Slavers of Antar
By
DocPaul
***************************************************************
Chapter
Fourteen: Lacuna
Thoth
stood outside the room listening to the rage and destruction. The wall
practically rattled. He looked at his advisor.
“How
long?”
“Since
he woke. He easily escaped the restraints. He has wounded and killed every
person we sent in to subdue him.”
“Powers?”
The
advisor nodded. “They are strong. His rage gives him added strength.”
Thoth
nodded and gestured for the guard to open the door. The advisor quickly tried to
block his Lord’s entrance.
“Sire…”
Once, back in the day, Thoth and his people could have matched power to power of
a seedling, but genetic drift and increased genetic mistakes, their people lost
many of their abilities.
“Stand
aside.”
“But,
Sire…”
Thoth
easily tossed the man from his path with a wave of his hand. Nodding to the
guard, he entered the room. Standing in the door, two guards entered with him,
positioned at his side. The room was a shambles. Thoth stood staring at the man
whose back remained to him. The man did not bother to acknowledge his arrival.
The
silence grew. Thoth finally waved off his guards and advanced further in the
room. Looking around him at the destruction, he was impressed. The restraints
attached to a bed were severed almost in half.
“I
am Thoth, your Lord.”
Michael
didn’t bother to turn around. “I have no Lord—save myself.” Michael’s
back firmed, his stature moving to his full height.
Thoth
looked down at the dead guards in the room. “You’ve made a mess of your
accommodations. I had you put in a nicer room than the other slaves.”
Michael
turned, his face thunderous. “I am no slave!” Staring at Thoth, Michael’s
eyes flickered in recognition. “Khivar.”
“Thoth.
Khivar was my predecessor. We are the same, and yet different.” Thoth stepped
over the bodies, moving his garments from the mess to avoid soiling. “You,
Commander, I have wanted to meet.”
“Where
is my wife?”
“The
Princess was in a bad way when my guards found you on the Plains. She had
internal injuries and lost a lot of blood.”
“Where
is my wife!” Michael bellowed as furniture in the room exploded. Thoth
put his arm up to protect himself from the flying debris.
Slowly
coming out of cover, Thoth looked at the remains around him. “Your power is
impressive. Attilaans are noted for their twin bonds and warrior instincts,
which by the way, my people equally admire. Aggression and domination in any
form is very noteworthy. Are people are much the same, and for a time, our path
and yours has paralleled, but we chose a different solution.” Thoth moved
around the room keeping an equal distance from Michael. The man’s rage was a
tangible thing. “I’ve heard no accounts of Attilaans capable of moving
objects, or controlling matter.”
“Where
is my wife?”
“The
Princess is dead.”
Michael’s
face infused with color, a red cloud of anger explosive. “Where is my wife?
Take me to her!”
Thoth
ignored the question and demand. “How long have you been able to mentally
control matter?”
Michael
stared at Thoth, a gleam of insanity brought by rage entered his eyes. The blood
lust, a warrior’s fierce demeanor became his countenance. Michael straightened
to his full height as he reached out mentally—his stature regal and full of
power.
Thoth
coughed. Blinking his eyes quickly, he struggled. His hands quickly went to his
throat tearing at the invisible hand slowly crushing his esophagus. Two guards
came to his aid; both pulling at Thoth’s hands, unable to see what was choking
him.
Michael
stared into Thoth’s eyes, unblinking. He smiled. One of the guards looked at
Michael and quickly, while Michael was distracted with choking Thoth, he bashed
Michael on the head.
As
Michael lost consciousness, he finally released Thoth from his grip.
Thoth
gasped for breath staring at the Attilaan. Slowly backing out of the room, he
could barely speak. “I want him tested! Immediately. His genetics…”
~~~
“Julia.
He wants us to prepare for liberation.” Liz said.
Julia
nodded. She turned to look at the others. They all could hear Liam in their
heads as well. “Ava, who is strong enough to fight?”
