Rise of Aen (45 page)

“Smile about that,” Axyn spat at the headless corpse twitching on the ground as its servos released stored energy as the body
died.

Then there was another flash, closely followed by two others and then what was unmistakeably a jump space rupture. Axyn was confused—Imperial law stated that a ship couldn’t jump within two million miles of a given planet, but yet he witnessed one just now. As his mind was processing that, he saw the rupture reappear further over in the sky. Then came the screams, not from the cries of battle and the wounded or dying, but from the Husk as a whole—all looking and reaching skyward and wailing at the top of their lungs. Something serious was obviously going on up
there!

“Dark Light, what is your status?” he asked as he chinned his comm line in his helmet’s
HUD.

There was no answer. Axyn was worried; the Dark Light was state of the art, but this was a high risk mission and that Harvester was one of the largest he had ever
seen.

“Council Lyxia, do you copy?” Again, no response. “What the hell is going on
up...”

In the sky, a new sun awoke and shone so brightly that his HUD couldn’t handle the dramatic increase of light and went into reset mode. All he could see for a few seconds was black, but he could hear confusion sweep through his Ifierin ranks. Axyn couldn’t wait and tore his helmet off, craning his neck upwards in time to see the circular blast wave sweep across the sky. He had seen a wave like this but on a larger scale long ago; it was a day he saw a God die and it was a day he would never
forget.

Then he looked around, noticing that all his men were looking skyward too. This was not your run of the mill happening to stop the Ifierin bloodlust in its tracks, but this had. It wasn’t until that moment that Axyn had noticed that something was missing; the Husk had stopped wailing and simply stood there in a dumbfounded state. Something serious had happened indeed, but his work here wasn’t
finished.

“The blood of our enemies still has yet to be spilled completely!” he hollered to recapture his Ifierin’s attention. “Without an end, the battle has no meaning or
honor!”

To lead, he swung his helmet and flung it at the head of a motionless Husk a few yards away; a sickening crunch broke the silence as the creatures skull imploded from the impact. His men roared in approval and began to join in; simply pounding the brain dead enemy with their fists as no opposition was given. What was left of this ground force of Husk lasted only a few more minutes before there was none left standing but the triumphant Ifierin. Victory was theirs once
more!

Axyn felt a tap on his shoulder and spun around with his blade in a reflex action, only to see one of the humans holding his helmet up to him as it shielded himself from the Captains response. Its mouth moved and some kind of language spewed from its lips, resembling an infant’s gibberish, but his contempt for this cowering creature was cut short by his helmet’s
translator.

“Your people are calling and it sounds important,”
the meek mechanical drone of the translator
spoke.

He nodded his thanks to the smaller soldier and donned his bloodied helmet to connect with his Council, at least he hoped it was her that he was to be speaking with. Another explosion in the upper atmosphere caused him to flinch as a Husk cruiser detonated from a PAC round; at least there was something Imperial up there still gunning
away!

“Axyn reporting in,” he said as he chinned the response icon to the missed hail. “We are triumphant on this front, as
expected.”

“Excellent, my good captain.” The softer voice startled him. He had expected any other voice to respond to him but the Empress herself. “As always, you and your mighty Ifierin do me proud. Lyarra smiles brightly down upon
you.”

He caught himself almost kneeling and bowing in response to her voice over a comm line and smiled. “Goddess, is it you that rains such terror down upon our enemies?” he asked. “What is the fate of my Council and her mighty ship, for they do not respond to my
calling?”

“It is indeed the cannons of the Lyarra’s Fire that strike the final blows to the remnants of the Husk invasion, but I fear we could have been here earlier to prevent such tragedy as it is above your glorious victories
below.”

Axyn’s heart sank; Lyxia was like his child and the thought of her gone struck him deep. With her family dying at the hands of the Husk when she was a child, it was he that found her amongst the rubble and took her in until she was able to join the Academy. It saddened him to think that those monsters had claimed her
too.

“I beg of you to tell me what tragedy you speak
of.”

“The pride of our fleet lies beneath us; crippled dearly and with many dead and wounded; her engine and flank torn asunder from the enemy’s mighty hand.” The Empress answered. “Your Council—my dear Lyxia—is alive and unable to answer your hails as she has joined the rescue efforts to find survivors in the city at the heart of the Dark Light. Though she needs attention for her own wounds, she thinks of others first before
herself.”

