Valkyrie (The Galactic Empire Book 1) Read online

  A glowing ball of amber energy formed in Sakah’s cupped hands. It was magical. Sakah opened her eyes and watched it ignite into a controlled flame. Ava had seen her, and others, do it many times before. But it never ceased to be awe inspiring. After a moment, Sakah dropped her hands and the flames disappeared. "See. It's easy. You try."

  Ava shook her head nervously. “I can’t.”

  “You can.”

  Ava shook her head again.

  “Just try.”

  Ava cupped her hands and closed her eyes. She squeezed them tight, clearing her mind and focusing all of her energy. But her thoughts were a jumbled mix of anxiety and fear. Her body trembled slightly.

  After a few minutes, nothing happened.

  Ava shrugged. "See. I can't."

  “You can, but you’re afraid."

  Sakah was right. Ava was terrified. The others had always been able to tap into the power of the stone and control it. The times Ava had tried to access its strength, it felt like a wild animal. Unbridled. Out-of-control. She didn't want anything to do with it. That was just another factor on her list of reasons to leave. But the thought of leaving terrified her as well. She had grown up with these people. She loved them. She couldn't imagine a life without them.

  Ava had come to believe that no decision should ever be made out of fear. Decisions based on fear usually lead to bad outcomes. Whether she was going to take her vow, or venture out into the unknown, she wanted to do it on her own terms.

  She closed her eyes again and tried to feel the power of the stone. She took a deep breath and imagined its strength flowing through her. She envisioned energy forming between her palms. Soon, she felt the warmth of the shard, and a surge of euphoria flowed through her. Every nerve in her body felt alive, and she felt invincible.

  She opened her eyes and saw the tiny sparks of energy beginning to form in her palms. Ava couldn't help but feel elated. A smile rose on her cheeks. The energy flowing through her body was intoxicating. The size of the energy ball grew. Ava's eyes darted to Sakah's with glee.

  Sakah returned the smile with wide eyes. But her grin soon faded, and concern washed over her face. "Okay, I think that's enough for now."

  But it was like a faucet Ava couldn't shut off. She tried to drop her hands and dissipate the energy, but she couldn't release from it. Power poured out of her. It was like a dam had burst and couldn't be stopped. The glow grew into a blinding frenzy of sparks and energy, then exploded.

  The blast slammed both of them to the ground. Ava gasped for breath—the wind knocked out of her. The impact dazed her for a moment. By the time her fog of confusion wore off, the room was enveloped with roaring flames. She tried to stop them, but her attempts were futile. She didn't even know where to begin. She felt helpless. The genie was out of the bottle and there was no putting it back.

  Sakah's face filled with terror. She was powerless to stop the flames. They were both going to die in the room if they didn't get out quickly. But the only way out was through the scorching fire.

  Ava pulled herself from the ground. The air grew thick with smoke, and the heat was blistering. The flames burned up the oxygen in the room, making it even harder to breathe. Ava's first thought wasn’t oh, my God, we’re going to die. It was the Great Mother is going to be SO pissed.

  4

  Crimson blood dotted the white snow in the alleyway. It trailed behind Ray as he staggered from Nicotero’s warehouse, blood trickling down from his hand. He clutched his two severed fingers in his palm, along with a pile of snow to help preserve the digits. He wrapped his shirtsleeve around his wound. The fabric was soaked with blood. He clutched his hands together, keeping pressure on the wound, trying to stem the bleeding.

  The blistering cold whipped his bruised face. He looked like death frozen over. A black eye, lacerations on his face, a split lip. Ray used to be a good looking man, but he wasn’t going to win any beauty contests today. Still, as mangled as he was, he seemed to maintain a glimmer in his eye. Even down and out, Ray never seemed to lose his charisma and charm.

  Nicotero let him off easy this time. He had a week to come up with Nicotero’s money. Next time, Ray would lose more than just his fingers.

  He stumbled into the street and hailed a cab. He slipped into the backseat of the automated hover-car and pulled the door shut behind him. The car was toasty warm, and Ray sat back against the supple leather seats and relaxed.

