

“That I cannot do, not without compensation.”

“Compensation?” Edei was shocked. Panur was as much a part of the history and development of the Colony as had been the Eternal Queen. Together, they had shaped and guided what the Sol-Kor had become. Now this mutant was…was what? Holding the Queen captive for gain? There had to be a word for it, yet for all his intelligence Edei was unable to think of one.

“All I seek is safe passage from Silana,” Panur continued. “You have ample assets to see that the craft I’m in is destroyed. And although it is true I cannot be killed, the prospect of spending thousands of years drifting through space as a frozen lump of immortal flesh is not that appealing to me. Also, the Queen would die. Allow me to pilot the ship to a distant location. I will leave the Queen there with communication equipment to contact you. After that, you will never hear from me again.”

“If I grant your terms, you will leave Silana with my Queen. How can I allow that to happen? In the eyes of the Colony, I would be aiding in your crimes.”

“On the contrary, you will be assuring her survival, which is what we all wish for J’nae.”

“And yet you have placed her in extreme danger by your actions.”

“That was necessary so I could achieve my goals. Edei Fran, the resolution to this crisis is being offered to you. With the Hal’ic war to contend with, you do not need this complication. Allow me to leave, and in a day or two you shall have your Queen back, safe and unharmed.”

“You have left me no choice.”

Panur smiled. “The fact that you can see that is a testament to your intelligence. You are indeed a worthy leader of the Applying Council.”

Edei had to fight the urge to be prideful over the mutant’s compliment. In all the time he’d known Panur, never had he given a compliment, to him or to anyone. He knew it was simply a negotiating tactic, yet it did not alter the fact that Edei really did have no other choice in the matter.

“I accept your terms, Panur, yet please endeavor to free the Queen without delay. We need her guidance against the Hal’ic.”

“I will,” said Panur. And then he leaned in a little closer to the camera and whispered. “A word of advice: homeworld.” And then he cut the link.

Edei looked at his aide. “What did he say at the end?”

“I shall have it replayed. It sounded like homeworld.”

“That is what I heard as well.”

“What does it mean?”

“I had last mentioned our war with the Hal’ic. Was he speaking of Kor, or of the homeworld of the Hal’ic?”

“He must mean J’nae—the planet. Kor is destroyed.”

Edei changed the image on the screen from the black of the broken link with Panur to a summary of the actions being taken to thwart the Hal’ic advances along the rim of the galaxy. There were plans underway for a strike against J’nae—the planet—yet they were in their infancy. Until other assets arrived from across the galaxy, it was all the Sol-Kor could do to head off the haphazard Hal’ic attacks taking place on numerous battle fronts, while also maintaining an adequate defense of the six major population worlds beyond Kor.

Could Panur be suggesting that the homeworld of the Hal’ic was susceptible to attack, having committed all their resources to the war beyond their system? There had been little discussion of such a possibility, believing the Hal’ic too smart to have left themselves so vulnerable. Yet could that assumption be what the aliens were counting on? After all, who would commit all their assets to other battlefronts, leaving the home front unguarded?

Edei Fran smiled. It had been a subtle hint, yet if Panur was still truly part of the Colony, he might have felt obligated to assist in the absence of the Queen. The mutant had been to J’nae—the planet—so he knew the capacity of the Hal’ic.

Or was it a trap?

Edei had no way of knowing. Yet taking action against the Hal’ic homeworld would be unexpected—just as the Hal’ic attacks on the outskirts of the Colony had been unexpected—and successful to this point. The Sol-Kor had not fought a major war in thousands of years, so there was much to learn from this new conflict. And perhaps the greatest lesson of all was that doing the unexpected was often the path to victory.

Council Member Edei Fran made a decision. He sent Mortis out to assemble the other members of the Council, along with the ranking High Nosleads. He would do the unexpected, or at least set the plan in motion. Should Panur be true to his word and free the Queen, then she could do as she wished at that point. Yet a decisive course of offensive action would be underway, unlike the humiliating defense the Sol-Kor had been engaged in since the beginning.

It felt good to be acting like a Sol-Kor again.

Chapter 16

 “I know I don’t need to ask,” Sherri said, “but you’re not really planning on giving J’nae back to the Sol-Kor, are you?”

“Of course not,” said the tiny mutant. He wore a satisfied grin on his face as he met the stares of the Humans. He had been expecting admiration, yet still he detected doubt in their eyes. “You must understand, most of the Sol-Kor are incapable of detailed deductive reasoning. Edei Fran is not one of them. Yet his almost unique ability within the Colony has caused him to overthink the issue. He should know by now that the Queen cannot be killed, yet since he can imagine himself being wrong, he talked himself out of the truth. And this lingering doubt is the bargaining chip we need to give me time to complete the repairs. You should prepare for launch. I will have the conventional engine back online in approximately ten minutes.”

“You whispered something at the end,” said Adam Cain, his eyes narrowed and accusatory. “What was it?”

“It was a statement of solidarity with the Colony. He must believe I still have the best interests of the Sol-Kor at heart.”

“Do you?”

“I know you do not trust me, Adam, but you must realize I am now working to correct a mistake I made when I created J’nae. She was not ready to assume leadership, and even if she were, I do not believe it’s in the best interest of the universe to put an immortal in charge of a race such as the Sol-Kor. I revel in the immense variety of life to be found. The Sol-Kor threaten that variety and all there is to learn from it. Now, please let me return to my work. There is still much to do.”

********

Adam nodded and the alien rushed away.

“Just like the Sol-Kor, we don’t have much of a choice but to trust him,” Sherri said to Adam and Riyad.

“I know,” said Adam. “But I can’t help feeling that everything he says and does is for his own benefit, not ours. Our paths may merge now and then, but eventually he’s going to make a radical right turn and leave us in the lurch. It’s just a feeling I have.”

“Just so long as our joint paths lead us back to the Milky Way,” Riyad kicked in. “After that, I don’t give a damn what happens to your little mutant friend.”

********

True to his word—this time—the repairs to the conventional star drive of the Najmah Fayd were competed in less than fifteen minutes. Riyad was in the pilot seat, having the most experience operating the ship, and after trying to free the submerged craft from the suction of the goo at the bottom of the lake with chemical jets—and failing—he chose to light off the gravity drive while still under water. Although the team was locked safely away inside the starship and unable to see the full effect, it had to be an amazing sight to see.

The miniature black hole was created nine hundred meters above the lake and immediately began to suck everything around it into the event horizon. An incredible torrent of reddish-black water shot upward, wide at the base but narrowing to an infinitely small point in the clear Silana sky, giving form to something that was normally invisible—a gravity well. Not only that, but the very nature of a black hole added an iridescent glow to the upper reaches of the pyramid of water that radiated out for several kilometers around the singularity.

The tower of liquid began to climb higher into the sky. The original black hole dissolved, only to be replaced by another, and then another, all created at the same distance from the generators of the Najmah Fayd. The lake was nearly empty by the time the starship became visible, raising out of the depths, the sticky goo that had held it in place now ripped from the surface of the planet by the singularity above. A little farther up, the singularity’s influence on the surface of the lake began to fade, and a shower of water began to slowly cascade back to the planet. By then, the ship was gaining speed, a multitude of additional black holes being created and then dissolved along the flight path.

Now the creation point was moved further away from the generators and the intensity increased. The Najmah Fayd reached the boundary of space and almost immediately achieved the point of equilibrium where she rested just within the black hole’s event horizon. Here the laws of the singularity overrode those of normal space—and except for the computer animation of the ship and her location—the Human starship disappeared from view.

“You may engage the overdrive, Mister Tarazi,” Panur announced over the intercom from the engine room. “I see this is a variation of the design of the modifications I made to the Pegasus II back on Earth. It lacks refinement, yet it is functional. Those who are currently following us should be in for quite a surprise when you engage.”

Riyad pressed the required panel and was rewarded by a low rumble coming from the aft section of the ship. It only lasted for a second, as the dynamo effect of the enhancers kicked in, quadrupling the power to the generators. The ship shot forward, four times its previous speed, which was already pushing the limits of the Sol-Kor mainships that were following them. At least a dozen had been on station around the Najmah Fayd, forming an escort cone around the ship when she left Silana. Now all they could do was watch as their charge raced away and out of range.

“Where to, Panur?” Riyad asked over the comm.

“Steer eight-four-eight, down fifteen. Continue on this track for six hours. I have a little place tucked away where I can complete the TD drive repairs.”

“Someplace unknown to the Sol-Kor?”

“That’s right. Even us immortal mutant geniuses need to get away now and then. It’s a little refuge not even the Eternal Queen knew about. I’ll have the parts there I need to fix the mess J’nae made of my drive. Until then I am at an impasse.”

“Speaking of J’nae, what do you intend to do with her? We can’t keep her in the battlesuit forever,” Riyad asked.

“Since I will have no need to enter the landing bay until we arrive at our destination, place her in there and then open it to space. She will remain frozen without the need for chemicals.”

“I like that idea, even though I would prefer to kick her ass out the bay doors and let her spend eternity drifting in interstellar space. Why are you keeping her around?”

“We may need her in the future. As long as she is with us, we are immune from Sol-Kor attack.”

********

Edei Fran was informed immediately when the alien starship bolted away from the escorts at a velocity impossible to match. Panur was gone, and with him, the Queen.

Part of him desperately wanted to believe the mutant, that he would leave the Queen unharmed on some distant world where she could be recovered. He had not anticipated the unique nature of the alien starship. He would be totally at Panur’s mercy to follow through with his promise. If not…the consequences were almost too tragic to contemplate.

“Hasten the plans for the attack on the Hal’ic homeworld,” he said to the High Noslead Mortis. “We cannot wait to see if Panur will be true or not. We must defeat the invaders now. Already, valuable resources, as well as lives, are being lost to the raiders. Only by attacking the source of the threat will we defeat it.”

“I have only managed to gather a force of fourteen thousand,” said Mortis. “These have been taken from those forces not destroyed within the outer systems, as well as all we can risk pulling from Silana.”

“I would imagine that should be sufficient, if in fact the Hal’ic are without adequate defense.”

“It was Panur who set you on this path, Council Member. And now he has absconded with the Queen in a vessel of superior design and capabilities. Can he be trusted?”

“I would say not, yet even if there are defensive units on J’nae—the planet—our actions will still come as a surprise. For a commitment of fourteen thousand ships, we could cause incredible damage to their infrastructure. Prior to this war, a fleet of that number would have been overwhelming. Not so anymore.”

“That is true. It also illustrates how so much has changed in such a short time.”

Edei Fran took a hard look at his aide. “Yes, the Colony has been shaken to its core, even fundamentally transformed with the loss of the Eternal Queen. And on that subject, make it a priority among your duties that the female offspring of the new Queen be closely guarded. If Panur does renege on his word, they are the only hope for the survival of the Colony.”

