Earthman Jack vs. The Ghost Planet (18 page)

“It’s my fault,” she said quietly.

“It’s not,” said Shepherd.

“I brought them to Earth,” said the Princess.  “They came
for me, and they destroyed it.”

“If we do not defeat the Deathlords, no planet is safe,”
said Shepherd.  “Earth was not aware of the threat, but that does not mean they
were ever in any less danger.   Without some way to stop the Deathlords, it
would have only been a matter of time before Earth had been destroyed, along
with every other planet in the universe.”

Anna looked at Shepherd, her eyes glassy with tears.

“
Can
they be stopped?” she asked.  “How do you stop
something with the power to do all this…”

“If you believe they can be stopped, then there is a way,”
said Shepherd.

“Your Paragon Creed does not seem very practical right now,”
Anna sniffled.

“That does not make it any less true,” said Shepherd.  “If
this ship is really the weapon of the Ancients, then we can use it to stop the
Deathlords, and make sure a planet never falls to them again.”

“And if it’s really the weapon of the Ancients,” replied
Anna, “we’re going to need Jack to use it.  And he hates me.”

“This is too important to be entrusted to Jack,” said
Shepherd.  “We’ll find a way around him.  He can’t handle the responsibility
that comes with this ship.”

“And yet, it’s his,” said Anna.  “And after everything he’s
ever known has been stolen from him, can we really take that away, too?”

“We do what we must,” replied Shepherd.  “For the greater
good.”

Anna looked down at her feet sadly.

“He’s the one who asked me to the dance, you know?” she said
quietly.

“The dance?” asked Shepherd, surprised.

“Homecoming,” smiled Anna, as if the memory of it made her
feel better.  “He said if I agreed to go with him, he’d find some way to get
out of his punishment, even if it meant washing the principal’s car for a
year.”

“Jack?” said Shepherd, dumbfounded.  “He… he’s the one?”

“I snuck out to see him.  He took me to have burgers and
milkshakes,” she laughed.  “It was my first date, and the world ends.  Go
figure.”

Shepherd stared at Anna.  He guessed it all made sense.  That
would explain why Jack was with her when he found them at school.  But in all
honesty, out of all the boys she had to choose from, Jack was the last person
he would have thought Anna would actually care for.

“You… like him?” asked Shepherd.

Anna sighed.  “It doesn’t matter anymore,” she said.  “He’ll
never forgive me for what happened.”

Shepherd took a moment to think about Jack.  He had always
been a difficult Earthman to deal with.  He was insolent, stubborn, and refused
to change his ways, no matter how hard Shepherd was on him.  But he had also
begun to see the good things about the boy, too.  Despite it all, he had
managed to keep Anna safe from the Deathlords.  He had unlocked an Ancient
temple, learned to fly a space ship, and successfully fought off wave after
wave of Deathlord starfighters – something most trained fighter pilots in the
Imperial Space Fleet may not have been able to have done.

Suddenly, Shepherd knew what Anna saw in him.  For a man – a
boy of 15 even – to accomplish all that, especially in one day, was quite a
feat.  Perhaps his dealings with Jack in school had blinded him to the boy’s
potential.  He had always known there was more to Jack than just being some
troublemaker, but his thoughts had never gone much further than a casual
interest in some alien boy on a foreign world.

Now he could see things had changed.  Shepherd looked at the
remains of Earth floating in space and remembered his own experience years
ago.  Those events had changed him and had made him what he was.  Perhaps, with
the right guidance… Jack could do the same.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Princess,” said Shepherd.  “Jack’s
just lost everything he has ever known.  He’s upset, angry, and confused.  He
did not mean what he said.”

“That does not make it any less true,” said Anna.

“Whether he likes it or not, our quest has become his now,”
said Shepherd.  “He will rise to the occasion, no matter what he told you.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because, I know Jack,” said Shepherd.  “The boy doesn’t
back down.  He’s young and inexperienced, but at his heart he’s a fighter.  And
when he comes around, he will do anything he can to aid us against our enemy.”

“And you really believe that?” asked Anna.

“I do,” said Shepherd.

Anna smiled.  “Then it must be true,” she said.  “Now we
just need Jack to believe it.”

