Tears of War

By Dangerous Walker

Chase Darkstaar is back, baby! Can I call you that? I feel like we know each other now. no? Fair enough...
Having found and returned the Trimedian plans, Chase and his cadre are tasked with the mission of collecting the ingredients to make the Trimedian from across the universe.
However, the Second Laikan War has now started... It's never easy, right?
With all your (my) favourite characters returning, plus some new faces, they rescue Milk's daughter, Jimmy's girlfriend, fight an Ankarian, best cannibals and face all the horrors of war.
Ultimately forming their own battle fleet and taking the fight right into the heart of the Laikan Empire.
Will they survive? Intact? Will they come out victorious or know the full desolation of the Tears of War...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dangerous Walker
• Release date: Jan 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310795299

Dangerous Walker

WELCOME.Welcome to the Library of the Universes.In it you will find many tales; adventures and horrors; love and loss. You will find heroes and heroines of all temperaments and backgrounds. You will fly through space; fight in wars; face beasts and ghosts.And as you read, you will find yourself drawn into this place, this Library of ancient Lore, and discover the truths that lie in the Universes and between them. Tales of ancient Evil that may still rise again and the Good that opposes it.Through the words and the pages will you lift the veil and then, O weary traveler, you might find that which you seeked, though I warn you, you might find more than you wished.But come then, find a seat, make yourself at home. Let me show you some books that might take your fancy and let's go on some adventures, you and I.

Book preview

The TSAR Trilogy

BOOK II

Tears of War

By

‘Dangerous’ Walker

Copyright Grahame Walker 2013

Published at Smashwords

CONTENTS

MORE BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR

FOREWORD

PROLOGUE

TWO EMERGENCY EXITS

THE GUNS OF VESTUL

THE CONVOY OF HALLAN

NO TIME FOR ELVIS

THE CRAP PLAN GANG

OUTMANNED, OUTGUNNED, UNCONCERNED

THE QUEEN OF STROTIUM

PRISONERS OF WAR

THE ANKARIANATOR

THE COST OF WAR

THE MARRIAGE OF JIMMY JAZZ

THE TIGER OF RONTIN AND THE CAVE OF ANCIENTS

AN ENDLESS REST IN THE SPOILS OF WAR

THE FORMATION OF THE UNITED TSAR BATTLE FLEET (Or What You Will)

THE TEARS OF WAR

EPILOGUE

The Library of the Universes (find out more and connect with the author)

Books by the Author:

Adventures in Space

The TSAR Trilogy

1. The Trimedian

2. Tears of War

3. Strangers

Pray for Rain

The Book of Five Worlds

1. The Foreshadow of Balance

2. Five Tasks

3. The Road between Gods and Monsters

The Haunting of Berkeley Square

In the Valley of Elah

Southern Hunter

The Library of the Universes (and Other Tales of the

King Imminent)

FOREWORD

Adventures in Space started life as bedtime stories for a friend’s two boys. It was completely different back then. Except two characters and the Laikans.

It was not something that could continue and after I had finished those stories one thing remained. The idea that beyond those stories a war was brewing.

Those two boys and those two characters are Dave and Rob Heskin.

They’re all grown up now and it’s been a long time since I saw them, and the personalities of the Heskin Bros in the novel are in no way meant to be a reflection of the real Dave and Rob.

Still, I hope you like this continuation of those bed time stories…

Types of Life Forms (that means Aliens) you will meet: (extract)

Oncolutians

How best to describe them? Sitting upon short legs is a big slab of body; wide, but seemingly slightly too thin to contain anything. Rather than continuing up to shoulders upon which are arms, the Oncolutians had decided to scrap any kind of conventional shoulders and instead the arms continued nearly straight upwards to an elbow and then came back down again so that the hands were level with the beings hips. In all each arm must have been close to 6 feet long and were mightily flexible.

Enthusians

Are ridiculously tall, far too tall than is surely good for them, and very thin. The type of thin that mothers want to try to fatten up.

Generally wear long dark robes with a hood and have faces that appear to be very old, or at least look like they have enough wisdom to have to be very old.

Enthusians have no real corporeal form, but that made flying space ships a bugger and so their race have chosen this wise demeanour from a human book.

Warning: All of them look like this, with little variation, even the women. It was very confounding and more than a little disturbing.

