The Complete Dark Tide Trilogy

By Dayne Edmondson

The galaxy is a dangerous place.

It's about to become even more dangerous.

For centuries, the United Federation of Planets has maintained a tentative peace across the Milky Way Galaxy while preparing for the long-fortold emergence of their greatest enemy - the alien Krai'kesh.

Now the Krai'kesh emerge from beyond our galaxy, threatening to rain death and destruction down upon all human life. 

A lone fleet stationed at the edge of the galaxy struggles to survive, while elsewhere in the galaxy, threats from within and without spring up. 

Can humanity cancel the apocalypse? Can they save humanity? Read now to find out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dark Star Publishing
• Release date: Jan 25, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386773436

Dayne Edmondson

Dayne Edmondson lives in southeastern Michigan with his wife and two young children, a boy and a girl. He writes part time and works a day job. His books can be read in this order: The Shadow Trilogy: 1. Blood and Shadows 2. Time of Shadows 3. Shadows Fall Mageborn Saga: 1. Mageborn 2. The Cursed Tower 3. Halls of Light (coming 2019) The Seven Stars Universe: 1. Ghost Ranger (coming 2019) The Dark Tide Trilogy: 1. Emergence 2. Eclipse 3. Ruin Dayne enjoys reading, writing, the occasional video game, watching TV with his wife, walking and spending time with his children indoors or out. He writes and reads science fiction and fantasy. Some of his favorite authors/books include Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, (almost) all the Star Wars EU books, Elizabeth Haydon, Christopher Nuttall and more.

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Emergence

Dark Tide Trilogy Book 1

By Dayne Edmondson

Chapter 1 - The Void

LIEUTENANT SELENE ARTOIS jerked her starfighter into a 180-degree spin and fired at her pursuer. Two beams of red light converged on the front of her target. Gotta be faster, Jamison. And don’t follow so close, she said over the squadron comm channel.

Yes ma’am, the voice of rookie pilot Jeremiah Jamison acknowledged. He turned his fighter and set a return course for the star carrier, Independence.

Selene spun her fighter again and gunned the throttle to rejoin the fray. I’m giving the inertial dampeners a workout today, she thought.

Although the dogfighting was practice, with low power lasers and dummy missiles being used, the other pilots were told to treat it as real. It reminded Selene of the old game, King of the Hill. She’d lost count of how many such war games she’d participated in.

An alert flashed on her HUD. Missile lock. She turned her fighter toward the origin of the missile and used her fighter’s targeting computer to track the missile’s trajectory. The aiming reticle lit up bright green as it lined up on the missile. She fired a burst from her lasers, striking the missile and detonating it.

Two separate lasers locked on her fighter moments later. She activated her bottom repulsors, shooting upward in space while activating the right repulsor. Her diagonal movement broke the targeting of her opponents long enough for Selene to line her reticle up on the first enemy target.

Selene fired. She hit them on the wing, despite their attempts to evade to the right. The damage simulator in the enemy fighter deactivated the repulsors on that wing, mimicking the effects of a full-strength laser strike. She slowed and took aim again, but a second target lock alarm forced her to speed up and perform a spin. She now faced the first fighter. She triggered her lasers and scored a direct hit on the cockpit - they were out of the game.

Selene flipped back to the second attacker. A missile launch warning popped up again. Two can play that game, she muttered. She targeted the oncoming missile with her own and launched it. The two missiles sped toward one another. She followed as close as she safely could behind her missile. Their collision formed a cloud of shrapnel and debris.

Selene used the debris to mask her approach and burst forth from the debris cloud moments later. She locked on and fired at her target before they could get their bearings. Direct hit to the laser battery. They were defenseless except for their missiles now.

The enemy fighter tried to flee, moving in all directions to avoid her lasers. She sighed. Should she let them go? She checked the HUD to see what pilot it was. It’s that asshole Earling, she thought. No mercy for you today, sweetheart. She estimated her trajectory and fired.

Dual laser beams struck Brianne’s fighter square in the engines. Her engines shut down, and she floated on into the void.

Nice job, Raptor One, the voice of the CAG said over the flight group channel. Simulation is complete. Return to base.

Acknowledged, CAG, she replied. She switched to the squad channel. You heard the CAG, back to base, Raptors. She turned her fighter toward the Federation carrier, the FSS Independence.

She landed her FS-301 in the main hangar. Clamps rose from the floor and secured her fighter while a flight crew member pushed a ladder up against the hull. Selene opened the canopy and exited her fighter. She deactivated her helmet. The floor opened and her fighter descended into the depths of the carrier to be readied for the next deployment.

Lieutenant, a voice came from behind Selene, may I have a word?

Selene groaned. Brianne. What is it, Earling?

The short woman came within inches of Selene, though the top of her head only reached Selene’s chest. She looked up at her, a scowl on her face. You sought me out today, didn’t you?

Excuse me? Selene took a step back. There’s a thing called personal space, she thought.

Brianne pointed at her. You could have picked other fighters to shoot down. You chose mine. Why?

