Scorched Earth

The Human Chronicles Saga

#16

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. 2/18

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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

Scorched Earth

Alien Games

The Cain Legacy (coming February 28, 2017)

Jason King – Agent to the Stars Series

The Enclaves of Sylox

Treasure of the Galactic Lights

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

 25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

Epilogue

Scorched Earth Campaign

…a military strategy that targets anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area. Specifically, all of the assets that are used or can be used by the enemy are targeted, such as food sources, transportation, communications, industrial resources, and even the people in the area.

The practice can be carried out by the military in enemy territory, or in its own home territory. It may overlap with, but is not the same as, punitive destruction of the enemy's resources, which is done for purely strategic/political reasons rather than strategic/operational reasons.

The most famous use of such a strategy in modern times was the operation carried out by Captain Adam Cain, UMF (et al), in a campaign directed against Juirean forces during the Second Human-Juirean War. Although historians are conflicted as to whether or not the operation was conducted under official sanction, the end results are undisputed. Depending on which side of the conflict is reporting, Captain Cain is considered either a hero or a villain for his command of the operation. Time will be the final arbiter in the matter of Adam Cain….

Prologue

Admiral Andy Tobias peered through the binoculars at the squad of Juirean Guards passing through the wooded shadows not more than fifty feet from where he lay. They moved without concern for noise or cover, confident in their status as the lords of the galaxy. Such an attitude of overconfidence could prove fatal, and if Andy was in a better strategic position, he might have been the one to teach them a lesson.

But his mission was to observe only, and then report back to the others hiding in the cave. After two long months in the cold, dank cavern, it seemed that the forest was now infested with the mane-heads. The Juireans were closing in; it was now only a matter of time.

To delay the inevitable, Andy had sent two of his remaining five military personnel to search for a new hiding place farther up the mountain. They hadn’t returned yet. Even still, the higher they went, the more difficult it would be to find food and warmth in the near-winter of the planet Worak-nin.

Back at the cave, Andy and his eight fellow fugitives had a small remote comm unit, and all the reports they’d picked up spoke of how thoroughly the Juireans were consolidating their presence in the Kidis Frontier. The aliens had annexed the region, and were determined to stay.

Being the pragmatic soldier he was, Andy Tobias prayed that no one would be foolish enough to attempt a rescue of his tiny band from the planet, which was now deep within Juirean territory. It would mean even more loss of life.

Andy’s long-term plan called for him and his team to eventually steal an alien spacecraft and make it back to Union territory on their own. In that case, if they failed only they would be sacrificed.

I can live with that, Andy thought, amused by the irony in the statement. Although he could deal with the consequences, he had others to consider.

Besides the five military personnel under his command, he also had Sherri Valentine and Arieel Bol under his care. Even though the two females—one Human, the other alien—were both skilled and capable in their own right, this was asking far too much of them to continue much longer like this. And then there was the ex-Juirean Overlord Benefis Na, who had turned his back on his people to lead a life of unabashed capitalism in the Frontier. While he might have skills and abilities worth utilizing, so far Andy hadn’t found any. Although at seven feet tall, he did serve as a decent lookout.

The fatal truth was that if they didn’t do something soon, the Juireans would find them, and in Andy’s opinion, it was always better to go out with bang than a whimper.

********

Once the Juireans had passed, Andy extricated himself from his hiding place and began to make his way back to the cave. The aliens had a lot to learn about stealth movement and Andy was confident he could detect anyone along his path. Even so, he took a circuitous route through the forest.

The cave had been a fortuitous find. The entrance was in the upper part of a rock outcropping, making it almost impossible to spot unless you were standing directly below it. When he reached the opening, Andy lifted a small rock and tapped three times lightly, alerting those inside of his return. He waited for the small ladder they’d constructed out of branches and bark-twine to be lowered from the opening.

After a minute—and still no ladder—he knew something was up. He’d left the encampment three hours before; they would be expecting his return.

There were faint echoes coming from the cave, but he couldn’t make out anything with clarity. He tapped again on the rock, hoping those inside were simply engaged in some intense conversation and had failed to hear his signal.

When the ladder refused to appear for a second time he moved to the rock wall. He knew the purchases and footholds, so he could reach the entrance if he had to, even without the ladder. Now he had to. Something wasn’t right.

He took his time, climbing with almost slow-motion precision. When he reached the cave entrance, he slipped inside and scurried into a small alcove on his left. The ladder was there. He pulled an MK-17 from the holster strapped around his waist, preparing for the worst.

The cave curved off to the right, forming a light buffer for the two small electric lamps the team had with them. The voices beyond were soft and intermittent.

Andy moved off in a crouch. At the bend in the rock wall, he did a quick look-see, before returning to cover. His mind’s eye recalled the image. Benefis was there, as were Arieel and Sherri. But his three remaining men lay on the ground, with several smaller creatures standing over them.

These weren’t Juireans. They were the natives of the planet, small, purple-skinned beings with short tails. Andy always assumed the natives would side with the Humans if it came down to a choice between them and the mane-heads. He was wrong.

He gnashed his teeth out of anger and frustration, along with a healthy dose of sadness. His forty years of military experience told him one other important fact from his quick survey: the three motionless men on the ground were dead.

He’d made a tactical error, and he knew exactly what it was. Even though the Juireans were new to Worak-nin, the natives knew their forest intimately. Now the question became: had they discovered the hideout on their own, or were they working with the Juireans?

Andy shuddered. There was no way the passive natives could have killed three of his Human warriors and taken the rest captive, not on their own. There had to be Juireans in the cave—

A burning blast of light struck Andy’s left shoulder. The force of the level-two bolt threw him into the open area beyond the bend, in full sight of the others and their alien guards. To a Human, the bolt was non-lethal, but its scorching pain was disorienting.

Andy let the momentum of the blast roll him over several times, until he came to a rest on his stomach, facing the native guards, flash weapon gripped in his hands. He let loose with two quick bolts, flashes of brilliant plasma that lit up the dim interior like a mid-day sun. Level-two bolts were lethal to the natives, and now—after a quick count—only three remained.

But Andy didn’t get a chance to finish the job. Instead, a huge body fell on him, pressing the air from his lungs. Using his superior Human strength in the light gravity of the planet, he cast off his attacker. Not surprisingly, it was a Juirean, and another was rushing towards him.

Andy lifted his weapon, yet before he could steady his aim, another brilliant flash filled the cavern. This one was much more intense—a level-one—and it hit the admiral in his right thigh. A wave of searing pain swept through him, replaced almost immediately by a strange floating numbness. He knew he was in shock, but he didn’t care. He looked down at his leg. A smooth-edged, crescent-shaped chunk had been taken out, with the heat of the bolt cauterizing the wound instantly. Andy stared at his mangled limb as if it was no longer a part of his body.

He heard female voices in the distance. Falling back on the damp, powdery soil, Andy twisted his head toward the sound.

How sweet, it was Sherri and Arieel. They were on their feet and speaking to him. He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but they seemed very animated with their lilting voices and passionate expressions.

A dark shadow appeared next to him. Andy looked up at the towering figure, where a glowing halo of pale blue surrounded the head and hidden face, backlit by the various lights now dancing within the cave. Then one of the lights caught the face. It was that of an alien, green-tinted and with fine scales for skin. The beast snarled.

“I recognize you. You are Tobias,” said the creature.

Andy’s eyes rolled back in his head as he drifted in and out of consciousness. When his mind allowed it, the numbness faded from his leg, and now it seemed as though his whole body was on fire.

“—Quite well-known,” the gruff voice was saying. “Leader of the military forces for the Union and compatriot of the criminal Adam Cain. I see from your injuries that the myth of Human invincibility is just that, a myth. A simple increase in bolt intensity and you are just as mortal as the rest of us.”

Andy must have passed out again, because when awareness returned, the Juirean was standing over him with a flash weapon aimed at his head. Human eyes met alien eyes, and with his last ounce of savage breath, Andy Tobias managed to grunt, “Get it over with, you rotten alien bastard!”

“As you wish.”

********

The flash filled the cavern with a stark, blinding light. When it faded, there wasn’t much left of the admiral’s head.

The Juirean Overlord turned to the other prisoners. “That was for Regional Overlord Esketon, who died at the hands of a Human. I will be honored for avenging his death.”

Sherri fought through flowing tears to glare at the alien. “All you’ve done is piss us off, you son-of-a-bitch. You would think by now you would have learned.”

“Learned what?”

“That you don’t mess with the Humans…not if you want to live.”

“Your bluster is amusing, Human.”

The traitorous ex-Overlord Benefis Na wobbled where he sat, in a state of near-collapse, bruised and bloody. The first Juireans on the scene had worked him over quite well, taking out their frustrations on the turncoat.

“Are you now going to kill the rest of us?” His trembling voice echoed off the walls of the cave, sounding more like a plea than a question.

The Juirean leader stepped closer to the surviving three prisoners. “No, I will not kill you. I shall, however, send you off to Juir for processing.” He focused his attention on the two females. “Sherri Valentine, you are a well-known terrorist. Undoubtedly, you shall meet your fate in a very public spectacle, designed for the enjoyment of the masses. Arieel Bol, your situation is more complicated. As the leader of the Formilians, you will require a more extensive shaming before being put to death, yet it will happen. You cannot associate with enemies of the Expansion as you have and be granted immunity for your deeds. And as for you, former-Overlord Benefis Na. There are many who will receive great satisfaction in making an example of you before all the Juirean people. Your insane treason cannot go unpunished.”

“Why did you have to kill Andy?” Sherri asked, her voice shaking from both anger and remorse.

“As I said, for revenge.”

“But he didn’t kill your precious Overlord lover…or whatever he was to you.”

“I fail to grasp the meaning of your reference, yet I sense the implied insult. As for your contention that he did not kill Esketon, you are correct. It has been determined that Adam Cain was his killer.”

“Adam’s alive?”

“That is my understanding, yet it matters not. You should feel fortunate that your Admiral Tobias returned to the cave when he did, otherwise I would have killed you in his place.”

“I wish you had.”

“Be assured, Sherri Valentine, in time your wish will be granted.”

********

Lieutenant-Commander Tom Paulson and Sergeant First-Class Travis Morgan watched as the small force of Juireans and natives exited the cave, taking with them Sherri, Arieel and Benefis. Paulson let out a sigh of relief. At least the admiral wasn’t with them. He was probably still out on scouting patrol. Yet what of the other three men in their unit…?

Travis went to move, but Paulson pulled him back into the cover of the brush.

“What the hell are you doing? There’s over a dozen of them.”

“Yeah, but they won’t be expecting us.”

“Don’t be crazy, and that’s an order. We’ll wait for the admiral and then work out a plan. What we have to do now is find out what happened to Stevie and the others?”

The pair slipped deeper into their hiding place as the entourage of aliens moved near them and then off into the forest, guided by the natives, with multiple floodlights lighting their way. Ten minutes later they felt it safe to talk.

“The mane-heads may not even know about us,” Travis said to the officer.

“Let’s hope not. That’ll give us some operating room when the time comes. Let’s get to the cave and see if the comm unit is still there.”

They moved out into the darkness, gaining entrance to the cave by the ladder the Juireans had left.  Once inside, they noticed that the small electric lamps were still on. The comm unit should be around, as well.

That’s when Tom Paulson tripped over the body of Andy Tobias.

Dropping to his knees, Paulson gawked at the bloody, barely recognizable corpse, an incredible sense of loss filling his heart. This was Admiral Andy Tobias, a legend within the military community, not only on Earth, but all across the Union. He was also a friend.

It was a sad and inglorious end to such a magnificent life.

Travis tapped Paulson’s shoulder; he was pointing.

Three more bodies, those of the other members of the admiral’s staff.

Paulson stood, his face a study in stone. He looked around the cave until he spotted the comm unit.

“I want the Union to know about this,” he said to Travis. “And if Adam Cain is alive, I hope to god he learns of it, too.”

“What do you think he’ll do?”

Paulson shrugged. “I can tell you one thing. It won’t be pretty, but it will be effective.”

Adam Cain is an alien with an attitude.

His adventures continue….

Chapter 1

Another day…another war.

With his friends now trapped behind enemy lines, Adam Cain insisted on sitting in on the latest war briefing. It was held in the Union Military HQ building outside Phoenix, in a small conference room, the solitary air conditioning unit blasting with such resolve that Adam wished he’d brought a coat. There were six other officers in the room, all of higher rank, along with three serious-looking civilians.

Admiral Morton Hollingsworth was speaking, referring to a large video screen embedded in the wall. “It seems that as we—the Union forces—were taking the lead in the fight against the Sol-Kor, the Juireans were sitting back and consolidating their forces. The result: a four-to-one numerical advantage for the mane-heads.”

“What about from a firepower standpoint?” asked Rear Admiral Cletus Adame. “The reason we took the lead was because of our superior capabilities.”

“Capabilities that are no longer superior, Admiral,’ Hollingsworth replied. “It seems that no sooner do we make some technological breakthrough in regards to weaponry or propulsion, before the Juireans have it, too. Then they improve upon it incrementally, which is then followed by our acquisition of the new technology from them. Both our R&D divisions are as porous as sieves. There aren’t any secrets anymore, gentlemen. The result is our firepower and technology levels are about on par, with the one glaring exception of the four-to-one advantage they hold in the number of warships. David.” Hollingsworth turned the briefing over to the another full admiral, David Nash.

A new image appeared on the screen. It showed a graphic of the Orion-Cygnus arm of the galaxy, and next to it the minor spar called the Kidis Frontier. There were blue dots all along the border between the two arms, countering red dots on the Kidis side.

“Currently we’re in a defensive standoff, but that’s about to change. The Juireans are funneling more assets into the Frontier, while the best we can do is create an ever-weakening deterrent force on our side. We certainly don’t have the assets to engage in any offensive actions. We estimate that within a month, the Juireans will have consolidated enough units on their side to launch an invasion.”

“It’s even worse than that,” General Dominic Dinesh interjected. The gruff, seventy-four year-old officer was a throwback to the time before military ranks were consolidated, and one of the few to retain the title of General after the changeover. “The Union itself is now in jeopardy. Since we’re barely ten years old, many of our member planets lack any depth of loyalty to the Earth. Now they see the Expansion—an organization over three thousand years old—as having overwhelming military power and territorial dominance. Although none of them have come right out and said it, analysts believe that should an invasion occur, many of our members will bolt to the other side. It could turn into a domino-effect after that, leaving Earth to stand alone against the aliens.”

The room fell silent, as each person in the room searched his experience and reasoning for a silver-lining to what had been revealed so far. None was found, only frustration voiced by Admiral Nash.

“And this is the thanks we get for saving their scaly hides from the Sol-Kor.” A few glanced at Adam, as if to say, Sorry that all your efforts were in vain.

“Excuse me, sirs,” Adam began. Although he was only a lowly Navy captain, he was the most-celebrated military officer on the planet. His words carried weight.

“If we can’t beat the enemy militarily, then that leaves politics and technology. Is there anything that can be done on the diplomatic front?”

“Unfortunately, Captain, for months we’ve been beating our heads against a brick wall, and with no results,” said Hollingsworth. “The Juireans have been planning this war for several years, and it’s ironic, but it was our success against Sol-Kor that accelerated their timetable. After our victories, most of the galaxy began looking to us as the default leader, the most powerful, the empire worthy of their loyalty. The Expansion was disintegrating, while the Union was growing. The Juireans see this war as the only way to save their empire. And a negotiated peace would only highlight their status as a second-class power in the galaxy, at least in their opinion.”

“What about technology? Is there anything we’re working on that will give us a leg up?”

All eyes turned to Admiral Rolf Kushner. He ran the Union’s Military Technology and Development Division. “Of course, Captain, there’s always any number of promising technologies we’re pursuing at any given time, yet none we can put into full production. Not yet. And as Admiral Hollingsworth intimated, it seems that as soon as we come up with something truly revolutionary, the Juireans get it, too. We’re pretty sure it’s not any of us passing this intel along to the Juireans. It has to be all the aliens we have in the division. As Dominic said, many of our member races have a very weak bond with the Union. Individuals can be easily bought.”

“Can the aliens be restricted from the more sensitive labs?” one of the civilians asked.

“Hell, some of them are making the most important contributions. If we cut out all alien involvement, we wouldn’t have nearly the number of breakthroughs we’re having.”

The meeting continued for another hour, as each participant provided a more structured presentation regarding their area of expertise. When the point of exhaustion—and despondency—was reached, Hollingsworth adjourned the meeting, but not before tasking each of them to work on a solution to the crisis, no matter how wild or crazy it might sound. He was to present a plan of action to the President in three days. Everyone was counting on the best military minds in the Union to find a solution, a strategy that would not only save the Union, but the Human race as well.

Adam stayed behind to speak with Hollingsworth alone.

“I want to go after Andy and the others on Worak-nin,” he said.

Hollingsworth’s face went ashen. He shook his head. “I knew this was coming. Son…there’s no easy way to say it, but it’s being reported that Admiral Tobias is dead.”

Adam felt his knees go weak. He fought for the words. “Reported? How reliable?”

“It came from Paulson. He has a short-range comm unit with him. His message was picked up by a passing vessel friendly to our side and relayed back to the Union.”

“When…how?”

“We just got the news two days ago. The Juireans found the group hiding out in the mountains and killed Andy, along with three of this men.”

“And you didn’t tell me! What about the others?”

“Only two of Andy’s team survived, Paulson and Sergeant Morgan.”

“You know what I mean, sir. What about Sherri and Arieel?”

The Admiral hesitated, which only made Adam’s heart race faster and his breath come shorter.

“They’re alive,” the Admiral said, raising his hand. “Paulson tracked them back to Panur’s palace under heavy Juirean guard.”

“And this was two days ago? Are they still there?”

“Unknown. We haven’t had any contact with Commander Paulson since then.”

 “We have to do something—”

“Like what, Captain? You heard the briefing. The Frontier is being locked down tighter than a drum, and the mane-heads are deploying passive detection buoys so they can track every ship that moves. And even if that wasn’t the case, it wouldn’t be you leading the rescue attempt.”

 “And why the hell not…sir?”

“Calm down, Adam. You know why. You’re a symbol for the Human race, as well as the Union. How would it look if you went out and got yourself killed, just when we need our heroes alive and well?”

“I can take care of myself.”

 “Maybe, maybe not. Your last little adventure didn’t end so well. It took a major effort to get you back from the Klin, and that was before the Juireans deployed thousands of additional ships to the region. Any rescue attempt now would be iffy at best.”

“What about using the Mark VII?”

Hollingsworth furrowed his brow and pursed his lips. “I’m not going to ask where you heard about that; I don’t want to know.”

“It’s based on Panur’s trans-dimensional drive,” Adam continued. “With it I’ll be able to pop in and out before the Juireans can do a damn thing to stop me.”

“That ship is experimental, and based more on the original modifications Panur made to the Pegasus than the TD ship. Besides that, it doesn’t work, not reliably. We’ve only been able to make three light-year jumps, and then with an hour recharge between hops. That’s makes it only slighter faster than a K-Drive in a full gravity-well.”

“But it’s stealth.”

“For three light-years. Then you’re sitting there for an hour with your ass hanging out, only able to maneuver on chem drive. It’s a power source problem. So far we haven’t been able to figure out Panur’s energy equations.”

“I could take the ship above the plane and then drop into a less-guarded area of the Frontier. Even if the Juireans do detect the ship, I’ll be gone long before they can get to me.”

“Admit it, after a few jumps they’ll know exactly where you’re headed.” Hollingsworth shook his head again, this time more emphatically. “Sorry, Captain, but it’s too risky. And what if the ship falls into Juirean hands? It’s a miracle we’ve been able to keep it a secret this long.” Hollingsworth snorted. “That’s probably because the damn thing doesn’t work! No…a rescue attempt with the Mark VII is off the table. Maybe another team with another ship.”

“But Admiral—”

“If you want me to make it official, Captain, you got it: Permission denied! Is that clear enough for you?”

“I could go to—”

“To whom? The President? Good luck with that. Now that he has you back from the Sol-Kor universe, he’s nervous as a cat every time you even get behind the wheel of a car. He needs your fame, Adam. He needs you out there as a symbol of Human ability and determination. Like it or not, you’re the personification of Superman to most of the galaxy. It wouldn’t be good press if Clark Kent went and got himself killed, now would it? Like I said, I’ll consider a rescue mission. But not with you—or Riyad, for that matter—and not in the Mark VII…which for the record, doesn’t exist.”

Adam’s shoulders slumped. What could he do? He couldn’t let Sherri and Arieel end up like Andy.

Hollingsworth placed a hand on his shoulder. “Adam, you’ve had one hell of a past twenty years. You’ve saved the planet and the galaxy more times than Captain Kirk, and helped make the Union what it is today. Isn’t that enough for one lifetime? Let the rest of us take over from here. Take my advice: Relax, and let the President parade you around as a symbol of Human superiority. Bask in the glory, son. You deserve it.”

“And Sherri and Arieel?”

“Let me worry about that. I’m not going to forget about them.”

Adam smiled wryly. “Yessir. Sounds like a plan. I just have to get my Superman cape back from the dry cleaners.”

Hollingsworth wasn’t buying Adam’s sudden change of heart. “I know you’re being sarcastic, but I’m serious, Captain. Don’t let me find you sneaking around behind my back. The President will let me do what’s necessary if it means keeping you alive and well on good ol’ Mother Earth.”

Adam saluted the Admiral before spinning on his heel and leaving the room. He was in a hurry. He had to talk with Riyad.

There was no time to lose.

Chapter 2

“What the hell is a Mark VII anyway?” Riyad asked. He and Adam were slinking along a shadowed wall of an isolated hangar on the vast testing grounds of the Union Technology and Development Division. It was a little past midnight on the night of the war briefing. Adam was in full uniform, just in case.

“It’s like the Mark IV we had, only more advanced. Ever since Panur made his changes to the Pegasus, T&D have been trying to duplicate the feat.”

“And they’ve done it?”

“Not completely…shush, we’re coming up on the sentries.”

Adam came around the corner of the building with his chest pumped out and walking with purpose. The two guards at the hangar door jumped to attention and saluted. Even if the set of four gold bars on his shoulder boards weren’t enough, they recognized Adam immediately.

“Captain Cain!” one of the E-5s stammered. “Good evening, sir. What can we do for you?”

“Mr. Tarazi and I need access to the hangar. Please open the door.”

The other guard was frantically scrolling through his datapad. “Sir, I don’t see your name on the authorization list. Either of your names.”

“Of course you wouldn’t, sergeant. Datapads can be hacked. Our schedules are not to be broadcast. Now open the door.”

“But sir—”

Adam smiled. “Sergeant, are you trying to tell me that I’m not allowed inside? What do you think I’m going to do, steal the Mark VII.” The two guards looked at each other. “That’s right. How would I even know about the ’Seven if I’m not authorized to enter the hangar?”

“I’ll have to make a call—”

“And wake up a junior officer who doesn’t have the clearance to know about our orders? Do you think every officer is privy to such classified information?”

“C’mon, Bill, it’s Captain Cain.”

The first guard looked at the second. He hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Of course, sir.” He grinned. “I’m sure there aren’t very many places you can’t go,” he said with a nervous laugh.

The other guard had already tapped in the security code for the door. Adam walked through the doorway while Riyad grasped the enlisted man’s shoulder. “We’ll only be a minute. And hush-hush, sergeant. Top secret stuff. You understand?”

“Yessir, Mr. Tarazi. And I’d like to say it’s an honor to meet the two of you.”

Riyad smiled, flashing his impossibly white teeth at the guards. Then he winked.

“Hurry up, Mister Tarazi, we don’t have all night,” Adam said impatiently.

Once they were inside the hangar, Adam shut the door and locked it. Through his brain interface device, he activated the lights in the hangar. Even manufacturers on Earth were now using Formilian circuit controllers, which gave him control over more than just the lights.

Fluorescent lamps in the ceiling popped on, quickly heating up to full strength, giving time for their eyes to adjust. The room was large and dominated by a sleek, silver-hulled starship. The craft looked very traditional, almost like a sleek jet fighter, but on a much larger scale. It was three hundred feet long by seventy wide, with a sloping forward section dominated by a pair of rectangular viewports. The fuselage widened closer to the aft section until it reached a pair of short matching wings radiating out on each side, with an oblong power generator attached to the ends. There was also a series of gangly-looking tubes strapped to the hull, looking out of place. They ringed the center section of the ship, held there by thick, black cables.

They could also see several recessed ports lining the hull in a number of locations, as well as on the tips of the wing generators pods. Adam had read some of the specs. The ship possessed both energy and ballistic armament, and quite a few of them by the looks of things. There was also an experimental type of torpedo onboard, one which was capable of utilizing a form of trans-dimensional propulsion, if the power supply problem could be solved.

The main entrance hatch opened on Adam’s mental command and the interior lights snapped on.

The two men entered a sizeable airlock, which wasn’t in use on the surface but would come in handy in space. Beyond the next doorway, they entered a spacious central common room, more spacious than other starship layouts since it served multiple functions, such as dining, a lounge and auxiliary control, all without the need for dividing walls. The bridge was to the right, while the passageway leading to the engine room was lined with long tubes along each bulkhead, forward and aft. These were auxiliary energy generators, like those strapped to the exterior of the ship. With the incredible energy draw the jump-drive demanded, the ship’s designers had to use every square inch of available space. There were two small staterooms aft.

There weren’t a lot of creature comforts aboard the Mark VII. This was a prototype, and clearly a work-in-progress.

Adam and Riyad proceeded aft to the main engine room. Another hatchway beyond led to the service bay, which contained a small, six-person shuttle. Again, nothing fancy.

“So what makes this ship so special?” Riyad asked. “I know it’s similar to Panur’s first version of the enhanced Pegasus, but obviously without any style.”

“The geeks know the technology works, but they haven’t been able to fully power the modules yet. That’s why both the interior and exterior is full of extra generators. That also makes the damn thing incredibly heavy, which then requires even more energy for non-gravity transits. My friend in T&D—who shall remain anonymous—said they’ve been pulling their hair out trying to make it work. It’s a case of damned if they do, damned if they don’t. Attaching a dozen exterior generators to the ship in order for the drive to function makes the ship too heavy to lift off the ground.”

Riyad leaned against a huge round generator module and crossed his arms. “So, my friend, why are we here? I thought we were going to rescue Sherri and Arieel.”

“I have an idea. Pogo!”

Riyad frowned, confused.

On a nearby control console, a pale green orb materialized.

“Pogo? You named it Pogo?”

“Yeah, just seemed right. It keeps bouncing around like a pogo-stick.”

I know from your thoughts you actually named me after a cartoon possum.

Now Adam frowned as the object spoke in his mind.

Riyad moved closer to the tiny, four-and-a-half-inch diameter metal globe, covered in strange hieroglyphic markings. “I know…Pogo is supposed to be some kind of ancient power generator, so is that your plan?”

“It’s worth a try.”

Adam reached out with his ATD to communicate with the three-billion-year-old alien-created personal service module he’d brought to Earth after his last adventure.

Do you understand the dilemma? he asked the object. It could only communicate telepathically—and Adam was the only person in the galaxy who had an embedded Formilian artificial telepathy device linked to his brain.

Yes, Adam. I’m scanning the nearby units. They are really quite primitive.

Save the editorializing for later, my friend. Can you link with them or not?

Not the actual engines, yet I can access the main battery packs.

Can you add power to them…or whatever it is you do?

Yes. I can supply the packs with near-instant energy, although the composition of my resources are slightly different than used here.

“What’s he saying?’ Riyad asked, growing impatient with Adam’s silent staring at the orb.

“He said he can recharge the batteries, but can’t power the engines directly.”

“Is that good or bad?”

“I don’t know.”

Pogo, what does this mean for the operation of the ship?

The vessel will be able to perform as designed, and the recharge times will be shortened considerably.

By how much?

Hard to know for sure, not without direct experimentation. However, my scan indicates that as of now, after a full draining of the batteries, a one hour, four minute recharged would be required, based on your Human time scale. With my input, I can decrease that to two minutes.

Adam’s eyes widened. He looked up at an anxious Riyad. “Two minutes between recharges!”

“And that means what…exactly?”

“A two minute recycle time between each three light-year jump.”

Riyad blinked. “That’s barely enough time to get our bearings. It’s also something like ninety light-years per hour. That’s fast.” Adam could see the glimmer in his friend’s eyes. The mission was shaping up.

“Okay, this is what we’ll do,” Adam said, his voice trembling with excitement. “We need weapons and supplies. I’m sure the ship doesn’t carry any long-term provisions or armaments onboard, being an experimental craft. So let’s stock up and be ready to move out tomorrow night.” His face turned solemn. “They’re not going to let us out of here without a fight. We may have to bust a few heads along the way.”

Riyad flashed his trademark smile. “That never bothered me in the past. Don’t know why it would now?”

“Pogo, stay here and learn all you can about the onboard systems,” he said to the orb aloud. It could hear others talk, even as it could only communicate telepathically with Adam.

Yes, Captain Cain, as you command.

********

Adam and Riyad left the ship.

“Let’s pray the sentries don’t tell anyone we were here,” Riyad said. “That could tip off Hollingsworth about our plans.”

“I get the feeling he already has his suspicions. Dammit, I should never have told him I knew about the Mark VII.”

“To head him off, I suggest that later today you do  something to convince him you’ve put any ideas of a rescue out of your mind.”

“Like what?”

Riyad raised his left hand. With his fingers cupped together he twisted his wrist back and forth. “If you’re going to be paraded around the Union, you could show him how you’ve been practicing your Queen’s Wave.”

“Asshole. Let’s get going. There’s still a lot of real work to be done before we go rescue our damsels in distress.”

********

As soon as he opened the exterior door to the hangar, Adam was blinded by an assault of light from multiple sources. Squinting through the glare, he saw at least twenty armed soldiers, with lights attached to their weapons, and all the barrels aimed at them.

A backlit figure approached. “I knew you’d try something stupid like this,” said Admiral Mort Hollingsworth. He motioned for this men to lower their weapons. “There you have it. That was your one and only get-out-of-jail-free card, just to let you know you’re being watched. Next time I won’t let you off so easy.”

Riyad sighed and leaned against the corrugated metal wall of the hangar, defeated.

Adam wasn’t so compliant.

“I’m sorry, Holly, but this is one order I can’t follow.”

Just then, all the lights on the soldier’s weapons, as well as those illuminating the exterior of the hangar, suddenly winked out. On such a moonless night, the area was cast into near total darkness, with only the glow from the distant headquarters complex defining the landscape.

“Cain, what the hell are you doing?” Hollingsworth cried out.

But Adam was already on the move. He ducked back into the hangar, pulling Riyad in by the shirtsleeves after him. He slammed the metal door shut and activated the electronic lock with his mind.

“That won’t keep them out,” Riyad yelled.

“I reset the locking code.”

“To what?”

“Six zeros, it’s the only thing I could think of at the moment.”

The lights in the hangar popped on again as they sprinted for the entrance to the Mark VII starship.

“What now?” Riyad queried. “They’ll have a thousand troops outside in a matter of minutes. There’s no way they’ll let us take this thing out onto the tarmac, even if we could get it moving.”

Adam stopped at the hatchway and pointed up. “The roof rolls away. We’re not going out…we’re going up!”

Pogo, can you get the generators operating?

I’ve been monitoring events. Perhaps you should have asked that question before you set out on this particular course of action?

Can you or can’t you?

Yes, already charging. Adequate power for liftoff in twenty-three seconds.

Great. We’re heading for the bridge.

The hum of spinning-up electronics was heard throughout the ship as Adam and Riyad dashed onto the bridge. With so much interior space taken up with generators and battery banks, the ship was only designed to carry a crew of three, including a pilot, co-pilot and test monitor. Adam and Riyad slipped into the control seats and strapped in. Thanks to Adam’s ATD, screens were already lit with data streaming across. A dial on the left side of the pilot’s panel was building to one-hundred, an indication of full power.

“I thought you said this thing was too heavy to fly?” Riyad pointed out.

“That’s to get it to full capacity, and we won’t need the weight of the extra generators strapped on the hull, not with Pogo aboard.” Adam scanned his control board until he found what he was looking for. He activated the switch.

A prolonged series of loud, echoing clanks and clunks was heard coming from outside the ship.

“I assume that’s the sound of the external generators being jettisoned?”

“Like I said, we don’t need them…I hope. I’m opening the upper hangar doors.”

Using his ATD, Adam located the overhead door controls. Riyad switched his screen to a top view and watched as the huge panels separated along a centerline. The gaping black opening grew wider, beaming the light from the interior of the hangar into the sky above. A few stray clouds made their presence known in the phantom light from below.

When the charge indicator topped out, Adam ignited the chemical liftoff jets.

The Mark VII had only ever been launched by first moving it through wide side panel doors and onto the vast concrete pad outside. The hangar was never designed to accommodate a vertical liftoff. By lighting off the jets in such an enclosed space, the effect was much more impressive than an outside launch. Quite a bit so.

The side walls bulged out, as fire and white smoke slammed against them, before being vented upward and through the now-open roof of the hangar. Bright torrents of roiling flame and gas shot skyward, joined a moment later by the ghostly shape of a starship moving within the fiery cloud. The ship gained altitude quickly, while trailing even more fire and brimstone below. At five thousand feet, Adam tilted the nose to a radical angle toward the heavens and applied full chem power.

The image on the screen now showed the hangar as a prominent beacon of light far below within the vastness of the blackened landing field. The dot of light grew smaller, even as the brilliant glow of the city of Phoenix to the north came into view. But it, too, soon turned to just a white smudge on the dark globe below.

Once clear of the atmosphere, Adam activated the first gravity jump without knowing exactly to where. Instantly the view on the screens changed to that of an eerie greenish glow with faint streaks of white and blue forming the walls of a poorly-defined circle. The image only lasted a few seconds before normal space popped back into view. A low-pitched hum cycled down, then there was silence.

Riyad tapped the keys on his console. “According to the star positions, we’re two-point-nine-four light-years from Earth. Not quite the three the salesman said she’d do, but close enough.”

“Anyone around?”

“No one close, just a few faint signatures near the edge of the screen.”

“Which way to Worak-nin?”

Riyad checked his screen. “Back the other way. Distance, sixty-two hundred  light-years, give or take a light-year. You know, I’m no mathematical genius, but that’s still around two thousand seventy jumps. With two minutes between each jump we’re looking at around three days to get there.”

“You figured that out in your head? Maybe you are a mathematical genius.”

Riyad flashed a smile.

“Still beats the old transit time of around a month,” Adam continued. “Plot-in the course.”

“What about provisions…and weapons?”

“Yeah, about that, we may have to make a stop along the way. We’ll see how things go.” He unbuckled his safety harness. “I’m going back to see what Pogo has learned about the ship.” He looked at the chronometer on the wall. “New jump coming up. Set it on auto. We’ve got quite a ways to go.”

“Yessir, Captain Cain, sir.” Riyad saluted.

Slipping from the pilot seat, Adam returned the salute, however, his was of the one-finger variety.

Chapter 3

Adam was surprised by what Pogo had already learned about the Mark VII. First, it did carry a decent-size compliment of armaments, as well as enough provisions to last a crew of three for a month. The reason—as it turned out—was the ship was being prepped for a full dynamic test, using the cluster of extra generators that had been strapped to the exterior. Researchers wanted to see how the ship would function with a full load.

When Adam dumped the exterior generators, the ship’s weight was lessened considerably, allowing for an uneventful liftoff from Earth’s surface. Then with Pogo’s energy contribution to the batteries, the ship was able to make jump after jump—three light-years at a time—with minimal recharge time between, and without the need for the additional generators. It was a win-win all around.

Seventeen hours into the trip, all that changed.

Adam, we have a problem, Pogo’s ethereal voice echoed in his mind.

He and Riyad were in the small galley, preparing a bland meal of spaghetti-like mush. The ship’s food processor wasn’t the best, just something with comparable weight and able to keep the test crew from starving.

What is it? Adam asked mentally, his gut tensing. The ancient orb didn’t engage in idle conversation.

My energy inputs are having a degrading effect on the battery components. The subtle difference in wavelengths is the cause.

How bad is it?

I’ve noticed it early enough to prevent the batteries from failing completely. But soon the ship will require a new battery bank along with a four-hour initial charging boost using conventional power. I can regulate future power inputs to prevent this from happening again—at least the requirement for replacements. Yet periodically we will need full recharges with conventional energy timed at several hours each.

How much time do we have left on the existing batteries?

Two hours of jump times, approximately one hundred eighty light-years.

Okay, give us some time to see what we can come up with.

You have two hours if we continue with the same jump schedule.

“Problem,” Adam announced aloud. He repeated to Riyad what Pogo had just told him.

“That’s what we get for stealing a prototype,” Riyad said.

The two men hurried to the bridge with bowls of steaming mush in their hands.

Their current location placed them just on the Kidis Frontier side of the border, which according to the Juireans, was now Expansion territory. This area sitting between the two galactic empires would the most-saturated with passive detectors, and having already perforated local space with a series of pop-ins and pop-outs, it was a good bet the Juireans were already tracking these disturbances, even if they didn’t know what they were.

“I have no idea what’s around here,” Adam complained. “And who knows where we’re going to find a new battery bank for an experimental starship of Human design.”

Riyad’s forehead was creased with worry lines. “Not much out here, from what I can see. We’re in the void area between arms of the galaxy. However, if we do find any settlements out here, it’s a good bet they should have a fully-stocked starship parts store. They’d be like an oasis in space and quite popular.”

“By the way, you got any money on you?” Adam asked.

Riyad withdrew his wallet. “Twenty-seven dollars. Any idea what the exchange rate is out here?”

“Not enough, that’s for sure. Hey…what this?”

Riyad leaned in close to Adam’s screen. “Bingo! Looks like a small support colony about twelve light-years from here.”

“Yeah, and sitting on a single lump of rock out in the middle of nowhere. It’s registered under the authority of the Tigans, whoever they are. Let’s check it out.”

“And the money situation?”

Adam smiled. “I do have my American Express Gold Galaxy card with me.”

“The one backed by an M-101 assault rifle?”

“That’s the one. Never leave home without it.”

********

Twelve light-years was only four jumps and less than ten minutes from their present location, yet rather than pop in close to the station, Adam dumped out of the jump half a light-year away and approached under a conventional gravity-well of modest depth. He didn’t want to attract any undue attention.

Support colonies were like truck stops in space, eking out a rough and tumble existence by catering to the needs of star travelers traversing wide stretches of void space. Most were huge space stations, while others took advantage of large asteroids or stray planetoids. The majority of commercial starcraft weren’t equipped to go more than a few thousand light-years without refueling and provisioning, making these stations vital to interstellar travel and commerce. The prices were astronomical, but desperate people were willing to pay the cost for not planning well enough in advance to fill-up at a more competitive gas station.

Adam was in the desperate category. He also had no money, which made the saying he’d kill for a new bank of batteries more literal than figurative. It may very well come down to that. After all, Sherri and Arieel were worth a few dead aliens. Maybe more than a few.

The settlement was on a rogue rock about half the size of the moon, and it was obvious from first glance that the Tigans had been there for a very long time. As the only piece of solid ground for three hundred light-years, the colony’s operators had taken advantage of nearly every level square foot of the surface, covering it over with a complicated spider-web-like network of rust-colored plasti-steel canopies and connecting tubes, dotted with thousands of rectangular windows, most covered in a thick layer of obscuring dust.

A survey map of the settlement came up on Adam’s screen, providing more information about the colony. There was a permanent population of around ten thousand individuals, serving the needs of approximately three thousand starships per standard Juirean year. The one feature that caught Adam’s attention, however, was the mention of an underground gravity-grid.

He’d heard of this being done before, but not on something this small. Buried generators produced a series of regulated singularities in huge chambers carved out below surface, creating a supplement to the planetoid’s own feeble gravity field. Adam knew this type of technology didn’t come cheap, but it would provide them with gravity similar to Juirean-standard or about three-quarters that of Earth.

“Heads up, Mister Cain—we have Juireans.”

Adam glanced at Riyad’s real-time view of the colony. There were several ships in stationary orbit above the main part of the settlement, among them a couple of Class-4 Juirean cruisers. The long-range video also showed a dozen or more Class-2’s and -3’s in port at the three surface landing fields visible from this angle. Undoubtedly, there would be more on the other side.

“Shit!” Adam growled.

“Luckily we took a detour from our projected path to Worak-nin,” Riyad said. “Maybe they won’t associate us with the mystery signal that’s been popping in and out of their space.”

“We’re still two Humans in a Human-designed starship.”

“Well, maybe it’s time to let the aliens know who’s boss, Captain Cain,” Riyad said with an evil-looking grin.

Adam sighed. “Yep, you’re right. Nothing subtle; it never is. I’ll have Pogo keep what’s left of our battery banks charged and ready. When we get what we’re after, we’ll pop out of here, leaving the mane-heads with one finger up their noses and another up their butts, wondering what just happened.”

“You paint such graphic images with your colorful American way of saying things.”

Adam smiled. “Gear up, buddy. We’re going in.”

********

Three suits of battle armor were found hanging in a locker within the Mark VII’s service bay. There was also a compartment with a wide assortment of projectile and flash weaponry. Ammo for the Human weapons could be an issue. They only had twenty-five thousand rounds of standard caliber. There were a lot more than twenty-five thousand Juireans in the galaxy, but that would be a good start.

The Mark VII was a one-of-a-kind starship, so it wouldn’t be registered in any Library database, either in the Union or the Expansion. Adam was counting on this fact to give them enough time to land on the surface and locate a new battery bank before the ship could be identified as being of Human origin.

Clearance for landing wasn’t necessary, not at a supply colony. But they were guided to a landing pad by an automated system and a snake-like umbilical tube mated with the Mark VII’s main exterior hatch. Once pressure was equalized, the armed and armored Humans moved through the passageway and into the main section of the settlement.

Juireans might have been able to recognize the armor as being that of Union forces, but not the bulk of the colony’s occupants, or if they could they didn’t let on. The interior was crowded, far beyond what the Library brief had indicated about the colony. Through his helmet lens, Adam scanned the menagerie of alien species filling a huge central courtyard, wondering if the increased population came from refugees seeking shelter and protection against the coming conflict. Even though war had been declared between the Expansion and the Union, no major battles had yet to take place. That was about to change, and apparently these creatures knew it.

Adam and Riyad were two of the smaller beings in the chamber. This was common for heavy-worlders, whereas species evolving in light gravity grew to heights of ten feet or more. To the Human’s relief, the combination of artificial and native gravity was still less than they were used to. They would have an advantage here, if—and when—the time came.

“You see anything like an energy supply store?” Riyad asked through his internal comm.

“Let me scan through my ATD,” Adam replied. “I should be able to spot any concentrations of batteries or another power sources.”

The planet Formil—where Adam had acquired his brain-interface implant—was the galaxy’s premier supplier of electrical components and control modules. This was especially true in the Expansion, where the Formilians had been leading the way in scientific technology for over two thousand years. Recently, they’d been making inroads into the Union as well, at least until this new war broke out.

Arieel Bol, Adam’s former lover and mother to his mutant-genius daughter, Lila, was the leader of the planet. Or she had been at one time. She was the last in a long line of hereditary female religious rulers called Speakers, who through their own brain-interface implants, were supposedly able to communicate with their Gods, two of which represented the polar opposites of positive and negative within the electromagnetic realm of universal forces.

It had all been bullshit, of course. What the masses on the planet took as supernatural abilities were nothing more than manipulations of modules and static electricity through the brain interface, what Adam called his artificial telepathy device, or ATD. It was true; he could communicate telepathically with other creatures with similar implants. Fortunately—or unfortunately—he was the only person in the galaxy who currently had such a device.

However, his ATD did allow him to communicate with the three-billion-year-old personal service module he’d named Pogo. The pale green orb was a remnant of an ancient race of beings who had evolved to a state of almost pure energy and exceptional mental capacity. As Pogo explained, the Aris—as they were called—still had bodies, yet they weren’t required to communicate or to travel mentally throughout the universe. Pogo had been the personal property of one of the last remaining Aris, feeding energy to the being much like one would feed a Human baby. He also assisted with certain physical manipulations the Aris were unable to accomplish on their own.

Adam was amazed by the tiny orb’s intelligence, as well as its ability to teleport for distances of up to a hundred feet. Even though it was of a design and technology light-years ahead of anything currently existing in the Milky Way, Adam got the impression that to the Aris, Pogo was nothing more than a toy or a snack cart, called upon when they needed a quick pick-me-up of pure energy.

Adam now used his Formilian brain-interface device to scan the local surroundings at the Tigan truck stop, looking for any concentrations of energy. The place was filled with literally hundreds of sources, from air circulators and flash weapons to three-foot-square cold-fusion reactors that powered most of the colony. He began to press through the crowd, continuing his search, with Riyad trailing behind, serving as Adam’s eyes against unknown threats.

There was a fair number of Juireans in the crowd, yet they didn’t move with the same nervous desperation as most of the others. They had always been cocky SOB’s, and now with an overwhelming numerical superiority in warships compared to the Union, this air of confidence and invincibility filtered all the way down to the lowly green-haired Guard rank. They were masters of the universe, and once again were about to prove it to the galaxy.

“Got it!” Adam announced. “Huge signature, about a hundred yards to our right.”

Riyad looked around. “The battery bank is going to be heavy, even here. We’ll have to take it out on a cart. Do you see a shorter route back to the ship?”

Adam scanned the area. “Doesn’t look like it, not unless we puncture the exterior wall and hoof it outside.”

“Not something I would prefer, but if necessary our suits will provide us with protection.”

“Let’s see what we’re up against first. Follow me.”

********

Most of the shops lining the huge rectangular center of the service colony had alien guards representing a variety of species posted at their doors. Not so the battery store. They carried products that weren’t easily transported, making shoplifting a non-issue.

The two Humans entered, and were barely acknowledged by the four creatures working the store. This seemed odd since no other customers were in the shop at the time. Adam walked up to the counter.

“We need an A-33 battery bank, charged if possible.”

The clerk was a scaly, yellow-skinned creature standing about six feet tall and about the same in width. He was of the two-armed variety of alien, yet only had three stubby fingers and a thumb on his smallish hands.

Without looking up from his datapad, he shouted. “Do we have any A-33’s?”

No one answered back immediately, prompting Adam to say, “We’re in a hurry, if you don’t mind?”

Now the creature looked up. He took a moment to scan the black armor and peer as best he could through the tinted visor. “What are you?”

“Does it matter? We just need a new battery bank. Do you have one?”

“Donic!”

“No,” came the reply. “But we have two A-20’s.”

The clerk looked at Adam. “Link them together and you have more energy than an A-33. Combined, they are about the same size.”

“Are they charged?”

“Are they charged?” the creature yelled.

“Partially. Enough to initiate a generator spin.”

“We’ll take them,” Adam said.

The creature looked hard at the Human. “Do you not wish to know the cost?”

“Sure…how much are they?”

Stubby fingers punched keys on the datapad. “Nineteen thousand Juirean credits.”

“Nineteen thousand!” Riyad said, speaking for the first time. “Standard thirties only cost around nine.”

“Not here. The price is nineteen thousand, no negotiation.”

“All right, we’ll take them.”

“Credits?”

“Bring them out first; I wish to inspect them,” Adam demanded.

The alien looked confused. “They are battery banks,” he said. “What is there to inspect?”

“They’re not A-33’s. I wish to check the configuration.”

