Legacy Of Korr (22 page)

Shara closed her eyes and opened them. “I will try.” She moved her eyes between the two of them before she stopped at Mara. “Where did that optimism come from? I thought you were struggling with your training.”

“With the infiltration, but you should see how strong the Australian soldiers have become in months. They’re almost as powerful as we are. Very impressive.”

The waitress brought their drinks. Mara poured the frothy beer in their glasses, and the three of them drank.

Shara downed half her glass in one go. “On a happier note, they wouldn’t let Alissara into the casino until we showed them the passport General David gave her.”

Mara chuckled. “They thought she wasn’t even twenty-one?”

Shara nodded and they both laughed.  “If only they knew she was almost a thousand years old!”

Alissara glared at the two of them. “It’s not funny.”

*****

May 15, 2031

Dean activated his defensive shield and motioned his guardian—a miniature version of Mara’s silver guardian, the size of a football—to hover in front of him.

“All right boys,” Dean said, facing his four men. “The damn marines stormed the ship with six soldiers last week. Let’s show them we’ll always have their number.”

The guys nodded, but they knew the ship defenses were no joke. Ten enhanced and heavy AI guns on the walls. Dean spent the last month getting his face smashed with telekinesis waves and energy beams. There was a lot of bruising, fainting, training, and getting his face smashed again. He’d break the cycle today.

He had a plan.

“Attack!”

As soon as Mara yelled the word, Dean sprinted forward towards the airship. After a month of training, dents and bumps covered the metal walls, and his body caused some of them. Any second now, he’d see the defense. And he knew what came next.

Dean pushed his guardian forward and up toward the ceiling. Two more guardians followed him to hover above their heads. The remaining two guardians hovered near the ground in front of them. They charged into the hallway.

Dean fired his gun and dropped to the floor on his stomach against the cold metal floor. His team fired their weapons. Their shots exploded on and around the shields of the Australian team and knocked them around. The tight ship space amplified the blasts a hundred folds.

The guardians provided Dean and his team with fire cover. A short window of time to recover and attack again.

This time, the defense evaded the attack and launched a counter attack. In a scene far too familiar, Dean’s body hit against the wall. He dropped to the floor on his stomach. Dean arched in pain. His back hurt, and his abdomen hurt.

“Now,” Dean said.

He toughed it out and pushed through the pain and got to his feet for one last attack. They pushed their hands forward and launched telekinesis waves while their guardians fired laser beams.

In the meantime, Frank, one of his men, sprinted past the defense who were off balance or busy defending themselves. Frank grabbed the flag.

Before he could get out, a defense soldier pushed a wave toward him. Frank ducked down and lunged to the door.

There were too many defense soldiers. Frank wasn’t going to make it. Dean raised his hand. With his remaining power, he pushed a wave between Frank and the defense who stopped for a second. Dean used this window to dash forward until he was between Frank and the defense. He sent one telekinesis wave after another toward the defense team.

As Frank reached the door, the defense retaliated with powerful waves toward Dean, and the AI guns overwhelmed his shield. A wave hit him, and he fainted.

*****

“Well done! You’re raising the bar for everyone, soldiers.”

“It’s what the Seals do,” one of the soldiers said.

“Brag?”

He chuckled. “After we deliver.”

“Unless you want me to send two of you tomorrow against the same defense team, I suggest you go somewhere and recuperate,” Mara said, smiling. This was the results she’d expected a month ago. But today was good, too.

She had Shara to thank for this. Along with her team of scientists, she manufactured the guardians and tied them up to the soldiers’ DNA. Shara had also adopted the Space Random Jumping technology to the human body. It’d make their job easier. But Mara held that one back. It would’ve made infiltration too easy.

Twenty-five thousand enhanced soldiers and counting in the US alone. Once the new set of chairs kicked in, the rate would double. Mara had ten airships on the base for the infiltration training—a tenfold increase from the lone ship she used on the first day.

Shara bore the brunt of the work. She helped build the ships, the guardians, and the weapons and worked on the teleportation process.