“Then I fail to see the tragedy you speak of Goddess; if the ‘Light is damaged and not lost, then what is so saddening about the situation?” Axyn breathed a sigh of
relief.

“To save the Dark Light and all the souls aboard, the Harbinger sacrificed himself to destroy the Harvester—we lost Aen. Your great victory came at the highest of costs Captain, but it is not yet complete. Gather your forces and redeploy as needed; there are many Husk infesting the grace of paradise and must all be cut down to salvage the day. Report to me if you require assistance or relief forces, but finish the job first before claiming
victory.”

“We will not require help or relief majesty,” he felt the barb of her stabbing insult as she drove the point of his premature celebration down upon him. “It will be my pleasure to rid this world of the Husk filth in your honor. Your wish is ours to make
true!”

He ended the conversation with that, but had no doubt the Empress had terminated the line before he ever spoke his final words. Axyn stretched his neck in an attempt to rid himself of the stress she had levied upon his shoulders. His hopes that Lyxia had survived were granted true, but if this Harbinger that was so important had truly been lost, then he hoped the promise these “humans” held would prove to be warranted for such a sacrifice. His head shook in frustration as he gave the order to return to the ships for redeployment and he activated his translator to speak with the gathering human forces around him so he could tell them to burn the bodies of the fallen enemy lest their filth and stench taint the grounds of paradise. Along with a lie of well wishes from himself along with congratulations for a job well done, Axyn took his leave of the humans in a hail of cheers without a care of their well wishes. His job wasn’t finished, and even when he did rid the planet of the Husk it still didn’t change the fact that the mission had failed. Above anything else, the long-time Captain of the Ifierin of the Dark Light despised failing—especially when the stakes were so
high.

Himalayan Mountains, Mount Kailash, Tibet -
Three Days, Eight Hours since Arrival

Tears rolled down the cheeks of Sara as she watched the epic fireworks in the Western sky. Help had arrived, the ships racing through the sky were colorful and different than those of the invaders, but the battle being carried out above them told a tale of the unknown. When the explosion that blinded the entire planet and whose brightness dimmed the familiar warmth of the sun, Sara knew that something tragic had happened! As her eyes watched the energy wave ripple across the sky from the blast, her heart wept openly for those who had been lost in the last few days of this
war.

But this explosion was the beginning of a new day, as once she was able to return her eyes to the heavens, she could not find the ghostly shadow of the alien ship looming overhead. With the Lyarran soldiers coming to the aid of mankind, whatever was left of the invaders groundside would soon be taken care of as well. The planet and its people would never be the same, but maybe that was for the best as the future held unthinkable wonders for them in the bosom of the Empire; that is if humanity chose to embrace their
saviors.

Sara’s thoughts quickly turned towards Aen and what may have become of him. She wondered if she would ever see him again and be able to ask him for the truth about her father. It was only a matter of time before her mother and her, along with all the others in the encampment, would leave this shelter and venture back out to see what remained of the world they had been secluded from, but all she could think of was the answers held in those mysterious eyes of the
stranger.

Groom Lake Military Installation –
Code Name Area 51, Nevada -
Three Days, Eight Hours since Arrival

It wasn’t over by any stretch and the champagne had to stay on ice for a while longer, but Patterson could see the finish line on what had been the most gruelling test in the history of mankind. The destruction of the enemy mothership had been sudden and unexpected, but the General knew that without a command structure the Husk would be easy pickings and it was only a matter of time before they were hunted down like vermin to be put down. In the face of utter defeat, the Lyarrans had saved them and Patterson for one would sing the praises of the Empire to any who would listen. Without their intervention, there would be no Earth to call
home.

Reports began to pour in from around the globe, all of which were similar to that of the Vegas conflict. The armored aliens had waded in to all the battles and took the fight with no fear to the Husk, pushing back their advances and breaking the lines before slaughtering them all. These soldiers moved as one, and were staggeringly efficient with every movement as they left nothing but dead Husk in their wake. It was immediately clear that these were the elite warriors of the Lyarran Empire and that their inclusion in the conflict had been a message to the Husk and humans
alike.

But there were many smaller skirmishes happening about the globe, the Husk were coming to their senses and resuming their campaign of terror in a much smaller scale. There were still millions more of them on the planet and along with hundreds of their drop ships and a few dozen of their cruisers still flying around, Patterson knew there was much to be done. Surprisingly, the Earth’s military forces began to attack the enemy with a renewed aggression; the fear of failing the Earth was gone
now.

