Awakening

Chapter 11

His steps to the Hyperion's bridge were slow. For once in decades, the Archon felt at peace. He had won. Celeste Ryder was dead and he was on his way to Meridian. He would savor each moment of his triumph.

The closer he got, the more bodies were on the ground. Blood pooled on the floors and was splattered on the walls from the shots. Some casualties were armed security officers, the others were just some poor bastards who were in the wrong spot at the wrong time. He stared down at their wide-eyed expressionless faces. The door to the bridge opened and several Kett greeted him with a bow. A slender, dark short haired woman stood at the center with a stern look on her face. Interesting, he thought. No sight of fear, at least not on the outside. Judging by her posture, he knew she was the captain of this vessel and was responsible for the entire crew including its sleeping passengers and all the dead ones that resisted their assault. She squarely sized him up as he approached. Not one muscle flinch. "I'm Captain Dunn of the Hyperion. I demand to know what you want with this arc. We are on a peaceful mission."

The Archon held up his hand to silence her and redirected his attention intentionally to the two Kett Descendants that accompanied him. "Have you found the Pathfinder's sibling?"

"No," The one on the right answered for the pair.

"He is on this ship and may be trying to reach Sam Node. Be on the lookout and fortify that position. I want him brought directly to me." He waited for them to acknowledge their orders and then returned his focus on the woman in front of him. Her eyes showed look of concern from listening in on the conversation, but she remained steadfast. "I am using your vessel to find Meridian. We are heading to the coordinates now." He didn't bother using her title when speaking with her. He was not at her level and the formality would be a farce.

Dunn shook her head feverishly. "I cannot allow that. I have hundreds of lives on board that I am responsible for. If I could get them transferred safely to the Nex-"

"You will have hundreds of deaths if you do not comply." He dismissed the objection pointedly. His back was now to her as he stared out at the emptiness of space from the huge viewport. Behind him, he could almost hear her seething and chomping at the bit for a rebuttal. She was nothing to him, a grain of sand on Eos. Meridian was in his path, Celeste Ryder was dead and no one would contest him.

"Move human scum!" The Descendant shoved Scott hard into the chair beside Dunn.

"Take your damn hands off of me!" Scott barked back at his captor. "I'm sitting. See? Politeness would help," A sarcastic tone rolled out his mouth.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Archon turned around to face the newcomer. "Finally, you arrive."

"Some invitation," Scott cracked another joke as he looked at the woman beside him, shaking his head. "Is this how you treat visitors to Helius?"

"Your kind is beneath us, human." Archon corrected him disinterestedly.

"Fine." The man gave a shrug. "Skip the pleasantries. What the hell do you want?" His hazel eyes narrowed as his tone sharpened.

"I saw you from the flagship from one of the Pathfinder's memories. You share the same implant that she had. I will use it to control Meridian and exalt all life in this wretched cluster."

Dunn spoke up, "You won't get away with this. Our Pathfinder has been sending us reports of these Kett invasions on the planets. She will stop you." Her voice full with determination. Archon almost delighted himself knowing that he would deflate that right away.

He tried his best not to laugh. "Your Pathfinder is dead." He waited to see the horror stricken look on their faces. Dunn's eyes became wide with terror and she looked over at the sibling for an explanation.

Scott, on the contrary, didn't flinch. Instead he grinned proudly, "I guess your report is wrong, Archon. My sister is alive. You may have tried to kill her by severing her connection to Sam, but I reconnected it and saved her. That's when your goons found me."

"Impossible," Archon tried to dispute the obvious. The man's statement did make perfect sense, but this could not be! "I killed her when I severed the connection. I saw her fall, human." He tried his best to save face in front of them and his followers, but on the inside he was crumbling apart! The walls felt like they were closing in on him and he was restrained by the same shackles. He replayed the last moment with Ryder over and over in his head. She must be dead! No, she had to be dead! The female plagued and tormented his mind and body. She awakened his soul and he wanted to put the flames out! Every thought in his mind ached and longed for her. This was not Kett like! What was happening to him? Was it a flaw in his genetics? Some kind of mutation in the code that caused this anomaly? That had to be it! No, he couldn't be flawed. He was perfect and no other could be his rival. Not even Celeste Ryder. She was dead. Yet, did her ghost haunt him?

"What's the matter, Archon?" The man cracked a grin as he watched on. Archon let his eyes glance at him. He couldn't have read his thoughts, was he showing failure on the outside? Did his facial expression give him away? "Afraid that a human can beat you?"

Drowning in his emotions and in rage as the final barrier broke down, Archon growled like a fiend and tossed the nearest terminal counter to the ground. The glass shattered and pieces of the device were all over. "No! She will not take the Remnant from me! I will not let her get to me again! She will submit herself! She will be exalted!" His voice thundered among the metal walls. Several of the Kett officers nearby took glances at each other and became disconcerted at the sight that was among them. Archon knew it. He had shown great weakness in front of them. He paused sharply.

The brown hair man's eyes in front of grew dark as he listened on. He sat up straighter to face the Kett leader. "I don't know what kind of sick game you are playing, but my sister will not submit to you." Scott clenched his jaw tighter. "She is alive and will stop you, asshole. She and I are just like my old man. We are strong and will fight to the end."

Anger came to the breaking point inside. Anger towards the humans, anger towards Scott, anger towards Celeste. The deep emotions seem to strike every nerve in his body, tearing him apart almost on a cellular level. To make matters worse, he let his guard down and admitted to these feelings before his captives and to his fellow Kett. How could Celeste do that to him when she wasn't in the room?! Why couldn't she simply die and rid him of this torment?! He moved closer and smacked Scott hard cross the face with his hand. The act was so powerful and unpredictable that it caused the man to stumble out of his chair and into the floor. His hand throbbed with pain from the violent impact. Captain Dunn stood quickly from her chair to defend Scott even if she was unarmed. She opened her mouth to express her disproval of the escalation, but quickly shut it with a silent glare as the Kett moved in to secure the prisoners.

Whipping his cloak around, Archon fumed silently as he stared back at the viewport. He could hear the pair behind him talking gently to one another. Why wouldn't Celeste Ryder cease to exist? Why was she haunting him? Why was he failing to her? A human of no less! A weaker organism. Not Kett. Not exalted. Not a worthy rival! He felt his heart raging against his chest. He closed his eyes to poise himself and then slowly reopened them. Dead ahead, he saw it…. its dark spherical wonder…it was Meridian. A smile of relief came across his face. Closure.