The one I was looking for

Har-Hi watched as the Kartanian transport climbed into the sky and disappeared moments later. Then he activated atmospheric flight modus on his battle suit and flew south. He checked on his tactical read out and saw five marines, Shea, Hans, Krabbel and TheOther doing the same thing. He didn’t know exactly where to go, as the NAVINT officer who was posing as the First Magistrates pilot chauffeur had not yet transmitted any coordinates or directions. Shea came on and said. “It is nice to be on a mission and not stuck in the ship all the time, but I wish we could have gone together.” Har-Hi responded. “Don’t worry, the Captain can take care of herself. The Kartanian slave lords have no chance.” He could hear breathing for a moment and then she said. “I know, I am still worried, Erica is changing and I don’t mean how she gets more compfortable being female.” He said. “I just think she is growing up. We are all growing up. We were just kids when we met.” But while he said that he knew what she meant. He had very briefly seen what was sleeping inside his best friend. There were no words he could describe it, but he who rarely feared anything still could feel the sheer terror he had felt as he noticed the black flames in the eyes of Erica. The chirping sound of a Comm-request interrupted his thoughts. The Computronic of his suit identified it as a NAVINT short burst scramble. It was just a set of coordinates not a voice transmission. He blinked the received data onto a global map and micro seconds later changed his course and increased his speed to ten times the speed of sound. The coordinates were almost at the other side of the planet, and belonged to a mountainous island that stuck out from the only open water body the planet had, an immense salt lake. About hundred kilometers out they dropped to sub sonic speeds, as their cloaking shield could not hide the streak of glowing air molecules their high speed flight generated. Shea, always the scientist cooed over the immense salt lake and said. “According to my readings the lake water has a salinity levels of over 48 percent, no wonder it is still liquid despite the freezing temperatures out here.” One of the Marines reported almost simultaneously. “ Sir, there are no life sign readings within 200 miles, except at the target zone.” Har-Hi acknowledged both and told them to reduce their speed further and to approach with the greatest stealth possible. He send two marines three miles up and right over the island, so they could give sniper cover. The island was no bigger than maybe ten acres and had a collection of surface buildings. A single scaffold like tower stood over a concrete rimmed hole. It was part of an elevator system or hoist mechanism. Har-Hi’s optic sensors had no problem zooming in on the black flyer limousine that parked next to the collection of buildings. There were dozens of well concealed pill boxes all around the compound and each of them registered two life forms and a high energy signature, most likely a blaster weapon. Whatever the Draak were hiding there, they did not want to share it with anyone else. Har-Hi felt confident in the Atlas suit technology and the cloaking and flew closer. Shea was now floating right next to him. “Whatever it is they are hiding, I guess we have to go down there and check it out, my suit sensors are unable to pick anything, they must be quite deep under the surface.” Har-Hi agreed and said. “Hans you and the Marines stay out here and form a perimeter guard. Shea, Krabbel and TheOther go down and check what they are hiding. If you do not hear from us after two hours, you come after us.” Har-Hi could almost hear the frown in the face of his friend as Hans responded. “Yes Sir, but you could simply send me down first.” “Sorry Hans, I am sure I need Shea’s scientific expertise and I need you out here to make sure whatever they are brewing or launching is stopped, in case we don’t make it in time.” Har-Hi then took the lead and dove head first into the concrete lined shaft. The concrete was replaced by natural rock as they descended. Har-Hi could see lights far down and his suit sensors told him that the shaft floor was almost 2456 meters below him. Shea said. “That rock is heavily laced with magnetite and other minerals, no wonder our sensors are not really penetrating deeper.” Har-Hi slowed down and signaled the others to do the same, then he asked. “Will it interfere with our communicaton?” “No it is simple three dimensional this side of normal space interference. I think we should still be able to reach Erica, unless she is already past GalNet reach.” Har-Hi kept his eyes on the elevator cage he could see sitting all the way on the bottom and said. “Let’s not worry the Captain. If we call she will be concerned and turn around.” Shea agreed. “Yes we should be able to solve a little mystery on our own.” They reached the bottom of the shaft. There was no one, the elevator cage was empty and so was the cavernous hall that could be accessed from the elevator shaft. Light came from elements that had been attached to the reddish rock in regular intervals. The floor was smooth. A set of metal begun right by the elevator cage extended into the cavern and after about twenty meters it split into two and each track disapeared into a tunnel. Both tunnels looked identical. Har-Hi grunted. “That is just great, it appeared they had some sort of tracked vehicle and went down one of those