Then there was the cause of the explosion that still was of much concern to Patterson—the second ship that rammed the invaders and sent them to hell. The ship had come not from the stars like the other one, but from the very Earth itself. He wondered where such a vessel had been hidden and how it had remained so until this day. And then there was the hybrid—what had happened to Aen? Was he aboard the ship when it exploded? Had he given it all up to save the
planet?

His questions would have to wait as the radio that sparked to life when the Lyarran vessel arrived once again lit up; this time it was a different female voice. This one was softer, kinder, but yet had unquestioned authority to it, as the alien language sang to them. There was a moment of silence followed by a cheerful laughter before the language shifted to fractured English as they had once again forgotten a translator the first
time.

“Citizens of Terra Sol, we have come to aid you in your time of need. Be not afraid of our Ifierin as they cleanse your world of the evil filth of the Husk; they will not harm you.” The woman’s voice sparked a vision of immense beauty in all. “Once the planet has been cleansed, we will withdraw our soldiers and commence negotiations on a peace treaty along with provisions to help with the losses you have suffered. I am Iana, Empress of the great Lyarran Empire and I have come to usher in a new day for the human race. Today, Terra Sol is no longer alone—today is the dawn of the
Empire.”

Patterson noted the shining golden vessel that had arrived in orbit and had taken a protective stance over the heavily damaged first ship. Flanked by what he could only imagine being a flying arsenal, both ships were clearly positioned carefully and symbolically with their weapons pointing out to the stars in a show of protection of the planet below. The creature had been right, the Age of Man had been brought to an abrupt close by the arrival of the Husk, but he hoped that this new age she was promising proved to be the next step forward for humanity and not slavery in disguise. Either way, looking at the size and armament of the two vessels above along with the exhaustion of what remained of the military might of Earth he figured there was little they could do to oppose the Empire should it impose its will on
them.

TWENTY

Himalayan Mountains, Mount Kailash, Tibet -
One Day After Victory

News broke quickly once the Ifierin had begun to dominate the ground war and spread all the way up the mountain to the lonely monastery and to the relief and delight of those huddled in the temple within. Coupled with the epic explosion that lit the night sky into day, the refugees began to celebrate the unthinkable—victory. The nightmare that had taken everything from them was finally over and life was able to resume its path—at least, as best it could after what had
happened.

Sara could foresee complications in the way that might happen, as many survivors had their moral and religious boundaries broken. Some might try to brush it aside and treat it like it never happened, but the roof would come crashing down on that tinderbox house eventually. The people that would succeed were the ones that embraced the world for what it was now; changed forever and having to rethink its place in the galaxy. There was no longer a doubt that life existed elsewhere, no longer did we think we could withstand a threat from beyond our borders. Had it not been for the intervention of the Lyarrans and the being called Aen, the Earth would have withered and died from the attack. Yes humanity had shown a strong resolve, but there was no mistaking what it had taken to beat the Husk and the sacrifice needed to end the conflict. Aen was gone, and with him there were many unanswered questions she had that would stay that
way.

Her heart told her that he was her father; it was the only explanation she could muster for his continued interest in her and her mother the entire time. But her heart also had doubt about that same conclusion; there was no resemblance to Aaron Foster in the creature’s likeness and no similarities in their actions or movements. The truth was just beyond her reach, and for someone like Sara that was painfully
frustrating!

As the others raced out of the temple and up to the village above to celebrate the momentous occasion, Sara mulled behind with those same thoughts weighing her down. She saw the losses that the others hadn’t yet, she saw the hardships ahead of everyone that they couldn’t. Yes, they were alive, but as reports of the damages poured in, she wasn’t sure what really remained of the place she called home
anymore.

Smoke hung like fog around most cities; New York was heavily damaged, as was Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C, and most of the eastern seaboard centers from the bombardment following the Thunderwell detonations. Most of these cities still stood, but fires burned from the plasma rounds that crashed down. The West Coast was a different story; Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, San Diego and many more were mere piles of rubble and ash as a result of the direct assault of the Husk Ground forces. Other countries around the world shared similar stories, with coastal regions battered to dust and others still burning. But the heartlands of each continent were still there, and that is where the mass migration of survivors headed. It was learned from the Lyarran contacts that the aim of the Husk was to herd the humans to the center of each land mass to centralize the population for easier collection; a startling way to learn a person was valued the same as we do
livestock.

