Republic of Fire Prologue

An excerpt from Republic of Fire.


Darkness. Darkness is the natural state of the galaxy. That much, Olek-Goshen, Archduke of the Akonian Trinity, Warlord of Quantum, and sovereign of the United Origin, knew. It is only by means of other sources, the stars, electricity, fand fire that light exists. Take away these means, and the galaxy would be without sight.

And that is what i have become, Goshen mused. Darkness incarnate. The warlord stood high on the roof of his palace tower, the icy winds of Quantum Prime whipping his finely woven cape. He stood firmly, legs spread, arms clasped behind his back. Goshen had no fear of falling, his balance was perfect. The sprawling metropolis of Goshen City lay below him, but it held no interest for his sight. This night he wanted to see the stars.

He tilted his head back and breathed in deeply. Of course, Goshen thought bitterly. This is not breathing. For Olek-Goshen was different from other beings. Different indeed from his own people; the Akonians.

Nearly thiry years ago, when Goshen was a young and ambitious politician on his homeworld, he and a group of loyal friends had stumbled upon a prophecy made milleniums before their time. It told of a young revolutionary destined to conquer the galaxy and rule a vast empire. There was no doubt, either from Goshen or his friends that the prophecy referred to him. However, others doubted. Persecution soon started, and suspicion was bred. Believing a plot was underway to undermine the Akonian government, a general and former friend of Goshen confronted him. A duel ensued...

And created a monster.

Reflexively, Goshen reached up to his face, but instead of skin, his gloved hand brushed cold steel. A Mask. A macabre covering for the ruin that had once been his face. It was an angled mask, covered by a swooping helmet. It was as impressive as it was oppressive. Only with this mask could Goshen see the galaxy around him. Cursing the general, and his entire posterity with the blackest oaths he knew, Goshen's memory kept jogging. The problems hadn't ended there, oh no. Leaving his home system, Goshen continued to try and fulfill the prophecy. Unforseen, a pwerful coalition of planets, lead by a planet called Earth in the far reaches of the galaxy, had risen in opposition to his rule. Crushing his beloved Origin, the Coalition killed Goshen's fellow conspirators and exiled Goshen himself. Believing him gone, they had returned to their lives.

For the first time a slow smile graced the Archduke's lips. That was where the
Coalition failed. He escaped from exile, returned to Quantum Prime, and reforged in secret the Origin. Soon, his enemies would fall, and the vengeance would be sweet.
Even over the howling winds, the sensitive audio devices in Goshen's helmet registered the whisper of sound from the roof access door. Footfalls clattered clumsily behind him. A tenative voice called over the gale, "M-my Lord?"
Goshen did not turn, merely replied calmly. "I left strict instructions not to be disturbed. I am highly displeased."

"Admiral Handel said you'd understand my Lord! I am only obeying his commands!" Goshen tried to place the voice. It was an officer, Gaeshcel, if he was correct.

"What is it that admiral Handel finds so important Commander Gaeshcel?" Goshen inquired.

"Captain Tomaask and the crew of the Vertigo report ready to commence the operation. We await only your command."

Exhiliration thrilled through Goshen's damaged body. Finally, after years of planning and scheming, phase one of his conquest was about to begin. He nodded slowly, then whirled, arm striking like lightning. His fist closed around Gaeshcel's throat, and he lifted the officer bodily from the ground. Gaeshcel's eyes bulged and he struggled and wheezed for breath. Goshen put his face bare millimeters from the Commander's. He could see his masked gaze in Gaeschel's terror stricken eyes. His voice was silky smooth. "I trust there will be no mistakes this time Commander?"

"N-n-o m-my Lord!"

With a final nod, Goshen released the officer. Gaeschel landed with a splash on the soaking ground. He struggled to rise, chest heaving. Goshen waited until he was fully upright before speaking again. "You may tell Admiral Handel he has my permission to proceed."

Gaeschel saluted shakily, then quickly retreated. The Archduke whirled back to the edge.

Olek-Goshen was back.

The end starts now.

