Genesis - the Battle Within (Pillars of Creation Book 1) (18 page)

Way above the unknown planet’s atmosphere, and high above orbit, Lieutenant Colonel Geth Rotas saw the blue glow burst from the cloud cover over the planet’s surface. She was flying away from the frigate that had just imploded from their assault and Rotas, well-seasoned in war, immediately recognised this new glow as some kind of ballistic explosion, coming right from where they were headed next. This was soon confirmed by her radar’s data-spike, which reported massive seismic activity playing upon the planet’s surface.

“Of course …” she muttered, “the Skinks have explosives rigged … and big ones too by the looks.” The cabin fell quiet as the thrum of the engines reverberated calmly around her.

Yes, this next mission would draw her even closer to retirement, immortality or death; and from what she’d heard from
Aspire
– their ship of operations – the latter was the most likely. From what little had been divulged to her, she gathered her next mission was akin to a drunken story from a SED veteran.

Sure no problem – secure a heavily fortified Temple of the Sacred with only a few squads and absolutely no Intel or outposts, yeah sure no problem, sign us up for the usual bullshit sir,
she thought with characteristic dry sarcasm. Rotas felt her pulse quickening; the Temples of the Sacred were the most important places of human history – past, present and future. And soon this planet would be the focal point of an entire galaxy … including the parts of the galaxy she didn’t want to know about. She tried hard to ignore these niggling doubts and remain on task. She busied herself as she continued piloting the small assault craft back to the docking bay, aiming to re-join her wearied men to their frigate.

Rotas turned her head, regretting it almost immediately as she glimpsed the five empty seats of those who’d never made it back from the Skink’s ship. She sighed as she punched in the co-ordinates, steering them straight towards their place of origin. She knew she wouldn’t be docking for long; they were to prepare and somehow be ready for their next suicidal mission on their newly found planet within a short time. Rotas shook her head
in dismay, she wondered how many more empty seats she would have then.

She’d served for a long time and seen a lot of good commanding officers come and go – but unfortunately Admiral Antipatros wasn’t one of them. The shit they were being signed up for lately was risky, and she knew it had Antipatros written all over it. Rotas had lost enough of her men to him already and was over his sooka, and insensibility.

She’d never wanted to be on the admiral’s ship in the first place, but she’d had little choice when they’d gotten the command from HQ. And now she was stuck serving under a prick who thought he could take on the whole universe, all on his own. Rotas clenched her teeth and cursed Antipatros under her breath.

Still irritated, she glanced back at her men again. With their visors up she could see they were tired and needed rest; she wasn’t sure how to break it to them that they’d be going straight back out again, but thought she’d give them just a little more time first.

Although she’d never admit it, Rotas felt for her men, and she knew they respected her in return – they were loyal to the last. Rotas took slight comfort in this and turned back to watch her screens.

Her squad, Delta 1 of the 707
th
Seara Infantry, consisted of only four marines and her as their leader, as per the code of all infantry combat squads. A good unit that worked well together, they were efficient at killing the Skinks and all other enemies threatening the SED. In total, her home planet of Seara consisted of over 12,000 squads like this, including the twenty special op forces, which was what her squad belonged to. Her SOF teams were widely known and feared for their reputed ferocity and skill in battle, which had downed so many enemies that even she struggled to count.

Of course this reputation wasn’t
all
their own doing, it also came from their stealthy affiliation with the Immortals, who they served on numerous occasions in combat missions and training exercises. All the same, they’d earned their stripes well and truly. Yet even so, she couldn’t question the command of pricks like Antipatros … her SOF teams – though highly ranked and the Immortals’ personal elite guard – still had to answer to HQ and the higher ranking officials as per colonial codes.

The training manual flicked once more to mind at this thought, and Rotas mockingly recalled it, further venting her annoyance.

As decreed by Earth’s religious Elders’ law, and pertaining to the SINAI, every squad unit enlisted must uphold the protection of SED’s peoples, colonies, space, water and earth, and in so doing, whichever planet a people originates from, that member has commissioned ties too. Thus from this decree we must uphold all chains of command to protect the attributed worlds of origin, and primarily, the planet whence we came – Earth.

Rotas snorted. She knew this code was why all his Delta forces were enlisted from her own home planet of Seara, and was what was annoying her about today’s losses. Their mandatory duty was commissioned primarily over Seara, and for them to be playing babysitter to Antipatros was almost an insult. They
should
be back home and not having to leave their watch over their beloved planet to other forces just to run this fool’s errand.