The clerk waddled away and returned three minutes later pushing a four-wheeled cart with two, eight-foot long black boxes on top. The containers measured three feet on each side with the ends a maze of connecting wires.

Adam stepped up to the cart. “Formilian?” he asked.

“What other kind is there…Human?” the clerk snickered. “Now payment.”

“You’ll get paid when they’re delivered to our ship.”

The fat jowls of the yellow beast bobbled. “That is not how it is done here. Pay first, delivery second.”

Adam turned to Riyad. “Time to pay up.”

“I suppose so.”

Human battle armor consists of hidden compartments along the thighs of each leg where compact M-101 Triple-C’s assault rifles are stored. The Consolidated Close-Combat weapon was a compact amalgamation of nearly every component available, lightweight and with short, suppressed barrels. They carried composite-jacketed .45-caliber ballistic rounds, as well as a powerful plasma bolt launcher. There was an M-4 grenade launcher below the thin, ten-inch high body, along with a pencil-laser and built-in night-vision scope. The weapons were concealed in the leg compartments so they could be carried anonymously within crowds without causing panic.

Now Adam and Riyad activated release panels and the weapons popped out on articulated arms.

The M-101’s were up and aimed at the clerk and the rest of the workers in a flash. The clerk eyed the weapons, first with concern and then with curiosity.

“You are robbing us…of battery banks?” His voice was incredulous.

“That’s right,” Adam replied. “We’re desperate, and we need the battery packs, in fact more than I care if you live or die.”

“That is a rather rude statement.”

“Riyad, do the honors.”

Tarazi moved behind the cart and began to guide it toward the exit. That was when two of the other clerks got the courage up to try and stop him.

The clerks were of the same fat, yellow variety as the main alien—Tigans more than likely—and Riyad was surprised at how fast they were in the combined gravity of the station. The pair struck from behind, grabbing Riyad by his arms. He spun around, breaking their weak holds while lifting the M-101 to firing level. He shoved the barrel against the chest of one of the attackers. “Don’t press your luck.”

“On your left!” Adam yelled. The fourth clerk had just produced an MK-17 flash weapon. Both Humans shifted the aim of the weapons, followed by a series of muffled puffs from the muzzled barrels. The clerk literally exploded, releasing a shower of yellow and red mucus as if a giant water balloon had just burst.

The store was in chaos, as the other three clerks scrambled for their own flash weapons. Riyad swept his rifle fire along a level plane, cutting two of the Tigans in half.

Only the main clerk remained, and Adam turned to see him exposing an MK from behind the counter. Adam reached out with his left arm and took the creature by the neck. Even as round and fat as the alien was, Adam easily hoisted him over the counter and tossed him to the floor.

“Don’t bother with a receipt,” Adam said, mere moments before a blast of hot lead caused the rotund head of the alien to disappear.

Sloshing through alien innards and blood, Adam lead the way out of the store, with Riyad pushing the cart with the bulky power modules behind him. Even though their assault rifles carried suppressors, the sound of shouts and gunshots still carried into the area directly outside the store. With the crowded state of the station, plenty of creatures heard the disturbance and stopped to look inside. Now they panicked, fleeing from the horrific scene while squealing in a variety of alien languages.

Adam turned left outside the store and rushed toward the main central courtyard. Access to the landing field was just beyond the huge square.

A hundred feet or so beyond the battery store, the crowd was still frantic, although most of the fleeing creatures had no idea why. All they were doing was going with the flow of others running from some unknown threat. The Humans mingled with the crowd as best they could—while pushing a cart with two eight-foot long metal boxes on it—which served as an effective battering ram against the slower pedestrian traffic in their path.

The colony had its own security force, which not surprisingly, wasn’t made up of the fat, yellow-skinned Tigans. Like most places in the Kidis Frontier, nasty creatures of every variety came to the region seeking employment as enforcers, bodyguards, mercenaries…and security guards. Adam and Riyad were soon confronted by a United-Nations-like assortment of aliens, all armed and with radioed-in descriptions of the perpetrators.

The first contingent was made up of five guards. By the time they spotted the black-armored Humans, it was too late. Sure, Adam could have used his ATD to shut down the alien’s flash weapons rather than cut them apart as he did with his M-101. But that would had taken time and concentration. Besides, there was far too many flash weapons in the courtyard for him to reach out and negate each one of them individually. He had his trusty assault rifle, and it was a more-comforting presence in his arms than playing tricks with his mind.

His firing also produced even more covering panic in the crowd.

Three Juireans were being hustled about in the courtyard along with the other aliens. They stood nearly eight feet tall with their magnificent manes of colored hair and could see over most of the commotion. Adam saw the trio moments before they saw him. Taking aim while on the run, he sighted the rifle on the alien’s green bouffant hair styles and fingered the trigger. Heads exploded in a spray of red.

Adam smiled. It had been a while since he’d killed a Juirean. It felt good.

The pair of Humans—along with their over-sized cargo—were now through the courtyard and at the starship service tubes.

“Hold!” a booming voice called out from behind them.

Riyad spun the cart around, and the ends of the two long battery banks smashed against a line of three Juireans who had moved up behind him. The aliens tumbled, while four more took aim with their MK’s.

The room erupted in a blaze of light as plasma weapons discharged. Adam and Riyad dove for the deck, landing on their stomachs with assault rifles extended out in front of them. The flash of the alien weapons was soon overshadowed on the hail of lead streaming from the 101’s at ankle level. Several Juireans fell, their feet cut out from under them, only to be met with more bullets as they lay writhing on the floor.

Adam and Riyad stood and scanned the area. There were a dozen or so other aliens—non-Juireans—in the area, each with flash weapons in their hands. They were careful not to aim them at the pair of black armored killers; instead they stared at the Humans, uncertain what to do next. In some strange way, Adam hoped the aliens would raise their weapons. This form of live combat was really getting his juices flowing.

Slowly, the aliens closest to the exits began to move away, followed quickly by the rest of the them. A couple of battery packs weren’t that important to lose one’s life over.

Adam stepped over to Access Tube Eight-Four—the one leading to the Mark VII—and opened the hatch. With Adam guiding the cart and Riyad pushing, the pair rushed down the tube. Using his ATD, the outer hatch opened. Adam rushed through the airlock and opened the inner door so the battery banks would fit inside. Then he commanded the outer hatch to close and the internal air pressure to rise.

Adam pulled off his helmet.

“Get the batteries to the engine room. I’m going to the bridge.”

Pogo, are we ready to go?

Yes, Adam Cain. I have also channeled some of my energy to the weapons. You should see a seventy-percent increase in their intensity.

No shit?

No shit.

Excellent. Can’t wait to try them out.

Adam fell into the pilot seat; the screens were already up and running. A cascade of native dust erupted from under the starship as Adam triggered the chemical lifting jets. A glance outside showed several of the Juirean ships riding matching clouds of grayish exhaust as they rose from the surface. With only a moment’s head start, Adam rotated the Mark VII around until the forward tip of the ship was facing the closest Juirean Class-2. He fingered the trigger on his control stick, activating the forward flash cannon.

He recoiled at the intensity of the white stream of plasma; a blind spot occupied the center of his vision. Is this what a seventy-percent increase in bolt strength looks like? If so, I like it!

The targeted warcraft hadn’t reached enough altitude to engage its diffusion screens, so the full brunt of the enhanced bolt slammed into the hull. The thin metal skin melted instantly, allowing pressurized internal atmosphere to rush out with explosive force. The mortally-damaged warship tumbled sideways, falling toward the service colony, overcome by the stronger-than-normal artificial gravity of the planetoid.

By the time the vessel crashed into the main courtyard dome, Adam had already shifted the Mark VII to another target, firing off a series of bolts that ripped a wide gash along its port side hull. The Juirean warship fell back to the surface, at almost the same spot it had lifted from, before exploding upon impact.

The Mark VII was now several miles above the surface, and in the area where the much larger and better-shielded Class-4’s were waiting. Adam activated the ship’s shields, moments before the first powerful cannon bolt slammed into his starboard side.

Spinning the Mark VII into a cork-screw-like path, Adam managed to avoid the next two cannon blasts, while bringing the first of the two alien battlecruisers into his sights. This time he selected the prototype vessel’s ballistic weaponry, unleashing a barrage of cannon fire made up of seventy-millimeter, uranium-encased bullets. He found it amusing as the Juirean warcraft’s diffusion shields merely flickered with tiny flashes of light. The deadly lead slugs carried no electrical charge, so they passed through the shields without a second thought. Gaping holes perforated the silver hull, followed again by magnified explosions from the interior.

To defeat most starships, all it took was a breach of the pressurized hull. After that, air pressure did the rest. During normal combat operations, internal compartments were sealed off and non-essential areas purged of their atmosphere. That’s how the Humans did it. Juireans did that as well; however, the first Class-4 hadn’t taken the small Mark VII starship seriously, not until it was too late.

The other C-4 would be better prepared.

But Adam wasn’t going to give them a chance. He activated the jump-drive. In the blink of an eye, the tiny, experimental starship disappeared.

Chapter 4

Once the Mark VII was back into its jump cycle, Adam sought out the tiny ancient orb.

“What the hell was that flash bolt all about?” he asked aloud. The orb was resting on a console in the engine room, while Riyad worked to connect the two A-20 battery banks in sequence. “It wasn’t like anything I’ve ever seen before.”

Yes, it was unexpected. I’ve accessed the data files aboard the ship to learn more myself.

“And?”

The Mark VII’s flash weapons are of an experimental type, which like the other systems aboard, have been unable to function properly because of the high energy requirements. I appear to have solved that problem.

Adam shook his head. “So…how are they different?”

From what I’ve learned, compared to your conventional energy weapon, this new design is quite revolutionary. First of all, the device produces an intense laser beam into which the plasma components of the bolt are channeled. The bolt lengthens, yet loses no strength while in the beam. In fact, it draws more energy from the concentrated light waves. As you would expect, such a weapon requires incredible energy to function, yet when fully-powered, it produces a continuous plasma beam traveling at light speed and with an effective range of twenty thousand Earth miles—

Riyad slammed a wrench down on the metal case of the battery bank, causing Adam to jump at the sharp report. “Dammit! Your one-sided conversations are very irritating!” he yelled. “Either keep them to yourself, or provide a narration.”

“Sorry, Riyad. Give me a minute to digest what Pogo just told me, then I’ll brief you.”

Just then, a screen on a nearby control console came to life. On the black background field were lines of white type, written in English. A synthetic voice translated the words. “I’ve discovered that I’m able to access the data functions of the computers, Riyad. We can communicate this way. Will that help?”

“Hell yeah! Maybe rig me a wrist communicator. That way I won’t feel like such a third-wheel around here.”

“Getting back to what you just said, Pogo,” Adam interrupted. “You’re saying we have a super-powerful combination laser beam-flash cannon with a range of twenty-thousand miles?”

Riyad’s mouth fell open. “What did I miss?”

“We all missed it,” Adam relied. “It’s some experimental upgrade to the flash cannon.”

The tinny voice sounded again through the console speakers: “According to the files, the weapon was only made to work on Earth by hooking it directly to a fusion generating station. It was placed aboard the Mark VII simply for weight considerations, and with the hope that someday it could be powered it fully.”

“To which I present: Pogo The Magnificent!” said Riyad with a wide grin. “Our dreams come true.”

“I thank you, Riyad. My programming is sophisticated enough for me to experience emotions, so in that regard I mean it.”

“Do you know what this means?” Adam asked.

“Yeah, it means nothing can get closer than twenty thousand miles to us without being vaporized,” said Riyad.

Adam turned to the tiny globe. “Okay, just like with the jump-drive, are there any side-effects we need to be aware of?”

“Just one. Although I can draw energy from my surroundings, I do have my limitations. Dividing my capacity between too many devices will affect them all. For the beam weapon, it requires nearly all I can offer at the time of its operation.”

Adam nodded. “That’s good to know. We’ll have to keep that in mind if we need to use it again.”

“Now that I can communicate with you, Riyad, let me guide you to a quicker and more efficient installation of the battery banks. The method you’re using now is…well, very Human-like.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Riyad asked, frowning.

“I would prefer not to say. We must remain on good terms for the duration of the mission.”

“Is that sarcasm I detect?” Adam asked.

“I told you before, I have absorbed most Human mannerisms and personality. That’s what I was programmed to do. Whether my comment is sarcasm or not…I will leave that up to you to decide.”

The orb vibrated visibly. Adam got the impression it was laughing.

Chapter 5

It took twelve more hours beyond the supply colony to reach the Worak-nin star system. The journey was uneventful, which gave Adam time to recall dozens of experiences he and the late Andy Tobias had shared over the past twenty-five years.

Adam was no more than a sniveling twenty-one-year-old at the time he joined SEAL Team Six, based at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Virginia Beach, Virginia—if SEALs could ever be termed sniveling. As it was with most boots right out of training, Adam knew nothing of his job until the knowledge was pounded into him by senior men like Tobias. A full lieutenant at the time, Andy was his first squad leader, and he took the young seaman under his wing. It was baptism by fire, yet in such a deadly occupation, Adam quickly realized it was also the most effective method of getting the point across to the cocky, young Alpha Males in the Teams. First one had to be humbled by your betters before you would respect what they had to teach you. Andy Tobias excelled at humbling.

Adam spent five years on Andy’s team before being abducted by the Klin. That was twenty years ago, and everything that had happened between then and now could fill several volumes of the most-unbelievable science fiction series anyone could imagine. Most times Adam didn’t believe it himself, thinking his adventures to be just some crazy dream from which he’d eventually wake. However, this dream-like state would often evaporate when he’d look out the viewport of a starship or when an alien crossed his path. That’s when reality would slap him rudely across the face, as every bump, bruise or beating he’d suffered throughout the years came back to haunt him. At forty-seven, Adam Cain had already lived several lifetimes worth of adventure. And here he was again, approaching an alien planet full of alien villains, while on one more desperate mission of life or death.

He suddenly felt very tired.

“I don’t see a lot of traffic around the planet like you’d expect,” Riyad said from the co-pilot seat. “I thought the reports said Juireans were crawling all over the place?”

“See if you can raise Tom and Travis on their comm unit. We should be within range.”

Energy surged back into Adam’s body, stimulated by the coming mission. For good or bad, this is what he lived for, had trained for. He let that training and instinct take over.

“Rocky to Apollo Creed, come in Apollo.”

Adam looked at Riyad askew. “Where the hell did that come from?”

“It’s a code, stupid, something the Juireans won’t recognize.”

“No shit. I know it’s a code. Just why that one?”

“It’s better than Bambi to Thumper, come in Thumper.”

“That I’ll give you. Stick with Rocky and Apollo.”

********

Adam stationed the Mark VII four light minutes from the planet. The comm unit was a traditional radio, not a wormhole type device, so its signals could only travel at light speed. Even this far out, they would be visible from any planet-based detectors, and the one drawback of the jump-drive was they could never go fully dark. There was always a some residual energy signal coming from the various generators and battery packs onboard.

So as Riyad tried to make contact with the two Humans on the surface, Adam kept a close lookout for any approaching warships.

“Eh, this is Apollo, I guess,” came a questioning voice over the bridge speakers. It was Sergeant Travis Morgan.

Riyad leaned in close to the console. “Travis, it’s Riyad.”

“Yessir, I recognized your voice. Why the code? We’ve been broadcasting for a couple of weeks and so far no one has come looking for us.”

“Just a precaution, sergeant. Is Paulson with you?”

“He’ll be back in about fifteen minutes. He’s out scouting the palace again. Is Captain Cain with you?”

Adam took over the conversation. “I’m here, Travis. The two of you have done a remarkable job. Where are you?”

“We came down off the mountain and now we’re hiding in the woods near the palace. That’s where the Juireans have set up their headquarters, and where Sherri and Arieel were taken.”

“So they’re still there?” Adam’s heart leapt. He didn’t want to admit it, but he’d been expecting them to have already been moved—or dead—by the time he arrived.

“As far as we can tell, although we haven’t actually seen them. We were about four hours behind the Juireans getting here, after finding out about the admiral. Also, we haven’t been able to maintain constant surveillance on the compound. Too many mane-heads wandering around. And the damn natives here are kissing their asses, too, so we can’t trust them. How many ships do you have, sir?”

“Just one, sergeant,” Adam replied.

There was a slight hesitation before Travis spoke again. “Understood. Can you home in on my signal?”

“I have a way of doing it. Is there an LZ in the area, someplace we can land without being seen?”

“Not where we are. When Commander Paulson gets back, we’ll move to a better location and make contact again.”

“Very good, sergeant. Looking forward to seeing you again.”

“Same here, sir. It’s been a long three months—hell, even longer than that, really, if you count being in the Sol-Kor shithole, if you pardon my language, sir. I’m pretty anxious to get back home, sir, if that’s in the cards.”

“Aren’t we all. Be careful and report back when you have an LZ mapped out. Cain out.”

“No sightings in two weeks,” Riyad said, concern heavy in his voice.

“I know. But we have to assume the best, while preparing for the worst.”

“Yeah…but two weeks.”

Adam shrugged.

********

It was an agonizingly long five hours before the speakers crackled again and Lieutenant-Commander Tom Paulson’s voice was heard.

“We’re about nineteen kicks from the palace. Had to go out this far to find a safe landing zone. There’s a mountain pass to the north. If you come in five hundred miles on the polar side and stay low you should be able to slip through the pass undetected. The LZ is a wide clearing surrounded by a thick grove of trees. What kind of ship do you have?”

“It’s experimental, about three hundred feet long.”

“That should fit without any problem. Be careful, Captain. The place was swarming with mane-heads up until about forty-eight hours ago. Since then, I have no idea where they’ve gone.”

“The spaceport?”

“Virtually empty, but no liftoffs that we know of in a week.”

“And Sherri and Arieel?”

“Still no sightings.”

“Roger that. We’re making our approach, Commander. See you in a few minutes.”

********

After so many jumps, Adam was getting the hang of the new stardrive. He now calculated a short hop to the planet’s north pole region. Even still, the maneuver was risky, appearing so close to a large gravity body. If he pulled it off, they’d reach the surface with minimal chance of detection.

Once engaged, the blackness of space was immediately replaced by the blinding white of a pristine snowpack fifty miles below the ship. Adam gunned it, dropping even lower in a matter of seconds. He leveled out at seven hundred feet, keeping a very weak gravity-well created above them to stay aloft, while using the chemical jets for forward propulsion.

The relatively smooth and level expanse of snow soon gave way to a rising mountain range to the south. Adam spotted the twin peaks that formed the pass Paulson had mentioned and steered in that direction.  From there, it was a rollercoaster ride, as the topography rose and fell, often with little warning.

After fifteen minutes, the valley floor began to fall away, dropping toward a vast plain covered in verdant forests and laced with shimmering threads of rivers and streams. Adam and Riyad had spent a couple of weeks on Worak-nin, mostly in and around the area where the mutant Panur had built his golden palace, so they knew the area fairly well, at least where they were headed.

Even so, they had the benefit of Adam’s mental ghost presence in Paulson’s comm unit to guide them

This was a trick Adam had learned long ago, right after he’d first been fitted with his brain-interface device. It was discovered he could send his awareness along various communications waves, be they continuous wormholes or conventional. Once at the other end, he could create a surrogate presence. This came in handy for controlling things at space-borne distances. In this case, all he needed to do was plant a signal in the comm unit’s internal circuitry. Within his mind’s eye, he could see the white dot in his vision. They were almost there.

The clearing rushed into view; Adam pulled back on the stick and the nose rose up to slow the ship, keeping them from overshooting the LZ. He corrected the jarring maneuver, before unceremoniously plopping the craft down on the grassy surface with a pronounced bump.

Riyad twisted his neck and looked at Adam. “Might have a lawsuit coming after a landing like that.”

“Good luck trying to collect. I’m just a poor GS worker.”

“Aren’t we all.”

********

Paulson and Morgan were waiting at the hatch when Riyad cracked it open. After the obligatory hugs and fist-bumps, the four men moved inside.

“What is this thing?” Paulson asked.

“It’s a Mark VII experiment craft. One of a kind.”

“How did you get it here undetected?”

“It employs a type of trans-dimensional stardrive—”

“No way, not again!”

Adam smiled. “Relax, Tom, it can’t jump into other universes.”

“Thank god. I’ve had about as many universes as I can handle in one lifetime. Any backup expected?”

“’Fraid not,” said Riyad. “We kinda borrowed the ship…without permission.”

“We call that stealing where I come from.” Paulson’s smile matched that of the other three men.

“Like the saying goes,” Adam began, “if you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying.”

“Well, I would say you’re one trying son-of-a-bitch…sir,” said Travis Morgan.

Adam gripped the enlisted man’s shoulder. “Thanks, sergeant. Now what say we go rescue us some damsels in distress?”

“Yessir, Captain Cain, sir! That’s what legends are made of.”

Chapter 6

With sacks of ammo magazines dangling from full MOLLI packs, Adam and his team set out through the pine-like forests of Worak-nin. They were armed to the teeth, having cleaned out the weapons cabinet in the Mark VII’s service bay. For his part, Adam carried an M-101 assault rifle, and two .45 caliber Glocks. He also had four light-weight MK-17’s with four battery packs each, and rounding out his arsenal was a KA-BAR combat knife, two canisters of mace, six hand grenades and two flares. The other men were similarly armed, along with throat and ear-piece comms.

A nineteen klick hike through the woods was a piece of cake for the Humans, even with the packs they carried. Worak-nin was rated Juirean-Standard in gravity, placing it about three-quarters that of Earth. It was mid-day—not the best time to launch an assault—but Adam was anxious to learn the status of his two favorite females. And if what Paulson had said about the Juireans was correct, most of them had already departed after the killing of Admiral Tobias.

The team’s destination was the palace of gold that Panur had built when he and Lila decided to shack-up together. More correctly, the huge mansion had been built for them, by more-than-willing local labor. The purple natives had been completely enamored with the mutants and their demonstrations of supernatural feats, believing the pair to be the living gods they claimed to be. It was easy to understand why. Both Panur and Adam’s daughter, Lila, possessed the unique trait of spontaneous—and willful—cell regeneration. They could change their appearance, while also allowing them to live an indeterminate number of years. For all intents and purposes, the pair were immortal.

They also possessed superior intellect. As Panur once explained, he had near-perfect recall, coupled with a five-thousand-year lifespan—at that time—and he’d acquired an incredible amount of knowledge he could easily access.

With that combination of abilities and mutations, Panur and Lila were a formidable pairing, one with near unlimited possibilities.

Two years ago, the natives of Worak-nin scrounged together every ounce of gold they could find to build the sixty-room palace, thinking this would gain them favor with their gods. The truth of the matter, neither Panur nor Lila cared a lick for wealth. They didn’t need any. They had immortality and genius. Even so, that didn’t stop Panur from playing with the natives, engaging in one of the many social experiments the bored mutant used to occupy his time.

Now the huge building complex reflected the light of the Worak-nin sun in blinding flashes off the dark yellow surface. A five-feet-tall wall enclosed the estate, with an ungated entrance along each side. The compound hadn’t been built for security, only to impress.

Adam lifted his closed fist and the team stopped.

“I think I’ve found Tom’s missing Juireans.”

The men moved up beside him, all four falling prone in the tall grass at the tree line, monoculars aimed at the building.

“I don’t see anyone,” Paulson commented. “Been like this for several days.”

“They’re all inside,” Adam reported. “I’m detecting the energy signatures of over fifty flash weapons. Four distinct groups, with sentries patrolling.”

“You getting this from your brain-link thingy?” Paulson asked.

“Yep.”

“Why are they all inside?” Sergeant Morgan asked.

“Because they’re expecting us,” Riyad answered.

Adam nodded. “Hollingsworth was right. The Juireans connected the jump points and plotted our course to here.”

“So it’s an abort?” Paulson asked.

Adam looked at him with a frown. “Abort? Hell no. I didn’t come all this way to abort.” He looked back at the palace and scanned it with his monocular. “But one thing is clear, I don’t have the skill with my brain-thingy to isolate each individual flash weapon and sever the firing controls. That would take forever, and then I might miss a few.”

“Well…if they’re expecting us, shouldn’t we oblige?” Riyad said. When the other three looked at him with blank faces, he continued. “They think they have the upper hand, and if there’s one thing I know about Juireans, they sure do like to boast about their victories. They’ll probably want to take us prisoner—at least me and Adam.”

“Gee, thanks, Mr. Tarazi. I guess Travis and I are a couple of red-shirt crewmen from an old Star Trek episode. No names and the first to die.”

“Everyone has their roles to play, commander.” Riyad flashed his trademark smile. They didn’t appreciate his sense of humor.

“Relax,” Adam said. “I’ll protect us, at least against the sentries. The main cluster of troops is in hiding, stationed on each side of Panur’s office, as best I can tell.”

“The meditation rooms?” Riyad asked.

“Looks like it.”

“Meditation rooms?” asked Sergeant Morgan.

“Yeah, Panur and Lila each had a private room they could go to and contemplate their navels, while attempting to solve the mysteries of the universe. However, unlike the Hindus and Buddhists, that pair could actually do it.”

Adam replaced his monocular in its holder and readied himself on one knee. “I’ve got a plan. Everyone line up on me, and no shooting unless you absolutely have to. Don’t give the mane-heads an excuse to fire back. Okay…let’s roll.”

In the planet’s light gravity, the line of sprinting Humans would have set a world’s record for the hundred-meter relay back on Earth. They ran straight for the low wall—not the entranceways—and hurdled the barricade without breaking stride. At the forty-eight-step grand stairway rising to the front landing, they took a dozen steps at a time and split up at the top, flanking the double forty-foot-tall entry doors, two men on each side.

Adam tried the left door. It swung open, and the team moved inside.

Adam began whispering into his throat microphone, giving a running account where the energy signatures were for the flash weapons within the building. They’d been spotted, and several of the white dots in Adam’s mind were moving behind walls and down hallways, maneuvering for position.

The four men knew the location of Panur’s office. It was straight ahead across the cavernous main entry hall and through a set of ornately-carved twenty-foot-tall gold doors. The office was more like a throne room, where the mutant received local worshippers and other dignitaries during his brief reign as Lord of Panurland—as he called Worak-nin. The team sprinted for the doorway, through the enormous room and past dozens of strange artifacts the natives had donated to their gods.

They reached the entrance to the office without the shadowing aliens making a move. It was clear they were expecting the Humans to enter the room…so Adam led the way.

If a Juirean could win an Academy Award for acting, the Overlord on the other side of Panur’s massive gold desk would have been a shoe-in. He rose up from his chair and gasped, displaying an expression of complete shock when Adam and his men stormed across the room—weapons hot—and took up positions on the other side of the shiny desk.

A frown crossed Adam’s face as he noticed the huge, blue-haired Juirean had a sling cradling his right arm.

“Do not shoot!” the Overlord cried out. “I am unarmed—and injured, as you can see.”

“Where are they?” Adam demanded. Even though he knew this was a setup, he had to go along with the charade.

“You are referring to your three friends?”

“You can keep Benefis; I’m talking about Sherri and Arieel.”

“You must be Adam Cain.” The translated voice in his ear sounded almost in awe as his name was spoken. The Overlord knew this was an alien who had spent time on Juir, had consorted with Council Elders, and led major battles across this galaxy—and others. His respect was hard to hide.

“That’s right. I’m Adam Cain, and this is Riyad Tarazi, along with Commander Paulson and Sergeant Morgan. Who are you?”

“I am Andis lo Pindoc, Overlord of the Juirean occupation forces for the Sixth Sector, Kidis Frontier. I apologize for my lack of guards and escorts, but after the death of your Admiral Tobias, I dispatched them to other regions where they would have more utility.”

“What happened to your arm?”

“Ah, that is a gift from your fellow Human, the one called Sherri Valentine.”

Adam smiled. “Go on.”

“It seems the female is quite swift and strong, something we were not expecting. She attempted escape three times before being finally subdued.”

Adam’s stomach tightened. “Subdued? What does that mean?” His finger tightened on the trigger of the M-101.

Sensing he had stepped over a line, the Juirean spoke quickly. “She is alive—they all are.” The alien relaxed visibly when he saw Adam do the same. “However, I could not risk her harming more of my forces, so she was placed in stasis.”

“Where is she?” Adam was getting tired of playing the game. He knew that the flanking meditation rooms were packed with twenty aliens each, all armed with fully-charged MK weapons. But he wasn’t worried about them.

A thin grin stretched across the green, scaly face.

“She is gone.” Andis now stood a little straighter, and Adam saw the once docile countenance transform into the more familiar forceful confidence of a Juirean Overlord. “As are the others.”

Six green-haired Guards rushed into the room through the main entrance, as the much larger force remained in hiding. Adam’s men spun around to face the Guards.

“Hold your fire!” Adam commanded. “They’ve got us.”

The scaly forehead of the green-skinned Overlord frowned. “I am disappointed, Adam Cain. I thought you to be a valiant warrior, not one to surrender so easily.”

“I don’t want to risk Sherri and Arieel. You said they’re gone. To where?”

“To Juir, where else?”

Adam’s heart sank. He was afraid of that happening. Sherri and Arieel were much too valuable to be left on some backwater planet like Worak-nin. “When did they go?”

The Guards moved in and stripped Adam and his men of their weapons and packs, then struggled with the heavy gear to drag them out of reach of their captives.

“They left a week ago, for a four-month journey to the homeworld,” said Andis jovially. “And what I told you about being placed in stasis was true. I have read enough reports on how problematic it is to transport Human prisoners over long distances.”

“So there’s a whole fleet guarding them?” Adam stated.

The Juirean frowned again. “Are you not comprehending? I just said they are in stasis, asleep in pods for the duration of the journey. I had no need to send a large escort force.”

Now it was Adam’s turn to frown. A large group of Juirean starships would have been easier to track than a single ship through the vastness of the Milky Way, even if he knew the final destination.

Riyad turned to Adam. “Don’t you have enough information already? Let’s get on with it.”

“You’re right.”

Through his ATD, Adam located a single flash weapon in each of the side rooms and severed the firing controls. Then he activated the power packs in the handguns, setting them on rapid pulse.

The Overlord looked at the four Humans with confusion and curiosity. There was no fear or concern in their eyes or manners

A steadily increasing whine—rising up from within the two side rooms—distracted the Overlord. He looked to his left and opened his mouth to say something—

A pair of massive explosions rocked the building, blowing open the doors to the meditation rooms and sending hot smoke and flaming body parts into the large reception hall. The Juireans hiding in the side rooms had just learned what happens when an MK weapon builds up a critical energy load with nowhere to go. It turns into fairly decent-sized bomb. The explosive intensity was also magnified by the small space and metal walls of the rooms, making the effect even stronger than anticipated. Some of the Juireans might have survived, but they were no longer a threat to Adam and his men.

Neither were the Guards in the throne room. Adam had already severed the firing controls to their weapons, and now they pressed triggers in a fevered panic, with no results.

Riyad, Travis and Tom pounced on the hapless aliens. Even though Juireans towered a foot or two above the Humans; solid fists struck green-tinted flesh with the force of sledgehammers. In most cases, the hand-to-hand battle didn’t last longer than a single blow.

Adam stepped forward and shoved the heavy gold desk toward the Overlord, pinning him against the wall. Ribs broke and internal organs burst. Andis was conscious, but barely.

“Are you the one who killed Admiral Tobias?” Adam growled at the alien.

A feeble nod was all the Juirean could muster.

“Good. At least this is a start.”

Adam pressed the desk tighter against the wall. The Overlord coughed up blood, and a grey sheen glossed over his once-yellow eyes.

Adam was barely aware as his men gathered up weapons and finished off the last remaining Juirean Guards who rushed into the room in a fruitless attempt to aid their fellow beings. He was in a trance, staring at the killer of Andy Tobias. Yes, it was a start…but it wasn’t enough. Adam seriously doubted there were enough Juireans to kill in the Milky Way galaxy to make up for the loss of his friend and mentor. He would have to find out.

When the trance lifted, Adam did a quick mental scan of the compound, looking for the energy signals of flash weapons. Six armed Juireans remained alive. They were racing toward the nearby spaceport where they would alert others.

Someone stepped next to him.

With his jaw set and eyes unblinking, Adam turned to the equally intense face of Riyad Tarazi. “Four months. We have four months,” Adam said.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?”

Adam nodded. “Yeah, a scorched earth campaign…all the way to Juir.”

Tom Paulson heard the comment and reacted. “Excuse me, sir, but you’re proposing we fight our way…to Juir? Let me remind you, the planet is the capital of the Expansion and the homeworld of the mane-heads. And you only have one starship.”

“No one’s asking you to go, Tom.”

Paulson took a step closer to Adam, his chest inflated in defiance. “That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just pointing out some very important operational considerations. For the record, you couldn’t keep me from going.”

“Me, too…sir,” said Sergeant Morgan.

Adam’s answering smile contained not an ounce of humor; to any sane man, it would have turned their blood to ice.

“We couldn’t save Andy, and there’s a very good chance the same will be true for Sherri and Arieel. But the only way to change that is if we control the high ground when they get to Juir. Success or failure, that means we make the mane-heads pay a very steep price for what they’ve done, the ultimate price, in fact. And that goes for anyone else who gets in our way.”

Riyad looked at the dead Juirean Overlord. His body had slumped over while still pinned against the wall by the heavy gold desk. “So where do we begin?”

“Right here.”

Chapter 7

There were three Juirean Class-2’s and four planetary shuttles in the small spaceport located near the palace. By the time Adam and his men reached the wide expanse of concrete, the larger Two’s had lifted. The warships could have easily circled back around and leveled the whole area, but the escaping Guards didn’t know the full extent of their defeat. They bolted into space, burning up CW comm links while giving truncated versions of the battle.

Somewhere on the planet—or nearby in space—was the rest of the Overlord’s forces. Senior Juirean officials seldom traveled with less than a dozen escorts, and if Andis lo Pindoc was indeed a sector chief, then he probably had double that at his disposal.

There were several electric transports at the spaceport. Adam sent Riyad and Morgan off in one of them to recover the Mark VII, and then to fly cover if any Juireans appeared in the skies above the palace. Then he sent Paulson back to the building to grab all the bulk food supplies he could find for the ship’s processors. He also tasked him with gathering up all the loose gold he could find within the palace. None of the Humans had any money, and even in a galaxy full of the gold, the yellow metal still carried substantial intrinsic value on a multitude of worlds.

“What are you going to do?” Riyad asked as he hopped into the open-air cart for the overland sprint to the Mark VII.

“I’m going to have a talk with some of the natives in town. They helped the Juireans find Andy. I can’t let that go unpunished.”

“Don’t take too long. This place will be swarming with mane-heads in a matter of minutes.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not in a very talkative mood.”

********

The local native town also had the distinction of the being the largest on the planet. The natives weren’t very sophisticated, just simple creatures whose only claim to fame was their culinary skills at preparing incredible meals out of the huge, ostridge-like birds that roamed the area.

During the few weeks he’d spent at the palace, Adam had met several of the town leaders. They all wanted to meet the famous Adam Cain, savior of the galaxy from the Sol-Kor menace.

Now they were going to meet to a new Adam Cain, an even deadlier Adam Cain.

The town was abuzz with news of the assault on the palace. They’d heard gunfire and the huge explosions, followed by the sudden departure of the Juirean warships. Now they lined the main street, coming to watch Adam’s march to the government building near the town square. Most recognized him as the Human who had journeyed to another dimension and personally destroyed the Sol-Kor Colony. Of course, most of the stories they heard ranged from simple embellishments to all out fantasies. But the one common thread that ran through all of them: Adam Cain was a killer. Even still, there were females and children, young and old there to see him. There was celebration in the air.

Adam approached the central government building where the planetary executive lived and worked. Adam wasn’t surprised when Lofis Crondillic came out to greet him at the top of the steps.

“My friend, Adam Cain, you have returned,” the short, purple creature greeted. Although he tried to hide it, his voice trembled with fear.

Adam didn’t stop on the landing; instead he walked right up to Lofis, wrapped a strong hand around his thick neck and pinned him against the outer wall of the building, his feet dangling a foot off the deck.

Several dozen natives had followed Adam up the street; now they gasped.

“You’re working with the Juireans,” Adam growled at the shocked native.

“No,” Lofis squeaked. “We are your friends, as before.”

“Bullshit! Your people led the Juireans to Admiral Tobias and the others.”

“We did not—”

“Stop lying. Two of our men survived and saw your people with the Juireans.”

The eyes of the native were wild with fear. “You left. The Juireans were here. We had no choice.”

“Did you help them?”

Lofis diverted his manic eyes. “I…I assisted, although the main search duties were reserved for the young among us. I am too old to tread the forest these days.”

Adam lowered Lofis and released him. He turned to the crowd that had formed on the street below the landing. They recoiled from his intense, savage stare.

“I’ve just killed the Overlord and more than fifty Juirean Guards,” he yelled out, his strong, angry voice echoing down the street. “You no longer have to fear the Juireans.”

The crowd cheered…until Adam lashed out with his right leg, striking Lofis in the chest. The force of the kick sent the old native busting through the front door of the building and into the interior. Adam then removed a hand grenade from his utility belt, pulled the pin and tossed the knotty green metal ball into the building.

“But now you have to fear the Humans!”

He stepped to the side of the doorway.

None of the natives knew what a hand grenade was, not until a thunderous torrent of fire, smoke and debris exploded through the doors and windows of the building. Several of the shocked natives stumbled backwards as they attempted to move away from the blast, while others took wholesale flight.

Adam stepped forward, mingling with the black smoke billowing from the building.

“Run, all of you! Run for your lives. You thought the Juireans were dangerous, but you have no idea what Humans are capable of. Run before you find out…just like Lofis did.”

Adam descended the stairs, however this time as he marched down the center of the street, not a single purple native was seen.  

Chapter 8

Adam entered the palace a few minutes later to find a three-foot-high stack of assorted gold objects near the front door. Paulson walked up and dropped another armful of shiny items onto the pile with a loud clunk.

“There’s so much damn gold here that if we took just the loose items, the ship would be too heavy to lift,” said the sweating officer. “I found a cart—made of gold, of course—and loaded up the food canisters from the main kitchen. Should last the four of us quite a while. And here, I found this.” Paulson handed Adam a datapad. “It’s the Overlord’s.”

Adam switched it on. “Is this what I think it is?”

“Yessir. A running update of Juirean locations in the Frontier. The number of ships will change, but probably not the base locations. Should give us a pretty good indication where our targets are placed.”

“Great job, Tom.”

Adam had already heard through his comm that Riyad and Travis had the Mark VII circling high above, scanning for bogies. He looked at the pile of gold on the floor. “This should do,” he said. “Let’s get the ship down here and loaded. And screw the spaceport. Have them set down right outside.”

********

Ten minutes later the starship was loaded and ready to lift when Adam made an announcement.

“I’m tired of calling this ship the Mark VII. From now on we’ll call it the Vengeance. Just seems appropriate.” There were no arguments, and moments later the newly christened Vengeance burned away another layer of landscaping from outside Panur’s palace as chem jets sent the starship skyward.

“We knew this was coming,” Commander Paulson said moments later from the nav station. “Eight ships, just breaking the horizon.”

The Vengeance was in space by then, and the first contingent of alien warcraft were soon joined by another four coming around the planet from the other side.

“Pogo, are you fully charged up? We’re going to need the laser beams hot in just a few seconds.”

“I’m ready. Just use conventional gravity maneuvering, no light-drive.” The ancient orb’s synthetic voice came over the bridge speakers, being converted from his typed comments on an isolated console.

“Who’s that?” Sergeant Morgan asked. There were only three active stations within the small pilothouse, so Travis had made a makeshift spot for himself along the rear bulkhead.

“Another crewmember,” Adam said, looking at Riyad in the co-pilot seat. “I’ll introduce you later. Pogo, how many batteries do you have charged?”

“All four.”

“Pogo…his name is Pogo?” Paulson said.

“Later. What’s the recycle time?”

“Half a second between pulse, for nine pulses. Then I will need a few minutes to recharge.”

“That should be plenty.”

“Mister Paulson, you have weapons. Pre-target the Juireans. Light ‘em up.”

“Yessir.” The officer’s voice was laced with uncertainty. Adam got the sense he was having trouble taking seriously a crewmember named Pogo. A few seconds later he reported that the targets were locked. “Within range in four minutes.”

“Set the range for ten thousand miles,” Adam commanded.

“Repeat. Maximum cannon range is thirty-five hundred, sir.”

“Ten thousand, Commander. This ship has a secret weapon that can vaporize a target out to twenty thousand miles.”

Now the look of confusion was total on Paulson’s face. “Okay, assuming you’re right, then why not twenty thousand miles?”

“I want to keep that bit of information secret from the mane-heads. Ten thousand will be plenty for what we’re facing. Four banks, against twelve targets, with a half-second recharge between blasts. This should be over before it begins.”

“In that case, sir…targets in range in fourteen seconds.”

“Fire when in range, Tom.”

Moments later, the dark of space outside the ship was lit up by a flash of brilliance coming through the forward viewport. Paulson had put a tactical graphic up on the main screen placed between the two rectangular windows. It showed the incoming Juirean vessels, four of which were now connected to the Vengeance by thick white lines. The tracks faded, only to be replaced by others linked to another four Juirean ships. In the brief interval after the last set of lines disappeared, only three of the eight targets were still showing as active threats. The others were classified as out-of-action.

“Oops!” came the tinny voice over the speakers.

“Oops? Oops what? What’s happening, Pogo?” Adam asked. Simultaneously, he’d noticed that the last set of laser beams failed to leave the ship.

“It’s not me…it’s the firing circuits. They couldn’t handle the increased load so quickly. Two of the batteries are down. If I engage the other two, their circuits will also  burn out. I’m just a personal service module. I wasn’t built for this kind of work!”

“Shields! Charge the standard cannon. We do have standard cannon, don’t we?”

“Double banks of four,” Paulson replied.

“There are still seven of them, and only one of us,” Riyad pointed out.

“What’s the status of the three we hit, but are still listed as active?”

Riyad checked his screen. “High res shows they took strikes, but the beams hit non-critical areas. Two have reduced generator output, which will make them slower. Weapons systems still hot, though. The third ship is fully functional. By the way, they just engaged their field dampers. Oh, and did I mention, four of the Juireans just launched flash bolts our way. Just thought you should know.”

Riyad’s calm demeanor only irritated Adam. He was only acting that way because he knew Adam would save the day. He probably would…but that wasn’t the point.  It’s just that Riyad assumed he would. That put a lot of pressure on a person, hero or not.

With the dampers active, Adam couldn’t escape into a full gravity-well. He could still use the microscopic black holes for maneuvering, but he couldn’t create one deep enough to produce a light-speed-capable event horizon. That was just one of his problems. The most-immediate, however, were the four incoming flash cannon bolts headed their way.

The Juireans had fired the bolts at maximum range, more out of desperation against the longer range laser beams of the Vengeance than with any real hope of hitting their target. Cannon bolts traveled at just under light-speed and dissipated after three thousand miles or so. A maneuvering starship at distance could easily avoid the unguided plasma bolts. The preferred strategy for cannon warfare was to send out a spread of deadly bolts at close range. If a few could contact the target ship, then it was possible to disable the vessel to a point where more concentrated fire could be leveled at the craft.

In this case, Adam simply corkscrewed the Vengeance out of the path of the incoming bolts, while moving in closer and lining up on one of the Juirean Class-3’s. “Launch spreads at your discretion, Mister Paulson.”

The ship jerked four times as eight cannon bolts departed the ship. At this range, and with that many bolts, there was little the Juirean ship could do. It tried to evade, but was still hit with three bolts. Two contacted the forward screens, overloading them and allowing the third bolt to reached the hull. It hit near the bridge. Readings showed the engines were still operational, but the ship spiraled away from the battlefield, having lost her command crew.

“They’ve launched their own spread. Forty bolts, Captain.” Paulson reported calmly. He was a pro. To a normal person, forty incoming bolts would have been cause for panic.

Adam was a pro, as well. He didn’t panic, but he was desperate. He pressed the control stick all the way forward and dove for the surface of Worak-nin, eighteen thousand miles below, hoping to use the planet’s gravity to mess with the Juireans’ targeting calculations.

When launching their spread, the techs aboard the Juirean warships calculated the maximum distance the Vengeance could travel from release to contact. This determined the range of the spread. With just a little boost from the planet below, Adam hoped it would be just enough to move them beyond the range of the spread.

With a sigh of relief, the maneuver worked.

Then they all gasped as they entered the planet’s atmosphere traveling at close to nine thousand miles per hour. The hull of the Vengeance wasn’t built to handle such reentry heat. Within a second, the nose of the ship was glowing red.

Adam shifted the gravity-well ninety degrees above the ship, creating an instant course change. The inertia compensators couldn’t handle the stress, not completely. Adam, Riyad and Paulson strained in their harnesses. Travis Morgan—sitting unrestrained in a standard chair at the back of the bridge—found himself pressed against the rear bulkhead and sliding toward the ceiling, as the ship continued along its arc and back into the cold of space. When Adam leveled out, and the compensators took over again, Travis was on the ceiling. He fell the ten feet to the hard metal deck with a heavy grunt.

“You okay?” Adam yelled over his shoulder.

“I think so. How about a little warning next time, Captain?”

“I’ll try. Now find something to tie yourself too. We’re not out of the woods yet.”

There were six Juirean warships in space above them. Having seen the Vengeance dive for the surface, they now formed a barricade, taking the high ground in the battle. More cannon bolts rained down toward them.

“Pogo, we don’t have a choice. Charge the two remaining batteries. We’ll deal with the fried circuits later. Tom, take out the two mane-heads the farthest away. Then lay down a barrage of cannon fire at the closest ships.”

“Aye, sir.”

The forward viewports lit up again as the laser beams lashed out. If they hit their targets, then only four of the enemy would remain. Adam didn’t wait around to find out. He skirted the top of Worak-nin’s atmosphere at just under light speed.

The ship jerked as another eight bolts were released.

The Vengeance was struck by four incoming balls of plasma energy. Fortunately, they contacted three separate diffusion screens. None were overloaded. In the meantime, it took some fancy piloting on Adam’s part to avoid the other enemy bolts streaking after them.

The shields would need a full minute to regain complete integrity. Until then, just one more hit would short them out.

Paulson’s latest spread took out another of the Juireans. Now there were only three. Adam was hoping that at some point the mane-heads would decide to cut tail and run.

“Pogo. Status on the beam circuits?”

“As predicted, they’re gone.”

“Don’t we have some super-secret torpedoes onboard?”

“There are nine. But they were designed for truly long-distance attacks, able to jump through space much as the Mark VII.”

Adam grimaced. They still had a long way to go before reaching Juir. It would be nice to keep as much of their major firepower in reserve for future battles. Of course, they had to survive this encounter to make it any future engagements.

“Prep a torpedo. If we can take out just one more ship, that should send the last two scurrying away.”

“Ready for launch in thirty seconds.”

“More incoming,” Paulson reported. “Shields at full, but two hits on one screen and the official phrase is we’re all fucked.”

Adam twisted the Vengeance again, overloading the compensators once more. He glanced over his shoulder to see Sergeant Morgan with his arms thread through the belt to his trousers, which he’d removed and looped around a console support leg attached to the deck. He lay on the floor, smiling at Adam, giving him a thumbs-up.

