Episode XI
Showdown 
 

             The second planet in the Ross 128 system spun lazily in space. A jump node exploded out in space. Sam’s Ulysses emerged and started for the planet. Twelve Dragons lined the path. Sam flew his Ulysses down the long line of fighters. He eyed each one as he passed. He shifted power to his forward shields for the entry.

               Vo’tion came out of subspace on the far side of the planet, away from the Dragons. He immediately flew down to the planet. Coming down he noticed the large dish, that dish marked the massive subspace sensor that was built there. He saw the lifeless Dragon, and he decided to set down far away from the zone. 

                Sam saw the Dragon, it was sitting lifeless, not moving, still. Sam set down near it, and opened his cockpit. Stepping out he scanned the brown planet. There were hills in the distance, and the sun was going down. If Sam remembered correctly, the nights here only lasted a few hours, if less. He quickly removed his flight suit and picked his sword up out of its place. He cocked his gun and started to walk towards the patch of grey, as he did a Shivan stepped out from behind the Dragon fighter. Sam never saw him. 
                  The Shivan was Cron’is, he had two large reddish devices around his middle. His race developed in a zero G environment, and he needed a special device to keep him up and moving. Sam walked to the edge of the grey space. It was all dust and hills. In the distance Sam could see the large scanning station. Cron’is stepped onto the mat. 
                    “So we meet again, Terran.” Cron’is said. Sam spun around. He looked into the bright red eyes of the mighty Shivan. Sam glared at him. 
                    “Yes, we meet again, for the last time.” Cron’is started to move, Sam moved with him. “This time one of us will not leave this planet.” 
                    “Do you like my new fighter? Triton Dynamics was very kind in providing it.” Sam aimed his gun, and fired at the Shivan. Cron’is lifted up his arm and the bullets bounced off. He then drew his sword. 
                    “Do you like my new sword? The Ancients were very kind in providing it.” Cron’is looked angry. “Just answer one question before you die.” Sam said as Cron’is looked up.
                    “What?” Cron’is asked with a glare in his eye,    
                    “Why? Why did you attack us? We did nothing to you, and yet you have killed millions. You fight without giving a reason, without saying a word, and when we capture your technology, you say nothing, why?” Cron’is might as well have been laughing.                                                  “You should know the answer to that question Terran.” Cron’is made a motion with one of his free hands. “We are not so different from you. Oh yes, we always knew where Sol was, but if we simply destroyed your home world it would not have ended there, we had to break you first.” Sam grew stern. “You fought the Vasudans on what? A wrong look, a word from a general? Tell me Terran, did you ever say anything to the Vasudans? I know that you communicated, but did you really say anything?” Sam didn’t say a thing. “I thought not. I will break you legend, Leader for the Shivans.” Sam sneered.
                     “It is time to end this, I will die before you break me.” Sam spit towards the Shivan, not hitting him, Cron’is understood the gesture. 
                     “Time indeed, if you will not surrender, then you will die.” Cron’is shot forward his claws. They came out of the wrist, stopping in the palm. The dual curved blades gleamed in the light. The sun was just coming up, it was the dawn. Sam bent his sword and a beam of light shot across the field. He held the sword out in front of himself, and with a mighty yell charged at the Shivan. Cron’is followed the movement and started to move in for the attack. Sam brought his sword down. Cron’is lifted his dual blades. He didn’t know what would happen next. 

                        Vo’tion’s Horus set down, lifting a plume of brown dust into the air. Vo’tion got out, He breathed in the air, it reminded him of his home planet. Vasuda Prime was gone, he could not have saved it. But perhaps he could save his friend. It took him a while, but Vo’tion removed his bulky suit. He eased into his robes, and picking up a water bottle, he started to run across the planet, towards the scanning station. The dust was kicked up around his feet. 

