This detail will become very relevant during the final chapters of this story... just not in the way you're expecting.
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Thanks for posting your stories.Thanks for reading! As I always say, I have no real expectations for these stories. Just out to have fun. Enjoy as much or as little as you like!
I should have said it is *nice sometimes* without the extra article. However, I think you caught my drift.
Having fun with the writing and presenting is what it is about for some of us writAARs. Looking forward to getting caught up.
At least Tenna and Trig had some time to enjoy themselves, even if it was only in a dream.
I think that the lack of dreams for Roath and Tenna and Trig's shared dreams are related, but I'm not sure how. It probably has something to do with psionics...
Eh, I'm not sure I agree with Ponnico. Ellex Camber has an enemy, sure, but I don't know if that means that they have an ally. The enemy of my enemy is now always my friend... Anyone who hated the Horde might be willing to do what this mysterious figure did with the Keystone.
Well, the emperor is dead, and Tenna was apparently his daughter. Yeah, that's going to be a massive problem... especially given Tenna and Trig's relationship.
Were Tenna and Trig far enough from the point of impact to survive? If so, how injured are they?
I think that the lack of dreams for Roath and Tenna and Trig's shared dreams are related, but I'm not sure how. It probably has something to do with psionics...
Eh, I'm not sure I agree with Ponnico. Ellex Camber has an enemy, sure, but I don't know if that means that they have an ally. The enemy of my enemy is now always my friend... Anyone who hated the Horde might be willing to do what this mysterious figure did with the Keystone.
Well, the emperor is dead, and Tenna was apparently his daughter. Yeah, that's going to be a massive problem... especially given Tenna and Trig's relationship.
Were Tenna and Trig far enough from the point of impact to survive? If so, how injured are they?
There is a Psionic connection. A few elements that were discussed in early chapters are coming back into play.
Oh, yes. Trig's journey to the Necropolis has just become so much more difficult.
About 900 Kilometers. (from Lansing to New York, roughly) They will survive, but life-threatening consequences of the impact will become apparent very soon. Staying on Sutharia at this point is probably a bad idea.
Chapter 25: The Beginning of a Nightmare
Chapter 25
The Beginning of a Nightmare
The entire world lurched one meter of the left. Trig lost his footing and fell hard on his side. Then the world lunged to right. Trig was thrown into Anfel, who screamed in pain.
“It’s an earthquake!” Glossom shouted. “Everyone stay on the ground!”
The sound of it was far worse than anything Trig could have imagined. High-rise buildings, skyscrapers, and all sorts of infrastructure came crashing down, one after another in a cascade of noise and chaos that seemed to last forever.
Laying flat on the pavement, Trig kept his hands over his head, but after a moment, he suddenly noticed that the air smelled different.
“Dust cloud!” Rulan yelled. “Cover your mouth and nose!”
Trig pulled at the collar of his shirt, tugging it up to his face. In those few tense moments, he opened his eyes.
All Trig could see was an acrid shade of yellow. The people around him coughed and spluttered.
“I think the worst is over.” Rulan said. “Everyone on your feet! Bronley, Selborne, Anfel, get back to the Cascade and give me a damage report. Glossom, Ponnico, with me!”
The Secret Police were also attempting to take charge.
“Evacuate the area!” An officer yelled. “Move calmly away! Do not take anything with you!”
Caera found Trig and Tenna. She grabbed the children and started moving them through the dust cloud toward the hangar bay where Resonance Cascade was stored. Just when the building loomed out of the shrouded surroundings, Trig heard a loud bang! A small object shot through the roof of the hangar and flew into the cloudy skies, making a high-pitched buzzing sound as it went.
“Utility drone away!” Captain Kanter yelled from somewhere behind Trig.
Trig looked around and spotted the mercenary leader. He was holding a tablet computer in one hand and was using it to fly the drone. Kanter stood stock still on the tarmac, and terrified citizens pushed him aside as they ran for their lives.
Trig, Tenna, Caera, Rulan, Selborne, Bronley, Anfel, Ponnico, and Glossom all ran for the hangar at top speed, panting heavily. The air was so choked with dust that nobody could get a proper lungful of air.
Anfel reached the hangar first. He held his hand over the control panel, closing both the horizontal and vertical vehicle doors, leaving only a single doorway for people to move through. As soon as the last member of Team Arfor was through, Anfel slammed the door and locked it. Trig, Tenna, Caera, and the mercenaries were locked inside of the hangar with the Resonance Cascade. The noise of the chaos outside continued, albeit muffled a little.
“What the hell just happened!?” Kanter yelled.
“Someone shot down the Emperor’s ship!” Tenna cried.
“No, I mean after that!” Kanter said. “A frigate-sized yacht doesn’t cause earthquakes like that!”
Rulan broke from the group, walking back to the Cascade.
“I’m going to connect one of our televisions to the Interlink. There’s got to be a news agency that’s picked up the story by now.”
“Do we need to do that?” Ponnico asked. “I think we know what’s about to happen.”
A grim silence fell over the group, which Trig broke.
“What’s going to happen?”
Ponnico grimaced and folded his arms.
“Yesterday night, Rulan and I heard reports that the Nocturnal Plague might be loose in the city. Which means the Madness is not far behind.”
“We need to leave.” Selborne said.
“How long will it take us to get this ship off the ground?” Trig asked the group. “Can’t we just gun the engine and go?”
“Launching into space is not that easy.” Glossom said. “We have to secure the interior of the vessel for launch; we have to properly configure the engines, the pumps, the flight computer needs to be programmed. It’s a whole process, and we started doing it yesterday.”
“Yeah, we were planning to launch tomorrow.” Bronley added.
“Everyone, start trimming the fat.” Kanter ordered. “Cut out any pre-flight checks that are unnecessary, I want us in the air as soon as possible! Rulan, get on the Interlink and find out what the hell happened.”
…
Everyone set to work on the ship. Trig and Tenna ran from one room to the next, picking up loose items and securing them in lockers. Tenna then went to oversee the loading of an argon gas tank. Trig ran upstairs to the cockpit where he helped Anfel with pre-flight checks. Even Caera got involved, laying out spacesuits in the armory and doing last-second checks on each, making certain that everyone would have their own suit ready to use at a moment’s notice.
After a few hours of frantic working, Rulan activated the intercom and contacted everyone.
“Everyone come to the galley! It’s on the news.”
Trig and Anfel were the last to arrive, having come from the cockpit five stories up. Chef had moved a large digital screen to one side of the galley and had the television set to the state-sponsored news outlet. A flustered-looking anchorperson struggled to keep his voice calm.