“I have already taken that upon myself. There are only a little over one hundred of them, one hundred to guarantee the continued existence of the Sol-Kor. It is a frightening prospect.”

“Let us hope then that Panur returns our Queen. Although she offers a new direction for the Colony…at this point, it is our only direction.”

Chapter 17

Andy Tobias was encouraged by the most recent reports he saw, at least to a point. His strategy of bypassing the major population planets of the Sol-Kor and attacking along the fringe of the galaxy was working. The enemy was suffering heavily casualties while the Hal’ic were coming through relatively unscathed.

The part that was making him nervous was that the bulk of his forces were spread thinly across half the galaxy, and pulling further away from J’nae with each passing day. Although the reports consistently showed the Sol-Kor were maintaining near-full strength defenses around their vulnerable population centers, it still left a huge number of warships just hanging around with nothing to do. If the Sol-Kor truly believed in Andy’s strategy, they would realize that these defensive units were being wasted in their current assignments. If they were freed to pursue his ships, it would mean an even further thinning of his forces as they tucked tail and ran.

In addition, he was also left with a yawning area of lightly defended space lying directly between J’nae and Silana. The distance between the two planets was eight thousand light-years, so it wasn’t like they could sneak up on him. But it was a clear path between here and there.

Andy had to remind himself that to this point the Sol-Kor had turned out to be unimaginative military opponents, primarily concerned with protecting what they had against further destruction. Except for the original invasion of the Hal’ic star system, the Sol-Kor hadn’t taken any actions that would be deemed offensive in nature. After all, these weren’t Human—or even Juirean or Klin—opponents he faced. They were simple creatures with simple thoughts. He had to fight hard not to overthink a problem when it came to the Sol-Kor.

He tried to relax and accept the situation on its face value. In normal operations, that could spell disaster, since Humans have a tendency to always try something underhanded or unexpected. Up to this point—here, as well as back in the Milky Way—

the Sol-Kor had demonstrated no such talent for deception. What you saw was what you got.

Even still, Andy couldn’t shake the nagging itch he had on the back of his neck.

********

When LCDR Tom Paulson approached, Admiral Tobias was glad for the interruption. He was in his sequestered command center, part of the much larger and not so chaotic ops center for the Hal’ic. As the fringe-strategy gained momentum, there was very little left for those back on the homeworld to do. Discretion concerning local tactics and targets were left to commanders on-site, since they had the best grasp of up-to-the-minute battle conditions. They’d also opened a command annex next door, which helped with the din caused by the often emotional Hal’ic.

“What’s up, Tom?”

“Just got a report out of Silana. Something’s going on there, although I don’t what exactly.”

“The Queen, Adam…or both?”

“Not sure. All I know is that there was a disturbance at the main pyramid—that’s what the report called it. Didn’t say whether it was a battle or what, but the building was damaged.”

“Sounds like our guy at work.”

“It does, but right after that there was a lockdown of the Silana system, and the promised followup report never came through as scheduled. The place is as dark as a tomb.”

“Like I said, there’s only one guy I know of who can make such an impression on an entire star system. With a news blackout, that could be to keep bad news from leaking out.”

“The Queen?”

“I hope so. On another subject, have you noticed any unusual Sol-Kor ship movements over the past few days?”

“You mean toward the rim?”

“Headed our way.”

“You think they may be planning something?”

“Just a feeling.”

“Damn, sir,” said Tom Paulson, “your feelings are legend. Should we send out scouts to take a look-see?

“Probably wouldn’t hurt. But don’t send out a lot. I don’t want to spook the Hal’ic. They’re a nervous lot as it is.”

“Yessir. And about Silana?”

“Keep trying to make contact with our spies. Eventually we might even get an update from Captain Cain. He’s been off grid for a number of weeks now. It’s about damn time he reported in.”

Chapter 18

Panur’s retreat wasn’t a planet at all but a hollowed out asteroid lost among a billion other lumps of rock located in a violent binary star system with an overabundance of huge gas giants. This battle between gravity behemoths had prevented any rocky-core worlds from forming, and no habitable planets meant no interest from passing interstellar travelers.

No one but Panur.

Once the Najmah Fayd entered the large basin that served as the spaceport for the mutant’s home-away-from-home, the team noticed a whole array of other starships parked nearby, all in some state of repair or modification.

Panur was on the bridge for the landing, and addressed the unasked question. “It’s a hobby of mine—starship design. I’m always working on something new.”

When Riyad cut the internal gravity to the ship he was immediately shocked by what he felt. “Is that gravity? I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Yes, I have the entire planetoid wired for gravity. It makes it easier to work and to keep my bearings.”

“Where are the generators?”

“On the other side.”

“They must be huge.”

“One hundred meters in diameter…and I have six of them. Oh, and I also have a dynamic force shield over the basin. I can flood it with atmosphere and the shield retains integrity. Shall we take a stroll outside?”

“What about J’nae?”

“I have facilities inside that can hold her. Advanced cryogenic equipment.”

It was Sherri’s turn to comment on Panur’s excesses.

“Sure…doesn’t everyone?”

********

It felt strange to Adam to be walking in street clothes on the powdery dust of an asteroid, looking up at open space above. For years, Human scientists had been trying to build a containment shield to accomplish just this sort of thing, but so far had been stifled by the energy requirements for such a device. And here was not only a perfectly working model, but a massive one at that, easily covering an area three times the size of a football field. There was no telling how long Panur had had this technology, and it was something he’d thrown together for convenience.

A robotic cart had scurried out to the Najmah Fayd just after landing and transported the frozen body of the Queen to somewhere within the complex. Panur didn’t seem concerned with her thawing, so Adam chose to relax. He was sure Panur wasn’t going to let her become a threat to him, not if he could avoid it.

They entered Panur’s underground complex through a standard airlock—even though it wasn’t required at the moment. Adam and Riyad—and especially Benefis—had to duck to avoid hitting the ceiling in the corridor beyond the airlock. The complex had been built to Panur’s scale, but to their relief the mutant guided them to a larger chamber, this one with a towering ceiling formed by the natural dome of an underground cavern. It was simply a round room, with a few couches clustered to one side.

“I must apologize, but you are the only other creatures to have ever visited. I did have crews deliver the heavy equipment and gravity generators, yet they never ventured here. The interior is completely of my design.”

“I can tell,” said Sherri, surveying the perimeter of the room.

“It serves my purpose,” he replied, his tone stern. “To other matters, I do have a single food processor. I have never used it, but some of its components could be useful in other inventions, so I salvaged it from a derelict outside. For now, it is operational. You may help yourself.”

“Where’s J’nae?” Benefis asked, his nerves getting the best of him. The Queen terrified him—even just the mention of her name.

“She’s been placed in a storage container twenty meters below us. You are quite safe from her.”

“I am sure all the rest of you had the same concern on your minds.”

“If you wish,” Panur began, studying the Juirean with narrowed eyes, “I have facilities for removing excrement. Are you in need of them?”

Benefis bristled “Not at the moment…I have a digestive condition is all.”

“Indeed, and a very pronounced condition at that.”

“Why are all you aliens so insensitive to my plight? I will sit over here, far from the rest of you, if you prefer.”

Of the six other people in the room, four replied in unison with an emphatic “Yes!” Only the two mutants abstained.

“How long to complete the repairs on the Najmah Fayd?” Adam asked. He was growing impatient. He had the means to return home—as soon as the repairs were done—so all this superfluous conversation was just delaying things. “Anything the rest of us can do to help?”

“You can remain out of my way—mine and Lila’s. I would have completed the repairs in transit if there wasn’t a need for certain replacement parts I have here. Please have patience. It shouldn’t be more than a day longer.”

Adam bit his lip. “Fine. In the meantime, what’s there to do around here?”

“Hopefully nothing!” Panur answered. “This is my refuge, not yours. And I would appreciate if you not tinker with things. Some are very delicate.”

“Like you not tinkering with my stuff back on Earth?”

“That was different. I was improving what you had. I doubt very much if you could return the favor.”

The two creatures squared off—as they were prone to do quite often. Eventually, Panur snorted, turned and left the room. Lila looked awkward for a moment.

“Perhaps I should leave as well?”

“Be careful,” Arieel called after her daughter.

“She’ll be fine,” Adam snapped. “Immortal mutant geniuses always seem to come out on top. Now…where’s that food processor? I sincerely hope it has a beverage feature. I could sure use a stiff drink…or four.”

********

Lila joined Panur in the starboard engine room of the Najmah Fayd.

“May I have a word with you?”

“Of course…I have been expecting this conversation.”

“Why are you misleading the Humans—and my mother?”

“It is for their own good. There are pieces of the game that must be put into motion before the next gambit can be played.”

“You are playing a game with your friends. Is that not in opposition to what friends do?”

Panur stepped up to the Formilian mutant. She had grown a few inches taller than him, so he slowly adjusted his height so they were eye-to-eye. “It is a sad fact that you  must learn, but we have no true friends. Yes, you have parents—or at least one who truly considers you her offspring.”

“Adam considers me his daughter.”

“Technically, yes. But I know Humans much better than you. He cannot feel the same connection to you as he would a Human offspring. Besides, you frighten and intimidate him—as you do the other Humans. That is why you will never be accepted by them. Believe me, it is the story of my life.”

“Is that why you did not tell them the repairs to the dimensional drive are complete?”

“I had to bring the ship here first—”

“Because of J’nae!”

“Correct. I needed sole custody of my creation, and in an environment I could control.”

“What do you intend to do with her?”

“Reprogramming at first. And if that doesn’t work, then we’ll see. Now I must go to her. Please remain in the ship and do not allow anyone to enter. Tell them there is toxic atmosphere present as the repairs are completed.”

“You want me to lie to them?”

In a moment of tenderness and connection, Panur took Lila’s hand. “There is more I will be expecting of you with regards to our guests. I am sure you are up for the task.”

“I hope you are correct.”

“I am always correct.”

********

J’nae lay on what appeared to be a surgical table, her arms and legs secured by four thick metal clamps attached to the table. She had tubes stuck in her arms and torso, all connected to an elaborate equipment bank. A bright light was suspended from the ceiling.

“Ah, I see my rapid thaw procedure has worked. Our friends upstairs still believe you to be frozen like a comet.”

“You believe these restraints can hold me?” The muscles in her arms bulged and strained.

“I know they will hold you.”

“Then I will simply alter my shape and slip out.”

“At which point your body will be injected with a paralyzing fluid of my own design. Please, J’nae, stop resisting. Remember, I created you, so it would stand to reason I also would know how to subdue you.”

“Why are you doing this? Is it to save your mortal friends from my Sol-Kor hordes?”

“The fate of the Sol-Kor has already been sealed.”

“What has happened while I was…frozen? What have you done to my people?” J’nae’s voice was thunderous, matching the intensity of her struggling body.

