Dark Descendant
By S.M.Kemp
"And all will turn to silver glass
A light on the water
All souls pass"
(Into the West – Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)
Chapter 1 – The Kiss
The Erika moved through the blue portal, it was damaged but ready. The blue of the portal was ghostly pale, this realm looked accursed. The newly invented shields aboard the Erika, protected from the crew from the harmful effects of Hyperthrust. At one time, the entire crew had to go into cryo-stasis and no maintenance could have been achieved. But now.
Adam looked out over the blue portal from his place, the arboretum. It was filled with strange and magnificent plants which were situated in a glass bubble on the top of the massive Erika.
Adam reminded himself that it was like something out of an old science-fiction cartoon that he had seen on television when he was younger. He smiled at that remark as he sat on a stone bench in amongst the diverse species of tree. He wondered if he would ever see a tree again after this, the military had now annexed the entire of Earth, enslaving its population to create more war machines for their purpose on the possibility of the Zelnaian/Kelvanaian alliance, that would definitely bolster Zelna and their chances of winning this war. They were manning these ships with crews of villages and city dwellers, who had no knowledge of warfare and the only one experienced member of crew was a captain.
On the lower deck, Chaos was sat on a seat outside her quarters, she looked round to see if anyone was there. She did not want to appear rude, she just wanted to recuperate, all that business with Andrea had tired her but it may have also presented a cure for this virus as Stef was immune to its devastating effects. Chaos was wearing her Queen dress, which was red and had little weight to it for maximum movement.
"Hey Chaos" said Stef, he entered the corridor, he was wearing a white jacket as if he was a scientist working on something important. Chaos just looked up and smiled but then it faded quickly while her face was on the brink of tears. "What's wrong?"
"I have failed my people again, I left them to be enslaved by that bastard."
Stef looked up, he knew that the communication from Zelna which they had received told them that the people of Earth had been made to construct battleships to help increase the UMSS's power. However Stef felt that it was going to end sooner, fate would play out.
"Look" said Stef, Chaos turned to look into his hand, he had a card in his hand. "It's the hermit, the cards are saying that you are supposed to be patient and look! The Empress, children and marriage and……"
Stef stopped and looked at Chaos, his Tarot card stayed firmly in his hand but a new one could be seen, a card that he had just drawn.
The card had a black background and a picture of a man and woman bounded by vines and the words underneath read, "the lovers".
Chaos looked back into Stef's large blue eyes, they had a power which she had never noticed before.
"The lovers" said Stef. "Somebody is going to make very you happy"
Chaos took the cards out of Stef's hand and moved closer to him, still drawn to the power that came from her eyes, she pulled closer still until their lips were touching, it was a tender kiss, a Goddess to a spirit. Stef pulled back.
"What about Lin?" said Stef, as his rose from the bench "She's about to have my baby and I to stick with them"
Chaos rose too, she knew she had down something that was bad and she had no excuse.
"I……I'm sorry" said Chaos, she had lost control and she did not want to hurt her friend. "I don't mean to hurt Lin"
Stef walked back up to her and stroke her hair, he knew what she felt and to some degree he felt the same. But he had to stick to his principles….or not.
Suddenly he grabbed Chaos and pulled her close, he then brought his mouth on hers for the second time, she put her arms around him. The kiss was more passionate than he or her would care to admit.
"Hey guy's, I…….I……" said a familiar voice behind them, Stef's ears poked up. No! Not now. He let go of Chaos almost instantly. Chaos turned, she had known that she had done wrong. Stef braced himself and turned.
It was Lin, standing there, her eyes beginning to fill with tears, she looked both shocked and hurt. She shot off back through the door that she come through.
"Lin! Wait!" shouted Stef but Lin's heart-pumping deafened her. How could you?! She thought. How could he?!
Chaos went straight after Lin, she turned into the old quarters of some member of the crew. The door had been broken for ages.
"Get away from me bitch!" shouted Lin, she picked up something and threw it at Chaos as she entered the room. "How could you, is it because he ain't getting it from me because I happen to be pregnant?"
Chaos felt the anger build up inside her, but she had been in the wrong and Lin had every right to angry.
"Lin…..I don't know what to say" said Chaos, she tired to sound repentant in her voice.
"Oh that's a first, so that's why you too have spent so much time together, he's been shagging you too! Right!?"
"No"
"Then why the fuck did I catch you kissing!" said Lin, the anger and disappointment was evident in her voice.
"I don't know, he told it was wrong but then he kissed me. I'm sorry Lin and I'm pretty sure he is too. It was friendly, he loves you!" replied Chaos in vain. Lin turned round and began to cry, she looked round at Chaos and Stef entered the room.
"Hey" he said slowly. "Look, it was wrong, I'm sorry and after all the trouble of this war. I love you and I want to be with you. I was just so overcome, we're all tired but that is still no excuse." Stef had tears in his eyes, Lin leapt into his arms, she loved him too. More than anything.
"I'm sorry" he said.
Chapter 2 – Arian's Will
Thorn rested on the bed that lay out in front of her, she had woken from her ideal with Andrea, she looked at the ceiling. She felt the remorse, the feeling that she had from the power was unforgettable. She never realised the power of the darker side of life. She lay on the bed in the sickbay getting comfortable, as most of the ship had been destroyed or broken beyond repair from the crash. All of the crew had to sleep in the sick bay and the adjoining quarters. Lin and Stef were in the bed over in the corner of the room, Flex was on the other side and Chaos was on the floor with Adam, who was lying by Chaos's bed on the floor.
Stef got out of bed, he had seen something, he moved, like a ghost through the mass of sleeping bodies that lined the floor. The Erika was still in Hyperthrust, Vagresso was on the edge of known space that's why Zelna was gathering strength there in numbers of ships as an old Zelnaian asteroid colony was there and it had an emitter the blocked the sensors of the searching UMSS fleets.
Stef walked up to the end of the corridor and towards the lift, he stepped inside feeling the cold metal.
"Deck nine" he said in a clear voice, he was not sure but something was pulling him there. The voice of someone was calling him.
The lift stopped and the doors swung open, a corridor with broken glass and pipes lay out in front of him. He walked as if in a trance towards the broken doors of one of the damaged quarters.
"I'm here" said Stef, he felt cold air enter the room, a spirit.
"My son" said a malevolent voice which struck him at the core of his being, he turned round to see, a man with the head of an Echidna and the body of a devil with black wings. His father, Arian/Ivan Grace and the powerful Lucifre.
"You!" shouted Stef, he looked upon Arian, his voice changed to discontent, his hatred was obvious.
"Before we start to despise, I bring some reconciliation with you" said Lucifre almost smiling at him. Stef could have hit him but he was not in the physical world so there was no point.
"Reconciliation!? You are a murderer! Pure Evil! How am I going to reconcile with you."
Lucifre looked with a slightly hurt expression but he then resumed a smile.
"Because you are my son!" he commanded. "And future King of Darkness"
Stef choked, no! He would not follow in Lucifre's footsteps, even if he had the same blood, he would never follow Lucifre!
"What!?" he shouted.
"You cannot hide from your destiny but I will tell you now, stop your foolish cavorting about with that fox, your son will never be born. They are both going to die and you will be in the web of grief for the rest of your existence! Ho! You will turn towards the dark ways, to punish the world for your loss but she is going to die! And even though she may be a spirit, she will still be parted with you"
Stef looked absolutely horrified. No! It was lie! Lin could not die, if she did then his future would go with her.
