Prelude to War: Thumar Saga 3

By M. Timothy Murray

The Orion Syndicate strikes at the heart of Thumar, on Thumar! The results are disastrous, launching the inner galaxy into a bloody, drawn-out war.

President Remor Andehar is engulfed in a perfect storm of events that threaten to tear Thumar’s once harmonious culture apart at the seams risking a phalanx of political and revered cultural customs. A charismatic senator, guided by a Syndicate agent, is challenging Thumar’s most beloved, centuries-long practice and demanding immediate change that would destroy Thumar to its core.

While Ambassador Derak Andehar heals from near-fatal wounds, Remor crisscrosses Thumar’s space colonies, continents, islands, and secret places to keep his beloved home unified. He must battle bad news, a rouge senator, and a galactic war to save his home planet’s morale.

Can the War Alliance, Remor and Derak defeat this powerful enemy which has no conscious, practices genocide and slavery, and seeks to rule with total fear?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669849193

M. Timothy Murray

I’m the author of the sci-fi novel, Thumar, published in 2017. I live in Nevada City, California with my wife, Ronna Lee Joseph, and my scrappy cat, Harley, in a house my father and I built.

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Copyright © 2022 by M. Timothy Murray.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover Art by Vivo Digital Arts.

Rev. date: 10/20/2022

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

843530

Table of Contents

Prologue

Disaster Strikes

Heaven’s Gate

Mt. Kumar

Manchov

Telaxia Prime

War Council

Admiral Toregan

The Orion Syndicate

Petarken

The Venteran Islands

Bull

The Forgotten War

Wesharu

The Colonies

The Orion Syndicate

Cyth Squadron

The Anean Coast

Shenmar

Nankurk

Commodore Thompson

Senator Kamar

Caberra

The Leshirga

Thorimin

The Battle of Thorimin

The Orion Syndicate

The Outer Colonies

Epilogue

Glossary

Characters

Prologue

The moon-sized ship loomed ahead as the square space ship slowly approached. Dex checked for sensors; none he could not get through. These morons learned nothing from the previous time he spent with them. He mentally located their leadership; they were sitting for another meeting. He, Dextrametrix, the Telaxian god they would worship again, he would painfully re-introduce them to his ways. That cursed mortal, Derak Jamar, was responsible for his recent trek through time. He would die! Before that happened, he would have to retrain these plebeians.

The Primary Council convened another meeting with the Star Council, made up of generals and admirals. They sat at their raised desks going over the latest senate proposals, then press forward with theirs. Councilman Number Three, Dr Elias Vander, was shooting for Number Two in the next elections, then Number One! After all, wasn’t he the brilliant geneticist who produced their life extending formula in the mid-twenty-first century?

Dex teleported into the middle of the large, dark, dimly lit council chamber. He stood a ‘tall’ Telaxian five feet eight inches, with a fit, slender build, smiled with pointy interlocking white teeth. Silence filled the entire chamber. I am Dextrametrix. Your new overlord, Dex, will do.

The hell you are, a large general stood up and moved toward Dex, reaching for his phase pistol. He fell to the deck, dead before he hit it.

Two nasty looking guards tried to remove him, only to join the general.

Any other idiotic moves. I know what you think before you finish a thought. That button you are about to hit will not work, Number One. Dex calmly said. Nor that phase pistol.

Number One fell face first on his desk, dead.

Anyone else? I could kill you all at once… not a bad idea.

Every member of both councils grabbed their heads in extreme pain. Then, as fast as it came, it was gone. Moans of defeat slowly drifted down to Dex’s ears.

Dex smiled with his uncapped shark Telaxian teeth to drive home the point. Cooperation will get you far more comfortable lives. If my last demonstration is forgotten, the next one will be your last. Now that I have your attention, what year is it, and where is this beast of a ship located?

A voice squeaked up from the Star Council. 2417, in the Reshgur system on the rim.

He smiled again. That’s more like it, now, has anyone heard of a mortal called Derak Jamar? Does he exist in this timeline?

Murmurs echoed around the room for several minutes.

Anyone? Dex queried them.

There’s a Derak Andehar on Thumar. Could that be him? He’s married to the president’s niece, a general answered.

Where did he come from before he landed there? Dex asked.

Earth, I think. He’s a high ranking naval officer, the same general said.

He’s the one who spared Thumar and its neighboring systems from a gamma-ray burst from one of our star explosions. Another said, haven’t had another since.