tunnels. Question is, which one?” Krabbel said. “We are four, two of us for each tunnel and whoever finds something first, calls the others. Come on we are wearing Atlas Battle suits and we are armed to the fangs, there is nothing the Kartanians or the Draak have that could seriously harm us, besides we have Hans and Marines for back up.” Shea said. “You are a Dai Warrior, Union trained. I am not just a pretty door stopper in the science lab, I can hold my own. I even brought along my sword.” Krabbel added. “Come on, Erica would already be done down here.” Somehow it was that statement that made Har-Hi decide. “Alright you two go down the left tunnel and Shea and I take the right one. Remember if you come across old fashioned atomic weapons, they can be very powerful, especially in a confined space like this. While our shields should be able to handle the heat and radiation for a while. We are far below the ground and if the bombs are big enough they can overwhelm even our shields. Krabbel held up an egg-shaped device. “We got plenty of EMP grenades.” Har-Hi said. “As soon as you come across something you call us, you stay cloaked and let Shea have a look.” They were eager and confident. Krabbel and the towering Y’All hovered away and disapeared into the left passage way. There was nothing else for him to do, but go lead Shea into the other. He had never been afraid of the unknown and his warrior nature wanted to charge ahead and find hundreds of opponents he could fight, but now he was a leader. His best friend and his Captain had put her confidence in him to solve the mystery and bring back everyone. Har-Hi was in charge before when they won the Reagan Throphy and he was the XO of the Tigershark. He knew every soul on board that ship would follow him without question and without hesitation. Yet even a relative small, primitive Atomic warhead would be a serious challenge to the shields and the armor. He did not believe it was anything small, since the Draak hoped to defeat the rebellion and the approaching Oghr warriors. The Draak were light-years behind Union technology and no old fashioned atomic weapon could do much damage to modern equipped Oghr troops in the open. He was certain it was something more sinister. His Suit systems told him where Shea was, but he could not see her not even with the advanced sensor optics of the suit he was wearing. She was right behind him. They both hovered just a few inches of the ground and progressed down the featureless winding rock corridor at about the same speed as a running Attikan. He didn’t dare to fly faster, even invisible the suits diplaced air and thus made sound,besides flying much faster would mean to rely on the suits computronic for steering and he simply wanted to stay in full control. He checked on Krabbel and TheOther, they both made similar uneventful progress, but were now over 12 kilometers apart. He also got a clear connection to Hans who told him, that the actual compound the buildings appart from the concealed pill boxes were completely empty. Shea said. “We are now far below the salt lake and progressed 8.5 kilometers from the entrance area. Krabbel and TheOther are now progressing steadily into a northeastern direction while we more or less going south now and I think we are following a natural lava flow that has been smoothened into a passage. This would explain the winding nature.” Har-Hi could not really explain his anticipation and nervousness as he checked his weapon systems for the tenth time and made sure his main TKU was fully charged and set to highest discharge rate. He acknowledged the ever curious Shea with a short grunt. She asked. “What is bothering you? Would you rather have Hans with you or maybe Erica?” He slowed down a little and said. “No, Shea I really wanted you with me. If we come across something alien or ancient technology, you have a better chance to identify it than anyone. I just can’t shake this feeling that we going to face something very dangerous. I don’t think that First Magistrate is a fool, he knows what is coming and yet he is certain whatever is down here will vindicate them.” She said. “I analyzed the conversation between the Magistrate and the Police Chief and you are right, they might have questionable morals and base their existence on ethics we do not like, but they are both not quite intelligent. I came to the conclusion that they have no control over whatever they will set in motion down here. I further analyzed any available data on that second planet, their planet of origin. I could not detect or verify any excessive radiation regions. A nuclear weapon exchange that turns a planet into an inhospitable wasteland must be quite substantial and such radiation should be measurable even now. I also reject the idea of a biological weapon, since the survivors came here and did not bring it along. It is almost impossible to maintain sterile conditions in a mass exodus as they described. I am confident to say with 89 percent probability that whatever weapons they used was not biological, at least not in the classical terms like bacteria or virae.” Har-Hi never claimed to have the same analytical intellect as Shea, but he always had a good portion of common sense and without putting it in percentages or detailed conclusions, he had the same ideas ever since he watched the First Magistrate talking. To Shea he said. “All the more reason for us to find out what it is and keep our eyes wide open. The