by Drew Avera
“Do you think they will attack us if we come across them?” Malikea asked.
“I hope not, because whatever force can stand up to the Empire isn’t someone I want to go toe to toe with on the Replicade.”
“What should we do? We came here to find help for Anki.” Deis reminded him.
Brendle sighed, pulling his eyes from the monitor as the illumination on the bridge returned to normal. “The mission stays the same. We land and get Anki the medical care she needs. But at the first sign of something sinister coming our way, we need to evade. I don’t want to engage a threat unless we have no choice.”
Deis and Malikea nodded.
“Pilot, do a perimeter scan from our current location to our destination and mark any vessels on our course. I want to evaluate each one to determine the probability of their being a threat to us.”
“Roger. Data on screen.” The monitor flooded with information as thousands of ships appeared.
Brendle groaned. “Compile the data by size and type. I want the largest military vessels at the top.” The information shifted, displaying the data from the deadliest to the least threatening, but there was too much to view without scrolling down. “Do you guys mind helping me assess the data?”
“Whatever you need,” Deis replied.
“Other than a drink, I need to ensure we don’t encounter any of these ships,” he said pointing to the screen. Near the top, he saw the Greshian vessel King Slayer. His finger hovered over it for a moment. “Especially this one.”
26
Anki
Dark clouds rolled in, blanketing the horizon as they choked out the light of the pale sun. A chill settled over Anki as she approached the robed figure standing in front of her, tendrils drifting in the wind from the fabric hanging loosely over their body, appearing more at peace than the world surrounding them. “Carista?” Anki said as she neared. Her voice sounded strained, as if she spoke through a gag.
The figure turned, still cloaked in shadows. Anki did not have to see the face to know it was Carista. Two small hands lifted, grasping the hood draped over the head and pulled it back. Long hair fell on both sides of the head as she looked towards the ground, avoiding Anki’s gaze.
“Carista, it’s me, Anki.”
The girl looked up, bewildered eyes glancing in Anki’s direction before darting away. “I know who you are.”
“I’ve come a long way to find you.”
Anki’s words appeared to stab at Carista, paining her to hear them as she winced. “You should not have come.”
“Why not? You’re alone out here.”
“No, I’m not alone. They are here too,” the girl said, her voice tinged with desperation.
Anki stepped forward. “I’ll protect you.”
Carista’s expression grew sadder. “I’m protecting you.”
Anki glanced around the horizon, but beyond ominous clouds, she saw no threat. “I don’t understand.”
With a gentle wave of her hand, the landscape shifted, suddenly populated by hundreds of people in uniforms and lab coats. Anki inhaled, holding her breath to not be discovered, despite the fact no one appeared to notice them.
“Where are we?” Anki asked, finally mustering the courage to speak.
Carista shifted her hand again and that version of the world fell away, once again casting them in the dreary atmosphere of the angry planet. “The hiding place,” she answered.
Anki shuddered. “And who are you hiding from?”
“Them.”
“Them who? Who was the woman I saw earlier?”
Carista looked up with tears in her eyes. Lifting a shaking hand, she whispered, “I’m sorry.”
27
Hespha
Inside her home, bags piled on the bed, Hespha packed for the trip. She didn’t know how Edon came by the information he presented to her, but she saw the opportunity to do what was necessary to take control of CERCO. This trip was a means to an end and one she expected to complete as soon as possible, no excuses. If the transmission coming from this world had ties to the weapon, then this was their only lead to reclaim possession of it.
Another call interrupted her thoughts. “Who is it?” she asked.
“Ka’Hor’al,” the computer replied.
“Answer it.”
“Hespha, it’s Ka’Hor’al.”
“I know. What do you want? I’m busy packing,” she said, not trying to mask the agitation in her voice. He knows I hate being distracted.
“I want to go with you,” he replied.
Hespha rolled her eyes. “If we both go, then who’s going to handle our affairs here?” it was a longshot of a proposal to tempt him to stay, and she knew it would not be effective.
“The board does not recognize our position with the corporation. Whether we are here or there, our right to control is nonexistent until we have the weapon. Why not let me go and accompany you?” His voice sounded more flirtatious as he ended his statement.
Hespha sighed loud enough for Ka’Hor’al to hear her, but she did not care about upsetting him, just as he did not seem to care about constantly disrupting her life. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“I’m not taking no for an answer, Hespha.” His tone shifted, sending a chill down her spine. The words did not constitute a threat, but the implication of the words with his inflection suggested something.
Her back stiffened as she breathed deeply. Everything about their relationship was unhealthy, and she felt she was the only one trying to back out of a harmful environment. “Fine,” she relented, “but this is a business trip, not a vacation. We go there, we get what we need, and we come back weapon in hand. Understand?”
She could almost hear him smirking on the other end of the call. “Yes, I understand. I’ll meet you at the transport and hour before takeoff,” he answered.
“I’ll see you there,” she said, trying to sound happy about it, when all she wanted to do was shove a finger down her throat and throw up.