“I have done nothing to them. It is what they are about to do to themselves that is more significant.”

“And what is that?”

“Do not concern yourself with the Sol-Kor any longer, J’nae. Your future no longer resides with them. Together we are to embark on a great adventure of discovery. All that we have known before has only been preamble to what is to come. Now, again, relax. It won’t be long now.”

********

Boredom—along with a healthy supply of potent intoxicants—was a great sleep aide, and soon the non-mutant members of Adam’s team were fast asleep in the main chamber, having commandeered couches and the few blankets Panur had around. Sherri had tried to board the Najmah Fayd to grab some supplies but had been turned away by Lila. She thought the excuse lame, but reasoned it was just a way of keeping the Humans from interfering with the repairs.

Six hours later, they were all wakened by Lila entering the room and making a loud announcement.

“Panur has left, and he has taken J’nae!”

Adam bolted upright, instantly awake. “I knew it! That backstabbing bastard. Now how are we to get off this rock?”

“He did not leave in the Najmah Fayd.”

Adam blinked several times. “He didn’t? Why not…the repairs!”

“No, the repairs are complete. The ship is one hundred percent operational, including TD-capable.”

“Then why did he not take the starship?” Benefis asked, himself now wide awake as well.

Lila suddenly looked sad.

Arieel rose up and joined her daughter in the center of the room. “He did not inform you prior?”

“No. I was surprised…as well as hurt and betrayed.”

“Just goes to show,” Sherri said, “you can’t trust any male, even if they’re alien…and a mutant.”

“But you say the Fayd is ready to go? Riyad, can you operate the TD engines?”

Tarazi shook his head. “Panur—and Lila—did it the first and only time before. I wouldn’t have a clue how to program destinations and things like that.”

Adam stepped up to his daughter. “I know this is a traumatic time for you, but I need to ask: what are you planning to do now that Panur’s gone?”

“I will go with you and my mother, back to the Milky Way.”

“Good, I was hoping you’d say that. Now, everyone to the ship. First we need to stop off at J’nae—the planet—and pick up Andy and his team. After that, it’s sayonara to the stinking Sol-Kor universe.”

“What about the war?” Sherri asked as they all rushed for the exit.

“Fuck the war,” Adam said. “The Hal’ic appear to have things under control, and with J’nae gone, the Sol-Kor are pretty much screwed. We shouldn’t have to worry about the Sol-Kor going forward.”

“I hope so. And I hope Panur and the Queen stay gone for a very long time.”

Chapter 19

Callos Edei Fran had assembled the Echelon Group of the Council, the top nine members with the most superior intellect and experience. The other eighty-one members of the Applying Council would abide by whatever decisions this group reached. It was Edei’s job to provide them with enough accurate information to make such decisions.

They were in a large conference room near the main combat center within the M-2 pyramid. Data stations were placed before each member, and a small cadre of support staff, all High Nosleads, were seated along the walls to provide additional information if need be.

There were no power games being played in the room. Everyone knew Edei Fran ruled the Colony at the moment, and with each passing hour with no word regarding the welfare of the Queen, his position was gaining more and more permanence.

“Let us begin,” he said, taking command of the room. “I shall cover three distinct topics today: our impending assault on the Hal’ic homeworld of J’nae; the status of the Colony in regards to population and replacement; and a discussion of the future of the Colony, as I see it. As always, comments are welcome and will be included in any decisions rendered. I will ask if any of you have pressing questions before I begin?”

“Is it reasonable to assume that Panur will not release the Queen?” asked Council Member Uyra Kaz. He was the designated number-two in the Echelon Group, and Edei’s immediate replacement should anything happen to him.

“It has been five days since the mutant left Silana. With the capacity of the Human vessel he was in, he could be halfway across the galaxy by now. If he was going to release the Queen, there would have been countless opportunities for him to do so. So far, there has been no contact. It is my opinion, as well as that of others, that the Queen is still Panur’s prisoner, or has been rendered neutralized by other means. Therefore, I believe it best that we proceed under the assumption that we have no Queen, not until one of Queen J’nae’s offspring reaches maturity and is designated such by her sisters.”

“If there will even be another Queen. With the current reconfiguration of the Colony’s social structure, we may find having a Queen to be…unnecessary in the future.”

“That is correct, Uyra, and a topic I will be addressing shortly. If no other questions, I will begin…”

Edei spent the next hour explaining how the invasion fleet aimed at the Hal’ic homeworld was shaping up. These units were being called in from across half the galaxy, mostly the remaining contingents from the worlds that the Hal’ic had already attacked. Many of the defenders, when faced with overwhelming odds, had retreated, expecting to return to assist in the aftermath of the attacks. Now they were told to meet up with an ever-growing fleet of warships headed for the Hal’ic homeworld.

The added consequence of this action was that the fleet was being assembled without fanfare or notice. Initially, nine hundred ships left Silanaen space and were joined by equal numbers from the five other population centers on this side of the galaxy. As the fleet moved towards Kor—and J’nae beyond—it was joined by ten, twenty, even a hundred additional ships at a time. It was estimated that the fleet would not have its full complement until it was just outside the Hal’ic star system. By that time it would number over fourteen thousand warships.

Compared to the fifty thousand and larger fleets that had been assembled to engage the enemy previously, the fourteen thousand in this fleet seemed small. Yet it had only a single world as its target, one which had the bulk of its forces scattered throughout the galaxy. Even if it took every last ship in the fleet to destroy the planet J’nae, Edei would consider that a victory. With the homeworld of the Hal’ic destroyed, the remaining marauders would be without guidance and command. It would be enough to render the Hal’ic ineffectual.

Edei smiled. That was what the Hal’ic had hoped to accomplished with their destruction of Kor. Now they knew differently. The Colony was not a single world, or a single location. The Colony existed wherever Sol-Kor existed. It would never be defeated until the very last Sol-Kor was dead.

“The estimated time of attack is four hours from now,” Edei said, concluding this part of his presentation. “At the end of this meeting, we will adjourn to the neighboring command center to observe the battle in real time. If no breaks are required, I will continue?”

No objections were voiced, so Edei steadied himself for the next phase of the briefing. This was the gravest of the topics, and one which would cause the most grief.

“As you know,” he began solemnly, “with the death of the Eternal Queen and her Zygotes, the Colony was left without a viable and traditional Queen. Since that time, J’nae, the creation of the mutant Panur, assumed that role. It was her intention to breed a large number of females who would in turn breed more. The goal was to reach a time in the future of the Sol-Kor when the population was self-sustaining through billions of live births of both male and female genders. She began this campaign with the birth of one hundred and six females, before she was removed by Panur and his Human cohorts.”

“That is all she produced?” Council Member Das Vosni exclaimed. “I was under the impression there had been more.”

“No, that is all. They were all safely evacuated from Kor prior to the destruction of M-1.”

“How does this small number bode for the future of the Colony?”

Edei hesitated answering, surveying the clouded expressions of the other eight Group members. “It does not bode well…at least not for a Colony of its present size and complexity. My first assistant, High Noslead Mortis Fae, along with Group Member Uyra Kaz, have been tasked with this part of the presentation. So please, Uyra, proceed.”

“Please refer to the graphs on the screens before you,” Uyra began, seamlessly taking over the meeting. “For convenience’ sake, I will round the number of offspring to one hundred. Each of these females will not reach maturity for six standard years. At that point they will be able to produce approximately one offspring every thirty-eight days. Allowing for the Kor year of three-hundred eighty days, that will be approximately ten new females per year per offspring.”

“Assuming they are all female,” said another group member.

“These females have the unique ability to control the gender of their offspring. Initially all will be female. Referring back to the charts, you can see that one hundred females will begin producing one thousand new females per year. In the six years leading to the maturity of the first of these new females, there should be sixty-thousand females advancing towards maturity. When the first one thousand finish their first year of production, there will be one hundred thousand females, with that number growing exponentially from then on.”

“We are speaking in six year increments, and longer,” said another member. “How long until the females can start producing replacement males?”

Uyra looked at Edei before continuing. The sobering part was coming next.

“In approximately thirty years, the females may be allowed to produce one male for every nine females.”

“That will hardly keep up with natural attrition, not to mention the damage to the population suffered in the interim by the costly war we are currently engaged in.”

“That is true. It had been estimated that by the time males can begin to be replaced within the Colony, there will be a thirty percent drop in the population as a result of non-resupply, not counting any future conflicts.”

There were gasps throughout the room. Uyra continued. “Those are just the preliminary numbers. By the time a point is reached when new births equal deaths, the Colony will be no more than thirty to forty percent of the size it is today.”

“We are doomed,” someone said from down the table. “How can we sustain the Colony with such a drawdown?”

“You must realize, Councilmember Lanis, the needs of the Colony will be far less by that time.”

“Let me join the presentation once again, Uyra,” said Edei. “As tragic as these numbers may sound, I am currently proposing actions that will help preserve the Colony into the future.”

“Such as?”

“Considering the average lifespan of a Sol-Kor of nearly one-hundred eighty years, we have accepted the fact that many of the older Sol-Kor will die before any substantial changes can be made. Therefore, I have ordered that all younger members of the various fleets be recalled to safer ground. Their lives must be preserved to help with the support of the females and their offspring, as well as breeding duties. It is a fact that by the time an equilibrium is reached with regards to gender and the population, none of the Sol-Kor beyond the age of fifty will be alive. The Colony will be in the hands of an entire new crop of Sol-Kor, and without the guiding and stabilizing influence of an Eternal Queen. I will now ask if the group concurs with my course of action with regards to the recall of the youth.”

It was a unanimous and enthusiastic vote to the affirmative.

“I feel badly having to present such stark and disturbing numbers to the Council,” said Edei. “Yet this is the new reality we are faced with. The Colony will survive, just not in its present form. But first we must bring an end to this costly and useless war. We cannot afford the losses we are incurring. So in addition to the measures already taken, I will also be proposing a complete withdrawal of all Sol-Kor from foreign universes, as well as the less populated galaxies within ours.”

“We do not have access to those galaxies,” a group member pointed out.

“Not presently. Yet we will rebuild the arrays and reconnect with our brothers. It is important at this time that the Sol-Kor consolidate and preserve, with one possible exception.”

Frowns covered the faces of the eight Group members. “I am not aware of what you speak,” Uyra said.

“I shall explain.” He took in a deep breath before continuing. This was the most personal part of his presentation, one for which he could be denied. He hoped he could convey the significance appropriately…

“For a very long time, Panur had been a vital part of the Colony, providing us with the means to expand through our universe and beyond. He was a confidante of the Eternal Queen and ruthless in his loyalty to her. That all came to an end once he entered U-4 and the galaxy known as the Milky Way. It was when he encountered the race of creatures called Human that his loyalties began to shift. I have researched this extensively, and to my surprise, this change came about primarily as the result of Panur’s relationship with one Human, a savage named Adam Cain.”

