Cain's Crusaders (36 page)

So can we only do this within the range of the device?

Technically, yes. But remember, we can control nearly all electronic devices within that range, including conventional communication devices as well as CW links. If you wish, your thoughts to me can attach themselves to any other communication, and I will hear you.

Can McCarthy’s device communicate with us, too?

No. That device was of a completely foreign design, a blasphemous design, not given by the Gods. We may be able to detect its presence, but we cannot communicate with it, nor can we control it. This is of grave concern to me.

Adam smiled, while still looking out at the crowd.
So it’s just you and me against the universe and the forces of evil?

Exactly, my friend Adam. I fear that this knowledge will get out and then we will have to fight constantly to keep it under control
.

But Arieel, you’re the Speaker of the Formilian Coalition. You can’t be out wandering the galaxy searching for bad guys with a medallion hanging around their necks.

No, but I can help coordinate the search for such devices, as I’m sure they will appear. But it will be up to you to be the tip of the sword.

What if I need help? Can I bring in others?

You mean your mate, do you not?

Possibly.

We shall see. If the need arises, then of course. Our primary objective will be to keep the existence of such devices a secret for as long as possible.

But Arieel, I am leaving for Earth in a short while, I may be gone for as long as a year or more.

With McCarthy’s death, you should have time do what you must to preserve your mating pair. We will still be able to communicate, and with the new ships you possess, transit times between Human space and Expansion space has been greatly reduced.

There was a deep silence in the depths of his mind before Arieel’s voice came through once more.

Adam Cain, we are at the beginning of something very new, something neither one of us has ever experienced before. We will learn as we go forward. I know you are a neophyte in the ways of the Gift, having only discovered its most basic functions. I will help when I can, to guide you to new levels of awareness and of control. Go to your Earth, take time to recharge your spirit energies, and then return. There is much work to be done before we can both truly find peace.

Adam looked over at Arieel and they shared a long, serious look. She was right. If the knowledge of McCarthy’s device got out, then it would be as Adam had predicted – a mass rush to build and acquire these devices by everyone, friend and foe alike. He knew that until now all he’d really used the device for was to turns things on and off. But he also knew it was capable of so much more. It took Arieel ten years and more of constant training to get where she is now, and she’s still learning. It would take Adam even longer. It would be a solitary journey, smoothed occasionally by the ephemeral voice of Arieel Bol – unless he could bring on a partner.

He looked at Sherri again. She was also looking at him, now an expression of nervous concern. She knew his mind was elsewhere – literally – and she would be at a loss as to understand why. But he also knew she would focus on the logical target of his distractions – Arieel Bol. Somehow, he would have to put her mind at ease.

Chapter 31

T
he day after the award ceremony, Arieel and Convor left Pyrum-3 for Formil. Kroekus and the Ambassador left as well, and soon the base was nearly deserted, as was its normal state of being.

Sherri had been very warm towards Adam over the past twenty-four hours, trying her best to ignore the obvious chemistry that existed between Adam and Arieel. It also made her worry about the plans they had made only a week before.

“Are you sure you still want to go?” Sherri asked as they cuddled on the couch in Adam’s apartment. “I know it hasn’t been six months, but after all the crap we’ve been through over the past few weeks, I really need a vacation. And you did promise.”

“I know, and I’m with you, Sherri. I could certainly use a vacation, too. Let’s go – let’s pack up and head back to Earth, at least for a while. It will be good to be in a place where aliens aren’t trying to kill you every few seconds, someplace where we can just relax.”

“Exactly! I once said it was boring there, well that’s just what I need; someplace boring, where nothing happens … at least nothing involving aliens and galactic empires and ancient vendettas.”

“Earth sounds like just the ticket – probably the most boring place in the entire galaxy these days.”

Sherri moved in close to Adam. “Now there’s that other thing – that secret you won’t share with me. I know it has something to do with you and Arieel. Don’t try to deny it; I saw how the two of you have some sort of special connection, and it’s something more than could have developed over seven days onboard a starship while running for your lives. So what is it? Do you two have a love-child together, or what?” She attempted a feeble smile.

Adam raised his eyebrows at the question – and surprised at just how close to the truth the statement was, in a manner of speaking. Sherri saw his expression change and her eyes grew wide. “No way; I was only kidding!”

“It’s not what you think,” Adam said, gently taking hold of her shoulders. He looked her straight in the eyes and his expression grew serious. “You have to promise not to say a word to anyone. This is deadly serious – I mean it.”

Sherri was taken aback by Adam’s dark tone. She nodded nervously. “Okay, if you want to know then I’ll tell you – no, I’ll
show
you.”

He then pushed her away slightly, creating a separation between them. Then he held out his right hand, as his face relaxed and his eyes stared at her without seeing. Just then Sherri began to notice faint streaks of light zipping around in the space between them. Soon the streaks became more prominent, now more than just an illusion; they were real, and dancing around in the air like a frenetic swarm of fireflies on a warm Southern night. The tiny bursts of light began to congregate just above Adam’s still extended hand, beginning to form the shape of a ball just above his palm. The ball of light grew brighter until both their faces were aglow with sparkles and bursts of white.

Sherri’s eyes were now wide with shock and wonder. She was mesmerized by the swirling mass of electric light now hovering in Adam’s hand. As she stared at the ball, it all became suddenly clear. She opened her mouth and simply said, “No freaking way!”

A wide smile began to stretch across Adam’s face. This was the dawning of a new age for him and Sherri, as well as for the entire Human race….

