Echoes of Harmony

Hammer of Druth

Fifty light years from Draconis

2 Thorrig’s Rise, 6F1

High King Thaseas Shadowbrand sat on the stone throne centered in the bridge of the massive dreadnought. His position put him above all others, as if on a pedestal. A set of stairs adorned with a stonesilk carpet led up to the seat. Next to him, as always, sat his rune-carved axe, ready to be grabbed at a moment’s notice.

The ship was the pinnacle of Dwarven craftsmanship. It had taken nearly fifty years to construct it, and the level of detail and care that went into it showed the fact. Every nook and cranny was carefully sculpted, the mithril plating shining without a single scratch. It was also the first to receive the improvements wrought by the assimilation Nergal did with the Oberlander. Shield generators, carefully designed to not clash with the aesthetic, had been installed for total coverage of the largest ship ever constructed—by Dwarves or otherwise. Perhaps what would be more surprising was the addition of point defense cannons. Thaseas initially argued against this, saying their hull would be more than adequate to protect against missiles. However, Nergal showed him the after battle reports that indicated, had they been present, they would have lost far fewer warships than they did. In the end, he acquiesced.

In a semicircle in front of the throne facing him were the Astral Lords. Each of them sat in a smaller chair, carefully carved for them specifically. They talked amongst themselves. Occasionally, one would cast a look at Thaseas. Not a furtive one, though he didn’t doubt they would have if they thought they could get away with it. Some of them had tried to refuse coming along for the approaching battle. Those who supported the dead traitor, Arazec, were most vocal. It was for that reason he ensured every single one of them accompanied him when they marched on the Draconis system. Thaseas did not want to give them the opportunity to claim his throne while he was absent. Such an act was not entirely unheard of, and it was a method he would have used had he not known he would win the Nurathim. Better to have them by his side, whether they charged into victory or defeat.

In the center of their circle was a holoprojector for displaying the tactical board. Currently, it showed the two hundred and fifty ships that were accompanying the dreadnought he sat in. The number of ships wasn’t enough for an extended campaign into the Hyperion Empire. That much, he knew. However, it was more than enough to give them a bloody nose and destroy that filthy facility they constructed in the orbit of the planet they called Stariek. It was what they deserved for their arrogance in thinking they could attack Druthagon and come out alive.

The walls of the bridge were adorned with filigreed mithril. Threads of gold were woven into the faux beams holding conduits for power and data transfer. Each of the consoles for the various stations and departments were built to interface directly with the operators—a new technology courtesy of Nergal. Rather than needing to enter commands, it simply read the thoughts of the user, similar to the humans and their ‘CAMs.’ According to Nergal, it allowed for nearly twice as fast reaction time compared to the Hyperion technology.

Directly across from Thaseas, behind the Astral Lords, was the viewport. It showed a view of a dozen ships to either side of the Hammer. Each of them remained in formation, awaiting orders. Their engines were currently dark to conserve fuel and energy.

Reports from scouts indicated the Hyperions already knew of the fleets movements. However, they neglected one thing: The Druthagar were purposefully going slow. Surely, their sensors believed they had more time. Little did they know, they were just a single jump away from the Draconis system. Their long range sensors indicated just two dozen ships—not including civilians—in the system, primarily congregated around the station in orbit around Stariek. Not even close to a fair fight, which the High King didn’t mind.

Unable to keep the smile off his face, Thaseas turned to the captain of the Hammer of Druth, an older dwarf by the name of Eladron Hillmantle. He had a thick gray beard that was tied into three braids, each of which went to his navel. The worst thing about him was something Thaseas couldn’t change: his foolish predecessor had been the one to appoint him, and there was not enough time to put someone perhaps more competent in the role.

“Void Admiral, whenever you and your fleet are ready, take us in.” Thaseas sat back in his throne, feeling the stone press against him. “It is time we teach these humans why the Druthagar are not to be trifled with.”

“As you command, High King,” Hillmantle said. He turned to the navigation officer. “Deepstone Navigator, relay our intent to the fleet and tunnel to the Draconis system.”