“I need to go check on Shara,” Mara said, “David, can you take over, please?”

“Of course,” David turned to the unit. “Replace the defense and prepare the next team.”

Mara hovered into the base and took the elevator down to the underground complex. Minutes later, she watched Shara supervise a large crew in charge of building the battleships.

“You got a minute?”

Shara turned around with a tired smile. “Sure.”

They headed to her office—a small room attached to the facility.

Mara examined her dim eyes and her pale skin for a minute. “How is the production?”

“Twenty ships a week.”

“That’s impressive,” Mara said.

Shara closed her eyes for a second. Enough for Mara to see the gray color of her eyelids. “Thanks, I’m still hopeless on the teleportation front, though.”

“What’s troubling you?”

“My simulations indicate the teleportation energy will liquefy humans' internal organs,” Shara said. “I can’t stabilize their cells at the destination.”

“The ship production, can you delegate it?”

Shara shook her head. “Not entirely, but I can delegate parts of it to the lead engineer.”

“You’re the smartest person I know. If you dedicate your time to the teleportation problem, you’ll find a solution.”

Shara didn’t answer.

Mara waved her hand. “Just for a month.”

“Well, after next month, the engineers here will be self-sufficient.”

“Okay, focus on the ships and the guardians this month, and next month, do nothing but work on the teleportation problem.”

“What if I can’t adjust the technology in time? What if I let you and this world down? We don’t have enough forces to stack battleships and take on the Manakaris in open space.”

Mara switched to Logha, her native tongue and grabbed her sister’s shoulders. “Listen, we’re of Korr. We never give up, and I, for one, am surprised by your attitude on Earth. Shake that helpless, exhausted, and defeated facade.”

Shara didn’t comment.

Mara stared straight into her eyes. “I know you’re tired and overworked, but never forget who you are. You’re a Princess of Korr. Next time you feel down, light your core—whether be it with love, hate, anger, or vengeance—and keep going.”

“I’m trying.”

“I know,” Mara said. “There is an angle we haven’t pursued.”

“What is it?”

“The Last of Korr. We must find them.”

“I thought you didn’t remember.”

Mara shook her head. “I don’t, but maybe mother does. I will leave the training in Alissara’s hands and head to Australia.”

*****

Mara leaned forward and touched her mother’s forehead. She willed her mind to the time when she was a child. When she had landed in Egypt with her mother. Toward the end of her visit.

“I need you to show me the Last of Korr, Mother.”

Mara’s eyelids became heavy. A mild sensation pulsated in her head. Her core calmed down, and her eyes became dim. She closed her eyes and drowned in the Queen’s dream.

Little Mara was in Egypt, and she clung to her mother, Queen Carilia. They were visiting Ahmose’s birth place, Thebes, in Luxor.

King Ahmose pointed at the Nile. “We live on the Eastern Bank and bury our dead in the west.”

“Why?”

The king looked surprised as if he didn’t expect the question from the Queen. He pointed toward the sun. “Aten, the face of Ra. She rises from the east and dies in the west.”

The Queen had fallen silent for a long while. Little Mara touched her staff a few times to get her attention, but it didn’t work.

“I wish to leave one of my vessels in Egypt, Ahmose.”

“For the afterlife?”

The Queen nodded.

Ahmose pointed west. “I know the perfect place, Your Majesty.”

The royal convoy headed west from Thebes—modern day Luxor. In the middle of the Western Desert, the battleships stopped and fired their weapons. The explosions created a large hole in the sand.

A battleship—as big as the Command Ship—hovered forward and landed in the hole. The Korran battleship that contained the Last of Korr.

A flash of light, and she found herself in the Royal Ship.

Little Mara watched through the clear shield. A container ship hovered above the battleship in the sand, and hole opened at the bottom. The ship dumped a massive amount of miniature, gray metal balls.

A soft hand touched her shoulder. She looked up to see Dara, her mother’s advisor. She smiled at Little Mara before she stepped forward and bowed before the Queen.

“Farewell, old friend,” her mother said.

