445518196.edited

Chapter 11

The words of the Pale Ones almost seemed to linger as a hushed silence took hold of the assembled Dai. It appeared everyone was waiting for the Cam's response. Completely out of character for a usual stern and serious Dai Than, Elf-Na grinned. It was an evil smile no doubt."And I intend to do just that, but not in the arena. The Arena is sacred and for Dai Than only. You question my word calling that traitorous Hi tribe, Okthi and reject it. I reject his declaration that this Union female, this lower than a Daiyee scum is Than. She must prove it in the old passage if she comes out the other end. I will challenge her and kill her. If she does not, my word is justified and the Tar of the Hi is a proven liar." That caused a stir and one of the Pale Ones said."Terrors of the forbidden past survive there, no Than has ever passed, since the first Patri ." "Never the less, the first Patri declared that only a Dai Than can pass through. I except no other proof, the will and the laws of the first Patri are still valid." The Pale Ones agreed."You speak true, these laws are valid." A hooded man stepped from the entrance ring to an empty tier and brushed back the hood."I am Kai-Do ." An uproar, especially of the Na clan and its associates was heard and Elf-Na yelled."How can you be here? You are Okthi" The Pale Ones answered in their unified chorus voice."You declare the old laws to be valid, then all of them must be." "And they say, no Okthi may come to Thana Shoo." "He is no longer Okthi. He has laid down the office of Tar and was ejected from the Do tribe, there is a new Tar of the Do tribe and it is Erica-Hi-Do. She is not Okthi and thus the Do clan is not Okthi. As Tar she allowed Kai to become a Dai servant, not a Than. All Dai may come here, and only a Than can be Okthi." I blinked surprised and whispered from the side of my mouth."I sure don't remember doing that." Har-Hi whispered back."History always remembers Kai-Do as one of the slickest and most scheming Tar. The Cam is an amateur compared to him, this is the main reason they declared him Okthi by the way." Kai-Do pointed with his finger at the Cam."You quoted the old law correctly indeed. Now my Tar rejects your claim to be Dai Than, many of your actions and crimes are Okthi. She is Tar and has the same rights as you. You too will go through the Passage." The smile on the Cam's face had disappeared and was now replaced by a concerned frown."I am Cam, I am Dai Than. I do not need to prove that." The Pale One's chorus objected."You invoked ancient laws and traditions, you reject all other proof by your own words. Survive the passage or acknowledge the accusation." I had about enough of all this talk and this back and forth. I certainly had to agree with Har-Hi, Kai-Do was one slick liar and schemer. I never said or did any of these things he claimed I did, but if I challenged him now on this, the Cam would win. So I climbed the two tiers up, that separated me from Kai-Do. Everyone had their eyes on me. I said."Too much talk, let's get it on. Show me that passage!" There were many voices that started chanting."She is is Than! She has courage." The Pale-Ones said."So be it, Erica you are not Hi, we acknowledge you as Tar of the Do tribe. The passage is a challenge like no other. Many thousand highly trained warriors have tried to gain the highest level of being accomplished, none has returned." Unnoticed by me, Har-Hi had followed me and he said."She will not go alone. The old laws do not prohibit a companion." "Indeed not, Champion of Thana Shoo. Should you survive, you are accomplished." To me Har-Hi said."I swore to follow you to the gates of the Netherworlds and beyond, I tend to keep my word. Besides I can't have you have all the fun alone." Four of the Pale Ones stepped away from their circle as the humongous, disgusting red pulsing organic glob behind them rose further. Four talon shaped columns appeared, sickle-shaped inward bent, creating a cage of sort above a bright blue pulsing field. Har-Hi whispered I have seen one of these before. It is a transspatial nexus point. Just like the one deep under the surface of Itheamh. We had to fight an energy being as you remember from the reports." The Chorus of the Pale Ones spoke."The passage is open. No modern weapons are allowed." I ungirded the TKU."That weapon better be there when I come back." "Defeat the Unspoken horrors and if you return we will have a new Patri." "So any particular instructions other than killing whatever awaits me?" "Should you be victorious, you know how to return, now go Erica-Do. Show us all the meaning of courage, or will you back down?" "You sure know how to talk to a Neo Viking." I walked towards the white energy until I saw nothing else and Thana Shoo disappeared.

