The Guardians Book 1: Path to Vengeance

The Guardians

Book One

PATH TO VENGEANCE

W. H. Cann

W.H. Cann asserts the moral right to

be identified as the author of this work

Copyright 2002 W. H. Cann

Published by W. H. Cann

Fourth Edition Revised Feb 2018

Cover Illustration W. H. Cann & Steve Knight

Produced by Knight-Ware

Copyright 2013 W. H. Cann

ISBN: 978-1465947345

All Rights Reserved

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, or organisations are entirely coincidental.

KDP

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical or

otherwise, without prior permission from the author.

Smashwords

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Contents

Title

Copyright

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 01

Chapter 02

Chapter 03

Chapter 04

Chapter 05

Chapter 06

Chapter 07

Chapter 08

Chapter 09

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Other Books

Prologue

Mabraant, Mabra System, Fazaal Sector, Gaashox Quadrant

Calendar of the Ancients 11,190

Grogaan was standing by one of the large viewing windows at the main space port in Herloan City, staring at the sky and feeling happier than he could ever remember. He was waiting excitedly for the arrival of Miranda, his fiancée, who was returning from a visit to Breolis Primar in the nearby star system.

He was well respected at Mabraant Engineering where he worked and had excelled in his abilities as an engineer. He had recently passed his advanced flying course, and it was the first anniversary of his engagement to Miranda. In another year he would be reapplying to join the Mabra Defence Academy, and hopefully start his fighter training. If successful, he would be following in the footsteps of six generations of Learmans, all of whom were renowned fighter pilots.

The ship was overdue by an hour, his excitement diminished slowly as time passed, and he feared for her safety. Most ships arriving in the Mabra System were late because their arrival had to be timed with that of a fighter escort, but it did not prevent him from worrying.

The escort ships were the new Manta Class Interceptors, a fast and beautiful starfighter Grogaan hoped to fly once he was enrolled into the Academy. He recalled a time when ship escorts were unnecessary, but that was over five years ago, before the Krelathan raiders began attacking ships in the star systems bordering the raiders’ home system of Krela.

The transport arrived at the edge of the system, decelerated to sub-lightspeed and set course for the planet. Damn it, the pilot cursed when he saw what was waiting for them.

Mabra Defence, this is transport beta-gamma-seven-four-three; we are under attack. I repeat, we are under attack, said the communications officer.

Fifteen Krelathan fighters appeared from behind the nearby moon, several of which opened fire as soon as they were in range. Blue laser bolts streaked across space and hit the transport on the port side knocking out all of the electronic systems, rendering the ship dead in space. The Kraylons slowed and prepared to dock with the stricken ship, their crew intent on boarding and pillaging anything of value. Moments later, five interceptors from the Mabra Defence Force arrived.

Alpha Squadron, let’s go do our job, said Wing Commander Learman. Watch your backs and do your best.

Yes Sir! responded the four other pilots.

The Mabra Defence pilots were outnumbered three to one, but it did not stop them fighting with skill and tenacity. Wing Commander Ruebern Learman was a veteran fighter, highly respected and one of the best pilots in the force. He was also one of the last who possessed more than five years combat experience.

The four younger pilots remained in pairs as they fought, but one by one they were killed. Ruebern broke formation to chase one of the larger ships heading for the transport. A few seconds later it exploded. Without hesitation he targeted another, and another, remaining calm and focussed on the task ahead. With three ships destroyed, he veered off to avoid an oncoming pair of TS5 starfighters.

On board the transport, Miranda Talashon was standing beside her father watching the fight, and fearing for their lives knowing the reputation of the Krelathan raiders. She desperately wanted to get home to be with her fiancé, to feel safe again, but was anxious about what was going to befall them.

Alandra was angry. Damn those Krelathan scum, he cursed. His wife stared at him in shock never having heard him speak in such a manner. The Senate will hear about this, and I will make sure they do something about it. It’s time they put the lives of their people above their damn bickering and financial prudence. It’s time we took the fight to these scoundrels and put an end to their villainy.

Unfortunately, the opportunity to voice his opinions or arguments to the Senate never came.

Watch your back Sir! You’ve got three on your tail, said Pilot Officer Andrews.

Roger Andrews, and thanks. Ruebern attempted to shake them off but they were good, very good. As soon as he managed to lose one, either another took up the pursuit or the one he lost managed to fall back on his tail. Five minutes later he was alone, one against eight, odds even he could not survive against. Despite his skills in evading the pursuers, several laser bolts struck his fighter at the stern. His ship lost power and he knew his time was up.

