Rise Up: Gateway to the Galaxy, #5

By Jonathan Yanez

The Marine who became a Knight. 

The Knight who led his team to redemption.

 

Because a failed mission means letting down those who mean the most to him. 

 

A ghost from his past has returned. It's up to Frank and Marine Space Corps-1 to bring her in one way or another. He'd prefer the easy way. 

 

With his Arilion powers tested, this mission will be his greatest challenge as a man; as a leader; as a Marine. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jonathan Yanez
• Release date: Sep 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223201403

Book preview

1

Son of a honey badger, Frank! You’ve really done it now.

Hush up and run faster!

Agh! I’m not going to make it! Lt. Raj Agrawal grunted, trying with all his might to keep his legs pumping and keep up with his friend.

Come on, man, Frank shouted as his left boot stuck in another pile of what he hoped was mud. Don’t make me carry you, because you know I will!

You guys should stop talking and maybe save your breath. Have those boots hit the pavement faster, Marines. They’re right behind you. Frank heard Communications Specialist Elly Wong chime in through the comms attached behind their ear via a bone conduction hearing device of her own making. Hey, I don’t see Yur’l.

Oh no—he was right behind us. Frank was running with everything he had in him. He dared to steal a glance to his left and right searching for the old bird. Nothing. Only the sparse, red land with white cloud grass puffs that swayed in the non-existent breeze around them. A hint of fear clenched his stomach.

The heads-up display on his helmet began to alert him that it was picking up a signal. He darted his eyes toward the blinking light to investigate, when a blurred motion caught his right peripheral. A purple streak just under two meters tall shot past Frank and toward the Jumpship, which stood awaiting them just under fifteen meters ahead. They were at the home stretch of this eighty-meter dash.

Was that–? How did he? Raj panted in his helmet.

Show off! Frank shouted and sprinted the last ten meters to safety. Upon reaching their ship, he dove into the open rear hatch landing with a thud. He looked up to see Yur’l standing there smiling down at him.

Oh hey, Frank, the Gleason Arilion Knight said.

A little help? Frank extended a hand and Yur’l took it, pulling him up.

Frank peered back the way they had come. Raj was about to reach them. Then, Raj tripped.

Long limbs that made up his five-foot-eleven frame flailed and his upper body hit the red caked ground, sending a spray of ruddy dust in the air. He tumbled and came to a halt at a collection of waving white grasses. The horde of scarlet, slender salamander-like beings gained ground. Their tiny black eyes narrowed in on the one who strayed from the pack; their six wiggling arms waved with threats. Some of the beings even held spears at the ready.

Uh, Frank? Help! Raj scrambled to his feet. Beneath his thick, brooding brows, deep brown eyes pleaded for a lifeline.

I guess we should help him, huh? Frank said to Yur’l.

The two Knights then lifted their arms with hands up and palms flat forward as though pushing an invisible wall. Violet crackling energy zipped from their vambraces, out of their hands, and past Raj to form a barrier wall between him and the oncoming tribe.

Dozens of members of the angry tribe slid to a halt on their seven pairs of legs, the momentum of their comrades behind them slamming some of their white underbellies into the purple wall constructed from the Will that Frank and Yur’l had summoned. Frank winced as one stuck another with long spikes that protruded from their backs.

Hurry, Raj, get in. We gotta blow this popsicle stand. Frank ushered in the red-dust-covered Marine with a nod of his head.

Sure thing, Major Wolffe. Raj skidded and jumped up into the hatch. The Jumpship had already been energized in preparation for takeoff and now hovered about a meter above the ground.

All clear, Elly, Frank called to her in the cockpit. Let’s jam.

Frank and Yur’l released the wall and turned to take their seats inside the transport ship.

Copy that. Engines at the ready, she responded over the comms.

With the hatch shut and sealed, oxygen was released into the ship’s cabin. The air around them cooled. A faint hiss sounded as the previous atmosphere's air flushed out of the Jumpship’s cabin. Frank, Raj, and Yur’l removed their helmets and strapped into their seats.

Frank sat behind Elly, who rode shotgun at the navigation control panel. The other two team members sat behind them in bucket seats set stadium-style.

Frank clapped a hand on the shoulder of the Draconian who sat in the co-pilot seat next to Elly. Ready, Frank Junior?

