Scorched Earth: (The Human Chronicles Saga Book #16) (2 page)

Prologue

 Admiral Andy Tobias peered through the binoculars at the squad of Juirean Guards passing through the wooded shadows not more than fifty feet from where he lay. They moved without concern for noise or cover, confident in their status as the lords of the galaxy. Such an attitude of overconfidence could prove fatal, and if Andy was in a better strategic position, he might have been the one to teach them a lesson.

But his mission was to observe only, and then report back to the others hiding in the cave. After two long months in the cold, dank cavern, it seemed that the forest was now infested with the mane-heads. The Juireans were closing in; it was now only a matter of time.

To delay the inevitable, Andy had sent two of his remaining five military personnel to search for a new hiding place farther up the mountain. They hadn’t returned yet. Even still, the higher they went, the more difficult it would be to find food and warmth in the near-winter of the planet Worak-nin.

Back at the cave, Andy and his eight fellow fugitives had a small remote comm unit, and all the reports they’d picked up spoke of how thoroughly the Juireans were consolidating their presence in the Kidis Frontier. The aliens had annexed the region, and were determined to stay.

Being the pragmatic soldier he was, Andy Tobias prayed that no one would be foolish enough to attempt a rescue of his tiny band from the planet, which was now deep within Juirean territory. It would mean even more loss of life.

Andy’s long-term plan called for him and his team to eventually steal an alien spacecraft and make it back to Union territory on their own. In that case, if they failed only they would be sacrificed.

I can live with that
, Andy thought, amused by the irony in the statement. Although he could deal with the consequences, he had others to consider.

Besides the five military personnel under his command, he also had Sherri Valentine and Arieel Bol under his care. Even though the two females—one Human, the other alien—were both skilled and capable in their own right, this was asking far too much of them to continue much longer like this. And then there was the ex-Juirean Overlord Benefis Na, who had turned his back on his people to lead a life of unabashed capitalism in the Frontier. While he might have skills and abilities worth utilizing, so far Andy hadn’t found any. Although at seven feet tall, he did serve as a decent lookout.

The fatal truth was that if they didn’t do something soon, the Juireans would find them, and in Andy’s opinion, it was always better to go out with bang than a whimper.

********

Once the Juireans had passed, Andy extricated himself from his hiding place and began to make his way back to the cave. The aliens had a lot to learn about stealth movement and Andy was confident he could detect anyone along his path. Even so, he took a circuitous route through the forest.

The cave had been a fortuitous find. The entrance was in the upper part of a rock outcropping, making it almost impossible to spot unless you were standing directly below it. When he reached the opening, Andy lifted a small rock and tapped three times lightly, alerting those inside of his return. He waited for the small ladder they’d constructed out of branches and bark-twine to be lowered from the opening.

After a minute—and still no ladder—he knew something was up. He’d left the encampment three hours before; they would be expecting his return.

There were faint echoes coming from the cave, but he couldn’t make out anything with clarity. He tapped again on the rock, hoping those inside were simply engaged in some intense conversation and had failed to hear his signal.

When the ladder refused to appear for a second time he moved to the rock wall. He knew the purchases and footholds, so he could reach the entrance if he had to, even without the ladder. Now he had to. Something wasn’t right.

He took his time, climbing with almost slow-motion precision. When he reached the cave entrance, he slipped inside and scurried into a small alcove on his left. The ladder was there. He pulled an MK-17 from the holster strapped around his waist, preparing for the worst.

The cave curved off to the right, forming a light buffer for the two small electric lamps the team had with them. The voices beyond were soft and intermittent.

Andy moved off in a crouch. At the bend in the rock wall, he did a quick look-see, before returning to cover. His mind’s eye recalled the image. Benefis was there, as were Arieel and Sherri. But his three remaining men lay on the ground, with several smaller creatures standing over them.

These weren’t Juireans. They were the natives of the planet, small, purple-skinned beings with short tails. Andy always assumed the natives would side with the Humans if it came down to a choice between them and the mane-heads. He was wrong.

He gnashed his teeth out of anger and frustration, along with a healthy dose of sadness. His forty years of military experience told him one other important fact from his quick survey: the three motionless men on the ground were dead.

He’d made a tactical error, and he knew exactly what it was. Even though the Juireans were new to Worak-nin, the natives knew their forest intimately. Now the question became: had they discovered the hideout on their own, or were they working with the Juireans?

Andy shuddered. There was no way the passive natives could have killed three of his Human warriors and taken the rest captive, not on their own. There had to be Juireans in the cave—

A burning blast of light struck Andy’s left shoulder. The force of the level-two bolt threw him into the open area beyond the bend, in full sight of the others and their alien guards. To a Human, the bolt was non-lethal, but its scorching pain was disorienting.