“Don’t worry,” said Shepherd.  “I’ll take care of that.”

"Don't cry sweetie," she had told
him.  "You don't need to cry."

Jack could remember it so clearly in
his mind’s eye; it was as if a movie projector were playing, throwing its
bright image onto the wall in front of him.  He’d been in third grade, and
Jesse Walton had made fun of him during recess for not having a dad.  Jack had
pounced on the kid, arms flailing with reckless abandon before Mrs. Kellog had
dragged him off, sending Jack to the principal’s office and Jesse to the nurse.

They’d called Jack’s mom to take him out of school for the
day. She’d had to leave work early to come get him and to explain the situation
at home to the principal.  The entire car ride back to Eagle Hill, Jack’s
mother had screamed and lectured him about fighting at school and about how the
last thing she needed right now was for Jack to get into trouble while she was
working.  But he didn’t care.  He just stared out the window sullenly until the
car ride was over.

No sooner had they pulled up to their trailer than Jack had hopped
out and had run inside to his room, slamming the door shut.  His mother had
called after him, but Jack had been too angry to hear her.  He’d ripped the
sheets off the bed and had attacked them, crumpling them up into a tangled mess
and throwing them against the wall with as loud of a scream as he could muster,
punching and kicking his mattress until he had collapsed, exhausted, on top of
it.

Then, finally, he had started crying.

It was then when his mom had quietly opened the door to his
room and had sat down beside him.  She had placed a hand gently on his back,
but Jack had turned away from her, anger and resentment still roiling inside
him.  Then, her hand had found its way to his head, where his mother had gingerly
stroked his tussled brown hair.

"Don't cry sweetie," she had said.  "You
don't need to cry."

“Go away,” he’d answered.  “Leave me alone.”

His mother hadn’t though.  She had sat by Jack’s side,
continuing to stroke his hair, calming him as she did so.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” she’d said.  “Do you want to
talk about why you beat up on that kid?”

Jack had turned to look up at his mother.  She had long
brown hair, which fell down around her shoulders in wavy curls.  Her eyes were
large and kind, colored green with specks of gold, and she had the largest,
warmest smile Jack could remember anyone ever having.  When he had looked at
her, the turmoil inside him had subsided.

“He told everyone not to play with me,” Jack had mumbled.

“And why did he do that?”

“He said dads don’t like me, and if anyone played with me,
their dads would leave, too, so if they loved their dads, they shouldn’t play
with me.”

His mother’s smile had drawn into a tight line as her brow had
furrowed.

“What a little jerk,” she’d said.

“That’s why I hit him.”

Jack’s mom had sighed and nodded.  “I’m not saying he didn’t
deserve it,” she’d said.  “But you can’t go around beating up kids who make fun
of daddy not being around.”

“Why not?”

“Lots of reasons, sweetie,” she had replied.  “But most of
all, your dad wouldn’t want you to.  He’s a good man, who likes to help
people.  He has always done the right thing, no matter what, and he would want
you to do the same thing.  No matter how bad the kids at school tease you about
him being gone, just know that wherever he is, he loves you so very, very
much.  So whatever anyone says to hurt your feelings, it can’t be true, because
the only one who loves you more than your dad is me.”

Jack had sat up and had looked at his mom.

“Then why'd he leave?” Jack had asked.

His mom had looked at him sadly.  “I don't know,” she’d
replied.  “It’s… complicated.”

“Did... did he not like me or something?”

“Oh, sweetie, no,” she’d said immediately.  “Your father
loved you, very much.  You meant the world to him.”

“Then why isn't he here?” Jack had asked again, unable to
keep tears from pooling in his eyes.

Absent an answer, Jack's mom had reached out, taking him in
her arms and hugging him close.  Emotion had washed over him like a tidal wave
as he had cried into her shoulder.  She had rocked him back and forth gently,
stroking his hair to comfort him.  He had held onto her tightly, his body
shaking with his sobs.  Eventually, once the tears had run their course, he had
pulled back.