"Liar! Why make up lies? You have already cause pain and suffering!" shouted Stef, he looked so angry.
"Because she is! I am trying to save you the pain of having her die in your arms. I do not want to have my own son to suffer, I am not completely evil. Anyway after my return to this Earth and the eventual conquer of the galaxy. I want you to join me so we can rule as father and son for all eternity!" said Ivan, he leant against the wall.
"What!?" Stef shouted, Lucifre was lying, he could not return.
"Oh yes" said Lucifre, a smile evident on his face. "Challenger has collected two pieces of the Black Emerald and now he will get the third from the Emerald Sanctuary on Serenity Island and burn Millennia to the ground for a second time. Find the final piece and combine them, breaking the seal and allowing me to arise!"
And at that Arian began to laugh intensely, Stef felt the rage build up as he slowly disappeared.
"Remember!" he said. "Whose side would you rather be on? Do you want a life of misery?"
Stef sat down on the chair, his father, despite being a murderer was a spirit, he had access to information Stef had barely touched upon.
The Erika dropped out of Hyperthrust inside the asteroid field of Vagresso. A red clouded planet shone near the massive lumps of rock that floated, unhindered through the expanse of space. This was a peaceful time.
However now there was a massive build-up ships both, the elegant design of the Zelnaians and the more bulky, war torn ships of the Kelvina Cooperation. The Erika drifted towards these ships in a lower powered state, this was the extent of the damage.
On the bridge there was near enough silence, many relived faces that they had escaped of Tiranaus with the Erika still in one piece. Flex sat in her chair looking at the godly grace of the asteroids tranquillity as they revolved around the planet in the centre that had the large red hew that shone from Vagresso's sun onto the clouds, giving them a rusty red colour. Beautiful.
"We are being hailed" said Dallas, who sat at the communication array, he was a slightly older man than Goddard, in his late sixties but skilled in his job.
A voice could be heard through the bridge's multiple speakers.
"UMSS Erika, this is Captain Alandril. You look like you guys have been in a fight"
Flex smiled and got up from her chair, the bridge lighting was still damaged and some of it flickered, luckily the control panels glowed with there own light.
"Yes we have, we need emergency repairs before the descent onto Earth"
Captain Alandril sounded very happy to see them and his happiness made everyone on the bridge feel good.
"Ok, dock with station 23-alpha. We would like all of your crew to participate in a combat exercise on the forest planet, Galadros (Vagresso 4)"
Flex sat back in her chair, this was going to be fun.
Chapter – Andrea
Flex paused with her gun, she knew somebody was there, she heard the rustling of the bushes in front of her, Galadros was a beautiful forest world, there were many trees.
She twitched with her gun in her hands, what was she going to do? Risk shooting someone on her own team.
No, too late!
Paint spattered the tree beside her, she turned to see member of the Erika crew, his gun in his hand, he was wearing a blue jacket but she was wearing red. She was not about to be captured.
"Freeze" said the man as he approached her, he look ecstatic, a lowly ensign capturing the captain. "Drop the gun"
Flex let go of the gun and reached for her back pocket, quicker than the ensign had ever seen, she whipped out another paint gun and shot him in the torso. The ensign began to laugh, he had been caught out, Captain Flex was as good as her rank.
"I believe you're dead" said Flex, she smiled at the ensign and told him to make his way back to the ship.
In another part of the forest and at the playing perimeter, Stef and Chaos shot through the bushes, they had been running from someone, who had been chasing them. A shot narrowly missed Stef.
They were coming to a grassy bank which they could slide down, who was chasing them?
Chaos turned around and fire a paintball right in mask of there pursuer, she was a good shot. Stef looked back it was Lin, only she had that style.
Meanwhile, the sun rose on an island far out in the sea of a distant world, inside a beautiful hall, laid a wounded woman, she had changed back into her human form, he injuries looked deadly.
However she was regenerating, flesh wrapped around her body and round her face as she shrunk into the floor.
She was going down through the hole in the floor which her tentacles had created, into the hive.
Here body became eclipsed by the green, plant-like vines that wrapped around her, she made several grunts and groans, inside her evil cocoon. Andrea was not down for the count yet.
Chapter – The Plan of Ammangea
The newly elected President of the Zelnaian Alliance walked into the room, she was beautiful, her beauty shone through her clear skin and her magnificent clothes, however she was also one of Zelna's best tacticians. Kyrot Coriolanus.
Her white wings were massive and she looked so young and pure, she wore a white dress that flapped around her like a flag in a summer breeze, everything about he was pleasant, she had taken over by President Shiffrin, who was killed in what was now, the battle for Zelna. Or the Zelnaian-Terrain War.
She sat at the table, her majesty was evident and her grace seen from miles away, she gave divine presence to the room. The room was the conference room of Vagresso station, there were statues that lined the wall, woman pouring water, woman cradling babies, the design of this room gave it a royal look, a chandelier hung from the ceiling, pure crystal, the carpet and walls of the room was red and the table was long and solid mahogany.
"We are almost finished in our preparations to attack Earth, however we have a sort supply of Kraydonmite Gas to power our weapons" said Kyrot, she looked down the table, the faces of Stef, Lin, Adam, Chaos, Flex, Thorn and some of the Zelnaian captains that had their ships nearby.
"However" Kyrot continued, she looked back at the screen which was behind her. "We have found a UMSS facility, which is in abundance with this gas, it's located in the Ammangea, twenty light-years away. However this facility has not had contact with UMSS for days, we have been spying on its communications with our satellite."
Kyrot looked disgusted at the mention of the UMSS, so many of her people had died protecting Zelna from this attack force. She avoided the crew of the Erika's eyes.
"What is this "facility"" said Chaos, she was smiling back at Kyrot. Kyrot did not want to say but she had a duty, maybe the Erika would agree to help them, why were a group of Terrains so willing to help Zelna. They were good people.
"It's a research facility" said Kyrot, watching Stef's eyes rise and fall. He knew what that meant, zombies and monsters, all product of the Serenity Virus.
"Well" said Stef, after an awkward silence, he smiled at Kyrot. "I'll go."
Thorn raised her eyebrows, Stef was going back to his own personal nightmare, maybe he had figure that he had to get back out on the horse.
"Well, I'm coming to then!" said Lin, after that Chaos put her hand in the air and then Flex and then Adam.
"Thank you" said Kyrot, tears almost came to her eyes, they were not sure whether this facility had been infected by the Serenity Virus. But they were willing to risk there lives to get this desperately needed gas.
"We are giving you, our best weapons and a new ship, the Charity. It's a small vessel which can cloak and you can slip past the UMSS security grid undetected. The dock with one of the stations landing grids, inside the station. Get inside and go two decks down to the cargo stores and get the gas, however if the risk is too great, come home."
Flex sighed, she would have felt more comforting with the Erika but it was too big and would be detected before they could even get near Zelna.
Kyrot smiled at them, when they left.
"Good luck and thank you!"
Chapter 5 – The Dark Dock
Ammangea was a volcanic world, unsuitable for colonisation, however there was a massive station in orbit around, the red, dark planet. It was vertical, cylindrical shaped of which a blue beam went down onto the planets surface, to extract oar and move it up to the station. To power the experiments.
Suddenly, like a mirror shattering, the Charity decloaked, the effect was awe-inspiring, when Zelnaian ships decloaked, the cloaked parts of the ship would shatter into nothing like glass. An amazing effect.
The Charity moved towards the station, this was strange, they should have started firing on the Charity but the station still stood there, ominously.
