The Enemy of an Enemy

Chapter Thirty-Three

We gathered around for the trip through jumpspace, this time knowing that it was not what was in jump spacethat we had to worry about, but what was on the other side. As theblueness of it wrapped around us I looked for the spirit of lightthat had been following us, and he was there in his customaryplace, smiling and looking friendly. “Who are you?” I asked.

“Keep following the narrow path of light, andyou will find me,” was his answer.

We again came out of the jump with nopost-jump effects; apparently we had grown enough in our powers tomove in and out of jump space without issue. As soon as we returnedto normal space I took out a scroll which I had created some timeago. I opened and read from it. As I read each word the scrollstarted to burn up, and when I was finished the scroll wascompletely consumed. In its destruction it released a powerfulconcealment spell that would wrap our ship in a cloak ofinvisibility which not even the Council of Sorcerers couldpenetrate. This would guarantee that we could attack on our timingand terms, not theirs.

I switched the view mode on our observationdeck viewing screens to show tactical information about thebattlefield. I saw the Dragon Claw and her fleet slipping into avery standard attack formation that appeared to be focused on thestation.

On the other side I saw a huge army ofdemons, spirits, and other foul creatures that had somehow createdspiritual spacecraft to fight in. When they saw the fleet theybegan to redeploy to counter the attack formation they saw.

“Vydor, it looks like he plans to attackthe station. He must have decided not to follow your plan,”said Darnath.

“Studying the captain’s battle strategieswas a required course in the Academy. His plans are the best I haveever seen. He knows exactly what he is doing, and he knows that weare dependent on him to handle his part of the plan. I suspect thathe will bring some firepower against the station in order to helphide the fact that they are not attacking the stationdirectly,” I said.

As the enemy redeployed the captainrearranged his fleet, this time into an inverted crescent. When thesorcerers saw this, they moved their forces again. Back and forthwent the dance for a while. “He is stalling,” I said to theothers.

“Why?” asked Kellyn.

“Well, if I know him as well as I think Ido, he plans to attack about one hour before the first of ourreinforcements arrive. Look at all the patterns he is using. Theyare not random, they are carefully chosen to test the speed andmobility of the enemy, as they constantly have to move to adapt.The sorcerers continue to focus their positions on perceivedweaknesses in the captain’s formations, and since they are focusingheavily this is constantly opening large weaknesses in their ownlines. Their inexperience is showing and the captain is using thatto his utmost advantage,” I said.

While watching the dance, I heard the captainspeak a single word over the intership communication link:“Deploy.” That was all that was needed. Suddenly all the largeships moved to the back of the line and the smaller attack vesselsmoved to the front. The fleet then arranged its pattern into a verysolid and aggressive attack formation. I knew this one well. It wasthe subject of one of my papers at the Academy. Once the ships werearranged he issued another one-word order: “Launch.”

Suddenly Ravens, Falcons, and all other kindsof craft started launching from the larger ships. Everything fromsingle-pilot fighters up to the biggest war vessels that could becarried in a ship’s bay was launched. They all moved out to form aline in front of the fleet, and it was an impressive show offorce.

I felt fear coming from the enemy as thecaptain skillfully moved the final pieces of his attack plan intoplace. The enemy’s forces pulled back into a tighter, moredefensive stance. Memories of a speech the captain gave to my classcame back to me. In that speech he explained that he was never init for the long run. A battle is won by bringing your full might tobear all at once in the opening move. He went on to say that anyonewho has a long-term plan for a battle is a loser and a failure. Hisrecord backed up his boast; he never lost.

Then the final order came: “Attack.” And theentire fleet moved forward with every weapon firing. As they did, Ifelt Kellyn cast her power over the fleet twice. The first time wasa protection magic of some kind. It bolstered their resistance tospiritual and magical attacks. The second one increased the powerof their weapons against spiritual creatures. Somehow, with thosetwo spells she increased the overall power of the fleet bytwenty-five per cent.

“Commander, move us in close to the stationand hold us there. Time your men’s entry on to the station tocoincide with the second fleet’s arrival,” I said via the comm.

“Yes, Grandmaster,” he said.

The Dark Knights were already aboard theirthree ships, and the bays were already depressurized. They werevery anxious to bring the fight back to those who had killed theirsquadmates. I could sense the eagerness and anticipation emanatingfrom them.

Around us the battle raged on. The captainwas using a lot of different methods at once to attack thecreatures, most probably trying to determine which was mosteffective. “The fools think they are fighting on theground,” I commented, as I noticed the enemy formation wasfairly linear. The captain must have noticed this too, because heforced his own formation to match.