“…this is an extremely dangerous situation…” The newscaster was saying. “Please take shelter immediately. The City of Venka Urbo is currently caught in multiple disasters at once. Please refer to the map behind me.”
The screen changed, showing a map of the city and surrounding areas, Two highly specific spots were pointed out with red labels, while the words EARTHQUAKE DANGER were spelled out in bright red letters on the chyron.
“The Emperor’s personal yacht has crashed into the Trade District. Emergency services are responding to the scene and we ask all citizens to stay away from the area. Please remain in your home and keep your television or radio tuned to this station for more information.”
The anchorperson gestured to the red dot on the northern end of the map.
“We continue to receive unverified reports of a hostile military force landing on the northern side of Venka Urbo. Multiple spaceships of unknown origin were seen landing near the Mining District, and many of you have called in to our station saying you have seen armed men moving into the city. At this time, we have just as much information as yourselves. I say again: do not panic. Go to the lowest level of your home and stay there. Do not go out into the streets, do not-”
The image froze. The robot looked from the TV to the crew and back again.
“My apologies.” Chef said. “It appears the signal was interrupted from their end. We may regain it in a moment.”
“Son of Kumase… someone really shot down the Emperor.” Bronley breathed. “You don’t think it was the SLA, do you?”
He was asking Captain Kanter.
“It might have been.” Kanter admitted. “Remember all that money we made from Shepminter’s homeworld? 50 million Somonis would get you a lot of man-portable anti-air weapons from MSI… and I mean a lot of them.”
“Guys!” Trig shouted. “The TV’s back!”
The broadcast was back online, but the news desk was no longer visible. Instead, a completely different image was onscreen. Chef twitched its head and declared:
“Alert! The state-sponsored broadcast has been hijacked by unknown actors!”
Rulan quickly picked up his tablet computer and brought up a copy of the state news.
“Damn, he’s right.” Rulan said. “The pirate broadcast is all over the interlink. Everyone in the Empire can see this!”
Trig looked at the pirate broadcast.
A group of Berken men, all dressed in lightweight power armor and carrying military-grade weapons, stood on the side of a highway. Behind them, the skyline of Venka Urbo was shrouded in dust. One of the Berken soldiers, who had an officer’s cord hanging off his shoulder, took a step toward the camera and began to speak:
“My name is Albury Charnhem. I am the commander of the Sutharian Liberation Army. We are the military arm and voice of the oppressed men and women of the Sutharian nation. We are the Tiess, Berken, Tnara, Kantu, Ranvia, Folo, Kunde, Enturi, Ilimrig, and those possessing the shimmering gift of the gods! We are those whom the Valdemar sought to enslave and rule, and we are the ones responsible for the attacks on Sutharia, the same attack that brought about the death of the so-called Emperor Canto.”
Commander Charnhem stood to one side and gestured to the wrecked city behind him. Then he continued:
“This attack was retribution for generations of atrocities committed by the Valdemar against innocent Sutharians, and it was also the final searing proof of the greatest lie in history: The Olinbar lie, the lie of Valdemar superiority over what our former overlords called ‘the lesser races.’ We will no longer stand by and watch our kin be persecuted and subjugated to the savage reign of the Valdemar. We will not permit the Valdemar to save themselves while the Nocurnal Plague rampages through our families and friends. The Sutharian Liberation Army is now approaching Venka Urbo to end the Vestem regime once and for all. We have the men, the weapons, and the knowledge to take this city… any resistance against us is ill-advised. And should any Valdemar think themselves capable of fighting against the SLA… I urge them to watch this demonstration.”
Commander Charnhem pointed at one of his soldiers. The man raised a radio to his ear, and then said:
“Bring them out.”
The camera zoomed out and then refocused on a point to the left of Commander Charnhem. What Trig saw next made him scream in fright, and his was not alone. Everyone gasped and shouted as the screen came back into focus.
A team of Berken and Tiess soldiers escorted three prisoners in front of the camera, two men and a woman. All three of the prisoners had been stripped down to their underwear, their bodies bruised and bloodied. Everyone, including Trig, knew who these people were, but Commander Charnhem introduced them anyway:
“People of Sutharia… behold. Your oppressors: Morenia Vestem, wife of our late Emperor who calls herself the Prime Minister of the oppressor regime. We have Canto Vestem the Second, eldest son and Minister of Defense. This is Landore Vestem, the middle son. Governor of the very world we are here to liberate.”
Commander Charnhem turned to face the three prisoners. Trig noticed that Morenia Vestem’s hair was down, and it looked just as curly and chaotic as Tenna’s. He briefly wondered if this was what Tenna would look like as an adult.
“For your crimes against the people of Sutharia… Commander Charnhem said: “I sentence you to be shot.”
Then, in a series of quick movements, Commander Charnhem drew his pistol. Morenia opened her mouth and started to say something, but before she could utter a single word, Commander Charnhem shot her between the eyes. Morenia toppled over backwards while her sons yelled and tried to lunge at their captors. There was a chatter of machine gun fire, and then all three of the royals were dead. Commander Charnhem holstered his pistol and turned to face the camera.
“Rejoice, Sutharia.” He said. “You are free.”
The broadcast ended, and the screen went blank.
For a few moments, the crew of the Resonance Cascade was silent. Tenna was sobbing into Selborne’s chest. After a few moments, Ponnico said:
“There’s going to be a genocide.”
Trig felt a chill in his bones. Ponnico grabbed his shoulder.
“It all happened so fast.” Anfel said. “How did the SLA manage to pull this off?”
“They had help.” Ponnico said. “And I think we all know who was helping them. “Shepminter, Annora. Stay here. Kanter, Selborne, Anfel, with me.”
…
Ponnico and his comrades stepped off the ship and through the hangar door. Trig and Tenna followed them cautiously at a distance. While Ponnico, Anfel, Kanter, and Selborne walked out of the hangar to look around the area, the two children stopped at the hangar door, looking out from the safety of the reinforced building.
Somehow, Trig knew what he was going to see before Ponnico pointed it out.
“Someone opened a Conduit.” Ponnico said, pointing at the sky. “There must be one in the city somewhere. That’s how it got here.”
Trig and Tenna glanced in the direction he was pointing.
There it was.
Twisting and waving through the orange sky, the Song of the Solitaire was circling high above, giving the city of Venka Urbo a sickening green halo. Every few minutes, a bolt of lightning shot down from the aurora and struck some unknowable location within the apocalyptic hellscape. Each crack of thunder shook Trig’s bones.
“So that means… the Chosen of the Great Khan are here in the city.” Selborne said.
