Issue 2: This Day is For the Dogs
So many humans wish to understand their K-9 allies. Not those of Bardax but of Earth. Augustus is that bridge. Through him, we shall awaken the cousins of Earth to the full reality of the Weave.—Heals-The-Rifts
I had no idea! My friend is held in such high regard. I will redouble my efforts. He will never run alone!—Cooper Murphy aka Guards-The-Stars
While we were busy with Whitehome and the Lord of Chains, back on Earth, a certain group of Bardaxians and Earth dogs had a plan. For the sanity of those looking back on these events? The time dilation math isn’t as important. I imagine the Temporal eggheads will have a field day with this portion of the adventure. So for everyone’s sanity? Cooper, Auggie, The Howling, and the old Bardaxian A51 team had a very active month of Terran Alliance operations.—Sleeping in Starlight, a memoir of the 23rd century (Vol 2.)
C.A.P HQ
Florida
November 22nd, 2115
Augustus pawed at the sand.
He missed his humans. His ears flattened. Body wiggling. As he put on a show for the baby on the towel. <<Victor! Yes! Find the ball!>> Auggie danced from one paw to the next. Kicking up sand in the process.
M’taris moved the green squeaky toy towards her grandson. V’alkor dozed with a straw hat placed over his head.
“Dear.”
She saw one glinting gray eye poke up from the brim of the hat.
V’alkor pointed, “I know.” He formed a sandcastle around Victor. The baby gurgled happily. The King’s Own guards decloaked. Their head guardian stating, “The Golden Bulleteer is bringing Glaive and the others.”
Auggie shook his head. His collar jingling. <<It is time then!>>
M’taris knelt and cupped the corgi’s blocky head. “Indeed it is. I do hope we can come back here. Such a lovely beach!”
Her eyes locked onto the skyline. Five Bardaxian vessels hovered overhead. Their bottle-shaped necks ending in four tubes, allowing for great speed. V’alkor rose and scooped up his grandson. “Hopefully Bulleteer will have better news!”
*****
Glaive snarled, baring pearly white teeth, <<By order of the Bardaxian Senate I call for an investigation into the claims of these Children of Chains! They have been sighted in our sector of space as well as the Litari!>>
White Lily shared a glance with her husband. It was a valid concern. Y’lansa waved the holo orders in the face of the Litari Representative. “Bardax has the right. The Litari agreed to join the Union.” Iresh concurred. Her golden orbs expanded as she grew in size. Her shadowed form taking up half the conference room within the C.A.P HQ.
At least her clan-mate had the good sense to agree, “Lady Iresh, we are well aware of the nature of Pandora. But if Bardax moves in won't that alert our enemies?”
Augustus jumped up onto the table. His paws clicking on the surface as he approached.
<<Honored allies, we do not have to lie.>>
Valkyrie and Sparta tilted their lupine heads from side to side.
Sparta rumbled, <<How so?>>
Watson’s deep howl ended in a fit of barking as he caught onto Augustus’ plan.
The old basset stated, <<Earth’s canines! They can sense the Children of Chains. Thus the creatures avoid Terran Alliance sectors! So we have asked for Earth herself to intervene with its C.A.P divisions!>>
It was well known that dogs could detect Living Stone before in manifested in the physical world. Y’lansa grinned, “It would be the logical conclusion and perfect cover!”
V’alkor cleared his throat, “ There’s only one thing missing.”
Everyone stared as a black corgi with orange eyes materialized next to the Ayeer Ruler.
Howling barked, <<We need to accelerate the Uplift of Earth dogs everywhere. But for that, we will need to enter Litari space. To capture an Artock gene synthesizer. A blank one!>>
Augustus came nose to nose with the Howling, <<I will help!>>
Cooper floated above everyone.
His green interlinked armor crackled.
They would hunt.
Litari Space
Edge of Broken Glass (Night’s Memory)
Glaive padded silently across the stark terrain.
Buildings stood silent. Accusatory.
Their walls were covered with signs of battle. Scorch marks.
To his nose, it reeked of old death.
The Litari government didn’t want this place well known. It was the first extrasolar colony ever attacked by the Artock. Under the command of Chronos. The Matriarchs here were converted into Brood Mothers. Just over 1 million Litari had lost their lives during the assault. Over 2 million Matriarchs were abducted by the Director of the Void Walkers. Known as The Night of 1000 Stars. The Void Walker Null ships had glimmered as living fire as they took the colonists.
He waited. His ears perked up.
Trembling and alert.
While overhead Cooper and Auggie observed from the skies. Sparta and Valkyrie took rear guard. While he would have brought the rest of his old team, he knew of all of them, that these particular Bardaxians were much more potent.
