Published: 8 Apr 2019

Cameron lay back on the wickerwork chaise lounge up on the rooftop of the offices and accommodation that they now used and thought over the last three years. The enterprise had moved faster and grown bigger than even he had expected. Matteus lay down on the lounge beside him with his head in his lap and his feet hanging over the far end. Matteus’s time in the stasis had meant that he still, three years later, looked no older than when he first became Cameron’s partner.

Petrus had been schooled and with the added implants from ‘Jason’ was now a very sharp and talented Manager for Cameron, running the Australian operation to its fullest. He with his street background had become a negotiator to be feared by all who came in contact with him.

Cameron had brought down twenty more guards for Petrus’ protection as he had become too valuable to be put at risk as the collapse of the Melecasians power empire began to crumble with the exporting of the new technology to other countries.

Now after three years all but the American Federation was using the new technologies and the old guard of the Melecasians had closed ranks and tried to consolidate their power base in their last strong hold. The people had brought the downfall of the Australasian Federation in a matter of only three months. The top heavy beaurocracy was not able to move quickly enough to stay the inevitable as Cameron’s power packs and cars took the country by storm.

Next had come the Asean Federation, with the deceit and graft expected there it had taken six months before the fall of the power brokers and the freeing of the people from the yolks of suppression by the upper classes.

By the end of the Asean Federation the African Federation was ready to accept the inevitable and willingly agreed to accept the conditions of the new system and although each Federation was still run by a ruling class it was only with the full consent of the mass population that they kept their positions.

The Asia Minor and European Federations soon followed and now there was only the American Federation left and this Cameron knew was going to be the showdown that would make or break the freeing of people to do and live their lives as they should be allowed to.

All the credits earned from the sales were turned back into each country in the form of salaries for those who worked the wharfs and collection agencies or into rebuilding decent homes for those who in the past would never be able to afford them.

The crime rate had dropped dramatically with the influx of open wealth for all as well as the fact that due to the security systems on the new vehicles that stopped anyone but the wearer of the bracelet to access them; left the communities to start to enjoy their new freedoms.

Cameron had discussed many times the coming battle with ‘Jason’ and what it could mean to the whole enterprise if he failed.

‘Besat, the Melecasians will not go without a fight, as you know they nearly caused the end of your father and the ones left here will be stronger than when he faced them.‘

‘Yes Jason, I know that but it has to be done.‘

‘They will be now well aware of who you are and what they have to do to stop you, I cannot understand why they waited this long to face you.‘

‘Nor do I Jason, we know very little about them and the tactics they will use, I don’t know how to prepare for them.‘

‘All I know Besat is that they are stronger than before, we are at your service and will do everything we can to protect you and see them to their end.‘

‘Thank you Jason, but you must do all you can to protect Matteus and Petrus as well, without them then there is nothing for me to fight for.‘

‘There is much more for you to fight for Besat, but it shall be as you command.‘

Cameron had long become aware of the scrutiny he had been under from the lesser of the mix blood Melecasians over the last three years and knew that it was all reported back to the last of the true invaders of his home world.

Cameron lay back as he gently brushed the dark hair of Matteus’s forehead and occasionally ran his fingers down the dark boys jaw line and got the usual purring sound from his little lithe lover lying in his lap.

His eyes roamed over the azure sea watching the slight Pacific swell form long lines of wavelets in the stillness of the evening sunset as they then formed into sharper waves and with a muted rumble sent their flashing white crests onto the shallow reef buried just below the surface.

The spray looked like the scattering of small diamonds as they danced and raced over the reef and into the calmer waters of the lagoon below where he and his boy lay to watch the last of the day sink into the far off horizon.

Cameron was brought erect in such haste that his Matteus nearly fell off his lap, a bright red haze filled his head.

‘Besat, Manager Petrus is under attack.‘

“Matteus, get the flyer ready, quick,”

Matteus was up and running at the urgency in his lovers voice.

‘What is it Jason?‘

‘Three Melecasians are trying to take him; the guards have lost five men but are holding out for the moment.‘

‘How much time have we got?‘

‘I would estimate no more than ten minutes Besat.‘

‘We’re on our way Jason, boost all the weapons as much as you can, they can’t be allowed to take or hurt Petrus.‘

‘As you order Besat.‘

Cameron was on the run as Matteus brought the flyer up to the level of the rooftop.

“Thanks lover, move over this is going to be a fast trip.”

While Cameron had given access to Matteus to operate the flyer he did not have the clearance to use the inter galactic systems on the unit. Petrus was in Brazil organizing the first of the factories for the American Federation take over and although Cameron had not wanted to send him, Petrus was the only one with the street smarts to handle the corrupt politicians that ran that part of the Federation.