He looked at the holophoto of his wife fixed on the side panel. Forgive me Kareana. Goodbye my love, he said as he run two fingers across the woman’s face. His one regret was that he was unable to say goodbye to his family. For the first time since his second son Grogaan was born, a tear trickled down his cheek. Then he was gone. His ship exploded and vanished from existence.

The inexperienced Krelathan that played a part in killing Ruebern was overzealous in his desire to take his first kill. He fired recklessly and most of his shots missed the target. Unfortunately, one of those stray shots hit the stern of the transport, destroying a small access panel and the power coupling behind it.

It was a one in a million shot.

The failure of the coupling caused a chain reaction that travelled along the power conduits within the ship’s structure. A few moments later the transport exploded in a massive fireball taking out two Krelathan fighters.

Grogaan was in a state of panic. He knew something was wrong, very wrong. He did not know how, but there was no doubt in his mind. Gazing skyward, he clearly sensed death. Four sudden stabs of pain struck his mind and spirit, one after the other. Then he felt a much stronger sensation and knew his father was dead. He sensed the cry of anguish, a moment of intense pain and then nothing. The sensation made his body tingle. The loss of his father cut him deeply. He felt nauseous and weak, but it was not all over: Worse was yet to come.

He had not even had time to accept his father’s death, when moments later the sense of death that hit him was overwhelming. It felt as if hundreds of lives had been lost simultaneously, all crying out as one. Among the multitude of deaths he sensed, he felt one particular death as clear as someone plunging a knife into his heart; his fiancée Miranda had died. He knew it. He felt it. He sensed the pain and the sadness. For a moment he swore he heard his name being called out.

Then there was nothing. She too was gone from his life.

The loss cut him to the core of his being. It felt as if his soul was being torn from his body. Grogaan went into complete shock, his gaze fixed blankly toward space. His knees felt weak, his heart thumped painfully in his chest, and everything began to swirl around in front of him. He wanted to scream in grief, to lash out at anything nearby, to hurt someone, to hurt himself. Intense anger rose up within hiding his grief, but his strong self-discipline built up over the years prevented him from acting foolishly. Hatred and contempt followed. His mind filled with thoughts of extracting vengeance upon the perpetrators.

Grogaan, filled with grief, anger and hatred, walked idly back to his ship and then flew away from the spaceport. He knew he was in no fit state to fly, but he did not care.

Nothing mattered anymore.

His mind became numb from shock, he was unaware of everything going on around him, and he did not even know where he was flying. As if fate was guiding him, he ended up at the one place that meant something to him: Lake Mabreese where he had first met Miranda.

He climbed out of his ship, walked to the spot where he had asked Miranda to marry him, and sat on the dry grass beside the stream where he remembered the good and happy times with his fiancée.

The first was on the occasion of his sixteenth birthday. Grogaan arrived home from the Junior Education Faculty excited about what his father had bought him. He was disappointed because he saw nothing that resembled a present, and then his father spoke to him: ‘Well, if you go through life with such little patience and lack curiosity, you won’t get far.’ He had then taken him into the garage where his first spaceship was parked. It was the happiest day of his life, and what made it even better was that his father had secured him a place at Mabraant Engineering as an apprentice engineer.

Six years later he met Miranda and was completely smitten. Their relationship developed profoundly, and a year later, he proposed. She accepted without hesitation, making that day an even better day than his sixteenth birthday. He remembered it perfectly.

Miranda loved swimming and went for a swim in the lake. When she came out in her white bikini, Grogaan was unable to avert his gaze. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, had a lovely figure, and he savoured the sight of her wet skin glistening in the sunlight. She stopped beside him and slipped on her white dress. Kneeling before her he asked her to marry him, and the joy he felt when she accepted was indescribable. She turned toward the lake, lifted her hand high and gazed admiringly at her ring.

The image of her by the lake was permanently etched into his mind.

For a few moments the memory brought happiness to his soul, but then reality snapped back and took that happiness away. His brother Ben had been killed in action while fighting against the Krelathans only a week before. Now his father and his fiancée had been killed. His father, Ruebern Learman, was Grogaan’s hero and the one he looked up to. He wanted to grow up to be like him, a good husband, father, and most of all a fighter pilot. Miranda was his one true love and the one he hoped to spend the rest of his life with. She was his soul mate: His everything. Words could not describe how he truly felt about her.