Rotas was relieved though, that she was able to choose her own men for this tour with Antipatros… even if she’d to pull a few strings to make it happen. She would’ve flatly refused if her regular squad had been left behind.

Ace, West, Phoenix and Stiggs were well-seasoned members of Seara’s Marine Corps, like her … and so far, due to a combination of luck and skill, with probably more of the former than each would like to admit, they had been together for over five years, other than Stiggs, who joined them just shy of a year ago … although a fool, and annoyingly young, he was still a valued member and eager as any to get into the fight and kill some Skink scum.

Five years …
what a long time that felt like
, Rotas reflected thoughtfully. She knew that, this close to the Outer Rims, five years together was an almost impossible feat for any squad. And she knew for a fact that they had been lucky to stay alive this long. But if Antipatros kept up his insanity, she also knew soon one or all of them would fall. The casualty rate out here was bad enough, even without the help of terrible leadership, out here mistakes meant death, and they’d seen enough to know Antipatros was no pacifist when it came to making those.

Over the years they’d toured out here, they’d battled with Skinks, fanatics, pirates, rogue militia, smugglers, terrorists, and bounty-hunter scum. Seara was unfortunately closest to these dangers, being so distant from Earth, and therefore it was their privilege of meeting these delightful sooka’s first.

Rotas and her men deserved better than Antipatros; Rotas had let this be known often, and was likely why Antipatros was first to call upon her squad when he needed such jobs done. It angered Rotas, enough for her to file every form of complaint she could. She couldn’t just stand by and watch her squads burn … not after the work she’d put into them. These men and women had to be the best troops the SED had on offer. Seara’s troops were the first called upon to strike against any threats destined for Earth’s main colonies, and only the elite joined their Delta squads … if you weren’t the best then it was a death warrant to come this far out. Despite Antipatros and HQ, she would do all in her power to keep them breathing.

Rotas knew they kept the sector protected and safe from many of Terithian enemies. They were as hard as they came; sadly, the weak fell, yet the strong were cast from the fear of falling, constructing them as lethal warriors who fiercely protected their beloved home and planet.

Her musings were interrupted as she accelerated, navigating towards the fast-approaching docking bay doors. Words from the training manual again reminded her of what she’d need to ready her troops for.

All SED space and colony worlds must be protected, so as each may have peace and unity. However, when called upon by Earth, all and any Terithian unit must come to her aid …

This was why she was now millions of kilometres from her beloved planet and jurisdiction. This was why she suffered the carelessness of the admiral … it was not for the ambitions Antipatros so often desired, but for her beloved home world, her people and her brothers in arms.

Rotas cycled the final navigation as her ship was enveloped by their larger vessel,
Aspire
.

63 years earlier

Genesis walked briskly towards the Chamber of Elders. This was an amazing day for him – not only was he to be told why he had such difficulty using his Rieft manipulation, he was also to be acknowledged as an Immortal and at last given the second infusion of his nano-interface.
Finally
, he would get his procedures to add his Mk 6 Apocalypse armour to his DNA and body.
Finally
, he would be a true Immortal …
If only you hadn’t left me Master Zeal, you would be proud of your student,
he thought bleakly. Genesis would finally be finished, he would have time to pursue ways to recover his master and, his mood lifting to almost euphoric heights, he felt little of his normal depression at his recent futility in this matter.

The last Genesis had seen of his master was the fateful day when Zeal had pushed him into the Sacred training grounds ten years prior. Genesis had emerged almost dead from his trial but somehow he’d managed to connect to a small vestige of his Rieft abilities and survived.

The realisation of his master’s disappearance still pained him greatly. When he’d recovered weeks later, he’d found that Zeal had disappeared along with the many others inside the portal.

They were now sealed off from him, trapped and gone. His master would never know that his weak student had finally become what he’d always wanted for him, Immortal—

Genesis arrived at the main door to the Chamber of Elders where Sladdent, the head servant, ushered him forward. He’d only been before the Elders a few times and as before, he immediately felt their probing presence assessing him in explicit detail as he approached. Genesis halted as the voices of the joint entity spoke, and each Elder propelled forward on the cerebral attachments that fixed them permanently into the SINAI facility.

“Stand still Immortal, you move too impatiently for us to see you properly.”