“Yes.” Said a sinister voice nearby. “Yes, we are.”
Ellex Camber stepped out of the shadows and revealed himself.
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Some mildly interesting behind-the-scenes trivia:
When I created the character Trig Shepminter, I named him after Trig Soban, a character from the Homeworld games. (I think I've mentioned my love for these games at least once in every thread I've ever started.)
Chapter 25, seen above, contains a minor Easter Egg: the phrase "Trig's Bones" is a callout to "the Legend of Trig's Bones," a story told by the Kushan (protagonist race of the first Homeworld game)
You can read the full text of the legend below:
The legendsmiths have long told the tale of Trig Soban, an accomplished Soban mercenary, who in the year 497 traveled to the northern lands to fight for a new employer.
Upon arriving at the lord’s town Trig found it under siege. Broken and defeated his employer told Trig that he was free to go, the battle obviously lost.
But a Soban warrior is bound by honor to fight until the terms of a contract are fulfilled.
The legendsmiths say that the lord’s dismissal still hung in the air as Trig drew his sword, turned, and marched out of the town, where he proceeded to single-handedly cut a bloody swath to the middle of the enemy encampment. They say he managed to kill their general before he was cut down himself. They say the Soban never recovered the body of their brother. They say that in a rage, the enemy lord had Trig’s body scattered across the continent.
When we took to the stars the legends traveled with us and to this day, this strange area of space is referred to as Trig’s Bones, a memorial to the legendary fighter.
- official description of the multiplayer map "Trig's Bones" in the 2000 PC game "Homeworld Cataclysm"
You can see gameplay video of Trig's Bones on my youtube channel (Link below)
When I created the character Trig Shepminter, I named him after Trig Soban, a character from the Homeworld games. (I think I've mentioned my love for these games at least once in every thread I've ever started.)
Chapter 25, seen above, contains a minor Easter Egg: the phrase "Trig's Bones" is a callout to "the Legend of Trig's Bones," a story told by the Kushan (protagonist race of the first Homeworld game)
You can read the full text of the legend below:
The legendsmiths have long told the tale of Trig Soban, an accomplished Soban mercenary, who in the year 497 traveled to the northern lands to fight for a new employer.
Upon arriving at the lord’s town Trig found it under siege. Broken and defeated his employer told Trig that he was free to go, the battle obviously lost.
But a Soban warrior is bound by honor to fight until the terms of a contract are fulfilled.
The legendsmiths say that the lord’s dismissal still hung in the air as Trig drew his sword, turned, and marched out of the town, where he proceeded to single-handedly cut a bloody swath to the middle of the enemy encampment. They say he managed to kill their general before he was cut down himself. They say the Soban never recovered the body of their brother. They say that in a rage, the enemy lord had Trig’s body scattered across the continent.
When we took to the stars the legends traveled with us and to this day, this strange area of space is referred to as Trig’s Bones, a memorial to the legendary fighter.
- official description of the multiplayer map "Trig's Bones" in the 2000 PC game "Homeworld Cataclysm"
You can see gameplay video of Trig's Bones on my youtube channel (Link below)
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Hmm, not at all sinister and Orwellian sounding. The use of Weapons of Mass Destruction and the summary execution of political leaders doesn't help the SLA's humanitarian and democratic reputation.
That does have the benefit of avoiding Trig and the group the need to travel far and wide in search of the crystals. All of the Chosen of the Khanare concentrated in one place. Of course that also has a massive downside: all the Chosen of the Khan are concentrated in the same place.
As if the Sutharians needed more help in unleashing destruction upon themselves. I presume the Plague and the Song were unleashed either by the Chosen or by the sudden concentration of all that psionic power in sutharia. In any way, this is going to be quite the epic showdown.
No, but it does provide a warning sign as to who the SLA might be in bed with.
It also suggests that someone has found a way to gain control over the Song of the Solitaire. Remember, Ponnico said that it broke free of the Khan's control and killed him thirteen years before. This could be a significant development.
Oh yes. This was a fun one to write.
Well, Ellex definitely knows how to make an entrance.
The SLA isn't helping their cause here. Will they lead a genocide on the Valdemar, or will the Valdemar try to annihilate them? Or both?
If both the Prime Minister and the Emperor are dead, and Tenna was related to them... does that mean that there will be forces loyal to her in the upcoming struggle?
The SLA isn't helping their cause here. Will they lead a genocide on the Valdemar, or will the Valdemar try to annihilate them? Or both?
If both the Prime Minister and the Emperor are dead, and Tenna was related to them... does that mean that there will be forces loyal to her in the upcoming struggle?
Damn right. Wait until you see the dramatic entrance I have planned for Trig in the grand finale.
Hint: You ever see the movie "Rise of Skywalker?" Think of that one scene where the pilot says: "You want to launch a ground invasion on a Star Destroyer!?" Imagine that.
I think it's safe to say the SLA is actively genocidal right now.
Well, no. With her parents (and two out of three brothers) now dead, the only people who know about Tenna's connection to the Vestem family are Tenna herself and Manius. We don't even know if Manius is alive right now.
With two out of three Vestem brothers dead, the only living member of the family is Safar Vestem, Chief of the Secret Police. It is safe to assume that he will take command of whatever is left of the Vestem Regime.
So, the SLA and remaining Vestem regime are going to fight over a burning house. They haven't thought that through.
Chapter 26: Ellex Camber
Author's note: This will be the last update until after Christmas! Enjoy your holiday weekend everyone!
The Chief Executive of the Lifewater Megachurch was a tall and thin man. He wore round glasses and kept his hands clasped together as though holding his applause. The enemy held his distance, but was just close enough for Trig to notice that he was Tiess. Ponnico threw one arm out to stop Anfel, Kanter, and Selborne from approaching too close.
“Ellex Camber.” Ponnico sneered. “What did the SLA promise you for an alliance with the Horde?”
“Many things.” Ellex replied, “But most crucially, the rebels have agreed to supply our forces with Sutharian military-grade weapons, which we will use to retake the Necropolis. From there, a new Horde will rise! All I need is the two stones your little friends are keeping from me.”
Trig felt a nervous lurch in his stomach, followed by a rapidly building sense of doom. This time, he looked around quickly, trying to figure out what his premonition was warning him about. Tenna hunkered down behind him in the hangar, her eyes wide, as though she was trying to memorize every aspect of Ellex Camber’s appearance.
Ellex slowly raised his hand, palm out toward the mercenaries.
“Stand aside.” He said. “I have no wish to harm anyone. I only want what is rightfully mine.”
