Declaration (Forgotten Colony Book 5)

by M. R. Forbes

  Ishek laughed.

  “You know that isn’t possible. I respectfully request that you alter your vector and bring the Seeker back to the surface.”

  “I can’t do that. I’m following Arluthu.”

  “There is no need. He has surrendered the planet.”

  “He has,” Caleb agreed. “But do you know why he surrendered the planet, General? So he can go to Earth instead. My planet.”

  General Jax remained silent.

  “So I’m following him because it’s my job to follow him. And I’m going to stop him because it’s my job. Sorry, General. You aren’t getting the Seeker back.”

  More silence.

  “Caleb,” Washington said, taking over the comm. “What are you planning?”

  “Hey, Wash. I’m glad you’re still alive.”

  “I’m not too happy about your situation, Sarge.”

  “I know. You were supposed to be the one with the suicide mission. You still have a mission. You’re the colony’s Guardian now. The only one it has left. You have to protect it.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “It’s never been about what we liked or wanted. Only our duty.”

  “Roger that.”

  The Seeker was climbing rapidly. Caleb couldn’t see the Deliverance any longer. It was somewhere beneath the massive ship. He could see the Citadel above him, punching through the atmosphere. The Seeker was gaining on it.

  “You should know,” Washington said. “Kiaan’s here. So is Lia. She made it out.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. What about Oni?”

  “Harai killed her.”

  Caleb looked back at Harai’s corpse. “Harai is dead.”

  “Lia will be happy to know that.”

  Caleb, the path is set and locked. We have to go.

  “You’re sure he can’t evade it?”

  It’s a large ship. It doesn’t maneuver well.

  Caleb smiled and raised the mantle of the Intellect Skin, connecting it to the main comm to keep the link. Then he left the bridge, running toward the teleporter.

  “Sarge, I—” Washington said.

  Caleb interrupted him. “Me too, my friend. It’s been an honor serving with you. With all of you. Make sure nobody on Essex forgets about the Marines who got them there. Sho and Flores and the rest.”

  “I will.”

  Caleb reached the teleporter, quickly entering the coordinates and activating it. He stepped onto the platform, the flash delivering him elsewhere in the ship.

  “Sarge, I need you to recognize how many lives you’ve saved, both here and back on Earth before we ever left. Especially mine. Nobody else had much of a chance to say it, and I know you would never ask for it. But thank you.”

  Caleb’s eyes moistened. Damn it, Washington. He hurried from the teleporter, crossing into another room. It was round, with nearly a dozen arches implanted in the walls around him and a holographic terminal in the center.

  “You’re welcome,” he said. He glanced at the Skin’s HUD. Thirty seconds.

  He started tapping on the symbols in the projection. He had no idea if any of the equipment in the room was functional, but it was the only chance he had.

  A new set of symbols appeared as one of the arches began to hum. They weren’t in Inahri. They were in another language. One he didn’t know. One Ishek didn’t know either. It was a good sign.

  Twenty seconds.

  He closed his eyes, picturing himself holding the piece of paper Valentine had given him. He unfolded it, looking down at the symbols she had scribbled on it. Where had she gotten them?

  He scanned them a couple of times and then opened his eyes, finding them in the projection.

  Ten seconds.

  He selected each one. The menu closed. The arch began to hum more loudly, and then the wall inside of it vanished, fading into an impossibly black hole. It was working.

  “Wash, don’t worry too much about me,” Caleb said. “Do you remember what Valentine told us?”

  “Yeah Sarge, I do.” His voice sounded lighter.

  Zero.

  The Seeker shuddered as it hit the Citadel. It reached Caleb as a gentle vibration, the location of the portal room deep inside the center of the massive vessel. The walls and floor shook, and he rounded the terminal and approached the black hole in the wall. It was already changing, fading into something else.

  A dark place, but a place in space and time. It looked like a room of some kind. It looked human-made, and that was good enough for him.