Genesis knew they didn’t mean physical sight; they were looking through him, searching for information and knowledge, and sorting through his feelings like he was transparent. Before he could speak the joint voices cut in sharply.

“Quiet. You need not speak yet Immortal, we have already come to our decision and we already know what we need to say to you.” Genesis nearly spoke after another seemingly agonisingly long pause from the Elders, but this time, decided to wait for them.

“You will be pleased to know that you will be made Immortal, young child of our creation. As soon as we have finished with you today, Sladdent will take you to the Chambers of Lazareth and your final procedure into immortality will be complete. Your mind will be joined with its new, religious personality … if you survive that is.”

Again before Genesis could reply, they continued.

“Do not rejoice yet … we have decided you will still remain as you are and not be trained for a Divine Wielder, especially in light of Zeal’s absence and some more recent … developments. It seems you truly do have a Rieft blockage of some kind and the cause for this means it is not safe for us to continue your path for now. For this reason, we can only tell you
some
of what stretches before your path.

“It is pertinent that you abandon the techniques taught to you by your previous Sovereign, you must abandon your shadow talents and step forward into the light, Zeal’s ways must stop. This may just allow you, over time, to heal and become renewed enough to equate to a real Immortal. For we have seen, young Genesis, that your bio-signature points somewhat to the signs of a Reborn – but be assured in our knowledge and assessment of you, that you are not.

“On this, we are divided, your former master thought you may break past your inner constraints and could someday prove to be this one. But he is wrong, although we agree you could attain Reborn status, too much would need … correcting … for this to come about. We see you would be killed in the process of such reckless correction.

“True, as Zeal foresaw your weakness within the Rieft has a cause, but for your safety a new course of training must be chosen, you will study in the fashion of all other traditional Wielders, and therefore your training will begin again. You will accept your new master and Sovereign as soon as you have finished your surgery and healed from the infusion, which will leave you in stasis and takes nearly a decade to complete, as you well know. After your sleep, he will show you the teachings a
real
Immortal must know for enlightenment, for battle, judicator, ministry and practice. He will reform you so you are well again. You will never be as strong as the true Immortals and Rieft users, but at least this way you may survive as one of us and become a good aid to the others.

“Zeal disobeyed and left, so he has chosen exile and therefore his ways must depart as well.” The Elders retreated, now done with the matter and speaking only as they departed, “You are dismissed Genesis.”

Genesis stood still, shaking in silent rage. With every layer of control he’d been taught he managed a calm response. The answer felt foreign and wrong as it almost hurt him to reply.

“Yes my Lords, I will obey your wish and command,” he dropped his head in defeat and submission as they paused briefly for what looked to him like deliberation. They surprisingly turned sharply in unison towards him.

“Of course you will child … but there is one more thing.”

Genesis raised his face slightly, “Yes my Lords?”

“Your strange affinity with darkness may tempt you for some other tasks, later in your path. When the time comes, and it will come, you must swear that you will uphold our ways and destroy all and any that are affiliates of the Dark Ones. Swear it now, on your life and on the Sacred, and should you not complete this oath then on your word we will hold you for heresy … What say you?”

Genesis was completely stunned by the request, as he had already pledged himself to the Way of the Sacred codes, years ago, which stated the same rules for encountering Stygian. His response was accordingly short, “Of course I swear it my Lords; when or if I find a Stygian I will do all in my power to stop this creature. But may I ask why—”

The Elders cut him off, “That will be all Genesis.” He was not permitted to speak further, so he turned angrily, desperate to defend not only himself, but his master’s teachings, from the Elders’ comments. But he knew the Elders could hear his inner thoughts. He would obey, but he would not abandon himself or his master’s way; he couldn’t, not entirely … damned becoming a Divine …

Genesis stormed off, filled with anger and conflict as he headed straight towards the Chamber of Infusion and Lazareth. It wasn’t how the Elders could be so forthright that bothered him, he was used to that, it was how they expected him to renounce his only relationship – his master – that ate at his very core belief of the Order.
Could I break my promise to Zeal, the only being I’ve ever trusted?

¥

Back in the darkened chamber, the Elders watched as Genesis left. As one they echoed their joint minds’ voice throughout the empty hall, “His conflict is clear, but it is best he does not know what he is. Look at what happened to his master, and look at what enduring evil befouled us before. The boy will likely not make it anyway, he is weak and he will have insurmountable obstacles that he will not be powerful enough to overcome … we all see it. But still he must never know. Not now, not ever … ”