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  “Why did they not fire on us?” Marn wondered aloud. “It is impossible to conceive, but they had the advantage.”

  “Weapons fire would have revealed them,” Crucis answered. “They wished to stay hidden and yet approach us. I can detect background radiation along a circular perimeter and an aperture within it. The enemy ship or formation is a ring. I would postulate they intended to surround us, Lord.”

  “They tried to capture us?” Sutuhr spat venom on the floor plate to his right. “Capture a ship from Hell?”

  “We will punish their impudence, Lord General.” Crucis said.

  “We will annihilate them!” Marn barked as he coyly moved away from Sutuhr’s bubbling venom on the floor.

  “Lord, your ship is also taking much heat and radiation from the continued assault.” Crucis warned. “The pressure from the radiation alone is moving us away.”

  “Point the main drive at them and increase velocity.” Sutuhr ordered. “Put this wretched world between us.”

  “They seem willing to sacrifice their home planet, Lord Sutuhr.” Marn fingered his sword handle. “It is part of their strategy against us. Perhaps we should break orbit.”

  “I will not take that risk until I know their number and weapon power.” Sutuhr growled. “Find how they hid from us! No shielding has ever rendered us blind.”

  “Lord, I cannot penetrate the enemy defenses. I cannot expose their ship's control system.” Crucis snarled. “I cannot override their flight, weapons, or any operations.”

  “System infiltration—the lowest combat!” Marn chided. “We will crush them through firepower!”

  “Then, Marn, you will be glad I have detected spatial interactions of their fields.” Crucis sounded triumphant. “I can lock in and track them. Lord Sutuhr, they are pursu—”

  The force of impact brought sudden, impossible silence. The enemy had returned fire. It struck Sutuhr’s ship with enough force to ebb its protective aegis of hellfire. Sutuhr could look out and see open space through gaps between the jagged beams that formed his ship. The mock gravity also ebbed as his ship was knocked from its course. The planet appeared to spin into view. Sutuhr flexed his claws into the arms of his stony throne. Venom rolled from his lips and into floating globules. He realized that if the relative inertia field also ebbed, it would make things far more difficult. For a fraction of a second, he wondered if the strange sensation he experienced was terror.

  “This must end!” Marn shouted in anger and with a hint of rebuke as he drifted passed Sutuhr.

  The General smiled as his Field Master fell on his head, unfolding his wings in futility as the gravity field returned. The welcome sight of hellfire flared strongly again. Venom drops spattered against the bridge floor.

  “Deploy the main guns!” Sutuhr stood and roared. “Open fire, now!”

  “My Lord!” Crucis turned to face his master. “At our current position, the planet will partially obscure the firing angle!”

  Sutuhr reached his giant hand across the bridge and snatched Crucis in his crushing grasp. He slammed his Ship Master into the control dais.

  “NOW!” Sutuhr’s roar nearly doused his ship’s flames.

  The domes of the starboard main batteries opened and immediately fired. The beams were equal to small stars stretched into bright lances. They shot across the short distance of space and then burned through the planet’s weather and atmosphere over the side faced by Sutuhr’s ship. The lances cut through the curve of the planet crust. A sudden canyon flashed into existence similar to Mariner Valley on long vanished Mars. The beams lit the night sky of the opposite hemisphere as they flew back into space and struck the enemy ship. The ring ship’s defensive field expanded into a brilliant sphere of plasma.

  The glowing sphere dimmed and the field dissipated. The enemy was revealed. A ring of eight massive, crystal chevrons rotated above the battle scarred world. Each chevron was a seamless ship linked by spinning torrents of molten glass. The tips of the chevrons moved and pointed at the empty center of the ring. There, space began to teem like a wave of heated air. A helix of elemental power shot from the ring’s center. The alien ship again opened fire. The radiant helix blasted a steeper addition to the canyon cut by Sutuhr’s salvo as it spun toward his ship.

  Crucis had anticipated the angle of returned fire while being crushed. Sutuhr released him. He pulled himself from the floor to his dais. His ship maneuvered to avoid a direct hit. The helix slashed just below the main batteries. The dreadnought from Hell shook, but its hellfire didn’t ebb. Crucis used the added force to hasten his ship’s roll behind the planet.