Andy let the momentum of the blast roll him over several times, until he came to a rest on his stomach, facing the native guards, flash weapon gripped in his hands. He let loose with two quick bolts, flashes of brilliant plasma that lit up the dim interior like a mid-day sun. Level-two bolts
were
lethal to the natives, and now—after a quick count—only three remained.

But Andy didn’t get a chance to finish the job. Instead, a huge body fell on him, pressing the air from his lungs. Using his superior Human strength in the light gravity of the planet, he cast off his attacker. Not surprisingly, it was a Juirean, and another was rushing towards him.

Andy lifted his weapon, yet before he could steady his aim, another brilliant flash filled the cavern. This one was much more intense—a level-one—and it hit the admiral in his right thigh. A wave of searing pain swept through him, replaced almost immediately by a strange floating numbness. He knew he was in shock, but he didn’t care. He looked down at his leg. A smooth-edged, crescent-shaped chunk had been taken out, with the heat of the bolt cauterizing the wound instantly. Andy stared at his mangled limb as if it was no longer a part of his body.

He heard female voices in the distance. Falling back on the damp, powdery soil, Andy twisted his head toward the sound.

How sweet, it was Sherri and Arieel. They were on their feet and speaking to him. He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but they seemed very animated with their lilting voices and passionate expressions.

A dark shadow appeared next to him. Andy looked up at the towering figure, where a glowing halo of pale blue surrounded the head and hidden face, backlit by the various lights now dancing within the cave. Then one of the lights caught the face. It was that of an alien, green-tinted and with fine scales for skin. The beast snarled.

“I recognize you. You are Tobias,” said the creature.

Andy’s eyes rolled back in his head as he drifted in and out of consciousness. When his mind allowed it, the numbness faded from his leg, and now it seemed as though his whole body was on fire.

“—Quite well-known,” the gruff voice was saying. “Leader of the military forces for the Union and compatriot of the criminal Adam Cain. I see from your injuries that the myth of Human invincibility is just that, a myth. A simple increase in bolt intensity and you are just as mortal as the rest of us.”

Andy must have passed out again, because when awareness returned, the Juirean was standing over him with a flash weapon aimed at his head. Human eyes met alien eyes, and with his last ounce of savage breath, Andy Tobias managed to grunt, “Get it over with, you rotten alien bastard!”

“As you wish.”

********

The flash filled the cavern with a stark, blinding light. When it faded, there wasn’t much left of the admiral’s head.

The Juirean Overlord turned to the other prisoners. “That was for Regional Overlord Esketon, who died at the hands of a Human. I will be honored for avenging his death.”

Sherri fought through flowing tears to glare at the alien. “All you’ve done is piss us off, you son-of-a-bitch. You would think by now you would have learned.”

“Learned what?”

“That you don’t mess with the Humans…not if you want to live.”

“Your bluster is amusing, Human.”

The traitorous ex-Overlord Benefis Na wobbled where he sat, in a state of near-collapse, bruised and bloody. The first Juireans on the scene had worked him over quite well, taking out their frustrations on the turncoat.

“Are you now going to kill the rest of us?” His trembling voice echoed off the walls of the cave, sounding more like a plea than a question.

The Juirean leader stepped closer to the surviving three prisoners. “No, I will not kill you. I shall, however, send you off to Juir for processing.” He focused his attention on the two females. “Sherri Valentine, you are a well-known terrorist. Undoubtedly, you shall meet your fate in a very public spectacle, designed for the enjoyment of the masses. Arieel Bol, your situation is more complicated. As the leader of the Formilians, you will require a more extensive shaming before being put to death, yet it will happen. You cannot associate with enemies of the Expansion as you have and be granted immunity for your deeds. And as for you, former-Overlord Benefis Na. There are many who will receive great satisfaction in making an example of you before all the Juirean people. Your insane treason cannot go unpunished.”

“Why did you have to kill Andy?” Sherri asked, her voice shaking from both anger and remorse.

“As I said, for revenge.”

“But he didn’t kill your precious Overlord lover…or whatever he was to you.”

“I fail to grasp the meaning of your reference, yet I sense the implied insult. As for your contention that he did not kill Esketon, you are correct. It has been determined that Adam Cain was his killer.”

“Adam’s alive?”

“That is my understanding, yet it matters not. You should feel fortunate that your Admiral Tobias returned to the cave when he did, otherwise I would have killed
you
in his place.”

“I wish you had.”

“Be assured, Sherri Valentine, in time your wish will be granted.”