The younger dwarf affirmed the order before attaching his hands to the machine in front of him. Thaseas watched as tubes wound themselves up the navigator’s arms, digging into his skin. He made no indication he even felt any pain. A few moments later, the tubes lit up with a blue light to signal the successful neural link.

Through the viewport, Thaseas, and the others, saw the tunnel open ahead of them. It was dark gray and not unlike one of the tunnels they would have drilled through the crust of Druthagon before it was depleted of resources and rendered uninhabitable. The Hammer of Druth lumbered forward as the other ships in the fleet manifested their own tunnels.

Within moments, a new sight appeared before them: The planet the humans called Stariek. In front of it was a metallic glint from what could only be the large space station that had been constructed only three months ago. A sense of overwhelming pride surged through the High King. He looked over the Astral Lords. Some he knew shared his excitement. Others seemed nervous, on edge. As long as they didn’t mess things up, he didn’t care what they felt.

“Let’s teach them a lesson they’ll never forget,” Thaseas said, gripping his axe. He hefted it and pointed it at the viewport. “Show no mercy.”

#

Space Station Vertyn

Stariek Orbit

2 March 3297

Skylar Reid tried to pay attention in the history class the Hyperions made him and the others take. He really did. The idea of being in space, of being one step closer to exploring the galaxy, made it much more difficult to focus. How could he care about boring old history when in just a couple hours, he would be back in the simulator flying one of the space fighters? It was one of the few good things about this whole mess.

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The lecture hall was a semicircle with multi-tiered rows of seats facing the podium. Curved tables ran across the entirety of each row, allowing for a place to write. An older man in red robes, a gray ring of hair around the base of his head, stood looking up at each of the one hundred children as he droned on. Many of the children took notes on their holographic tablets, some more enthusiastically than he thought they had any right to be. After all, all of them were here against their will.

Lina Guezal sat next to him, chewing on strands of her hair as she paid careful attention. Her hand moved quickly across the screen of her tablet. That was at least one good thing to come of their friendship. Skylar didn’t need to take notes when he could just copy Lina’s later. Though, could she really blame him? These classes were nothing like the simulators, being able to fly through space on a whim. It reminded him of the game he used to play with Rach and the others.

Rach. His best friend, and he hardly had time to even think about her. He still didn’t know where she was or what happened to her—after all, how could he? It was his fault she was captured. The least he could do was try to find her.

A rumble going through the station brought Skylar’s attention back to the present. The lecturer stopped at once, looking at the corners of the room with concern. Some of the children followed suit. Before any of them had further opportunities to react, another rumble vibrated the walls. Immediately, Skylar knew: the station was being attacked.

A klaxon went off. Piercing red light filled the lecture hall. Screams rent the air. Some of the children jumped up, running from the room as the voice of the lecturer called out above the din. A message displayed across Skylar’s vision through his CAM telling him to proceed to the nearest shelter to protect himself from a Druthagar attack.

His body seized up. He tried to move his legs. They refused to cooperate. He felt his fingers tighten on the edge of the table. His knuckles turned white. It was like a vice was clamping on his chest, squeezing the air out. Each breath he took was a struggle. His heart pounded so hard, he knew it would burst. The room—the once overwhelmingly large room full of screaming children running around—was closing in on him. It was too small. Too constricting. The walls moved in on him, and he felt as if he were back in the safe room beneath his parents’ estate. Powerless. Scared. Unable to do anything.

“Skylar!” A voice came from directly next to him. Someone shook him. Lina. Her hand felt soft yet also like the blaze of a fire on his shoulder. She tugged him again. “Come on! We have to get to the shelter.”

Skylar felt his head nod but knew the action wasn’t his own. He found himself back under the bed of the safe room. The woman approached. Green mist filled the air. His throat closed up. Every breath was a struggle. He failed again, and he could do nothing about it.

A violent tug nearly knocked him to the ground. Lina’s hand wrapped around his sleeve, causing the collar of the uniform he wore to come down to his bicep. He looked at her and saw the frantic expression on her face. Yet even as he tried to command his legs to move, they refused.

His hands still clenched the table. A pain radiated through them. All sound faded away. Sweat snaked its way down his forehead, cool despite the heat radiating from his face. His vision swam. He felt himself falling into a deep pit. Darkness surrounded him.

