The Kirax War *HF*
By Harbinger
THE KIRAX WAR: A Hell's Fire Tale by Harbinger
Prologue
Part One: Once More, From the Top
Today. Somewhere Between Galaxies.
Out here, where the nuclear fire of the stars had given way to cold, utter vacuum, there was nothing. It was the seemingly endless no-man's-land between galaxies. This was somewhere between the Milky Way and Andromeda, our galaxy's spiralled sister. Two and a half million light-years. The distance was incredible, and limiting. Nothing could possibly have lived out here. There was nothing here to keep one company, except for the occasional neutrino, or particle of space dust. Then, something appeared. In a flash of light and energy, it came. Its hard metal edges were encased in ice, a cruel reminder of how desolate it was out here. It stopped dead, and did not move further.
Inside the giant ice form, the middle-aged man opened his eyes. As soon as he sat up, he let himself fall down again. He closed his eyes and sighed. "DANTE...why am I still alive?"
"S.E.P.," his computer replied succintly. The Harbinger recognized the term S.E.P. as meaning Scorched Earth Protocol, a design failsafe he had incorporated in the event of a cataclysmic occurrence.
"All right...but I thought I was out of contact with the ship?"
"Minor detail. Recal. Ibrate. No biggy."
"DANTE, what's wrong with you? Is your lexicon all screwed up again?"
"Nega. Tive. Circuits frozen. Resources. Being used."
"Oh, so you'll be back to normal soon?"
"Firmative. Uh."
"Wait...circuits frozen? What did you do? Output it to the terminal on the wall next to me." He stood up and read the words on the terminal's display. "Aftereffect of temporal reintegration was the formation of ice around Inferno. Attempting to melt said ice using RCS thrusters."
"Okay...why were we temporally reintegrated?"
The screen: "To escape the paradox event."
"Paradox...now I remember..."
"Kirax's disruption of the timeline caused a paradox across the timespan. Earth and all related individuals/artifacts have been purged from temporal memory."
"You mean we're all that's left of humanity?"
"There never WAS a humanity."
"Oh, shit...shit shit shit...this isn't good."
"Keen grasp of the obvious, sir."
"Shut up, DANTE. I mean...you know what I mean. Turn off the terminal, and divert resources to your vocal interface."
"Completed," DANTE's voice spoke.
"Now, can we still go back to a previous point in history, BEFORE Kirax wiped out Earth in 1998?"
"Possibly. A cross-temporal search would be required. The original timeline must still exist. This is most likely a suppression of that original timeline."
"Great...can you find the timeline I want to be in? AND can you send me back a few days so I can set all this right?"
"Affirmative. What time-coordinate do you want to go back to?"
"How about...right after the Clan Chosen's mission to Cuba. Oh yeah, will I still have contact with you if I go back? After all, Kirax cut off my contact with you, even across time."
"I have recalibrated the time-frequency I communicate on. Kirax's method was only a temporary method of cutting off our contact."
"It worked pretty well, apparently...there is no human race left, is there?"
"No, but you can fix that."
"The Director is going to kill me over this one..."
"He would say you made the cosmic boner of the millenium," the computer stated matter-of-factly.
"Not helping, DANTE. Definitely not helping."
--End Prologue--Coming Next: Deja Vu!
Chapter One
Part One: Merge
The Inferno.
"I have located your target timeline, Robert."
"What? Dammit, didn't I tell you not to wake me up?"
"Apologies."
"Yeah yeah...Do you think we can pull off a temporal merge?"
"Merge? That has only worked...once."
"We only tried it once."
"It's a dangerous procedure."
"It will keep us from having another temporal version of me, won't it?"
"Affirmative."
"Then that's what we have to do."
"Very well. I have programmed your time-space coordinates to coincide with those the Harbinger had in your target position."
"Good. Exactly what location do you have it set for?"
"Your IPAC unit immediately after your mission in Cuba."
"That's good enough for me. Let's slice us some time."
"Your speech is infinitely poetic, Robert."
"Shut up."
Part Two: Revisited
You've Been Here Before. The Clan Chosen's IPAC unit.
"Blink*, how is the primary intake looking?" the Harbinger asked.
"It still has a red light, but we're already pulling Mach 5 with it."
"At least it works. Let me check on everyone else."
The Harbinger started walking to the back of his craft, when he felt a pain reminiscent of being struck in the back of the skull. He keeled forward slightly, and put his hand on the floor to steady himself.
"Harbinger, are you ill?" Blink* asked.
He took a moment to get his bearings. "Yeah...I'm fine." He then activated his comm-headset. "DANTE. It worked. I've merged with myself in the correct time and location." DANTE bleeped in acknowledgment. The Harbinger continued to the back of the ship. "Nedereth, are you okay?"
"My shoulder will be fine, Robert. Everyone else is in one piece, too. But would someone tell Jon to shut up? She keeps going off about how we were supposed to be 'clandestine' and that we've probably just screwed the whole Hellfire Club with this mission."
"I'll take care of it..." the Harbinger said as he approached the White Queen. "Is there a problem, Nytshade?"
"There is, Robert. We've just fried Cuban Intelligence. That isn't going to look very good to Q."
"I don't care what Agent DuQuesne has to say about it. He wanted the EMP devices taken care of. Well, that's what we did. Tell him to get over it."
The Harbinger was in no mood to deal with Jon's complaints. He had to get to the Focus, and quickly.
Part Three: Breaking and Entering
That night. The BHC mansion.
"Be quiet, Morph. This is a clandestine mission."
"Okeydokey, Imp. I still don't see why we can't just ask to borrow Harb's IPAC thingie."
"Because he wouldn't let us if we asked, you dingbat. He doesn't trust us very much."
"I wonder why..." Morph said sarcastically.
As they touched the Harbinger's Interpersonal Assault Carrier, alarms began blaring. "Uh oh," was Morph's reaction.
Impossible Man and Morph tried to exit quietly, when they felt the Harbinger telepathically halt them. "You two? What do you think you're doing?"
"We were just going to...ehhh....borrow....your IPAC craft," Impossible Man explained.
"Sure. Last time, I had Gomurr teleport you both into the North Sea. But I have a feeling we'll need you this time."
"Last time? What are you talking about?" Morph asked.
The Harbinger laughed. "Long story...maybe later." He telepathically put the two would-be thieves to sleep.
--End Chapter One--Coming Next: The BHC take on Kirax!
Chapter Two
Part One: Panic Reaction (revisited)
The Next Morning. The IHFC mansion.
"Ryan?" SuperGrover asked, blinking as he woke up.
"Get up, 'Grover. Something is going on."
"All right...what time is it?"
"It's about nine in the morning. Now get up." The Red King was rushing the White King, urging him to get up as quickly as possible.
After SuperGrover finished waking up and getting dressed, they walked quickly down to one of the mansion's conference rooms. The Harbinger was leaning against the wall, waiting for the Inner Circle to arrive.
"Wait a second," SuperGrover said. "What is the Black Mage doing here? Does this involve the BHC?"
"This involves the entire human race," the Harbinger said. "But for now, we're keeping this within the IHFC and BHC."
The rest of the Red and White Inner Circles arrived, as the Blacks were already present. After everyone was seated, the Harbinger spoke.
"I'm sure you are all incredibly tired of listening to me all the time, but this is serious. There is a fleet out near Saturn. It's a Koraxian fleet, led by Kirax. Kirax is an alien from my time, and is known to be ruthless, even insanely so. He must be stopped, or he'll destroy the planet."
"Destroy the planet? That's absurd," Hazard said, disbelieving.
"Oh yeah? I've lived it, Gregor. Don't tell me what's possible and what isn't."
"What is going to be done about it?" Jenskott asked.
"I'm going to use the Focus...an ancient device in Newfoundland. I'm taking most of the Black Court with me, and we're going to send Kirax's fleet back where it came from...my time."
"WHAT?!" Silver shouted. "You can't be serious! You didn't say anything about this when you called this mee--"
"With all due respect, Mr. Silver, shut up! We're talking about the fate of the whole goddamned planet!"
"Calm down, both of you," Ryan ordered. "Why does this involve the IHFC?"
"Because Daemon can most likely provide backup. He'll need your help for that. I've already send a data packet to him. He'll arrive shortly."
"When is the BHC heading for the Focus?" Nemesis asked.
"That's mainly up to Silver. I suggest we go now," the Harbinger said.
"If this truly involves the fate of the entire world, we must go immediately," Silver said.
"Then let's go." The Harbinger motioned to Gomurr as he left, and the others followed.
Part Two: Out of Focus
An Hour Later. The Focus.
Silver, Nemesis, Rahsas, Deadpool, Siryn, Havoc1, Avalon, Harbinger, Monet, the Hunter, Belasco, Gomurr, and ShockWave appeared, having used the Harbinger's bodyslide technology to reach the Shadow Rock/Focus. They had spent almost an hour aboard Inferno, wherein the Harbinger equipped them with some fearsome-looking weaponry. The Harbinger walked up to the Focus, removing his key necklace. He took it from its chain, and prepared to place it in the Focus' command slot.
"Everyone...you should stand around the Focus, in case it teleports us somewhere." Everyone obeyed, and he placed the key in the slot. The Harbinger tapped several runes carved onto the Focus, and watched as it glowed brightly. It flashed brilliantly, and they were gone.
Part Three: Intruders
At That Moment. Kirax's ship.
"Kirax! We have intruders!" Krivisa shouted.
"Splendid...is Maxwell among them?"
"Affirmative...we are reading two of them..."
"Two?! What? Explain!"
"I can't, Kirax! But one has a different chronal signature, and has a small human female with him."
"Ahhh...how interesting. I am a bit perplexed by this situation, but I will terminate them both! Who else is with Maxwell?"
"The one without the girl has twelve others with him. What shall we do, Kirax?"
"What do you think?! We must stop them!"
...
The members of the BHC proceeded through Kirax's ship, their first destination being the mindwipe device. "It can completely wipe out all skills, memories...everything that is necessary to pilot a ship. They have used it on people in my time on many occasions. It's extremely dangerous, and Daemon's fleet won't stand a chance unless we shut down their mindblank net," the Harbinger quickly explained.
"So what are we going to do to it?" Avalon asked.
"You are going to help me put a computer virus in it. It won't be easy, since it's in Koraxian Strektkode, though. My pocket terminal should do a good job translating. I certainly hope this works. If we can shut down their mindblank technology, we need to access their main engines, which are twenty decks up. My initial sensor sweep also indicated the presence of...well...no time for that right now," he urgently concluded as they stood in front of the mindblank device. "Unguarded. Typical, arrogant Koraxians."
"Why can't we just rip it apart?" Silver wondered.
"Well...it is a highly volatile device, and the Koraxians set it to go off if it is ever physically attacked. It would be like detonating a nuke inside your brain. Not a pretty picture, is it?"
"Not at all..." Nemesis muttered, staring at Maxwell with her eyes narrowed.
"Okay, Avalon...here," the Harbinger said, handing Avalon the pocket terminal.
"What do I do with this?"
"Write your virus on it. I want you to have it redirect all energy for the mindblank to the main engines, which will blow out both systems in one shot. I will input your translated instructions into the mindblank device. Can you pull that off?"
"I can try."
"Good enough."
Avalon and the Harbinger set to work, as Nemesis assigned Havoc1, Deadpool, and Belasco to guard duty. "We can't be too careful. We're in unknown territory right now, and I am not going to risk any of us getting surprised."
"Just so you know, Koraxians look like little green bags of slime," the Harbinger noted as he tapped buttons on the mindblank.
"Bags of slime? Are you kidding me?" Havoc1 asked as he started laughing.
"Stow it, Ring!" Nemesis scolded him. He was instantly silent.
"They...urgn...they lash out with electrical charges. Damn, it's tight in here. Anyway, don't let them get too close, or they'll electrocute you. Use your proton-pulse blasters to take them out. Someone remind me to complain to the Koraxian Corps of Engineers. The space inside this thing is way too small for a human arm to move around comfortably."
"Enough of your petty whining, Maxwell," Gomurr chided. "Would someone mind explaining to me how to use this?" he asked, regarding the weapon he held.
"Oh, yeah, sure..." Havoc1 said, strolling over to the Headmaster. "First of all, you're pointing it backwards...secondly, your finger is on the trigger. You might want to do something about that."
"Where did you learn about using this level of technology?" Gomurr queried.
"Um...I saw it on Star Trek," he said, smiling broadly.
"Avalon, how many more lines are you putting in that damn code?" the Harbinger nagged.
"Give me a minute...this is an unfamiliar language I'm working with here."
"Computer genius my rosy red ass..." Maxwell muttered.
"The color of your ass is not important here, Robert," Nemesis said annoyedly.
"Hey, Claudia, it's bad enough you're making me sleep in my own bed...I don't need you telling people what color my body parts are."