Do I want to get into this right now? What she wanted to say was Brianne was an asshole and a bully and deserved whatever she got. She wanted to tell her how she had requested she be transferred out of Raptor squad several times, only to be denied each time. Instead she said, You were in my way. Luck of the draw, I guess.

Bullshit. Brianne spat on the floor. This is the seventh time straight you’ve shot me down. She clenched her fists. If you seek me out again I’ll...

You’ll what? Selene glared at her, taking a step forward, personal space be damned. Assault your squad leader?

I’d watch your back if I were you. Brianne left the hangar.

Selene shook her head. It wasn’t her fault Brianne lacked the same level of skill as her. Putting other pilots in their place took a lot out of her and worked up an appetite.

She returned to her quarters where she hit the refresher and changed out of her flight suit, then made her way to the mess hall. Dozens of pilots, Marines and other navy personnel sat around the room. Quiet chatter and occasional laughter formed a buzz. She sat at an empty table. Two tables over Brianne and her clique of pilots cast sidelong glances in her direction as they chatted. Is this what it was like in primary school? Catty girls badmouthing others?

Her datapad beeped. She removed it from her pant pocket. An official communication. Hope of a personal message from home faded. Who am I kidding? It’s not like Mother would dare send me a message. She opened it. The flight crew of the Independence were up for two weeks leave in a month. I wish we had more than two weeks, Selene thought. Two weeks was barely enough time to make it home for most pilots. They would no sooner arrive home before turning around and making their way back to the star carrier. Selene had no home she could return to, so she would do what every crew member did – go spend her time and credits down on Eligar II.

Selene logged in and checked on the status of her transfer request. If she couldn’t get the bad apples out of her squad, she would try to get out. The status now read rejected in big red letters. Will I ever get off this shithole of a ship?

FEDERATION STARSHIP captain Martin Rigsby smiled at his wife on the video screen in his quarters aboard the Independence. A mug of coffee occupied a corner of his desk. How are the kids? he asked.

His wife smiled at him, the light reflecting off her red hair. Sally lost a tooth last night. She was excited for the tooth mage to come. Adam received top marks in his tech class for the semester. He received a letter from the dean. They both talk about you non-stop.

That’s wonderful. He averted his eyes and focused on the mug for a moment. Well, this deployment will be over in a few months. Then I can come home for good. I hope.

Praise the Founders, she replied. That will be such a blessing.

So, I was thinking when I get out... A beeping from the screen interrupted him. The bridge. He held up a finger. One moment. He switched to take the new call.

Captain, Tactical Commander, Zigana Kovacic began, "we’ve received an urgent transmission from Serpentis III. They reported an attack before the communication ended. We haven’t been able to hail them again.

Pirates, I reckon, Martin thought. The Yakura clan had been active nearby of late. Sector eighteen was too far from Imperial territory for it to be Rakosh vessels. Acknowledged, Zigana, I’m on my way to the bridge. Prep the fleet for travel, we depart in thirty.

Yes sir. The call ended.

Martin switched back to the call with his wife. She had that knowing look in her eyes he recognized so well. I’m sorry, something urgent has arisen. I’ll call you back later, sweetheart.

His wife smiled. She knew the drill. Okay, I love you Martin.

I love you too, Felicity. He ended the call and checked his appearance in the mirror. The gray in his hair concerned him, but thirty years of military service, most of it in a command position, could do that to a man. His wife urged him to get nano-treatments. She claimed the treatments could make his hair brown again, remove wrinkles from his skin and heal the aching in his joints. He believed her, after all he had seen the effects of nanites on the infected at Galatia IV. Still, there was something about using technology to circumvent nature that felt wrong to him. Satisfied by his spotless uniform, and the dark circles beneath his eyes having vanished, he departed his quarters.

CAPTAIN ON THE BRIDGE! the ensign announced as Martin arrived on the bridge. The crew stood at attention.

At ease, Captain Rigsby said.

His tactical commander studied the holo-map of the sector.  The Serpentis system glowed.

Zigana.

Sir, the tactical commander replied without looking up.

What have we got?

This is the transmission, sir. Zigana closed his eyes for a moment and re-opened them. Audio filled the bridge.

Attention sector headquarters, attention sector headquarters, this is the Serpentis Orbital Defense Force, I repeat, this is the Serpentis Orbital Defense Force. We are requesting immediate support. The enemy has overrun our position and... the transmission ended.

Do we know what interrupted the signal?

It’s not interference, it’s just dead. It’s as if their shadow antenna is just gone.

Martin shuddered. Pirates didn’t typically waste time attacking the shadow antenna. Is the fleet ready?

Almost, sir. The last transports are inbound from the surface with supplies.

Get us underway as soon as they’re aboard.

Yes, sir.

Chapter 2 - The Plot Thickens

FEDERATION INTELLIGENCE Agency operative Kimberly Hague smoothed her red dress. She could do this, it was just a dinner party. She entered the hall where the Galatian Accords conference was kicking off with a dinner party before the meetings began the next day. She approached the security checkpoint and proffered her ID card.

The hulking Shadow Watch Guard at the door looked her over once, scanned her ID card and gave her a second glance. He handed the ID back to her and pointed toward the scanner. She passed through the scanner and the light above it lit green. The Guard on the other side waved her through. Being an FIA operative came with certain privileges. No ordinary person could have brought a laser pistol into the conference strapped to their thigh.

