Warlords of Antares (First Contact)

Chapter One

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The Star

Betelgeuse

Earth Year: 1375

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Eridonian scouts on scanner, my Lord, reported the tactical officer.

What are Eridonians doing at the Betelgeuse system? Engage them, but I want prisoners for the Emperor!

Weapons ready, awaiting your command, my Lord.

Fire! the captain of the Antares battle cruiser ordered.

Weapons firing, my Lord!

Gorax waited impatiently for the glowing lights of an explosion. He was rewarded with a flash on the forward display.

Direct hit, my Lord! Target one destroyed, two to go! the captain heard Ajail report in a gruff voice.

I said I wanted prisoners!

Sorry, my Lord. I will adjust our weapons output to disable their ships.

Gorax sat in his captain’s chair, extended his arm pointing his large hairy index finger, After them! They’re running away!

Yes, my Lord, Chetran, the helmsman answered, Altering course and increasing speed. We are in pursuit!

Gorax gave his helmsman a stare, Do not let the Eridonians escape! Understood?

Yes, my Lord, Chetran answered, We are nearing weapons range in two minutes.

Weapons status!

Yes, my Lord, Ajail answered, Weapons recharged!

Very good, Ajail! Gorax’s saber rattled as he moved to stand between his tactical officer and his helmsman. Chetran, you would do well to emulate how my tactical officer anticipates my orders, Gorax relaxed into his leather command chair.

They’re returning fire, my Lord! Ajail reported.

Shields up! The fools. Those scout ships cannot damage us at this range.

Sir, their scout ships are no match for ours. Weapons range on the last two targets in one minute.

I said Shields up! Gorax now stood beside his tactical officer, the tip of his sabre making his point against Ajail’s chest.

Yes, my Lord, Ajail nervously acknowledged, Shields activated!

Gorax sheathed his sabre and pointed a heavy finger at Ajail, DO NOT destroy them, they are to be captured and taken to the Emperor.

Ajail nodded, Yes, my Lord. I have targeted both ships’ engines.

Thirty-seconds! the helmsman counted.

The Emperor will be most pleased, my Lord, Ajail cracked a smile, and became enraged when he cut his lip on his crooked and pointed teeth.

We need them alive! The Emperor will be able to complete our telepathy deflector with the life of one of these...Eridonians.

Fifteen seconds!

They will be unable to fool us with their mind tricks, once the Emperor perfects our technology, Gorax nodded, Ajail, fire at will!

Yes, my Lord, Ajail acknowledged, pressing his firing sequence. Target two has been hit. Their engines are disabled.

Helmsman! Record their position and continue pursuit. We’ll come back for them shortly.

Yes, my Lord. I have marked their position. Changing course to intercept the last target.

My Lord, Ajail reported, I’m picking up some very unusual readings coming from Betelgeuse.

Tactical, report!

My Lord, sensors indicate the star is about to supernova!

Our seers warned us that this star would die soon. Are you certain your readings are accurate?

Yes, my Lord. I have confirmed our readings, Ajail reported, I suspect that’s what these three Eridonian scout ships have come this far to record.

How far are we from that star?

We will be destroyed if we are here when it blows, my Lord!

How much time do we have before we must make our escape? the Captain demanded.

Five minutes or less, my Lord. She has already exploded. If we wait much longer, we may not make it out of the expanding gravity well!

Helm, take us away from the supernova!

My Lord, what about the Eridonians?

Never mind them now! We must make our escape! Prepare for jump sequence!

Yes, my Lord! Chetran acknowledged, Spooling jump drive. I’ve changed course to intercept the disabled ship. They have launched an emergency escape pod, we can scoop them into our landing bay before we jump.

Are you certain you will have enough time? the nervous Captain tugged on his stringy goatee.

Yes, my Lord. We will intercept in two minutes.

Tactical, report!

My Lord, the supernova shockwave will be on us in three minutes.

...and time to jump?

It’s going to be close...my Lord.

I didn’t ask for your analysis!

Yes, my Lord. Just under three minutes.

Engage locking beam and bring that pod onboard! NOW!

We have them in our locking beam, my Lord.

Jump coordinates set for Antares, my Lord! Ajail reported, We have the pod onboard! One minute to shockwave!

HELM!

Jump drive is nearly ready, my Lord!

Lock down the landing bay and jump!

Yes, my Lord. Landing bay secure. All stations report ready for jump sequence.

All personnel, Gorax ordered, Activate auto-restraints!

The battle cruiser began to shimmy with the approaching shockwave. Sweat rolled down Gorax’s hairy forehead and dripped from his scraggly beard as he studied his monitor. JUMP! Jump the ship! Jump the ship, NOW!

