Chapter 1
“Lady, I don’t know who you are, how you know my name, or why there’re horns growing out of your head,” Frank said, pushing past the fatigue that reached every inch of his body. His ears were still ringing from the concussion blast. “But I’ve just had one heck of a road trip. You do not want to push me right now.”
The green-scaled alien touched down on the stark cement in front of Frank. Her one good eye looked him over like an apex predator examining its prey. Her dark hair gathered between her horns like a Mohawk before falling behind her head in a thick braid. She wore dark leather vest and pants over her physique, sculpted from endless hours of training.
“You don’t look like much for an Arilion Knight,” she said through snarled lips; her disapproval clear on her face.
“Yeah, well, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” Frank stood up, preparing himself for yet another fight. Even when he stood, he was still a good six inches shorter than the lizard-scaled woman. At least he figured she was a woman by the curve of her hips, waist, and modest bosom. “Well, we going to do this or what?”
“You’re coming with me.” The woman formed a purple shield in her left hand and a set of manacles in the other using her Will. “You have a duty to perform.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Frank could see the other Marines in the room struggling to their feet from heaps and prone positions scattered in the expansive room carved into the dam and canyon. In moments, they would be ready to help.
“I’m not going anywhere except to bed and then maybe to Starbucks.” Frank willed a gauss rifle construct into his hands. He narrowed down the sights at the advancing alien.
“Insolent fool!” The woman charged forward from the gateway. “You will come with me whether you like it or not.”
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Frank opened up with a series of blackish violet rounds that streaked from his rifle toward the approaching alien.
She lifted her shield, blocking the incoming rounds. A sharp “pinging” sound came every time a round struck her shield. She was on top of Frank so fast he didn’t have time to transition to another weapon before she hammered into him with her shield.
Whether it was his lack of sleep, the exhaustion, or she was actually that fast, Frank wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he was being bullied backward by the woman. Her crest shield pressed against his chest. His boots lost traction on the sleek floor beneath him. He was forced to give ground.
With her free clawed hand, the alien latched Frank’s left arm with one of the manacles. The cold purple construct clamped on to his wrist so hard, Frank thought he was going to lose blood flow to the appendage.
Frank constructed the first thing to come to mind at that moment. A laser sword appeared in his right hand. A moment later, he severed the chain holding him prisoner. He created separation by pushing her back, driving his shoulder into her, then placed a boot in the woman’s shield smack in the middle of the winged inlay, forcing her even further back. He traded out his sword for a pair of thin boxing gloves.
“Stubborn, but as an Arilion Knight, I should have guessed as much.” The alien woman allowed her shield to evaporate, also placing purple gloves on her fists. “I approve of your weapons of choice.”
“Frank.” Colonel Breaker’s voice interrupted the battle taking place in the underground chamber. “Give us a clear shot.”
Frank looked over to where the other Marines had gathered themselves, taking up firing positions on the alien. He also knew how powerful this distant visitor was. She could create a force field around her, allowing her to wreak havoc on the Marines while rendering their own weapons useless. Their best chance right now was Frank.
“I’ve got this,” Frank said, bounce-stepping and rolling his head on his shoulder, trying to shake off some of the tension. He extended a hand and beckoned for the alien to approach by waving his fingers forward. “Come on, bring it.”
“You humans are so cocky,” the reptilian woman said, squaring her shoulders, looking down to him, and stomping forward. “If we were not on the same side, I would have already killed you.”
“We’re on the same side?” Frank asked, confused.
There was no reply from the alien warrior as she advanced. What ensued next was a series of strikes Frank and the woman traded that had less to do with technique and more to do with power. Frank gave as good as he was given. A blow to his ribs doubled him over, while a strike across his jaw split his lip.
The combatants traded a torrent of blows with one another in a flurry of purple-blurred wallops. A swing to a gut was answered by a jab to the ribs. Dodge. Slam. Dig. Belt. Frank was certain he broke something inside the alien’s nose when lime-green blood oozed from the slits that were her nostrils. He hammered her with a kidney punch that would have felled an ox. She remained on her feet.
