Destiny Aurora: Visarath War Part I

By Frank J Zanca

After the events of Destiny Aurora, the crew has a new mission to track down an intergalactic thief, named Trixx We'quor, who has stolen something that will have cataclysmic consequences on the galaxy. Follow the further adventures of Jayce, Rovanna, Flibby, Rolf, and X-473 and immerse yourself in the inc

• Language: English
• Publisher: Destiny Horizons
• Release date: Mar 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781088029763

Book preview

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my Uncle Lenny, who gave me a gift when I was fifteen and with it was a note that said, Electrify the World. Since that day those three words have become my motto and I have worked hard to live up to them. Of course it’s still a work in progress. Thanks for believing in me, uncle and for your constant words of encouragement.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Foreword

CHAPTER 1: I’m No Angel

CHAPTER 2: Race Against Dro

CHAPTER 3: The Bad News

CHAPTER 4: The Date

CHAPTER 5: Conversation With the Captain

CHAPTER 6: The Argo

CHAPTER 7: Back To Port Saven

CHAPTER 8: The Lamberdarians

CHAPTER 9: Revisiting The Aubrey Moon

CHAPTER 10: Making The Deal with Mre’lox

CHAPTER 11: Contemplating At Rulaa’s

CHAPTER 12: Zaemaw Proog

CHAPTER 13: A Reynian Walks Into A Bar

CHAPTER 14: The Vela’ra

CHAPTER 15: Trixx

CHAPTER 16: The Escape Plan

CHAPTER 17: The Sting

CHAPTER 18: The Twins

CHAPTER 19: The Htv To The Rescue

CHAPTER 20: The Thief & The Officer

CHAPTER 21: Proog’s Prize

CHAPTER 22: Mre’lox At The Docks

CHAPTER 23: Trixx Earns Her Name

CHAPTER 24: Thief Vs. Pilot

CHAPTER 25: Four Keystrokes

CHAPTER 26: The Ern Stone

CHAPTER 27: Trixx’s Mind

CHAPTER 28: Report To Shorr

CHAPTER 29: The Warden Of Vixia Vi

CHAPTER 30: Trixx’s Cellmate

CHAPTER 31: The Unexpected Message

CHAPTER 32: Ulep’s Birthright

CHAPTER 33: Arrival On Reynia

CHAPTER 34: Meet The Yaas Family

CHAPTER 35: The Yaas Home

CHAPTER 36: The Gentorian Festival

CHAPTER 37: The Glykwii’s Selection

CHAPTER 38: The Princess’ Request

CHAPTER 39: The Party’s Over

CHAPTER 40: Arrival At The Palace

CHAPTER 41: X’s Ascension

CHAPTER 42: X’s Fate

About the Author

FOREWORD

I want to send out a special thanks to all of the Destiny Aurora fans throughout the world. That number is constantly growing and if not for you, this book would not exist. A special shout out to those of you who have reached out to me. I enjoy hearing your thoughts.

I’m glad that Jayce, Rovanna, Flibby, Rolf and X have been so well received and I’m looking forward to releasing the board game and comic book in conjunction with B&B Games Studio later this year. I hope you continue to enjoy the characters as much as I do. The tone of this book is a bit different than the last since Jayce has finally put his past behind him.

If you haven’t read the first book, there are parts of this story that you may find confusing. The story itself contains spoilers from the first book, so if you plan on reading the first book, you should stop reading now. I’m going to give a quick two paragraph recap so that readers are refreshed on the material as they read this novel.

RECAP: Jayce Carver was a former Secret Service Director, who’s Senatorial wife, Anna, was murdered during his watch. In an attempt to shield her from the bolt, he lost his right hand. It was replaced by a cybernetic one. He became lost and was found unfit to continue his duties. He turned to alcohol to cure his troubles and was given a job by his old friend, Jonathan Shorr, as an inspector for the Intergalactic Coalition.

After spending five years tracking down the assassin, Kunlore Thorne, he chased him through a wormhole that brought Jayce and his crew back in time to the day of the assassination. There he discovered that his wife was a traitor to the human race and was secretly in love with the Zurathi Commander, So’len Frae, who planned on invading Earth and ruling by her side. In the end he donned the guise of Kunlore Thorne and ultimately became the assassin he had been hunting. That brings us up to date.

