War for Orion: Ghosts from the Past (43 page)

"We've found the base Adira!" Anlon told
her.

The Queen's facial expression seemed bleak
despite the good news. "That's great, but there are some disturbing
new developments."

"Is Kanti okay? Did something happen to
her?"

"No, nothing happened to her as far as I
know," Adira waved her hands. "Different developments. More
disturbing developments."

"What are you talking about?"

"Jahdiel, who I wrongly outcast many years
ago, has returned back through the Black Hole," Anlon was silent,
unsure of what to ask, so the Queen continued. "She brought back an
ancient race called Crodillians. They had a long and violent
history in Orion before being outcast to the Black Hole where they
were supposed to die."

"How did they get back here if they went
through the Black Hole? I've never heard of anyone traveling back
through."

"I don't know, that's something we haven't
been able to answer. They must have invented some kind of
technology that allows them to travel back through, but no one in
Orion has even come close to inventing that kind of technology. No
scientist I have talked to even thought that this was a
possibility. They were all as dumbstruck as you and I when I told
them it had happened."

"What do they want?" he asked, afraid to hear
the answer.

"They're going to kill me and take over
Orion."

"Is there anything I can do?" Anlon offered.
"We may be able to get intel or something on them that could help
you."

"No. There is nothing that you can do. Get
off Erebos now. They are close to you right now," she ordered.
"They have already destroyed an entire fleet. Orion is now at war
with the Crodillians and I need you to keep Kanti safe, now more
than ever because I don't know what the outcome of this war will
be."

"I won't let you down," Anlon promised.

"I know you won't," she smiled. "You and
Kanti may be the last hope for Orion if this war doesn't go as
planned."

Falcone looked over to Anlon, sensing that
something was wrong. "What'd the Queen tell you Anlon?"
He looked to Nimesha and Falcone. "There is a new enemy trying to
kill Adira and take over Orion. Or an old one, but they're back
from exile and no one currently alive has ever confronted
them."

"What are you talking about?" Nimesha asked.
"Who's back from exile?"
"The Queen exiled a woman named Jahdiel to the Black Hole by
mistake because Kirill set the her up to make it look like she was
trying to kill Adira," he said "The Black Hole is supposed to be a
sure death, not exile, but that's what it seems to be now."

"I'm still lost," Falcone rubbed his head.
"You're not making any sense."

"Jahdiel traveled back through the Black Hole
with an ancient race, that was also exiled centuries ago for trying
to take over Orion, and they've have come back with only one thing
in mind. Kill Adira and take over Orion."

"How were they able to come back?" Nimesha
asked.

"No one knows how they traveled back through,
but that's what scares them even more. Their technology appears
much more advanced than anything that we have."

"This isn't good," Falcone replied. "We can't
defeat an enemy we know nothing about."
"Thank you for stating the obvious," Anlon said. "They have already
taken out one of the Queen's fleets too."

"What are we going to do?" Nimesha asked. "We
can't just stand around and do nothing."

"Right now, get off Erebos as fast as we can.
Adira says they are close by and she doesn't want us to be here in
case they decide to make a stop on the way to Hera."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Falcone headed
towards Nimesha's glider bike. "I'm going to be as far away from
them as possible."

Anlon and Nimesha followed him. "We need to
get to Nesoi. The Queen still wants me to protect Kanti. She thinks
that Hera may be overtaken soon and Kanti is next in line for the
Throne."

Falcone looked to Nimesha. "I don't think you
should be coming to where we hid the Queen's daughter."

"She's coming," Anlon told him. "We have a
new enemy to face. One that wants to wipe out Orion as we know it.
I'm sure that Nimesha is on our side now, even if she wasn't
before."

Nimesha nodded. "You have offered me
friendship and forgiveness. That is more than Kirill has ever given
me. He gave me a place to stay when I was alone and dying, but
never gave me friendship. He isolated me from others and used me. I
can't make you trust me, but I can ask," she said. "Just know that
I
can
help you guys, I'm good at this stuff. It'll be the
first time I've done something good in a very long time."

Falcone snorted. "You still has to prove it
to me. Until then, I'm watching every move you make."

They all squished together on the glider bike
and sped back to the spaceport. Anlon had a feeling that there
wouldn't be too much commotion, this was a planet full of
criminals. Why would they care if more criminals wanted to take
over Orion? To his surprise the entire city was in chaos when they
boarded
Drakos Mavros
.

"Next stop, Nesoi," Falcone lifted the ship
quickly off Erebos, leaving it far behind them.

The Queen stood in front of a room full of
commanders of all ranks. None of them had ever proven themselves in
war because Orion had been at peace her entire reign. Orion hadn't
seen war in over a hundred years, so none of these commanders were
truly
ready, but it's all she had.

