34
Liam jumped off the opening of the Kraven vessel to the sand a meter below. His brown boots quickly became yellowed with the fine grains of sand. The breeze picked up and several specs found their way into his eyes. He held the device in his left arm and he blocked the wind with his right.
Saturn was the next down from the ship and jogged to catch up to him. She undid her ponytail and her dark brown locks became tousled in the breeze. Liam glanced over casually, noting that the look suited her. She turned to him and said, “Back there, that was incredible.”
Liam’s ego inflated a little with pride and he let himself smile, his mouth curling up at the side and causing the scar on his cheek to tighten up.
“Incredibly stupid,” she added, punching his arm and throwing him off balance. “You could have gotten us all killed, what were you thinking?”
Liam’s smile faded and he defended, “Well I had to do something, didn’t I?”
Saturn looked away and said, “You had me worried there.”
When she turned back to him she wore a small smile. “Remind me to never get in a fight with you,” she said before taking off toward The Garuda.
Liam knew Saturn wasn’t the best at displaying her emotions, making what she said even more uplifting. Ju-Long clapped a hand on his shoulder. Liam hadn’t even heard him approaching because he was in such a stupor.
“Maybe we should reserve you two a private room.”
Liam brushed his hand away and replied, “Ha, ha. Very funny. Hey, where’s Nix?”
The Dinari was right behind them a moment ago, but wasn’t anywhere in sight. Liam and Ju-Long stopped and examined the wreckage with hands cupped around their eyes to block the rays of the sun. Several flashes of blue cut through the air, sparking off the metal debris. In the distance, Liam once again heard the howls of the Kraven Throng, easily penetrating the broken hull of the ship. Nix appeared at the hole in the side of the ship, firing several shots backward before jumping off the edge to the sand below. He sprinted toward them, firing back shots as he went.
Ju-Long raised his weapon and fired randomly at the wreckage, hoping to hit something. Bolts of blue filled the air, sending up plumes of sand as they hit all around the Dinari. Liam reached for the weapon at his side and remembered it had been destroyed by the Kraven. Saturn had heard the commotion and began firing shots from the ship’s ramp. Nix was just ten meters away when Liam realized the source of the shots.
Dozens of Ansaran vessels rose up over the Kraven vessel and moved to surround them. Several fired warning shots into the sand, clouding Liam’s vision and forcing him to cover his eyes with his free hand. A voice came out over a loudspeaker. “Don’t move. Lower your weapons or we’ll open fire.”
Liam recognized the voice and grimaced. It was Toras, the new Caretaker of Garuda Colony and former head of security. Nix stopped a meter shy of Liam and Ju-Long, holding his knees to catch his breath. Ju-Long and Liam exchanged glances. Ju-Long tightened his jaw and lowered his weapon to his side bitterly.
One of the Ansaran vessels landed and through the dust Liam could make out five figures disembarking. Toras approached quickly, his frayed brown cape fluttering violently in the wind, wrapping around his sandy armor. Liam noticed he wasn’t wearing his oblong helmet, letting his white scales take on the yellow hue of the sky. His entourage came up to them with weapons raised. One of them snatched Ju-Long’s weapon right out of his hand. Liam felt like he was watching the scene in slow motion, helpless.
Liam chanced a look back at The Garuda and four more Ansarans were wrestling Saturn’s weapon from her hands, one using the butt of his weapon to clock her on her cheekbone. Liam cursed under his breath and approached Toras. His four lackeys attempted to restrain him but let go when Toras raised a hand. In the distance, more shots were fired and the Kraven howls ceased. Toras looked off at the wreckage in the distance and smiled.
The new Caretaker then turned his attention to the box in Liam’s hands. “That device you hold is too powerful. Give it to me and your lives will be spared.”
“Because you’ve proven yourself so trustworthy,” Liam said sarcastically.
“I intend to destroy it.”
Liam’s eyes widened. He wondered from whom Toras was taking his orders. Regardless, they couldn’t let him destroy it. He, Saturn and Ju-Long needed it to get back to their own solar system.
“You can’t. Who’s putting you up to this?”
“After Ragnar showed his true colors, the High Council deemed this device too dangerous to exist. It will be dealt with by our people. I will ask only once more. Give it to me.”
Toras’ entourage all raised their weapons at Liam. He looked down at the black cube, so unassuming, so light in his hands. He wondered how something so small could have caused all of this. Liam held the Azure Key up to examine its matted black surface closer. A gust of wind blew sand over him and the device and when he opened his eyes, his heart stopped.
The surface of the cube was not entirely smooth as the Disciples had described. Etched ever so lightly on one of the sides were two words he never thought he’d see again. The sand hung there for a second before blowing away. Liam could feel adrenaline flow to his extremities and his heart rate quicken. In that moment he began to question everything he knew.
In his daze, he hardly noticed one of the Ansaran soldiers take the device from his hands. Liam continued to stare at his empty outstretched palms for several seconds, until finally they balled up into fists, shaking with the pressure of a fury he’d never known before.