Any ensign looking at the battle would havebeen baffled at the captain’s arrangement, and screaming for him totake advantage of the enemy’s weak formation, but they would havebeen wrong. Right on schedule, the second fleet came out of jumpspace, not behind the enemy, but on a plane perpendicular to thecaptain’s attack, catching the enemy completely off guard.

Although every one of their crew would havebeen out of commission for a while after the jump, the ship’scomputers were already linked to the Dragon Claw’s and theyautomatically began targeting and firing all weapons. Once the crewrecovered from the jump they would take over control.

I checked the station on our tacticalmonitors and I saw the Dark Knights already punching a hole throughthe outer layer of the station and pouring in. Excellent, so farall was going as planned. I turned my attention back to the battle,and the second fleet had begun deploying their fighters and smallercraft. The enemy still greatly outnumbered us, but the numbers weremuch closer now. I felt Kellyn cast her beneficial magic on thesecond fleet and they, too, grew in power.

“Everyone, prepare for our attack on thestation. This is how I want it to go. You will break up into groupsof two and each pair of you will drop in to assist one of the DarkKnight squads. You will be facing mostly lower-level sorcerers atthat point, and you should have no problem. Once the six of you arefully engaged I will land on the station to hunt their primarycontrol group. Our presence there will do one of two things. Itwill either grant us victory, or draw out the Seven. Since theythink we are still too weak to beat them, I am counting on itdrawing them out. When that happens, all come to me and we willstand against them. If in our attack we end up weakening theshields enough for the fleet to destroy the station, then everyonehuddle close to Darnath and he will shield us until we can jump outof there.” Each of them indicated that they understood, then Isaid, “It is time,” and they all disappeared.

Via our link I was able to track theirmovements. As they hit the station I saw a chunk of the enemyspirits disappear from the army. Good, we got their attention. Iwaited back on the Nevermore. I knew that my entry into the battlewould have a drastic impact on the outcome and I wanted to time itfor maximum impact.

All three groups of Dark Knights were pinneddown under heavy fire from what appeared to be a mix of journeymanand apprentice sorcerers. I watched as Kellyn and Jerran joined thefirst group. Kellyn got right to work healing the wounded, whileJerran took a moment to evaluate the battle. Soon he stood up andcreated a wall of fire between the two forces. Then with a pushfrom his hand the wall went traveling towards the sorcerers withgreat speed. They tried to turn and run but were too late and thefire consumed them.

Luke and Gafar were with the second group andI looked over just in time to see something I had not expected tosee on a space station. A dark cloud had formed over the sorcerers’heads, and then suddenly lightening rained down from the clouds andcompletely wiped out the enemy position.

When I looked over to Andreya and Darnath’sgroup I saw that Darnath had summoned creatures made of pure stonethat were mercilessly pounding the sorcerers.

Outside the station, the third fleet arrived.It was the Crusader and her support fleet. She was an older shipwith a smaller fleet, but it still gave the Navy forces a boost innumber of about twenty-five per cent.

Back on the station, Kellyn and Jerran’sgroup met up with an elite sorcerer, much more powerful than whatthey had fought before. He chanted a command and slashed his handthrough the air, leaving a blade-like arc of energy behind, whichflew at Jerran. Jerran was undaunted and blocked it with his staff,then fired a blast from his staff in return. The blast hit theelite sorcerer square in the chest, but had no effect.

“Fools, you are mere children to me, nowdie!” he shouted at them and began to weave a deadly spell.

Then Kellyn jumped to Jerran’s side and said,“I do not think so!” and placed her hand on Jerran’s shoulder.Jerran grinned, and with their powers combined he blasted thesorcerer again, this time ripping through his shields and killinghim.

Then across the station Andreya and Darnath’sgroup came across a group of three elite sorcerers. I became veryworried, as I knew they would be no match for three, but before Icould go to them, I appeared in the corridor. This sent the enemysorcerers into full retreat. I laughed as I realized that Andreyahad tricked them.

I judged the time had come for me to join thebattle. Soon the enemy would begin assembling their elite sorcerersto bring against my wizards, and that would turn the tide of battleback in their favor. I scanned the station and found what I waslooking for: a group of elite sorcerers completely focused on thewar outside the station. They were in a shielded room in a remotearm of the station.

Before leaving I sent Rannor instructions onwhere to find the box of training materials, just in case he wasthe only survivor. I stressed to him the importance of carrying onno matter what happened. Then I wrapped myself in power andteleported directly to the elite sorcerers that I had found, easilypassing through their defenses.

When I appeared they were sitting at a tablewith crystal balls in front of each so that they could see thebattlefield. They gasped as they looked towards me, but it was toolate for them. I chanted a spell and traced an arc through the air.Behind my finger leapt out a bright arc of energy that pounded intotheir group, sending them all flying into the wall. Before theycould recover I spread out my fingers and sent a wave of energybolts into their group, killing them all. Outside the station Iknew another large chunk of the enemy had just been wiped out.