Why blow up stars? Never mind, let’s get back to this Jamar fellow, why is he so good?

We think he is a first generation.

What is that? He picked up councilman Vander’s thoughts and looked directly at him. What is a first generation, doctor? Dex probed his mind.

Silence was followed by Elias Vander, grabbing his head in pain. He raised his hand to stop it. After he found his voice, he started. In the middle of the twenty-first century on Earth, I led a super soldier genetic team. Russia, China, the USA, and the United Nations wanted to end all war with our results.

Did it work? Did you come up with one?

Yes, and when one geneticist found out about the endgame, he destroyed our work and disappeared. We believe Jamar is a direct descendant of the original experiment.

How different does this make him? Dex seemed comfortable to remain standing.

His four strands of DNA make him indestructible, and his Life expectancy is greatly increased. Vander said.

This makes him tough to kill, I have an answer for this Jamar. Dex smiled again.

Another voice spoke. I’ll take down the Thumarian government.

Dex looked at him. What is your name, and how many have you taken down?

Paul, Momzer, I’ve destroyed twelve to date and brought all their lovely credits back here.

Dex looked at Paul, What are you waiting for? Then he turned to Dr Vander, let’s get started. This meeting is over.

Disaster Strikes

Lelayla was Derak and Shesain’s next stop for a regional festival that celebrated the founding of one of the continent’s most important trading cities. They were the best known couple on Thumar and beyond. Shesain, for being the niece of the Thumarian president. Derak, for saving Thumar and three sectors from a gamma-ray burst.

Walking the broad streets, Derak noticed an odd occurrence he had not seen before, a man in a wheelchair. He would have been a taller than the average Thumarian male, if he still had legs. Derak approached and sat next to him. He had a handsome face, and his upper body was fit. His eyes were downcast.

To what do I owe this? The stranger hesitantly asked.

I’m curious how you lost your legs, and why you don’t have prosthetics?

I lost them in ‘that war.’ The government gives me a pension. I get along fair enough.

What is ‘that war’? Derak asked.

The Voeleron War, he said in a low voice.

I didn’t know Thumarian troops were sent there, Derak said in genuine surprise.

I was in the third battalion, assigned to a support mission in the Chambar Valley. We got caught in an unexpected flanking movement by Kek regulars. Only twelve out of fifty made it home. I’m one of the lucky ones. I still have my sanity.

I was there, Alliance Special Forces. I still fight the nightmares. What’s your name? Derak asked.

Verton Thushkar.

How does the government take care of you?

They shove us into out-of-the-way corners; it makes it easier to forget us.

Derak thanked him for his service, and would make it a point to approach Remor about this abandonment of war veterans.

Shesian witnessed the entire conversation with a guilty look on her face. That war is one of the uglier chapters in our recent history. A politician can lose his seat by just mentioning it. The public chose to ignore it.

I have a few ideas to help them. I will discuss it with Remor. Shesain shot him a hard look. He lost his brother to ‘that war.’ You’ll have a fight on your hands.

Something has to be done!

Derak and Shesain attended the usual VIP gatherings, the Mayor, his city council, and the regional leaders. All was going well until the Mayor mentioned a late afternoon meet and greet session with the public in the central square. Derak’s intuition immediately told him not to attend, something was wrong. He kept this thought to himself, hiding his emotions from everyone except Shesain.

She approached him after being separated by the crowds. What’s wrong, my chimera? You seem reticent to attend the next event.

Growing doubt filled Derak’s thoughts. My intuition kicked in when he mentioned it, the same intuition that moved me to go to Altair, to fix our time mistake. This ‘feeling’ has kept me alive many times when I should have died. We should bow out.

Are you sure? she asked. You know how important this is to our citizens.

Positive. Something terrible is going to happen. I know it, I can’t put my finger on it, Derak thought.

Double the T-K, what can go wrong? Don’t we have the best trained ops teams in the galaxy? We’ll leave early, if we have to. She pleaded with him.

Those eyes would melt him one last time. I’ll contact Bull, I hope I’m wrong.

I love you, my chimera. She smiled. We’ll be fine, you’ll see.

Derak frowned before he made the arrangements. Bull, double the visual detail for this afternoon.

Aye, sir, is there anything wrong?

Not yet. I’m having one of those feelings again. Just do it. Call an alert level four.

Aye, sir.

At five sharp, the tour started. Derak couldn’t shake his reticence as he watched the crowds swell. They were gathering faster than anyone expected. The visible T-K closed ranks, and the crowd control teams scanned the crowds. Crowd scanning was difficult, even with trained operatives.