The ship rattled and shook as the supernova shockwave hit. Jumping now, my Lord! As Chetran finalized the jump sequence, a brilliant display of color played across the ship’s forward screen. Stars bled from one color to the next in the spectrum from the instant speeds of the jump engines.

Then all was quiet.

The shaking stopped.

Only the engines, winding down from the massive energy spike of the jump sequence, could be heard.

Report, Gorax ordered, wiping his sleeve over his bony brow.

My Lord, Ajail reported, We cleared the supernova. We have minimal damage to our aft thrusters, and to the inertial dampening systems. I’m dispatching repair teams.

The Eridonians?

They are alive, my Lord, Ajail smiled with satisfaction.

Bring the prisoners to me at once!

Yes, my Lord, Ajail replied, and then signaled on his comm station for the security detail.

Chetran.

The helmsman turned to address his Captain, Yes, my Lord?

That was brilliant bringing those Eridonians on board just in time.

Thank you, my Lord.

You may have earned accommodation.

Thank you, my Lord, Chetran answered, bowing before his Captain.

Set course for home. Enter our home moon Serintin’s orbit when we arrive.

Yes, my Lord. Plotting course to Serintin. We shall make orbit in two hours.

Yes, I cannot wait to see the Emperor’s face when he sees we brought him one of the Eridonians, Gorax’s expression turned a more serious look, We all need to be aware of the mind tricks these Eridonians have on us. DO NOT be fooled by them.

The security detail entered the widespread bridge from the rear door. Five armed Antarian guards escorted two rather short, bald, and unassuming humanoids before Gorax.

You are the Eridonians? You’re much smaller than us. Gorax laughed, and then stood, towering over the white skinned androgynous creatures, However, we understand size makes no difference in this Galaxy.

The two Eridonians were dressed in light blue, long flowing gowns. The lights from the bridge caused their garments to sparkle as they stood emotionless before their captors.

Gorax leaned closer to their faces, I know you understand me. You can hear everything I say telepathically. Now speak to me! Tell me what it is you were doing in the Betelgeuse sector?

The two continued without movement, simply returning Gorax’s stare.

Speak to me, NOW! Gorax pulled his sabre and thrust it into one of the Eridonians.

The short humanoid buckled on Gorax’s sabre, then slid off the blade and collapsed on the floor. A pool of blue spread outward from the Eridonian’s body.

Speak now or you will have the same fate as your partner!

The Eridonian nodded and made a hand gesture, please, give me a moment. We have not spoken Antarian for some time.

You just did it, Gorax smiled, I heard you just now. Why did you wait for me to kill one of you before responding? You must have known that I was going to do that...you can tell these things, can’t you?

The white skinned humanoid gestured once more, our lives are of no consequence. Our mission was a success.

Your mission?!

Yes, our mission was to cause you to return to Antares after the supernova.

I fail to understand your reasoning?

We entered the Betelgeuse star system, knowing that the star was about to supernova. We have been studying this star for some time now. All we needed to do was clear the sector and your people would be locked on this side of the portal.

Portal? Gorax asked, What portal?

The supernova has created a wormhole. However, the wormhole, or conduit, will not be stable for over six-hundred years. Two way travel will be impossible, so your ruthless Empire will now suffer from isolation. Jump drives will not operate through that sector of space for some time now. Our mission was a success.

Suicide?

Yes. Individually, we are expendable. We understood this was a one way trip for us. Now we have rid our sector, and protected other star systems from your tyranny, the Eridonian smiled with a slight nod.

We will discover a way through! You cannot stop us! We are the Warlords of Antares! We will not be defeated!

The Eridonian cocked its head to one side and closed its eyes.

Gorax and crew grabbed their ears in pain. Most of the bridge crew fell to their knees from where they were sitting. Gorax struggled to maintain his composure. What are you doing!? You will not take us! Holding his blue stained sabre, he looked at the blade and then back to the Eridonian, but before he could act, the helmsman had already lunged with his sword, piercing the Eridonian.

The pain in their heads ceased. Gorax shook his head and stumbled back into his command chair with a thud. Pressing a button on his command chair, he leaned closer to the intercom, Get someone up here to clean this mess up, on the double! he looked over to Chetran, who was still holding his bloody weapon, What have you done!?

I-I don’t know, my Lord.

You let his mind tricks get to you!

I am sorry, my Lord. The pain...the pain was too great.

You are weak!

My Lord, I ask you to forgive me. Please-do not kill me, Chetran begged, backing away from the Captain and his sabre.

Gorax stepped closer, pointing his saber at the helmsman’s chest, I will not stab you. He wiped the alien’s blood from the weapons across his sleeve and returned it to his sheath.