Carutes

Their bodies are about twice the size of a basketball and have a number of tentacles underneath. Some shorter and like an octopus’ arms, some longer and thinner like a jellyfishes tentacles. On either side of its head/body were two sets of eyes, one set slightly forward the others set slightly back, all four about the size and shape of a tennis ball.

Being maritime creatures they travel around in floating ‘bowls’ of water.

Warning: Please do not tap on the glass. It annoys them.

Greys

Oh, come on, you know what I mean: grey skin, upside down teardrop head, big black eyes, predilection to anal probes. Except they don’t. You put one thing in the wrong place once and you’re tarred for life.

They manage to speak out loud without moving his mouth. I’d say lips, but you’ve all seen the drawings; they have very small mouths, not much there to call lips.

Suffice to say kissing never really took off in their culture.

Merrick

Merrick would remind you Earthens of elephants, though they had tiny ears and their trunk-like nose only hung to their breast and was wider than an elephants, starting as it did at their cheeks. The Victorians called these Merricks as no one could pronounce their actual name.

Petruthsians

The Petruthsian are a race of large, less slimy slug like creatures who can rise up on their stubby tails to use a number of tentacles. They were vicious traders with a sharp eye to turning a space pound out of anything.

Cantorvials

Cantorvials could be described as a cross between a Human and a tiger. They stood upright a lot like a Human, but their body and face was a lot like a tigers, except completely bare of fur. Their bodies were rippling with muscles and whiter than an Englishman who’s spent all his time indoors. Let’s just say Albinos felt rosy next to a Cantorvial.

Reutorgians

Reutorgians have a body that is long and thin and might make you think of the common pencil; it even ends at a pointy tail. They have spindly arms and legs and a head shaped like a soda can and are taller than most other races.

Tarancorts

Tarancorts might remind an Earthen of a giraffe. They had a very similar head and a long neck that bent in an S shape so that their heads sat forward of, and level with, their shoulders. However, their skin was made up of large, tough plates that met each other at grooves. They were an odd race in that they were split almost 50/50. Some were mean and vicious, while others were very peaceful. Great architects and painters too.

Byfrok

Byfrok could be described as somewhere between ants and Humans. They had two legs like a Human, but then their body was shaped to accommodate another two sets of arms that ended in pincers that could be used as feet. So ‘arms’ wasn’t an entirely accurate description. The body came to a point between the two pairs of ‘arms’ so that the thorax was an hour glass shape and could swivel like a second pair of hips. The head was neither ant nor Human, it was an ovoid, like a stretched out egg, with a small mouth on one end, much larger nostrils flat to the head and eyes on the side that stuck out so it could look forwards.

Jobru

Jobru sat on three long tentacles a lot like an octopus’. Their bodies were reminiscent of a chubby baby’s with long arms that ended in three-pincered hands. Their head was oddly small for their bodies with small eyes, but a distending jaw and large nostrils. They were originally water based creatures, but were equally happy out of it.

Zorblids

Zorblids had a head shaped very much like a hammerhead shark, but with bigger eyes and less bitey-bitey teeth. Their bodies were humanoid and they had a small bony protrusion on their hips, shaped like a hook and they could hook their skin onto it and pull it out with their hands to form wings with which they could fly, though only from a high object. To help this their hands and feet were like a monkey’s, which they used to quickly ascend trees from which to take off.

From: A Brief Guide to the Universe for Earthens

PROLOGUE

The room was bright and airy, nah, just kidding, it was dimly lit and the figures sitting in a circle in the middle of the room were quiet as they waited for the projector to rise from the ground. When it had, it cunningly projected an image of the Laikan Commandant so that he appeared to be looking at you wherever you sat.

Gentlemen, I will keep this short as I am a busy man, as you will be too, soon enough. We are the Alliance of Rebellious Space Entities and this is a declaration of war.

Really? asked Sir Jeffery. There were sniggers from around the circle.

What? demanded the Commandant and then paused to think. Damn you all! We will no longer be subjugated, we will destroy you.

And with that the image disappeared.

Oh dear, said Fong-Gan from his fish bowl.

Indeed, mused Hopkirk.

***

Those UTN scum will pay, shouted a somewhat irate Commandant. Send out the ships!

The ship’s commanders got the message and as one went into lightspeed to the nearest star-gate; leaving ‘slightly cramped’ to become space once more.