It had been a calculated risk sending Petrus so close to the home of the Melecasians but it had to be done so that Cameron was free to try to counter any moves made against the rest of his people. Cameron placed his hand on the control column and then with a small pressure from his ring finger sent the flyer straight up to the ionosphere and with a twist of the wrist they began to descend toward the South American Continent. The sights below were no more than a blur as the flyer came booming back into the atmosphere heading down to where Brazil lay beneath them.

‘Besat, I can’t hold them, there’s only three guards left and they are trying to cover Manager Petrus’s escape.‘

‘Try harder Jason, we’re nearly there.‘

As Cameron came in low over the city he could see the dying glow from the last of the batons as the last guard gave his life for Petrus. Cameron felt the flyer shudder as if hit by a brick wall, then it began to slowly descend to the ground as he saw a green flash of light where the battle for Petrus had been taking place.

He was too late, Cameron felt a tear slowly falling down his cheek as he thought of his tough little street boy laying on the ground. He sobbed aloud as he imagined that small body crumpled among the guards who had fought with everything they had to protect their Manager.

Matteus heard the wracking sob as the realisation hit Cameron and leaned over to brush his lover’s cheek with his hand and try to give him some strength of his own.

‘Besat.‘

‘Yes Jason?‘

‘There is no sign of the Manager, his intimate lies with the guards but there is no sign of him.‘

‘Can you get some contact with him?‘

‘I’ve tried Besat, they must be blocking his bios.‘

‘Well at least we now know that they haven’t killed him, yet.‘

‘I will keep scanning Besat.‘

‘Thank you Jason.‘

Cameron landed the flyer beside the carnage of the battle, the guards looked as though they had seen nothing but terror as they tried to repel the attack, the look on their faces told of unseen horrors and only the small burnt hole in their bodies told of the intensity of the laser bursts that had downed them one by one.

Cameron lifted the lifeless body of the small intimate noting the number of burn marks on his back as he tried to cover his Petrus with his body to save him, of Petrus there was not a sign.

‘Besat, I’ve just had a brief burst from Manager Petrus, they are under the sea and moving toward the northern continent.‘

‘How far Jason?‘

‘About one hundred earth miles Besat, and moving fast, it is not a conventional earth transporter.‘

‘Can you track them Jason?‘

‘Sorry Besat, it was just a quick burst then nothing, they are blocking everything somehow.‘

‘Ok Jason at least we know where they are going, alert General Jopty that extra troops may be needed and to have them ready when I call.‘

‘It is done Besat.‘

Cameron looked again at the mess left by the sudden attack and with a last soul felt and shuddering sigh he reached for Matteus and hugged him close as the realisation hit him that loosing Petrus was hard enough but had it been his little Matteus then he was sure he would have ended his own life rather than try to go on without his lover.

Matteus seemed to know how Cameron felt and with a small squeeze of his body against Cameron’s he let his lover know that he was, as he had been from the beginning, his and his alone.

‘Jason?‘

‘Yes Besat?‘

‘Inform General Jopty that I want two hundred single and two hundred two seater fighters above and around the Northern Continent within the hour, they are to stay out of sight but be ready to descend and fight if I call.‘

‘It is done Besat.‘

‘All fighters are to have maximum defence screens in place at all times.‘

‘It is done Besat.‘

‘Boost all guards’ weapons at all sites and set up a defence grid for the Island and its people.‘

‘It is done Besat.‘

‘What is your estimate of the position of the transporter with Manager Petrus now?‘

‘At the estimated speed they would now be at the Southern tip of the Northern Continent, Besat.‘

‘I’m on my way there Jason, when everything else is in place tell me and then boost the flyers defences.‘

‘It will be done, Besat.‘

Cameron turned to Matteus.

“Come on lover, let’s go find our friend.”

“What if we don’t find him?”

“We will Matteus, that’s why they took him, they want me to come after him.”

“But that means it’s a trap for you?”

“Most likely, but he’s our friend and I’m not going to abandon him, he needs us both; that’s what this is all about Matteus. They know I wouldn’t leave him so they took him so I would follow. The only thing they may not know is the number of troops and ships I have as a backup, they’ve only seen the people we have here on the planet so they may underestimate our numbers.”

“But what about their weapons, they seemed to get through the shields of the guards?”

“Yes I know but by the look of it they concentrated all their fire power on one guard and when he went down they started on the next one, I don’t know what shields they had to stop our guards blasts but they must be strong, I’ll just have to play it by ear for the moment.”

“But why did they kill Charlie, he couldn’t have hurt them?”

“I think it was just because he was an intimate, from what Jason has told me from past records they don’t like, in fact they hate us for loving other boys, so I think it is their way of telling me that this is what’s going to happen to all of us.”