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The Cam saw the female contender disappear and right after her the arrogant Har-Hi vanished and he yelled."It is time to end the reign of the Pale Ones!" It must have been a signal of his, because hundreds, no thousand heavy-armed beings appeared from the entrance ring. Dai, the first open appearance of Shiruti, the new shock troops of the Kermac and the Galactic Council. Along with them, bizarre looking beings with bloated heads and small bodies floated in. "The reign of the Pale Ones ends today. The rule of Elf-Na begins. These are Muta-Kerr, genetic engineered will benders, living Neuro rippers with tremendous powers. Hundreds of Dai Than went to their knees and hailing Elf-Na. Many hundreds dropped to the ground holding their heads screaming in pain. A reddish shield engulfed the Pale Ones and the heart of Thana Shoo. While the nightmarish floating things attacked it with bluish light. To the surprise of the Cam, a few hundred Dai were unaffected. It was the same leader who declared himself Union."Your Kermac psionic trickery won't work on Union citizen, we are well shielded." "Against telepathy, let us see how you fare against telekinesis and blaster weapons."

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Har-Hi cursed, where ever he was, Erica was not. He walked out of a transspatial nexus. He remembered the last time like a dream and he knew someone or something had messed with his memory. He did not face another star demon back then, but something else. He also remembered more information about these nexus points than he thought he had. The main reason, Dai did not return from a trip through one of these was most likely because they did not know how to reverse the trans-spatial nexus. He drew his blades and checked out the surroundings. He was in an artificial cave with a single tunnel exit. The walls were as smooth and metal gray as he remembered the other nexus point to be. It turned out the tunnel exit was not very long and opened to an alien city. It was empty and abandoned most likely for eons. He turned and said in Seenian."Nexus take me back to Thana Shoo" To his pleasant surprise, it seemed to work, between these inwardly curved talons a bright field of light appeared and he stepped through and into the midst of ferocious combat.

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I found myself in a grey metal chamber of sorts, behind me the same structure of metal talons forming a cage for that trans-spatial transport field. The chamber reminded me of the Cave of Things. It had the same smooth grey metal walls and shape. So now what? I knew I should have thought that through and asked a few more questions as to what I had to do exactly. I walked through a short tunnel and had to use my sword to cut through a thick layer of vegetation and vines. I knew Mjördaren even the replica was sharp and made of Ultronit, but I had no idea it was that sharp. It cut through the thick and tough stuff effortless as if cutting water. Just as I had cut my way through I heard voices, familiar voices and music. Nilfeheim radio." The sound came from my PDD wrist unit. I had it on Nilfeheim radio before I got out of range. The vegetation had covered a rock formation overlooking a Jungle. The air was warm and moist and had the distinct odor of green and growing things. An earthy, somewhat pungent smell of rotting things. There were lots of animal voices, chirps, and whistles. None of the voices sounded very big. Not that small things could be dangerous. There was nothing in my immediate vicinity that appeared to be a threat. I stayed in the cave mouth, keeping my eyes on the environment and dialed into the GalNet Ping, an automated Navigation assist for Auto Navs to check where I was. That Transspatial passage sent me almost 76,000 light years and into the Spinward sector. According to my Nav Data, I was just 344 lightyears beyond Union space. I switched to GalCom and the official Spatial Navy channel and checked with VASCO, the Virtual All Space Complete Objects Database of the Explorer and Survey Division to see if this planet was surveyed and what dangers I might encounter. VASCO identified the system as N-746-554-696, with eight planets, one of them a garden world. There also was a warning message, declaring the system being occupied by a spacefaring species, identified as the Ypeherix. Virtual no data existed on them and according to this report they were responsible for the destruction of a