“Take care of yourself, Carilia,” the advisor said, and exited the ship.

The advisor landed above the metal. She moved her staff, and the metal glowed with a bright green light. The small, metal balls spread to cover the battleship and changed color to blend into the yellow sand around it.

By the end, it looked like a normal hill in the middle of the desert. The advisor moved her staff in a circular motion and the sand moved away to form a small hole that swallowed her.

Mara opened her eyes and removed her hand from the Queen’s glowing forehead.

It worked. She remembered.

The Queen, weak as she was, showed Mara what she needed. Now she could retrieve the battleship from Luxor.

*****

May 22, 2031

The large battleship hovered twenty meters above the base of the Third Field Army in the eastern fringes of Cairo. On her last visit to Egypt, Mara came with a grave warning. This time, she came to unearth hope. The Queen’s golden staff in her hand gleamed under the warm sunlight that flooded the airship through the window. Mara needed it to call the battleship.

She gave her head a brisk shake. The staff was glowing in her hand. She took her hands off it. The soldiers headed toward the rear of the battleship. She unbuckled her seat and followed them. From an opening in the bottom of the ship, a hundred armed soldiers in full combat gear jumped down in waves. Not her idea. She didn’t expect resistance, and they were no help against the Korran battleship defenses. As the soldiers’ feet touched the ground, they spread out to cover the area under the ship. Five agents in suits jumped down before Mara and her sisters exited the battleship.

An official Egyptian reception waited for them. Mara led the convoy forward until she reached the President. He stood with the Director of Intelligence between military generals.

“Welcome back,” the President said, smiling, and shook her hand.

“Thank you!”

Once the formalities were out of the way, Mara requested a private meeting with the President, and he agreed.

She sat next to him in one of the large seats. She wasn’t sure if she should sit in the middle or lean toward one side. The Egyptians must’ve thought advancements in science would double their size and decided to be proactive.

“I’m curious,” the President said, “Why you requested to meet with me in private?”

“When I was here with my mother thousands of years ago, we left an insurance policy. A battleship buried in the sand near Luxor.”

The President was alarmed. His eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward in the giant seat. “I don’t understand. We never intended to harm you.”

Mara smiled. “Not against you, an insurance against extinction.”

“And you think it’s still functional?”

“Yes, but it’s not after the battleship.”

“I’m afraid I’m more confused than when we started this meeting.”

Mara grabbed the hem of her cape and tucked it between her thigh and the armrest. “Your old kings buried their belongings, fortunes, and servants with them.”

“Yes, to use it in the afterlife.”

“We’ve done the same thing. We buried the ship here to help us survive in case catastrophe hit Korr. I need to go to the ship location and awaken my people.”

The wrinkled skin on his forehead scowled, and his eyes narrowed. He looked ten-years older. “Luxor has expanded since. Did you bury your ship under the city?”

“My sister, Shara, checked the location. It’s a hundred kilometer west of modern-day Luxor.”

His scowl eased. “I don’t see an issue then. Just do me a favor and excavate it at night. I wouldn’t want to terrify the residents.”

“Okay.”

“Do you need our help?”

“No, I came prepared.”

The President nodded. “Well, I have things that need my attention. But you and your sisters are our guest, and you’re welcome to stay for as long as you want.”

“If everything goes well, we’ll be out of here before sunrise tomorrow. My younger sister will stay behind to visit her friend in Cairo. She will keep a low profile, of course.”

*****

Hours later, Mara sat down by her sisters in a small cafe in Luxor. They drank tea from small, glass cups with miniature handles and smoked Shisha. Alissara wouldn’t stop arguing until her sisters agreed to try it.

The location was a beautiful with the Nile ahead, the Luxor temple behind, and the sunset that soaked the sky with an orange color to the side.

Mara leaned back in her seat. Even though the next hour or two were a crucial part of her preparations, the company, the atmosphere, and the Shisha had her more relaxed than she’d been in a long time.

“Did it change?” Alissara asked.

“What?”