tracks ended and the corridor widened into a big cavern. The walls were smooth as metal and had a dark gray color and completed a perfectly hemispherical room of fifty meters in diameter. The floor was equally gray and smooth. In the enter were four towering objects made of the same gray metal. Har-Hi estimated them to be at least twenty meters tall, sickle shaped with the curved side tapering to needle sharp ends and almost touching, forming something like a stylized cage. He saw the Magistrate and the police chief standing right in the center of the room and right underneath those inward bend talon shaped columns. There was no one else. Both Draak had cast of their leather coats and wore dark red long robes with wide sleeves. Both aliens had their arms stretched out and just then a bright spot of light appeared floating between them. Shea said. “I lost contact to the others!” Har-Hi also noticed that the ComLink indicators in the upper right of his retina display had gone from green to red and no matter how much he looked at them, to tell the system to establish contact, they remained red and the Computronic said. “Current location blocks all TransDim commuication. Contact request failed.” At first he thought only the four talon like columns started to turn, but then he realized it was the entire floor that started to revolve around that center. As he looked around he could no longer see the entrance. It was simply gone and the wall was gray and smooth. Shea whispered out of instinct and said. “The material of this chamber resists my scans, but from the reflection rate, I am certain it is a form of Neutronium.” Har Hi cursed silently knowing that nothing he had along would cut Neutronium. Shea was still talking and said. “Whatever they do, it creates TransDim conditions far beyond my comprehension of…” The white ball of light turned color and shimmered in a dark red. And it started to grow. Har-Hi wanted to raise his weapon and shoot the Draak, maybe that would stop whatever they were summoning, when his Suit system warned him. “Unable to maintain cloaking field. “ From the side he saw Shea appearing and he knew he too was no longer invisible. He fired, but the TKU bolt was deflected sideways before it reached the men, the bolt hammered into the Neutronium wall of the cave and disipated. Har-Hi could no longer see the two Draak, and the red light completely filled the inside area of the four talon shaped columns and from within a form became solid. Something immense, surrounded by flames. Monstrous arms with bruning reddish black skin appeared, with razor sharp looking yellowish claws. Har-Hi wanted to step back, but he stood his ground. More arms appeared, the Dai counted six and then he saw the Draak, held like playthings in two of this gnarled oversized blistering fists, they were no longer alive, squeezed like a sponge, blood dripping from between the monsters fingers. Har-Ho was almost feeling the heat coming from the beast and now it came into full view. Never had he seen anything like it and his mind reeled trying to find images, words to describe to himself what he saw. He noticed Shea, just as brave was holding out her scanner.” Har-Hi fired at the things head, that shifted and moved inside a ball of fire. The monster roared as its head was split by the powerful blast, but right after the bolt had past through the head formed anew and was unhurt as before. The Monster was fast, and grabbed Har-Hi. His suit instantly establishing a force field., the Hand of the monster singed away and the being screamed, but just like with his head, the injured hand re-appeared and this time it took Shea. She too was shielded but to Har-Hi’s horror her energy shield collapsed and he firey demon like monster snatched her up! Har-Hi threw an anti-matter grenade pellet. It detonated with force, his suit had to compensate so he would not be thrown into the wall. The Demon had lost an arm but it too regrew! Before Har-Hi could even come up with a plan how to defeat that thing. It stepped through the wall, with Shea and then it was gone! Har-Hi jumped with is agumented muscle and collided with a solid wall. With a glimmer of hope he noticed that the neutronium coated claws of his suit left deep scratches in the wall. He clawed at the wall like like a maniac and actually made progress, and was able to tear of a sizeable piece, only to be faced with solid rock. His suit sensors capable of penetrating the rock told him that there was solid rock as far as he could scan! Just outside his field of view he noticed white light and he turned. There in the center of the room another field of light appeared, this time it was white and a humanoid shape appeared. The light faded and a muscular human man stood in its place. He wore some kind of metallic armor, quite similar to an ancient knight. Over his armor he wore a white over coat girded at the hips. A wide billowing cape also of a bright white material around his shoulders. His head covered by a close fitting chrome silvery helmet that had only a t shaped slit to see. The being also held a long sword like weapon and the blade itself appeared as if it was made of brilliant white light. The being slowly looked around and then spoke with a thunderous voice, “Speak, mortal why have thou wakened the Star demon?” Har-Hi decided not to pretend to be a Pirate and he said. “I am Lt Hi, United Stars of the Galaxies. I have come here trying to prevent the Draak from releasing whatever that was. It has snatched a comrade of mine and disapeared.” The armored being stepped closer, “I have come to slay the Dark One. To send this most vile scion of death and darkness into oblivion, so light and life may reign supreme. This is one of the gateways where the veil that seperates many planes of existence is weakest.” He looked around and nodded. “A Pree construct, I see. Those meddling mortals have been dealt with and yet their cursed handiwork still exists. These gates are to dangerous to be left unguarded and should be destroyed.