Kimberly sought her commanding officer, Richard Segwyn. Her eyes skimmed the gathering of guests, looking for one of the tallest men in the room. She spotted him several seconds later.

Richard wore a black tuxedo and stylish tie. A hint of a smile appeared on his face as she approached him.

Kimberly came to stand next to him. Even with her wearing 4-inch heels and being tall for a woman, Richard towered over her. Reporting for duty, sir. She refrained from saluting and kept her voice low.

You look stunning this evening, Agent Hague. You’re fitting in with the crowd.

Kimberly blushed, not sure how to accept the compliment from her superior officer. She settled for, Thank you, sir.

The Guards have this place locked tight, he said. Keep an eye out, anyway. Intel reports increased chatter, and with so many delegates from other governments here, well, just keep watch.

Of course, sir, Kimberly replied. What else was she going to do? Her orders were to attend the dinner party and bolster security. She would look for any suspicious activity, not flirt with handsome men and make mindless small talk with prim ladies.

The two separated. They were not supposed to speak face-to-face again.

Kimberly maintained a random pattern as she patrolled the room. She hoped she pulled off a nonchalant look. Clusters of ladies in long, elaborate dresses that hearkened back to the Colonial Age of Tar Ebon discussed things like fashion and the latest tidbits of gossip about those outside their circle. Groups of men discussed everything from politics to sports to military service, often mentioning how long they had served in the Federation military and where they served.

The Shadow Watch Guards, dressed in tuxedos embroidered with the symbol of their agency, though doubtless reinforced with nano-fiber armor beneath, stood around the room, motionless except for their head and eyes. She suspected they were communicating via their implants, for she saw no archaic ear wigs or cuff microphones being used to orchestrate their movements and communicate with one another. She had not been added to the security link group, so her neural link remained silent.

A crowded room and I feel alone, Kimberly thought.

Anything? Richard asked through her neural link.

Nothing yet, sir. Just mundane conversations. You?

The same.

The primary reason for the heavy Shadow Watch Guard presence occupied the center of the room. Federation president Joseph Galantos stood chatting with the crown prince of the Rakosh Empire, the first merchant of the Commercial Sector and several leaders from the non-aligned planets. Selene’s implant offered the identities of the non-aligned planet leaders but she ignored them. It would take all night to figure out who was who from that sector and it wasn’t relevant to her job. The president’s slicked back black hair gave him a regal look. Security details of the various representatives formed a loose circle around the group.

Movement caught Kimberly’s eye. Two men dressed in Guard uniforms slipped through a door leading toward the second level of the hall. None of the other Guards noticed or, if they did, they didn’t show concern. Something wasn’t right. She followed them up the stairs but stopped and waited around the corner.

Two pairs of boots echoed down the hallway. Kimberly peeked around the corner. The men walked fast toward a door. A sign indicating stairs hung above it. Kimberly waited for them to enter the stairwell and then removed her shoes. She crept down the hallway and stopped at the door to the stairs. Richard, are you there? she asked through the link.

I’m in the basement, he replied. What is it?

I’m following two suspicious men dressed in Guard uniforms. They’re headed toward the roof of the building.

There was a long pause.

Cease pursuit. I repeat, cease pursuit.

Why? she asked.

That is an order. Cease pursuit and return to your position.

Kimberly did the only thing she could. Acknowledged, she said through the link before closing it.

She opened a new link and pinged the Shadow Watch Guard neural network.

Identify yourself, a voice said through her link.

This is FIA agent Kimberly Hague. I am requesting verification of identity on two of your agents. They were last seen entering a stairwell going toward the roof. Can you verify they are your agents on sanctioned Guard business?

Silence met her for a long moment.

We can neither confirm nor deny, Agent Hague. Please do not use this channel again. The line closed.

She was surprised at being brushed off in such a manner. They were related agencies serving the public good. Inter-agency cooperation my ass. Why hadn’t they confirmed the identity of the agents for her?

Kimberly opened the door and looked up the stairwell. She heard nothing and saw no one. If the suspicious Guards had been listening, they may have heard her question their identity and could have laid a trap. I will desist, she broadcast toward the neural net the Shadow Watch Guard maintained. They wouldn’t answer, but it might lull her targets into a false sense of security.

She ascended the stairs and arrived at a door at the last landing. She pulled the door open a crack. Male voices carried through the opening. She opened the door wider. Two men stood near the corner of the building. A body lay on the ground at their feet, stripped of its uniform. Another body lay face down in the other corner.

The two Guards turned. They were not looking at her but someone else. Richard Segwyn.

You were sloppy, he said. One of my agents almost made you. He continued before either Guard could reply. Fortunately, she’s an inexperienced bimbo who will follow my orders. But you two put this entire operation at risk.

But boss... one man began.

Enough. Did you do what I ordered you to do?

Yes, boss, we set the charges, the first fake Guard replied.

Charges? Shit, Kimberly thought. Her boss appeared to be a traitor. Two Guardsmen were frauds. What was going on here? She had to tell someone.