A few moments later, both gladiators stood heaving, examining each other for their next opening. They were like two heavyweight boxers in the ninth round of the match.
“You’re a blunt instrument,” the alien woman said, spitting blood. “But you can be trained.”
“We really need to define our relationship here,” Frank said, wincing as he drew in breath through heaving lungs. “Are we enemies or is this some kind of weird hazing ritual?”
Instead of answering, she feigned with a punch before tackling Frank and driving him to the ground. Pain exploded in Frank’s chest as he was slammed to the cold ground.
He didn’t even attempt to halt the momentum the alien had initiated; Frank went with it as he crashed into the ground and rolled to the left. Leveraging the inertia, he straddled the alien woman, grabbing on to her left arm and wrapping her chest with his legs, nailing her down with an arm bar. His whole body wrapped around her single limb. He forced her elbow and shoulder to their breaking point.
“Enough,” the alien ordered.
Upon her voice command, Frank let go of her appendage without thinking twice. He stood from the ground, wiping at a line of blood that fell down the right corner of his lip.
“My name is Sava Sargard. I am an Arilion Knight and I have come here to take you back to my planet and train you in the way of our order,” Sava said, speaking to everyone but looking only to Frank. “Time is short; the enemy is at our doorstep.”
“You could have started with all of this,” Frank said, shaking his head and already feeling a wave of new bruises forming over his tired torso. Deep within, he knew she was telling the truth. Whether it was his own intuition or the Will he now was able to channel, he wasn’t sure. “You didn’t have to take the nuclear option here. We could have talked about this.”
“Talking rarely gets results. Politicians talk. We are warriors; we act.” Sava lowered her hands. She looked over to the group of Marines that trained their rifles on her and Heron, who looked like he was going to burst with questions. “Lower your weapons, soldiers of Earth. It is not me who you need fear.”
When the Marines kept their gauss rifles and M4A16s pointed at Sava, she turned to Frank for guidance.
“Hey, don’t look at me,” Frank waved off her stare. “I don’t give the orders around here.”
“Hold your fire,” General Fox said as ranks of Marines made way for him to pass through. His steps steady, he strode toward the Knights, not missing a beat. If he was worried about the situation they found themselves in now, he didn’t show it. The weathered Marine stared down Sava with no hint of being intimidated. “I need to know who you are and your intentions. Until then, we look at you down the barrel of our weapons.”
“As I stated, my name is Sava Sargard. I come from a planet called Brytanna, where we have taken the brunt of the Chaos Lord’s blows for too long while you humans and the rest of the universe remain safe in your beds.” Sava bristled, narrowing her eyes. “When I discovered there was another Arilion Knight, I made all haste to come and recruit him. As Arilions, we carry a burden to fight the darkness.”
“I need to know you’re not going to try anything with those purple weapons of yours. You’re lucky none of my Marines were injured during your little performance when you arrived.” General Fox looked up at Sava. Her green and towering frame did nothing to impact the seasoned soldier. Frank got the sense that General Fox had faced the mercenary of death on more than one occasion and stared him down and won. “If you are an ally, then act like one.”
Sava’s upper lip rose in a sneer, but she managed to beat back her anger. She cleared her throat a moment later. “I apologize. If I seem blunt, it would be because there is no time to banter or debate. I needed to know Frank was an Arilion Knight and now I need to take him back to my planet to fight. We may have a chance now that two Arilion Knights have been called.”
Colonel Breaker appeared at the general’s side and whispered something into his ear. The general nodded without saying anything. Instead, he turned back to Sava.
“It appears we all need to get on the same page here,” the general said, turning to Frank. “You have it in you for a briefing? You look dead on your feet.”
“If you have some kind of caffeine stimulant, I can make it,” Frank said, blinking to try and keep his eyes open. “I want to know what this crocodile is talking about too.”
Sava raised her eyebrow at Frank at the mention of her, but it was clear she didn’t understand the term. “If that was an insult, Frank, Arilion Knight or not, you will be paid for your jab in pain.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” Frank said, looking to the general for orders. “Where do you want us?”
