Resurrection (The Inherited War) (30 page)

“Stop fantasizing.”  Jeth elbowed Thalo in the gut.

“Ack.  Okay sorry.  The only bad part is that he was never supposed to come back here on pain of death.  I think I managed to talk them out of executing him by explaining how we kind of forced him to come with us.  They may actually allow him to live the rest of his life here now.  Seems they no longer trust him to keep their secret.”

Sky looked thoughtful for a moment before hesitantly asking her first question.   “Why do they think the Nixa are traitors?”

“I am sorry, Sky, Snow.  They don’t think, they know.”  Thalo held up his hands.  “Calm down and let me explain.”

“It better be a good explanation, or we are going to have more than words, little man.”  Thalo had never before seen Snow angry.  He didn’t really enjoy seeing it directed at him.

“Honestly I don’t know why they still care but here is the deal.  The Kin don’t die of natural causes, they don’t age and they don’t get sick.  Occasionally accidents will kill them but there is no such thing as murder.”

“So?” Sky interrupted.

“I need you to understand where they are coming from.  Fifty percent of the Kin living today were alive back during the Purge War, as we call it.  They call it the Traitors War.  Everyone called it the Traitors War back then.  At first it was to reference the Roche and the Esii.  Later it also referred to the Nixa.”  Thalo saw Sky and Snow’s faces start to darken.  He quickly continued.  Thalo told them the story of the Nixa betrayal.

“The Nixa Prime Administrator, at the time when the Roche betrayed the galactic council and started the war, was a weak Nixa.  He was terrified of what war would do to his people.  The Esii came to all the major races of the galaxy and offered them terms.  If you aid us, we will not attack your worlds.  All the races refused, except the Nixa Prime.  The Pure commander, alerted by one of the races as to the back door dealing with their allies, set up a test of loyalty.  The Nixa failed.  The Pures sent the Nixa home and told them to stay out of the war.  It wasn’t until after the Pures had sprung their trap and annihilated the Esii/Roche fleet that the Nixa populace found out what their leader had done and revolted.  The Nixa Navy left of their own accord to come to my people’s aid when the remaining Esii and Roche fleet were decimating our population.  Once the Pures lost the Nixa as allies, they needed a secret weapon to even the field.  They chose the Kin.  The Kin still blame you for both betraying their creators in their time of need, and for the Nixa being the reason they had to go to war at all.  You know us; the Worlders look at the Nixa as their most valuable allies and still feel indebted to your people for saving us.  After the war, your people did all they could to rewrite the history of the war and even went so far as to change it from the Traitors War to the Purge War.”  Thalo could read the shock on the two Nixas faces. “I am sorry to be the one to break this to you, but it’s the truth as far as the Kin remember it and the lore passed down through our people.”

“Something never sounded right about the stories I had heard from the war.”  Snow started.  “There were always lots of different stories about how the Esii attacked the council and some of the first actions of the war.  Most involved the Nixa.  But there was always a gap.  I guess we know why now.”

“Why, damn it.  Why do they still hold us responsible?  It has been twenty thousand years.”  Sky growled.

“Because,” the voice came from the top of the open ramp, “some of us remember the creators telling the story of the Nixa who betrayed them.”

All four of their heads swiveled to the ramp in surprise.  There were a dozen Kin coming up the ramp and boarding the shuttle.  They walked into the cargo area and came to a halt a few feet from the group of friends.  Sky stood and turned to confront them.

The Kin spoke first.  “I was there.  I met the Creator as he came off of a shuttle, not unlike this one.  He came and humbled himself in front of me.  Him, a creator humbling himself to me.  I was not prepared for that and was ashamed.  He asked to speak with our people and apologized for what he was about to ask of us.  He was desperate.  His cause was failing and so were his allies.  The Nixa were the first but not the last.  Yet they were the only ones who turned to the enemy to protect themselves.  The others fought until they couldn’t fight any more.  They fell by the wayside while the Creators and the Worlders fought on.”  The male Kin shifted his attention to Thalo.