“ Har-Hi said. “Whoever you are you seem to know how this works. Can you open the passageway so I can go after my comrade, I fear the worst!” “Indeed you must fear. What mortal could stand against the child of a living star. The white Knights have guarded this beast for eons. It does not belong to this Universe. The Star demon could have gone to a thousand places, for this is a Nexus Gate of the Pree.” Har-Hi put as much urgency in his voice as he could. “Just open the Gateway and let me out. I am sure the thing is tearing Itheamh apart as we speak.” “Itheamh? I know of no such place, but then I have travelled this Universe for a long time and there are so many places. Places that have many names and change in time.” The Being made a gesture pointing to the columns. “This place however I know. You are at the Nexus.“ He said something Har-Hi did not understand and a passageway opened, but instead looking into a tunnel, Har Hi stared onto a crater riddled surface and a star gleaming sky. Har Hi said. “Where are we?” “You are at the Nexus, Dai-Than. I know of your kind and the world you call Thana-Shoo. We are in a nearby Galaxy not far from the Spiral arm Galaxy you call home.”

--

Shea tried to catch her breath, her suit was in restore and repair mode and the system assured her that it would be fully functional in less than an hour. Krabbel was not so lucky, her Archa friend was missing a leg. Hans and the Y’All and the marines were unharmed, except for a few bruises. The island was destroyed, and the shaft leading into the deep had collapsed. Hans was sitting by Krabbel who assured her that the Auto Doc of his suit kept him pain free and that losing a leg was not the same to an Archa as it was for a human. Hans raised the shield of his helmet and said. “Can someone tell me again what actually happened?” Shea collapsed her helmet and wiped her tears. “We lost Har-Hi, I saw him fight the Energy beast before it snatched me and raced through the corridor. It emitted so much gravitation and so much heat, it collapsed the caves and passages below. At last you heard my warning and made it out in time.” Krabbel gestured to the spot where his leg was missing. “Just barley.” Hans looked at him and padded his friend. “Cateria is on her way she will grow you a new one in no time.” Shea sniffed and said. “Energy weapons were the wrong approach, of course to fight a being that was very like our own Ensign Three-Four and he came as fast as he could and drained much of the beasts energy, our EMP grenades then killed it. Just as a strong EMP pulse would kill a Non Corp.” Hans nodded. “Yes that part I understand, we know how to kill energy beings, but what was it? And where did it come from?” Shea pulled her PDD, it was a tough combat version and despite its partially melted housing it still worked fine. She projected an image of the cavern so they all could see it. “There was something like a trans dimensional gateway down there. I am certain it was from an ancient high tech civilization and the Draak stumbled on it while mining Magnetite crystal. I do not know how they learned how to use or activate it, but they summoned that energy being. It would have been devastating and quite capable of destroying every living thing on this world, including us. It was even feeding of my TransDim shields so I turned them off. Luckily my suit was tough enough to handle the firey grip. I still almost cooked me alive.” Ensign Three Four back in his containment suit stood there and looked bigger than usual, he said. “While we are the only known Energy beings, it is conciveable that if we exist others might exist as well. We Non Corps are sentient I did not sense any coherent thought other than rage and there was something I cannot describe any other way than chaotic evil. While I often wondered if we ever meet others like us, I certainly do not want to meet one of them again.” Shea looked up to Three Four and said. “You did save our lives, you saved my life.” He knelt down next to Shea and said. “I am not only a Union Officer but I consider myself part of the Olafson Gang family and I would gladly give mine for any of you. I will never forgive myself that I did not arrive faster so we could save Lt. Hi.” Hans also wiped a tear from his eyes. “Maybe Har-Hi is still alive!” She looked up. “I wish he was, but how could he be, burried underneath millions of tons of rock? Not even his suit could handle that much pressure.” Three Four said. “I was down there, and found nothing and I would have been able to sense his bioelectric energy if he was still alive. I am so sorry.” Shea put her arm around the energy beings simulated shoulders and said. “No one will ever blame you.” They saw the Landing tank approaching and land nearby. Hans got up and said. “We going to dig him out! No matter how long it takes. He is a Dai and deserves to have his final resting place in space, not dirts side.”