"Your 'parts' were never that interesting to me in the first place," she said, barely holding back an urge to stick her tongue out at him.
"Never piss off the Black Queen...Never piss off the Black Queen," the Harbinger said to himself as he fiddled with the mindblank some more.
"Got it," Avalon said, handing the pocket terminal to Maxwell.
"Interesting format. I should have you help me reconfigure DANTE during next month's memory purge."
The Harbinger input the final commands into the mindblank, and positioned his finger over the EXECUTE key.
"If this thing starts glowing, your brains will be toasted...and you'd better like your toast burned." He tapped the key, and the mindblank began to spark, overloading as it fed the main engines.
"Okay, so we're not dead...this is good news, for the technologically impaired. That being you, Gomurr."
"Very funny, Maxwell."
"Oh come on...I'm trying to save the human race. You could at least say 'Thank you for being such a wonderful time-travelling cyborg who gives selflessly to his world'."
"However do you carry around that tremendous head, Robert?" Nemesis asked sarcastically.
"Claudia, I'm hurt. The fun's just started now, folks...the main engines are probably fried, but we need to make sure. Kirax's mindblank is dead. None of his other ships have one. I checked beforehand. And Deadpool? Koraxian on your six."
Deadpool spun around to see a little green blob approaching him, pseudopods reaching out for him. He contorted his face as he looked at the disgusting creature, and vaporized it with his gun. It exploded, hailing him with bits of green matter.
"He must've just eaten," the Harbinger said. "Just be glad he hadn't processed it yet. Used Koraxian nutrient fluid smells worse than sewage."
The Harbinger then led them all up twenty decks, to check the status of the main engines.
Part Four: Split Personality
A Few Minutes Later. The Prisoner Deck.
"Son of a bitch," Robert Maxwell said. "What are you doing here?"
The Director opened his eyes. "What in the hell is this?"
"You're not working for Kirax, are you?" the Harbinger asked as he leveled his weapon on the Director's face.
"Don't be absurd, you moron! I was simply...retrieving that girl. Kirax must have knocked me out. This is his ship, is it not?"
"Yeah, it is. You've probably met most of these others before...Silver, Nemesis, Rahsas, Gomurr...and about 8 others. You're lucky we showed up to save your ass."
"My ass doesn't need saving, Robert. I can take care of myself."
"Right, that's why you got yourself captured. I had to use some stimulant solution on you to wake you up. Kirax had something put in you that would have kept you out for days."
"The human is correct," came a raspy voice from down the hallway.
The Harbinger knew who it was without having to look, as did the Director.
They spoke as one. "Kirax."
"Who else could capture you both? I had heard a little of your dual status in the timeline, but had not believed it. Elderly humans are so repulsive."
"I am NOT elderly," the Director said. "One-hundred and five is not old where I'm from."
"A hundred and five?" the Harbinger said, surprised. "Damn, I'm a good-looking guy in my golden years."
"You humans are going to die. As will the rest of your planet. We already had to put off our advance missile because of your little attack on our mindblank and primary engines. But I will take care of that now." The little Koraxian began to glow, and struck down Deadpool with a bolt to the chest. The Harbinger, reading Siryn's intentions, telepathically held her in place. Don't, Siryn. No matter how much you may want to. Stay where you are.
"Kirax. Isn't there any way we can solve this rationally?" the Director asked.
"Ever the diplomat, eh, Maxwell? This is one occasion I cannot pass up. I get to kill not one, but TWO Robert Maxwell's. This is delicious indeed..."
"Okay, that's enough out of the little green slimebag," Havoc1 said. "Let's TAKE HIM!"
The Black Prince charged the creature, and managed to fire a wild shot before being electrically stabbed by Kirax. "Humans are so idiotic. Thousands of years of evolution, and you still don't know how to put together a proper strategy."
He's right, the Harbinger said telepathically to the others. Gomurr, teleport yourself behind him, and trap him in a binding. That should buy us some time. Oh, and Deadpool and Havoc1 are okay. They're just unconscious, so don't worry about them.
"Telepathic conference is over, I presume?" Kirax said, slithering toward them.
Now, the Harbinger telepathically whispered.
Gomurr teleported directly behind Kirax, and began casting his mystical binding, when the ship began shaking.
"Yes!!!" the Harbinger shouted. "Daemon is HERE!"
"I'm afraid not," Kirax said. "That would be Shatax and his fleet. Your friend Daemon, whoever he is, will arrive far too late to save you or your planet."
--End Chapter Two--Daemon, Shatax, Kirax, and the Director! Whoohoo!
Chapter Three
Part One: Unclothed Abductee
About the Same Time. Inferno.
"I am going to kill him!" Thresh shouted.
"He's done this kind of thing before," Bluespark said.
"Yeah, but my clothes are still back at the base!"
"Do you hear me complaining? Noooooo..."
"But Luthos, Dragonmaster, Nedereth, and those two aliens are here."
"Luthos, Taki, and Paul are behaving themselves. I mean, they're barely staring."
"And those aliens...I don't like the look that Popupian is giving me."
"I don't bite," Impossible Man said.
"Yeah right," was Thresh's reply.
"Look, I'm sure Harb keeps some clothes around here somewhere. Just go look."
"Fine. I'll be back soon, I hope." With that, Thresh headed down a corridor, to find some clothing. As she passed a small droid, it ogled and whistled at her, and she slapped its optical processor. Nedereth and Bluespark both laughed at the display, and she turned to give them a dirty look, and continued on her way.
The slapped droid approached them. "Robert sends his apologies for abducting all of you, but he needs you as backup in case his mission against Kirax fails."
"Who is Kirax?" Morph asked.
"A Koraxian. Son of Shatax."
"Shatax?" Impossible Man asked. "This is certainly an interesting turn of events." At those words, he smiled wickedly.
Part Two: Family Reunion
Kirax's ship.
"My father has come, for I summoned him. After you made a mess of my main engines, I contacted him and had his fleet come to aid us." A few seconds afterward, a Koraxian resembling Kirax materialized. "What goes on here?" it asked.
"Greetings, Shatax. I am your son, Kirax." The son glowed a brighter green with delight.
"But Kirax is only a pod right now," the elder alien said.
"I have unlocked the secret of the Focus, and have come back through time."
"I am proud of you, my son. What are we going to do with these humans? Are they your allies?"
"Not in the least. They are to be killed, and their world enslaved."
"Earth? Such a primitive world...why bother?"
"Because they become a threat later on. They must be destroyed NOW!"
"Absurd!" Shatax shouted painfully. "Humans are beneath us! They could never pose a threat!"
I think this is our chance, Nemesis telepathically called to the others.
DANTE, the Harbinger thought, contacting his ship over a psi-link.
Yes, Robert?
I need Inferno here now. Is Daemon here yet?
He will arrive around the same time we do.
Which is?
Seven point three-one-five seconds.
Good.
Deadpool and Havoc1 were regaining consciousness as Kirax and Shatax argued, and the Director snuck around behind the aliens. He nodded at Gomurr, who fired a hex bolt intertwined with a binding spell at the aliens. Kirax managed to escape, but Shatax was imprisoned by the binding. "No human can hold me!"
"I'm not your typical human, Shatax," Gomurr stated.
"Neither am I," the Director said, pointing one of the Harbinger's weapons directly at Shatax.
"Robert, wait!" the Harbinger called.
"Why?"
Kirax's ship shuddered, and Kirax slithered away to safety, abandoning his father and his prisoners. Weapons fire struck the ship, and consoles sparked violently.
"This," the Harbinger said as he aimed his gun at Shatax, "Is the fulfillment of history."
He fired the weapon, and melted Shatax into a pile of green goo. Gomurr's binding fizzled, having lost its function. The ship rocked as it was attacked, and they fought to steady themselves.
"That would be Daemon and Inferno," the Harbinger said. "Shatax's fleet will probably fall back, with their commander dead."
"Koraxians actually work that way?" Silver asked.
"When their CO dies, they head home. That's the rule. They're cowards, what can I say?"
"How about 'Get us the hell out of here'?" Havoc1 asked, rubbing his head as he sat up.
"Not yet. We still have work to do. We need to use the Focus Channeler to send these ships back where they came from. Follow me."
The Harbinger loaded his weapon. He then began to sing. "Taking care of business, every day..."
--End Chapter Three--Coming Next: The Incident at Saturn!
Chapter Four
Part One: Incident at Saturn
Daemon's ship.
"What do we have here?" Daemon asked.
"It would appear we have about fifteen hundred Koraxian vessels, and one converted asteroid of unknown origin. It's markings are in Terran Standard, with the word 'Inferno' being prominent on it."
"Never heard of it. Who is it attacking?"
"The Koraxians."
"Good. Ignore those retreating ships...we should concentrate on the ones that are staying. Break our fleet into ten standard squadrons, and engage."
"Aye, sir."
Daemon took the flight command console, and began piloting his ship. "These Koraxians sure know how to party! BYOB!"
"BYOB, sir?"
"Bring Your Own Booze. An old Terran expression."
"Of course, sir."
Daemon resumed piloting his vessel, and focused on the ship in the center of the spherical formation, which he deduced to be the flagship. He zipped around the fleet, and swung around and pointed his ship upwards. His ship ploughed through the rings of Saturn, and flew back toward the Koraxian fleet. He aimed directly for the center ship, and flew through the maze of Koraxian vessels. He dodged left, right, up, down, avoiding the other ships. He flipped open a tiny red hatch, and buzzed right over his target. He tapped the button, and pulled quickly away, his ship being pushed faster by the explosion beneath him. "Now that's the way I like to see those slimebags!"
...
The Harbinger fell to the ground, dropping his weapon, as Kirax's ship was blasted mercilessly. He knew he was near the center, and would be safer here than near the outer edge of the ship. The BHC, the Director, and Arianna followed him, barely able to stand with the constant quaking and shaking. Arianna was sobbing softly, and the Director picked her up and carried her. She hugged his neck tightly, hanging on for dear life. "It'll be all right, Ari," the Director lied, telepathically calming the child.
"Mr. Director," the Harbinger said. "You can tell me who the girl is later, but right now I need to know what your capabilities are."
"Kirax has somehow cut me off from the Paradise Lost and MILTON. The End Point is probably trying to locate me, but they won't have much luck. Our proximity to the Focus Channeler will make it nearly impossible for us to be found by either your ship or mine."
"Great, so we can't get out of here, huh? Beautiful..." The Harbinger approached a doorway, and peeked his head inside. "Coast is clear. Go on in." Everyone ran into the red-glowing room, and the Harbinger followed them in.
What greeted them was spectacular. A giant red cylinder stood in the room, with tendrils of blue and green and yellow energy leaping out, gently tickling the walls and licking the containment field which surrounded it. As they looked more closely at the cylinder, they realized its surface was dynamic and fluid, moving slugglishly like magma. The room was uncomfortably cold, and Belasco noticed a Koraxian lying on the floor. "Harb...why is this one not moving?"
"There's one over here, too," Monet said, standing near one of the walls.
"There have been fluctuations in the containment field," the Harbinger said, reading an analysis from his pocket terminal. His cybernetic eye focused in on the Channeler itself, and analyzed its volatility. "Jesus. This thing is set to blow."
"What?!" the Director said, carefully putting Arianna down on the floor. She stood quietly as the Director approached the Harbinger. "What do you mean?"
"It's overloading. Daemon's attacking fleet is damaging this ship. Even though we are in the exact center of the ship, its power conduits are being cut off by the attack. The computer is overcompensating, flooding it with energy. If it goes off, it'll set off a Level One temporal wave."
"Another Level One distortion will cause the Rift to converge on this point in time."
"The Rift? What are you not telling me, old man?"
"There isn't time. We have to give the Channeler a target."
"How about Kirax's whole fleet?" Avalon suggested.
"Exactly." The Director programmed the coordinates of all the Koraxian ships into the Channeler.
"You know Koraxian Strektkode? Impressive," the Harbinger mused.
"Child's play," the Director said coldly. "I'm setting the destination as 2103 AD, at the moment they left their time. They'll end up right outside the Non-Aligned Regions."
"Yeah, I'm just dying to visit the Hole again," the Harbinger said with obvious sarcasm.
"Keep it to yourself."
The Focus Channeler pulsed and throbbed, and seemed to briefly explode outward. They all shielded their eyes, and then the light faded. They blinked, allowing their eyes to readjust.
"Let me make sure it worked," the Director said. He tapped a few commands into the Channeler's command station, and nodded. "It worked. We're in 2103 now."
"Just one problem. With us cut off from Inferno, how do we get home?"
"We'll deal with that soon...right now we have to destroy this Channeler and the Koraxian Fleet."
...
A Few Minutes Before They Left. Daemon's ship.