"We have a new enemy that has threatened the
safety of Orion," she spoke loudly. "An enemy that was outcast
centuries ago by our ancestors. They are called Crodillians. Most
of you don't know who the Crodillians are, neither did I at first,
so that's why I am ordering you to read up on them. Get to know
your enemy before you face them in war. You can find books already
laid out in the library for you to read," She looked around the
room to see all of the commanders staring intently. "They are
extremely dangerous and have far greater technology than we have
ever seen or imagined. They have traveled back through the Black
Hole and have destroyed an entire fleet sent for negotiation in the
blink of an eye. It is clear they have returned for only one
reason. To destroy Orion."

Gasps and whispers erupted around the room
and Adira held her hands up to try and quiet them down. It took
several minutes, but she waited until the room was completely
silent to continue.

"They were originally outcast for trying to
take over Orion, as they have come back to do. The few history
recordings we have on them show that they are ruthless and barely
lost the last war they fought. Unfortunately, there is nothing
recorded about how they were defeated. Almost everything on them
was destroyed when they were exiled," Adira saw eyes widen around
the room. "We tried to talk peace and they killed our men. For
that, we are at war with this ancient race. Your planets are
readying now as we speak, but I urge you to contact your friends
and families and tell them your goodbyes. It pains me to say this,
but it may be the last time you get the opportunity. We have little
knowledge of this enemy, so we don't know what to expect, but we
will not give up hope. We will not let them take Orion from us!"
Adira pumped her fist. "We will die before we give up Orion to war
hungry monsters!"

Cheers and hand pumps came from around the
room. The commanders raised themselves from their seats and all
looks of fear were washed from their faces, replaced by
determination and courage.

"We are pulling all but a few hundred ships
to Hera as we speak. Those few hundred ships that do not come here
will be sent to Ares as our last line of defense," The cheering
hushed almost immediately "Your homes will be left unprotected. If
we can't make the stand here, your planets will be destroyed. This
is where they will come to attack first, that I am sure of. This is
a powerful race, like nothing we have ever seen in our lifetime,
but we are at war, so get your men ready to defend Orion. If we
fail here, then Orion is doomed."

Adira walked down the aisle and left the room
so the commanders could talk to each other privately. They had had
no idea what was going on when they had arrived, and if they had,
there was no shred of doubt left in their mind. Orion wasn't ready
for war like this, the Queen had never planned for it. She had made
sure all of the planets got along and were happy with laws and
regulations so that war could be avoided entirely. Preparing for an
ancient race to appear out of a Black Hole was something she had
never thought to prepare for, but no one could blame her, this was
completely unheard of. It was too late to look back on mistakes
now. Orion was at war and on the verge of being taken over.

"This is the planet you want us to attack
Jahdiel?" Merikh looked down at the unarmed planet.

"Yes," she nodded. "We need to make a point
that we are taking over all of Orion, not just Hera."

"They are weak," Merikh shook his head. "They
will put up no resistance."

"Exactly. They will not resist because I'm
sure the Queen has taken all of the fleets to defend herself. If
you want to make your point, this is the planet that you attack
first."

"The Queen would leave a planet completely
undefended?"

"If she believed that we were going to strike
Hera first, yes. By her doing that, it leaves all of the other
planets undefended and easy to take over. Once we attack Demeter,
she'll send ships here to defend it. It's not rational thinking,
but it is who the Queen is. She loves her Galaxy and that's where
her weakness lies. Attacking the weak is how we win this war."

"Unpredictability and heartlessness," Merikh
grinned. "I love the way you think. No wonder you helped us win our
war. We will ravage this world and turn all survivors into slaves.
Let the rest of Orion know that they are doomed once Hera is taken
over and the Queen is dead."

"They will have no option but to bow down to
us or face the same fate as this planet," Jahdiel replied.

"Get the bombers ready!" Merikh shouted to
his crew. "Fill them plasma bombs so the lands burn."

"The order has been sent sir!" A crew member
shouted up to Merikh.

"We attack Demeter
now
!"
The crew scrambled to get the message to the pilots and Jahdiel saw
bombers streaming towards Demeter shortly after the command. The
pilots were eager to get out and kill again, it had been three days
since the war ended, but they were still hungry for more death.

Hundreds of bombers flew down to Demeter and
Jahdiel saw large fires ignite on the helpless planet below her.
She knew the fires would burn all of the crops and leave Orion
severely crippled. It would've pleased her to take the Queen down
first, but that would be too quick and painless. Adira needed to
suffer like she had suffered after being wrongly exiled to live
with bloodthirsty monsters.

Merikh put his hand on her shoulder. "You
have proven to be a great commander for the Crodillians. We will
take back Orion and fulfill our ancestor's destiny."

Jahdiel turned to him and smiled. "I think I
just got another idea."

"Well, let me hear it Jahdiel. You haven't
let me down so far."

"I know someplace where we can get more races
to fight for our cause. They will prove to be great allies if they
choose to side with us. Many of them hate Orion as much as we do
and will be willing to fight for our cause."

"Where are these allies?" Merikh asked.

"They are kept on the moons of Themis," she
grinned. "The criminals of Orion."

"You are suggesting we give these prisoners
freedom if they choose to fight for our cause?"

"We will ask who wants to fight for us
first," she nodded. "We will welcome them aboard and then kill all
those who won't fight by our side."