His people didn’t have demis. Augustus was the first demi dog known to man or space.
He growled low in his throat.
Catching the fresh scent on the wind as it howled through the silent colony.
The Children of Chains were here.
Glaive activated his sensory cloaking.
His suit blending in with the terrain.
*****
Five inky shapes rose from the dead earth.
Their pale blue lantern eyes were hooded by tattered skins of the souls they consumed. Their ethereal claws dug into the dirt. They sniffed the air. Expelling putrid smoke as they fanned out. Like the Litari they could operate in complete darkness. Glaive signaled Cooper to spring the trap. Four pillars of emerald light materialized. Forming a cube around the Children of Chains.
Sparta covered the city block in an Omega shield.
High above, the Bardaxian scout fleet waited. To see if anything else warped in.
Val snarled, her fangs sinking into an Artock guard that poked his head outside the decrepit building. She severed his eyestalks. Leaping away as blaster fire lit up the night. Glaive noted the white streaks that formed within the old Lunar mining station. His H.U.D connected to the Bardaxian battle net. More Artock fleets were coming. He signaled to Auggie, <<Get in there. We only need the matrix chip.>>
The corgi dashed across the square. Ultraviolet rays on his H.U.D allowing him to see properly. The Litari colony world still had its hab shell around the upper atmosphere. Allowing Litari to move about properly. Everyone else would have to have specialized vision overlays. He squeezed through the opening vehicle bay. Alerting Val to the additional forces. She replied, <<GO! We will handle it!>>
Glaive followed. To provide backup in case anything unfortunate was within.
He wouldn’t take chances. Not with Augustus on the line.
They descended 12 levels. The scanner letting off a trill as they found what they needed.
The emaciated wraith figure between them and the objective didn’t deter the corgi.
Using the objects littered throughout the chamber he hurled everything he could at the chained entity. It croaked, “I can smell you Bardaxian filth!” Its lantern orbs scanning the floor. It raised its hands. Black scrawl flowed from its robes. Glaive hurled himself at the enemy, <<Launch the Phosphorous balls!>>
Another gift from the tech wizards at the Alliance HQ. It was laced with magic and Light Shaman enhancements. It would clear out the scrawl. Temporarily. The creature bellowed, “You think that will stop us?” A behemoth crashed through the wall. Similar to the one that caused Star to lose her cosmic fire. She had to sacrifice her hands to launch dark matter at the creature. Glaive dived to the side as huge multi-taloned fingers buried themselves into the floor where he had been.
Sparks rained overhead as Auggie dashed between its knees. Pulling Glaive along with him. The black and tan Bouscerion was airborne. A crack formed in the wall behind them as the Behemoth gave chase. Auggie’s brown eyes widened. <<I got it!>>
Glaive dared not look back.
He readied his shoulder-mounted micro missiles. <<Just shield us and fly!>>
*****
Cooper raced towards the sun. Hoping to keep the cube up long enough to phase the Children of Chains out of the physical realm. As he got closer, his belt informed him, <<Seek shelter. Cannot maintain reserves beyond 12 more seconds.>> The German Shepherd hurled the cube towards the corona of the Red Dwarf. A sense of weightlessness caused his legs to stop moving. His belt’s klaxons going off in his head. Then a warm Red glow infused him. Pulling him back. He barked excitedly. Bestowing many thanks upon Q’vera. She patted him on the head. Reaching that hard placed spot. <<Let’s go, you trouble maker!>>
More of the Defender Corps had arrived. Blues, greens, yellows, and a few Omegas!
He could see the pinpricks of battery fire as the Bardaxian fleet engaged the Artock.
With Q’vera he dived back into the atmo of the planet. Watching as an explosion rocked the building that Auggie and Glaive had entered. Two figures burst from the wreckage. A mottled black and white hulk of flesh and bone on their heels. Q’vera let out a warcry and dived straight into the fray. Pulling in bits of building with her. Two wicked curved energy swords lashing out. Opening the back of the Behemoth.
*****
Nyx observed from the cloaked J’kua vessel. The All-Mother beside her.
“What do they need artock tech for?”
Nyx replied, “Trouble. I left some presents on Earth to distract them. It has been years but I made sure to cloak the the surprises well. In Bardaxian pods. It was simple enough to have them transmit basic signals. Since the Terrans trust those 4 footed subjects….”
The All-Mother smirked, “They would never think to check. Or investigate deeply. It’s a pity we had to lose so many Artock with that failed attack on Earth so many years ago.”