                          Cron’is blocked Sam’s thrust. He thought that this would be an easy battle, but he was wrong. He tried to push Sam’s blade up, but found that the more pressure he put on the sword, the more he pushed, the more it pushed back. Either Sam was stronger than a fully grown Shivan, or Ancient Steel repelled Shivan steel. Cron’is jumped back with amazing agility. 
                           “So, it appears that Ancient, and Shivan steel repel each other.” Sam swung his sword around in a few circles. 
                            “The mighty Shivan, or should I call you Sa’ka’an?” Cron’is drew back. “You destroyed Vasuda Prime.” Cron’is stepped forward.
                             “It was necessary to stop the Vasudans from destroying more races.” Cron’is said. Sam shook his head. 
                             “That is not what I’m talking about.” Sam shifted his weight, but kept his sword out in front of him. “Long ago, you destroyed Vasudan Prime, you choked it of all its resources, did you return to finish the job?” Cron’is moved forwards. 
                             “We were in our early space faring days when the Ancients came to our world, we were like you then, and when the Ancients came, they destroyed us. We escaped into space, but we could not sustain ourselves. We looked for a world where the Ancients had prepped the resources, then we found Vasuda Prime. We saw the Ancients leave, and then we moved in. We destroyed that world to save our own. That was when Ki’onus told us that we had become the Ancients. And so we set out to preserve the jump nodes, and to make sure that no race would ever destroy another.” Cron’is ran forward, Sam jumped to the right and slashed at Cron’is. He missed. Cron’is spun to face Sam. “The Ancients were heading for Sol, we stopped them at the fourth planet. You should be praising us.” Cron’is jumped in from the side, Sam blocked and jumped over to the side. Sam struck for Cron’is’ side, but Cron’is struck Sam’s blade to the ground. Sam recoiled, and jumped back. 
                               “You will find that we Terrans do not praise murders.” Cron’is threw his blade at Sam, Sam jumped to the side, and jumped up as Cron’is’ blade sliced the air where Sam was. Sweat beaded on his forehead. 
                                “If you stop moving, you will find that my blade will be far less painful.” Sam grit his teeth, and attacked again. Cron’is blocked, and then pushed Sam away with his other. He fell into the ground. Cron’is slammed his blade into the ground, to stop from crashing down into the grey tarp.  Pushing with his free arm he freed his blade from the ground. His two arms flexed nervously. Cron’is walked towards Sam. Sam pushed himself up. He wiped the blood from his mouth. Cron’is hit him again. A strong hit to his middle sent Sam flying across the land. He missed the tarp and slammed into the ground. A dust cloud filled the air. Sam coughed and with the side of his hand he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
                               “I will fight you to the end.” Sam said, he stood, wobbling on his feet. Cron’is laughed. 
                                “I will have fun with you before I kill you.” He kept coming. Sam held his sword firm. Cron’is swung at Sam. Sam put his blade between himself and Cron’is. The pure force of the Shivan’s blow hit the sharp end of the sword. The blade that could not be broken bit into the Shivans arm. Sam pulled his sword out. Red blood fell to the ground, but the bleeding didn’t last for long. The Shivan raised its arm in pain. It let out a mighty yell. Sam jumped, he landed on top of the Shivan. Cron’is tried to grab him, but Sam jumped again, he spun around once, and landed in a squat position behind the Shivan. 
                                 “So tell me Shivan, is there a little man inside of you? Or was that real blood.” Cron’is spun around. 
                                  “You will pay for that.” Cron’is said. He lifted up his arm and the two blades shot out again. He stepped forward. Cron’is had amazing agility on only two feet. “No one has ever beaten me.” Cron’is charged forward again. Sam stood his ground. Every time Cron’is attacked, Sam put his sword in the way, and Cron’is’ blades bounced off. They moved around in circles, back and forth, they fought with no end in sight. Sam jumped quickly to the side, and found Cron’is’ blades in the way, he struck. His blade bounced back, Sam struck again, but his blade bounced back again. Sam stopped attacking, but he didn’t let his guard down. Neither of them moved. Sweat dripped down his face. The Shivan bobbed up and down slowly. Sam figured that Cron’is was just as tired as he was. Sam pointed his sword at Cron’is. 
                                  “You’ve never met me.” Cron’is almost laughed. Cron’is pointed his dual blades at Sam. 
                                  “And you, never me.” Cron’is slowly turned his arm, back and forth. He slid the two blades back into their hiding place in his arm. “I will give you a fighting chance.” Cron’is was beginning for an attack. Sam yelled as he charged. Cron’is dodged out of the way and hit Sam in the back. Sam was thrown into the tarp, he rolled over and over, but kept a firm grip on his sword. He stood up and touched his forehead. Blood was slowly coming out of a wound in his head. He flicked his hand out, and then took a firm grip on his sword.  “Pitiful.” Cron’is suddenly frowned, as he saw what Sam had in his hand. He suddenly looked down. There at his feet was a small explosive. Cron’is jumped out of the way as Sam hit the small button on the grey box that he held in his hand. The shockwave threw Cron’is into the sand, a dust cloud lifted from where he landed. 
                                  “Always look at your enemy’s belt.” Sam began to walk towards Cron’is. “Now it’s my turn.” Sam said smiling. Cron’is brought out his blades and began to fight. He guarded against Sam’s attacks. Cron’is wondered how any Terran could have tricked him like that. Cron’is jumped back unto the tarp, the sound filled Sam’s ears. Sam ran and attacked Cron’is. The mighty Shivan backed off with each blow. Sam brought his sword down on Cron’is, but Cron’is held his blade high, and Sam’s blade bounced uselessly off. Sam recovered, but it was Cron’is’ turn to attack. Cron’is pushed Sam backwards. Sam’s blade drifted to the ground, but he brought it back up to guard against Cron’is’ blast. Sam jumped back, and then dove forward. He flew over Cron’is’ blades, and landed on top of the mighty Shivan. Sam was about to stab Cron’is, when the two mighty arms lifted Sam high into the air. 
                                        “This has definitely been fun, leader for the Shivans.” Cron’is laughed. He squeezed Sam tightly. Sam winced in pain. Cron’is had the ability to crush steel, Sam knew that; he would have to act fast. “But I am afraid that I have a world to destroy.” He squeezed tighter. “A little while ago the Galatea was destroyed, and now the T’vachi will crush Sol, and you will not be there to destroy the devil.” He began to laugh. Sam echoed him. Cron’is suddenly stopped. “What?” Cron’is asked. Sam continued. He coughed up blood. 
                                        “The devil is already dead, the Lucifer, or at least that is what I think the T’vachi is, will be destroyed. The GTA has discover your weakness, inside subspace you cannot use your shields. A team has already been sent to intercept them. The Olympus had it in her memory banks.” Cron’is yelled. “Even if I die, you will never win.” Sam took the time that Cron’is was occupied, trying to figure out his legend, to get out of his grip. Sam thrust his sword down into one of the Shivan’s arms. Cron’is dropped Sam, Sam pulled out his sword and fell down onto Cron’is. Sam raised his sword to kill Cron’is, but the mighty Shivan hit Sam, he fell across the ground, and slammed into the ground. His sword fell away. Cron’is, looked at him. Sam tried to move, but the pain in his side refused to let him move. Sam looked over at his sword. It was out of his reach, he looked back up, and Cron’is was flying through the air at him. It was over.
 