“Many
are too weak. Their bodies are tired and malnourished.” Ava looked at the
group. “We will need to place those unable to help themselves with others that
are still capable, but too weak to fight. They will care for each other. All
those able to rebel will have to join us.”
A
man standing close to them protested. “There are too many guards, and once out
of this room, then what? We will die.”
Ava
stood straighter, shaking her head. All this time, and he did not understand.
“You think they will let you live? They will use you until they can no longer
do so, and then they will let you die. There is nothing left here, but to face
death.”
“Someone
will come for us.”
“There
is no one, but us!” Ava looked at the man, her eyes sympathetic, yet her gaze
firm. “I would rather die fighting to survive, than to sit and wait for it to
overtake me.”
Others
stood, nodding in agreement. They were all marked for death, and it was only a
matter of time before that reality found them.
Liz
closed her eyes for a moment. She was nauseous. Frowning, she thought of
recently how she felt. It was stupid, but she missed the early signs believing
her nausea was Sean induced. He had that effect on people. Moving her hand low
on her stomach, she felt for a life she knew was there.
“If
I had tools, I could take the door lock interface apart.” Liz offered.
Ava
came to kneel beside Liz. “Are you sure? You have not been well.”
“I
am not only an engineer, but a mother.” Liz said, pausing over the word
‘mother’. It was the first time she spoke that word aloud. “I can’t
remember my own mother, and I will not allow my child to be born into
slavery.”
Julia
looked at the guards. They had become uncomfortable at the prisoners all acting
in the same manner. Suspicious, Julia quickly nodded to others to sit down, and
to try to appear normal.
“Liam
is planting seeds of sedition in the minds of the guards. It will hit a critical
mass, and when it does, Lord Thoth will find himself betrayed from within.”
Julia rubbed her side. She could still feel the excision site from extraction.
“I
think that as they take us, any tools we can find or conceal becomes
important.” Ava looked at Liz. “What do you need? What type of tool?”
Liz
frowned. “Something narrow and sharp, maybe with a point. It needs to be
strong.” Staring at the bolts that held the plate in place, Liz calculated
what it would take to open. “The outer plate is the problem. I will need
something to open the recessed retraining bolts. Once inside, something to cut,
and a precision tool.” She didn’t mention the guards. They too were a
problem, but only one thing at a time.
The
man who had talked before moved closer. “How about a thin piece of tensile
metal?”
Liz
nodded. The man looked at the guards, and he palmed something in his hand,
slowly offering it Liz.
It
was a long narrow piece of metal, shiny and rounded at the ends.
“Maybe
you can sharpen the ends to a point.”
Liz
looked at it. “Perhaps. This is good.” She glanced over at the guard.
“Where did you get this?”
“My
clothing. It was in the collar to hold it stiff.”
Julia
quickly looked down. “Liz, I have an ornate belt buckle!”
Ava
looked around. “What is your name?” she asked the man.
“David
of
“That
is in the Northern Expanse?”
“Yes.”
He looked at the others around him. “I was taken a fortnight ago, or so I
believe. Time, it passes slowly here.”
“It
does,” Ava agreed. “You will be the acquisition Lieutenant. Slowly check
every member of the chamber. Take anything—metal or plastic that might be used
as a tool or a weapon. Stockpile to the far wall.”
Liz
searched the room. “I believe there is an access conduit in the back. If I can
open it, without the guard seeing, I can try to access the palace’s internal
systems, perhaps the protection grid.”
Julia
frowned. “Will your access be detected?”
“I
don’t know. If Liam can work the streams of sedition, pushing the guards to
fight, and cause external upset, I will try to do the same internally.”
“Good,”
Julia said. “We must be ready. The Shiva will come, and when she does,
we must be prepared to leave quickly.”
Ava
looked at the two women from the Shiva, shaking her head. It was hopeless
to pray for deliverance. They would have to save themselves. “Do not count on
rescue.”
Liz
looked over at Ava, reaffirming Julia’s belief. “They will come. You may
trust us on this.” Liz smiled slightly, her eyes taking on a mischief gleam.
