Chest heaving, he turned to his injured fighter. The young man had a hand pressed to the two deep gashes on his abdomen.
Rhain helped him up. “Let’s get you to the medicas.”
“Yes, Overlord. Thank you.”
Rhain stayed close to the limping man as they crossed the battlefield. His fighters had almost finished with the pack of hexids. This area consisted of lush, green fields. There were farmlands to the west, and to the east, the rocky, wild land of the Barrens. The hexids had slipped out of the Barrens and attacked a mining transport. Rhain and his fighters had been close enough to hear the screams.
The medica ground transport stood to the side. The large rugger was beige in color, and drove on six huge wheels, perfect for all types of terrain.
Two medicas, their metallic armor touched with green, hurried out. They whisked the injured fighter inside.
Swords still in hand, Rhain turned to scan the battlefield. Most of the hexids were down. He saw one of his fighters use a charged axe that glowed orange to cut the head off a snarling animal. His men and women moved with well-trained precision. Zhaltons had always been fighters. To survive the Radiance and its effects, they’d had to be.
His jaw tightened. The hexids weren’t native to Zhalto. They were an abhorrence sent here to destroy.
The Zhylaw used technology to push beyond what was right and wrong. The hexids were genetically modified, and kept alive past their natural lifespans, which helped turn them wild and crazed. They became violent killers.
Suddenly, a hexid bounded out from behind a transport. With a powerful leap, it landed on the roof of the rugger, setting it rocking.
It crouched, its soulless, black eyes fixed on Rhain.
It leaped.
He whipped his swords up, but he was well aware that the hexid would hit him first.
A powerful body leaped in from the side, wielding a single straight sword. It was fully charged and glowing gold.
Rhain watched his captain of the guard, Captain Thadd Naveri, slice into the alien animal.
The hexid roared, but Thadd’s charged blade moved blindingly fast.
The creature fell. Thadd pulled his bloody sword free and straightened.
Rhain’s best friend and right-hand man’s metallic armor was splattered with gore, just like Rhain’s.
“You stole my kill,” Rhain said.
Thadd snorted. “It was about to disembowel you.”
Thadd was a little taller than Rhain, and much broader. When he wasn’t by Rhain’s side, he was training, and every inch of him was solid muscle. He kept his brown hair cut short, and his eyes were a brilliant blue.
They stood shoulder to shoulder.
“This is the third hexid attack this week.” Thadd’s voice vibrated with rage.
Rhain slid his swords away in the scabbards on his back. His fingers flexed.
“Yes,” he said darkly.
His gaze flicked up. A huge moon hung overhead, but beyond it lay the distant outline of three planets. The larger one in the distance was Sarkan.
His father’s planet.
Rhain’s nostrils flared.
His gorr of a father had allied with the Zhylaw. The Zhylaw were supplying King Zavir Sarkany with an army of creatures like the hexids.
A month ago, Rhain’s father had started a brutal campaign on Rhain’s planet. He wanted Rhain to join him and stand at his side.
Rhain had not-so-politely refused.
But a man like Zavir—ruthless, cold, and hungry for power—never took no for an answer.
Rhain would fight to the bitter, bloody end to protect his people from his father. Because it was his duty, and in memory of his beloved mother.
“Load up the wounded. Burn the hexid bodies.” A nice gesture to his father, plus it destroyed the tech the Zhylaw used so it couldn’t be recycled.
More rugger ground transports rumbled in on large wheels.
The medicas and unwounded fighters loaded the injured on board the transports.
Rhain needed to contact his brothers. They needed to be updated and warned. Their father would be coming for them next.
The Sarkany system had five planets orbiting a red-giant star. Sarkan was his father’s planet, and most distant from the sun. The Sarkans had always been violent, warlike, disturbing the peace in the system. His father ran the planet with a brutal, unforgiving rule. He controlled everything his people did, suppressed all dissent, and his army trained rigorously.
Ask any Sarkan about their king and they’d paste on a smile and extol all the virtues of their wonderous leader.
Zavir wasn’t content with ruling his planet. No, he wanted to control the entire system.
Three other planets— Zhalto, Damar, and Taln—were home to related species, and they’d all adapted to their own planet’s environments. The fifth planet, closest to the sun, was an uninhabitable rock called Andret. It was mineral rich, but home to vicious native creatures that made any exploration difficult.
Years ago, Zavir had come to power and decided to conquer the system. After intense fighting with the people of Zhalto, Damar, and Taln, all four planets had been pushed to the brink. Then Zavir had proposed peace.
Through marriage.
Or rather, marriages.
He’d taken a bride from each planet in return for peace.
Rhain tried not to tense up. His mother had gone to her marriage resolute. She’d hated Zavir, but she’d loved her planet. And she’d loved Rhain.
But Zavir hadn’t wanted peace. He’d wanted to breed sons with unique abilities of each of the species.
Millennia ago, the Sarkany System had been less advanced, with five lush, habitable planets orbiting the sun.
Until the Radiance.
A massive, powerful solar flare had ripped through the system.
It had torn away the atmosphere of Andret, and destroyed the people living there. It had gone on to irradiate the other planets.
On Zhalto, the Radiance had cut through a part of the planet, leaving behind the rocky Barrens. It had also interacted with the planet’s magnetic field, making it stronger, and leaving it laden with a flow of charged particles emanating from the sun. Their species had adapted and learned to manipulate the charged particles in the field and use the powerful energy.
On Damar, the Damari people had changed. Many died, but the survivors became stronger, wilder. It left them with the ability to shapeshift form into wild, wolf-like animals.
The Taln had darker, powerful abilities linked to their planet’s geology. They could command the very dirt and rocks of their planet.
Sarkan was just far enough away to not suffer any ill-effects from the Radiance. They had no special abilities, and compensated with their ruthless violence.
Rhain had a half-brother from both Damar and Taln. None of them cared about the half, and they all shared a hatred of their father.
But Zavir wanted his sons at his side, and he always had. And now, he was using his alliance with the Zhylaw to force the issue.
“Not today, Father,” Rhain murmured. “Not ever.”
Suddenly, a boom cracked through the evening sky.
Rhain jerked his head up and stiffened.
Flames cut across the sky, falling fast.
Thadd made a sound. “That looks like debris.”