Thanks again to the fans for your continued support.

Enjoy -- and Electrify the world.

CHAPTER 1

I’m No Angel

Mission Log: Airman Flibby Yaas: April 12 - 23:04 hours

This is my first time in the Boorlan system. These guys look like they know how to have fun. After being cooped up on the Aurora for a few weeks, I am so ready for some fun.

A high-heeled boot depressed the brake pedal and a violet-hued Aeroglide came to an abrupt halt between a line of cars. The other drivers barely noticed as they proudly displayed the inner-workings of their vehicles to the scantily clad alien females.

Out of the violet-hued Aeroglide stepped one more alien female to add to the mix. Feline in nature, her white, fur-encased legs ran up from a pair of calf-high black boots into a form-fitted miniskirt. The feline’s black-striped tail swished back and forth excitedly as she made her approach to the center of the action.

Dozens of cars lined the downtown city street on Craysus, the fourth planet in the Boorlan system. These weren’t just any cars, and this wasn’t just any city. The cars ranged from Thunder-Speedsters to Hover-Rovers to Mach 9’s,all modified and souped up to the Nth degree.

Most cars of the 25th century ran on magnetic or hover technology; very few combustion vehicles remained. The few that did were displayed prominently in museums as vintage roadsters. Vehicles now coasted on cushions of air or magnetic streams polarized against the electrons in the road.

Raising her fingerless driving gloves into the air, the alien announced fervidly, I have arrived bizitches! The party may now begin! Flibby’s fanged smile waned as she realized that not one of the two-dozen drivers had paid her any mind. They had stopped chattering for a spit second to look her over but then had gone right back to what they had been doing, dismissing her entirely. The one thing Flibby was not accustomed to was being ignored. Wow, tough crowd, she exclaimed under her breath.

Taking a quick look around the cityscape, Flibby absorbed all the sights in awe. Craysus was truly breathtaking. It wasn’t just the immense size of the buildings, which were tall and thin like a group of stalagmites growing up from the duracrete. The buildings were so slender and round that it seemed impossible for them to weather any type of natural disaster. Yet, here they had stood for a century, similar to the way that the Tower of Pisa had become Earth’s contribution to the Thirty Two Wonders of the Galaxy.

The other awe-inspiring aspect of the city was its roads, which twisted and twined throughout its buildings. They rose high into the air and tipped low into tunnels, as well as hung suspended over the turquoise waters of the pier that marked the beginning of the race in which Flibby was about to partake.

The chaotic architecture of Craysus’ roads was exactly why it had been chosen for tonight’s event. The best urban drivers from around the world had come to compete at the Evolution Highway. Held bi-annually and always at different locations, the race was not only kept a secret from law enforcement, but it was considered an honor to be a participant. Of course, as the race had been deemed illegal, most of the racers were criminals.

So how had Flibby come to enter, you might ask?

Well, she had her ways though right now she was completely out of her element. With almost a hundred sexy, female groupies parading from one driver to the next, Flibby was barely a blip on any of their radars. She was used to being the center of attention and here she was clearly just one of the girls.

She lined up with the others on the starting line. The race had cost ten thousand digits to enter, far beyond the amount the Lieutenant Inspector had sanctioned. As long as she came in second place, she would win the money back two-fold. That wasn’t part of her mission, however.

Flibby meditated for a moment, calming herself. She had to focus. She switched off the engine, exited the vehicle and admired the pin-striping. Emblazoned on both sides was the image of a warrior angel flying with her sword thrust forward. Rolf had outdone himself. As crass as the engineer was, he definitely knew how to make a picturesque machine. Skipping around to the back, she read the words on the bumper for the millionth time. I’M NO ANGEL, was painted in stylized letters, and as true as that was, she wasn’t sure she should be advertising that around this type of crowd.

