What War Had Wrought (Rise of the Empire Book 7) Read online

  “So far so good,” Anessa heard Adrian say from behind her as she was putting on her Sentinel armor.

  “There doesn’t appear to be anything suspicious, no indication of a trap,” Anessa said.

  “Unless you count this whole thing,” Adrian said cheerfully.

  Anessa turned and glared down on him. “If you are so convinced that it is a trap, why are you even coming? Why did you tell me to accept?”

  “Because as I said, we have no choice. The Empire needs to accept the talks because of our image, and you need to show other races that you are changing your ways and are willing to talk instead of just conquering and subduing anyone who isn’t Shara Daim,” Adrian said somberly.

  Anessa grimaced without responding and took the last piece of the armor from Akash, who was holding it for her in his jaws, and put it on her right hand. With a thought, she triggered the armor and within moments it was fully deployed except for her head, which she left bare. Adrian did the same. Anessa walked over to the table, picked up the translator, and attached it to her temple. Then they walked out of the room and towards the Bloodbringer’s landing bay with the two wolions following behind them.

  The shuttle—one that had been upgraded with skim drives—that would take them to the small island was already ready, and a squad of four Va Sun led by Do Sun Arisak and four of the Empire’s adepts, along with one of the Empire’s Sowir, were waiting in front of the shuttle. The Sowir had made some of her people uncomfortable, but in the end they didn’t complain much. Lurker of the Depths was there because Adrian wanted added security, as according to him the alien was the most powerful telepath in the Empire, and the one that had trained and taught Adrian everything he knew. And after witnessing Adrian’s fight a few months ago, she knew how powerful of a telepath he was.

  “We are ready, Kar Daim,” Do Sun Arisak said.

  “Good, let’s get this over with,” Anessa said, and turned to look at Garaam, who was standing close by. “Monitor the system. If anything happens that makes you suspect a trap, call the ground team and prepare to get us out,” Anessa sent.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll fly the Bloodbringer into the atmosphere if I have to. If the Erasi are planning something, they will regret it,” Garaam responded.

  With that, Anessa went inside and settled in the chair beside Adrian and the wolions, which had their own specially designed harnesses to strap in. Adrian had tried to get Akash and Sora to stay on the ship, but the two had other plans. They flew through the atmosphere for a while before the pilot finally reported that they were close and began landing. So far everything had gone according to plan; the Erasi shuttle had already arrived at the meeting spot but hadn’t moved since.

  Anessa felt the shuttle land, and as soon as she got the go-ahead from the pilot, she stood and started towards the exit ramp. Once the shuttle’s ramp lowered, she stepped out into the harsh sunlight and dry air of the planet. She took a few steps forward over the rocky ground, making room for others to leave the shuttle behind her.

  Adrian came to stand beside her, and they looked out towards the other side of the island. They were too far away to see the Erasi shuttle clearly, but it was visible. They were supposed to meet in the middle, between the two shuttles, and the Erasi had told them that they were meeting with two of their O’fa and that they could number two as well, which meant Adrian and Anessa would go alone. She wasn’t worried about the two O’fa; she was confident in her skills and Adrian’s, and they would be more than capable of dealing with anything.

  She heard Adrian instruct the wolions to stay with the shuttle, and then some growls and whines as a response. But in the end, he managed to convince them that they would be able to see him at all times. Then together they started walking towards the meeting spot.

  ***

  “It is them,” Valanaru sent.

  Garash turned to look at the Weaver. “You are certain? We might be trying to trap them, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t try to trap us in return.”

  “I am certain,” Valanaru sent as she lowered the viewing device from her eyes and retracted her mental tendrils back behind her shields. She was one of a very few telepaths capable of actually touching the mind of another telepath without them noticing. And she had touched the minds of the two coming towards them now. She didn’t learn much, as both had their shields up, only that they were both very powerful, as powerful as what the Erasi believed Dai Sha—or rather, Kar Daim Anessa to be. That, coupled with the visual confirmation of their facial features, made her certain that it was exactly who they were waiting for.