Derak was relaxing when he picked up more than one hostile thought close. He engaged his second and third DNA strands, just in case. The eight member ops team slowly moved them through the burgeoning throngs. Derak’s alarms went off before his fourth strand was activated.

Then, he noticed a muzzle of a phase pistol shoved out of the front edge of the crowd. It was aimed at Shesain. He jumped in front of her as the trigger was pulled. He hit the ground and his right shoulder landed three feet away. The last thing he remembered was a blast hitting his left hip.

It all happened in a second. Derak lay bleeding and unconscious, minus an arm and a leg. A third muzzle appeared, aimed straight at Derak, the kill shot. Bull saw it and jumped in front of him. The charge separated Bull from his left shoulder as he fell hard to the ground.

Pandemonium and fear filled the air as women, children and almost everybody else ran for cover. The bravest of the remaining men formed a shield between the remaining onlookers and the T-K surrounding Derak and Bull, with their pistols set to kill. T-K medics teleported in and capped off both men’s stumps that put their wounds into stasis, before putting both on stretchers and popping back to the Mt. Kumar base. Female T-K agents flanked a bloody, shocked, speechless Shesain before teleporting her out of danger. Two more medics gathered the severed limbs, putting them into stasis before teleporting/popping themselves.

The remaining T-K’s noticed a scuffle in the front of the remaining crowd, as a phase pistol fell to the ground, and they dragged an arm into the crowd. One agent collected the pistol and joined the other three to investigate.

One assassin was on the ground, receiving vicious kicks to the body and head. It took four T-K agents to clear the melee. He lay there bleeding and unconscious, dressed in local clothing. Four T-K agents kept the angry crowds away, while two more popped in and brutally stripped the prone body down to his undergarments. Under his clothes, he wore a layer of light armor.

By the time they had him stripped and bound hand and foot, a Telaxian popped into the circle and took charge. He had scanning equipment. He took his time scanning every square inch of his body. The scanner told him he found what he was looking for. A red scorpion in a barbed circle showed up in infrared. The next thing he silently checked for was the operating frequency of the transmitter. Once he got it, he turned to the senior T-K.

Lt. Anderson, give this frequency to every agent on the ground now! We can track down the others. It will lead us to their ship. That mark is a Telaxian transmitter we use to track our more dangerous citizens. His teeth were set hard, then he disappeared as suddenly as he showed up.

*****

Both remaining assassins fled the scene as fast as they could, to get back to the ship and take off before the authorities were on full alert. They did not know T-K ground troops already had their frequency and tracked them.

Where’s Drake? one of them asked.

I don’t know. I thought he was behind you! The other responded, between heavy breathing, running as fast as he could.

Can’t concern ourselves with him. We have our own problems. We’re almost at the edge of the city, split up and meet me on the ship.

*****

Early in the morning on the Lelayan continent, a giant Cyth abruptly woke in extreme mental pain. His head popped up off of his soft nest. Miron let out an angry call that woke the entire colony. He felt the shots that removed Derak’s right arm and left leg from his torso. He experienced his pain before unconsciousness mercifully took him. Most of all, he knew where it happened. His next call alerted every rider and Cyth in his high mountain enclave. His thoughts immediately filled every Cyth mind, then their riders. In minutes the entire colony was dressed and ready to fly. Miron sent his thoughts to Hekphor, Keruk’s Cyth. By the time Miron and his riders arrived at Keruk’s colony, every major settlement was present.

Angry words and thoughts flew at light speed. A Cyth Rider was attacked. The offending Party would pay dearly. It took Keruk, Hekphor and Miron quite a while to maintain order. Miron’s talons were digging trenches into the solid granite outcropping. Samora’s eyes were red with anger, and her beak was angrily clapping and Borath was being held in check by the alpha birds. Jack and Seamus popped in with fully charged phase pistols and rifles, set to kill. They were in full riding gear. Jack rarely got angry, but the look on his face was fearsome. Seamus stood alone; ready to tear apart the assassins, limb by limb.

Keruk was the only voice of reason. He showed why he wore the Zeveren Crest. He sent out a thought that brought the group of alpha rider’s and their birds to order.