Running her finger along the perfectly sculpted chassis, Flibby quickly spied her target. Ban-den was not exactly what you’d call attractive. He looked more like a weasel who had come into a little money and had no idea what to do with it. His fashion sense was nonexistent, combining shorts, combat boots, and a shirt that was two sizes too big for him. Around his neck dangled several necklaces of varying lengths, and a fedora with a pointed brim partially hid his long, blue, unkempt hair. A mess was putting it mildly.

With all of those strikes against him in the looks department, he still had two gorgeous women hanging all over him. They were Nemarrean, with bushy tails similar to those of squirrels found on Earth. They took turns taking selfies with their PMD’s and used their tails to tickle Ban-den’s cheeks. Flibby felt nauseated simply watching the false display of affection.

The hood of his car was open and Flibby quickly inserted herself under it, pretending to marvel at its contents. In reality, she had no idea what she was looking at. Though she knew how to pilot almost any vehicle, she had little concept of their inner workings.

Palming a small device from her pocket, she attached it to the inside front quarter panel and got out of the way just in time as the hood slammed shut, practically taking her hand off at the wrist.

Hey! Flibby called out.

What do you think you’re doing? Ban-den asked accusingly as he bent at the waist to stare down at her. The two Nemarreans were instantly by his side, giving her the same accusatory expression.

Just checking out your awesome ride. Learn how to take a compliment, she chided.

This ain’t no side show. Ban-den pointed down at her. Keep it moving, sweet cheeks. She turned with a grimace and growled as she felt him slap her butt. I’ll see you in my rearview monitor. His laugh was like nails on a chalk board to Flibby. Of course the women joined in.

Oh, yeah, Flibby said, tossing her hair and wiggling her tail. I think you should get used to seeing this side of me. The remark made the trio laugh even harder. After a moment they returned to taking selfies while laying on the hood of the car. Ban-den had no idea what was in store for him and the thought warmed Flibby’s heart.

Stepping back into her car, she flipped the switch on the monitor to ensure that the tracking device she had just installed in Ban-den’s roadster was working properly. The red indicator started blinking repeatedly. Gotcha, she smirked.

I don’t know what your game is, but I have my eye on you. Flibby looked up to see a Boorlan woman pointing down at her through the windshield as she passed in front. Her olive complexion was hidden by her long, cherry-red hair. It looked as though she had dyed her ram-like horns because they were almost black instead of bone-white.

A gold car drove up next to Flibby. Holographic flames undulated from the front quarter panel to the rear, but it wasn’t the uniqueness of the car that caught Flibby’s eye, it was the driver. He was a Visarath, with golden-flecked skin, as was their nature. From what she could see of his torso through the window, he was muscled and toned in a very pleasing manner.

Why don’t you pick on someone over there, Zatra he said, gesturing toward some goon-looking aliens whose species she didn’t recognize.

With a toss of her hair and her nose in the air, Zatra made her way back to her own racecar.

Flibby glanced back over at her savior and gave him the once over. His face was chiseled with a strong jaw line and black eyes that twinkled as he smiled. This guy was a player through and through and he was just getting started. He tossed a courteous, yet alluring smile Flibby’s way and she was compelled to return it. Realizing a second too late that she had revealed her fangs, she hid her mouth with her hand. The Visarath didn’t seem put off by what he saw and continued staring at her.

What’s a little Reynian girl like you doing all the way out here? His voice was as playful as his eyes. Does your mommy know you’re out this late?

You’re a funny guy. Are you gonna cry like a baby when you get beat by a girl?

His smile broadened. He was enjoying the verbal sparring. Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t ya? You care to make a side wager? The charm in his expression never faltered. What do you say, Kitty? Care to back those words up?

What do you have in mind? she asked, matching his gaze.

If I win, you let me take you to dinner. She hadn’t been expecting that. He seemed more like the type that would use his allure to get what he wanted out of people, much like she did with her feline wiles. He didn’t seem like the romantic type, but perhaps she had read him wrong. The possibility intrigued her, though she wasn’t about to make it easy on him. If he wanted a date, then he was going to have to risk it all. Flibby was going to put his mettle to the test.

And if I win, she let the words dangle in the air before completing the sentence, then I get your car.

Whoa, the kitty plays rough. The smile cracked, but his eyes never left hers.