Selborne drew her blaster pistol and fired, shooting at Ellex until her magazine was empty. To Trig’s horror, each round sailed through Ellex as though he was nothing but smoke in the wind. Unharmed, Ellex shook his head and gave a little smile.
Just like with Ponnico at the prison ship. Trig thought to himself.
“Aw, you’ve gotta be kidding me.” Anfel shouted. “So he’s like you, Ponnico?”
“No, not like me.” Ponnico replied. “Ellex uses Psionics, while I do the same with technology.”
“You resort to nanomachines because you’ve exhausted your powers.” Ellex taunted. “You’re weak, Ponnico!”
Then Ellex reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a long knife. It looked similar to the ceremonial dagger Trig once saw at a shrine of Kumase, Specter of Oblivion.
“Now get out of my way, or I will make you.” Ellex did not raise his voice, but the undercurrent of a deadly threat could not be missed.
Selborne reloaded her gun. Anfel and Kanter reached for their own. Ponnico’s body wavered and, for the shortest possible moment, became translucent before returning to its normal state.
Ellex held his own hands together, fingertips touching… and then all hell broke loose.
Anfel, Selborne, and Kanter attacked Ellex simultaneously. Moving as though he was made of fluid, Ellex lunged forward into the fight, ignoring the hail of gunfire as though it did not exist at all. Anfel took a wild swing, trying to strike Ellex with his pistol, but his hand and arm passed through Ellex’s body without resistance. Anfel overbalanced and fell over, tripping up Selborne. Ellex kicked her in the leg, causing Selborne to hit the pavement face-first. Then Ellex ran through a dumbfounded Kanter, got behind him, and grabbed his weapon arm.
Kanter held down the trigger, spraying crimson red bolts in all directions as he tried to fend off Ellex. Trig heard the snap of a round flying over his head and shouted:
“Tenna! Down!”
He and Tenna both dropped to the floor. Tenna squished herself against Trig’s body while he crawled into a position where he could see the fighting. Anfel, Selborne, and Kanter were all down. Ponnico and Ellex were standing face to face, and seemed to be having a standoff, but there was something else going on…
Trig realized that Ellex was subjecting Ponnico to a Psionic attack. Intense heat emanated out of Ellex’s body in waves, striking Ponnico. Each time a wave reached the old man, his body distorted and rippled like a pond disturbed by skipping stones. Ponnico seemed unable to move, but Ellex was also immobilized. Keeping his foe locked down was taking all of his effort. Ellex tilted his head to one side and shouted:
“How are you, Pontenna?”
On his right, Trig felt Tenna shudder.
“I hope you don’t think I’m going to chase you.” Ellex called out, trying to keep the strain out of his voice.
Tenna did not move. The powerful heatwaves emitting from Ellex intensified. Trig and Tenna sprang up from the hangar floor, it was suddenly hot to the touch and both children began to sweat profusely. Ponnico’s body was starting to shimmer like a mirage.
“You can make it stop, Pontenna!” Ellex raised his voice. “You have something that belongs to me!”
“What do I do!?” Tenna gasped. “I can’t think! I’m scared.”
Trig, on the other hand, had an idea.
“Listen to me, do as I say, alright?” he whispered to Tenna.
“Pontenna Annora!” Ellex yelled, “I know you’re there! Return the Keystone to me this instant.”
There was a pause, and then Tenna’s voice came out of the hangar.
“I’m coming out!”
Tenna emerged, her hands held above her head. The necklace and Keystone pendant were wrapped around her right palm. Tenna cautiously moved toward Ellex, her face pale.
“There you are.” Ellex spoke in a calmer tone, but still strained from the effort of holding Ponnico in place. “Now then… hand it to me.”
Tenna hesitated.
“Were you really one of the Khan’s Chosen?” She said.
“Yes… yes I was.” Ellex was losing patience with Tenna.
“Then why’d you drop an asteroid on us? Why all of the killing? I thought that wasn’t Malum’s way.”
Ellex took his eyes off Ponnico to look directly at Tenna. While Ellex spoke to Tenna, Ponnico began to “un-freeze.” His limbs started to move, and his body wavered far less than it had a moment before.
“You’re stalling.” Ellex said. “Why are you stalling?”
He did not wait for an answer. Psionic energy radiated toward Tenna. Ellex was trying to infiltrate her mind, to read her thoughts, but by the time he found the answer, it was too late.
…
This was the first time Trig and Tenna used their powers outside of training sessions with Ponnico. The children knew they could not take Ellex in a fair fight, so they decided they would use Psionics to free the person who could.
From the moment Tenna stepped out of the hangar, Trig had been projecting his own telepathic energy out of his own body and directly into Tenna’s mind. He gave her focus and reinforced willpower. For these few moments their minds were merged, Tenna was stronger and more powerful.
As soon as she felt “fully charged,” Tenna reached up, pressed two fingers to the side of her head, and withdrew a glowing strand of purple light. Then she pointed those same two fingers at Ellex. A dim, barely visible beam of light shot out of Tenna’s hand and connected with Ellex. The Psionic attack was so weak, so underpowered, that it barely registered in his consciousness… but that was all Trig and Tenna needed to do.
Ellex reacted.
He broke off his focus on Ponnico completely, raising his hands to strike Tenna with some deadly Psionic technique, but never got the chance. Once more, a nebulous, black cloud erupted from Ponnico’s body as he regained the initiative.
“GO!” A voice yelled from somewhere inside of the cloud.
Trig started to run for the Resonance Cascade, but then he noticed Tenna lagging behind. She was watching the fight between Ponnico and Ellex, looking torn. Kanter, Anfel, and Selborne were back on their feet, having been freed from whatever hold Ellex had on them. Trig grabbed Tenna by the wrist and pulled her into the hangar and up the boarding ramp.
“Behind you!” Kanter yelled.
One, two, three mercenaries hastily re-boarded the ship. Trig and Tenna did not try to don their spacesuits, they had no time. Instead, Rulan and Caera grabbed the children and stuffed them into the nearest crash couch.
“Wait!” A voice yelled. “I’m down here!”
Kanter swore loudly.
“Get inside and lay on the floor! We’re about to go!”
A deep booming sound echoed through the ship. Trig looked around to see what looked like millions of particles of black sand cascading through a doorway and into the chamber where he and Tenna were seated. After a second, this heap of fine powder began to move of its own accord, shuffling and twisting and changing color until…
“Holy Ariha! It’s Ponnico!” Tenna shouted.
As soon as his body “reassembled” itself and he looked like an old man again, Ponnico shouted as loudly as he could:
“CLOSE THE HATCHES AND PUNCH IT!”
