63: Orak, My Son_Alvia

Vala didn’t like the men sitting across the table from her. One she knew nothing of, save what atrocious rumors told, and the other was a timid shadow of what he should have been.

“I’m not sure how I can use either of you.”

“And that’s what I tried to tell the General,” said the Sentinel, if he could even be called that. If rumors were true, this individual had never been to Samhadi, leaving his criminal personality undiluted.

“Unless you wish to join the ranks of the other Sentinels,” she said. “It’s soldiers I need, not spies.”

“Well, I’ve only ever been one of those two things, so…”

As he spoke, he opened his arms. Vala didn’t like the gesture. It gave the impression of a false surrender; the kind meant to lure one in for an ambush. She also didn’t care for how he seemed to always be smiling despite his static features.

“I’d send you away,” she said, “were it not my commanding officer’s wish for you to be here.” She thought for a moment. “What class of ship did General Sensus send you in?”

“Oh, we took my ship. It’s a first run of the Nimravus class. Modified, of course.”

“Nimravus? That class is generations old.”

He opened his arms again. “Well, so am I.”

She pondered the figures before her. Were Solomon not with this Needle character, and in such pathetic shape, she would have added him to her advisory staff. “There are still some teams out there. You’re to establish a covert patrol perimeter and watch for them. How skilled are you at scrambling communications?”

“Better than you want to know.”

Something in his voice worried her. In an instant he had changed his tone from mocking to predatory. “Then signal us of each team’s arrival. I assume you’re familiar with each team’s vessel?”

“Very familiar. You guys are kind of my hobby, to be completely honest.”

“Good.” It was not good, and she doubted Needle was being even remotely honest. “You should be able to send me hyper accurate detail. I want to know which team is approaching from where and at what speed and trajectory. I will have you relay the rally coordinates I provide as they arrive. You’ll have the expected approach coordinates for each team before you disembark.”

He leaned across the table and clasped his hands. “Thank you, Colonel. I promise we’ll do our best to help you.”

Vala nodded. “I’ll speak with Colonel Solomon while you wait abord your ship.”

“And what will you be doing while I wander aimlessly around the camp? Just kidding. I’ll go prep for launch right away. As you were, Colonel.” With that last bit of mockery, he left.

She leaned forward and looked at Solomon until he returned her gaze. “I need information, Colonel. Why did Sensus send you to me, and with Needle of all people? What little I know of him is unsavory.”

“Sensus wants me to work with him. He’s irreverent, but capable.”

“Can he be trusted?”

“Many doubt that I can be trusted, Vala.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “What happened Solomon? How did the counsel beat you down so badly?”

He finally showed some life. “The counsel can walk out an airlock.”

“Then what happened to you? I know we were never in the same circle, but I know you to be a bold man of command. You look like you fought a duel with Haleon himself.” His countenance changed again, this time for the worse. “Solomon, please, speak to me. What’s happening? What am I to do with a broken icon and the duke’s favorite attack dog?”

“Needle doesn’t wear any leash. That much you can trust. As for my... broken condition, it’s difficult to explain.”

“Solomon, look outside this tent. Tell me one thing you see that’s easy to explain.”

He nodded towards the window. “Needle’s disobeying your orders. That’s easy to explain.”

She looked and saw him wandering aimlessly through the camp. She rolled her eyes. “It would take more than that buffoon to wear you down so badly. I’d rather not order you to explain yourself, out of respect.”

“I spoke with the conscious minds that govern Albion.”

One thing Vala had little patience for was an answer that led to more questions. She only partly hid her frustration. “They’re accessed routinely by the command crew, Solomon.”

He came alive again, giving her a look more threatening than the barrel of a gun. “No, they’re not. The command crew are ants crawling on the back of an elephant.”

“Solomon, you once captivated crowds of Harbingers with your words. Captivate me now.”

He leaned forward suddenly, reaching with both hands as if he meant to grab hold of her. “Albion is home to a legion of glorious minds, four of which wield unfathomable power. I provoked them. I provoked them and they held me in judgement. They showed me the extent to which I have been wrong. I pray you never have such an experience, Vala. I pray you never face a truth so hideous as the reason for all the lies you tell yourself.”

She sighed. “Very well. I’ll do without answers, I suppose.”

“Sensus ordered me to help you fight Orak. How is inane, ambulatory oration going to aid you in battle?”

She smiled. “It won’t. But now, you can. You have your orders, Colonel. Collect your circus clown and be on your way.”

She took his curt nod as the closest he’d give her to a salute, and watched the tenacity in his stride with a grin.

