Shattered Light (2 page)

The square in front of the council building was packed with armed men and women. Resicor moved into complete control and their clothing and weapons returned to the planet.

“Greetings, children. I am Resicor. This is my Avatar, Trala Sheewah. I would suggest you step aside. I need to make a call.”

Trala was gaping at the exposure of the military and Resicor just walked past her children and headed into the seat of power.

Two hours later they were in front of the com unit and making their call. Trala was reeling at the amount of nudity that was gracing the halls.

Resicor had a plan for those who opposed her and it was twofold. Anyone who stood in her way with a weapon would have it removed from them by taking it down to its molecular base. Any attack by psychic means would be shown what it meant to touch the mind of a living world without permission. The halls were littered with telepaths and empaths who had made that mistake.

“Gant, it is so good to see you.”

Trala could feel Resicor smile with her lips. The other face on the screen had the same mix of eye colours that she knew was happening in her own features.

“It is good to see you out at long last. Are you in motion?”

“I am. Please call the others as we discussed. I can feel them coming for my people and they are not strong enough to save themselves.”

“The Citadel has been notified, the Sector Guard is mobilizing. You will have everything that we can give you, Resicor.”
He smiled briefly.
“It is one helluva birthday.”

“I know. Cake will be a little bit of letdown after this.”

“Ask your Avatar. She looks like she needs a party.”

“She does. When this is settled I will try and make things up to her. She has lost more in one day than any of my children have and this day is not yet over.”

Gant got a faraway look in his eyes.
“They are coming. Are you ready to receive them?”

“I am ready. The gates are open.”

“They will come into the skies around you and defend you and yours. I wish you well.”

Gant bowed and disconnected the call.

Alarms began to sound and Trala felt Resicor’s senses lash out.
And it has begun.

With a surge of energy she rose straight through the floors and into the skies above.

Ships were on their way through her atmosphere and she rose to fight them.

* * * *

“Who gave the order to attack?” Temross scowled and his wings flicked in agitation.

Drenliako grimaced through the mass com link of the nine battle ships. “I did. If we can kill the Avatar before they are firmly bonded we might have a chance to gain control over the population. Stealth is no longer an option. She has been seen.”

The sight of his scarred face irritated Temross. It wasn’t right that one of the chosen, the Vorwings, wore such a mark that defied his immortality.

The other generals nodded in agreement. Looksan said, “It is true. There is no reason for stealth. Let us capture the fighting talents and use our troops to subdue the rest of the population. We can begin our new empire when we win this battle.”

Temross wasn’t happy but he gave the order to attack.

Ten minutes after his ships left the cruiser he saw the first flash of light on the surface. A sense of unease grew in his gut when the flash was followed by others, ships disappearing from the scans in rapid succession.

Temross watched the images and called up a focus. The image wavered and drew in on the pale woman who glowed like a star. Her eyes were the same crystal blue as the oceans of Resicor and there was a grim set to her features. This was a woman who would fight and she was inhabited by a world with nothing to lose.

This was not a simple invasion for her, this was life and death and he sense the latter would be more plentiful than the former.

“What the hell is that?”

Temross looked up to see Looksan staring into his monitor. “What?”

“The moon, it just opened and closed. Something came flying out of it but it is off the screen now.”

The ship under Temross’s feet shuddered. “Report!”

The com officer moved his hands nervously. “Jump wells, they are opening everywhere.”

“What?”

Shouts came from the other battle cruisers and he could make out, “We are under attack!”

His own ship was rocked as weapons fire struck them from all angles. Sector Guard ships, custom cruisers and small attack vessels had clumped together to make the jumps. They were firing rapidly and his shields were buckling.

“Take us to the surface.”

“General?”

“I said take us to the surface. We won’t last up here but down there we will only be facing the natives of Resicor. If we can get enough of them we can bargain for a safe exit. Take. Us. Down.”

The navigator worked on the descent angle and Temross sat in his command chair as they approached the planet they had been watching and nurturing for so long.

* * * *

Trala kept her body moving while Resicor provided the power. She had a thought but she couldn’t execute it from where she was.

What do you need, Trala?

Get me to the Dome. If you can dissolve clothing you can free those confined by suits. They have physical talents and will fight for survival if nothing else.

We are on our way.

Ships would land, the attacks would come but if the last few years watching those who were smuggled out of Resicor proved anything, was that one person could tip the scales in the right situation.

As the Dome loomed on the rapidly approaching horizon she held her breath. She hoped that there were enough left to tip those scales.

The crowd lining the edge of the Dome proved that they were waiting for someone, anyone to let them participate. Trala stepped to the edge of the energy field and pulled it into her, storing it for later.

“Resicor has come under fire. The Avatar has risen and the world has a voice. I am here to ask you to help defend those who imprisoned you.”

Silently, she worked on their suits with Resicor’s help and removed the attachments that bound the fabric to flesh.

A woman with haunted eyes said, “How are we to help? We are in these damned suits!”

“The binding of the suits has been removed. Your talents are free once again. If you want to join me step forward, if not, your freedom is yours anyway.”

Out of the thirty souls facing her, twenty five stepped forward.

“I thank you, and Resicor thanks you.” She smiled.

Resicor took over,
“Thank you my children. We are going into a live fight but know that I will give you all I can to help you.”

The woman with haunted eyes smiled. “Thank you.”

Resicor winked and lifted from the ground, taking the volunteers with her. She returned to the battle with her small batch of reinforcements and a soaring in her heart. Her people wanted the freedom she offered and they were willing to fight for it. Trala wasn’t sure if the joy was hers or the planet’s but it was a solid euphoria and she was going to use it.