The fresh realisation that he had lost her hit Grogaan more profoundly than before. It was like a laser bolt striking his chest. It burned so deep he simply lost the will to live. There was nothing worth living for now she was gone. The pain of his loss was so intense his heart felt as if it was about to rupture. His mind was reeling from grief. His soul burned from anger and hatred toward the Krelathans. It was too much for him to bear, and he blacked out.

Fate had dealt an unfair hand to Grogaan, or so it appeared. He changed from a joyous young man who had everything to live for to one who had lost all he cared for. He awoke as dusk was falling. Never had he felt so thoroughly wretched and worthless. He managed to stand up, but remained where he was for a moment. He pictured Miranda standing with her hand raised and gazing admiringly at her ring, the diamonds sparkling in the sun.

Miranda my sweet rose, I love you, will always love you. After choking back the grief threatening to overwhelm him, he wiped fresh tears from his face and looked skyward. I vow to avenge your death, that of your parents, my brother and my father. I swear I will make those Krelathan scum pay for their atrocities. I swear I’ll not rest until they are vanquished or I am dead.

The losses Grogaan experienced would turn this young man into a deadly force, one who would act above and beyond his calling; the light within the darkness; the storm that leaves havoc in its wake.

Chapter One

Mabraant, Mabra System, Gaashox Quadrant

Grogaan awoke abruptly in a cold sweat. He sat upright too quickly making him feel light headed and disorientated. His head throbbed, his heart beat wildly, and his breathing was fast and shallow. The sheets were damp and his head and chest soaked with sweat. He fell back onto his pillow and stared blankly at the ceiling while trying to steady his breathing.

He was unable to focus his thoughts for a while, because his head hurt so much, and every breath he took sent sharp stabbing pains through his chest. Grogaan had never experienced such discomfort after having had one of his disturbing dreams, and to make matters worse, they always brought back memories of the terrible day when his loved ones were killed.

When the pain eased he sat up, but the room swirled around before him making him feel nauseous. It was a bright sunny morning with a crisp chill in the air, which he usually preferred, but not on this particular morning. He rubbed his hands through his hair and felt droplets of sweat trickling down his neck making him shiver. With a heavy sigh, he flopped back on the bed and tried to relax.

Grogaan longed to be free from grief, the pain and the heartache he suffered over the deaths, but most of all for the dreams to end. He wanted to be able to enjoy life again, but he knew he could not, not yet.

It was Monday and he had to go to work, but it was the last thing he wanted to do, so he decided to remain where he was a little longer, hoping the pain would ease. He closed his eyes and tried to think about his friends and his future, but images of the dream began racing through his mind. He tried to make sense of them, but too much of the detail was blurred or enshrouded in mist.

Realising he was not going to gain any relief by staying in bed, he went to the refresher unit to indulge in a long hot shower. He stood motionless for five minutes letting the hot water ease the tension in his muscles, and felt surprisingly refreshed. After washing and rinsing, he turned on the warm air blower to dry off, and then gradually reduced the temperature, letting the cool air stimulate his senses.

Unfortunately, it did nothing to ease his headache.

The only time Grogaan recalled having felt as bad as he did now was the day after his fiancée and father were killed. The dreams started several months later. At first they were light and infrequent, but became increasingly regular, intense and disturbing, which resulted in him becoming tense, irritable and depressed. When his mood degenerated, he avoided company whenever possible, because many did not understand, nor were they sympathetic.

There were some who knew him well, and understood the cause behind his changeable moods. Three of those were his close friends; Zaack, Doraant, and Eldaan. He always tried hard to maintain a polite and friendly demeanour when around other people, especially his three friends. On the rare occasion when he did snap at them, they never rebuked him nor did they take offence.

It was these three who had always been there for him, willing to support and encourage him, often putting aside their needs to be there for him and never once asked for anything in return. They knew he appreciated it, and Grogaan did all he could to repay their kindness by helping them when they needed it.

Grogaan was extremely grateful to have such good friends, true friends, and although he had helped them improve their engineering skills, he needed to do much more. When the opportunity arose, he secured their transfer from the domestic appliance division to the spacecraft division of Mabraant Engineering.