“My Besat, I’m scared.”

“You’ve got a right to be my little lover, do you want to stay here until I come back for you.”

“No, if anything happens to you then I want to be with you, I don’t want to stay here and never know when you’ll return.”

“Ok then, let’s go find Petrus and get him back with us.”

Cameron gave Matteus a last tight hug and led him back to the flyer and then into the air to follow the transporter to the Northern Continent where their special friend was now on his way to be held until Cameron came to get him. Cameron knew that this was a showdown and the winner would take all that there was to take.

Cameron thought he would have at least another year or two before this showdown came but then it was always going to be dictated by the actions of the last surviving Melecasians and that they would choose the battle ground to their own advantage.

Cameron looked below them as they tried to find the transporter carrying Petrus. So much had changed from the world of the 20th century with the introduction of the Federations many countries had become nonexistent or had been amalgamated into other stronger countries.

This had been true of the American Federation as the beaurocracy and bankers had set out to lend huge amounts of money to the elite ruling classes of poorer countries and when they were unable to repay those massive loans they were declared bankrupt and taken into the fold of the wealthier and more powerful banking nations. This had finally resulted in the formation of the American Federation which was now divided into three conferences.

The Northern Conference ran from the old state of Alaska across the width of what was once Canada and southward as far as the old border of the once powerful U.S.A. The Central Conference ran from the northern border of the old U.S.A. southward to the top of what was once South America and finished at the southern borders of the old countries of Colombia and Venezuela.

The Southern Conference covered the balance of the old South America. All of this huge land mass and the surrounding waters were controlled from the central administration which covered the total land mass of what was known before as the state of Kentucky. There were no individual towns or cities anymore, the whole state was now just one huge centre of beaurocracy, stretching mile upon mile of office blocks and small box like accommodations for the employees.

Here was the heart of the American Federation, with all its minions scurrying about in their belief of their own self importance, producing nothing for the ordinary people but mountains of useless paper work to satisfy the need of the millstone of beaurocracy.

Two thirds of the Federations population lived in abject poverty, bowed down by the demands of taxation and the need to survive from day to day. Cameron looked down at what was once the hub of modern living and realised that this was the future if he allowed the last of the Melecasians to defeat him and his people.

‘Besat?‘

‘Yes Jason?‘

‘All fighters are in position above the Federation and waiting at the edge of the ionosphere for your orders.‘

‘Thank you Jason.‘

‘Also your flyer has been picked up on the defence screens of the Federation, I’m boosting your shields now Besat.‘

‘Thanks again Jason, I’m not going down yet, if they know I’m here then they will try to either get to me now or they will want to bargain for Petrus, either way I’m going to wait here until they make the first move.‘

‘Very good Besat, I shall continue to monitor for you.‘

Cameron paused the flyer above the area once known as the Mexican northern border and relaxed back to wait for any contact. Matteus clasped tighter to Cameron’s hand and then leaned over and rested his head on his lovers shoulder as Cameron laid his hand on his cheek and stroked him softly, this was going to be the final day, it was now winner take all and Cameron could not afford to lose.

An hour passed before there was a humming from the vidscreen mounted on the front panel of the flyer. A shimmering began to make itself seen and then a clear picture of a Melecasian filled the screen and with a sneering smile looked into the eyes of Cameron.

“So boy, you’re the son of Khamrune, well boy your father may have slowed us down but now it’s our turn to rule.”

Cameron looked at the dark visage before him, while the man looked human he was by definition Melecasians. The taller than normal frame was heavy set and the face broader with dark brooding eyebrows over piercing black eyes, the nose was long and aquiline with a wider tip and the mouth was narrow and almost lipless in its severity.

“Well boy, you have nothing to say?”

“Where is my Manager?”

“Oh him, he’s here, you can see him shortly but first we have business to discuss.”

“I’m listening Melecasian.”

“Please Ahm…Besat call me Septre Braun, it is after all my title as the leader of the Melecasians empire.”

“Your empire seems to be shrinking….Septre.”

“Only a temporary setback young Besat.”

“So what is it you want…..Septre.”

Cameron spat the word out as though he had a bad taste in his mouth, which was of course true as using a Melecasians title stuck in his throat but he knew that for now it was time to play politics to try to save Petrus.

“It’s very simple young Besat, take your paltry force from this planet and disappear into the galaxy and you can have the human street boy back, he’s no use to us except to get you to obey our wants.”

“What makes you think he means anything to us?”

“Ha, he’s one of your little bed friends, I know that you all get attached to them for your dirty habits.”

The distaste in the voice of Braun could be heard clearly.

“So all you want is for us to retreat into the galaxy and let you continue to rule here and destroy the humans will and planet?”