"Hey, is this fun or what?" Daemon asked as he tore a Koraxian ship to shreds with his converted drill laser. His ships were winning the fight, and he watched as ship after ship broke apart and exploded brilliantly. "This is definitely a good day to fight!" he shouted, not noticing an oncoming chunk of debris. It slammed into his ship's navigational sensor, and sent his craft tumbling through the void. Then a burst of red and white filled his screen, and creeped slowly out of existence.
"Someone get this ship righted and fixed, and then tell me what just happened!"
"Sir," his second-in-command said. "We are being hailed by Inferno."
...
2103. Kirax's ship.
"Okay, we need to get off this ship," the Director said.
"As in quickly?" ShockWave asked.
"Very quickly. I've set the Channeler to increase its operating speed, and keep doing so, until it detonates."
"Won't that set off a Level One?" Nemesis asked.
"Not this method. It will cause a physical explosion, not a temporal one. So we need to get out of here in less than ten minutes."
"I've got it!" the Harbinger said, snapping his fingers. "There is a bay on the other end of this deck. We can take a Koraxian carrier and get out of here."
"I suppose that's as good as it's going to get," the Director said, and they all ran from the room for the spacecraft bay.
--End Chapter Four--Coming Next: The Escape!
Chapter Five
Part One: King of the World
1998. Saturn.
"You're Daemon, right?" Nedereth asked over the comm-link.
"That's right. Who are you?"
"We are the Clan Chosen. We work with the Harbinger."
"The Harbinger? The one who told me Earth was under attack?"
"That's the one! Have you any idea what just happened?"
"They all...vanished. The remaining ships retreated, and all they would say is that Shatax is dead."
"Wait...he's dead?" Impossible Man said, moving up next to Nedereth.
"Apparently. Who are you?" Daemon asked.
"King of the Popupians once more, I'd say! Nedereth, can this thing get us to my homeworld? Or maybe Morph's?"
"It can get us to either one, whenever you'd like. I doubt that the Harbinger and the others will need us, since I'm fairly certain that they used the Focus. We have no way to track them right now. Right, DANTE?"
"Correct. A cross-temporal search is being conducted, but it will take time to locate them. We are best served by hoping they can find their own way back, through the Focus, or some other time-travel/teleportation device."
Part Two: The Escape
2103. Kirax's ship.
"This way!" the Harbinger shouted, leading the BHC to the spacecraft bay. He saw a huge mass of menacing Koraxians chasing after them, and started sweating more heavily. He was hoping that everyone would get into the bay quickly, so he could slam the door behind him. After everyone was in, he jumped back as a Koraxian fired a bolt at him. "Ouch! Damn! Everyone into that ship!" he called, pointing to a Koraxian carrier that looked to be devoid of life.
They obeyed quickly, and went through the ship's hatch. He shut the door behind them, and sat down at the main console. "Okay, let's see if I can make some sense of these controls." He tapped keys on it, until he felt the low thrum of the engines. "Here we go." He looked out the cockpit window, and realized that there was a crystalline wall over the bay, one that would not be automatically raised. He immediately powered up what he thought was a sonic disruptor, and found it only launched a flare out in front of them. "Oh, shit!" Havoc1 shouted as they crashed through the crystalline wall, and flew off into space. Several Koraxians were blown into space, as were the other ships in
the bay. Avalon was silently counting down the seconds, and spoke. "Thirty seconds to detonation."
"Robert, let me at that console, quickly!" the Director ordered.
The Harbinger obeyed, and got out of the seat. The Director sat down, and little Arianna stood next to him, with a quizzical look on her face. "It's all right, Ari. We'll all be safe out here."
Their ship began to tremble, as Kirax's ship was blown apart by the overloading Focus Channeler. The Harbinger smiled, glad that his enemy was finally dead. "Robert," the Director said. "The other ships were not destroyed by the blast. They are pursuing, and from the communications I am intercepting...Kirax is still alive."
"Dammit!" The Harbinger slammed his fist against a wall. "Then this is what we have to do: Monet, Silver, Nemesis, and I are going to take some Koraxian Interdictors out of this ship, and engage the Koraxian fleet. Director, you just set a course for the nearest inhabitable planet."
"Robert, what are you doing?" Nemesis asked.
"Trying to save us, that's what. Get into one of the Interdictors. They have psionic interfaces, so don't worry about not being able to read Koraxian script. Just jump in."
He led them down a short corridor filled with arrow-shaped craft, and sent his three colleagues to the ships. "I'll take number 7," he said, entering the ship. As soon as they were in their ships, they were teleported outside, into space. "This is how it works," the Harbinger began. "We're running interference here. The idea is to give our carrier cover, while keeping our own asses intact. Keep formation until you are in weapons range, then go at it!" Their ships blazed toward the oncoming Koraxian ships, and broke formation, then began firing. Nemesis strafed the surface of one of the ships, knocking out its primary engines. She was slightly startled as a missile flew right over
her head, but quickly destroyed it with the antiproton cannons.
Silver's ship screamed toward one of the vessels, and he blasted at one of the crystalline spires on its surface. As part of it snapped off, he tried to veer away, and his ship was struck down. He careened through the void, trying to right his ship, as Monet flew to his starboard side. "Silver, are you okay?" she asked over the psi-link.
"Yeah...just let me get this ship oriented again, and I'll rejoin the fight."
The Harbinger went for the ship he believed to hold Kirax, and went for its secondary access port. He slammed through the doors, rolling this way and that, zooming through the narrow access tunnel at over 1000 meters per second. "Main power core...that's all I need...a good shot." He inputted a few mental commands, linking his cybernetics to the Koraxian carrier they had stolen, and positioned his ship to collide with the main reactor. Kirax invaded his ship's comm-link. "You think this can stop me? I have all the time in the universe!"
"Sorry, Kirax. Time's up." In the moment of impact, he felt the crunch, and lurched forward before blacking out.
The ship that contained Kirax blew up, showering the void with sparkling pieces of debris. Nemesis' ship was caught in the blast, and the wings on her ship were sheared off, her hull heated to an unbelieveable temperature. She tried in vain to correct the ship's course, but found it tumbling aimlessly.
Monet's ship had absorbed most of the blast, shielding Silver's craft. Her head slammed into the Koraxian-designed console, and her forehead bled onto the blinking displays. Silver tried to rendesvous with Monet's ship again, but found his main engines were destroyed. He pounded the console, but finally decided that his ship was dead in space.
On the carrier, the BHC had all watched the display, and waited breathlessly for some sign that the others had survived. The Harbinger appeared, coughing, with a trickle of blood on his nose. "Damn, that was some ride."
"The others?" the Hunter questioned.
"They're...alive. Mr. Director, if you would be so kind, please take us back to them. The Koraxians will retreat...I hope."
"You are correct, Robert. Let's go back for the others."
Over the next few minutes, they tractored in the battered, broken Koraxian Interdictors. Silver, Monet, and Nemesis were all teleported back inside the carrier, Monet being unconscious. Gomurr immediately tended to the wound on Monet's forehead, quickly healing it with his magics. "We did it!" Silver shouted.
"That was the easy part," the Harbinger warned. "The hard part will be getting back home. There are still hundreds of Koraxian ships out here, and any one of them might decide to make us identify ourselves. We need to get back to Omega Station, the nearest Terran outpost. Can we get there with the fuel we have, Director?"
"Nope. We'll need to find more fuel. We can get halfway through the Non-Aligned territories with the hyperspatial fuel we have."
"Then prepare to hyperjump as closely as we can get to Omega Station."
"You're forgetting one thing, Robert," the Director said.
"What's that?"
"Anti Christ's curse. No one here will know who you are."
"But...Kirax did."
"Perhaps because he is your enemy. But your friends, family. They won't know you. We will most likely be on our own getting back to Earth."
"That's great...just great," an obviously sarcastic response.
--End Chapter Five--Coming Next: Landfall!
Chapter Six
Part One: Homecoming
1998. Popupia.
The Impossible Man raised his arms, and bowed to the huge crowd before him. Nedereth and the others stood behind him, in the background, watching. Impossible Man was smiling out of pure joy, for the first time in over thirty years. "Thank you, my subjects, my friends, my fellow Popupians! I have vanquished the terrible Shatax, and have come home to you, after being gone for far too long!"
The crowd roared in happiness, glad that their ruler had returned to them.
"He didn't kill Shatax," Morph said to Nedereth. "Someone in the BHC did, I thought!"
"Yeah, but he doesn't have to tell his people that," Nedereth responded, crossing his arms. "See, it makes him look so much more heroic if they think he killed Shatax himself."
"Popupians are odd creatures," Morph decided.
Nedereth laughed. "Sometimes, they seem all too human."
Part Two: Carrier Down
2103. The Non-Aligned Territories. Nicknamed "The Hole".
The Director quietly piloted the ship, his arm around Arianna, keeping her safe. His eyes stared out into the void, and the twinkle of each star brought forth images of a better world. Before the Purges, before the Originators. He had seen the way the world would progress over the next forty-eight millenia. The trials and triumphs and failures. The world he came from had been falling apart, a victim of time travel, a casualty of a war over convenience. The worst result of time travel in his time was a thing called the Rift. None who approached its glowing, flowing edges ever returned. It was what the Department of Chronal Affairs referred to as a Level Zero distortion. Something
so utterly powerful and destructive, nothing would survive its wake. And it was moving faster, backwards through time. Each of the stars he saw now were being wiped from existence in the future by this Rift. He looked at the girl next to him. If all went well, she would be the key to stopping the Rift. She would be a haven from the evil in the universe, a shining symbol of all that was right about humanity. But the Director looked inward, cursing himself. He was an example of the worst of humanity. He recalled how misguided he had been. The jagged alliances he had forged, with the enemies of his counterpart's friends. Sometimes, he found himself longing for Claudia and Nicole,
the twins who were his first friends in the twentieth century. He could tell what the Harbinger had done to Nemesis, and was crestfallen. He was saddened that someone he thought was so much like himself would so willingly manipulate others to his own ends. But he had to remember that he and this other Robert Maxwell were not the same person. And until the day the Rift claimed him, he would remember always his responsibility to the human race, to this girl, and most importantly, to himself.
Deadpool looked over at the Director. "Wow...Harb, you have never looked as contemplative as this guy looks right now."
The Harbinger sipped a cup of synthesized water. "We're not the same person, Deadpool. Besides, I'm much better looking."
"Says you," Siryn teased.
"Anyone know what the deal is with that girl?" the Hunter asked.
"It's probably just one of his pet projects," Gomurr said. "In any version, Robert Maxwell is still as manipulative and self-serving as ever."
"Judge not my motives, magician," the Director said, not turning to face him. "What I do is for the good of us all, so do not so easily believe my intent malevolent."
"How's your head, Monet?" Belasco asked her.
She rubbed it gently, and replied, "It's okay...still hurts like a bitch, though."
"Koraxians didn't design their Interdictors with seat restraints. Probably because they can stick to the seat if they want to, and also to make us fragile humanoids think twice about piloting them," the Harbinger explained.
"Robert, what is the political situation in this time?" Silver asked.
"When I left, Earth had been conquered by the Koraxians, and we threw them off again. The Oolians are our greatest allies, being the eternal enemies of the Koraxians. The Terran Alliance is not a superpower, but it is a force to be reckoned with."
"What enemies do we have in this time?" Nemesis queried.
"The Dor'Tel, the Koraxians, and the Cranions. And the Paperans, sometimes. They're more schizophrenic than their Koraxian cousins are."
"And what is in this Non-Aligned region?" Gomurr asked.
"This area is full of primitive worlds, that no one is willing to disturb. Basically, the Oolians will just give people hell for tampering with developing societies. They're just like that. We always call this place the Hole because it's mainly the scum of the universe that hang out here. Robert, are we almost out of fuel now?"
The Director checked his indicators, and replied. "Just about. The hyperjump used most of the fuel. We now have just enough to get to Glyph, an ocean world."
"Ocean? Are there at least some islands?" the Harbinger asked.
"A few."
"Then take us in to land...carefully. We'll try to call for help once we touch down."
The ship slowly descended into the atmosphere, aiming its belly downward, its nose upward, like the archaic space shuttles of old Earth. Its bottom glowed red in the blue sky, and they descended quickly. The Director lined up the Advanced Instrument Landing System indicators, targeting an island about a hundred kilometers distant. "Hold on...these things were designed to be dry docked, not landed. This will be a bit bumpy."
Everyone grabbed onto a metal bar, a console, a chair. Anything that could hold them down when the ship hit solid ground. "One last command," the Director said, tapping a few keys, preparing for the eventuality that he'd be knocked out by the touchdown. The ship would try to keep itself above ground, burrowing itself out if need be. Suddenly, it shook more violently than it had been before. "The stabilizers have just blown! We're in a dead spin!"