“He—along with another Human—is the beast who slayed our Eternal Queen, setting up all the tragedy that is to befall the Colony,” said Group member Sanza. “Not only that, but he was held captive in M-1 just prior to the attack on Kor. I saw him many times, as did many of the others in this room. He appeared to be a small and insignificant beast. How did he gain sway over Panur while inflicting such damage upon the Colony?”

“I do not know, but even the new Queen was enamored by him, keeping him alive when she could have easily ended his life. Now it has been learned that the advanced starship in which Panur absconded with the Queen is a vessel of Human design, possibly piloted by Adam Cain himself.”

“I thought he was rumored to be on J’nae—the planet?” said a voice.

“That rumor has been dispelled. It was the new Queen herself who learned the truth about the leadership of the Hal’ic military forces. They are led by another Human.”

“A Human is in command of the Hal’ic forces?”

“Correct, and he has been employing advanced military tactics well beyond what the Hal’ic could have devised on their own.”

“So the Humans are intimately responsible for all that is taking place.”

“That, too, is also correct. And that is why I wish to add one amendment to my order to withdraw from foreign universes.”

“You wish us to remain in the Human universe?”

“Not in the foreseeable future. We do not have the ability to sustain a force large enough to defeat the Humans. However, I wish that throughout the coming future of the Sol-Kor, the role the Humans played in the demise of the Colony not be forgotten. I wish it to be taught to every child born, be they male or female, and I want that hatred to burn and grow. Then, at some point in the future, when the Humans least expect it, I wish a massive force be sent directly at their homeworld of Earth and leave it a molten ball of rock when we are done.”

“Will that not cause them to seek revenge against us?” asked Sanza.

“Without doubt. Yet because we will initiate the attack, we will also have prepared for their response. The Humans will be defeated, thoroughly and with purpose. This is a course of action I feel is strongly required in order to provide a sense of balance to the affairs of late. Since this is a long-term plan, there is no need to vote on it today…”

Edei was shouted down as each member of the Group—as well as those support Sol-Kor lining the wall—all voiced their full support for Edei’s proposal. His heart soared with the reception. Even though he, along with every Sol-Kor in the room, would be long gone by the time the attack took place, Edei Fran would die knowing that someday the Human race would come to an end…and at the hands of the Sol-Kor.

“Now, let us move to the command center. The first step on a new journey for the Colony is about to be taken. Let us enjoy this moment.”

Chapter 20

Adam had known Andy Tobias for over twenty years, having first met him when he was assigned to SEAL Team Six back when he was only twenty-two years old. Andy had been a lowly lieutenant junior grade at the time, Adam having just made E-5.

Later, in a battlefield promotion of questionable legitimacy, Andy had made Adam a captain. No one seemed to complain about the promotion—and for that matter, neither was Adam ever recommended for admiral. He wasn’t sure what he would have done if he had been. He always felt intimidated by the officer designation to begin with. These days he served in a quasi-active duty status with the military, basically able to call his own shots. He preferred it that way.

Still…Andy Tobias, Adam’s old team leader, scared the shit out of him.

It was no secret that Tobias harbored a deep and lasting anger with Riyad—and by association, Adam—blaming him for getting this whole thing started and for sucking Andy and his team into the Sol-Kor universe, if even unintentionally. That was why Adam hesitated opening a link with the admiral until the Najmah Fayd was only two hours out from the Hal’ic homeworld.

Several times over the past two months, Andy had attempted to communicate with his rogue officer. Each time that Adam had had the opportunity to connect, he didn’t feel he had enough good news to override the admiral’s seething anger. Now they were aboard the Najmah Fayd—a Human TD-capable starship—and opening a link with his superior officer was simply a matter of pressing a button.

Nerves on edge, Adam pressed the button.

The image of an emaciated, red-faced and wiry Andy Tobias appeared on the screen. “Hi, Andy, how’s it going?” Sherri said first from over Adam’s shoulder.

Followed by Riyad’s, “Good to see you again, my friend.”

Andy remained silent, staring into Adam with his piercing gray eyes.

“So, the prodigal son returns, and with his usual cast of misfits in tow.”

“Andy…good news! We have the Najmah Fayd, and the Queen has been removed from the scene by Panur. So all’s well that ends well.”

Again, the cold, awkward silence. Then Andy twisted a second monitor around so Adam could see it. “You know what that is? It’s a whole friggin’ fleet of Sol-Kor about two hours from my location. Something like fourteen thousand ships in all. So you tell me how this is going to end.”

Now Benefis and Arieel crowded around the comm station as well. Lila was somewhere else in the ship.

“Relax, Andy. We have TD capability. I’ll get Lila to plot a course and we’ll pop right in to save you and your crew.”

“What, and abandon my post and responsibilities? No thanks. That sounds like something you might do.”

“You’re not leaving?” Sherri exclaimed. “Are you crazy?”

“The Hal’ic need me.”

“Can you defeat a force that large?” Riyad asked.

“Haven’t got a snowball’s chance, Mr. Tarazi. But maybe we can take enough of them with us that some of the infrastructure on the planet will remain. The Hal’ic have to have something to rebuild…afterwards.”

“That’s stupid, Andy!” Adam said. “If you can’t win, you need to save yourself. The Hal’ic knew what they were getting into.”

“Yeah, but I’m the one who sent all their forces out to places unknown along the rim of the galaxy, while leaving the planet virtually defenseless. And I’m supposed to be this great military tactician. Now if there is one last order you can follow, Captain Cain, it’s to get your team out of there. With the TD ship, it’s imperative you get it back to Earth as soon as possible. Forget about me. I’ve talked to my people and we’re all willing to go out in a blaze of glory. It’s all an old soldier can ask for.”

“Are you sure about this?”

Andy nodded, his jaw set, yet the bulging veins in his neck pulsated. “Yes, I’m sure. After all, what military man wouldn’t jump at the chance to die while fighting against a ravenous horde of flesh-eating aliens in a far-away universe? I’m getting excited just thinking about it.”

Riyad pressed his way closer to the screen. “Listen Andy, I’m more than sorry for involving you in all this. If I hadn’t got it in my mind to rescue Adam, none of this would be happening.”

Again, Andy nodded, more emphatically this time. “Yeah, it was quite a shock when we found ourselves sucked into the Sol-Kor universe. Not something one expects to happen when you wake up in the morning.”

“It wasn’t intentional, that’s for sure.”

Adam shook his head. Something was bothering him. “Excuse me, but I heard how Andy was sucked into this universe in the exhaust of the Najmah Fayd, but how did that happen exactly?”

“Hell if I know,” said Riyad. “Like I said, Panur and Lila were piloting the ship. The rest of us were just along for the ride.”

“Yet, Andy, your ship was able to slip through the portal the Fayd created.”

“That’s right…and thanks for that!” Admiral Tobias said.

“Lila! To the bridge immediately!” Adam yelled into the shipboard intercom.

“What’s the problem?” Sherri asked.

“Nothing…no problem at all.”

Lila appeared a moment later.

“When the Najmah Fayd travels between dimensions, how is that done exactly?” Adam asked his daughter.

“It is much the same as a land-based portal. An opening in space-time is created and the ship moves through it.”

“What, just walks through?”

“There is no minimum velocity required. The ship can pass through on chemical power if necessary.”

“And what happens if the portal is created while traveling at light-speed?”

“Then the opening is created, yet stretched over a considerable distance. That is how Admiral Tobias came to be in the Sol-Kor universe. He passed through this elongated portal.”

“Andy…I’m going to have to let you go. It’s going to get very busy around here very fast.”

“Captain…don’t—”

Adam cut the link.

“Lila, can you plot a location for a portal jump, someplace within this universe, yet between galaxies?”

“Yes, quite simply.”

“What are you doing, Adam?” Sherri asked. “How is that going to get us home?” She turned to Lila. “Can’t you plot us a course back to the Milky Way originating for here?”

“I can do that, too. We could be home in a matter of minutes.”

Cheers rose up from the other people on the bridge. All except Adam.

“No, we’re not leaving.”

Stunned faces turned to look at their insane commander.

“Not yet. First we have a little job to do. Lila, please plot that jump to a space between galaxies. Riyad, take the pilot seat. Sherri, weapons. All shields to portside. Prepare to make a high-speed run across the front of the Sol-Kor lines. Lila, please man the portal controls. Since you know them best, it will be your call when to activate.”

“Is your plan to capture some of the approaching Sol-Kor vessels in the portal created by the Naj—this ship?” asked Arieel.

“Bingo, baby. Just like what happened with Andy.”

“Won’t they be firing on us?” Sherri asked from the weapons console.

“At the speeds this ship can go, they’ll be hitting nothing but open space when they try. But that’s why all shields facing the fleet, in case they get lucky. Riyad, you ready?”

“Aye, sir,” he said with a wicked grin. “Let’s go lasso us some Sol-Kor!”

“I didn’t know the Lebanese were into rodeo?” Sherri said.

“We aren’t, but we do have the internet and Turner Classic Westerns. Head ‘em up, move ‘em out!”

“Whenever you want, Mr. Tarazi. Get ready, Lila.”

The Najmah Fayd hit full power, speeding away from J’nae and into the open space just beyond the two huge gas giants that dominated the outer system. The proximity screen lit up with a white cloud of approaching starships. Riyad shifted course, coming in from left to right as one would face the approaching armada. Then he swung across the front lines just as Lila lit off the trans-dimensional portal.

With a normal transit portal, one created by huge land-based towers, the opening in space appeared as a shimmering white wisp. The one Lila created shimmered as well, yet it was very dim and stretched out over a distance of three light-years. The Najmah Fayd crossed this distance in thirty seconds.

Suddenly, the outside image on the screens turned blank, as did the view from the forward viewport. For a moment, Adam thought the screens had gone down, until he began to detect tiny lights off in the distance. As the ship swung around, he saw more lights, but not the tiny pinpoints of stars. These were larger, cloudier objects of varying shapes. These were galaxies, as seen from far away and in the space between the stellar neighborhoods.

“Well kiss my ass!” Sherri suddenly shouted, breaking the silent reverie on the bridge. “Check the proximity readings.”

She posted the readings on the main screen. Trailing out for light-years behind them were hundreds of contact lights. They at first appeared uniform, all in a line. Then they began to drift apart, while some sped off in myriad directions at full speed.

“Got the count,” Sherri announced. “Nine hundred eighteen.”

“No shit? We caught almost a thousand mainships?” Adam couldn’t believe it. This was way beyond his expectations.

“Lila, get us back to the battlefield. Riyad, get ready for another pass.”

“Yes, sir, you glorious bastard!”