Two bolts struck the Vengeance again, both on the portside, second aft screen. It went down. A damage control crew could repair the shield within minutes, but Adam didn’t have a DC team. He also didn’t have minutes to spare. The screen was down, and would remain so for the duration of the battle, however long that was.

“Incoming!” This time there was concern in Tom Paulson’s voice.

“Commander…launch torpedo. It’s guided. We’ll send the target coordinates once it’s on its way.”

“Yessir.”

On the forward screen graphic, the torpedo was shown leaving the Vengeance—and then it disappeared.

“What happened?” Adam asked the room.

“The torpedo jumped, Adam,” Pogo replied.

“Shit! Can we still contact it?”

“Yes. It has CW communications.”

“Send it a damn target before it gets too far away!”

Moments later, one of the last Juirean warships vanished from the threat screen. Yet it wasn’t simply hit; it was consumed in a huge fireball, one that reached out as far as its wingman and beyond, taking out that ship as well.

Now a roiling fireball came churning toward the Vengeance.

Fortunately, Worak-nin had a moon, and it was dead ahead. Adam aimed his ship for the gray ball of rock and whipped around the horizon just as the leading edge of the huge nuclear explosion raced by. The radical maneuver sent Sergeant Morgan once more banging against the rear bulkhead and deck, straining to hold onto his life-saving leather belt.

“And then there was one,” Riyad said. He looked at his screen. “Remaining bogie is bugging out.”

Unlike in the movie Top Gun—where the same news was met with an eruption of cheers in the CIC—there was no celebrating aboard the Vengeance, just a lot of tired sighs. The team’s mission was barely off the ground—literally—and already their laser weapons were down, and they’d spent one of their nine deadly torpedoes, to the point of almost being consumed by its way-out-of-proportion explosion.

There were a lot more enemy warships between them and Juir. They were going to need all the resources they could muster.

Adam was going to need a new plan. Then he laughed under his breath. He never had an actual plan to begin with, let alone a back-up plan. A first plan-of-action would come in handy about now.

Chapter 9

“This, my friends, is Pogo,” Adam said with pomp and ceremony, holding his hands out to the tiny, greenish metal globe sitting on a console in the engine room.

Lt. Commander Paulson frowned. “What is it, a type of compact super-computer?”

“Technically, it’s called a personal service module, created over three billion years ago by a long-extinct race of super-beings.”

“Bullshit…sir.”

“No, really. This was what Copernicus Smith was after and why he got me and Riyad to leave Worak-nin in the first place.”

“What does it do?” Travis asked. He reached out a hand and touched the orb with his finger.

“A lot of things,” Adam answered, “but primarily it can produce energy out of empty space, in fact, enough to power the laser beams you saw.”

“Speaking of that, Captain, what was that all about?” Paulson asked. “I’ve never seen anything that powerful in a laser weapon.”

“It’s something T&D’s been working on. It sends flash bolts along a laser beam, causing them to increase in energy, and with about six times the range of conventional cannon bolts. Pretty cool, huh?”

“If they don’t burn themselves out after a couple of shots.”

Adam grimaced. “Yeah, that’s something we’re going to have to work on. As I mentioned, the Vengeance is experimental. Until now, it’s basically been a boondoggle for lack of a powerful enough energy source. Pogo has solved that problem. Of course, there are still some bugs that have to be worked out of the systems.”

“It communicates through the computers?”

“Actually, he can talk to me through my ATD—the brain-interface thingy, as Tom so aptly refers to it. But recently he’s found a way to tap into the computers so the audio feature can broadcast his words.”

“You keep referring to it as a he?”

“That’s because Pogo has a sophisticated form of artificial intelligence—”

“It not artificial, I keep telling you that,” Pogo interrupted, his voice booming from the speakers on the console.

Adam smiled. “He also has feelings and quite the irascible personality.”

“Should be a she in that case,” said Paulson. The two newest crewmembers looked at each other and shrugged. “What now, Captain?”

Adam looked at the orb, getting the feeling Pogo was looking back at him. “First of all, we have to find replacements for the laser firing circuits. They’re our most-effective weapon against the mane-heads, but not if the boards get fried every time we fire.”

“It could be the same solution as with the jump-drive,” Pogo offered. “A reduced power input could reduce the heat moving through the circuits.”

“What will that do to range and efficiency?”

“Range will be reduced, possibly in half. But the intensity should be the same. It would be a tradeoff of sorts.”

“Ten thousand miles is still almost three times the range of conventional flash bolts,” Paulson offered.

Adam nodded. “Okay, reduced input will work. But now we have to find replacement boards. Pogo, have you checked the onboard inventory?”

“There are none. Recall that the laser weapon was non-operational when placed within the ship. There was no reason to include replacement parts.”

“Any workarounds or substitutes?”

Pogo hesitated before answering. “As I said before, this kind of work is not what I was built for. I supply energy—and other things—to my master, yet I am not what you refer to as a super-computer. Other devices were made for that purpose. I’ll do my best to come up with a solution, but don’t be disappointed if I fall short.”

The three Humans looked at each other, thin grins on their faces. “It’s all right, Pogo,” Adam said. “You’re doing a great job. Just do the best you can and I’m sure everything will work out fine.”

“I recognize patronizing when I hear it, Captain Cain,” said the orb.

“I’m being serious.”

“Sure you are. Now…I will get to work. I’ll do my best; I always do. However, I would appreciate some help, if it’s within the Human’s capacity to provide any.”

“Snarky little thing, isn’t he,” said Sergeant Morgan.

“Now be nice, Mister Morgan,” Adam said. “Pogo is doing the best he can. He can’t help if his abilities are limited.”

“Nice try, Adam. But it won’t work. Now leave me alone to think, since I appear to be the only entity aboard the ship with the ability to do so.”

Paulson twisted his face into a painful grimace. “As I said: he should be a she. He sounds like my ex-wife.”

Chapter 10

With four men aboard and only two staterooms, hot-bunking became the order-of-the-day. Adam was alone in the one he shared with Riyad when he contacted Pogo through his ATD.

You there, buddy?

So now we are buddies?

Don’t take it personally, Adam thought. We kid you only because you’re part of the team now. It’s how we show acceptance.

Very strange behavior, yet I appreciate being considered a member of the team.

So…anything yet? Can circuit boards from other modules be used on the lasers?

That was a simple survey I did, and the answer is no. These boards are very specific.

Well, we can’t go back to Earth for spare parts.

If you are willing to travel—other than to Earth—I may have a suggestion.

Adam perked up. Of course I am. Go ahead.

The Incus.

Where have I heard that name before?

They are the race of beings who found me originally, and who were working on a method of duplicating my power panels when I was stolen by the Gradis Cartel.

Go on, I’m listening.

They have a sophisticated level of electronic technology—at least for this age.

You think they’d have the necessary circuit boards?

Most probably not, yet if given the opportunity, I could provide them with plans to construct boards that could overcome the heating problem.

They won’t do it voluntarily, and aren’t they in the Kidis Frontier? That would put them under Juirean jurisdiction. If they’re as advanced as you say, I’m sure the place will be swarming with mane-heads.

It was just a suggestion.

I’m not saying we won’t pursue it, just that it won’t be easy. Where is Incus from here?”

One-thousand, eight hundred light-years, near the Rison Void.

Adam knew the Rison Void was the far side of the Kidis arm, opposite the Orion-Cygnus spur.

Six hundred jumps. Can the Vengeance handle that at full power? he asked Pogo.

It may take a slight modification of that figure, possibly a thousand. But by reducing the jump distance, the recycle time could remain the same. The trip could be done in thirty-three Earth hours.

Is Riyad still on the bridge?

Yes.

Give him a plot and tell him I said it was okay. Get us going. We don’t have any time to waste, and just floating here above Worak-nin is doing just that.

Aye, aye, Captain Cain, sir. See…I’m learning.

Well done, Mister Pogo. Carry on.

********

The next day-and-a-half were spent carefully monitoring the power levels for the jump-drive, making sure they didn’t burn out another battery pack. Pogo’s more careful feeding of the generators appeared to be working.

Adam modified their flight path some, adding another day to the journey. Knowing that the Juireans had transit buoys out monitoring traffic throughout the Frontier—and the jump-drive did leave a trail—he jumped towards Visidor first, before switching to conventional gravity drive for the remainder of the trip to Incus. With the laser weapon down, it wouldn’t pay to walk into a hornet’s nest of angry mane-heads, all expecting their arrival.

The crew also spent the time trying to find out if the Mark VII experimental starship had any other secrets they didn’t know about. The laser beam weapon was a coup, if they could get it working again. And the nine—now eight—super-torpedoes was another. Yet after an extensive reading of the data files in the computers, they didn’t find anything else.

Of the three revolutionary advances the ship offered—jump-drive, laser beam weaponry and super-torpedoes—two had already given them problems and one had limited utility. That was to be expected of a prototype. But since the team was relying on working systems and weapons to achieve their mission objectives, they were keeping their fingers crossed that nothing else broke down or burned up.

Juir was twenty-four thousand light-years away. At a more conservative two light-year jump distance and two minutes of recharge time between jumps, the Vengeance could make it there in just under seventeen days—which was phenomenal in its own right. Even so, they couldn’t get there before the ship carrying Arieel and Sherri arrived. What would they do then, sit around playing poker with the friendly, seven-foot-tall natives?

No, that wasn’t in the cards. They had four months to work their way to the capital of the Expansion, and if the Vengeance could be made to work the way it was designed, Adam and his men could create a heluva lot of chaos along the way. The so-called scorched earth campaign. At least then, even if they failed to rescue the women, they’d have something to show for their effort.

Riyad was in the pilot seat when they neared the Incus star system. It was way the hell out in the middle of nowhere, not only at the far side of the Kidis Frontier, but out toward the end of the minor galactic arm.

This had better be worth it, Adam thought as he watched huge planets of swirling gas slowly slip by. Then he shrugged. What choice did they have? Without the laser weapon working, they were just one small ship with limited firepower—after the torpedoes were spent. And that wouldn’t get them halfway across the Frontier, let alone all the way to Juir.

“As suspected, I’m picking up the signatures of at least a dozen Juirean warships in orbit. There’s another eight under drive, some coming, some going, and this isn’t counting what’s on the surface.”

“Thank you Mister Tarazi for that very informative report,” said Adam. He stood behind his friend, letting his legs stretch for a moment before assuming the co-pilot seat. Riyad was every bit the pilot Adam was, and although it was hard to give up control, he would let Riyad perform the magic tricks this time around, if it came down to a mad scramble for survival. A person could only play the hero so long before needing a break.

“Any challenges, yet?” Adam asked Sergeant Morgan. The young man had set up a separate comm station along the rear bulkhead, going so far as to bolt a seat to the deck—with a harness. He wasn’t anxious for a repeat of his last bumper-car-ride. The bruises hadn’t even begun to heal.

“Nothing, sir. There’s a lot of traffic around the planet. Seems to be the happening place. That’ll play to our advantage. Also the fact that it’s so far from the Union. Hopefully they won’t be expecting us.”

“And the Vengeance won’t show up on any of their surveys,” Riyad added.

The tiny metal orb known as Pogo was now on the bridge, sitting on top of the pilot monitor and blocking Riyad’s view of the forward screen.  “Do you mind, Pogo. I can’t see.”

The globe faded away and reappeared on the nav console where Tom Paulson sat. He leaned back in his chair. “Damn, that’s so cool when he does that,” he said. “Like something out of Star Trek. Beam me up, Scotty.”

“Yeah, too bad we can’t adapt that technology to star travel,” Morgan added.

“I can only teleport one hundred feet at a time, and it takes incredible energy to do so.”

“Do you think teleportation is something possible for Humans, if we had enough power?” Adam asked.

“It’s been tried before, and by beings much smarter than you. Living organisms cannot survive the process. My parts can simply be reassembled and they work fine. It’s not the same with cells, neurons and the like.”

“I hate to rain on this parade, but we’re going to have to do our business here the old fashion way, by landing on the planet and going out in public,” said Riyad. “Any idea how we’re going to pull that off?”

Adam nodded to Travis, who stood up and unfolded a long white cloth. “I made this out of a bedsheet.” He placed it over his head and tied a small cord around his neck. “I call it a burqa-for-men.” The garment covered his body from head to toe, all except for a narrow slot left open for his nose and eyes. There were slits on the sides for their arms.

“It looks more like a KKK robe than a burqa,” said Tom Paulson.

Adam snickered. “It does, doesn’t it? Hopefully none of the natives will make the association. With so many new aliens roaming the streets, I’m hoping no one will question the outfit, believing it to be some weird religious garb. Travis sewed up the edges of the opening so it wouldn’t look like he simply cut a couple of eyeholes in a sheet.”

“Which I did.”

“Hey, we’ve all been on too many alien worlds to count to know that alien clothing comes in wondrous varieties. I’m sure we’ll be able to get by wearing these things,” said Adam. “Besides, they’ll conceal a lot of armament. Now Pogo, why don’t you tell the rest of the team where we’re going?”

With mental access to the computer, the ancient device sent a graphic of the planet Incus to the forward screen. “The planet reminds me a lot of your Earth,” he began. “There are huge land masses broken up by vast seas. The native population is over eight billion, with thousands of settlements—cities. I was kept in one called Eniss, which is located here.” A red circle appeared on the map and the image zoomed in. “It’s in the northern hemisphere and is where the main weapons facilities are located.”

“Weapons?” Travis said. “They make weapons here?”

“Yes,” Pogo confirmed. “That is why I came to be found. The natives have been trying to compete with the Maris-Kliss and Xan-fi companies. Yet since they lack the raw materials to produce enough devices to meet the demand, they have gone off-planet searching for such. It was during one of these mining operation that I was found embedded in an ancient fragment of the Aris homeworld—the beings who created me. The Incus currently have the largest economy in the Frontier, yet it’s very small compared to the major worlds of the Expansion. They hoped to change that by learning the secrets of my power-accumulating abilities to power a new line of portable energy weapons. They were unsuccessful.”

“That looks like a really big city,” Tom pointed out. “I assume its serviced by several spaceports. Once we land, where do we go?”

“The scientific laboratories where I was held and studied are located here.” The image zoomed in and moved to the west. “This is the main research facility for the Incus government. Unlike the other two major weapons manufacturers in the galaxy, this one is solely government-owned.”

“And what about the laser circuits?” Paulson asked. “I’m assuming they have the facilities to make what we need in the complex?”

“That’s correct.”

“So what’s the plan, sir,” Travis asked Adam.

“Pogo suggests we show up at the gates offering to return him to the Incus. They’ll be so excited that they won’t question who we are, just that we returned their precious little energy-maker to them. Once inside, he’ll teleport to a building where the boards can be made. At that point we’ll see if he can do it himself, through computer manipulation, or if we’ll need to draft some local talent for the job.”

“By drafting I assume you mean the twisting of alien arms?” Riyad said, a gleam in his eyes.

“Don’t worry, buddy. If it comes down to that, I’ll let you do the honors.”

“Gee, thanks, daddy.”

“On a serious note,” Adam began. “The Incus are sophisticated enough to use visual communications and remote sensing, so when the time comes to be cleared for landing, be sure you’re wearing your KKK outfits. Now everyone get ready. We’re about an hour out, and once we land, I want to spend the time necessary to get the job done. No sightseeing excursions or unnecessary fraternizing with the locals.”

“That depends on how hot the natives are, now doesn’t it, Mister Cain?” said Travis.

“Maybe to a young stud like you,” Adam replied. “Ah, to be twenty-six again.”

“I’m twenty-seven, sir.”

“Well then…never mind. You’re over-the-hill.”

Chapter 11

The Vengeance was about to land on a planet over eight thousand light-years from Earth and swarming with seven-foot-tall aliens sworn to kill every Human they encountered. Yet still the ship’s bridge was filled with the sound of riotous laughter.

It was obvious they simply had sheets draped over them, much like a child’s first Halloween ghost costume, before discovering they could guilt their parents into spending money on future outfits—if they truly loved them. Now the men couldn’t look at each other without bursting into hysterics. They looked silly, but hopefully silly enough to make it past inquiring alien eyes.

When the control authority eventually made contact, Adam took the lead during the link, believing himself to be the most mature of the group. The fact that the Incus had faces resembling Shar-pei dogs didn’t help. When both Travis and Riyad let loose with involuntary snickers, the serious-looking alien questioned the sound.

“It is a prayer, recited in our ancient tongue.”

“The translation is unavailable,” said the creature on the screen.  

“Yes, that is because the language of our gods is spoken only for blessings.” Adam let loose with a loud cackle as a demonstration. “I have just blessed you and your offspring, hoping for health and prosperity.”

The native blinked several times before responding; he cackled back. “I hope I pronounced it correctly. I wished to return the blessing.”

“You did well. You honor us.”

More laughter came from behind Adam.

“Please convey to your crew my thanks for their blessings, as well.”

“I shall. Now may we land?”

“Of course. Eniss Field Number Three, northwest side, as you requested. Landing beacons will be transmitted. Enjoy your stay on Incus.”

“May the gods bring good fortune to you and yours. Farewell.”

Adam couldn’t break the link fast enough.

“Dammit, what are you guys trying to do, get us all killed?”

“Forgive us, oh Great Maharishi,” Riyad said from the co-pilot seat.

“Prepare for landing,” Adam barked. “Riyad, take over. And by the way, smartass, I got your Great Maharishi right here!”

********

The team had melted down several of the gold items from Panur’s palace and now carried small stacks of ingots of the precious metal, which they hoped would have value on the planet. Since none of them had any Juirean credits, they hoped to exchange some of the ingots for transport to their destination—which Pogo said was the main research facility of what translated to Advanced Plasma Objects, or APO.

The atmosphere of Incus was tolerable without facemasks, and the surface gravity was about point-eight of Earth, just slightly above Juirean-Standard.

The Humans would deploy in two teams, with Adam and Riyad taking Pogo to Applied Plasma Objects while Paulson and Travis followed in another transport and took up defensive positions outside the facility, as backup in case something went wrong. They were linked with throat mics and ear-speakers, hidden under the white-sheet disguises they wore.

Emerging from the Vengeance into the warm starshine of Incus, the prospect of something going wrong suddenly doubled, if not trebled. There were Juireans everywhere.

The spaceport was huge; it had to be to support Eniss’s population of over four million, and this was just one of five such facilities placed at strategic locations surrounding the city. There were dozens of Juirean-style craft in port, some designed for war, others for commerce. During the brief walk to a bank of moving sidewalks leading to the ground transports, Adam spotted several Juirean Guards among the crowd, as well as hundreds of Tech-Class mane-heads, their hair yellow-tinted and tied into long pony-tails dangling down their backs.

Being the most-technologically advanced society in the Frontier, the Juireans found Incus more to their liking, closer to Juir than the other worlds in the Kidis arm. As they walked across the tarmac, Adam was already identifying targets for the time they got the laser weapon operational again. If they were successful, he couldn’t leave this many prime targets just sitting here. That was not what a scorched earth campaign was all about.

The other thing that caught the team’s attention were the natives. As the transmission with the landing pilot had revealed, they did indeed have faces resembling Shar-pei dogs. But what the Humans hadn’t realized was the rest of their body was shaped like a huge yellow worm, making them some of the strangest looking aliens Adam had ever seen.

For locomotion, the Incus used thick legs at the lower part of the s-shaped body to scurry about, a comical type of balancing act considering their odd shape. They appeared to always be trying to keep from falling over. The remainder of the body curved over the center point, and rose up along a five-foot long torso from which two stubby arms projected. Above the main torso was a wrinkled neck and the sad-looking dog-face. They wore clothing of a simple design, since from what Adam could see their body-type didn’t vary much, only by size, depending upon age; however females were distinguished from the males by a series of bumps in the clothing and running along the main torso, ostensibly concealing teats.

He thought of the comment Travis Morgan had made concerning fraternization with the locals. There was probably nothing to worry about from the young, hormone-raging Human, at least not here on Incus. He pitied the poor man if he ever traveled to Formil, where the extremely voluptuous and sensual Arieel Bol was considered average.

But Adam’s main focus was on the Juireans. He wondered how entrenched they’d become in Incus affairs?

At the public transport vehicles, Adam produced an ingot of gold and got a positive response—in fact more than positive. He handed the slab of metal to the driver, regretting they hadn’t made the bars a little smaller. He got the impression the Incus native would now be their friend for life, knowing the aliens were this generous when negotiating for a simple drive into town.

Travis and Paulson followed in a second vehicle.

Chapter 12

Advanced Plasma Objects was a huge complex, comprised of dozens of buildings surrounded by a high security wall. The cab let Adam and Riyad off at the front gate, where the driver insisted on waiting for their return, even if it took all day.

At the security shack, Adam tensed. Two Juirean Guards were seated at the back of the room, a set of small white cubes being tossed on the table between them. They didn’t look up when the pair of creatures in white sheets approached the window.

Adam and Riyad had their tactical gear and weapons hidden under the sheets, while Adam carried Pogo in a pouch on his utility belt.

“Forgive us, we are seeking the attention of Dacus Zoffis,” Adam said, repeating the name Pogo had given him. He had been the main research scientist trying to unlock the secrets of the orb’s energy capturing panels.

The Incus guards frowned—or what Adam took as frowns considering the already wrinkled faces of the aliens. “Is Zoffis expecting you? Walk-up visitors are not allowed.”

Continuing with his religious-like speak, Adam said: “We are here to return an item he lost, an item of incredible importance.”

He grimaced as the Juireans looked up from their game. An item of incredible importance had piqued their curiosity.

“What is this item?” asked the native guard. The Juireans stepped up to the window.

“It would not be of significance to you, yet it will be to Dacus Zoffis.”

“To justify contact, I will have to know what to tell him.”

“It is an orb of ancient origin.”

The guard continued to frown—maybe. “That does not sound like something that would interest our lead technician.”

“He will know the meaning. He will also be terribly upset to learn we were not able to gain entrance.”

“Who are you?”

“We are members of a religious sect tasked with the preservation of the ancient orb. We are the Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Adam looked at Riyad, and through the narrow slit in the sheet, saw his eyes narrow.

“We demand to see this object,” said one of the Juireans.

Through a side slit in the sheet, Adam revealed his right arm with Pogo held in his hand.

“What is it?” asked the Juirean.

“As said, it is an object of ancient design, which has significance to the researchers working here. A simple link to Dacus Zoffis will confirm this.”

The native guard looked to the Juirean. This was not good; he was asking for permission. Somewhere within the vast complex, Pogo had to manufacture several intricate electrical circuit boards. Success or failure would depend on how locked-down the facilities were by the Juireans.

“Call the researcher,” said the Juirean. “I am curious to learn of his reaction.”

As the link was made, the face of the native changed abruptly. His previously wrinkled skin now stretched out in shock; Adam could hear a voice coming through the guard’s earpiece, although it was too garbled for a translation. The native guard muttered several acknowledgements before cutting the link.

“Zoffis will be here immediately,’ he said. He turned to Juireans. “Zoffis said we are not to let these beings leave.”

The mane-heads took this to mean Adam and Riyad should be restrained and prevented from leaving. They rushed through the doorway, drawing flash weapons. The Humans raised their hands.

“Calm down; we’re not trying to leave,” Adam announced, lapsing momentarily back into Human-speak. Catching himself, he continued. “We have come voluntarily to return the sacred object.” Then under his breath, he whispered into his comm, “Stand-down.”

There was a tall communication tower along the wall of the compound where the second team had taken up residency. Travis would have a scope on them—or more preciously—on the Juireans, ready to take them out if the situation escalated.

Fortunately, Dacus Zoffis—along with about a dozen other Incus—hadn’t been too far away, because they came racing up to the gate in electric carts only seconds later.

“Is this true?” asked one of the natives as he hopped out of the cart. He was surprisingly fast as his stubby legs moved almost in a blur, carrying him up to the two Humans in their white sheets. Adam still had Pogo gripped in his right hand.

The native’s eyes grew impossibly large. “It is the device!”

The scene outside the guard shack descended into chaos, as the contingent of native scientists swarmed around Adam and Riyad. Reluctantly, the orb was surrendered to Zoffis, who spun around displaying the globe to all the others. “It is a miracle!”

After a few moments, Zoffis turned his attention to Adam and Riyad. “Who are you, and how did you come by the artifact? We assumed it had been stolen when it did not return after its last prolonged sojourn.”

The lead Juirean stepped between Adam and Zoffis; Juireans did not like to ignored. “They claim to be members of a religious order called the Guardians of the Galaxy, creatures tasked with the protection and preservation of the metal ball.”

“You know of the orb?” Zoffis asked Adam, having to look around the hulking alien to see him.

“We know much. Perhaps we should move to your lab—your laboratory?”

“Yes, surely. Come.”

“We shall provide security,” said the Juirean.

“That is not necessary,” said Zoffis. “The fact that they have returned such a strategic object proves they are not a risk. They did not have to do so.”

The Juirean hesitated. Then: “We will report this to the commanding Overlord. He will demand more information about this object.”

“Yes, and we will provide it. But first, please let us secure the device. It can be quite elusive should it decide to be.”

Before the Juirean could ask the next logical question, the Incus herded Adam and Riyad onto the carts and they sped off into the complex. Ten seconds later they stopped outside a nondescript building among a long row of similar structures.

“You still have eyes on us?” Adam whispered into his throat mic.

“We can see over the wall; we have you,” came the voice of Travis Morgan. “The windows are obscured. We’ll lose you inside.”

“That’s all right. I think we’re among friends.”

“Understood. Standing by.”

The pair of Humans were led into a stuffy foyer, and then down a short corridor before entering a large room full of high-tech equipment, from computers and huge scanners, to tables topped with analytical devices of alien design. Three of the Incus natives remained in the room with Zoffis and the Humans, while the others scurried off to other parts of the building.

Dacus placed Pogo on a long counter near the center of the room and leaned in close to the globe. “You are not going to disappear again, are you?” he asked quietly, before pulling away, slightly embarrassed. He looked at Adam and Riyad. “You must be aware of the device’s ability to teleport?”

“Yes, we are.”

“We spent time trying to learn the secrets of the orb. We made progress in some regards, yet have failed in others. I was not aware others knew of the object’s origin. Please explain who you are and how you are associated with the ancient energy device.”

“Before we do, we have to know how the Juireans factor into your research?” Adam said, dropping the pretense of the religious fanatic.

“They do not, however, that will change once the Overlord learns of the device and its function.”

Adam could tell this wasn’t something the researcher was looking forward to.

“How involved are the Juireans in Incus affairs?

The dog-faced worm looked around the room nervously. “I do not sense you are agents of the Juireans,” said Dacus Zoffis. “What is your relationship with them?”

Taking a calculated risk, Adam untied the cord holding the top of the white sheet around his head, and then through the slot cut for the eyes and nose, was able to stick his head through the opening. “We’re at war with them, that’s our relationship with the maneheads.”

The other Incus panicked and headed for the door. Riyad was already there, a mean-looking M-101 assault rifle held in his hands outside the white sheet. The natives stopped in their tracks, gawking at the weapon.

“Is that an M-101,” asked one of the researchers, admiration in his voice. “May I examine it?” He stepped toward the weapon. Riyad lifted it and pressed the barrel against the wrinkled forehead of the worm. The alien backed away. “I withdraw my request.”

“You are Humans!” said Zoffis. “We have had many delegations from your world and empire over the years, until the Juireans came and drove them away. Please forgive my associates. We are weapons designers, so very interested in the devices you have created.”

“I’ll ask you again, what’s your relationship with the Juireans?”

“The Incus had none, not until they annexed the Kidis. Now they have come here, very interested in our weapons and other electronic devices, as well as our small starship production facilities. Recently, we have been attempting to compete with MK and Xan-fi, with the goal of entering the Expansion’s weapons market, yet with little progress. Now the Juireans are taking all we can produce to be used in the war effort against the Union.”

“Sounds like you got what you wanted,” said Riyad with disgust.

“You misunderstand,” said Zoffis. “They are confiscating all items, without compensation. This has greatly disrupted our society. A worker’s uprising occurred recently, protesting the lack of compensation for their labors. The Juireans slaughtered thousands. Now most labor for free.”

Zoffis looked down at Pogo again and then at the Humans. “But what are you doing here, and with the artifact? The Juireans will surely kill you and confiscate the orb if they know it is associated with your kind.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, Zoffis, but we won’t be staying, and neither will the orb.”

Zoffis’ eyes grew wide. “But you have just returned the device. What do you mean it will not be remaining?”

“Because we’ve come for a specific purpose. We need to use some of your facilities to produce a certain type of circuit board.”

“I do not understand.”

“We have a broken weapon and we need the boards to fix it.”

“What sort of weapon?” asked one of the other scientists. Adam shook his head. These guys have a one track mind.

“Never mind. Will you help us?” he asked Zoffis.

“What is the design of this board?”

One of the computer screens nearby lit up, displaying the schematic.

“How did you do that?”

“I didn’t…Pogo did.”

“Pogo? So this is called a Pogo device?”

“No. Pogo is the name I gave him. You do know the artifact—as you call it—has a form of intelligence?”

Zoffis attempted a smile. It was hard to tell through all the wrinkles. “I always suspected. It displayed an intricate array of activities and vibrations when presented with stimuli. And then it would leave for days, and then return. I always sensed it was glad to be back. But then it did not return…. Can you communicate with this intelligence?”

“Yes I can, and you can, too, through the computer. Pogo can hear you.”

“Hello Dacus Zoffis,” came a voice through the computer’s audio function.

“It speaks!” said one of the other Incus.

“Why…why did you not reveal this to us before?” asked Zoffis.

“I was not aware of this capability at the time. My design was not intended for such use. Only after communicating with my new master did I learn of this ability.”

Zoffis looked at Adam. “Are you this new master it speaks of?”

Adam smiled and nodded.

“How…why?”

“That’s not important now. What’s important is whether you’ll help us or not?”

Zoffis looked to his colleagues and then back at the green-tinted ball. “You say you will be taking it—Pogo—away again?”

“That’s right. We have a lot more to do, and Pogo’s an integral part of the mission.”

Thank you, Adam, said Pogo within Adam’s mind.

“Yet…he could allow the Incus—”

“To what? Create more advanced weapons that the Juireans will use not only against my people, but yours as well?” Adam was getting angry. “We don’t have much time, Zoffis. Either you’re going to help us…or we’ll do it on our own. If you’re familiar with the M-101, then you know we have the means to make that happen.”

“Yes, we will help, although I regret the loss of…of Pogo. I would like to spend time learning of his life and his times. You are aware it is over three billion years old?”

“That I do. Now where do we go around here to make some circuit boards? Honestly, I don’t have a clue how it’s done.”

Zoffis waved his short arms around, indicating the room they were in. “Here. We have what is required to operate the remote manufacturing equipment. The finished product will then be brought to us here. The fabrication process is mostly automated.”

“How long will it take?”

“That would depend on the nature of the board.”

A schematic appeared on the computer screen. Zoffis leaned in close. “This is actually a very simple design. It is only unique in its circuitry. A finished board should be ready in forty cy-cycles.”

“Cy-cycles?”

The native looked to the others. “Fifteen Earth minutes, is that right?”

The others nodded. Zoffis turned back to Adam. “Fifteen minutes.”

“How long for a hundred of them?”

“Once the design is programmed, the product can be mass produced. You could have that quantity within the same time.”

“Great; get started,” Adam commanded. “The Juireans won’t stay away forever.”

********

Adam’s prediction was prophetic. Soon after the specs for the circuit board were transferred to the manufacturing division, a native Incus came rushing in to warn Zoffis that a squad of Juireans were headed their way. Adam placed the white sheet back over his head and applied the cord. Both Humans held M-101’s under their robes.

“Stand by, Travis,” he commanded. “Visitors on the way.”

“Just arrived, entering the building now. Four Guards and an Overlord. Looks like you attracted the head-honcho himself.”

“What shall we do?” asked Zoffis. He was visibly nervous, a dead giveaway to the mane-heads.

“Relax. The boards are being made, but the Juireans won’t know about it. Call over to the manufacturing facility and have the boards left in a box near the exit door. We’ll pick them up on the way out.”

“What should I tell them about…Pogo?”

“Something obscure. Down play his significance, making it more of a curiosity  rather than some new super-device.”

“I don’t under—”

The door to the room swung open and the Juireans entered.

“Overlord Anan ra Corss,” said Zoffis emphatically. “I am pleased to see you once more at my facility.”

“Your appearance does not match your words, Dacus Zoffis.”

The seven-foot tall alien—with his billowing mane of blue hair adding another foot to his height—scanned the room, hesitating at the sight of Adam and Riyad dressed in their white sheets, before focusing on the tiny, green orb on the table. “Is this the object?”

“Yes,” said one of the Guards from the security shack. “They were all quite excited to have it returned. It is not dangerous. Zoffis held it without fear.”

“What does it do?” asked Anan. He lifted the tiny object in his huge hands and examined it.

“It is a form of battery,” answered Zoffis. “Very ancient. More of a curiosity because of its abilities and considering its great age. As scientists, we find such items of immense interest.”

“How old is it?”

When the native hesitated, the Overlord cast an intense glare at him. Zoffis crumbled.

“It is approximately three billion standard years in age.”

This evoked a reaction from the Overlord. He looked closer at the orb and the indecipherable writing on its surface. “Indeed. I see why it would be of interest. What are these markings?”

“Writing of some sort. We do not know the meaning.”

Anan looked suddenly at Riyad. “Do you know?”

Riyad shook his head slowly, while tightening the grip on the M-101. Five Juireans weren’t a problem. It was the other thousand that would come to the aid of an Overlord who were.

Adam spoke in his sing-song religious cadence again. “We worship the object for its profound age. The fact that beings from that time could construct such an orb is significant in its own right. Its creators are long gone, yet they were here long before any race currently in existence. We believe them to be The Creators. Is that not wondrous?”

“Juireans care not for such things, only the utility of objects. Does it serve a purpose?”

“Beyond giving hope for life beyond what we see now…none. As researcher Dacus Zoffis has said, it was a battery when it was functioning—”

“It is not functioning at this time?”

“My Lord, the object is three billion years old. How could it still be functioning?”

“That was not my question.”

“It no longer functions.”

The Guard from the gate stepped forward. “My Lord, that was not my impression. There were several Incus, all very excited to see the device again. It was excitement well beyond what would be expected for a broken device.”

The Overlord set Pogo back on the table and considered the Guard’s comments. “Seize and search them!” he called out unexpectedly.

Two Guards each lunged for Adam and Riyad. Already on high-alert, the mane-heads were too slow for the Humans. M-101’s appeared from under their robes, firing the quieter plasma flash component of the weapon set at level-one, rather than ear-spitting lead bullets from the main barrel. The room lit up with blinding light, sending the Guards to the floor with simmering holes burned in their chests.

The Overlord was unarmed, but swift. He bolted for the door, but was blocked by Riyad. The much taller and bulkier alien lashed out at the smaller creature with powerful arms. The eye slits in the sheet limited Riyad’s range of vision, so he didn’t see the huge fist coming. He took a hard blow to the temple, sending him tumbling to his right, stunned. Anan reached for the door handle.

Adam jumped on the Overlord’s back, wrapping a muscled arm around the neck of the giant. Although shorter, Humans carried an incredible amount of mass for their size, mass which weighed down the Juirean, causing him to drop to his knees. In desperation, the alien reached back with his long arms and grasped the white sheet. The fabric was pulled over Adam’s head, blinding him. The Overlord dropped a shoulder, sending Adam falling forward, slamming against the door.

Riyad had recovered by this time, and casting off his own sheet, now took aim with a bunched fist at the side of the Overlord’s scaly face. With leverage behind the punch, Anan didn’t stand a chance. He fell forward, smashing his head against the metal exit door before collapsing to the floor.

The two Humans were up a moment later, panting while surveying the room. The Incus stood off toward the far side, shock on their dog faces.

“This is unacceptable,” Zoffis shouted. “What is to become of us after this debacle? We will surely be put to death, even as you leave with no consequence.”

Adam looked at Riyad. “Find some rope or tape and tie them up. Make it look convincing.” Then he pointed the barrel of his M-101 at the head of the unconscious Overlord and pulled the trigger on the flash function.

“There’s a little more payback for Andy,” he whispered. Then turning to the natives, their expressions aghast: “No witnesses. No one to contradict your stories. Now let my associate tie you up. You poor creatures were simply overwhelmed by the aliens in the white robes….”

A tap came on the door; everyone froze.

“It will be the circuit boards,” Zoffis said. “I did not have an opportunity to send amended instructions.”

Adam kicked the dead Overlord away from the door and opened it a crack. A young native worm stood outside with a green plastic case resting on a cart. “Leave it,” Adam commanded.

The worker hesitated, until Zoffis called out from the room, “Yes, leave the contents, Lonsi.”

The worm scurried off. Adam opened the door and pulled the cart inside.

He opened the lid and found four small packages inside, wrapped in plastic. “This is it, a hundred of them?”

They are small and lightweight, Adam, Pogo said in his mind.

“They are small and lightweight,” Zoffis echoed aloud.

“Fine,” said Adam…to both of them. “Riyad, hurry. Travis…any activity outside?”

“Could be. I hear sirens in the distance. Probably backup coming. You know most Overlords are equipped with lifesign monitors?”

“I didn’t know that?”

“That’s what you get for being out of the loop for a while, Captain. Someone will know the Overlord bought it.”

“Is the cab still at the front gate?”

“Yessir, and two electric carts outside your location, courtesy of the Juireans.”

Adam watched Riyad cinch down the last tie on the four native worms and then slip his white KKK sheet back over his head. “Time to go,” he said with laughing eyes.

Pogo vanished from the table, just as Adam felt a slight weight increase on his utility belt. The orb purred.

“We’re moving,” he said to Travis.

“Covering.”

Adam stepped over to Zoffis. “Thanks. I really hope things don’t go too badly for you.”

The scientist was too scared to comment.

Adam smiled. “We’ll create a little diversion on the way off the planet, something to take the spotlight off you and your people.”

Zoffis gave a very Human-like nod as Adam and Riyad rushed from the room, having placed the four small packets of circuit boards into pouches on their utility belts. A number of curious natives watched the pair race down the hallway and out the building, before hopping into an electric cart and speeding toward the main exit to the complex. They slowed at the gate.

“Your visit was short,” the guard commented. “Did the Juireans find you?”

“Yes, and we had a very cordial meeting. Thank you. Now we must leave. We have other appointments.”

The gate lifted and Adam moved the cart to the waiting transport. The Humans climbed in the back. Adam passed another gold ingot to the driver.

“Your loyalty is appreciated. Please return us to the spaceport.”

“Immediately! Would you like me to provide provisions, or fuel or lodging outside your vessel?”

“No, just the journey. However, once you leave us, please drive quickly to the farthest spaceport on the other side of Eniss. We may need your services there.”

The driver passed a small card to Riyad. “This is my contact information. I look forward to being of further service.”

Adam knew that wouldn’t be necessary. He just wanted to get the driver as far away from the spaceport as possible. He didn’t want him hurt from what Adam had in mind.

Now let’s hope the boards work, he thought to Pogo.

The Incus are very proficient at construction of fine electronic circuitry. They created a rudimentary version of my panels, although not complete. For something as basic as the laser weapon boards, they are quite capable.

I hope so. I’d hate to leave this many Juirean ships intact, not when we could really make a splash.

“Paulson, where are you?”

“Right behind you. Our driver wasn’t as compliant as yours. We had to commandeer his cab. He’s safe in the backseat, but none too happy.”

A caravan of racing transports passed on the other side of the road, headed for the main gate of the APO complex, truckloads of armed Juirean green-hairs in the line.

“That is an unusual occurrence,” the driver commented. Through the rearview mirror, Adam saw the native narrow his eyes at his strangely-dressed passengers. “Other Juireans arrived at Advanced right after you did.”

“I’m sure a complex as large and varied as APO receives a lot of Juireans as visitors. Who knows what business they have at the complex?”

“Yes, you are correct. You are aware many of us are laboring without compensation? It is becoming very difficult to survive. That is why your currency has been greatly appreciated.”

That explained the native’s gushing over them. Good. Adam didn’t like the idea of overpaying for anything. The fact that physical gold would have considerable valuable within an underground economy made sense.

The spaceport appeared on the right, and the driver quickly passed through the wide entrance gate and stopped at the moving sidewalk. Adam and Riyad jumped out.

“Now proceed to the other spaceport quickly.” He passed another ingot to the driver, making that three he’d given him. “Use this to help your family and friends. No one should have to work for free.”

Small tears flowed from the moppy eyes of the dog-faced alien. “I shall. Thank you profusely. Thank you.”

Adam rushed off to join Riyad on the escalator. “I always knew you were a bleeding heart,” said Riyad. Then he smiled. “And quite free with other people’s money.”

“Panur’s gold? That, my friend, belongs to the universe.”

Chapter 13

Ten minutes later the team was back aboard the Vengeance and in the engine room, with a panel removed from the bulkhead. Inside was a maze of wires, circuits and control modules. Pogo’s voice spoke from the overhead speakers.

“The four thin wafers on the left…remove them.”

Young Travis Morgan was doing the honors. He withdrew the thin plastic cards with a pair of needle-nose pliers. They were charred and blackened in several spots.

“Now insert the new boards, circuit side to the left.”

Riyad handed a board to Travis. A few moment later, all four were installed.

“I’m sending power through the circuits.”

Lights on several of the control modules came to life, and after a long three seconds, Pogo announced the verdict.

“They’re holding. Of course the real test will come when firing power is sent through them. But the fact that they route electricity successfully is a good indicator.”

“Excellent,” said Adam. “Prepare for lift off. Everyone—and I mean everyone—strap in.” He directed his last comment to Travis. “I want to light up as many of these Juirean warships as we can before we pop out of here. Need I say it: battle stations!”

********

Nineteen Juirean warships were in the spaceport at the time. Granted, they were the smaller Class-2’s, as well a couple of 3’s. The larger ones were in orbit, including a rare Class-7. The ships on the ground were laser marked and stored in the firing computer, with their engines as the primary targets. The Humans had four laser beam batteries, with a conservative recycle time of eight seconds between firings. The beams themselves had a duration of four seconds, making a total firing cycle of twelve. That was actually pretty long. A quick-thinking crew could activate shields in that time.

It was also determined that an enhanced laser shot could short-out a diffusion screen with a single blast. But that opened the Vengeance up to counter attack during the twelve-second recharge interval.  There was nothing they could do about that. Adam had confidence they could bug out at a moment’s notice, but he wanted to rack up a pretty good body count before doing so. The units on the ground were a given; they couldn’t raise shields or lift-off before they’d all be toast. But the larger ships in orbit were another matter. It would all depend on how quickly the Juireans associated the unprecedented destruction on the ground to the tiny ship lifting from the spaceport.

Adam was in the pilot seat, still wearing the silly KKK sheet again—hopefully for the last time.

“Eniss Port Three Control, requesting lift-off permission,” he said over the comm link.

“Permission denied,” came the immediate reply from the dog-faced creature on the small screen.

“Denied? Why?”

“An area-wide flight restriction has been put in place.”

“By whose authority?”

The native on the screen frowned. “The Juireans. Power down and await further instructions.”

“Understood, Eniss Control.” Adam cut the link and removed the sheet. “Pogo, can we build up enough power to lift-off without Control knowing?”

“Difficult. My answer would be no,” said the disembodied voice through the bridge speakers. “The chemical jets require a forty-five second warm up from a cold start.”

“What about gravity drive? Can we create a small well to get us to optimum targeting elevation?”

“Such an event would affect an area around the Vengeance half-a-mile in diameter. That in itself would be noticeable.”

“Prepare for an energy burst to the generators. We’re going to make a mess anyway. With a gravity-lift we’ll take out a couple of the target ships without having to fire a laser.”

“On your command,” said Pogo.

Adam looked around the bridge at his small Human crew. “No turning back once we commit. Everyone get ready. Tom, light ‘em as soon as we’re high enough to have the ground units in your sights. Travis, watch for any counter response. Riyad, back me up on navigation. All right, everyone. Pogo, on three. Three—”

The ship bolted upwards.

“No! I meant on the count of three!”

The ship was on its way—regardless of Adam’s intended countdown—and even though the gravity-well was small and contained, it was still strong enough to carve out a perfect circle in the surface of the spaceport a half-mile in diameter and fifty feet deep. Nine nearby starships—including several of Incus ownership—were hurled into the air. As the gravity-well extended away from the Vengeance, the massive chunk of earth trailing behind fell back to the planet, raining even more death and destruction on the spaceport.

A brilliant light invaded the forward viewports as the first four laser beams ignited. The light faded away quickly, and an agonizing eight seconds passed before the next flash of light. The ship was sixty miles above the surface when the last of the ground targets were neutralized.

“Incoming!” cried Sergeant Morgan from behind Adam’s station. “A small spread, poorly focused.”

Adam pointed the Vengeance straight for the stars and gunned the chemical jets. The extra surge placed them two hundred miles in space, and out of the envelope of the incoming flash bolts.

“Targeting the first Class-4,” Paulson announced. “Firing.”

With four incoming beams, the first one cancelled out one of the diffusion shield panels, allowing the other three to reach the hull of the huge warship unimpeded. Adam looked to the forward viewscreen, and on extreme magnification, the image showed three perfect circles appear in the shiny grey metal hull, followed by a series of powerful outward explosions. This particular Class-4 was history.

“Firing on number two.”

“More incoming.”

“Hold it steady for three seconds,” Paulson pleaded.

Responding immediately to the report of incoming bolts, Adam had already twisted the control stick, and with that maneuver the crew learned something new about their laser weapon: If they changed course during a beam firing, it lost integrity and dissipated. None of the last four shots reached their target.

“Sorry,” said Adam. “Lining up again. Status of the incoming?”

“Firing…again.”

“Full spread this time, Captain,” said Travis. “We’re going to take hits.”

A moment later, Morgan’s prediction came true.

“Forward starboard-number two down,” he reported. “Aft starboard-one down fifty percent.”

“The second C-4 is down,” Paulson reported.

“It’s getting kind of hairy out here,” Adam called out. “Where’s the C-7? If we’re going to be leaving soon, let’s see what we can do about that monster first.”

“It’s gone just beyond the horizon,” Riyad reported. “Looks like it doesn’t want to take a chance going up against us.”

Adam pulled the stick over and increased the well intensity. “Are you ready, Tom?”

“Just need a target.”

“There she is.”

“I’ve never seen a C-7 before,” said Travis, awe in his voice.

A Class-7 was the third largest class of Juirean warship in the fleet, with not more than twenty or so galaxy-wide. There were a few nine’s and one ten—but no eights, for some odd reason—so taking out this one would deliver a major blow to the Juireans in the Kidis Frontier.

“There’s a four-ship protective screen forming up, Captain,” said Travis. “They’re laying down a really wide spread. Damn, sir, it covers half the sky.”

“Pogo, how short of a hop can we make with the jump-drive?” Adam asked.

“Unknown, although it seems the farther out we jump, the more precise the results. Just opposite what one would expect.”

“Riyad, plot a point in the path of the C-7. Let me know when you have it.”

“It’s bugging out along a straight line; that helps. Okay, plotted.”

“Engaging jump-drive.”

The star field through the viewports changed. It was subtle, but the most obvious thing the crew noticed was the lack of incoming flash bolts steaking their way.

“Target to aft,” said Paulson. “Locking on—firing!”

