Episode XI
The second showdown.
 

 The small transport shot out towards the planet. The black hole spun ominously in the background, slowly, quietly, sucking everything in, even the glow from the transport’s engines was trapped in the swirling mass. The planet stayed trapped lost in time, trapped for all eternity in the spinning mass. Eventually time would break, and it would be sucked down into the black hole, from which nothing could escape. The Requiem would try to, but none knew what that would do. Perhaps the black hole would suck the very fabric of subspace down into itself. But it didn’t matter anymore; now, they had nothing more to do but try.

 Ma’Krandoc pulled himself from the burning wreckage, he threw himself unto the ground, gasping for air. Behind him his destroyer burnt slowly. It was amazing that even here fire still burnt, this planet somehow had an atmosphere, the atmosphere had been torn off, was being torn off, and will be torn off, all at the same time. In this place, here, it was still there.
 “You’re mine leader for the Shivans.” He looked up at the small transport coming towards him. “Yes, come, meet your fate.” He pulled himself up; he watched the transport in hatred. The Shivan began to laugh.

 The transport set down on the small planet, a cloud of dust rose up around the spacecraft as it’s landing legs bit into the dirt. The door opened and a long plank extended down to the ground. Sam looked around the planet. He warped his cloak around him. “It’s much like that planet in the Ross128 system.” Sam began down the plank. Kate stood at the door; she shielded her eyes from the sand.
 “Nice place to die.” Kate said slowly, she stepped down unto the plank. They both began to walk across the brown blowing dust; the sound of the wind was strong in their ears. It wasn’t bright here, and it wasn’t dark. The light was trapped here with the planet. It was dying; it would be gone soon. They headed off towards the burning hulk of the Revenge. Kate fingered her sword quietly.
 They arrived at the burning destroyer, the large ship burned slowly in the wind. There, at the base of the ship was a single Shivan. Sam walked up so that he was about ten meters away from the creature.
 “You know who I am?” Sam asked slowly. They we’re both yelling, trying to hear each other over the wind and the dust.
 “How could I forget?” the Shivan replied. “I am Ma’Krandoc, sun of Cron’is.” Sam nodded slowly.
 “We don’t have to do this.” Sam said.
 “Oh, but we do, Leader for the Shivans.” Sam shook his head.
 “You have me mistaken with someone else, Shivan.” The Shivan began to laugh; the hideous sound it made deafened even the wind itself.
 “No, you are the Leader for the Shivans.” Ma’Krandoc replied. “You killed Cron’is, my father.” Sam didn’t move, his cloak came undone and flapped in the wind.
 “It was for a better cause. A noble cause. I could not stand idly by while your father destroyed my race.” The Shivan gave a sinister look at Sam.
 “Both our quests are noble, Leader for the Shivans.” Ma’Krandoc said. “You protected your race, and now I avenge my fathers death.” Ma’Krandoc flipped out the shoulder cannon baried deep within his armor. “And now you die.” Lightning shot from Ma’Krandoc’s cannon. Sam turned his head. He mouthed something to Kate. Kate came forward a step, half-afraid of what was going on. The lightning bit into Sam, enveloped him, crushed him, and destroyed his very skin. The lightning shot out of his fingers up and out towards the heaves.
 When it was all over Samuel Morrison was gone. Sam’s cloak fluttered over and struck against Kate’s leg. She reached down and picked it up. It had several large burn holes in it. She fitted it unto her shoulders, and pulled her arms through the sleeves. Kate drew her sword, and planted it deep in the ground. Ma’Krandoc turned slowly.
 “And who are you?” Kate still had her head down, looking into the dark hilt of the sword. “I know that weapon…” The Shivan began to think.
 “And you should.” Kate said slowly.
 “Yes, that was the Leader for the Shivans weapon.”  The Shivan began to laugh again.
 “You’re half right, Shivan.” The Shivan stopped laughing. Kate reached down; lighting still left in the ground shot across and arced up the sword as Kate drew it high into the air. The lighting flashed up and arced skyward, as if reaching for something deep in the sky.
 “I am Catherine Norrow,” She paused. “The Leader for the Shivans.” The Shivan shook its head.
 “No it cannot be.” The Shivan hurried another blast from its cannon. The particles of energy light up around it, they came together and a massive beam of light shot forth, Kate held her sword out straight in front of her, she felt the sweat rolling down the side of her face. Ma’Krandoc’s blast seared through the air, burning it as it passed. It struck the sword with the strength of a thousand beam cannon blasts. The beam parted as it struck the blade. Ma’Krandoc shut off the beam and stared in horror as he saw that Kate was still standing there, still alive. Kate brought back her arm and threw the sword at Ma’Krandoc. It struck him right where the shoulder cannon’s muzzle was. The sword bit through electronics and flesh. The Shivan felt the blade and cried out in horror. Sparks began to fly. Kate rushed up, she garbed the sword, and while spinning in the air, she pulled the blade out of Ma’Krandoc’s shoulder cannon. She passed over the Shivan and landed on the ground behind him. The Shivan’s weapon went critical.
 “N-oooooooo!” Ma’Krandoc yelled as his arm exploded. The blast engulfed the Shivan. The explosion began to crack the surface of the planet. Kate looked around frantically as the planet began to self-distructe; she slid her blade back down into its scabbard and began to run. The crust split, sending streams of light upwards, towards the black hole. The Very light itself seemed to arc towards the hole in space. Not even the power of light could escape the dark monster. Kate found the transport. The door was open; a guard motioned for her to hurry up. At that moment the ground beneath the transport gave way, and the ship began to fall. The engines of the mighty vessel flared, and it regained stability floating in midair. Kate reached the breach. She jumped, and caught the plank just as the ground that had been beneath her feat gave way. The Plank began to retract, the guard helped her inside the craft, he looked around.
 “Where is Samuel Morrison.” Kate shook her head.
 “Dead.” The guard nodded.
 “I’ll tell the pilot.” The guard disappeared from sight. Kate drew the sword, and looked down at it quietly. She almost smiled, the weight had been placed upon her shoulders, but this sword made her feel as if she could bear the weight, as if it were a feather. The small screen on the wall glowed for a second, and then illuminated with Vo’rant’s face.
 “Kate.” Vo’rant began. “There’s been a problem.”