Science outpost and a supply ship." There was sharp cracking sound coming from the right, something large was making its way through the thicket. Moments later the source of the noise revealed itself. Compared to the Arukiten, what had just become visible made the former Irwam look cuddly and friendly. It shared the spidery hard-shelled legs with the Arukiten, lacked the tentacles, but was twice as big and somehow appeared as if someone tried to combine a scavenger crab with a huge mushroom and added one of those Insectosaurus I had seen in the Arena of Sin 4 for good measure. I had the feeling that this thing was not native to this world, the limb red-skinned humanoid it held in its claws, however, looked like a Dai. A first I thought the man to be dead, but I could see him moving his head so I yelled."Hey, walking mushroom! Drop the man, would you?" The monstrosity immediately came towards me and it spoke in understandable Union Universal. "You are Apix who must become  Ixi. We are the factor of Pu-Nakti. We are the Ypeherix." It peppered the spot I had been on half a second earlier, with a barrage of needle-sharp thorn like shards. Two of them hit me painfully at my left thigh, but it was only the impact energy. Whatever it was, did not penetrate the micro mesh underneath the thin leather. I had already jumped, holding Mjördaren with both hands. I didn't want to waist the high ground of my current position and use it to my advantage. I thanked Odin for my decision as it saved me from being peppered with more of these nasty looking organic projectiles. With great satisfaction, Mjördaren severed one of the folded scissor arms with the same ease as it cut vegetation a little earlier. What surprised me however was the blood of the thing. It was so hot, it burned vegetation where it drooled. "What a nasty piece of creation you are!" The thing howled."This is a special place, filled with Pu-Nakti. We must not allow it to be contaminated with the Apix. You must become Ixi!" It dropped the Dai, who wore nothing much but a loincloth, a harness made of woven plant fibers and some primitive jewelry made of claws and teeth of animals. He was wounded but alive. The monster, having a free claw tried to grab me. Since I didn't like to get intimate with the Ypeherix, I dove under the grabbing claw and swung my sword against one of the legs, with the same satisfying result, severing it right at a joint. Some of the fire hot body liquid splashed over my right boot and burned off some of the thin leather, but my suit could double as a space suit in an emergency and the real material underneath took no damage. I felt the heat to my uncovered face and low cut neckline. I had to correct myself, because of my female vanity and that neckline, this suit was anything but spaceworthy. While I chastised myself for my fashion choices, I rolled over my shoulder getting myself under the monstrosity and plunged Mjördaren up to its hilt into the underbelly of the Ypeherix. The alien screamed in pain, and with a convulsing shudder it keeled over and died. Just to make sure I hacked its mushroom-like head off its body and then rushed to the almost naked, Dai who looked at me with eyes full of pain. "No worries, my Auto Doc will get you stabilized and pain-free." I attached the Auto-Doc to his chest. "Species analyzed, Dai. On file. Triage assessment. Laceration wounds and parasitic invasion of spore-like organisms. Nanite resources deployed. Med Central contacted." The Dai kept staring at me."You speak Old Dai and you fight like Than. Who are you?" "I am Erica Olafson, United Stars of the Galaxies." "I am Murgo of the Kalma village. We know old legends of the Star Dai, we came through a glowing gate thousands of seasons ago." The Auto Doc interrupted, parasitic infestation resistant to treatment but patient stabilized and pain-free. Conducting specialist consultation. Nanite resources adjusted, recommend isolation and hospitalization." I said."Looks like that monster infected you with something my Auto-Doc can't fix, but we get you back on your feet no worries." He said."My health is unimportant. The Ypeherix came and put their eggs deep into the ground. When they hatch this world will die!" "Can you take me to someone who speaks for all of you? Like a chief or something?" "I am the Patri of all." I could not help but grin."Looks like the Cam and the Tar did not know about you. Let us get up to that cave entrance. We got a better view and the cave entrance is easier defended than this spot.