  “Good, let’s get this done. I have a war to finish,” Garash sent, and started walking towards them. Valanaru followed only a moment after.

  ***

  Adrian studied the two figures coming towards Anessa and him. One was a Gatrey dressed in elaborate robe-like clothes, and judging by the height and the shape of the head, Adrian concluded that this Gatrey was a female. The other figure had four arms and two legs, and was clearly an Uvaramo, or rather Loraru, as they were calling themselves long ago. Their race was the one that had left the Union ship on Earth, which was then recovered by Olympus. The Uvaramo was male, and far larger than what the Empire’s records suggested the Loraru should be. He was over a head taller than Adrian; not quite as tall as Anessa, but still much taller than he should have been. He wore a kind of battle armor that was green in tint with solid plates connected with black material over the joints and other places where a solid plate could inhibit movement.

  The two stopped in front of Anessa and Adrian, and after only a moment of silence, the Uvaramo spoke. “I am very glad that you decided to accept our offer, Kar Daim, Lord Sentinel. I am O’fa Garash, and I serve as the Commander of the Erasi forces, as well as the ultimate authority in this sector of the Erasi.” He gestured with one of his arms to the Gatrey at his side. “This is O’fa Valanaru, who is here in an advisory role.”

  “Why have you called for this meeting?” Anessa asked. “You’ve refused all diplomatic attempts by the Empire until now.”

  “The diplomats on Tarabat are low level; they were waiting for me to arrive in the sector. As to why we called for the meeting, it is simple. We want to end this war quickly,” O’fa Garash said to Anessa, and took a step forward, spreading his arms wide. “You have had some success leading the Shara Daim forces against us. You united your people under your rule, and that is complicating matters.”

  Anessa tilted her head. “You attacked us first, and with no provocation.”

  “We only acted as a preemptive measure. The practice of Shara Daim has been known to us for some time. It was only a question of when you would’ve turned against us,” the O’fa said, and took another step forward.

  Anessa grimaced. She knew that what the Erasi was saying was right. Adrian took his eyes of him and turned to look at the Gatrey, Valanaru, who was studying him. He narrowed his eyes. There was something strange about her, something on the edge of his consciousness that he could not quite grasp.

  “I will not deny that,” Anessa said, “but the Elders no longer rule the Shara Daim. I do. And under my rule, that will not happen.”

  “Sadly, the Erasi can’t take that chance,” the O’fa said as he crossed the halfway point to them. “And without you, the Shara Daim will give us much less resistance.”

  Adrian frowned and started turning his head to look at the Uvaramo when something in his mind clicked and he could feel both of the O’fa gathering Sha. “Watch out!” he yelled out, and just barely managed to trigger his armor to deploy his helm before a massive telepathic attack slammed into him, forcing him down to his knee.

  ***

  Adrian’s warning came a split second before the Uvaramo attacked; in an astonishing burst of speed, his two upper arms snapped upwards, sending a kinetic blast towards her, just as she jumped to the side to evade it. Triggering her armor to deploy the helmet mid-jump, she raised her arm and fired a kinetic blast while she was still in t
he air. It rippled from her arm towards the O’fa. With a wave of his hand, her attack disappeared, and both of his lower arms pointed towards her as weapons on his forearms deployed. A moment later, the weapons fired.

  Anessa landed and had enough time to create a shield of force between herself and her attacker, catching the first bolt on the shield. All of it happened in barely a second, and before the second bolt struck, she was already moving to the side, triggering the weapon on her Sentinel armor. The second bolt struck her shield and was quickly followed by the third, and then the fourth one that broke her shield. The mini-turret deployed over her shoulder and opened fire, forcing the O’fa to momentarily stop his own attack and generate a shield to stop it.