“This group has decided, we shall accompany you.  I believe more will come but not all.  We trust your word and believe that there may be a few Nixa,” he glanced at Sky and Snow, “whom have shown they are trust worthy.  If you vouch for them we shall put aside our prejudices and welcome them as allies.”

Thalo was about to respond when Sky cut him off.

“How dare you.  Trust me?  I have done everything I could to help Cole defeat his enemies, and my people can be trusted to help.”

“Truly?  Then where are they.  What have your people done to help rescue the last Creator from his enemies?  Have they sent an armada to crush the enemy?  Have they formed armies to storm the strongholds of the enemy?  Or do they, yet again, cower on their own worlds?  Fearful of entering the combat when the outcome is unknown.  Tell me Nixa,” he said it like a curse, “where are your great and noble people?”

Sky shoved the rapidly rising Snow back into her seat.  She strode forward and came as close to the Kin as he would allow.  She stared up into his eyes and was readying a blistering retort and condemnation of his words.  Her face slackened and her shoulders slumped.

“He is right.”  Sky turned and walked slowly back to her seat next to her sister.  She grabbed Snow’s hand.  “We have to believe their story of our ancestors for one simple fact.  We did it again.  Cole needed us and we failed to help him.  As a people we failed, but,” she looked into the eyes of the Kin, “as individuals we have fought.  If you would give us the chance, my sister and I would like to earn your trust.  Not for all my people, but for just us.”

The Kin smiled.  “You earn it already.  It took great courage to admit that your people are not the grand heroes of your dreams.  Reality is often very painful and you step unflinching into its grasp.  We will fight beside all four of you and be happy to call you friends.  My name is Gavreal and I have lead the group of Kin you see behind me since the war.  We were the guards and advisors of the last of the Creators and will serve you as the head of the Creators army until such time as the Creators are returned to power or death takes us all.”  Gavreal bowed to the four friends and his fellow Kin did as well.

“As I said, more will come to your cause but the time limit hasn’t run out yet.  More should arrive in the coming hours.”  With that he turned to his men and bade them to sit and wait with Worlders and the Nixa.  Slowly conversations started between two groups.  Gavreal and his cadre were warriors amongst a people of peace.  They reveled in telling old stories to new ears.

When Thalo’s deadline finally ran out, the shuttle craft was packed full of Kin.  They somehow managed to squeeze nearly two hundred of the beings inside the ship.  They put the Kin everywhere there was room.  Finally they received word from the last stragglers that Vinco was being allowed to stay and live with his daughter.  Thalo sent their thanks to him via a messenger and wished him well.  And to have fun making any more baby Kin.  He figured a few new Kin would be needed before this war was over.

Thalo turned on the ships intercom and got everyone's attention. 

“Sorry for the conditions, but we didn’t think we would get this many of you to come with us.  Once we clear the planet and make it out of the system, it is a short jump to the Twin World system where we will pick up the rest of the fleet.  Your commander has a few words.”  Thalo turned the mic over to Gavreal.

“When last I lead our people to battle I was promised that we would never again be forced to into a battle that wasn’t of our making.  I commend each of you for the choice you have made.  We go to save the last creator and return the galaxy to its rightful course.”  The Kin bowed his head and began to sing a song.  It was hauntingly beautiful and the voices of the Kin resonated through the ship.  Tears welled up in the four companions eyes as the beautiful beings; both male and female sang the song.  When their voices fell silent so it seemed did the universe.  Thalo nodded his head at Gavreal and turned quietly to his controls.

The shuttle rose quietly into the sky of Chrysalis and headed towards the diamond dome. A crowd of the remaining Kin, and one lone being from another world, gathered in the center of the city to watch their friends and families depart.