As with the smaller ships, the first bolt knocked out a shield panel, followed by a penetration of the hull by the trailing laser beams. But the huge warship didn’t explode like the others. In fact, only one relatively small explosion erupted from a single beam hole.

The crew of the C-7 was better-trained and had more time to go to battle stations, so most of the interior compartments were already sealed and purged of atmosphere by this time. It would take a lot more hits to take her out.

“Firing second salvo.”

“They’ve launched a spread. Contact in forty-one seconds,” Travis reported. “We’re going to be hit if we stay here.”

“That gives us time for another two salvos,” Adam said. “Fire at will, Commander.”

“Launching again. Several hits showing up. Charging for last salvo.”

“Fourteen seconds to contact, Captain,” said Travis. His voice was calm. Like the others, he was in combat mode, something he’d been trained for.

“Firing!” Paulson announced.

Adam counted four seconds in his head. “Results, Tom?”

“She’s down, Captain. Explosions building. Splash one Class-7!”

“Engaging jump-drive!”

The star field changed again, and like before, the shift was subtle. A quick scan of the surrounding area found no Juirean warships. They were two light-years away and in a clear region of space between star systems.

Adam shut down the jump-drive and engaged a shallow gravity-well.

“The clock had us down to two seconds before contact, Mister Cain,” said Travis. “Just thought you’d like to know.”

Riyad smiled. “Hardly worth mentioning, sergeant. Tom, what’s the body count?”

“Nineteen on the surface, three in orbit, including the Seven.”

“Not bad for a day’s work.” Riyad looked at his friend. “What now, Mister Cain?”

“I thought we’d pay a visit to our old stomping grounds of Visidor. They had a lot of targets hanging around, just waiting to party.”

“That they did.”

“But this time it’ll be a simple strafe and run…maybe a couple of runs. I want the mane-heads running scared. Pogo, how did the boards hold up?”

“Extremely well. Leaving eight seconds between discharges helped. All systems nominal.”

Adam laughed. “You have been studying Humankind, haven’t you?”

“You’re an interesting species. I haven’t had this much fun in three billion years.”

“Glad you’re enjoying yourself. Mister Tarazi, plot a course for Visidor. We have some havoc to wreak.”

Chapter 14

It was a nine hour series of hops to reach the planet Visidor. Four months earlier, Adam and Riyad had spent a couple of days on the jungle-covered world, fighting Juireans and dinosaurs before escaping. The traitorous Copernicus Smith had been the catalyst in their being on the planet, as well as all that transpired leading up to Smith selling them off to the Klin for an undisclosed—yet substantial—amount of money. Two weeks of incredible torture followed before the pair—along with their alien friends, Kaylor and Jym—were rescued by a large Human strike force. Hundreds of dedicated warriors lost their lives that day when the huge Klin Colony ship exploded only moments after Adam and Riyad were rocketed off the station.

Avenging their deaths was a debt Adam was determined to extract from Copernicus Smith someday—hopefully in blood. But that would have to wait for another time. First there was the matter of rescuing Sherri Valentine and Arieel Bol.

********

The Vengeance dropped out of the last jump only four hundred thousand miles from Visidor. A quick scan showed five Juireans warships in orbit—four 3’s and a 4. Paulson had his laser batteries charged and ready for the first pass, which happened before any of the warships could raise their shields. Before Adam popped out of local space, two of the alien ships had exploded while the other three took direct hits.

But Adam wasn’t through. Knowing they could do short hops, he reversed course and came back for another pass. As he appeared for a second time, he was amused to see two of the ships try to activate their shields. Having been damaged during the first pass, energy readouts showed sporadic charges, before most of the shields failed completely,. The second swipe took out the remaining three vessels without a single defensive bolt being launched in their direction.

Without leaving Visidor space, Adam guided the Vengeance toward the surface. There was only one main spaceport on the planet, and that near the city of Swiv. Nine enemy ships had been located there; now they were lifting, leaving long trails of chemical exhaust in the skies above the city.

From the high ground, Tom Paulson riddled the rising starships with laser beams of intense plasma energy. Four fell back to the surface, with three crashing into the city in fireballs of death and destruction. The five remaining ships achieved orbit and spread out; however, only one tried to engage the Human warship, and was promptly turned into a fireball of its own. The four other ships raced away, knowing they were outmatched.  Riyad plotted intercept courses using the jump-drive, and an hour later all but one of the Juirean ships were destroyed.

The Vengeance now closed on the last remaining ship. To Adam’s surprise—and edification—the vessel slowed and turned. He pulled back on the stick, and within minutes the two ships were sitting face to face, separated by only six hundred miles.

“What’s he doing?” Travis asked.

“Probably getting the courage up to make one last stand,” Tom Paulson replied.

Adam had already activated the ballistic weapons system, ready to unleash a rain of speeding lead projectiles at the Juirean warcraft. He was tired of the relatively clean and surgical laser beams. He wanted to see some shredding of an alien hull.

“They’re powering up. Looks like they intend to ram us,” Riyad noted

“Good luck with that,” said Travis.

And then the Class-3 accelerated, both by gravity-well and chemical drive. The distance between the two ships closed rapidly—almost too rapidly for the crew—all except Adam.

With steely grit, he held off firing until the very last moment. Then he pressed the trigger on his control stick.

None of the crew could see the actual rounds streaming through space, but they did see their effect. The front of the Juirean starship ripped apart, breaking into thousands of pieces of sharp shrapnel as the craft was unzipped down the centerline. Momentum carried it forward, as the Vengeance was buffeted with debris strikes. The Class-3 broke in two, with both halves passing within a hundred feet of the Vengeance. In the blink of eye, they were gone, having disappeared into the vast emptiness of space.

“That was…unnecessary,” Riyad commented.

“I thought you were going to say thrilling,” Adam replied back.

“Yeah that, too.”

Chapter 15

Captain Davis Morris carried his cup of steaming coffee onto the bridge and sat in his command chair. He lifted the hot liquid to his lips and took a cautionary sip. He was still shaking off the cobwebs from a good night’s sleep. The coffee would help.

Ensign Callie Jacobson came up to his chair and handed him a datapad.

“Good morning, ensign, anything to report?”

“Good morning, sir,” replied the young, dark-haired officer. She was slightly plump, and the buttons of her kakis strained over her bosom. “Not much to report…except some unusual movement along the Juirean lines.”

“Ensign, after a couple of months of border duty, any movement by the Juireans is unusual. What’s going on?”

“They seem to be shifting position, sir.”

Morris tensed. Command had been expecting an invasion by the mane-heads once their forces had been sufficiently enhanced. For a couple of months beforehand, Juirean ships had been added to the line. The buildup ended a week ago. Had the Juireans reached the point where they felt they were ready?

“A consolidation?”

“No, sir. They appear to be just moving their ships from place to place.”

“But not to a staging area?”

Ensign Jacobson shook her head.

“Do we have a count?”

“I can get one, sir, but the way they’re moving around, it’ll be hard to get a true number.”

“Get it anyway.”

After the officer left, Morris forgot about his coffee, instead staring out the forward viewport while trying to figure out what the mane-heads were up to. Moving troops along a static line was a classic maneuver…when trying to conceal your numbers. In fact it was used to trick your opponent into believing you had more than you had. But why would the Juireans be doing that? They already had two times the forces the Union had aligned along the border.

Ensign Jacobson returned a moment later. “It’s even stranger, Captain,” she said. “If the numbers are right, there’s been a thirty percent reduction in opposing forces since two days ago.”

“And we have no indication if they’re being grouped for an invasion?”

“None, sir. Intel does report gravity trails heading back into the Frontier, but away from the border.”

“So the mane-head are only holding a slight numerical superiority facing us now?”

“It would appear so, sir.”

Morris slipped out of his chair. “Thank you, ensign. Monitor the situation closely, with particular attention to Juirean strength and density. See if there are any areas along the border that are thinner than others. I’ll be in CIC if you need me. And have Commander Said join me there.”

“Yes, sir.”

********

 “So where are they going, if not to mass for an invasion?”

Lieutenant-Commander Omar Said was the XO of the Union Starship Monitor, and a fiery young officer of boundless energy. He was a man of action, and the last two months of mind-numbing border duty had been torture for him.

Two months before, the Monitor had led an armada of nearly a hundred Union warships from in and around the Luminis Cluster back over the border and without firing a shot. They were escorted by a smaller Juirean force and were under orders not to engage. That was only days after the mane-heads annexed the Frontier and a week before they declared war on the Union. At the time, there was no justification for a fight. Now, if any Juireans crossed the border, they were authorized to fire.

It had been agonizing watching the Juireans add thousands of warships to their border force, while the Humans and their Union allies were maxed out with what was already there. Sending all allied forces to the Kidis would have left open the region around The Fringe, as well as inviting an attack on the Union from above the plane. Ample forces also had to be left in reserve around Earth to deter a pre-emptive strike on the Human homeworld, something the Juireans were not above contemplating.

As the enemy forces built up along the Kidis Frontier, it didn’t take a military genius to realize that when the invasion came, there would be very little the frontline defenders could do to stop it. They would be tasked with a stalling tactic, sacrificing themselves until more forces could be moved up to plug the hole. The Humans and their allies didn’t have the resources to fight a multi-front war with the Juireans, only selective engagements with the best chance of success.

This wasn’t something the Humans were used to; however, the Sol-Kor war had taken a terrible toll on the once mighty war machine of Earth. They emerged victorious in that conflict, if diminished. The mane-heads quickly moved in to exploit the situation.

But now the Juireans were disguising the fact that they’d pulled forces from the line. Why?

Captain Morris was attempting to link with distant Earth, with his XO at his side. A series of clocks on the wall of the comm center showed shipboard time, Earth Command time and Juirean time—for some reason. It was four am in Phoenix.

Admiral Morton Hollingsworth came on the screen. He had dressed in a paisley-print robe and what hair he had remaining on his head was ruffled and standing on end. His eyes were mere slits. There was an inset screen showing the face of Admiral Curtis Logan, Morris’s area commander, whom he’d contacted first.

“What is it, Admiral?” Hollingsworth asked with no irritation in his voice. He knew that if one of his area commanders was contacting him at this hour, it had to be important.

“Sorry to bother you, Admiral, but Captain Morris reports a thirty percent drop in Juirean forces along the border over the past two days.”

“Good morning, Captain,” said Hollingsworth, addressing Davis. “Do you think this is a prelude to invasion?”

“No sir, I don’t. The ships they’re pulling are heading back into the Frontier, and apparently in a hurry.”

“Curt, do we have any actions taking place within Kidis at this time?”

“No, sir, we don’t. But after receiving Captain Morris’s link, I checked with some of our local assets. There does appear to be something going on, although I don’t know exactly what.”

“Explain.”

“There are reports from as far away as Incus of attacks on Juirean ships. We just got a new one about Visidor—wherever that is. And then another from Worak-nin.”

Hollingsworth came awake instantly. “You said Worak-nin?”

“Yessir. Not as big of an action as on Incus, but something that still resulted in Juirean casualties. Does this mean anything to you?”

“You’ve heard the news about Captain Cain stealing a prototype warship?”

“Yessir…but.”

“He was going to Worak-nin to rescue what remained of Admiral Tobias’s team left there.”

“But…he has only one ship. The reports out of Incus alone speak of the Juireans losing twenty-two ships, including the only Class-7 in the Frontier.”

“I’m not sure what it means, gentlemen, but I’m going to find out. If this is Cain, then he’s found a way to power the prototype to its fullest potential. This is both good and bad. It’s good because he’s able to destroy Juirean ships at will. It’s bad if the Juireans get their hands on the ship. We need more information.”

“What about the thinning of the line, sir?” Morris asked. “This could be our chance to take back some territory?”

“Hold onto that thought for a while, Captain, at least until I find out if it really is Captain Cain out there kicking Juirean butt. Frankly, it sounds like something he’d be doing.”

“Then doesn’t he deserve support from the rest of us, sir” said Omar Said.

“Always itching for a fight, aren’t you commander?” said Hollingsworth with a grin. “That may happen, but not before we know what Captain Cain is up to. If he has recovered the team on Worak-nin, then why hasn’t he returned to Union space? And what the hell was he doing way out on Incus? Curtis, monitor the local situation closely. If this thinning of the line is permanent, then we might have an opening. But if it’s just a temporary thing as they go slap a mosquito from their arm, we’d be foolish to escalate.”

“The latest count has the Juireans losing nearly forty ships in the past week. That’s a substantial attrition rate,” said Admiral Logan.

“I agree, and if Cain is behind this, then we’ll be behind him one hundred percent. But patience, men. At least until I have my breakfast.”

Chapter 16

“Thanks to the datapad so graciously provided by Overlord Andis lo Pindoc on Worak-nin, this is what we know of the Juireans strongholds between here and Juir.” Adam pointed at the graphic display on the video screen he’d set up in the supply bay of the Vengeance, the largest open space on the ship—if it wasn’t for the small shuttlecraft packed inside.

“Over the past three weeks we’ve hit enemy concentrations at Hannon VI, Westolia, Burnis and Cap’o’licon Three, if I pronounced that right. The only major base left in the Frontier is Woken. After that we enter the main part of the Expansion with another nine major centers before we reach Juir, and each one of them bigger than any in the Frontier. We’ll hit Woken on our way out of Kidis.”

“Sir, won’t they be expecting that?” Travis asked.

“Hopefully. The purpose of a scorched earth campaign is not only to destroy enemy assets along a line of advance, but to also provide a path for trailing forces to follow. Woken is at the entrance to the Frontier. If the mane-heads pull enough resources from the rest of Kidis—which we’ve noticed them doing at all our other attack locations—our guys can pour in and have our backs. I’m sure our recent raids haven’t gone unnoticed.”

“It might be a good time to open communications with Hollingsworth,” Riyad offered. “I know you’ve been ignoring his calls, but a little coordination is called for at this point.”

Adam had placed a restriction on links coming from the Union. They were outlaws and he didn’t want to have to justify his actions to anyone. It had been a little over a month since they absconded with the Mark VII. Perhaps Riyad was right. Now was the time to mend fences.

“I’ll take it under consideration, Mister Tarazi, but for now, let’s prepare for a strafing of Woken. We’ll be there in eighteen hours. This will be the biggest target we’ve hit to date, and it’s a good bet it’s been fortified even more. Our success there may be limited, but we can’t leave it unmolested. After that, we’re in the main part of the galaxy, an area most of us are more familiar with. We might even find a few friends along the way.”

Chapter 17

When the Vengeance popped into space near the planet Woken, the crew was expecting a substantial Juirean presence. As the unofficial capital of the Frontier, it was the first major planet when entering the Kidis arm. The system would be a logical staging area for the Juireans as they allocated their forces to the newly annexed territory. In addition, Adam’s trail of death led to Woken. The mane-heads would have seen this and made preparations.

Even so, what they saw on their screens was ridiculous.

“Initial scan shows over three hundred starships, Class-3 and above,” Lt. Commander Paulson reported a little breathlessly. “Either they’re preparing for an invasion, or that’s one hell of a welcoming committee.”

“Incoming, Captain!” Travis shouted. “They fired the moment we materialized; some kind of automatic response, I would guess.”

“I’m jumping,” Adam said, and the Vengeance disappeared.

“We were expecting they’d be expecting us,” Riyad said. His smile was forced.

“Updated count: four hundred plus ships,” Paulson reported.

“Well, what to do?” Adam leaned back in his seat and began thinking aloud. “I’d really hate to leave that many enemy ships clustered in one place. However, if they’re looking for our jump signature, we’ll have to go in conventionally. With that many ships moving around, we just might be able to slip in under cover of all the other gravity sigs. Fortunately, well-dampeners don’t affect the jump-drive, not completely. We can still jump almost a light. If they spot us, we can always bug out pretty fast.”

“Not unless we’re hit, sir,” Travis pointed out dryly.

“Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen. All right, I’m going to hop over a little closer and then go to straight gravity-drive. It’ll take longer to get on station but it shouldn’t trigger any automatic response of flash cannon fire. Hopefully.”

********

Adam had been right about the sheer number of starships in the system providing cover. The problem came with trying to navigate through so many competing gravity sources. It took him four hours to thread his way in-system to where the target-rich environment was more to his liking.

After their first appearance, the fleet was in an agitated state; disorganized would be a better word for it. A third of the ships had descended on their previous entry point, leaving virtually no maneuvering room for anyone, the Juireans included. The other vessels had scattered, attempting to anticipate their next entry point. When the Vengeance didn’t materialize, the Juirean commanders became confused, and the deployment of their ships showed it.

“Pogo, what if we cut the recycle time to only four seconds, knowing that some of the boards will have to be replaced eventually?”

“That will be the case. I realize we have ninety-six replacements, but we still have three months left on our mission.”

“But we could take out a huge chunk of these four hundred ships.”

“You’re in command. I will do as you instruct.”

“Is that a wise move?” Riyad asked.

“We’ll see. If we start burning through boards I’ll reevaluate. Travis, get back to the engine room and be ready to snap in new boards as the old ones burn out. Riyad, you have sentry duty. Let me know what’s around us.” He took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s make our presence known.”

Adam steered the Vengeance to the edge of the cluster of ships still milling around their original entry point. There were over fifty of them within a million miles of their location. He punched the small gravity-well and set off on a course right through the middle of the pack. Even if they were fired upon, a lot of the bolts would continue along their straight-line trajectories and possibly impact the other Juirean ships in the cluster, creating a form of circular firing squad.

“They’re taking notice,” said Riyad.

“Fire at will, Tom.”

Light filled the exterior viewports as the graphic on the main screen displayed the first four-beam burst. Adam thought that by reducing the recycle time by half, it would make the sequence of fire-recharge seem quicker. It didn’t. Even with cutting the total cycle time to eight seconds, it was still a lifetime between flashes.

The Juireans weren’t sitting on their hands. They unleased a devastating barrage of flash bolts of their own, adding even more light to that of Paulson’s laser bursts. The battlefield was lit up like a one big fireball of white. Adam closed the viewport shields to keep the flood of light from blinding them. The graphic on the screen told them all they needed to know.

The first pass took out nineteen Juirean ships and damaged another eight. Adam jumped before surveying what effect the plethora of mane-head cannon bolts was having on their own fleet. The threat computer had counted over eight hundred of the deadly balls of plasma being released before the jump. These would continue for up to thirty-five hundred miles before dissipating. With such a large number of warships converging on the path of the Vengeance, there would undoubtedly be friendly-fire casualties among the Juireans.

Now a little less than a light-year from Woken, Adam and his crew were able to relax. “Tell me about the boards?” Adam called out over the ship’s 1-MC.

“Six boards fried,” came the voice of Travis Morgan. “How many ships did we get?”

“Twenty-seven were hit, most out of commission. There’s still over three-hundred seventy-five. At this rate, it might be possible for us to take out most of the fleet, but we wouldn’t have too many boards left.”

“We’re going to have cut down our expectations,” said Riyad. “Go back to eight-second recycles and hit them along the fringes—”

“I’m picking up gravity sigs, Captain,” said Paulson.

Adam looked down at his screen. Tom was right. A massive wave of gravity interference was surging their way, not directly at them, but toward Woken. The signatures indicated Juirean warships.

“Something like another six hundred ships,” Tom said. “They’re coming from within the Frontier.”

“And I thought they’d already pulled all the units from the line they needed,” Adam said. “They’re really taking us seriously.”

“I know we’re a badass starship with a crew of superheroes, but this is ridiculous,” said Riyad. “Almost nine hundreds ships against only one.”

“This could be when we use our torpedoes. The closer they’re packed in, the more we can take out.”

“Don’t you have enough monuments in your honor? Now you want to win the war singlehandedly?”

“You guys can help; I’m not above sharing a little of the glory.”

“I don’t have any monuments dedicated to me!” Tom Paulson pointed out.

“Me, neither, sir,” came Travis’s voice over the bridge speakers.

Adam smiled. “Charge ‘em up, Pogo. They didn’t build the super-torpedoes to sit around looking pretty.”

********

They waited nine hours for the massive fleet of incoming starship to enter the Woken star system. The torpedoes had jump-drive technology—if they had the proper power charge behind them. It took all Pogo could muster to supply that energy, prepping six of the deadly weapons for transit. They would keep two in reserve.

The ship’s computer files provided more detail about what made these weapons so revolutionary. Besides the jump-drive—which at the time the torpedoes were built was an engine waiting for a power source—each of the forty-foot-long cylindrical weapons contained forty small nuclear warheads each. Even though small in size, their output was anything but. Using a combination of Formilian, and even Juirean technology, the warheads carried incredible firepower, measured at a hundred megatons each. This made the bombs nearly twice as powerful as any nuclear device ever detonated on Earth, prior to the arrival of the aliens. As impressive as that was, what made the torpedoes truly terrifying is how the warheads were distributed.

Each torpedo sent the forty warheads out to form a huge sphere in space. When all the nuclear cores exploded, a radioactive ball, half a million miles in diameter was created, with the effect of each warhead magnified by the lack of an atmosphere to contain much of their explosive force. As impressive as this was, the real magic happened inside the sphere.

Any starships caught there—and not yet impacted by the initial blasts—became trapped and unable to escape. The resulting electromagnetic pulse from the explosions created a massive field damper, preventing ships in or around the sphere from escaping on gravity-drive, and attempting to pass through the cloud meant running a gauntlet of deadly radioactivity. The trapped crews would be helpless and watch as the roiling fireball closed in from all directions, creating tremendous heat and pressure until their ships were consumed.

And the most terrifying aspect of this new weapon: it could be launched from up to two light-years away and appear smack dab in the middle of an assembled fleet.

Unfortunately for the crew of the Vengeance, they wouldn’t be witness to the first effects of their attack. The light from the blasts would take a year to reach the launch point, and it wouldn’t be safe to enter the impacted space for several hours after launch, not with the huge amount of dissipating radioactivity in the region.

So when Adam sent off each weapon to its designated entry point within the Woken star system, he was essentially shooting blind, hoping that at least some of the huge balls of nuclear fire would appear where they would do the most damage.

The Vengeance would pop in for a look, but not for at least five hours after the last torpedo was launched.

********

Four hours later the anticipation got the better of them, and Adam initiated a jump to the farthest reaches of the Woken system.

The first thing they noticed when they popped in was that communications were down throughout the area. The EMP was not only affecting gravity-well formation, but also CW and conventional comm channels. It also blocked their shipboard energy sensors. The speakers just cracked and popped as the Vengeance made a cautious eyeball survey of the system.

On the boards, the system appeared dead. The crew knew that couldn’t be possible. They only launched six torpedoes, each with an initial blast radius of half a million miles. Of course, the spheres would expand after that, but they would also weaken, reducing their deathly affects.

An hour later the Vengeance passed the huge outer gas giant planets that were common in nearly all stellar systems, on her way to the inner rocky worlds farther in.

The scanners were clearing, and it was now possible to pick up sporadic data from the surrounding ether. Strong signatures were coming in from unaffected starships, and the count was climbing, slowing topping three hundred as the Vengeance moved in closer. But then the number stabilized, as more frantic, open-channel comms were heard requesting status and condition from any vessels within earshot.

Debris filled the space surrounding Woken, and Adam and his men began traveling through a literal graveyard of demolished warships. When the count of active contacts slowed to a crawl, it read only three hundred twenty-four—still a sizeable fleet, but nowhere close to the nearly nine hundred it had once been.

Adam felt humbled, as well as in a state of mild shock. Sure, the Juireans were their enemy, but over three-hundred thousand of the mane-heads had died in a matter of seconds, and all as a result of his actions.

He recited the old adage he’d used so frequently over the years: You don’t mess with the Humans.

I guess I was right, he thought. But…damn!

He began to wonder what affect this attack would have on the war effort, especially from the Juirean point of view. They couldn’t know that the torpedoes were limited in number and only able to be powered by a one-of-a-kind three-billion-year-old energy generator. All the Juirean Military Command would see is that a single Human starship had just made mince-meat out of one of the most-powerful fleets they’d ever assembled, while using a secret weapon that could materialize out of thin air.

Hopefully this would give them second thoughts about continuing with their war against the Humans….

Chapter 18

“No! I will not reconsider,” exclaimed the Juirean Council Elder, Synnoc li Qriss. “We have lost only eight percent of our fleet, and critical tactical lessons have been learned as a result of these recent encounters.”

“But this new weapon of theirs—”

“Is of limited range and effectiveness, if precautions are taken. You have forgotten, I have military expertise. I do not surrender after the first turn of the battle. Until the launch of this nuclear sphere weapon, we assumed we were facing a single warship with only a new laser-type device.”

“The ship is still out there, my Lord.”

“Yes, but it is only a single vessel. If not, then the Humans would be deploying fleets of them. Our spies have told us as much. Soon we will have this technology, as well as that of the nuclear spheres. This is not the time to lose resolve.”

Synnoc stared down the dozen skeptical faces looking at him from around the huge table in the Pinnacle Conference Room sitting high atop the Malor-Hydon Capital Tower on Juir. The stern-faced Elder continued: “We started this campaign to save the Expansion, to keep it from being slowly absorbed into the Union. To show weakness now, to pull back our forces and to possibly even sue for peace, would be the end of it all. At that point, there would be no denying the fact that the Humans are superior to us, as is their empire. The Expansion would disappear, and the Juirean people would be left with nothing to rule.”

No one dared speak, not even to agree with the angry leader of the Expansion, leaving Synnoc to give substance to what they were all thinking. “Yes, this is a matter of life or death, not only for the Expansion, but for the Juirean race as well. There can be no turning back, not now, not ever. Either we win…or we die.”

********

An hour after the meeting adjourned, Kradis fi Esso, Master-Overlord and Fleet Marshal of the Military Forces of the Juirean Expansion, was the only person left in the conference room with Synnoc li Qriss. They’d known each other for over one hundred standard years, and if any two Juireans could be considered true brothers, they would qualify.

“You think me foolish to continue with my campaign against the Humans,” said Synnoc to his friend.

“No, I do not. I understand your reasoning. Yet often it is wise to reevaluate a strategy once new facts are presented.”

“And what new facts have been presented?”

“Just simply that the Kidis Frontier is not worth defending. With the loss of the fleet at Woken, and the drawdown of our forces along the border, the Humans will undoubtedly move against us. And for what? A minor spur of the galaxy where the dregs have settled? Even if we had not suffered these unexpected losses, the most direct route to Earth is through The Fringe, or even from above or below. We have no well-established bases in Kidis and no strong allies.”

Synnoc poured two glasses of a smooth Canbian intoxicant from a flask on the table. He handed one to his Fleet Marshal. “Perhaps you are right. I only annexed the region as a stimulant to war. Now that I have it, there is no need to waste any more resources. And with the conflict now raging, none of our current members will leave the Expansion, not until there is a clear winner. I have preserved the empire, at least for the time being.” He lifted his glass to Kradis. “Withdraw our ships, my friend. You have my permission. But now we have a bigger problem. What do we know of this super warship of the Humans?”

“It employs a form of dimensional jump-drive, not unlike that developed by the mutant Panur, yet not nearly as sophisticated. Our informants on Earth say the engine is of limited range, and until now, has been underpowered except for ground-based experiments when connected directly to major power plants.”

“This vessel does not appear to be underpowered.”

“No, Synnoc, it does not.” Kradis hesitated before continuing; the Elder noticed.

“What is it you are not telling me?”

“I do not wish to distress you any more than your current state.”

The thin smile on Synnoc’s face was forced. “Now you must tell me.”

“Although our non-Human spies on Earth have been unable to extract all the details concerning this experimental warship, they are reporting rumors that this particular prototype vessel was stolen from its testing facility.”

“Stolen?”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“By whom?”

“That is the part that will distress you.”

“Kradis!”

“It was stolen by Adam Cain and Riyad Tarazi.”

The Elder fell silent for several seconds, not the reaction Kradis had been expecting. “Why?”

“Why what, my Lord?”

“Why did they have to steal the craft?”

“Unknown, except perhaps they were not authorized to take it.”

The sour look Synnoc gave his friend was priceless. “Kradis…that much is obvious.” The Elder shook his head. “So it is the infamous Adam Cain and his shadow causing all this dishevel…and they are not on an officially-sanctioned mission. If they were, they would not have had to steal the warship. I am not surprised. But why has he embarked on such a vengeful assault on the Expansion? I realize we are at war, yet to go against the wishes of his own command is perplexing. And his current actions are bordering on that of the insane.”

“Indeed they are. I believe it could have something to do with Andy Tobias.”

“Admiral Tobias, the being who holds the same position in the Union as you in the Expansion? Yes, he, too has been an irritant for many a year.”

“Have you not heard, my Lord? Admiral Tobias is dead.”

All pretense of friendship disappeared as Synnoc stared at Kradis. “No…I had not heard. How did this happen?”

“At the hands of a local Overlord within the Kidis Frontier.”

Although Kradis could see anger building within the Elder, Synnoc still managed to stretch a thin, ominous grin across his face. “That is the explanation I seek. Cain and Tobias were friends, and as we have seen, Humans have an often unreasonable sense of duty to avenge the deaths of their friends.”

“The official justification for Tobias’ death was to atone for the killing of Overlord Esketon at the hands of Adam Cain.”

Synnoc’s loud bellowing laugh caught Kradis off guard. “Oh, the irony, my friend. Adam Cain did not kill Esketon. I did.”

The shock on Kradis’ face was unabashed. “Forgive me, my Lord, but I do not understand?”

“I had the Overlord killed—and Cain blamed for it—as the impetus for our declaration of war on the Union. Of course, the Humans failed to believe us in that regard; however, the Expansion was given the details—as I offered them—and that was enough. So now my nemesis is burning a path of death and destruction throughout the Frontier in retaliation for the death of his friend….”

“That would explain much.”

“But not all.”

“My Lord?”

“Cain knows the truth. He knows he did not kill the Overlord, and he knows by whose order it was carried out. His friend was killed because of this. So where do you think his ultimate redemption will lie? What is his final solution?”

Kradis frowned. “I do not follow—my Lord!” His eyes opened wide. “He intends to kill you!”

“Of course, my friend. This solitary—and quite insane—creature intends on reaching Juir with all his anger and vengeance intact. Then he will seek me out.”

“That would be suicide. Especially in light of….”

“Of what?”

“That there are three prisoners being delivered to Juir, the survivors of Admiral Tobias’s personal entourage.”

“Prisoners? Why was I not told of this? Why am I only now receiving such information as you have revealed to me this day, Fleet Marshal?”

“My Lord, you are the Council Elder of the Juirean race, leader of the galaxy. There are certain items that are beneath your attention.”

“Not in this regard. Who are the prisoners?”

“One is a traitorous Overlord who has been hiding in the Kidis, pursing activities based on commerce and criminality.”

Synnoc waved his hand impatiently.

“The other two are females of some importance to Adam Cain: a Human, Sherri Valentine, and a Formilian, Arieel Bol.”

Synnoc leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. “I know of this Human female. She is of Cain’s inner circle, a contributor to his notorious past. Yet the other is the former—and soon to be reinstated—Speaker of the Formilians. You have taken her prisoner as well?”

“She was with Tobias—and Cain, prior.”

“The Expansion needs the Formilians, Kradis,” said Synnoc, worry in his voice. “Although I understand we have occupied the planet to settle the unrest taking place between the population and the Temple, we cannot force such beings to be innovative. Their technology is what sustains the empire. What plans did you have for Arieel Bol upon her arrival on Juir?”

“She has consorted with the enemy, my Lord, and therefore must be punished accordingly.”

“And what of our relationship with Formil? I know your expertise is not in affairs of state, but much care should be given to this one.”

“I realize how sensitive the issue is, my Lord, that is why we would first discredit the Formilian. She has only recently regained status and respect with her people. It should not be too difficult to shame her again.”

“Make sure you do. Although I truly intend to make changes once we eliminate the Union, until then I must be careful with certain of our allies. After the Humans are extinct, we will then exert our will completely upon all the creatures of the galaxy.”

Synnoc looked out through the radically sloping windows of the room, formed by the peak of the towering pyramid structure. He spoke while gazing at the setting sun. “Now I have more information from which to devise a plan. Cain is coming not only to kill me, but to rescue his two females. As we both know his task is not an easy one, even in his prototype starship.”

Synnoc turned his attention back to Kradis, his face suddenly animated.

“Kradis, my friend, an opportunity has been presented to us, a glorious opportunity.”

“What opportunity, my Lord?”

“Let me begin by asking you a question: What will the Humans do when we withdraw from Kidis?”

“Undoubtedly they will move in and occupy the territory, using it as a buffer on their left flank.”

“Exactly. And what would they do if we withdrew all our forces to the Dannon Divide?”

“My Lord! That would mean all the way to Hyben…and beyond. That would leave clearly a third of the Expansion unguarded.”

“And as Adam Cain and his supership blasts its way toward Juir, what will the Humans do? Will they remain at their stations, safe within their arm of the galaxy and the Kidis? Or will they rush in to fill the void created by Cain’s progress, especially when we offer no resistance?”

“Forgive me, my Lord, but that is a dangerous and reckless proposal.”

“Take care, Kradis. I respect your opinion, but not your insults.”

“I am your Fleet Marshal. It is my task to outline military strategies and to analyze tactics. I understand you may be planning aloud, but what makes you believe the Humans would invade Expansion territory, knowing we hold such a sizeable advantage in warships and materiel support?”

“Because we are going to make it obvious that we are obsessed with Cain, and only Cain. Yes, we know we have superior numbers, and the Humans would be foolish to attack under those circumstances. That is also why we would feel secure enough to withdraw our forces and consolidate them to meet the threat posed by Cain. The Humans would not dare attack. And that is why they will. I know the Humans, Kradis. I have studied them for many years preparing for this conflict.”

“How could you have planned for this, my Lord? Cain’s adventure was unexpected.”

“Unexpected, yes, but by his actions we have been given this opportunity.”

“I still fail to see why the Humans would follow such a course of action. They would be sending their forces into the heart of the Expansion, into the center of our strength.”

Synnoc’s smile was wider than before, his teeth fully bared. Kradis didn’t take this personally, knowing that his master was experiencing a living death-challenge with the Humans, and particularly, Adam Cain.

“The Humans will follow their greatest hero. They will not let him face this challenge alone. We are at war, Kradis. The Humans know they cannot win by remaining defensive. They must take the initiative at some point, and Adam Cain has forced them to act. All I will do is make it seem impossible for them to resist. Humans are lazy creatures. If they see a rapid end to the war, they will take it.”

“And what shall we do when the Human fleet enters Expansion space?”

“Let them come…to a point. Engage them at Hyben, or better yet, at The Hand.”

“My Lord, that will place their fleet only two weeks from Juir. What if they break through?”

“My friend, have you not heard my words? The Humans will break through. And when they do they will be spread out over a hundred light years, far from their supply points and military bases. It will be at this point that you display our numerical superiority.”

“It will be major battle, Synnoc, possibly the largest ever. Many Juirean ships will be lost.”

Synnoc impatiently waved his hand again. “I care not if we lose half the fleet or more. Once the Humans are destroyed, they will have no defense for Earth. At that point, you and I will spend a brief moment standing in the oppressive gravity of the Human homeworld, accepting their humiliating surrender.”

“And what of Cain? So far we have found nothing that can stop him and his starship. What if he makes it here and disrupts your plan?”

“I am disappointed in you, Kradis, for your lack of insight. Do you not see I want Cain to reach Juir?”

Kradis went to protest, but Synnoc stopped him with a gesture.

“Cain will be at the tip of the spear and can be easily cut off from the rest of the Human fleet. He will continue, and when he arrives, we will take him prisoner to join the others. Kradis, this is all a show—a presentation—to the galaxy. The Humans must not only be defeated, but humbled and humiliated. The great Adam Cain and his friends must die, and they must die here, on Juir, and for all to see. Only by doing so will the Juireans be feared and respected, not only by the Expansion, but the entire galaxy.”

Synnoc drained his glass of intoxicant and poured another. His eyes burned into those of his friend. “The problem is we Juireans have been too kind and compliant in our recent past. We have allowed the Expansion to be more independent, more free, more able to dictate their own direction. We need to go back to the time of the Founding. There were no accommodations back then. We took what we wanted without concern or compromise, and from that attitude, we built the greatest empire ever known. But it has been through our complacency that we have allowed the Humans to survive and to prosper. We have also allowed the Klin to exist, and to enlist their evil surrogates, the Kracori, to ravage our world. I say it now, those times are ending, Kradis. And they will end during my reign as Elder.”

Kradis finished his drink as well, but restrained from pouring another. He needed a clear mind. There was much planning to do. “I see merit in your strategy of drawing the Humans into a trap. That is admirable, and with our superiority in warships, it could also prove successful…if technology does not prevail over numbers.”

“As I said, the super ship is but a single vessel. Even your spies reveal the Humans had been unable to make it work properly.”

“But Cain has managed.”

 “Yet not well enough to return to Earth where a whole fleet of the super ships can be constructed. I do not pretend to understand how he has accomplished this. What I do know is he is but one lone warrior who will eventually run short of armament or luck, potentially both. It will be your job to make sure he lasts long enough to reach Juir. Once here, Adam Cain will be on my ground, on my planet. He will not stand a chance.”

********

As Master-Overlord Kradis fi Esso descended the stairway from the Pinnacle Room and mixed with the frenetic workers on the levels below, he thought back to what the Elder had said: The Juireans had allowed the Humans to survive.

Kradis had only been an upper-grade Guard commander at the time of the first Juirean-Human War; even so, he had an entirely different recollection of the events surrounding that conflict. He could vividly recall being part of a small group of desperate survivors after that particular battle with the Humans, one that took place within the twin star system of Falor-Kapel. The Juireans had a three-to-one numerical superiority during that engagement, yet it did not matter. It was lost, and decisively.

It was not wise for the Elder to underestimate or discount the Humans as second-tier warriors, existing solely at the discretion of the Juireans. And now their most-accomplished warrior was on a mission to bring the war to Juir…and to Synnoc personally. So far, this single creature had destroyed over nine hundred of the Fleet Marshal’s warcraft. Granted, he did it with a starship and weapons of revolutionary design and effectiveness. And in Kradis’ opinion, Synnoc had surmised correctly that there was only one such craft set against them. Yet this only showed the potential—and unpredictability—of the enemy.

Now Synnoc wanted to invite the Humans to invade the Expansion and to drive for Juir. The strategy was grandiose, possibly brilliant. Yet there were also far too many variables for Kradis’ liking. And the main variable was Adam Cain.

The Fleet Marshal knew the Humans were every bit as savage as the Juireans. This primal talent for hunting and killing was what made both races so successful in the commission of war. Fighting through his Juirean pride and honor, Kradis begrudgingly admitted the Humans could even be more skilled at both. Now Synnoc wished to be the hunter and the killer pitted against such an opponent. It was a dangerous gamble.

Kradis felt numb, conceding the reality of the times. Not until only one of these predatory races survived would there be victory. Only then would there be peace within the galaxy.

At that moment, however, Master-Overlord Kradis fi Esso truly did not know who would be the last creature standing.

Chapter 19

This is information Hollingsworth can’t ignore!

Captain Davis Morris sprinted into the comm center. “Open a link with Earth, now!”

The startled E-4 radio tech nearly fell off his chair when the ship’s commander rushed into the room at three in the morning. “Yes…yessir,” Tom Keller stammered, closing the lid of the datapad as quickly as he could. He’d be embarrassed if the officer saw what he’d been looking at. “It will only take a minute. Who should I link to?”

“Admiral Hollingsworth, if possible. If not, then the watch commander at Central Command.”

“Yessir.”

It took a torturous three minutes before the face of Admiral Morton Hollingsworth came on the screen. It was one in the afternoon in Phoenix and the admiral was dressed in summer khakis.

“Is Admiral Logan aware you’re contacting me directly, Captain Morris? We do have a chain of command, you know, even if you once served as my aide.”

“Sorry sir. Too important,” Morris said in truncated sentences. “The Juireans have withdrawn.”

Hollingsworth blinked. “Withdrawn? From where?”

“The border, sir. They’re gone.”

Just then two other officers rushed up behind Hollingsworth and began speaking to him. After a moment of his attention being pulled in multiple directions, the admiral barked at the others to back off, at least for the moment.

“There appears to have been a horse race to see who could get this information to me first. Looks like you won by a nose, David. Now go on; what do you know?”

“Just that the mid-watch woke me up with news that all enemy ships have vanished from the line. And not only that, but there have been no reports of incursions across the line. They left…and they didn’t come this way.”

“Well damn you, Adam Cain.”

“You think he’s responsible?”

“Who else? So far this great galactic war has been one without a battle, except for what Captain Cain has been doing in the Frontier. This is great news, Captain. I’ll contact Admiral Logan and have him start making preparations for a cautious—and I mean cautious—move into the Frontier. It could be a trap. In the meantime, let me correlate all the other reports coming in—and there’s a shitload of them—so I can get the full picture. Good work, David. Hollingsworth out.”

“Is the war over, Captain?” asked the radioman after the screen went blank.

David Morris laughed. “We’re dealing with the Juireans here, Mister Keller. This thing could just be starting.”

********

Six hours later Admiral Hollingsworth called in two of his top advisors. He had decisions to make.

They met in his office, where a huge monitor was mounted on a wall to the left of his desk. The advisors were Lt. Commander Soshi Tanaka and a civilian, Niklas Bauer. Both were experts on the Juireans.

“So what are the mane-heads up to?” Hollingsworth asked.

Each man in the room had a laser pointer. Tanaka spoke first, highlighting on the screen the red cone that represented the movement of Adam Cain in the Mark VII.

“Cain is about halfway to Juir, following a very obvious track and leaving a trail of casualties along the way. The Juireans are in the process of pulling out of the Kidis Frontier. Although they can’t move as fast as Cain, they’re following a similar course but staying out of range. We feel this action is two-fold. First they’re trying to consolidate their forces ahead of his advance to stop him from reaching Juir, and second, to take away any obvious targets to hit.”

“What about the other regions they’re leaving—the Fringe, Libor and the others?”

Bauer spoke next. “Same thing, Admiral. Those territories are a little closer in and the units they’ve pulled can form up quicker in Cain’s path.”

“What’s the estimate on the Juirean’s eventual strength?”

“They should have two to three thousands ships available for the task,” Bauer said.

Hollingsworth whistled. “That many to stop one ship? Unbelievable. Does this make sense, knowing what you guys know about the Juireans?”

The two intelligence officers looked at each other before Tanaka spoke. “It doesn’t, Admiral, except for the fact that Synnoc appears to be obsessed with Captain Cain. He tried to blame the death of that Overlord on him as provocation for the war, and now this. He’s obviously running scared and will do anything to stop him.” Tanka smiled. “At least that’s what he wants us to think.”

“Explain.”

“You’re right, Admiral. Synnoc doesn’t need that many ships to stop Cain. But he would if he means to stop our fleet from reaching Juir.”

“Is our fleet heading for Juir?” Hollingsworth said with a sly grin.

“That’s what Synnoc is hoping. He’s pulling back and practically begging us to invade Expansion territory. He wants us to follow along Cain’s track all the way to Juir.”

“Niklas, is this what he wants?”

The intelligence expert took over the briefing. “The Expansion is porous. There are so many disgruntled alien races there that we’re having trouble keeping track of all the behind-the-lines intelligence we’re getting. A lot of their members have a very thin loyalty to the Juireans and for the right amount of credits will spill their guts. We have reports across the entire line, from the Fringe to Kidis, that Juireans warships have left, all at once. A third of the Expansion is now without military support. If that’s not an invitation to invade, then I don’t know what is.”

Hollingsworth leaned back in his chair. “You know, I’m under a lot of pressure not to do that. Some around here want me to lay back and strengthen our line. They say that would be prudent.” He took his own pointer and highlighted the area from the Fringe to the Dannon Divide. “This is a huge chunk of Expansion territory. Even if we don’t follow Cain to Juir, I’d sure like to have it as a buffer zone. Then if the Juireans decide to push us out, we’d be giving back their real estate, and not ours. If we maintain our current line, then any retreat would be through Union territory.”

“There is another possibility,” said Tanaka.

“Go on.”

“It’s that Synnoc may be so cocky that he thinks we will stay back and not advance. He knows he has a four-to-one numerical superiority in warships, so in his mind, the outcome of the war is a foregone conclusion. He could be doing all this just to stop Cain, and once that’s done, he’ll be right back on our doorstep having lost no ground.”

“In a way, that sounds more like something Synnoc would do,” Hollingsworth said. “He—and the rest of the Juirean high command—have never taken us seriously as a military threat, despite history to the contrary. They also think we’re diminished and war-weary after the Sol-Kor, and they’d be right. But they’re also too stupid to realize they’ve backed us into a corner. Synnoc doesn’t want to negotiate a peace. He wants us to die, and when our only option is either win or die, I would prefer to win.”

Bauer smiled. “Sounds like we’re about to invade the Expansion, sir.”

Hollingsworth smiled. “Why not? Besides, I have a plan up my sleeves that might throw them a curveball.”

“And what about Cain and his advance?” Tanaka asked.

“I hate to say this, but his advance might not last much longer, not against a wall of two thousand Juirean warships. I have TS-17—Captain David Morris’s task force—trailing him from Kidis. He’s there more to give Cain a way out, rather than to offer any real support for the advance. Let’s see how far he gets.”

“And if he makes it to Juir?”

Hollingsworth chuckled. “Then, gentlemen, this war might be over before we know it.”

Chapter 20

When Adam opened a link with Earth, requesting to speak with Admiral Hollingsworth, he was told that security arrangements had to be made and that the admiral would be contacting him back shortly.

Riyad wanted to be present for the link, but Adam said no. This was his cross to bear and he’d face it alone.

When the signal came in, Adam let his finger hover over the connect button for a few seconds. This wasn’t going to be pretty.

Surprisingly, Hollingsworth looked calm and composed when his image appeared on the screen. Adam had been expecting a red-faced, fire-breathing dragon, trying his best to reach through the light-years and grab him through the monitor. Even with his calm demeanor, Adam didn’t get off completely scot-free.

“It’s been thirty-one days, four hours and nine minutes since last we spoke, Captain Cain. Yes…I’ve been keeping track. A lot has happened since then.”

“I’m terribly sorry, sir, but I had to go find my friends.”

“And how’s that working out for you?”

Adam swallowed hard. “We’re getting there, sir.”

“Listen, Captain, I have to admit I’m pretty pissed, but it’s a little hard to stay that way considering the success you’ve had in the Frontier. This is a secure link, so tell me, how did you power the Mark VII? Was it with the energy orb?”

“Yessir.”

“The same device you said was destroyed when the Klin colony ship exploded?”

“Yessir.”

“You had it all along?”

“Yessir.”

Adam could tell the admiral was trying his best not to turn into that fire-breathing dragon. After a moment—and with no outburst—Hollingsworth continued. “Captain, I’m willing to overlook your blatant insubordination if you will return to Earth…and bring the orb with you. You’ve proven the Mark VII is capable of incredible things, with the proper power source. Let our scientists unlock the secrets of the device so we can build a fleet of Mark VII’s. After that we’ll have nothing to fear from the Juireans, or anyone else for that matter.”

“Until the technology spreads and then everyone will have ships like the Mark VII.”

“In that case—just like with every new advance—we’ll figure out defenses against it. Listen, son, the Juireans are leaving Kidis. You did your job, and singlehandedly, I might add. Bravo. But now’s the time to end this crazy vendetta and return home.”

“Admiral, the Juireans have Sherri and Arieel. They’re on their way to Juir, with another three months of transit time. You know what Synnoc will do to them when they arrive.”

