Dark Planet Falling Read online

  CONTENTS

  Disclaimer

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2016 Anna Carven

  All rights reserved.

  Hey there! Anna here. I just wanted to say thanks for picking up my book. I hope you enjoy it. To all the readers who have purchased a copy of my work or signed up to my mailing list, and to those who have taken the time to leave me feedback, thank you! Your encouragement helps me keep focused and motivates me to write.

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  CHAPTER ONE

  Xal slowly sipped the drink he’d been offered. It was hot and bitter, but its scent was comforting. The liquid slid down his throat, leaving a rich, complex aftertaste on his tongue.

  Coffee, the Humans called it. He liked this drink. They would go mad for it on Kythia.

  “So if I’m to understand this correctly, you’ve been persecuted on your home planet and you wish to seek asylum on Earth.” The Human seated across from him frowned skeptically, the lines in his face becoming deep creases as he read through something on his holoscreen.

  Behind him, a high window revealed the planet Earth, set amongst a backdrop of stars. Bathed in the light of that excruciatingly bright star, the Sun, its blue and green surface glowed, covered with luminous swirls of white.

  “That’s correct, Prime Ambassador Rahman.” Xal set his cup down and turned so he was facing slightly away from the window. The harsh ultraviolet light reflecting off the Earth’s surface was blurring his vision a little, aggravating the dull, throbbing headache that started in his temples and radiated to the tips of his horns. “If I go back to Kythia, I will be executed. As signatories to the Universal Planetary Convention, Earth must recognize the right of myself and my subjects to seek refuge.”

  Rahman raised an eyebrow. “I don’t recall the Kordolian Empire ever abiding by the Convention, but you wish to invoke it now, when it suits you? Tell me, Prince Kazharan, why should we allow you and your subjects to enter our planet?”

  Xal smiled. He was quietly impressed and at the same time irritated by the nerve of this Human. He resisted the urge to shift in his seat. After hours of negotiations and information collecting and other official Human nonsense, he was getting restless. He clasped his hands together in front of him, trying to ignore the stiff, constricting feel of his traditional Imperial suit.

  “You have every right to deny us entry,” he said mildly, holding Rahman’s dark gaze. “As I understand, our First Division, who assisted your people in the Fortuna Tau incident, are currently on Earth, helping to eliminate the Xargek threat. In the event you refused us entry, we would, of course, have to recall them back to the Fleet Station.”

  Rahman stiffened, almost imperceptibly. That’s when Xal knew he had him.

  There was no way the Humans could deal with the Xargek on their own. They didn’t have the technology or the manpower. Kordolians were truly their last line of defense against the abominable Xargek. After the Kordolian First Division had fought the terrifying insectoid aliens on the Human mining station called Fortuna Tau, the Xargek had somehow made it to Earth.

  Xal wasn’t entirely surprised. Xargek were the only life-forms he knew of that could survive in the endless vacuum of space, able to exist without oxygen for long periods of time. They could have simply ‘flown’ to Earth.

  “You must realize by now that we mean your people no harm. The battle cruiser Silence is capable of massive destructive power, and yet she’s floating in Earth’s orbit peacefully, even after being harassed by several of your fighters. If we really wanted to take Earth, we would have just threatened you.”

  It was Xal’s polite way of saying let us in, or else. He was threatening the Humans, he was just doing it in a civilized manner. Diplomacy was all about implied threats and hidden meanings.

  The Ambassador’s lips came together in a stern frown, his mouth a brown slash against his white beard. “Of all the planets in the Universe, why did you have to choose Earth? We’re about as far from Kythia as one can get, and our planet is small by comparison.” On the surface, Rahman appeared calm, but Xal noticed a minute tremor in his right hand.

  “Those things aren’t necessarily disadvantages.” Xal took a deep breath as the throbbing pain in his skull moved to the back of his eyes. “Besides, technological differences aside, Humans and Kordolians are really quite similar.”

  Rahman’s frown deepened, his eyes narrowing in disbelief.

  “General Akkadian has even taken a Human woman as his mate.” Xal took another sip of his coffee, savoring its unique flavor. “They seem to be quite compatible.”

  A pained expression crossed the Ambassador’s face. “Yes, the woman in question has invoked her rights as as Citizen and requested entry for him on the basis of their relationship. I’ll admit, we’re still figuring out how to process this one. This, uh, General of yours has quite the reputation.”

  “That he does.” Xal didn’t have anything to add to that. Tarak al Akkadian was a baffling individual, and his past was long and complicated. In darker times, he’d played an instrumental role in the Kordolian expansion efforts. One never quite knew what to expect from the General, but so far, he’d been surprisingly co-operative with the Humans, even though they seemed quite frightened of him.