The ship slammed mercilessly into the ground, tracing a long streak across the island, like a child drawing a line in the sand.
--End Chapter Six--Coming Next: Stranded!
Chapter Seven
Part One: A Matter of Loyalty
1998. The IHFC mansion.
SuperGrover slowly nursed his coffee, and looked up at Jon. He sighe heavily. "Do you think they're all right?"
"I hope so, 'Grover. How is the BHC doing?"
"The Upstarts and Marauders are doing just fine...Psishot and Nate are keeping them in line." He ran his fingers through his orange hair. "On a darker note, I'm going to kill whoever did this to my hair."
"I think it brings out the color of your fur more," Jon joked with him, barely stifling a laugh.
"By the way...why have you stopped pursuing me so doggedly lately?"
"Let us just say that a certain FBI agent is holding my interest quite well right now."
"Q? You're kidding!" He started laughing loudly, and slapped his hand on the table.
Jon smiled. "It's good to hear you laugh again. After all that happened with Luna and Jubilee, I never thought I'd hear you laugh again."
"Life goes on, I suppose. Still, it's hard...without her. But Luna is a capable leader, and I'm starting to become her friend."
"That's good to hear, 'Grover."
The door to the relatively small conference room opened, and Hazard came in holding a file folder. Jon quickly excused herself, handing her cup of steaming coffee to one of the nearby servants. Hazard sat down next to SuperGrover, and rested his palm on the folder.
"You two still aren't getting along?" SuperGrover asked.
"That's not your concern...I mean...I'm sorry, I did not mean to take it out on you. I've just been having some difficulties lately."
"What can I do for you, Gregor?" SuperGrover said, putting his coffee down.
"It's more like what I can do for you. Do you still hold any loyalty to me, or the Black Court?"
"They are my friends, as are you. It's not exactly a matter of loyalty."
"Let me put it like this...if push came to shove, would you follow Ryan, or me?"
"What is this about, Gregor?"
"Just answer the question."
"I would follow Ryan, for my loyalties lie with the White and Red Courts. Gregor, whatever you are planning, I suggest you proceed carefully. I would not want anything to happen to you, for I am still your friend."
"I respect your decision, 'Grover, but I will proceed as I had planned before." Gregor got up, and started to leave, when SuperGrover grabbed his arm.
"What is in the folder, Gregor?"
"Just the future, 'Grover. Just the future."
With that, the Red Rook was gone, and the White King was left with a disquieting uncertainty in his mind.
Part Two: Stranded
2103. The planet called Glyph.
Siryn awakened slowly, to the sensation of tiny hairs moving around inside her mouth. They tickled the insides of her cheeks, and crawled along her tongue. Suddenly, she had the feeling something wasn't right about this, and started gagging and spitting. Small insects came out, drenched in saliva, and scurried off across the metal floor. Above her was a gaping hole where a blue sun shone through. She shielded her eyes, and saw the Harbinger staring at her, eating an apple.
"What are you looking at? And where did you get that apple?"
"You, and out of the food synthesizer. About the only thing that works on this non-flying chunk of metal."
"How long have you been watching me?"
"About an hour or so. Watching bugs crawl in and out of your mouth can be quite entertaining."
"That's not funny! They could have been poisonous!"
"Nah...nothing but some good ol' protein," he said as he climbed out of the ship. He called to her, "You can come out if you want. Everyone else is out here."
She brushed herself off, finding her clothes covered in dirt. She avoided the insects on the floor, and gripped the jagged edge of the hole, climbing out into the open. There stood Silver, Nemesis, Gomurr, the Director, Arianna, and the others, surveying their surroundings. She jumped down with a quiet "Umph!" and walked over to Deadpool.
"Hey, Sharon. Sleep well?" he asked.
"What happened?" she asked.
The Director tried his best to explain. "We crashlanded on this godforsaken planet, and this ship won't ever fly again. We are stuck."
Siryn groaned. "Maybe I should have stayed asleep..."
"There is some good news," Nemesis said. "The Director here has detected some life forms on a nearby island. Their arrangement seems to indicate intelligence, so we're going to attempt a first contact."
"I doubt they speak English," Avalon commented, drawing lines and curves in the sand.
"What are you doing, Av?" Monet asked.
"Triangulating our location relative to the islands we saw on the way down."
"My terminal can do that," the Harbinger said, tossing it to the young Prince. "As for them not speaking English, the food synthesizers can probably be programmed to make a translation device. I have the schematics in memory, so I can upload them into the synth-matrix. The problem is, we have no way of knowing how much raw material the synthesizer has, so we can only make one to conserve resources."
"Good idea," the Director said. "I think I have enough power for one teleport," he said, indicating his ordinary-looking belt. "The question becomes, Who is going to make contact?"
"I'll do it," Nemesis said.
Part Three: Adult Supervision Advised
1998. The BHC Academy.
No adults. What more could they ask for? Psishot and Nate observed the chaos around them, and smiled. Their party had been underway for a little under an hour, and already the BHC Academy was being wrecked. Psishot had suggested this fiasco as a way for the Marauders and Upstarts to unwind, having all been through so much these past few months. Nate was simply in the mood for some good clean fun. But neither would admit that they were worried about the others. Those that had left Earth to save them all. Psishot's smile turned down a bit, and his shoulders began to droop. "Do you really think we should be doing this?" he asked Nate.
"Relax, man. This is just a little fun to help everyone take their minds off the others. Hey, wow, look at that!" Nate said, pointing at an ice sculpture that the Iceman was making. It was a caricature of Gomurr getting struck in the rear end by a hex bolt. "Iceman," Byron said, "Your mastery over your powers is amazing!"
"I was trained by the best," he replied.
"Anyone seen DarkWolf?" Bastion wondered.
"He's over seeing Outburst...you know how it is," Catana told him, winking.
Their conversations and partying were interrupted by a blaze of light over the Iceman's sculpture. A young woman fell out of it, crushing the delicate ice form. "Oh, damn..." the Iceman said.
Thresh rubbed her head. "Damn is right. It was Nedereth's idea that I come down and babysit all of you while they head to Morph's homeworld."
"Babysit us?" Puma11 asked. "We don't need a babysitter!"
Thresh looked around. "Like hell you don't! Look at this place!"
And the Iceman covered Thresh's mouth with a muzzle of ice.
--End Chapter Seven--Coming Next: First Contact!
Chapter Eight
Part One: Contact
2103. Glyph.
The blue sun baked the back of Nemesis' neck as she tried on the translation device. "How did Kirax communicate with us when he doesn't speak English, anyway?" she asked the Harbinger.
"Koraxians communicate psionically. While it seems they are speaking, they are actually transmitting thoughts to your mind. They can't read our minds, or plant suggestions in them, however. An odd method of communication, eh?"
"It seems quite useful. Are you almost done putting this thing on me?"
"It's a two-piece unit. The neckband will remodulate your vocal cords to speak in their native language. The earpiece will translate their language to you. They have enough power to run for days, so don't worry about running down the batteries. Just remember what we need to know from them."
"I'm supposed to find out if there is another ship around here, or some way to get us all off this island."
"We've already found a way off. Silver said he can construct a makeshift boat out of our ship's hull, but he said it will take a few days. Which is why we are sending you as an advance party, to set up a platform of peace for when we do arrive."
Nemesis tapped the belt the Director had given her. "This thing only has one 'port in it?"
"That's right. You'll be on your own until we show up." He made the final adjustments to her devices, tweaking the belt she was wearing. He then stood up, and leaned forward to kiss her, then drew his head back. "I'm sorry, Claudia. Old habits die hard."
"It's all right, Robert. I'll see you in a few days."
"Goodbye, Claudia. Good luck."
She nodded, and tapped a blue button on her belt. Her body glowed very little against the blue sunlight, and she vanished.
She reappeared, up to her knees in water. She cursed for a moment, thinking herself lost in the ocean, but saw she was right next to a beach. There were small huts on the beach, with little four-legged creatures walking around busily. She spoke "I bring greetings from afar. I have friends who need help. Can you aid us?"
She walked out onto the beach, and approached one of the aliens. It looked up at her with its six eyes, all blinking in unison. Its skin was purple, and it rippled constantly. Pleasant chirping sounds emanated from the alien, which were translated to Nemesis as greetings. "Help you we can, but help us you must first."
"What do you need help with?" she asked the alien.
"Evil. Evil. Evil creatures."
"Where are they?"
"Other side of island. Come in large metal birds. Speak in strange tongues."
"Do they have a name?"
"*screech*. Word they repeat over and over."
Nemesis tweaked her earpiece, trying to make sense of the screech she had heard. Apparently, it could not be translated to her, as if it were a word completely foreign to the linguabase.
"Have they harmed you?"
"They have Nivern. Nivern our leader."
"And who are you?"
"Drigg. What are you called?"
"Nemesis."
"Nemesis...name beautiful. Like Goddess of Ocean." Suddenly, Drigg's legs collapsed from under him, and he began wailing loudly. "Drigg, what's wrong?" she asked him.
"Ocean Goddess! Ocean Goddess! You have come to us!" was Drigg's emphatic reply.
In mere seconds, the entire population of the village was around her, mimicking Drigg's motions and sounds. They hailed her as their Ocean Goddess, and had no intention of letting her leave them.
Part Two: The Hunt
He ducked down, low to the ground, and sniffed the rich soil. The scent was fresh, not more than a few minutes old. He heard a rustling in the brush ahead, and sprinted forward. He saw the creature emerge. It was a large thing, like a rhinocerous, only bigger, and with more horns. He jumped away from it, hiding before it could spot him. The creature snorted, and turned its back to him. He crept toward it, claws at the ready. With the power of his mind, he grew larger and more fearsome, and dove for the creature. It yelped as his claws tore its flesh, and it could not run. It was held down the attacker, and it squealed frantically. Just as he was about to deliver the fatal slash
to the creature, a sound from another world invaded. "Belasco, what's going on?" He was distracted enough that the creature threw him off and into a tree, and stampeded deep into the forest. Belasco shrunk down to his normal size, and pounded the dirt. "Dammit!"
Monet walked to him. "I have the feeling that I interrupted something."
"You could say that."
"I'm sorry...but Silver said he needed you to help lift some of the carrier's parts so he could make us a boat."
"All right," he said, standing up and following Monet.
Part Three: Kirax the Undying
The anger and hatred boiled close to the surface of this alien called Kirax, as he looked at the battered remains of his fleet. He had barely survived, having been teleported out of harm's way more than once. The crew of his fleet was being demoralized, having been beaten by a handful of Terrans, and a mediocre Pallan fleet. The insult to the injury was that they were back in their own time, with their Focus Channeler destroyed. Worse yet, his own father had been killed, due to his own actions. He realized the importance of that event. He remembered in his history lessons the importance of Shatax, and the massive effect of his death. Entire worlds were lost, civilizations destroyed.
Chaos reigned supreme for several years, until Korath himself appointed a new commander to his fleet. It was Kirax's brother, Svindax. Svindax was later killed in a campaign against the Oolians, and Kirax was appointed commander of the glorious Koraxian fleet. He could not and would not fail his superiors again, for the penalty would be death.
He turned to his new engineer. "Slordax, were you able to trace the path that Maxwell took in the carrier he stole?"
"They went into the Non-Aligned Territories. They dropped off our scanners around a planet called Glyph."
"What is the status of Glyph?"
"It is being systematically conquered by the Dor'Tel. It is inhabited by barely-sentient primitives."
"How many of our ships are in working order?"
"About two hundred. The rest need repairs."
"Then take us to Glyph. If nothing else, I will kill Robert Maxwell...both of him."
--End Chapter Eight--Coming Next: Nemesis, alone against the Dor'Tel!
Chapter Nine
Part One: Breakdown of Authority
2103. Glyph.
The Harbinger stared bitterly at Silver, as the blue sun shone upon them. "We are NOT going back home until I make sure this time is secure," the Harbinger said.
"You are not in charge here, Maxwell! We are getting home as quickly as possible. We are not going to stick around and save this timeline."
"You don't understand, Silver! If the Koraxians did this once, they can do it again just as easily! They have to be stopped once and for all!"
"Another time, Harbinger. Getting us all home safely is the priority here."
"Fuck your priorities! Dammit, I'm telling you that we won't be safe until we destroy the Koraxians utterly!"
"I have had it up to here with your posturing and attitude, Robert Maxwell! I only allowed you into the Black Court as a courtesy to Nemesis. Do not make me regret that decision."
"You're a fool, Jack Silver. And I'll make you see that."
"Perhaps. Until then, help construct our boat to get to the next island."
The Director was sitting on top of the ship, holding Arianna in his arms. He telepathically soothed her, keeping her mind at ease. "Everything will be fine, Ari. I promise you." He knew that his double's belligerent nature would lead to a physical conflict with Silver, but there was nothing he could do about that. All his energy concentrated on this child. She was all that mattered to him now.