On top of that, there was the unenviable task of dealing with the scores of the dead that littered the ground all over the globe; one week passed and the smell of decay had begun to rise noticeably. Reports on the actual death toll would take some time; it was much too early to gather more than estimates, but it was assumed that almost one third of the population had perished in the attacks. In a matter of seven days, the world’s population plummeted by nearly two billion and that total wasn’t done rising yet. There were still small pockets of Husk roaming about the planet, and when they encountered humans they made sure to strike hard and fast. Others would die from lack of medicines or medical care for injuries sustained in the week’s events; more from lack of food and viable drinking water. Humanity had been pushed to the brink and had paid a heavy price for surviving the
trip!

Sara walked slowly up the stone stairs carefully carved into the crater walls as she held her small hand-held radio up to her ear. Reports cycled from English to Russian, and even Chinese as in the hours following the battles the true tragedies began to unfold. Moscow was gone, reduced to a smoldering crater, still smoking days after the blast that created it. The devastation from this single event had far reaching ripples down the landscape as the blast wave had destroyed suburbs and farmland for hundreds of kilometers in all directions. Russia’s main seaports and military installations also lay in ruins; the military here had fought back the hardest and the results had been the
bloodiest!

England as a whole had been hit hard as scattered reports told of nearly three quarters of the country lay in ruin. Surprisingly though, London still stood as she shone before it all started like a beacon of hope amongst the desolation of destruction around her. Rome, Athens, Beijing, Tokyo, Vancouver and many more major centers succumbed to the crushing force of the Husk advance, their inhabitants either scattered or killed, trampled by the enemy. All around the world, the message remained the same: there was nothing left to go back to as the Husk had destroyed as much as they
could!

As Sara made her way up to the village above, she finally noticed that the celebrating refugees had quietened and stood mouths agape, staring straight ahead. Taking a moment to survey the scene, she slowly followed their gaze to search for what held them in such a state of shock as her eyes came to rest on a creature with unparalleled beauty! At the gates to the old monastery stood the living embodiment of the massive statue that dominated the inside of the temple below, and Sara cold see that despite the carving to be beyond amazing with its description of her wonder, it did not do this being justice in reverence to her beauty; the Empress Iana had come down from the heavens to see them. Immediately, the monks fell to their knees and bowed in prostrate to the being with their heads facing the
ground.

“Your Highness,” Nyun cried. “We are not worthy of your
presence!”

Once the crowd realized that this was someone of importance, they too began to kneel out of respect. Even Sara found herself unable to remain standing as her legs slowly collapsed beneath her knees before this wondrous sight. The Empress had the most silky, flowing orange hair—not orange in the way humans think of a redhead with amber locks, but living fire flowing from her scalp. Her skin was golden and shimmered beneath the morning sunlight; it was a tan unlike anything a human was able to obtain. Her face was long and smooth, the angles of which perfectly enhanced her beauty. She had a small, pert nose that rose up towards a more prominent brow bone that was void of any eyebrows. On the left side of her face was a tattoo or a marking of what looked to be feathers of fire flowing down from her brow, down her cheek, past her jawline and halfway down her neck. And then there were her eyes—glowing fierce orange like her hair—a pair of precious jewels in an already priceless work of
art.

And it was those piercing eyes that found Sara in the crowd and locked into her. The Empress sauntered towards Sara, her hips swaying in a sultry dance beneath her partially sheer robes of green and white as Sara remained motionless. There was something primeval about the effect she was feeling towards this woman as Iana oozed raw sexuality with every breath and movement. In mere moments, the Empress stood in front of her and held out her hands to
Sara.

“Please, you must stand, my child,” she said in a bright and songful voice that rippled through the very air around them. “All of you—please rise. I did not come here to be idolized or worshipped
today.”

Slowly, everyone stood as Sara took the Empress’s hands and let herself be pulled back to her feet. The second her hands touched the woman’s skin, the feelings of attraction and desire doubled in intensity with a shockwave that rippled in her
soul.

“Why...why are you here?” Sara barely stammered as the words nearly stuck in her
throat.

“I am here for you, Sara Foster of Terra Sol.” The words rang out hard and hit Sara nearly stealing her breath away. The Goddess of the Lyarran Empire had not only come for her, she knew her name! “I have come to deliver a message to you and your mother, one that found its way to me quite by
accident.”