The trouble all began on a soggy, gray Thursday morning at around eight o’clock. Lee Adams woke up blearily, not feeling very well at all. He rolled out of bed, hunted clumsily for a pair of socks, before realizing some time later that they were on his feet, and stumbled down the hall to the bathroom.
His reflection greeted him in the looking glass, much more disheveled and drawn than Lee wished to admit he was feeling. He glared at himself for a minute or two, trying to decide whether he was actually looking in a mirror, or whether this was a clever ruse meant to frighten him. It didn’t take long for him to wake up enough to realize how silly this was, and adjusted the mirror to better see his reflection. Just briefly, the looking glass peeped outside to the driveway, where a large moving truck was sitting. Men were moving boxes up into the vehicle, but nothing about this seemed odd to Lee, and he simply readjusted the glass to better see his bristles. After shaving carefully, Lee jumped in the shower, letting the hot water wake him up. As he was showering, he kept thinking about the dream he had last night. It seemed incredibly important, but for some reason it kept slipping just beyond his grasp. For some odd reason, the words “moving truck” kept butting in, and Lee was quite sure they had nothing to do with his dream. Thoroughly annoyed, he scrubbed at his scalp with unwonted ferocity, trying to rid himself of the dream, but it was a futile attempt. Lee toweled himself off, feeling just as sour, if not more so, than before.
He was greeted in the hallway by the floating, globe like AI named Jarvis, who had been a birthday present from Lee’s father a few years ago. Jarvis was just one of a series of prototypes designed by a poor college kid in Idaho, who had the crazy idea that people might actually want floating globes to follow them around and give them advice. The idea took off, rapidly replacing lap dogs for Hollywood celebrities, and the poor college kid made a ton of money, dropped out of college, and bought a private jet. Ironically, the AI computer of the kid’s jet was jealous of the globes’ popularity, and went on strike…at thirty-five thousand feet. The line was discontinued, a fact that never seemed to bother Jarvis or the other globes, who seemed to take great pride in knowing they were endangered.
“Good morning sir!” Lee suppressed a sigh. In his personal opinion, it was not a good morning, but he felt it would be rude to say so, so he simply grunted. “I’m glad you’re up, there are some things we need to discuss today. First off-“
Lee raised a hand to silence the AI. “Not now Jarvis. All I want to do at this very moment is to find something to eat. And make a cup of coffee. A really, really, really big cup of coffee.”
“Certainly sir. Then may we discuss today’s business?”
“Sure. Yeah. That sounds fantastic.”
The kitchen was quiet, obviously Lee’s father, Donavan, was still fast asleep. Lee stifled a yawn as he prepared breakfast. Coffee pot. Toast. Eggs. Milk. Yawn.
All the while, he kept thinking the words “moving truck”. He just didn’t know what they meant. As he was chewing on his toast, Jarvis floated over, almost casually. “I’m certainly glad you woke up when you did sir. Your father wanted to have a word with you before he left, it seemed quite urgent.”
“Mmmhmm.”
“After all, it could be some time before he returns from the asteroid belt, and communication out there, well to be frank it completely sucks.”
It took almost three seconds for the AI’s words to process in Lee’s brain before he choked on the incredibly hot sip of coffee he had just taken. “What!?”
Jarvis hummed softly. “Oh dear, I’d forgotten he hasn’t had time yet to tell you. He was contacted by an urgent message from Coalition Command, and they are demanding he return to active duty. Emergency situation was what they said. Vitally important, and your father couldn’t refuse the council.”
Years ago, when Lee was still drooling over everything, an alien Religious Zealot named Olek-Goshen decided the galaxy was rightfully his and had this plan to take it over. That kind of pissed off everybody else that were living normal lives in the galaxy. This big war erupted against Goshen and his Religious cult, known as the Origin. Unfortunately, he was a lot better prepared than everyone thought he was and he was winning. By a lot. That’s when the good aliens, the Coalition, recruited Donavan Adams, who was a Colonel in Earth’s United Nations Military Forces. He gathered a rag tag group of mercenaries, commandos, pilots, smugglers, and whatever soldiers were left, and waged a guerilla war on the massive entity that was the Origin. The Protectorate, as it was called, literally ripped the Origin apart from the inside, toppling Goshen and his plan. The Origin elders were executed, including Goshen, and life returned to normal. The Protectorate become intergalactic heroes, legends.