Seamus, get your Cyth in line, now! He ordered and Seamus complied. Derak Andehar has been the target of an attempted assassination in Manchov. He is still living, as is apparent by Miron’s presence. We cannot all pop over a large city. Just one Cyth will be enough to terrify its citizens. Alpha riders will go with eighteen birds and seventeen riders. Miron will represent Derak, with no rider. Jack and Seamus will join us, and deal with the T-K Commander on the ground. We will help apprehend the remaining assassins alive! The T-K will handle it after we capture them. Alpha riders, pick your best men and largest Cyth. Set those flying in the valley to patrol. You have ten minutes. Miron will spot our entry point above the city.

*****

The T-K had just settled the angry crowds, with the help of a Telaxian that popped into the group. Eighteen Cyth, with riders teleported above the throng, announcing their arrival. Every remaining citizen ran for cover, leaving only the T-K and the Telaxian. All eighteen birds landed in the large city square. Miron, Samora, Borath and Hekphor were in front. All the T-K backed up before Ter stopped them with a stiff rebuke. Only Ter and the T-K Commander did not move. Jack, Seamus and Keruk dismounted and approached them.

Ter, we are here to help capture the remaining assassins. How can we help? Jack asked respectfully.

Captain Morgan, who is your comrade? Ter asked.

Keruk, ‘The Shertak,’ Chief of the Cyth riders, holder of the Zeveren Crest. Jack answered.

Welcome, Shertak. We welcome your help. Derak is in critical condition at the Mt. Kumar facility. Bull, his Security Chief, is also in critical condition. Derak lost his right arm and left leg at the hip. Bull lost his left shoulder and arm. Lady Shesain was unharmed and safe. We have the frequency to track the remaining culprits and their ship. We will need to place a T-K in each of your groups to report back to me. Jack will take one patrol, Seamus another. Do we have permission to place an agent with the third? Ter respectfully asked Keruk.

He shall ride with me on Hekphor, he agreed.

She shall ride with you. Do not doubt her capabilities, Keruk.

Therese stepped forward in full, flat, black body armor. Keruk moved back. Then she retracted her face shield. Her face was even beautiful in anger. I was Derak’s shadow and Shesain’s maid of honor at their wedding. I shall avenge them!

Ter had a momentary thought transfer with Therese before he continued. He handed Jack, Seamus, and Therese wrist scanners. These will give us their coordinates on the ground. Do not engage unless ordered to. We must take them alive, looking straight at Miron. Then he approached Miron, sharing unknown thoughts. Miron dropped his head in grief while Ter scratched his feather crest. He shared one last private thought before ordering their departure. The downdraft from eighteen Cyth nearly drove everyone, including Ter, to the ground. Ter had a momentary smile before his game face returned. He ordered the remaining T-K’s to their assignments and teleported to the Mt. Kumar facility.

*****

Juan was running for his life now. He knew he was being pursued and would not be taken alive. His civilian clothing was in shreds from the many branches he encountered in the forest. His fate would be far worse at the hand of the Prime Mathematician. He dropped to the ground when the shadow passed over him. He lay there a few moments before racing to the safety of his ship. Then he would kill a few more locals just for fun. He was in the last clearing before he reached the Viper. His confidence was growing the closer he got to the copse of trees when Borath landed in front of him. He screamed in terror at the sight of the monstrous bird. When two more Cyth surrounded him, he turned and ran the other way. He wasn’t told about these enormous beasts. He raised his pistol, and Borath screeched out a terrifying call, echoed by the other two. The pistol was dropped, and three T-K agents mentally held his body in check. Another one roughly removed all of his outerwear, except his soiled undergarments, before they painfully restrained his hands and feet. In the wink of an eye, all five were gone.

His partner fared no better. He was caught after coming out of some brush. Miron nearly bit his head off, before he could think of using his phase pistol. Keruk located the ship, and Therese sent the coordinates to Ter.

On board the Syndicate ship. Where’s the boy’s Angel? They should have returned by now. If we don’t lift off soon, we’re going to get caught.

Imagine the hell they raised when this Jamar fellow fell to the ground, dead. With him and his bitch of a wife gone, we can continue our ‘science experiments.’ We’ll start with the Alliance. Besides, we won’t get caught. I’d rather suicide than face the big boss, if we fail him.

Before he finished, Ter was on the bridge, and held them in his mental field. They tried to move but could not. Two more Telaxians showed up, followed by four large men in armor. They appeared out of nowhere. The two pilots were painfully relieved of their clothing by two Telaxians and examined no less respectfully. After they were bound, the T-K squad roughed them up a little more before teleporting to an unknown location.

Commander Antonelli, we have the pilots and the ship. Send a cruiser to retrieve it and take it to The Aries. Secure the city, sweep the countryside, and double all patrols in Thumarian space, code red!