Chapter 2
A strange group made up of Marine SpaceCorps One, Heron, Sava, and General Fox all made their way through the Den. The sound of their collected steps echoed in the hall with swift, long movements mixed with tired or short scampering. General Fox took the lead with Colonel Breaker speaking quickly into his ear.
Major Lopez walked with her gauss-powered Punisher GS2000 in her hands behind Sava along with Elly and Raj. Frank strode alongside the major, ready to jump into action if Sava was going to make a play to turn traitor. He knew she wouldn’t. They shared an unseen link that soothed his worries, gave him reassurance.
Sava took long strides with Heron by her side. He double-timed his steps to keep up with her, his feet nearly catching in the long fabric of his robe. The Neeve historian spat out questions as fast as he could get answers. Frank listened in.
“You said you were from Brytanna?” Heron asked. He looked like a child compared to Sava’s muscular six and a half foot frame. “You’re a Draconian, aren’t you?”
“I am,” Sava said without even looking at Heron. “How did you know that?”
“It’s my job to know,” Heron said, skipping along the cement floor. “When were you chosen as an Arilion Knight?”
“I don’t wish to repeat myself, Neeve,” Sava said as the group reached a set of steel doors. “I’ll tell everyone once.”
General Fox placed his hand on a scanner alongside the door. A light hiss sounded as the metal doors slid open. The group entered a room with recessed lights fitted into the ceiling that turned on as soon as they sensed motion.
An oval mahogany table sat in the middle of the sparsely decorated room. A closed media cabinet sat on the left while a map of the known universe hung on the right.
Frank noticed both the general and the colonel kept their hands close to the sidearms resting on their waists. It was clear they were willing to give Sava a chance but not much more than that.
General Fox motioned them to sit.
Frank took a spot between Sava and a wide-eyed Elly. If something were to go down, he wanted to be close to their alien visitor. His weapons were the only ones that would do any good in a fight with her.
“I have more questions than I can count.” General Fox leaned forward in his chair. “Even with Colonel Breaker getting me up to speed. Sava, I can see you’re in a hurry to get back to your world but we’re new to all of this intergalactic travel. I want you to tell me from the beginning who you are and what you need from us.”
Sava licked the green blood that was beginning to dry on her upper lip. The wounds she suffered from Frank in their fight didn’t seem to faze her in the slightest.
“Brytanna, the planet I come from, is on the edge of the known universe. For the last two years, we’ve heard whispers in the night, murmurs of an evil growing in the dark. My people have listened and prepared. Still, we are no match for him alone.” Sava stared down at the table and her shoulders slackened for a moment, for the first time exuding anything save strength. She looked tired, beaten but not broken. “Then, months ago, he came. The Lord of Chaos who was defeated all those years past, it seems he was never killed. He has been growing in strength in the darkness. Now he’s making his move.”
“You were attacked?” Major Lopez pressed for more information. “I mean, your planet was attacked, wasn’t it?”
“Attacked is a polite way of putting it. The Lord of Chaos and his legions are ravaging us. Our numbers are only a fraction of what they once were.” Sava looked up, turning her head to match her yellow eyes with each person sitting at the table. She stopped at Frank. “But as long as a Draconian draws breath, he will never defeat us. We stand despite our thinning numbers and we fight.”
“If I may?” Heron spoke up, pointing to Sava’s vambraces. “When did you discover you were an Arilion Knight?”
“Five years almost to the day,” Sava answered as if she were expecting the question. “I’ve trained religiously, knowing I was chosen for a reason and that reason would soon be revealed. When the Lord of Chaos made his move, I was ready, but… but there are hundreds of thousands of Chaos soldiers, not to mention the power armor they bring and his own personal Blood Guard. I fight day and night, though it is not enough. It is never enough.”
Sava wasn’t looking anyone in the eye now. The muscles under her jawline twinged and jumped with pressure. Frank understood how she must feel, to be powerful but not powerful enough. To be the only one able to wield the power yielded from the vambraces, to fight day after day without end, must have been a lonely burden, and must have wreaked havoc on her chi.
“When the vambraces chose Frank, I knew there was another,” Sava continued her story. “Something I can’t explain called to me. It directed me here through our own sphere.”