She selected the link address of an old friend. Isabelle, she began, are you there?

I’m here, Kimberly, Isabelle Thorpe replied through the link after a pause. What’s the matter? She knew Kimberly would only contact her if it were important.

Kimberly took both a deep breath and calmed her mind at the same time. I’m at the Galatian Accords conference dinner and I observed strange behavior from two Shadow Watch Guards. My supervisor, Richard Segwyn, told me to stand down and ignore it. I disobeyed his orders, which I will answer for, and am witnessing him and the two false Guards discussing charges, which I must take to mean explosive charges. The Guards would not answer me or offer any support. I don’t know who else to turn to. She shook, though the words she transmitted through the link remained clear and concise. Her first major field mission and she was bungling it.

You did the right thing, Kimberly. Patch me through to the Shadow Watch frequency.

But the false Guards may overhear, Kimberly protested.

I don’t care, they can hear this too.

Kimberly pinged the Shadow Watch Guard neural network as requested. An angry reply came back seconds later.

We told you not to contact us on this line again, Agent Hague. Cease communication attempts or we will report you to your station commander.

Kimberly felt Isabelle connect through her connection. Shadow Watch Guards, this is Isabelle Thorpe. We have received information that the president and other delegates may be in grave danger. We suggest evacuating the building and proceeding with an immediate search of the premises.

Deputy Director, the voice stammered. We didn’t realize you were on the line.

We will discuss the matter of how you treat my agents at a future time. Right now, focus on protecting the president.

Right away, ma’am.

One of the fake guards interrupted Richard speaking. Shit, they’re onto us. We have to move now, boss.

They’re onto us..., Richard repeated. But how... his eyes drifted to the door to the roof. He met Kimberly’s gaze. You! He drew his laser pistol and fired it toward the door.

Kimberly shut the door and felt it absorb the heat of the laser. She withdrew her own laser pistol from the holster on her thigh. Ma’am, I hate to cut this short, but I’m in the middle of a firefight now.

I’m sending reinforcements. Stay alive. The link closed.

Easy for her to say. Kimberly ripped her dress at the knees. She took a deep breath and listened for footsteps or voices on the roof. Below, she could hear shouts and raised voices. She opened the door and burst out, rolling and coming up on a knee behind cover. She peeked around a corner. They were boarding a small dropship. She leaned out further and fired several bolts of energy at them. The distance was too great and the lasers missed their mark.

Richard held out what looked like a handheld remote. A detonator, she realized. He flipped the top on it and depressed the button. At first nothing happened, but a moment later Kimberly felt a rumbling beneath her feet. The floor beneath her feet fell away. She felt herself falling and darkness met her.

Chapter 3 - Invasion

MARINE 1ST LIEUTENANT, Derek Jamison wiped sweat from his brow as he surveyed the landscape before him. Hell on earth, he thought. The desert region of the colony world of Serpentis III was a popular destination for Marine training due to the extreme heat. He and a platoon of new recruits fresh out of basic trudged through the light brown sand on their way back to Heredon Peak, at the edge of the desert region.

Ugh, it’s so hot, he heard one of the new recruits, Greg Fernz, a short Selucian with tan skin and dark brown hair, complain. His voice grated on Derek’s ears.

Greg apparently did not have the fortitude of his ancestors that had imparted that tan skin to him. He raised his voice. Sergeant Reiken, please see that Private Fernz is on latrine duty tonight.

My pleasure, sir, the grizzled sergeant said.

Private Fernz’s grumbling ceased.

Derek wanted to grumble, but refrained. Another training mission. Another batch of raw recruits training on a planet at the ass end of nowhere. Not to mention this generation was more entitled than twenty years earlier. How had he ended up there again? Oh right, High Command ordered him there. They fed him the typical bullshit line about it being an honor to train the next generation. He’d had no choice. He would rather be off fighting Imperial-sponsored mercenaries or raiding pirate bases, not babysitting.

A high priority alert came through his neural implant. All forces, unknown forces are inbound from outer solar system. I repeat, unknown forces are inbound. We believe them to be hostile. Prepare for combat. This is not a drill.

Hostile forces? Unknown? Derek stopped, prompting the platoon to lumber to a halt. He turned to face them. HQ sent a communication, he said, tapping his head. We may have enemy contact soon. We need to head back to HQ double-time.

You heard the Lieutenant, form up! Sergeant Reiken barked.

Heredon Peak lay ten klicks from their position. The troopers jogged toward the town. Beyond Heredon Peak lay the joint naval/Marine outpost for the planet. A few dozen starfighters, looking like tiny insects from such a distance, took off from the ground and sped toward space.

Derek tapped into the military bands when they were five klicks from Heredon Peak. At first, he heard nothing but chaotic messages, shouted orders, and counter-orders. The tactical commander aboard the orbital ring attempted to maintain order, directing each group to communicate in a professional manner and to use their intra-squad channels as directed. No one heeded the directions.

Shit, they destroyed the Pride of Serpentis, one voice said.

There’s too many of them! another voice shouted.