*****

Remor’s offices echoed with tears and cursing alike, Derak, near death, Bull, not far behind. Who would dare to pull off such an audacious mission? It had to be the Orion Syndicate, Remor thought. Where was Shesain? She wasn’t on Thumar. She must be with the Valuk-Manou.

Qex, Zix, Terga and Pax popped into his office. He wasn’t surprised by sudden entries anymore. A knock followed this, with Admiral Kaitain and four Generals entering the room. The last one to appear was Ter.

How dare someone attempt to take a life on Thumar; especially Derak and Shesain! Remor roared in near uncontrollable anger. Qex and Pax mentally reached out to quell some of it. Remor controlled his emotions before he continued. What’s to report, anybody?

Ter started. Mr. President, the assassins are Syndicate. We have confirmed this. All five are in a secure location undergoing interrogation now.

I hope Telaxian standards are being used to the fullest. Remor said with no guilt.

"We are holding nothing back. They will be wrung dry. Their ship is on the Aries, we will miss nothing. Derak and Bull are in critical condition at Mt. Kumar. The phase pistols are being examined as we speak. Shesain is in Telaxia. Her mental field had to be controlled. She will return when she is calm enough."

Thank you, Ter. Then his anger re-ignited. Pounding his desk hard, with both fists, he screamed, THIS MEANS WAR!!! The Syndicate has just declared war with Thumar! Remor spit out, before turning to those present.

They have declared war with the known galaxy, Remor. We’ve just received wires from The Alliance and the Katkurn’s, and more are coming in by the minute. Admiral Kaitain reported.

Another knock and a young lieutenant handed the Admiral a note before leaving. Interesting, this changes things, Admiral Kaitain thought out loud.

What is it Zolar? Remor asked.

"The Giant Cat and the Mantis races will join our war conference. Almost all known systems have tripled their patrols and have destroyed or captured six Syndicate ships. Two have an odd configuration. I suggest we take them to The Aries for inspection. I’ll keep you updated on all the incoming reports."

Who’s with the twins? Who knows what they’re going through? Remor asked with concern.

They know something is wrong, but they’re in excellent hands. Terga said.

Thanks Terga, that helps, a little. Then Remor turned to his officers. Triple all patrols in Thumarian space. Leave no stone unturned in the asteroid belt. Generals, put your troops on code red. Respond to credible situations only. There is no need to upset the populace any more than they already are.

Yes, sir, they responded, before returning to their commands.

This left Remor alone with Terga, Qex, Zix and Pax. They had reports that were meant for him alone. Qex began. Remor, we have some disturbing news. The pistol charges were engineered with Telaxian technology and specifically designed for Derak’s four strand DNA. They are charged with anti-nano-bots that block his body from healing itself, at any level. The doctors give his body three weeks, at the most. Bull will recover. Terga has already started on a new left shoulder and arm for Bull, and a new body for Derak. The doctors are doing everything they can to keep his present body alive.

Until the new one is ready? Remor asked. How long will that take?

We will cut it close. Terga reported. That is not the biggest problem facing us.

What would that be? Remor inquired, after sitting down in his office chair.

Transferring his soul’s silver cord and re-attaching it to his new body. My transfer was easy. I was a software program, before inhabiting this body. A living soul in a physical form presents a hard challenge, Terga said.

Will he suffer during the process? Remor asked.

No, he won’t feel a thing, Zix answered. We feel it can and will be done. However, this is the first time such a procedure has been attempted. One issue shall present itself. He will have an infinitely longer life span. How long, we do not know at this point. Shesain needs to be consulted on this matter once she’s calmed down enough.

She’s on Telaxia? Remor inquired again.

Yes, her mental stability needs to be re-set, for the good of the children, Pax responded.

I couldn’t agree more. Remor said. I need to be alone now. I have a lot to deal with, besides Derak. Senator Kamar is rattling his saber again. That f’ter said Derak had it coming. He thought I was hard on him before; he won’t know what hit him this time!

*****

Doctor Centur, how is he doing? Qex asked with great concern.

Not well, Qex, the ‘anti-nano-bots’ are in his bloodstream now. Unless we can slow them down, he’ll be gone in two weeks. How’s Terga progressing on his new body?

She is three weeks out. That is as early as we can deliver it. Is Bull out of critical condition?

What remains of his shoulder will have to be removed. I hope that does not complicate things for Terga, Dr. Centur replied.