Thalo effortlessly guided the ship back up through the diamond shell and back into space.  The Kin on the ground were making sure no one noticed the small ship or where it came from.  Thalo opened the ships engines up to full throttle and headed toward the edge of the system to make his jump.  He plotted the course and sent the ship into warped space.

CHAPTER 22

Things were not going well as far as Split was concerned.  It had been nearly forty-eight hours since they had held off the first counter attacks of the Esii soldiers and they kept coming even though the rest of the planet was fleeing in droves.  Cole had failed to regain consciousness by the revised timeline the nanites had reported and there had been a minor power struggle by the human men.

The human male that had been friends with Cole prior to his abduction and had served with him in the human army, had initially been helping Split organize the defense.  He had been demoted and shoved into a position in control of a smaller fire team of men.  The man who had taken control had been a Colonel with the very same army.  West had privately admitted to Split that he had willingly deferred to the man because he had heard of the Colonel before.  He had been a commander of a small Special Forces team called the Green Berets.  He seemed to know what he was doing and was holding the hallway well.  Colonel Forrest was his name and command seemed to fit him like a glove.  There were other men who had some military experience but none in combat.  The others appeared to be naval personnel who could command ships, not troops on the ground.

Anastacia, on the other hand, had recovered nicely and had joined the men in the defense of the intersection in the hallway.  That left a handful of men running up and down the room charging batteries and the rest sitting and waiting.  Thanks to the two doctors and what medical supplies Split had brought with him, the casualties had been relatively one sided.  They had a few men down temporarily with wounds and had ten deaths.  The Esii had lost hundreds in their attacks on the desperate men.  It was still grinding them down.

Split had overheard several conversations already between men about why they were even bothering to fight the Esii.  They knew they were stuck on a dying planet with no home to return to.  Why bother prolonging their deaths.  There weren’t enough dissenters yet to worry Split but he kept his ears open and watched a small group of men that had huddled around the most vocal of the humans.  He was actually suggesting that the Esii probably only wanted Cole and the Alien, as he referred to Split, so maybe if they gave them the two beings they would take them off this planet and to a new home.

Split had asked West if there had been anyone he trusted to plant in the group and keep an eye on things.  West had asked a friend he had made while he had been here to do just that.  So far, his friend was hanging around the group but hadn’t signaled any trouble yet. 

Split glanced around and saw West approaching him from the hallway.  Split had been a liability in the close confines of the hall and the Colonel had asked him to clear out so he could move men in and out faster.  Split had seen the wisdom in his decision and moved back to the room and set up a final fallback position.  He hoped they would never have to use it, but it was there in case they did.

“Hey big guy,” West said with a grin as he approached, “pushed the bastards back again.  They have backed off and are taking pot shots from around the corner.”

“Good, the longer we keep them stationary, the better.”  Split shifted his bulk around to lean back on his barricade.

“Got a favor to ask though.”  Split nodded to West to continue.  “We need something to get rid of the bodies.  The Colonel says we have enough portable shields now that we don’t need the meat shields any more.  Plus they are starting to smell like week old swap ass.  He was looking for an incendiary device or something to burn them all up, and buy us some down time I think.”

“You an errand boy now?”  Split asked the man.

“Yeah, it’s better than being in charge I guess.  I never wanted to command large groups, I always liked being in the middle of the shit with two or three others I could count on.  Too many people are out to kill the leadership when the shit hits the fan.  If I’m putting rounds down range, I'm happy.”  He smiled again.

Split chuckled and smacked the man on the back.  “A man after our own heart.”  Split turned and rummaged around in his bag and pulled out something that looked an awful lot like an aerosol spray can.  “This is an aerosol accelerant. Spray it down the hallway on all the body parts.  When you get to the T intersection, lock the nozzle down and toss it down the hallway towards the Esii position.  Fall back here and light the starting point of the trail on fire.  Should sterilize the hall.”