Avalon, Havoc1, Monet, the Hunter, Siryn, and Deadpool watched the argument between the Black Mage and the Black King. Monet spoke softly. "I hope things don't get any worse. If Silver and the Harbinger start fighting, we'll never get out of here."
"I wish Gomurr would do something," Havoc1 said. "And what about the Director? All he does is take care of that little girl...like nothing else matters."
Suddenly, Gomurr walked up to them. "The child, I admit, has drawn my curiosity as well. She has an enormous potential. Perhaps even greater than Entropy's was."
Part Two: Breakdown of Mind
1998. The IHFC mansion.
Darque Feonix tried desperately to clear his mind, to exorcise the images that haunted him. Images of things that had happened, of things that were to be. He had been impaired since he was cursed by Anti Christ, his powers acting erratically. The images foremost in his mind concerned someone he knew. Someone he had a deal of respect for. But it was someone he could not identify. He knew this person would make his power play soon, and he had to find out who it was, soon.
Still, his mind betrayed him. It showed him images and sounds and smells and feelings that threatened to drive him mad. Images of the BHC and IHFC slaughtering each other under Anti Christ's influence. Of Bluespark, Thresh, and Jenskott being tortured. And then there was the Second Sight. What did Anti Christ mean when he said he had cursed Feonix with Second Sight? He was more terrified than he had ever been in his life, hoping he never had to find out what his curse truly was.
Part Three: Running Away
2103. Glyph.
Nemesis looked at the celebration around her. The Glyphins were worshipping her as their Ocean Goddess, and she was powerless to stop them. Her cries for attention fell on deaf ears, as they continued wailing and bowing to her. But the fiasco was interrupted by the searing of flesh, and screams of pain and agony and death. She looked for the source of the carnage, and saw at least a dozen humanoid creatures descending upon the crowd, weilding firearms. She shouted for the Glyphins to defend themselves against the attackers, but they did not respond. They continued their worship of her, and she was almost certain they were begging her to save them. "Fine," she whispered.
She telekinetically cleared a path through the crowd, and approached the humanoids. "We are Dor'Tel. You are conquered. Submit your identity."
"My identity? I am Nemesis of the Black Hellfire Court. But you can just call me your executioner."
She telekinetically knocked one of them down, and jumped in between two of the others. She jumped out of the way as they fired, and they hit each other. She gasped for breath as they gave chase, and she ran. She heard them firing behind her, and a single shot penetrated her right arm. She cried out and gripped it, holding her seared flesh. She stifled her scream and continued running. She had no idea where she was going. The trees and brush were thick, and several times she nearly tripped over a fallen log, or a root sticking out of the ground. Then she stopped dead in her tracks, hearing not only the pounding of her own heart, but the mutterings of more aliens. Directly ahead
she thought. She was beginning to wish she had brought one of the Harbinger's weapons with her. Still, even though she had no weapons, she was far from defenseless. She would not simply give up. She decided that she would have to hide for now, and picked out a suitable tree to climb. Unfortunately, she didn't get very far, and was felled by a precise blast from one of the Dor'Tel that had been chasing her.
--End Chapter Nine--Coming Next: Harbinger vs. Silver.
Chapter Ten
Part One: Gargantua
2103. Glyph.
Nemesis awoke with a start, sitting up very rapidly. Her head began to throb, and she felt the cool metal beneath her. The last thing she remembered was running from some aliens who attacked the Glyphins, and being shot. Now, she was in some kind of cell, and had been unconscious for a length of time she could not deduce.
"This is just great..." she said, standing up. Her head hurt worse, and she put her palm on her forehead. "Damn this headache..."
The technology which surrounded her was spectacular. It was like a self-similar fractal set composed of squares and cubes. Above her, below her, in every direction she could see. It was like looking in a mirror chamber, the same image reflected over and over. "My God...the size of this thing..."
From her vantage point, she saw tiny beings skittering around, collecting objects, melting down metals, herding Glyphins into chambers she was afraid to contemplate. This was the massive ship of the Dor'Tel, something so large as to make Earth's New York City seem dwarfish by comparison.
Part Two: Desperation Breeds Conflict
2103. Glyph.
The Harbinger was repairing one of his weapons, since most of them had been tossed about and damaged by the crash. It had been two days since they crashed on this world, and their eyes had adjusted fairly well to the blue light of this foreign sun. The Harbinger's cybernetic eye detected damage in the weapon, and he moved his hands delicately over the components, tweaking them with tools that formed from his hand. When he was satisfied that the weapon was functional, he set it aside and grabbed another. Then, the Hunter approached him from the other end of the ship. "Silver wants to see you, pronto. He needs some help welding some pieces of the hull together."
"One second," the Harbinger said. He grabbed his newly-repaired weapon, and followed the Hunter.
Silver was molding pieces of hull while Belasco and Deadpool sheared off new shreds of it for him. Avalon, Havoc1, Siryn, Gomurr, ShockWave, Rahsas, and Monet were sitting around a fire, since the island had become unusually cold that day. The Harbinger shouldered his weapon, and spoke. "What do you need, Silver?" he asked.
"Would you mind welding these pieces together with your weapon?" Silver asked, regarding the boat-like pieces of metal before him.
"Yeah...stand back." The Harbinger pointed his weapon and fired, the cool metal suddenly heating up, and melting together with the other components. "There. Anything else?"
"That will be all."
The Harbinger began to walk away, when Silver spoke again. "Wait...there is something else."
"What's that?"
"Give me the access code for the food synthesizer. We're hungry."
"Forget it. We need to ration our resources."
"Look, you took it upon yourself to password-protect the food synthesizer, but that does not mean you have the right to starve us."
"You're all fine. If any of you start dying, then I'll get you some food. Until then, there is no access allowed."
The Harbinger began to walk away, and Silver ran up behind him, putting a hand forcefully on his shoulder. "Give me the access code. NOW!"
Robert Maxwell, with equal force, shoved Silver's hand off his shoulder, and pointed his weapon at the Black King's chest. "You watch yourself, Jack. I'm in charge here."
"You are not, and you never were!" Silver punched the Black Mage, surprising even Maxwell himself.
The Harbinger felt his bloodied lip with his hand, and looked at the Black King. "Fine."
Robert Maxwell slugged the Black King across the face, then backfisted him. Silver grabbed the Harbinger, and shoved him into the newly-fashioned boat components, and the Harbinger fell hard.
Silver dove on top of him, punching him. "You will give it to me NOW!" he screamed.
"Holy shit!" Avalon shouted. "They're gonna kill each other!"
"Let them," the Director said, emerging from the forest, with Arianna in tow.
Gomurr stood up, and ran towards them. "Both of you! Stop this foolishness!"
"I can help, Mister," Arianna said. "Please let me help...please?"
The Director looked at her, then at the escalating fight. He knelt in front of her. "How can you help, Ari?"
"My powers...lemme help, please."
"Very well. Do what you must."
She approached the Harbinger and Silver. Silver was still on top of Robert Maxwell, beating him senseless. The Harbinger was telekinetically defending himself, and tried to fight back. Both were consumed with an animalistic rage as they attacked each other, with all logic torn apart. The Harbinger rolled on top of Silver, and punched Silver repeatedly in the face. Arianna got still closer to them, and her body started to radiate light. "Please stop," she whispered.
Surprisingly, especially to Silver and the Harbinger themselves, they stopped. Their attacks ceased. The Harbinger got off of Silver, and brushed himself off. Silver got up, and followed suit.
Deadpool, Siryn, Belasco, Havoc1, Avalon, Gomurr, ShockWave, Monet, and the Hunter were all agape. The Director simply looked on in quiet amusement.
"How did you do that?" Gomurr asked her.
"M' powers..." she answered shyly.
"Amazing," the headmaster muttered.
Deadpool then stood next to the Harbinger. "I think Robert is right. We have to conserve our resources. None of us are starving, anyway."
"Speak for yourself!" Siryn exclaimed. "I'm about to die!"
"This is how it's going to be," the Harbinger said. "I'll take whoever will come with me to find a way off this damned planet. But we will do it my way, by my rules. That, and I get half of the food synthesizer matter."
Deadpool, Belasco, the Hunter, Rahsas, and ShockWave stood with the Harbinger. "We'll go with you," ShockWave said.
"Very well. Anyone else?"
"Robert, this isn't necessary," Silver said.
"Yes it is, Black King. My goals and yours shall never coincide. Director? Who are you going with?"
"I believe I will go with you, as will Arianna."
"What about Nem?" Havoc1 asked.
"You can all rendesvous with her when you finish your boat," the Harbinger said. "She'll be glad to see you, I'm sure." He looked down for a moment, then raised his head to speak. "Just...give her my best when you meet up with her."
Belasco went inside the ship and packed up one of the food synthesizer terminals, with half of the raw matter inside it, and came back out. "Is this all we need?" he asked.
"Yeah, it is," the Harbinger said. "Let's go."
As they started to walk away, Siryn ran to Deadpool. "Please don't go with him, Wade."
"Sharon, this is what's right. This is what will be. I have to go."
"But...I love you..."
"I'll...see you again someday. I promise."
"Be careful," she whispered.
With those last words, they walked into the blue sunset, the cold wind at their backs. The Harbinger looked into the sky, and sighed. This was the path he had chosen. He only hoped that he wouldn't let these people down, who had chosen to follow him.
--End Chapter Ten--Coming Next: Enter: Richard Maxwell. Plus: Is there no hope of getting home?!
Chapter Eleven
Part One: Hope and Fear
2103. Glyph (the Harbinger's camp).
Robert Maxwell roasted some of the meat Belasco had killed, inhaling the sweet aroma of it. He sprinkled a bit of synthesized salt over it, and let it cook a bit longer, propping it on his makeshift tripod over the fire. He looked to the sky again, and felt a sense of dread. He hadn't told the others what he had learned the moment he stole the Koraxian carrier a week ago. That Earth had been conquered again, and humanity had been reduced to the quibbling servants of the Koraxian Empire. How could he? How could he tell them that they had no hope of getting home? That everything they were doing was only leading to their eventual enslavement, or more mercifully, their execution? Still,
a glimmer of hope remained. He knew that his friends and family here would never willingly submit, so they must be planning something. He had briefly scanned the reports in the carrier's computer, and found he had been right. A growing resistance cell was striking against the Koraxians. But he also considered what would happen if he met his friends or family here. Would Anti Christ's curse prove effective? Only time would tell.
Abruptly, ShockWave approached him. "What are you looking at up there, Robert?"
"Just the stars...they're beautiful at night on this world."
"I didn't know you had any appreciation for aesthetics."
"I do." He pointed to the sky. "This, Margaret, is what I'm fighting for. I'm fighting for a galaxy free of tyranny, free of the evil in man's will, free of the oppressive yoke of Koraxian rule. Freedom for all."
"I never would have pegged you as an idealist, Harb," she said, smiling.
"Hmp," was the Harbinger's quiet reply.
"There was something else I was wondering about, though."
"What's that?"
"If we do find a way out of here, what will we do about Silver and the others?"
"We'll go back for them, of course. Just because I don't really like him, doesn't mean I want to leave them behind."
"I didn't know you cared."
"Well, I do."
"Robert, what is it? You seem sort of...down."
"It's...Earth. It's been conquered by the Koraxians again. It's been this way for the last three years, apparently. There is no way we'll ever get back to Earth, and get home."
"What about Inferno?"
"DANTE can spend years searching for us...it doesn't mean he'll find us. He might, but it's a distant possibility. Same with the Director's ship. They both lost track of us the moment we shot through the Focus Channeler in Kirax's ship."
"Then what possible hope do we have?"
"If my brother is still alive," the Harbinger said, "There is always hope."
Part Two: It Runs in the Family
2103. The ruins of Luna One (the Sol System).
Richard Maxwell had been having a bad week. First his weapons stockpile on Ross 128 IV had been found and destroyed, then his cell on Cordoba Prime was wiped out. Now, he was fighting his way through a maze of Koraxians in the ruins of Luna One, the lunar base. "Hey, Rich," his girlfriend, Samantha, whispered.
"Yeah, Sam?" he asked quietly.
"How far is it to the docking bay?"
"About eighty meters. We should be able to make it."
They ducked behind a few barrels of trimutium gel-fluid, and waited for the Koraxian voices to pass them. He motioned his head for her to go first, and she did. He followed her, watching behind them, pointing his weapon. They sprinted for the docking bay, when they encountered a platoon of Koraxians.
"How fortuitous," the one in charge said. "We have the leader of the resistance."
"You can just fuck off you little --" he began, his words being lost in a hail of weapons fire. But he realized the Koraxians were being killed from above, and weren't firing at him. Then about ten figures dropped down out of the rafters, holding jury-rigged weapons.