--

Har-Hi had stepped outside and launched a survey satelitte into orbit. Moments later he knew he was on a lifeless dry world with a thin atmosphere, that circled alone around an immensely bloated and weak red sun. TransDim worked fine now but he got no connection, no reciever and no relay station in range. The little survey satellite was not capable of checking for known Pulsars that could tell him where he was. He went back inside and the strange armored knight was still there. Har-Hi said. “If you know how this thing works can you not send me back to where I came from?” The man  said. “Everyone can use the Nexus, all you need is to speak to it in the language of the Pree, but the Pree Gateway from wherever you came from is destroyed. The Star Demon has no sense other than to destroy. It is an old being and very angry at everything alive.” Har-Hi said with an angry tone. “If that thing harmed my friends, I will find a way to kill it!” The strange dressed man nodded. “You are Dai-Than. It is the purpose of the Dai Than to be the warriors and protectors of Tana-Shoo. It is how you have been made by the lost sons of the Saresii and the Seenians. But mortal you are and to stand against a being that calls a star its home, his beyond you.” Har-Hi held out his finger and said. “Do not speak of that! It is forbidden! Thana Shoo is lost and my kind roams the heavens. The faded legends of the time before Thana Shoo was destroyed are forbidden. No one shall speak of them.” Har-Hi went back to the sickle shaped columns. “Tell me Lord Lumis, how does this work. I must go back!” The White dressed being said. “I told you how it works and I can give your suit the ability to speak the old Pree language, but the Star Demon has drained its energy. It will take two revolutions of this planet around the old sun Rohardoor, before it gathered enough energy to allow another passage. These constructs are old and so is the sun from which it takes its energy. It is an old and tired star now, and not as it was when this Nexus Gate was built.” Har-Hi fed the information into his Computronic and co-related it with the star system data his satelitte gathered. “You are telling me I have to wait 903 days before this thing can send me back?” “Your computation is quite correct, Dai.”

--“”— Narth stood next to me on the bridge of the Kartanian Slave transporter. We had changed plans in the last minute. I decided to leave the Tigershark and her assets behind, so Har-Hi had back up. Since he had the ship, Narth came with us so we could get in contact with the Ship as the smelter moons were outside of our small GalNet transmitters. Mao who was disguised as the Oghr Captain sat in the Command seat and said to me. “It is official now Captain, we are in Kartanian space. Three more hours to the first moon.” This was not the Tigershark with all her marvelous equipment, and all was riding on a bluff. The closer we got to the first smelter moon the more doubts I got. So much could go wrong and the implications of failure could mean real war. I felt a sudden wave of pain from my hooded friend and he stumbled and put his hand to his head. I jumped out of my seat and said. “Narth what is the matter?” Narth looked up and his glowing eye slits shimmered weak. “Eric, it is Har-Hi. He is gone!” It felt as as if an invisble fist of pure ice had just hit me hard into the stomach. “Narth, tell me!” He said with a vibrating voice full of emotion so uncharacteristic for him, “I can no longer detect him. Our friends encountered a demon like being of energy and while fighting it, the mountain collapsed and buried our friend. I can feel all the others, but I no longer feel his mind.” My mind refused to accept what I heard. “Are you sure? Even your telepathic powers have limits and we are a good distance from Itheamh.” He slowly nodded.” Yes you are correct, I am receiving the thoughts of the others only very weakly.” I looked to the others who had heard what Narth had said and I tried to keep my own emotions out of my voice, with little success. “