“There is a certain engineer that will alone tear this planet apart to find
us. Trust us. He will come, and he will not be nice.”
Julia
snorted at that. Hell, Sean could fell the entire civilization with his cooking
alone.
Liz’s
eyes became deadly serious. “The Antarians have made a mistake taking us,
taking Liam. They have yet to understand what their mistake was, but the Shiva
will teach them what it is to fear, and then—she will teach them to die.”
~~~
“Captain,
we’re entering the Darcon system.”
“Full
sensors, Caleb.” Max spun in his chair. “Seth, contact Sean, ask him if he
is ready.”
“Aye,
Cap.”
Max
moved around to watch through the full view screen. “Where are they?”
“Sixth
planet,
“Good.
Arm all weapons. Let’s go in.” Max looked at Caleb. “
Caleb
nodded, talking into his mouth piece.
“Liander,
I’m going to need you to find their heat signatures. Their cloaks are
active.”
“I’m
on it.” Liander quickly worked his station, frowning as the reading continued
to come in at a surprising rate. “I’ve got three possible target aspects,
all cloaked. They’re treading in their own wash.”
“Excellent.
Let’s heat them up. Full array, full spread. Fire at will.”
Max
hit his communicator. “Sean, you got ears?”
“Here,
Max.”
“We’re
lighting them up, you ready.”
“Aye.”
Max
nodded at Liander, as he sent full array of tactical at the northern pole of the
planet. The heat dispersion ionized the air, super charging it. The bridge crew
watched as an electrical subfield was generated, and lightening storms moved
through the air.
Suddenly
three ships appeared. They blinked out of sight, and then reappeared again, this
time staying. Max nodded to his helmsman.
“Sean.”
“We
got ‘em, Cap.”
Max
ordered the Shiva away from the planet as the Kali and Sarasvati
closed in on the Slaver transport ships taking captives from the planet.
“Cap,
flight deck is requesting the launching of Rama to assist.”
Max
nodded. Looking at Caleb he raised a brow. Caleb smiled. “Aye, Cap. They are
coming in.”
Max
turned in his seat. Excellent. The fly to nectar. “Inform Sean’s teams that
the Shiva is engaged, and we will be back for them.”
“Captain,
the Commander is asking what is acceptable loss for civilians.”
Max
breathed in deeply. “All loss is acceptable. Tell him to get the job done,
spare civilians if possible, but he is to remove those ships.”
“Aye,
Cap.”
“Gentlemen,
lets go to war. All squadrons are to deploy, once they are launched, we take out
the big ship first.”
They
watched as a full set of ships came on view. When they had arrived, both
factions who had been engaged in a battle with each other, had cloaked and ended
their hostilities. Once Sean’s teams moved in to engage the transport vessels
transporting citizens off the planet, the support ships uncloaked and moved in
to protect their transporters from attack.
Max
found what he was looking for. “There, make your mark three-zero-seven and
come about. We’re taking out that Command Brig first.”
They
lined up for a run, as the smaller fighter ships assisted, coming behind to pick
off resistance.
“Here
they come, Cap.”
Max
nodded watching as a squadron of fighters was deployed from the ship they were
targeting. He listened as his teams cleared the field, and Shiva revved
into the slip, ready to run on the larger Command ship.
Moving
in, they laid waste to the frontal baffles hitting it hard on a frontal assault.
Their shields buckled easily to the first run, overpowered by Shiva’s
armory.
“Cap…”
Liander warned.
“Call
them back, full reverse, Seth. Get us out of here.”
They
backed off to a safe range as the large ship blew, the dispersement field moving
outward. They were hit by the wash, but the internal dampers held.
“How
is Sean’s team doing?”
“They
boarded two vessels, the third one fought back. The Rama
came in and blew her. No survivors, Cap.”
Max
nodded, his jaw clenching. There was no telling how many citizens of the planet
had been trapped on that vessel when she blew. They were now collateral damage.