“Luxor.”

Mara glanced at the city and the modern buildings along the banks of the Nile. “Yes, they didn’t have those hotels or tall buildings.”

Alissara grabbed the hose from Shara and inhaled. She closed her eyes in ecstasy, and her lips pressed on the mouth piece. If someone tried to take it away, it’d break her teeth.

“I think you’re becoming an addict, Alissara,” Shara said, smiling. “There is no proof our brains are resistant to nicotine.”

Alissara glared at her and continued smoking. She blew the smoke in Shara’s direction. “Must you ruin everything?”

Shara waved her hand to clear the air. “You need help!”

“Loosen up, Shara. She deserves a break,” Mara said.

“Why am I getting motherly advice from you?”

Mara rolled her eyes, but didn’t comment.

Thousands of years together, and they’d never been as close as they’d become on Earth within months. On Korr, they’d gathered for celebrations or when their mother had forced them to, but now, they spent plenty of time together and enjoyed it.

With the Queen unconscious, Mara had to make sure they were safe. She glanced at her sisters. She wanted to give them a safe, comfortable—not sheltered—life, but it wasn’t going well. Months after they watched their planet explode, they were preparing for yet another war.

They stared at her. The light had left her eyes, and she didn’t notice.

Alissara put the hose on the table. She pushed her seat closer to Mara and leaned toward her. “It’s okay. We want to avenge our world, too.”

Shara nodded. “I’ve never despised anyone or anything as I despise the Manakaris.”

“I want you to know that I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you’re both safe.”

Alissara chuckled. “Safe is boring. Let’s crush some skulls.” She reached for the hose, but Shara beat her to it.

“You’re adopted,” Shara said. She inhaled and breathed out the smoke.

Alissara tried to get the hose, but Shara kept it out of her reach. Every time Alissara reached for it, Shara pulled it back and laughed. For a moment, Mara’s mind drifted away from the inevitable war and the bleak future.

“It’s getting dark. We should head out,” Mara said.

“Can we stay a bit longer?” Alissara asked, eyeballing the hose.

Shara’s eye widened. “I thought you’d run to the ship to see the rest of our people.”

“Don’t guilt me,” Alissara said, grabbed the hose, and smoked. “They’ve waited thousands of years. They can wait ten minutes.”

Mara chuckled. “Shara is right, you are adopted.”

*****

The full moon lit up the desert. Not enough to wash the night away, but enough to make the sand, the cacti, and the mountains glimmer. Nothing moved but the sand as the gentle winds pushed it forward. A nice change after the warm day in Cairo. Mara’s feet sunk in the sand, and her eyes focused on a wide flat hill in the distance.

The ship was buried under the hill. She recalled the intricate defense system, which would tear the American battleship apart.

“Wait here,” Mara said. “If you make any abrupt moves, the defense system will attack you.” She motioned her sisters to follow and hovered forward toward the small hill.

The sand made a hissing sound as it crawled beneath her feet. Mara hovered higher off the ground, making sure not to touch the sand which moved away from her and rolled forward and up the flat hill. It formed a pillar on top of the hill. It became higher and higher as Mara approached. When she reached the pillar, it was ten meters high.

Mara stopped, closed her eyes, and hovered high in front of the giant pillar. She had to prove her legacy.

Her core lit up. The energy flew from the fiery organ into the small vessels until it reached her eyes. Mara kept her eyes closed. The energy squeezed into smaller veins. Her skin glowed. Mara pushed the top of the Queen’s staff. She was ready.

“I’m Mara, Daughter of Carilia,” Mara said, in Logha, and opened her burning eyes. Green flames splattered forward like lava from an overflowing volcano. “I have my sisters Shara and Alissara.”

The sand pillar leaned sideways, then it collapsed to the ground. Two smaller pillar emerged in front of her sisters and swayed as they examined their identity.

The two pillars ahead of her sisters collapsed, and the sand crawled to form a pillar that faced Mara. It grew bigger and leaned forward with its pointy end, a meter away from Mara’s face.