  The automated voice of the cab spoke, “You appear to be injured. Would you like me to take you to an urgent care facility?”

  “35th and Langston Avenue,” Ray muttered.

  “Alright, you said 35th and Lexington Avenue, is that correct?”

  “No. Langston,” Ray said, loud and deliberate.

  “Okay. 35th and Langston.”

  “Correct.”

  “Proceeding as instructed. You will be billed 35 credits. Please authenticate bio scan."

  Ray placed his bloody thumb on the pay pad that was situated on the back of the front seat.

  “Payment authenticated. Transaction complete. Thank you."

  The cab weaved through the city with urgency. The heated streets of Sol Elans remained free of snow and ice, even in the harshest of conditions. And even if a section of the thermal roadway did fail, the constant traffic of hover cars would melt any snow or ice.

  The Quick Fix Minor Emergency Center was located in a seedy, rundown part of town. It was the kind of place you went if you didn't want your medical history in the database. All medical conditions were deemed reportable by the Imperial government. It helped them keep tabs on the population, and was used by law enforcement to help identify criminal activity.

  Ray climbed out of the cab and staggered into the emergency center. There was no one in the waiting area—never a good sign. The walls were dingy and dirty. The floor looked like it hadn’t been mopped in a decade. There was an old man sitting at a desk watching a program on a monitor, smoking a cigarette. It wasn't the kind of place that inspired confidence.

  He took one look at Ray and shook his head. He spoke in broken English. “No. No. Cannot help you.”

  Ray smiled. “Ah, come on, Zym. You can help an old friend, can't you?"

  “I refuse right to reserve anyone."

  "You mean, you reserve the right to refuse anyone."

  “Same difference."

  “I'm dying here, Doc.”

  “You no look dying.” He puffed on his cigarette.

  Ray lifted up his bloody hand. “What do you call this?"

  “Bad luck.”

  “What about your Hippocratic oath? You are obligated to help patients."

  “I'm not real doctor,” he deadpanned.

  “I’ll pay you double.”

  “You no pay for last time.”

  “I promise, you’ll get everything I owe you. Look at me like an investment. You want to keep your investment healthy so it can earn you money.”

  “You bad investment.”

  “Zym!” Ray shouted. He was through playing around.

  “Okay, okay. I fix you.” Zym stood up from his desk, the cigarette still dangling from his mouth. The ash was extremely long and Ray was waiting for it to fall, but it never did.

  Zym motioned Ray back toward the operating room. It was a fully automated robotic surgical center. There were dozens of robotic arms designed for various specialties. There were computer terminals and display monitors. Control interfaces. There was an operating table in the center of the room. Despite the shabby condition of the front office, the operating room was pristine.

  Zym washed up and snapped on a pair of surgical gloves. “Let me see.”

  Ray opened his palm—the two fingers were ensconced by melting snow.

  “Look like mini sausages.” He took them from Ray’s palm and set them on a tray. With a pair of forceps, he picked up one of the fingers, and dipped it into an antiseptic solution. Then he set it on another sterile tray and repeated the process with the other digit. He
had Ray sterilize his hand in the solution.

  Zym guided Ray to the microsurgery station. It was a small table with several robotic arms. Ray took a seat and placed his hand on the table. Zim injected his arm with a pain numbing medication. Within a few seconds, Ray's arm felt like a lead weight. He couldn't move it at all. Then Zym injected a powerful antibiotic.

  Zym positioned Ray's hand in the center of the table under the guidance of a laser tracking beam. He spread out Ray's fingers so there would be adequate room for the device to function. Then he set the two digits in line with their respective joints.

  Ray had an intricate tattoo of a geometric shape on the back of his hand.

  Zym eyed it with disapproval. “I can remove that. Leave no trace.”

  “Why would I want to remove it?”

  “It ugly. No fit with the rest of your work. Tattoo on arm, good. Tattoo on hand, bad.”

  “I’ll keep it for now.”

  Zym knew the significance the tattoo held for Ray. “My advice to you… move on. To live in past is to be depressed.”

  “I’m not living in the past, Confucius.”