The Charity approached the passage to the landing pad inside the station, they remotely opened the massive doors, using EMP Manipulation, another one of Zelna's little surprises, Electro-magnetic Pulse Manipulation, allowed the team to manipulate most electronic locks.
The Charity, was small vessel, which had two cannons on the end of its wings which were parallel to the bridge. It was a K'Olando class vessel.
The inside of the station was a long narrow path that led towards the landing pad, the pad was a big piece of flat land in the circular passage. The circular passage had power conduits which could be visibly seen transferring blue, electrical energy to other parts of the station.
The Charity went into landing mode, the wings of the scout vessel moved up to allow the ship to land, they raised high enough to give the ship the image of a falcon, this one of the most inspiring ships Team Fox had ever seen.
Stef came out of the land hatch which shot down on the floor, he took a handgun and his sword because he thought that he needed agility more than fire power, the passageway was cold but the air was breathable, the was a bridge that came to the landing pad and extended to the large double, metal doors on the side of the passage way.
Flex was next out the ship, she had agreed with Stef and had taken an assault shotgun, Lin was next with a 44 magnum, the Chaos with an AK47 and finally Thorn and Adam, Thorn had taken a flamethrower/disruptor rifle and then Adam had taken a Grenade Launcher. They had all decided to take all different weapons so they could keep track on who's weapon was who's and also there was bound to be some ammo for one of these guns in there.
Flex walked up to the metal door and placed a small box next to it, she then pressed the red button on the box and the huge metallic doors, grinded open.
They stepped inside
Grand Admiral Challenger sat in his office, he was getting older, he could feel it but he would complete the UMSS domination of all known space, the shield generated around Zelna would decay with his fleets constant bombardments however he had noticed several ships were missing from Zelna, including the UMSS Erika. He wanted that ship! He wanted to destroy it, it had been nothing but an annoyance to him, constantly foiling his plans.
"You are pretty useless" said a daunting voice, which just appeared to come out of nowhere, but slowly Lucifre appeared sitting on the table. Challenger did not even look up to see him, he just continued working on his paperwork and then looked up and said.
"What would you have me do?"
His tone was desperately seeking an answer, he knew it and Lucifre knew it as well.
"She is of no concern" said Lucifre, he was dismissing this completely, Challenger looked a bit shocked.
"No concern?" he said with surprise and shock. "My lord, she is of concern! The woman has the bloody Serenity "A" Virus written into her genetic structure. She chased us back to Earth and just left, sensors scans show that she had taken over the prison at Tiranaus and has been using her psychic power to manipulate the scientists into doing her bidding. What is she making!?"
Challenger suddenly realised that he was sweating and scared, he knew that she would come seeking him.
"Trust me Challenger!" said Lucifre with a smile, he looked knowingly. "My son will do the clearing up for us!"
Challenger, who had just taken his cup of coffee nearly spit it out after what Lucifre had just said.
"WHAT!?" said Challenger, he looked at Lucifre with his cold, stone like eyes. "You're son! Who is your son!? I was not aware that you had any children."
"Yes" continued Lucifre, he still sat semi-transparent on the desk "Two, a boy and a girl, both of them mine by the same mother, they are Stef the Echidna and Shannon the Echidna."
Challenger looked mortified, Commander Stef was Lucifre's son!? This was not possible, he was Prince of Darkness. No! That was to strange to be false!
Chapter 6 – The Steel Star
The stairs creaked as the team moved down into the base, the labs were cold, wet and had stone floors, there were stretchers smeared with blood on them. Flex was in front, she held out a small device that could detect the particles of the gas that they needed, she stopped at the end of the large corridor, her eyes widened.
She gestured onto the wooden door which she stopped at, was there something in there?
"There's a life sign coming from this room" she said, she read the device again. "Shall we go in and "introduce" ourselves", she whispered to the others.
Adam moved past Flex and took up and position next to the door, he put his hand on the gold knob and turn it, causing the door to swing open.
Inside was a multileveled room with several different supply canisters but nobody about, the team walked in and looked around. Nothing. Was that a hoax?
Thorn noticed a red, laser beam move up her front, she looked up, A SNIPER RIFLE!
"Get down!" she shouted and the shot narrowly missed her, the whole team shot behind the different boxes and canisters in the room. The assailant was up on the second level, the red beam scanned for targets.
"Its alright!" shouted Chaos, she was hoping this would work. "We're friends, a rescue team."
There was silence and another shot as Stef tried to poke his head out of behind the box.
"Why can't you military leave us scientists alone, I am conducting vital research!" said a male but feminine voice.
So he was a scientist, Flex made a gesture, she needed some cover, she would try and go up the ladder behind him, she sulk of behind the canisters.
Stef and Chaos both poked there heads over the boxes and shot back at the sniper, Chaos barraged him with shots while Flex climbed up the ladder, she reached the top and was standing just a few meters behind him. Flex then got out her own personal, stun gun and zapped him in the back, he fell over unconscious.
The man had a red soldiers uniform on, his sniper rifle lay before him, a Barrat, just as Flex had thought, she was usually good at guessing weapons. He was not too old and had a short blond haircut on his head. Flex then chucked the sniper rifle down and put him over her shoulder as she climbed back down the ladder. She placed him down on the stone metal floor and put her shotgun to his torso, he started to come round.
"Hello" said Flex, she gave him an evil grin as she shoved the shotgun it his torso. "What's your name?"
The man squeaked, he was obviously frightened, he had been without food for a long time too.
"Dr Steelstar, Dr David Steelstar" Flex felt like laughing at his name, humans had such weird names.
"And what were you doing here?" asked Flex, he did not reply, she thrusted the gun into his torso.
"Research!" he shouted frightened, he looked at the others, Lin was watching with peculiar interest. "That was before the attack!"
"Attack?" asked Chaos, she was now listening to David's muffled speech.
"Yes, three UMSS vessels, they attacked us!" said David, Stef looked mortified. Why had there own people had attacked this vessel? Why?
"Why?" asked Stef, he grabbed him by the collar, until…
Bang!
Somebody had shot him in the head, straight between the eyes, Lin looked back. Blood pour out of his head, it had been sheared off.
"I heard somebody" said Lin, she flung her arms around, her magnum poised in her hands but there was nobody there.
Flex examined the wound, she looked at the explosion factor, to cause that sort of damage to his head, it must have been a very powerful gun.
"Where were they?" asked Adam, his grenade launcher in his hands, he then looked down on the dead body of David Steelstar, somebody did not want to find about what Steelstar had to say.
Suddenly there were moans, zombies began to enter through the doors, there first for blood was evident, there were hundreds, mutated men, woman and children of the station. They had smelt the fresh blood.
The team stepped backwards from the hundreds of zombies that had entered the room. Lin shot one with her magnum taking his head clear off, then some of them began shaking, almost like a convulsion.
Chaos let rip, her bullets flying into the zombies but something was emerging out of there backs, a creature.
At first it looked like a large snake, it was long and thin, it had a massive mouth and seemed to have millions of teeth but then it changed, it grew legs, they became longer and arms until it stood as a humanoid, seven feet tall, its skin was green and scaly. It was a monster, a true monster, so these were the "backstabbers" that Stef had met before. But this one was different, its claws were massively long. Stef remember the Erika Incident, he remembered how difficult it was to kill.
Clunk
A manhole cover flew up as the backstabbers were almost out of the zombies back, leaving blood all over their body.
Stef felt a pair of hands grab him and pull the team down, he fell into the manhole, Chaos saw the way out, she made for ladder without noticing what had happened to Stef.