Bull is an easy project. Why don’t we call in Dr. Bundett? His research might help to keep Derak alive. He might give us two more weeks, Qex suggested.

You really think that the ‘devil plant’ might help? I have my doubts, Dr. Centur said, frowning.

His remedy reversed the Shick-Star Syndrome in ninety percent of his trials. What other options do we have at this point?

You might be right, Qex. Much to my dismay, I’ll accept his help. Get him here, quickly. Time is not on our side. Dr. Centur left abruptly to join the Telaxian doctors.

The next morning, Leontul showed up with Vel to meet with Dr. Centur. They did not receive a warm welcome, nor did they expect it.

Dr. Bundett, I don’t agree with the path you have taken; it is dangerous. The people will have a hard time moving past centuries of myth and prejudice. I’ve studied your papers and trial results. I cannot argue with the results. I just hope that you can slow down the inevitable until the new body is ready. We need two more weeks.

Dr. Centur, every time I continue my Veredant Flower research, I tread lightly. The Telaxians set my security levels. I saw firsthand what the flowers pollen does to its victims. I too grew up with the myths of this plant. Even after the results of my latest trials, trepidation is always close to the surface.

Dr. Centur thought for a moment. At least you have the sensibilities of a research scientist. What will it take to slow down these anti-nano-bots?

Leontul did not take offense at Dr. Centur’s attitude. At least he was talking I’ve studied their structure and may have come up with something. But there is a big problem that confronts me.

What’s that? Dr. Centur inquired.

The plant I need comes from the Corano Islands, over five centuries in the past. I’ll need permission to go back to collect enough flowers. That is where the trouble begins. This flower is stronger than all the other species combined. We must take great care in their collection and storage.

Let’s talk to Qex and Zix. They might speed up the process. I hope you are as good as they say you are, Dr. Bundett.

Time will tell. Shall we go? We have no time to lose.

*****

High in the heavenly realms, Kumar and Shemar’s anger pressed the bounds. They had worked for eons to place this avatar at the right place and time. How dare a guardian try to extinguish his life! Not only would this singular Telaxian pay the price, but those who followed him would feel their anger as well. Both Kumar and Shemar knew who the unwilling participants were. They would be spared, according to their individual actions. After much thought transfer, a course of action was implemented. Gods only do so much, the real action must take place with the mortal races. They would help with moving the winds of change, physical action would be left to the mortals.

Where is this Derak Andehar now? Shemar inquired.

"His soul is floating in the ‘the void.’ His body will perish in two of their weeks. We must retrieve and hold his soul until they construct his new body. Otherwise, it will be lost in that abyss forever," Kumar responded.

I will send Archimendree. She will bring him to us. We must preserve him to see the completion of our work in his home galaxy.

We must now attend to the second Derak, in the alternate universe. If we cannot save the first, the second will take his place, Kumar informed Shemar.

*****

The Prime Mathematician gave a temporary reprieve from his strict order to the entire crew of the moon-sized ship, the Mandible. The assassination team had not returned. It didn’t matter. He could get more from where they came from. Fear is a great motivator. This Jamar fellow was gone. Now he could get on with his unification of the galaxy. When he did, they would worship HIM, or die! Peace has a price, as long as he did not have to pay.

In the middle of chewing the life out of another beetle, the meteorites started hitting the Mandible. They were small, at first. Then the bigger ones punched small holes into its hull. The Mandible had a double hull, but was not self-healing. Chaos ensued as the repair teams raced to their ships. Launches stopped after the countless meteorite cloud encircling the Mandible destroyed the first three ships. All they could do was temporarily seal the breaches from the inside. The ship’s shields kept out the smaller rocks, but the larger ones penetrated the hull.

The Prime Mathematician cursed the navigator as a larger rock nearly shattered his large plaz window. The room was losing pressure, and he had to leave fast. He barely shut and pressurized the door when he heard his window shatter into a million pieces. The sudden change in pressure sucked anything into space that was not bolted down. All of his latest scanning equipment was gone. He would have to start over. This angered him more than anything else.

The Mandible rocked sideways, as a mighty explosion shook the ship to its core. Another one followed below his deck. It sounded like it came from his secret hangar. If his ship was damaged, the entire crew would pay! Follow up explosions rocked the ship for ten minutes. After they stopped, he stormed into the hallway, straight for the bridge.

The bridge crew was in a state of organized panic when he appeared, assessing the extent of the meteor storm’s destruction with the damage control and medical teams. It was an experienced bridge crew by any standard, except for the Orion Syndicate. All action stopped when his scowl froze everyone.