  “You seek something you may never find. And if you do, it will do nothing to heal the wound in your heart.”

  “I didn’t come here for spiritual guidance.”

  “Okay. You no want my advice. Fine.” Zym strolled to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of vodka. He poured himself a drink into a beaker and strolled back to the microsurgery machine. Zym pressed a button, and the device scanned Ray's hand from several angles, making a 3D composite image. Then the doc initiated the replantation protocol. A flurry of robotic arms sprang into action.

  Dead and damaged tissue was removed, and a regenerative gel was sprayed on the affected area. The device trimmed and fused the severed bone. Once fixation was complete, the precision micro-arms repaired the extensor and flexor tendons. Then arteries and veins were re-vascularized, and nerves were repaired. Superficial veins were repaired and the skin was sealed with a fixation gel. The process was repeated on the next finger. In less than 20 minutes, Ray's fingers were reattached.

  “You owe me 10,000 credits."

  Ray’s eyes bulged. “What? That's outrageous."

  “Should I cut them back off?”

  Ray frowned at him. “Fine.”

  Zym bandaged Ray’s hand. “Take it easy for the next few days. No yank yank.” Zym pantomimed jacking off and laughed.

  “I don’t need to yank yank.” Ray sneered. “Unlike you, I can get women to do that for me.”

  “Only if you pay.” Zym laughed again and took a sip of vodka. Somehow he managed to do that while dangling the cigarette from his lips. The ash still hadn’t dropped.

  “I never pay.” Ray smiled.

  “I know.” Zym sighed. “You pay this time, or I send assassin.”

  “You’ll get your money. I promise.” Ray flashed a reassuring grin.

  Zym’s eyes narrowed. In his broken English, he said, “I hear that before.”

  5

  Almost the instant Ava thought of her, the Great Mother burst through the door. She waved her hand, and the flames extinguished. She was the most powerful of the Oracles, and her ability to harness the power of the stone was unrivaled.

  Her eyes tightened and she scowled at both Ava and Sakah. It’s hard to say exactly how old she was. The stone can impart longevity to those in close proximity, and who can channel its power. Rumor had it that the Great Mother was over 600 years old, but she looked no more than thirty. She was beautiful, and her eyes were as blue and clear as the crystal itself. Her cheekbones were high and sculpted, and her skin was creamy and smooth, except for a hint of crow’s feet at the corner of her eyes.

  The Great Mother’s eyes fell upon Sakah. “Don’t you have responsibilities to attend to?”

  Sakah nodded. “Yes, Great Mother.” She scurried out of the chamber, exchanging a look of dread with Ava.

  Ava spoke, trying to do damage control. “I’m sorry. This was my fault. I was irresponsible and unfocused.”

  “Yes. But I’m pleased to see you try.”

  Ava looked stunned. She expected a much harsher reaction. “So, you’re not mad?”

  The Great Mother gestured for Ava to take a seat, then sat beside her on the bed. “I have not been strict with you for all these years because I enjoy being an authoritarian monster. I've been trying to teach you something.”

  “Apparently I haven’t learned much.” Ava sulked.

  “You are more than capable. Doubt is the obstacle that stands between you and success.”

  “I don't know if I belong here."

  “I understand this is what you believe. And you are more than free to leave.” The Great Mother paused. “For 600 years I have trained Oracles. Never have I seen one with more potential.”

  Ava scoffed.

  “It's true.”

  Ava arched an eyebrow at her.

  “I didn’t say you were the most powerful.”

  “Was…?” Ava started, then stopped. She didn’t want to say the name of the one Oracle that defied the Order. But the Great Mother knew what she was asking.

  The Great Mother nodded. “She was, and is, even more powerful that I. She could control the power of the shard with such ease. It seemed as though she was born to it. And for a long time, I thought she was the one who would fulfill the scriptures and protect the galaxy.” The Great Mother pondered her failure as a mentor for a moment.

  “I think I will stay and take my vow.”

  “Only you can make that decision. And be certain before you make it.” The Great Mother stood up. She smiled at Ava. “Take the afternoon, and meditate on your decision. The answer will come to you.” She left Ava alone to ponder her thoughts.

