CHAPTER 17

VICTORY

Once the mysterious four black Kevan airships had defeated the Vognar Grand Fleet of Lord Mentep it had been easy for them to realize that not only was the battle theirs, but also the war. It would all be over soon and victory was at hand.

After the Vognar fleet was destroyed, and while Aron and Shamar turned their force to Lanar, they were victorious there and eventually left the Lanars to their own devices to take back their lands. Then they moved on to attack the Vognar capital city and fought another mad fight with the Vognar Home Fleet. That battle lasted almost one hour. Invisible ships against invisible ships, with the Vognars once again unable to locate the four Kevan ships. All of the ships of the Vognar home fleet were blown out of the sky. Not one survived.

The Lanar rebels under Konor took control of the city of Vognar and The Supreme Leader, Okvon, was put to the sword. The Kevan ships had no loses. Victory had been total and complete. So it was with much joy and elation that Aron and Shamar and their comrades set their four airships on a course back home to Keva.

The flight was rapid in the new swift airships. They were fast. However, once the four airships returned to Keva, Shamar and Aron were devastated by what they found and each man aboard the four vessels cried out in pain and horror. What they found was that instead of the small hidden city-state that had been their safe home for centuries, there was now only a huge empty black crater. They were shocked and stunned by what they saw. They could not comprehend it. Their pain, the dead, the incredible death and destruction was terrible. How had this happened?

The four airships approached the ruined city preparing to land to search for survivors, when they were suddenly attacked by a lone invisible Vognar airship that had been hiding in the hills beyond the city. The airship was the last survivor of Lord Mentep’s vast armada that had somehow escaped the massive battle earlier. Somehow this ship had discovered Keva, probably because with Aron and all the Old Ones absent, the city was vulnerable, being unguarded for the first time in history. Now it was open to discovery. The attack on Keva had been a complete surprise and the lone Vognar airship had destroyed the helpless city and killed most of its people. It was a disaster of an unprecedented scope.

Shamar, Aron, and the Kevans immediately made their four airships go invisible and raced through the sky to fight back against the enemy vessel. Once invisible, the Vognar ship could not locate the Kevan ships and it was a quick matter for the Kevans to locate the Vognar vessel and blow it out of the sky with a blazing white beam of light that burned it to utter destruction. However, the quick and utter destruction of that last Vognar warship was of little consequence to the remaining grieving people of Keva. It was of little matter, save for revenge. Sometimes revenge was necessary—sometimes justice was revenge. All that did not matter much now either, for Keva was destroyed and most of its people were dead.

Shamar realized with shame that it was this one ship that had somehow escaped the Grand Fleet’s defeat, it had somehow discovered the location of secret Keva. A secret no longer. A city no longer. Even now that every Vognar ship had been blown out of the sky, and every one of the Vogars was dead, it was all of small consequence to Shamar and Aron and the remaining Kevans. Shamar was devastated with the realization that he was now the king of a city-state that no longer existed. Aron The Eldest was leader of the Old Ones, a Great Council of wise elders for a nation of people who would probably some day become extinct. Keva was no more and the Kevan people were few, but under Shamar and Aron they vowed to rebuild their city and to repopulate their nation.

But first they had to bury the dead.

* * * *

With the Vognar fleet of Lord Mentep destroyed, the only thing left now for Zaor and I to do was to capture or exterminate the last few remnants of the Winged-men who had begun this war.

I gave the order to round up any remaining Zarans who quickly surrendered to my men and accepted terms of peace. They pledged to join with the green peoples in peace—or be exterminated. Some of the winged enemy with their old hatreds took the later choice, and they were quickly accommodated and dispatched. Mercy in this war was neither asked for, nor given. However, many of the younger winged creatures accepted the new world they now found themselves living in. After all, they did want to live. So they were allowed life but under strict observation and rules. They had to give up all their weapons, and their wings were bound so they could not fly unless we allowed them to do so. They could not mate and were only allowed to live on special guarded lands. In effect, reservations, but I did not worry about the implications of that now.

The important thing today was that the threat of the Winged-men of Zar was gone from Ares and the green race was free. Just as important, the Blue Vognar threat was apparently ended as well, the new regime on the western continent under Konor was peaceful and were now our allies. There still remained the great task of rebuilding and reconsolidating the Green Empire, and that had to begin soon. For I knew I had an even more enormous task ahead of me for the future. A far more imposing challenge.

That was the planet Zar!

It was eventually agreed that a small section in the north of the continent of Cos would be reserved for the Zarans who would now change their ways and that this settlement would be held under the tight control by a special governor appointed by myself and answerable to me personally. That seemed to end the winged menace on Ares once and for all and now all the green people could be finally safe and secure.

Now that the major part of the fighting was over, my lovely Sirah and I were now able to finally be together again, happily reunited and in each others arms. We had always held the hope of being reunited but now we were joyful that our dream had been granted and the future finally looked brighter.

In fact, Sirah told me with a mysterious smile, there was another of our dreams that had also been granted.

“What do you mean?” I asked curiously. I looked her in the eyes a bit suspicious when I saw the smile playing across her lips, so I knew that she was apparently bursting with joy to tell me something special. I could not think of what it might be.