Up in the cockpit, Bronley activated the launch computer.
“Starting launch sequence.” Said a computerized voice. “Please wait for hangar doors to open fully.”
Through the cockpit viewscreen, Bronley could see the vertical launch doors of the spaceport hangar slowly starting to pull apart, revealing the smoky skies above. The doors were moving too slowly for his liking.
“Well fuck this!” Bronley yelled, and then he throttled the engines up to full power.
The Resonance Cascade smashed through the doors and shot into the sky.
Battered but still alive, Ellex watched the warship flee the scene. He shook his head and started to walk away.
The race for the six Keystones had begun.
| <=== Previous (Chapter 25: The Beginning of a Nightmare) | Next (Chapter 27: The Sutharian Genocide) ===> |
Chapter 26
Ellex Camber
Ellex Camber
The Chief Executive of the Lifewater Megachurch was a tall and thin man. He wore round glasses and kept his hands clasped together as though holding his applause. The enemy held his distance, but was just close enough for Trig to notice that he was Tiess. Ponnico threw one arm out to stop Anfel, Kanter, and Selborne from approaching too close.
“Ellex Camber.” Ponnico sneered. “What did the SLA promise you for an alliance with the Horde?”
“Many things.” Ellex replied, “But most crucially, the rebels have agreed to supply our forces with Sutharian military-grade weapons, which we will use to retake the Necropolis. From there, a new Horde will rise! All I need is the two stones your little friends are keeping from me.”
Trig felt a nervous lurch in his stomach, followed by a rapidly building sense of doom. This time, he looked around quickly, trying to figure out what his premonition was warning him about. Tenna hunkered down behind him in the hangar, her eyes wide, as though she was trying to memorize every aspect of Ellex Camber’s appearance.
Ellex slowly raised his hand, palm out toward the mercenaries.
“Stand aside.” He said. “I have no wish to harm anyone. I only want what is rightfully mine.”
Selborne drew her blaster pistol and fired, shooting at Ellex until her magazine was empty. To Trig’s horror, each round sailed through Ellex as though he was nothing but smoke in the wind. Unharmed, Ellex shook his head and gave a little smile.
Just like with Ponnico at the prison ship. Trig thought to himself.
“Aw, you’ve gotta be kidding me.” Anfel shouted. “So he’s like you, Ponnico?”
“No, not like me.” Ponnico replied. “Ellex uses Psionics, while I do the same with technology.”
“You resort to nanomachines because you’ve exhausted your powers.” Ellex taunted. “You’re weak, Ponnico!”
Then Ellex reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a long knife. It looked similar to the ceremonial dagger Trig once saw at a shrine of Kumase, Specter of Oblivion.
“Now get out of my way, or I will make you.” Ellex did not raise his voice, but the undercurrent of a deadly threat could not be missed.
Selborne reloaded her gun. Anfel and Kanter reached for their own. Ponnico’s body wavered and, for the shortest possible moment, became translucent before returning to its normal state.
Ellex held his own hands together, fingertips touching… and then all hell broke loose.
Anfel, Selborne, and Kanter attacked Ellex simultaneously. Moving as though he was made of fluid, Ellex lunged forward into the fight, ignoring the hail of gunfire as though it did not exist at all. Anfel took a wild swing, trying to strike Ellex with his pistol, but his hand and arm passed through Ellex’s body without resistance. Anfel overbalanced and fell over, tripping up Selborne. Ellex kicked her in the leg, causing Selborne to hit the pavement face-first. Then Ellex ran through a dumbfounded Kanter, got behind him, and grabbed his weapon arm.
Kanter held down the trigger, spraying crimson red bolts in all directions as he tried to fend off Ellex. Trig heard the snap of a round flying over his head and shouted:
“Tenna! Down!”
He and Tenna both dropped to the floor. Tenna squished herself against Trig’s body while he crawled into a position where he could see the fighting. Anfel, Selborne, and Kanter were all down. Ponnico and Ellex were standing face to face, and seemed to be having a standoff, but there was something else going on…
Trig realized that Ellex was subjecting Ponnico to a Psionic attack. Intense heat emanated out of Ellex’s body in waves, striking Ponnico. Each time a wave reached the old man, his body distorted and rippled like a pond disturbed by skipping stones. Ponnico seemed unable to move, but Ellex was also immobilized. Keeping his foe locked down was taking all of his effort. Ellex tilted his head to one side and shouted:
“How are you, Pontenna?”
On his right, Trig felt Tenna shudder.
“I hope you don’t think I’m going to chase you.” Ellex called out, trying to keep the strain out of his voice.
Tenna did not move. The powerful heatwaves emitting from Ellex intensified. Trig and Tenna sprang up from the hangar floor, it was suddenly hot to the touch and both children began to sweat profusely. Ponnico’s body was starting to shimmer like a mirage.
“You can make it stop, Pontenna!” Ellex raised his voice. “You have something that belongs to me!”
“What do I do!?” Tenna gasped. “I can’t think! I’m scared.”
Trig, on the other hand, had an idea.
“Listen to me, do as I say, alright?” he whispered to Tenna.
“Pontenna Annora!” Ellex yelled, “I know you’re there! Return the Keystone to me this instant.”
There was a pause, and then Tenna’s voice came out of the hangar.
“I’m coming out!”
Tenna emerged, her hands held above her head. The necklace and Keystone pendant were wrapped around her right palm. Tenna cautiously moved toward Ellex, her face pale.
“There you are.” Ellex spoke in a calmer tone, but still strained from the effort of holding Ponnico in place. “Now then… hand it to me.”
Tenna hesitated.
“Were you really one of the Khan’s Chosen?” She said.
“Yes… yes I was.” Ellex was losing patience with Tenna.
“Then why’d you drop an asteroid on us? Why all of the killing? I thought that wasn’t Malum’s way.”
Ellex took his eyes off Ponnico to look directly at Tenna. While Ellex spoke to Tenna, Ponnico began to “un-freeze.” His limbs started to move, and his body wavered far less than it had a moment before.
“You’re stalling.” Ellex said. “Why are you stalling?”
He did not wait for an answer. Psionic energy radiated toward Tenna. Ellex was trying to infiltrate her mind, to read her thoughts, but by the time he found the answer, it was too late.
…
This was the first time Trig and Tenna used their powers outside of training sessions with Ponnico. The children knew they could not take Ellex in a fair fight, so they decided they would use Psionics to free the person who could.
From the moment Tenna stepped out of the hangar, Trig had been projecting his own telepathic energy out of his own body and directly into Tenna’s mind. He gave her focus and reinforced willpower. For these few moments their minds were merged, Tenna was stronger and more powerful.