The call ended, and she was alone in her home. As she looked around, her surroundings reminded her of another life. The foundations of this home were built on happier memories, ones of two people in love with their work and with each other. Now, it felt like a hollow void in her life, providing limited comforts as she tried to escape the memories that made her feel guilty.
“Computer, how long do I have before the flight?”
“Six hours.”
“Have a car pick me up to take me to the cemetery.”
“A car has been hailed.”
I suppose I should say goodbye to T’anoi, she thought as she shoved another stack of clothes into her bag. She knew her involvement with his death did not give her the right to so freely consider them close, but she hoped the memories of what they had were enough for him to remember her fondly in the afterlife, if one existed.
“A car is waiting outside,” the computer chimed, pulling Hespha from her thoughts.
“Thank you, she said, closing the bag and positioning it next to the other, previously packed and waiting to go. Hespha left the room she once shared with T’anoi and made her way downstairs. She hated cemeteries, and she hated funerals, but her compulsion to go felt stronger than her disdain.
Leaving her home behind, she climbed into the waiting car, preprogramed to take her to her destination. As it drove off, she looked out the window, watching the world pass by through thin glass. It was a veil guarding her from the elements of the outside world, just as her demeanor guarded her from being hurt by others. It eventually led to the dissolving of her and T’anoi’s relationship. She refused to be hurt by someone more passionate about his work than their life together. But in the end, she only hurt herself. The realization brought tears to her eyes, but she didn’t bother wiping them away. I deserve them, she thought.
No, I deserve a lot worse.
28
Ilium
“Is everything all right?” Commander Quino asked as Ilium slumped into
his seat on the bridge. “You were gone for a while.”
“Everything is fine,” Ilium replied, leaning his arm on the chair towards Quino. “I went down to the hangar and discovered your personal items were not yet delivered to your stateroom. I have a few men working on that for you.”
Quino fell back into his seat, looking forward, “Excellent. I appreciate that, Captain.”
“It’s no trouble. I didn’t want you reporting back to your stateroom and wondering where your stuff was. This is a big ship to navigate when you’re trying to find a clean pair of underwear.” Ilium cut a smirk in the other man’s direction, one eyebrow raised mischievously. Quino smiled with his lips, but his eyes showed something else as ilium looked at him. Yes, the eyes reveal all.
“Again, I appreciate that. Would you like an update on the ship’s status?” Quino asked.
Ilium knew all he needed to, but decided to play along. “Of course, the situation often changes by the minute on this ship.”
Quino smiled again, relief on his face. “The drive data from the ship which attacked you is not in the database. Intel is attempting to cross reference the data we have and search for similar signatures in other sectors of the galaxy. They hope to find a cache centralized in one or two areas to narrow our search. A ship that large has to leave a footprint.”
Ilium nodded. “The bigger question isn’t will we find that ship, but will we find more like it? The impact a single ship had on us was bad enough, but if there’s a fleet of them, then this will turn into a suicide mission rather quickly.” The only fear military leaders in Greshia held was that one day they would encounter a shadow empire that matched the ruthlessness and deadly precision Greshia held. One fleet versus another would cast the galaxy into the brink of extinction. That was the driving force behind annihilating your enemies from the start: not to give rise to a rebellion, and snuff it out before it catches fire.
“My hope is we will find a single ship and destroy it,” Quino replied.
“Agreed,” Ilium said as his monitor pinged with a message from Stavis. He glanced at it, trying not to show urgency, though his curiosity burned. The message read, “It is done,” a notification that Commander Quino’s stateroom was bugged and Stavis could track his actions so long as it was restricted to one area. It was a long shot, but it was also the only shot they had for delving into the mind of a mole. What Ilium craved most was catching another mole on his ship in the new Executive Officer’s room, plotting to seize control of the ship. Ilium waved a finger across the screen, sending an auto-response back to Stavis.
“It is done? What was done?” Quino asked, causing a chill to run down Ilium’s spine.
He canted his head towards the man and asked, “What?”
“The message on your monitor said something was done. I’m just curious what.”
Ilium lifted his chin and inhaled, caught off guard by the other man’s audacity to pry into his business. “Your personal items were delivered to your stateroom. I wanted Stavis to notify me when it was complete,” he said.
“Great. Do you mind if I go and unpack my things?” The man’s tone was brittle.
Ilium nodded. “Of course. Get settled in. Would you like to grab dinner together this evening?”
Quino shrugged. “I suppose. I’m just not sure how to tell when it’s evening without any windows on this ship,” he said with a smile.
Ilium returned a smirk and lifted his hand in an overemphasized shrug. “I’ve tried to get windows installed, but Headquarters said it would degrade the integrity of our hull when traversing the Keys. I told them the view would be worth it, but they can’t be reasoned with.”
Quino laughed and it came across as genuine. “Roger that, sir. Perhaps we can make another attempt to sway them in the future?”
“We can chat about it over dinner,” Ilium replied. “I’ll meet you at three bells in the ward room.”
“Three bells?” Just as the question escaped his lips, a single bell chimed, ringing at a pitch close to piercing.
“That bell was for the half hour mark,” Ilium said. The next will be a double chime marking the hour, but the staccato strike of the bell is counted as one. When you hear six dings in three sets of two, then that will be chow time.”
