Ghosts of Lyarra (10 page)

Sara listened intently as Lyxia told her the real reason for her impromptu visit and breathed a silent sigh of relief. The Dark Light had come all this way to search for clues and information on terrorists and their twisted methodology, not to search for clues about the shadow projects being undertaken in the shadows of Venus. She smiled as her friend asked for forgiveness and nodded in code to her officer out of picture range so he could send the coded message to Patterson about the Lyarran’s true intent. For now the coast was clear, but while the Dark Light was here they would have to be as careful as they had ever been. One slip up and the jig was
up!

“To be honest, I figured something was up with the timing of your trip, and I will give you unfettered access to our historical records to help in your search for this coward.” Sara replied after Lyxia had finished her confession with a
smile.

But those were the last words she could say to her friend on this call as the picture flickered then died; the holo-link had been severed! Sara was about to make a sarcastic comment when she noticed all the screens and communication gear on the deck around her were on the fritz too; something was about to happen and a horrible feeling welled up in her
gut.

Her fears came to light rather quickly, as a familiar reddened image appeared on every screen across the network. She could hear the cries of panic around the station; everyone had borne witness to the horrific acts unleashed upon the great temple of the Empire and images and effects of terrorist activity were all too fresh in every human being as the old world was not long enough ago to be out of recent
memory.

“Arm the ring.” Sara said to the station master next to her. “Arm all the cannons and shut every transport down now. I want the planet on lock down and I want it done
now!”

Orders were rushed to be carried out as the hooded killer appeared on the screen and began his speech to god knows who. Its voice sent chills down her spine as the first word growled out to the entire galaxy; for the first time since the Husk attack, Sara was truly
afraid.

“It is you I seek” it began; words that would be echoed in the history books
forevermore.

—
Lyarra System; Lyarran Flag Ship, Lyarra’s Fire

The second the screens around her turned on, Iana knew the end was upon her. For the past five months she had lived in total isolation as the Empire searched for a killer she knew they would never find. He was too smart for them to catch, at least they wouldn’t find him until after he had accomplished what he wanted to. What good would it do them if they did find Aen, she wondered? If he had truly embraced his power, as they all had witnessed, then Lyarra help them if they tried to stop
him!

When the screens turned red and he appeared in his disguise, she fell to her knees before her throne as tears streamed down her golden cheeks. Five months of torture and loneliness had broken the once proud and powerful Empress of the Lyarran Empire down into a snivelling shell of her former self. Nothing had been the same since Aen had been born and she began to wish she heeded her protector’s warnings back then. Iana chided herself from pulling him from his icy
tomb!

Sorrow gripped her like never before as she began to wonder where the strength had gone that carried her for ten thousand years. Was there anything left of the strong Mori woman who helped mold the Empire to what it was now? To be honest, she hadn’t felt quite the same since the morning she awoke to his plan to save her; the day everything around her
unwound!

Iana felt weak and helpless that day; feeling as she had really never felt before that time. In her heart, she made the decision to meet her end, not as a sobbing child but as the proud Queen of Heaven. With great inner fortitude, Iana reached down deep and got off her knees and stood; wiping away the tears staining her golden skin and faced the end of her
life.

“It is you I seek,” it started, and Iana closed her eyes and accepted her time had
come.

—
Lyarran System; Guild World Ryas,
Temple of the Divine Light

It was happening again, and there was nothing she could do about it. Her enemy was addressing the Empire as a whole again, but the words were meant for her, and her alone. It had called her out of the shadows to face him last time, but she stayed where it could not see her. It was safer in the darkness, besides it was the one wearing a damn hood and
mask!

So as it began to speak to her again, she sat in her chair frozen with fear and waited for what it would do
next.

“
It is you I seek, but you have shown your cowardice and kept yourself hidden. You disappoint me, as I expected so much more from you; maybe you are not the worthy opponent I thought you to be, or maybe you are just a puppet
too
.”

She was angry now; how dare he call her a puppet of all
things!

“
How safe do you feel in your broken house
?” it continued. “
How hard is it to call it a home now or does it feel more like your tomb? I did that; I took all your feelings of safety and comfort and burned them to the ground. You tread upon the halls of the Prophets themselves and plot dark and evil things. You have bastardized all that they made pure, and for that I shall punish you. After all, I did promise I
would
.”

“
It was almost within your reach that day; wasn’t it? Everything you have planned for so carefully, went up in flames as quickly as your home. We both know what you chase, but you cannot get it anymore and that has to frustrate you to no end. It is sad that after today, I will know exactly when and where to find you and once we stand face to face you still won’t have a clue who I am. It all could have ended with the one visit, but you wished to hide so I will carry
on
.”

“
To all in the Empire, today is a sad day; it is a day that marks an end of great things. There are whispers of change in the wind, and it is a change I shall give you. I deliver you a gift and a curse all in one as I take your very existence and rip it from your very clutches. Today I destroy all your peaceful dreams and turn them to nightmares. Today I take away your very symbol of hope and power. I will burn that angel upon heaven high that you so adore; today I begin the
revolution
!”