“My Emperor, my love, I have news,” she said with a wide smile, then she added simply, “I am with child.”

I looked at her in shock, truly stunned, but absolutely delighted, overawed all at once. I quickly kissed her and hugged her and held her tightly to me—but not too tightly—and then I asked her a million questions.

Sirah only smiled and laughed, “The birthing will not be for some time, Jon Kirk, and I do not know if the child will be male or female.”

“What does it matter!” I cried, delighted. I was going to be a father! I looked at Sirah lovingly, “You have made me so happy!” “What shall we name him—or her?” Sirah asked me laughing happily.

I smiled, “We have time, my love, you make the choice, whatever makes you happy.”

“We will choose together, my husband. When the time comes.”

I nodded, “Ah, now…when will that be? Roughly.” I asked blown over by the wonderful news but overjoyed.

“One hundred days should be the time of the birthing. Though one can never expect an exact time in these matters. The Spirit of Life works on it’s own schedule.”

“Of course.” I sighed. “One hundred days from now, it can not come soon enough.”

“Nor for me, my love. But in the meantime you have your Emperor duties to fulfill, so get to work, there is much for you to do!” “Yes, My Empress,” I said with a smile and a light bow at her order. I knew she was right.

All the people of Tarcos cheered when I, Jon Kirk, Emperor of the Green Empire as it was now called, and my friend General Zaor, returned to them. The celebrations rang throughout the city and all the green lands and all other cities upon Ares. The green peoples were free and safe, and the dreaded flying enemy had been defeated once and for all.

Or so I hoped. Even so, I knew there was one more battle yet to fight and win.

Over the next weeks my duties weighed heavily upon my mind, especially now with a child on the way. There was much work that had to be done. Primarily among that work was to discover the location of the secret city-state of Keva. There had been no news from the Kevans since the defeat of the Zarans and Vognars.

I felt it was my duty as Emperor to find Keva and visit King Shamar, and Aron The Eldest and the other Old Ones of that mysterious secret city to make some kind of treaty or alliance. I knew we could not neglect this tiny, but powerful, city-state, but we did not know their secret location. It was the mind powers of the Old Ones of Keva that had saved the struggling humans of the Green Empire. So I knew we must seek them out. We owed them much. I also realized we needed their aid in the battle to come.

However, no matter how hard I had my warriors and scouts look, no matter how many scouts and expeditions we sent to explore, Keva was not to be found. In fact, I heard no word, nor any message from King Shamar or Aron The Eldest ever again. I knew they were out there somewhere certainly, and they were friends and potential allies, but those of Keva remained as they always have been—alone, separate and aloof from all other Greens. It was their way. It was their custom. Secrecy was how the tiny city of Keva had remained free for so long. I realized the small city was in some ways analogous to the Switzerland of my own home world. They did not want to be contacted, they remain aloof from all others and wanted to be left alone. They did not like to be involved in the affairs of men. I knew I would eventually respect their wishes, but for now I had to find the city and talk to their leaders. Perhaps some day the scouts would no longer go forth, and the expeditions would be called back home to Tarcos, and the location of Keva would remain secret. But not for some while. Not until I had spoken with Shamar and Aron The Eldest one more time about the future.

So while I sent out expedition after expedition in search of the Kevans, they came back with nothing to report. I eventually sent Sahn Jor in one of our newly captured airships to far away Vognar on a secret mission—to the western continent on the other side of the planet Ares. Sahn Jor was sent to seek out any news of the Kevans from the new Vognar government and to scout the more lonely places on that land where a hidden city might be secreted.

Konor, the new Blue military leader of Lanar was helpful. He told us he wanted to end the war and barbarism promulgated under Okvon’s tyranny. The new country he created was for Blues and Greens living together in peace. It was free and the people were far better off with Konor as ruler. He said the entire Vognar air fleet had been destroyed in the war. They did not know how it had been done other than by four mysterious black ships—I did not mention anything about the people of Keva or their powers to him. The remaining Blues had no news of their lost airships or Grand Fleet, and not one vessel had ever returned from the invasion. There had been no survivors. So nothing was known. It seemed finding out anything from the Blues about the location of Keva would only lead to a dead end.

After a month of searching, Sahn Jor returned to Tarcos, much weary for his efforts without any definite information on the whereabouts of the mysterious Kevans and their secret city. It was as if the entire city had just disappeared and he wondered if in fact it had been destroyed, wiped off the face of the planet somehow. Of course, Sahn Jor did not know for certain this had actually happened, but he felt there could be no other alternative and that is what he reported to me. His words proved to be prophetic.

“There is a new nation that rules on the vast continent of Vognar now,” Sahn Jor told me, upon his return to Tarcos. “It is now called the Kingdom of Lanar. Konor has been proclaimed the king there. He is a good man. The Blues and Greens live together in peace for the first time. They are all better off. They are our allies now, Okvon and his few supporters have been executed.”

“So Konor told me on my last visit,” I replied casually. “What of Keva?”