The bulky being stared hard at Frank with slitted eyes that sat below a thick, furrowed brow line. Though his species didn’t have eyebrows, his displeasure at the nickname was still quite apparent.

"Ah, just checking, Miriam." The Arilion Knight laughed and secured himself in his seat. Frank still reveled at the memory of beating the Draconian in a hand-to-hand, no powers bout and winning the bet.

It was the first time he had taken Vega out on their own. That night, he caught a glimpse of how extraordinary and crazy she could be. Beneath the regality and pomp of being the Empress of a Neeve nation and leader of its army lay an intense, battle hungry woman. He was captivated by it.

Confirmed. Systems are set for departure; only awaiting the coordinates, Miriam reported through sharp teeth.

On it, Elly said as she keyed the location input on the panel in front of them. Looking over her shoulder toward the returned ground team, she asked, What was that about?

Frank told me to train. So while we were on Chesha, I started running again. I remembered that it was something I had been quite adept at in my youth. I figured I’d pick it up again. Turns out, with my Arilion enhancements, I’ve become even faster, Yur’l responded.

"Oh, that’s cool, but I was asking about that." Elly’s fingertips tapped in quick succession over the lit panel in front of her. The viewing screen to the craft recalibrated to show the tribe of Tardigalos up in arms below the departing vessel.

As the ship lifted and pulled away toward the atmosphere of the dusty rose sky, the beings below appeared to be a huddle of red and white worms with flailing arms.

What was that about? Elly clarified.

Oh, that? Right, Frank acknowledged but did not answer.

Major Wolffe here insulted the tribe by decapitating their sacred statue, Raj blurted out.

It was an accident! Frank threw his hands up in exasperation. He shot an accusing glance at Raj and shook his head in disappointment. Listen, they were coming at us and I thought they were going to eat us. Or at the least eat Yur’l. I’m still getting used to this intergalactic, interspecies stuff. Sava said they were more of the savage, aboriginal type on this planet, so I couldn’t be sure. They looked hungry.

How does a creature with only blacks for eyes look hungry? Raj asked.

How dare you judge another species, Lt. Frank feigned offense. I didn’t mean to knock it over. I reacted quickly to save your life and happened to knock over the sculpture. Had it been constructed better, the head would have stayed on.

Yur’l chimed in, And we didn’t want to do any harm in our search for your friend Major Lucy Lopez. An offensive strike would have been too much. I think the shield was a good idea, Frank, in theory. Maybe next time, we’ll consider our surroundings first.

But that would require thinking before acting. Raj joined in the Frank-bashing with a snide jab.

Alright, I get it. It’s a growth opportunity. Why anyone thought it would be a good idea to send me as the leader for these diplomatic emissary trips beats me, Frank complained.

Yeah, you’re not so good with the talking to people and getting to know them first stuff, Elly said. You’re more of a shoot-first-and-ask-what-happened-and-who-did-you-kill-later kind of guy.

Uh, thanks, Elly. Super encouraging. Frank rolled his eyes.

The ship broke through the atmosphere and was now amongst the stars and the vast space between them. The viewscreen adjusted to show a projection of the dark cosmos before them. Bright dots speckled the screen at different sizes with numbers above each projecting the star’s distance. Other debris scattered in the expanse appeared on the screen to help the navigator pilot to their destination safely.

Wow… Frank breathed in wonder. I still can’t believe we get to travel like this.

Yeah. I’ve been a pilot for years and the view doesn’t get old, Miriam chimed in.

Hey, what’s that smell? Elly asked.

Frank looked down at his boot. The bottom rim was caked in a mustard-brown goo. Turned out that wasn’t mud.

Miriam righted the ship and they were prepared for trajectory toward Brytanna, when the beeping came overhead, signaling an incoming appeal. Sava Sargard’s stern, green-scaled face appeared on the bottom left corner of the view screen.

Frank recognized his fierce mentor. Her eye patch and black mohawk told of the battles she had endured saving her planet and people from the Lord of Chaos’s years of attacks.

Sava’s hailing us from Brytanna, Elly alerted the cabin.

Frank tensed.

Wait, before we answer that, let’s get our story straight.

2

You did what?

We were under attack. All of these tall, wiggling… beings with tiny arms were closing in on us at once. I saved the team – without fighting back so as to do no harm like we agreed, Frank explained.