  He stepped up to it. The Seeker continued to shake, and he could tell the air was vanishing from the ship, quickly pulled out into the vacuum by the multiple breaches in the hull.

  “I’ll see you on the other side, General,” Caleb said.

  Washington laughed. “Yes, sir.”

  He glanced to his left as the wall began to cave in, a massive fireball headed in his direction.

  He smiled as he stepped through the portal.

  And went home.

  Chapter 64

  John watched the impact from the bridge, the external cameras feeding a view of the collision to the primary display. Both ships were so big the crash was clear from hundreds of kilometers away.

  The Seeker slammed into the Citadel, Inahri alloy clashing with Relyeh stone. The Inahri ship buckled at first, crumpling in on itself. But then its mass and the force of the strike came into play, and the stone started to crumble and spread away from the enemy vessel.

  That part of the collision took nearly twenty seconds, the Seeker appearing as a disc implanted into the asteroid-like starship’s side, with kilometers of debris quickly shooting out in all directions.

  When the explosion came, the contained air in the two vessels fed a flash fire and detonation that rocked through both ships. The vacuum of space contained the explosion, snuffing it out within a couple of seconds. But the damage was done. Huge pieces of both ships spun away from the impact point, while smaller pieces began drifting back into the planet’s gravity. The debris hitting the atmosphere lit up from the heat of reentry, creating a light show John was sure he would never forget.

  The people on the bridge remained silent. They stared at the after effects, watching the burning embers of their past and present stretch across the entire visible sky.

  It was the same outside the Deliverance. Thousands of people—Earther and Inahri from both sides of the fight—stared at the sky in shocked disbelief. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved.

  All was still.

  Minutes passed. John finally tore his eyes from the display, scanning the amazed faces of the people with him. Klahanie, Kiaan, Jax, and even a few of the Relyeh soldiers.

  It was over.

  Done.

  Arluthu was gone.

  Dead.

  So was Valentine. John closed his eyes and bowed his head. So were the breeders and the servants, and all the other Inahri who had been trapped on the Citadel during the attempted escape. They had died so that everyone else could live. They were heroes in their own right, at least to him.

  He opened his eyes and drew in a deep, shaking breath. He still didn’t speak. He didn’t know what to say.

  The noise started from somewhere outside. A few random claps and calls that turned into a massive group outpouring of cheers and tension relief that carried through the feeds onto the bridge. Deputy Klahanie was the first to pick up the thread, smacking his hand on the control surface in front of him in rhythm to the clapping. The Inahri joined him, whistling and stomping their feet. The Relyeh soldiers participated too, caught up in the emotion of the moment.

  They had done it.

  The planet was theirs.

  “Sergeant Wash,” Tsi said, her voice coming in through the Intellect Skin’s comm. “What about Caleb?”

  John closed his eyes again. “He’s alive.”

  “How?”

  “Valentine gave us coordinates to a wormhole portal on Earth. The Seeker had a portal room.”

&nbs
p; Tsi laughed in response. “I was worried. I’m going to miss him. I thought that maybe once the fighting was over, we might get to know one another better.”

  John laughed back, the tension of the moment finally starting to leave him. “I’m going to miss him too. But he’s back on Earth. Back where he belongs. He’ll get the word out about everything that happened here, and everything we learned. He’ll be able to warn them that it isn’t over. That the Hunger is out there, and we need to be ready for them. And who knows. Maybe we’ll see him again.”

  “We’re a long way from Earth, Wash.”

  John’s thoughts turned to Valentine. There was a portal hidden on the Deliverance. There was a portal on Earth. They just needed an ample power source to use them. “Maybe not as far as you think.”

  John took off his helmet and dropped it on the floor. Then he lowered the mantle of the Intellect Skin. He found Kiaan near the back of the room. The young pilot had a big smile on his face, but he came to attention and bowed his head as John approached.

  “Sergeant Washington,” he said.

  “Kiaan,” John replied, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Your great whatever grandmother would be proud.”