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The Tar of the Hi tribe was forced to his knees before Elf-Na. "Oh, you stupid Dai. You will now declare me to be the Patri. This will make me the ruler even over those old and outdated Pale Ones who are too blind to see what I have been doing." The Pale-Ones still behind that reddish protective shield said."You need us to get access to the Infarx, we will never yield!" "Oh but you will, I have thousands killed. We know the Infarx is not only the first mother but a Seenian Battleship, just like the Devastator and we know she has Seenian weapons." The Tar grunted."This is what you are after?" "Of course, you think Kermac are impressed by your little society? We know of the Infarx and planned for this. The Dai are insubstantial, Kermac supremacy is everything! Come join us as a Battle thrall, sweeping all those opposing us from this galaxy. Chiefly Sarans and Terrans, the rest might just beg to become Galactic Council thralls to serve us." "Us? You are Dai!" "Oh, you are so ignorant and dense. I am Kermac now. I will be elevated to be a Wizard and wield more power than even a Patri." He grabbed Kar-Hi's hair and pulled it back."Look at me! I am your superior now! How does it feel to crawl before me?" An Alti-Karr whirled through the air but was stopped in mid-air before it reached the neck of the Cam. It had been hurled by Har-Hi who had just reappeared. "Ah the Champion of Thana Shoo, seeing his Tar in the appropriate position. Your silly knives and blades are no match to the psionic powers of the Muta-Kerr!"

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"And this is what happened," I said, having direct contact with Admiral McElligott. The Old Highlander spread his arms."St. Andrews help us, we got a new mystery at our hands and who shows up in the middle of it 75,000 lightyears distant where we thought you are?" He opened a drawer on his desk and retrieved a bottle of Scotch and a glass."As it may be, your discovery of yet another trans spatial connection and the presence of Dai that colonized the planet gives us precedence to interfere. Captain Bronbohr of the USS Gromsmaro will only be too glad to return to N-746-554-696. The Dai there can be considered natives and the leaders request for help is good enough for us." "I have no idea what the deal is about the Ypeherix, but I have a feeling they are bad news." "This is actually going to be your next assignment. So, Captain Olafson wrap things up at Thana Shoo and get your leather clad butt to Sin 4." "I have no idea how to get back." "While I am confident you figure it out, it was your crew who actually uncovered another one of these Nexus ports on Itheamh as you know and your Science officer figured out how to use them. You speak Seenian, tell the thing you want to go back to Thana-Shoo in Seenian or Old Saresii and it will take you back." "What about the Dai here and the sick one?" "Erica, you are talking to the Admiral of the Fleet. I am not just some ensign. We don't do things half measure. The Gromsmaro is two days out and will secure the system. More assets are already mobilized to research in detail what those Ypeherix did to the planet, a Marine dropship has been diverted to cleanse the planet from any other Ypeherix and capture a few for research." He snapped his fingers."Oh, and a hospital ship is on its way as well. So no worries we have this well in hand. I expect you at Richter 4 as soon as possible. I am sick and tired of all these crew requests. Now go back to Thana Shoo as I ordered you, by the way." He severed the communication and the small field screen vanished. I said to the Dai."My people will come in a few days and take care of the Ypeherix and your situation." He nodded. "Take your people to a place as far away from any Ypeherix that still might be here. A battleship is on its way to sweep the system and marines will be here soon to cleanse the world. We will also take care of the sick." He nodded again."I will do as you say." I let him keep the Auto-Doc and handed him my Wrist Com. I showed him how to use it to call down help when it arrived. He left to gather his people and I turned to face the transspatial gate and said ."Take me to Thana Shoo." A bright field of light established itself almost immediately. I stepped inside.

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A Muta-Kerr floated down and bathed Har-Hi with bluish light, causing the most intense pain. Har-Hi screamed but not just in pain, but anger he went to his knees, through tearing eyes he saw Erica's TKU right there, took it and fired. The powerful energy bolt vaporized the bizarre being and the pain was gone, but not for long. The TKU was ripped out of his fist, and floating in mid-air it turned to fire at Har-Hi. Three sharp cracks were heard. Three Muta-Kerr died after three lead slugs hit their bloated heads and scrambled their brains.

