The Blue Guardian

By Kavin Cannon

If you knew that today was your last day on Earth, would you do things differently?

Life was good for Security Investigator Gabriel Moore. With a distinguished military career and two black belts in martial arts, he thought he was prepared for anything. But when he rescues a beautiful alien princess from an intergalactic bounty hunter, he is set on a path of unexpected adventure encountering new planets, new species, gaining new abilities, and falling in love.

This same path also brings about a hidden danger that threatens his newfound friends and family. A secret plot jeopardizes the peace treaty between Na-tar and Varon, while a sinister presence lurks among those they thought could be trusted. Only Gabriel, with his enhanced strength and abilities, can prevent this impending doom. Can he find the courage to fight unbelievable odds and a species that thrives on war?

Fight alongside Gabriel in this first volume of The Blue Guardian trilogy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496909725

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AuthorHouse™ LLC

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2014 Kavin Cannon. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse   05/12/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-0974-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-0973-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-0972-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014907999

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Thank You

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Thank You

First and foremost I thank God for giving me the opportunity and the desire to take on this venture.

I would like to thank my mom, Doris, for showing me the dedication that writing takes; to my dad, Herbert Jr. for all the wisdom and advice given to me through the years; and to my brothers Kerry and Kyle, and the rest of my family for the encouragement and the helpful ideas.

To my brother Kim; I miss you so much and wish you were here to share this with you.

I would like to thank my editor, Catherine Brandolini, for taking over two hundred and sixty four pages of muddy and disorganized prose, and turning it into something that is fun and entertaining to read. I could not have done this without you! You are my sounding board.

I would like to thank Hunter Rose, a new and upcoming artist, for helping me with the illustrations. You can visit her page at http://hunterroserita.blogspot.com/

Chapter 1

HAD I KNOWN THAT TODAY would be my last day on earth; would I have done things differently?

My name is Gabriel Moore… and this is my story.

Dust and smoke billow up around me; bullets whistle past my head; mortar rounds explode behind me. I can barely hear commands being shouted above the noise. Being pinned down behind a concrete wall behind enemy lines escalates my anxiety into a deafening pulse sounding in my ear. Searing pain shoots through my body as a bullet rips through my thigh and another hits my right shoulder. I can’t think; I can only feel a primal mixture of pain and fear. I feel an explosion shake the world around me, sending my protective wall of cement blocks tumbling down on top of me. I screamed out as I sat up in bed, still gripping the sheets as if I was clinging on for life. I reached up and wiped the cold sweat from my brow. I was gasping for air as if I were drowning—drowning in this recurring nightmare.

I laid back down on the moist sheets. I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths, letting each one out slowly. My heart rate lowered and its thunderous beating softened. The stress was finally subsiding. I slowly opened my eyes, convincing myself that it was just a bad dream. I usually focused on something to help make the transition from nightmare back to reality. This time it was the early morning sun peeking through the blinds. Dust particles were dancing in each ray of sunlight. I looked past them to the white outfit with the black belt hanging on the closet doorknob. My anxiety tapered into satisfaction as I remembered the events of last night.

It was test night at the Golden Dragon Martial Arts Academy. The room was full of students trying to earn different levels of belts, with family and friends cheering them on. The younger kids went first, as parents watched beaming with pride. I helped Master Kim test the teenagers with their routines. Then it was my turn. I had already achieved two levels of Black Belt and had been training for my level in weapons. I displayed several styles of weapons; nun chucks, tonfa, Kamagong sticks, three section bo staff, and the sai, and demonstrated their use in combat. At the end of the night, I finally received my third black belt. It took a long and hard seven years to get there, but that feeling of accomplishment made it all worthwhile.

My muscles were so tired and sore that I had to force myself to get out of bed. As I sat up a slight twinge in my lower back reminded me why I was medically released from the military. Every doctor I talked to said that they could do the surgery to repair the spinal damage, but with the recovery time and the risk of the surgery, it would be better to just live with the pain.

After showering, I stood in front of the mirror and started counting the bruises. At the age of 25, my body was in the best shape it’s ever been in, although it was painfully evident that I’m still prone to injuries. I continue to be amazed at how much my body has changed since high school. I was very athletic back then, but not very big. After joining the military and committing to working out and studying martial arts, my body just exploded. My pecs were more defined, I had six pack abs, and my biceps were a lot bigger and more muscular. I use to be pale but now my skin had a light tan all over. I decided to get busy and shave, then brushed my tousled dark brown hair to make it look presentable, parting it neatly to the side.

I gathered my things together, got into my car, and started driving to work. My backpack, which I carry with me everywhere, had everything I needed; my laptop, camera, change of clothes in the event of an emergency call, martial art weapons (just in case), and my MP3 player. I had been working three years as an investigator for a nationwide security company based in Asheville, North Carolina. It was a good job that paid good money, plus I enjoyed the work.