 Kate’s shuttle docked the door spin upon and Kate stepped out unto the pad. Vo’rant was there waiting, he stood there, as if waiting for someone else. After a moment he turned to Kate.
 “Where is Morrison?” He asked. Kate shook her head. Vo’rant nodded. “He died with honor.” Kate nodded, then the situation flashed back to her, what Vo’rant had said in the shuttle. She looked up the tall Vasudan.
 “What problem.” Vo’rant looked around, as if searching for a spy that wasn’t there.
 “We cannot contact the bridge. Ridow’s up there, and so is Dirken.” Kate nodded. She fingered her sword; she felt the energy rush through her.
 “Then we’ll just have to regain contact.” This was the moment Kate had been dreading, had Ridow turned on them, and would Dirken be killed to satisfy Ridow’s greed. Kate would have to stop it, even if she had to kill the friend she held so dear to herself.
 The run through the bright corridors of the GTD Requiem was painstaking. The ship was large, and yet small in comparison to the much bigger classes of ships in the fleet. Ships so large an officer could work their intire lives in one section and never see the other end of the mighty vessel. They turned a corner, and suddenly snapped to the back of the walls. Kate drew her sword and Vo’rant pulled out his own. Kate had forgotten the beauty of the sword of Vo’tion. But there was no time for that now.
 “Who do you think did this?” Vo’rant looked around.
 “I do not know, Ridow was acting strange when we returned, as if waiting for your departure. He went to the bridge, and then we lost contact.” Kate nodded.
 “Scan inside.” Kate said, watching the door. Vo’rant nodded. He pulled off a panel to the side of his hiding place. A small screen flipped up from the mesh of wires and conduits.
 “I will use this diagnostic panel to scan for life forms.” Vo’rant felt around the wires, changing their position, and fitting them into new slots. Sparks jumped out of the panel. Vo’rant shielded his eyes, and then went back to the panel. “Other then the usual bridge crew, there is David, Ridow, Dirken, and another form, something I am unfamiliar with.” Kate nodded slowly. “I can override the lock on the doors from here.” Kate looked up at the small camera. “I might be able to trick the computer into believing that there is an imminent hull breach on the bridge, that will scatter the security cameras and override the security lockout on the doors.” Kate nodded.
 “How long?” she asked. Vo’rant shrugged.
 “A minute, thirty seconds, after that the bridge computers will cycle reports from the outer hull reporting no such possibility.” Kate nodded.
 “Do it.” She said. Vo’rant nodded. Kate prepared herself for what she might have to do; she might have to kill Ridow. She hopped that she didn’t have to do it, but she might have no other choice. Kate had a hard time believing that Ridow would try something like this, what motivation would he have for this? An NTF plot perhaps, or maybe something even more sinister. Perhaps something that dated back to even the first Great War itself, when triton Dynamics tried to take over the GTA, with the help of the Shivans. But there was no time for that now; no time to think, no time for tears for long lost friends, no, now there was only time for action. Vo’rant hit the switch. Red lights blared.
 “WARNING, HULL BREACH IMINENT. EVACUATE BRIDGE.” The computer repeated it over and over again. Kate sprinted for the door, sword in hand. The doors of the bridge slid open…

 “Yes, well… What do you see?” He asked. Kate shrugged.
 “Captain Ridow.” She said finally.
 “Beware.” Vo’tion said. “Look behind him.”