“Come on Besat, these humans don’t have the stomach for a real fight, they deserve to be ruled by us, and now what’s your decision?”

“Let me talk to Petrus my Manager?”

“Fine but I want your answer as soon as you’re finished with the bed boy.”

The vid screen shimmered again and Cameron saw Petrus standing in a bare room surrounded by the green glow of shafts of laser light looking like the bars of a prison cell as they stretched from floor to ceiling and about two feet out from Petrus’s body, making it dangerous for Petrus to move more than a step in either direction.

Petrus stood alone with his head high, his small frame standing strong and confident as he waited his fate.

“Petrus are you hurt?”

“No Besat, they hit me with something that stunned me when they killed my dearest Charlie.”

“You heard what they wanted from me Petrus?”

“Yes Besat, you can’t do it.”

“To save you Petrus I will do it if I have to.”

“No Cameron, you can’t let these low life’s win.”

“Petrus I can’t abandon you, you’ve done too much for all of us and held our dream together like no one else could have done.”

Petrus looked directly into the vidscreen before him a small smile on his lips, his eyes clear and challenging to the Melecasians guards standing outside the laser grid.

“Cameron?”

“Yes Petrus?”

“I’ve always loved you, think of me sometimes.”

With the last word from his lips Petrus threw himself at the wall of laser’s and with a high pitched and piercing shriek his small frame was dissected by the beams before the guards could react.

A gut wrenching and soul destroying cry came from Cameron’s slack jawed mouth as he saw his little friend destroyed by the beams of light that had surrounded him. Deep inside Cameron there came a bright flare of light and a voice that seemed familiar but was not his own.

‘He knew the Melecasians would not release him my son, make his sacrifice the strength you need to finally rid the galaxy of this murderous clan.‘

Inside his head Cameron called out for the familiar but never heard voice.

‘Father, how, what do I do, I’m lost here.‘

‘The boys sacrifice was for you my son, now, it’s time to clean the world of those scum.‘

“Septre…you have two hours to let your humans leave the city before I destroy it and everything that reminds humans of your existence.

“Ha my young Besat, you think you can find us, boy we’ll destroy you long before the two hours is up, that pitiful little bed boy was nothing, just like that thing beside you.”

As the words were spoken Matteus straightened up in the seat and with a scream clasped the side of his head, his face turning pale. Without thinking Cameron hit the control column and shot the flyer straight up into the far off haven of space where Matteus sighed deeply as he passed into unconsciousness.

‘Jason, what the hell was that?‘

‘I have not seen it before Besat, but it seems to be a physic accelerated beam, it magnifies the higher frequencies to the brain and causes extreme pain, this is what they are going to use against you I think.‘

‘It must be why all the guards looked as though they had been terrorised by something.‘

‘Yes Besat it would seem so.‘

‘Have we got anything to fight it with Jason?‘

‘No Besat not at this stage.‘

‘Get some people on to it Jason; I can’t go against them with that in my head.‘

‘As you command Besat.‘

‘I’m taking Matteus back to the Island, this is my fight and I don’t want him hurt.‘

‘Yes Besat, I can see in his Bio that he will be coming around shortly, there doesn’t seem to be any permanent damage at this stage.‘

‘Thank you Jason, get back to me as soon as you’ve found something to counteract that accelerator.‘

‘As you command Besat.‘

Cameron turned the flyer toward the Island that was now their home and once there he landed and quickly went to lift Matteus from the seat and carry him into his rooms. A soft moan escaped from his lover’s lips as he lifted him in his arms.

“It’s ok Matteus, you’re home now, you’ll be safe here.”

“Cameron…..love….you.”

“Love you too my little song bird.”

Cameron laid Matteus down on the bed and then with a gentle kiss to his forehead he straightened and with a look of almost evil proportions turned on his heel and left the room, stopping only to give orders to his guards.

“Matteus is not to be left alone, that means to the last man if needed.”

The senior officer saluted and replied.

“To the last man, Besat, it will be done.”

Cameron nodded to the officer and then turned on his heel again and made his way back to his flyer.

‘If it’s a fight they want then that’s what they’re going to get.‘

The next twenty four hours were a blur of activity as Cameron set about forming his plans to finish once and for all the hold of the Melecasians over the people. Matteus slowly began to recover and for that Cameron was thankful, he still didn’t know how he was going to be able to overcome the power of the enemy but he had to find a way.

With the four hundred double and single seat fighters over the main city of the Melecasians base Cameron felt reasonably confident that he could contain them until he had a hard and fast plan for their end.