                                    Vo’tion ran up to the scanning station. He checked over it and found a small blinking light on it. He furrowed his brow. He punched in a few keys, and a small image of the Galactic Terran Wings appeared on the screen. 
                                    “PLEASE ENTER NAME AND ACCESS CODE” Vo’tion cocked his head. 
                                    “Captain Tak’eye Vo’tion, Service number 23152091514, code 96-alpha-beta-24.” The machine hummed and beeped. It spoke to him again. 
                                    “WE ARE SORRY CAPTAIN, YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THIS TERMINAL.” Vo’tion nodded.
                                     “That is what they all say.” Vo’tion ripped a panel off the tower and began to cross wires, the screen flickered, and changed, until it spoke again.
                                     “ACCESS GRANTED” Vo’tion stood and started to open files, or anything that he felt was appropriate. He looked at the subspace tracking relay logs. Four Triton Dynamics transports had disappeared in Ross128 since the Shivan attack, they had travelled along an unknown jump node towards an unknown jump node. The freighters had extra shielding, and very powerful jump drives, strange for a simple freighter, but then again this whole situation was definitely not normal. He checked the logs. For the last few days something about the size of an Orion Destroyer, was headed for this system, along the same jump nodes. And plus, the logs suggested that the ship would emerge in the next few hours. The logs also suggested that there was a lot of traffic along this jump node when the Shivans first came. Vo’tion clicked a few keys, this information was not supposed to be displayed. When Vo’tion hacked the system, he must have tripped this information. Someone had gone to great lengths to hide this. Vo’tion remembered Sam, and started running again. 
                                   Sam had treated him like an equal. No Terran had ever treated him like a equal. Even Admiral Wolfe had that look in his eyes that made Vo’tion feel uneasy. Every Terran he had met treated him as if he was still an enemy. But Sam looked at Vo’tion as a friend. And he was not about to let Sam die. If Sam was dead, then Vo’tion would kill Cron’is. Vo’tion hated the Ancients for leaving, he hated them for leaving his world to die. The Ti’ka’an left the Vasudan people to die in the hands of the Sa’ka’an. Sam brought peace back to him, and to his world. Sam’s actions would float back through the Hammer of Light officers from the Cheops. He pushed faster, harder. 
                                   Vo’tion would not leave Sam to die on a desert world, he would not repeat that which the Ancients did to him, and his people. The Terrans would not have to suffer the way his people had. The Terrans would not have their world destroyed, the way the Shivans had destroyed his. 
                                    Vo’tion came over a rise, there, he saw Cron’is and Sam fighting. Sam was in the grip of Cron’is, he was too late. Sam thrust his sword down into Cron’is. The Shivan yelled and dropped Sam. Sam pulled his sword from the beast, and landed on its back. He was about to go for the final thrust, when Cron’is batted him away. Sam flew across the brown arena, his sword fell from his grip. He lay on the ground, barly moving, he couldn’t reach his sword. 