A third rumble ran through the station. The blaring klaxon returned. He found himself back in the lecture hall, Lina staring terrified at him, her hands desperately trying to pull him along. Finally, his legs cooperated. He let go of the table and took off at a run in the direction his CAM indicated.

“Come on!” he yelled over his shoulder at Lina. His legs shook, protesting at the exertion, as he made it into the corridor. He stopped, knees wobbling, to get his bearings.

Hundreds of other people, a mixture of children, teenagers, adults, robots, swarmed in every direction. Red lights continued to flash. Klaxons blared. Another rumble ran through the station. Screams pierced the air. Some people staggered. Others fell to the floor. Heavy footfalls almost trampled them before they were able to get back to their feet.

Lina ran out the door and stopped next to him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along as he ran down the hall. Her frantic breathes came short and fast in his ear. Instructions still displayed in the corner of his vision from his CAM directed him to the nearest shelter. Only a couple hundred meters away. He just had to get there, then he’d be safe. Lina would be safe. He couldn’t fail again.

The pair of them pushed their way past the throng of people. Faces passed in blurs. Robotic soldiers intoned unintelligible directions. They came to a stop in an intersection. Skylar’s vision swam. His chest constricted once, and his breathing became more erratic. He looked in every direction, slowly spinning in place. There had to be a way out. Tears sparkled in his eyes as he tried to figure out which way to go. They weren’t stuck here. But what if they were? What if they were going to die?

A gentle hand on his shoulder instantly stopped his spiraling thoughts. He spun to look to find Lina staring at him, her joyful smile replaced by one filled with a fierce determination.

“You’ll be okay.” Her voice was soft yet audible over the din of the rest of the station. Another rumble ran through the station. He ignored it as she spoke. “I’m here. We’ll get out of here alright. Just trust me, okay?”

Skylar nodded without even realizing what he was doing. The pressure on his chest faded away. His breathing returned to normal, though he still felt his heart hammering against his chest. Without conscious effort, he grabbed Lina’s outstretched hand and let her pull him along as she walked calmly through the crowd.

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity but was no more than a minute, they reached the nearest shelter. A stream of people were already making their way in, guided by a pair of robotic soldiers. Lina sped up, forcing Skylar to almost run to keep up with her. His heart continued to pound. A sense of safety started rising in him at the sight of the doorway. Perhaps they would be alright, just like she said.

The robots didn’t stop them as they joined the crowd entering. They followed them down a short, dark tunnel that opened into a vast chamber. The walls were made of a different metal, one that looked to be a stronger material. Conduits and tubes ran down the sides of the room at regular intervals, connecting to large oxygen generators. Tanks of water were spaced out around the edges. Crates of supplies, some already broken into and others still sealed shut, sat in piles around the room.

There were already several hundred people in the room. Some stood and walked around while others sat or lay on beds. Many were children that Skylar recognized, if not by name then by sight, but there were just as many, if not more, adults he had never seen before.

Another rumble ran through the station, prompting Skylar to stop at once. Lina kept moving before she was tugged backwards when her arm ran out of length from gripping Skylar’s hand. She turned to look at him and smiled slightly. With her free hand, she pointed at a pair of beds.

“You sit. I’ll get us something to eat, okay? It’ll take your mind off things.”

He nodded, letting her guide him to the edge. As he watched her go, he couldn’t help but feel many distinctly conflicting feelings. Gratefulness for having her by his side, for her being so willing to help him even when she didn’t have to. But also anger. Anger at himself for freezing up. Anger at the Druthagar for attacking. Anger at General Zorn and the Hyperions for taking over Stariek in the first place.

Lina soon returned, holding two still sealed protein bars in her hand. She handed one to him as she sat on the bed next to his. He slowly opened the package, his hands shaking all the while. A small bite was all he managed before yet another rumble ran through the station. He couldn’t help but let his gaze wander around the room, as if any moment the Druthagar would break through and kill him.

“It’ll be okay,” Lina said, placing her hand on his knee and squeezing gently.

He couldn’t form any words. Instead, he nodded. Hopefully, she was right.

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