‘Besat!!! Besat!!!! we have an emergency, your fighters are under attack and I am unable to continue to protect them. The Melecasians are using some power source I have not seen before.‘

‘Can’t you boost their defence grids?‘

‘No Besat, I have run everything through my memory and there has never been anything like it recorded before, it is like a neural power and not a common source like laser or bio.‘

‘Do what you can Jason, if nothing else then order all fighters out of the area.‘

‘General Jopty has already done that Besat, but they are still being downed as they retreat.‘

‘Where are the survivors now?‘

‘The last of them are just on the other side of the Earth’s moon but they are falling fast, we have only one hundred and fifty still flying.‘

‘We have to find out what they are doing Jason.‘

‘Besat we are under direct attack, I cannot stop the power source.‘

‘Evacuate all personnel immediately, Jason.‘

‘Bes………………….‘

A blinding flash ran through Cameron’s head bringing him to his knees in a scream of pain and rage.

‘Jason?‘

‘Jason?‘

The comlink on Cameron’s wrist buzzed against his skin.

“Jopty?”

“Besat, some of us have got away but the station is gone, we are still under attack, Besat, (tears of anguish could be heard in Jopty’s voice) its slaughter Besat.”

“How……how many with you Jopty?”

“We only got two transporters out Besat, about two hundred men, for some reason they are only attacking the few fighters that are our escort and not us in the transports.”

“Can you make it down here to the Island Jopty?”

“If they don’t attack us we can make it Besat, we have nothing to fight them with, none of our technology works against them.”

“It has to be something really awesome to have taken out Jason’s shields, it means that mine also are useless against them.”

“What are we going to do , Besat?”

“I don’t know Jopty, Im sorry, I just don’t know.”

“We should be with you in about thirty earth minutes if we aren’t attacked.”

“I’ll be waiting Jopty.”

As the general went off the link Cameron collapsed on the floor, tears of utter frustration ran down his cheeks in a never ending torrent as he tried to reconcile the loss of life on his station, almost ten thousand souls had just gone in a few seconds.

A gentle hand touched his shoulder as the sobs wracked his body with muscle wrenching spasms.

“Besat?”

General Jopty’s voice broke through the barrier of personal feelings of loss and inadequacy in his position as Besat.

“Besat, we’re here, we have to do something.”

Cameron lifted his tear stained face to look at his first friend on the station.

“I know Jopty, but what, they’ve got us beaten before the fight even starts.”

“No Besat, while we are alive we’re not beaten, your father was in a worse position when he stopped them, look back into your biosync, his story is there for you.”

“Jopty, what have I done, so many lost for nothing.”

“We all knew this was not going to be easy Besat, they died for you and so you could use your energy to finally finish off the last of the Melecasians.”

“I don’t think I can Jopty, they’re just too strong.”

“Go to your fathers memories Besat, your answer is in them.”

Cameron gave a last heartfelt sigh as he realised that Jopty was right, all he had now was his father’s memories and he didn’t know if that would be enough. The deep feelings of loss and frustration as well as his own short comings began to play in his mind again. With a last grip on his shoulder Jopty led him to his bed and helped him to lie down to rest.

Somewhere deep in his head a glimmer of white light began to form, at first it was just a pin point but as he lay in semi consciousness it began to grow into a strong beam within his head.

‘Khamrune….Khamrune….‘

In his mind’s eye Cameron could see a tall figure begin to form in a twisting tendril of half formed mist.

‘Khamrune….listen to me and answer this question, are you prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to save this planet?‘

The ethereal image began to look more like Cameron as it filled in its form.

‘Father…..father?‘

‘Yes Khamrune, I’m here for you, now my son are you ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for your planet?‘

‘What sacrifice Father?‘

‘Would you give up the last of your command?‘

‘It looks like that has already been decided Father.‘

‘Not yet my boy, would you also give up your own existence?‘

‘My own life I would Father but not the last of my men.‘

‘Would you give up your lover Son?‘

‘NO Father not Matteus, never, I could not give him up, not for any world.‘

‘You may have to my Son.‘

‘No Father, he is an innocent, I will never give him up to anyone.‘

‘Do you think that by your sacrifice should it come to that, that your lover will not follow you?‘

‘I’ll order him not to.‘

‘Do you really think he would listen should you not be here for him, Khamrune, that boy loves you beyond life itself, if you are taken then he would follow you.‘

‘Are you telling me not to die Father, that if I do then Matteus dies as well.‘

‘Love is not always easy my Son but total love and devotion is unbreakable, your Matteus would follow you, so now you have to win this the last fight, you have an inner strength that’s not tapped yet but you will find it when you need it. When the time is at its blackest, that’s when you will know how to fight the Melecasians.‘

Slowly the misty figure dissipated and the light dimmed as Cameron became conscious of everything around him. Matteus stood over him with a look of awe tainted with fear. Jopty stood stoically as Cameron surveyed his surroundings.