The End

of

Cain’s Crusaders

Epilogue

N
omar Polimic, Langril of the Kracori, had never been this far from his home. He looked out the observation dome aboard the mightiest ship the Kracori had ever built – a behemoth nearly half-a-mile long – and saw the star known as Oiferin blazing in the distance. Somewhere out there nearby in the emptiness of space was the planet Duelux, which would place him well within the Far Arm and an area of the galaxy claimed by the primitive Humans.

The journey here had been long and tedious, but one Polimic felt he had to make personally. Near here, on a dead ball of rock orbiting a white dwarf, his fleet was gathering. It would be from this base that the ships would launch that would attack the Human planet of Earth, raining nuclear fire down upon its surface until the very rock boiled. After that, there would still be Humans left in the galaxy – millions perhaps – but they would be without a home, with all their history gone for eternity. The Legend of Earth would be broken. Almost like what the Kracori had done to the Juireans….

Even though the Kracori forces had not been able to stay on Juir long enough to complete their sterilization campaign, the creative genius of the local commander had helped them get closer to achieving their goal. He had towed a small asteroid to Juir and then dropped it on the planet. The resulting damage lasted even until today, with temperatures on Juir still ten degrees below normal. Estimates put it at twenty to fifty years in the future before Juir would return to the way it had been before the Kracori arrived. But that was only the climate of Juir. As far as the Legend of the Juirean people, that was gone forever.

However, it would be a millennia before Earth would every recover – if even then.

The Klin Pleabaen, Wesselian Velsum was in the process of shuttling over from his own massive flagship to meet with Polimic. The slender, silver creature was in the region overseeing the supply of warships his people were providing the race called the Jusepi, in preparation for their own revolt against their Human masters. This revolt, in Polimic’s opinion, was long overdue and he wanted to personally question Velsum about the delay.

Pleabaen Velsum was escorted to the observation deck, where Polimic hoped he would be impressed by the size and scope of the great warship. Even though it had been the Klin who had taught the Kracori how to build starships, Polimic’s was larger than anything the Klin had ever attempted.

Velsum entered the room and approached the Kracori, a neutral expression on his face. He did not look around at the blaze of stars above them, but rather stepped up to Polimic and bowed slightly. “Greetings Langril Nomar Polimic, this is our second face-to-face meeting. I hope this occasion finds you well?”

Polimic neither bowed nor nodded, vaguely annoyed by the formalities of the Klin greeting. “Yes, I am well. Our two ships were in the same vicinity, so I thought it appropriate we meet again in person.”

“I agree. CW communications are very effective, yet they lack the intimacy of being in the same room as another.”

“Have you had a chance to survey my ship, Velsum? It is the largest in either of our fleets.”

“It is impressive,” Velsum answered without sincerity. “It is similar in size to a Juirean Class-4, or the Human’s Reagan Starcruiser. I hear the Humans now have a vessel twice the size of the Reagan-class, and of course the Juireans once boasted of two Class-7’s.”

Polimic could feel the veins in his neck begin to pulsate.
How dare this weak, arrogant creature insult the pride of the Kracori fleet? He may be able to sight examples of larger ships built by other races, but he could not give any examples from his own.

“Velsum, I have noticed that the massacre we spoke of several months back has not yet occurred. Why not? That event is needed to initiate the Human-Jusepi War.”

“That is correct, Polimic. The incident will take place when the timing is right.”

“I thought the timing was right back then?”

“It was not,” Velsum moved to the nearest edge of the glass dome and looked out the shining star nearby. “We could not initiate the war prematurely. It would not serve our purpose to have the Humans defeat the Jusepi before the location of Elision was revealed, otherwise they would have a battle-ready fleet assembled which they could send against your homeworld. The more time we have to arm and train the Jusepi, the greater damage they can inflict on the Humans. We will continue to supply the Jusepi until they are ready … or until the location of Elision is revealed.”

“We will never know for sure when that time will come. McCarthy escaped us once and since then he has not been detected again. He may
never
reveal the location, in which case we will be at the mercy of the Jusepi and your excruciatingly slow operations.”

Velsum turned back to look at Polimic. “That is not entirely true. Our spies have just now reported that the Humans now know of Elision’s location.”

Polimic was stunned – and scared. This was the news his people had feared for over ten years, the time when the Humans would learn of their location and send their near-inexhaustible military strength against them. During the past decade, the Kracori had also been building up their forces, yet their resources were limited. The Humans, on the other hand, had built a small empire within the Far Arm and were pulling raw materials out of a dozen mining worlds. Their fleet was estimated to be near five thousand warships, and as Velsum had stated, included some truly massive vessels.

And now they knew the location of Polimic’s homeworld.

He and the Kracori race would now be fully committed to this new course of action. It was now a matter of life or death.

“Then you can start the war, the war here!” Polimic exclaimed.

“Yes, it is time,” Velsum agreed. “However, the Jusepi will still be no match for the Humans, but the distraction will be enough. Soon the Humans will pull their forces from around Earth and send them to this region. That will clear the space for your units to attack.”

Velsum walked up to the taller Kracori, until he was only a foot or two away and well within Polimic’s circle of comfort. “You must now hasten your preparations, Langril Polimic. The war between the Humans and the Jusepi will be brief, and there is a very good possibility that the Humans will learn that the Klin have supplied their new enemy with ships and weapons. After the initial Jusepi ships are destroyed, and yet more appear, it will become evident that they are receiving assistance. This will alert the Humans to the fact that we are once again in their region, and they will take precautions. Your attack must have taken place by then.

“Soon a deadly darkness will fall upon the face of the Earth. It will be from your ships in the skies of Earth, Polimic, causing the starlight to fall. It’s starting; the time for the destruction of Earth is near.”

Coming September 30, 2013…

The Human Chronicles Saga: Part Two

Book Two:

Starlight Falls

(working title)