  With some respite, Anessa glanced to where Adrian was kneeling and could feel him engaged in a mind battle with the Gatrey. That moment of carelessness almost killed her. The O’fa closed the distance between them in a blur of speed, and from near point-blank range, he fired his weapons at her torso. The only thing that saved her was the Sentinel armor, which was designed to withstand similar weapons fire. She attempted to raise a shield between them as she jumped backwards, bolts of weapons fire from her turret still firing and sizzling against the O’fa’s shield that was somehow still standing. As soon as her shield started sliding into place, a wave of Sha burst from the O’fa, disrupting it, and a force grabbed her while still in the air and threw her to the side.

  Anessa landed on her back and rolled several times before she managed to get her feet under her. She got up to her knees only to see the O’fa running towards her faster than she believed was possible. A familiar buildup of Sha and a gesture from the O’fa was her only warning, and she attempted to roll to the side as a small implosion sprung in place just behind where her head had been. An implosion couldn’t be formed inside a being’s body, but place it close enough and the force was strong enough to kill instantly. Anessa moved far enough to escape instant death, but her shoulder turret was ripped to pieces, and the force pulled her back towards its center. For a moment, she was suspended awkwardly in the air, and then the O’fa reached her. His two left fists slammed into her from above, throwing her to the ground with such force that she actually bounced back, just as his foot slammed on her stomach, pinning her to the ground.

  His weapons started firing directly at her chest, over her heart, and warnings started showing up all over her HUD. Still dazed, she attempted to put a shield in place even as she tried to move her hands over her chest, but each time she tried to create a shield, the O’fa would disrupt it, and as soon as she had moved her hands, a force grabbed and pinned them to the ground.

  She was burning power as fast as she could, trying to push the O’fa back, and failing. Her mental attacks encountered shields far more formidable than she had ever encountered before, and any counterattack she attempted was instantly countered by the O’fa and his overwhelming power. She had already expended more than half of her power trying to overcome her opponent, and couldn’t see any way of escaping. The alerts on her HUD warned her that her armor wouldn’t hold much longer, and once it failed, a single bolt of fire would end her life.

  With no other choice, she triggered the command that would inject the NX-02 drug in her system. She felt a sharp pain as the needles pierced her skin, and then almost immediately she felt power flood through her. With her energy supplies replenished, fire coursing through her veins, and every cell in her body bursting with power, she pulled, focusing as much power as she could into a single attack.

  The O’fa paused his attack for just a moment, as he must’ve felt the drug’s effects, and that single moment where his power slipped was enough. Anessa unleashed a kinetic blast around her, breaking the hold the O’fa had on her and sending him hurling through the air. She moved faster than she had ever moved before and got to her feet. The three slots on her forearm opened and three small black spheres floated in front of her. With a surge of power, she bent the Sha around them, sending them towards the O’fa so fast that they could barely be seen by eye alone, and Anessa ran towards her opponent behind them.

  The first of the spheres struck the O’fa just as he landed on his feet, hitting him in the shoulder and denting his armor. The second sphere encountered a shield that the O’fa managed to slide in place incredibly fast, slamming into it and bouncing off to the side with most of its energy absorbed or deflected. The third sphere encountered the same shield, but it punched through—although robbed of most of its power—hitting the O’fa in the chest and throwing him off balance.

  Anessa reached him before he could recover, and before he could put up another shield, she raised her arms and leveled them with his chest. Borrowing Adrian’s move, she released a stream of plasma from both of her palms, scorching the O’fa’s armor, and as he raised all four of his arms to protect his torso, the plasma burned his forearms, destroying his weapons in the process. Trying to conserve some of her energy, she stopped shooting plasma, and stepped closer to the O’fa. She raised her left hand and smashed it downwards on the O’fa’s shoulder. The attack barely staggered the alien, and his hands flashed in a quick retaliation, hitting her in the chest. A blade dashed out of her forearm and Anessa swiped it towards the O’fa’s head. The alien ducked away as a telekinetic force took hold of her blade arm and pushed it to towards the ground, impaling a third of the sword into the rock. Before Anessa had a chance to pull it out, the O’fa’s foot came down hard on the blade, breaking it in half.