Sahn Jor nodded, then continued, “The Lanars have told me of the rebellion and battles that took place against the old regime of Okvon and the death struggle between the Lanars and Vognars on the western continent of Ares. Many of the Blues were killed in the war, many more remain and support Konor.”

I nodded, impatiently, “What about Keva?”

Shan Jor looked at me closely, “The Kevans are a different matter, that city seems to be no more. I fear it was somehow destroyed. While no one mourns the passing of Okvon and the hated Vognars under his rule, the people there are doing well now. I searched for Keva, but without any luck. Apparently it was a quick death for our friends from Keva in their secret city here on this continent. I found some ruins, it was utter devastation. A Vognar ship seems to have slipped away from the main battle and found the city. No one in the city during could have survived their attack. I found graves though, so someone had to have dug them. So someone from Keva is still alive. However, there are no people living there now. Any survivors have left. Wherever they have gone—I can not guess. I could find no information on them relocating upon the western continent other than rumors, but that seems enough, for it is most like them to not want to be found, so I am not surprised. They are a most unsocial people. There extinction is very sad.”

“I do not believe they are extinct,” I said firmly, hope filling a large empty space in my heart for the people of Keva.

Sahn Jor looked at me closely and said, “It is hard for me to believe that Shamar and Aron The Eldest of the Old Ones, and all those others from Keva are dead and gone. Our world is truly empty without them”

“It is a great tragedy, and a terrible loss that all their great wisdom and mind powers may be lost to us forever,” I said softly, thinking of my friend Shamar and wondering what had happened to him. Had he fallen in battle? Where was he? And what had befallen Aron The Eldest and all the others? I felt a keen kinship with them all.

Shan Jor looked at me carefully and offered a thoughtful look, “The names Shamar and Aron still ring true in the voices of those who live in the West, Jon Kirk. I have heard these names spoken in some unusual places. In the new Kingdom of Lanar I heard rumor of a small northern place called Kev. A tiny speck really, secret and hidden, if in fact it truly exists at all. All deny it does exist. One of the princes there is of interest to me, it is said he is called by the name of Samar, or could it be Shamar? I heard that the governor is said to be a wily old man by the name of Arlon… or is it perhaps Aron? They are a most reclusive people. Unsocial in the extreme. No one ever sees either of these men, nor any of these people thereabouts. It is almost as if they are invisible.”

“They wish to be invisible,” I said softly.

Sahn Jor nodded, continuing with his report, “Local people told me strange things about the people of Kev, but you know how these primitive country folk can be. Suspicious and prone to superstition. I could not gain a meeting with either of these men, nor would they reply to my messages or entreaties for me to be allowed entrance to their country. It is closed off, and the actual whereabouts of the village is a mystery. It may, in fact, be invisible, or even secreted underground. They are very strict about their privacy. It seems these two men, with a few families, might just be the last survivors of Keva. These noble people have now made themselves outcasts on their own world because of the great mind power they possess. These may be the last of the Kevans of whom I was to search, Jon Kirk, but they still remain hidden and inaccessible.”

I nodded sadly. I knew the way those of Keva were.

“It appears they are gone,” Zaor added in a sad tone. “They have escaped to a new life and I wish them well. Thank the gods they still live. Somewhere.”

“Yes, those that have survived are lucky, as are we all,” I stated as I put my arm around my Empress, the lovely Lady Sirah. I held her tightly and she held me closely bringing her lips up to my own. “I never want us to be separated ever again, my love,” Sirah told me as we kissed with heated passion. Then she smiled and said, “Thank you, my love—My Emperor—for all you have done for me, and for my people.”

I softly hugged my wife close to me. I kissed her lips and replied joyfully, “Thank you, my wife, and thank you for the little one growing inside you.”

Sirah gave me a little smile and lightly patted her belly knowingly. Was it getting bigger already?

I sighed, keeping my mind on my mission. I looked at all those around and stated boldly, “There is much we have to do yet. Now we have an entire new civilization to build up from scratch and we have one more enemy to guard against. Grusus, Bron and their army while dead and defeated, did not originate from Ares. These winged-men were new troops brought in from the planet Zar to retake our world. That means our people are still in danger. We must be ready for the enemy to come again, for I am sure they will try once more to take back this world and enslave the green peoples.” “Then we will fight them again and win again!” Zaor growled defiantly.

“No,” I stated firmly. “We have airships now. If they can be made to travel through space…?”

“I see,” Zaor said approvingly. “I like it, but can it be done?” “We shall see. If possible we will use the knowledge gained from the Vognar and Kevan flying ships, along with their invisibility device and beam weapons to take this war to the enemy home planet of Zar. Then we shall see how these Winged-men like being conquered!”

“Yes, Jon Kirk,” Zaor stated firmly, “I do like your plan.” “What we do in life, shall echo through eternity!” I said with grim determination.

Zaor nodded with a wry smile, “What we do in life shall echo through eternity, Jon Kirk, and I shall pray for that day, my friend.” “I too will welcome that day, my love,” Sirah added as she hugged me all the more tightly, then smothering my lips with warm loving kisses, she added in a low whisper, “As will our little one.”