“He came to you Besat?”

“Yes I think so.”

“It was your father, I didn’t tell you before as it wasn’t the time for you to know that you could call on him, that’s why you are the Besat, only you and others like you have the ability to call on your fore-fathers.”

“He told me I would have to make sacrifices that I wouldn’t like.”

“Are you sure Besat that that is what he meant?”

“Well Jopty he asked me if I am prepared to make sacrifices to save this world.”

“That doesn’t mean you will have to make them, only if you are prepared to if all else fails.”

“Uhm…I hope your right Jopty, there’s been too much loss today.”

“Besat Daffid was believed to have said in a time when all was blackest, ‘That to lose ten battles to win the war, is better than to lose the war without a battle.’ The Melecasians have only won some battles, the war is yet to be fought, Besat.”

“Thank you Jopty I guess it’s time to put on my thinking cap and do something about them.”

“You will find a way Besat.”

The humming from the vidcom startled all three of the men.

“Ahh, young Besat, I see you are now down to a few diehards, are you ready to leave this world to us now?”

“So Septre, you’ve decided to stop skulking behind shadows and come out in the open.”

“I NEVER SKULK BOY, I’m not afraid of you boy, you’re nothing to us, just an inconvenience that we will soon get rid of like all your kind.”

‘It’s a glimmer‘ Cameron thought to himself. ‘Maybe I can use it against him.‘

“Tell me Septre, if you are all powerful why do you hide behind your screens, does a teenage Besat scare you so much?”

“DON’T MOCK ME BED BOY, I can destroy you now if I wish to.”

“Then why don’t you, I’m here without guards or army, do I frighten you that much?”

“I’M WARNING YOU BUTT BOY.”

“Ah Septre, you know warning a teenager only makes him more rebellious.”

“Do you wish to die so much, and all those with you?”

“You, Septre, kill me and mine. You the hero of the world killing young teens, how is that going to look to others. The big time leader so afraid of a few teens that he has to kill them from a distance because he’s scared to face them when they die?”

“You go too far young Besat, you issue insults to your superiors and have nothing to back it up with.”

“I have enough to back it up Septre, but I think you are too afraid to meet me head on.”

“You want to face me Besat?”

“You and all your kind, altogether in one place at one time.”

“You’re a fool butt boy, I alone am strong enough to leave you in small pieces spread all over this world.”

“Then come and face me Melecasian and bring your other worthless trash with you so they can witness how good you are, or are you scared of me?”

“You impudent little bed slut, where and when?”

“The Australian centre, near Ayres Rock, just you and your minions.”

“And you, who do you bring?”

“Just the three you see before you.”

Septre broke out into uproarious laughter, with tears running down his face in mirth he spluttered out his reply.

“Those two, Young Besat you’re a bigger fool than I thought you were, that skinny girl-boy of yours is not even worth my time and that so called General is ineffective at best.”

“As they say here on earth Septre, ‘Put your money where your mouth is’ meet me in two hours at that place and you can have your day in victory……if you can.”

“We’ll be there slut boy, just make sure you are.”

“Oh I wouldn’t miss this for the world Septre, two hours and don’t be late, there’s a good man.”

The irony was of course lost on the Melecasians but Cameron getting the last word in before switching off the vidcom was a part of his plan.

“So what are you going to do Besat?”

“I’m going to try to get him as angry as I can Jopty and hope he makes a mistake before he has a chance to do too much damage to us.”

“But all of them will be there, that’s going to be a lot of power if they all join in together.”

“I don’t know Jopty, I have a funny feeling that he isn’t the real power and that he feeds off the others, at least that’s what I’m hoping will happen. If he isn’t the real source of the power then we may have a chance, if I’m wrong then it was good to know you.”

“When do we leave for the Centre Besat?”

“Ten minutes Jopty.”

“Why so early Besat?”

“I have things to do before they get there.”

“Very good Besat, I’ll make arrangements for transport.”

General Jopty left the room and Cameron turned to his lover, opening his arms for what he hoped was not the last time to hold his Matteus.

“Are you ok my love?”

“Yes my love, it’s how it should be, if you must lose to them then I want to be by your side.”

“I don’t want you doing anything when they arrive, stay behind me and don’t get involved. let me do the fighting.”

“Just don’t leave me on my own, these last few years have been the best in my life, I couldn’t go on without you here.”

“I hope you’ll forgive me my love but this is one of those times when we stand or fall together.”

“There’s nothing to forgive Cammy, this is how it should be.”

Cameron noted the use of Matteus’s pet name for him and knew that this was for everything they both believed in.

“Come on my love, one last hug and then we go.”

The two boys held each other tightly in what they hoped deep inside themselves was not the last hug they had together.