                                      Sam looked up, Cron’is began to jump. This was the end, with his claws extended, Cron’is would turn him to pulp in seconds. He only hoped that the GTA would be able to defeat the Shivans. His life was worth nothing compared to the whole human race. Hopefully his death would not be invasion. Cron’is jumped. 
                                        “Sam!” Vo’tion yelled from across the way. That wasn’t the translator, Vo’tion was yelling his name from across the field. Sam turned his head slowly, Vo’tion was kicking up large plums of smoke as he ran. Sam almost smiled. Vo’tion slid next to Sam’s sword, he tossed the blade to Sam. With great pain, Sam lifted his hand and caught the sword. Sam pushed himself down the tarp. He held the sword out in front of him. Cron’is was shocked. The Shivan came down on the blade at full speed. His weight drove it right through him. His blades bounced off the ground. The force of the hit drove the sword hilt down into the ground next to Sam. 
                                      Cron’is slipped the blades back into his arm. He staggered away, the blood falling from his middle. “It can’t end like this.” The Shivan staggered around. “No.” He looked up into the sky. “It does not matter, the Too’aki’nar will be here in moments. Behold the T’avary jump node.” Cron’is rocked from side to side, and then fell over. 
                                      Sam pulled his sword from Cron’is’ lifeless body. Vo’tion had stood, and he walked up to Sam. “Are you all right?” Vo’tion asked, Sam held his side and nodded.
                                    “Ya, I’m fine.” They looked up into the sky, a large red jump node opened in the sky. The ship that emerged looked like an Orion destroyer, the hull was red, and had Shivan designs all through its skin. On the sides there were four guns, just like the dual ship killers on the Lucifer. “But I don’t think that we will be for very long.” They both watched the ship emerge from the jump node. The end to the legend was coming. 
 
 
 

                                                                To be Concluded...