The Smuggler's Ascension: The Ties That Died Read online

  Finding Cassandra was crucial, Kristof felt as his thoughts returned to the task at hand, though he could not say why. What could she tell him that he did not already know? He knew the power he had could kill Azrael, and Pyreus for that matter, though killing two Gods was not something he wished to contemplate, he was already uncomfortable with the thought of having to kill one. Anasha’s laugh broke his train of thought at a good time. Sabine led the way as she and Kristof joined Anasha and Celeste by the Sphere. Their blond wife seemed very happy, and it was a wonderful sight to see as always.

  “I assume you’ve made a breakthrough,” Sabine said as she took a seat in their favorite chair that the three of them often shared together.

  “Yes,” Anasha said with a smile, “And it was so simple that neither of us can believe we never saw it before.”

  “Su’Tani children are taught that language, math, and the arts are all a form of communication,” Celeste informed them. “As such, they are taught to weave the three concepts together. The rings on the Sphere incorporate this concept as well, as the language is done in a musical manner like a duet, requiring two people to read it.”

  “And the part you couldn’t read before?” Kristof asked curiously, entranced by the ideas Celeste had revealed.

  “The language on the base of the Sphere was done in such a way that, when correctly interpreted, creates a three dimensional mental structure,” Celeste told them. “One must first decipher the structure in order to place the words in the correct sequence.”

  “And you were able to do this?” Kristof pressed.

  “Celeste was, yes,” Anasha said, still smiling. “I was always horrible with math myself.”

  “I am a good teacher,” Celeste said as she gave Anasha a curious smile, “But I am not a miracle worker.”

  The room erupted in laughter as Anasha blushed.

  “Ok, are we ready to give this a try again, then?” Kristof asked as he hugged his blond wife tight.

  “I believe so,” Anasha said after giving Kristof a quick kiss.

  Kristof, Anasha, and Celeste resumed their positions around the sphere. The chant that Celeste and Anasha began this time was less musical than the others they’d gotten from the rings, and instead sounded more technical and precise. Math tended to be rigid, Kristof thought, as he listened and watched.

  The smallest ring, the Ring of Mortal Realms, began to spin first. Once it was spinning at a blinding speed, the Ring of the Veil began to spin. As with the first ring, once the second ring was spinning furiously, the Ring of the Afterlife began to spin. Visions of all three realms began to appear overlaid and intertwined, so that one could see all of the realms at once combined and yet still separate. It was a slightly nauseating experience, Kristof thought. Anasha nodded to Kristof after a moment, indicating it was time for him to search.

  “Show me the Goddess Cassandra,” Kristof commanded.

  As before, the Sphere’s view raced about the universe as it carried out its search. After a length of time Kristof began to fear that even this new search would fail, when the Sphere’s view began to slow until it stopped.

  The view before them was of the Devil’s Eyes black holes, the massive spatial anomaly that Kristof had navigated through on the journey to bring Sabine home to her throne. The view clearly showed how the black holes passed through the Void and into the Underworld, and Kristof suddenly knew that the anomaly was aptly named. Separate from that long link between the Mortal Realm and the Underworld was a bright, glowing sphere within the center of the Devil’s Eyes run. It was neither in the Mortal Realm or the Underworld, nor was it part of the Void exactly.

  “Null Space,” Celeste said between chants, and said no more.

  The vision moved closer to the bright glowing spot until it changed and they were all looking upon a bright garden filled with fountains, parks, trees, and beautifully constructed buildings. There were people wandering through the parks, and the vision began to center on one in particular.

  Kristof remembered Cassandra from the vision they had seen on Durani, and he recognized her now. She had not changed at all, she was still heartbreakingly beautiful and had long golden hair, and her eyes were the same golden color as well, yet sadder now. Those eyes suddenly looked up and saw Kristof watching her.

  “I know what you seek, God Slayer,” Cassandra said suddenly. “I will not help you. Do not seek me out, for it will avail you not. I will not aid you in killing Azrael. Better the universe burn and be no more, than to betray my love.”