Quino looked puzzled. “I hadn’t noticed the bells before. I don’t think they did them on my last ship,” he said. “I’ll see you three bells, Captain.” Quino turned and left the bridge. Ilium watched him leave, recognizing the fact his new XO just revealed himself without realizing it.
You fucking idiot, ilium thought. Every ship uses the same bell system. At least now I know my suspicions about you are well founded. Ilium pulled his monitor towards him and opened a message for Stavis. He typed and sent his message. “Meet for dinner?”
After a few seconds, a response followed. “I’m not sure a dinner date is appropriate, sir.”
Ilium smiled, responding with, “Not even with the new XO as a third wheel?”
“Three bells?”
Ilium laughed. You know me too well. “Always.”
29
Brendle
“I just thought you would want to know what’s going on in case you can hear me,” Brendle said softly, holding Anki’s hand as she appeared to sleep peacefully. “The rogue missile gave us quite a scare. It’s not common for the Greshians to miss a target, much less allow a stray missile to go undetonated. My people may not be compassionate, but at least they want the people who die by their hand to be purposeful.”
Anki’s breathing was the only response to his words and it made Brendle feel alone. Despite the warmth of the space, her hand felt cold in his. Cold like death. He shook the thought from his mind, refusing to dwell on the dark thoughts ruminating in his mind.
“Pilot, can you try to warm her up more?”
“Her core temperature is slowly rising. I don’t want to risk overheating her by being too aggressive with the treatment,” Pilot responded.
Brendle swore under his breath. “Her hand is cold to the touch. I’m sure you can adjust the treatment by a couple of degrees and it not harm her.” The words spilled from his lips painted in agitation. He hated this part of his personality, but unsurprisingly it was the part which made things happen in high-stress situations.
“I think Pilot makes a good point, Captain,” Deis said as he stepped into the room. “Luthians are not responsive to temperature in the same way as Greshians. It is better to exercise caution.”
“Indeed,” Pilot interjected. “Fine. I just want her comfortable. I want her to get better. I want her back.”
“We know,” Deis said, taking a seat next to Brendle. “We all want the same thing.”
Brendle looked away, trying to hide the expression contorting his face, a mixture of fear and anger and sadness putting him on the verge of tears. It took every bit of his control to not let them fall, for his weakness, his vulnerability to be exposed. In many ways he was afraid to reveal it, not just in sadness, but in love. The only emotion he was comfortable displaying was anger, and it was a learned trait from his childhood, courtesy of his father. “Thank you,” he said finally as the silence grew awkward.
The smell of a cold ship caked in oil and grease flooded his nostrils as he inhaled. He knew it was because the cargo bay doors were open, but it reminded him of his last stand on the Telran before Ilium put him off on the moon to die. After several months of relative safety, that final moment as a Greshian naval officer still sent chills down his spine. Seeing Anki like this, and smelling the odor of a warship brought to mind his worst fears and unrelenting memories.
“I wanted you to know that our trek to Pila will be delayed by half a day due to a detour to avoid the Greshian ship you warned us about,” Deis said. His voice was soft, but carried with authority.
“I imagined that might be the case. I felt the ship adjust in heading,” Brendle replied. “I just hope the delay does not cast Anki into a worst situation.”
“She wi
ll be fine. The medically induced coma will aid in preventing further degradation in her condition.” Deis placed a hand on Brendle’s shoulder, but Brendle could not face him. He was too caught up in the minefield of his thoughts to compose himself properly.
How did I get to this point? I’m an emotional wreck today. “I appreciate you saying so.”
“Deis is correct. The primary purpose of the coma was to lower brain activity and regulate her condition. She is no more changed from her previous condition than could be helped. This is a lifesaving means of treatment,” Pilot said.
“Thank you again. That information is appreciated, but it far from settles my mind. This is just something I need to work through myself. I’m sure I will feel better once she is with a doctor.”
“I understand,” Deis said. “Malikea and I will be in the cargo bay if you need us. We are preparing for landing on the planet by making room for more supplies. I will make a list of items to procure tonight if you have any requests.”
Brendle nodded, but sat silently, his jaw clenched as he fought back tears and thoughts of losing the love of his life. Regardless of the truth in their words, until he could speak with her again, he was overwhelmed with thoughts that she was fading from his life. It made him want to do anything to not let go. But was it worth pushing the other part of his family away in the process?
He heard Deis’s footsteps as the Lechun man walked away. Once again in silence, Brendle wiped a tear from his face and held Anki’s hand tighter. “I promise you I will never let go.” His words echoed in his mind and he hoped she heard them as loudly as he did.
30
Anki
Her mind flooded with images of devastating destruction as Carista placed a hand on her forehead. Anki, powerless to move, witnessed the end of the largest scale war in the universe. Her eyes affixed to three warring sides. She recognized one, the Greshian Empire, its mighty warships raining fire and destruction on thousands of worlds in the name of power and control. The other two sides were more mysterious, shadows lurking as each empire grew in power, and very much capable of the horrors inflicted by the Greshians.