***

The Second Laikan War had begun, the Universe was officially at war; altogether it wasn’t a good day to get out of bed. Like Tuesdays.

TWO EMERGENCY EXITS

Trillo had gone on ahead to prepare; in a way he was in a state of shock. Dreams don’t often come true, in fact it seems the longer you hold a dream the less likely it is to come true. But Trillo’s dream had come true, he had Darkstaar in his hands and he couldn’t quite believe it. His mind whirled with all the different things he could do.

Who should he start with? Maybe the Indian, he might take quite a while, maybe a whole day’s work. And what should he start with? The Mengalin Twister or Schreinold’s Box? Maybe some time in The Carutan Pool of Death. Hmm, so much to do, so little time. So little time before he would be called up to the WAR that was even now starting.

And this gave Trillo pause. He wasn’t really sure about this WAR, he couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something amiss. He wasn’t terribly high up in the ranks and so didn’t know the full reasoning behind the WAR and that niggled him. Why had they suddenly chosen to fight the UTN? There didn’t seem to be a reason, or more so that the reason was being kept a secret from him and perhaps most of his brethren.

Most Laikans, and no doubt their allies, bought into the routine about oppression, about being stuck at the edge of the Universe, about being the workhorse of the UTN, of others getting rich off of Laikan backs. About how it was time to forcefully take a larger role in the Universe. Take the power that they would never be given.

But Trillo didn’t fall for that, after all, most of the reasons behind the Laikan situation arose from the First Laikan War. They were stuck at the edge of the Universe because they had been pushed there in a large counter attack by the UTN forces.

They lacked power in the UTN because their leaders refused to be bound by the legalities of the Council. And were others getting rich off Laikan backs? Well yes, but that also included the Laikans who owned the mining companies. For all his grand speeches the Commandant was by no means poor, had no interaction with the common Laikans, nor did he want any. No, this WAR wasn’t about anger for his people’s situation; it was for the same reason any war starts, power and greed. But why did the Commandant think he could wrest power now? Why start an all-out war instead of focusing on one galaxy at a time, the kind of war that the UTN would leave as a domestic squabble? For someone who was more or less a glorified bounty hunter, he wasn’t stupid and he wanted answers to his questions. But that would have to wait.

For he, Trillo, had work to focus on. Blood work.

***

Whilst Trillo prepared, his mind racing around, our intrepid heroes were being led down a grey, featureless corridor to the torture chambers. Chase Darkstaar, one time intergalactic hitman and general rogue; Julianna, one time bar girl and taker of no shabbus. Milk, the giant reluctant Indian; Dr. Hendricks, Laikan archaeologist and one time fighter pilot and Jimmy Jazz, the mechanic who was once Chase’s best friend.

They had an armed escort of four, two behind two ahead and had their hands tied behind their backs.

What’s the difference between a chamber and a room? Chase mused happily.

We be about to find out, Jimmy replied.

I suppose torture room doesn’t have the same ring, Chase said.

Remember in Ictopia when we were captured? Dr. Hendricks quietly asked Julianna. You said you were good with ropes.

I am, she replied taking her hands out from behind her back, twisting left and delivering an elbow to the Laikan’s stomach behind her.

As it doubled, she grabbed it’s gun as at the same time Chase also brought his unbound hands up, reached around and delivered a chop to the Laikan’s windpipe, grabbing it’s gun at the same time. Julianna and Chase shot the other two guards simultaneously. The whole action had taken less than five seconds.

How do you do that? asked an astonished Dr. Hendricks as they untied the others.

The Cortian Knot Trick™? asked Chase untying Jimmy.

You can do it too?

Who do you think taught her? he replied with a grin.

I’m disappointed, you said you were good with knots, Hendricks protested at her.

She is, Doc, lots of people know how, but only five people in the Universe, as far as I know, can do it, Chase explained, Milk’s been trying for years to master it.

He nodded over to the big Indian who was currently squirming and struggling behind his back.

Ok, valkswagon, I give up, untie me, he fumed.

Jimmy went and untied him asking, What be de plan?

Get the hell out of here, Julianna put bluntly.

Not so fast, Chase mused.

Oh now what? bemoaned Milk rubbing his wrists.

This is a golden opportunity, isn’t it?

For what? Getting recaptured?