Hollingsworth bit his bottom lip. “I was wondering why you didn’t come straight back from Worak-nin. And you think you have a chance of getting to Juir and saving them? This is Juir we’re talking about, Adam. Mark VII or not, you won’t make it. And if by some miracle of fate you do, how do you save them and make your way back home? Just think for a minute. Look at the problem as a tactical operation. Would you authorize someone in your command to undertake such a mission?”

“I’ve been trained to carry out search and extraction missions, sir. There’s always a way.”

Hollingsworth laughed. “You don’t have a plan, do you? You’re just winging it.”

“I have a plan…sort of.”

“And what is that plan, Captain?”

“It’s still a work-in-progress, sir. But believe me, I wouldn’t be pursuing it if I didn’t think we had a chance.”

“Let me see if I can figure out your strategy: Burn a path to Juir and then go in guns-a-blazing and kill every alien in sight?”

Adam forced a smile. “It’s worked so far, sir.”

“You know the Juireans have begun to withdraw their ships even from the Fringe and other places. Either they’re really afraid you’ll succeed or they’re up to something else.”

“They’re leaving other parts of the galaxy?”

“That’s right. Came as a shock to us, too. Doesn’t seem to be any reason. They have a four-to-one advantage over us, even taking into account what you’ve done in the Frontier.”

“Are they massing at a single point?”

“Not yet, just bolting for the inner galaxy. Hyben seems to be the new line of demarcation. Nothing beyond there is leaving, but still no staging area that we can tell.”

“What are you doing? You’re going to advance, aren’t you?”

“I’m sending ships into the Frontier to survey the area. It was never Union territory to begin with. Some of the hot heads in the government are now talking about doing their own annexation of the area, just to rub it in the faces of the mane-heads. I think that would be a mistake.”

“I mean the other regions—the Fringe, the Dannon Divide and the Reaches.”

“All options are on the table at this time. On one hand, if we occupy a region twice as large as what we currently have, our forces will be spread so thin that the Juireans could slip a five-thousand-ship fleet past us and park it in Earth orbit before we’d know about it. On the other, we would have a buffer zone to work with. So far, no decisions have been set in stone.”

“Excuse me, sir, but we didn’t start this. We’re at war, and simply sitting back and waiting for the mane-heads to have a change of heart won’t help. If their pull back is to stop me from reaching Juir, what do you think’s going to happen if they succeed? Do you think they’ll leave everything the way it is now? No, they’ll pick up the war right where they left off and be back huffing and puffing at your door. Sir, we haven’t won anything. The Juireans aren’t surrendering. Maybe they know how timid we are, how we’d never risk moving into the areas beyond the Union, not with our current strength. Maybe they know they can regain all the territory they’ve surrendered after I’ve been taken care of. And if I did return to Earth, wouldn’t that take away the threat Synnoc’s feeling right about now? Wouldn’t that cause the Juireans to bounce right back? And what about Sherri and Arieel?”

The words flowed from Adam like a torrent. He was frustrated, not only at his current situation and how it had changed the dynamic within the galaxy, but also by his commander’s lack of vision and courage.

“Admiral, the only option is for us to win. The only peace we’ll find is when the Juireans are destroyed. We tried to play nice with them, giving them the benefit of the doubt that they weren’t our enemy, just pawns in the Klin’s galactic chess game, just as we were. But now we know their true colors. They’re a vicious, savage race who fear anyone that can challenge them. As long as the Union exits, the Juireans will be plotting our destruction. Sir, we have an opportunity to end this once and for all. Let me lead the way. We don’t need to conquer the Expansion, just Juir. There’s enough grumbling among their member worlds that I’m sure no one would mourn their defeat. And we don’t have to go back being the boss of the galaxy. Any number of other races could take over, or a coalition of them. We can still keep our identity, our Union. But don’t fall for the belief that this thing is over. It will never be over, not as long as the Juireans exist as a power within the galaxy.”

Admiral Hollingsworth stared back at Adam for several seconds before a thin smile stretched across his face. “Very passionate speech, Captain Cain. I see we have a differing of opinion.”

“Admiral—”

Hollingsworth raised a hand to stop him. “I’m not saying you’re wrong and I’m right. The difference between me and you is I have command authority and you don’t. What I decide affects millions, even billions of souls.”

“I realize that, sir. But either we fight the Juireans now or we fight them later. And if I’m right, that may be sooner than you expect. Like I said, this isn’t over. It’s just beginning.”

“And you’re the trigger point, Captain. You’re the person driving the agenda and the one Synnoc wants to kill above all others.”

“He didn’t declare war on the Union just to kill me. That came up later. He declared war to destroy the Union, to destroy all of us.”

The admiral looked to his right for several seconds as he considered Adam’s words. Adam Cain was not a patient man.

“If I am the trigger point, Admiral, then let me be the lightning rod. Let me blaze the trail. That’s what a scorched earth campaign is designed to do. Not only destroy the capabilities of the enemy, but to also open a breach for others to enter. I could plow the row, sir.”

“What do you have left aboard the Mark VII? I’ve seen the reports about Woken. With one torpedo used at Worak-nin and another six at Woken, you should only have two left.”

“That’s right, sir.”

“Hardly enough to plow the row with, wouldn’t you say, Captain?”

“Our laser beam weapons are fully functional.”

Hollingsworth raised his eyebrows. “Which is encouraging. It seemed like a valid method, but probably not enough to carry you all the way to Juir.”

Adam didn’t tell the admiral that the Juireans were programming into their defenses automatic responses to his jumps, firing salvos of flash bolts before he could even get his bearings. The laser weapon was effective, just not as effective as it had been at first.

“Where are you now?” Hollingsworth asked.

“We’re about a three thousand light-years beyond Woken, in Expansion territory. We’re having to zig-zag so our exact jump course can’t be plotted.”

“And what would you do if you run up against a wall of Juirean defenders?”

Adam smiled. “Go in guns-a-blazing and kill every alien in sight…sir.”

“That would be funny if I didn’t know you were serious.”

“I would be serious…if I knew the fleet was backing me up. Like I said, we don’t need to defeat the Expansion, just Juir. We’ve used this strategy before—or Admiral Tobias did. He called it the Medieval Method. Take the castle and you control all the lands around it without having to fight house-to-house. Juir is the castle we have to take.”

Hollingsworth nodded. “Let me take this up with my advisors. It makes sense, and I’ll be pushing for it.” Then the admiral smiled. “Believe it or not, Captain, I’m also the hard-charging, take-no-prisoners type. It’s just that I have others I’m responsible for.”

“If we maintain the status quo, the Juireans will always be a dark cloud hanging over everything we do. You have a responsibility to make that cloud disappear, forever…sir.”

The admiral’s thin smile turned into a smirk. “I’ll be in touch, Captain. In the meantime…stay alive.”

“That’s my primary mission, Admiral.”

“Somehow I doubt that, Mister Cain. Hollingsworth, out.”

The screen went blank.

Chapter 21

Sixty million years before, a red giant star went nova and unleashed a cloud of dust and stellar debris that now stretched across forty light-years in the region of the galaxy known as the Dannon Divide. Over time, some of this stellar ejecta began to bind together in larger and larger clumps of material that would someday become stars of their own. To feed their growing appetites, these relatively tiny points of gravity gobbled up huge amounts of the red giant’s remains, and as the stellar winds continued to blow, long spires of shadowy dust, ten light-years in length, now dominated the landscape. There were four main pillars, resembling fingers on a hand, which gave this particular stellar formation its common name: The Hand of Creation.

The entire region was a star-birth factory, and the confluence of intense radiation, stellar winds and budding stars ignited space for a hundred light-years in all directions in an iridescent glow of red, green, yellow and purple—all the colors of the spectrum— representing the various temperatures and chemical composition of the excited gases.

The Hand was beautiful to observe, yet treacherous to navigate. Most star travelers skirted along the edge, content to experience this incredible wonder of the universe at a safe distance while pronouncing their admiration in a myriad of alien languages. Some enterprising entrepreneurs even took tourists to see The Hand, at least until war came once more to the galaxy

Located twelve hundred light-years from the planet Hyben—the new line in the galaxy separating the Expansion from the farside territories—a steady stream of Juirean warships now traveled the region, most bypassing the inner turbulence of the huge nebula. Once near Hyben, some continued farther in, to Sanias and Bondic-nur, while others journeyed all the way to mother Juir and the core stars of the former Seven World Common Alliance.

The dark, towering pillars—besides being beautiful and foreboding—were also perfect places to hide huge masses of starships. The radiation and near-constant eruptions on the surfaces of the newborn stars made energy signal detection virtually impossible. A thousand ships could be hidden without a trace of their existence leaking beyond the stellar interference.

Adam knew this as he maneuvered the Vengeance toward the gargantuan spires. But with time to kill before Sherri and Arieel arrived on Juir, he was looking for something a little more substantial to kill other than time.

He realized it could be a trap, but the small cluster of forty-one starships near the tip of the third finger was just too inviting to pass by. These ships had come in from the Fringe, so they had no first-hand experience with Adam and the Vengeance. Unless Fleet Command provided every Juirean ship with the automatic defense program to counter his dimensional hops, these ships might have to react the old fashion way, by entering in targeting coordinates and pressing buttons. If that was case, then most of them wouldn’t survive the next fifteen minutes.

With a nonchalant flick of a switch on his control stick, Adam initiated a short hop—only about a quarter of a light-year. When the screens shifted, the Vengeance appeared three hundred thousand miles from the first alien ship in the group. Tom Paulson was ready at fire control and Pogo had done his part to power the laser weapons. The first target would be in range in nine seconds.

To Adam’s surprise, none of the ships along the first line made the slightest attempt to evade the incoming vessel. Shields were raised…but engines remained dormant.

As Paulson’s enhanced laser beams burned through shields and hulls, something odd didn’t happen to the targets. They didn’t explode.

Adam knew only two things could cause this anomaly: Either all the atmosphere had been purged from the ships and the aliens aboard were in environment suits, or…there were no crews aboard, and the ships were decoys.

Pre-placed field dampeners came to life across fifty light-years, preventing any vessel within range from creating light-speed gravity-wells. Adam’s jump-drive wasn’t affected by the dampeners, not entirely—and the Juireans should have known this by now. Since the jump-drive produced a hybrid field disturbance, the Vengeance could still jump, but only about eight-tenths of a light-year at a time. In most cases that would have been sufficient to get them out of danger. But not when the field of battle was a ball in space fifty light-years in diameter—and the Vengeance was right in the middle of it.

Still he jumped, leaving the cluster of decoy starships far behind, not even visible by the most powerful telescopes.

But then things went from bad to worse.

A stream of hundreds of Juirean warcraft emerged from behind the vast, glowing pillars of gas. They came on maneuvering wells, just under light-speed, and in such numbers that their signals combined to form impossibly large blobs of white on the Vengeance’s threat screen. But it didn’t end there. This huge river of starships was soon joined by two more, these appearing from behind other fingers of The Hand.

Adam didn’t panic—at least not initially. Instead he set the ship at General Quarter—sealing compartments and dumping atmosphere from all compartments except the bridge—while he kept jumping, shifting his position within the huge gravity ball. Even with hops of just under a light-year at a time, the Juireans were filling the space within the sphere with more and more ships, giving him less room to maneuver as the minutes clicked by. It was as though the crew of the Vengeance was inside one of their nuclear spheres, only this one full of alien warships rather than radiation and clouds of deadly fire.

“They’re going through a lot of trouble to kill four people,” Adam said softly.

“Excuse me, sir,” said Sergeant Morgan. “I believe they’re going through all this trouble to kill only one of us—maybe two. Commander Paulson and I are just along for the ride.”

Light flashed through the forward viewport as Paulson fired on a couple of ships that were within range following the last hop. Flash bolts were launched at them, but Adam was gone before they could reach the Vengeance.

“I’m glad you can maintain your sense of humor, Sergeant Morgan,” Adam replied, “especially in the face of such imminent danger.”

“Captain Cain, sir, I’m not worried. I’ve been watching you long enough to know that you’ll save our asses. You always do…sir.”

“Oh no, not you, too? This belief in my abilities could get us all killed.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it, sir.”

Riyad tapped his screen, getting Adam’s attention. “You’re doing a great job of keeping us out of range of the enemy, but we’re rapidly running out of options.”

“Should we use the last torpedoes?” Paulson asked.

“Unfortunately, we’d be in range ourselves, and with no moon to hide behind this time. And the dampeners won’t let us jump the torpedoes more than a million miles away. Their drives aren’t as powerful as in the Vengeance.”

“We don’t have a choice, Adam,” Riyad said. There was no humor in his voice this time.

Adam relented. “All right. We’ll send them out along a line,” Adam offered. “It could break the sphere, but then well have to plunge right in after detonation.”

“Either we die here or we die there. There is farther away.”

“Tom, Pogo, prep the torpedoes. Stagger the jump range for maximum effect. Launch when ready.”

Twenty seconds later, a graphic on the forward screen—along with a slight bump through the hull—signified the weapons were away. The torpedoes would jump, appear and detonate—now!

The crew was disappointed. Except for computer indicators, there was no signs that anything had happened. That was because the light from the explosions was still several seconds away, even after a jump of only a million miles. The crew would have to trust in the computers and have faith that the torpedoes had detonated.

“Here we go. After this hop, we should be close enough to see something—”

—Adam pulled back on the stick, but it didn’t help.

The Vengeance was tumbling, riding the crest of a radioactive wave of nuclear fire as if she was a surfer at the North Shore of Hawaii. An ungodly eight seconds passed before Adam could jump again. He didn’t even know where they were going.

A split second later the men were thrown against their restraints, as an ear-splitting squeal sang throughout the ship, worse than the most-horrible fingernails-on-chalkboard scratch one could imagine.

The inertia compensators were no match for the sudden shift the ship experienced as it collided with the other vessel. Fortunately, since most starships didn’t have to withstand the same stress and pressure as rockets from a bygone era, their hulls were not as rigid. When the ships came together, their skin bent and then rebounded, propelling both craft away from each other.

Commander Paulson recovered before anyone else and fired his starboard lasers point-blank at the Juirean Class-4 warship. This time there was an explosion. Unfortunately it was right next to the hull of the Vengeance.

With his ship already moving away from the C-4, this new round of smaller explosions—followed a few seconds later by a much larger one—only helped to shove the Vengeance farther away, but not far enough to avoid showers of hull strikes from flying debris.

“Three breaches, Captain,” Travis reported. “Nothing serious with the atmosphere dumped.”

 “Where are they?”

“Two in the service bay and one in the engine room.”

“Pogo, are you all right?”

The tiny orb appeared on the pilot’s console. “I’m fine. No vital equipment was hit,” Pogo’s voice announced from the speakers

Light filled the bridge again, as Tom targeted another nearby warship.

“All this jumping and laser firing is draining my resources,” Pogo said. “One or the other is going to have to be sacrificed.”

“Wrong choice of words, my friend,” said Riyad. “To do away with either would mean we sacrifice our lives.”

“Then I’m fortunate I’m not alive.”

“A battery with a dry sense of humor,” Adam said with a nervous grin. He jumped the ship again. “Tom, we may have to lay off firing for a while and rely on quick hops and fancy piloting.”

“I suppose that means you want me to take over the first chair?” said Riyad, smiling.

“Excuse me, sirs,” said Sergeant Morgan. “But when did we suddenly turn into Comedy Central? You know we’re all about to die?”

“That’s the best time to develop a sense of humor, Travis,” Adam replied. “And what happened to your belief in my super-human abilities?”

“Reality happened, sir.”

Adam shrugged. “Give me a readout on the torpedo blasts. We have a moment to get our bearings.”

“A hole’s definitely opened up in the swarm of Juirean ships, but that’s because of the two small stars we created. The hull’s measuring max contamination. If we try to run it again, the radiation will kill us before the Juireans do.”

The bridge fell quiet after the sergeant’s sober assessment, all witty repartee and ribbing drowned out by the reality of their situation.

“I suppose surrender is out of the question?” Paulson said, breaking the silence.

He knew the answer. The Mark VII was a unique ship, if only powered by Pogo’s magic. She was still too valuable to let fall into enemy hands. Even if there was chance the Juireans wouldn’t kill them immediately, they couldn’t leave the Vengeance, at least not in one piece.

“The sphere of ships around us is deforming, thinning out, Captain,” said Travis. Looks like they’re giving us a chance to surrender.”

“Pogo, can you set the laser weapons to overload, like I do when I make a bomb out of an MK flash weapon?”

“Yes I can. But if I did, you’d not have the pleasure of seeing the Juireans destroyed by the new fleet of warships that just arrived behind us.”

Riyad copied the nav screen to all the others so the crew could see what Pogo was talking about. It was a massive gravity signature, creeping into range at the bottom of their screens.

“Are we sure they’re friends and just not another mass of foes?” Adam asked.

“Checking sigs now,” Travis said. “They’re…a mixture. Not all Human, but I don’t see any with specific Juirean markings.”

“Regardless of their loyalties, the Juireans sure are reacting to them. I hate to say it, but the mane-heads still have them outnumbered,” Paulson said.

“If they’ve intervened to free us, let’s not disappoint them,” Adam said. “Pogo, give me all the power you can to the jump-drive. The dampeners are still active, so I’m going for the shortest route out of here. Jumping!”

It was still a hike to make it out of the influence of the field dampeners, with a heluva lot of Juireans still in the area. A number of them took pot shots at the Vengeance as she popped in and out. Fourteen minutes later they were outside the field and able to make longer jumps, up to three light-years at a time.

By now there was a full-scale battle raging and Adam was able to better make out the players. The Juireans had over two thousand ships matched up against eight hundred allied vessels. Most were Human ships, with a few from the more advanced worlds of the Union. Only a few of the sixty-worlds that made up the Human stellar empire had bothered to produce their own line of warships. Most simply bought them from Earth or deferred defensive responsibility to the Humans.

Adam felt sick. The allies were taking a beating and it was now time to test his theory as to why they had attacked a much larger force. He opened a link, broadcast on Union military frequencies.

“This is TS-17, USS Monitor. Identify,” a voice asked.

“Captain Adam Cain aboard the experimental Mark VII starship, designated the Vengeance. Please connect me with your theater commander.”

“One moment, sir. Switch to Channel Alpha Orange…now.”

Adam made the frequency change, but still had to wait over a minute for someone to come on the line.

“Captain David Morris…is this Captain Cain?”

“Yes it is. Captain, we’re clear and bugging out of the area. Are your intentions to continue the engagement or to break off?”

“We’re breaking off, Mister Cain. We’ve been shadowing you from the Kidis Frontier. When forward scouts reported you were in trouble we engaged.”

“Your help is appreciated. You really saved our skin, but now it’s time to save your own asses. The Juireans have over two thousand ships aligned against you.”

“Yeah, I noticed. Where the hell did all those ships come from?”

“They’ve been hoarding them here. Not sure if it was to catch me or you…maybe both. But get the hell out of here. There’ll be plenty of time for fighting later. Don’t spend any more blood on our account.”

“Understood. Do your thing, Captain. We’ll be right behind you if needed. Morris out.”

“Where to now, Adam?” Riyad asked.

Adam looked at his threat screen. There were still plenty of Juireans in the area. “Charge the lasers, gentleman—and orb. Let’s make a few quick runs on our way out of the area. That’s the last thing the mane-heads will expect. At least now we know part of their strategy. It looks like they’re trying to lure us in for one big-ass battle.”

“One-and-out, is that it, Captain?” asked Paulson.

“It may not be the norm, but it is efficient.”

Chapter 22

Kradis answered the Elder’s link on the first indicator.

“What are you doing, Kradis?” Synnoc’s normally light green skin was now bordering on dark brown, and his yellow eyes were full of fire and hate.

“My Lord?”

“You attacked Adam Cain!”

“Yes, my Lord, he responded to a decoy fleet we’d placed near The Hand. You mentioned the region as the preferred attack stage.”

“Not for Cain! I want him to come to Juir. Do you know his status?”

Kradis fought back the anger. Even though Synnoc was his friend,  he was also the Council Elder. It would not do to alienate him at this time.

“He survived, by all indications, and even managed to destroy more of my ships on his way out of the enclosure sphere.”

“Call back your ships. You cannot kill him…that is reserved for me.”

“The fleet has retreated, as have the Humans. It was a skirmish, not the major battle you have envisioned.”

“And my battle will not take place if Adam Cain is killed prematurely, or you defeat the Human fleet to such a degree that they withdraw.”

“My Lord, I just lost over two hundred ships. That is a lot of Juirean lives lost. Need I remind you our numbers are vastly diminished from what they were during past wars?”

Synnoc stared at his friend for a long, dangerous moment before speaking. “If there are others listening, have them leave the area.”

“I am in my office, alone.”

“Good. Then I shall say this: If you will not follow my orders, then I will find another Overlord who will. My plan for Adam Cain takes precedence over all other matters. Is that clear?”

“My Lord, he is but one creature. How many Juirean lives is he worth?”

“Do not play games with me, Kradis. This is your only warning. The Expansion and the future of the Juirean race is more important than our friendship. It must be this way. It is what makes us Juireans.”

“I fully support the Juirean people, my Lord. That is not in question.”

“Agreed, however it is our differing opinions in how best to support our people that is. I know best…I am the Council Elder. You will follow my orders without variation and without question.” He held up his hand to stop Kradis’ reply. “There is no need to affirm such. Your actions will say more than your words.”

The screen went blank.

********

“We lost sixteen ships, Admiral, and another six heavily damaged, but Cain got away.” Captain Morris was reporting over a secure CW comm link to Admiral Hollingsworth.

“They had two thousand ships?”

“More like twenty-one hundred, sir. Captain Cain took out about two hundred with his torpedoes, we took out another eighteen.”

Hollingsworth grimaced. “That sounds great, captain, but now he’s depleted his inventory of torpedoes. All he has left are his enhanced laser weapons.”

“Any chance we can get some of those, too, sir?”

“They wouldn’t do you any good, David. They take an incredible amount of energy.”

Morris didn’t pursue the topic. Instead: “We’re heading for an area outside the Belsonian star system. There’s a lot of asteroids and rogue planets there, good places to hide. Even though the main Juirean fleet isn’t following, I’m sure they’re keeping an eye on us now that they know we’re here. The bulk of their fleet has faded back into the nebula. Any reinforcements coming our way?”

“Plenty. They just won’t reach you for another three weeks.”

“So what do we do in the interim? I told Cain we’d have his back. We can’t do that and stay anchored around Belson.”

“You may have to wait until Cain distracts them again before you make your breakout. If that happens, do your best to shake the pursuit.”

“Sir, I have almost nine hundred starships. We don’t exactly tip-toe through space.”

“Well, Captain Morris, maybe you should.”

Morris frowned; the head of the Union military forces was smiling at him.

“Captain, break your force up into squadrons of fifteen to twenty ships each and then send them out on difference courses, yet to a central rendezvous point. The Juireans don’t seem too anxious to divide their forces, especially to chase dozens of small units that by themselves can’t affect anything. When you have everyone assembled, do it again, but always be moving farther into the Expansion. Just don’t hang around any one spot for too long.”

“Sounds like a strategy, sir. For the rendezvous points, I’ll follow Cain’s lead. He seems to know what he’s doing.”

“I wouldn’t count on that, Captain, but he does have an uncanny amount of luck surrounding him. Send me flash updates of your locations. I’ll do my best to supplement your force as much as possible. The Juireans have done us a favor by withdrawing their forces. Now we can move right up to the front row without being seen. It’s after we rush the stage that we have to be careful. There’s still a lot more of them then there are of us.”

Chapter 23

“I’ve got those, I ain’t got no more torpedoes blues,” Adam cut loose in a horribly flat singing voice.

“Sounds like the next big country-western hit,” Riyad said. They were in the service bay of the Vengeance repairing the hull breaches, with oxygen masks over their faces. Unlike hull leaks on seafaring vessels, if a breach wasn’t too big on a starship, there were special sealing pads, panels and foam that could be used. The outflowing air pressure helped hold the sealers in place with very little effort. Adam had spent his time in damage-control training in the Navy. This was a lot different than a firehose-like stream of ice cold water blasting through a breach, confounding all your efforts to plug it.

Once the holes were sealed, the men removed their masks.

“As you were saying, Mister Cain?”

“We’re down to only our lasers and ballistics.”

“Which means we still pack quite a punch.”

“Yeah, but we’re going to have to avoid the larger ship concentrations, especially in space. Might start looking for some juicy ground-based targets.”

Riyad flashed his trademark smile. “I have an idea. What about MK or Xan-fi? Sure, the mane-heads probably have enough weapons in reserve to last out the war, but think what a psychological impact that would have?”

“Not sure about Xan-fi, but MK has manufacturing facilities all over the Expansion. Hitting one or two of them won’t make much of a dent.”

“Again, my friend, it’s a mind-game we’ll be playing. Bloodying their noses a little will make them blink. And with facilities all over the Expansion, they’re everywhere you want to be.”

********

 “It’s named after a planet? I thought Marix-Kliss were a couple of guys who started a weapons company way back when,” said Tom Paulson.

“Nah, it’s all right here,” Travis Morgan replied, reading from a Library entry on a data screen. “Founded two-thousand, eight hundred years ago, originally on the planet Marix, MK Weapons Systems is now the largest weapons manufacturer in the galaxy, supplying over ninety-percent of the handheld flash weapons in use. It says they also used to make a large rifle-like version, but they got into a pretty vicious business war with their rival Xan-fi about a thousand years ago. The two companies came to an ‘accommodation’—” Travis used finger-quotes around accommodation—“where Xan-fi was free to make the longer-barrel flash weapons, while MK specialized in hand-helds. Since then, MK has moved into shipbuilding, land-ownership, electronic devices and even finance. It’s the largest business entity in the galaxy and solidly in the Juirean camp. They see the Union as their most aggressive competitor, in a number of fields.”

“So giving them a bloody nose should send a very strong message across the Expansion,” Adam said, confirming Riyad’s belief.

Tom Paulson let out a laugh. “You know, Captain, we should only use our conventional weapons—the ballistics—to hit their facilities. Be a pretty stark contrast between the two approaches to weapons development.”

“Great idea, Tom. Energy bolts versus hot lead. Never has been much of a contest, in my humble opinion. So where’s the closest MK facility?”

“You’re not going to believe this,” said Travis, “but Marix itself is only four hundred light years from here. There’s about a dozen other facilities between here and there, but if we’re out to make an impression, might as well go for the whole enchilada.”

“I concur,” said Adam. “Plot a course, Mister Tarazi. We have a whole cargo hold full of idle bullets—let’s burn through a few.”

********

Every race in the Expansion and the Union used MK flash weapons. By virtue of this fact, the management of Marix-Kliss Weapons Systems felt they were immune to any of the wars or political intrigue taking place. In fact, the more turmoil in the Milky Way, the more they profited.

It was for this reason that the largest manufacturer of armaments in the galaxy had very little security protecting their own facilities, including the headquarters building in the city of Jendis on the planet Marix. This lack of concern extended into the star system as well, even with a war currently being fought between galactic empires.

As a result, Adam was able to jump the Vengeance nearly to the inner ring of rocky planets before receiving the first challenge. Riyad relayed to ground control that they were a small merchant vessel seeking permission to orbit, before landing to restock crucial supplies.

Noticing the lack of security in the area, Adam figured that wasn’t such a bad idea. Restock…and then ravage the planet. A man had to have his priorities, and recently the food stock aboard the Vengeance was down the crap that no one wanted to eat when they had better choices. Cain the Carnivore was craving a big, juicy steak—no matter what kind of beast it came from.

“The weapons company has had their share of Human visitors over the years, so it’s a pretty good bet the natives know what we look like,” Adam said, briefing his crew. “The atmosphere doesn’t require any special masks, but we’ll wear full-face covers to throw them off. And let’s wear those long tech robes we found in the service bay this time. They look like trench coats. A lot of firepower can be hidden underneath.”

“We’ll look like the Earp brothers and Doc Holiday on the way to the OK Corral,” Travis offered with a wide grin.

“I want to be Wyatt,” said Riyad. He stroked his full beard. “I may have more than necessary, but I do have a mustache, where the rest of you clean-shaven military types look too pretty to pass yourselves off as deadly gunfighters.”

“There’ll be no shooting on the surface,” Adam ordered. “We’re just going down to get supplies. After that, we’ll launch and light up the facilities from air and space. The four of us can’t do much damage in a street shootout.”

“Not even one little demonstration of Human quick-draw prowess?” asked Riyad. He’d been in enough shootouts in his lifetime to know that very few aliens could stand against a Human in a contest of speed and accuracy. To the Humans, most such engagements were simply target practice.

Adam didn’t answer; instead, he just pursed his lips and shook his head.

Chapter 24

The Vengeance landed without incident at a large commercial spaceport outside Jendis. As the foursome stepped outside the ship, they were struck by a bitterly cold wind, howling down from several of the jagged mountain peaks surrounding the valley where the city was located. Marix was a rugged planet, with evidence of recent volcanic activity found in huge swaths of yellow and ruddy brown in the soil nearby, remnants of sulphur pits and geysers from a not-too-distant past. A huge landslide rumbled down a nearby mountain side, and the ground shook almost constantly with a strange harmonic vibration.

“Not the sort of place you’d come for a vacation,” said Paulson as the group made their way through the wind and cold before entering a huge concourse structure.

Once inside the warmth of the port building, they mingled with hundreds of other creatures, most with looks of concern in their many varieties of eyes or vision stalks. These were the faces of civilians in a time of war; worried and helpless, at the mercy of powers much greater than themselves. There were Juireans here, as well. They were the only aliens Adam was interested in killing, although he knew there would be collateral damage once he unleashed his dogs of war on the MK facilities. As a career soldier, he knew this was the price of victory. To prolong a conflict, ostensibly to fight a more nuanced, more civilized war, meant more innocent lives would be lost over the long run.

As they passed the many shops and kiosks along the concourse—much like you’d find in any airport on Earth—automatic devices scanned their translation bugs and broadcast versions of the names and advertising in English. One such announcement caught Adam’s attention.

“Hold up,” he said to the others. “Let’s check this out.”

They entered a small shop with a long counter and a glass wall rising from its surface to the ceiling, with openings resembling teller windows. The clerk Adam approached was a female with four eyes and yellow skin. By the shape of the face and the smoothness of the skin, he assumed she was a she. He could never be sure.

He placed four gold ingots on the counter. “Can I exchange these for Juirean credits?”

The clerk turned and pulled a wheeled cart with an electronic device on it to her station. She took the gold bars, one at a time, and placed them in pull-out drawers before activating the machine.

“Yes, we can. Is this all?”

Adam turned to the others. They handed him another eight bars.

After the scan, the clerk took a datapad and made some calculations. “Forty-eight thousand, one hundred nine, at the current exchange rate.”

Adam knew that was over a hundred thousand dollars back on Earth. Damn…what was the total worth of Panur’s palace?

“We’ll take it.”

“Would you like the credits in currency or on a card?”

“Currency, please.”

“It will take a moment.” She left her station. The other tellers looked at them with curiosity. Forty-eight thousand Juirean credits was a lot of money. Adam began to calculate in his head just how much he’d given the taxi driver on Incus…. No wonder the creature was willing to kiss his boots….

A few minutes later Adam divvied up the cash chips to his team. “This will keep us from standing out too much while we shop for our supplies, and without the need for haggling…or gunplay.”

“You’re no fun anymore,” said Riyad.

“That’s all right, Mister Tarazi. Considering the landscape around here, I’m sure you can find some baby seals to club to death before we leave.”

“You promise, daddy?”

********

Adam sent Travis and Tom looking for bulk food stock while he and Riyad went looking for something a little more substantial.

“There has to be a fresh meat market around here,” Adam said. They’d left the spaceport building and were now in a commercial district full of businesses of all kinds. Marix was a planet based on capitalism, not the military or politics. It was apparent you could buy almost anything in the city of Jendis. All Adam wanted was a thick piece of red meat.

In the cold air of the city, Adam and Riyad followed a menagerie of scents—some inviting, others disgusting. At one of the restaurants with an inviting aroma, they entered. Adam approached a waiter.

“Where can I purchase ready-to-cook meat around here?”

The tall, pinkish-colored alien frowned. “You wish to cook it first? How disgusting.”

The pair left the restaurant and continued down the street. They passed a window with several skinned animals hanging on the other side.

“These look something like baby seals—skinned, of course,” Adam said to Riyad.

“Saves me the trouble.”

Upon entering, they were accosted by such a pungent odor that they almost puked. “Well, so much for fresh meat,” Riyad said back on the street. “What is it with these people around here?”

At the third shop, they hit paydirt. Approaching a large display case containing slabs of richly marbled meat placed on ice, Adam was literally salivating at the sight. This would do nicely.

“May we use a sampler box?” Adam asked the clerk. The creature behind the case handed him a small box, about the size of a cigarette pack, with a recessed slot on top. Adam inserted his finger and withdrew it quickly. He handed the box back to the clerk.

“Twenty—no make that thirty—equivalent pounds of a meat that’s compatible to our chemistry.”

The clerk’s eyes widened. “How will you transport such a weight? We do not offer delivery service.”

Adam smiled. “We’ll manage. Just wrap it up in one package. What’s the cost?”

“Eighty-nine credits.”

“That’s fairly cheap, isn’t it?”

“This is ka’l meat. The beasts roam wild in the streets; some of us even keep them for pets. We club them outside and then prepare the meat inside.”

Riyad looked at Adam. “Sounds a lot like dog meat.”

“You would have to say that.” Adam almost changed his mind…but he didn’t. He paid the alien and walked out with his prize. “Don’t tell the others what this is.”

“But I’ll know,” Riyad pointed out.

Just then the ground heaved up from under them.

The men tumbled to the ground, as nimble-footed pedestrians raced by, all headed in the same direction. The Humans scrambled to their feet—with Adam recovering his precious package of dog meat from where it had fallen—and joined the exodus. At the nearest corner, the crowd helped to shove them into a huge metal container. The doors shut seconds later and dim lights snapped on.

Outside, the shelter was being pummeled sporadically by falling debris. The box heaved and twisted, even seeming to begin a short journey down the street by the feel of the rocking motion.

Then the rumbling subsided, not all at once, but gradually. Adam caught the eye of the blue-skinned alien next to him. “You are new here,” observed the creature.

“That’s right.”

“There is little danger. This happens often.” He pointed a long, slender finger upwards. “Three satellite bodies. They pull and tug on the surface of Marix constantly. We have learned to live with it. Is that ka’l meat I smell? I have one at my abode. They are very good with my offspring, however, our favorite has gone missing recently. Perhaps that is her.” The doors to the container opened.

Adam left his package inside the box—intentionally.

The street was littered with fallen debris—not as much as one would expect from such a violent earthquake, but enough.

Riyad looked up at the modern stone, metal and masonry buildings. “You would think that with such a history of earthquakes the natives would construct buildings that don’t fall apart.”

“No telling why aliens do what they do.” Adam was depressed. He really wanted a steak…just not one made from someone’s beloved pet.

The comm in his full-face mask chimed.

“Captain, did you feel that? You guys okay?” It was Tom Paulson.

“Yeah, we felt it. We’re fine. Any luck with the bulk stock?”

“No problem. We got it—even being delivered. But, sir, as we were waiting for the order to be filled, we caught part of a newscast. I think we need to get back to the ship as soon as possible.”

Adam tensed. “What’s wrong?”

“It was about Sherri and Arieel.”

“We’re on our way.”

********

Travis linked to the local broadcast system and scanned the channels. Most had news about the earthquake, all delivered in a casual, matter-of-fact manner. While waiting for the stories to cycle back around, the men told Adam and Riyad what little they knew.

“They’re already on Juir.”

“That’s a month ahead of schedule,” Adam pointed out. “Are you sure they said Juir?”

“Yessir,” said Travis. “Something about the conspiracy Arieel is involved in and the capture of the terrorist Human Sherri Valentine.”

“How?” Riyad asked.

“They must have transferred them to another ship, a faster one, once Synnoc found out about them,” Adam offered.

“Now there’s some sort of trial getting underway?”

“Wait…here it is.”

The video showed Sherri and Arieel being escorted down a ramp from a landing shuttle and being separated. The announcer spoke of how Arieel Bol—the soon to be reappointed Speaker of the Formilians—was being accused of aiding the Humans in their killing of a Juirean Overlord while the two empires were at peace. It also mentioned she was the birth mother of a mutant offspring. This creature had assisted the Sol-Kor ally Panur in confounding Juirean attempts to eradicate the flesh eaters from the galaxy, an effort they added, that was also hampered by the reckless and irresponsible behavior of the Humans. Adam was mentioned as the father of the mutant offspring. What followed was a lengthy diatribe detailing all of Adam’s many so-called crimes against the Juireans and the Expansion. This naturally led to Sherri Valentine, a diabolical creature who had assisted Cain—and his cohort Riyad Tarazi—in many of their criminal escapades.

“At least I got an honorable mention,” Riyad said. “It’s damn hard living in the shadow of the great Adam Cain.”

“Tell us about it,” Paulson said. “They didn’t say anything about me and Travis, even when talking about what the Vengeance’ has been doing recently. How can we expect to have any schools named after us if no one knows who we are?”

“This is serious,” Adam barked. The team straightened up. “Now the plan changes.”

“There was a plan?” Riyad pulled back slightly from Adam angry glare; however, he couldn’t let that one get by….

“So what do we do, Captain?” Paulson asked.

Adam looked at Riyad. “Not we…us.” He passed a finger between him and Riyad.

“What does that mean, sir?” Paulson sensed something was coming, and he didn’t like it.

“It’s obvious now that Synnoc knows what we’re really after. Until now, he probably figured we were just pissed off about Andy’s death. In fact, he may not have even known Sherri and Arieel were captured until recently. Hell, they’ve been on a spaceship for the past three months. But now he’s had them rushed to Juir ahead of schedule, just to throw us off.”

“You really think he’s that smart?” Riyad asked.

“Doesn’t matter. He has the women now, and the only reason he’s broadcasting this crap all over the galaxy is because he knows it will bring us to him.”

A vein pulsed in Riyad’s neck. “He’s right about that.”

“But we’re not going to be part of it?” Travis asked, referring to him and Paulson. He, too, was feeling left out.

Adam stood and began pacing the bridge. He picked up Pogo and began to toss him back and forth between his hands. It helped him think. Pogo seemed to enjoy it, too.

“Synnoc sees the Union fleet building in strength, but still not large enough to challenge his forces between Hyben and Juir.” Adam began. “He also knows the Vengeance is leading the way, softening up the ground for when the fleet is ready. He’s moved up the timetable, forcing us to get to Juir before the fleet can back us up.”

“We do have the Vengeance, sir,” Travis said. “I say we give him what he wants. After all, this has been our mission from the beginning. We’ve just been killing time—and aliens—waiting for the women to show up.”

“You’re right, sergeant. And that’s just what he’ll expect us to do. Order full-steam ahead and damn the torpedoes.”

“I thought we didn’t have any more torpedoes?” Travis pointed out, being serious.

“Oh, the state of our educational system these days,” Paulson said, shaking his head. “No understanding of naval history.”

Travis cocked his head to one side, like a dog not understanding a command.

“Never mind,” Adam said. “Synnoc is going to be looking for the Vengeance, he’ll be expecting the Vengeance.”

“So we’re not going in the Vengeance.” Riyad stated.

Adam tried to smile. It wasn’t easy under the circumstances. “That’s right, we’re not. There’s a small Class-2 right across the tarmac. We’re going to Juir in that.”

“What about the Vengeance, sir?” Paulson asked.

“You and Travis will continue doing just what we’ve been doing. Hit and run, hit and run. Just don’t get yourselves killed. And make it look convincing, make it look like you’re desperately trying to reach Juir. If Synnoc believes I’m on my way, he’ll drag out the trials until I get there. He’ll lose his leverage if he kills Sherri and Arieel before then.”

“A Class-2 will still take almost two weeks to get to Juir,” Riyad pointed out.

“That’s fine. Synnoc will have his eye on the Vengeance, and not some minor warship cycling back to Juir. Tom, Travis, it will be your job to make sure he notices. Let him see you’re trying—slowly—but trying.”

“And what if he opens up a lane to let us through? At some point he’s going to want to get the game over with.”

“We’ll deal with that at the time. Hopefully we’ll be on Juir and have the girls packed away all safe and sound by then. But as long as he sees the Vengeance out here tearing things up, he won’t be expecting it when Riyad and I show up at his back door.”

Riyad got up and walked to the viewport. The Juirean Class-2 was about two hundred yards away. He counted eighteen Juireans on the tarmac, tending to that ship and a few others the mane-heads had in port.

“So when do we put this new plan into motion?”

“Right after I get something to eat. I’m starving.”

********

Marix and the city of Jendis weren’t getting off scot-free. It was decided that as soon as Adam and Riyad left with the commandeered Class-2, Paulson and Travis would strafe the spaceport, city and MK facilities to cover the theft. Paulson had piloting experience with standard starships, and after a brief orientation session, he felt confident enough to use the jump-drive. Pogo would remain in the ship for power and guidance. Travis had no piloting experience, but would be trained as the days went by.

For their assault on Juir, Adam and Riyad would be limited only to the weapons they found aboard the C-2, as well as any they could take with them from the Vengeance. Knowing that it was better at times to be obvious rather than sly—a tactic called hiding in plain sight—the pair loaded up four small crates with M-101’s, .45 caliber Colts, flash weapons, grenades and ammo and set them on a cart. Then they simply wheeled it up to the entry port of the Juirean warcraft like a couple of delivery beings, dressed in their full-face masks and trench coats.

“What is this?” asked the Juirean at the doorway.

“A gift from MK Weapons Systems. We are delivering them to all the Juirean vessels in port.” Adam was caught off-guard when the alien reached out suddenly and pulled off one of the lids. Riyad went for his gun.

Three more Juireans appeared from in and around the ship, coming to look at what was in the box. Adam placed his hand on Riyad’s, keeping him from drawing. The Juireans seemed more curious than alarmed.

The first Juirean reached inside and pulled out an M-101 assault rifle.

“Are these Human weapons?” he asked with undisguised enthusiasm. “They are indeed heavy! I could not carry this for long. Does it have the range it is rumored to have?”

Adam and Riyad had just become the default experts in Human weaponry by virtue of their role as delivery beings. All the Juireans were now pulling out other weapons, including the handguns.

“Why are we receiving these?” one of them asked. “It is so we can familiarize ourselves with the weapons of our enemy?”

“Something like that,” Adam answered. “There is more. We request permission to move the cart into your ship for a more detailed presentation.”

“Yes, of course!” The Juirean stepped aside. He motioned for three other Juireans nearby to join them inside. This was going to be exciting.

Four minutes later, the seven Juireans received a live demonstration of the deadly effectiveness of the Human projectile weapons, courtesy of those Adam and Riyad carried under their coats.

“Any questions?” Adam asked after the presentation was over. He waited for the mass of mangled and bloodied bodies to answer. He smiled. He must have done a good job, since no one had any follow-up questions.

“They are quick learners, aren’t they?” Riyad commented.

“A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Class dismissed.”

Adam and Riyad rushed to the bridge.

“Okay, commander, we’re secure here,” Adam announced over his throat comm. “We’ll be airborne in ten; you follow. It’s show time.”

Chapter 25

Elder Synnoc had read the reports and seen the projections. Even though a strengthening was inevitable, his confidence waivered slightly when he learned of the Q’uel and Belsonian’s joining the Union fleet, as a dozen more raced to join the Humans. His vessels were many, yet scattered. The Expansion was much larger than the small empire of Earth. It would take time to accumulate the necessary forces to bring about his glorious final battle with the desired outcome.

He dismissed the thought and went on to more important matters.

To his delight, Adam Cain was still the tip of the sword.

With this latest news, Synnoc knew it was time to put an end to the game he was playing with the Human and bring this part of his plan to a close.

He had to admit, his latest coup was not of his design. Kradis had inquired and found the vessel carrying the female friends of Adam Cain. The ship was a Class-3, due at Juir in fifty-two days at the time it was located. The Fleet Marshal had the ship stopped and the prisoners transferred to a Class-9. The massive battlecruiser then raced to Juir using its superior speed, arriving here a full twenty-eight days ahead of the Class-3’s scheduled time.

Synnoc immediately seized on this event to stage an elaborate scene for broadcast throughout the Expansion and beyond. Kradis was right. It would take some time and effort to present the case against the Formilian politician. But aside from that, the early arrival of the prisoners would send Cain racing to Juir far ahead of the Union Fleet. The enemy was still assembling their units, and their new military commander—a Human named Hollingsworth—would not be foolish enough to send an ill-prepared fleet this far into Juirean territory. Adam Cain would be on his own.

Already Synnoc could see his plan was working. Reports over the past week had Cain and his miracle ship striking targets on Marix and Sanias. He even entered the space around Bondic-nur, but was quickly repelled. Still, he was making slow, yet steady progress towards Juir.

The Human fleet, in the meantime, had broken up and then reassembled outside Kronoc-lur. This is where the Belsonians and others joined the growing fleet. Scouts estimated the total strength to be nearing eighteen hundred vessels.

Synnoc already had that many hiding in The Hand, with another thousand due on station in two days. A thousand more were in route from this side of the Core. His fleet would double in size shortly thereafter. If the Humans did advance to follow Cain, they would be caught between two huge Juirean fleets, each of greater size than their own. His ships would win the victory, while leaving Adam Cain alone to face what Synnoc was preparing for him around Juir.

The Elder hadn’t decided whether he’d kill Cain in space or have him brought to Juir for execution. He would prefer to have it take place on Juir, but that would ultimately depend on the Human. If he became too dangerous and unpredictable, Synnoc would simply blow him out of space. If captured, he’d be brought to Juir. And if by some miracle of fate Adam Cain made it all the way to the surface of Juir, it would be even easier for the Elder.

However it was calculated, Adam Cain was going to die. Synnoc preferred that it be in a spectacular event for all the galaxy to witness. If not, then the Elder was okay with that, too. The Human’s hero would be dead, the Union fleet destroyed, and the path to Earth left open for Synnoc’s own chance at everlasting glory…and redemption. Once Earth was laid waste, the galaxy—all the galaxy—would belong to the Juireans, and only the Juireans.

********

Admiral Mort Hollingsworth studied the star maps and shook his head. He was angry and frustrated. What the hell was Cain doing?

He called an aide and had him set up a secure link between Phoenix and the Mark VII. He would get to the bottom of this personally.

From his office, Hollingsworth watched the screen on his desk come to life, with an image of a middle-aged man with a square face and short, thinning hair. The man was startled when he saw the admiral.

“Who are you?” Hollingsworth asked.

“Sir, Lieutenant-Commander Tom Paulson, sir.” The man waved a hand over his clothing. “Sorry for the attire, Admiral. We left Worak-nin without our uniforms. We’d been out in the bush for a couple of months before Captain Cain showed up. We’ve had to make do with what we’ve picked up here and there.”

“I’m sorry, commander. I should have known who you were. It was your broadcasts that alerted us to the death of Admiral Tobias. You and the rest of the crew of the Mark VII are doing an incredible job. Your courage and skill are to be commended, if not your uniform-of-the-day.” The admiral smiled.

“Thank you sir. It’s appreciated.”

“Now commander, please get me Captain Cain?”

“Sir?”

