Vanguard Earth: Beginnings: Vanguard Earth, #1

Prologue

Legand Prime

2pm Legand local time

3045 - 25 years ARW (After Replicant Wars)

The rolling Samaroth plains of Legand Prime, the capital city of Replicus and the Republic, were considered a wonder of the galaxy. Blades of blue grass shifted in the gentle breeze, and the pattern of the rolling hills were only occasionally interrupted by the large sensor arrays dotting the landscape.

Today, there were two more dots on the landscape: two primling children, no more than 6 years new. One of them was losing a game of seekers (again).

You won’t find me this time, the boy said.

Oh, won’t I? the girl giggled back. I’ve found you the last 10 times in a row!

‘She’s right’ Terrien thought to himself. He should never have argued with the girl about who was the better seeker at their last encounter in Sanctum. He would have never had to come out to his favorite place on the plains and be beaten...by a girl!

Terrien was hiding on a sensor array dish and had a good view of the girl below who was searching for him. She hadn’t looked up yet, but he was betting she’d find him in a matter of minutes. Terrien watched the girl searching for him. She was the only girl he knew that could beat most of the boys at all matters of things. This was a rarity in Sanctum. Whether it was Katanai practice, Star searching, or challenges and puzzles she was always near the top of the class. All Terrien knew was that he never did as well as the other children. He was always near the bottom of any class he was in. He knew that it wasn’t fun coming in last all the time.

The girl was now walking around the sensor array upon which Terrien had climbed. How did she know he was here?

Terrien, I know you are here somewhere, she said.

Terrien stifled a chortle and a giggle.

You will never be a Legand Elite, Terrien she said. Those noises will give you away!

Sure enough 10 minutes later, a head popped through the manhole onto the dish, and the girl climbed through.

The seeker wins again, she beamed. The girl surveyed the view.

Wow - what a spot. I can see right back to the city! There are our skim boards on the crest of that hill. This is great!

Terrien was not so enthused. He came here at least once a week after being admonished by the two Sanctum elders for lack of completion of tasks. Terrien thought to himself if he didn’t have to attend Sanctum it would be great. He’d happily join his other friends who were being taught in the Enlightenment Tower. The girl interrupted his train of thought.

Terrien look! the girl sounded startled.

Each beacon atop the sensor arrays around them started lighting up, and there was a faint alert beep emanating from the city. Before they had time to react, a jump ship with distinct markings dropped out of the sky in the distance above them.

We must hide now, the girl shouted as she looked at Terrien.

He nodded, and they both dove towards the door connecting the dish to the inner workings of the array.

Terrien - my father will be very displeased if he finds out I slipped out of the city limits!

Terrien wasn’t paying attention. He glanced through the door to the sky above, and he could see the ship coming towards their array.

They are landing near us! Terrien shouted. We must find a good place to hide.

He realized he was going to have to get the girl to help him on that one. The girl pointed towards the gangway above him and said,

The control room is the best place we can try. Let’s go!

Terrien and the girl scrambled up towards the top of the large array and found themselves at the control room. The girl pointed.

In here Terrien.

She had found space under the hexagonal console in the middle of the room. The paneling was loose, and they climbed through. The space was just big enough for them to hide. He’d have to remember this for the next time they played seekers. If there was going to be a next time.

Terrien stop moving. They are coming!

Terrien could hear the running footsteps echoing up the metal stairwell. Terrien peered through the crack in the paneling and saw five figures enter the control room.

Kareshians! he said in a fearful whisper to the girl.

What are they doing here? whispered the girl.

Kareshians were what Terrien could only describe to himself as ugly. He’d seen pictures of them in holoslides, and they had telltale red eyes and also large mouths with too many teeth. Their noses were long and snout-ish with small horns protruding from them.

Move your Kareshian behind you useless excuses for grunts. We only have a few minutes to get our cargo and be gone.

The sensor array where Terrien and the girl were hiding was in a cluster and was the largest.

‘Of course they’d be here’ he thought to himself. ‘They must be after the Derilium Crystals, and they would be in a larger concentration here.’

Derilium Crystals were the fuel source for all classes of ships traveling the galaxy. Sensor Arrays always carried a higher quality of crystal for communications purposes.

Kalik, get here now, said the largest Kareshian who was now organizing the other intruders in the room. I need not remind you what the punishment is if you break any of the crystals. Starkiller will have all of our heads!

You, he pointed to a junior-looking soldier. Help Kalik secure the crystals. The rest of you spread out and see what else we can take from this array. Move it, or I will have your heads!

As he finished speaking, the large Kareshian’s transponder crackled to life.

Malakai, I have jammed the short range scanners, have initiated stealth mode, and have a skimmer with a shadow signal deployed and on a run among the arrays. I will have to recalibrate the jammers in 2 minutes to avoid detection. I estimate we must have gears up and be gone in 7 minutes if we hope to successfully avoid interception. The scammer rouse won’t last long.

Thank you Kamine. Your efficiency is noted, said Malakai through gritted teeth on his transponder. He turned to his squad.

Move it fools! That Replicant pilot says we’ve got 7 minutes to avoid a fire fight.

He spat green slime on the floor when he finished speaking. He could not hold his disappointment of missing out on bloodshed in front of his men.

‘He obviously doesn’t like non-Kareshians,’ Terrien said to himself.

The girl whispered, Terrien, move away from the crack in the paneling. We don’t want to give ourselves away.

He ignored the girl’s protests and kept looking. Terrien could see that Malakai was wearing a heavy set battle armor which was well weathered from use. The armor looked like it had come straight out of the Replicant Wars which he’d seen pictures of and about which his father had told him stories. What was drawing Terrien’s attention was the distinctive insignia on Malakai’s shoulder plate. He wanted a memory shot of that. If he could just reach his trusty imaging device on his belt.

Terrien no! the girl whispered urgently. Don’t be an oaf! You’ll get us killed!

Too late. Terrien clumsily dropped his device whilst removing it from his belt and it clattered on the metallic floor. This wouldn’t be the first time Terrien’s stupidity had got him into trouble; however, this time it could be the last. Before he and the girl could react, a stomping of feet surged towards