  With that, the images vanished and the rings of the Sphere began to slow.

  Kristof stood and stared at the rings in disbelief. After everything they’d been through to get to this point, only to have the Goddess deny them what they needed was beyond belief. Suddenly the arrogance of the Gods had him so angry that he could feel the power of the Father stirring within him.

  “Easy there, tiger,” Anasha said as she jumped to Kristof’s side to calm him quickly.

  “I have about had it with Gods and their arrogance,” Kristof growled. “They created this mess we are in and yet seem to have no desire to help clean it up. Except for Pyreus, and the only reason he helped is because he wants Azrael dead.”

  “We know where Cassandra is now,” Sabine said as she worked her way into the circle of Kristof’s arms. “We’ll just go change her mind. That’s all.”

  Sabine’s actions had been very calculating, Kristof knew. It was almost impossible to stay angry when she was in his arms, as he was sure she knew well. With some effort, he allowed his anger to drain away, mainly because Cassandra was not really there for him to strangle. Had the Goddess actually been in the room with them, then things might have gone very differently.

  “You don’t play fair,” Kristof accused his diminutive wife as he reached down to pinch her ass, making her squeal and laugh.

  “All is fair in love and war, my love,” Sabine said as she grabbed Kristof’s shirt and pulled him down for a kiss.

  “I will inform Admiral Raekis that we will be needing to make another trip soon,” Anasha said, as she turned to go use the suite’s comm terminal. “We’ll have to take the Phantom in on the run into the Devil’s Eyes, but we should still travel in strength as far as we can. With Karina and Korvan still running around out there popping up unexpectedly, I’d rather not be caught with our pants down.”

  “Good idea,” Sabine agreed, before giving Kristof a stern look. “Your siblings have a lot to answer for.”

  “Don’t blame me, sweetheart,” Kristof said as he raised his palms, “I had nothing to do with how they turned out. I tried to take Korvan with me when my father disowned me, but he wouldn’t allow it. As for Karina, she’s always been not right, and leaving Korvan anywhere near that witch was not a good idea.”

  “Seems to be a family trait to cause mischief,” Sabine said teasingly, and Kristof caught her back up in his arms, where he proceeded to tickle her. Sabine howled in laughter and frustration, since she hated being tickled.

  “All’s fair, remember?” Kristof reminded her with a smile and a nibble on her neck.

  Celeste coughed a bit uncomfortably, and Kristof released his squirming wife.

  “See what I have to put up with all of the time?” Max asked Celeste plaintively.

  “Sorry, Celeste,” Kristof said and managed to look slightly embarrassed. “Sabine brings out the worst in me,” he added with a smile.

  “The love you three share is unique and special,” Celeste said with a smile, “And will sustain you through the storms to come. There is no need to apologize for the ways that love manifests itself.

  Kristof watched as Sabine went and hugged Celeste, clearly showing her love for the older woman who had helped them so much. Celeste seemed shocked, and then returned the hug with another smile.

  Kristof hoped Celeste was right, that love would indeed sustain them in the storm to come. He had a feeling that they hadn’t really felt the bad storms yet, not the ones that
would change everything. They would need all of their love to weather what was to come, he felt in his heart.

  ~27~

  Korvan lay writhing on the floor in pain as the lightning abated at last. His uniform smoked in several places, no longer recognizable as the admiral’s uniform he preferred to that of the Emperor’s traditional uniform. Karina hadn’t cared what he wore, only that the fleet had failed to destroy the Puranni’s force at Dorcanus II. Somehow it had been his fault that he hadn’t been able to overcome a vastly superior force. He had tried to explain that to her, but Karina had become completely unreasonable.

  His sister had been injured somehow during that mission, which lent a fury to Karina’s attacks on him now. Korvan had watched her rematerialized aboard the Vengeance and collapse, blood dripping from someplace beneath her robes. The two guards who had gone to assist her fell victim to her wrath and had been killed instantly. Korvan waited for two of Karina’s Priestesses to go to her aid rather than go himself. She had smiled through her pain as she mentioned something about triggering the darkness to her sister Priestesses, but to Korvan she only sent a look of disgust.