The soldier put the cube in Toras’ hands, who examined it briefly before tucking it under one arm. He smiled and said, “Your cooperation is appreciated. With respect to your efforts today, and assuming you don’t start any trouble, you may come and go as you please.”
With that, Toras turned, his cape whipping around behind him, and took off toward his ship. The Ansaran soldiers had neglected to give Ju-Long and Nix their weapons back.
Ju-Long whispered to them, “Was that a thank you?”
Nix shook his head with disappointment. “It’s as good as you could hope to get from the likes of him.”
Saturn joined them just as the Ansaran ships lifted off, leaving them in a swath of dust. Saturn was cradling her cheek as she looked to the downtrodden Liam and asked, “What the hell happened?”
“It’s the box,” Liam began.
“I know,” Saturn replied, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll get it back or we’ll find another way home. This isn’t over.”
“No. The box, it can’t be right. It’s impossible.”
Ju-Long eyed him closely. “What is it?”
“The device wasn’t how the Disciples described. Sand blew onto the side and it said...It just couldn’t be.”
The crew waited expectantly while Liam found the words. Finally, Ju-Long said, “Spit it out.”
“Vesta Corp. The box read Vesta Corp.”
Saturn’s jaw dropped. “No, that’s not possible. We’re the first humans in this system.”
She turned to Nix expectantly. Nix pointed to himself and said, “Don’t look at me, I’ve never seen a human before I met you.”
The Ansaran ships faded into the distance, becoming absorbed by the yellow horizon. Liam stared off at the sky, still so foreign to him with its almost permanent sunset. Ju-Long stamped at the sand with his boot in frustration. “Where do we go from here?”
Nix spoke first, “I know of someone who may be able to help, but it will require we work with Zega again.”
“I forgot about him,” Liam admitted. “I guess you could say we’ve done what he’s asked, which means we’re even.”
“If we go to him for this, he may require more than just a favor.”
Liam thought about Zega’s last favor request while looking at the Kraven wreckage. What he’d asked for was hardly a small feat. Zega was hardly the kind of person to whom Liam wanted to be indebted. Nix crossed his arms an
d said, “Zega will help us because he has no choice, but that doesn’t mean the price won’t be steep.”
Liam motioned toward The Garuda, “What about that? Isn’t that Zega’s ship?”
“She is no one’s ship. She flies where she wishes. Zega may be the technical owner, but she’s never let him ride her.”
“How can a ship reject a passenger?”
“She fakes an engine malfunction.”
Liam shook his head, letting a smile form across his face. “Well then, Captain Nix, lead the way.”
“Actually, that reminds me,” Nix said, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you. If this mess with the Kraven has taught me anything it’s that I have a lot to learn.”
“What are you saying?”
“You are the first to best a Kraven in single combat. I’ve never even heard stories of such a thing. You should lead this...whatever we are.”
Saturn mused, “Captain Liam Kidd. It does have a nice ring to it.”
“Me? I can’t even place us on a map. I don’t know what use I’ll be.”
“I know this system better than any Dinari. I will be your guide. All you have to do is lead.”
Liam turned to Saturn and Ju-Long. “And both of you agree with this?”
Saturn nodded and said, “But don’t expect me to blindly follow your orders though. Don’t forget, I used to boss you around.”
Ju-Long looked Liam up and down and then pointed to his biceps. “If we’re going to be fighting any more Kraven I think we’ll have to work on packing on a little muscle in this area.”
“I’ll work on that,” Liam said sardonically.
Ju-Long smiled. “You might also want to try some growth hormones.”
Liam stood up straight to make himself appear taller. “For a human I’m pretty tall.”
“If you say so.”
Nix and Saturn began walking toward The Garuda, shaking their heads. Saturn said loud enough for Liam to hear, “Maybe this was a bad idea.”
EPILOGUE
Smoke curled around the wrecked bridge, up and out through the massive hole left by the Ansaran vessels. The jagged circle that was cut from the ceiling dropped hundreds of tons of metal on countless Kraven. Their purple blood now adorned the broken pieces of steel jutting from the grated floor of the bridge. Bodies lay all around, burned with the Ansaran laser blasts. The cowards did not even entertain a hand-to-hand fight. Instead, a dozen ships fired in on them, cutting through them ruthlessly.
He heard the last breaths around him cease. He was alone now. One hundred Kraven dead and he was the only survivor. What a pity. But he did not have the will to die. As a commander of the Throng he had certain obligations. He remembered the words of his father.
‘If you cannot live to seek honor, live to seek revenge.’
The Kraven wiped blue war paint from his face using the back of his hand. On his hand he saw purple swirls within the blue. A small wound. He made his way to his feet, cradling his left arm where a laser blast had cut into his shoulder. His gaze traveled up to the setting sun and he squinted his golden eyes. Though it would not be this day, Garrick would have his revenge. Of that, he was sure.
Note from the Author
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