A moment later, the brilliant balls of the gas giants on the outskirts of the Hal’ic system popped back into existence. Riyad shifted course, preparing for another run…

********

Throughout the command center, Edei Fran heard gasps of shock. His voice added to the chorus. A moment before, they had detected a lone ship approaching their lines at incredible speed. It was immediately identified as the one belonging to the Humans, possibly with Panur—and even the Queen—aboard. By now, Edei had interviewed many of the attendants of the Queen, so he knew Panur’s announcement of J’nae’s mortality to be false. She couldn’t be killed, so this changed all strategies when it came to destruction of the alien craft.

He ordered the ship to be fired upon.

Unfortunately, it was much too fast to target effectively. Then something unexpected happened.

The whole front line of his fleet disappeared.

“Malfunction?” he called out.

“Equipment is operational. Transponders gone, comm attempts reaching dead channels.”

“This is not possible,” Uyra Vas said. But his breath was sucked in again as the Human starship appeared once again on their screen, seemingly out of nowhere.

Edei had no time to issue orders before the ship raced across the front of the fleet once more, and as before, an entire line of starships disappeared.

“Evasive actions!” Edei cried out. “Split the fleet, narrow the front lines.”

The alien ship appeared again. It seemed to hover for a moment before setting off again at unbelievable speed, this time for the very center of the fleet.

The passage took only forty seconds, and once it was done, there was a clear and obvious void extending the depth of the fleet.

“Give me counts!”

“Over five thousand missing,” came an excited answer. “Alien ship again present!”

Edei watched in horror as the single craft took a zigzag path this time through what remained of his fleet. “Scatter the fleet,” he ordered. “Send each ship off on its own! Do not cluster vessels.”

The once mighty Sol-Kor fleet was now a chaotic mess of fleeing contact dots, diffused and disorganized. In the command center there was stunned silence. The once elated members of the Echelon Group now sat pale, slumped and defeated.

“Seven thousand…last count,” came a distant voice from somewhere in the chamber.

Seven thousand, out of fourteen thousand, and all the result of one alien starship employing some kind of new super weapon. Edei began to tremble. Still fresh on his mind was the presentation he’d given earlier, how he’d stressed the need to preserve all the Sol-Kor lives they could between now and the time the Colony recovered and emerged as something new, something different.

Now…this incredible loss. He shuddered, thinking this could be just the beginning. If the Hal’ic unleashed this weapon against the rest of the Colony, it could mean the end of it all, of all Sol-Kor life.

As the leader of the Colony, Edei Fran had a responsibility to see that that did not happen. He lifted out of his chair and staggered to the exit. He had much thinking to do.

Chapter 21

Adam Cain was embarrassed by the reception they received upon landing on J’nae. Since leaving the planet two months before, much of the scope of the Hal’ic civilization had moved topside, into the fresh air of the outside world. This included makeshift spaceports, littered with hundreds of vessels of all shapes and sizes. Many of these were still popping and whining, having just arrived from the cold of space, sent there in a futile attempt to ward off the massive Sol-Kor fleet. Now their crews poured onto the tarmac and encircled the Najmah Fayd, waiting for her occupants to depart.

“This is crazy,” Sherri observed, looking out the forward viewport. “There must be ten thousand of them out there. There’s no way I’m stepping out into that.”

“Get on the horn to Andy,” Adam said. “See if he can get us an escort.”

Benefis was fidgeting near the window. “Yes, an escort. I do not wish to come into physical contact with so many aliens. There is no telling what diseases they carry.”

A moment later Sherri was off the comm. “They’re way ahead of us. Already have a series of transports lined up. However, they’re having trouble getting through the crowd too.”

“Perhaps I should say a few words,” Riyad said, actually looking animated at the prospect of all those adoring fans.

“Keep the door shut, Riyad,” Adam ordered. “We don’t want to risk a full scale riot.”

********

An hour later the transport caravan finally arrived, and after a somewhat violent show of force, security personnel managed to clear a path from the exit hatch of the starship to the main transport vehicle. The team scurried across the short distance, overcome by the sheer cacophony of the adoring mass.

The transports traveled down once-deserted and derelict highways, part of the ruse the Hal’ic pulled on the Sol-Kor to make them believe J’nae was a dead world. The streets lined with thousands of cheering natives as word spread quickly about Adam’s path to the underground entrance to the government facilities.

The caravan stopped in a large parking garage with an overabundance of security and the team was directed into a large elevator to complete their journey. The elevator deposited them in a more tranquil environment populated by staid and respectful bureaucrats.

Andy and his team were there waiting. Hugs, handshakes, and slaps to the back were the order of the day, until Adam and Andy squared off.

“You are the most insubordinate swamp rat I have ever had to the displeasure to lead,” Andy began in a loud, booming voice. “But you sure as hell know how to get the job done! Way to go, Mister Cain.” The two men embraced.

“I had a lot of help,” Adam said, breaking away from the admiral.

Andy looked at the rest of the faces. “Most are familiar, and well-proven. That is a fact. Benefis…what the hell happened to you?” He approached the Juirean, craning his neck to look up at the seven-foot-tall creature. He smiled at the bright red bandana the alien wore around his smallish head.

“I had an accident with my majesty.”

“Majesty…we call it a mane.”

“I am quite aware of the misclassification.”

“I’ll call it your majesty if that is what you wish. You are part of the team that pulled off an incredible series of feats. Whatever you want, you’ve got it.” Then Andy frowned and wrinkled his nose. “First of all, it would seem you all need to take long showers and get cleaned up. Y’all smell like a herd of yaks.”

“That would be me,” Benefis volunteered. “I suffer from a digestive condition.”

“All of this is coming from you?”

“Yes…I have a condition.”

“I heard you.”

“It’s okay, Andy,” Adam said. “You’ll get used to it.”

“I’ve been through a lot of shit in my day. This will be just one more challenge.”

“Forgive me from pressing the issue,” Riyad said, “but when are we going home? It looks like the Sol-Kor are on the run, so the Hal’ic can take it from here. No more excuses why you and your men can’t leave.”

“I’m with you this time, Tarazi. Give us an hour to pack our duffle bags and we’ll be ready to go.”

“Pardon the intrusion, Veritis Tobias, but you and your party have been requested to join the Scribes in their chambers.”

Andy nodded to the First Tier officer. “All of us?”

“They did not limit the invitation.”

“Not to worry, I will stay here,” said Benefis.

“That’s not what I meant. It’s just as far as I know, only Adam and I have met the Scribes. For the rest of you, it could be a little unsettling.”

“The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can head home,” Riyad said. “I’m in.”

********

Everyone except Benefis boarded the long electric transport for the short journey to the entrance of the Convening Center, where the Scribes lived, the spotless and functional edifice carved into the face of a cavern.

Adam had been to the chamber only once before, when he was first brought to J’nae and introduced to the centuries-old leaders of the Hal’ic. There were ninety Scribes in all, yet the main three ran the show. They were kept alive by artificial means, the title of Scribe given to them because of their long and proficient memories of past events in the history of the Hal’ic. None of the current Scribes had been alive when the Sol-Kor had first harvested the planet. Yet the oldest—Gan Doli—was two thousand years old and had the stories passed down to him by the second generation Scribes. Their stories had come from those who had actually lived through the tragic times, the same leaders who’d set the Hal’ic on the course of hiding underground, rebuilding their society and biding their time for the opportunity to strike back at their mortal enemy.

For the last two months, that war had raged. Now it looked as though it could be coming to a close, and much sooner than anyone had imagined.

The Scribes rested in half-shell shaped hospital beds, hooked up to a myriad of fluid tubes and monitoring equipment. Although none of them was less than fifteen hundred years old, they each maintained somewhat vigorous looking bodies with bronze, glowing skin. Their faces were emaciated, yet their eyes were bright and active.

“Adam Cain, we once again welcome you back to J’nae.”

“Thank you, Gan. I have to say, it’s a relief to be here, and all in one piece.”

“Yes, we have been following your exploits, especially those of the past day and a half. Quite remarkable, and fortuitous for us. And the rest of your noble adventurers, welcome…and thank you for all you have done.”

Sherri blushed. “It was nothing, really,” she replied.

“No need for modesty, Ms. Valentine. As I said, we have been monitoring your exploits.” Gan Doli, the tacit head of the Scribes, focused his attention on Lila. “And this must be the remarkable mutant female who has been so beneficial in overcoming the technological hurdles you have encountered—and her mother. Our gratitude knows no bounds.”

Gan looked to the other two Scribes in the room. Adam remembered their names to be Vaz Nha and Kaos Luz.

“There is another matter for which the Hal’ic seek your assistance.”

“What’s that?” Admiral Tobias asked. His tone was suspicious. He had finally bought into the idea that he was going home. He didn’t need another assignment thrust on him by the Hal’ic.

“The leader of the Sol-Kor—and I find this quite amusing to say—a male named Edei Fran—has requested a communication with us. This has happened only within the past hour, so we have been contemplating our response. Since Humans have vastly more experience in matters of war, we ask what might we do?”

Andy smiled, relieved by the innocuous nature of the request. “By all means, speak with him. After the debacle with his fleet, and the possibility that the Hal’ic possess a secret weapon of devastating effectiveness, he may be offering to surrender or at least negotiate a peace.”

“Peace…with the Sol-Kor? Do you not find that…unusual?”

Adam stepped forward. “They’re only doing this because you’ve kicked their butts. I’m sorry, did that translate correctly?”

“Quite so, Mr. Cain. Continue.”

“They may ask for peace, but it’s only a way of saving their Colony from further destruction. With J’nae—their Queen—gone, there’s no way for them to quickly repopulate, especially in the face of a deadly war. But as the admiral says, do open a dialogue with them. Just keep in mind that they’re only doing this because they have to, not because they want to.”

“Isn’t that the same in most negotiations? But we will heed your advice and open the link.”

“Now…here?”

Gan smiled. “I know what you are thinking. If the Sol-Kor saw our fragile bodies, they may be more apt to discount our worth and lose respect for the leadership of the Hal’ic. Be assured, the image Edei Fran will see will be of a vibrant, healthy Hal’ic warrior. Please remain. The conversation will commence in a few moments. A screen will light when the connection is complete.”

On a wall of the cavern to the right of the Scribes’ containers, a near-life-size screen suddenly came to life. Displayed on it was the face and upper torso of a Sol-Kor male, aged yet still with healthy scales on his face. He peered straight ahead, nodding at the image he was seeing on his end.

“I am Council Member Edei Fran. I hold the position of Callos, the leader of the Applying Council, having been placed here because of my superior abilities within the Colony. In the absence of the Queen, I speak for the Sol-Kor.”

“I am Gan Doli, acknowledged leader of the Hal’ic Scribes. I hold a position similar to yours, yet without a Queen.”