“The
other ships, are they secured?”
“The
Kali reports that the first is secured, but there is fighting on the
second.”
Max
frowned. Fighting? “Where is the taskforce commander? Where is Sean?”
Liander
winced. “He’s on the ship that is under a fight. His party boarded, and they
are meeting heavy resistance.”
Max
swore. Typical.
“Cap…”
Max turned back to Seth. “The remaining ships are moving out of this
sector.”
“They’re
running. Is the Trinity ready?”
“Standing
by, Sir.”
Max
stood. “Tell her that the fox is to the hound, we’ll flush them her way. The
order is to destroy. Full weapons.”
“Aye,
Cap.”
The
Shiva moved swiftly through the space, pushing three fleeing vessels
anxious to leave the sector. They moved to the only area with viable ability to
move into a jump corridor. Before any of them could engage, the Trinity
suddenly appeared, blocking the way.
She
opened fire in a full frontal attack, as Shiva came up from the rear.
~~~
Jonesy
ducked beneath a barrage of fire, diving for a safe haven behind a bulkhead.
Swearing he looked over at Sean calmly resting with his back to the same
bulkhead.
“This
is not going well!”
Sean
made a face, moving out of cover to shoot, quickly dodging back into place.
“It’s going fine! Stop being so negative.”
Jonesy
looked at where they were pinned. They had to choose the only ship with a full
invasion team still on board. This should’ve been the ship they blew to
kingdom come indiscriminately.
Sean’s
communication badge sounded. Answering it, he listened as he was informed that
part of his team found survivors from the planet.
“Can
you get them off?”
“We
are in the process, Commander.”
Sean
looked at Jonesy and shrugged. “See, I told you we should check, and not just
go in shooting. I think you spend too much time with Michael.”
Jonesy
huffed. Sean was a fine one to talk.
“Fine,
so they’re getting a rescue underway. How about us?” Jonesy moved again,
just in time before a blast in the place where his head had been.
“Oh,
c’mon. We’re doing great! We’ve been in worse jams.” Sean smiled, calmly
shooting a Thoth warrior that got in too close. “I have a plan.”
“No!”
“Now,
don’t be that way. I haven’t told you my plan!”
“Your
plans suck!” Jonesy said, telling a universal truth. The only plans that
sucked worse than Sean’s were anything created by Michael or Maria. It really
didn’t matter. Plans by any of them were guaranteed to get a person dead.
Sean
took on a grieved look. Everyone so misjudged him. Well, except for Michael, who
tended to ignore him of late. At least Maria still liked him. Sniffing, Sean
shrugged. Fine. He wouldn’t tell Jonesy.
“Then
let’s go.”
“Go?”
The larger dark man looked around in wonder at the warriors surrounding them.
Go? Go where?
“We
better go.”
Fear
entered Jonesy’s eyes. “What’s your plan?”
“Too
late. You had to get nasty, so now it’s a surprise.”
“I
hate surprises.”
Sean
pulled out a full detonating implosion grenade. Opening a port next to him, he
smiled at Jonesy. “Look, I found a power relay access port!”
“Sean!”
Jonesy watched the holding ring pop, as Sean dropped the grenade. “Shit! You
crazy whacked fucker!” The big man grabbed Sean by the back of his collar.
Standing, he shot his way out, dragging Sean with him. Ignoring a hit he felt on
his arm, he moved as fast as he could before the grenade went.
The
explosion below them started in the belly of the ship and moved upward in a loud
‘whooshing’ noise, and the percussion wave hit them first removing all
sound. Jonesy couldn’t feel anything, until his body hit the bulkhead followed
by Sean’s.
It
took a moment for his hearing to clear, the large Anubian stood, shaking Sean
off him. His legs were wobbly from the explosion. The ship’s internal alarms
were sounding. Picking Sean up with one hand, he shook him.
“What
is wrong with you?”