Derek shivered. The Pride of Serpentis was the heavy cruiser assigned to the solar system, and the flagship of the admiral. If the most powerful ship in the planetary defense force went down...

A flash in the sky to the west broke his concentration. He stopped in his tracks, causing two of his Marines to skid to a halt behind him. There, a massive object descended from orbit. It looked like a rock covered in greenish material. The rock slammed into the naval base. Dirt, debris and green material flew into the air. Derek switched to the naval base channel and heard screams.

Acid, it’s like acid, aaaagghhhh, one voice cried.

Shit, it’s eating people alive, another voice proclaimed.

Blood drained from Derek’s face.

This is Colonel Evans. Evacuate the base. I say again, evacuate... the transmission ended as another rock fell from the sky. To add insult to injury, in the far distance pieces of the Pride of Serpentis crashed to the earth, throwing up a large cloud of dust.

Derek’s Marines stared at the naval base and ruins of the Pride of Serpentis with a look of shock on their faces. One recruit bent over and retched.

Combat mode, now! Derek shouted, jerking them out of their stupor. He raced toward the city.

He activated his helmet as he ran, causing actuators in the collar of his nano-fiber armor to de-moleculize the extra thick layer there. The metal flowed up his neck and encompassed his head in mere seconds. Nano-projectors made his helmet appear transparent from within, giving him an unrestricted view. His HUD showed various combat-relevant data elements. To an outside observer, his helmet still appeared solid and would show a visor where his eyes were. It was an attempt to humanize soldiers in the eyes of the public.

His platoon followed him and they soon reached the edge of the colony. Another rock fell from the sky to the north of Heredon Peak.

People ran around in panic. Doors on prefabricated buildings lay wide open as their occupants rushed to evacuate their homes.

Many colonists fled toward the entrances to the emergency bunkers scattered beneath the colony. They were self-contained and intended to survive biological and chemical assaults and other environmental hazards.

Other colonists fled toward the civilian spaceport. One group ran into the spaceport and moments later came back out screaming.

Two civilian freighters rose from the docking bays and headed toward space. Two unknown ships came barreling from the west. They fired projectiles that reminded Derek of smaller versions of the large rocks falling from the sky. Several hit the freighters and holes appeared in their hulls. Both freighters fell to the ground and exploded. The enemy fighters looped around to make another pass.

Derek beckoned to his Marines and pointed toward the spaceport. Weapons free, he said. He removed his laser rifle from his back and checked the energy level. Full charge.

Guttural screams emanated from within the empty spaceport as they approached. A high-pitched squeal announced the enemy fighters passing overhead. A rumbling suggested enemy fire on a nearby location.

Inside the spaceport, bodies of men, women and children littered the floor. Blood coated everything: the walls, the tiles underfoot and even the ceiling. Derek knelt by the body of one man. An unknown weapon had caused a gaping wound in his chest; no laser rifle or coilgun caused that.

The unnatural screams sounded closer. The Marines moved through the minefield of corpses, checking docking bays as they passed. The same scene met them in each. They rounded a bend in the spaceport. Flashes of light came from docking bay thirteen.

Derek and his Marines lined up on the wall leading to the entrance to the bay. He held up his fist, then counted down.

5...4...3...2...1...go! The platoon of Marines swept in and lined up, keeping their fields of fire open.

A light gray rectangular-shaped freighter occupied the docking bay. Two quad-linked turrets occupied the top of the vessel and a viewport filled the nose.

In front of the ship half a dozen monstrosities of stone towered at least ten feet high.

Two dozen four-legged, spider-like creatures with upright torsos, pincers for hands, and mandibles surrounding circular mouths filled with teeth milled about in front of the stone golems.

One creature lunged toward a stone giant. The giant swung its fist and sent the creature flying. A kick sent a second creature careening backward.

A man and a woman stood behind the stone guardians in front of the vessel. The man wore a brown vest over shirt and trousers. His short dark brown hair stuck out in all directions. The woman next to him wore a gray jumpsuit and had long red hair tied back.

The man wielded a pair of laser pistols and fired into the crowd of creatures. The beams hit the armor of his targets but seemed to have negligible effect. The woman stood like a statue. The man spotted them and waved. Here to help? he shouted above the din.

Derek thought the man was unusually calm for a civilian, but nodded. He pointed at the unknown creatures and said, Fire at will.

Several of the creatures jerked as surprise laser fire from behind slammed into their carapaces. Cries of what sounded like pain emitted from them. They turned on the Marines.

The first wave of half a dozen creatures skittered across the floor of the docking bay toward the Marines, running through a barrage of two dozen beams of lasers. One of them stumbled and fell, its carapace glowing red and cracking. The rest closed the distance in moments. The first creature launched itself into the air and slammed into one Marine, carrying him to the ground. Claws pierced the Marine’s armor. The Marine writhed before falling still.

Shit, Derek thought as he trained his laser rifle on the monster that had just killed one of his men, and fired. His first shot hit the armor of the creature and left a small heat mark. He cranked up the power on his laser, causing it to emit a small hum as it charged the bolt. He fired again. The second shot hit the creature in the leg, causing it to buckle. More shots struck home on the carapace and arms and near its head. The enemy tried to skitter further but another shot to its leg caused it to topple forward.