A man with a patch over his left eye walked toward them and spoke. "Greetings, Richard and Samantha. I am Dmitri Ivanov. We are here to help you."
Part Three: Escalating Conflict
2103. Glyph (the Dor'Tel ship).
Nemesis examined her cell, looking for any weakness she could find. Dor'Tel guards eyed her suspiciously, but did nothing to stop her efforts, apparently believing her quest for escape fruitless. She sighed in frustration, and sat back on her bed.
"Dammit all to hell."
Suddenly, there was an explosion far overhead, and the ship shuddered. Debris rained down, and she ducked underneath her bed. "What is this?!"
Her translator still functional, though barely, it picked up the speech between her guards. "Koraxians."
"Protocol: terminate."
"Agreed."
They both ran away from her cell. "Oh, just like a couple of men to run at the first sign of trouble!"
Her mood improved when she saw her normally-invisible cell boundaries flicker and then power down. She grabbed a Dor'Tel weapon she spied earlier, and began searching for a way out, avoiding the falling debris and bracing for weapons impacts.
Part Four: Senseless Slaughter
Silver and the others arrived on the island, to find charred corpses littered all over the beach. The purple flesh of the Glyphins had been shredded, burned, flayed off of their bodies, their green muscular structure visible underneath. Siryn, Monet, Avalon, and Havoc1 immediately became nauseous, and walked out into the water as they sickened themselves.
"My God...who would do this to primitive, harmless aliens?" Silver asked, barely holding back the urge to vomit, still softly clutching his abdomen.
"Whoever did this has a lot to answer for," the Hunter said.
Suddenly, a Glyphin came running towards them. It was shrieking and wailing as it approached them, but quickly calmed itself. "I am called Drigg," it said.
"You...speak English?" Silver asked.
"We learn quickly...spoke to Nemesis, we did. Beautiful Ocean Goddess..." Drigg mumbled, his eyes glazing over a bit.
Drigg then closed his eyes, and fell down hard, motionless in the sand.
Havoc1, Siryn, Avalon, and Monet slowly walked back onto the beach, just barely keeping themselves from becoming sick again. Siryn and Monet couldn't bear to look at the carnage, while Havoc1 and Avalon could only sustain fleeting glances at the bodies.
"This alien needs help," Silver said. "And he knows where Nemesis is. Hunter, help me out here."
The Hunter walked to Silver, and helped him stretch Drigg out on his back, hoping to be able to awaken him. Gomurr simply looked toward the forest, as he sensed something purely evil emanating from it.
--End Chapter Eleven--Coming Next: The liberation of Nemesis!
Chapter Twelve
Part One: The Devil You Know
1998. The IHFC mansion.
Antoine DuQuesne was heading for his quarters after being trained in the use of IHFC skimmers. He had fallen off a few times, and was sopping wet. To put it lightly, he wasn't very happy. As he rounded the corner, a voice came from the shadows. "Q."
He recognized the voice. "Vanguard. What is it?"
"The Prophet is unhappy with your progress thus far. He is dissatisfied with your ability to co-opt this organization for his own private usage."
"I don't need lectures, Vanguard. I need solutions."
"Your solutions lie with Hazard, the Red Rook."
"Vanguard, wait! What are you--" But it was too late. The short, enigmatic man was gone, leaving Q alone with his thoughts.
Hazard...what could he possibly have to do with this?
Part Two: War--What is it Good For?
2103. Glyph (Island of the Glyphins).
Silver kicked the sand in frustration. "Fuck this! Dammit, nothing is going right!"
"You said it," the Hunter agreed.
"Let's find Nemesis and get the hell out of here," he ordered.
"You're the boss."
They headed for the forest, where footprints led down a traffic-worn path. They followed it for several minutes, and found a large, nondescript vessel. It was gunmetal grey, and covered with tubes and pipes. But its form was indescribable. It looked as if it were molded by a sculptor into no particular form. They found it unguarded and silent, and entered. Inside, the design took on a very orderly, geometric pattern of cubes. "Damn, who designed this thing?" Avalon asked.
"It's making my eyes hurt," Havoc1 said.
"Quiet, both of you," Silver told them.
The Hunter looked around briefly, and listened very carefully. "Sounds empty. I think it's safe."
They proceeded through the ship, looking for any trace of the Black Queen. Siryn and Monet were following behind them, carrying the Glyphin, Drigg. "Why are you making us carry this thing? He's just deadweight!" Siryn said.
"Stop your whining," the Hunter said.
"I sense Nemesis," Gomurr said, who had been quiet for some time, concentrating on his magical probes. "She's directly to our left."
They turned left, and followed the repeating pattern of the corridor walls. It was quite disorienting to all of them, except for Gomurr. But Gomurr was still nearly overcome with the sense of pure evil inside this craft. He needed to get out of it as quickly as possible.
"This is strange..." Silver said. "Completely abandoned."
"Maybe they had somewhere else they wanted to go?" the Hunter wondered.
"Perhaps," Gomurr said in tentative agreement. Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks.
"What is it?" Silver asked.
"I sense...Kirax...is nearby. We must get Nemesis and get out of here quickly!"
They followed Gomurr, as he led them to the Black Queen. They found her standing over two dead humanoid aliens, gripping a rifle-like weapon. "Nice to see all of you," she said. "Your timing needs some work, though."
"What happened here?" Silver asked.
"A Koraxian attack, apparently. They all left. Where they went is anyone's guess. These two tried to halt my escape just a moment ago. I've been trying to figure a way out for the last two hours!"
"I'll lead us out of here," Gomurr stated. He cast a simple teleport spell, and they were outside the craft yet again.
"Gomurr, why couldn't you just teleport me to this island in the first place, instead of wasting the Director's 'port belt?" Nemesis asked.
"Because I could not be certain you would reach the island safely. I am not attuned to this planet's primal forces like I am to those of Earth. A short-range 'port is all I can manage here."
"Very well. But where are the others? Robert, Deadpool, Belasco, ShockWave?"
"They, along with the Director, that little girl, and Rahsas all...left," explained Silver.
"LEFT?! What happened?!"
"There was something of a disagreement between myself and the Harbinger."
"Great. So now what?"
Avalon caught the sound of ships flying through the air, and weapons fire in the distance. "Maybe we should go somewhere safer for now...it looks like there's a fight heating up."
Part Three: Finding a Way
The Harbinger was staring at the fire. Not analyzing its light wavelength, not calculating its fuel-to-energy ratio, not determining its maximum flame height. He was just staring at it. He became lost in the flames of his own personal hell. He felt it rising in him, the uncontrollable rage he felt more and more frequently these days. He had lost his temper with Silver, and would have killed him if he had not been stopped. He knew he could not let that happen again.
Startlingly, he heard a voice. "Unit M-229 to Z-132. Markup carrier trans-mode switch 1020 kilohertz."
"Acknowledged."
The Harbinger stood up. "What in the hell..." He checked the settings on his internal EM-receiver, and realized he was intercepting ship-to-ship communications. And he recognized the speech pattern. "Dor'Tel," he whispered. "Dor'Tel!" he shouted to the others, who were listening to the Director tell stories of his own time. "Come on! We have to get to the others!" he shouted.
The Harbinger grabbed the food synthesizer, and began hooking it up to himself and to his weapons. "What are you doing?" Deadpool asked.
"Rigging a teleport device...Director, give me a hand here."
The Director obeyed, and left Arianna standing next to Deadpool.
"What about our energy reserves? Won't this use them up?" ShockWave asked.
"If this works, we'll have our ticket off this planet," the Harbinger said.
--End Chapter Twelve--Coming Next: Hmmmm.... I wonder. :)
Chapter Thirteen
Part One: Sacrificing the Innocent
2103. Glyph.
Silver and his group headed for the sounds of fighting, the sounds of ripping metal, of superheated laser beams. As they neared the sounds of violence, several figures appeared before them in a blaze of light. Siryn and Monet dropped Drigg, who was still unconscious.
The Harbinger dusted himself off and stood up. "I'd say it worked, since I'm looking at you, Silver."
"Did you find a way off this planet?" Silver asked.
"The Dor'Tel...those aliens...they are our ticket out of here."
"We were heading for the sounds of the battle," Avalon said.
"Then let's go," the Harbinger said, and the others all followed him. Drigg was left behind, the others having forgotten about him.
The battle they came upon was spectacular. Koraxian ships dogfighted with Dor'Tel ships in the atmosphere, sending pieces of hull slamming into the ground. A small squad of Koraxian Interdictors buzzed right over their heads, and was torn apart by a Dor'Tel cruiser. They all ducked as the Dor'Tel cruiser whooshed over their heads, kicking up sand and dust. Without warning, a new group of ships entered the fight, with a flair and finesse that could only be from one group of people.
"Terrans!" the Harbinger shouted. "I mean...those ships are human! We're saved!"
They ran across the battlefield, avoiding chunks of shrapnel, rolling as ships careened into the ground, exploding in blue and yellow fireballs. The battle escalated as more ships joined, Koraxian ships obliterating Dor'Tel, Dor'Tel hunting down humans, humans pursuing Koraxians. As the BHC made their way across the desert plain, they saw a ship speeding, out of control, right toward them. "Scatter!" the Director called, grabbing Arianna and running as quickly as he could. When the ship struck, they were all knocked to the ground, and they felt the heat as it exploded. They regrouped in front of the wreckage, and tried to make sure everyone was accounted for, while avoiding energy
weapons. "Where are Havoc1 and Monet?" Silver asked.
Nemesis telepathically traced them, finding them unconscious, on the other end of the wreckage. "They're back there! We have to get them!"
"There's no time!" the Harbinger shouted above the screaming of Koraxian and Dor'Tel vessels overhead.
"Dammit, Robert, we're not leaving them!" Nemesis yelled in his face.
"You all just go ahead! I'll get them!" the Harbinger stated loudly.
They started running, and he sprinted to the other end of the Dor'Tel wreckage. He picked up Monet and Havoc1, draping their arms over his shoulders, and moving as quickly as he could away from them. Suddenly, he saw Nemesis running towards him. "Claudia, what the hell are you doing here!? Run!!!"
"Robert, Drigg is back there! I have to help him!"
"Drigg?"
"One of the natives...we left him behind accidentally...I have to save him!"
They both looked back the way they had come, and saw the small alien moving slowly across the battlefield. "Help me, Ocean Goddess!" he pleaded, dragging his wounded body. Nemesis started to run for him, but Maxwell grabbed her arm. "There's nothing we can do for him, Claudia. We have to get out of here."
Nemesis cried out. "NOOO!" The Harbinger looked to see what she was yelling about, and saw that one of the Terran ships was crashing to the ground, on a direct path for Drigg. The alien screeched and tried to scramble away in vain. The ship slammed into him, exploding, sending shrapnel and pieces of organic matter all about.
"Claudia! Go!" the Harbinger ordered.
Nemesis reluctantly moved forward, heading for where the other members of the BHC were. She looked back at the flaming wreckage where Drigg used to be, and a tear ran down her cheek.
"Claudia," the Harbinger said, sensing her sadness. "There was nothing we could do. This is war. War has casualties. It isn't fair, but that's the way it is."
"He wasn't a casualty, Robert! He wasn't just some number on a graph! He was an intelligent life form...and we let him die needlessly."
"I'm sorry, Claudia."
She didn't say a word as she took the weight of Havoc1 on herself, and let the Harbinger carry Havoc1. They headed for the members of the BHC, in silence.
Part Two: Battle in the Sky
Richard Maxwell piloted his Burnout medium-fighter through the atmosphere, shooting down both Koraxian and Dor'Tel bogeys. He thought he spied humans on the ground of this desert island, but he couldn't be sure. All he was sure of was that his friends were dying here, fighting a losing battle against an unbeatable foe. Dmitri Ivanov had supplied them with ships, and their groups together formed a much larger resistance cell. But he couldn't be sure it would be enough to overthrow Koraxian rule. He had observed from the sky that the natives of this planet had been brutally slaughtered, a typical Dor'Tel tactic for conquest. He switched on his communications link, and spoke. "Sam, are
you doing okay?"
"Affirmative," his girlfriend replied over the link. "Scratch two K-birds."
"Two? Damn, you're good..."
Their dialogue was cut short, as they both needed to concentrate on the battle around them. Richard dove his ship through a squadron of Koraxians, and dropped a proximity mine. It struck the ship that was below him, and sent the others slamming into each other, and crushing into the dirt and sand. "Five more down," he thought aloud.
Part Three: Losing Control
In orbit of Glyph, Kirax was screaming and shouting frantically. "Humans humans humans! How did humans get here?!?!?! KILL KILL KILL THEM ALL ALL!!! DEATH KILL HUMANS! TERRANS DIE KILL!"