She had not noticed that Lin and Thorn had also left, she did not where as Adam and Flex followed her up the ladder, to safety.
Chapter 7 - Shannon
Stef landed in a ventilation room, a teenaged Echidna girl had pulled her down through, she had longer and lighter blond hair then Stef and she was wearing blue jeans and blue t-shirt.
Stef could not make out the room very well, as it was dark when the girl stuck the manhole cover back over the manhole that she had pulled Stef through. Stef could only see the back of this Echidna, the only light that was coming into the room was flickering in the fans as gusts of air flew up through the station.
"Hey thanks" said Stef, as the girl sat down in the corner, he still could not make out the face. "But you've just let my friends di……"
She stopped him with a voice that was strangely familiar, he had heard this voice so many times but when he was younger and recently last year.
"Your friends are resourceful, they'll survive" said the female Echidna, she looked directly at Stef and he could now see that it was his sister, Shannon.
Flex walked ahead of Chaos and Adam, the team had broken and they could still here the moans and grunts of the zombies and backstabbers in the other room below them.
They were now in a corridor, a large corridor with rooms either side and blue tainted walls.
Suddenly they heard a shot, a gun shot from further up the corridor, Chaos, Flex and Adam ran up there to find Lin, she had just shot a zombie and he collapsed on the ground. She had a computer disk in her hand which she put in her pocket.
"Chaos, Flex, Adam" she said quickly, sounding almost startled. "I….I'm glad I found you!"
Adam smiled, he was glad to see his cousin was still alive but where was Thorn? He had seen her leave with Lin.
"Where's Thorn" asked Adam, he felt the butt of his grenade launcher.
"I….I dunno?" said Lin, she smiled back at the team. She tried to look concerned, she suddenly broke down in tears.
"What's the matter" said Chaos, taking Lin's hand.
"It's this damn mission, it's so tedious and terrible" whaled Lin, she was grabbed by Chaos.
"Hey guys" said another voice coming down the other corridor, it was Stef, he and another girl echidna. "Look who I found, she came looking for me! Shannon!"
Shannon bowed to Chaos, her queen, Chaos looked embarrassed. Then she looked at Lin. She stopped, a horror filled her face.
"You shot Steelstar!" shouted Shannon, she looked down at Lin, who looked surprised, the rest of the team were shocked and the silence was broken by the sound of a computer.
"Warning! Warning! Self-destruct system has been activated! Thirty minutes till detonation!"
Stef look bewildered, so did the rest of team. Lin had know choice, she ran for the nearest door and shot through it.
Stef could not believe what was happening, why was Lin running off? Had she really shot Steelstar?
"After her!" shouted Shannon and the team shot through the door. Stef and Chaos went in then the door just appeared to lock, Flex, Adam, Shannon were locked out of the room. Leaving Stef and Chaos to their fate.
"Stef and Chaos will deal with Lin" said Shannon, she was as bossy as Stef. "Let's get to your escape ship. Flex lead the way!"
Chapter 8 – Lin's Betrayal
Stef made a grab for the door to let the others in but it was locked, Goddess powers! Chaos was looking straight ahead!
The room was an elegantly decorated hall, of some sort of large living quarters, almost an entrance hall of a mansion. There was a red carpet that led up a flight of stairs and a picture of a girl on the wall. The stairs then broke into a balcony upstairs. But standing at the top of the flight of stairs was Lin.
"Welcome" she said, her voice was more powerful but she was still her usual shape and pregnant. "You must be wondering whether your sister is right, darling!"
Lin glared at Stef and Chaos, who were both shocked, Stef looked terribly betrayed.
"Did you?"
"Yes"
"WHAT!?" shouted Chaos, she looked back at Lin with almost disbelief. "WHY?"
"I know" said Stef, he looked at her with anger. "The Redemption Incident, it was no accident that Tirana was put on our vessel. It was you! But because I was in love with you, you manipulated me! This was where you were to deliver Tirana but we were attacked and taken aboard Thorn's vessel. So you had to play the innocent card! So you let all the gas out of the weapons on the Erika and other Zelnaian ships so we had to come here to wipe out your involvement with the delivery of the virus."
Linda smiled, they had no idea how deep her treachery went.
"Half right" said Lin, Chaos stood in awe, how could her friend betray it. "But it runs deeper then that, who do you think gave the secret Serenity Virus to the military in the first place, from another timeline? It was me! I did it, see I have always been working with the UMSS, I was instructed to fall in love with you and extract information but I went further. You have no idea how powerful the Serenity Virus is? Do you? Especially the Serenity-A-Virus, which Professor Andrea Steelstar produced, however that woman injected it into herself and that is the only sample! So I was sent to eradicate her and gather samples from her dead body!"
Stef was burning with rage, he had never suspected a thing but now it all made sense.
"And what about my child?" asked Stef, his hatred evident. Chaos was almost to the point of crying.
"Ah!" said Lin, still smiling, she had won, she was triumphant. "Now that was for me. Your DNA contains genes that are immune to Serenity's effects so I used the baby's DNA to make the virus easier to digest, lessening its effects but allowing to me to keep the virus's massive power but not become a mindless monster. I never expected to discover the newest type of Serenity which is a mix of your DNA, the babies and mine! I call it the Goddess Virus! Its power is UNMATCHED! You were all so easy to trap!"
Chaos looked like Stef, her rage was boiling, Lin had used her, all those days they had talked about the effects of the Serenity Virus, she was just preparing another virus. She was a monster.
"You bitch!" shouted Chaos, and Lin then turned to her, she smiled. "You have no idea what you have done, so many have died but why did Shannon see you kill Steelstar?!"
"That was a minor problem, she was obviously looking above us because I was standing behind you all and then made out that I heard someone. That useless husband of Andrea's was always a liability for the military. Oh, speaking of military. I told them where the Zelnaian Fleet was and they'll probably have destroyed it by now!"
Stef grabbed onto his gun, he drew it, Chaos drew her machine rifle and took shots at Lin, Lin held out her hands and the bullets just disappeared. She laughed.
"Chaos, you have not even begun to see the invincibility of your powers but I have!"
"I'll kill you bitch!" shouted Stef, he looked at Chaos and they both chucked there guns around and grabbed their swords. This was going to be a battle.
"Stef…….Stef!...Come in!" said a voice coming over Stef's radio, it was Flex. "You have twenty minutes to get to the platform; we are starting up the Charity!"
Lin disappeared and appeared behind Chaos, she smacked Chaos over the back of head.
"I have been looking forward to killing you, for almost ruining my mission. If you and Stef had got together, I would have not been able to so easily manipulate him."
Chaos fell to the ground, sword and all, She began to walk over to Stef, slowly like a death march. Stef looked at Chaos wink at him from the floor. That meant "keep her busy!"
"So where's Thorn!" said Stef, Lin stopped and smiled again. "Right here"
The painting on the top of the stairs moved revealing Thorn, she fell out of painting onto the carpet.
"Die!" said Chaos, she caught Lin of guard, picked up her sword and rammed it into her back. Lin withered in pain and then collapsed in a pool of blood.
Stef stared in horror, it was true, Lucifre was right, it did happen this way. She did die!
Chapter 9 – The Devine Virus
Stef, almost in tears, climbed the stairs with Chaos, she was crying too. They had to kill Stef's lover and Chaos's friend, she had betrayed them to the UMSS. Stef knew she was too good to be true.
Thorn began to come round, she sat up, bewildered but nevertheless alright.
