Prologue

We’ve always known that we weren’t alone. The signs were there and our exploration into space had reached its turning point, the discovery of an intelligent species on another world. The painful truth was that the first encounter wasn’t on the friendliest of terms. It was all an accident really. A lost explorer had entered a part of space that none of us would have ever dared to go. It was littered with space dust, debris and suns that seemed incapable to support life, least much our own. Apparently we were wrong, so very wrong. What the ship had found changed our world and theirs forever.

Most of the Zenion crew never saw the world of the Necrons. They had caught the orbit of one of the planet’s moons when they had fallen out of subspace and were immediately boarded. I can imagine the first encounter, time frozen as each race stared at each other in total bewilderment. Their breaths were probably caught in their throats as the air tensed up in uncertainty. No one knows for sure who moved first but we all know what happened in the end. Only one was left alive, the messenger. Their logic, why have more than one person to tell the tale. When the battered man was rescued from the capsule that had brought him back, he only said two words before dying shortly afterward, “They’re here.” And indeed they were, only this time they needed us.

It wasn’t long after our arrival that the world of the Necrons had split in two from those who thought of us as a threat and those who did not. The civil war that had broken out was driving their planet to the brink of destruction. Their solution was simple; send the ones who wanted cooperation between the two species to our planet in hopes that we would wipe each other out in tactless battles echoing the first bloody meeting on their moon. Fortunately, it never happened. Putting aside the Zenion incident, the world leaders of Earth accepted the friendlier Necrons and welcomed them to society as refugees until their integration into their society. It wasn’t long before rumors of a Necron/human hybrid were silenced by failed experimentations. Still, the thought and possibility existed theoretically. Maybe this was why They came back. Perhaps this was why Earth was destined to be destroyed…

Chapter 1: Earth

My father waited until the last minute to leave. Being a high general, it was his duty to wait until the last second to give the order. If only I had convinced him sooner. I stood across from him at the space port office, bag in hand as he gently turned off the communications line, “It’s time.” In a flash he was practically dragging me through the back hallways to the last shuttle off of Earth, “Don’t worry, we’ll make it.” But there was something in his eyes that worried me, something that I couldn’t foresee yet that he couldn’t or wouldn’t tell me. The last shuttle came to view as a small line of people clamored inside of the large craft. My father had purposely guided me to the Necron pilot and whispered something into his ear before turning to me, “I’m sorry sweetheart but you must take my seat.” I froze, “What are you talking about? You said there was room for both of us.” He shook his head and looked at my with his grey-blue eyes that were worn with age, “You wouldn’t have accepted the truth Cael. Besides, I’m getting old and my place is here. You on the other hand are still young. Now go!” He nodded to the pilot who proceeded to close the hatch as the last scientist boarded, “I love you baby girl, but it’s for the best. You must survive. Cael, you must live!” I lunged forward but a powerful arm pulled me back from my waist, “No! Get your hands off me! DAD!” I couldn’t hear him over my shouting but I saw his lips move one last time before the outer doors closed tightly, “I love you.” My heart lurched as my eyes locked onto the door, “No… no, no, no!” I wrestled from the Necron’s grasp and pounded on the hatch, “Let me out!” The craft rumbled as it lifted off from the ground causing my legs to give way under me from the gravitational force and despair. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up at the Necron who had held me back. A sudden anger rushed through me as I shot up and grabbed at his uniform and screamed at him to go back. His face flared with anger as he forced my hands off him and turned to his co-pilot. He spoke low to the other Necron who then turned toward me, “Miss, it would be wise to take a seat.” That only made me more infuriated but before I could open my mouth, a collective gasp echoed from the various passengers, “What is that?!”

Everyone froze as they looked toward the west windows and saw a glowing light from the horizon like the sun was coming up again. I watched as the pilot glanced to the windows in the opposite direction before lunging at the controls. I could barely hear the co-pilot’s growl, “What are you doing? We haven’t finished the inspections!” The pilot pointed to the west sky that was now glowing brighter and brighter by the second, “Do you see that?! That’s not the sun! It’s Them! Now help me get this craft off of this forsaken planet!” The realization of their impending doom from the wave of fire and hate kicked both Necrons into high gear as the craft shook violently as it gathered speed. Someone screamed. The smoke and flames could be seen in the far distance and were closing fast. The craft groaned as it struggled to climb through the atmosphere. I had already scrambled to the last seat behind the pilot and held my breath as I looked out of the window. A sudden thought crossed my mind as I realized that there were still millions left on the planet and the fiery death that was racing toward them.

Two sudden raptures from the craft told us that we had broken through the atmosphere, shaking everyone back to the reality that we were facing now. Earth was gone. Our home was turning into a fiery hell, uninhabitable for no one. The pilot sighed and turned to his Second, patting him on the shoulder before getting up from his chair and facing the rest of us, “We’re not out of danger yet. We’ve only broke through the atmosphere but we still have to get by the base ship without them detecting us. We’re going to go stealth and rendezvous with other ships behind the moon.”