Mutah Shakur, we have the situation under control, the watch officer sputtered.

Who was asleep at the wheel, when we ran into a meteor storm in the middle of empty space? he demanded.

It… it came out of nowhere. It… just appeared. One moment, our scanners were normal, empty. Then we were surrounded. I’ve… we’ve got vids of the entire event, the watch officer reported.

What is your name, Commander? Dex asked in a deadly tone.

Commander Phelps, sir, he gulped his reply out.

Show me this vid, Commander, now!

The vid showed space before an engulfing meteor cloud surrounded them out of nowhere. It started with small rocks, and then they grew in size, until the large ones struck. The odd thing about the large rocks, they moved on a planned trajectory, as if their targets were pre-determined. Then, the cloud disappeared as fast as it came, leaving empty space filling the frame again. The Mutah Shakur watched twice with his pupils narrowed to a pinpoint. He stared at a terrified bridge crew when he realized what had happened. His anger flashed, and someone was going to pay. The Commander collapsed to the floor, dead, drained of all his blood in a moment.

Lt Commander, the bridge is yours. Let’s hope you hold it longer than the last watch officer. What is the extent of the damage?

Everyone froze, too afraid, when an Ensign squeaked out the information. Sir… the… the R&D facility and the main hangar got taken out. There’s nothing left. They reported hundreds of small hull breaches all around the perimeter of the ship. Hydroponics bays one through four are gone, and six to nine are damaged beyond use.

He leveled a look at the Ensign. What about my hangar? What state is it in?

It’s… it’s completely gone… Sir. He gulped, before cowering in fear.

I see. So my ship is floating in space somewhere?

No… no… sir, it was destroyed. It was as if your ship was its target, sir.

How do you know this, Ensign? Do you have the last vids from my hangar? Did you see my ship?

Yes… yes, sir, I’m sorry, sir.

Show me in the Captain’s quarters. After the Mutah Shakur viewed the destruction of his ship, he was sure where the meteorites came from now. Back on the bridge, he faced the terrified officers. Since the Ensign was the only one of you who had enough balls to tell me the truth, he is now a lieutenant and my personal aid. Keep the shields at full, in case another surprise finds us, Lieutenant, come with me.

Horror filled the young man’s eyes as he followed Dex.

After showing the new aide his quarters, he kicked number one out of his and settled in. In private, he let his anger out. Even the gods are against me now! I rid this worthless galaxy of its worst infidel terrorist, and I get blamed! They took my ship! I am now stuck on this inferior mortal junk heap, with all of my research gone! Over twenty thousand years of work gone in mere minutes. I will make the gods pay! After I take the universe, I’ll break down their doors. Then, they will worship ME!

*****

The time crew raced back in time to collect Leontul’s samples. A small, well-trained group of scientists followed Leontul to the extensive field filled with the small deadly flowers. They were in full protective gear, complete with oxygen. None of them could breathe ambient air for fear of contracting the plague. This set Leontul’s mind to wonder how the Corano Island inhabitants developed immunity to these flowers. He would have to get permission to check it out later.

The Veredant Flower was beautiful. They had small round deep purple petals, with ever changing iridescent colors, forming unique patterns on each individual petal. The center of the flowers ranged from bright yellow to neon orange.

After he had enough to keep Derak’s first body alive for two more weeks, Leontul popped to another glen where the rarest of the species grew. He collected only three. They would be his key ingredient. He never forgot that day on the Shesain. He could not put his dear friends or his home planet in danger again.

Leontul and his team moved forward in time and landed on the Aries. He could only conduct his experiments in a Telaxian-controlled laboratory. He had to work fast, so he switched to Telaxian time. Sometimes, he was lucky to get three hours of sleep. Derak was slipping away fast, and he had to work faster.

Heaven’s Gate

Archimendree floated in the endless void. That place where souls in transition lived. in a temporary collective consciousness, and where the souls stayed until their mortal actions were judged. The sheer vastness of this place would have given any angel, except the Archangel Archimendree trouble. She had been here before, and knew Derak’s individual signature intimately. She had watched over him from his birth, and guided him, unbeknownst to him, down the paths that made him what he had become. He was not judged on his faithlessness, for she knew he would come face to face with his true origins one day.