Slordax was a bit disturbed by his commander's behavior. "Kirax...maybe you should calm down."
Kirax looked at his viewscreen, seeing the Terran starship that was orbiting about 20,000 kilometers away. Its hull was scorched from weapons fire. It had gaping holes from where the hull had buckled and breached. Sparks cascaded out of ports on the ship, and the running lights flickered erratically. It had obviously been through many battles, and Kirax was determined to make this its last battle, period.
"Identify that starship!" Kirax ordered.
"USS Protector. The former command of Robert Maxwell, followed by Anthony Jones."
"Aha! I told you that Robert Maxwell existed!"
"But that's our only reference to him at all. There is no other mention of him."
"That is irrelevant! Destroy that starship!"
Just as Slordax entered the command to fire, a ship appeared before Kirax's. It absorbed the blast, with barely a scratch on its paint. "What now?!" the infuriated Koraxian screeched.
"Oolians!" Slordax hissed.
"ARGH!" Kirax cried in frustration.
The battle continued, Oolians attacking Koraxians, Koraxians battling Dor'Tel, Dor'Tel battling humans, humans battling Koraxians and Dor'Tel, and the BHC watched from the relative safety of the desert sand.
--End Chapter Thirteen--Coming Next: It gets worse, folks!
Chapter Fourteen
Part One: Enter the Oolians
2103. Orbit above Glyph.
The Oolian captain, Navin, gazed through his main viewport. He enjoyed being in human form, for it had a unique sensory experience for him. In his natural state, he simply had a vague sense of location and light and warmth, and that was all. He found that most others of his race enjoyed being in a human form, as well, and used it at any opportunity. He watched as the Koraxian ships were blasted from orbit, tearing and sundering into the land and sea below. His race was a proud one, and with good reason. They had overthrown the ancestors of the Koraxians over twenty millenia ago, and remained a preeminent power in the galaxy. Still, they couldn't do everything, and preferred to stay
out of other races' affairs. That is why they allowed humanity to be conquered and enslaved, and they also knew that humanity would rise up and overthrow their oppressors. Navin himself had met several humans in his time, and found them to be diverse and peculiar beings. But he had nothing save for distaste and hatred for Koraxians.
"How are those human rebels doing?" he asked aloud.
"Taking heavy casualties," his weapons officer reported.
"Cover them. Put us between the human ships and the Koraxian ones."
"Aye, sir."
The incredibly massive Oolian ship actuated itself until it was in front of the Koraxian fleet, and began absorbing and drawing Koraxian fire.
...
"Damn the Oolians! Damn the humans! Damn the Dor'Tel! DAMN THEM ALL!"
Kirax was losing control of the situation rapidly, and his crew was beginning to realize it. Slordax eyed his console uneasily, debating whether or not to call off the attack.
"Your expression betrays you, Slordax!" Kirax screeched, and tore his new weapons officer in half.
He retargeted his ship's weapons, and headed straight for the Oolian mothership.
Part Two: A View to a War
The Black Court was standing at the edge of the battlefield, and watched as Koraxian and Oolian dropships plunged to the surface, unloading hundreds of troops. The soldiers opened fire on each other, the Koraxians gaining the upper hand right away. They killed dozens of Oolians in a single volley, but were thwarted by a well-placed spatial-inversion grenade from an Oolian troop. Hundreds of Koraxians were sucked into a vortex created by the grenade, and were torn asunder inside its maw.
"Oolian tactics may seem a bit...brutal," the Harbinger said. "But they are necessary."
"Is there any way we can get out of here?" Silver asked.
"If we can get onto one of those ships that landed, we have a chance of getting out of here. The Oolians may be kind enough to ferry us back to Earth...or maybe not."
"But Robert," ShockWave interjected, "Didn't you tell me that the Koraxians have conquered Earth, and are in control right now?"
The Harbinger cringed, wishing that the Headmistress hadn't remembered that detail. "Well...that's the biggest problem. Earth will be swarming with Koraxians. And unless the Focus is intact, we have no hope of getting home."
"I wouldn't say that," the Director told him. "The End Point or the Paradise Lost may yet locate us. Or even Inferno."
"Maybe. If we're lucky. Right now, we need a way out."
Monet and Havoc1 were coming around now, and they reoriented themselves. "What happened?" Monet asked.
"You were knocked out by a crashing ship," Nemesis said.
Abruptly, the Harbinger felt a presence, and turned toward the battlefield. He saw several humans strolling toward him.
He recognized the one in front.
"Richard!"
His brother walked toward him, and looked him up and down. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
"You're my...brother," the Harbinger muttered.
"The hell you are. My brother died five years ago, in a Koraxian attack. You don't even look like him."
The woman standing next to Richard was eyeing him suspiciously. "Who are you with?" she asked.
"We're with the Black Hellf--" Silver began, before the Harbinger put his hand over the Black King's mouth.
"We are with the Terran resistance, the New Darvin sect," the Harbinger said, pulling names out of his brother's mind.
"I had heard you were all killed last month. And what was with you, claiming to be my brother?"
"I apologize. I had mistaken you for someone else."
"Ah, I see. Very well then. Do you need a way off this planet?"
A Koraxian ship screamed overhead, and rived into the ground just feet away from them, and blew up. The Harbinger coughed from the dust. "Yeah."
"Then follow us," Richard said, walking back towards the battlefield.
The Harbinger nodded to Silver, and the BHC followed. When Samantha tried to take Arianna's hand, the Director gave her an expression that made her stop immediately.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I just wanted to help her get to the ship."
"That is not necessary, Mrs. Maxwell," he said.
"I'm not married to Richard yet. And how did you know who I was?"
"I'd heard about you in the sporadic reports coming out of Vega. Your work near L-8760 was impressive."
"Nice of you to say so. Now let's get to the ship."
They strolled to a commandeered Koraxian troopship, and boarded it. "Where are your fighters?" Silver asked.
"Wrecked," Richard said. "There's just me, Sam, and a few others we picked up. The rest of the gang is on the Protector, up in orbit."
Richard closed the main hatch, and set the ship for takeoff. It lifted off of the ground, shuddering under impacts from weaponry, but remaining intact. As soon as it was at a reasonable altitude, it pointed upwards and shot up into the void.
They found more carnage up in orbit. They barely dodged the flaming wreckage of a Dor'Tel cruiser that whipped past them at 1000 kilometers per second. They rendesvoused with the Protector a few minutes later, and the Harbinger was taken aback by the condition of his old ship. "Good God...what have they done to her?"
"We almost lost her at Procyon a few days ago. Then we got ambushed at Fomalhaut and were chased all the way to Groombridge. She's been through hell. Robert wouldn't be happy to see the state his old ship is in."
"No kidding," the Harbinger said.
They hailed the crippled ship before them. "Dmitri, let us in," Richard commanded.
"Very well. I see you've brought some guests with you."
"Yeah. Where exactly are you all headed?" he asked, turning toward them.
"Earth," the Harbinger said simply.
Richard grinned in amusement. "You can't be serious."
"We're dead serious. We need to get to the Focus."
"The Focus? But no one is supposed to know it even exists!"
"We know it exists, right Director?" the Harbinger asked.
The Director reached inside his collar, and pulled out his own Focus Key. "This is our ticket to a better world," he stated.
"Where did you get that?" Richard demanded. "That's the same necklace my brother had! You son of a bitch! Where did you get it?!"
"Richard, calm yourself," the Director said. "We are going to save Earth, just not in the way you might think."
"Who are you people?" he asked.
"The kind of people you don't want dropping in too often," the Harbinger said.
"I guess."
They boarded the Protector, and set a course for Earth, leaving the battle raging behind them.
--End Chapter Fourteen--Coming Next: A Time of War.
Chapter Fifteen
Part One: A Time of War
"Make yourselves comfortable," Richard Maxwell said, indicating the chairs in the battle-worn wardroom. The BHC took their seats, the scent of ash and scorched metal very apparent. He noticed that several were crinkling their noses at the odor. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it quickly."
"Thank you for your hospitality," Silver said.
"In this day and age, we can't afford to lose any allies in this fight."
"We've been out of contact for several months, Richard. And the Koraxians mindblanked our memories of the last few years. Would you mind explaining what happened recently?" the Harbinger asked, forced to come up with a lie to make Richard explain everything to them.
"Certainly." He sat back in his chair, and sighed deeply. "After we kicked them off Earth in 2098, the Koraxians had given up...that is, until the following year, when they invaded all of our colonies simultaneously. We believe they used the Focus, but we've still been unable to find it."
"Leave that to us," the Harbinger said. "Please go on."
"Well, we've been fighting a losing battle ever since they assassinated President Hernandez. After they took out the President, they blew up the MemCore."
"They did what?" the Harbinger asked, standing up. The Director raised an eyebrow as Arianna sat in his lap.
"Didn't you hear? After the first invasion, the existence of the MemCore was revealed to the public. Turns out, Lalande 8760 never went supernova at all...it was just converted to a memory storage center."
"That was stupid," the Harbinger frowned.
"We had to justify the military presence there. And the only way to do that was to admit what Lalande 8760 really was."
"I still don't agree with it."
"It doesn't matter anymore. The Koraxians are terraforming Earth as we speak, making it more compatible with their bodies. It'll take them a decade or so yet. Me, I was chief engineer of the Manus Ferre until it was destroyed at Barnard. I was one of ten survivors. Sam was one of the other survivors."
"What he's not telling you," his girlfriend smiled, "Is that I saved his ass on the Manus Ferre. I dragged his unconscious body to one of the escape pods, and we escaped."
"We kept running and hiding until earlier this year, when we found some other rebels. Unforunately, our weapons cache on Ross 128 was found and destroyed a few weeks ago. We got to Luna One, the old moonbase, and tried to shut down their mining op there. That's where we met Dmitri Ivanov and his Svarton cell. They got us here, because they heard there was a big Dor'Tel operation on Glyph. Looks like he was right, but didn't know the extent. He's on the bridge, guiding the ship to Earth."
"I thought you said it was insane to head for Earth?" Nemesis said.
"We can get you to Neptune Point. That's it. At that point, Dmitri says we turn back."
"That's good enough for us," the Harbinger said.
"I'm not finished. Samantha and I are coming with you."
"Richard, I'm impressed. I never would have thought you to be the suicidally courageous type," the Harbinger commented.
"We've all been through some personal evolutions during this war. Do you have a name?"
"Just call me the Harbinger."
"All right...Harbinger."
Part Two: Unexplained Illness
1998. The BHC mansion.
They stood over her as she writhed on the floor, muttering almost intelligible words. "What's wrong with her?" Nate asked.
"I don't know," Psishot said. "We were talking and she just collapsed...and started convulsing on the floor."
"Thresh?" the Iceman said, bringing his face to hers. "Are you okay?"
Her eyes stared blankly through him. Her movements calmed down, and she moaned softly.
"Who are you?" she asked, speaking in the voice of a frightened child.
"I'm the Iceman...don't you remember me?"
"Trevor?"
"No...who is Trevor?" the Iceman queried.
"Trevor..." she whispered, as if mesmerized by the sound of the name.
"Guys, something is really wrong with her," the Iceman said.
"Maybe it's Bluespark's name?" Puma11 suggested.
"Bluespark's name is Mitchell," Dark Claw said. "I don't know who she's talking about."
"Trevor..." Thresh whispered again, tears slowly rolling down her face and onto the floor.
"Psishot, can you snap her out of it?" Nate asked.
"I don't know if I should even try. I could end up damaging her mind."
"We have to do something!" Byron said.
Thresh was oblivious to the people around her. She was shut off from them, with the memory of Trevor Finney consuming her consciousness. "Trevor..."
--End Chapter Fifteen--Coming Next: Morph goes home. Plus: The End Point.
Chapter Sixteen
Part One: Exile
1998. Mrrapphia.
Morph looked at the battered headquarters of the Mrrapphian Modality. The walls were scorched and crumbling, the former Koraxian occupants doing their best to destroy it as they fled. When the news of Shatax's death spread across the galaxy, Koraxians abandoned their posts, spreading mass destruction across world after world. He and the Clan Chosen were searching for the High Command of the Mrrapphian Modality, and were having little success. That is, until an elderly Mrrapphian emerged from a pile of rubble and approached them.
"Morph...you have come back to us," the old one said.
"Yes. We wanted to make sure the Koraxians vacated this planet."
"They have. But you, Morph. You must go, as well."
"But...I just got back. I helped save our entire people! Doesn't that count for something?"
"As ever, you do not listen, Wild One. Your exile has not been completed. You must go back to Terra, and finish your mission there."
"My mission? What is my mission there?"
The old one leaned forward, and whispered something into Morph's ear. "I understand," he said.
"Good...now go, my son. The future depends upon you."