Once alone, she went to her tactical display and reviewed their fortifications. She felt uneasy with their artillery placements, but Ramses was right: there was no stoppoing Orak from approaching the obelisk.

“We will use it as bait for our trap,” he said. And she agreed, despite her misgivings.

“Where else can we expect him to go?” he reasoned further, helping her to feel a little more comfortable. So they lined the surrounding mountains and hills with guns and missiles, moved their camp away from the tower, and were ready to pounce with armored divisions, Harbinger teams, incendiary spreads and lurker mines.

“Imogen guide me,” she said, trying to picture the mother of radiance in her mind. Was she beautiful? Was she plain? Was the light streaming from her eyes the thing that made so many fear and love her? Or was it her reported timelessness? If such a thing could be understood. Vala recited verse.

“Our Lady out of place, giver of light’s embrace, the radiance of grace, by word of the young gods, the circular path trod, within the bones of Hod.”

“Restoration by death’s release? Oh speak to me, you silent queen,” said Ramses.

Vala turned and smiled at her friend in the doorway. “Bring me good news, Ramses.”

“Come and see.”

She followed him outside and looked to the sky. It rained fallen stars.

“Our anti-bombardment screen is working,” said Ramses. “The party will be coming to us like you hoped. I hope you brought your dancing shoes.” He lifted his arm.

She took it. He led her back into her tent where she donned her skullfort. His, under his other arm, found its way to his head. They went back outside, took their rifles off their backpacks and joined the other colonels in the rear guard.

One stood tall, even next to Black Fountain: Mars, the Radiant Machine. Vala went to him.

“Mars. What word from your scouts?”

As he turned, the nameless world’s sun gleamed of his skullfort’s bladed crest like a flame. “It’s as we feared, Colonel. The Anunnaki we’ve defeated have not been permanently released, but gathered with strange devices and put in new prisons.”

“And the fallen humans?”

“Those who have not been retrieved by their fellows are gone from the field.”

Vala nodded. “Capture as many Anunnaki as you can. If they can be saved, we must find out how.”

“Many of us fell when the Tangents first emerged,” Mars said.

“I know. It may be we can’t restore them. And it may be we can, but only after all of Ulro is defeated.”

Mars folded his arms across his massive chest and looked like he was about to speak. But instead, he nodded his head, his crest alight again.

Vala reached up and patted him on the arm, then went through the rear guard, showing herself to her troops. She found Black Fountain with his team.

“I don’t like this trap,” he said.

“I know. But we can’t rush head first into this fight.”

He looked different without his harness. The collar, belt attachments, chest and back plates, all connected by their net of armored filaments, had made him look all the more massive. Now, while easily the largest Harbinger on the field, he looked lithe, much more serpentine. Why did you not kindle more of his kind, Lady Imogen? Why would you choose so many of your own kind for this gift?

She continued her tour, checking sensor readouts of the enemy and consulting with the various captains.

The humans were the most brave, lightless though they were. They all stood resolute, eager for the fight. One, a Captain Patal, seemed almost exhilarated by the thought of seeing Red Orak in the flesh.

Back at her post, Ramses asked her a question.

“If you were to name this world, Vala, what would it be?”

“I’ll think of something after the battle.”

The sky rained shrapnel from both the enemy’s ships and theirs. It pelted the tower and dug deep into the ground. Missiles followed, exploding harmlessly in the open field circling the tower. The ships landed next.

Only a few warships had survived the low orbit sortie. The circled above the obelisk, the largest of them staying highest. Vala signaled for the long-range batteries to target that vessel. Meanwhile the troop carriers landed. The ifreet came howling from their own frontline transports; distinct by the twisted nature of their design, while other troops, more advanced in weapons and armor, dropped in pods from heavily barded shuttles that never touched the ground. Their pods stuck like daggers in the ground, their exposed tops splaying open like deathly flowers and spewing their robust cargo.

“We never seen them before,” said Ramses.

“I have a growing fear, my friend,” Vala replied.

“That’s fine. If Black Fountain is afraid, though, then I’m leaving.”

She laughed.

“Well, what’s giving you a fright, Vala? Maybe it’ll help to spit it out.”

“The Archeus we’ve fought have been challenging. But they are only outriders. I worry what Orak’s personal escort might do to us.”

“Aye. I’ve been trying not to think of that. But there’s a bright side. We know that they can’t be as tough as he is.”

“Ha. What a comfort you are.”

“Well, like I said, if Black Fountain makes a break for it you can count on me to be right behind him.”