Now the smiled turned to a frown. “Captain Cain…get him on the link.”

“You wish to speak with Captain Cain?”

“Is my connection not clear on your end, commander? Yes, get me Captain Cain…and now.”

“He’s not here at the moment, admiral.”

“Are you on a planet? When will he be back?”

“Sir, we’re not on a planet, and I’m not sure when Captain Cain will be back.”

“Is he in the head?”

“No, sir, he’s not in the head.”

Hollingsworth leaned in close to the screen, so close that the pores on his rather large nose looked like the surface of the moon. “Where…is…Cain?”

“Sir, he’s not onboard.”

Hollingsworth blinked. “You just said you’re not on a planet. If he’s not onboard, then where is he?”

Paulson caved. “He’s gone to Juir, Admiral. He and Mister Tarazi took a Class-2 from Marix and set out on their own. They left about a week ago.”

“Who’s been leading the attacks using the Mark VII?”

“I have, sir, along with Sergeant-First Class Travis Morgan. We’re to make the Juireans believe Captain Cain is still onboard.”

Hollingsworth stared disbelieving at the lieutenant-commander. Somehow, he wasn’t surprised at the turn of events.

“Why did he do such a foolish thing, commander?”

“Have you not heard the news, sir? Sherri Valentine and Arieel Bol are already on Juir. Synnoc is setting them up for some big public trial and execution.”

“I thought they weren’t arriving for another twenty days or so?”

“That’s what we believed as well. That’s why Misters Cain and Tarazi have gone to Juir, to rescue the women. They figured the Elder wouldn’t be expecting them, especially if the Vengeance—the Mark VII—is still operating and making its way towards Juir.”

“So let me get this straight,” the admiral began. “Cain and Tarazi have gone to Juir—alone—and with no back up? Then they expect to rescue two people from the capital planet of the Expansion? And need I mention this is at a time of war? Did Cain mention how he planned to get Valentine and Bol off the planet, even if he does free them?”

“No sir, and I didn’t ask. I figured they’d just steal another starship. He appears to be very good at that, sir.”

“Is the energy ball still with you; I imagine it would have to be to keep the Mark VII operational?”

“Yessir.”

“You do know, Mister Paulson, the Mark VII is not to fall into enemy hands, I repeat, not to fall into enemy hands. Is that understood?”

“Perfectly sir. We understand the revolutionary nature of the ship.”

“I suppose you don’t have a way of communicating with Captain Cain?”

“No sir, Admiral, but they should be arriving on Juir any day now. You could probably monitor their success by watching the Juirean news broadcasts. If they fail, Valentine and Bol will be executed. If they succeed—well you’ll probably know that, too, sir.”

“Commander, you are to return the Mark VII—the Vengeance, as you call it—to the nearest Union force—”

“Sir, if I do that, then Synnoc will believe Captain Cain has given up and he’ll execute the women. He’s keeping them alive only as long as he thinks Adam is attempting to rescue them.”

Hollingsworth pushed back in his chair. Paulson was right. “Commander, we’re in a tough situation.”

“Yessir.”

“All right, continue with your mission, understanding full well what must be done if it’s evident the Mark—the Vengeance—is about to be taken.”

“Understood, sir. We’ve known that all along.”

“And still you took off with Captain Cain and Mister Tarazi?”

“Sir, Sergeant Morgan and myself wish to one day have schools named after us. Joining Misters Cain and Tarazi seemed like the fastest way to make that happen.”

********

A day later, with his plan formalized, Admiral Hollingsworth initiated a conference call between his area commander, Admiral Curtis Logan, and TS-17 leader Captain David Morris.

“Good news, gentlemen,” he began. “Your fleets will soon be growing in spectacular fashion.”

The split-screen images of the two officers displayed exuberant expressions. “That’s great news, Admiral,” said Logan. “When and by how much?”

“Before I go into details, Curtis, I have a job for Captain Morris. David, I need you and a hundred of your fastest ships to break off and close on the Vengeance—that’s the name Captain Cain has given the Mark VII—and watch their six. The timetable for everything has been moved forward and they’ll be going it alone, without full fleet support, at least for the time being. Now, Admiral Logan, this is what I have in mind. You’re going to love it….”

Chapter 26

Seventeen years earlier—at the time the Kracori dropped a small asteroid on the planet Juir—there were still a little over billion Juireans awaiting evacuation. Synnoc li Qriss was one of them.

He was a Master-Overlord at the time—number three in the Juirean military hierarchy—and had just been appointed a junior member of the general Council. At a time of war, the composition of the governing body changes, taking in more military officers than Admins.

However, with his lowly status, most of Synnoc’s duties took place outside Juir City, supervising the evacuation on the far side of the planet. As a consequence, he missed the last shuttle off the planet before the Kracori launched their air, space and ground attack. Two weeks later—when it became evident the Humans were on their way to Juir—the Kracori dropped their asteroid. It landed a hundred miles off the coast of Juir City. Most of the immediate damage was isolated to that area, sparing many of the remaining Juireans still on the planet, including Synnoc.

But then the skies clouded, and remained so for two long years. The full effects of the nuclear winter took hold, and nearly ninety percent of the survivors died from either cold or starvation.

The Humans were on the planet by then, but they were more concerned with their own survival than helping the dying natives. However, as the skies began to clear—and the number of survivors reached a manageable level—the Humans rounded up the last remaining Juireans and turned them over to others who would shuttle them to the new hiding place of the Juirean race.

The nine hundred thousand, eight-hundred and six survivors were each assigned a number by the Humans, and would later come to be called The Million. Synnoc was one of them.

Wydor bin Sulic was the Elder of the Council at the time and he welcomed The Million back as courageous heroes to the mother race. As the highest ranking survivor, Synnoc was immediately elevated to the Council Elite, becoming one of the nine supreme rulers of the Juirean people.

To his utter disappointment and shame, Synnoc found that the Elites no longer ruled over a galaxy-wide empire, but rather a single race of humiliated creatures, defeated and cast off from their homeworld by savages and upstarts. Gone was their empire and their history. Gone was their pride and respect.

In Synnoc’s opinion, the weak Wydor only reinforced that image. Although the public persona of the Elder was that of the dedicated leader who brought the Juirean race back from the brink of extinction, Synnoc felt differently.

His anger and frustration would fester for another five years, until the time when the Humans—through their mouthpiece, Adam Cain—relinquished control of the Expansion and returned the planet Juir to the Juireans.

The years had taken their toll on the already ancient Elder, and upon Wydor’s death, Synnoc was advanced to the position of Council Elder, based mainly on his fame as a member of The Million. The timing of these events was fortunate, because by then Synnoc was the leader of an underground movement dedicated to driving the Humans from Juir and the Expansion. Adam Cain’s foolish and overly-threatening speech probably saved millions of Juirean lives; even so, Synnoc still felt cheated out of his opportunity to force the Earthlings from Juir, something that would have been a lot more impressive than having them simply pack up and leave of their own accord.

That was ten years ago, and the relationship between the Juireans and the Humans remained strained, to the point where Synnoc had his military personal—including his good friend Fleet Marshal Kradis—constantly working on contingency plans for a new war with the Humans.

Then the Sol-Kor invaded.

From that point on it became a desperate fight for survival, and one experienced by every advanced race in the galaxy. Juireans and Humans joined forces, even though the Earthlings had the advantage of Adam Cain’s relationship with Panur. The mutant had originally been a vital part of the Sol-Kor Colony, yet he eventually switched sides and joined the Humans. He helped the Union defeat the Sol-Kor—both in this galaxy and the Sol-Kor universe—leaving the Juireans to play a minor role in the victory.

The galaxy celebrated the defeat of the Sol-Kor, lavishing praise and respect on the Humans—and particularly, Adam Cain.

Having just restored the Juirean race to a position of strength and respect within the Expansion, Synnoc saw it slipping away after Cain’s latest escapade. Something had to be done…and that something was war, followed by a humiliating defeat of the Union.

Somewhere within Synnoc’s plan, Adam Cain had to die, and in a very public and humiliating way.

********

Synnoc was in the Pinnacle Room of the Malor-Hydon Tower, staring up through the glass ceiling at the brilliant swath of stars painting the sky above. Somewhere out there was an incredible accumulation of weapons of war, all preparing for the largest space battle in history. Also among those twinkling lights was Adam Cain.

The Elder had set the game in motion by bringing the prisoners to Juir earlier than expected. Now the galaxy was awash with news of their multiple sins and demands for swift punishment. Yet Synnoc would delay the final outcome, as he watched Cain’s efforts to reach Juir in his experimental warship.

But that didn’t keep the Elder from playing with his captives.

He began by calling in the former-Overlord Benefis Na. He would start with background information the Juirean could provide, details about Cain’s adventures in the Sol-Kor universe, most of which were unknown at this point.

Synnoc frowned when the former Overlord was brought before him in the Pinnacle Room.

“Why is your glory white? You were not a Master-Overlord at the time of your desertion.”

Benefis was sniveling and nervous. He stood before the supreme leader of the Juirean race, surrounded by an invisible cloud of foul odor. Synnoc wrinkled his nose.

“My Lord, this is the natural color of my glory. I am old.”

“You are also disgusting and a traitor. I will not—cannot—tolerate your presence much longer.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Quickly, tell me of Adam Cain’s efforts in the Sol-Kor universe. I only wish to hear the truth and not embellishments, as he is want to spread. Do not delay.”

In his nervous and excited state, Benefis began to talk, and talk he did. His rambling were recorded, which would be how Synnoc would decipher all the words pouring from the traitor’s mouth. Yet the Elder did find some interest in what Benefis had to say, particularly in how Cain—along with his mutant daughter—had defeated the new Sol-Kor queen. Something as simple as liquid atmosphere and freezing the immortal beast. It was—genius.

Eventually Synnoc grew weary of listening to Benefis, as well as the awful smell now permeating the most-revered chamber in all the Expansion. He couldn’t kill the female prisoners, but he could the disloyal Overlord. He produced a ceremonial dagger and ended the life of Benefis Na by his own hand. It was satisfying—to a degree—but not enough.

Once the body was removed and the Pinnacle Room vented of the former Overlord’s caustic odor, Synnoc began contemplating the other prisoners. 

The Formilian Arieel Bol was being held in the visitor’s section of the building, being treated gently and with respect. In three days, a delegation from her planet was due on Juir to plead for her release. That wouldn’t happen, but still Synnoc had to go through the motions of considering it. He needed Formil and their scientific expertise, at least until the time the Formilians had no other option other than to bow to his will. Even then, if it came down to him having to destroy the planet to quell an uprising, then the Expansion would have to make do until other races—or entities—took their place. He knew MK Weapons Systems was making progress in developing an advanced line of control modules, so he wasn’t overly worried.

He smiled. Yes, Adam Cain and his Humans had made a few feeble attacks on MK and their facilities, but no lasting damage had been done. MK would do nicely as a replacement for the Formilians, if it came down to that.

The Human Sherri Valentine was another matter. Her case was more straightforward. She was a cohort of Adam Cain and Riyad Tarazi. She had been disrupting Juirean activities for twenty years and there were no political considerations surrounding her case. She would die and no one would complain—with the possible exception of the Humans. But their concerns didn’t factor into his thinking. All Synnoc had to do was come up with the most public and horrific method of killing her.

And what would be better than for her to die standing beside Adam Cain and Riyad Tarazi?

********

Two huge Guards escorted the prisoner up the stairs and into the Pinnacle Room. Sherri Valentine had been fitted with a neck security device, one designed to stun into submission rather than sever the spinal cord. Synnoc couldn’t risk her committing suicide before he had the opportunity to kill her himself.

The stairway was wide and long, rising up from the lower admin level into the four-sided, pitched-roof, all-glass room that sat atop the Malor-Hydon Pyramid. When the new building had been constructed, there had been talk of adding an elevator to the room rather that a stairway, but such an addition would have obstructed the three-hundred-sixty-degree view. So the stairway remained, much to the detriment of the Juirean Guard following Sherri up the steps.

As she reached the platform at the top, Sherri kicked out with her leg, striking the Guard in the chest. He tumbled backwards down the stairs, breaking both his neck and back.

But she wasn’t through. She charged toward the lead Guard, ramming her head into his back. He fell to the floor as she dropped a knee onto his thick neck. The crack was pronounced.

Sherri knew she only had a split second before those watching the room monitors would react to her attack. She’d already been told what type of security collar she wore: non-lethal. That was little comfort knowing that her fate was already determined. If she was to die a horrible death on Juir, she might as well take a few of the mane-heads with her.

And the mane-head she had her sights on now was Elder Synnoc li Qriss. He stood ten feet away, leaning against the stone conference table. He reacted to Sherri’s attack on her escorts with wide eyes and an intake of breath. It was Sherri’s goal to make sure he didn’t take too many more breaths after that.

Her hands were bound, but not her legs and feet—that would have made it hard to climb the stairs. Now she jumped in the light gravity of Juir, throwing herself at Synnoc. She hit him hard, throwing the Juirean onto the table with her on top. The seven-foot-tall alien swung his arms at her, which she blocked them with her bound hands. Then she sat on his shoulders and swung balled fists at his head. The blow stunned the Juirean, long enough for her to wrap her legs around his neck. She rolled on her back, pulling Synnoc with her until his back was to her, with powerful runner’s legs clamped around his neck. She applied all the pressure as she could, grimacing and letting out a high-pitched squeal from the effort.

Synnoc had his hands on Sherri’s legs, doing all he could to keep his neck from breaking and air flowing to his lungs. Sherri could feel his resistance lessening. Another couple of seconds—

The shock around her neck was incredible. She'd known it was coming, and strengthened her resolve against the pain, hoping she could resist just long enough to kill the Juirean Elder. Now cold fire racked her body as every nerve-ending became her enemy. Her body twitched, and she hoped the spasms would help tighten her grip on the alien’s neck….

To the contrary, her legs fought to straighten rather than stay bent. Her arms flew out from her body, as well, and she bounced on the cold stone surface while the Juirean fell away, rolling off the table. Her vision was a vibrating blur, even as she noticed others now in the room. They stood back, rather than touch her, thus avoiding a debilitating shock themselves.

The pain continued long after Synnoc was released, until the Elder himself ordered it stopped. When Sherri’s body melted to the surface of the table, she knew she’d failed, either to kill Synnoc or herself.

Still, she smiled. At least her humiliation would be short-lived. His would last longer, having been attacked and nearly killed by a puny Human female. She hoped the bruise on his neck would last longer than she had to live.

Eventually, Sherri was pulled from the table and placed in a chair, this time with her legs bound. A Juirean doctor came in, first to check on Synnoc and then her. When both were pronounced well enough to proceed, Synnoc came near her—not too near, but closer.

“You wish me now to end your life.” His voice was weak and hoarse, still recovering from the damage Sherri had done to his vocal cords. “You will not get your wish, not yet. I still have need of you. You will die, but not until you have drawn your friends Adam Cain and Riyad Tarazi to me.”

Sherri remained silent. She knew there was a reason she was being kept alive, and Adam and Riyad had been at the top of her list. Were they really coming for her?

“I see the worry in your face,” said Synnoc. “You have cause, because even now your two heroes are working their way toward Juir. They are making progress, yet I am growing tired of this game. Soon I will allow them entry. I will let them come here, only to fall into my trap. They will suspect it, yet their feelings for you—and the other female—with be their downfall. They will come regardless, and what can two Humans do against the whole of the Juirean people?

“They can kill you…just like I almost did.”

“Yes, your attack was unexpected. With the others, I will be prepared.”

Now Sherri laughed, which made the Juirean stand back and frown.

“Prepare all you want. It won’t help. You should know by now that every time you start expecting us to do one thing, we end up doing something completely different. Say your prayers, dickhead. If Adam and Riyad are coming for you, you ain’t got too much longer to live. Now…what did you bring me here to talk about?”

********

The rest of Sherri’s visit wasn’t so cordial. Synnoc lost it after that and hit her four times across the face before she passed out. After that she was removed and returned to her cell far below the Pinnacle Room, within the sub-basement of the pyramid building. Her left eye was swollen shut and the right wasn’t much better. Her bottom lip was cut and oversized, making talking nearly impossible and smiling a painful exercise—if she had anything to smile about.

Even though her attack on the Elder failed, she did gain some valuable information. Adam and Riyad were on their way, and if they didn’t make it to Juir on their own, Synnoc was going to be foolish enough to open the door for them. The alien was also going to keep her alive until then. It gave her time to figure a way to help.

Of course, it would help if she could see….

********

Synnoc had had enough. He was tired of waiting for Adam Cain to reach Juir on his own accord. And now his female Sherri Valentine had nearly killed him. He wanted them all dead—including the Formilian—and he wanted them dead now. He contacted Fleet Marshal Kradis.

“Clear a channel for Cain to approach; let us see if he is paying attention.”

“What of the Human fleet?” Kradis asked. “Would they not enter the channel as well?”

“Let us hope so. We have units in place, do we not?”

“Close to three thousand, and more being added every few hours as they arrive from other regions of the Expansion.”

“Then we have nothing to fear. If the Human fleet moves into the channel, we will crush them with our superior numbers.”

“And if Cain does not come straight to Juir?”

“Kradis, why are you so negative on my plan? I understand these Humans better than you. Cain wants to get to Juir. All I am doing is opening the door for his arrival.”

“What precautions are being made for his arrival, my Lord?”

“He will not attack us with his super starship, not when we are holding the prisoners. He will find a way to land on the planet and the come to us, just him and Riyad Tarazi. They will think themselves clever for doing so, since we will be looking for his starship, and not a team of Human terrorists. I have all approaches to the Kacoran Plain monitored, as well as the Malor-Hydon Tower. They will not be able to gain entry without my knowing of it.”

“Even so, Synnoc, I wish to place extra guards around you.”

The Elder laughed. “Do you truly believe Cain can threaten me here on Juir? Please give me more credit, my friend. If Adam Cain gets within fifty miles of this building it will be because I allowed him to get this close, and he will be monitored all the way.”

“My concern is only for you and the Expansion.”

“I know that. Now clear the channel and send the ships you relieve to reinforce the main fleet. As I know the Humans, once Cain begins his run for Juir, their fleet will follow through the void we’ve opened. This way we control the timetable for the engagement. Prepare, my friend. The end is near.”

Chapter 27

Fleet Marshal Kradis notified the Elder the moment the Human fleet began to move.

“My Lord, developments to report. First, Cain has broken off from his attacks and is engaging multiple sequential jumps straight for Juir. It appears your broadcasts of the prisoners’ arrival on Juir has prompted him to action.”

“I will give credit where due, my friend. Your suggestion to have them rushed to Juir was a major contribution.”

“I appreciate that, my Lord.” Kradis knew his friend was embarrassed for the rude remarks he’d made to him recently. This was his way of making amends.

“And other developments?”

“The Human fleet is on the move. They are entering the channel toward Juir at fleet speed.”

“Their strength?”

“Under two thousand, my Lord.”

“They are advancing with so few ships?”

“They must believe they can follow in the opening you have left for Cain. If they strike Juir with even that few ships, it could end the war.”

“If they strike us, Fleet Marshal. We both know they cannot. What is our current strength within the channel?”

“Three thousand forty-eight. Another five hundred are due on station in two days.”

“Against a force of less than two thousand, and spread out over five light-years or more, is that correct?”

“Yes, closer to six light, my Lord. Very thin in any respect.”

“Any other Human forces in range?”

“None, my Lord. The closest is eight hundred light-years away. Even so, that is a force of only three hundred vessels.”

Synnoc grinned. “Prepare your units, Kradis. It is now time to close the trap.”

“Very well, my Lord. And Synnoc, my friend, congratulations.”

Kradis wasn’t beyond a little amend-making of his own.

********

The Human fleet was clustered into three task groups of approximately six hundred ships each and spread out over a line six light-years in length. A carrier-equivalent vessel was included in each cluster, with a screen of battleships, cruisers, frigates and destroyers fanning out from there. They moved at fleet speed, which meant they could only travel as fast as their slowest vessel.

Each of the ships in the fleet was represented by an energy signal on the threat boards of the Juireans, and easily tracked by the myriad of passive monitors laid in their path.

This slow rate of passage also meant that over ninety percent of the fleet was moving at approximately half their operational speed, leaving generators with a lot of extra capacity not being utilized.

However, in this case, it was being used.

The strategy of Admiral Morton Hollingsworth had devised was pure genius, and one that would assign the name Hollingsworth to the history books, as one of the great military tacticians in history. What the admiral had explained during the conference call with his senior operational commanders was this:

Every fleet vessel carried grapples, either long cables or magnetic devices used for towing or being towed in case of a breakdown. Hollingsworth ordered that each of the eighteen hundred ships in the fleet take on at least one other ship in tow, in many cases two, and all in dark status.

The building of this ghost fleet was made possible through contributions from the Q’uel, the Belsonians, the Gada, and more. As the Humans moved into Expansion territory beyond the Fringe, they found dozens of worlds no longer wishing to live under the boot of the Juireans. Some of these worlds could only contribute a ship or two to the cause, while others sent a hundred or more.

On the threat boards of the Union fleet, the Juirean force numbered over three thousand ships, and all closing on their position. On command, the captains of the active fleet released their grapples, allowing the ghost fleet of twenty-nine hundred warships to spin up their generators and activate maneuvering gravity-wells.

The Juireans had saturated the battle field with field dampeners, and as the number of threats on the enemy screens suddenly tripled, they turned them off as fast as they could to begin a retreat into full gravity-wells. That didn’t happen. By then, the Humans had deployed dampeners of their own.

There would be no running away from this fight, on either side.

The Juireans had concentrated their force near the center of the six light-year battle field, aiming to split the Human force in two and then envelop each half in a bubble of attacking warships. Now this phalanx was met with overwhelming numbers of Union warships, coming at them on three sides.

********

Captain Derek Emerson was the head of TS-23—originally with six hundred active warships under his command. Now his force numbered a little over twelve hundred. He was in the portside command chair aboard the carrier Geoffrey Rutledge, named after one the heroes of the first Human-Juirean war. It was noisy on the bridge, but it was a soothing, confident type of noise. His people were well-trained and fearless. Most were veterans of the Sol-Kor conflict, while the captain went back through all three major star wars: against the Juireans, the Kracori and the Sol-Kor. Now he watched with almost giddy enthusiasm as his units tore into the unprepared Juireans.

Any victory was good. But an overwhelming victory against an arrogant and over-confident enemy was even better.

His units raced out to form their own phalanx, which cut the starboard side cluster of Juirean ships in half. Next, he deployed four hundred two-man fighters from his carrier. These extremely fast ships sped past the current battlefield to cut off any retreating Juirean ships. In the meantime, his destroyers and cruisers  concentrated on crushing the enemy caught between his phalanx and the main part of his force. It was like a vice being closed around four hundred Juirean vessels, while those outside were harassed by his tiny fighters.

“Give me a report on the other task groups,” he commanded. He could pull up the report on a data screen himself, but then he’d have to divert his eyes from the magnificent scene he was watching across his expansive bridge.

“Results similar to ours,” a young lieutenant-JG called out. “They’re still putting up a fight, though. Enemy attempting to regroup in sector four.”

“Any calls for assistance at this time?”

“No, sir. But if need be, we could spare a hundred ships or so to the effort.”

“Pre-designate, lieutenant. That will cut down on our reaction time.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Captain, I have incoming,” another voice called out from across the bridge.

“Course?”

“Heading this way, appears to be some sort of suicide squadron. Started with forty ships, now down to eleven.”

“Will they reach us?”

“Some will.”

The ship was already at General Quarters, with half the crew wearing environment suits in air-less compartments along the outer perimeter of the mighty warship. All other non-essential compartments—such as berthing—were unmanned and evacuated of atmosphere.

“CIC, this is the Captain, do we have a tactic for the incoming?”

“Yessir—they intend to ram us,” came a voice over the bridge speakers.

Emerson grimaced, his sense of giddiness now gone.

The Rutledge could withstand just about any barrage of flash bolt the enemy could throw against them. But a ship bent on ramming, and approaching at nearly the speed of light, was something completely different. They had no defense for that, except to send out every fighter they had left, while saturating the space around the carrier with flak.

“Helm, evasive maneuvers. Get us dancing.”

“Aye, sir. Commencing evasive maneuvers.”

The contacts were now within range of the Rutledge’s screens. Four of the break-through eleven still remained; the other seven hadn’t made it.

One of the contacts sped past them at a distance of only nine hundred thousand miles.

“He’s doubling back, sir.”

“Concentrate defensive fire in that sector.”

“Yessir.”

The contact suddenly vanished from the screen.

“Report.”

“We got him, sir. Three more closing.” The voice from somewhere within the massive bridge was warbling. “Sir, strike imminent. Six seconds!”

“Brace for impact! Gravity off!” a recorded voice boomed from the 1-MC.

Emerson felt his stomach race into his throat as the internal gravity-wells dissolved. This would reduce the effect of inertia on the impact, but little more—

The collision was incredible. An object traveling that fast had unbelievable kinetic energy; it didn’t need to fire any cannon bolts to be deadly.

The Rutledge surged to port while Emerson’s body fought to stay in place. The result was a feeling like he was being pushed through a pasta press, as his waist and shoulder straps cut into soft flesh. Through squinting eyes, he saw a number of his bridge crew fly across the room as their restraints failed. The interior bulkheads of the ship raced to meet the hapless crewmembers. They struck hard against metal, moments before floating away surrounded by ever-widening clouds of blood balls in the weightless environment.

A forward monitor displayed a rapidly moving progression of compromised compartments, radiating out from the impact point. The Juirean craft—only a small fighter like the ones the Rutledge carried—had hit aft-quarter starboard, just forward of the launch bays and the right-side engine room. It had continued into the ship until exploding out the port side. Now death and destruction was infecting the ship like a cancer, both forward and aft of the breach.

“Captain! Another—”

The last remaining Juirean fighter now reached the stricken carrier. This one hit amidships, taking out auxiliary sensing, the mess decks, maintenance rooms and a number of berthing compartments. This collision, combined with the other, placed so much strain on the Rutledge that Captain Emerson heard a hideous squealing ringing through the hull of the ship. She was breaking in half.

“Shut down all engines still operating. Helm, let her go.”

“Sir, helm isn’t responding anyway.”

“Engines at twenty, now ten…all engines stop.”

The squealing continued, just not as pronounced.

“Sir, we just lost three of the starboard launch bays, along bulkheads 9-454 through 18-398.”

“Integrity?”

“Down to thirty percent and falling.”

Emerson unfastened his safety harness, but held onto the command chair to keep from floating away. “Comm, contact the nearest vessels for assistance.” He pressed a button on the arm of his chair. “This is the Captain, all hands abandon ship. I repeat, all hands abandon ship.”

Emerson turned to the young lieutenant junior-grade. “Mister Smith, what was the last word on the battle?”

“Success, sir. Decisive.”

“Glad to hear it. Now, get moving.”

“After you, sir,” said the young officer with a sad smile.

“You know I can’t do that, Mister Smith, but I will be right behind you.”

Synnoc had made the ten mile journey to the Military Command Center to supervise the great battle, knowing full-well that his friend would be irritated by the interference.

Kradis was the Fleet Marshal; it was his job to conduct the battle, not the Elder’s. But this was the moment Synnoc had been envisioning for years. He wasn’t satisfied to play spectator, not for something this important.

That was then.

Now he was an emotional wreck, yelling at subordinates and throwing anything that wasn’t attached to something large across the dimly-lit control room.

It all started when nearly every contact point on the threat board suddenly doubled or trebled. How could this have happened? Were they employing a type of dimensional jump-drive?

“No sir,” Kradis reported. “Site reports show the additional vessels had been under tow and in dark status. They were undetectable.”

“Not to visual observation!”

“My Lord, we could not get a visual, Our units were in hiding. By the time verification was received, they were within the dampening fields.”

Later, as the battle deteriorated even more, Synnoc began to bark orders—many of which countermanded those of the Fleet Marshal—and sending hundreds of Juirean ships into the mass of enemy vessels on one-way suicide missions. None of the Juirean crews refused. These orders came from the Elder himself.

“My Lord, they have lost one of their ship carriers.”

Synnoc looked to Kradis with manic eyes. “Out of how many?”

“They had three.”

“And the other two?”

“Still operational.”

“So I find little joy in your report. What is the latest casualty report?”

Kradis punched keys on his panel. “Over two thousand, the situation is still fluid. Permission to call retreat. We must preserve what we can.”

“And the enemy strength?”

“That, too, is fluid, since we did not have an accurate starting count.”

Synnoc glared at his Fleet Marshal.

“The Humans still have a fleet of over two thousand five hundred ships in strength. If we preserve the remainder of our units, we should be close to parity for defense of Juir.”

“Juir? They will not be allowed to reach Juir!”

“My Lord, we have very little in place to stop them. With the channel open for Cain, the only units we have available are the survivors from this battle.”

“I refuse to accept that. We have five hundred more coming from the Bondit region.”

“In two days, my Lord, and they are on course for the battlefield, not Juir.”

“Divert them.”

“That will add another day to their journey.”

A dozen sets of yellow eyes were on the pacing Council Elder. “How long?”

“How long what, my Lord?” asked Kradis.

“How long until they get to Juir?”

“They the Humans, or they our forces?”

Synnoc took Kradis by his uniform and shoved him against a wall. “Do not mock me, Kradis. I want to know when Adam Cain will get to Juir! Do not be stupid.”

The Fleet Marshal had had enough. He pushed his superior away and pressed him into a nearby chair. “I am not stupid, Synnoc! It only appears so because I follow stupid orders! Cain does not matter at this point. The survival of Juir does!”

“Guards!” the Elder cried out. “Restrain Kradis. He is no longer Fleet Marshal. Place him in a holding cell pending review of his actions by the Council Elite.”

Kradis didn’t resist. He glared at Synnoc while being escorted from the room.

“My Lord,” one of the Master-Overlords in the room began, “who shall be the new Fleet Marshal?”

“I do not need a Fleet Marshal. I will assume the position myself.”

“My Lord?”

“You forget, I have military experience. I am more than qualified to lead the war against the Humans.”

“As you wish, my Lord. Orders?”

“Get me the location of Adam Cain.”

“And what of the fleet? Shall I order the withdrawal?”

Synnoc was up and pacing again.

“My Lord, the fleet?”

“Yes…recall them, but order our units not to interfere with the journey of Adam Cain. He must be allowed to reach Juir.”

Chapter 28

The manufacturing worlds of Oannan and Bal—two of the original planets in the Seven World Common Alliance, the precursor to the Expansion—had been rebuilt after the Kracori attack seventeen years before. They’d both suffered major damage, yet not as severely as Juir; dropping a half-a-kilometer-wide asteroid on a planet was a pretty serious event. Even to this day, the homeworld of the Juireans had an average temperature eight degrees below its pre-attack level, the result of the nuclear winter that followed the asteroid impact.

The Kracori had targeted the manufacturing plants hoping to limit the Juirean recovery should their attack on Juir fail. After the Humans took over the Expansion, they poured money and resources into rebuilding the resources of the empire. Now the twin planets enjoyed thriving economies and a higher-than-average standard of living, as compared to the rest of the Expansion.

The planets were also located less that a light-year from Juir.

Adam reasoned Synnoc would be expecting him to come directly to Juir in his super-powerful starship, burning a path right up to the Elder’s front door. So Adam would do the unexpected. He and Riyad would make their way to Oannan, and from there, to Juir via the hundreds of daily cargo ships delivering goods and services to the capital planet of the Expansion.

Of course, the two Humans would have to commandeer yet another vessel and then land at one of the huge receiving ports located hundreds of miles from Juir City. From there they would move overland before Adam could implement the second part of his plan.

The shuttle from the Class-2 worked great for getting them to the surface of Oannan, then wearing black environment suits to disguise their identities, they mingled with the dozens of Expansion races populating the cargo transit center. After that it was simply a matter of gaining access to a small delivery ship destined for Juir.

They settled on one of Lan’olic ownership, with a crew of six and carrying a cargo of unfrozen and foul-smelling food stock to the capital planet. The ship was simply a target of opportunity, so it was done out of no animus toward the aliens. In fact, the Humans had never heard of Lan’olics before, so they were surprised when they turned out to have very strong suction cups on the tips of their fingers that made fighting them for control of the ship problematic. The suckers locked onto the composite material of the environment suits and wouldn’t let go, even as alien bodies were smashed against bulkheads and doorways. Even after all six were down, it took Adam and Riyad several minutes to pry the stubborn suckers from their suits.

“Dammit, that’s thrown us behind,” Adam complained as he sat in the single pilot seat—oversized, even in his enviro-suit. He lit up the generators. “We don’t want to lose our place in line.”

“There’s an angry Juirean telling us to hurry up. There’s still a chance,” said Riyad from a station to the rear of Adam position.

The small cargo ship lifted from the surface in a cloud of chemical exhaust and raced upward toward the small gap in the caravan heading for space. The line was narrow at this point, and Adam nearly collided with a much larger ship on chem drive as he squeezed in.

“Now you have those in the ship to our rear yelling at us.”

“Screw them.”

An image of a hideous, multi-flapped mass of pink and yellow skin appeared on the forward viewscreen. “Just thought you’d like to know what they look like, my friend, in case you still have a desire to screw them.”

“Yuk, get rid of that! Was that a face…or something else?”

“I think it was a face, but one can never be sure. On a more serious note, the line is stretching out now, preparing for gravity drive. Time to Juir: Sixteen minutes.”

“Not even enough time to get a breather from these damn suits. But maybe you can do something about all the dead Lan’olics stinking up the place.”

“Why me?”

“Because someone has to fly the ship…and I got to the pilot seat first.”

********

It had been ten years since Adam last visited Juir. That was when he gave his famous—or infamous—speech returning control of the Expansion back to the Juireans. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

After taking control of the galaxy at the end of the war, Humans found themselves falling into the same self-destructive path as the Juireans, that of trying to rule something as large as a galaxy as a single race. The job was just too big, requiring every Human alive to be involved in the task in one way or another, while still falling woefully short. Massive breeding would be needed to create more Humans, with the young trained for critical jobs even before they reached their teenage years.

That was no way to live, and fortunately the powers on Earth realized this early on. They still liked the idea of lording over a stellar empire, but maybe one not quite as large as the Expansion. Adam joined the movement to abdicate rule of the Expansion in exchange for a more manageable empire comprising only of the Orion-Cygnus Arm of the galaxy.

Because of his fame, Adam was given the honor—or curse—of delivering the galaxy-wide speech that told of the Human’s plans. He wasn’t comfortable as a public speaker, but by all accounts, the speech came off just fine. Then the Humans left Juir and returned to Earth. Soon afterwards, the Orion-Cygnus Union was formed, with Earth as its capital.

And then they all lived happily ever after….

Well, not quite.

Then came the Sol-Kor, followed by a new war with the vindictive Juireans. Adam couldn’t understand what Synnoc was thinking? There was no need to go to war, not again, and not so soon after the galaxy-wide devastation caused by the Sol-Kor.

The Juirean Elder was clearly mad, and madmen—or mad-aliens—were hard to understand or predict.

As to the fate of Sherri and Arieel, it wasn’t a mystery what could happen to them, only the details of their death. Would Synnoc use them for bait, as a way to capture Adam and Riyad? Or would he use them to force a surrender? He could also simply execute them on a whim, just out of spite. The bottom line was Synnoc was going to kill the two females—and Adam and Riyad, too, if he got his hands on them. The only questions were when and how?

Chapter 29

Pollic Pon was a huge city about a hundred miles from Juir City. It served as a receiving and distribution center for the planet, along with ninety other centers scattered across the surface. But Pollic Pon was the largest, as well as the closest to Juir City, and that was where the Lan’olic ship was scheduled to land.

Fortunately, the movement of ships in and around such a large distribution center was mostly automated. With thousands of landings and take-offs per day, it was the only way to avoid collisions and misrouted cargo.

Adam and Riyad sat back in huge, comfortable chairs and let the computers guide them to a soft landing at their designated location. Robots then accessed the rear hold and unloaded the cargo with mechanical speed and efficiency.

By this time, the two Humans—still in their environment-suit disguises—had already left the alien ship. They knew it would be shot back into space for a return trip to Oannan. But without a crew, once manual control was returned, it would race wildly off course, eventually to be stopped and boarded. Fortunately, all this would do is create more questions; Riyad had dumped the bodies into space. All the investigators would have would be a ghost ship and a missing crew. Whether they would put two and two together and alert those on the Kacoran Plain, that was an unknown.

As a species, Juireans were too few and too important to tend to such mundane tasks as driving taxis. That job—and many others on the planet—was left to the assorted creatures who came to the capital planet seeking well-paying jobs, or at least better than they could find on their homeworlds. The driver of the transport Adam and Riyad climbed into was another of the races neither of them had seen before. He had almost iridescent red skin and wore a tight-fitting garment made from a material resembling tin-foil. He had the standard two arms, two legs and Prime-looking face. The eyes, however, had double eyelids that closed from top to bottom and side to side. Adam’s own eyes began to water just looking at the alien in the rearview mirror.

He leaned forward and presented a stack of Juirean credits.

“Will this get us to Juir City?”

The alien took the chips. “Juir City is a long trip. Without a return fare I will need double.”

Adam handed him more, feeling like he’d just been hustled.

Without expression or comment, the driver guided the transport away from the huge spaceport and onto the main road leading to Juir City.

Adam had spent a year on the planet after the Humans took over, with most of his time surveying the damage caused by the Kracori asteroid attack. The huge rock had been guided to a water splash-down a hundred miles out into the Southern Sea, so most of the catastrophic damage was to the area around the city. Huge tsunami waves climbed nearly to the top of the Kacoran Plain, where the main cluster of Expansion-ruling buildings had once stood. Most had already been destroyed by the Kracori air and space assault prior to the rock being dropped from orbit, so further damage was limited to what was left to burn on the hundred-mile long flat-top mountain, along with the brutal, two-year-long nuclear winter that followed.

The planet Juir of that time was nothing like the Juir of today. Adam was amazed at the speedy recovery of the natural ecosystem. Grasses had returned, along with thick groves of large-leafed trees. The skies were blue, even as the surrounding mountains showed considerably more snowpack than before the attack. It was cold outside—colder than normal—and according to the experts it would remain so for another twenty years.

The trip to Juir City took two hours in light traffic, but before reaching the rebuilt metropolis, Adam had the driver pull off the main road five miles west of the city. The alien didn’t question the instructions. A new road wound through the groves toward the imposing edifice that was the sheer rock wall of the Kacoran Plain, climbing to a height of three thousand feet above the city.

Adam had the driver stop before reaching the small town of Hammic, four miles farther along the road.

“We’ll get out here,” said Adam.

Without question, the driver stopped the car.

Adam was in awe of the driver’s total lack of concern or curiosity. So he felt really bad when he reached out and knocked the driver unconscious. The Humans found emergency equipment—including rope—in the transport. They bound and gagged the driver and placed him in the cargo hold of the vehicle. Adam would need the transport after the rescue. He moved the car into a grove of trees and out of view from the road.

“Let’s hope this doesn’t take too long, otherwise our red friend here will die of dehydration and starvation.”

“Can’t be helped. It’s a long walk from here back to Pollic Pon.”

Riyad looked up at the towering wall of stone. “Are you sure it’s still there?”

“No, I’m not. But I came here ten years ago and it was then.”

“That’s reassuring, otherwise we’ve got one hell of a climb ahead of us.”

A towering and imposing wall of granite rose up before them, yet even then it was a fifteen minute hike to reach the mountain, where millions of years of wind, rain and snow had caused huge piles of fallen boulders, rock, soil and gravel to accumulate at the base.

The Kacoran Plain was the last remnant of a huge shield volcano. Sometime in its fifty-million-year-long history, a hundred-mile long capstone formed at one level within the mass of basalt and granite, and over time everything above and around it weathered away until only the imposing, flat-top mountain was left standing.

A hard wind was howling down the mountain, and Humans were grateful for their environ-suits. Adam stood back and looked up at the mountain, before scanning to the left and right along the base.

“You seem lost.” Riyad observed.

“Not any more than usual.” Adam moved off to the right, threading his way through the crumbled stone debris. Fifteen minutes later he pointed.

“There, see the path and that small stream? That’s where we’re going.”

The small brook flowed from the maze of rock rubble as an ancient path ran along its bank. Adam and Riyad wove through the narrow opening, following the creek until it led them to a wider clearing. Against a flat cliff wall was a perfectly round hole in the side of the mountain, thirty feet in diameter, with a small waterfall draining from it—and a rusted metal grate blocking the entrance.

A small plaque was attached to the iron bars, along with a small box bolted along the top. Adam walked up to the sign and pressed a button on the box.

A scanner inside the box detected the Human’s translation bugs and transmitted an audio version of the sign’s message.

“It was through this tunnel, that the honorable Juirean Elder Hydon ra Elys escaped the assault on his bunker by the Kracori, agents of the evil Klin sub-race. Elder Hydon would later meet his fate at the hand of Kracori, yet not before driving the aliens from our revered homeworld of Juir. It is in his honor that the reconstructed capital building was named the Malor-Hydon Tower.”

Adam snickered. No mention of all the help Hydon had in escaping from the Kracori. Of course, that would have stained the myth surrounding the event. Adam and Riyad knew better. They led the effort to bore through the mountain in a huge laser-armed excavator, thereby saving the Juirean leader from certain death—at least for a while. The later the sign refers to was when the Kracori loaded him into a starship and spirited him off their homeworld of Elision. He was never heard from again. And it wasn’t he who drove the Kracori from Juir. It was the rapidly-approaching Human fleet that did the trick. But again, that didn’t fit into the narrative of the times.

Adam and Riyad each had a backpack and satchel full of weapons, ammo and other sundry items that might come in handy for their assault on the Juirean stronghold. Yet the one thing they didn’t have was a crowbar.

The covering over the entrance to the tunnel wasn’t a gate, just a rusted iron grate. Iron was iron on any world; it’s when alloys were made from the basic material that the differences in strength were found, depending on the gravity of a particular world. Why make an alloy or artificial material that could support a building four times the weight when it wasn’t necessary? That’s what gave Humans most of their physical advantage throughout the galaxy. But if something was made out of the raw material, there wasn’t much they could do about it.

Adam examined the anchors in the solid stone of the cliff face. There was rust, but none of the rods had even the slightest give. They were left with only one solution.

“Hopefully it won’t attract too much attention,” Adam said.

“Yeah, why would an explosion at the base of the most-guarded mountain in the galaxy draw any attention? Happens all the time, I’m sure.”

“If you have any better suggestions….”

“None. I just like to complain. It’s what I do,” said Riyad, smiling.

“Take cover. I’m using an M-4 grenade.”

Adam moved back as far as he could in the small clearing and cocked the M-101. He held the weapon at hip level and pulled the trigger.

It was a few moments before the results were known. They weren’t great, but enough.

The lower left section of the rock face had crumbled, freeing an anchor rod, bending it outward. Adam and Riyad rushed over, and after a lot of huffing and puffing, managed to bend it out a little more, making an opening big enough for them to crawl under.

Adam went first. Riyad passed him the packs and weapons and then followed.

Adam had brought several sets of forehead lights with him anticipating a climb through a three thousand foot long tunnel. Although their suit helmets also had lights, the men had already removed them. They were hot and stuffy, and the coolness of the fresh air circulating through the tunnel was a welcome relief. They placed the lights around their heads and surveyed their surroundings.

The passageway had been melted through the middle of the mountain by powerful lasers set at the front of an excavator pod, which was a one-time-use piece of equipment. For locomotion, the cylindrical-shaped vehicle traveled on long tank-like treads, leaving tracks in the molten rock not unlike stairs. This would make the climb to the top much easier. The rest of the rock lining was smooth as glass, and with a small stream flowing rapidly along the bottom.

Adam was relieved to find a fairly decent breeze circulating through the tunnel. This meant it was open all the way to the top, or some other vent farther along. Without the circulating air, it would be a good bet a cave-in had blocked the passage and another way up the mountain would have to be found.

Without a word, the two men began moving up the convenient stairway along the sloping sides of the tunnel. There was a strong musty odor and the walls were slick with a coating of moisture which fed the stream.

After the Kracori dropped their asteroid into the Southern Sea a hundred miles from here, huge tsunamis swept across the coastal plain, inundating Juir City before running halfway up the mountain. The waters also entered the tunnel.

Only Hydon and a handful of Humans escaped in the pod before the flood. The rest were still trapped in the security vault when the waves hit. At first, the surging column of water created an incredible crush of pressure building up before it. Then the heavy vault door exploded outward, relieving the pressure. By that time, the towering pyramid structure atop the vault had been destroyed and the mountaintop devoid of life. So no one was around when a geyser a thousand feet high erupted from the surface of the Kracoran Plain. Everything in the tunnel and the vault was flushed out within the spectacular fountain.

That wasn’t to say the path the two men followed was clear of any obstacles. Over the years, weak areas of the tunnel had collapsed, but not enough to entirely block their progress. In addition, the path the pod had traveled wasn’t always a gentle slope. In some places, the tunnel was nearly vertical, and the tread-carved stairway became a ladder. The climb was only three thousand feet, but the going was slow. They stopped several times to rest.

“Probably going to be another grate at the top,” Riyad pointed out at one of their breaks.

“I thought about that. I’m thinking if we have to blow it, we won’t be too far from where Sherri and Arieel are being held.”

“How do you figure that?”

“I’m counting on Synnoc wanting to keep his most-prized prisoners in the pyramid. There was a whole maze of catacombs under the first one. Seems a logical place for jail cells.”

“I hope you’re right. I’d hate to get up there and have to go door-to-door looking for the women.”

Adam looked at his watch. “We’ll know soon enough. We’ve been at this for a couple of hours. We should be getting close.”

“Lead on, my Captain.”

Chapter 30

“My Lord, the Formilian delegation has arrived,” announced an attending Overlord. His name was Acus bin Masins, and he was a long-time aide of Synnoc’s and an expert in legal matters. He had intimate knowledge of all that had transpired recently, including the attack on the Elder four days before, from which Synnoc was still recovering. “Are you able to take the meeting, or should I postpone?”

The Elder was dressed in a ceremonial cloak and robe, covering the bruise on his neck with a dark blue wrap. He cleared his throat. “No, I will be fine. Send them up and then remain.”

Four Formilian males climbed the stairs to the Pinnacle Room and approached the conference table. Synnoc and Acus stood on the other side.

The delegation was led by the High Celebrant, Trimen O’lac. He was tall—for a Formilian—deeply tanned, square-jawed and extremely fit, which is saying he looked like all the other Formilians in the delegation. He was also the mate of Arieel Bol.

“My Lord,” said Trimen, “I want to thank you for receiving us. As you can understand, the subject we wish to discuss is of extreme importance.”

They all took seats at the table, with Acus next to Synnoc. After a brief introduction of all in the room, Trimen continued the conversation.

“We have come about Arieel Bol and her status with the Juireans. I understand you intend to advance charges against her for conspiracy based on her relationship with the Humans?”

“That is correct,” said Synnoc. His tone was matter-of-fact and slightly bored. “This relationship is well-known and cannot be denied, especially by you.”

Synnoc knew O’lac’s mate had given birth to child that was not his. The offspring was a demonic creature called Lila, and she was the product of the Formilian female and Adam Cain. O’lac was the High Celebrant, the head of the Formilian Temple of the Order of Light, the spiritual and political leaders of the planet. This bizarre interspecies birth had to be an embarrassment to him.