Thank you, my Lord.

I would not thank me just yet, Chetran.

Sir?

You killed the Eridonian! Now our Emperor will not be able to defeat these creatures!

I will try harder not to fall to their mind tricks in the future, my Lord, Chetran bowed before his captain.

There will not be a next time for you, Chetran! Gorax reached for his side arm, pointed it at his helmsman and fired, incinerating him. His screams echoed in the minds of his crew as his flesh burned away, vaporizing into the air.

The remaining crew held silent and waited for their next orders.

Don’t just stare at me! Get to your stations! Someone take over the helm and report on our arrival time!

Another crewman slid into the helm station. The ship resumed its usual routine as they made their way to the third moon of the fourth gas giant of Antares.

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Epsilon Eridani

Earth Year: 1375

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The misty green planet occupied the fourth orbit around the star known as Epsilon. Five Eridonian leaders had gathered in the center of a courtyard, in the center of the continent which was centered on the equator of Epsilon prime.

Towering spires surrounded the courtyard, signifying the leaders meeting place.

A slight nodding motion from each Eridonian was the only visual clue to their communications.

It is done.

Yes, we all felt it. The last of our teams have perished at the hands of the Warlords.

Our mission was a success.

Yes. However temporary it was, we were successful in keeping the Warlords from entering our space.

We must not let them find the others when the portal stabilizes.

Yes, we must protect the planet called Earth. They are not technically suited to defend against the Warlords at their current state of development.

It was agreed that this was the safest course of action. The Betelgeuse supernova couldn’t have occurred at a better time.

Yes, it was an advantageous time. However, this only grants us a small respite. The conduit will stabilize, making two-way travel possible. The Antarians will traverse the conduit in six-hundred and forty years.

We must use the time prudently.

Is it possible to help the Earthlings advance to a state where they can fight against the Warlords in the time we have given them?

I see them advancing to a state where they will accept help from outsiders by then.

Yes, I sense that is correct.

Then it is settled. We shall mentor the Earthlings when the time comes.

If it becomes necessary, indeed.

Until that time, we shall continue our observations of the planet to monitor their progress.

One last nod passed around the five Eridonians before each departed in his own direction.

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Chapter Two

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Earth

Present Day

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Jedidiah Fitz slouched on the lumpy couch. His gaze moved from the empty shot glass to the fifth of whiskey waiting on the coffee table. He ran his hand through his gelled blond hair, then wiped it clean on his jeans. Then he ran his other hand across his face, feeling the roughness of his three-day stubble.

He looked out the window at the night sky. The stars twinkled outside the high-rise condo. They called him, beckoning him to come to the window. He opened the patio French-style doors and stepped out onto the balcony. The beeping horns and flickering car lights twenty stories below hinted at the hustle and bustle of the city nightlife.

The constellation Orion was shining brilliantly this time of year. He loved gazing at the stars. He longed for the day that man would reach the distant stars. He never expected it would ever be in his lifetime, but perhaps for his grandkids. If he ever had any.

His dreams of a large, happy family died five years earlier. Five years ago. This very night. The night the love of his life was stolen from him by a car accident.

Happy birthday, Jed.

Visions of sitting in a bar, his beautiful wife next to him, sipping seltzer water so he could have his shots of whiskey played over and over in his mind. It was like it happened yesterday. Was it really five years ago?

His eyes looked at the stars, but he saw only her white spring dress. The one with the flowers. He could smell her shoulder length black hair, soft as silk, as it flowed around her soft neck. He remembered how she’d tremble when he ran his fingers along her neck ever so softly, barely touching… he could feel her warm, smooth skin, he could look into her eyes… He missed those almond eyes the most.

He remembered the waitress setting a full bottle of his favorite whiskey on the table. She smiled at them, working for her tip, as she wiped the table quickly before leaving.

He held Joan’s hand across the round table as she nodded that it was okay.

"Drink up honey," her sweet voice sang, I’ll drive us home, you just have a good time, sweetie.

He lived to be with her. It nearly killed him when she died in his arms that night. Maybe some of him did die with her, he thought. No, he was sure part of him died, the emptiness told him.

No one saw the car speeding through the intersection, running the red light, until it slammed into the driver’s door. She lived just long enough to tell him she loved him. God, he missed her.

Damn-damn-DAMN! It’s all my fault! he cursed to himself, If only we hadn’t gone to that bar...if only I hadn’t had those drinks...Joan would have never driven us home...it would have been me that was killed, not her...damn it!

Tears rolled down his cheeks. It took some time, for the sobs to ease. Why do I always do this...every year since the accident?

Jed walked back to the couch and picked up the whiskey. He studied the label, then the amber liquid in the bottle. After a time he poured another shot and set the bottle down on the table.