She felt his presence. It was stronger than most, but could not see him. That his soul was in flux gave it a slightly more solid existence. He wasn’t in this quadrant, so she started her search. Time did not matter, this was a timeless place, what might be considered, in the Telaxian terms, a super-node. When she found him, he was in a conversation with a Telaxian soul that was searching for those of his kind to bring home. He was the last Telaxian Master Gardener with the knowledge of how to extract the seed pods from the Antexeral Tree. Spirit form looks like mist clouds floating in the void. Faxterenal sensed Archimendree and greeted her. She knew he needed more time and gave it to him. When he finished, he turned Derak over to her. He had been holding Derak’s soul in place for her arrival. Then he wisped off, continuing his search.

Derak Andehar, I am here to bring you to The Heavenly Gates. Follow me.

Where am I? Where is my body, and who are you?

I am the Archangel Archimendree. Your questions will be answered, but not by me.

What and where are the heavenly gates?

Do not press me Derak Andehar. You will come with me.

The trip to the heavenly gates was like popping. She left Derak floating in an enormous field of purple essence. Nothing had solid form here. The feeling was that of total bliss. It was a place where negative thoughts could not exist. Joy would sweep them away. He looked around before two majestic mist forms approached him. They stopped in front, and the feminine mist thought:

Welcome, Derak Andehar. I am Shemar, the Goddess of the Thumarians. They knew me as Aphrodite to the early Greeks on your Earth. My husband is Kumar. He was known as Zeus in ancient times on your home world. The Aztecs worshipped us, the Christians, the Jews, and the Dalai Lamas knew us well. We have been, and are still, worshipped across the universes by both large and small civilizations. Even the Kek worship us in a perverted manner. It was not so in their beginning; they have devolved to where they are now. We will continue to be known by uncountable given names and will continue to assist every supplication that does not promote violence and suffering. We welcome you to our home.

Derak was humbled and shocked at the same time. How was he supposed to address these two? Thank you, Shemar, Kumar. Why am I here? Where is my body and why am I not on Thumar? He felt like Robert, when he was first experiencing mind training on the Shesain. How could this be? Heaven and God never occupied his train of thought, even after all he had been through on Thumar.

You have doubts, Derak. We are as real as Thumar and your beloved Shesain. We occupy a realm that few, including the Priests and Priestesses of your religions believe exist. If we assume a form comfortable to your senses, you might finally believe what you sense, Shemar thought.

In a blink of a cosmic eye, the three of them had apparent bodies. Derak recognized his, with all four limbs. Kumar and Shemar took on Thumarian bodies. Their beauty out shown anything he had ever seen. Kumar’s male physique put Derak’s to shame. Shemar was more beautiful than Shesain, if that could be. He thought no one would outshine Shesain. Then, he had never come face to face with a goddess before.

Is that better, Derak? she asked with kindness.

Are these real, or just a figment of my imagination?

Touch me and Kumar, then yourself. Remove your doubt, Shemar encouraged him.

He reached out and felt a strange give in the apparent epidermis, in both of them, then himself. What is this? It feels solid, but I know it’s not.

Why do you still doubt all that you now see and feel? Kumar asked.

Despite what Master Li taught me in my younger days, I never gave much credence to Deities. I was too busy either continuing my education or destroying lives. After my revelation at the Chambar Valley Offensive and meeting Tara, I have no excuses. I suppose I could have looked into it. The Altairian Tablets mentioned them, you. I paid little attention to the references.

Would it be easier for you if we vocally communicated? Shemar asked.

If it pleases you, after Telaxian training, thought transfer is easier.

We will speak, Kumar stated. I have brought here you to preserve your soul until your new physical body is ready. You still have much work to finish before your time comes to re-join us.

Re-join you? Derak inquired in a perplexed tone.

Yes, your soul originated from this realm, from the beginning of beginnings. Your charge has been to assist the mortal races in physical advances. Your soul is as old as the eons that have passed. We purposely deny past memories and experiences, as they would impede your present assignment, Shemar informed him.

Derak was stunned, and inadvertently sat down. A bench materialized. He remained speechless for a long time taking in what he had just heard. What about Shesain? Is she part of the plan?

Kumar responded. On each of your assignments, she becomes your life mate. She is your life mate in our realm. You both agreed to this at the beginning of beginnings.

You said something about my ‘new body.’ What’s the problem with my old one?

"The Orion Syndicate assassinated you, slowly. Your body will die in four of your weeks. The Telaxian that you faced on your time mission designed the weapon specifically for your DNA strands. They loaded it with ‘anti-nano-bots’ that prevent your body from healing itself.