  The coffee seemed to be helping his headache a little, but Xal was growing impatient. They’d spent too long with this diplomatic shit and he longed for fresh air and solid ground beneath his feet. “I’ll make things simple for you, Ambassador. There are Xargek on Earth. If your intelligence people have been doing their job, then you know what these monsters are capable of. You need our soldiers to defeat them. I am offering you the option of allowing us to enter your planet peacefully. Will you grant us asylum?”

  A wry expression crossed Rahman’s features. “You’re not really offering us any choice, are you, Prince Kazharan?”

  “No, but I am offering you the chance to at least look like you’re making a decision. Your people might find the alternative too terrifying. I’d rather we kept relations between our species amicable. You might even discover, in the end, that we’re not so bad after all.”

  Rahman stared at Xal for a while, indecision swirling in his dark eyes. Finally, he sighed. “Very well, I will grant you and your subjects entry under, let’s just say, Special Diplomatic provisions, until a more permanent agreement can be reached. We will provide you with residential facilities in the free state of Nova Terra, and all I request in return is that you abide by our laws and continue to assist us with the extermination of the Xargek.” The Ambassador paused, considering something. “And of course, you will help us to defend
against any other species that might threaten Earth, Kordolian or otherwise.” A trace of irony had crept into his voice.

  “Thank you, Ambassador Rahman. That all sounds quite sensible.” Xal resisted the urge to squint against the sunlight filtering through the window. It was playing havoc with his vision, turning Rahman’s features into a brown and white blur.

  “I must say,” the Ambassador continued. “You’re not what I expected of a Kordolian, Prince Kazharan.”

  Xal stared up at Rahman unflinchingly, letting the sunlight sear his sensitive eyesight, momentarily blinding him. “No, I’m probably not,” he murmured, as he stood, trying not to wince. The headache was digging into his temples like a fucking Aikun ice-pick. It took great effort to remain expressionless before the Human ambassador, despite his discomfort. But life in the Palace of Arches had taught him never to show weakness in front of others, even if they were only fragile Humans.

  No aggression, no weakness. Remain neutral, but keep them off guard.