The image shifted to multiple camera angles of the Lyarra’s Fire from a half dozen different ships around it. Before even one gasp could escape the collective throat of all those watching, the middle section of the ship exploded in a flash so bright it was like looking into Lyarra’s light itself! In an instant, the entire section that housed the Empress’ quarters in the flagship was disintegrated as the crippled ship began to list to the left. Cameras showed the bulkhead doors slamming shut through the debris floating about in space as the ship struggled to maintain its integrity, but the true damage had been done! The Empress of Lyarra was gone; he had killed
her!

As the cameras zoomed in and news feeds began to override the audio, she watched in disbelief at what had transpired. A million questions flew through her mind but it was impossible to focus; if he could get to Iana in the most secure place in the Empire and do this, what would he do to her when he found her? She was paralyzed with terror, but the sound of screams of the news feeds faded slightly; the creature wasn’t done with her just
yet.

“
See you soon, and when I do the best is yet to
come
!”

It was a parting shot that proved to be too much for her as she fainted from the stress. The last thing she would remember about this was the seriousness in his tone; even in unconsciousness the voice would haunt her to no
end.

—
Sol System; Mars Hub Docking Port

It was almost too much to process; the very act itself was near inconceivable, but yet it had happened before her very eyes. Years ago Sara knew humanity had been irreparably damaged from the arrival of the Husk and the terrible destruction levied upon them afterwards. It had been a turning point in the constant evolution of mankind, and a lesson learned by the survivors of the
storm.

This however, this was something entirely different. The iconic leader of the great Empire had been blown apart by a madman with a grudge against someone in the Guild and forced the entire galaxy to watch. All around her there was total silence and disbelief; though not many humans had grown attached to the Empress Iana, she had been pivotal in the resurgence Earth now enjoyed. Her loss would mean a great many things, but foremost was that the wolves would eventually be coming; there were too many riches here for those that coveted them so, to ignore for much
longer.

“Has everything been locked down?” Sara asked the Sergeant at Arms beside her who looked
befuddled.

Quickly, the soldier began to look for the answers to the Council’s questions. With renewed focus, the entire staff in the room began to feverishly catch up from the last few minutes they had been watching everything
unfold.

“All cannons at full charge and on standby!” the Sergeant
barked.

“Earth defence ring active and waiting for targets!” another shouted. “All traffic has been held in place; all transports reporting full
stop!”

“Good, have all stations stay on red alert until further notified.” Sara replied as she began to walk down to her shuttle docked below. “Reroute all defense command functions to Venus Station; General Patterson is in charge now!” she shouted back to them from the
stairwell.

“What the hell is going on Council?” the Sergeant called down after
her.

“We just saw the first shots fired in what looks to be the start of a civil war, soldier!” she yelled back causing everyone around to take notice. “And if I was a betting woman, I would say that we are on the list of the next
targets!”

—
Sol System; Lyarran Vessel Dark Light,
Neptune Orbit Range

Lyxia fell to her knees as soon as the Lyarra’s Fire exploded; her world came crashing down around her and for the second time in the last five years she watched someone close to her go up in a ball of fire. Her heart, body and psyche could take no more and her legs buckled beneath her; tears poured from her eyes as her heart broke audibly. The screams of agony were stuck in her throat; her mentor, her shoulder to lean on, the mother figure in her life was
dead!

Everyone in the Ops Con was in shock and no longer functioning in any capacity. Some fainted, others followed Lyxia’s lead and collapsed in tears of anguish, while more than a few shrieked in horror. It was an attack of epic proportions, and one that brought the entire Empire to its knees in concert. In an act of unparalleled horror someone had struck the Lyarrans and torn their heart
out!

As the screams died away and the room quietened, the news feeds of the Fleet began to become audible. There was mass confusion and a lack of organization as ships began to move around aimlessly; all looking for the attacker who may be attempting to flee. No one looked to be attempting any type of rescue effort; there was no reason to as there was nothing left of what used to be the private sanctuary of the Empire. No one would find a body; there would be no miraculous discovery of a still alive
Iana.

On and on they went, all speculating on what had happened and who the assailant may be. Theories without basis began to be flung about as analysts pushed to keep their own sanity by continuing to talk for fear if they stopped, reality would come crashing down on them too. It all began to become just noise; voices blurred into static and became undistinguishable from each other. It was all too much and Lyxia finally came to her senses and turned off the
audio.

“Get navigation back from the yardmaster.” She sobbed as she rose to her feet once more. “I want the ship turned around and weapons on standby. If this coward runs here, it will be us to send him to the eternal darkness, not the
humans.”

It was the push they needed, and the slap in the face that made them realize there was a job at hand left to do. One by one, the Ops Con staff began to gather themselves and do their work. Within seconds, the Dark Light began to turn and park herself near the entrance to the Sol system. Little did they know that the one they were waiting for slipped out from its hiding place behind them and sped off stealthily towards
Earth.

—
Sol System; Saturn Orbit Range

It was a pre-recorded message, but the actions and explosion were real time and hit harder than any punch could ever be thrown; even to those who orchestrated it. The first time they had simply declared war on the Empire by blowing up a few floors of the Temple of the Divine Light; and while that was a devastating blow it was nothing in comparison to what they just did. The two armored figures and the AI sat in silence for a long moment as the gravity of what just transpired took
hold.

“
You killed the Empress
!” Caretaker was the first to break the agonizing silence as he chastised his
oppressors.