Although O’lac was the head of the Temple, the symbolic leader of the Formilian race was a person called the Speaker; the latest female within a two-thousand-year-long bloodline with the purported ability to speak directly with the gods of the Formilians, Mislin and Sufor. Arieel Bol had been Speaker, up to the point it was discovered that all her so-called powers came from an artificial device linking her thoughts with Formilian-designed electronic controllers that were pervasive throughout the galaxy. To the weak-minded, the tricks she could perform with electricity were considered miracles and proof of her connection with the gods. It all came crashing down on the leadership of the Temple when the facts of this deception became public. The Speakership was disgraced, along with the religious leaders who had perpetuated the lie for so many generations.

The planet fell into near-revolt and decline, as deeply held beliefs were shattered and the natives sought retribution for the deceit. With Formilian technology and production so vital to the Expansion, Synnoc sent troops to the planet to secure his interests. This was before this most-recent criminality on the part of Arieel Bol was asserted by the Juireans.

Recently, however, the highly intelligent and pragmatic race had stepped away from the abyss. They realized that the Speakers themselves—raised from birth to fulfil their posts—honestly believed in the lie. They saw the brain-interface device—something they called their Gift—as a creation of the gods, and were therefore blind to the deception.

A movement was afoot to reinstate Arieel Bol to her prior post, partly as a way to stabilize the chaotic political and cultural atmosphere on the planet, but also as a reward for all she—and her daughter Lila—had done to save the galaxy from the Sol-Kor menace. They also saw it as a way for the Juireans to leave their homeworld.

Synnoc saw it differently. He didn’t think Arieel Bol was due any reward or special consideration for what she had done. Instead, she was to be tried and convicted for helping the criminal Adam Cain in the commission of his evil deeds.

At least that was the official line. To Synnoc, Arieel Bol was simply a means to an end. He could care less what she had done in the Sol-Kor universe, or even the fact that her daughter was a mutant and associated with the Sol-Kor surrogate Panur. She was a draw for Adam Cain, and that was all that mattered. Yes, he also had the Human female, Sherri Valentine, but the Formilian and her paramour shared something more—an offspring. Synnoc would use whatever he had available to bring Cain to Juir, regardless of the political ramifications.

“My Lord, the relationship—as you call it—is not in denial. Yet we do not see how this rises to the level of criminality you assign to it. She accompanied the Humans to the Sol-Kor universe and helped defeat our mutual enemy. How can that be a crime?”

“That is not her crime. It was when Adam Cain murdered a highly-placed Overlord during a time of peace that her association with him became such.”

Trimen looked to the others in his delegation. “I was not aware she was with Adam Cain at the time of the incident? Was she?”

“Do you have any evidence she was not?” asked Acus, giving his master a rest as he heard his voice growing ever more raspy.

“Do you have evidence she was?”

Acus stretched a thin grin. “Association alone is proof enough for the Council. Since the entire Juirean force died shortly after Adam Cain committed his act, we have no proof that she not with him. She had been in his company prior.”

“May we see her, to hear her side of the charges?”

“She would only lie to you. How can the word of a defendant be trusted?  Only independent verification is admitted as evidence.” Acus continued.

“But you have no independent verification she was with Cain.”

“Do not plead your case to us, Trimen O’lac,” Synnoc said, again joining the conversation. “The fact that she returned to the galaxy with Adam Cain, and that she was found in the company of another Human criminal—Sherri Valentine—proves her involvement.”

The Formilian’s eyes were large, his expression desperate. “Regardless, may we meet with her? Perhaps there is evidence of which you are not aware that would exonerate her.”

“You may see her, yet any new evidence should be found quickly. I will not tolerate the presence of such criminals on Juir much longer. Within six days this matter will be closed and both prisoners will be executed.”

“But my Lord, what effect on the Formilian people do you think such an action would have?”

Synnoc sat forward. “High Celebrant O’lac, do I hear a threat in your statement? Are you saying the Formilian people may protest my actions?”

Trimen’s eyes met Synnoc’s. A tense moment passed before the Formilian broke the gaze. “There was no threat, my Lord. Yet I am saying my people will not welcome the news of our Speaker having been put to death on a foreign world.”

“She is no longer your Speaker, which as I understand is now a disgraced position.”

“Every race seeks a leader; the Speakers of Life and Light will continue to be ours, in whatever capacity we decide. Arieel is our Speaker, and upon her return to Formil, was to be formalized once again.”

“Unless you can perform miracles—real miracles—Arieel Bol will never return to Formil, at least not alive. Now if there is nothing else—”

“Our visit with the Speaker?”

“My aide will arrange it. She has been treated well, pending your arrival and this discussion. Yet as I said earlier, if new evidence is not presented soon, I will have no reason to provide further restraint during her captivity. As it has been with those charged with crimes against the Juireans, our prisoners often welcome death rather than the alternative of living longer under our care. This is a deliberate strategy we employ to deter such crime from occurring in the first place. I am sure you see the wisdom in such a policy, High Celebrant.”

********

After the Formilians left the Pinnacle Room, Synnoc sat at the large stone conference table, alone and in thought.

The defeat of his fleet was four days old, and still he refused to believe Juir was in danger. He now had five hundred additional warships stationed throughout the Alliance Cluster, and the remainder of his fleet was headed this way. Unfortunately, most of them were trailing the Human fleet which had a twelve-hour advantage.

Synnoc ordered the speediest ships to leave their groups and bolt for Juir as fast as possible. The slower ships could make it on their own. This would put more defensive units in place before the Humans—traveling at a fleet speed—could reach the planet.

With such actions in place, Synnoc took time to reflect on other things, namely his obsession with Adam Cain.

He began by considering the lengths certain races went through to protect their gender opposites, as Cain was doing for his two females. It had been like this for the Juireans as well, many thousands of years before. Fortunately, they had moved beyond such nonsense.

Or at least they had….

When the Kracori attacked the core worlds seventeen years before, they made a point of taking out the breeding facilities on Salin. Over a billion Juirean females died, and to this day the race was still struggling to recover from that tragic event.

With such a massive empire to rule, the most valuable asset the Juireans had to maintain control was a live Juirean adult on site. Thousands of years ago, they had abandoned the traditional method of procreation for a more automated, more reliable process. Every person and gender in Juirean society had their designated duties. Males expanded and managed the empire, while females provided it with more Juireans for the task. As a result, breeding females were held in reverence and awe, pampered and cared for in huge breeding facilities off planet. They were provided with careful pre-screened reproductive fluid from select males and were expected to stay pregnant during their reproductive years. Most could produce twenty-five offspring or more during this period, before being assigned to other tasks, such as caring for the mothers or managing the newborns.

A child would remain in the facility for a period of five years. Afterwards, they were transferred off-planet to training facilities where, based on physical and mental aptitude, they would be placed into programs to become either Admins, Techs, Guards or Overlords.

It was all very efficient, very sterile.

After The Great Exodus, the Juireans had to recover, and not only their pride, power and status, but also their numbers. There was a forty-eight-to-one male-to-female ratio, and no matter how it was figured, the male population would grow old and die off in huge numbers long before enough females could be birthed to make up for the attrition. Through genetic manipulation, the Juireans could determine the gender of the offspring. Even to this day, nine out of ten births were female, all in a desperate race to replace this missing segment of their society before it was too late.

During the early years of their exile, the Juireans even experimented with returning to the old method of reproduction, through physical mating. Synnoc grimaced at the memory. The strategy proved to be a disaster.

Females began to have their favorite mates, as did the males, and conflicts arose. Jealousy—an emotion all but bred out of the Juireans throughout the centuries—returned, seemingly overnight. Fights between both competing males and females erupted, and sub-groups assembled into tribes to protect against intruders. These affiliations were subtle, yet real, and they impacted the final birthing numbers and quality of the offspring.

Synnoc was Elder at the time and was aware this dynamic. Five years before, he had ended the practice, returning to the birthing centers and anonymous fluid donors. The centers were now located on Juir, on the far side of the planet from Juir City. Drugs were reintroduced into the Juirean food supply to suppress the primal urges, both for the males and females. The system was working, but the race was still greatly under-populated.

Synnoc bristled at the charge raised by some that the Juireans were much like the Sol-Kor in this regard. The Juireans were nothing like the flesh-eaters, he argued. The Sol-Kor were mindless drones, birthed from a single mother and with only the quest for food to drive them. The Juireans—although employing a very efficient and practical procreation program—were individuals born from individual females. They came from only the finest male stock, and as such the Juireans were a race of superior beings, intelligent, strong and courageous. The Sol-Kor were barely above insects, not capable of creativity or innovation. If it hadn’t been for the inventions of the mutant Panur, they would never have advanced to the point of threatening other universes.

With regards to the Sol-Kor, Synnoc knew Adam Cain and his Humans had not defeated them. All they did was cut off their access to the Juirean galaxy and help rebellious races in the flesh-eaters’ universe to rise against them. As a result, the flesh-eaters were simply too pre-occupied to be a threat for the time being. But that could change.

Even still, Cain did manage to turn Panur away from the Sol-Kor. If not, then the mutant genius would have simply rebuilt what had been destroyed and the invading horde would have returned. Synnoc didn’t assign any special gratitude for what Cain had done. It was a matter of timing and fortunate consequence, and not some great plan on the Human’s part. Luck—to Synnoc—was not to be rewarded or honored, since it could not be counted on consistently, no matter what fantastic mythologies revolved around the fortunate Human.

Chapter 31

Flashlight beams began to pick reflections off of something shiny ahead. Adam and Riyad approached carefully until reaching another grate covering the exit to the tunnel. They were at the security vault, where seventeen years earlier, their fateful pod journey had begun.

While aiming their lights into the room beyond the grate, the pair saw very little they recognized. Where once there was the pod room, dining area, comm center, meeting rooms and more, all that was left was a large circular room, fading off into the murky distance. Everything else had been swept away by powerful torrents of rushing water.

On the floor outside the tunnel, Adam noticed hundreds of footprints, now faded and covered in a generous layer of dust. No one had been down here in a very long time.

The two men turned their attention to the bars of their cage. They were shiny, showing no signs of rust, which meant alloys of some kind, possibly Juirean steel. They braced themselves against the wall of the tunnel and placed booted feet against the bars. They pressed, grunting occasionally from the effort until a separation was created large enough for them to crawl through. They left the bars bent; this was their only way out at this point.

Cradling M-101’s in their arms, Adam and Riyad moved cautiously into the vast room. The security vault had been divided into three sections, with one huge central room. At first glance it looked as though the water had rushed through the middle of the complex, bursting through the main door and into the catacombs beyond. The other two sections, one to each side, appeared to have escaped relatively undamaged. Adam and Riyad moved to their right.

This area showed signs of recent visitation, with dozens—perhaps hundreds—of crates and boxes stacked haphazardly about. There were also old chairs, dust-covered desks, file cabinets and discarded computer monitors, everything one would expect to find when new equipment was brought in to replace the old. The vault had become a huge storage room.

In one of the rooms, Adam spotted something new. They stepped inside to examine the huge, fifteen-foot-high by thirty-foot-long box of dials and electrical connections.

“It’s some form of back-up generator,” Adam told Riyad. He reached out with his ATD and scanned the object. Most of it was dormant, yet a few of the components were operating in standby mode. Within his mind, Adam followed the main power lines out the room, to where they split off in multiple directions. A few moments later, he had more information.

“There are three main back-ups for the building, two on site and another one about ten miles away. Everything appears be in threes; three generators with three redundant connectors each.”

“Could you disable them if necessary?” Riyad asked.

“This one, possibly, and maybe the one at the other side of the building. Not sure about the one off-site. Just don’t expect me to do anything in hurry. These things are pretty complicated.”

This was Adam’s second artificial telepathy device; the first he’d given to Panur so he could build his trans-dimensional portal detector. Since Adam wasn’t the type to sit around trying to learn all its subtle uses and manipulations, he was still a rookie at its operation. In fact, he would go days without even thinking of the implant. He could do the basics, but Arieel—who had been fitted with her device when she was five and trained on it every day to adulthood, had much more skill with the interface. She had also surrendered her Gift to Panur and was now device-less. As far as Adam knew, he was the only creature in the galaxy who possessed a Formilian brain interface unit.

The two Humans continued through the hazy darkness until they came to the main entrance/exit to the security vault. The two-foot thick metal door had been replaced with a set of standard-hinged rectangular doors. It was easy to see where new concrete had been poured to form the frame for the doors. There was an electronic lock on the door.

Adam scanned it with his ATD; this was something he could do with relative ease. He severed the locking controls and the doors were free to open.

He shook his head, a movement Riyad noticed.

“Problem?”

“No, just something weird. A kind of echo in my mind.”

“What kind of echo?”

“Like if you hear a ringing in your ears when everything is really quiet.”

“Could the mane-heads be scanning for your ATD?”

“I don’t think so. This was something strange. Let me scan around and see if I pick up anything unusual.”

A couple of minutes went by before Adam reported his findings.

“There’s a shitload of electronics operating, just what you would expect in a building this large. I’m picking up plenty of flash weapon power packs, but none close by. Maybe the echo was from all electricity concentrated in one place. I’ll be fine. Let’s move on. I’m anxious to see what they have down here.”

********

During his earlier stay on Juir, Adam had researched the massive pyramid building—the original—and found its history to be fascinating.

The structure was built over the site of the first landing of an alien spacecraft on the planet. That small, gangly-looking vehicle—similar in shape and design to the Lunar Landing Module from the Apollo moon landings—had been sent to Juir four thousand years ago by the neighboring Klin, one of six other advanced civilizations in the Cluster. What would become the Malor-Hydon Tower began as a simple cover over the spacecraft to protect it from the elements. Later, as more pilgrims came to view the craft, additional walls and barriers were constructed to help protect it and to channel visitors past in a more orderly fashion.

As the Juireans began to build their stellar empire, they staged elaborate ceremonies and presentations on the mountaintop and around the spacecraft. A large amphitheater was built around the lander, along with a cover for the crowds.

Years later, other buildings were constructed around the site and it was decided that the first-landing memorial should to have one of its own. This structure was a rectangular-shaped building—like all the others—with the distinction of having the top floor serve as a three-hundred-sixty-degree glassed-in observation deck. Visiting dignitaries were in awe of the view, which included the lights of Juir City far below, as well as snow-capped mountains to the north and west and the Southern Sea to the south.

As the centuries passed, urban sprawl took over the area surrounding the monument building. Taller structures rose up around it, requiring additions to the building, with the goal to always have the observation deck be the highest point on the mountain.

A thousand years after its inception, some frustrated Council Elder ordered that all the surrounding buildings be removed, and that a new and final structure be built on the site. A pyramid was selected as the design, with the great observation deck placed at the very top. Nothing in the surrounding area was to be taller than a fifth the height of the pyramid, and when completed, it stood a thousand feet high, giving it—according to Adam’s research—twice the footprint and height of the Great Pyramid of Giza on Earth.

By this time, the Juirean Empire had spread across half the galaxy, and it became a rite of passage for every Juirean to make a pilgrimage to the building to observe the First-Contact Memorial. The entire lower section of the pyramid was a large open chamber with the memorial resting at the center. With so many coming to see it, separate entrances were created, along with wide catwalks and circular balconies, where the fateful could be channeled. At the height of the empire, a hundred thousand Juireans per day filtered through the building.

Years later, the observation room at the top of the pyramid was shut off from visitors and converted into the Pinnacle Room, to be used exclusively by the Elders for important state business.

The new Malor-Hydon pyramid was built on the foundation of the old one, with the only surviving remnant being the catacombs carved into the basalt and granite of the mountain.

The First-Contact vehicle was destroyed in the Kracori attack, after which the Juireans conducted a futile search for Hydon’s stone-encrusted escape pod to serve as a weak substitute. Adam didn’t know what—if anything—now sat in the huge exhibition chamber. The Juireans didn’t make pilgrimages here any longer. There were too few of them left to bother.

********

Riyad moved through the open door and into a wide lobby outside the vault. There were lights on, but only a few. There was evidence most of this area had been rebuilt after the geyser erupted from the vault, and farther along, they could see more lights, in corridors more frequently traveled.

They were twelve stories below the surface, in an area of passageways and rooms filling the space between the deeply-embedded support legs for the pyramid. As in most huge buildings, the less-important people dwelled at the lower levels, while the VIPs labored higher up. In the catacombs, the lowest of the low had their offices, including where the prisoners were housed. It would only make sense.

They turned a corner and spotted a lone Juirean with yellow hair—a Tech—walking away from them while reading a datapad in his hands. Adam motioned for Riyad to lag behind as backup, before he moved off to confront the alien.

Adam moved softly yet swiftly, using his years of training to sneak up behind the Juirean. He did everything right.

Regardless, the target stopped and turned unexpectedly.

Both creatures eyed each other, deciding what to do. The Juirean saw a much smaller creature dressed in a black, helmet-less environment suit and holding a strange looking weapon. Adam saw a seven-foot tall alien, unarmed and with a datapad in his hands.

Both creatures rushed the other.

It was a good bet the Juirean had never collided with a Human before. His expression said it all, as Adam won the war of mass and shoved the creature backwards and off his feet. He landed hard on his back with Adam straddling him, the barrel of the M-101 pressed against the greenish skin of the Juirean’s left cheek.

“Keep quiet or I’ll blow your head clean off your shoulders. Nod if you understand?”

The creature nodded while glaring at Adam. He wasn’t scared, rather frustrated with himself for being thrown to the floor by such a small being.

“What are you doing down here?” Adam asked.

“I do routine environmental systems monitoring. What are you doing here?”

“I’ll ask the questions,” Adam said, pressing the barrel of the weapon a little harder against the alien for emphasis. “Where are the prison cells located?”

“Prison cells…on this level? There are none.”

“On which level?”

“There are no prison facilities.” The alien’s eyes grew large as understanding came to him. “Security holding? Do you mean security holding?”

“Yes.”

“They are five levels above.” The alien glanced past the two Humans and the deserted hall behind them. “I welcome the prospect of you and your companion attempting to reach them. They are well-guarded.”

“Do you recognize our race?”

“Yes, you are Humans. I have only seen you in images, yet now I can associate your smell with your pictures. Both are disgustingly foul.”

“Quite the mouthy little son-of-a-bitch, isn’t he?” Riyad said.

“How do we reach the security level?”

“By going up.”

“And a smart-ass, too. Just kill him and let’s get going.” Riyad moved past Adam to scout the hallway farther along.

“Kill me? Why?”

“Because—” Adam flipped his weapon around and drove the stock end into the skull of the alien—“I can.” He climbed to his feet. “There have to be elevators along here somewhere, and hopefully the accompanying stairwells.”

“I’ve noticed you’ve been saying hopefully a lot more these days,” Riyad pointed out.

“It’s another way of saying the situation is fluid, requiring mission modification contingent upon circumstances in the field.”

“You mean we’re playing it by ear?”

“Now you’ve got it. Take the lead, Mister Tarazi. Let’s find a way…up.”

********

A bank of elevators—along with a doorway to the stairs—was located a hundred feet down the corridor. Elevators were always a crap shoot; one never knew what would be waiting when the doors slid open. Stairs, on the other hand, were manageable and less traveled. The Humans entered the doorway next to the elevators and began a methodical climb floor by floor, on maximum guard along the way.

They made it up the five flights without incident. At the exit door, Adam knelt down and cracked it open a hair. It was clear down the corridor in that direction. Next, he withdrew a small mirror on an articulated handle from a pocket in his environment suit and placed it around the door jamb, looking in the other direction.

He couldn’t see much. His view was blocked by the khaki-colored pant leg of the Juirean standing next to the door. Adam angled the mirror upward, turning the already towering alien into a giant. He got a better view; the Juirean Guard was talking with two others. The hallway beyond looked clear.

Adam pulled back and quietly shut the door. He held up three fingers and then motioned with his thumb at the wall he was leaning against.

Riyad raised his eyebrows. “Right here?” he whispered.

Adam nodded. “We need one alive,” he said to Riyad. The two men switched their M-101’s to standard mode, meaning bullets racing down the suppressed barrel. The flash option would have lit up the corridor for fifty yards or more. Two muted puffs wouldn’t attract too much attention—hopefully.

The plan: Riyad would open the door as Adam pulled the first Juirean into the stairwell, just before placing two quick shots center-mass into the other two. He would then pull the bodies out of the hallway before too much blood could spill. It would take all of three seconds, at the most. That was the plan.

The door was pulled open; Adam was out in a flash, grabbing the first alien by his belt and yanking him through the doorway. The pop-pop of the ‘101 sounded like one shot, coming so close to each other as they did.

Adam caught one falling Juirean and threw him into the doorway. He took the second one by the collar and placed him on top of the other. Then he bent over and shoved both bodies through the doorway. A quick glance outside showed a thin trail of smudged blood leading into the stairwell.

Riyad had the live Juirean pressed against a side wall, the barrel of his weapon aimed at the creature’s chest. Spying a pocket on the alien’s shirt, Adam reached out and tore off a generous portion of cloth. The Juirean—as well as Riyad—was surprised.

“Mind of I borrow this?” Adam asked with a grin. He scooted out the doorway again and came back a few seconds later with a blood-soaked cloth. He looked at Riyad. “Made a bloody mess, I did, I say,” Adam said in his best British accent.

Riyad had disarmed the Guard and now both Humans turned their attention to their captive.

“Is this the floor with the security cells?” Adam growled in a whisper.

“I will not tell you—”

Adam leaned in and clamped a hand over the alien’s mouth, while also withdrawing a KA-BAR combat knife from his utility belt. Without hesitation, he pressed the black blade into the leg of the Juirean. The creature moaned and struggled to cry out, grimacing from the intense pain. Adam withdrew the knife and placed the bloody edge against the Guard’s neck.

“I’ll ask you again, is this the floor with the security cells?”

The alien’s eyes were slits as squinted against the pain. He nodded.

“Do you have two females down here, one Human, the other Formilian?”

The Guard shook his head.

“They’re not here?”

He shook his head again.

“What the hell does that mean?” Riyad asked. “Are they here or not?”

Adam pulled his hand away from the Juirean’s mouth. “The Human, not the Formilian,” the Juirean groaned.

“The Human is here, but not the other one?”

The alien nodded.

Now Riyad leaned forward, pressing the barrel of his weapon against the alien’s forehead. Even through the pain, the Juirean’s eyes grew wide.

“Where is she?”

The alien shook his head again.

Riyad backed away. “Cut him again, Adam.”

“No! I will tell you.”

“Where?” Adam breathed.

“Room three-three.”

“Where’s that?”

The alien cocked his head to the left. “Down the corridor, then right. Down there.” He was having trouble talking, sitting as he was in a pool of his own blood, mixing now with that from his companions.

“Guards…how many?”

The alien looked at the stack of dead Juireans next to him. “Us,” he answered.

“Where is the Formilian?” Adam asked.

“Not sure…believe level twenty. Guest…under guard.”

“Thanks, you’ve been very cooperative.” Adam then pressed the tip of his blade deep into the chest of the alien.

The Humans stood. They stepped over to the dead aliens and wiped the blood off the soles of their boots on the bodies. Then, being careful not to step in the growing pool of blood, they stepped into the hallway. Adam took the lead.

As the alien indicated, there were no other Guards on the way to Sherri’s cell; they were all dead in the stairwell. Room numbers were marked on the wall next to the doors and thirty seconds after leaving the stairwell they were at room thirty-three. Adam scanned for an electronic lock, found it, and triggered the release.

Riyad stood guard while Adam rushed to the single cot and the slender figure lying face down and uncovered on top. Taking Sherri by the shoulders, Adam turned her over—and caught an elbow across the side of his face. He fell back, dropping to the floor on his butt.

Sherri was on her feet, standing over him, about to deliver a second blow. And then she squealed.

Adam rubbed his jaw as Sherri’s eye grew wide—the other one was swollen shut. “Baddum!” she cried out through equally swollen and cut lips. “And Breeodd!” She fell to her knees, wrapping Adam in a powerful bear hug.

Riyad looked away from the door and flashed his trademark smile. “Honey, we’re home. What’s for dinner.”

“Brovenist.” Sherri’s face contorted in pain when she tried to smile.

Adam own right eye and lip were swelling up from the elbow he’d taken. “Riyad…I’ve changed my mind. Let’s leave her here.”

“Your call, Captain. As you wish.”

“Ashhole!”

Adam looked at his former girlfriend and frowned. “Damn, babe, you took a licking.”

“But I keep on tickin’.”

“Where’s Arieel?” Adam asked. “She’s not down here with you.”

Sherri swallowed hard, working through the pain of her facial injuries to speak. “She VIP. Higher up, umber guard. Synnoc wants to qwill us bof…along with brew and Breeodd. He thinks brew be here in a week.”

“Surprise, our flight got in early. Can you walk?”

“Just hit my face. Weggs are brine.”

Adam reached into his backpack and withdrew another M-101. “I brought you a present.”

Sherri took the weapon and hugged it to her chest. “Just what I braways wanted.”

They climbed to their feet.

“So…how do we reach Arieel?” Riyad asked Adam in the middle of receiving a one-armed hug from Sherri. She held the ‘101 in the other.

“The Guard said she’s on the twentieth floor. I say we take the elevator to the twentieth, then shoot every alien we see until we find her.”

“Don’t you think that might be a little too…rude?”

“It was just a suggestion.”

Riyad looked toward the cot. “We could go all KKK again. Then put on our helmets and escort the Imperial Wizard to the VIP section.”

“We’re wearing Human environmental suits.”

“Which are black and look like everyone else’s.”

Adam smiled. “Sounds like a pretty good plan. And every good Imperial Wizard needs a pair of Dark Guards escorting her.”

“What are brew tawkling bout?”

“You’ll see, sweetheart. You’ll love it. It’s the latest thing in high fashion.”

********

Five minutes later the men had wrapped Sherri in a white sheet, but rather that cut a slot for the eyes, Riyad used his Lebanese skills to make the outfit look more like a burqa than a KKK robe.

“Okay, here we go,” said Adam. “Just walk confidently and with purpose. They’ll still look at us, but think we belong here.”

The trio made it to the elevators without incident. The building was too tall and angled to use one central lift, so this one only went to the tenth floor. They would have to transfer from there.

The elevator car began to move, and continued for three floors before stopping. The door opened and six Juirean Techs crowded in. Three more eyed Sherri and her escorts and decided to wait for the next car.

Two of the Techs turned to Sherri. She bowed. They bowed back.

“What is your race?” one of the Juireans asked.

“We are Betamax,” Adam answered for her. “Our Grand Wizard is not allowed to speak in public.”

“I have never heard of the Betamax.”

“That is understandable. There are very few of us left.”

The elevator stopped. “This is our floor,” Adam said.

They stepped out and over to the next bank of elevators.

“I thought the Betamax were extinct?” said Riyad under his breath.

“Almost. We are the last of their kind.”

They entered an elevator and pressed the button for the twentieth floor. Five Juireans also stepped in. They looked at the trio, but none attempted to start a conversation.

When they stepped off at their floor, they found it to be quite different from where Sherri had been kept. There was a wide, carpeted lobby with ornate decorations and seating along the walls. A forty-foot wide corridor ran both directions from the elevators. Two Juireans Guards were to their right, so they moved in that direction.

“Inquiry…the Formilian dignitary? Where can we find her?” Adam asked.

“Three rooms beyond. She has visitors. You should wait.”

“Visitors?”

“Yes.”

“Who are they?”

“I do not know. Wait.”

“But we are expected,” Riyad said.

“We guard the Formilian. We have not been notified of additional visitors. Who are you?”

Adam looked both ways down the deserted corridor, then back at the two aliens. “Are you familiar with the term, your worst nightmare?”

“No, I am not,” said the Guard leader.

“Well that’s who we are. We are your worst nightmare.”

“I do not understand.”

“Let me explain.” Adam handed his backpack to Sherri, while Riyad set his on the floor. What followed were a pair of swift fists slammed into the alien’s chests, sending them crashing into the wall behind them. Adam followed up with an uppercut to a jutting jaw a foot above his head.

Riyad was having a little more trouble with his alien. His hit had stunned his opponent, but not enough. The Juirean, lashed out and caught the side of Riyad’s helmet, knocking him to the floor with the alien straddling him. The creature took two quick swings at Riyad’s head again, but both were blocked.

Sherri calmly withdrew an M-101 from the backpack she held and swung the stock end at the back of the alien’s head. He tumbled forward, covering Riyad in his long mane of pale green hair.

“Are you done playing around?” Adam asked Riyad.

“Just my luck I have to meet the Juirean version of Bruce Lee. Thanks, Sherri.”

Adam surveyed the hallway. There was no place to hide the bodies, except possibly behind one of the sofas along the wall. But Juireans were tall creatures. They wouldn’t fit.

“Put them on top and then roll them over. Make it look like they’re taking a nap.”

“That won’t fool anyone,” Riyad said as he dragged his unconscious victim to the nearest couch. Soon both aliens were on separate sofas and sleeping like babies. Adam even placed the thumb of his opponent in his mouth. All that was missing was the Teddy bear.

The trio moved to the third door down the corridor. They heard voices inside.

Chapter 32

Master Malens ra Erron replayed the recording for the fourth time. None of it made sense.

“This is an uncontaminated file?” he asked the nervous attendant beside him.

“Yes, my Lord. A confidant of ours made the copy before the original was destroyed.”

“This is very serious, Nadnon. I wish to discuss this with the Elites.”

“And the Elder?”

“Without his knowledge.”

“My Lord?”

“You heard me. Let us gather facts before confronting Master Synnoc. Now, very quietly, have the others meet me in sub-conference six. Have them come without escort, as that would attract attention. Also have the level nine Admins attend, and only the level nines.”

“Yes, my Lord. If they question?”

“Tell them it is by order of the Vice-Elder. They may contact me personally if more detail is needed. Set the meeting for twenty minutes from now. We have no time to lose.”

********

The Juirean Council consisted of ninety individuals, yet only nine were considered Masters and referred to as the Elites. This was the senior cabal within the Council, the leaders, from whom the Elder was appointed. Malens ra Erron was the second-most-powerful Juirean in existence, second only to Synnoc li Qriss.

Malens—along with most others within the Council Elite—had not been born in the traditional Juirean manner. They were separate from the vast breeding farms on Salin or elsewhere. Their bloodline, and others of notable accomplishment, was nurtured and maintained. In fact, the greatest honor to be bestowed on a Juirean was to have his bloodline segregated from the rest, to join this elite group of Masters. Malens’ bloodline came from the greatest of them all, tracing his distant ancestors back to the Ra family of Malor and Oplim, the two most important Juireans to ever live. One conquered the Alliance, the other, half the galaxy. The Ras were respected—and feared—within the Council, with no less than nineteen of the ninety related in some form. Two of the Elites were Ras; Malens and Master Cyros ra Vensa. Because of this fact, many within both the general Council and the Council Elite suspected collusion between the family to maintain control over the Expansion.

They were right. It was natural that beings would side with their own blood over others. Yet the Ras were bred for leadership. They were better-qualified than most, especially those who had been advanced simply because of fame or twists of fate. For this reason, the Ras of the Elites often clashed with Synnoc, whom they considered to be an outlier. Yet recently, through the Sol-Kor conflict and now the war with the Humans, Synnoc had consolidated his power to a frightening level. This included the appointment of his friend and confidant Kradis to the position of Fleet Marshal. In addition, during his time within the military wing of Juirean organizational structure, Synnoc had forged many lasting relationships with Overlords and Master-Overlords, many of who now controlled all the forces of Juir and beyond.

This was a dangerous time for the Elites, a tipping point where the empire could go either way. Malens had to be very careful with regards to the erratic and temperamental Elder.

Chapter 33

“I appreciate you coming, Trimen, but Synnoc will never let me leave. I am being used to lure Adam and Riyad to Juir. Once they arrive, they will be placed in custody and then all of us—Sherri included—with be publically executed.”

“We cannot allow that to happen.”

“How can you stop him? His Guards and Overlords occupy Formil, and his forces are much stronger than the Humans. He controls our destiny, yours and mine.”

“Trimen…the door has just unlocked,” reported one of the other Formilians.

Trimen concentrated and the door relocked.

Arieel saw the intense look on Trimen’s face and understood immediately.

“You have a Gift!”

“We all do.”

“The door has unlocked again.”

“Lock it…and keep it locked.”

“Something is not right. The door keeps unlocking.”

“As I ordered…lock it again!”

“Ah, c’mon!” said an angry voice from the other side of the door. “What the hell’s wrong with this thing?”

Arieel looked at Trimen. “Adam?”

Trimen looked back. “Cain?”

“Hell, I’ll just blast the son-of-a-bitch!”

Arieel smiled. “Yes, Adam Cain.”

Trimen opened the door with his mind.

********

Adam was in shock. One Formilian, yes. But not a whole room full of them.

Riyad shoved Adam and Sherri inside. “Will one of you super-brains please close the door,” he said.

The door slid shut.

Adam pulled off his helmet, a fraction of a second before the voluptuous Arieel Bol was in his arms. Adam hugged her back, slightly embarrassed by the fact that her mate was standing next to him. He looked over at Trimen and smiled. “Hey, buddy, how’s it going?”

“Quite well,” came the ice-cold reply. “I must say I am not surprised to see you here.”

“That’s more than I can say about you…and the others. What are you doing here?”

Arieel broke her embrace, and then made her rounds, first to Riyad and then to Sherri. She hesitated hugging the person in the white burqa at first, not until Sherri unwound the sheet from around her head. They hugged and then Arieel stood back. “Are you all right? You look terrible.”

Adam watched Sherri scan the alien up and down. Arieel Bol was every boy’s wet-dream, dressed in a soft flowing gown made of a light blue, silk-like material, undulated in all the right places; her hair was black, long and luxurious. There was nothing to show she was being held prisoner, and only days away from being executed.

“Well, thanks for brat, erieel.”

“Did the Juireans do this to you?”

“Synnoc. I almost kwilled em.”

Trimen stepped up to Sherri and hugged her. Adam saw her take in a deep breath and grow weak-kneed. Formilians—both male and female—had that effect on Humans.

“To answer your question, Adam, we came to Juir to bargain for the release of our Speaker. Synnoc would not even consider releasing her to us. As usual, it was because of you.”

Adam knew what Trimen meant, so he didn’t argue the point. “Yeah, but now we can all get away.”

“And what happens to our people if Arieel is freed in such a manner? Formilians will suffer,” Trimen said.

“Not if we kwill that someofmabliss.”

Trimen frowned. “What did she say?”

“She said not if we kill that son-of-a-bitch.”

“I still do not understand.”

Riyad stepped up. “It means we have to kill Synnoc and put an end to all this.”

“That would be no guarantee,” Trimen countered. “Others will continue beyond him.”

“The Union fleet is headed this way,” Adam said. “I’m thinking the Juirean hold on the Expansion won’t last much longer.”

“And what if your fleet is defeated or turned away?” Arieel asked. “I agree with Trimen. I must consider my people. If my death will keep them safe, then I am willing to let it happen.”

“But I am not.”

All eyes turned to one of the unspoken Formilian males in Trimen’s entourage.

“I understand your devotion to our Speaker, Innos,” Trimen said, “but this is larger than her alone. We must protect the race.”

“The Juireans will not be a concern…not when you appoint me as Speaker.”

There was awkward confusion in the room. Trimen frowned. “Innos, you are talking crazy….”

His voice trailed off as he watched the handsome, chiseled features of the Formilian begin to transform. A faint glow came to the skin and five seconds later the Formilian known as Innos was now Lila Bol.

There was a long moment of stunned silence and inaction until Arieel, with tears in her eyes, rushed to the arms of her daughter and hugged her tightly. Lila returned the emotional embrace before looking over her mother’s shoulder at the stunned audience.

“Hello, father—and Trimen. Greetings.”

Adam wasn’t immune to the shock, and now a multitude of questions—and possibilities—raced through his head. He didn’t know how to react. This was his daughter, but she was mutant with very little in common with him except some DNA…if that was still the case. With her ability to alter her form through cell regeneration, any trace of Adam Cain may be long gone by now.

“Lila, what…what are you doing here? You left,” he stammered.

“I still monitor the events in my home universe…and I could not let my mother be murdered. What kind of daughter would I be if I let that happen?”

“Is Panur with you?” Adam eyed with the other two members of Trimen’s group with suspicion, expecting at any moment for one of them to morph in the short, grey-skinned mutant.

“No, he remained behind. He understands what I must do. We might meet again, when my work here is through.”

“And what work is that?” Trimen asked. He had helped raise Lila until the age of six, believing her to be his. But then she began a period of rapid growth and maturity. Although chronologically she was only eight years old, before them now stood a lovely young Formilian female appearing to be in her early twenties. She was ravishing—a clone of her mother, only younger. For her part, Arieel was the equivalent of ninety Earth years old, yet had the look of a bikini model in her early-thirties.

“Once we dispatch the Elder, we will return to Formil where I will take my rightful place as the new Speaker of the Formilian people. The Juireans will know of my powers and will not dare risk retaliation against our people for fear of my wrath.”

Adam nodded. “Sounds good to me. I know I wouldn’t want to mess with you.”

“There is a difference, father. You know me, yet at this point the Juireans have only heard stories. They know of Panur more. Now it is time they get to know me, along with my Human father. It shall be a volatile mixture.”

She smiled at Adam, and his heart melted in a wave of fatherly pride. He not only had a beautiful young daughter, but she was also a genius. And with incredible super powers. And she was immortal. Just the kind of daughter every father wished he had.

“Although this reunion is all touching and shit,” Riyad said, breaking the awkward silence. “But shouldn’t we be going?” He turned toward the door.

“Please wait, Mister Tarazi,” Lila said. “If you exit now you will encounter a Juirean Guard force twenty strong. We have been under surveillance since the beginning.”

“Why didn’t any of you super beings disable the damn cameras?”

“Because we had not been expecting your arrival,” Trimen answered.

“We’re here now, so what’s next?” Riyad asked.

Lila moved to the door. “I will lead us out. Besides those outside, many more are coming.”

She looked up at the camera concealed in the corner of the ceiling and pointed a slender finger at it. A second later a bolt of blue light erupted from the tip….

Chapter 34

Acus bin Masins climbed the stairs to the Pinnacle Room with caution. He was not allowed inside unless accompanied by a Councilmember. The fact that two Guards stood at the base of the stairs and did not protest his entry, meant he had found the Elder.

Synnoc was seated at the large freeform conference table, with a video monitor lifted from its surface and studying intensely the scene it was broadcasting.

“My Lord, forgive me.”

Synnoc barely reacted to the intrusion.

“My Lord, I did not notice you logged into the room. I have been looking for you.”

Distracted, Synnoc motioned for his assistant to be seated.

Acus looked at the screen. “Is that of importance, my Lord? If not, may I request your attention?”

Synnoc muted the audio and turn to the Overlord. “I have been watching the meeting of the Formilian delegation with Arieel Bol. I am curious if I can learn more from the interaction.”

“And have you?”

“Nothing, except that which I suspected. She was not with Adam Cain at the time of the Overlord’s death.”

Acus knew all the Elder’s secrets. It had been he who relayed the secret orders to the ship’s captain, directing him to assassinate Overlord Esketon and then place the blame on Adam Cain. Shortly thereafter, however, all the Juireans present died in a terrible explosion, creating a mystery as to what took place after the killing. Even though Synnoc hoped to place the Formilian at the scene of the crime, it was generally accepted by those involved in the plot that Arieel Bol was on Worak-nin at the time, with Fleet Marshal—Admiral—Andy Tobias. That mattered not. She was still to be charged with aiding the Human terrorist.

Now the Elder focused his vacant eyes on Acus. “What do you want?”

“I must report some strange behavior among the Elites.”

The mention of the Elites piqued the Elder’s attention. “What kind of strange behavior?”

“My Lord, I went first to the chambers of Vice-Elder Malens ra Erron to provide him with an update on the defense of Juir. I was not able to meet with him.”

Synnoc frowned. “You were acting on my behalf. Who denied you this access?”

“I was not denied access, simply told by his escorts that he was unavailable.”

“Asleep?”

“It is the middle of the day, my Lord.”

“That is still possible. Master Malens is old.”

“Yes, my Lord. So I took the report to Master Cyros next. His Guards were there, yet he was also unavailable.”

Synnoc sat up in his chair. This was unusual. Cyros was one of the most-energetic of the Elites. He surely would not be asleep at this hour.

“Yet his Guards were in his chambers?”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“So he had to be there.”

“I took the report to Master Havorn next.”

“The same?”

“Yes, my Lord. Do you wish to hear my suspicions?”

“Only as they mirror my own. The Elites are not in their chambers, but elsewhere in the building.”

“Exactly. Why would they been doing such, and without escort?”

Synnoc smiled. “You need not sound naïve on my account, Acus. You believe they are meeting in secret…and without me.”

“Again, my Lord, why would they do that?”

“Because I am the topic of conversation at this meeting, Acus. It is evident they have learned of the death of Kradis and are deciding whether to move against me for this, as well as more of my recent activities.”

Acus knew also of the death of Kradis, although very few on the Kacoran Plain were aware. It looked as though that had changed.

“Find them, Acus. They would not be meeting in the more formal rooms. Start with the sub-chambers.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

As Acus rose to leave, Synnoc casually glanced back at the muted computer screen. To the surprise of his assistant, Synnoc leaned forward and grabbed each side of the monitor, his face only inches from the screen. His breath inhaled sharply.

“My Lord, are you all right?”

Synnoc twisted the screen toward Acus. “Look! What do you see?”

Acus leaned in closer. At first glance there appeared to be more people in the room than before, including two beings in uniform black outfits. Another creature was then exposed as another moved, this one with yellow hair, like that of a Tech, only shorter. It was Sherri Valentine.

“My Lord, how?”

“Look closer!”

Acus focused his attention on those in the black uniforms. A face turned toward the camera.

“Adam Cain!”

“Yes, Adam Cain…and he is here on Juir, and in this building. How could this have happened?”

“My Lord, the last reports only an hour ago had his ship still three hundred light years from Juir.”

“His ship is three hundred light-years away, yet he is here. And not only that, but he has freed Sherri Valentine and is in the process of freeing the Formilian.”

“I will sound the alarm. They will not escape.” Acus rose to race from the room.

“No! Stop!”

“My Lord?”

“This is just the type of event the Elites are discussing at this moment. I would not survive if they learn that I have allowed Adam Cain to reach Juir and gain entry to the pyramid. They will classify this as another example of reckless incompetence.”

“We must do something.”

“Of course. Send Guards to wait outside the room.” In spite of the unfolding crisis, Synnoc smiled. “Now that I have them all together, I will receive satisfaction from their combined deaths.”

“And the Elites?”

“Send out searchers, yet be stealthy. I do not want them—or anyone else—to know I am hunting the Council Elite. Once found, report their location to me. I will confront them personally.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

********

Jarsin ka Loc was a security specialist assigned to the Pinnacle Room; it was he who alerted the Guards to the Human’s attack on the Elder four days prior. He had come to his viewing cell to calibrate camera light and sound in the reverent conference room, since no one at the time was occupying it—at least not officially.

Now he sat in stunned silence having just heard the conversation between the Elder and one of his aides. He quickly turned off the feed and fell back into his chair. As a room monitor, he knew all the major personalities in Juirean politics. He had also been privy to many a secret meeting. Yet nothing compared to this.

What was he to do? The Elder ruled the Expansion, yet only with the Council’s blessing. Jarsin truly believed that. No Juirean, not even the Elder, was above the scrutiny of the Council. And now Elder Synnoc was going to have the Elites hunted—his own word—and then confronted.

He had to tell someone, but who? Who could he trust not to have his identity revealed? They also mentioned the death of Fleet Marshal Kradis. Jarsin had not heard of this. It would have been news by now. If they would do that to Kradis, what would they do to one such as him?

Nadnon! He was Vice-Elder Malens’ personal assistant. He would be able to warn the Master. But would he also be in the secret meeting? No, Acus had said the Guards were still in the Elite’s chambers. They had gone alone, without escort. Possibly Nadnon would still be in Malens’ chambers.

Jarsin’s station was located seventeen floors below the Pinnacle Room. He would have to go higher, to the Elites chambers. As he entered an elevator, his breath came in short gasps. He had to reach Nadnon.

********

After Acus had left, Synnoc continued to watch with anger and frustration the hidden camera view of the room with the Formilian. He was having trouble concentrating on anything other than the image of Adam Cain, as the real person was located not more than forty-four floors below him. But then he calmed. This was what he wanted, all the players in one place so he could dispatch them at one time.

Yet the situation was becoming dangerous. The Elites were plotting against him, and if he let the Adam Cain situation continue or get worse, they would have more to accuse him of. He would have preferred to execute the Human himself, but the Guards would be his surrogates. Then he could concentrate on other matters….

But something wasn’t right in the image he was viewing. He now counted three females in the room, not two—Sherri Valentine and Arieel Bol. The other female was unmistakably a Formilian, very similar in form to Bol. But then again, all Formilians looked alike. Yet could he have mistaken the female for one of the four males that came to the Pinnacle Room earlier? Considering the stark differences in shape, he could not see how that was possible. There was no mistaking the sex of the alien.

On the screen, the young Formilian female turned suddenly and stared directly at the hidden security camera. Synnoc leaned in closer, as if drawn in by the round, dark eyes. He felt tingles along his spine.

Then the alien pointed her finger at the camera.  The image turned blue, moments before the monitor exploded in a spray of sparks and flying glass. Synnoc fell back, covering his eyes with his arms.

When he recovered, he knew instantly the identity of the Formilian female. It was the Lila, the demon associate of the mutant Panur and the perverted offspring of Adam Cain and Arieel Bol.

Now she was also in the building….but how?

Synnoc caught himself. “She is a mutant, that is how,” he spoke aloud into the empty room. He gnashed his teeth. He was frustrated, yet relieved in a strange way. From his recent interview with the traitorous Benefis Na, he had only recently learned how best to combat such beings. Still, the level of threat the invaders created had increased. He may have to drop all pretense and do what he must to preserve his plan…and his position.

He pressed a communicator and located Acus.

“Yes, my Lord, the Guards are in route to the Formilian’s room.”

“Have them arm themselves with canisters of frozen atmosphere.”

“Pardon me, my Lord. I am confused.”

“There is a mutant with them, the one who is with Panur.”

“Is Panur with them?” There was panic in Acus’ voice.

“I have not seen him. I doubt it. This creature has come to save her mother from my vengeance.”

“But the chemical?”

“She must be frozen so she cannot exert her powers. She knows I have seen her—and the others. Have the Guards take caution. She is very dangerous.”

“Yes, my Lord. I will send more and better-prepared Guards.”

“Good. And as you do that, send fifty to the floor below the Pinnacle Room, as well. Let no one approach without notifying me, and that applies to the Elites as well.”

Acus nodded. He understood.

Chapter 35

“Let me do it, Lila,” said Adam Cain. “I enjoy killing aliens, especially Juireans.”

“As you wish, father.”

Through his ATD, Adam identified two of the flash weapons the Juireans in the corridor were holding, one to each side of the door. He then severed the firing controls and activated the power packs. A faint, yet intensifying whine could be heard outside the room, followed by a pair of loud, rumbling explosions in stereo.

Adam looked to Riyad and smiled. “Now we can go.”