All in the room saw Edei bristle at the comment, the implication of which being that Edei Fran was merely a subordinate, whereas Gan was subordinate to no one.

After a moment, Edei continued. “I have sought this communication to discuss two topics. First: is my Queen in your custody? If so, return her.”

“She is not in our custody, as you call it. It is our understanding she is with the mutant Panur, having departed this universe for places unknown.”

Adam studied Edei’s reaction to the news. It wasn’t well-hidden. He was pained and concerned. Then his expression turned hard, even as he appeared to shrug. “The second item is to discuss peace terms with the Hal’ic.”

“Are you surrendering?”

“Surrendering! There was no mention of surrendering! We seek a cessation of hostilities between our two races, not a surrender.”

“And why do you ask for this now?”

For all his supposed intelligence and ability, Edei Fran displayed the look of a deer in the headlights. “Why? Because we seek peace. Is that not what you desire as well?”

“Yes, of course. We seek peace, and will do all it takes to achieve that peace.”

“Then it is settled. We shall have peace.”

“There will be peace.”

Adam could see Andy chomping at the bit to say something, as was Adam. But this was not the time.

“How do you propose we proceed, Edei Fran?”

“There should be a conference to settle out the terms.”

“Where?”

“Since we are being generous in offering this peace, we shall let you select the location. It should be some place neutral.”

“Even though the Hal’ic have remained hidden from the Sol-Kor for thousands of years, we have established a few distant outposts on barren worlds to act as lookouts and monitoring stations. I have one of these sites in mind. It shall take us two weeks to prepare the site, seeing that it has not been occupied in quite some time. Is that acceptable?”

“Perfectly acceptable. It will also take us time to assemble the delegation. Make arrangements to accommodate approximately five hundred Sol-Kor.”

“So many?”

“Yes. Attending will be the leaders of the Sol-Kor, our Council Members, along with our most senior High Nosleads. This will be an important event. We must make sure it is accomplished adequately.”

“I fully understand. I will make the arrangements and be in communication with the Sol-Kor as to the details.”

Edei nodded, and cut the link without so much as a thank you.

Adam and Andy—along with Sherri and Riyad—were all talking at once.

“Don’t do it!”

“What an arrogant bastard.”

“They act like they just kicked your ass!”

“Be careful, it could be a trap.”

“Please calm yourself, my friends,” said Gan with a lilt in his voice.

“You don’t intend to go through with the meeting, do you? Andy asked, finally gaining control of the chattering Humans.

“Yes we do, and with enthusiasm.”

“You could be making a big mistake. From what we know of the Sol-Kor, they don’t negotiate, they don’t affiliate, and they don’t accept neighbors as friends—just food, as you well know. They may also use this peace agreement to give them time to rebuild their fleet and then attack when you’re not looking. Surely you didn’t mean you would do anything to assure peace? Forgive my bluntness, but being blind to the truth is not the smartest move.”

“I said I would do all it takes to have peace.”

“Semantics, Gan.”

The senior Scribe smiled. “Veritis Tobias—and the others—we appreciate your input. It is as we expected. Your advice has been noted and will be acted upon.”

“So you’re not going to meet with the Sol-Kor?” Sherri asked.

“On the contrary, we will now hasten the meeting.” Gan raised his feeble hand to quell the continued protests. “Please have trust in me and my fellow Scribes. We know what we are doing.”

Riyad took hold of Andy’s thin arm. “C’mon, Admiral. We did our part, but the Hal’ic have made their decision. It’s time for us to go.”

“Yes, it is time,” said Gan Doli. “You have provided an invaluable service to the Hal’ic, but now it is time for you to return to your own universe and to your own lives, again with our thanks.”

Andy nodded. “Take care of yourself,” he said. “I hope everything works out the way you hope.”

“It will, my friend. It will.”

Chapter 22

Four hours later, the Najmah Fayd, with Riyad in the pilot seat, lifted off the surface of the planet J’nae and raced into space. Lila informed them that a personal transit portal could be formed even within close proximity of a star system, so with little fanfare she opened the rip in space, and a blink of an eye later, they were back in the Milky Way.

Relief came to the weary travelers only when the portal was closed behind them.

They were home.

********

Well, not exactly.

They were back in the system where Panur and Lila maintained a hidden settlement, on a planet of natives who worshipped them as gods. As Benefis was quick to remind everyone, it was also where Panur’s palace of gold was located.

Seeking room to stretch their legs, the ship set down in the small spaceport adjacent to the palace, and Lila set everyone up in spacious accommodations, along with a full staff of eager native attendants.

Tobias and Adam remained in the Najmah Fayd after landing, communicating with Earth for two hours, filling them in on all that had taken place over the past two months. The people back on the homeworld were jubilant. The Sol-Kor were defeated, at least to the point where they would no longer be a threat to the Milky Way. Even before the debrief was over, CW broadcasts were being sent across the galaxy, letting all who could hear know of the good news.

After Tobias and Adam were done with the report, it was their turn to get all the latest news from the Milky Way. Most of it was disturbing.

“Why would they want to annex the Kidis Frontier?” Andy asked Admiral Hollingsworth, the acting supreme leader of the Orion-Cygnus Union military forces. “Don’t they know we have agreements with some of the local systems for mutual protection and benefit?”

“We’ve explained that to the Juireans until we’re blue in the face. They don’t care. They’ve got a wild hair up their asses and are bound and determined to go through with it. It’s almost as if they’re trying to provoke us into another war.”

“Didn’t we just leave this party?” Adam asked the room.

“So where does that leave us?”

“If I were you I’d sit tight. Don’t risk taking the Najmah Fayd across the Frontier. The Juireans are aware of the ship. After all, they were in the neighborhood when you made your little hop over to Sol-Kor-Land. Most of their forces are staged at the entrance to the Frontier, still in Expansion space, but I wouldn’t put it past them to do something provocative if the ship came anywhere near them. I’ll send out an escort squadron—a battleship and a couple of cruisers, plus support vessels—just to let the green bastards know we mean business. Wait until it arrives before you make any moves.”

“How long until the escorts arrive?”

“It will take us a couple of weeks to get there.” Hollingsworth raised his hand. “I know, the Naj-whatchamacallit could make it back here a lot faster, probably even by TD jumps. The Juireans know this too. But still, let us play it our way, Andy. It’s time we showed the Juireans we’re not intimidated by them.”

“If you say so,” Andy agreed reluctantly. “We’ll chill our heels here for a couple weeks. The natives—from what they tell me—are friendly and incredible cooks. Frankly, we could use a little vacation.”

“That’s the right attitude to take, Admiral. And Captain Cain, well done. You’ve been through a lot over the past six months, ever since your strike team first entered Sol-Kor space. I’m sure it must feel great to be home.”

“It does feel great, but I’m not home, not yet. Get the escorts to us ASAP, Admiral. Can’t wait to sleep in my own bed, and on a planet with normal gravity!”

********

It took three days for a somewhat normal routine to be established in the huge, gold-plated palace. By then, huge swaths of the walls, ceilings, bannisters and more were  turning up stripped of their precious metal coatings. Benefis adamantly denied any knowledge of the thefts, even as the Humans gave him a pass.

On the fourth day, Arieel received a link from Formil. Afterwards, she sprang into the center of the meeting room where the team hung out, a smile decorating her gorgeous face.

“We are being returned to Formil. They have hired a ship to take us back!”

“You sound excited about that,” Adam observed, concern in his voice. “I thought you were an outlaw back on Formil?”

“No longer. After our adventures in the Sol-Kor universe, the Order has offered to grant me complete immunity and a position of authority. Things have not gone well for them recently, and now that I am famous, they wish me to be the new symbol of Formil. Granted, there will no longer be the position of Speaker, since the truth about that has been disclosed. However, they plan on instituting a presidency, and I am to be the first President of Formil.”

Lila hugged her mother tightly, even showing a fair amount of emotion on her pretty face.

“Prepare, Lila. The ship arrives tomorrow.”

“Mother, I’m afraid I can’t join you, at least not initially.”

Arieel was shocked. “Why not?”

“It is crucial I accompany the Najmah Fayd back to Earth and assist in teaching the Humans all her secrets. I am the only one who can. Rest assured, once that task is complete, I will join you on Formil.”

Arieel’s face lit up. “Excellent. Do what you must, but hurry. I will miss you. It will be exciting to be part of the Order again. There is so much to do.”

Adam was at her side. They embraced for several moments. “I’m so happy for you, Arieel. This sounds like a new beginning.”

“It is, and I am ecstatic for the future.”

Sherri and Riyad took turns hugging the voluptuous alien, before letting her scamper off to pack her things. Adam wasn’t aware she had things to pack; she’d left Formil two months earlier with barely the clothes on her back. Nevertheless, she had other places to be.

********

And so the days began to slowly drift by.

Andy spent most of his time in communication with Earth, discussing the Juirean crisis, while the five men in his staff kept to themselves. Benefis would disappear into the wilds of Panurland for hours on end, usually after another wealth of gold turned up missing from the walls of the palace. Riyad discovered a tranquil lake nearby where he revived his love of fishing, while Lila spent most of her time either in quiet contemplation within her quarters in the palace, or aboard the Najmah Fayd tinkering with things.

Sherri and Adam spent most of their time on long walks among the verdant forests near the settlement. Even though they were in the lowlands, the crisp air and scent of tree pollen reminded Adam of Lake Tahoe.

“You’re going to rebuild, aren’t you?” Sherri asked.

“Have to, insurance is paying for it.”

“So your homeowner’s policy covers damage caused by alien invaders? I wonder if Ricky is aware of that?”

“Are you going back with him.”

There was a slight hesitation before Sherri answered. “Probably not.” She smiled…a sad smile. “Even though I thought I missed this life—” she waved a hand at the alien planet beneath her feet—“I see now how dangerous it can be.”

“You’re just now coming to that conclusion?”

“No, it’s just that when you’ve been away from it for a while all you remember are the fun times, the exciting times.”

“Funny…all I seem to remember are the times I was almost eaten by some long-fanged alien.”

She took his hand and they continued their stroll with a comfort level that came from having experienced nearly every emotion two people could share. “Riyad’s discovered a little restaurant in town where they serve that huge ostridge-like bird we see around here. He’s tried it and he didn’t die. He wants the three of us to get together there tomorrow night for dinner.”

“I’m game. I’ve been curious if those huge birds taste like chicken or not.”

“Everything in the universe—all universes—taste like chicken.”

“Thank whatever gods there may be for that. Makes me almost believe in a superior being.”

Chapter 23

The town near Panur’s palace was the largest on the planet. Prior to being discovered by the rest of the galaxy, the natives already had rudimentary space travel, so they were accustomed to aliens frequenting their eateries and other businesses, if even rarely.

They were also aware of the Sol-Kor, having been just as susceptible to harvest as anyone. So when they learned of the exploits of the Humans staying at the god-mutants’ palace, they made it a habit of laying out the red carpet for them nearly everywhere they went.

