D.S. Brown - THE HAVARIAN GENOCIDE - CHAPTER 5

Krakoth ravaged the Harvarian fleet.  The Kallhad’s sensors recorded every blast and blow, cataloging the information for analysis.  The Zradgen observed their new god in his orgy of destruction, ripping apart vessel after vessel.  He flew into ships.  He used his hands to rend metal strong enough to skirt the surface of a sun.  He took the time to enter some of the ships, murdering Harvarians and Fifth Column Zradgen traitors with his gauntleted hands.  He moved swiftly down corridors, dismembering and eviscerating.  He destroyed intimately, personally, on an unholy scale.  Kdifoc was there, using the Khallad’s sensors to see it all.

“He is magnificent,” said Kdifoc.  “Look at him.  He’s glorious!”

What was the Harvarian fleet was now a maelstrom of shredded metals and gases.  Clouds of energy floated where vessels once flew.  Body parts littered the local area of space.

“There are only two vessels remaining,” said the senseman.  “Wait, new contacts.  Ships are mobilizing from almost every planet in the system, many of them are of the same design, with exposed heavy weapons.  And they’re moving very fast.

“Must be the aid they requested,” said Vradakos.  “They’re a little late.”

“Shall we engage?”  asked the weaponsman.

“No,” said the Emperor.  “Maintain our position.”

“They are charging weapons,” said the senseman.  “They’re coordinating an attack vector for the Prince.  All of them.  They will be in attack range … now.”

A swarm of vessels converged on Krakoth’s position.  They surrounded him in a sphere formation, with no fear of hitting their own ships.  Their weapons fired, unerringly.  The Prince was struck.  He slowed down, appearing hurt.  They fired again, and again, and again.

“What’s this?”  said the avatar of the Emperor.  “What’s this?”

The blinding energy from the enemy weapons fire dispersed, to reveal a very still Krakoth.  He appeared lifeless.  His armor had vanished, retreating within.  His flesh looked ravaged and pockmarked.  The coordinated attack had harmed him.  But to what extent?

“Scan the Prince,” ordered the Emperor.

“The Prince’s energy levels are extremely low, your Highness.” said the senseman.  “Wait, they’re climbing.  They’re climbing fast.”

The Emperor smiled with a sense of satisfaction.  “Excellent.”

The Prince began to stir.  His armor slowly reappeared.  One of the Harvarian ships fired its weapons.  Krakoth raised his hand.  Enough energy to level a city collided with his palm, and dispersed.  Before the other ships could fire their weapons, Krakoth summoned forth a burst of energy that exploded outward from his center in all directions.  Every last Harvarian ship was enveloped in a sphere of destruction, hundreds of ships, thousands of lives, all annihilated. 

The warriors on the bridge of the Khallad were awestruck.  They stared at their screens in silence.  None of them had ever seen such a display of power.  It dwarfed even their weapons of planetary destruction. 

“The Death Blast,” said the Emperor.  “Excellent brother, truly excellent.”

“Your Highness,” said the Commander.  “The Prince truly is our God.”

The avatar of the Emperor turned towards the Commander.  “Yes, he is our God, but he is not to be worshipped.  Worship the space gods, worship whatever god you like, include me in your worship, but that is all.  The Prince, give him your fear.”

The Emperor raised his hand.  His palm suddenly glowed.  “For I am the Hand over God.  If I am not pleased, I will direct his destruction towards you.”

The Commander bowed.  “Yes, your Highness.”

“The energy dispersal is dissipating,” said the senseman.  “There is no sign of the Harvarian ships. 
They are all destroyed.  The Prince is emerging, and moving on a new vector.”

“Direction?”  Queried the Commander.

“The planet Daana,” said the senseman.

“He is going to Daana Command,” said the avatar of the Emperor.

“Shall we initiate, your Highness?”  Asked Commander Vradakos.

“Not yet.”

They all watched from afar as Krakoth approached the planet Daana.  Heavy plasma cannons on the planet’s surface fired salvo after salvo in a vain attempt to destroy him.  He swatted the cannon fire aside as though they were nothing more than gnats, mere irritants at best.  It was an amazing sight.  Krakoth countered.  Bolts of energy exploded from the Prince’s hands, raining death and destruction on the cannon emplacements.  His energy bolts were horrifyingly effective.  Before Krakoth even pierced the atmosphere, Daana’s planetary defenses were utterly destroyed.

The Prince blazed his way through the atmosphere.  He flew downward.  Smaller, in atmosphere energy batteries blanketed the sky with weapons fire.  It was useless, like swinging at a falling boulder with a fly swatter. 

Krakoth stopped just above the capital city.  He hovered there, in silence.  Disloyal Zradgen, Harvarian, and other traitorous sentient troops were in the streets and on building rooftops.  They tried to shoot him down with handheld weapons.  He watched them in their futility.  After some time, they stopped.  A few of them got down on their knees, worshipping Krakoth as their god, and begging for his mercy.

Krakoth reached out with his hand.  From it sprang a sphere of energy, again the Death Blast.  The sphere rapidly expanded.  It engulfed everything.  In moments the city was gone, wiped out in the same manner as the Harvarian fleet. 

Where the capital of the Daaneen star system once stood, there was now only a barren crater, large enough to be seen from orbit.  In its center was one lone sentient, the only thing still alive. 

Krakoth turned towards the sky, looking across the distance, towards the direction of the Imperial vessel Kallhad.  “This system is pacified, my brother.  Come and claim your prize.”

The warriors of the Kallhad were taken-aback by the Prince’s breach of protocol.  One does not simply refer to the Emperor as my brother, even if he is your brother.

“Stay where you are, new god,” said the Emperor.  “We will be there shortly.”

“I await your arrival brother.  In the meantime, I think I’ll fly over the area and observe the effectiveness of my power.”

The Emperor was amused.  He closed his fist, his godhand.  Krakoth would require a reminder of protocol when they arrived planetside.

“Commander, Planet Daana.  Come down on the Prince’s coordinates.”

“At once, your Highness.”