You ain’t seen nothing yet. This time she allowed her fangs to show through her lips. Don’t tell me you’re scared, Golden Boy. She played the chicken card. Flibby waited, not to see if he took the bait, but how fast he gobbled it up. He struck her as the kind of guy who never shied away from a challenge.

All right. You’re on, he confirmed. Their flirting was cut short by the purring of engines on either side of them. The remaining drivers lined up in formation awaiting the fall of the flag. The race was about to begin. Flibby maintained eye contact with the Visarath until his tinted window obscured her view as it whirred back into position. She closed her own window and turned her gaze to the starting line before her.

She tenderly patted the dashboard. Let’s show them a thing or two, she said as she revved her own engine and placed her right hand on the gearshift.

The race organizer pointed to one of the Nemarrean girls that was fawning over Ban-den. She slinked between the cars, shaking everything she had. Her bushy tail swished back and forth as she made her way to the front of the line. In either hand she held a tiny silver ball.

The Nemarrean struck a sexy pose with her hands on her hips and shifted her gaze up and down the line of racers, who were all poised to go, but she had to tease them all first. Flibby rolled her eyes. Get on with it already.

Ready, the Nemarrean began, keeping everyone biting at the bit. Set. The cars were already starting to edge off the starting line. GO! she yelled while tossing the silver orbs into the air. They exploded, sending a barrage of colors streaming out into the sky. Local law enforcement was bound to be alerted by that light show and perhaps that was part of the plan, adding a new level of danger to the race. As if a bunch of overly ambitious drivers yearning for bragging rights wasn’t enough.

The racers simultaneously released their thrusters by throwing back their gearshift levers and two dozen cars shot forward at dizzying speeds.

CHAPTER 2

Race Against Dro

Personal Log: Airman Flibby Yaas: April 12 - 23:12 hours

My sisters’ warnings are resounding in my thoughts. ‘You have to stay focused, Flibby. You can’t let every guy distract you, Flibby.’ And that’s exactly what I’m doing right now.

The twenty-four cars blasted down the crowded streets of Craysus. Many casual motorists either soiled their pants as speeding hover cars passed them on either side or yelled obscenities out of their windows. Others tried fruitlessly to get out of the way. Flibby knew that the sound of sirens would not be far behind.

She spied the golden-mobile only a car length ahead of her. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the task at hand rather than her innate desire to win the race. Flibby was very competitive when it came to a test of speed and maneuverability. Perhaps being the member of her family no one took seriously always gave her something to prove. No matter what was at stake, she would always play to win. Now was not the time for proving her prowess behind the wheel, however. The Lieutenant had given her this assignment and she would not fail him.

Reaching over to the middle of the dashboard, she clicked a button on the touch screen that created a holographic view of the road on the right side of the windshield. It displayed an overhead view of the road and the surrounding topography with dozens of black dots representing the various cars traveling through the streets. Two of these cars were highlighted, one red and one blue.

The blue dot was a representation of her own vehicle, while the red dot was her target -- Ban-den. The tracker she had placed in his engine was transmitting perfectly. Currently, he was positioned less than a kilometer in front of her. It was time to close the gap.

Gripping the gearshift, Flibby rammed it into the next position, causing the engine to hiss. The road took a sharp bend to the left and the driver in front of her decided that now would be the perfect time to try to pass. The error proved fatal. As he shifted into oncoming traffic, a pedestrian vehicle was closer than the racer had bargained for and he collided with it, head-on. Both cars crunched together, their rear-ends rising into the air and coming down in a thunk of metal on duracrete.

Flibby shot past the grueling scene of mangled steel and used the opportunity to increase her position. Motorists slowed as they saw the plume of smoke rising from the accident. Weaving in and out of honking pedestrian vehicles, she missed hitting them by a hair’s width. Flibby ignored the shocked expressions and shouts of dismay, finally spinning the wheel to head back into her proper lane.

She really wanted to give the golden-guy a quick, victorious wave as she passed him, but refrained. This is no time for joking around, Flibby, she heard her siblings say in her head. Sometimes they were no fun at all.