  And now Karina was angry again, though Korvan did not know what it was he had done this time or failed to do. He could no longer feel his legs, the lightning strikes had been so bad. Everything else in his body screamed at him, and Korvan’s world had been reduced to just pain and his fractured thoughts.

  Memories came from childhood, of how Karina had used to love to hit him, always where she knew he was already hurt. One time he had fallen from a tree and ended up with several bad bruises, but luckily no broken bones. Karina had made a game for herself to see how many of the bruises she could hit before Korvan would start to cry. This had all been after mother had died, and father did not care. Father wanted strong sons, and Korvan’s crying had angered him rather than inspired any sympathy.

  Korvan longed for those days now. They were so much nicer, in hindsight, to the life he now lived as Karina’s lightning rod. Suicide had come to mind, but he soon learned that Karina had planted a subliminal directive in his mind that prevented it. Korvan could not even do anything now that might inadvertently lead to his death, with the exception of leading the fleet into increasingly futile efforts to destroy their brother or one of his loved ones.

  The news that Kristof had married a second woman should have angered and offended Korvan, he thought, but he could no longer remember why he was supposed to hate his brother. Instead, Korvan found himself wishing his brother happiness in his wives, a thought that had earned him more punishment from Karina when she learned of it. His thoughts were no longer private from her. Whatever she had become was powerful, he knew, powerful beyond her ability to wield the black lightning.

  “Kristof moves closer to our doom,” Karina snarled at him as he managed to open his eyes at last.

  “Good,” Korvan croaked out, no longer caring what Karina did to him.

  “You would like that, would you?” Karina asked with a smile. “You always were weak, brother. Luckily for you, our Master has a use for you still.” The way Karina made her pronouncement made Korvan’s burning insides suddenly go cold. Karina never smiled unless she meant to hurt you, he knew.

  From behind the altar’s raised dais came a trio of Dark Priestesses, and Korvan knew he wouldn’t have long to wait to discover his sister’s newest torment. Two of the Priestesses carried knives, while the third was empty handed. The pair with the knives began cutting away Korvan’s clothing, and his burned skin came away in several spots that had been seared into the cloth.

  Once Korvan lay nude upon the Temple’s floor, Karina came to stand over him. The look in her eyes was no longer human nor particularly sane, the black fire that ringed the green of those eyes had almost consumed her eyes entirely. Her smile was also inhuman now, and yet strangely still hers, and Korvan was afraid. The Priestesses grabbed his arms and legs then, turning Korvan’s attention to them quickly.

  The sound of rustling cloth drew Korvan’s attention away from the Priestesses and he saw Karina standing above nude him. Her veins had gone completely black from head to toe and her body had grown so gaunt that he could see her ribs and hips through her skin. Blood dripped down the inside of her leg from her vagina, and Korvan suddenly felt sick and afraid beyond any fear he’d felt before.

  Karina pointed a hand downward and small tendrils of black lightning erupted forth to strike Korvan’s waist, and he felt his manhood stiffen despite the pain and his intense desire to not do what he now suspected was going to happen. Karina straddled his hips even as the lightning continued, and she sank herself onto Korvan’s manhood. Korvan screamed as he felt an intense burning cold, like ice in subzero temperatures engulfing his manhood and spreading down through his testicles.

  “Master desires a son,” Karina pronounced almost tenderly. “You’re going to be a daddy, Korvan. Be happy.” The last shred of sanity left Karina’s eyes as she laughed.

  Korvan screamed again, and again, the pain from his groin growing more and more intense as each second passed. When he felt himself orgasm inside Karina, at last he felt his life force begin to ebb and fade. The pain faded with his life, and at the end Korvan managed one last smile before he died.

  ~28~

  The argument came as Anasha had known it would when Kristof told Max that he wanted the android to remain on the Queen’s Honor while the Phantom made the Devil’s Eyes voyage to try and find Cassandra within. Anasha had known of the problems with androids going mad while making the voyage, which was why they were always deactivated for the duration of the run. Max’s situation was now unique, however.