I walked out into the hall from that room anda group of sorcerers was waiting for me. They opened fire withtheir wands and staves as soon as they saw me. Undaunted, I turnedto face them, their bolts having no effect as they were completelyabsorbed by the energy I had around me. The scene reminded me ofthe battle back on Arken IV between my first squad of Dark Knightsand the sorcerers, but there was a distinct difference. Unlike theDark Knights, who stood their ground when facing the overwhelmingpower of the grandmaster sorcerer, these pathetic excuses for Magiwere pale with fear at the sight of a grandmaster wizard, and as Ilooked them over they were turning to run.

I lowered my staff and fired a single boltinto their group that ripped right through them and put a largehole in the side of the station, sucking any possible survivorsout.

Air rushed by me, leaving through the hole Ihad made, but my shielding held and I was unaffected. I reached outwith my power and crushed the passageway, sealing the holecompletely. “Someone please remind me not to cheat at chess withhim any more,” said Luke via our connection.

I began looking for another group of elites,and soon I found them. This time they were ready for me when Iarrived. They greeted me with a large number of summoned creaturesthat instantly leaped to attack as I appeared. I quickly spun mystaff to an upright orientation and slammed the butt of it into thefloor. A crack appeared where I had hit the floor and spread inboth directions. Soon the room broke in half, and the rush of airout into space pushed the sections apart and sucked out all myenemies to their death. The sorcerers did not yet understand thedangers of fighting in a space station and this group never would.Across the entire station the enemy was in full retreat.

With half the room gone I could look out overthe battle that was raging outside the station. The captain hadmoved the fleets so that they completely surrounded the enemy in asphere of death. All weapons on all vessels were firing at once.The bolts came so thickly and fast that they looked like solidsheets of destruction.

As I watched the battle rage on, a lessonfrom the Academy came back to my mind. The professor was trying toget across how big the universe was and he said, “Even if all theships in the fleet were to join in battle and fire all theirweapons at once, the amount of power they generated would be sominuscule on the universe’s scale that it would not even benoticed.” Now that I could see such an example first-hand, I was inawe of the majesty of the universe.

I noticed that the Dragon Claw was introuble. She was beset by a very large number of enemies determinedto destroy her. I reached out with my power and slammed the groupof demons with a fist of pure power. With that single blow I wipedout the entire force attacking the Dragon Claw. It was then I beganto truly understand the power that I wielded. To think that notmuch more than a year ago I was worried about looking good enoughto keep my job, and now I stood in the hard, cold vacuum of spacewielding a level of power that made the Dragon Claw look like atoy. That must be the most terrifying thought of my life.

The Imperial Navy continued to push hardtowards the station, its shield glowing from all the hits it wastaking. Inside, the Dark Knights and wizards continued to keep theenemy on the run. On every front it seemed the battle was ours.

Then I felt a shift in the balance of power,and not in a good direction. The shields on the station suddenlygot stronger. The sorcerers rallied in defense and the fleet beganto be pushed back.

“Finally they come,” I said, moving toa larger room on the station. I reached out to the commander of theDark Knights and said, “Pull your men out, and do all you can todestroy the station from the outside. Should we fall, guard Rannorwith your lives, as he will be our last hope.”

I waited in the large room, gathering all thepower I could from the battle around me. Then he appeared. He wasan old man with a sunken, almost skeletal-looking face; there wasmore bone about him than skin. By the power he commanded I knew hecould only be the grandmaster sorcerer. The room literally crackledwith his energy and the walls seemed to retreat in fear. Therewould be no simple defeat of him like I had used against others ofhis army. His shielding was far greater than mine.

“So we meet at last, foul one,” I said. Istood proud and strong with the full authority of my position andsaid, “Leave this realm now if you wish to survive this day, andnever return.”

That failed to shake his confidence at all;he had utterly no fear of me. He smiled and said, “This day shallmark the end of the era of wizards and a return to the time ofsorcery.”

Then one by one each of the six wizardsstepped forward out of a concealing shield I had put up, andcollectively said, “Not today, and not ever.”

“Good, I will kill you all with one fellswoop.” And he attacked with all his might.

Had I stood alone I would have beencompletely and utterly overwhelmed by his opening attack, but withthe unified power behind me I was able not only to resist, but tosend a counter-attack. We struggled back and forth with magicalattacks and defenses flying all around us, neither making headwayfor a long time.

Anyone watching the fight from outside wouldhave seen some amazing things. The station itself twisted and bentand stretched as if a great monster was inside it trying to escape.Then, in a brilliant flash of light, the station ruptured, spewingdebris in all directions. The destruction of the station wiped outthe remaining sorcerers and their summoned armies at once, but thebattle between light and dark carried on without them.