Chapter 2

I WAS ASSIGNED TO INVESTIGATE a break-in at a high profile chemical company about four hours south of town. It was a nice fall day as I was making my way out of the busy city. The trees were just starting to change colors, as the vibrant red and yellow leaves started to win the war against the fading green leaves. I rolled my window down and breathed in the crisp, clean fall air as I drove down the highway. I wasn’t due at the job site until the next day so I decided to take a more scenic route to better enjoy the foliage, thinking that maybe I’d have time to stop and snap a few pictures. Hitting a couple of buttons on my GPS gave me a new route to take. I turned onto a small country road that was only used by farmers and locals. The view was spectacular; open fields, cows, sheep, horses, ponds with ducks and geese flocking around them, fields of golden wheat waving at me in the wind, and trees bursting with color. The scenery brought back memories of my childhood back in Alabama.

As I turned a curve there was a long stretch of road with trees lining both sides. Up ahead I saw something, or someone, running across the road ahead of me. I sped up to see who or what it was, when all of a sudden something else dashed out in front of me. I slammed on my brakes, but it was too late. The impact was so hard that it threw me forward into the seatbelt while the airbag burst open. Whatever I had hit went up and over my car, denting the roof as it rolled over the top. The car veered out of control and I rolled down an embankment, landing at the bottom of the ditch upside down. Dazed and confused, I sat there a moment trying to figure out what had just happened. Still strapped in my seatbelt and hanging upside down, I looked out my window and saw the thing I had hit, lying motionless about 30 feet away. At the edge of the woods a girl stood staring at me. I managed to get my seatbelt undone and crawl out the window. In my confused state, I had to cling to the car as I stood up. After recovering my balance I started walking toward the girl, passing by the strange creature that was still lying on the ground. He was massive in size, at least seven feet tall, and looked very strong. He had green scale type skin and his face was similar to a gorilla, with a long bottom jaw and a wide nose.

I looked over at the girl who was still standing at the edge of the woods. She was short, just slightly over 5 feet tall, with long black straight hair. She was wearing some type of jumpsuit and she looked to be a very pale blue!

I surmised that the girl was the one crossing the road in front of me and that the creature must have been chasing her. I walked toward her and was about to ask her if she was ‘Ok’, when I saw the fear on her face as she looked over my shoulder. I turned around and saw the creature standing behind me, but before I could react, he swung his hand, backhand style, and hit me in the chest. The force of the hit sent me several feet through the air. As I hit the ground, landing on the upper part of my shoulders, my honed martial arts instincts took over and I did a tuck and roll, caught my balance, and ended up in a kneeling position. I amazed by the strength of this creature and knew that I needed to look for a weakness.

Not giving me a second thought, he turned back toward the girl… big mistake! Never underestimate an enemy. I reached down to my sheath and pulled out both expandable batons and with a flick of my wrist they were fully extended and locked into place. I started toward the creature in a sprint. The girl turned and ran toward my right, with the creature in close pursuit. I took advantage of the angle to gain ground, and then jumped. The creature, hearing me, turned so that I hit him square in the chest, sending him a few feet back. As he got up, he let out a low, hideous growl.

He walked toward me and took a swing at me, but I was more prepared this time. I ducked and came back with three blows from my batons before he knew what had happened. He swung again, missing me, and I hit him again a couple of times, both times nailing him across the cheek. I realized that I had the advantage with my speed, just as long as I didn’t let him connect with his strength!

We continued to exchange blows and I did my best to ignore the pain. I made sure to keep myself between the creature and the girl, not allowing him the chance to harm her. He took another swing at me, which I was able to avoid, and I came back with a side kick which connected right under his chin. The force caught him off-guard, causing him to stumble back a couple of feet. He shook his head a couple of times, grunted, and then pulled out a knife with about a 12 inch jagged blade.

He swung at me a couple of times with the knife, which I narrowly avoided, but as I was stepping back I tripped on a rock and became off balanced. The creature lunged forward and caught my left arm. Even though the cut was shallow, it burned intensely. Ignoring the pain, I landed a couple of more blows on the creature. As I hit him across the face, he spun and lowered himself into a squat bringing his knife around and catching me across the lower right rib. His blade cut into my skin like tissue. Blood was everywhere and the pain was excruciating. Falling to my knees, I grabbed my side to stop the bleeding.

The creature again focused his sight on the girl, as if he was programmed to kill her and nothing would stand in his way. As she turned to run, he threw a bolas at her that tangled around her feet causing her to fall. She was able to get loose from the rope but was unable to get away from the creature’s strong grasp. He pinned her against a tree, pulled something out of his belt and injected her with it. Seeing her helpless caused an eruption of anger deep inside of me. Ignoring my pain, I picked up my batons and made my way over toward the creature. I hit him in the back of the knee, causing him to collapse and fall to the ground. With my batons firmly gripped in my hands, I spun and landed a blow right between his eyes. He fell backwards rendered unconscious. If he recovered from the hit of a 50 mph car, I knew that he wouldn’t be down long with just a blow from my baton, so I decided to try to use one of his own weapons against him. I reached down and grabbed what looked like a gun. I wasn’t able to read the device and I was unsure of what all the buttons were. The girl grabbed it from me, pushed a button, pointed it at the creature and fired. A red laser beam hit the creature until there was nothing left but ashes.