  “Look, Max,” Anasha said softly, trying to mollify the upset android before them. “None of us want to leave you behind, but you know the dangers of the run to androids. You know we would have to deactivate you before we started into the rift anyway. But now, because of the emotions and the fact that you are dreaming, we simply do not know if deactivating you will be enough. Remember what happened the last time you were dreaming?”

  “I awoke before the timers on the charging station were set for,” Max said glumly, “And I hurt you. Are you afraid that is what will happen in the rift?”

  “You know we have to take that into consideration,” Kristof said as he looked into his best friend’s eyes. “This isn’t about us being afraid you might hurt us, though, buddy. It’s about us not knowing what might happen to you in there now. We have no idea what is in there that causes androids to go mad. I don’t want anything to happen to you. None of us want that.”

  Max hung his head and turned away, and Anasha felt her heart break a little for the android who had become their most loyal friend and protector. She knew that in his place she would hate being left behind, too. How often had she watched Kristof and Max leave, and she’d been forced to remain behind protecting Sabine? It sucked, she knew it, and she knew that Max knew it too.

  “Your logic is sound,” Max said as he turned back to face them. “I don’t have to fucking like it, though.”

  “I don’t fucking like it either,” Sabine said as she stepped forward and wrapped Max in a hug. Sabine rarely swore, so the occurrence was cause for a laugh all around and served to help break the tension.

  “Queen’s aren’t supposed to…” Max started before Sabine interrupted.

  “Don’t you dare say it,” Sabine ordered with a smile. “I’m the Queen, I can fucking swear if I want to.” She stuck her tongue out at the android for good measure.

  The Devil’s Eyes could be seen in the distance beyond the blue force field of the landing bay that had become the Phantom’s infrequent home of late. Anasha shivered as she thought that the phenomenon was a direct conduit to the Underworld. Memories of the few times she’d made the run between the black holes came to her, and she shivered again at the madness of the idea. It was a truly brave feat that the first pioneers had accomplished in mapping out the run, and she said a quick prayer to the souls of those who los
t their lives in the attempt.

  “Are you ok?” Kristof asked quietly as he came up from behind and wrapped her in his arms. Sabine and Max chatted a distance away, no longer in earshot.

  “Just thinking about the people who died mapping out this crazy pathway,” Anasha said quietly. “What could drive a person to take such a risk?”

  “Money, I’m sure,” Kristof said with a chuckle. “The Smuggler’s Guild was never known for their humanitarian efforts, after all. I’d guess some crackpot scientist approached them with the idea, and someone was crazy enough to try it and made it through.”

  “And now we’re going in there ourselves,” Anasha added. “Are you sure the Phantom can make it? It’s right on the edge of accepted ship sizes.”

  “The Phantom is better made than any ship the Guild ever tried to send through,” Kristof said, “So I think we’ll be ok. I’m just glad Max decided to listen to reason. I don’t want to lose him because these new emotions left his memory core exposed to whatever is in there.”

  “Agreed,” Anasha said as she held Kristof’s arms around her. “When do we go?”

  “Another hour or so,” Kristof replied. “Captain Gerris has the engineers giving everything a final once over, just to be safe.”

  Sabine joined them a short time later to take in the view. Anasha looked to see Max heading for the lift at the end of the hanger. He walked quickly and didn’t look back, and she felt sad that he hadn’t said farewell.

  “He didn’t want everyone getting emotional,” Sabine said, seeing Anasha’s look. “I think he’s upset still, no matter how much he agrees with what we’re saying.”

  “Where is he headed, then?” Anasha asked.

  “There’s an observation deck at the nose of the ship,” Sabine said softly. “He’s going there, I expect. I told him about the view there. Speaking of which, I never expected to see this place from close up again.”

  “Oh, the trip through wasn’t so bad,” Kristof said with a smile, and Anasha stepped on his foot playfully.