“We’re
free, aren’t we?” Sean coughed, his eyes tearing from the increased smoke.
“Thank me later, we need to hightail it off this crate, she’s gonna blow.”
“I
just got out of the med bay!”
“Then
let’s go, before you end up there again.”
Jonesy
shook his head at his friend. The crazy bastard had more lives then he deserved.
“I’m telling Liz on you.”
“Well,
let’s go find her.”
Jonesy
dragged Sean with him as they moved quickly through the ship towards their
boarding area. “First sane thing you said in days.”
~~~
“Sire,
there is a report from the raiders.”
Thoth
stood from his throne, moving to stand on a balcony overlooking the Palace’s
main citadel. “They are on their way home?”
“No.”
His assistant swallowed hard. “Their last report said they were in full
breach, and the Shiva attacked them.”
“The
Shiva.” Thoth stood with this back to his assistant. “The loss?”
“Total.
All the ships and hands were lost. They had engaged the Royals in that solar
system, and the Royals lost five ships as well, completely.”
Thoth
walked the length of his balcony, surveying his domain. “Call the Royals. Tell
them the Five Precepts need to talk a peace negotiation. They will come for
their people. The Captain will come for his twin.”
“They
will not…”
“The
Royals felt the devastation today, as did we. They are two ruling Precepts,
Larek’s and Celzia. I hold rights to Antar, my own world and the Queen’s. We
will meet. Set it up.”
The
assistant bowed, and quickly went to his master’s bidding. He passed a doctor
on his way in.
“My
Lord.”
Thoth
turned looking at his main geneticist. Coming into the palace, he looked at the
man. Frowning, he returned to sit on his throne. He gestured for the man to
report.
“The
Commander’s genetics…”
“Does
he have the chromosomal shift, the defect?”
“Yes.”
The man licked his mouth nervously. “He is perfect for our purposes. There is
a strange attenuation of the chromosome. He has six replicates of the same
chromosome, of the six, three are present with the defect.”
“He
holds both?” Thoth stood up, moving closer to the man. “He is what? A
carrier?”
“No.
I think he is proof that the seeds of Earth are genetically repairing the
defect.” The man looked at the guards nervously. “Sire, I tested the
Princess’s genetics.”
“The
chromosome was present in her.”
“Yes,
the chromosome, but not the defect. It was perfect. She had over two hundred
attenuations of the same chromosomal strands. Her DNA is perfect. I could find
no defects.” The awe in the doctor’s voice made Thoth’s mouth dry.
Thoth
stood. He shook his head. “I was so sure. I was so sure that she was the
answer.” How could he be so wrong? She was the closest descendant of an
Ancient. She had to be the answer.
“I’m
sorry, my Lord, there was no possible way to meld her genetics to ours. Her
genetics are self contained, and the repair mechanism resists any attempts to
manipulate.”
“And
the Commander?”
“A
few more generations, and his DNA would have the same tamperproof resistance.
Even now, as it is, the defect in his genome is beyond our use. It is in an
evolutionary stage of repair. Perhaps if we found it ten generations ago, or
even five.”
The
headache was back. Thoth closed his eyes for a moment. “Is the answer in their
children?”
The
doctor shifted uncomfortably on his feet. His eyes darted to the guards, fearing
Thoth’s reaction. “Possibly,” he lied. The only possibility was a mating
between two individuals that had the chromosomal defect. It was a recessive
genetic anomaly. No children of the Princess would ever carry the defect, and
the Commander only offered a partial opportunity.
“Your
recommendation?”
“The
seeds. We must continue to search among the seedlings.” The doctor went to his
master. “As far as I can surmise, the Princess was in direct descent, and
genetically any faults in that chromosome that may or may not have existed were
repaired generations ago. We need to look at the seeds that were not in direct
descent. In them, such as her Attilaan mate, that defect still exists.” He
tried to press the urgency. “We must hurry. As proof in the Attilaan, that
genetic default is fast being selected against. In a few more generations, it
might cease to exist.”