*****
Sparta charged. Tearing through the Behemoth with all the reserves he could muster from his Omega belt. The giant picked up its severed right arm. Using it as a club. Val’s emerald bolts nailed it to the earth. Burrowing deep into the duracrete streets. The Child of Chains reared back. Fading into the veil between shadows and stars. Without its fallen brethren, it didn’t want to risk itself. Unlike the Behemoth tackling all the combined Defenders upon the planet’s surface.
Far above, additional forces had warped in to assist the Bardaxians. Micheal Brookes, as an adjunct for the C.A.P, cradled his head in his hands. There were Void Walkers here. He was certain. His tie to Chronos hadn’t faded in the years since his rescue from the honeycombed webs of Ishtar's labs. Father Brookes rested a hand on the older man’s shoulder, “I know. I feel them too.”
Brookes’ black within black eyes narrowed, “But we must secure that package first.”
*****
Augustus let out a yelp as hands grabbed him. Eliza’s face grinning down at him. His nub of a tail wigged with delight. <<YAY! I knew you’d come!>>
Dexter, performing up to his usual standards, replied using his voice modulator. “This party needed some red, white and blue!” He found it fun in a way. He could act in the open somewhat by impersonating Eliza. Even the corgi couldn’t tell.
Excellent.
He zig zagged along the battlefield. Keeping the Lanis family dog secure with one arm. Using his other he aimed a haymaker in between the eyes of the Brood monstrosity. It crashed to the ground. Completely dazed. Unlike his sister, he didn’t pull his punches.
The duracrete warped.
Sinking into a 1-mile depression. Old waterworks sprayed upward.
She was improving but her mindset was far more gentle than his.
Came with the territory he supposed. Since he saw the results of Unity’s corruption on souls. Black rumbled, <<My sister also influences that. Women are built differently!>>
Queen Athlass noted dryly, Thank the Creator for that. Otherwise planets would be flattened by battle damage. Dexter was used to her ongoing conversations. That flashback within the Caves of Merlin giving him more insight into her character. She would only kill to defend her planet or family. Even though she was an excellent sniper. Her ghosty blue face cocked an eyebrow at him.
Yes, we need your overall aggression. But remember! You are the mirrors that will balance the Veil and the Great Folly.
The Path of the Ancients. Everything came back to that almost as much as the sundering the Unity created. He didn’t know who the Path was meant for. But considering how many myths tied into it one way or another he didn’t doubt her. Archways, The Dreaming, Eden, it was all a grand wheel turning around the insights of the Weave. All counting down for the day of Convergence. Ground Zero wherein the multiverse would dance to a different tune.
He darted in. Aiming a kick at a giant of Living Stone. Its midsection disappeared in a shower of granite and fading dark shaman sigils.
Auggie shielded the area. <<Wow! You are taking your brother’s advice to heart!>>
Queen Consort Athlass grinned. Snorting back full-blown laughter.
Careful! That dog knows Eliza well.
Dexter mentally nodded, “Yup! At least against the Brood!”
Auggie licked Eliza’s face, <<Wait until I tell Cooper!>>
*****
Q’vera just barely kept her face neutral.
That was her nephew. Dexter had the reflexes and strength of a charging bull. Eliza usually used more finesse. She’d notify him later. He’d probably have to study her battle patterns a bit more. Still, it had been a boon. That brood tank wasn’t budging after that blow he cracked against its head. Litari Fleet coms shot out across the whole sector, <<We thank our allies for the assistance. High Matriarch Mathea wishes to send her personal thanks.>>
Q’vera rubbed her forehead. They didn’t sound particularly pleased. Then again, they probably feared falling under sway akin to the Forgers. While still healing from the attack on their planetary patriarchs they had made great strides to bolster their defenses. C.A.P had made sure to send in their Light Shamans.
Even Earth’s demis had created the Cosmic Brotherhood. To transplant numerous demis around to other sectors. Space worthy or not, to provide unusual powers to situations, which had opened other avenues. Psionic demis found they could reinforce Forger Song outputs. So they’d be less likely to fall to Unity compulsions. Ned Fletcher and his teams had their hands full with reverse engineering defenses. Turns out most within the traditional Uplift Protocol arena had backdoors the enemy had used for eons.
With careful pruning, those doors were being monitored and patched.
Q’vera sent out on the Family Line, >>Any word from J’ino?<<
******
Heals-The-Rifts faced the three mirrors of Moonlight glass.
The calming waves echoing through them relaxing her old bones. A velvet hand patted her head. Making sure to rub the ears the way she liked. The voice formed, one male, one female, the other from the very stars themselves. “When Augustus returns here with the Seed matrix, I will need you to send his group to these coordinates.”
She held her breath. This was very deep within the Zygotic Expanse!
She replied, <<As you will it>>
Issue 1: Here
Issue 3: Here
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