The enemy forces were filling the arena, swarming in their various classes and ranks. In the center were four knights unlike any Vala had seen. They each stood at minimum the height of a grounded jumpship, though one was taller than the other three. That one had metal wings lined with repulsors and spherical laser turrets. The other three were wildly shaped and unique from each other, special in their strangeness. Surrounding them was an armored centipede the length of a small corvette. The worm moved constantly, preventing the rank-and-file troops from approaching their superiors.

“Now that,” said Ramses, “is an insult I can’t abide.”

No live Anunnaki were deployed. Instead, eighteen of their shells were lowered by robotic craft within the ring of the centipede.

“Orak will die here,” Vala said, her heart galvanized.

“Hello?” a voice said over her long-range command channel. “Helloo? Is this Colonel Vala’s helmet?”

“Shut up,” said Solomon. “Vala, three teams are approaching. Transmitting their IDs and vectors now.”

“Perfect,” she said when the data streamed across her heads-up display. She sent their landing coordinates back via her skullfort’s neural interface, then asked a question long on her mind. “Solomon, has there been any sign of Harbinger Five?”

“They’re holding their location between the Verge and the Phrastus Belt.”

“Understood. Thank you, Sol.”

Her comm channel sounded again. It was Strawberry Moon, one of her best lookouts.

“Moon, report,” she said.

“Their last surviving troop carriers are approaching now,” the younger woman replied.

“Understood. Get your rifles on the Archeus. Fountain, signal SOM batteries to target approaching enemy craft and fire. Captain Veil, fire first wave of artillery.”

Her subordinates acknowledged her command, and a moment later brilliant lights preceded tempestuous sounds: the cracking of thunder in the sky and a deep shattering on the earth. Above them the ships exploded, and before them white hot incendiary beads spread like a blizzard over Orak’s ground forces. Their macabre wailing gave Vala joy.

The knights were standing in a circle around the obelisk, spreading their arms slowly upward and emitting a deep, resonant hum. “Moon, fire on the knights.”

Strawberry Moon’s “rifles” were AI driven anti material cannons that bordered on artillery. She made them each by hand, forgoing the convenience of Albion’s material printers. All twelve of them blasted hyperfiber slugs at Mach seven. The Archeus all staggered, but their skin had not been broken. They resumed their chant only a moment later.

“Moon, don’t let them finish whatever it is they’re doing.”

“Yes, Colonel.”

They fired again, having changed their positions in the mountains.

Orak’s ground troops were fanning out. Three divisions of ifreet had come close to the trenches hiding Vala’s north and eastern vanguard.

“Veil, signal wave two.”

The MIRV volley scattered the ifreet. Their riven bodies fell on the ranks charging after them, mingling with debris from the transport craft obliterated by the SOM batteries moments ago.

“Colonel Wolfe,” Vala signaled.

“Yes sir,” replied the human army chief.

“Move your fifth armored battalion. Fire at range.”

She felt the earth rumble as the tanks leapt over the rim of the deep trench they hid inside. The holo-nets had done their job, keeping the wide gouges they’d dug in the ground obscured. The ifreet and shock troops approaching the western flank were caught completely off guard, losing six ranks to the first armored volley alone.

“Southern front, move to sector five and engage. Teams nine through fourteen, give support, team six, flank and divide. Colonel Wolfe, deploy third and eighth armored battalions. Colonel Stafford, deploy VTOL wings four and six.”

Her army moved in beautiful unison, each tooth efficiently piercing the flesh of her prey.

“Do I have time to use the latrine?” Ramses asked.

“Can you hold it for another five minutes?” she asked back.

“Well, I was going to ask you for a dance, but I’m worried the party will be over soon.

Strawberry Moon’s rifles hit the knights again, this time pounding the backs of their knees. The smallest of them almost fell, catching the ground with its spiked knuckles.

“Wolfe, send in all armored divisions and order them to close ranks, then deploy infantry. Veil, launch waves three and four.”

“Vala,” said Solomon, “two more teams.”

She ordered them to land south and west, two clicks away from the fighting.

“Colonel,” said Stafford, his voice urgent, “they’ve flanked us with short range artillary and destroyed all my undeployed craft.”

“Relocate, Stafford, then move your infantry to fill the gap in the western front. Veil, recalibrate wave six and cover Colonel Stafford’s retreat. Moon, report?”

“Sorry, Colonel,” she said to the tune of rifle fire. “Had to find a new roost.” A minute later her rifles fired. This time they missed the tallest of the knights.

Vala signaled Moon’s captain. “Sundance, Moon’s compromised.”

“On it, Colonel.”

The last four rifles fired a moment later, striking the tall knight on the head. It turned and sent a beam into the mountains. There was a series of white flashes where it hit.