That’s when Donavan retired. No one knew why, he just came home. Started a weapons business, settled down. Never mentioned the war, the Protectorate, any of it. Why could the council possibly want anything to do with Lee’s dad now? More than a decade later?
“That’s absurd. Dad is retired, he did his service to the Coalition and the rest of the Galaxy. If they think they’re going to talk him into going back to active duty, they’re all idiots. Dad won’t go.”
“I’m afraid you’re wrong son.” Donavan Adams was leaning against the kitchen door frame, a half smile on his lined face. A neatly trimmed beard, now flecked with gray, framed his powerful jaw. Lee arched a skeptical eyebrow at his father.
“Come on dad. Aren’t you a little old to be playing Army? I know you miss the old days, but what could possibly be going on that they suddenly need you so bad?”
Something passed over his father’s face, just briefly. It was a look of fury, frightening, but gone almost as quickly as it had come, replaced with a casual smile. He shrugged. “Sometimes a guy just wants to feel young again. Look at me. I have to wear special shoes to walk to the mailbox. Not fun getting old kid.”
“Right,” Lee snorted. “So to make yourself feel like a man of twenty again, you’re gonna put on a uniform and go play attack dog for a bunch of stuck up aliens. What, did the finance board refuse to put cable TV in the council room and they want you to kill them all?”
There it was again, the little flicker of darkness that flitted across his father’s face. It didn’t disappear as quickly this time, and it seemed to be mixed with indecision. He stood up straight, unfolding his arms. “Why are you so against this?”
“Why? I need a motive? Ok, just shooting in the dark here but…hello! Fifteen years you’ve been in retirement. Not once has the Coalition Command approached you for anything! The least they could have done was send you a heartfelt card that said ‘Thanks for saving our sorry asses’! Yet now, just because suddenly they need your help, you’re going to leave me and go do their jobs for them. I’m sure they’re up there gloating right now that they’re gonna get to play with the great General Adams.”
“So that’s what this is about? You think I’m abandoning you to go off on some crazy crusade?”
“Call me crazy to suggest such a radical term for it, but yeah that’s what I’m thinking.”
“Don’t be childish Lee, that’s not what this is about.” Jarvis hummed nervously, no doubt trying to give Lee a hint that he should probably back off. The AI was probably right, he usually was. Lee ignored him anyway.
“What is it about then?”
Donavan looked him up and down, almost as if sizing him up, trying to decide whether or not Lee deserved to hear what he had to say. He puffed out his cheeks and glanced at Jarvis, who decided to keep quiet this time. Finally, the General shrugged. “There’s a reason I need to resume active duty. It’s a serious reason. It has to do with the Protectorate, I can’t say anything but that. I don’t know how serious this problem is, and I don’t know the risks. Telling you what happened…it could put you in danger. I can’t do it.”
Now Lee was mad. His father was deliberately being vague, trying to confuse him. He was determined to not let it work. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now. “Dad-“
“No Lee. I can’t tell you anything. It’s too dangerous. You’re going to have to trust me on this. Can you do that? Please?”
Donavan had pleading in his voice, but the suspicious worm whispering in Lee’s ear hissed that something was dreadfully wrong. Something huge. His father was keeping it from him just to be mysterious. He still saw him as a baby, needing protection. Donavan didn’t trust him. This was adult business, and Lee wasn’t grown up enough to be told anything. Frustration pressed on Lee’s rib cage, and all he could do was shake his head. No. He couldn’t trust his father. Because his father couldn’t trust him.
Donavan’s face fell. “Very well son. If that’s the way you feel. I guess I’m just going to have to hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me someday.” Without another word, he was gone. A thunder clap shook the window panes, but Lee barely heard it. A terrible feeling was knotting in the pit of his stomach. This was bad. Very bad, and it just made it worse that he had no idea what it was.
“I don’t know about you,” Jarvis said quietly. “But I have a very bad feeling about this.”
“You and I both pal. You and I both.”