 Here memory sputtered with the bright red lights, David stood right in front of her. “Ridow get down!” She understood what Vo’tion had meant that day, what he was trying to tell her. David fell to the floor; he pushed himself out of the way. A bullet just missed him; Kate brought the sword up, fast and quick. It caught the bullet; the small projectile bounced of the sword and struck the ceiling. Dirken showed his teeth in pure rage.
 “No!” He aimed again and fired. Kate pushed herself out of the way, the bullet crashed into the wall behind Kate. Dirken yelled. Ridow hit the ground, pulling both his guns out; he blasted shot after shot into Dirken’s feet. Dirken screamed, he closed his eyes in pain. David rushed forward, he kicked Dirken’s arm, sending his weapon flying, David brought his fist around and hit Dirken in the chest. The man flew across the room. The red lights stopped blinking, and they had time to breathe. Ridow pulled himself up. Dirken began to move, but Ridow put a gun to his face.
 “Give me an excuse to kill you, Please.” David brushed himself off. The Admiral walked over, he brushed Ridow out of the way, he grabbed Dirken by the color and pulled him up.
 “What the hell is the Triplicate?” Dirken began to laugh, maniacally. Then he yelled in pain, his chest began to glow, he continued to laugh, inspite of his pain, the dying ensign exploded in a ball of fire, and falling back, he died there on the bridge. The crew was stunned. Kate walked up to David.
 “Triplicate?” David shook his head.
 “When our supposed ‘Ensign Dirken’ here had us under his watchful stair he said something to us.” Ridow cut in.
 “You’re too late, the Triplicate is ready for you.” Ridow said slowly. Kate looked around. The door to the bridge opened up again, Vo’rant came charging in. He stopped in his tracks as he saw everything had quieted down. Kate turned to look at the Vasudan.
 “Is everything under control?” He asked slowly. Kate shook her head.
 “Far from it.” Kate said slowly, looking out the main viewer on the Requiem. “Far from it.” She repeated slowly.
 

 The man with the black coat walked slowly down the hallway of an unknown ship, or perhaps it was a command base, there was no way of telling, there were no windows, nothing, only small artificial light that gave the small hallway light. Two guards stood at the end of the corridor. One of them turned to the man in the black coat.
 “They are awaiting you Sir.” The man in the black coat nodded. The guard placed a key into a slot on the wall, and the door slowly crept open. Inside there was almost no light, a single lamp in the middle of the dark room illuminated the semi circle table. The man in the black coat walked to the middle of the room, so that he was directly underneath the single lamp. The figures around the table could be seen just barely.
 “Give your report.” A deep voice said. It filled the room.
 “Ma’Krandoc’s insatiable want to get Samuel Morrison led him into the Icaris Black Hole, his ship crashed on the Icaris moon, where he faced off against Samuel Morrison and Catherine Norrow.” One of the men around the table put a hand into the light, he held it palm up.
 “Is Samuel Morrison dead?” He asked, a female voice came out of nowhere asking another question.
 “Then what of the legends?” The man in the black coat looked around, as if looking for whoever had asked the second question.
 “Samuel Morrison is dead, Ma’Krandoc killed him.” The female voice spoke back up again.
 “Then if Samuel Morrison is dead, then the legends are wrong, then the Leader for the Shivans is truly dead.” Another voice came from somewhere else around the table.
 “The legend speaks of two Leader for the Shivans. A second one more powerful then the first.” The first man spoke up again.
 “What have you to say on this?” The man with the black coat looked around and then started to speak again.
 “Samuel Morrison did not have his blade with him, the Blade of the dawn has been passed on, now she is Second Leader for the Shivans.” A black sword suddenly shot out from the darkness. It was centered under the man with the black coat’s throat. He looked into the shadow. A single red glowing eye looked back. The man in the black coat didn’t even flinch. The sword moved up his face, and then it pressed into his skin just before his ear, it dragged itself down his face making a long gash in his cheek, red blood poured out of the man with the black coat. The blade moved away from his face, it’s dark blade stained with his blood.
 “You will leave Norrow to me.” The man with the black coat was fuming with anger, but he kept it in.
 “Of course.” He said slowly. “The leader for the Shivans has not yet seen the devil.” The blade came back. The man with the black coat reached out and grabbed the blade, his mailed hand scratching along the blade. “You may be more machine then man, but you die just as easily.” The man with the black coat flung the sword aside, he turned to look into the single red eye, it blinked slowly. “That isn’t the blade of Twilight and you know it.” The eye backed up.
 “Prophecy is not a record of what is, but of what may be.” The eye disappeared, a door opened, and light streamed across the floor of the room eluminating the council. A single figure stopped in the doorway. “I am that is, the Leader for the Shivans has not yet seen death.” The figured stepped back and the door closed behind him. The man with the black coat started for the door.
 “Keep an eye on that one.” The man with the black coat nodded.
 “I have no faith in him.” The man with the black coat said, slowly, the blood rolling down his face.
 “Neither do we, but in the off chance he should stir something up…” The first man trailed off. The man with the black cloak nodded.
 “Our agent in Luyten is prepared.” The man with the black coat said, he turned and began to walk towards the door.
 “Make sure he fails.” The man with the Black coat knew the plan, and he knew that it would fail, but that it would lead him to ultimate glory. He walked out of the room, and the door closed behind him.

     To be continued…
 

Leader for the Shivans 3: Journey from Dunwitch Hill
Will Continue with:

Episode XII:
Through the dark looking glass