“Colonel,” said Moon, “I’m down four guns.”

“Keep them moving, Moon. The Archeus can’t be allowed to accomplish their objective.”

A regiment of ursine foot soldiers in heavy armor had broken through their outer defense and was running towards their position.

Ramses offered her his hand. “Madam?”

Vala smiled and gave him her arm, then sounded their charge. While she and Ramses, and all the other Harbingers held back in reserve for that matter, grappled with their enemy by means of rifle rounds and radiant grenades, Black Fountain hovered over the sortie and struck with jets of violet fire. She found herself wrestling with one. It was extremely strong. She locked arms with it, then, pressed almost to her knees, heated her aura and scorched the brute’s gauntlets clean off. It howled with pain and fell back. She stood and fired six rounds into his helmet, piercing its visor with the final shot.

The ursine shock troops clustered into a tight circle when more than two thirds of them had been dispatched. The Black Fountain plunged downward into their midst, killing effortlessly with his machine gun while Vala ordered her guard to close in and finish them off at close quarters.

She climbed a pile of dead foes for a vantage over the field, and saw that only six of Moon’s rifles were still firing. The tall knight was now focusing on hunting them down with its long-range beam.

“Those things are radiant, Vala,” Ramses said. He was finishing off the wounded with Mariposa, his depleted uranium combat bowie, and had stopped to watch the Archeus launching its assault.

“Their power is far beyond ours.”

“Yeah, we better use artillery, and if you ask me, we better do it now.”

She took stock of every front and position, then called for the line troops to withdraw and the Harbinger teams to lay down suppressing fire.

“The least teams are in,” said Solomon.

She directed him to send them to places between the others, and to relay a command to sweep the mountains for sniping teams.

“Aren’t you gonna tell her?” said Needle.

“Shut up!” Sol shouted.

“But it’s so exciting! Oh, I just can’t help it. Miss Vala, Harbinger Five is coming. And they’re going so fast!”

“What do you mean?” she asked, both curious and annoyed.

She was relieved that Solomon answered her question. “Their jumps are triple the normal distance and velocity. I suspect Team One is responsible. I’ll explain later.”

“Acknowledged. Find a safe orbit to monitor Orak’s command vessel and report any changes in his...”

“He’s changing!” Needle interrupted. “Oh, sorry. Go on.”

She growled, then signaled for all aircraft and artillery to fire on the enemy infantry as the Harbinger teams withdrew.

“He’s changing some more!” Needle shouted again.

The guns and VTOL craft did their work nicely, leaving only a token force for the Harbingers and human infantry to mop up. When the smoke cleared, Vala looked in horror at the tower. The Archeus were conducting their ritual unhindered, and when she called for Strawberry Moon and her team, she heard nothing but cold static.

“Vala,” said Ramses. “Vala, look.”

She looked to where he was pointing and gasped. The light of the teams she’d sent to hunt for snipers was coming in a cloud. It passed them with a mournful wail and went weeping into the Anunnaki.

“You still want to capture one?” Ramses asked.

“No. I want to capture all of them. All teams, ADVANCE!”

The sound of radiant masters of battle split the air as the Harbingers cried for war. Vala, Ramses, and three hundred others of their kind unleashed their fury on the centipede. It keened as it wheeled to fight them, swatting many into the air with its thousand legs.

“Wolfe, fire all guns!” she bellowed over the din.

“But Colonel...”

“All guns!”

Her own people dodged the blasts, or did not, but they rose after death and continued to wear down the monstrous worm. In the end the beast was in utter ruin, spread in chunks over the battlefield. That was when the Archeus halted their communion and turned to face the Harbingers. What followed was glorious, and Vala would remember in song the final stand of those dreadful creatures. They filled the Anunnaki shells with splintered souls before they were finally defeated.

“Orak’s really changing now, Miss Vala,” Needle said. She cursed under her breath, enraged that he would mock after dozens of her own had been so violated.

But he was not lying. The sky had quickly grown dark, with only a halo of bright green light to show the descent of Orak’s capitol ship.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Now the real fight begins,” said Black Fountain. He was still hovering just above everyone’s heads, looking up with all four arms spread as if he expected an embrace.

“I want those Anunnaki detained,” Vala commanded. “Fountain, oversee it.”

He went swiftly to them, his team just behind. The Anunnaki moved like infants, wobbling and uncertain. Vala expected Black Fountain to call others to help, but he blasted each Anunnaki with brilliant light that dropped them squirming to their knees. Then he called for help to carry the Anunnaki off the field.