“Gotcha.  Be back in a few.”  West turned and jogged back up the hallway.  A few minutes later the men not currently holding the intersection came running back into the room with West following behind them.  He stopped at the door and turned and slowly walked back up the hall spraying as he went.  Five minutes later the last of the defenses, the Colonel and West came running back into the room.  A man near the door fired his weapon.  The hallway erupted into a fiery hell.  Heat blasted out from the hall into the room and fire consumed everything inside the hallway.  The conflagration only lasted for a few seconds but the heat was intense enough to reduce anything flammable to ash and turn the metal of the hallways walls and angry red.  Even with a second skin, no one was going inside that hall for a while.

Split heard the Colonel shouting orders and men began to scramble to obey.  The Colonel walked up to Split and stood with his hands on his hips.

“Slight overkill, but it worked.  Thanks.”

“We are happy to help,” responded Split.

“While the men get ready to retake the hall and set up a new barricade, I was wondering if I could speak to you a moment?” The Colonel asked.  “Back in the medical area.”

Split held out his arm and let the Colonel lead the way.  Anastacia was already back by Cole and the other few wounded men.  She was kneeling by Cole’s head and was talking to his still form.  Cole’s body had gone through the last phases of healing hours ago and was; for all intents and purposes, back to near one-hundred percent.  The last hitch was the brain damage.  There was more than initially thought and it was taking longer to fix.  The nanites were unable to report an ETA on the final healing.

Anastacia rose as the two approached.  Colonel Forrest nodded his head towards the Russian Captain and she nodded back.

“Do we have any update on the…on Commander Cole?”  The Colonel asked.

“Nothing yet,” Split responded.

“We may have to start thinking about our course should he never wake up.  I refuse to lose one more man holding a hallway we don’t have to hold.  I still fail to see how one man can be so important.”

Split didn’t even think, he reached out and grabbed the man by his neck and lifted him off his feet.  He didn’t squeeze so hard that the Colonel couldn’t breathe but put enough pressure to remind the Colonel of his strength.

“I would sacrifice everyone in this room if it meant saving Cole.  Never forget that.  He controls the ships, he controls the AI’s and he controls the Pures technology.  No one else in the galaxy has what he has.  No one in the galaxy could do what he already did.  He has sacrificed more than you will ever realize and he will live to see the end of this.” Everyone had stopped working and was looking back at the scene taking place.  Split lowered the man back to his feet and released his hold on his neck.

The Colonel stood his ground.  He locked his eyes on the giant for a moment then made a slight signal with his hand.  Suddenly the men surrounding Split had rifles in their hands and were aiming them at Split.  Split let out a low growl in his throat.  Everyone, except the Colonel took a step backwards.  Anastacia moved back and placed her body in-between Cole and the line of fire.

“As I said, I will not sacrifice any more men protecting this one man.”  The Colonel was interrupted by another man walking into the ring of watchers.  Split looked around.  The men holding the rifles were scared and confused.  Split knew they were all conflicted on what was going on.  Split had done nothing but help the men fight back and now they were forced to turn on him.  The man who had interrupted the Colonel began to speak.

“Please, gentlemen and you sir,” he nodded at Split, “I am sure there is another way to handle this.  We have an enemy just down that hallway, do we need to fight amongst ourselves as well.”

“Senator, sir.  Back out of the way, let me handle this.”  The Colonel said.

Split looked at the man the Colonel had called Senator.  This was the man who had been whispering about turning Cole and Split over to the Esii.

“I suggest an alternative.”  He looked to the Colonel.

“Be quick,” the Colonel responded.

“Let us attempt to strike up a dialog with the Esii and see if we can trade our way to safety.  They had left us alone until these two had barged in here.  I am sure if we gave them back they would deal in good faith for our relocation.”

Split couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and neither could someone else who had just heard what was said.

“Split,” Cole said, “kill both of them please.  Or just knock them out.”

Split struck out simultaneously and smacked both men on the sides of their heads.  They both crumpled to the floor unconscious.