The following evening, a special section was provided for the trio of heroes in the restaurant—and the feast began. Not only was the huge bird served, but so were dishes featuring the local bovine-like beasts, along with the softest, most fragrant bread they had ever tasted.

Yet it was the local alcoholic beverages that made the most impression. In their drunken stupor, the Humans began to chant S-T-P—and not for the fuel additive, but rather for Smooth, Tasty and Potent.

That was when they noticed him.

Sherri saw him first, sitting at the end of the bar, watching the boisterous revelers with a steely gaze.

“Who’s Mister Intensity over there?” she asked, focusing her stare across the room.

Adam and Riyad unabashedly turned to look.

“Fuck me…it’s another Human!” Adam exclaimed. “Hey, dude…come join us!”

With only the slightest hesitation, the man took his drink and crossed restaurant floor. Having heard the invitation, the natives allowed him to enter the reserved section. The man slipped into a seat next to Sherri.

“Damn, you’re a handsome one, aren’t you?”

“Thank you, Ms. Valentine.”

“And he knows my name!”

“I know all your names. I’ve been meaning to come over here and introduce myself, but you seemed to be having way too much fun for me to intrude.”

“So do it, dude, introduce yourself,” Adam said, tumbling forward slightly when he nodded, his sense of balance affected by the intoxicants.

A moment later, Adam let out a thunderous retort.

“Copernicus! Your name is Copernicus?”

“Yeah, who names their kid Copernicus?” Riyad asked.

The man bristled. “Don’t blame me, I didn’t name myself. My parents were into astronomy, and they thought that with a boring last name like Smith, they needed to do something to set me apart.”

“So they saddled you with a name like Copernicus Smith?” Sherri burst out laughing. “I hope you got back at them, by becoming some misfit outlaw or something like that.”

“Actually, I run a very successful starship repair and towing service, CS Systems Repair and Hauling.”

Adam pretended to pat the pockets of the shirt and pants. “Damn, and here I left my Triple-A card at home.”

“Very funny, Mister Cain—”

“That’s Captain Cain to you, my friend.”

“Yeah, whatever. The truth of the matter is I came to this backwater world specifically looking for you—all of you.”

Even in his drunken stupor, Adam detected something sinister in the comment. Instinct took over and he fought to regain his senses.

“You came looking for us? What for?”

“I need your help.”

Adam snorted. “We’re about as helped-out as we can be, buddy. If you haven’t heard, we just spent the past several months putting an end to the damn Sol-Kor threat. If you need our help now, you better check with our booking agent. But don’t hold your breath.”

“Ah, c’mon, Adam, let’s at least hear what the man has to say,” Riyad blabbered. “He might be willing to pay top dollar for our help.”

“If you hadn’t noticed, dickhead, we’re living in a palace made of gold, and still you’re looking to score a little extra cash.” Adam held up his hand and nodded emphatically when Riyad continued to insist. “All right, fine. Go ahead, Mister Copernicus Smith—sorry, I have to laugh every time I say the name—lay it on us. What do you need our help for?”

Copernicus studied the inebriated trio, shaking his head. “I’ll tell you, even though you may not remember any of it in the morning.”

“Sir…are you implying that our memories are…are shit?”

“No, he’s saying we’re shit…faced,” said Sherri, laughing again.

“If you don’t mind, let me get through this? As I said, I run this starship repair and towing service. A little over a week ago I sent my best repair crew out to check on a ship belonging to one of my most loyal clients. As it turned out, the ship couldn’t be repaired on site, so I was authorized to tow it to my yard for repairs. Along the way, in a region of the Kidis Frontier about ninety light-years from here, my employees were stopped, arrested, and the ship they were towing was confiscated. I figure that with your clout and notoriety you could hop over to the capital planet of Visidor, have a chat with the locals, and get my ships and crew released.”

“They must have been carrying drugs.”

“Not that I know of. Besides, it’s not my concern what cargo the ships are carrying.”

“Sounds like it should be. The local fuzz wouldn’t take such action unless they have cause,” Adam said.

Copernicus snorted. “You don’t know the Frontier very well, do you, Captain? But my real problem is that I was required to sign a surety bond before towing my client’s ship.”

“What does that mean?” Sherri asked.

“It means that if I don’t get the ship back, I have to reimburse them for the full value of the vessel, including lost cargo.”

“Ouch!” said Sherri.

“Ouch is right. It could bankrupt me.”

“Why the hell did you sign a thing like that? That’s just crazy,” Riyad added.

“They’re one of my biggest clients, with a fleet of over two thousand ships. Whenever something goes wrong—and they do often with these ships—they call me.”

Adam leaned over toward Copernicus and motioned with his index finger for the businessman to come a little closer.

“You can’t kid a kidder, Mister Smith. It has to be drugs. Only drug runners maintain such large fleets of beater ships that break down constantly. And they also tend to pay quite well for people to keep their mouths shut. If you’re going to take possession of one of their drug-running ships, they make you responsible for its safe passage. Admit it, Coop. I’m right…right?”

Copernicus bit his bottom lip and nodded. “Damn, Captain Cain, you pretty much nailed it on the head.”

Adam sat back suddenly, nearly toppling over backwards before Copernicus grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “So I was right!” Adam cried out, his voice filling the room. “So why do you think we’d help you recover a drug runner’s ship, along with your complicit crew. I like that word—com…pliss…it.”

“Because you know my repair crew.”

“I’m pretty sure I don’t.”

“Do the names Kaylor Linn Todd and Jym—well, I could never pronounce his last name—jog your memory?”

All three inebriated Humans sat up straighter, if not steadier.

“Kaylor and Jym! They work for you?” Adam exclaimed. “Why the hell would they do that?”

Copernicus frowned. “Why shouldn’t they? They’re two of the best starship repairmen I’ve ever seen, and as you guessed, my clients pay pretty well. Kaylor and Jym share in any overrides I get.”

“And now some local yokels are holding them prisoner, just for towing a ship carrying contraband. There has to be more to the story.”

“There may be, but right now I’m trying to get my client’s ship back before I’m forced out of business.” Copernicus tightened his square jaw. “Will you help, or am I just wasting my time?”

“We’ll help get Kaylor and Jym back, but no guarantees about the drug ship.”

“I told you I don’t know what was aboard. However, fair enough. But be forewarned, Kaylor and Jym were about to make a pretty hefty bonus on this tow and repair. They’re probably going to insist that you include the ship in any deal you cut with the locals.”

“We’ll see about that, but first things first. Let’s hop on over and throw our weight around, then see what happens.”

“Excellent. When can we leave?”

“We?” Adam asked.

“Yep, I’m coming with you. These are my employees and my ships. Besides, only I know where we’re going.”

“Fine, then tomorrow morning. Meet us at the private spaceport next to the golden palace. Eight a.m.…sharp. Be there or be square.” Adam laughed.

“I’ll be there.” Copernicus Smith then surveyed the other three Humans at the table before shaking his head. “I just hope the three of you can make it. Right now I have my doubts.”

Chapter 24

It’s a sure sign you drank too much the night before when you wake up just as drunk as when you went to bed. This was the case with Adam and Riyad.

It was probably the same for Sherri, but the two men couldn’t tell for sure. They spent an inordinate amount of time shouting through her closed bedroom door attempting to get her to join them.

“The two of you can handle this on your own,” she yelled from the other side of the door. “Besides, Kaylor and Jym are more your friends than mine.”

“Jym always liked you,” Adam countered, leaning his throbbing head on the door for support. “C’mon, get ready…we’re going to be late.”

“No way, Jose. I’m staying here. This bed is way too warm and comfortable.”

Riyad tugged at Adam’s sleeve. “Let’s go, my friend. You know how stubborn she can get. Anymore shouting will just make my head explode.”

“Roger that,” Adam said. “Fine, Sherri, you stay here and miss all the fun.”

“My loss…now leave me alone!”

As it turned out, it was closer to nine, rather than eight, before the pair staggered onto the tarmac of the small spaceport near the golden palace. They squinted painfully against the bright morning sun with bloodshot eyes, seeing an impatient-looking Copernicus Smith already there. He had his arms crossed and was tapping his right foot on the ground.

“It’s about time. I was thinking you weren’t coming.”

“We’re here now, so let’s go.”

“You must be joking, right?”

“What do you mean?”

Copernicus stared disbelieving at the hungover pair. “Aren’t you missing something?”

“What do we need?”

“A starship might come in handy.”

That’s when Adam and Riyad began to look around at the empty expanse of the spaceport. “Are we in the right place?’ Adam asked.

Riyad looked around some more. “Pretty sure. There’s the palace over there. This has to be the right place.”

“So where’s the Naj…yo-mamma?”

“What are you two, the Cain and Tarazi Comedy Act? Where’s your goddamn ship, Captain Cain? Captain of nothing, it seems.”

“Tobias!” Adam and Riyad said in unison.

Adam nodded. “That’s right. He probably took it for safekeeping. Let me call him.”

Adam took his portable communicator and opened a link to Andy back at the palace. The admiral came on the screen immediately, even if he didn’t speak right away. When he did: “Damn, Captain, you look like shit! Can you even see through those eyes?”

“Not very well, Admiral.” Adam tried to smile, but all it did was scrunch his face into a mass of frowns and other painful-looking creases. “Eh, sir, you didn’t take the Najmah Fayd anywhere, did you?”

Now the admiral’s face turned rock hard and pink. “Why do you ask?”

“It’s just that we’re at the spaceport…and the ship doesn’t appear to be here.”

“Are you sure?”

Adam took his phone and used it to scan the surrounding area. Then he turned it back to his face. “You see, it doesn’t seem to be here.”

“Who’s that other guy with you?”

“That’s Copernicus Smith. He needs our help to get Kaylor and Jym out of a little local law enforcement problem.”

“Did I hear you right? Copernicus?”

“Yeah, I know. Kinda funny, isn’t it?”

“Fuck you,” a voice in the background was heard to say.

The admiral’s stare turned into laser beams. “You better not be screwing with me, Mister. You mean to tell me that the only trans-dimensional-capable starship in existence…is missing?”

“Don’t worry, sir, Lila probably has it. Took it out on a little test run is all. Let me call her.”

“Captain…don’t you dare cut this li—”

Adam cut it anyway. Then he grinned in Riyad’s direction. “Yeah, Lila has it. Who else?”

Riyad nodded emphatically.

Adam opened the link to his daughter. Her image came on the screen immediately.

“Lila, good morning! Hey, you wouldn’t happen to have the Najmah Fayd with you, would you?”

“Greetings, Father,” spoke the image on the screen. “As you are probably aware, this is a recording I made for you which will explain many things.”