Grogaan was generally a jovial young man, friendly, kind and generous. He was surprisingly adept at hiding his problems from others, or if he was in a bad mood while in the company of other people, maintaining an air of composure and calm. Unfortunately, this self-control began waning as the frequency and intensity of his dreams increased, resulting in him becoming withdrawn and melancholy, especially if he was alone for extended periods of time.

The solitude and quietness of those times compounded his troubles, mainly because he was unable to divert his thoughts away from the dreams, the deaths of his fiancée, his father, and his brother. On particularly bad days his depression became so acute he simply lost the will to live, but then his vow of vengeance always came back to haunt him, so he would persevere and press on.

Grogaan dressed slowly, went and stood by his bedroom window to admire the view of the Potrodand Mountains. He loved them for two primary reasons; Lake Mabreese, where he spent a lot of time, and the canyons. Grogaan was a highly competent pilot, and found the concentration levels required for flying through those canyons at breakneck speeds was a perfect way to test his abilities. It also enabled him to keep his focus diverted from his troubles and dreams.

As he gazed at the mountains, his desire to feel the adrenalin flowing through his veins and the excitement of high speed flight increased. He knew he was in a bad way, and that he needed to do something about it, but everything seemed to be acting against him. He cursed his misfortune, but he also realised he was extremely fortunate. He had a home, a job, and good friends, and he knew he had to sort himself out before something terrible happened.

With a heavy sigh he left his room and went downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast. He thought about the work he had scheduled for him and his friends, trying to keep his mind off the night’s troubles, but his headache was a constant distraction.

Kareana, his mother, looked up as he walked into the kitchen and knew he had had another bad night. Are those dreams still bothering you?

They are, he sighed, but I’m sure they’ll stop sooner or later.

Kareana knew her son was still grieving over the deaths of his fiancé, Miranda, his father and brother, how devastating it was for him, and how it affected almost every aspect of his life. She wished she could do or say something to help, even if it only eased his distress a little, but there was nothing she or anyone else could do.

Living without Ruebern, her husband, and Ben, her eldest son, was difficult for Kareana. Even after four years, the pain of that loss was still raw. At times she felt as if her whole world was falling apart. Oftentimes, the memory of her husband brought her much happiness, especially when she remembered some of the special times they had together. She remembered their second trip to Breolis Primar shortly after their wedding, when they spent fourteen enjoyable days exploring the planet.

Ruebern bought her a silver heart shaped pendant with a pale-yellow pearl at the centre, hanging on a long fine silver necklace. It was supposedly a rare and precious gem found in the arid mountainous region of the planet. Ruebern knew it was valuable, but did not believe the stories of where they came from. These two factors were not important to Kareana; Ruebern had bought it for her and that was what made it special. She still had the necklace, which was kept safe in her jewellery box, but now it was only worn on the anniversary of their wedding day and the deaths of Ruebern and Ben.

When she saw her son in his usual jovial mood, the way she always remembered him before he lost Miranda, it lifted her mood and gave her just cause to be thankful she had him to care for. Fortunately, she was not alone in her situation. Several of her friends and other people she knew had lost husbands or sons in the various engagements, and they often comforted one another, but it was not always enough.

Grogaan picked absently at his food while thinking about the dreams. The one he had suffered the most over the last two years was of a large space battle. In the dream he was a pilot of one of Mabraant’s new interceptors, flying around strange shaped capital ships while pursuing and destroying enemy fighters. The cost in lives and equipment was far beyond his comprehension: The true reality of war.

The scene changed and he found himself on board one of the enemy cruisers. The interior of the ship seemed to darken and enclose around him, suffocating him. Then there was an explosion that ripped the ship apart, and everything went black. It was at this point Grogaan always awoke abruptly in a cold sweat.

The other dream, which was a more recent one he started experiencing, was of a woman trapped inside the ruins of a building. It troubled him greatly and caused him much distress, but he was unable to understand why. Grogaan knew few women, and only the loss of his mother could cause him such anguish. However, for some reason beyond his comprehension, he knew she was not the one in his dream.

Grogaan tried to eat some of his breakfast, but the food tasted bitter in his mouth. He placed his fork on the plate and pushed it aside having lost his appetite. He poured some fruit juice into a glass and swirled it around a little before taking a mouthful. Its sweetness eased the bitter taste in his mouth, so he drank some more.

His mother watched him, knew he was depressed, and wished she could do something to ease his pain. She had not seen him so depressed for a long time.

Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you, your friends came looking for you yesterday, saying they hadn’t seen you all weekend.