Thoth
went to look out at the sky, staring at the suns in the sky, and the star field
barely visible on the horizon he felt the dawning of his own extinction.
~~~
Larek
moved through the palaces of Celzia pausing to only speak to a guard. Entering
the main antechamber. He watched the woman move towards him. Smiling, he stared
in her deep brown eyes.
“
“Larek,
what are you doing off your world?”
“I
have news. Can I see your brother and King?”
Larek
took her arm. “Hardly. The joining of our houses in a tighter bond will crush
Thoth.” Larek looked at
“He
feels the rot of his own body slowly decaying.”
Larek
stopped her. “We all do.”
“Larek.”
Zan of Antar stood as they entered the room. “You are off world. Is the
fighting going well?”
“Hardly.”
Larek walked towards his friend. “There is news from the recovery teams. Our
ships were all destroyed.”
“In
the Darcon system?” Larek nodded. “What was the loss?”
“There
were no survivors.” Larek cleared his throat. “We knew when we started this
project that this could happen. The seedling Empire is young, but they had the
benefit of the Ancients on their side. All these generations, we have all but
lost that distinctive quality we gained from the humans.”
“We
kept the warlike nature with a touch of cruelty. Too bad we could not retain
other things beyond a few generations.” Zan said. “Thoth must know by now.
Any word?”
“No,
but he will call for an alliance. The old Precepts standing united against the
New Federation.” Larek looked Zan in the eyes. “We will die. Our energies
and resources are at an all time low. The energy in our solar system is at its
end. The cloaking field masking us has drained everything. We are no match for
the Ancient’s technology, nor can we hold ourselves in an open fight. All we
have on our side is our ability to cloak and hide.”
Larek
noticed Zan’s unwillingness to admit defeat. “Perhaps it is finally time for
us to call a truce to hundreds of generations of civil war?” Larek offered as
a possible alternative to death.
Zan
walked away from Larek. “Not as long as Antar remains in Thoth’s hands. I am
the King of Antar.”
Larek
looked at
“We
will all die.”
Zan
stared into the horizon. Celzi, the homeworld of his brother, Rath lay as a
wasteland. Centuries of war, and it still held against Khivar and his evil seed,
Thoth. It was the only planet in the original five that never fell to Khivar and
his rule. Larek’s world had turned over a few times, and in the last
millennium remained free until just recently, but even now, Larek’s people
were regaining their lost world. The two further worlds, Khivar’s homeland,
and the world of the Queen have since become uninhabitable as they were rocked
from their orbits by internal explosions.
“We’ve
been dead for centuries. It was mere guile that sustained us thusly. The seeds
are coming home. I wish I never heard of Destiny.” Zan’s hands clasped
behind his back as the breeze of a once forgotten wind moved through the limbs
of the tree of his very genetics. Once—once he had been of Earth. His
forefathers sent home to Antar, a desire they wanted more than life. It had been
a mistake.
~~~
“Captain,
the Kali has docked. She transported wounded.”
“Is
Sean back aboard?”
“Yes.”
Max
nodded. “Inform Kyle in med bay he has incoming wounded.”
Caleb
went to his duties as Seth handed over a report. Max took the report but did not
read it. He walked to the front viewer, staring at the devastation. Two fleets
of ships drifted dead in space. The world below was spared with minimal
casualties, in the hundreds. Crushing numbers, but when compared to the hundred
of thousands and cities saved—it was a cost paid.
Sean
and Jonesy entered the bridge. Sean hesitated when he saw Max standing there
staring out at space, Alex at his side. The bridge crew slowly rose seeing the
Imminent.
Alex’s
hand came to lightly rest on Max’s back when the call came.
“Captain,”
said Seth. “It’s the doctor. It’s Kyle.”
Max
turned to stare in Alex’s eyes. They stood staring, and the sympathy in
Alex’s eyes made Max move quickly followed by Sean and Jonesy. The bridge crew
stood in shock as the Eminent remained staring down at the planet.