The battle could be seen on the curve of the world and she did all she could to bring them to it as quickly as she could. As she flew she noticed the incoming ship and realized that the battle was about to come to her.

She paused in the air and asked her gathering, “Do you want to continue to the capitol or to fight with me here? That ship is coming in and it is too large for me to tear apart on my own.”

Her group looked at each other and the solemn woman smiled. “Just show us where you want us.”

The large man with the hard muscles flexed and grinned. “Ready when you are.”

She moved them to a safe distance and flew up to meet the incoming ship. There was nothing but desert under them but she still didn’t want to dent her surface. They were going to come in as soft as a crash could be.

If anyone could arrange someone to strike a planet daintily, she was going to try to grant that status to the warship.

A shadow approached her at incredible speed. To her surprise it paused in front of her. “May I assist you?”

“Um, please.”

It inclined the upper half of its body, turned and extended its arm toward the warship. She struck out her own hand and when she fired light, he fired shadow.

The metal peeled apart when the combined bolt struck it, opening like ripe fruit.

Resicor thickened the air around the ship and it slowed to a lazy descent before embedding in the sand below.

She landed with her gathering and the stranger came up next to her. Together they approached the kilometer long ship and entered through the ruptured hull.

“Do what you want to them but keep yourselves safe. They are the reason you were held, they deemed you too dangerous to breed with, so they had the psychics lock you up.”

The haunted woman looked at her. “Breed with?”

“The Vorwings—the purple folks—want to resume their empire. For that they need power and Resicor has been dumping power into her population for generations. They needed a sleeping world ready to wake and we fit the bill.”

“Who are you?” The woman cocked her head. “You have two souls.”

“Trala, Avatar of Resicor, though you have guessed that much already.” Trala smiled and kept walking toward the crash as the murmur of surprise went through her crowd.

The shadow kept pace with her. She looked at him. “May I ask who you are?”

“You may ask. I will tell you after this battle has ceased.”

He lifted off the sand and directed her, “Find me when things calm down.”

The shadow darted into the wrecked ship and with a gleeful cry the others followed him in. Trala shot past them and simply stole the clothing and weaponry of all attacking personnel. It was hard to fight while naked and the lack of weapons might save lives.

She worked her way toward the command deck and searched for the Vorwing that she could smell on the ship.

When she reached the command deck she hissed. There was a large hole in the ship that had been blasted from the inside out. Her prey was gone.

The crew of the ship was lined up outside the vessel and left to their own devices. A few of them were a little the worse for wear but no one was dead.

“All right, everyone, would you like to go and smash invaders in the capitol?”

The Resicorans grinned and she took off with them trailing in her wake.

The shadow emerged and followed them closely. He didn’t seem to have trouble keeping up with them so Trala ignored him.

The capitol was writhing with invaders who were seeking out talents and lining them up. Those who feared retaliation cowered but several were lying unconscious near a set of tubes that had obviously come from one of the invading ships.

As she landed she stated, “Not one Resicoran ends up on those ships, is that clear?”

Grins appeared on the faces of her group and the moment they touched down the group scattered.

One man ran to the unconscious and injured, waking those targeted for extraction.

The shadow streaked ahead of her, knocking out invaders and assisting the selected talents to free themselves.

The small corner of the city was soon on its way to being free and the gathering of talents swelled to over three hundred.

Ships began landing with folk in the uniforms of the Sector Guard and armoured bodysuits used by the Citadel. The gathering of defenders swelled to four hundred and more joined them with every step they took.

Resicor assured her that all minor invasions around the globe were being handled. This incursion was huge simply because this is where the Avatar was.

There is a theory that if one can kill the Avatar before the planet has fully integrated that you can incapacitate the world for an indefinite period of time. It is completely false but that will not stop them from trying.

Excellent. This day was going far too easily. Who is watching out for the provinces?

Do you remember the thirty worlds that Skiria visited?

Yes.

They gave her seeds to portals that are now nested all over the globe, as Admar used to have. The worlds can send their people to us at a moment’s notice and ours to them.

Will they all send us help?

Those that can. Some of the species breathe water and they are watching our oceans.

The portals are…

Underwater. Yes. Three of them are either under water or against the shoreline. They will keep the oceans clear.

Trala listened to the confidence in the voice of the planet. Resicor had faith in the contacts she had made. Trala wished she could be as sure.

“Avatar, there is a ship coming down!”

Trala looked up and saw the sleek lines of an Alliance Sector Guard shuttle. She didn’t recognize it but Resicor did.

“It is friendly. Stand aside and let them land.”

The gathering stepped aside and moved to stand behind Trala. To her surprise she was being viewed as a person in control even though she had no idea what she was doing beyond hosting a world in her mind and body.

She faced the dropping ship as it settled on the sand. A hatch on the side of the ship opened and figures in neatly designed uniforms filed out.

Cries of recognition sounded behind Trala and four of the women coming out of the ship cried out and ran for the crowd behind her.

Hugs and tears flowed as the truth of the freedom achieved was confirmed. Whispers of new worlds, acceptance and love were passed with a few conversations.

Trala stepped forward and inclined her head. “Commander and Pilot if I am not mistaken.”

The woman with the small jacks in her skull and hands smiled. “You are correct, Avatar. Relay sends her greetings and she will assist you with worldwide communications.”

Commander grinned. “She has an orb that you can use to address the population. Relay will turn on all screens at the same time.”

He lifted his hand and a small orb lifted up and rotated gently in the air.

“Now? Should I speak to them now?”