Somehow, somewhere – as if by the magic of simply being a
mom – his mother had gotten hold of a clean tissue.  She had used it to dab at
his tears and to wipe his nose clean.  When he had looked at her, she had smiled,
her eyes filled with a love and kindness so powerful, it had driven away the
sadness that had overcome him.

“Jack,” she had said, “sometimes, bad things happen, even to
good people who don't deserve it.  I wish, more than anything, that I could
protect you from every bad thing that could ever happen to you in life, but…
there will come a time, many times in fact, when you'll have to deal with bad things
that are sad and painful.”

“Why?” Jack had asked.

“That's just the way life is.”

“Life sucks,” he had grumbled.

His mom had laughed.  “Sometimes,” she’d replied.  “But not
always.  There will be good things that happen to you, too.  You just can't allow
the bad things to take over.”

“How do you do that?”

“You fight back!” she’d said, playfully poking his stomach. 
“Not by punching people, or yelling and screaming, but by finding things that
make your life better and holding onto them.  Like friends and family.”

“But… but what if you don't have any friends?”

“You make new ones,” his mom had replied, smiling.  “There
are always people out there willing to be your friend.”

“And what if you don't have any family?”

His mom had been quiet for a moment before answering.  “Family
is what you make of it.  You don't have to be related to people for them to be
family.  They just need to love you, and you just need to love them back.  It’s
that simple.”

“But what if… what if no one loves me?”

Jack's mom had cupped his chin with her hand and had looked
into his eyes.  “Hey,” she’d said, “as long as I'm around, someone will always
love you.  And you'll always love me, right?”

Jack had nodded.  His mom had kissed his forehead and had hugged
him tightly.

“Then don't worry about it kiddo,” she'd said.  “As long as
we've got each other, no matter what happens, we'll be okay.”

It was then the projector in Jack’s mind stopped, the images
in his mind’s eye snapping away like a broken filmstrip.  He hugged himself
tight, as if to hold on to the ghost of that embrace his mother had given him,
to keep the memory from fading.  He could feel more tears escape his eyes,
their touch strangely cool against his flushed cheeks.  He took a deep breath,
shaky with emotion, as a sob threatened to escape.

His mom had always been there for him.  She had always known
what to do and how to make him feel better, even if things had seemed
hopeless.  But now she was gone, and his whole world – literally – was gone
with her.

No more comforting hugs.  No more knowing smiles.  No more words
of wisdom.  Jack had lost her.  He’d lost his friends.  He’d lost everything
he’d ever known.

And if that were the case, would Jack ever be okay again? 
Who would look after him?  Who would protect him?  Who would love him?

Then, the door to the empty storage room hissed open, and
there in the doorway, clad in his brilliant blue and white armor was Shepherd -
standing tall and proud, like a knight from some fairy tale.

The sight instantly made Jack sick to his stomach.

“Have you finished crying?” Shepherd asked.

Jack glared at him.  “Go away,” he said sullenly.

“I need to talk to you,” said Shepherd.

“Go. Away.”

Shepherd stepped into the room and took a knee in front of
Jack.

“I’m going to show you something,” he said.  “All you need
to do is watch and listen.  Then I’ll leave you alone.”

Jack scowled at Shepherd.  “I don’t need to do anything you
say anymore,” said Jack.  “School’s out.  It got blown up.  Or did you already
forget?  You’re no longer my teacher.”

“You’re wrong,” said Shepherd.  “Your education has just
begun.”

Shepherd held out his hand, and an orb of light created by
the gauntlet of his armor appeared hovering over it.  Inside the orb Jack could
see images of a planet.  It wasn’t Earth, though.  There were fields of pale
golden grass, with majestic bone-white trees, covered with red, yellow, and
orange leaves.  There were massive purple mountains, a golden sky with a red
sun, and huge buildings made of stone and brick. Strange animals walked around. 
People were mingling, buying groceries, laughing, dating, playing, and going to
work.  Vehicles, which looked sort of like cars, hovered around in the air, and
huge spaceships flew in from the atmosphere and landed in gigantic spaceports.

At the center of it all was a palace, made of what looked to
be gold, shimmering in the sunlight.  It was huge and majestic, the size of a
city in and of itself.  It had gigantic towers waving crimson flags emblazoned with
two golden orbs, one within the other, radiating stripes of gold across the
flag. At the center of the palace stood a massive pyramid, flat at the top,
just like the temple at the center of the Earth.