  “I have stabilized our roll with the planet’s gravity.” Crucis reported. “You may well kill me, Lord Sutuhr, but we have taken damage—”

  “What?” Marn yipped and looked accusingly at Crucis.

  “And I do not suggested trading fire,” Crucis continued. “Although they, too, are damaged.”

  “They will have reached the same conclusion, and also take pause.” Sutuhr nodded and glared at the image of the planet directly below. “However, we are the spawn of the Dark Urge. Victory will be ours! Quickly aim both our main batteries at the planet in alignment with the enemy ship on the opposite side!”

  “Done, Lord!” Crucis shouted.

  “Now, both batteries, continuous burst. Open fire!” Sutuhr roared.

  The bow of Sutuhr’s ship pointed down from low orbit at an intricate river system linking a series of large lakes that divided a narrow continent between vast oceans. It all vaporized before the doubled assault of Sutuhr’s main guns. The four energy lances punched through the planet’s crust and bored deeper to its core. On the opposite side of the world, its surface convulsed beneath the depths. The ocean rose and rolled into super-tsunamis as the great mass of sea water was pushed up from the sea floor’s sudden expansion. The fissures between expanding tectonic plates and subduction ridges flared intensely red as magma around the core was pushed to the surface from Hell’s assault. Liquid rock erupted through the geologic fissures. They widened as the oceans boiled into steam. The crustal plates pitched up in waves as the planet’s surface cracked and spilt in a hemisphere-wide eruption. Liberated waves of magma the size of continents reached where clouds had rolled as the planet’s core blasted out into space from the pressure of Sutuhr’s main batteries. The radiant, hot core rolled like a molten comet toward the enemy ship.

  The ring ship banked and rolled toward open space to escape the blasted core spinning towards it. Fragments its former world collided with the crystal chevrons closest to the shattered world. The impacts caused the ring ship to lurch, but it sailed ahead of the core and into space. One impacted chevron began to glow and shimmer. The bonds of liquid glass broke. The freed chevron drifted into the wave of planetary fragments and molten rock. It detonated with a brilliant flash. The surviving seven chevrons rolled into deep space and reformed their ring.

  On the other side of the shattered world, the energy released by Sutuhr’s his main guns pushed his ship backward. The remains of the planet collapsed into the wake of the beams. In seconds, Sutuhr had reduced an entire planet into a cooling asteroid field.

  A third ship observed the battle from a distance. It orbited close to the system’s star. So far, it eluded Sutuhr’s detection. If revealed, an observer would see a ball of smooth crystal scales smaller than the chevrons of the alien warship but numbering in the hundreds. They had a far different purpose than war, but existed because of Hell’s aggression. On the collective ship’s bridge, communication between the species know as the Xa'rol and an alien ally took place. Its bridge was flooded with liquid atmosphere. A dome of silver floated some distance from its completely black opposite. Images of the shattered planet, the Xa'rol war craft, and Sutuhr's ship floated as a circle around the black dome's edge. The space between the domes held a nimbus of light. Beyond them the liquid became the dark blue of a deep ocean.

  Two beings observed the images. The avatar of Zaria hovered as a
ngled rays of sunlight descending through a sphere. The collective body of the Xa’rol military commander floated near the center of the bridge. The commander was a twisting column of thousands of bright, silver scales. The schooling creatures generated the new niche of aggressive intellect made necessary by Hell’s invasion. At times the swirling scales swam in the opposite direction of their containment column that maintained its own, upward spin. The liquid bridge remained undisturbed despite the motion of the swirling column.

  “What you said has come to be. Hell has destroyed our homeworld.” The projected voice of the commander translated no shock but cool dispassion.

  Zaria understood its absence of shock was from a prepared, mental focus. The commander concentrated was on the battle. The ultimate goal for both Zaria and the Xa’rol was now down to one option.

  “It is an event I never wish to see.” Zaria replied. “The fears of the Dark Urge drive her to kill alien life. Her preconceptions are against planets, but her insanity threatens all ecologies. I wish we could have hid both your warship and your ocean world. But Sutuhr would detect the planet by its gravitational effect on your star and the trajectories of the coorbital dwarfs. Without the arks, all the species of your world would now be lost.”