  Kiaan laughed. “Yes, sir.”

  John embraced him. Then he turned to General Jax. “General, sorry about your ship.”

  Jax was smiling behind his helmet. “It’s just a ship, Sergeant. With Arluthu gone and the fighting done, maybe we can fix one of the others.”

  “You don’t have a modulator.”

  “No. But perhaps it’s for the best. As long as the Relyeh think Arluthu is still on this planet, they will hopefully consider it conquered and stay away.”

  “Hopefully. I’d appreciate it if we could work together moving forward. Inahri and Earther, to rebuild this world. I’m sure Governor Stone would agree.”

  “I’m not enamored with your Governor.”

  “Neither am I, but I think we can work with him.”

  Jax nodded. “I’m glad your people came, Sergeant.”

  John didn’t answer right away. He considered everything that had brought them here, everything that had happened, everything they had lost, and everything they had to look forward to.

  Finally, he gave Jax a thumbs-up.

  “Me too, General. Me too.”

  Chapter 65

  Jackson took a deep breath, pulling in the humid outside air and blowing it back out. He glanced over his left shoulder to where General Washington was standing with Lieutenant Tsi and Sheriff Klahanie. They dipped their heads to him in acknowledgment.

  He turned his head, looking over his right shoulder. General Jax was there, along with Kiaan Habib and the ranking former Relyeh officer, Lieutenant Fei. They dipped their heads to them too.

  He turned around to greet the people on the stage behind him. Faith Nyong’o. Doctor Rathbone. And most importantly, his wife. He smiled at her. She smiled back. A tear ran from his eye.

  He flexed his legs, still getting used to them again. The Free Inahri tech had repaired in days what would have taken Earther medicine weeks. It was only one of a great number of benefits their new alliance would bring.

  He turned back around, looking out from his position on the recently constructed platform. The surviving colonists were spread out in front of him, already mixed in with Inahri. All of the faces looked up at him, waiting for him to speak.

  “Citizens of…” he paused. He looked back at General Jax and Lieutenant Fei, who both nodded. He returned his attention to the crowd. “I’m sorry. There was some confusion over what to call this planet. The Axon named it Titang when they arrived to claim it. The Relyeh called it Arluthu’s World, in honor of their deceased leader. When we arrived, we referred to it as Earth Six, or Essex. One planet, three sides. Four, if you count the Axon. But now we’re one people in peace and unity.”

  He had to pause while the crowd cheered.

  “And we should all call the planet by the same name,” he continued. “To that end, we’ve decided on a name that promotes that unity. That honors the spirit of the man who bridged the divide between all of our people, and who helped bring an end to conflict and a new beginning of peace and prosperity.”

  The cheering interrupted him again. He waited for it to subside.

  “Citizens of Card’s World…”

  He trailed off. The explosion of applause made it impossible for his voice to penetrate. He had to wait a few minutes for it to die down.

  “Citizens of Card’s World. Don’t become complacent and think the days ahead will be easy. We have a lot of work to do to begin settling the planet. A lot of work to do to start our new lives on this beautiful new world, along with our allies in the Inahri. We have a shared hope and vision of a planet safe from the Hunger and free from war, where we can all co-exist together, learn from one another and create the place we all dreamed of on those nights when it seemed our days shut off from the outside would go on forever.

  “I’m counting on all of you to work as hard as I will to turn Card’s World into that place. To welcome the Inahri with open arms and spirits grateful for their acceptance. This was their world long before it was ours, after all.” He watched as the colonists in the crowd turned to the nearest Inahri, smiling and holding out their hands. It was a custom the Inahri were getting more used to, and they responded in kind, shaking hands and smiling at their fellow humans.

  “I also want us to take a moment to honor all of the brave men and women who were lost, both during the journey from Earth and in the battle right here. The Inahri have been gracious enough to begin preparing a permanent memorial to all who died to bring us peace. The memorial will rest in Sho Square, which will form the center of our new city. General Washington.”