Then she saw him- Ban-den - and she couldn’t help but smile. Her front bumper was less than a meter from the rear of his car. She could do this. With a flick of her eyes, she glanced away from the road to read the counter below the satellite image. It read three point eight kilometers and continued to count down. She was quickly running out of time.

The road was not going to cooperate with her, however, and neither were the other racers. Behind her, a lizard-skinned Kraysorian made his move and came in close, bumping her. She managed to remain in control. At these intense speeds, the tiniest jolt could cause a vehicle to go into a tailspin. Gritting her teeth, Flibby rotated the wheel to the left as he tried to ram her a second time.

When he moved into position, she slammed hard on the braking thrusters. Spinning the wheel to the right, she clipped him with just enough force to knock his rear end out of alignment, sending him spinning clockwise. The car crashed through the guardrail and flipped end-over-end until it rested on the sidewalk in front of a tenement.

Heh heh, Flibby giggled triumphantly. Mess with the bull...uh, I don’t remember the rest, but you get the point. She gestured toward the heap of metal as if the driver could hear her. She was certain that he was signaling to her with an entirely different finger.

The display now read just over two kilometers. Time was quickly running out and the sirens were looming ever closer. Flibby spied Ban-den’s car weaving through traffic. He was just ahead of her. Drones with flashing lights appeared in the sky, targeting several racecars. One attached itself to a car just behind her after announcing in a digital voice, Please reduce your speed or your vehicle will be assessed as a threat to other motorists and will be deactivated.

When the driver ignored the demand, the drone landed on the vehicle’s hood and released an electrical current that fried the entire engine system. The hover current switched off and the car dropped to the duracrete, making sparks as it slid to a complete halt, followed by the sound of riotous cussing. Flibby wasn’t about to let that happen to her.

One police drone floated her way, leaving her no choice but to do something drastic. While still weaving her way toward Ban-den’s car, she touched a screen in the dashboard that immediately transformed it into a keypad. She quickly typed in a six digit code. Multitasking at these speeds wasn’t optimal, but the L.T. didn’t want what was concealed inside the engine to fall into the wrong hands and that would definitely be the case if the car were confiscated. With a quick jerk of her finger, she pushed the slider to the right, engaging the hover amplifier.

Okay Rolf, let’s see if your toy works, she said to herself as the front of the car began to rise. She spun the wheel to the left and used the adjacent car to propel her own upward as if on a ramp. The I’m No Angel skidded atop the screaming motorist’s car and leapt over the median into oncoming traffic, much to the shock of the commuters, who pressed relentlessly on their horns as if she had no idea she was going the wrong way.

Scuse me. Pardon me, Flibby yelled as she fought her way around the traffic. Coming through! Switching off the amplifier caused the vehicle to right itself. Though she had numerous close calls and near head-on collisions, this side of the freeway was less congested. She was rapidly closing the distance between herself and Ban-den. Give a girl a break with the horn blowin’ already. If she hadn’t been dodging oncoming cars, the shocked faces of the motorists would have made her laugh.

Then the dreaded words came across the speaker, Please reduce your speed or your vehicle will be assessed as a threat to other motorists and be deactivated. The drone hovered over her vehicle while shining a light through the windshield, practically blinding Flibby. She hit the tint button and dropped the glare, but didn’t reduce her speed.

Quickly, Flibby glanced over at the screen. Her vehicle was almost neck-and-neck with Ban-den’s. She had little choice but to act quickly before the drone zapped the engine. It was making its ominous descent toward her. It was now or never. Her foot slammed on the brake, sending the drone wide. It hovered just in front of her. She rammed the accelerator forward and simultaneously swiped the slider to the right, engaging the amplifier. The front end of the car rose.

Determined to stay with her, the drone moved to the right just as she spun the wheel. An oncoming motorist squealed in horror as Flibby drove up and over his vehicle. She was suspended in mid-air for what felt like an eternity. Wooohooo! she screamed in delight as her stomach felt as if it were being wrenched from her body. No rollercoaster she had ever ridden compared to this.