Har-Hi wanted to scream and a at the same time he was near tears as he heard that. He could go into stasis sleep and bridge the time without suffering the passage of time, but by then his friends would be surely dead and he would return to late even for their memorial. Erica would have completed her mission and be gone for many light years with a new XO, blaming him for not protecting Shea. He touched his chest, underneath his armor he wore his Clan glyph. Without him Erica could not go to Tana Shoo and warn the Pale Ones of the cursed Cam Elf Na. In all his frustration he suddenly smiled and aloud he said. “No, Erica would find a way to defeat that Star Demon, oh yes! She promised him she would go to Tana Shoo and even if the Universe was against it, Erica would go. He just regretted that he could not be there when Erica killed that traitor. Thinking about his best friend who was a woman now made him feel hope. Erica would search for him. He was certain beyond any doubt, she would not give up, find a way to repair that gate. He also realized he was not just Dai-Than, he was also a Union Officer. Maybe he could figure out how this thing consumed energy. He did have twelve TKU energy packs and the finest Zero Energy generator in this marvelous Atlas suit, not to mention anti matter rockets and a genuine Translocator Micro Load cannon. While he was far from Shea’s or Narth’s capabilities and intellect, he had trained and studied with Shea and that should help him figuring this thing out. His suit would provide him with food and water for quite a while and take care of everything else as well. And there was this white dressed Alien. He needed to find out more about that being. He said to his Computronic. “Suit, retask satelitte for high resolution detail mapping of this planet. Launch second satelitte drone. Detail star mapping mode, co relate data to all known pulsar signatures.” Then he pulled his Multi Task PDD and switched to Science Mode and begun to make detailed scans. The armored being watched him and said. “What is this? A Dai-Than warrior engaging in such strange tasks fit for Fair-spirits and thinkers?” Har-Hi looked up. “I am first and foremost a Union Officer, White one. I must gather data on which I will base my next course of action. From the looks of it, I am very far from Union space and perhaps the first being out so far. The scientific data I can gather will further our understanding of it all.” Silently he was doing it in Shea’s spirit and hoped against all hope she found a way to escape. The being said, “Tell me of Thana Shoo. I have not been to that realm since the cursed Hordes of the Dark One tore through that spiral galaxy to search for the twelve tokens. I have fought many of their horrors and chased after them and tell me of that Union you speak of.” Har Hi openly scanned the being and said. “Why don’t you start and tell me who you are and how you ended up here?” The strange being put his left hand on his chest and said: “I am Lord Lumis, protector of Light and Life. I was once a humanoid like you. My race was among the very first in this Universe that reached the stars. Have you ever heard of the Narth?” Har-Hi said. “Yes I have, one of my best friends is Narth.” This obviously surprised the being and he said stepping back. “You speak the truth. I was ready to dismiss such impossible boast and yet you speak the truth. Narth are quite introvert and have to my knowledge never sought out contact, ever since they merged with the Arth.” The man in the gleaming armor finally put his sword away and then said. “My civilization was among very first life forms in this universe that gained conciousness and built a star spanning civilization. Even before the Nnnth left their original world. The Nnnth you must know were a species of very intelligent, very Psionic talented beings that did not explore space in ships but rather by thought constructs and they sought to find a way to transdescent time and space of this universe. Finally they succeeded and met with an entity of a different reality and Universe. An entity of pure intellect if you will, called the Arth and they merged, entered a symbiosis and the result was the Narth.” Har-Hi had forgotten to check on his satellite. The man before him knew the Origin of the Narth! The being’s armor was made of a gleaming metal armor with much ornamental details, and it was fitted to his body like a second skin and reminded Har-Hi of Circuit’s flexible chrome metal skin. The being who called itself Lord Lumis continued. “We were the Zephyr, a proud civilization that achieved much and if technology is a measure of success, we were among the most successful. When a Civilization reaches that point there are litte secrets in the nature of things but many new in the meaning of it all.” Har-Hi listened to the man while he tried to make sense of the scans. Of course he was able to read the results and he did pass the required science tests at the academy, but to apply the data he saw to an immideate solution escaped him. Shea would have no problem and perhaps even start programming that alien gate. Narth of course would find it fascinating and simple and Erica would have made the old man