The other four creatures from the first wave reached the line. One Marine parried an assault with his laser rifle. The barrel of the weapon cracked under the weight of the assault. They were so strong!

Three more Marines fell before the six enemies lay dead or dying on the ground. Too many dead, Derek thought.

The other sixteen creatures forgot the stone giants and turned toward the Marines. They couldn’t stop that many...

Now that you boys are here, the woman in the jumpsuit shouted, I can do this! She gestured and a dozen more stone creations rose from the earth, six of them in front of the Marines. Then she extended her arms and summoned a huge ball of flame. It hovered between her parallel hands before she made a throwing motion and the flame crashed into one creature.

The stone constructs conjured in front of the Marines held their ground against the rush of enemies and repulsed most of them. Three of the sixteen skitterers got through and the Marines focused their fire on them to kill them before focusing on the remainder.

Derek let out a sigh of relief as the creatures within the ring of stone constructs died. Movement to his right caught his eye. A new foe towered over Greg Fernz. The bipedal monster wore an organic carapace, like that of the four-legged monstrosities the Marines faced. It held a staff with a curving black blade at each end in two hands. Derek opened his mouth to shout a warning.

With one fluid motion, the two-legged enemy swung its staff. One black blade sliced clean through Greg’s neck. His head toppled to the floor, joined a moment later by his body. Blood spurted out and pooled on the floor.

Derek stared at the corpse of Private Fernz for a long moment. He shook his head. This couldn’t be happening. He brought his laser rifle to bear on the newcomer as he shouted, Behind us!

His Marines faced the new threat. Several laser beams streaked toward the enemy and disappeared into a cloud of darkness swirling in front of the creature like a shield. More lasers aimed toward various parts of its body met the same fate. A blue gem occupied the top of the shaft below the blade.

The newcomer advanced and twirled its staff. The blue gem spinning created a blue circle outlining the void shield. The gem seemed to glow brighter as it absorbed more shots.

A clawed hand wielding the staff snaked out, sliding through Private Jennifer Rankins’ nano-armor as if it weren’t there. She crumpled to the ground.

Wild shots continued from the remaining Marines as they stepped back.

The next Marine targeted tried to block the strike with his weapon, turning it vertical to stop the sweeping blow. Metal met metal with a loud clang.

With a fluid motion the alien pivoted the staff to strike with the other end. The staff sliced off the Marine’s left arm.

The Marine’s rifle clattered to the ground as he clutched at his shoulder. Blood spurted out. His helmet muffled whatever expletives he was doubtless screaming.

The creature bisected the Marine’s head with his blade, dragging it down to his chest. The creature slid the blade out and the Marine’s corpse toppled to the ground.

The remaining quadrupeds skittered toward the bipedal alien. The stone constructs knocked two back, but four escaped the encirclement and attacked the Marines from the rear.

Pincers from one creature crushed the throat of one Marine and then pierced a second Marine in the back. Mandibles ripped his head from his body.

Several soldiers fired toward the skitterers. Several stone constructs engaged them. A handful of Marines stumbled away from the staff-wielding enemy.

The alien eyed cocked its head to the side and surveyed the gathered Marines like a predator studying its prey.

Derek withdrew a grenade from his utility belt. Grenade! he warned through the platoon link. He activated it and threw it toward the alien.

The grenade sailed through the air and vanished into the void shield. No sign of detonation escaped the inky, swirling cloud.

Derek reached for a second grenade, but before he could throw it the alien advanced toward him. He lifted his rifle and fired. The same void shield absorbed the laser bolts. He braced himself for melee combat with the alien.

The creature raised its staff high. Derek shifted his grip on his rifle and held it above his head, bracing for impact.

A ball of flame slammed into the ground in front of the creature. Flames rose several feet, creating an artificial wall of fire. The void shield absorbed the center of the wall, but the creature ceased lowered its staff and stepped back.

The woman in the gray jumpsuit readied another ball of flame. Several stone giants melted back into the earth, as if she were conserving her strength. Derek had heard mages could only perform so much magic before needing rest. Perhaps she was low on energy?

Before she could launch her ball of fire, the void shield became less cloudy and took on a more defined shape. It looked like a portal. The creature stepped through the opening and the portal collapsed into a single point.

The man beside the woman abandoned her and ran inside the ship.

Moments later, another portal opened behind the woman and the staff-wielding enemy stepped out. The portal shrank, taking on its cloudy look again, and swung around to the front of the creature.

The woman faced the alien. The void shield absorbed the ball of flame she threw at it. She backed away and raised her hands. What was she doing? The creature stumbled to a halt and looked down. There, hands of dirt held its feet in place.

The alien tried to move its feet, but it was no use. After trying several times, it reached into its armor and withdrew a spherical object with a rough, pock-marked surface. It threw the object over the woman's head toward the Marines. 