The grill of the I’m No Angel collided with the drone and propelled it over the median. It bounced beneath Flibby and scraped along her undercarriage. The car behind her smashed into the drone causing a tiny explosion as its fuel cells ignited. Flibby landed on the roof of a vehicle whose hover emitters couldn’t take the weight and it descended, dragging upon the duracrete. Flibby disengaged the amplifier and shot away.

After checking the image in her rear-monitor, she realized she had landed on another racer, knocking him out of the race entirely. His roof had compacted from the collision with Flibby’s car. Soooo sorry, Mister. she smirked.

More drones were inbound. The actual police vehicles were having a hard time reaching the racers through the patches of congested traffic. The countdown displayed less than half a kilometer remaining before the target point. She set her sights on Ban-den’s car and thrust the accelerator forward. A split-second later she was situated to the left of him and gave him a playful wave. Hey there, sexy. Wouldn’t want to come along peaceful-like, would ya?

Ban-den gave her an infuriated snarl and accelerated. His car nosed just beyond hers and she followed suit, Didn’t think so. Why can’t anything be easy? Gritting her teeth, she announced, Sorry, Rolf, to her non-present crewmember.

Yanking the wheel to the right, she collided with Ban-den. The sound of metal scraping against metal echoed along the freeway. Ban-den’s car grazed the guardrail, creating a shower of sparks. He shot a look at her through the window. Get offa me, you crazy dingazoid!

Sorry, I can’t hear you! Flibby called while cupping her ear as if that would help augment her hearing. Did you say, ‘hit me again?’ Oookay! she snickered and spun the wheel once again, slamming him ever further into the guardrail.

What the hell are you doin’? Get offa’ me! Ban-den said in panic. He attempted fruitlessly to push her car away from his own. Get...offa’...me!

I still can’t hear you, she called through the window. Must be all the noise from your car going off the road. She waited for the countdown display to reach point zero one and then threw her car at him again with as much force as she could muster. His car careened to the right, aimed at the spot on the freeway where a portion of the guardrail had been removed.

With a bellowing scream, Ban-den’s car flew through the opening and disappeared from the race entirely. Okay, mission accomplished, she said, congratulating herself. Now where are you, Mr. Muscles. Flibby scanned the freeway looking for the golden roadster.



Mission Log: L.T. Inspector Jayce Carver: April 12 - 23:24 hours

After narrowly escaping So’len Frae, I should be grateful just to be alive. I’m also grateful when everything goes according to plan, especially when I put Flibby in the driver’s seat. And I mean that literally.

Ban-den’s vehicle bounded through the break in the guardrail and careered down a hill until it crashed into a post, bringing it to an abrupt hall. The impact had left the post practically embedded in the hood. Safety foam filled the cockpit.

The racer flailed about, breaking the foam in order to give himself some mobility. Ban-den thought being pushed out of the race and having his car totaled would be the worst part of his evening, but he had no idea what further trouble awaited him. That was until he cleared the foam away from the windshield, giving him full view of a pair of black boots standing on top of his damaged hood.

Ban-den looked up to see the uniformed figure of Jayce Carver illuminated by the light of Craysus’ orange moon. The figure crossed his arms, tucking away his robotic hand that glinted radiantly in the moonlight. He stared down at the racer with a look of complete judgment. In spite of the tingling fear that must have been running up Ban-den’s spine, he still managed to give Jayce a sneer. This only made Jayce’s smirk widen.

Mister Ban-den, Jayce addressed him with a hint of sarcasm, but in a tone that displayed his authority, good to finally make your acquaintance. You are a hard man to track down.

Get off’a my vehicle, you punk. Ban-den’s ego gave him little choice but to keep up airs that he was in control, even though he was completely trapped within a foam-filled fishbowl. Who do you think you are?

"That’s an interesting question, considering I’m wearing a uniform and a badge, Jayce replied, indicating the emblem on his chest. For the intelligently impaired, I’m a Coalition Officer. As for you...you’re in a heap of trouble. So my only question is: are you going to cooperate or..."

The question was immediately answered as Ban-den pulled a weapon. He had struggled to dip his hand into the foam, but successfully brought the weapon to bear. Jayce was nonplussed and the move was overly predictable. Without breaking eye-contact with the criminal, Jayce simply said one letter in the most emotionless way possible, as