Patterns of Chaos: Book One - The First War
Chapter 31

Jennifer grabbed the other woman’s wrists, keeping her from raking her eyes with her nails, head pounding from the psychic assault being thrown at her by Calixta.

-HATE YOU HATE YOU HATEYOUHATEYOUHATEYOUHA-

Jennifer finally got a mental shield in place, getting Calixta out of her head. She slapped the other woman’s hands together, still holding tight, span quickly and let inertia happen as she let go, coupling it with a hard telekinetic shove.

Calixta was propelled into the desk, screaming as she crashed into it. But it was not a scream of pain, or even rage...it was terror.

“Oh my God…” Jennifer whispered as the other woman fell over, holding her belly. She was not showing yet, but Jennifer couldn’t conceive of another reason for the Empress’s reaction.

“H-how far along are you?”

Calixta said nothing, but her face became a mask of pain. Jennifer grabbed for a comms panel, screaming for a med team. Yes, she had come aboard to stop Paul, but he was the only one who was truly guilty.

The child Calixta was carrying was innocent of the crimes of its father.

“God damn it!” Chris snarled as Hasegawa’s ship blew apart. He wasted no time in trying to lock onto the Psi-Omegan vessel responsible, but the other pilot was too quick.

“Uh, sir, is that thing moving?” Tazer Two spoke up.

Chris spared a glance at the Red Talon, sucked in his breath. “Yeah, but I don’t think they’re leaving the party yet. More likely he’s decided to blast another city.”

“All squadrons, this is Alliance command.” Cameron’s voice. “We’re registering enemy mothership is moving, trajectory seems to indicate…” Silence for a moment, then cursing. “Damn, looks like we’re going to be the target. Anything you can do before that monster opens fire again?”

“I’ve got an idea, sir.” One of Chris’s ships, Tazer Five. “Might buy you some time.”

Chris saw the small fighter make for the prow of the vessel, opening fire on the exposed cannon. “All squadrons, break off and open fire on enemy’s primary weapon. We can’t allow them another bombardment!”

I am sorry my love… Was the sole thought in Calixta’s mind. She clutched her belly as the cramping began. She had wanted the child to be a surprise for him upon his victory. She thought she had even made cursory mental contact with the embryo inside her, now as life left it she was certain she had. She let out a wail of despair that echoed in the realm of the psychic ether, resulting in a shockwave that summoned her husband from the bridge, and staggered the fleeing Jennifer.

When the medical team arrived, she had slipped into apparently blessed unconsciousness...except for the string of numbers she was whispering repeatedly.

“Twenty-one...zero-eight...”

It was in this state that Paul Stragdoc found her, and not knowing the source of her trauma, snarling, he ran in search of his nemesis. But not before ordering that her every unconscious utterance be recorded.

“The armor on that thing’s too strong!” Chris cursed. It figured that the bombardment cannon was shielded, given the power output on the thing had to be immense.

“Okay, sir, I’ve got one other idea.” Tazer Five spoke up. “Just know sir that it’s been an honor to fight alongside you.”

And with that, guns blazing, Tazer Five flew into the barrel of the weapon.

“Weapon repaired, Admiral! We’re over the target!”

“Then fire!” Dalth screamed. More and more of their ships were going down; taking out their command was the only way she could see taking victory here.

“Sir, something’s not right, there’s an energy build-up on the emitters…” A new crewman spoke just before Tazer Five completed his mission, causing the inside of the cannon to undergo a chain reaction of explosions powerful enough to send the Red Talon lurching.

The ship’s sudden movement caused Stragdoc to fall face first into the deck, breaking his nose. Blood soaked the lower half of his face as he reached up to straighten it before it healed crooked.

“Bitch.” He muttered, believing that Jennifer was responsible for the lurch. All his psychic potential was focused on replaceing her. He dismissed all outside distractions, willing himself to his feet, pinpointing her as the cartilage in his nose began to mend.

“Got you now.” Stragdoc grinned, the blood staining his cheeks and lips making the smile positively demonic. “Hear that, Jennifer? I’m coming for you…”

Jennifer did indeed hear him, having kept a telepathic ear out for his presence. She kept running through the corridors, berating herself for having allowed an innocent to be harmed again. All she wanted was to get off this ship, but she knew that there were other innocents aboard, she needed to evacuate them. That should have been her priority before confronting her nemesis.

She let her senses roam, trying to replace the children, she had to get them away before-

-The Emperor will save us, right mama?

-The Emperor is good and kind, he will not abandon us.

-Let Emperor win against the bad people…

Jennifer sank to her knees, crying. All those children’s thoughts, he had warped them somehow, made them think he was a messianic figure…

“Why shouldn’t I be?”

Jennifer did not even bother turning to acknowledge him. “Because. You are nothing but a liar. A liar that kills for pleasure.”

“Oh, please.” Stragdoc snapped, moving in front of her. “All these years, and you continue to delude yourself. You were there when we planned the bombing. You helped plan it out. Did you really think that it was all for show?”

Jennifer laughed bitterly. “I don’t know any more.” Her eyes never left the floor.

“Then die in ignorance.” He hissed and she felt the barrel of his gun press against her head. Then footsteps running towards them.

“My lord, we stabilized the Empress but we-”

“LEAVE!” Jennifer felt the thud in the deck as the force of Stragdoc’s command knocked the man down. Then a strange pause, followed by a whisper.

“The baby couldn’t be saved? What baby?”

Jennifer looked up finally, tears in her eyes. Through the haze, she could see him, emotions running wild on his face; shock, horror, fury, bafflement. All Jennifer could say, in a whisper, was “I didn’t know, I’m sorry.”

Then he was gone.