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I did return right from where I left and to a bizarre scene. Har-Hi was kneeling in an almost fetal position. There were strange beings floating nearby, and my TKU in mid-air turning muzzle first to Har-Hi. All I had to reach there fast enough was my Colt. The ancient weapon once again proved to be a deadly weapon indeed. Three of the floating beings died and the TKU fell to the ground. The scene presented to me was chaotic but I instinctively grasped what happened. Cam Elf-Na had not played by the rules and commenced some sort of putsch to gain control over the Dai. The Pale Ones and the heart were behind a reddish energy field while a dozen or so of these ugly bloated head things surrounded it and poured bluish energies emitted from the center of their heads into that red field. Cam Elf-Na was standing at his tier surrounded by about five hundred Dai and all armed to the teeth with modern blaster weapons. More Dai warriors and more of those floating beings had appeared all around the top tier, with weapons pointed downward. There were dozens of dead, most of them had large parts of their bodies burned to ashes. Tar Kar-Hi was held by two Dai and pressed to the ground before the Cam. He was my next target, but something took hold of my hand and the old gun was ripped out of my hand. The same thing happened to my sword. It was ripped off my belt scabbard and all. Cam Elf-Na yelled."So you did survive whatever horrors awaited you. You are quite an impressive little bitch, Union captain. I will personally kill your friend and I will kill you." The Infarx is soon mine and the Kermac will sweep that Union infestation from existence." He turned to one of the floating things."Take her ax and decapitate her!" An enormous invisible weight was pressing me down. The ax yanked from my back. Something deep inside me filled my mind, this time there was no blackout. My ring was glowing brightly. "No one shall separate me from Bereaver. Bereaver to me!" I raised my fist, against all that psionic pressure. One of the Muta-Kerr squealed in pain, his invisible telekinetic hold of my ax became visible bluish light. The shaft of the archaic weapon slapped with a resounding clap in my hand. The Muta-Kerr dropped to the ground. "Oh, ye doomed creatures what fallacy compelled you to stand against the Dark One? What are your efforts against the power supreme? Die!" It was as if I was a guest in my own body, yet I felt this was not a possession or something external but this was indeed me, I could feel reaching out with my mind. The armed Dai standing at the top tier of this amphitheater popped into bloody gore in rapid succession, ripped apart from the inside. The first shots were fired but the beams sizzled into nothingness long before they reached me. I moved with inhuman speed and crossed distances with a simple thought, swinging my ax killing without mercy. Beginning at the lowest tier I started to climb towards the Cam. I backhanded a massive Shiruti and swatted him like a fly, his body impacted with a sickening wet sound several tiers below with the stone steps of a  flight of stairs. A Muta-Kerr to my left was squeezed to bloody mush by an invisible fist I stepped up to Cam Elf-Na who shook in fear."Who are you?" I grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off his feet effortless as if he had no weight."I am your doom." He gargled and wheezed for air, I closed my hand. The Cam Elf-Na died with his head dangling from strands of bloody flesh and tendons. The lifeless body dropped to the ground. I rose my ax to kill the Tar and then everything and everyone. "Dark One!" A voice thundered over everything."You are not complete, return to your sleep. Your time of reckoning must come after you made the decision. The mortal shell you share is not yours alone." Whatever was inside me fell silent and retreated. Once again I was Erica and had control over myself. My suit in shreds, soiled with blood and holding the ax, I took a deep breath and looked around. While my eyes saw the utter carnage I had caused. I remembered everything and for the first time, I realized that I eventually would become a terrible entity. It had a name, Dark One. I was to be that Dark One. Was there no way, no power that would prevent me from becoming the ultimate villain of all creation?" That bodyless voice that stopped me spoke again."Yes, there is such a power, Dark One. It is you. There are still tokens and items that must be reunited with you before you can truly awake. When that time has come, you are to make a decision. You will decide what you will be and how you going to respond to those who tried to conquer and destroy you and this decision will restore the Rule, or end it." "How can I function as a human and Union Officer knowing I am going to be a dark god or something. Will I lose control and wield my ax, perhaps even kill friends and loved ones?" "This is the very reason the Dark One has reincarnated in you. You must and you will learn to control yourself. You did not close your eyes this time, you saw everything you did." "But I had no control, it was as if I was a passenger