The Scalian Legacy
Chapter Thirty Eight

Admiral Alterman was anxiously looking at all of the action outside. The Pendoran fighters were beginning to take down more of the Scalian fighters despite being outnumbered. Based on the energy ratings of their shields, the Scalian space forts appeared to be weakening, but so did the Druman battlecruisers and one of the human battlecruisers. The battlecruisers that had fallen out of the battle area after their failed kamikaze charge had managed to stabilize themselves and were now returning into the fray, but none of this seemed to matter. There was simply not enough firepower to break down the Scalian defenses in time.

“With the battlecruisers returning and adding to the barrage, what’s the estimate on shield collapse for The Seguura?” the admiral asked, hoping for a miracle of an answer.

“Fifteen minutes at best; probably more since we are getting very few shots through to it,” Rivas replied.

“And estimated time for the Redeemer’s launch?”

“About two minutes,” Rivas said. “The gravity well is in place and the repulsion systems seem to be just over a minute from being fully powered. They are almost ready.”

“Any suggestions?” the admiral asked, almost pleading, but there was no reply. “Well, if we go down, let’s go down with all we have. It’s been an honor to serve with all of you.”

“One hundred seconds to final execution, sir,” Gargke announced to Tarza.

“Excellent,” Tarza said. “We have done it, my fellow Scalians. We have fulfilled Nagaran’s wishes and we will all be rewarded!”

Then, the turbo lift opened and two shots knocked out Nramal and Hargue on either side of Tarza. Tarza turned, shocked to see Rauug holding a weapon at him. “Nobody move or the admiral is next.”

“What are you doing, you idiot!” Tarza said.

“I’m asserting myself on my ship!” Rauug replied. “You know, admiral, I never cared about success for myself, and neither have most of the brave Scalians that have laid down their lives for Nagaran. We did it to serve Nagaran and would all do it over and over again for him. So, it would be nice for us all to know the truth.”

“What truth, you moron!” Tarza was incensed, but he also saw that there were only eighty-three seconds left before none of this mattered, so he decided to stretch it out. “Tell me, Rauug. What is it that you want to know?”

“I want to know why you never told anyone, including myself, that this mission wasn’t just to attack Earth, but to attack Earth in the past—specifically, three thousand years in the past,” Rauug said.

Tarza was now composed again as he began his reply: “As with all missions, there is a ‘need to know’ set of people—and you weren’t one of them.” Tarza glanced at the clock. Sixty-four seconds. “Is that what this is about? Your feelings were hurt?” Tarza laughed. “That’s not very Scalian of you.”

“No,” Rauug answered. “This is about you keeping this from us so that we don’t realize that we can travel back in time, specifically three thousand years. The same amount of time in the past that Nagaran visited us.” Rauug’s personnel on the bridge scoffed at the mere suggestion. A few even hissed.

“What are you suggesting, Rauug?” Tarza said.

“I’m suggesting that it wasn’t Nagaran that visited us three thousand years ago at all,” Rauug replied. “It was someone that wanted to use our loyalty and commitment for their own purposes with new edicts. Someone that would benefit from an entire species changing their ways to expand their reach and to have someone from nonroyal lineage join the Senior Council and enjoy power that would otherwise have been out of reach.”

“You are mad! Your sister infected you with her blasphemy.” Tarza glanced at the clock once more. Forty-six seconds. “How can you tarnish our god’s name in this way?” Tarza pretended to be as indignant as he could.

“How could you allow so many Scalians to sacrifice so much just to advance your ambition?” Rauug said.

Tarza’s patience was running thin. He had fought his entire life to avoid having to stand anyone speaking to him in such a manner, and restraint was becoming intolerable. “What fantasy!” Tarza finally responded. “Or maybe you were in league with your sister the whole time, Rauug. Maybe you are the power hungry one!”

“I just want to know if you ever cared about not just the carnage you have wreaked in this entire galaxy, but also the billions of Scalians that laid down their lives willingly just so that you could advance your power? You have disgraced the true Nagaran with your disregard for Scalian life and need to be exposed.”

That was it! Tarza couldn’t hold back any longer. “You fool!” he snapped. “In less than thirty seconds none of this will be remembered and none of those sacrifices you speak of will have even been made. Once this mission completes, not only will we have ended yet another species and continued our advance to domination of this galaxy, but all those Scalians that died at the hands of humans will be alive once more. Don’t you see? I am the savior of Scalians, not your fictional Nagaran. There is no Nagaran! It’s me! It’s always been me!”

That was all that Rauug needed to hear. “Yes, all those Scalians that have died from humans may be back, but then there will be another species, and another. We will need to continue to eliminate species and more Scalians will suffer while propagating your lies for you!” Rauug then turned eerily calm. “No, you are not our savior. Nagaran is our savior and this has to end.”

Sensing that he may be in immediate jeopardy, Tarza decided to take a chance and reached for his weapon. Tarza grabbed his firearm and quickly started to lift it to point towards Rauug when Rauug fired. Tarza was hit in the middle of the chest and fell backwards on the floor, dead. Rauug then dropped his weapon and looked at Gargke as the others gawked in amazement. “Gargke, I am your captain and your friend. You have heard why I did this. I ask you as a believer in the true Nagaran, please stop the command sequence.”

Gargke had heard enough, and his faith in Captain Rauug was many times greater than the faith he had ever had in Tarza. Despite the shock of what he had just witnessed, Gargke did not hesitate. He stopped the command sequence with seven seconds remaining.

“Thank you, Gargke,” Rauug said. “Now, move our shield away from the Redeemer to expose it and allow the intruders to destroy it, as that is their only target.”

Gargke complied.

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