Riyad and Copernicus crowded closer to Adam so they could watch the video as well as hear it. “It’s a recording,” Riyad repeated.

“Shush,” Adam said.

“By now you will have discovered that the Najmah Fayd is gone. I am in possession of the ship and will be using it to meet Panur at his current location. Yes, I know where he is and where he’s keeping J’nae. I have known all along.”

She hesitated as a pained look came over her face. “It is not easy for me to say this, but I will not be returning the starship, nor will I be returning to the Milky Way. It was decided long ago that neither the Sol-Kor nor the Humans—or anyone else for that matter—should have the knowledge of the TD-transit drive, at least not yet. There would be too much risk and temptation among the parties to exploit it for personal gain and advancement. The ship, and all its secrets, will remain hidden until Panur decides otherwise.

“As for the events of the past few weeks, it was decided that I was to use the Najmah Fayd to safely return you, my mother, and the others to the Milky Way. At that point I was to take the ship…and disappear. Leading up to that, I was also instructed to assist you in using the ship and its technology to defeat the Sol-Kor fleet, an event which Panur set in motion during his conversation with Edei Fran while on Silana. I was to suggest to you the strategy, if you did not come upon it yourself.” Lila smiled. “To your credit, you realized the tactic on your own, which gives me much pride.

“Father, you must realize by now that we—meaning Panur, J’nae, and myself—do not belong in your world. We are too much of a disruptive influence. Yet also be assured that J’nae will no longer be a threat. Panur is in the process of re-programming her, and if that fails, he will take other measures he deems necessary. Your universe will be safe from her and all her evil.

“Now, on a sad note…please inform my mother of this recording and its contents. Assure her that I love her very much, and that even mutants are capable of love, intense love. I love you, too, even if you are having difficulty returning the emotion to me in full. I understand. But now I will conclude. It is hard for me to remain stable the longer I record this message. Good-bye father. I love you very much.”

The screen went blank.

“Are you crying?” Copernicus asked sarcastically.

“Fuc—”

“Damn, they were manipulating us all along,” Riyad said, interrupting. He visibly trembled. “Tobias is going to be pissed!”

Adam wiped the stray tears from his bloodshot eyes, nodding. “You got that right. It might be wise for us to make ourselves scarce for a few days, at least until he calms down.” Adam turned to Copernicus Smith. “You have a ship here, don’t you?”

“I do, but it will take us longer to get to Visidor in it.”

“Fine, let’s take it. In this case, the longer the better.”

Epilogue

The Hal’ic had long ago chosen the unnamed world as the location for a remote monitoring station of Sol-Kor activities based on the fact that it was unnamed and uninhabited. It was a harsh and savage rock, barely held together as it was ping-ponged by the gravity from two huge gas giants nearby. None of the planets in the system could sustain Prime life, so it had been passed by for thousands of years, leaving the station undiscovered…and subsequently abandoned.

The facility itself was a large dome-shaped structure hidden in the perpetual shadow of a large impact crater. It had once been manned by a crew of fifteen Hal’ic, but now it had to be expanded to accommodate the hundreds of creatures who would be attending the peace conference.

Temporary inflatable living quarters were erected outside, with short connecting tunnels running to the dome. Food, water, heat, and other amenities were all brought in or enhanced, and eleven days after the initial communication between the leaders of the two warring races, the facility was ready to receive conference attendees.

True to his word, Edei Fran arrived with a full entourage of five hundred twenty-nine other Sol-Kor, including every member of the Applying Council. In orbit were forty-eight beamships, including the vessels that had transported the delegation, plus others for security.

He also brought dozens of High Nosleads who had spent the intervening days studying references across all databases to the policies and procedures surrounding peace talks. The records were thin, but in the end, Edei Fran felt he had a pretty good basis of knowledge with which to proceed.

The Hal’ic, on the other hand, arrived with only fifty-four delegates, with Veritis Estor Jan as their leader.

Edei was upset to learn that the Scribes would not be attending, but he quickly amended his protests when it became obvious what a dominant presence the Sol-Kor had at the remote station. Believing he could easily intimidate his lower-ranking counterpart, he insisted the conference begin as soon as possible.

Estor agreed, and soon the dome was packed with nearly every Sol-Kor in the delegation, creating a steamy, smelly atmosphere for the overworked air purifiers.

“Let us begin,” Edei announced, taking command. “As has been revealed, meetings such as these normally begin with an opening statement from both sides. I will go first.”

He looked to the cameras recording the historic event, taking a moment to send an intense glare at all who were watching live, or who would see it as a recording. These were Sol-Kor controlled lenses, so they took in the grandeur of the delegation seated behind and to the sides of the Callos of the Applying Council. By comparison, the tiny gathering of Hal’ic were confined to four small tables and six rows of seating. Estor Jan sat alone at the lead table.

“I now begin my statement,” said Edei to the camera, not to the Hal’ic representative. “We have agreed to this meeting in order to preserve the population of the Sol-Kor for future benefit of the Colony. This is not be to deemed a surrender or a defeat in any way. It is simply a cessation of hostilities. As the conference proceeds, we will decide the future of this cessation, be it permanent or temporary. We will also discuss any reparations which may be required to help with the reconstruction of the worlds the Hal’ic have ravaged since the beginning of the conflict. This damage has been extensive, and even includes the homeworld of the Sol-Kor. No reciprocal action has taken place on the Hal’ic homeworld, so it is only appropriate that the Hal’ic bear most of the responsibility for helping rebuild the Sol-Kor settleme—”

“The Sol-Kor did harvest my homeworld of nearly ninety percent of its population,” Estor Jan said, interrupting.

“Do not interrupt,” Edei scolded. “You will have an opportunity to make an opening statement very soon. Now with respect to this secret weapon the Hal’ic appear to be in possession of, the Sol-Kor demand that the technology for such a device be disclosed to the Sol-Kor. It provides the Hal’ic with an unfair advantage in any conflict. Therefore, to equalize forces, the Sol-Kor shall have this knowledge as well.

“This is just a brief summary of what will take place at this conference. When I spoke with your leaders—the Scribes—they expressed the desire to have peace with the Sol-Kor, saying they will do all that is necessary to have such peace. The Sol-Kor agree with this desire. We will lay out the terms for such a peace as the conference proceeds, but for now I am done. The Hal’ic representative shall now speak.”

Estor Jan nodded slowly, scanning the delegation of huge, scaly creatures facing him. He had neither datapad nor screen before him, just an empty table with an audio device. He spoke softly as he began.

“I wish to welcome the Sol-Kor delegation to these proceedings. You are correct, Edei Fran, when you say the Scribes expressed an interest in peace with the Sol-Kor. When Scribe Gan Doli said the Hal’ic will do all it takes to assure peace with the Sol-Kor, he meant those words literally.”

“As we would expect,” said Edei Fran.

Estor Jan grinned at the interruption, choosing not to point out the Sol-Kor leader’s hypocrisy. “Continuing…how we achieve that peace may be skewed, depending on which side you represent. The Sol-Kor say they want peace to further preserve their Colony, and that is understandable. The Hal’ic, on the other hand, will find peace—lasting peace—along another path…”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that for a long part of our history the Hal’ic have harbored a great hatred and fear of the Sol-Kor. You came to our world without warning, fought and killed our people, and then spirited away billions to become food for your tables. Sir…you not only killed us…you then ate us.”

“Of course,” said the Sol-Kor leader. “Yet that was very long ago. What does that have to do with these proceedings?”

Again Estor grinned. “It has everything to do with them. Throughout the centuries, the Hal’ic have come to conclude that there can be peace with the Sol-Kor…when there are no more Sol-Kor in existence.”

Edei shook his head dismissively. “The same can be said for the Hal’ic. There is peace when there is no one left to fight.”

Now the grin grew wider. “I am glad we agree on this point. It signifies a bright future for these proceedings. Yet, I do not believe you realize the literal nature of my words.”

“What does that mean, literal nature?”

“It means that what I say is how it will be done.”

“I still do not understand.”

“Then please, let me provide a demonstration.”

From hidden panels set along the perimeter of the dome, dozens of flash-rifle-armed Hal’ic emerged. There was a moment’s hesitation on their part as they awaited instructions.

Edei Fran turned to glare at the Hal’ic representative.

Estor smiled, full-teeth this time. “You see, Edei Fran, there can only be peace with the Sol-Kor…when every last Sol-Kor is dead. This is my opening statement of intent. This peace conference has come to an end.”

The combined light from the flash weapons lit up the impact crater with such intensity as hadn’t been seen since its creation. Meanwhile, hidden cannon placements on the planet’s surface opened up on the unsuspecting orbiting craft. In a matter of seconds it was over. The Sol-Kor Colony was not only without a Queen, it was now without its Applying Council, as well as its most competent senior members.

Yet the war with the Sol-Kor was not over. It would continue, until—as Estor Jan said—every last Sol-Kor was dead.

Then there would be peace.

The End

Look for Book #15 in

The Human Chronicles Saga

The Copernicus Deception

Available July 25, 2016

Pre-Order your copy today at Amazon.com

The Copernicus Deception…

Book #15 of The Human Chronicles Saga

When Adam and Riyad journey to the planet Visidor to help free their alien friends Kaylor and Jym from vindictive local law enforcement, they thought all it would take would be wowing the locals with their celebrity. Unfortunately, not everyone is as impressed with the creatures from Earth as they were expecting.

Now begins a wild adventure involving the most powerful galactic corporations to ever exist—stronger than any so-called empire—along with hordes of angry drug-runners and more, all in a desperate race to discover a secret that will alter the balance of power throughout the Milky Way galaxy—forever.

Add to this a belligerent Juirean military determined to start another war with the Humans, a war that will be far more destructive than any before it.

Seldom are things as simple or as obvious as they first appear. The mysterious Copernicus Smith’s secret—his deception—will determine the fate of thousands of worlds, including Earth.

The Copernicus Deception is pure shoot-em-up space opera adventure, with heroes such as Adam Cain, Riyad Tarazi, Sherri Valentine—and now Copernicus Smith—leading the symphony.

The book is available for Pre-Order through Amazon.com, with a publication date of July 26, 2016. Be sure to order your copy today so you can starting reading this exciting new adventure from T.R. Harris on the day of release.

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Novels by T.R. Harris

The Human Chronicles Saga

The Fringe Worlds

Alien Assassin

The War of Pawns

The Tactics of Revenge

The Legend of Earth

Cain’s Crusaders

The Apex Predator

A Galaxy to Conquer

The Masters of War

Prelude to War

The Unreachable Stars

When Earth Reigned Supreme

A Clash of Aliens

Battlelines

The Copernicus Deception (coming July 26, 2016)

Jason King – Agent to the Stars Series

The Enclaves of Sylox

The Drone Wars Series

Day of the Drone

In collaboration with George Wier…

The Liberation Series

Captains Malicious