The object exploded in mid-air, raining green, gooey liquid onto the remaining stone constructs and some Marines. The goo eroded stone where it landed. It had a similar effect on the armor of the Marines, eating through like the acid spoken of through the neural net earlier. One Marine tried to brush off the goo. It spread from his helmet to his gauntlet. He tried to wipe it from his gauntlet onto his chest armor and it spread there. Moments later a hole formed in the helmet and it dripped onto the exposed head of the Marine. He squirmed as the goo burned through his hair into his skull.

The woman looked over her shoulder and her eyes went wide when she saw the carnage. The dirt around the creature’s legs receded.

The alien advanced toward her.

Derek shouted, Behind you!

The woman whipped her head around.

The enemy blade descended toward her.

A pure black sword met the black blade of the staff in midair. The man who had run into the ship shoved the alien back. The woman scrambled away from her attacker.

The man warded off the alien’s first thrust and a follow-up sweeping blow. The man blocked the next strike aiming for his legs, even as it converted to a decapitating blow.

Back and forth the two fought, parrying and dodging blow after blow. After several exchanges, the man shouted, The door, open the door!

Derek blinked. What door did he mean? The door to the docking bay was open.

The woman pointed up. "That door! she shouted over the din of combat. She pointed toward a control panel on the far side of the bay. The controls are over there!"

Of course! The overhead door of the docking bay! Derek raced across the docking bay to the manual controls and grabbed the main lever. He yanked it down.

The overhead doors retracted. Sunlight struck the man and alien, their blades still stuck in combat.

A white glow emanated from the man. Let’s end this, he said. He lifted his sword high in the air. Light surrounding him flowed through his arm into the black blade he held. The blade turned from black to white. The metal melted, but something kept it contained and in the shape of a blade - a rippling blade of molten metal. Light faded from the man, replaced in whole by the sword.

The alien’s next strike met a wall of light, as if a shield surrounded the man.

The man swung his blade and sliced through the staff. The void shield dissipated like fog in the face of a noonday sun.

He thrust with his sword. Molten metal burned a hole in the enemy’s chest.

The warrior roared in agony. The man dragged the blade straight down. Red fluid gushed out. The creature fell to its knees, dropping the pieces of the staff to the ground. The man beheaded the alien with one final sweep.

He lifted the blade in the air again. The light emanating from the blade flowed upward toward the open door of the docking bay where it melded with the existing sunlight. The blade returned to its solid black form. He thrust it into the ground.

Derek heaved a sigh of relief. It was over. But at what cost? A dozen Marine recruits killed in a matter of minutes. Three more suffered from severe injuries and would need medical attention ASAP.

The man and woman approached.

Thank you for your aid, young man, the man said. I’m sorry you lost so many good Marines.

Young man? Thought Derek. Up close the man looked no older than nineteen. Who was he to call Derek young? He nodded. Thanks.

Eh, it was nothing. All in a days work, I say. I’ve been preparing for a fight like this all my life.

Your life of what, not even twenty years? Derek thought to himself. I am First Lieutenant Derek Jamison. What are your names?

Oh, how rude of us. My name is John. This, he pointed at the young woman next to him, is my wife Ashley.

Are you merchants? Or smugglers? Derek asked, wondering why they had not given their last names. Their ship looked like a stock freighter, if a bit old, but the turrets on the top looked like after-market modifications.

It’s complicated, John began. We carry merchandise, so I suppose we’re merchants, but we’re not registered with the Merchant’s Guild. We’re not smugglers, he said, holding up a hand, definitely not smugglers.

Beside John, Ashley rolled her eyes. Please excuse my husband, he’s addled in his old age. We’re freelance traders. We trade in ancient weaponry.

You’re arms dealers? Derek asked. He moved his finger closer to the trigger of his rifle.

If you consider selling mage-forged swords, knives and implements of war from some two-thousand-years ago dealing arms, then yes, we’re guilty, Ashley replied.

Derek flushed and clasped his hands in front of him. He opened his mouth to apologize but John cut him off.

I’m not usually the one to say this, but I’m afraid we have to cut the chit-chat short. This whole planet is under siege, Krai’kesh are raining rocks from the bloody sky and ships are falling left and right. I for one would rather be up there than be crushed. He pointed toward the open sky. The old girl gives us a fighting chance.

What did you say, Derek asked. Krai’kesh? Are you saying these are...it can’t be..., he stopped in disbelief.

Oh, I didn’t mention that? John said. He nodded. They’re the Krai’kesh. He said it with certainty.

How do you know? Sergeant Reiken asked.

How do I know? John sputtered. I was bloody there the first time they attacked humanity! Well, the first time they attacked Tar Ebon anyway.

Derek paused. John and Ashley. They hadn’t given a last name. He thought of the stories every child learned. The Siege of Tar Ebon, sometimes known as the Battle of the Seven Armies, two thousand years ago, when the army of the Krai’kesh met the armies of mankind on the field of Pelinor. He remembered the account of the stone constructs, the tornadoes of lightning, the fireballs and ... the sword of light. That meant... You’re John and Ashley Edgerton, aren’t you? he asked.

John Edgerton nodded, smiled and bowed with a flourish of his hand, like a stage performer. At your service.

Bloody hell, Sergeant Reiken said, mirroring Derek’s thoughts.

I apologize, Derek said, stuttering, for doubting your word, Eternals. Is that how someone addressed Eternals, all formal and shit?