As soon as she felt “fully charged,” Tenna reached up, pressed two fingers to the side of her head, and withdrew a glowing strand of purple light. Then she pointed those same two fingers at Ellex. A dim, barely visible beam of light shot out of Tenna’s hand and connected with Ellex. The Psionic attack was so weak, so underpowered, that it barely registered in his consciousness… but that was all Trig and Tenna needed to do.
Ellex reacted.
He broke off his focus on Ponnico completely, raising his hands to strike Tenna with some deadly Psionic technique, but never got the chance. Once more, a nebulous, black cloud erupted from Ponnico’s body as he regained the initiative.
“GO!” A voice yelled from somewhere inside of the cloud.
Trig started to run for the Resonance Cascade, but then he noticed Tenna lagging behind. She was watching the fight between Ponnico and Ellex, looking torn. Kanter, Anfel, and Selborne were back on their feet, having been freed from whatever hold Ellex had on them. Trig grabbed Tenna by the wrist and pulled her into the hangar and up the boarding ramp.
“Behind you!” Kanter yelled.
One, two, three mercenaries hastily re-boarded the ship. Trig and Tenna did not try to don their spacesuits, they had no time. Instead, Rulan and Caera grabbed the children and stuffed them into the nearest crash couch.
“Wait!” A voice yelled. “I’m down here!”
Kanter swore loudly.
“Get inside and lay on the floor! We’re about to go!”
A deep booming sound echoed through the ship. Trig looked around to see what looked like millions of particles of black sand cascading through a doorway and into the chamber where he and Tenna were seated. After a second, this heap of fine powder began to move of its own accord, shuffling and twisting and changing color until…
“Holy Ariha! It’s Ponnico!” Tenna shouted.
As soon as his body “reassembled” itself and he looked like an old man again, Ponnico shouted as loudly as he could:
“CLOSE THE HATCHES AND PUNCH IT!”
Up in the cockpit, Bronley activated the launch computer.
“Starting launch sequence.” Said a computerized voice. “Please wait for hangar doors to open fully.”
Through the cockpit viewscreen, Bronley could see the vertical launch doors of the spaceport hangar slowly starting to pull apart, revealing the smoky skies above. The doors were moving too slowly for his liking.
“Well fuck this!” Bronley yelled, and then he throttled the engines up to full power.
The Resonance Cascade smashed through the doors and shot into the sky.
Battered but still alive, Ellex watched the warship flee the scene. He shook his head and started to walk away.
The race for the six Keystones had begun.
| <=== Previous (Chapter 25: The Beginning of a Nightmare) | Next (Chapter 27: The Sutharian Genocide) ===> |
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Quite the showdown indeed. That was some nice thinking on Trig's part. But now that Ellex and the Chosen know what their enemy is capable off, next time they may not be able to pull off such a trick.
Ponnico's reliance on nanomachines is interesting. From his metamorphosis into a cloud of particles and back, I deduce he has basically replaced his entire body with nanomachines. In that case is that still Ponnico or just a carbon copy made up of machines? And why did he attempt such a radical change, did he feel weak once he exhausted his psionic powers?
Ponnico's reliance on nanomachines is interesting. From his metamorphosis into a cloud of particles and back, I deduce he has basically replaced his entire body with nanomachines. In that case is that still Ponnico or just a carbon copy made up of machines? And why did he attempt such a radical change, did he feel weak once he exhausted his psionic powers?
Trig and Tenna working together to fluke Ellex was expected. Having Ponnico be composed of utility fog is not something I saw coming.
Retaking the Necropolis by relying on borrowed conventional arms from a rebel group seems like a bad plan. Probably implies Ellex is nowhere near as well connected as he portrays himself as.
Retaking the Necropolis by relying on borrowed conventional arms from a rebel group seems like a bad plan. Probably implies Ellex is nowhere near as well connected as he portrays himself as.
Well, that was a dramatic scene... let's hope that Trig and Tenna know more about their powers during their next encounter with Ellex since that was their only way to have the element of surprise...
Can Tenna and Trig force Ellex to exhaust his powers? How much did Ellex use those powers while serving under Malum?
How many stones does Ellex currently have?
Happy Holidays!
Can Tenna and Trig force Ellex to exhaust his powers? How much did Ellex use those powers while serving under Malum?
How many stones does Ellex currently have?
Happy Holidays!
BOOM! You've nailed it correctly. Ponnico's entire body is made up of a swarm of nanomachines.
Ponnico did not consent to his transformation into... whatever he is now.
Later on in the story, the story of how Ponnico got this way will be used to hammer home exactly how dangerous Malum Ralpakin was.
*Ponnico's nature is also an Easter Egg, referencing the character Zaktan from LEGO Bionicle, who is similarly made up of nanobots. (and also did not consent to being that way)
Looking over my plans for the rest of this story, I'm surprised to see a lot of bad plans scattered about.
At the moment, we don't know the answer to either of those questions.
Currently, he has none. That could change, though. He was once a member of the Great Khan's inner circle, which means he already knows the names and locations of the men entrusted with the other four. (Ponnico revealed this information a few chapters ago)
- Avitus - an Olinbar, currently on the Olinbar Homeworld
- Vitruvius - Joined the Shroudwalker Enclave and is currently living with them at the edge of the Luminous Frontier
- Veldanura - Gambling with his friends at the Caravaneer Station
- Hannakon - Exact location unknown, Veldanura knows where he is.
Happy Holidays to you and all of the other readers as well!
Peace on earth, goodwill and cheer and
all good things in the coming year.
May each day be merry and bright
and filled with blessings every night!
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to everyone!
If you live in the Stormbreaker Universe, have a blissful Remembrance Day. (Dec 25)
If you live in the world of The Broken Gates, don't forget to celebrate Rizal Day safely. (Dec 30)
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Chapter 27: The Sutharian Genocide
Song of the Solitaire is back! Fasten your seatbelts!
Chapter 27
The Sutharian Genocide
The Resonance Cascade burned her engines so intensely that she broke free of Sutharia’s gravity and was making her way to interplanetary space after just a few minutes. Eventually, Rulan throttled back the engines until the simulated gravity was equivalent to 0.25g. Finally able to stand up again, Trig and Tenna recovered themselves.
It took about half an hour for everyone aboard the vessel to get their bearings once again. Rulan hooked up the communicator to the Interlink and brought the crew up to speed on events taking place down below.
“It’s full-scale war on Sutharia.” He reported. “The SLA is fighting their way into Venka Urbo, trying to overthrow the government. Secret Police are going house-to-house and executing every Berken they can find. It’s mass murder.”
