The Guardians
Book One
PATH TO VENGEANCE
W. H. Cann
W.H. Cann asserts the moral right to
be identified as the author of this work
Copyright 2002 W. H. Cann
Published by W. H. Cann
Cover Illustration W. H. Cann
Produced by Knight-Ware
Copyright 2015 W. H. Cann
ISBN: 978-1-46-594734-5
All Rights Reserved
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, or organisations are entirely coincidental.
Contents
Title
Copyright
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 01
Chapter 02
Chapter 03
Chapter 04
Chapter 05
Chapter 06
Chapter 07
Chapter 08
Chapter 09
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Other Books
Prologue
Mabraant, Mabra System, Fazaal Sector, Gaashox Quadrant
Calendar of the Ancients 11,190
Grogaan was standing by one of the large viewing windows at the main space port in Herloan City, staring at the sky and feeling happier than he could ever remember. He was waiting excitedly for the arrival of Miranda, his fiancée, who was returning from a visit to Breolis Primar in the nearby star system.
He was well respected at Mabraant Engineering where he worked and had excelled in his abilities as an engineer. He had recently passed his advanced flying course, and it was the first anniversary of his engagement to Miranda. In another year he would be reapplying to join the Mabra Defence Academy, and hopefully start his fighter training. If successful, he would be following in the footsteps of six generations of Learmans, all of whom were renowned fighter pilots.
The ship was overdue by an hour, his excitement diminished slowly as time passed, and he feared for her safety. Most ships arriving in the Mabra System were late because their arrival had to be timed with that of a fighter escort, but it did not prevent him from worrying.
The escort ships were the new Manta Class Interceptors, a fast and beautiful starfighter Grogaan hoped to fly once he was enrolled into the Academy. He recalled a time when ship escorts were unnecessary, but that was over five years ago, before the Krelathan raiders began attacking ships in the star systems bordering the raiders’ home system of Krela.
The transport arrived at the edge of the system, decelerated to sub-lightspeed and set course for the planet. “Damn it,” the pilot cursed when he saw what was waiting for them.
“Mabra Defence, this is transport beta-gamma-seven-four-three; we are under attack. I repeat, we are under attack,” said the communications officer.
Fifteen Krelathan fighters appeared from behind the nearby moon and several opened fire. Blue laser bolts streaked across space and hit the transport on the port side knocking out all of the electronic systems, rendering the ship dead in space. The Kraylons slowed and prepared to dock with the stricken ship, the crews intent on boarding and pillaging anything of value. Moments later, five interceptors from the Mabra Defence Force arrived.
“Alpha Squadron, let’s go do our job,” said Wing Commander Learman. “Watch your backs and do your best.”
“Yes Sir!” responded the four other pilots.
The Mabra Defence pilots were outnumbered three to one, but it did not stop them fighting with skill and tenacity. Wing Commander Ruebern Learman was a veteran fighter, highly respected and one of the best pilots in the force. He was also one of the last of those who had more than five years experience in combat.
The four younger pilots remained in pairs as they fought, but one by one they were killed. Ruebern broke formation to chase one of the larger ships heading for the transport. A few seconds later it exploded. Without hesitation he targeted another, and another, remaining calm and focussed on the task ahead. With three ships destroyed, he veered off to avoid an oncoming pair of TS5 starfighters.
On board the transport, Miranda Talashon was standing beside her father watching the fight, and fearing for their lives knowing the reputation of the Krelathan raiders. She desperately wanted to get home to be with her fiancé, to feel safe again, but was anxious about what was going to befall them.
Alandra was angry. “Damn those Krelathan scum,” he cursed. His wife stared at him in shock never having heard him speak in such a manner. “The Senate will hear about this, and I will make sure they do something about it. It’s time they put the lives of their people above their damn bickering and financial prudence. It’s time we took the fight to these scum and put an end to their villainy.”
Unfortunately, the opportunity to voice his opinions or arguments to the Senate never came.
“Watch your back Sir! You’ve got three on your tail,” said Pilot Officer Andrews.
“Roger Andrews, and thanks.” Ruebern attempted to shake them off but they were good, very good. As soon as he managed to lose one, either another took up the pursuit or the one he lost managed to fall back on his tail. Five minutes later he was alone, one against eight, odds even he could not survive against. Despite his skills in evading the pursuers, several laser bolts struck his fighter at the stern. His ship lost power and he knew his time was up.
He looked at the holophoto of his wife fixed on the side panel. “Forgive me Kareana. Goodbye my love,” he said as he run two fingers across the woman’s face. His one regret was that he was unable to say goodbye to his family. For the first time since his second son Grogaan was born, a tear trickled down his cheek. Then he was gone. His ship exploded and vanished from existence.
The inexperienced Krelathan that played a part in killing Ruebern was overzealous in his desire to take his first kill. He fired recklessly and most of his shots missed the target. Unfortunately, one of those stray shots hit the stern of the transport, destroying a small access panel and the power coupling behind it.
It was a one in a million shot.