A hole opened in the pillar.

“Welcome, Princess.” The voice came from the hole. It was deep, hoarse, and amplified. “What can I do for you?”

Mara’s eyes burned brighter. The royal advisor is alive. “I call upon your help. Aid me in the war against the Manakaris.”

“You have no right. Your mother lives.”

“The Queen is incapacitated, but I’m the rightful heir to the throne, and I need you to help me or get out of my way.”

Small pillars of sand, coated in a smoldering green color, protruded around the three of them, and a hole opened atop of each pillar.

“Are you threatening me, young Princess? I’ve outlived five generations—”

Rage erupted in Mara and spilt around her. It surrounded her body with a dark-green halo. “The Manakaris destroyed Korr, and my mother is between life and death. I have no time to waste. I need my people. Get out of my way, or I will put an end to your long life.”

“I do not take kindly to threats, even from an heir.”

“This is a final warning, move out of my way, or burn.”

The pillars lengthened and turned to tentacles. They attacked her from every direction.

Mara hovered higher, avoiding their attacks. She delivered one power wave after another. She destroyed them.

The sand rolled forward and formed a large pillar which leaned toward her. She pushed her hands forward delivering a devastating wave that shattered the pillar. The floor of the desert became agitated. Worse than any sandstorm. A hole opened in the ground a few meters ahead, and the royal advisor appeared. An ancient Korran with gray hair, pale skin, and faint, green eyes.

Mara stared at the, now, older advisor.

She hovered toward Mara and examined her for a minute. “When I last saw you, you were fifty. You’ve grown.”

Mara’s eyes and skin stopped glowing. She smiled. “I thought you were dead.”

“Death wishes,” Dara said, and turned her back to Mara and hovered forward.

Mara followed her for a minute before the advisor motioned her to stop.

Dara ascended and waved her hands in a circular motion around her body. The sand crawled away from the area beneath her to expose the battleship—a disk-shaped, gray-looking, giant Korran vessel. Mara, and her sisters landed atop of the battleship.

“Can you awaken them?” Mara asked.

“Yes, but it will take a while.”

“How many?”

“A thousand soldiers, a few officers, and five pilots.”

Mara’s eyes dimmed. They darkened. Her family wasn’t alone anymore. More than a thousand Korran survived. That’s why her mother blocked the memory. The Queen made sure the Manakaris didn’t know about the Last of Korr. Mara shook her head and watched as the guardian pressed the tip of her staff. The ship vibrated for a few seconds before it took off.

Mara’s eyes gleamed. The battleship was working. The guardian landed the ship on the sand, opened a door, and glided through it. She activated the awakening protocol and stepped back.

“What happened?” Dara asked, her smile fading.

Mara told her everything as they waited for the soldiers to awake. Lights came on inside the battleship and disappeared from the old advisor’s eyes. She expected bad news not annihilation.

Mara looked around. Hibernation chambers, housed ten soldiers each, spread around the battleship. In them, the crew lay down in a deep sleep. They were the same age they were when they landed on Earth. The chambers’ doors opened. Light, green gas came out, and within minutes, soldiers aroused. Although dizzy at first, they regained their strength within the hour.

Mara walked the hallways of the battleship. Her eyes dim with nostalgia mixed with euphoria. Her people survived. She spun around to face Alissara who was more emotional.

“Send the US battleship home,” Mara said, “We’ll go back aboard this ship.”

Alissara exited to tell them.

“I assume this will help with your dilemma.”

Shara smiled. “Of course. If we use our people for the ground infiltration, I only have to adjust short-distance warping to human anatomy.”

“And for our people?”

“No adjustment needed. I will roll out the technology. We can start building teleportation chambers tomorrow.”

*****

A few hours later, Mara was in Area 51 before sunset. She landed the large Korran battleship outside the building on the surface. Jessica, the Secretary of State, had flown to Nevada to discuss accommodations and logistics.

The Secretary received Mara with a wide smile. “Congratulations, Mara. I can’t imagine how happy you must be to find the rest of your people.”