  “Our warship has suffered significant damage.” The commander’s comments again showed its focus. “It can still fight, but we must momentarily withdraw it to stabilize the reconfiguration.”

  “Its power will be diminished.” Zaria’s thoughts also translated a sigh caused by failure. “At full strength it was a match for the Hell ship. However, I don’t believe Sutuhr’s ship has suffered sufficient damage. You must send your ship to pursue and ram Sutuhr to buy more time and launch the arks.”

  “Zaria, our plans were to capture or destroy Sutuhr’s ship. We have not achieved either goal.”

  “And I am troubled by my plan’s failure. Nevertheless, my main goal was to save your civilization and your planet’s species. The arks we created also carry the biological legacy of many more worlds. We can still save them all. Let the sacrifice of your planet be the only tragedy your people suffer. The Xa’rol live. You can rebuild.”

  “That will take more than a new world,” the commander paused in thought and its collective body swirled faster for a moment. “It may well take a new galaxy.”

  “In time, I hope to make this galaxy safe for life, again. My goal for capturing Sutuhr’ ship was part of a plan to end the madness of the Dark Urge. I will now seek another strategy. I will see an end to the annihilation of life.”

  “Our wishes go to such a future.” Images of Sutuhr ship cutting though the planetary debris paused before the commander. “At present, Sutuhr moves to reengage our warship.”

  “You must delay him long enough to launch the arks!” The intensity of Zaria’s thought indicated her growing tension. “Don’t let your whole existence and those of others be wiped from creation.”

  “We agree. Life will be our victory. Farewell, Zaria. May we meet again in your new epoch, even if it is a galactic age away. Now, our warship sails into final battle.”

  The core of the Xa’rol homeworld slowly cooled in space. Sutuhr’s ship emerged from the field of its planet’s remains. The ring of seven chevrons came about to face it. The domes of Sutuhr’s main gun opened. The chevrons separated and formed a delta. Their speed accelerated. The doubled burst of the Hell ship’s battery collided with the lead chevron. A brilliant flash lit the solar system.

  On his bridge, Sutuhr smiled. And then he frowned.

  “My Lord!” Crucis shouted. The image on the projection showed the chevrons speeding closer. “The six remaining ships are still coming with increasing speed!”

  “They intend to ram us!” Marn squealed.

  “Recharge and fire!” Sutuhr roared. “Fire a missile phalanx. Fire secondary--!”

  The Xa’rol chevrons struck Sutuhr’s ships as huge kinetic warheads. The crimson ship was lost behind six, star-like blasts. Their brilliance grew with each impact. The released energy vaporized the smaller planetary fragments and blasted apart the larger pieces. The core was pushed farther out into space. The flashes died away.

  Sutuhr did not hate that he was alive. He looked up and saw the woven chaos of his ship’s beams still intact. However, its fiery aegis was doused. Only the main drive blazed at the stern. His ship was adrift. Sutuhr recovered himself from the floor where his vast bulk slid in minimal gravity. The internal, relative fields were flickering back to life. Nevertheless, the darkness and coldness of space filling his ship meant it was badly damaged. He still glanced over at a groan. Marn was impaled against a beam and crushed by Sutuhr’s mace knocked free in the attack. The General would need to train another Field Master. Sutuhr hated that. He also hated that he was on the verge of being the only of Hell’s Generals to lose a ship to enemy fire. Only Azuhr had been lost in battle, but escaped the ignobility of dying at the hands of the enemy. Barkuhr had disappeared engaging an unknown force in a colliding star cluster above the galactic plane. Sutuhr did not wish to add to their number.

  Sutuhr peered through the tangle of beams to find any sign of incoming attack. There was none. Even as scion of Hell, Sutuhr was glad for a moment of peace. He noticed Crucis pull himself down from floating above his control dais and enter commands while inverted. Sutuhr watched his Ship Master with admiration for his devotion to duty, although it also irritated him to feel that way. Sutuhr felt the slow return of heat. His ship began to glow red again.