The Laikans believe they have the Trimedian, or at least have stopped the UTN getting their hands on it. If they haven’t declared war by now, they will soon.

And we happen to be in their headquarters, Julianna spoke.

Where all their plans will be, agreed Chase.

Right, so what do we do? asked Hendricks.

We need to get Jimmy’s computer back and then we need to tap into the computers and download anything we think will be of use.

***

Andrew Forster, former President of the United States and newest member of the Great Council was back on Earth, and as much as he dreamt of seeing his wife and children, was at 10 Downing Street with the Prime Minister, Defosimo and Ateksos, the two Grey aliens charged as advisors.

War? asked the PM again.

Yes, war. Well, more like WAR.

And you two knew about this did you? he asked the aliens.

In a way, yes, replied Defosimo.

In what way?

In that we knew, clarified Ateksos.

Well what do we do now? the PM asked Forster.

Two things: one, we don’t tell anyone, two: except the military.

The military? Do you really think we’ll be attacked? the PM worried.

Who knows? Probably not; but we need to be prepared and we need to get the world’s armed forces ready for adventures in space.

It’ll leak, the PM pointed out.

It will, but only that the military is learning how to use space craft. Nothing wrong with that.

True.

We have already organised a meeting, Defosimo chirped up.

Indeed, we best be off, Ateksos said, time is now of the essence.

***

Indeed time was of the essence as A.R.S.E forces entered into the nearest galaxies for the first phase of the WAR PLAN. It sounds more ominous in capital letters, no? It’s safe to say that none of the galaxies in the Universe were prepared, they had only just gotten the message that a war had started.

Except the nearest galaxies to Tegariff Major, who were armed and ready, well, armed and not ready. The UTN had managed to get Naval fleets out despite the Laikan’s best efforts to stop them. Across the galaxies Planet Defence Guns boomed, fighters and bombers launched and those in charge sat in the bridges of the battleships and tried to work out how to not lose too badly. Or at least look good doing it.

***

Deep in enemy territory our heroes were trying to remember where they were and how they got there. What they needed to do was to get back down to the basement, find the console and find out where their stuff would be stored. And that meant stairs.

If they could find them.

Haven’t we been here before? asked Julianna.

Everything’s possible, Chase noted.

You are far too chipper about all of this, decried Milk.

It could be worse, Chase shrugged.

Considering from the moment we left Earth till now I would say ‘could’ is not the word.

‘Will’ is probably better, the Doc chimed in.

Exactly, so there’s no point worrying about it.

Fact, noted Jimmy.

Since declaring war the Laikans were all in their offices and control rooms trying to organise their forces and this meant the corridors were thankfully deserted.

We’re going to try and find Laikan WAR PLANS, yes?

That’s right, Doc, Chase assured.

What do you think those plans are?

They came to a windowed control room, had a peep in and then crawled past below the window.

On the other side Chase continued.

Dunno, Doc, hopefully we’ll find out their targets.

What do you think they’ll be? asked Julianna.

Usual stuff, strategic galaxies, places with high natural resources.

My guess is dat dey will go after anyt’ing dat can be used as a bargaining chip later. Give ‘em more power in de Council.

Would make sense, agreed Chase. Ahh, stairs.

They descended the stairs.

And descended.

And descended.

And descended.

I hate stairs, bemoaned Julianna.

Keeping you fit, said Chase without looking back at her.

But we’ve done this once already.

Look who’s complaining. I got beat up for my role in our stupid plan, exclaimed Milk.

Fair point, conceded Julianna.

Hey, it’s not stupid, just, er, loose.

Right, ‘loose’.

And descended.

And descended.

And descended.

And finally reached the basement of computers.

***

Jimmy peeked in and could see a couple of technicians busy fixing the laser damage of the recent fight.

I can see two, he whispered back at them, but dat don’t mean dere ain’t more.

OK, we’ll sneak in and split up, sweep the room, whispered Chase.

They decided against cleaning and instead a-snuck into the room and crouch walked through the banks of computers. Jimmy snuck up behind the closest technician, picked up a spanner and knocked him out. Yep, no amount of technology will ever make spanners redundant. The APOCALYPSE? Just spanner wielding cockroaches left.

Chase took out the other one they could see using the butt of his recently liberated laser machinegun. Only Julianna found another technician and took him out the same as