  He would just have to become the Kordolian the Humans least expected. The darkness that dwelled deep inside him would never see the light of day.

  ~~~

  Sera held her palm against the bioscanner and sighed in relief as the admission light turned green.

  Her old access was still in place. Sometimes it paid to have influential family members, even if they were a pain-in-the-ass.

  Dressed in a sleek pantsuit, her long, dark hair pulled up into a severe bun, she fit right in as she strode through the cavernous reception hall. The space was closed in on all sides by high glass windows, and it opened out onto a lush forecourt, lined with rows of thick, verdant bamboo.

  Sera crossed over to the other side, exiting past a shimmering waterfall that cascaded down into a series of stepped pools.

  Everything inside the Diplomatic Zone of Nova Terra was manufactured, sterile and perfect. This place gave her the creeps.

  She’d rather the gritty streets of one of the old cities over this flawless, shiny settlement any day of the week. Put her amongst the bright lights of the techno-megalopolis, Tokyo, or the well-preserved twentieth-century architecture of New York, or the charming barangays of Manila and she’d feel at home. In this lifeless place, she felt like an outsider, even though she was dressed like an official.

  She was here for a reason, though.

  Her sources had informed her that some big fish had landed in the Diplomatic Zone.

  Kordolians.

  Rumors and speculation had been swirling on the Networks ever since footage of their terrifying warship had surfaced. It was currently orbiting Earth, and no-one knew what the hell the Kordolians wanted.

  Sera snorted in disbelief as she boarded the hoverail and took a seat beside an Avein lady who had courteously folded her glossy black wings close to her body.

  What the fuck were the Federation thinking, letting these Kordolians in?

  The recent Fortuna Tau incident had been all over the news, the unbelievably dramatic footage capturing the moment the station had exploded. The remaining Humans and Kordolians had apparently evacuated on a freighter as the mining station disintegrated in the background. Shortly afterwards, those terrifying insect-monsters called Xargek had been found on Earth, appearing in the deserts of North Africa and terrorizing civilization. So far, only the Kordolians had been able to kill them.

  It was all a little too convenient. What the hell were they even doing in this sector, anyway? Most of the universe thought of Sector Nine as a remote backwater.

  Sera jumped off in one of the residential areas, making her way up a leafy green street where several embassies were located. She pulled out her recorder drone and set it to standby, the tiny black device hovering beside her.

  As she walked further down the street, she saw that a crowd had formed outside the front of one of the residences.

  Bingo.

  There were driverless bot-cars parked here and there, displaying the logos of all the major news networks.

  They’d obviously gotten word that the Kordolians were in town. Of course, that information came through unofficial channels. Everyone had a source on the inside these days. Mercenary hackers would have swarmed all over this one, selling precious information to the highest bidder. And as usual, everyone wanted to be the first to get live footage of these formidable aliens. The same thing happened every time a new alien race entered Earth.

  Aliens were the new celebrities.

  Humans had always been, and continued to be, obsessed with anything different.

  Sera dodged through the throng, ducking underneath floating drone-cameras and pushing past reporters, human and robot alike, who were jostling for a good shot. She pushed open the glass gate, which was bordered by a neat row of blooming hedges, and stepped across the threshold.

  “Hey lady, are you fuckin’ crazy? What do you think you’re doing? You got a death wish? They’re Kordolians, not politicians. The DZ guards told us to record from a distance.”

  Ignoring the incredulous shouts, Sera walked up to the front door and touched the bell-panel.

  The journalists clamoring at the gate went silent.

  No response.

  Sera touched the panel again, the faint sound of chimes echoing from inside.

  Low, murmuring male voices filtered through the door. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. Maybe the heckler was right and she was crazy for walking up to a house where a bunch of Kordolians were apparently staying, in broad daylight, to ask for an interview.

  But as her infuriating father had often said, fortune favors the bold.

  This could be a huge scoop for their struggling independent media outlet. BrightBlack Magazine needed an exclusive story, and what better story could there be than getting first rights with the new kids on the block?

  Sera pushed away the fearful, negative thoughts that threatened to spill over. She’d heard things about Kordolians; everyone had. They were ruthless killers. They had plundered alien planets all throughout the galaxies, waging unnecessary war. Their appetite for resources was insatiable. They were cruel, fearsome beings.

  But if that was all true, then why hadn’t they enslaved Earth yet? Why had they come and taken up residence in a leafy suburb of the Diplomatic Zone like all the other aliens? Sera figured she was safe enough right now, because if the Kordolians had really wanted to harm Humans, they would have already done so.

  There were so many things to figure out. Burning with curiosity and trepidation, Sera tapped the bell-panel again, this time repeatedly.

  Finally, the doors slid open, and she came face-to-face with the scariest looking individual she had ever seen. From beyond the gate, a hundred cameras clicked and whirred.

  “What do you want, Human?” The Kordolian towered over her, his silvery-grey features gleaming in the sunlight. He spoke perfect Universal. “Make that infernal noise again and I will forcefully remove you.”

  He wore sleek black armor. A pair of black goggle-things concealed his eyes. His appearance was distinctly military; everything about him screamed warrior. As he spoke, Sera caught the flash of his fangs.

  Holy shit.

  He looked brutal and intimidating, and he was every inch the sort of alien she’d been expecting. This guy was like the freaking poster-boy for Kordolians.

  Sera forced herself to meet his unnerving gaze. Smiling with a confidence she didn’t feel, she held out her hand. “Sera Aquinas. I’m a reporter for BrightBlack Magazine. I would have been happy to send a comm request for a virtua-link meet, but we had no idea how to reach you guys. I’d like to request an interview with your representative.”

  “No.” The Kordolian was already reaching for the door-panel, ignoring her outstretched hand. His body language indicated that he’d already dismissed her.

  She must have a death-wish after all, because before she even realized what she was doing, she’d stepped inside. Something about the media frenzy outside bothered her. She didn’t want this exchange to
be filmed. She had to at least get a few words out of him; something interesting, something exclusive, a piece of footage that would be replayed across all the networks.

  “Do not be stupid, Human,” the Kordolian growled, and before she could react, one of his hands was around her wrist. His grip was like steel. “Get out.” With his other hand, he propelled her back outside. Sera didn’t even bother to resist. If he were human, she might have had a chance, but she had sensed from the start that this guy was crazy strong.

  It wasn’t worth the fight.

  As he attempted to close the door a second time, a resonant voice drifted down the hall, speaking an unfamiliar language that she guessed was Kordolian. There was a bit of back-and-forth, and then Big Grumpy released her. He regarded her with a distinct look of displeasure.

  Sera’s wrist didn’t even hurt; there was no bruising. He’d applied just the right amount of pressure. His level of control was chilling.

  The big Kordolian turned, shot her a dark glare, and was that a sigh just now? He gestured for her to follow, his jaw set in a hard line. “You are fortunate, Human. Xalikian is naturally curious, and he wishes to speak with you. Come.”

  Normally, Sera would take offense at being ordered around like that, but she was so surprised by his about-face that she simply followed along.

  It was dark inside the house. From what she could tell, it was a standard diplomatic issue house, like the hundreds of homes she’d visited on Nova Terra as a child, dragged along by her father whenever he’d had some sort of social engagement to attend. In those days, he’d been an Ambassador for the Federation.

  The Kordolians had left all the window blinds closed and turned off the lights. Sera squinted as she tried to make out detail amongst the shadows, trying her hardest not to bump into anything.

  She followed the intimidating Kordolian warrior into a sitting room of sorts. She could see the outlines of several armchairs and a sofa.