Twenty minutes later the three friends were standing under the shadow of the Australian monolith. Cameron surveyed the surrounding desert with a critical eye as he tried to get a picture in his mind of where he should be standing when the Melecasians finally arrived in an hour and a half.

Cameron spied a cave close to the outer edge of the massive rock and directed Jopty and Matteus to wait in there and after further instructions to Jopty was soon standing alone in the shadows. Time passed slowly as he awaited his final destiny and that of the people of his adopted planet.

Cameron knew deep inside himself that he had no idea on how to win the upcoming battle except for the brief discomfort of Septre Braun when his abilities were attacked by Cameron, it wasn’t much to fight a war on but at this stage it was all Cameron had at his disposal.

At last Cameron spotted the Melecasians craft coming over the far off horizon toward where he stood in dark shadow waiting. The craft landed out in the strong sunlight thereby keeping Cameron’s body hidden by the overhanging cliff. The Melecasians stepped from their craft and after looking around one of the men turned back to the craft and called out to the last one inside to come out.

Septre Braun looked as big in real life as he appeared to be on the vidscreen but Cameron detected some nervousness about him as he looked around the landing sight.

“Where are you Praedian, don’t tell me you have decided to run after all?”

Without moving Cameron spoke up knowing that he would be hard to see against the glare of the sun and the darkness of the shadow.

“I’m here Melecasian.”

“Ah the commander without a command has decided to die after all.”

“Not yet Melecasian, and not by your hand either.”

“Ahh young Besat Khamrune, so you still think you can beat me, that’s good I like a good fight.”

“I see you brought your minions with you?”

“Just to witness your end, they all lost family when your father attacked us.”

“You mean when he defended the rest of the galaxy against your kind, don’t you Septre?”

“Whatever, young Besat.”

“Why did you pick this world to do your dirty work on Melecasian?”

“Ahh, my little Besat, it was because of their attitudes toward each other. If they only knew the power they would have if they stopped their petty little wars with each other we would never have got a start here. Look at their history, they take their childish religions to a state of fanaticism, then they fill their lives with corrupt politicians and beaurocracy until the whole population is subjugated with unruly laws. It was easy for us to move in and slowly take over the reins from their ineptitude.”

“So what do you plan to do with them if you win today Melecasians?”

“It’s already decided Praedian, these fools had everything at their finger tips when the Haedrus craft crashed at Roswell, if they had used the fluids from the live specimen they would have had all the cures they needed for any disease, instead they take their samples from the dead ones and with the military tendencies to secrecy they instead infected the globe with the worst killer virus that they could have. It was the same in the middle ages, if their religious factions had been in unity they would never have had the plague that killed millions of their kind but the powers that be decided to keep the secret to themselves for their own gains and the gains to the church. They are all fools my young Besat, they deserve nothing better than what I have in store for them.”

“And what would that be Septre?”

“Why my young Besat I’m going to divide up the planet with a few other races from our galaxy. The fools and their secrets don’t realise that all the UFO sightings were for real and they were coming here to make the arrangements for their landings. The crash of the Norbians craft in the old Siberia could have put an end to it all but all their energies were put into hiding from each other the real truths of what they had, so they missed again another opportunity.”

“The Haedrus will take over the mountainous regions so they can keep their body temperature at an even state. We have let the Norbians take the seas for their use and the Braxans will have the desert areas, they are looking forward to breeding the humans for their tables. If the humans only knew that their penchant for overweight bodies was just what the Braxans like, they would soon keep themselves in check.”

“I see, and you Melecasians, what do you get after you have brought all the scum of the galaxy here?”

“Me Praedian, why I get to rule over the lot of them, with our newly developed powers there are none that can go against us, you included, so now young Besat take your last look at life.”

Cameron watched the Melecasians as they came closer together until they were shoulder to shoulder and only Septre Braun stood alone at the centre of the semi circle of the last of their race. Cameron pushed out his Bio shield to its fullest extent but as the first blast of raw power hit him he felt the the excruciating pain in his knee joints as though they had been hacked with some blunt cutting tool. Cameron collapsed onto the red sand as the agony hit him. His shield seemed to have no effect on stopping the power of the Melecasians from torturing him as he pleased.

With tear stained eyes Cameron looked up into the smiling face above him and with almost total resignation realised that he was beaten even before he could strike in any way.

“You see Praedian, we have developed our inner power far beyond anything your father had to fight, I’m going to make you suffer for his war on us my young Besat.”

With those words Cameron felt the pain as his arm joints were wracked with the same searing agony, it was as though his arm sockets were being twisted and torn out by their roots. Cameron’s screams echoed over the barren desert as the Melecasian stood above him with an enigmatic smile on his face.