Lyarran Vessel Lyarra’s Fire -
One Day After Victory

Lyxia woke up in unfamiliar territory and stifled the natural panic that came with such an event. While the room itself was unfamiliar, the setting was quite recognizable. She lay on a cot in the medical wing of the Lyarra’s Fire, and as she looked around she recognized many of the Ops Con staff from the Dark Light. All of them—including her—were suffering from a multitude of injuries from the fight with the now defunct Husk Harvester and had obviously been transported here for recovery as the ‘Light’s medi-bay would be overwhelmed with their own
charges.

“Awake at last, I see?” the booming bass voice rumbled her very
core.

Looking up, she saw she was in the shadow of the mighty Bryx, the Empress’s sworn protector and Commander of the J’Karin, who was standing vigil over her cot. His expression was impossible to read; J’Karins usually showed little or no facial expressions due to the lack of musculature in the face other than the jaw region—but she could hear a hint of concern in his voice. Lyxia knew he wouldn’t be here for any other reason but because the Empress herself ordered it; that alone reassured her in a way that words could not. The fiercest warrior in the Empire was watching over her—that was a level of comfort that few would ever
experience!

“How did I get here?” she asked, her mind still cloudy from the
fight.

“The Goddess sent a team into the Dark Light to assist with casualties, and when they arrived at Ops Con they saw most of you unconscious. Found a tiny atmosphere leak in the hull; you wouldn’t have lasted much longer.” His voice was the lowest of lows, a booming fog horn of a sound that echoed even when he whispered as he did now. But at over ten feet in height and tipping the scale over a thousand pounds, there was little Bryx could do to not be
noticed!

“A hull breach?” Lyxia sat up suddenly. “We have to
evacuate…”

“The breach has been sealed; there is no further danger to your citizens and crew.” The giant reassured her as his enormous hand pushed her body back to a lying down position ever so gently. “Other than minor loss of consciousness, your people are fine as the effects were localized to Ops Con. We have a temporary crew tending the herd while you and yours recover so you must rest—that’s an
order!”

Bryx was one of the few males in the Imperial structure that could issue an order to a Council; the fact was that other than the Empress, he damn near out-ranked everyone else, though he held no official rank himself. From his grey, leathery mouth ran the words of the Goddess herself and very few chose to disobey him! As to not buck the going trend, and in a small need of self-preservation at the moment, she decided to not to disobey
him.

“Bryx, I need you to tell me the truth: what happened to Aen? I saw the explosion and then the rest is foggy. Did you recover any life pods from the
Amarra?”

“We recovered the ship’s AI, which was jettisoned before it made its jump. It held a message that the Empress herself chose to deliver to Terra Sol. As for the Harbinger, there were no traces of him. All that remains
is...shrapnel.”

Her heart sank with the news that this wondrous creature had been lost. She longed to be in his arms and spend the rest of her days getting to know him and experience all he had to offer. It was the deepest feeling of regret that surrounded her world right now; her heart wanted now what was no longer possible. Aen was gone and there was no way her love could be fulfilled. Before she knew what was happening, Lyxia began to cry. Her sobs attracted the attention of others in the medical wing, but gazes were quickly averted when Bryx’s scowl returned their curious stares. This is why he was there; the Empress knew Lyxia would break with the news of Aen’s death and that she needed someone there to comfort her. Why she chose him—J’Karins were anything but emotional—was a mystery, but he rarely questioned the Goddess in times like this so he simply put his massive paw on her shoulder to comfort her silently and let her emotions wash the pain
away.

Himalayan Mountains, Mount Kailash, Tibet,
Temple of Lyarra’s Light - One Day After Victory

“I never did like that statue much,” Iana spoke softly as she entered the temple with Sara and Krista. “A tribute that size makes one wonder about an egotistical need for attention, don’t you think?” Her English was surprisingly good despite what seemed like an Eastern/Asian
accent.

“I really don’t think it is egotistical, your highness,” Sara stammered, not wanting to offend the Empress with
foolishness.

“Iana. My name is Iana—now is not the time for formalities and worship,” she said with a smile to the two women. Around them, the monks traded worried looks—to refer to the Empress by name was unthinkable. Knowing their discomfort in all this, Iana looked over to them as they all kept their heads bowed as to not look her in the eyes
directly.

“Leave us,” she said kindly but firmly; waiting until the last one had left the temple before continuing with her words. “I arrived too late to help in the fight, but in time to witness the greatest of all sacrifices and for that I must offer you and all your people my condolences. Aen is gone, but with him, he took the nightmare of the Husk into the afterlife. It was not how I had foreseen the end to this conflict, but it was equally as
dramatic.”