The door slid open on its own and a cloud of white, acrid smoke poured in. The hallway was a mess, with burning furniture and charred carpeting. Dead or dying Juireans lay everywhere, many writhing and moaning from their injuries. As the eight people from the room weaved their way through the carnage, Adam, Riyad—and especially Sherri—made a point to place a single slug from their M-101’s into the heads or chests of the survivors. There were probably a hundred thousand Juireans in the building, but this was a start.

“I have disabled all the video devices on this floor,” said Lila. She took the lead, serving as a shield against any incoming flash bolts. To the mutant, the pure plasma from the weapons was like candy. Being hit by more than a few also made her skin glow hot and bright.

“Look at this,” Riyad said, holding up a canister with a nozzle attached. He had taken it from the hands of a dead Juirean Guard.

“Liquid nitrogen or oxygen,” Adam said. “Looks like they know how to defend against Lila. Wonder how they learned that?”

“Prowably from Benefis,” Sherri said. “They took em away right after we wanded. He saw what we did against J’nae.”

“We have to be careful. Can’t let anything happen to my little girl.”

“I can protect myself,” Lila said defiantly.

“I know, Lila, but my job as a father is to look after you.”

She smiled. “Then I welcome all you can do.”

Adam knew Lila was toying with him. There wasn’t much he could do that Lila couldn’t for herself.

“All right, here’s the plan,” Adam said, stepping into his leadership role. “Lila and I are going after Synnoc. Riyad, you take the rest of them down to the vault room. Get them out through the pod tunnel. We’ll meet up with you as soon as we can.”

To his shock, everyone in the party stopped what they were doing and stared at him.

“No fucking way!” said Sherri.

“Not going to happen, my friend,” said Riyad

“Formilians do not run from a fight,” said Trimen.

Adam raised his hand. “Our mission is to save people, not to get us all killed.”

“So you’re going with Lila and leave the rest of us to fend for ourselves?” said Riyad. “Seems to me we’d have a better chance of surviving if we stuck with her.”

Adam pursed his lips out of frustration. “Fine, then we all get out. Screw Synnoc. He’ll get his in the end.”

“That’s not what we’re saying,” Riyad continued. “We all want Synnoc dead. If anyone goes after him, we go—as a team—and with Lila in the lead.”

Adam looked at the faces around him. Sherri smiled—and then grimaced. She pointed up with her right index finger.

“He wikes to hang out in the Pinwicle Womb,” Sherri said.

Adam’s shoulders slumped. Of course he would. It’s only at the very top of the damn building. A long climb and even a longer one down.

“Fine, have it your way.” He reached into his backpack and handed Trimen and the other three Formilians MK-17 flash weapons and two power packs each—including Arieel. “Set them on level-two, that’ll kill a Juirean.”

He looked at his team. They were anxious enough. “Most of us here, with the exception of Sherri, Arieel and Riyad, have either superpowers or ATDs—interface devices, so stay close and listen to instructions. With fast enough reactions, we can disable MK and Xan-fi weapons, but if there’s too many of them, some may slip by. This is a huge building with a lot of hostiles, although I’m sure the last thing Synnoc expects is that we’re going after him. Lila, we’ll take the stairwell. If you’ll do the honors…”

********

The Malor-Hydon Building was sixty-four Juirean stories tall. A Juirean story was around fourteen feet. They started on the twentieth.

Juirean gravity was very near that of Formil, so Trimen, Arieel and the other two of their race had no problem climbing the stairs. Adam and Riyad took the steps three at a time, while Lila was already two stories ahead and scouting the way.

It was Sherri who was the problem. She hadn’t taken any hits to the body, but her head was another matter. Adam suspected she had a pretty nasty concussion, and as she exerted herself climbing the stairs, she became more dizzy and disoriented. Adam fell back from the group and helped her along.

“Leave me,” she said. “Pick me up on the bay back.”

Adam smiled. “Hey, you’re talking better.”

“Still berts like hell.”

“C’mon, I’ll help you. I’ve come too far to leave you behind now.”

Her eyes suddenly glassed over. “Thank you, Adam.”

“You’d do the same for me. In fact, you probably have.”

A tap came from above. Adam and Sherri stopped and crouched. Moments later, the puff-puff of an M-101 was heard. Adam helped Sherri scramble up a flight of stairs.

Riyad was standing over a dead Juirean, his weapon still aimed at the creature. “He came through the doorway right in the middle of us.”

Lila came down the stairs. “There are many more ahead, coming down the stairs. A systematic search is being conducted for us.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Adam said. “A building this size has to have more than one set of stairs.” He scanned the room outside the stairwell with his ATD. “Security cameras in the corridor.”

“I will disable them,” said Lila.

“It might be wise to disable those on a number of other floors above and below us,’ said Trimen. “That way the searchers will not be able to isolate the floor we are on.”

“Great idea, buddy,” Adam said. “Lila?”

“Already done.”

“All right, follow me.”

Adam led them out from the stairwell and into a utilitarian corridor lined with doors spaced very far apart. The rooms beyond the doors had to be large, yet no one was on the floor. At least not until an elevator door ten feet away began to open….

Chapter 36

Sub-conference room six was located near the center of the great pyramid, yet far below the traditional meeting rooms of the Elites. It was for overflow and meetings between staff. Typically, the Elites traveled the building with two loyal Guards. They were there for more than simple protection, but as advisors and communication conduits. To have one of these important leaders journey the corridors unescorted was highly unusual. Thus they traveled to the clandestine meeting by stairwell and deserted passageways. All eight of the remaining Elites made it to the room without alarm, to be joined there by four others, two Overlords of legal expertise and two with military experience—and all loyal to the Council.

“Why have you brought us here, Malens?” asked his distant relative Cyros.

“I wish to play a recording and receive your opinion—all your opinions—on its contents.”

He nodded to one of the Overlords and a screen on an adjoining wall came to life. For several minutes, the Elites sat in silence, watching and listening to the surveillance record of what had taken place at the Military Command Center four days prior, and the subsequent melt-down of Elder Synnoc li Qriss. At the end, there was a long moment of silence before Cyros spoke again.

“Master Malens, I have no knowledge of Fleet Marshal Kradis being arrested, or any appeal to the Council for adjudication.”

There were several murmurs around the table as all the Elites agreed.

“That is because Kradis is either being held in silent confinement, or he is dead.”

Now the murmurs became more vocal and the attendees more agitated.

“He would not do such a thing, and to his friend Kradis,” said another of the Elites.

“It is done, Master Havorn. I have researched it. After a confidant of mine made a copy of this recording, the original was destroyed by order of the Elder. He wishes no record of his actions, including the arrest of Kradis.”

 “Pardon me, my Lords,” said one of the non-Elites in the room.

“Please Lord Gasin, your contribution is vital to our proceedings,” said Malens.

“Thank you, my Lord. The Elder has the right to appoint his own Fleet Marshal. It has become tradition that any such appointment be approved by the full Council, yet that is not required. His demotion of Lord Kradis, and his subsequent confinement—if that is what has happened—is also within his rights. However, to keep this confinement from the Council is not permitted. Ranking Juireans have rights to defense. This has been denied in the case of the former Fleet Marshal.”

“Appreciated,” said Malens. “That is my thinking as well.” He took a moment to scan the faces of those at the table. Most were elderly, yet all of sound mind. There was no shame in Juirean society to relinquish a chair when faculties became impaired. “My fellow Elites, I wish to point out some very troubling facts surrounding our current Elder, of which this recording is only the most recent. First, I go back to the time of the Great Exodus. Immediately upon becoming Elder, he ordered our people to partake in physical mating practices. As we all know, that policy proved to be disastrous. Five years later, and following many protests, he abandoned the policy, yet without a transition period. That also proved to be disruptive. Further, I offer his weak and misguided management of the Sol-Kor conflict, where he allowed the Humans to assume the lead and receive all the glory. Because of that, the Expansion has begun to crumble, as members lose confidence in our strength and leadership. Now I add this baseless and costly war with the Humans and their Union. This was promulgated on the death of a single Overlord by the notorious Adam Cain. This event—although tragic—was cause for protest, not war. Now we have suffered humiliating defeats, both in the Kidis Frontier and now at our very front door. You all know of the defeat of our fleet near Handic-non—”

“My Lord, that battle is being classified as a stalemate by Master Synnoc,” said Havorn.

“That is because the number of remaining vessels has come out to be about even. What he fails to tell us is that we had numerical supremacy going into the battle. We suffered far more loses than did the Union forces. Not only that, but his reckless removal of all defensive units between the battle scene and Juir has placed our homeworld once again in jeopardy.”

“That status is changing, my Lord,” said one of the other Overlords.

“Yes, we have five hundred ships stationed throughout the Alliance Cluster, and many more now racing ahead of the Human fleet to get here. But the point is this should never have been allowed to happen. Master Synnoc cleared the way to allow said terrorist Adam Cain free access to Juir, so he could play some game with our most dangerous and accomplished adversary. My friends, taken together, are these the acts of a sane and competent leader?”

“This is dangerous talk, Malens,” said Cyros. He looked around the room, taking special note of the ceiling.

“The room has been cleared of scanning devices, Master Cyros.”

“He will undoubtedly learn that the Council Elite has met without his presence or invitation.”

“I realize that,” said Malens. “But these are dangerous times.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “We must come to a decision. It will be a difficult, yet one that will determine the fate not only of the Expansion but of the Juirean race as well. Do we allow Elder Synnoc to continue…or do we not?”

********

Adam and his team pressed against the wall before retreating around a nearby corner. A single Juirean stepped from the elevator, then turned to speak amicably to the others in the car. He was smiling as the door slid shut.

Then the alien did something completely unexpected. He turned away from Adam and the others and sprinted down the corridor. Where was he going in such a hurry?

“Follow me,” he said to the group. “Something’s not right.”

The wide and well-lit hallway was empty…except for the running Juirean. The tall alien barely stopped at a door before opening it and disappearing inside.

Adam and his team were there a moment later. He listened through the door; there were animated voices coming from inside. He scanned the room for flash weapons, and detecting none—only electronic signatures from lights, computers and communicators—he made a decision.

“We’re going in. There are no weapons inside. Riyad, Sherri, we go in together. Lila, you have my six.”

“Your six what?”

“Sorry. You bring up the rear.”

“Ah, a military term. I shall have to research that more for later use. I do not like to be uninformed.”

Adam smiled. That was about the only thing she didn’t know.

Adam put his hand in the door slot and it slid open.

The three Humans entered in a spread formation, Adam in the center, Riyad and Sherri moving left and right. What they found inside made their jaws drop.

Adam knew the Elites, not personally, but by sight. The brilliant white hair and pale blue gowns, adorned by gold sashes, was the first give-away. They sat staring at the Humans from around long table, along with a pair of white-haired Master-Overlords and two regular blue-hairs sitting at one end.

The breathless messenger was standing next one of the Elites.

After only split second, Adam and the rest of the team rushed to the table and surrounded it, weapons ready.

“I recognize you,” said the Elite with the messenger next to him. “You are Adam Cain. And you are the prisoner Sherri Valentine, along with the Formilian Arieel Bol.” He looked at Riyad. “I do not recognize you.”

“I’m Riyad Tarazi. Perhaps the name rings a bell?”

“Vaguely. What are you doing here? This is a private meeting.”

Adam raised his eyebrows. “Eh, if you hadn’t noticed, we’re at war, and we’re, like, the enemy. Where’s Synnoc?”

There was an awkward silence on the part of the Juireans. Adam saw the guilt on the green alien faces. He smiled. “So, we have a little coup being planned here, don’t we? Where do I sign up?”

The white-haired Juirean sighed and slumped in his chair. “So will you kill us now, Adam Cain?”

“We have a saying where I come from. ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ If your plan is to depose Synnoc, we’re all for it.”

“Forgive me, father,” said Lila. Adam froze. “There are searchers moving along the corridor. They are four rooms away, armed with flash weapons.”

“They will report us to Synnoc!” exclaimed one of the other Elites.

Adam looked around for a place to hide. There was another side room with a small glass window. It would be tight, but they had no option. He wasn’t ready to start the fighting, not just yet.

“Everyone…in there, hurry!”

There was a mad rush of aliens and Humans as twenty-one bodies crammed into a room measuring approximately ten by ten. It was actually rather humorous, as the seven-to-eight foot tall Juireans towered over the shorter Humans and Formilians. Adam ended up with his nose stuck in the chest of one of the Overlords, where he discovered, to his chagrin, that Juireans did not use deodorant. He looked up at the alien and grinned. The Juirean did not smile back.

Mentally, Lila turned off all the lights in the room, only a second before the door to the huge conference room opened. Adam could detect the Guard’s flash weapon. The creature stepped a few feet into the room, hesitated, and then left. At least twenty other energy signatures registered in Adam’s mind as they moved down the corridor, pausing at each of the adjoining doorways.

The door to the small room opened and bodies poured out.

A white-haired Juirean stepped up to Adam. “I am Vice-Elder Malens, and yes, we have been meeting to discuss the matter of Elder Synnoc, yet that is a Juirean matter, not a Human matter—or Formilian.”

“Unfortunately, your buddy Synnoc has made it our concern, as well. If you do act and take him out, what do you intend to do about this trumped up war of his?”

“You precipitated the war with the killing of an Overlord.”

“I didn’t kill him. Synnoc had the ship’s captain do it as a way of blaming me and the Humans. He wanted this war and now he’s got it. In fact, he’s about to lose it.”

The Juirean pursed his thin lips and looked at a few of the other Elites gathered around. “I had my suspicions. He was too quick to take up arms against the Union for such a minor act.”

“Are you trusting the words of the terrorist Adam Cain?” asked another of the Elites.

“What he says makes more sense than how Synnoc has reacted to the event. Do you doubt that the Elder would be beyond such an act, knowing as we do now the demise of Fleet Admiral Kradis?”

Malens looked down at Adam. “I am afraid we may be powerless at this point to stop him. As you have seen, he is already looking for us. With his current state of mind, he will accuse us of colluding with the enemy and promoting a revolt against his rule.”

“Then if you don’t mind,” Adam looked at his rag-tag team of Humans, Formilians and mutant, “why don’t we do something about it. Where is Synnoc now?”

The Juirean track star stepped forward. “He has cloistered himself in the Pinnacle Room.”

“Good,” said Adam. “Let’s make sure he stays there. Okay everyone, we’re heading down.”

“What about Synnoc?” Arieel asked. “He is located above us.”

“Don’t worry, he’ll be taken care of.”

“How?” Riyad asked.

“Remember the backup generators under the building? They’re fusion powered, right?”

Riyad’s eyes grew wide. “I like your thinking, Captain Cain.”

“What are brew talking about?” Sherri asked.

Lila stepped forward. “I detect the generators, as well.” She turned to Sherri. “An overload of those units—similar to a flash weapons overload—would produce a small nuclear explosion under the structure.”

“You’re going to nuke ‘em?” Sherri’s swollen eye suddenly opened. “And where are we going to be when this happens?”

“Two nukes, actually,” Adam replied. “As to where we will be at the time…. Trimen, you have a ship nearby, don’t you?”

“Yes, at the Council landing field to the west of the building.”

“All right everyone, that’s our goal—to reach Trimen’s ship and get the hell off the mountain before we set off the nukes.”

“You are going to destroy the Malor-Hydon Tower?” Malens asked breathlessly.

“That’s the plan.”

“I cannot allow that. That is too high a price to pay for removing Synnoc from office. We can do that through procedure.”

“You just said he’s gone off the rails.”

“Pardon me?”

“He’s gone rogue, setting up a dictatorship. Your life-expectancy—and that of your fellow Elites—is probably measured in minutes. If I were you, I’d be running for the exits, along with the rest of us.”

“He is indeed a savage terrorist!” declared another of the Elites. “Malens, you cannot allow this.”

“Maby you shouldn’t have started a war with dus,” Sherri said to the mouthy Juirean.

“I do not understand.”

She jabbed the barrel of her M-101 into the alien’s chest. “Do you understand dis?”

“Adam Cain, I must protest,” said Malens. “There must be a better solution.”

“Yeah, we could wait until the Union fleet gets here and lays waste to your entire stinking planet, but that might get some Humans killed, too. That’s something I can’t allow.” Adam was angry. He hadn’t come all this way to negotiate with a bunch of prissy aliens in shimmering blue gowns. He’d come to kick some alien ass. With two juicy nukes sitting only a few hundred feet below where he was standing, he now he had a chance to bring his scorched earth campaign to a close. He wasn’t about to let the opportunity pass by.

He looked at the combination of scared, anxious and angry alien faces. “The way I see it, you guys don’t have much of a choice. Either you leave the building as fast as you can, or you end up as radioactive ash.”

“We shall raise the alarm—”

Adam’s M-101 lit off with a small three-round burst. The bullets tore into the body of the Juirean, nearly slicing him in half. “No you won’t,” Adam said to the falling body.

The other Juireans in the room gasped and backed away. All except Malens.

“I see you have made our decision for us.” There was fire in the alien’s eyes. “If the decision is to ally with a beast like you or with Master Synnoc, then nothing he has done—or will do—is worse than this.”

“Malens—or whatever your name is—you forget we’re at war…a war you and your kind started. When are you Juireans going to realize you can’t win every fight and that being arrogant assholes has consequences? I started this campaign to avenge the death of my oldest friend, a father-figure to me, really. For a moment there, I thought you mane-heads were worth saving, and that this was all Synnoc’s fault, just like it had been the Klin’s before that. Now I see I was wrong. You’re all alike.”

“We side with our own kind, just as you do, Adam Cain. I feel no shame for that.”

Adam nodded. “Then neither do I—”

Arieel took hold of Adam’s arm just as his trigger finger tightened on M-101.

“What are you thinking of doing, Adam?” the Formilian asked softly, concern in her voice.

“Either they die now or they die later. I vote for now.”

“And they know our plans,” Sherri added, her own M-101 leveled at the Juireans.

“Should we not have mercy?” Arieel asked.

Sherri glared at her. “Did they show any mercy when then blew off Andy’s head? You were there, you saw it happen. We’re at war, Arieel. We always have been since the first moment the Juireans learned of us. At some point all this has to end. We tried peace and that didn’t work. Frankly, I’m pretty damn tired of playing nice with these savages.” Sherri’s lips were bleeding as scabs ripped open during her tirade, but her message came through loud and clear.

Arieel looked at Sherri’s battered face and then at Adam’s manic expression. Then she turned away with a flip of her hand and shrugged. “Perhaps you are right. Okay, go ahead, kill them.”

Sherri and Adam exchanged surprised looks. “Well, maybe….” Adam said.

“Lock them in the side room?” Sherri said.

“At least give them a fighting chance to get away?”

“Yeah, that would be better.”

Adam turned to Malens. “You have Arieel Bol to thank for saving your miserable lives, at least for now.”

Arieel turned in protest. “I did not do any such thing! I said kill them.”

Adam smiled. “We all know what you were doing, Arieel. We call it reverse psychology.”

“No…I agree with Sherri. They showed no mercy for Andy Tobias. I remember vividly as he was killed. It was horrific and savage.”

Adam patted her back. “You’re a better person than I am, sweetie.” He waved the barrel of this M-101 at the aliens. “All right, everyone in the room.”

“Are you still going to destroy the building?” Malens asked.

“Of course.”

“So you would have remorse for killing us here, yet will incinerate tens of thousands without any such regret?

“There’s another saying where I come from,” Adam said. “‘Kill one man and you’re a murderer. Kill millions and you’re a conqueror. Kill them all and you’re a god.’ I’m still working on the god part. Now into the room…move!”

Chapter 37

The team left the conference room minutes later after Lila fused the door controls, locking the Juireans in the small ten-by-ten room. Before they left, Adam assured Malens that the generators could be made to explode remotely, so there was nothing they could do to stop it. That’s when one of the other Elites pointed out that killing the team would be a way of stopping it. The mane-head had a point.

Adam really want to kill the alien for saying that, but compassion overrode the desire. Then he shook his head. Compassion? In a few minutes—if the team wasn’t killed—he was going to blow the whole damn building to bits. The smart-ass alien knew this. Perhaps it would be more compassionate to put him out of his misery now, rather than have him spend the next few minutes waiting to die?

Adam was jarred from his reverie when Arieel moved up next to him. “You misunderstand. I wanted the Juireans dead,” she said passionately. “Even now they occupy Formil. My people are in grave danger from them. I thought on it, and realized you and Sherri were right.”

“What’s done is done, Arieel,” Adam said. “Don’t worry. As soon as we get to Trimen’s ship and lift off, all the loose ends will be tied up.”

“That sounds like another of your Human colloquialisms, yet I understand the context.”

They were in the deserted corridor, moving to the elevators. Everyone with an ATD had their scanners going, tracking the progress of Synnoc’s search team. They were about a hundred yards down the hallway and well past the elevators.

At the bank of shiny metal doors, they stopped and took up defensive positions. Adam pressed the button and a moment later the doors began to open. Four green-haired Guards armed with Xan-fi’s were in the car. From inside they couldn’t see anyone in the corridor, and wondered why the elevator had stopped. Two stepped forward.

Adam and Riyad rushed in, M-101’s spitting bullets. Moments later, they tossed the bodies into the hallway to make room for all eight members of the team. Adam was hoping for a quick ride to the main floor of the pyramid and then a sprint for the exit doors. There would be a trail of dead aliens left along the way; that was unavoidable. In fact, every time the elevator would stop, more dead Juireans would pile up in the hallways. But now that he had a plan, Adam could see the light at the end of the tunnel. He was willing to make a little noise if necessary.

They started on the thirty-first floor, and by the time the elevator reached ground level, there had been three instances of the door opening followed by dead aliens on the floor outside. There was no pretense now. Other Juireans had tripped the alarms, and a grating noise and flashing lights filled the building.

Confusion was a great place to hide, and that’s what state-of-mind the Juireans were in. They knew something was happening, but in the two minutes it took the elevator car to reach the bottom, no details were known.

The team exited the car, giving leeway to a group of Juireans anxious to board and race to the upper floors. At a time of war, such an alarm could mean a threat on the Elder—or any of the Elites—or an outside threat of some kind. Until more details were known, the priority was to lock-down the building and secure the VIP’s. In the huge open chamber on the ground floor—which soared twenty stories above—hundreds of Guards were running for the wide expanse of entry doors to the building. Many of these doors were closing automatically as a response to the alarm, while Guards took up sentry positions, Xan-fi’s and MK’s at the ready.

Adam hated to do it, but he had to open fire. There was a squad of Guards focused on the team as they moved across the wide expanse of open floor. There was recognition in the alien’s eyes. Once he fired, all the other Juireans in the chamber would identify them as the target.

What happened next was a spectacular release of automatic gunfire and alien flash bolts. So much raw plasma was in the air that the inside temperature climbed by ten degrees almost instantly, as the flashes temporarily blinded nearly everyone in the room. Adam and Riyad were wearing their helmets, so the polarizing glass lens saved their eyesight. This allowed them to spray lines of Juireans with lead from the ’101’s. They snapped in new magazines, after cutting down literally hundreds of Juireans in the first few seconds of the battle.

The team continued to move, Humans in the lead with the slower Formilians behind. Lila was close to her mother, taking multiple bolt strikes in her place. The mutant’s body began to glow white and radiate heat from the absorption of plasma charges. The more she took the harder it was for the Formilians to be near her.

This undying and glowing figure soon caught the attention of most of the Juireans in the room. Some paused firing to gawk at the strange apparition, right up to the time Lila lashed out with powerful discharges of crackling blue lightening from her hands. The erratic trails of deadly electricity danced around the periphery of the room, striking bodies and inanimate objects alike.

The three Humans fell to the floor and slid behind a solid stone block where an indecipherable stature of some kind sat on top. The bolts hit the metal of the figure, melting parts while causing the rest to burst into pieces of white-hot shrapnel.

A strange stillness spread over the room. Adam risked a peek over the top of the stone block and saw Lila was standing about fifty feet away, breathing heavily and still glowing white-hot. Her clothing had burned off yet her features were obscured by the brilliance of her skin.

Arieel and Trimen were on the floor twenty feet away, arms lifted to shield their faces from the intense heat. The other two Formilians were lost somewhere in the graveyard of dead and dying littering the floor of the chamber.

There were still Juireans alive, yet not nearly as many as there had been a minute before. Most stood on the wide catwalks at various levels above encircling the room, mesmerized and perplexed by the glowing figure below. They had lost interest in the rest of the team, confused as what to do next. This thing could not be killed.

Adam watched with fascination as Lila lifted her arms above her head and clasped her hands. A powerful stream of energy then shot from her body, aimed at the ceiling far above. Three seconds passed, and as the discharge of blue-white electricity left her body, the glowing subsided. When the beam faded and she lowered her arms, the radiating heat had dropped to a tolerable level and color returned to her skin.

Arieel jumped to her feet, pulling a blue cape from the body of a dead Overlord beside her. She draped the cloth around her daughter’s naked body.

Lila smiled. “Yes, mother, I must maintain feminine decorum when killing our enemy in public.”

Sherri heard the comment and turned to Adam. “She has your wry sense of humor, doesn’t she?”

Adam stood up. “Hurry, to the doors!”

His words echoed in the strange silence—which was suddenly overcome by a loud, thundering thud. He turned to where the bank of exit doors had once been, light from outside flooding in. Now a wall of metal faced him and the room was nearly dark. Huge barriers had dropped from the ceiling above the exits, effectively locking everyone inside.

There was a commotion from the other side of the room. Another twenty or so Juirean Guards came sprinting across the stone floor of the chamber, armed with long round canisters.

The surviving members of the team knew what the canisters held—liquefied gas, the only thing that could stop a creature like Lila. Freezing was the only defense against her, and as another squad of aliens appeared not too far from Adam, it was obvious the word was out and a strategy was being implemented.

Off to his right, Adam saw an open doorway with stairs inside.

“C’mon everyone! To the stairwell. We’re going down!”

Now another round of flash bolts erupted, and the six remaining members of the team raced across the open floor, dodging them the best they could. Lila was behind Trimen and Arieel, her arms spread and hunched over the running pair. A bolt hit her. The cape burned through at that point and a bright light shined through.

Another bolt struck at Sherri’s feet; she hurdled the small explosion with the grace of a person with firecrackers in their pants. She managed to keep going, with only a loud ‘muck’ escaping her lips. At least it sounded like muck to Adam. 

They barreled into the stairwell. Adam and Riyad took up covering positions on each side of the door as the rest of them ran down the stairs.

“Where are we going?” Trimen asked as he raced by. “Can we get to my ship from here?”

“I think we just lost your ship as an option. There’s another way out.”

“Down here?”

“Yep. Move!”

Adam cocked the M-4 grenade launcher; Riyad saw him do it and mirrored the action. Moments later, they were spitting deadly canisters into the huge room. Multiple explosions now rocked the huge chamber.

Adam and Riyad took to the stairs.

“How far?” Trimen yelled from below.

“All the way down, twelve stories.”

Before they reached the bottom, flash bolts began streaming down from above, traveling through the open center column and striking stairs and railings. The team fell against the outer walls to avoid the flying sparks and plasma splashes while continuing to take several steps at a time.

When there were no more stairs, Sherri put a shoulder against a grey metal door and crashed through into a wide hallway. “Is this where the security vault was?” she yelled back as Trimen and Lila joined her. A moment later, Riyad and Adam burst through the doorway.

“Is this where Hydon’s vault is?” she repeated.

Breathless, Adam replied. “Yeah, to the left…hurry.”

Sherri’s eyes grew wide, or as wide as the left one could. “The tunnel! We’re going to the tunnel!”

“Bingo, baby! Follow me.”

The door to the vault was still unlocked. Adam led the way through.

“Damn, this place looks different,” Sherri said.

“No time for a tour. Riyad, take them to the tunnel. Lila, I need your help over here.”

The team split up and Adam led Lila into the room with the huge back-up generator.

“This is it,” he said to his mutant daughter. “There’s another one just like it on the other side of the building.” He took off his helmet and inhaled a deep breath of fresh air. It was a relief.

Lila didn’t need an ATD to scan the inner components of the machine, she was beyond artificial means to access her powers. She found the contact points and the fusion reactor, as well as traced the lines to the second unit. “I will have to do this, father,” she stated. “It is more complicated than a simple flash weapon. And the other unit will require even more expertise since it will be done remotely.”

“That’s fine. You’re not going to hurt my feelings if you make the nuclear bombs instead of me. What kind of control will you have over the timing? We have to get out through the tunnel before they explode.”

Lila’s expression went blank for a few seconds. “For the reactors to reach critical mass, a fourteen minute build up is required, otherwise the generator will simply explode with a release of radiation, yet no detonation.”

“Fourteen minutes! First of all, the Juireans will be down here long before that, and secondly, it took us over two hours to climb through the tunnel.”

“What tunnel is this that you and Sherri speak off?”

“It was made by a boring pod using lasers. It runs from here all the way to the base of the mountain.”

“How convenient.” Lila said. “It will be faster going down than it was going up. Once inside, we can collapse the tunnel to protect us from the blast and to stop the Juireans from following. Also, the Juireans should not be aware of the meltdown until only a minute or so before detonation, at which point they will be powerless to stop it.”

Adam smiled. “You make a father proud, sweetheart. Go ahead and light the fuse.”

Lila resumed her blank stare. Adam stood patiently, waiting for her come out of the trance. And he waited.

Through his ATD, he tracked the movement of Juirean flash weapons. A squad was down the stairs and in the hallway, headed for the vault. They would be here any second. Yet Lila was still in her trance.

Adam moved outside the room and took a position with a clear view of the center of the vault. He lifted the M-101 to his cheek. When the firing started, he would not only have to fend off a hundreds Juireans, but then sprint down the middle of a huge open room to get to the tunnel.

He began thinking how he could use his daughter for cover….

“We can leave, father?”

Adam jumped at the sound. “You scared me.”

“Scared, the courageous Adam Cain?”

Lila’s smile was as beautiful as a sunrise.

“Don’t tell anyone, okay?”

“Yes, father.”

They ran. In the light gravity of Juir—and with Lila’s superhuman abilities—father and daughter were like blurs. The tunnel entrance was ahead and Adam was relieved to see that none of the others had waited for them. He slipped through the bent grate with Lila close behind.

They paused, and Adam raised his eyebrows in awe as he watched his slender young daughter take the bars of the grate—the same one it had taken two super-strong Human men to bend—and return them to their original position with no effort whatsoever.

“That will slow them down.”

Chapter 38

“You’re right—”

Adam took a step backwards, placing his right foot on a sharp drop-off along the tunnel floor, and one slick with condensation. He slipped and fell, landing on the glass-like surface face-first.

And then he was gone and out of Lila’s sight.

He was sliding down the middle of the tunnel, picking up more and more water from what he knew would be a full-fledged stream farther along. He was also picking up speed. He managed to roll onto his back, using his arms and legs for steering. It was pitch black in the tunnel; he’d left the helmet to his suit in the generator room. It had a light.

His rapid descent may have seemed like a good thing, if it wasn’t for the jagged series of tread tracks cast in the stone on each side tunnel. The environment suit protected him against friction with the stone, but at this speed, if he rolled over to either side and hit the steps, it would be deadly. Occasionally, he would touch the side of the tracks with a hand or foot and have to roll to the other side. This worked fine…until he found himself airborne and scraping along the ceiling of the tunnel.

This was a spot where the pod had dipped down almost at a ninety-degree angle during its one and only trip through the mountain. Adam flew off the surface and hit the rock top of the tunnel before free falling. Fortunately, the pod had steered a horizontal course again, and at very gradual rate, allowing the floor of the tunnel to gently rise up to up to meet him, bathing him a spray of water. As long as he stayed in the stream, he was safe from the tread tracks.

There were signs of light up ahead. It would be the rest of team. At least Riyad was still wearing his helmet.

“Look out below!” Adam cried out. He didn’t want to collide with anyone and send them on the same wild ride he was on, no matter how much fun it looked to be.

He caught only a glimpse of the startled faces as he sped past between the two sets of stairs, spraying up a huge shroud of water along his path.

And then he hit the stairs.

The affect was just as he imagined. His bones rattled, his teeth rattled, the scream he emitted rattled. It only lasted a second, before he was spun and ended up back in the center of the tunnel, only this time racing down head-first.

The stream he was in began to grow deeper and wider as the floor of the tunnel begin to rise below him. He remembered there was a section where the pod had to climb a little above the horizontal to pass through an area of exceptionally hard rock. He fell into a shallow pool and came to stop. His body rocked with the exaggerated waves before falling below the surface of the water.

Choking, he stood up in waist deep water. He was bruised—everywhere—and the only thing that saved him from breaks, burns and cuts was the rugged construction of the environment suit.

He felt his way to the side of the tunnel and the embedded rock stairs. Out of the water now, he sat down, waiting for the rest of the team to catch up.

The bombs. Without a watch, he had no idea how much time had transpired since Lila set the triggers. It had to be getting close. Had Lila collapsed the tunnel, like she suggested? Or would a flood of deadly nuclear fire soon come racing through tube, killing everyone inside?

Then Adam noticed the lack of a breeze in the tunnel. That was a relief.

Light began to dance on the glistening rock walls. “I see him!” Riyad called out.

The team—Lila with them—were running as fast as they could on the slick, wet rock towards him. They were on the level-to-slightly-inclined section of the tunnel and soon most had fallen into the shallow pool and were romping around, celebrating their reunion.

“How much time, Lila?” Adam asked.

Without hesitation, she said. “Four minutes, sixteen seconds.”

He didn’t ask how she knew so precisely.

Chapter 39

Council Elder Synnoc li Qriss had received word of the huge battle taking place at ground level in the building. From the Pinnacle Room he accessed security cameras—the ones that still operated through all the rogue electrical discharges taking place—and was astounded at the sight of the brilliantly glowing mutant with rivers of blue light streaming from her hands.

This creature was not of Synnoc’s world or his universe. This was something else, something his rational mind could not comprehend. He knew there were no real demons or any real gods. Yet here was this abomination.

He ordered every Guard who could find a liquefied atmosphere canister to attack the creature. To his surprise and delight, there was an ample supply of the mutant-freezing liquid in the maintenance and dining sections of the building. Apparently it was used in air conditioning and refrigeration units, which made sense.

But then he watched in horror as Adam Cain led his terrorists out of the room and into a stairwell. He knew there was no exit from the lower levels, so he relaxed, knowing that his Guards would flush them out—if the mutant could be subdued.

He became distracted by a new report. The Elites had been located.

Acus rushed into the room. “They are in sub-level thirty-one, room six. They were found locked in a room, apparently by Adam Cain.”

“They had contact with the Human?”

“Yes, my Lord. And Master Jolin was killed.”

“Where are they now?”

“Still in the conference room, my Lord. Shall I have them brought here?”

“No, I will go to them.”

********

The Elites who were seated around the conference table rose when Synnoc entered the room. Most were already up and pacing the floor, frustrated at their inability to leave, blocked by the armed Guards at the door.

Synnoc had acquired a flash weapon from a Guard before entering, and now had it hidden in the folds of his robe.

“Elder Synnoc, we must all leave the building immediately!” Master Malens yelled as he rushed up to him. “There is a bomb!”

All the Elites were now circling Synnoc.

The Elder was surprised by comment. He had come to the room expecting the Elites to be embarrassed and humbled by their disgraceful act, yet they all appeared scared and panicky.

“A bomb? Where?”

“I am not sure, but the Human mentioned a nuclear device—two of them—within the building.”

The Elites now moved toward the door of the conference room, feeling that with Synnoc there, they would be allowed to leave.

“Stop!” Synnoc yelled. The Guards closed ranks with weapons held steady. The Elites stopped, yet many appeared willing to face wrath of the weapon than stay in the room.

“You had a conversation with Adam Cain?”

Malens turned back to him. “We must leave. There is no time.”

Synnoc waved his hand. “There are threat detectors throughout the building. Radiation is one item of which we monitor. If Adam Cain had brought a nuclear device into the building, we would know of it. Master Malens, the Humans are very deft at lying. I feel this is the case.”

“It is true!” cried several of the other Elites.

“Although your passion is real, additional assertions about the existence of a bomb—or bombs—only meant Cain has persuaded more of you with his lies. If he planned on detonating such a device, why has he and the others fled into the catacombs where there is no escape? Such an explosion would surely consume them as well. And from the scene I witnessed below, they did not appear to be creatures resigned to their own destruction. They are attempting to survive.”

Synnoc pulled the flash weapon and pointed it at Malens. The Vice-Elder stood aghast.

“What are you doing, Synnoc?”

“Rather than be distracted by stories of bombs and impending doom, I ask you to answer for the subterfuge you and the others are engaged in. I know you are plotting against me.”

Malens’ expression went blank, resigned to his fate. Synnoc enjoyed the look of surrender he was witnessing.

“That is true, Synnoc. We have been conspiring against you, and against your reckless and dangerous judgement. We know of the fate of Fleet Marshal Kradis, your friend.”

“I will not stand for insubordination, either from him or from you. I am the Elder. I rule the Expansion.”

Synnoc wasn’t prepared for the wide grin that stretched across Malen’s face. If he didn’t know better, he would have taken it as a death challenge.

“Yes, you are the Elder…but for how much longer, that is the question.”

Chapter 40

The dual explosions were heard and felt by everyone in the room. The building vibrated strongly for several seconds, but then this subsided. There were sounds of crashing debris, bursting pipes and panicked Juireans coming from around them, but that was all.

After the rumbling calmed, Synnoc looked at Malen’s shocked face.

“So, was that the catastrophic event you were so afraid of? There will be damage, I grant you that, but hardly the nuclear inferno you were expecting. I will also propose that we will find the bodies of Adam Cain and his cohorts in the damage below our feet—”

The trembling vibrations returned, yet stronger this time, knocking Synnoc from his feet. All around was the sound of crashing and thunder from unknown origins. Then suddenly, all in the room became weightless, as the floor fell out below them. Walls cracked and the ceiling raced down to meet them….

********

Comparatively, the explosions were small for nuclear devices. But what they did was blow away two sides of the wide footprint of the pyramid structure. As a general rule, pyramids cannot be toppled, so the building remained upright with very little outward signs of initial damage. However, as the sides fractured and fell into the huge center cavity of the building, the floors above the central viewing chamber—all thirty of them—began to crumble. With very little side support, the weight was too much for the weakened walls to bear. The center of the Malor-Hydon Tower, with it bronze-colored and reflective glass top, began to fall, sinking ever farther and faster into the middle of the structure. Falling debris filled the cavity below, and bellowed out with a huge cloud of dust and nuclear smoke. Then slowly, the skeletal sides, leaning at a radical angle, crumbled inward, crushing the still intact Pinnacle Room.

It took three minutes before the building stopped rumbling. By then it was just a pile of contaminated rubble sitting atop the Kacoran Plain, and a tomb for all those caught inside.

********

Lieutenant-Commander Tom Paulson was getting very adept at making tight dimensional jumps, and now he brought the Vengeance in as close as he dared to the planet Juir, using the abundance of navigational information available for the capital planet of the Expansion. He knew there were scores of enemy ships stationed nearby, but they were looking outward, expecting them to bolt in from out-system. So when the ship appeared one hundred eighteen miles above the surface of Juir City, it took time for the defense authority to react. By then Paulson hoped to be on the surface and under the radar.

Travis was next to him in the co-pilot seat, with Pogo resting on a console not far away.

“Okay, Pogo, can you locate Adam through his brain interface thingy?”

Just then, the bridge of the Vengeance lit up from the light of an explosion on top of the mountain that Paulson knew was the Kacoran Plain, the seat of government for the Juireans and the Expansion. Moments later, high res images showed the Malor-Hydon Tower collapse in on itself.

“Never mind. There he is,” Tom said with nonchalant detachment. “I’m going in.”

Chapter 41

Pogo did link with Adam’s mind and he led Paulson and Travis to a landing spot at the southwest side of the huge plateau mountain, within a grove of green trees with shiny silver leaves. The two men then hiked through the meadow and followed a meandering stream through a maze of fallen boulders to a clearing where a rusted metal grate covered a perfectly cylindrical hole cut out of solid rock.

Moments later, Adam’s daughter Lila came into view. Travis and Tom knew her from their Sol-Kor universe days, as well as the couple of weeks on Worak-nin before she stole the trans-dimensional starship and disappeared.

“Hey, Lila,” Travis said. “What are you doing here?” He had a crush of the Formilian mutant.

“I came to help my mother and father. What kind of daughter would I be if I didn’t?”

The men stood in awe as the five-foot tall alien took hold of the thirty-foot-round iron grate and pulled it from the rock face of the mountain without even a grunt.

Travis was even more turned on than before.

Soon afterwards, the rest of the team emerged from the tunnel. There was an emotional reunion, where Trimen was introduced to Tom and Travis…and Pogo, who had suddenly materialized.

When Pogo appeared, Lila’s face lit up and her eyes sparkled. She extended her hand and the tiny green-tinted orb disappeared and then reappeared in her palm. She pulled him close to her heart and gasped.

“Do you know what that is?” Adam asked Lila.

“Oh yes! She is an energy conduit of ancient design and age. Isn’t she magnificent?”

“She? She’s a he,” said Adam.

“You are mistaken, father. I have a bond with her already. She is…is life.”

Pogo?

Adam, forgive me, but I have found my new master…a true master. Why did you not tell me of her before?

I…I never thought about it.

May I go with her? I can fulfil my purpose with this magnificent creature.

Yeah, sure. She’s Lila, my daughter.

I know. Even now we are…joined.

As the team hiked back to the Vengeance, Adam had a sense of melancholy. He felt like he was losing a good friend or a loyal pet. He hadn’t been expecting this feeling.

At the door to the starship, he suddenly remembered something.

“I’ll be right back. Don’t leave without me.”

He sprinted across the meadow and through a large grove of trees until he reached the transport that had brought him and Riyad to the mountain. The bound-up driver was none the worse for wear. Adam untied him. Then without a word of complaint, the red-skinned alien slipped into the driver’s seat and calmly drove away, all the while with that same emotionless expression on his face.

********

With the Malor-Hydon Tower destroyed—and taking with it the Elder, the Elites, as well as seventy-five percent of the general Council—new leaders were quickly selected for the Juireans and tasked with saving the race from the invading Union starships headed their way.

Their ships were ordered to stand-down, while these new leaders made frantic calls to the Humans, demanding—requesting—that they not attack any of the worlds in the Alliance Cluster. Negotiations for peace were offered, which Admiral Curtis Logan—the ranking officer in the fleet—firmly rejected. There would be no negotiations. Either the Juireans accept unconditional surrender or the fleet would continue.

Logan was playing a gambit, but it paid off. Less than ten minutes later the Juireans linked back, agreeing to any and all terms the Humans requested. For a moment, Logan thought of asking the compliant Juirean leader to paint his house. Although it did need painting, Logan thought that might be a little over the top.

Logan contacted Admiral Hollingsworth a few minutes later and filled him in on what had transpired. When asked about Adam Cain, Admiral Logan responded: “He blew up the whole frigging pyramid, sir.”

Hollingsworth’s response would go down in history as another classic addition to the legend of Adam Cain.

He said simply: “Of course he did.”

Epilogue

By the time Adam and his team reached Formil in the Vengeance, the Juireans had already left the planet, and Trimen, Arieel and Lila were welcomed back as heroes. The Humans would remain for another two weeks, while preparations were made for the coronation ceremony appointing Lila Bol the next Speaker of the Formilian people.

Two days after their arrival, Admiral Hollingsworth linked to Adam.

“I hate to say it,” Hollingsworth began, “but I’m a little disappointed.”

The statement caught Adam off guard. “Disappointed, sir, in what? We won the war, rescued the women and killed the bad guy. What’s there to be disappointed about?”

“Just that you got to go out and have all the fun, while I had to stay here and suffer through another sweltering Arizona summer.”

“Sir, Arizona doesn’t exist anymore. It’s called the American Sector now.”

“Yeah, whatever. But seriously, Captain, the next time galactic empires go to war, how about leaving a little of the fighting for the rest of us?”

“Sir, yessir. If you insist.”

********

Adam’s chest swelled with pride as he watched his daughter climb the steps to the huge throne platform and turn to face the adoring crowd.

He was in the main Temple on Formil, along with Sherri and Riyad, watching the coronation of Lila as the next Speaker of the Formilian People, the Giver of Life and Light.

She was beautiful beyond belief and dressed in the most-elegant flowing gown of shimmering white he’d ever seen. An enormous and intricate headdress rose from her mass of silky black hair, displaying a cascade of shooting stars and lightning bolts signifying the life the gods bestowed on the Formilians through their glorious leader. Music played, singers sang, people cheered, and all the focus on Lila, the embodiment of their living goddess.

Arieel and Trimen were there as well, also decked out to the nines, and standing close to each other with animated expressions. This was a great moment for the Formilians, the realization of a dream centuries old.

For the past two thousand years, they worshipped their Speakers, believing them to be conduits to their gods. Even the Speakers themselves believed that. Yet through all the pomp and ceremony, all the  miracles, all the illusion, it was still artificial and staged. What the Formilians were celebrating in the Temple that day was nothing less than a Speaker who could actually control the most-mysterious force in the universe—electricity—and do it without artificial means. Lila was a true demi-god, something unique, something beyond normal people.

The Formilians knew this. The Humans knew it. And the Juireans knew it. Already Lila was making moves to assume authority over the Expansion, to lead it from Formil and not Juir. She felt that under her leadership, all the senseless wars would come to an end. After all who would dare confront a leader with verifiable super powers?

Only someone—or thing—with even greater powers….

The End

Coming December 20, 2016…

Alien Games

The Human Chronicles Saga #17

Adam Cain is BACK...and ready to kick more alien ass! Merry Christmas all you alien #*@$&*!

Everything is going great in the Milky Way Galaxy. Adam's immortal mutant alien daughter Lila is running the Expansion, and the Orion-Cygnus Union is experiencing its first period of peace and tranquility since its founding. Yet things are not as idyllic as they seem....

A new alien threat is nearing the galaxy, bringing with it a level of military technology unmatched by anyone in the Milky Way. Add to this, an ancient home-grown power has returned, curious to see the results of its great galactic experiment.

Now Adam Cain and his team are forced into an elaborate contest against a variety of other species to see who in the galaxy lives or dies. For this greatest of all challenges, Adam enlists the help of old enemies, including the mutants Panur and the former Sol-Kor queen, J’nae. Yet even immortals are over-matched against this ancient entity and the invaders from Andromeda.

Yet as so many before them have done, the one thing these new aliens have underestimated: Adam Cain and his friends.... Oops!

If you're squeamish, this book may disturb you. But if you enjoy  full-on confrontation and in-your-face action, then here's your Christmas present from Adam Cain and The Human Chronicles.

No need to thank him. Just throw your chest out a little more...and be proud that you're a member of the most badass race in the galaxy!

Alien Games begins a whole new chapter of The Human Chronicles Saga. A new set of enemies, new affiliations, new challenges and even more opportunity to show why "You don't mess with the Humans!"

This is epic action, epic heroism, and epic adventure on the grandest scale ... and with the street-wise humor and realism you've come to expect from The Human Chronicles Saga.

The Adventure Continues. Reserve your copy today.

Alien Games by T.R. Harris

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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

Scorched Earth

Alien Games

The Cain Legacy (coming February 28, 2017)

Jason King – Agent to the Stars Series

The Enclaves of Sylox

Treasure of the Galactic Lights

The Drone Wars Series

Day of the Drone

In collaboration with George Wier…

The Liberation Series

Captains Malicious