“Did any others… make it?” My voice cracked through my throat like someone had been tightening around it, making it barely audible. It didn’t matter though; the Necrons would’ve heard me no matter how quiet I was. The pilot’s eyes lowered to me but couldn’t give me an answer. Even he didn’t know from the com-silence order and no one was going to voice out over communications in fear of Them hearing us. I sighed with a heavy heart and stared out of the window to again reflect the last minutes that I had with my father. The Necron then started talking about the procedures that were going to happen to the scientists and soldiers aboard but his voice started to drift away as I leaned my head on the window. I wanted to sleep, to escape and possibly wake up on Earth again from this horrible dream. To see the sun, lay on the grass and even…

It wasn’t cold. I touched the snow like substance that had covered every single thing around me and watched as it disintegrated to dust in my hand. It was ash. The buildings were still there, even the trees and people, only time seemed frozen for them. I walked down the street, noticing how quiet and gray it was. The dust scattered into the air like a billowing smoke screen of death as my feet sunk into the fallen ‘snow’ with each step. Funny, it didn’t seem to affect my breathing. Shadows up ahead made my heart jump as they moved closer. People! I started to run towards them and got as far as a block before seeing the details of the ‘people’. True Necrons. Their blackened, ragged platting was clearly visible, even with the gray snow falling from above. One in particular noticed my presence and turned towards me, his cloak billowing like the dust around him. I started walking back as his strides brought him closer to me before whirling around to run. I didn’t get far as I slowed to a halt, I was surrounded. Other Necrons came seemingly out of nowhere from the alleys and buildings. No doubt the cloaked one sounded the alarm with his thoughts. One stepped beside what seemed to be an ash covered figure in mid run and cut through its mid section with his gauntlet laden hand. The form crumbled into dust, leaving little trace of what seemed to be there. I stared at in horror, breathing heavily as panic set into me when the sudden feeling of hands on my shoulders made me scream.

A sharp slap to the face suddenly cut off my voice as my eyes opened up to the waking world. It was the pilot who had been holding me down with a slightly worried but quizzical expression on his face, “Are you all right?” I glanced over at his co-pilot who seemed more confused than anything but was forced back to the Necron’s green eyes, “I… I’m fine.” He didn’t buy it but I didn’t want any of the Necrons to see me distressed. They were an extraordinary race; heightened senses, powerful feats of strength and even cases of telepathy. Things the human race could only dream of but never were able to achieve. Their flaw though was compassion. It was duly noted in the back of my mind that most Necrons, friendly or not, lacked the one thing that made us human but I didn’t hold it against them. It was unfortunately their nature.

I shrugged his hands from my arms and he stood up, “We’re on the moon. You can get up and move around if you want, Miss Caelest.” I wasn’t about to ask how he knew my name, knowing how many people knew my now-late father. “Is anyone else here with us?” The co-pilot spoke up with a slight hopeful tone, “Seven other ships, one science craft and three battle cruisers from the Southern Hemis. The other three are civilian crafts that survived from-” The pilot gave him a stern look before turning to me, “Torin, go and escort our ‘passengers’ to the Phoenix 7 for processing.” The co-pilot nodded as he rounded up the soldiers and scientists that were still sitting silent in their seats. A few were Necrons but it didn’t matter, we were all now fighting for survival. I almost went with them but a hand stayed my advances, “You’re not going anywhere for the moment, we need to talk.” He nodded over to those that were leaving and turned back to me, “Alone.”

We waited until every human and necronian had been transported to the battle cruiser in silence. I didn't dare to look up at him for something told me that this wasn't your everyday exchange with an arrogant Necron male. I wasn't worried though, they lived by a moral code for us 'petty humans' and I knew how far to push it. Silence, oh how it was killing me. "You're lucky the others didn't feel it." I gave him my best glare, "Feel what?" Again, those searching eyes, I hope they never found whatever they desperately looked for. "It was no dream. You were Connected with an enemy Necron." I huffed, "I don't know what you're talking about."

“Yes you do!”

By the gods! The pressure from the mental intrusion was excruciating! I collapsed to my knees, holding the sides of my head as if it would relieve the sudden pain, "Get out!" Images from the dream flooded my senses as I struggled to get back in control, "You fucking bastard! Argh!" I lunged up but failed pathetically as he let go of my thoughts, leaving me drained and fighting to just stand. "Who the hell are you to do that!" Granted I didn’t know many words but I threw as many Necronian curses that I did remember for breaking the Mortem Code. I leaned on a seat, wishing that I had the strength to hit him. "I believe the question is who are you? No human is capable of doing that and you’re lucky that I was able to pull you out of it without anyone noticing. You could have seriously endangered us all and thankfully your father had appointed me to be your personal body guard. If you start showing the capabilities that we have, then you may not be able to control them without me." For the first time since we've left Earth the tears fell from my eyes, blurring my vision of the cursed Necron. I couldn't speak but I didn't have to for he asked the question for me, "How? How does a human like you have the mental qualities of a Necron? Unless..." I watched him shake his head; his deep brown hair messed around his face as he chuckled. That wasn't good, Necrons very rarely laughed. "If I'm right, your father might have damned us all." He leaned stepped toward me, almost coming nose to nose with mine. Such odd ways of a Necron, they obviously didn’t have personal space. I wondered if he was trying to see into my soul through my eyes or perhaps picking up my stray crazed thoughts. That tickled me inside. He shifted his footing and tilted his head to the side, "You wear eye lens?" That little question took me back. Was that what all of the fuss was about? My contacts?! I nodded briefly, "Not for sight though, they're like sunglasses. Why are you so curious about them?" He studied me more with that same quizzical face that he had earlier but merely muttered, "Nothing." I laughed, "Don’t tell me that you’re trying to suggest that I'm part Necron!" I was giggling a bit more like a madwoman at the moment, thinking back to my father and the mother that I never knew, "My mother was human, no one in my family was necronian so you can just toss that little idea out of your head because there is no possibility of-." My little speech ceased when he smirked, “I wasn’t implying that. I was merely derailing your little tantrum.” He turned and reopened the hatch, leaving me gaping at his psychological ploy. Necronians were certainly conniving. I sighed as I realized I wasn’t going to win with him, "So, if you're going to be my bodyguard, shouldn't I at least know your name?" He took my hand rather unexpectedly and directed me out of the craft, "My name is Kavell."