Mind numbing blasts assailed his brain as the Melecasians worked on his joints one by one, his groin felt as though it was compressed in a five ton press and slowly crushed, not a mark showed on his body as the attack continued to wreck havoc on his mind. Somewhere in the haze of fog Cameron saw a bright sharp blast of Jopty’s weapon or was it only his imagination, no, there it was again. Septres voice came through the pounding in his head.

“So the little sodomite General joins the battle.”

Cameron felt the pressure ease on his body as Septre turned toward Jopty, from somewhere deep inside himself Cameron found his voice, “Jopty, NO, protect Matteus, leave this to me.”

But it was too late, Septre Braun let loose a visible blast of raw power and Jopty crumpled to the ground, his weapon slipping from his numbed hands. From the mouth of the cave came a cry followed by a small golden figure that seemed to fly over the desert sand without touching the ground and with a mid air twist that a gymnast would be proud of Matteus scooped up the fallen weapon and began to fire at the group of Melecasians.

“MATTEUS…..NOOOOOOOOO.”

It was too late, Cameron saw the blast going toward the small figure of his lover and then the strike and scream as it hit Matteus on the temple and only the last words could be heard ringing around the barren landscape.

“Cammy….I LOVE YOU……………..”

A darkness began to descend over Cameron’s mind as he watched his last friends fall to the power of the Melecasians. In a last gut wrenching effort he turned toward the Melecasians, nine of their number lay dead on the sand from the attack of Jopty and Matteus. Septre Braun was now not looking so confident and Cameron then knew where the power came from. Septre did not have the power, it was the others that had the power and Septre was only the conductor of it and the focus for its use.

Cameron felt a warmth overtake him as the blackness came down to dull the pain. From the depths of his inner soul he felt the formation of a spark of intense mauve light begin to form.

‘Now is the time my son, use your loss to fuel your revenge, let the light of Praedian be your beacon.‘

‘Father……how?‘

‘Ignore the focus and strike for the power source, use your mind my Son, use the power of Praedian.‘

The intense light became brighter as Cameron let his rage build until the efforts of Septre meant nothing. Anyone observing the build up of Cameron’s awesome power would have seen only the diminutive figure of a teenager surrounded by a shimmering mauve light as his body took on the look of a glowing statue.

For Septre Braun it was a moment of terror as he recognised the light that had been used by Cameron’s father to destroy his own world and force his few remaining men to escape to this world. The hesitation was all Cameron needed as he let go of the power that had built within him and began to decimate the remaining fifteen Melecasians until only Septre stood before him.

The shimmering curtain still surrounded Cameron as he pulled himself to his feet to stand to his full height before the last of the enemies of this planet.

“It’s your time Melecasian, you took from me the one person I loved and now I’m taking from you the one thing you desire above everything.”

With those words Cameron let an aura of power form in his mind and then sent it toward the Melecasians. Septre Braun sank to his knees before the teen Besat, his legs no longer able to hold him upright.

“I’m going to let you live Septre, but as a cripple and with little more mental ability than an insect so that you can think back to this time and remember what you were, with your long life span I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to suffer. You don’t deserve a quick end Melecasian, for what you did to my friends and to this world you deserve to live it over and over again.”

Cameron turned away from the figure now trying to crawl back to his craft by pulling himself with his hands over the red sand.

Going to where his beloved Matteus lay Cameron saw the livid red crease across his forehead, the blood was still seeping out of the wound and as he knelt to lay his hand on his lover a soft moan escaped the tightly closed lips.

“Matteus….Matteus.. hold on baby, I’m going to get you to stasis.”

Cameron lifted the boy in his arms and ran toward his flyer and with a final burst of speed lay Matteus in the seat and then returned to find Jopty in the same condition but he was further gone than Matteus and needed immediate attention. Cameron lifted his friend in his arms and placed him inside the flyer with Matteus and without a backward glance at the struggling Melecasians took the flyer off the ground and turned toward the Island to save those most dear to him.

Matteus slowly opened his eyes and looked up into the caring eyes of his Cammy.

“I love you my Besat”

“I love you my little song bird.”

“Cammy, your hair, what happened?”

Cameron turned toward the mirror on the wall, his hair now had a stark white streak running down the centre like a slash of lightening.

“I think it was from the power my father gave me to beat the Melecasians.”

“I like it my Besat, makes you look so sexy.”

Matteus stirred on the bed and looked down to where his body was telling him the same thing.

Cameron looked down at Matteus and smiled as he set the controls on his craft and then turned towards home. It was done and now the world had another chance to progress past self indulgence and let the ordinary people find their own paths in the hope that the lessons of the past would be warning enough for the future.

END

We hope you enjoyed this little novela. You can write to Arthur at, Arthur at CastleRoland dot Net.