"Thorn!" said Stef, he wrung his arms around her. Thorn looked down at Lin's dead body.
"I see you dealt with the traitor, she locked me up because I saw her removing the gas for the weapons out of the Erika's cannons. Plus I found evidence of communications leaving the Erika, through the power grid to the UMSS. I knew it had to be someone who had worked for the military in the past."
Thorn hugged Stef, he was a nice guy.
"Let's get out of here!" said Chaos, she gestured to the door and made a run for the door down the stairs. They had ten minutes, explosions came through marble walls.
Lin's body began to shudder and move, she climbed to her feet, Chaos's sword wound still in her chest. She looked up and wound began to regenerate. She let out a laugh.
"You can't kill me" she said slowly "Now experience the power of the Goddess Virus!"
Lin began to change, wings burst out of her back, they were black feathers that ruffled, her clothes began to burn off and bits of plant vine wrapped around her arms, her hair changed, it became short and her eyes became purple. She looked at her hands and massive claws shot out all her finger nails, vines wrapped around her naked feet. The evil Goddess!
Thorn looked at her, this was an awe inspiring site, she looked so powerful.
"Run!" shouted Stef and all the team shot out the door, Stef and Chaos ran to pick up handguns off to dead guards. Lin flew after them, hovering off the ground.
The team ran onto a platform above one of the fuel processing stations, they were standing on a metal grid and below them was a boiling hot pit of molten rock. Above them was a massive cylindrical chute of which ladders came down from, that would take straight to the deck which the landing pad was on.
Lin landed right in front of them, the ladder was behind them they had to fight her.
The three of Team Fox stood there, looking at what had been a person. Lin made a dash forward for Chaos's head, her claws raised and……
Stef's sword came in between Lin's claws and Chaos, he was protecting her.
"I always knew you had sympathies for that girl" said Lin, he voice mutilated by the virus.
A laser shot through the sky, it was blue and came from the shaft, the wind in the shaft picked up as the Charity decloaked right in front of Lin, Thorn made a jump for Shannon's outstretched hand on the ramp into the vessel.
"What the hell is that thing!" shouted Flex, trying to hold the ship steady. Adam looked into the eyes of the monster, what had Lin done to herself?
"It's Lin!" he shouted "She's mutated"
Thorn climbed up onto the ramp, her hair blowing in her face, the platform below began to blow up, fire raised up.
"We have to go!" called out Flex, she knew that they did not stand a chance if she stayed there. "We will meet you at the platform!"
Stef stood there with Chaos as the Charity shot up through the tube, they had to get to the ladder…or not!
Chaos looked behind her as Lin neared, this platform was a lift, the controls were behind her. She turned quickly and pressed the buttons making the high-speed cargo lift shoot up through the shaft.
Stef and Lin were not prepared and flew backwards, Stef got to his feet but Lin was on top of him, she smacked him in the face making him fly off the platform and out of sight, probably to his impending doom. His sword was lying on the floor beside Goddess/Lin.
"Stef!" shouted Chaos and she ran to where he had fallen, Lin laughed as bits of metal fell down the lift shaft and collided with the platform, this place was going to be destroyed.
Stef was still there though; he was hanging on with all the strength in his body, Chaos looked down at him.
"Chaos!" he said looking up at her.
Chaos turned round and Lin was over her, she brought her claws crashing down on the floor, Lin then made a tornado appear in the centre of the platform, Chaos held onto one of the bars that lined the platform. It was up to her to end this.
She made a grab for Stef's sword and lined it up with Lin.
"Illumina!" she called and a purple beam shot out of the blade and into Lin, Lin was prepared and it knocked her back but not by much.
Lin now ran at Chaos, who was slashed by her massive claws, causing her arm to bleed.
Suddenly she saw Stef in her mind, his telepathy getting through to her, she knew what to do!
Quick as a flash as explosions around her rung in her ears, she rushed to the other side of the platform and grabbed, Lin's magnum that she had picked up. Stef closed his eyes, he needed to concentrate. Chaos brought the sword to her face and pointed at Lin.
"Wind, Water, Fire, Earth
Create the power in which she fears most
Reveal yourself to me and imprison her soul
Forever bound to this control"
A triangle shot out of his blade, Lin knew what this was, she had used this on Ivan Grace but now it was her time. Chains of magic formed around, limiting her.
Chaos drew the magnum and smiled. "Game over! You bitch!"
A single bullet came out of Chaos's gun and plummeted into Lin's shoulder, her arm fell off and she began to wither in pain and blood covered Chaos. Chaos grabbed a test tube that she had kept and took a sample of Lin's blood. She had to find a cure for this new virus. It was more powerful then anything she had seen before.
She slid up to Stef with the base blowing up around her, he got up and nodded. Then they ran to door as the lift reached the top of the shaft, fire embraced Lin's dead body as they looked back.
Chapter 10 – Escape
Stef and Chaos made down the corridors as the station exploded, zombies were in the hall but Stef and Chaos barged past them, knocking them over. They finally came to the landing platform and opened the door.
WHAT!? They weren't there!
The platform was empty and screeches could be heard from the shaft, someone was there and getting closer. Chaos grabbed Stef, she never thought she would die like this. The fire surrounded her as the corridors began to exploded.
"Warning, Warning! Two minutes to detonation! All personnel evacuate immediately!" said the female computers voice.
The door thumped and something jumped through! No! It couldn't be, it was the mutated Lin, she grew as she entered the room, she was smeared in blood. She only had one arm and all her flesh was burnt off, she smiled, she was going to win, she would kill them.
"Shut your eyes!" whispered Stef, into Chaos's ears as Lin Type 3 walked closer. Lin's body changed, she grew another arm and got on all fours, her teeth became massive and her eyes changed into a more dog-like creature.
Stef had accepted his fate, he grabbed Chaos and kissed her. Chaos kissed him back and touched his chest.
A gust of air was heard behind them, it was a ship. The Charity!
"Warning! Warning! 60 seconds till detonation! All personnel evacuate immediately!"
Shannon and Thorn jumped down with machine rifles and pumped the dog-like Lin full of bullets. Stef pushed Chaos towards the Charity, she climbed aboard, safe but Stef wasn't.
Lin charged for Stef, she latched onto him, he could see the real Lin in her eyes before she became this monster.
"Lin" he whispered as he struggled with her. "Come back to me!"
He saw it now, she had been captured on a mission 4 years ago and mysteriously appeared in the UMSS command centre, they had time to restructure her memory, she had been forced to help them!
Lin tried to scratch and slashed him across the eye, he couldn't save her, he knew that. He had to put her out of her misery.
"30 seconds!"
Stef pushed Lin off with his feet and Thorn and Shannon climbed in the Charity. Stef ran for the Charity and jumped for the ramp, Chaos caught him but Lin latched onto him with a tentacle. The station was collapsing around them, Flex raced for the space-doors while Lin tried to pull Stef off. Chaos held on tightly, somebody run to that end of the room, it was Thorn she ran to end of the ramp and pointed her shotgun down at Lin.
"I'm sorry!"
"5"
She pulled the trigger and bullet went into monster Lin's head, killing her as she fell.
"4"
Flex pulled back as the doors of the landing room were beginning to close. She looked back into the hanger.
"3"
"Everybody hang on!" she called.
"2"
Flex tilted the ship and everyone fell to the side of the ship as Stef was being pulled up. Stef hit the closing button, the ramp closed as the Charity escaped into space.