The failure of the coupling caused a chain reaction that travelled along the power conduits within the ship’s structure. A few moments later the transport exploded in a massive fireball taking out two Krelathan fighters.
Grogaan was in a state of panic. He knew something was wrong, very wrong. He did not know how, but there was no doubt in his mind. Gazing skyward, he clearly sensed death. Four sudden stabs of pain struck his mind and spirit, one after the other. Then he felt a much stronger sensation and knew his father was dead. He sensed the cry of anguish, a moment of intense pain and then nothing. The sensation made his whole body tingle. The loss of his father cut him deeply. He felt nauseous and weak, but it was not all over: Worse was yet to come.
He had not even had time to accept his father’s death, when moments later the sense of death that hit him was overwhelming. It felt as if hundreds of lives had been lost simultaneously, all crying out as one. Among the multitude of deaths he felt, he sensed one particular death as clear as someone plunging a knife into his heart; his fiancée Miranda had died. He knew it. He felt it. He sensed the pain and the sadness. For a moment he swore he heard
his name being called out.
Then there was nothing. She too was gone from his life.
The loss cut him to the core of his being. It felt as if his soul was being torn from his body. Grogaan went into complete shock, his gaze fixed blankly toward space. His knees felt weak, his heart thumped painfully in his chest, and everything began to swirl around in front of him. He wanted to scream in grief, to lash out at anything nearby, to hurt someone, to hurt himself. Intense anger rose up within hiding his grief, but his strong self-discipline built up over the years prevented him from acting foolishly. Hatred and contempt followed. His mind filled with thoughts of extracting vengeance upon the perpetrators.
Grogaan, filled with grief, anger and hatred, walked idly back to his ship and then flew away from the spaceport. He knew he was in no fit state to fly, but he did not care.
Nothing mattered anymore.
His mind became numb from shock, he was unaware of everything going on around him, and he did not even know where he was flying. As if fate was guiding him, he ended up at the one place that meant something to him: Lake Mabreese where he had first met Miranda.
He climbed out of his ship, walked to the spot where he had asked Miranda to marry him, and sat on the dry grass beside the stream where he remembered the good and happy times with his fiancée.
The first was on the occasion of his sixteenth birthday. Grogaan arrived home from the Junior Education Faculty excited about what his father had bought him. He was disappointed because he saw nothing that resembled a present, and then his father spoke to him: ‘Well, if you go through life with such little patience and lack curiosity, you won’t get far.’ He had then taken him into the garage where his first spaceship was parked. It was the happiest day of his life, and what made it even better was that his father had secured him a place at Mabraant Engineering as an apprentice engineer.
Six years later he met Miranda and was completely smitten. Their relationship developed profoundly, and a year later, he proposed. She accepted without hesitation, making that day an even better day than his sixteenth birthday. He remembered it perfectly.
Miranda loved swimming and went for a swim in the lake. When she came out in her white bikini, Grogaan was unable to avert his gaze. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, had a lovely figure, and he savoured the sight of her wet skin glistening in the sunlight. She stopped beside him and slipped on her white dress. Kneeling before her he asked her to marry him, and the joy he felt when she accepted was indescribable. She turned toward the lake, lifted her hand high and gazed admiringly at her ring.
The image of her by the lake was permanently etched into his mind.
For a few moments the memory brought happiness to his soul, but then reality snapped back and took that happiness away. His brother Ben had been killed in action while fighting against the Krelathans only a week before. Now his father and his fiancée had been killed. His father, Ruebern Learman, was Grogaan’s hero and the one he looked up to. He wanted to grow up to be like him, a good husband, father, and most of all a fighter pilot. Miranda was his one true love and the one he hoped to spend the rest of his life with. She was his soul mate: His everything. Words could not describe how he truly felt about her.
The fresh realisation that he had lost her hit Grogaan more profoundly than before. It was like a laser bolt striking his chest. It burned so deep he simply lost the will to live. There was nothing worth living for now she was gone. The pain of his loss was so intense his heart felt as if it was about to rupture. His mind was reeling from grief. His soul burned from anger and hatred toward the Krelathans. It was too much for him to bear, and he blacked out.
Fate had dealt an unfair hand to Grogaan, or so it appeared. He changed from a joyous young man who had everything to live for to one who had lost all he cared for. He awoke as dusk was falling. Never had he felt so thoroughly wretched and worthless. He managed to stand up, but remained where he was for a moment. He pictured Miranda standing with her hand raised and gazing admiringly at her ring, the diamonds sparkling in the sun.
“Miranda my sweet rose, I love you, will always love you.” After choking back the grief threatening to overwhelm him, he wiped fresh tears from his face and looked skyward. “I vow to avenge your death, that of your parents, my brother and my father. I swear I will make those Krelathan scum pay for their atrocities. I swear I’ll not rest until they are vanquished or I am dead.”
The losses Grogaan experienced would turn this young man into a deadly force, one who would act above and beyond his calling; the light within the darkness; the storm that leaves havoc in its wake.