Nazor.jpg

Chapter 3

REALIZING THAT IT WAS OVER, waves of relief and pain washed over me. I grabbed my side and leaned over to catch my breath.

You’re bleeding she said.

Shocked that I could understand her, I said, You speak English?

Yes, except it’s not called English on my planet she said with a smile. Thank you for your help.

You’re welcome. What was that? I asked.

He was a Nazor, kind of like an intergalactic hit man. I’m impressed that you were able to stand up against him, not many can do that. she said.

He was strong, but lucky for me he was slow reacting.

Standing right next to her allowed me to view every detail of this beautiful girl. Her eyes were the first thing that caught my attention. They were an icy blue, the kind that could pierce into your soul. Her skin was smooth and soft looking, the perfect complexion. She had a nice firm, petite body which her outfit showcased. Her long black hair was a bit tangled from the encounter with the Nazor. Her smile was warm and inviting.

As she turned, she lost her balance. I caught her arm and gave her support. What was that stuff that he injected in you? I asked.

It was a type of poison that will render me unconscious within a few minutes. I have to get back to my ship, she said.

As she leaned on me, I helped her out of the woods and back to the road. I sat her down on the ground next to my car, as I reached in and grabbed my backpack. I also reached in the glove box and pulled out the travel medical kit and wrapped my cut to contain the bleeding. She couldn’t get back up on her own, so I picked her up and carried her. We went across the road, in the direction that she came from, and through the woods for about 300 yards until we came to an open area. My eyes widened in excitement as I gazed upon her ship. It was sleek, slivery blue, and looked like a tear shaped jet about 30 feet in length. I also noticed behind hers was a V shaped craft, dark in color, and about half the size of hers.

Ada%27s%20Ship.jpg

My reverie of admiration broke when I realized that she wasn’t moving. She was going in and out of consciousness.

Can you hear me? I asked her.

But with no reply I was beginning to worry. I yelled out to the ship, I need some help out here! hoping someone would be inside. Still waiting, I yelled again, She’s hurt and she needs some help… can anyone understand me?

A blue beam of light came from the ship and scanned up and down my body, then a door opened up and stairs appeared that gave access to the ship. After pausing a moment, unsure of what to expect, I proceeded to carry her up the steps and into the ship. I was fascinated with the design and looks of the interior. Everything was smooth and had a liquid metal look to it. The door closed behind me and the room filled with a low level white light. Up toward the front I could see two Captain’s chairs and a colorful console, which I assumed was where you would pilot the ship. As I continued to look around for someone to help us, a door opened behind me revealing a small room with a bed. As I carried her through the door, I heard a computer generated female voice say Lay her down here. As soon as I laid her down on the bed, a light blue haze appeared all around her. Out of curiosity, I reached out to touch it. It felt like a hard, smooth surface, but it also emitted a low level shock, which caused me to jerk my hand back. The haze continued to thicken until I could barely see her.

I asked, What’s happening? What are you doing to her?

The computer answered, I am putting her in a suspended animation to slow down her heart rate until she can receive medical attention. You are bleeding and require medical attention as well.

I’m fine I said. How long will it take to get her home?

It will take approximately ninety-three hours at maximum speed to arrive back to the planet Na-Tar. I need to depart; do you wish to leave the ship?

Looking back, I realized that this was the question that changed my life. Do I get off the ship and go back to my life like nothing ever happened? Leaving all these questions unanswered? Or do I stay on board and see what’s out there? This could be the adventure of a lifetime! I was flooded with thoughts of my family and friends; would I ever see them again? Then I realized that, if it only takes ninety-three hours to get there, then it would only take ninety-three hours to come back. So I answered the computer No, I do not wish to leave the ship. Prepare for departure.

I walked up toward the front and looked at the two Captain’s chairs. Touching one, they felt firm but comfortable, and were covered in a soft, silver-like leather material. I sat in the one on the right, and settled in for the long trip. I took in several deep, calming breaths to try to slow down my heart which was pounding in my chest. The lights on the console started getting brighter. I felt a slight vibration of the ship as the engine fired up. Then something dawned on me; what about the other ship and the creature’s ashes? No one can be allowed to find those things. In an unsure voice I said, Computer?

Yes the computer replied back.

I felt like I was on a Sci-Fi show and I couldn’t help but laugh to myself thinking, here I am talking to a computer that controls a space ship. So I started playing the role of a Captain.

"We need to