"1"
The Charity pulled away from the station but would they get far enough to escape the blast radius? Flex pulled back on the controller, her head was cut. The Charity pulled away as an explosion in the stations core began, a massive blue shockwave flew out of the station and hit the Charity, Flex was thrown forward, the ship shook violently and Stef smacked his head against the wall, causing pain and him to fall unconscious.
The Charity had escaped, they flew forward and then jumped into Hyperthrust!
Chapter 11 – Chaos
Chaos looked out the windows of the medical bay of the Erika, she then looked inside of the Erika. Stef was lying on a bed, he had a constant reminder of this ordeal on his face, a scar right across his right eye.
She walked over to him, she was wearing a white gown, this ordeal had done a lot to Stef and her emotionally as they were the ones closest to Lin.
Stef began to come round, she smiled at him. His scar looked impressive, it gave him a ruggedness, that she found attractive.
"How are you feeling?" asked Chaos, she had obviously been nursing him back to health.
"Where are we" said Stef, sitting up, he recognised this place, were they? Back home?
"On the Erika" said Chaos, she looked at him with admiration. "We managed to get the Charity home in time to tell the Zelnaian fleet to move so we all left. Flex picked up some of that, ah, what's it called gas to power our weapons on the way home so I guess the mission was a success."
Stef looked up at Chaos, no, the mission was not a success. They had discovered that one of their closest team members was a spy, working for the UMSS for all these long years. Chaos smiled at Stef, as she reached for a syringe at the end of the bed and thrusted it into the bottle which she had retrieved of the drug shelf.
"What's that?" asked Stef, he trusted Chaos but he would rather know what was being put inside him. After all of the messing about with viruses and genetic structures, it seemed logical.
"A little cocktail of mine" said Chaos, she cast her mind back to when she had made this. She had mixed all these drugs together when she was cadet and it worked as a very good stabiliser, it kept a man who had been impaled by a support beam alive for two hours until surgery could be preformed. "A stabiliser, it will make ya feel like yourself again."
Stef smiled and held out his arm, he had a splitting headache and felt sick to his stomach.
"You were poisoned but I gave you some serum, so this is just to make sure that you feel better. Now how do you feel?" asked Chaos.
Stef climbed to his feet, he was wearing a white medical gown, he stumbled at little under the brightly lit lights of the medical bay.
"Like shit" he replied, smiling. She turned and tried to work at the computer console but she felt a hand on her back, she shuddered and turned round to see Stef behind her.
President Coriolanus sat at the front of the conference room of her personal flagship, the ZS Akeron. She looked at the faces and eyes that glared at her, about five Zelnaian captains and a human, three Echidna's and a cat.
"Right" she said, twitching her figures, she was nervous and she had every right to be. Zelnaian scout ships had reported a force of about two hundred UMSS battleships! 200 versus 40 but hopefully the Kelvina Solidarity would give the some reinforcements but not enough to win this battle.
"We're all mad" said one of the younger Zelnaian captain sat at the other end of the table. "We can't win this! We are all going to die"
Kyrot climbed to her feet and put her fists on the table, she was determined to bring the United Military Security Services experiments with the Serenity Virus to an end.
"Captain Alandria!" called Kyrot, she had a look of anger on her face but the Zelnaian were not a warrior race, they were a pure race, their history stated that thousands of years ago they managed to purge their society of all suffering and evil and their gods gave them wings and a heavenly presence. "Kindly keep your comments to yourself. I have acknowledged the fact that we cannot win through strength of arms however we can knock out most of their vessels shields. All the UMSS Earth defence ships do not have their own energy shields, they are projected by the nearby command space station. I propose that before the fleet get to Earth a small cargo ship laden with about twenty-thousand tons of Metrilliam Explosives sets a collision course with the station, destroying it allowing our weapons to rip through the defence ships, plus we have the element of surprise. There will be reinforcements for the UMSS and the Alexis will probably be there. So I am also sending another transport to take out Antis-Salreno Shipyards."
Flex looked back, she wanted to ask a question but she could not remember what to say.
"Don't worry Captain Flex" said Kyrot, she looked towards Flex who was stunned and she rolled her eyes, Zelnaians were telepathic. "We will have three divisions, one commanded by me, on the Akeron, the other commanded by Admiral Sclar in the Regis and Admiral Flex in the Erika"
Flex looked back at Kyrot and then at her friends, did she just say Admiral Flex!
"Due to your commendable leadership in the battle of Zelna and other events in the Zelnaian-Terrain War I am promoting you to the rank of Admiral. Congratulations" said Kyrot. The whole room burst into applause.
"Thank you ma'am" said Flex "But I'd rather not push paper around a desk" Kyrot smiled, her smile was so pure and beautiful.
"I'm sorry I'm late!" called a voice that had just run into the room. He was human, slightly younger than Thorn with a large hair-style. He wore a traditional blue shirt with blue jeans. He went and sat down at the table next to Thorn.
"Admiral Sclar" called Coriolanus in acknowledgement, she felt like smiling again Sclar always made her laugh. "I believe that you haven't met the crew of UMSS Erika, Erika crew this is Admiral Samme Sclar of the UMSS Regis, he defected to us four weeks ago. We need the support."
Samme looked at the crew of the Erika and especially at Thorn, after all she was beautiful specimen of a human. Shannon, the newest member of the Erika crew smiled at Samme welcoming that made him feel at ease.
"Wow!" said Samme, he had a certain accent in his voice that allowed him to speak perfect Earthen-English. "So this is the legendary crew of the "traitor ship". Challenger has had a price on your heads for ages."
Chapter 12 – Improvisation
Finally Shannon felt she was contributing, she walked on the bridge of the transport, it was small and bulky but Shannon was a good pilot. She had a natural ability to use her "gut-instinct" and most the time be right. But she was far from home, from her people, she had taken over in Stef's and Chaos's absence, her people were frightened and when the UMSS annexed Serenity Island she led the resistance. Like Stef, she was a fighter and like Chaos, a leader.
She remembered the firing of guns and the smell of burning flesh as the UMSS used aircraft to bomb Millennia and the local population. Buildings blew up, white marble spread out on the grassy planes which encompassed Millennia. Shannon had always believed that her big brother and Queen would come and save them but they didn't and the people fled into the forest. She finally decide to go and find Stef and Chaos and left Marianna in charge of the population. She had found him and finally understood that this incident was bigger than she expected, she had to help, somehow.
Shannon glanced at the controls of the UMSS style transport, it had no weapons however she took some security that the Erika would be right alongside it under that new Zelnaian cloaking device and would use another new technology called Particle Translocators to instantly transport her on their vessel once the transport was in range of the station. Her big brother would make sure that no harm came to her, she looked out of the windows to the left of her in the cockpit, revealing the massive Erika, it had been repaired again, this vessel had seen so many battles and nearly been crippled so many times that the engineers in the Zelnaian Shipyard Ships had a special bay for it which they called "the Erika's pit"
"Lieutenant Shannon" said a voice over the communication system, it was Admiral Flex's, she had given Shannon a rank because she had always wanted to join the military just like her big brother so having a rank was a novelty to her. "The Erika will be right by the side of you however try to maintain a straight trajectory as you might crash into us…."
Another voice was heard over the voice-over from the Erika, it was her big brother, Stef.
"I think my sister knows how to pilot a ship, Flex, she is after all my sister." He laughed.
"OK" said Flex, trying to shut Stef up. "The Erika will have to de-cloak before we can get you however the Zelnaian Fleet should arrive then and cause enough confusion to get ya out. Admiral Sclar's ship will be en-route as well to lend us a hand. Do ya understand?"