When the flash finally cleared, two greatbeings in a death match could be seen. One was pure black; so blackthat the mind had a hard time registering him, and if not for thecontrast with the other he could not have been seen. The otherbeing was pure light, so bright that it should have been blindingto look at, but there was an odd quality about the light that madeit almost comforting to see.

Looking closely at the being of light, heonly had one face, but in some strange and odd way seven distinctfaces could be seen in that one face, each concentrating fully onthe being of darkness. The seven faces each resembled one of thegreat wizards, but were somehow perfected. This was what they wouldhave looked like in a perfect universe free of evil anddarkness.

The two great beings were locked in the exactsame stance, perfect mirrors of each other. The look on their faceswas one of pure concentration and control. Each had both his handsforward, held in a claw-like shape, with the right hand slightlyforward of the left. From the great wizard’s right hand came a beamof pure light that the great sorcerer was blocking with his lefthand, and from the great sorcerer’s right hand came a beam of puredarkness that the great wizard was blocking with his left hand.

While all this was going on, none of usnoticed that the station was destroyed; we just kept fighting therein the hard, cold vacuum of space. We just kept at him, all ourpowers combined as one pouring into his defenses, and doing all wecould to survive long enough to outlast his shields.

Then the unexpected happened. A bolt ofenergy came in and hit the old sorcerer, then another, and another.Soon there were hundreds upon hundreds of bolts of energy peltinghim, overpowering his defenses and utterly destroying him.

The seven of us stood there floating in thehard vacuum and looked around to see what was left of the threefleets arrayed around us. I saw the Dragon Claw, heavily damaged,but intact and I teleported our group to the command deck.

Upon arriving I saw the captain in his chair,and he stood and said, “Sorry to break up your party, but it wasgetting awful stagnant.” I realized what had happened. When thestation was destroyed, the summoned army must have been wiped out.That freed up the Imperial forces and he brought them to bearagainst the old sorcerer. Even he could not stop that muchpower.

I reached out and cast my voice on every shipthat was left while Andreya put my image on every screen. I simplysaid, “This day we stood united, and have claimed victory over thegreatest power of darkness ever to be gathered together.” Thisbrought cheers and much joy to the men, but I could not share init. The burden of the death toll was too great to bear. I did notwant to know the numbers; seeing the remains of the battle wasenough.

The captain walked over to me, put his handon my shoulder and locked eyes with me. “Vydor, I said you would bea great leader one day, and today you proved it. Forget not theprice we paid this day, but do not let it burden you. Everyone whocame to this battle knew it could be their last, but they werewilling to stand and fight for the vision you created. Today youled the combined forces of wizards and men to fight a foul diseasethat could have destroyed everything we stand for, and you did itwell. Focus on the victory, not the cost.”

“Thank you, Captain. I must go contact Mantisand see where the other six master sorcerers are,” I said.

“Which did we kill?” he asked.

“The grandmaster,” I said with a grin I didnot truly feel. Then all the wizards and I returned to theNevermore, and the Crystal Room. As we entered the room a call wascoming in from Mantis. “Come,” I said in reply.

He appeared looking tired and battle-worn.Kellyn quickly gave up her chair for him. I was sure we looked justas bad as he did. I surely felt like it.

Once he settled in I said, “We have defeatedthe grandmaster.”

This brought a light to his eyes and a smileto his face. “That explains their retreat in our realm.”

“So you are victorious there?” I asked.

“Yes, apparently thanks to you. We were veryhard-pressed, and faced overwhelming odds. I do not know how theyraised such a huge army so quickly. We fought with everything wecould. Our only hope was that we could hold on long enough for youto win here and send help to us. We managed to lock them in astalemate, and suddenly their numbers starting dropping off, andtheir power started to fail. We moved to take advantage of thisweakness and started to regain some lost ground. It was not longafter that they withdrew completely from the battlefield,” hesaid.

“Any idea where the other six are?” Iasked.

“No. They were with the forces thatretreated. They must have stayed in our realm to keep us busy,believing their grandmaster could take you alone,” he said. “I mustsay, I am very impressed you were able to take him.”

“We could not have done so alone. We werelocked in a stalemate with him for a long time; how long I do notknow. The stalemate ended when every ship we had left turned itspower on him, and our united attack was far too great for evenhim,” I said.

“Amazing. Simply amazing, that in the end itwas the mundanes who won the greatest war ever fought betweensorcerers and wizards,” he said. “With your leave, I must return tomy realm and bring them this information.”

“Yes, go, but be sure to keep in touch, as wehave only pushed back the darkness. It is not yet defeated,” Ireplied.