You really don’t want to do this, now do you? he muttered to himself. No-I don’t want this anymore...never again...never again.

He lifted the shot glass to his nose and took in the powerful elixir’s aroma, swirling the drink in the glass, he watched the oils of the whiskey coat the sides of the glass.

Touching the glass to his lips he thought, maybe this year will be different...maybe this year I’ll actually take a drink.

Jed kept the glass there, the rim barely touching his lower lip. Ten, twenty seconds, a minute he kept it there. He sighed before he returned the shot glass to the table. Then he fidgeted a little, and finally giving in, he reached his hand out, only to pull it back before he touched the cold, hard glass. Twice more he reached for it. The third time he actually picked it up.

Like drinking bad medicine, Jed thought. He opened his mouth and threw down the whiskey in a quick movement. He slammed the glass hard on to the table. Desperately he filled the glass twice more, quickly downing the spirits. After each shot he slammed the glass harder on to the table, hoping that it would break.

The TV suddenly turned on, making him jump, What the hell?

He reached for the remote control and quickly powered the set off, Too damn depressing to watch the news.

After setting the remote next to him on the couch, the TV once again popped on, displaying a news anchor, and showing the words on the screen, Breaking News!! The Aliens Have Arrived...

What the devil’s going on? then he stopped short as the station displayed pictures of the little grey alien’s that had been reported by thousands over the last fifty years. Jed had seen enough UFO shows to know they were called ‘Greys’. Reports of sightings from all over the world existed, but there was never any confirming physical evidence. The shows made it seem like the Government knew more than what they were saying. Hype or not, Jed always had believed there was life out there. But these little creatures? He didn’t think it likely.

Wait a minute, he reached for the control and turned the volume to a level he could hear.

We are bringing you this breaking news: An alien race has, in fact, made first contact with Earth. This is not a hoax or a drama show! We have reports that the aliens have contacted tens of thousands across the globe, all simultaneously, the news reporter said, In fact, there’s one in contact with me this very moment. This alien is saying that the Governments of the world can no longer deny their existence. They are sending us a message of utmost importance.

While the news anchor continued talking, Jed scoffed at the TV. Yeah, right. Aliens are coming to Earth, you betcha.

He poured two more shots and downed each of them quickly when he heard a voice behind him, What’s the matter, Captain Jedidiah Fitz?

Startled that someone was in his apartment, he shot around to see who it was.

Standing behind the sofa was a man of medium build, wearing plain, simple clothing.

Who the hell are you and how did you get in my apartment?!

Shhh, do not be concerned.

Oh, I’m plenty concerned, and so should you be! Jed reached under the cushion and displayed a .40 caliber Glock.

You cannot harm me with this privative weapon.

Wanna make a bet on that? he squeezed the trigger and fired a round at the man.

The bullet passed through the mysterious man and embedded in the wall behind him. Jed gave his gun a puzzled looked, and then aimed it again, and fired another round.

You cannot harm me because I am not physically here.

Jed sat the gun on the table and poured another shot.

You really do not wish to continue doing this to yourself, do you? That liquid cannot drown what troubles you.

How do you know what I want and what do you mean, you’re not physically here? I see you standing right there. It must be the booze that’s why I missed. I must be too drunk right now to hit anything, Jed stammered.

I have not moved, you may inspect the bullet holes behind me to see this.

That’s impossible.

It is only impossible when you limit the scale of your perception.

Hey!

I assure you, I am not a hallucination. I know you very well.

What do you mean, you know me? I’ve never met you before.

I know you well enough to understand your pain.

"What do you know about my pain!?"

I know much about your pain. I also understand you well enough to know this is the first time in five years that you have actually taken a drink. May I ask? Why did you decide that tonight is a good night to have a drink?

I wish I knew, Jed answered, lowering his head.

You do know, the man replied, You only need to access that part of your mind to reach the understanding you seek.

Jed looked up at the man, What in the hell are you talking about? Who are you, really?

Pardon me, Captain Fitz, have you not seen the news?

Yeah. Yeah, Jed said, facing back to the TV, I saw it...but I don’t know how? I never turned on the tube! I never watch the news, not anymore, anyway.

I turned it on so you could perhaps understand who I am, without too many questions or disbelief.

Oh, Jed laughed, I see, you’re trying to tell me that you’re one of these little green men they were talking about? Pfff, tell me more, star-man.

Call me Malcom. You would need to study our language for a very long time to be able to pronounce my real name. I am from the fourth planet orbiting the star Epsilon Eridani, ten and a half light years from your star.

...and I’m from Mars. Do you really know how ridiculous that sounds?

"Yes, I do. This is