Authors: Jr H. Lee Morgan
“
It was a random thought,
I’ll admit, but when we were on Meriddia enjoying the sun and surf,
I was fascinated how Olly and the whole Pride, cubs too, moved as
if they were Olly’s extension. It was a strong and unbreakable
connection like I made with Sparky eleven years ago. And yet Sparky
is his own person. I can’t take over his mind and control him.”
Sparky could only nod. “How could such smart Ligers be used? It was
that random thought I said before.
“
When we found the derelict
and downed battle cruiser and met the AI Alleia of the battle
cruiser Calleiteim we learned about Keptl Queens. People knew
something was behind how those foul creatures were so smart. Alleia
told us how Queens control the swarms, guiding them.
“
It hit me that is how
Olly’s Pride worked. The Ligers had some independence, but could be
remotely taken over with a superior intellect to do things normal
animals cannot, think laterally. Not go for the obvious instinctive
patterns.
“
So I tested my theory and
asked Olly to send Psionic energy through Nova and astonishingly
the link Nova placed on Olly the moment he accepted him as master
allowed for energy distribution not even our eyes can detect during
expression. The only thing I’ve seen do that is an Infested person
under a Queen’s control using energy the victim never used before.
The only downside Olly found is that the cubs aren’t bound and
therefore cannot absorb his power. Olly still made not only Nova,
but all his Pride to use his own power. Something I cannot do with
Sparky.”
“
And we have tied.”
Sparky told the silent room.
“
That’s why I’m currently
learning how to duplicate Nova’s channeling ability to place on
Sparky. It’s a lot harder than I imagined, but it is a great goal.
Drakes cannot produce exterior Psionic energy. I intend to change
that. Does that satisfy you, Netul?”
“
Indeed. I was merely
curious. Rest well.”
Renee yawned. Oliver didn’t even have to look
to tell his Pride to follow. They were up and moving. They headed
to another door and were too tired to look around before crawling
up in bed.
Chapter 17
Using the vambrace Oliver had broken down the
train of crates once used to transport sheets of steel for the
Gravity Forge. The hard wooden boxes were broken down at the
molecular level and transformed into engine and machine parts and
storage containers for Psionic energy. Oliver didn’t like large
groups and his Pride loved the outdoors too. Sadly they were rarely
on Zaxit for the past three days. They spent the bulk of their time
on the planet surface teaching the young. He merely kept an eye
while turning the shell of the fighter into a functioning ship.
At first he applied hundreds of gravimetric
strips after creating the energy containers and gave them a good
charge so the fighter was no longer be exceedingly heavy. After he
made sure of it he began installing the engine, thrusters and
flight controls. The hardware allowed him to do something with his
hands and get away from the near half million family members that
had come for the birth today. It was a welcome distraction. He
added contoured seats, and ran lines to foot petals and the flight
stick for manual flying should the later fighter software
malfunction. Quickly the large area of parts dwindled as they were
put together and installed.
It took longer to put it together than for
his vambrace to break down the boxes and transform their
composition. Still it would be several more days to piece
everything into a basic functioning ship.
Keeping up pretenses, Renee would teleport
into the River Skipper for check ins so Jake and the others
believed they were enroute to the rendezvous in the planned week.
Creating the illusion of subspace travel was no difficult task.
He was at work and gloved
hands covered in grease for about four hours when Netul teleported
on the other side of the unfinished ship wearing his full
resplendent armor to say
“The moment has
arrived, My friend.”
“
About time.” He said,
dropping a wrench to stand. Like always, cleaning clothes were
simple and easy as the malleable armor collected all foreign debris
into a ball and dropped into a recyclable waste bin Netul supplied.
Grease, sweat and oil was gone in the moments it took to stand
up.
Together they hurried across the bridge and
into the building to pass the many descendants who had arrived. All
not of Netul and Callier’s genes were elsewhere and although
packed, space was made for them to hurry to the door they were not
allowed in.
It was quiet inside. Patient and expectant
eyes were waiting to hear the good news. It was not nearly as fast
as Renee’s birthing of Isabella, but aside from labored breathing
there came no noise from the other side.
But as Creelin tradition dictated for men,
during the mother’s fight to birth new life, they chose a worthy
warrior to do battle.
Netul and Oliver moved to the center of the
room and faced each other. Hands at each of their sides they bowed
in respect. From there Netul raised his arms and channeled energy
to his armament and a Psi Blade of compressed energy extended from
the rounded slit over the top of the right hand. The left carried
the large Beyleez golden shield half his own height. Oliver drew
his sparkling black cutlass and indigo round shield.
From showing respect they bet in battle. Psi
Blade met cutlass and they crackled off each other as shields were
thrust to knock each other away while they mentally tried crippling
the other and adding kinetic energy to hurt the other. It brought
back memories of when Netul and Callier were training him back on
the Beast planet. Even though he had fought many times, Oliver was
still impressed by the man.
Behind, the watching family erected multiple
barriers to strengthen each other so a stray explosion didn’t
vaporize the building and everyone inside as two of some of the
most powerful users engaged.
Oliver ducked a swipe and received a kick
that sent him into the wall of the ring, flipped and returned the
favor by cutting a small chunk of flesh from Netul’s pointed chin
and lifted his shield with a boot to throw his against the
Creelin’s breastplate and released a shield created wall that sent
him to the other end of the barrier-wall instead. Oliver never
blinked as he watched Netul’s body and especially the eyes after
what Vanishing Claw taught. It came in handy as he brought his
shield back and behind his head to block a minor kinetic blast,
without turning. He in turn swiped his sword to loose a slicing
wave with his sword that was canceled by a near perfect wave from
Netul’s own Psi Blade.
