Bringer of Death

Otherworld Saga, Part 6: Gods and Generals

Otherworld Saga, Part 6: Gods and Generals

Thousands of years ago…

The hero struggled with all his might, but the massive pirate's grip on his skull was inescapable.

"I...have...to stop...you!"

Bojack's laughter dripped with derision. "So this was the cavalry, huh? The great hero who was going to come and stop us? Haha, you are nothing," he laughed. "And once I kill you, there'll be no one left foolish enough to try to stand in the way of our galactic conquest."

The hero closed his eyes, doing everything he could to block out the pain. He had to concentrate. If only he could summon enough energy, maybe he could take out the warlord with him. If only…

CRUNCH.

The pirate released his grip on the hero's fractured skull, letting the lifeless body plummet toward the planet below. In his language, it was called Hera Prime; in the common language of the galaxy, it was known as Alpha Juno.

Debris from the hero's attack filled the skies—the shattered remnants of nearly a third of his pirate fleet—but space tugs were already hard at work cleaning up the mess and preparing to make repairs. His factories on the surface were churning out a new siege frigate each week, with mining operations in the core of the planet and on the iron-rich moons of the Hera system. Most importantly, the Sky Gates were all still intact.

The massive, shimmering rings had been the key to transforming Bojack from a regional warlord into a galactic threat. With the help of Bujin's magic and the industrial engine of Hera Prime, the Sky Gates allowed the Galaxy Soldiers and their fleet to teleport to and from any system in the entire galaxy, all from the central hub of Hera. Superluminal slipstream drives were still a costly and inefficient technology, suitable for huge lumbering transports but impractical for battle fleets. Bojack knew of no society that had managed to miniaturize the new engines. Until those drives improved, the Sky Gates would give the former warlord an unparalleled grip on the the galaxy.

Hera's position near the Galactic Center had already given Bojack the means to waylay shipping lanes in the Dormideous Sector for quite some time, but now it was time to expand. He looked around at the gang of mercenaries surrounding him in midair high above the planet—all had been watching in amusement as he crushed the challenger.

"Bido! Confirm with our engineers that the Sky Gates are still fully operational. Tomorrow you will take ten of our corsairs deep into the heart of the Western Quadrant to punish them for today's uprising. Execute the leaders and wipe out any resistance, sell half the women into slavery, and bring the other half back here as playthings for our troops. The planets and the rest of their inhabitants will be torched."

"It will be as you command." The hulking warrior, Bojack's highest lieutenant and chief enforcer, was feared in every system. Bido was even more cruel and bloodthirsty than Bojack himself.

The lieutenant started to take off from the rest of the group, but before he could do so, something completely unexpected happened.

Above them, a blaze of flame erupted, casting red-gold light on the whole fleet.

Below them, an earthquake seemed to emanate from midair, simultaneously shaking every ship in the fleet as well as the planet underneath.

To one side, a furious rush of wind took their breath away.

On the other side, a wave of vibrations made them cover their ears in pain.

"What's going on?" shouted Zangya, confused. The whole group was instantly surrounded, as if these challengers had come from nowhere.