  THE IMPERIAL SQUADRON dove from the clouds and swooped down, flying over the desolate terrain. There was nothing out there. A vast white wasteland. Craggy peaks stabbing at the sky. Glacial masses with the under glow of blue ice. It was beautiful, but treacherous. The setting sun cast brilliant hues of pink and orange across the pillowy clouds.

  The Vanquish fighters angled toward the ancient stone temple that had stood for more than a thousand years. Targeting systems locked on. Plasma cannons pumped out blistering pulses of energy.

  The massive main doors to the temple shattered. Chunks of rubble and debris scattered, leaving a thick haze of dust in the air. The entire structure rumbled and quaked. The once calm and serene temple became a shrieking chaotic mess as Oracles scurried about.

  The Great Mother rushed to the sacred room. Her eyes wide and her face filled with panic, she dashed to the pedestal that held the stone. A slender blue crystal was suspended in a beam above the pedestal. It was a mesmerizing sight, sparkling and glimmering, aglow with unimaginable energy.

  She reached her hand out with trepidation—no one had touched the stone since it had been placed upon the pedestal eons ago. It was forbidden to touch the shard, and the Oracle wasn’t sure what would happen.

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her hand penetrated the beam, and she grasped the shard. She could feel the power contained within the stone. She pulled the shard from its resting place and gazed at it in her palm. For a moment, she forgot all about the chaos that surrounded her—lost in a hypnotic trance.

  Another explosion snapped her from her stupor. She dropped the shard into a leather pouch and drew it tight. Then she dashed out of the room.

  As she scurried down the hallway, she saw Ava.

  “What’s going on?” Ava said with a look of pure terror on her face.

  “Come with me,” the Great Mother said, ushering Ava down the corridor. She could hear the sound of small arms fire, and the screams of Oracles—Imperial Soturi had breached the temple.

  The two Oracles hurried down the hall, weaving through a maze of corridors. The Great Mother pressed a hidden switch on the wall, and a secret door opened. She shoved Ava into the passageway. She handed her the pouch containing the sha
rd.

  Ava looked confused. Her brow furrowed.

  “Go. Find Eko Sen Zaan on Ultrava. He is in the town of Nova Serfina. He will know what to do.” Then she added, grimly, “Trust no one."

  “But—“

  “Go.” The Great Mother pressed the hidden switch. The heavy stone ground against the floor, then slammed shut. Ava was left alone in the dark passageway, enveloped by inky blackness. She couldn't see an inch in front of her face.

  Ava wasn’t sure what was in the pouch. But she had a good guess from the way it felt. She opened the top of the pouch and nudged out the tip of the glowing blue crystal. It illuminated the walls, casting a pale blue glow across Ava's porcelain face. She was a beautiful young girl with crystal blue eyes and blonde hair, and plush lips. Pure and innocent. She had never been outside the temple before—at least, not since she was a small child.

  She gazed at the crystal, entranced. She felt her heart thunder in her chest. She had never been this close to the stone before. She wasn’t supposed to be this close. Now she was holding it in her palm.

  She turned and followed the narrow tunnel as it descended through the mountain. The walls were jagged and the steps were uneven. The crystal shone brightly and lit the path that seemed to extend forever.

  Ava could hear the chaos in the temple fade away. Terrified, she plunged down the steps. Everything she knew was being destroyed. Her friends, her mentors, her entire way of life. The desire she once had to see the outside world faded, turning into abject terror.

  Ava finally reached the bottom of the steps at the base of the mountain. She pressed a lever on the wall, and the rocky door opened. There was nothing but frozen tundra. The bitter cold whipped at her nose. There was at least a foot of fresh snow at her feet. Ava was wearing nothing but the drab robes that all Oracles wore inside the temple. A thin, almost sheer, fabric, it did nothing to stop the freezing wind. And her feet were bare. She never had a need for shoes before.

  Sol Elans, the nearest city, was over 250 miles away. Even with protective clothing, food, and water, the journey would almost be impossible.