I had some errands to do in Herloan City. He did not want to tell her the whole truth, knowing it would only upset her if he did.

Care to elaborate?

Not really; maybe some other time. Anyway, I’d best be off to work. He finished his drink, got up and kissed his mother on the cheek, and left.

Resisting the urge to cry, Kareana watched him disappear through the back door and sighed lightly as the door closed behind him. She had cried far too much over the last three years, but seeing her son so depressed and unhappy was making it hard to remain positive.

Mabraant Engineering was about two and a half kilometres from his home, both of which were situated on the edge of Herloan, principle city of the Wosfere District. It was the primary maintenance and repair depot in the Fazaal sector, and possessed a land-based docking facility for repairing craft that were too large for the internal repair site. There was, however, no space dock for the major capital cruisers that often passed through the sector.

The internal repair site catered for everything from domestic appliances to medium sized transports. Grogaan and his team were responsible for the maintenance and repair of spacecraft, primarily starfighters. He had been working there for ten years, his three friends for about seven, and they were all passionate about the work.

Unusually for Grogaan, he was far from passionate about going to work. He ambled along the road feeling depressed and lonely, his mood slowly deepening with each step. By the time he reached the entrance to the depot, he was feeling so miserable he wanted to turn round and go back home.

He paused before opening the door. Come on Grogaan, snap out of it you fool. He knew he had to rise above his own failings, to stop feeling sorry for himself, and for being so weak minded. He still felt as if part of him had been ripped away when Miranda was killed, something he thought would or could never be replaced. It was this loss that was continually eating away at his spirit, his resolve and his purpose in life.

The stark reality of his situation loomed before him. If he failed to overcome this weakness, he wondered how he could expect to wreak havoc upon the perpetrators of his fiancée’s death. He knew the probability of dying in the first engagement was high, and that his death would affect his mother and friends, who had supported and stood by him all this time, very badly.

Grogaan knew it was time to put the past behind him, to get on with his life, and do what he had to do, what he had sworn he would do. That, however, was the first major battle he had to face, but one he was determined to win. All he hoped was that destiny would give him the start he so desperately needed.

The maintenance depot was quiet, just as he preferred it when he arrived. It gave him time to think and prepare before everyone else arrived. Once he had made the conscious decision to start sorting himself out, he found his mood had lifted, but it was still too depressed for comfort. Grogaan headed for the engineers’ crew room to change, hoping to be in a lighter mood by the time his friends arrived. He took his coveralls from his locker and noticed a green microdisk in the disk slot of the door.

He took the disc and noticed the emblem of the Mabra Defence Academy printed on one side. The Academy was the third largest complex on Mabraant, situated on the outskirts of Stellant City in the Arlrent District. At last, he said, but refrained from getting too excited. Grogaan knew it would be the answer to his application for entry into the Academy, something he had been longing to do since he was a young boy. He picked up the datareader from the table, and sat on the chair near the window.

His three previous applications had been rejected, which in itself was discouraging, but was made worse because the recruiting board gave him no plausible reasons for their decision. He knew there was nothing wrong with him physically or mentally, and was unable to understand why his applications were continually being turned down. His engineering and flying skills were highly advanced for one of his age, proving he had the necessary abilities to become a fighter pilot, but that seemed to be insufficient merit, at least in his case.

Grogaan submitted his first application on his twentieth birthday, and he still remembered the excitement he felt at the time. Every two years after that he resubmitted another application, and now, six years later, he had received the fourth reply.

The young man sat quietly contemplating for a while, wondering what the answer would be. His melancholy mood lightened further as he slid the microdisk into the datareader. The screen flickered and he held his breath in anticipation. A message appeared on the small screen and his mood sank when he saw the words scroll across the screen. Without surprise he read:

We regret to inform you that you have been unsuccessful in your application to join the Mabra Defence Academy. You may reapply for the next intake in two years.

General Lantine, recruit enlistment.

By the authority of the Mabra Defence Academy.

Grogaan wondered why destiny appeared to be thwarting his hopes to become a pilot and defend his people from the Krelathans. Despite his application having been turned down, he refused to let it depress him any further. He had allowed the rejections and the loss of his loved ones lead him on a downward spiral that was destroying him from the inside. He decided he would do whatever it took to fulfil his dreams and his vow of revenge, even it meant acting outside the MDF.

It was not easy for him. The depression had been suffocating him and dragging him down for so long, it was like trying to crawl out of quick