"Yes ma'am" said Shannon enthusiastically, she was excited about her first mission. She finally got the chance to prove herself as a warrior. Just like Stef. However her mother never did like the fact that Stef was a Commander in the Military, it was so dangerous and he was her only son.
The Erika began to cloak; bits of mirror looked like it was coming together out of nothing and stuck onto the Erika making it invisible to sensors and the naked eye but not to a heat scan however a heat scan was not usually a standard military procedure.
"OK" said Shannon, she was talking to herself as they had to maintain comm silence with the Erika for it to avoid detection. "Engaging Hyperthrust now!"
The transport that Shannon affectionately called Serenity moved forward in space and then a flash in its green engines, it was gone, into Hyperthrust. The Erika followed silently. This would be the last battle with the UMSS?
All was quite outside Earth Station, smaller and larger UMSS vessels all patrolled around a blue-green sphere which was the planet Earth. It was beautiful from orbit, timeless as it spun and the clouds moved around the globe whereas the landmasses maintained a perfect green coloured apart from the yellow of deserts and the grey of cities.
Inside the station, Challenger paced the corridor, it was two quiet for his liking, where were the Zelnaian fleet? How were they planning to overthrow him?
He walked into the shuttlebay and slapped him communicator on his belt. "Challenger to Alexis, I'm coming over" he said drawing out a rod from the back of the shuttle making the shuttle doors fall down.
The shuttle propelled up and out the shuttle bay doors of the Earth Station, the interior of the shuttle was claustrophobically small, it had console all around a single chair and the cockpit was the size of a concord cockpit.
"Getting board" said a voice and Lucifre appeared again, he smiled and looked out at his hands. "You are a bit of a war mongrel"
Challenger snarled, that comment hit dangerously close to home, for his boss Lucifre did not take any prisoners.
"What do you want?" asked Challenger, he looked back at the transparent Lucifre.
"That last piece of the Black Emerald" said Lucifre, he looked at Challenger with a wild frown as if her deliberately was not doing enough.
"I told you that we went to Serenity Island's Emerald Chamber and found nothing."
Lucifre was losing his temper however he was powerless in this world without a physical body and soul.
"THAT'S BECAUSE SHE HAS IT!" said Lucifre, his anger was obvious now. "Stef's little sister took it when you military men annexed the island and you allowed her to escape into space!"
Challenger had to steer the shuttle to avoid the transport which had just jumped out of Hyperthrust, the words on it read the UTS (United Trading Ship) Serenity. It flew past it, just.
"I did not allow her to escape, she hitched a lift on one of our vessels. I…"
At that moment, the shuttle hit something, it shook violently. Challenger stared at the sensors, nothing. He became suspicious and preformed every scan the shuttle had. He reached the heat scan and….
Bingo
One UMSS battlecruiser detected, it was cloaked. Challenger opened the comm system.
"Challenger to all ships, run heat scans and fire on cloaked UMSS battleship!"
Chapter 13 – Send in the Cavalry
On the bridge of the Erika, consoles flashed as they were hit with weapons however the Erika could take it.
"We can't fire while we're cloaked" shouted Thorn across to Flex who order the vessel to decloak.
The mirror outline of the Erika suddenly became visible and appeared to explode of the ship into nothingness. An awe-inspiring effect. However it was two early, they needed to get nearer to the transport who was approaching the Station. Luckily no-one suspected the transport, just a well as Flex could bet that Station had massive firepower.
The station was like a big circle with a small circle inside which was joined to it with a fusion reactor in the centre of the two circles.
The Erika was being pummelled by about ninety ships all of them with formidable firepower. The Erika's shields were failing but the transport had to get through. The Erika swooped down above the transport and reduced the level of their bottom weapons, they fired on the transport.
On the bridge of the transport, Shannon felt a slight rumble.
"Why are you attacking me Erika!" she shouted, Flex's voice came back over the comm.
"Because we have to make it look like that we are not on your side and it allows us to get closer to you. We've called for help and Admiral Sclar shall be here soon."
Shannon nodded, she got out of the cockpit chair, lowered her shields and walked in the cargo hold to arm the explosives. The explosives were large cylinders which produced devastating effects.
"Serenity!" shouted the Stations Commander, he panicked. "This is Earth Station, you are coming in too fast, we can't grab you."
Shannon ignored him and tapped on the communicator that she held in her hand.
"Weapon armed!" she said, the clock on the timer went to five.
4
"Get me out of here"
3
A transported beam of a piercing blue light locked Shannon and she began to disintegrate.
2
The light faded.
1
Shannon materialized on the bridge of the Erika, wow! That technology was amazing.
The Serenity rammed into the station, the station began to exploded slowly taking out about five UMSS battleships in the blast radius.
Challenger looked at the explosion from the bridge of Alexis, his main defence fleet were about to be destroyed, his mouth went dry however…
About one hundred UMSS vessels all dropped out of Hyperthrust behind the Alexis. The main force had arrived.
The Erika was now having no trouble in blowing up the defence fleet, one shot was enough to destroy the poorly and rushed ships.
Behind the Erika another fleet dropped out of hyperthrust behind the UMSS Fleet, Admiral Sclar's fleet, his personal ship, the Regis was at the front and behind the Erika was the third division of about 30 ships came out of Hyperthrust behind the Erika as the crews of the UMSS ships stared in horror of one massive ship that dwarfed all the others, it was so big that it blocked out the sun. This was the Akeron.
"Beware of the Alexis time weapon; destroy that weapon first with ion pulses. That will create a tachyon field around the weapon disabling it" called Kyrot to all the Zelnaian ships and they all fired Ion pulses at the Alexis.
On the bridge of the Alexis, Challenger was biting his tongue. They had surprised him.
"Sir" said an officer, he looked at the officer. "We cannot use our time weapon. They have activated a tachyon field around the weapon and it will not fire."
Challenger hit the chair.
"Tell all ships to engage!"
Chapter 14 – The Battle for Earth
The Zelnaian ships rushed into the UMSS ships and the fight began, the Erika moved in and out of the vessel, slaying one after the other.
On the bridge of the Erika, the battle was going well. But they were far from victory, the Erika's shields were down to three percent and they still had masses of ships to defeat. Laser bolts by fighters that had launched by both sides engaged in combat. They were not going to win!
"Erika!" shouted a voice over the comm. "This is the Omnipotent, we have lost the captain and we are in need of leadership."
Flex looked around the bridge, Any volunteers?
"I'll go!" shouted Thorn, she pressed the Translocator button and disappeared to the Omnipotent.
Stef and Chaos were in fighters outside and the Erika were receiving fire.
"Mayday! Mayday!" said a female voice over the comm. "This is the ZS Melody, we are under fighter attack and are losing power. Our shields and weapons are gone…"
The comm signal broke off and Stef's voice came over the Erika's comm, the communications of battle.
"Roger Melody, we are on our way! Chaos, a hand if you wouldn't mind"
Stef's fighter, which he satirically called the Alexia, in insult to Challenger's ship, evaded an exploding Zelnaian ship and laser fire. The Melody was on fire, flames burned on the top of it however they we not firing and UMSS fighters were bearing done on it. Chaos flew beside Stef and winked and another fighter came the other side. It was Shannon.
"Shannon!" called Stef. What the hell was she doing, in a fighter! "What are you doing!"
"Giving my big brother a hand!" shouted Shannon, Stef smiled at her and put his thumb up, he wanted to see how she fought anyhow.