“How is it that you speak English?” Elly blurted out like she couldn’t hold in the question any longer. “I know I can understand because of our module, but the general and… I mean, seriously, is no one else thinking that here?”
“The thought passed my mind,” Raj said from his seat, nodding along slowly.
“We have our own internal implants that allow us to hear and speak different languages,” Sava growled as if the question annoyed her. “Now I’ve given you all of your answers. We need to return to Brytanna. The planet is our first best hope of stopping the Chaos Lord’s march on the universe. With another Arilion Knight entering the fight, we can turn the tide of battle.”
Sava closed her mouth with a click of sharp teeth. Her yellow eyes turned to General Fox.
Everyone in the room followed her gaze. The general leaned back in his chair. He had a stern look of his own on his face. He was lost deep in thought. The pointer finger from his right hand tapped a steady beat on the table.
“If everything you’re saying is true, then yes, we’ll help you.” General Fox looked over to Heron. “Heron, I understand we have yet to formally meet but Colonel Breaker tells me you’re a historian of the universe.”
“Yes, that’s right,” the old Neeve said, sitting up straighter in his seat. “I can confirm Sava’s story as far as Brytanna. The planet is indeed found at the edge of the universe. They are a warrior species known for being forthcoming; there is no room for lies or manipulations in the time of battle. Centuries before, the Lord of Chaos emerged with his Legion, reaching toward the rim of the known universe to pick off peoples and grow his following. Where he is from is not known for certain. Some say he was born from hell itself, some say he’s the offspring of two races gone wrong, others think he’s a power-hungry middle child. During the first Chaos War, it was a Draconian who established the Arilion Knights and led the charge into battle.”
“Saber Sargard,” Sava said, nodding toward Heron, appreciating the acknowledgment. “I am his descendent and I will lead as he did to whatever end.”
As much as Frank wanted to stay awake, after a night out spying with Princess Vega, a full day of training, and then fighting through the night once more, the pull for sleep was too strong.
He felt his eyes close and his chin tilt forward. He wasn’t sure how long he was out. It had to be a matter of seconds.
“Frank,” Colonel Breaker called just below a shout. By the way he said Frank’s name, it was clear this was not the first time he had called him. “Frank, wake up.”
“I can still win the spelling bee, advantageous.” Frank jerked his head up, blinking at everyone. “Oh, it wasn’t a dream after all.”
“As you can see, our people have just returned from an off-world visit,” General Fox said, looking to Sava. “We are going to help you but even you can understand that, with no sleep, they’re not going to be any good in a fight. Give us a few days. We’ll go over details and come up with a strategy. I’ll send a unit back with you to your world.”
“A few days?” Sava jumped from her seat, placing her giant hands on the table and shaking her head from side to side. “My people burn and die by the hour–especially with me gone. We must go as soon as possible.”
“I hear you.” General Fox relaxed the grip on the handle of his weapon. Although he had not drawn his Kimber 1911, Frank understood he was less than a quick second away. “Give me a day then. Give us a day to grab some sleep and form a plan. You as a warrior understand the importance of solid tactics.”
Sava licked a thin tongue over her lips as if she were deep in thought. “I agree. One day. Then we depart.”
“Frank, get some rest; you’re depressing me,” General Fox commanded. “Everyone else, I’d like a debriefing report before you go. Then I’ll meet with Heron and Sava, if that is agreeable with you two?”
“Oh, yes I can’t wait,” Heron said, rubbing his hands together. “I’d like to hear all about this coffee Frank keeps talking about. I hope I pronounced that right.”
“Major, show Frank where he can pass out for a few hours and then rejoin us,” General Fox directed the major.
“Of course, sir.” Major Lopez stood from her seat, waiting at the door for Frank to follow.
Frank rose from his seat, only to feel Sava’s vise-like grip on his right arm.
“Rest well; there will be no comfort for you once we engage the Lord of Chaos,” Sava warned with solemn eyes.
“Great, now I’m going to have nightmares.” Frank jerked his arm free. “I’ll see you all on the other side.”
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