  “Lord, our reactors are failing. We will need engineers to restoke the internal power network.” Crucis said as he slowly oriented himself to the floor as ship’s gravity grew to full force. “I am drawing power from the main drive, but this will reduce our speed and energy weapon strength. I recommend powering the aegis, first. Its hellfire will protect the ship.”

  “As will the black grace of the Dark Urge,” Sutuhr growled. “Do so. Power the missile silos, as well. And ready the horde to take to space. The demons can also shield us from enemy fire.”

  “As you command, Lord General.”

  “Order the senior commander of my personal strike wing to my side.” Sutuhr looked at the crushed body of Marn that began to sizzle against the heating ship beam as his blood boiled on the floor plating. “His first duty will be to pry Marn from my bridge.”

  “When we can make the scythe again, shall I find another world in this system to sate the Dark Urge, Lord?” Crucis asked and dared look straight at his scowling General.

  Sutuhr wondered if the question was a veiled criticism. He failed to deliver the target world as a sectioned meal to the Dark Urge, and instead blew it to pieces in an attempt to kill a powerful enemy. But of course, a demon would not second guess his master. Sutuhr would hold that idea a certainty, at least until his ship was back to full strength. Repairs would be faster and more efficient with Crucis alive.

  “Even if the planet is lost, the enemy is destroyed.” Sutuhr said. “That honors the Dark Urge. Just as we will honor her again at our next target.”

  “And praise to you, Lord General.” Crucis bowed. “I must also inform there is damage to extra-solar navigation. As yet, we cannot plot a jump.”

  “Then head us into deep space, below the solar plane.”

  “Your will is that of the Dark Urge. We know her glory through you, the Devoted.” Crucis bowed and turned to his dais.

  Sutuhr glared his feline and arachnid eyes at Crucis and wondered how free the will of his Ship Master had become. He turned his glare to the projection of deep space as it flashed on. Before his ship was a field of infinite black as they headed away from the system’s star. For now, he would need that darkness and distance to protect his ship as it healed. Sutuhr hated that.

  A far different exodus occurred around the star Hell’s forces left behind. A stream of silver scales had gained great velocity circling the star. The combined efforts of the Xa’rol and Zaria sped out near light speed on a voyage that would take them
in an astronomical arc beyond the galactic plane. Out there, the ships would stay hidden, lay dormant, and wait. It was hoped they waited for the end of the war, and not to be silent witnesses to the end of creation. Now their greatest ally was time.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The battle was fierce. General Tanuhr made certain it was short. He was known as the Victorious. It was a better designation than the Efficient. Such a title would only inspire dread in the most bureaucratic adversaries. However, for this General it was more accurate. The enemy fleet was comprised of colonial remnants from interstellar civilizations Tanuhr destroyed in previous campaigns. They had accurately plotted his next target and attacked his ship when it entered the system. The disparate but united squadrons acted either out of revenge, debt of alliance, or mass suicide. Perhaps it was all of those reasons. Tanuhr neglected to consider it might also be courage in a heroic defense of life, even life alien to themselves. To him, it mattered little. Their energy weapons had little effect against his ship’s crimson aegis. His Ship Master, Mendek, destroyed their warheads, ships, and gun pods with cannonade only from the secondary batteries.

  To Tanuhr, service to the Dark Urge was best realized in quick and decisive victories, not in garish, physical combat. He showed his strength of conviction in a past campaign when he detonated an unstable star to wipe out a civilization and their fleet of generation ships escaping their failing sun. That sun, the planets, moons, and ships became the atomized crest of a stellar shockwave. Tanuhr still enjoyed his pride from that campaign. No other General was as economical in an enemy’s annihilation.

  Tanuhr often mused that time was the dimension that ultimately allowed life to exist. Yet, it was also the aspect of creation that allowed for life’s destruction. Time was a double edged helix, just as the neck of his spear. Tanuhr hardly used his personal weapon. To fulfill his purpose efficiently, he had a ship with armaments greater than most armadas and a horde of disciplined demons ready to kill anything that survived his fusillades. Tanuhr’s fire was always precise, so few enemies ever saw his demons. His horde was the most bored of all Hell’s Generals. Nevertheless, they worshiped Tanuhr just as designed. Therefore, he reasoned their purpose was not violated.