Morph walked to Nedereth and the others, and they looked quizzically at him. "Let's go get Impy, and go back to Earth, okay?"
Nedereth initiated the bodyslide, and was more than a bit concerned about Morph's depressed countenance.
Part Two: Distant Futures
The 500th Century. The End Point.
The station orbited the Nexus rapidly, keeping pace with the energetic "center of the universe". The End Point itself was composed of a sphere with six rings around it, which spun quickly about its central sphere. The rotations of the rings kept the station independent of time, protecting it from temporal distortions and such.
But for those like Solomon, it was just a part of daily life. He paced in his office as Adam, his subordinate, inputted data into his neural link. "Have you pinged anything yet?" Solomon asked.
"Negative. Tracking of the Director termed at index 303-116-981. Rift-based interference is responsible."
"Vain. Did you try the hardlink through nullspace?"
"Positive. Returned as inconclusive."
"Crosstime backslide baseline?"
"Won't work. He's without aid."
"What was the old phrase he used? 'On his own'."
Adam tilted his head. "Accurate."
"Do you have anything import/new?"
"Found genetic pre-potential in one Caeleb Arvin. Highest possible. Intellect rated as Stage Five."
"What's his chrono?"
"Four Earth-revs."
"That young? When will he be of sufficient chrono to be part of us?"
"Approx of 12 Earth-revs."
"I concur. Meantime, backslide for the Director."
"Understood."
Solomon left the office in frustration. The Director had left for A.T. 338-Iota on some "personal business" over a week ago. They had detected a ripple through every dimensional level, indicating the use of a Focus unit. Then, he vanished from their scanners. Solomon stood at one of the End Point's many viewports, and watched as the Paradise Lost slowly crept past the station. Behind it was the Nexus, the origin point for the entire universe. It stretched like a filament through every dimension. Nullspace, Normspace, the Astral Plane, Hyperspace, the Timestream, and to the Rift itself. In Normspace, it was represented as a yellow orb that pulsed and throbbed and flashed at
random. They believed it was the "cosmic egg" that belched forth all matter in Normspace at the "Big Bang". Solomon was slightly agitated that they still weren't sure of the universe's origin, even though they had been searching for it since the birth of the human race.
"Negative, that's not the core/root problem," Solomon thought aloud. "Core/root dilemma is that he's been purged from mainmap, and we can't ping him."
He felt his neurons synching up with MILTON's systems, as the sentient computer attempted to communicate with him.
"Not your error, Solomon," the computer said inside his mind.
"Can't help but think it. He left, and I didn't try to abort."
"Makes own choices, makes own mistakes, makes own journeys. Makes own way back 'home'."
Solomon looked at the Paradise Lost, where MILTON's mainframe was housed. "And what is your home, MILTON?"
"Home is where I am."
"Is peculiar...through all End Conflicts, Originator Wars...loss of language...words lost...'home' never slipped from mem. Always remained."
"Where is Solomon's home?"
"Be I bound to the Rift...I do not know."
--End Chapter Sixteen--Coming Next: Getting home comes at a price.
Chapter Seventeen
Part One: Guilt
2103. Neptune Point.
The Protector slowly drifted into orbit around Neptune, and the BHC prepared to disembark on a shuttle.
They were making sure their belongings were gathered, including weapons from one of the ship's artillery lockers. Silver approached the Harbinger. "Robert, exactly why did you come back for us back on Glyph?"
"Because through the Dor'Tel there was a way out, and you just happened to be there. That, and I didn't really feel like leaving you behind."
"Does that mean you actually care about someone besides yourself?"
"You tell me."
They loaded onto the shuttle, and initiated the preflight sequence. "The bay doors are jammed," Avalon said. "Not opening."
"Just shoot them open," Richard Maxwell said, Samantha standing with him. "If this works, everything will be fixed."
"Really?" the Harbinger asked. "All we're doing is going into the past. That probably won't have a profound impact on this time period."
"I mean..." Richard stammered. "There is still...hope that you will accomplish your mission in the past. And save us all."
"Of course," the Harbinger said. He found that for the first time in his life, his brother could actually psionically block him. What are you hiding from me? the Harbinger thought.
Avalon fired the ship's laser cannons, and blasted a hole in the Protector's hull. They flew through it, and watched as the starship jumped back into hyperspace. "They'll pick Sam and me up after this is over. We'll rendezvous with them inside the Oort Cloud."
"Understood," Silver said.
The shuttle moved slowly past Neptune, and they saw why Dmitri Ivanov didn't want to take the Protector into the inner solar system. Literally hundreds of Koraxian ships orbited Uranus, Jupiter, Saturn, and the other planets. The asteroid belt was a large mine, its minerals being extracted systematically. They slowly increased their ship's velocity, being careful to avoid Koraxian patrols.
"My God," the Harbinger said. "Richard, I hope you know where the holes are in their patrol grid."
"Naturally. We didn't survive this long without having good intelligence." He tapped a course into the nav-computer and set it on autopilot. "Just monitor it, Avalon. If it starts to fritz out, then you need to do it manually."
"Got it."
Minute by minute, they got closer to the asteroid belt. As they passed through it, Avalon carefully steered the ship past the rocks, big and small. At their speed, it only took a few seconds for them to be out of the belt, and closing in on Mars' orbit. The Harbinger took a look out the window, and then checked the astrometric guidance system. "Why is Mars not on the grid?" he asked.
"They...blew it up," Samantha said.
"Derris Cascade," the Harbinger supposed.
"Right. My entire family was killed when they destroyed Mars," she said grimly.
"There were fifty thousand colonists on Mars when I left," the Harbinger said.
"Harbinger, can I speak to you a moment?" Richard asked.
"Certainly." The Harbinger walked to his brother, and waited.
"You have told me precious little about why you are going to use the Focus to go back to 1998. I don't even know who you people really are, but I know you're not the New Darvin cell."
"You're right, Richard. We're not. We are from the past. I, specifically, am from this era. I was accidentally sent back to the 20th century. But I feel like I belong there now, and can make this a better future. One where this war never happens."
"I hope you are successful. And you know...you remind me of my brother, in some odd way."
The Harbinger smiled. "It's an honor to be compared to the great Robert Maxwell."
Richard Maxwell looked at this man before him. He felt a certain guilt over what he was about to do to these people he had rescued on Glyph. Still, he had to follow what he believed to be right. And he didn't care what the cost of victory became.
"We're almost there," Avalon said. The Director held his Focus Key tightly in one hand, and Arianna's small hand in the other. Her face reflected a grave, sedate expression, as if she understood exactly what was about to occur. "We're nearing Earth," Avalon said. "There is no way we'll get past these patrols now."
"There is a way," Richard said. "I can reroute our teleportation signal to be reflected to Luna One, and then down to the Focus. That way, the ship will never have to move past this point, and we can do what we have to do before they can stop us."
"Sounds like a plan," Havoc1 agreed.
They stepped onto their teleportation pad, and Richard keyed in their destination. With a few final inputs, he stepped onto the pad himself, and they vanished.
Their tangibility was given back to them as they landed in front of the Focus. There were all manner of devices attached to it, some still running. "Looks like they only recently left this place," Richard said. "We'd better hurry, or they'll be back very quickly."
The Director, the Harbinger, and Richard set to work on the Focus. The Harbinger looked at the slot where the key was to be inserted. His own key was in it. "What do ya know...still there, after 100 years." He took it out, and looked at it. "Looks just like it did when I put it in here."
"Put it back in, Robert," the Director said. He tapped runes and carvings on the Focus itself, and its vortex shimmered softly. The Harbinger reinserted his Focus Key. "Okay, what next?"
"I am inputting your temporal coordinates. This will also cause enough of a distortion for the End Point to notice and pluck me out of here."
"Very well."
"Stand in front of the vortex, everyone," the Director said. The BHC obeyed, and Richard and Samantha stood back.
The Director entered the last commands. Just as the BHC began to dematerialize, Richard Maxwell saw his opportunity.
He shoved the Director out of the way, and began tapping commands on the console. "What are you doing, Richard?!" the Harbinger demanded, their forms all flickering.
"I'm going to erase the Koraxians from history!" he declared triumphantly.
"Are you insane? That will disrupt the timeline too much! You can't!"
"Shut up! You don't know what I've been through! I can prevent all of this, by wiping them from existence!"
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," the Director said. His hand formed a long, slim blade of shiny steel. "I'm sorry, Richard," he said as he thrust it into his brother's abdomen. Richard looked at the Director, and then at his bleeding stomach. He collapsed to the ground.
Tears fell from Samantha's eyes, and the Black Court faded into the past.
--End Chapter Seventeen--Coming Next: The Fate of Kirax!
Epilogue
Part One: Defeat and Humiliation
2103. In orbit around Glyph.
Kirax was silent as his ship orbited Glyph. His fleet was destroyed, the Dor'Tel had fled, the few remaining Terrans had been killed. His own crew had been slaughtered, his ship was nearly destroyed. His anger had fallen away, replaced with nothing but despair. His ship's orbit slowly decayed, and with each passing second, he made his peace. He knew that if he went back to his homeworld, he would be executed for his failure. He decided suicide would be the preferable option. Glyph's gleaming oceans sparkled on his viewscreen, and he was entranced by the mosaics of color created by the sunlight bouncing off the planet's atmosphere and watery surface. As the ship gently glided into
the atmosphere, his thoughts could not have been farther from Robert Maxwell. He simply wanted death, quick and merciful. The ship broke up in the atmosphere, spires burning and shearing off his vessel. The heat began to claim him, but he remained conscious as it descended. He saw the remains of the Glyphin village on his screen, approaching quickly. In his last instant, a single regret flashed in his mind. He reached for it, as the ship gashed the ground. The explosion destroyed his body, and his mind was forced into oblivion.
Part Two: Welcome Home
1998. Inferno.
The Black Court fizzled into view on the bridge of the Inferno. They reoriented themselves as Bluespark, Nedereth, Luthos, and Dragonmaster approached. "Welcome home, Robert," Nedereth said.
"Thanks, Paul. How are things?" the Harbinger asked.
"We stopped by Morph's homeworld. He's still in exile, apparently. Impossible Man also reclaimed his throne, but is still staying among the ranks of the Hellfire Club."
"Wait...something's wrong..." the Harbinger said, feeling an oddness in his mind. Suddenly, an object appeared before him. It was his Focus Key. He picked it up, and placed it back around his neck, understanding that the Director had sent it back to him.
"Is that what was wrong?" Silver asked. "That you got your key back?"
"No... that's perfectly fine...it's something else."
"What is it?" Silver asked. "Are those back on Earth all right?"
"They're...fine, Silver. But someone...Thresh...my link with her is back."
"Isn't that good?" Bluespark asked.
"Not if what I'm feeling is coming from her. DANTE, plot us a course to Earth. We have to get back to her."
"Robert, what's wrong?" Bluespark asked concernedly.
Part Three:
2103. The Focus.
The Director looked at Samantha, sitting next to the body of Richard Maxwell. Arianna was clinging to the Director's leg, confused by his actions.
"Why did you have to kill him?" Samantha asked him, barely holding back tears.
"He was about to cause a temporal disruption... I couldn't allow that. I'm...sorry."
"Sorry? Sorry isn't going to bring him back..." she whispered.
The Director looked at the Focus, at the slot which contained the Harbinger's key. He removed it, and placed a single temporal command on it. It vanished, returning to its owner, somewhere else along the timeline. He walked to Samantha, and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Continue the fight, Samantha. Don't forget what happened here. Someday, you'll understand why I had to do this."
Her words were unspoken as the Director took Arianna's hands. With a few commands to the Focus, he disappeared with her, leaving Samantha with her dead lover.
...
The Director and Arianna materialized on the End Point, much to the surprise of Solomon and Adam.
"Returned?" Solomon asked.
"Affirmative. We're back," the Director confirmed.
"And the pre-adult?" Adam asked.
"Potential Rift-interdiction operative. My responsibility."
"Understood," Solomon said.
The Director had Adam escort the little girl to her new quarters, and the Director stood in front of a computer display. He was inputting commands quickly.
"You are doing what?" Solomon asked.
"Examining her genetic heritage."
"Does it confirm your assumptions?"
The Director checked and rechecked his results, his eyes widening slightly.
"Repeat: Does it confirm assumptions?"
"She is Siryn's descendant, that is certain."
"And paternal-reference?"
The Director was unusually quiet.
"Paternal-reference?" Solomon requested again.
The Director began to walk out of the room, shutting off the display. Solomon grabbed his arm. "What are you concealing?" he asked.
"There exist boundaries, Solomon. Lines that must remain inviolate."
"What is she?" Solomon demanded again.
"The crossed boundary."
--End Kirax War--Coming Next: Vantage Point, by Harbinger.