  Then the O’fa retaliated. A kinetic blast picked Anessa off the ground and threw her backwards, and while she was still in the air, a force grabbed hold of her and threw her to the ground. Her head smashed into the rock hard enough that her vision went dark for a moment, stunning her. Then the O’fa was standing above her, his armor scorched and smoking, but still whole. Anessa reached out with her power, attempting to form an implosion just behind the O’fa’s neck, trying to break it. Her attack never had the chance to form. The O’fa sprung forward, picking her up by the neck and taking a few steps forward before he slammed her against a small boulder.

  Her hands were forced apart and held by force that she couldn’t overcome, and fists pummeled her head against the rock so hard that for a moment she lost consciousness. In a desperate attempt to get free, she opened her mind and sent a mental attack, but the O’fa’s defenses were too strong, and she was too weak. As her body was restrained with the O’fa’s power, Anessa could do nothing. Her head was spinning, and all she could do was watch as the O’fa raised his upper right hand, extending all of his fingers and putting them together. A moment later, the air around them crackled and shimmered as a yellowish glow appeared around his fingers. Then the hand slammed down into her chest, slowly pushing through her already weakened armor. The O’fa started ripping pieces of her chest armor off, digging a hole in it, cutting and throwing pieces back as nanites in the armor tried to repair the damage unsuccessfully. Finally, she screamed as she felt the tips of his fingers cut into her chest as he ripped away the last piece of her armor.

  He raised his hand for the final strike that would end her life. “You should be proud,” the O’fa said. “I have not been pushed this far in a very long time. Rest assured, your people will be put in their rightful place.”

  Anessa looked at the O’fa with her vision darkening, meeting her death head on. Then, just as the hand started its path towards her heart, terror unlike anything she had ever felt gripped her. It lasted for only a fraction of a second as it brushed against her, and Anessa recognized what it was. The O’fa’s hand shook, and he stood up and walked several steps backwards as he was gripped by sheer emotion. His hold on her slipped, and Anessa saw his body shake as he was stepping away from her, his head looking up at something behind her. Then a wave of Sha burst from him, disrupting the attack. His body slumped for a moment, and then turned upwards in surprise, just as a massive streak of blue fur flew over Anessa and collided with the O’fa.

  ***

  Adria
n’s mind was on fire. The Gatrey had caught him by surprise; her attack had smashed into his defenses and was pushing through. Each time he tried to launch a counterattack, she would take down another one of his defenses. But he still held on. Several times she had tried to unleash an attack inside his mind that he was pretty sure would’ve killed him, but every time he had managed to thwart her attacks.

  “You are strong,” a voice resonated inside his head. “Far stronger than I assumed you would be.”

  Adrian didn’t dare answer; he kept all of his focus on countering the breaches inside his mind. She was powerful, more powerful than anyone he had ever encountered, including perhaps even Lurker of the Depths.

  “You must know that I am far stronger; you have no hope of winning against me,” she sent, her words reverberating through his head. “Already Garash is finishing off the Kar Daim. She was strong, I must admit, but not even she could have stood against the Son of Carnage,” she sent. Adrian was very much aware of what she was doing. Mind battle was more than a simple strength match. She was using psychological attacks, trying to get him to give up. Too bad for her that he could feel Anessa and the other O’fa still fighting. “Soon he will come and kill your body. Why fight me, when your fate is inevitable?”

  Adrian tuned her words out, compartmentalizing and devising ways of countering her attempts to pierce his defenses. Her attacks were powerful and perfect, no weaknesses for him to exploit, no room for him to send out an attack of his own. There was only one thing he could do, but it carried an incredible risk. He would need to be faster than her, or he would die.

  Composing himself, he did one thing that he was certain she did not expect—he collapsed his outer defenses. Suddenly the targets of the Gatrey’s attacks disappeared; all the memories that he hadn’t put inside his inner walls, inside his construct, were vulnerable to the Gatrey. And in that moment of confusion, he struck. He reached out to the Gatrey’s mind and with all of his power pulled her inside his mind, inside his construct, to a place where he was most powerful.