The shadow grew, and when Vala looked up again Orak’s ship was close enough to shoot. She called for a barrage, but the ordinance never reached its target. The vessel, shaped like an elongated ribcage, extended an aura that turned every missile to mist.

“Keep firing,” she said. Every missile, shell and torpedo launched met the same fate. Vala, fighting to keep ahead of her swiftly beating heart, called for volley after volley until their munitions were spent. Then the vessel began to rise, leaving a crimson starglow behind. The red light intensified, taking shape as it drifted downward until he stood amidst them all in his horrific splendor.

He was monstrous, a pillar of chitin bleeding red light, so tall that Vala could not see his horns beyond his brow.

Vala screamed fo the attack, but she couldn’t hear her own voice. Even the blast of their weapons was silent. Only the sound of Orak’s heathen breath could be heard, and it grew louder and fiercer with every round that glanced off his stony hide. He raised his hand and a serrated-edged sword crystalized from the air. He began walking, his footfalls triggering blasts of heat that shot out of the ground in jets. Any Harbinger close enough was sent flying. He swung his sword and six of them turned to clouds of light. He held out his free hand and the fallen were drawn into his palm.

Vala screamed again, silent even in her own ears. She screamed as she fired upon him, agonized by each round and grenade that did nothing.

He held his empty hand over the ground, palm down, and made a fist. All beneath his hand imploded, including two whole teams who rose as clouds. These too were absorbed into his cruel palm.

Vala cried for a retreat, and though she could not hear over her terror, her soldiers hear and her command was obeyed.

Red Orak followed them, carried by his long strides in a relentless circular path. He pounded with his sword, sending shockwaves that rent the ground and destroyed any vehicle in their paths. Where he stepped, he summoned fire and where he breathed, he summoned ice. Vala and all her soldiers fled, turning when they dared to fire, but half of those who did were taken, and every step of his brought forth more of the planet’s anger and pain.

Of all things she could hear, it was the voice of that irreverent Sentinel. “Miss Vala? Hello? I have good news.”

She was running as fast as she could, doing her best to dodge his shockwaves. His sword came down to the left, knocking her down. Black Fountain was close by. He lifted her to her feet and she was running again, snarling obscenities at Needle over the comms.

“Miss Vala, if you’d just listen...”

They were nearing the foothills of the mountains, dodging the remains of tanks and heavy guns and struggling to stay ahead. Vala chanced a look over her shoulder. Orak was close behind them, and there was no sign of any of the teams that fled in any other direction. The desire to turn and make a final stand pounded in her chest. Then the pounding of Orak’s feet was silent, and few by few the Harbingers stopped and turned. There was an object falling from the sky, and Harbinger Five was banking hard to dodge Orak’s sword swing.

It landed with a quake and did not bounce, but embedded into the ground, facing Red Orak. Vala leapt forward to see the object from the front. It was a hideous, massive head, severed, long since emptied of its spirit blood. Orak was standing perfectly still, looking down with his sword arm lowered. Slowly, second by second, the behemoth glowed brighter red and the air grew scalding hot. Vala felt her whole body become slick with perspiration. Then the head glowed pale green and a sound like a monolithic dirge echoed off the mountains. Orak tilted his head and knelt slowly down. His sword vanished into the air and he lifted the head with both hands, then stood. The dirge became a voice.

ORAK, MY SON, MY JUSTICE AND MY RAGE. ALONE OF ULRO BE THE SCION WHO MAY ENDURE THE POWER OF MY THOUGHT.

Red Orak remained still, holding the head in his hands. Vala stood just as still, mentally reeling from the revelation that the head he held mirrored his own.

He stood there for what felt an interminable amount of time. All the while Vala agonized. Nothing they did had the slightest effect on this beast. Were he to renew his attack they would surely be destroyed. At last he moved, tossing the head over his shoulder and recrystallizing his jagged blade. He rose the sword and swung it. The resulting wind knocked Vala off her feet. On her back she saw a pinpoint of light hurtling towards Orak. It struck him hard, spewing molten heat and staggering the beast.

Another pinpoint came from behind, then another and another and another still. Red Five came back around and fired its full payload. Orak lurched forward and groaned, a sound like the breaking of the world. The pinpoints of light circled around him, stopping in a diamond around his crown of horns. They shot beams between them, and then into him. He roared, scattering the little starglows, then vaulted his vast bulk into the ground. His red glow intensified near the point of blinding. His flagship returned, moving silently and unnaturally swift. He rose with constant speed until he was within the ribs of the vessel, then vanished into a dark hole that opened in its massive spine. The vessel rose as quickly and suddenly as it had descended and, with a ground shaking thunderclap, it vanished from the sky.