“Who’s in command down there?” Bronley asked. “We all saw the Emperor and the Prime Minister get wasted.”
“It seems to be the Secret Police Chief, Safar Vestem.” Rulan said. “He’s all over the Interlink, posting messages about how the Berken killed Emperor Canto and they need to be punished.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Caera commented. “You can’t punish a whole race for something like that.”
“Well, the Emperor always thought the people were his playthings.” Said the stowaway.
Surprised shouts and exclamations filled the Resonance Cascade for a few minutes.
In the chaos of Ellex’s attack, no one had noticed an extra person joining their ranks. Mere seconds before the escape, Appia Helford had somehow gotten aboard the starship. The young Olinbar woman looked battered and terrified.
“I was closer to the spaceport than the hospital when the rock hit, so I doubled back to ask you guys for help… and then you just took off!” Appia said.
“Wait… a rock?” Selborne repeated. “So we really were hit by an asteroid!?”
“Yes!” Appia said. “It slammed into the city of Portsdown and killed everyone in it. I heard some of the Secret Police guys talking about it before they started killing people.”
Caera winced, then reached up to brush some dust out of her hair.
“So all of this dust that blew in from the west?” She asked.
“Yeah… that used to be Portsdown City.” Appia said grimly. “About eighty million people, mostly Valdemar. That’s why the Secret Police kept saying ‘the Berkies are gonna die this time’ after the rock hit.”
“Considering what’s happening on the ground, maybe we could refrain from the racial slurs?” Caera asked.
Her words caused everyone to pause. Trig, his voice wavering, asked the group at large:
“So that Interlink report Rulan mentioned, the one about the Secret Police killing Berken. That’s all real?”
Appia nodded grimly.
“Right after the rock hit, all the Secret Police in town started getting an identical radio message. Something about ‘cutting the tall grass’ or something like that. It must have been a coded go-signal, ‘cause every time I saw one of those guys get the message, he turned violent really quick after that. But… there’s more.”
“More?” Glossom repeated. “How could there be more?”
Appia sat down on a crash couch and drew her legs into her chest, holding herself in the fetal position.
“The Secret Police guys, they started shouting stuff like ‘Valdemar out! It’s time to fight! All Valdemar to arms!’ And then, I saw ordinary people coming out of the buildings. Valdemar, all of them. Men and women, and there were even some teenagers and little kids. They all had weapons, and they… they… they joined in. They helped the Secret Police kill the Berken.”
Appia could not go on.
“I’m gonna be sick.” Trig said, holding his stomach.
…
The Resonance Cascade did not turn back. Captain Kanter and Ponnico explained their reasoning:
“The Sutharian Liberation Army won’t allow this genocide to go unpunished. They will take Venka Urbo by force and carry out some retributive attacks of their own. We don’t want to be on the scene when it all happens. Besides, we have bigger problems to solve.”
“Shepminter, you’ve got someone calling for you on the Interlink terminal.” Rulan said. “I’ll send it to the workshop so you can talk privately.”
Trig clambered up to his little living space near the nosecone and found the Interlink terminal. A familiar face greeted him.
“Pentwa!” Trig gasped. “Where are you? Your signal’s really garbled.”
Pentwa Shepminter was just barely visible on the screen. The old woman looked like she was aboard a dilapidated spacecraft. She smiled and waved at Trig through the screen.
“Aboard a mining vessel, heading for Kristalzupacken.” Pentwa replied. “We just took off half an hour ago. Did you get away from the kill squads?”
“Yes! How did you know about them?” Trig said.
“The order to kill Berken has reached the outlying colonies.” Pentwa said. “People are divided. A lot of the Valdemar out here are refusing to kill their neighbors, myself included.”
“Oh, thank Rey.” Trig breathed. “So why did you leave?”
“Some of the Valdemar extremists knocked on my door.” Pentwa said. “They told me that I had to join them in killing the Berken, and if I refused, they would kill me.”
“Did you?” Trig breathed.
Pentwa rapped her knuckles on a metal object just out of camera view and barked:
“Boy, do I look like the type of woman who murders her neighbors in cold blood? No, I found some likeminded Valdemar and we staged our escape. I can see you’re on a starship, are you escaping as well?”
“Yes. We just got away from the Homeworld.” Trig told her.
“Good.” Pentwa suddenly looked much more peaceful. “Now Trig, promise me this: until this genocidal madness is over, you will not tell me where you are or what you are doing. Ah! Wait! Hear me out before you interrupt: The less I know about where you are the better. I will not give you up to the extremists, and it will be easier for me to be silent if I know nothing. Do you understand?”
Trig understood, and he promised to keep Pentwa out of the loop. He also promised to find her when the conflict ended.
“Remember, I’ll be at or near Kristalzupaken.” Pentwa said in parting. “MSI mining system. Filled with crystalline asteroids. Can’t miss it.”
…
Escaping from the Suth-Kasa star system proved to be very difficult. Space combat was occurring over every planet as Sutharian warships fired on each other, a sign of the rapidly escalating civil conflict. In the galley, the mercenaries and their passengers discussed this new development over dinner.
“We can use the design of the Sutharian Starfleet to our advantage.” Rulan told the crew. “The Empire prefers a strategy of numerical superiority, which means that the navy consists of several dozen Corvettes and Frigates. There are no large vessels, like Cruisers or Battleships. If we are stealthy and avoid detection, we can flee the system without getting into a fight.”
Ponnico pointed at Trig and Tenna.
“Both of you, get some sleep.” He said. “I will work with Kanter and Rulan to put us on a course to the first Keystone.”
“And where is that, exactly?” Anfel asked.
“Tradestation Tungle, home of the Caravaneers.” Ponnico replied. “Think hard now: Ellex Camber, the SLA, and the remnants of the Horde are focusing their efforts on Sutharia, to such a degree that even the Song of the Solitaire is currently above Venka Urbo. My old friend Veldanura is like me, he deserted the Horde, but only did so after Malum’s death. That is why we must hurry. We may not be the only starship hunting for Veldanura.”
Ponnico swung open a door, pointing into the hallway.
“I was serious. You children have a long day of Psionic training ahead. Go get some sleep.”
Trig and Tenna gave one another worried looks before parting ways.
Chapter 27
The Sutharian Genocide
The Resonance Cascade burned her engines so intensely that she broke free of Sutharia’s gravity and was making her way to interplanetary space after just a few minutes. Eventually, Rulan throttled back the engines until the simulated gravity was equivalent to 0.25g. Finally able to stand up again, Trig and Tenna recovered themselves.