Attack? Frank, that’s their protocol for greeting newcomers. Did you read the brief? Sava was pretty much shouting at this point.

They do what? His confusion punctuated the question in a high tone.

They go in for what Elly Wong calls a ‘group hug’ type of greeting. If the visitor receives them, the Tardigalos will offer an accord. If not, then they will run the visitors out of the village. When you decapitated the sacred idol of their deity, Frank, it is no wonder you felt they were being hostile. Sava did not hold back her irritation.

Raj was right; you have really done it this time, Frank mentally kicked himself.

Did you even read the brief? she asked again.

Yes, well, partly. I skimmed it. That has to count, Frank answered with a classic Frank Wolffe smoldering look, but it held no sway with her. It said they were savage, so I didn’t know if we were just food to them. And the translator was still catching up. It told them we were terrorists; not that we were looking for a terrorist.

It said primitive, not savage. She rubbed the short horns that extended from the top of her forehead with her right claw and closed her good eye in thought.

Oh. It was all Frank could muster at this point. He felt like crap.

He hadn’t wanted to be promoted to major. The vacancy for leadership was the sum of a number of worst-case scenarios adding up: Major Lopez’s death, the near collapse of Brytanna after the demise of the Prime, and an alien invasion in Los Angeles, California that took away General Fox from the Den.

Frank… she began.

I know, he cut her off.

You can’t–

I have to do better. I’ll get better at this. Just like being a Knight and using the power of Will, he attempted to convince her – and himself.

I can’t go with you. I’m still trying to pick up the pieces here on Brytanna. The gaping hole Prime Kirkhoden left when he… She paused. …when he was murdered. We didn’t work this hard to save the planet from the Lord of Chaos to see it implode now. The Draconians need a leader, and right now, I’m all they have. You must not fail, Arilion Knight.

I’ll do my homework for the next planet. So far, we’ve visited four of the six other inhabitable planets here in the Sanctum Galaxy and still no sign of her. Frank changed the topic.

Nothing of Lucy Lopez found on Sparsa or were you unable to discern due to the incident? she asked.

It was evident that we were the first alien beings they’ve seen in a long time. Possibly ever, he clarified.

I see, Sava mused aloud as she walked to the visual board on the wall to their right. It held photos and notes of Major Lucy Lopez, Jarl Balder, Prime Clav Kirkhoden, and the attack.

Names and faces of the Draconians who lost their lives that day were listed down one side: twelve in all. A Draconian woman who had worked at the Office of the Prime since she was quite young; she had served under three Primes. Two whelps visiting for the first time; one had long, black hair and wore a thick braid and the other had glasses with fangs too big for her growing smile. An up and coming leader also stood out among the many long faces of the dead. His slitted lizard-like eyes still held warmth and determination. Arvi Eryk had run back into the building to rescue some of the other workers. He made two rounds before that last area of the building collapsed in on him.

The Prime stood at the top of the list looking as ebullient and determined as the first, and last, time Frank saw him.

Anger buzzed within the Marine. He had to steady his breathing and his mind to prevent the energy from making its way to and through his vambraces. Such tragedy at the hands of someone who had once been a fellow Marine; a sister in arms. The anguish that burned in Frank’s chest was one he had intended to leave far behind when he left the Marines the first time. It had found him once again. The powers of an Arilion Knight didn’t make him immune to this harrowing pain.

We’ll keep searching. Frank rested a hand on Sava’s broad shoulder. He could feel her stiffen.

She’ll pay. As soon as the election is held and the government is stabilized, I’ll find her, Sava half promised herself, half spoke to Frank.

"We’ll bring her to the right justice. She didn’t seem like herself. We don’t know what Jarl did to her. What he told her. Or how she survived the time in space after the airlock incident on the Ryker. And we won’t know until we find her, which I intend to do," he assured his mentor.

For a moment, they both stood there in the barracks headquarters office staring at the details of the tragic incident before them. The room was sparsely furnished: a simple metal table serving as a desk and two aluminum folding chairs were all the furniture included. Even the walls were painted a drab color. The buzzing of the fluorescent light overhead was the only sound that could be heard. Their silence filled the space.

Everything Frank didn’t say about his guilt, his confusion, or righteous indignation over the criminal and debase Jarl Balder filled his thoughts. The helplessness and loss for her leader weighed down Sava. Frank could sense it in her shoulders like