Jack gazed at the images in the orb, transfixed.  “What is
that?” he asked.

“Regalus Prime,” said Shepherd.  “The seat of the Galactic
Regalus Empire.  My home planet, and Anna’s.”

“It’s beautiful,” said Jack bitterly.

“It was,” said Shepherd sadly.  “Before the Deathlords
came.”

The images in the orb changed.  Now, entire cities were on
fire.  People were screaming and dying as Deathlord shards flew overhead,
raining blaster-fire down upon them.  Above the planet, the Deathlord
motherships surrounded it just like they had Earth.  There was a gigantic space
battle raging, with huge spaceships firing on the Deathlords.

Suddenly, the Deathlord motherships opened fire, sending
pillars of white energy down to the planet.  And just like Earth, it exploded
in a terrible fury, taking out almost all the defending spaceships with it.

Jack’s heart skipped a beat.

“My God,” he whispered.

“You see, Jack,” said Shepherd.  “The Princess and I know
exactly what you’re going through… because it happened to us, as well.”

The orb disappeared, and Shepherd lowered his hand.  “Anna
lost her entire family that day,” he said.  “Her father, her mother, her
brothers… the entire royal bloodline was almost completely wiped out.  I lost a
great many things as well, my wife, for one.  And we both watched it happen in
the same manner you did.”

“I… I didn’t know,” said Jack.

“There is much you don’t know,” said Shepherd.  “But one
thing you should know, above all else, is the severity of the threat the
Deathlords pose to all life in the universe.”

Jack nodded.  He definitely knew that now.

“How many?” asked Jack.  “How many planets have they done
this to?”

“Dozens,” said Shepherd.  “Entire civilizations have been
wiped out, species driven to extinction overnight, cultures lost forever.  And
they keep doing it, and will continue to do it, until they are stopped.”

Jack rubbed his head.  His injuries from the explosion were
starting to ache, and he felt very tired.

“I’m sorry your planet was destroyed,” Jack said.  “But
Earth was my home.  It can never be replaced, even if the Deathlords are
stopped, so what does it matter anymore?  Everything I ever knew is gone.”

“It matters,” said Shepherd forcefully.  “And though Earth
was important to you, I need you to understand our current situation.  Regalus
Prime was the first planet the Deathlords claimed, and the most devastating.  It
was the center of the universe for those in the Empire, which spans many star
systems.  It was the seat of our government, the galaxy’s financial center, and
its cultural hub.  More Ancient relics existed there than on any other known
planet.  And the royal family, direct descendants of the Ancients, were the
only ones able to use them.  They unlocked incredible technology that would
have taken our civilization thousands of years to develop on its own. 
Hyperspace travel, teleportation, nanotechnology, matter replication… they were
all taken from the technology of the Ancients.  And with that, we were able to
visit different planets and to bring different civilizations peacefully into what
became the Regalus Empire.  Trade flourished.  Cultures were shared and
enriched.  New advancements in technology were made… all thanks to the royal
family of Regalus Prime.”

“So what happened?” asked Jack.  “I mean, if you had all
this Ancient stuff, why couldn’t you use it to stop the Deathlords?”

“Because we were not aware of them and the threat they posed
until they attacked,” explained Shepherd.  “There had been rumors from the
fringe of the Empire that an alien armada had been sighted here and there, but
nothing concrete enough to raise any alarm.  Besides, Regalus Prime was
protected by the strongest space fleet known to man deep inside friendly space. 
Our military was second to none.  We all believed our fleet was practically
invincible, and no one would ever be able to attack our planet.  Until the day
the Deathlords appeared from hyperspace.  Somehow, they had slipped past our
checkpoints and sensors.  They came to us, just as they did to Earth, with a
fleet of Planetkillers.  Their shards swarmed our defenses, allowing them to
get into position.  We had no idea who they were and what they were capable of
until it was too late.”

“How did you survive?” asked Jack.  “How did Anna?”

Shepherd sighed and looked down sadly, as though it pained
him to talk about it.