“Jesus, how long was I out.”  Cole was sitting on the floor and was staring around in wonder and dismay.

“Too long.”  Split replied.

“Apparently.”  Cole slowly rose to his feet and Anastacia hooked her arm under his to support Cole while he got his balance.  “So, humanity does live.  I thought they were lying to me.”  Cole scanned the crowd.  “Not as many as they claimed but we haven’t searched everywhere yet.”  Cole surprised everyone by shouting in triumph.  He wasn’t alone in the galaxy anymore.  There were others of his race along for the ride.  “You don’t know how good it is to see a familiar face.”

It was at that point that West broke his way through the crowd and ran up to Cole.  “Damn it Cole, it is good to see you up and around.  Things were falling to shit here.”  He threw his arms around Cole and gave him a hug that lifted him into the air.

Cole was speechless.  He just stared at his old army buddy.  He last saw West on that C-130 transport right before he had been shot.

“Don’t stand there like an idiot, say hi to your old buddy.”  West had a grin on his face as he spoke to Cole.

“Of all the people to live, you had to be one of them, huh?  Guess the human race is still doomed after all.”  Cole said with a smile and returned the man’s hug.  The next few minutes were taken up with introductions to the key humans that had assumed leadership roles while Cole had been down.  They finally got to the two men who had threatened Cole and Split.

“What's their story?”  Cole asked.

West pointed to the one on the right.  “That’s Colonel Forrest late of the 7th Army Special Forces Group.  He had been running the defense.  That one is the former Senator from California.  And both of them are assholes.”

“I figured that out for myself.”  Cole said as he shook his head.  “What a waste, you should have killed them Split.  Oh and Split, what the hell happened to you?”

“My brother couldn’t keep the door open alone, we switched. We also would like to not go around killing your people, there are not many left.”  Split responded.

“Fair enough, I won’t ask how you managed the switch, but thanks.  Take me to the action and explain what is going on.”  Cole said as he fell in between Split and West.  “Oh and someone tie those two up so they can’t cause any more trouble.”

Split led the way and quickly recounted the last two days events.  They got up to the door just as it was finally getting cool enough to reenter.  Cole looked at the men surrounding the door.  They were all armed and had their weapons trained down the hallway.

“Do we have any of that explosive left?”  Cole asked Split.

“Some, not much.”  He responded.

“Enough to collapse the roof and seal the tunnel?”

“Yes, but is that wise?”  Split turned to face Cole as he spoke.

“Yeah, in fact you should have done it two days ago.  The one thing the Colonel had been right about was you shouldn’t have wasted lives defending this room when you could have sealed it off.”  Cole said as he studied the door and the men around it.

“It was our only means of exit from this room, we believed it better to leave it open in case we needed it.”  Split grumbled.

“Yeah, sorry.  There is a door at the other end we can use to get out so let’s seal this up.  Move everyone back and bring down the house Split.”  Cole turned and walked away.  All the humans stood and retreated with him as Split began preparing the explosive.  Everyone pushed to the far end of the room and waited.  Split walked back to their position and turned and pointed a small device back the way he had come.  An explosion rattled the walls as tons of rock filled the hallway they had valiantly defended for the last two days.

“Okay now, this is what this area looks like.  Cole began to trace out a series of rooms on the floor with some charred material he had picked up at the hallway.  It in fact was a finger from an Esii.  The majority of the finger had been out side of the hallway when they had set it on fire so was still vaguely finger shaped. Cole drew three boxes on the floor.

“This one is the one we are in.”  He pointed to the one on his left.  “There is a small connecting hallway between our room and the next one.  I have no clue what is in room number two so we go in ready for action.  There is a slightly longer hallway connecting room two to room three.  I know what is in room three and I know there are two ways out.  We may need to rig some batteries to bring down one of the elevators to room three, but we will see when we get there.  From room three we should have access to the surface of the planet.  Any questions?”