The fighters broke formation and Stef went after the leader of the six fighters attacking the Melody.
"Got ya!" shouted Shannon, Stef smiled at her through the cockpit window
The Melody was then targeted by the Alexis and instantly exploded with a shockwave which spread outwards. The Zelnaian ships were losing.
Bright flashes cut across the vastness of space as Zelnaian ships exploded, the full power of the UMSS had been unleashed. The Alexis fired out its purple beam and made two Zelnaian cruisers disappear from time.
Admiral Sclar sat on his personal battleship, the Regis. He was a proven warrior but he had to free the people of Earth and finish this once and for all but with what?
His ship was in tatters, fires were breaking out on the bridge, consoles exploded and coolant leaked out onto the floor, however his ship still had engines. He could escape. No. He had fought battles closer than this before, against superior forces but even that did not negate him wondering whether he would die here. It would be a glorious death, worthy of remembrance in the textbooks of school children.
A man sat at the console in front of him was the only other person in the room who was not in sickbay or dead. He had a cut across his eye, a Zelnaian, his wings were ruffled.
"Sir" he called out to Samme. "Our shields are down and our weapons are gone, we are not going survive this!"
Samme slammed his hands down on the console that replaced one of the arms of his chair. He wanted to make sure that he would not die in vain.
"Prepare for ramming speed! Into the Alexis!"
The Zelnaian pilot was ready to die too, for his people, for the purity of Zelna. He knew that this war was massive, it would cause a new beginning.
He almost pressed the button……
"Sir!" he said happily. "20 ships are coming in! Their Kelvinaian!"
The Sun was block out by the presence of the massive Kelvinaian battleships, they ripped through the UMSS's shields and made ten ships explode in an instant. They were here, finally. Kelvina had the most powerful weapons out of all the races in the UMSS. The military had tried to get their hands on them for years or make their own but Kelvina weapons were naturally organic and constantly changed dimensional state so they passed through shields effortlessly and ripped into the hull.
Stef swore as the Alexis back off, however the Erika fired two blue torpedoes towards the Alexis.
They hit…
Chaos looked up, this was the moment she had been waiting for. All her friends had fought, and her people died for this moment. The Alexis began to smoke, its superstructure breaking apart, other UMSS flew in front of it to protect the Alexis but were blown back by the Zelnaian-Terrain-Kelvinaian attack force. Some ships took kamikaze attacks at the Kelvina ships actually blowing up a couple but the resistance had won.
A pod left the exploding the Alexis and headed down to Earth. Chaos preformed a scan…..just what she thought….Challenge. She tapped her comm unit.
"Stef, Shannon. Challengers in that pod, he's heading for Serenity Island. Let's get him."
"I got ya Chaos" said Stef, he smiled. "If we survive this, I'll marry you!"
Chaos was shocked but laughed.
"I'll hold ya to that!"
Stef replied but Shannon's fighter was quite…it was empty.
Chapter 15 – Resurrection
Stef and Chaos rushed up through the village of Millennia, it had been in ruin for several weeks, since the annex of Earth. Chaos stared at the horrifying destruction, she would Challenger pay.
Stef reached the top of the hill first and kicked open the doors of the Emerald Sanctuary. Challenger was stood in front of the alter, where the King or Queen was crowned, he had Shannon in his arms, pointing a gun to her head.
"Useful thing!" he shouted at them when they entered. "Translocators, I'm glad I had the plans for the technology stolen, that's how I got your, dear sister Stef. To get this!"
He held up in another hand, a piece of what looked like Onyx, however Stef and Chaos both knew exactly what it was…..
The Black Emerald.
Challenger threw Shannon down on the floor, she was useless to him now. He felt nothing but cold hate, his fleet had been destroyed, this was his only chance for power!
He moved and laughed as Stef looked forward, mortified. On the table were the other two pieces of the black Emerald. He placed them all together.
"Rise my master!"
A black beam of energy shot out of the combined pieces, the emerald fused together and wove itself into the costumes of a human, no, a devil, he had horns, a pointy tongue and hideous black wings.
Stef gazed, his father! Ivan Grace/Arian the Echidna/Lucifre – Master of Darkness.
Lucifre gazed at his powerful body and let out a roar, he stepped forward. Challenger stood behind him, he look triumphant. Lucifre drew a massive blade, the broadest sword Stef had ever seen. Lucifre then grew a cape, clasped together by the black emerald, that powered him.
Challenger stopped, his face changed as Lucifre had brought his sword into him. Blood spewed out as Lucifre tore Challenger's head off his soldiers.
He was perfect – Lord of Darkness
"I must admit that I never thought that I would have all the family here" he said in a low, evil voice. "Shannon, my daughter and Stef! You didn't believe me but now it has come true! I shall now resurrect Phoenix Grace and rise to power, this world will burn!"
Shannon looked up at him, was this! Her father, she was amazed by his power, it was terrible.
Lucifre took a swing for Chaos but Stef blocked it, he was ready to protect Chaos at any cost.
"So" said Lucifre "You really do love this girl!"
Stef pushed him back, Chaos closed her eyes. She needed help, she was the last of the Goddesses or maybe not!
While Stef and Lucifre fought and Shannon drew her smaller sword and ran to engage Lucifre. Chaos ran over to the blue emerald. She chanted
I call upon the power of the light
To see past the evil that has befallen me
I want her back
To set me free!"
Stef looked back as a beam of blue light shot out of the Emerald Chamber as the roof blew off, rolling into the sea. The walls of the Emerald Chamber seemed to disappear and the floor that was left levitated into the air. The blue light began to make a figure appear, a slim figure of a woman, fur covered her body and two tails began to emerged, her hair blew back.
Lin!
Stef looked back as Chaos smiled.
"Ready to do business!" said Chaos. Lin hugged Chaos, she had the clarity of the mind. She was free, no longer brainwashed.
"You bet!"
The two goddesses brought their hands together as Shannon watched, her clothes began to change, she wore pink. A pink dress. Was she? Yes! The forth goddess!
The Three then raised their hands..
We three under the sun
Give us the power to work as one
The way to bend time
That's truly divine
Lucifre stopped.
"Oh no!"
"Now!" said Lin, shouting at Stef, she had a flat stomach, Stef's baby was gone.
Stef raised his sword and rammed it into the Black Emerald.
Lucifre squealed in pain, he began to collapse, Stef let go of his sword. This would be the seal.
The Emerald Chamber began to repair itself, the walls began to come back together as Stef's sword became stuck in the Black Emerald. If he ever took that sword out of the Emerald Pedestal, he would release Lucifre.
They had Lin back and the Erika swooped over…..it was over….after 5 years.
Chapter 16 – Critical Appraisal
Lin had always accepted that she and Stef could not be together, she felt guilty for being brainwashed. It was not her fault. She was manipulated by Challenger.
She waited in the Emerald Chamber of the town, everybody was gathered in rows, she was at the front of room which had a man dressed in white robes, a priest and Shannon was standing beside her, they wore their best dresses.
Stef stood at the front of the room, he looked to the door wearing a tuxedo. He looked sharp but nervous.
The door opened and a female Echidna walked into the room in a royal white dress, Stef gulped, Chaos had never looked so divine.
She walked up to the priest and urged him to start.
"Do you take this Echidna to be your husband?"
"I do" said Chaos
"Do you take this Echidna to be your wife?"
"I do" said Stef
"Then I will now pronounce you Echidna and wife, you may kiss the bide"
They kissed