Don’t worry, Ashley said. We’re nothing more than long-lived humans with super powers. We’re not that special. I never liked the term ‘Eternals’, but you know how nicknames stick the most when you don’t want them.

Yeah, what she said, John added. Just call us John and Ashley. None of this ‘Eternal’ business or extra pomp and ceremony. He cleared his throat. So, about that increased chance of survival in the skies. Shall we go?

Derek nodded and gestured toward the ship. Yes, yes. Lead the way.

John and Ashley led the remnants of the Marine platoon into their ship. John and Ashley made their way to the cockpit.

Derek paused. David, please see that everyone gets settled in. Put the wounded in the sleeping quarters or wherever they’ll be most comfortable and do what you can for them.

Sergeant Reiken saluted. Of course, sir.

Derek followed John and Ashley to the cockpit.

"Welcome to the Dauntless. Have a seat, John said from the pilot’s seat. Fastest Class Seven vessel in the galaxy."

Which isn’t saying much, Ashley said.

Derek hid a smile as he took a seat behind John’s pilot chair and strapped in. I see, sir, he said.

John flipped a few switches. The engines hummed. Ashley toggled a few more switches. The viewport of the cockpit changed from a view of the docking bay to a map of the surrounding area. A small number of green icons indicating friendlies streaked through the air, while red icons denoted hostile ships. Krai’kesh, Derek reminded himself. Krai’kesh ships.

Okay, old girl, let’s get you out of this docking bay. Hang on back there, and strap in! John shouted over his shoulder. He pressed various buttons. The ship jerked as the repulsors activated. It rose and cleared the docking bay. John activated the main engines. The ship sped up, pushing Derek back in his seat.

What’s the plan? Derek asked.

To escape, John said.

Ashley elbowed him.

Sorry. We must get beyond the planet’s G-line, its gravity well, before we can shift. Which is about here, John pointed to a spot projected on the viewport. The spot lit up as he touched it. Halfway between the planet and its moon, based on their current trajectory.

Let’s hope we can make it that far, Ashley muttered.

I heard that, John said.

Just focus on flying, dear. Lieutenant, would you have two of your men man the quad coilgun turrets? I’m afraid we’re about to have company, and I’ve found manned turrets are better than our antiquated targeting computer.

Of course, Derek accessed his platoon neural net. Hamilton, Goyle, take the turrets.

Dual acknowledgments of yes, sir came back. Shuffling echoed from the rear of the freighter.

"Coilgun turrets? he asked aloud. That is a rarity."

Yeah, us old timers are resistant to change, John said. Why back in my day...,

Ashley elbowed him again.

Ow. Okay, okay, no up-hill both ways jokes.

The Dauntless angled toward space.

We have company, Ashley announced. The view screen showed four red markers closing on them. Two from the front, two from behind. The first of the frontal assailants became visible to Derek’s eye.

Four tracer lines from coilgun projectiles fired by the Dauntless converged on a single point some distance from the enemy ship. The enemy ship dodged the second, better aimed, salvo also.

Coilguns aren’t lasers, Hamilton. Lead your target, Derek said over the link. He couldn’t blame him. They hadn’t trained Marines on coilgun usage in fifty years.

Yes, sir.

The first enemy vessel fired a barrage of six acid-covered rocks, each about half the size of a man’s head.

The Dauntless rose to avoid the projectiles and strafed to the right to avoid a second enemy salvo. The evasive maneuvers caused a third flurry from the quad guns to miss.

The enemy fighter flew straight toward them. The fourth coilgun barrage hit home, four high velocity projectiles slamming straight into the enemy fighter’s nose. A slight distortion, like a darkness that obscured the front of the fighter, appeared before the projectiles struck home. The front of the enemy fighter evaporated and the ship broke apart.

Dauntless passed through the wreckage of the enemy fighter. It had an organic appearance, with no smooth surfaces. It looked like coral.

The Dauntless broke free of the planet’s atmosphere and shot into the void of space.

The orbital ring lay in ruins, chunks of it floating through the void, other chunks beginning their descent into orbit, flaring from re-entry into atmosphere. The husks of several Federation ships floated through the void. Such destruction in such a short time? Derek thought.

In the far distance floated large enemy capital ships. They shot out more of the same rocks toward the planet.

Rear enemies closing, Ashley announced.

On it, the voice of Private Goyle came over the intercom.

Derek could not see the rear of the freighter from where he sat, but he could hear the thump of the rear coil turret as it fired into the void. One of the targets closing from behind blinked and disappeared from the view screen.

Two at once now, Ashley said.

The remaining enemy fighters converged, from front and rear, on the Dauntless. A quad coil turret fired. The front fighter fired a cluster of projectiles at the same time the rear fighter did.

John activated the bottom repulsors. The ship rose above the line of fire, flying over both clusters of projectiles.

The view screen showed the two enemy icons overlapping as they passed one another, then in unison they turned around to pursue the Dauntless. One cluster of green rocks passed their vessel. The Dauntless jerked. Collision alarms sounded.

We’re hit! Ashley shouted.

Shit, John said. "They