It took about half an hour for everyone aboard the vessel to get their bearings once again. Rulan hooked up the communicator to the Interlink and brought the crew up to speed on events taking place down below.
“It’s full-scale war on Sutharia.” He reported. “The SLA is fighting their way into Venka Urbo, trying to overthrow the government. Secret Police are going house-to-house and executing every Berken they can find. It’s mass murder.”
“Who’s in command down there?” Bronley asked. “We all saw the Emperor and the Prime Minister get wasted.”
“It seems to be the Secret Police Chief, Safar Vestem.” Rulan said. “He’s all over the Interlink, posting messages about how the Berken killed Emperor Canto and they need to be punished.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Caera commented. “You can’t punish a whole race for something like that.”
“Well, the Emperor always thought the people were his playthings.” Said the stowaway.
Surprised shouts and exclamations filled the Resonance Cascade for a few minutes.
In the chaos of Ellex’s attack, no one had noticed an extra person joining their ranks. Mere seconds before the escape, Appia Helford had somehow gotten aboard the starship. The young Olinbar woman looked battered and terrified.
“I was closer to the spaceport than the hospital when the rock hit, so I doubled back to ask you guys for help… and then you just took off!” Appia said.
“Wait… a rock?” Selborne repeated. “So we really were hit by an asteroid!?”
“Yes!” Appia said. “It slammed into the city of Portsdown and killed everyone in it. I heard some of the Secret Police guys talking about it before they started killing people.”
Caera winced, then reached up to brush some dust out of her hair.
“So all of this dust that blew in from the west?” She asked.
“Yeah… that used to be Portsdown City.” Appia said grimly. “About eighty million people, mostly Valdemar. That’s why the Secret Police kept saying ‘the Berkies are gonna die this time’ after the rock hit.”
“Considering what’s happening on the ground, maybe we could refrain from the racial slurs?” Caera asked.
Her words caused everyone to pause. Trig, his voice wavering, asked the group at large:
“So that Interlink report Rulan mentioned, the one about the Secret Police killing Berken. That’s all real?”
Appia nodded grimly.
“Right after the rock hit, all the Secret Police in town started getting an identical radio message. Something about ‘cutting the tall grass’ or something like that. It must have been a coded go-signal, ‘cause every time I saw one of those guys get the message, he turned violent really quick after that. But… there’s more.”
“More?” Glossom repeated. “How could there be more?”
Appia sat down on a crash couch and drew her legs into her chest, holding herself in the fetal position.
“The Secret Police guys, they started shouting stuff like ‘Valdemar out! It’s time to fight! All Valdemar to arms!’ And then, I saw ordinary people coming out of the buildings. Valdemar, all of them. Men and women, and there were even some teenagers and little kids. They all had weapons, and they… they… they joined in. They helped the Secret Police kill the Berken.”
Appia could not go on.
“I’m gonna be sick.” Trig said, holding his stomach.
…
The Resonance Cascade did not turn back. Captain Kanter and Ponnico explained their reasoning:
“The Sutharian Liberation Army won’t allow this genocide to go unpunished. They will take Venka Urbo by force and carry out some retributive attacks of their own. We don’t want to be on the scene when it all happens. Besides, we have bigger problems to solve.”
“Shepminter, you’ve got someone calling for you on the Interlink terminal.” Rulan said. “I’ll send it to the workshop so you can talk privately.”
Trig clambered up to his little living space near the nosecone and found the Interlink terminal. A familiar face greeted him.
“Pentwa!” Trig gasped. “Where are you? Your signal’s really garbled.”
Pentwa Shepminter was just barely visible on the screen. The old woman looked like she was aboard a dilapidated spacecraft. She smiled and waved at Trig through the screen.
“Aboard a mining vessel, heading for Kristalzupacken.” Pentwa replied. “We just took off half an hour ago. Did you get away from the kill squads?”
“Yes! How did you know about them?” Trig said.
“The order to kill Berken has reached the outlying colonies.” Pentwa said. “People are divided. A lot of the Valdemar out here are refusing to kill their neighbors, myself included.”
“Oh, thank Rey.” Trig breathed. “So why did you leave?”
“Some of the Valdemar extremists knocked on my door.” Pentwa said. “They told me that I had to join them in killing the Berken, and if I refused, they would kill me.”
“Did you?” Trig breathed.
Pentwa rapped her knuckles on a metal object just out of camera view and barked:
“Boy, do I look like the type of woman who murders her neighbors in cold blood? No, I found some likeminded Valdemar and we staged our escape. I can see you’re on a starship, are you escaping as well?”
“Yes. We just got away from the Homeworld.” Trig told her.
“Good.” Pentwa suddenly looked much more peaceful. “Now Trig, promise me this: until this genocidal madness is over, you will not tell me where you are or what you are doing. Ah! Wait! Hear me out before you interrupt: The less I know about where you are the better. I will not give you up to the extremists, and it will be easier for me to be silent if I know nothing. Do you understand?”
Trig understood, and he promised to keep Pentwa out of the loop. He also promised to find her when the conflict ended.
“Remember, I’ll be at or near Kristalzupaken.” Pentwa said in parting. “MSI mining system. Filled with crystalline asteroids. Can’t miss it.”
…
Escaping from the Suth-Kasa star system proved to be very difficult. Space combat was occurring over every planet as Sutharian warships fired on each other, a sign of the rapidly escalating civil conflict. In the galley, the mercenaries and their passengers discussed this new development over dinner.
“We can use the design of the Sutharian Starfleet to our advantage.” Rulan told the crew. “The Empire prefers a strategy of numerical superiority, which means that the navy consists of several dozen Corvettes and Frigates. There are no large vessels, like Cruisers or Battleships. If we are stealthy and avoid detection, we can flee the system without getting into a fight.”
Ponnico pointed at Trig and Tenna.
“Both of you, get some sleep.” He said. “I will work with Kanter and Rulan to put us on a course to the first Keystone.”
“And where is that, exactly?” Anfel asked.
“Tradestation Tungle, home of the Caravaneers.” Ponnico replied. “Think hard now: Ellex Camber, the SLA, and the remnants of the Horde are focusing their efforts on Sutharia, to such a degree that even the Song of the Solitaire is currently above Venka Urbo. My old friend Veldanura is like me, he deserted the Horde, but only did so after Malum’s death. That is why we must hurry. We may not be the only starship hunting for Veldanura.”
Ponnico swung open a door, pointing into the hallway.
“I was serious. You children have a long day of Psionic training ahead. Go get some sleep.”
Trig and Tenna gave one another worried looks before parting ways.
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