They closed the distance again, sword and
shield meeting the opposition’s in a loud and flourishing display
of talent earned through practice, practice and even more
practice.
Even veteran Zeelin were mentally speechless
watching the two giants blur around each other, but even then it
was clear Oliver’s talents for battle, multiple complex thinking
and muscle memory was a combination that made him the superior
warrior.
The exchange came to an end as the bedroom
door opened. Swords mere centimeters from each other’s neck before
being put away. They bowed again, breathing hard before turning.
Netul’s eyes changing from crimson to power blue.
Callier came out first
covered in a new white robe, holding a newborn Creelin child that
was mere minutes old and covered in a pasty lotion excreted from
her breasts. Behind followed the firstborn daughter and two others
before Renee was last to leave. Mother again lifted the child to
say
“My son Pathilim has
arrived.”
It was then that clapping came from everyone
along with gentle sensations of joy that radiated throughout the
area. Some who saw the child, slightly larger than a large human
baby, mentally shared their minds so all could see him through
those close enough.
When the clapping died
Callier proudly said
“And with his birth he
has been tested that his future strength will be among the top two
percent of our people, like many of you who are born directly of
me.”
This time the cheering claps were near
deafening. More than a thousand brothers and sisters embraced each
other. Beyond Oliver’s sight he expected all others who came were
doing likewise.
“
You have done
splendidly.”
Netul told his beloved and was
the first to approach her.
During the crossing of the room there burst a
piercing sound nearly immediately followed by a calm and self
assured voice speaking within all minds.
“
Alert! All Zeelin are to
fly to defenses. Inbound are fifty six Goliath Keptl. They have
projected an anti-teleportation field around the entire system. The
Golden Armada is on its way and will arrive in thirty two hours and
three minutes to rid them from our home. Civilians, please evacuate
to the shelters till the threat is neutralized. Our defenders are
slowing them, but the Keptl will reach our orbit in thirty minutes.
Fight and die with honor.”
Netul had yet hold his own son as it
sounded.
Strangely every Creelin calmly began to move.
Oliver expected pandemonium chaos as what frightened humans would
do. These people merely retained composure. The warriors though
moved a slight faster to don their armor. Outside the window
hundreds of thousands of warriors were flying through the air among
hundreds of Creelin heavily armed ships outpacing telekinetic
flight.
Seeing this had Oliver reach out to Nova who
roared mightily to the others to take off and head back to the city
with all haste.
“
Can your people possibly
hold off fifty six Goliaths?” Renee asked with a hint of concern.
Her fear was dampened by the calmness the others were exhibiting.
The babies, Creelin and Solarian cried from the siren’s near
painful noise.
Netul said in all
honesty
“Not that many. Less than ten? Most
assuredly. More than twenty? It will be hard. Fifty six? We will be
pressed to survive thirty minutes. If the Goliaths are full, this
lush world will lose many.”
“
What about Olly and I
shooting a stream? We can take…”
“
They will be resistant.
Aside from tough exoskeletons, they can call upon those they carry
for power to run a barrier current. Only the full might of a Golden
Armada fleet can fell this many. We will instead be limited to air
and ground forces when the Goliaths drop the scourge within them.
The Goliaths will try bombarding the cities to shatter our
defenses. Our people in shelters will help supply the city shields
as all the cities converge to boost each other. They have stripped
us from teleporting so that advantage is gone.”
Trying it out Oliver willed
himself across the room to grin as he stood now on another side.
“Except
ours
still
work.”
Netul blinked before the
shift of his mind made it seem he was ginning too.
“Then we may just have a chance! Oliver, I need
you to picture this image and take me there
immediately.”
In the mind came an image of spacious room
Oliver had never seen before. Strangely it felt like a second home,
but only because Netul had been there thousands of times and knew
it like the back of his four fingered hand. It had several raised
seats that were gilded and situated much like a courtroom except
with more style that made all who came feel welcomed and not
intimidated. There were trees and places to read and talk openly.
The ceiling was domed and he realized it was actually the top of
the Archiver’s citadel in the very center of the city of Zaxit.
“Got it.”
“
What about me? Where can I
add my power? Next to Olly, I’m the strongest in this whole
system.”
“
You will come with me. We
will detonate Kinetic Blasts to all drop-pods in this invasion. We
will kill many of the most clustered before they reach the planet’s
surface.”
Callier said calmly.
“
But…”
Callier crinkled the corners
of her eyes.
“Peace, Renee Void. Our young
will not leave our side. We will be furthest among our warriors
from the front of battle. Between us among the long distant Zeelin,
we will be protected as the city converges on our nearest neighbor,
Elith. Trust my Match.”
“
Fine. Olly, don’t be late.
I don’t want to be the one having all the fun on this vacation.”
The genuine smile and eagerness to kick ass got him rock hard. His
hellcat was ready to fight after getting assurance their daughter
would be safe and sound.
“
Alright. Netul, hold on to
me.” He did and using the image as if he had been there before they
vanished from the room…
And entered the court of the Archivers. Their
sudden arrival hadn’t gone unnoticed. Not by a long shot.
Especially since they appeared midair in event someone was passing
through in the exit. The grand and lavish space moved as they
landed surrounded by fifteen Zeelin with dual Psi Blades aimed at
them. There were five current Archivers standing around a
holographic display that put what humans had made to shame. It was
clear they just entered a closed session.
Netul thought lifted his
shield and suddenly all the warriors withdrew their luminous blades
and crossed their wrists over their lower abdomen. A waiting
stance. He then thought
“I apologize for
this Archivers, but Oliver Void’s system of teleporting remains
fully functional.”