in my own body." "Did you try to do something?" "No..." "You are the Dark One, but you are also Eric and then there is Erica. Eric and the Dark One are two aspects of one and the same entity, each side must learn and adapt to the other. "I am not Erica?" "Yes you are, and the answers will eventually be revealed to you. The Dark One has promised to sleep and remain dormant until all twelve tokens have been united by you, this will give you time to merge and control." "You are not the Narth Supreme, right?" "No." "Who are you then?" "I am the Voice of the Rule." "Are you God?" "Not to you." "What am I?" "You are a prime entity and the sentient consciousness of death and darkness. You are the anti-force of life. You are the Dark One." "I am not Erica Olafson?" "Yes you are, limitations of a mortal mind will make it difficult to comprehend. Your existence is not limited by time, you do not suffer the urgency of life, be patient and go your path. Be Erica, be Captain Olafson and should you survive all the dangers you put yourself in, your transformation will eventually be complete and all questions answered. Do not dwell too much in the future but exist in the now." "I can die?" "Yes, you have not come into your own. The entity will be unbound and not even I know what will happen then." "Can you not simply take this away from me?" "Many lesser entities and countless mortals have sought and many still seek that power and become the Dark One. Yet the one who will wield it all wants to reject it. No one can take this away from you. Now deal with the Dai and when the time comes you will know who you are." I knew the Voice was gone and only now did I notice time had no meaning while I talked to the Voice. Har-Hi came to his feet and rubbed his eyes."What happened?" "Cam Elf-Na is dead, and so are many of his followers including those new Kermac nightmares." He stared at the carnage."Those freak things caused so much pain I didn't see anything...you did this?" I was not sure what to tell my friend when the Red energy shield dropped and revealed the Pale Ones and the Heart of Thana Shoo. "Erica-Do. You have not only passed the test but cleansed Thana-Shoo and saved all that is Dai. You are the Patri. Is there anyone objecting?" No one did. Then my name was chanted. Erica-Do, Patri-Tar." "The Infarx is your mother and all that is Dai is your tribe." "I am objecting, Pale Ones. I have no time or desire to lead a society and the Dai do not need a leader with so much power." "But you are the Patri-Tar. All your commands are the law!" "Alright then. One of the Union Dai is to take the Infarx to Arsenal. Fleet Command will know what to do with it. I declare Kai-Do to be Than and not Okthi so he may rebuild his Tribe. I resolve all alliances and bonds. Each clan will make their own decision to join the Union or not. Those who will join and those have joined going to be under Union law with all its benefits but also its responsibilities. No tribe, no Dai may ever own another sentient being. Daiyees are equal to Dai and everyone can gain or lose Than and become Okthi. Than is gained by merit and deed, not applied by the consent and opinion of a group." My words were carried and amplified so it seemed to every Dai present. There were many approving nods. I recognized the Kor with the Union flag instead of his tribal glyph."I take the Infarx to Arsenal. The cursed Cam and his henchmen killed many of us, but even if he had won. All the Muta-Kerr and all the scheming Kermac can't stop the Union." He crossed his arms before his chest."We got the Eternal Warrior!" I had to grin at that one and continued. "You still might have a big fight on your hand. There are still Na ships and their allies out there." "There are also several carriers out there, Ma'am. They don't know what happened here, because of sacred laws we obeyed and the Cam ignored, but we will inform them." The Pale Ones said in their chorus voice: "The heart of the Na clan died. What is your command regarding us?" "You appear to be some sort of entity. Contact the Assembly and speak to the Klack Queen, Mothermachine or perhaps the Narth Supreme. If they can't give you advise, no one can." I spread my arms."You, Tar Kar-Hi clean your tribe. You are a Union citizen, either leave the Union and return to be a free unbound tribe or act like a Union citizen." Then I turned to the Pale Ones."My words are law?" "Indeed, you speak and your will is law to all Dai. All your commands will be carried out." "Splendid, I hereby abolish the office or position of Patri. As of today, there won't be a Patri and no one will be able to become Patri." A Dai leader standing next to the Kor, covering a nasty burn wound with a piece of cloth."She doesn't need to be a Patri anyhow, she's a Union Captain." Har-Hi eyes glittered."Aye, she is, and I am proud to be her XO." He then smirked."It is true, you either kill them or they join. I doubt there will be many independent tribes after today." "Are we done here, Mr. Hi?" "We are done here, Captain. One of these days, however, I do want to know what happened here." "One of these days I tell you."

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