  Washington came forward, taking Jackson’s hand and shaking it. He stood in front of the crowd, looking out at them in silence for a moment.

  “As we celebrate the new beginning of a long and prosperous history, we also call attention to our fallen brothers and sisters, who gave their lives for us. Especially the Space Force Marine Guardians who defended the Deliverance and allowed us to arrive here, as well as Orla Stone, without whose bravery none of this would be possible. Bow your heads with me in respect to the dead.”

  The entire crowd bowed their heads in silence. Jackson took Beth’s hand and squeezed it. She squeezed it back. Tears welled in his eyes at the mention of their daughter, sad but proud. He would never forget her. He would never forget any of them. That was his promise.

  The silence was interrupted by a sudden thrashing from the jungle beyond. A gasp and cry rose up from the crowd, and Jackson opened his eyes and lifted his head. Washington was already reaching for a gun he didn’t have, while the Inahri soldiers were moving forward to intercept the immediate threat.

  Then the crowd parted, giving the newcomers space.

  “Mamma,” Jackson said, smiling as the trife queen made her way down the center of the human masses. A second large queen trailed behind her, followed by hundreds of additional demons. They hissed to one another but offered no threat to the crowd.

  Jackson jumped from the platform. Washington hopped down beside him. The two men walked out to greet the trife queen in the center of the masses.

  “Mamma, where have you been?” Jackson asked. It had been days since the war ended. “I was afraid you were still on the Seeker with Caleb.”

  She lowered herself, jutting her head forward. Jackson put his hand on it. Then she backed up a step and held out her remaining hand, unfolding her fingers to reveal the decomposing Relyeh head resting in it.

  “Gross,” Washington said. “It’s like when a cat brings you a dead mouse.”

  “Thank you,” Jackson said. “I guess.”

  Mamma hissed, switching her grip on the decapitated head and lifting it so she could shake it. Jackson’s eyes followed the sphere that dropped out of the bottom and onto the dirt.

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” he said, staring down at the QDM.
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  Mamma turned to Washington and nodded her head.

  “A parting gift from Caleb,” Washington said. “He knew he wasn’t going to need it, and we could use it.”

  “We sure can,” Jackson said, bending over to pick it up.

  Washington grabbed his hand before he could. “Don’t touch it. We’ll have Faith bring a containment field.”

  Jackson nodded.

  Mamma hissed again, lowering her head to him one more time. He touched it, and then the trife queen and all of her followers turned and began moving back into the jungle.

  “They’re free now too,” Washington said.

  “They are. All of us are. Hopefully, we can stay that way.”

  “Let’s enjoy it for however long it lasts. That’s all we can do.”

  “It’s enough.

  “And if the Relyeh do decide to come back,” Washington said, smiling. “We’ll be ready.”

  Chapter 66

  Caleb stood in front of the Axon portal he’d just emerged from, taking in his surroundings. He was in a small, dark room. A counter with an old computer terminal and other electronics sat on his left, all of it offline. Shelves rested on his right, a messy assortment of scrap haphazardly thrown onto them. There was a door in front of him.

  He turned around to look at the portal. It was made of the dark Axon alloy, thin and light with a rounded base. The base was open, revealing the gel inside—the same kind Hal had been made of and a wire ran from the gel through the wall.

  A sound from outside the room drew Caleb’s attention. He turned his attention back to the door as it swung open.

  A man stood behind it, lean and ragged, in filthy, worn overalls and a plaid shirt. He had a shotgun in his hands, pointed directly at Caleb.

  This is unexpected.

  “Who are you?” the man asked. He didn’t seem surprised by Caleb’s appearance, despite the Intellect Skin that hid his human features.

  He is taken. I have not encountered a Relyeh like this one before.

  Caleb didn’t like the sound of that.

  “I said, who are you?” the man repeated, shoving the shotgun forward. “Or do I need to blow your damn head off to get an answer?”