by Heidi Skarie
“That’s true. You overreacted. I was afraid that guard would shoot you. Michio, I’m going to fight in this war on Alandra.”
He clenched his jaw, but didn’t raise objections, so she continued.
“I’m a Coalition agent and fighter pilot. This is what I’m trained for. You’re going off to some mysterious monastery for more training at an undisclosed location for an unknown period of time. It only makes sense that I return to active duty while you’re gone.”
“Before we married, we agreed it was too dangerous for you to go to Jelmur. The fighting will be heaviest at Coalition Headquarters.”
“I only had a few minutes to decide whether to stay with you or return to Coalition Headquarters with my team. I stayed because I wasn’t willing to risk never seeing you again.”
He scowled. “But you’re willing now?”
“It’s different now. We’re married—committed to one another. I know for sure that we’ll be together when your training at the monastery is completed.” But as she said it she realized she wasn’t really sure. Either of them could be killed in the war.
“How will I find you? We can’t communicate telepathically when we’re so far apart.”
“You can reach me through Coalition Headquarters.”
“What if Raptor troops destroy it and take over Jelmur?”
“You’ll still be able to reach me through one of the Coalition’s outposts. Or I can come to you in Kanai.”
“Kanai is a secret domed city on one of the moons of an uninhabited planet. There isn’t any regular transportation there. Most people don’t even know the planet exists.”
“I don’t have all the answers,” she snapped. She pressed her hand against her forehead, trying to relieve some of the pressure. By the stars, I shouldn’t be this wiped out—I’m only twenty-five and can usually go without sleep.
“We’ll discuss this later.”
She nodded and sank back into her seat, feeling emotionally torn between her desire to return to active duty and her desire to be with Michio.
3
Michio’s Mission Revealed
After Toemeka and Michio returned to the retreat, he left for a meeting. He offered to stay with her, but it was the last day of the event and she knew he had many responsibilities. They agreed to meet later for dinner.
Once he was gone Toemeka tried to rest, but when she closed her eyes, she saw images of bombs hitting the Temple. After giving up on sleep, Toemeka used her communicator to call Galton. He told her the base space fleet was scheduled to leave for Alandra the following morning. She made arrangements to travel with them so she could rejoin her Coalition unit.
Too agitated to go to any workshops, Toemeka decided to go for a walk instead. She explored the retreat gardens where colorful, fragrant flowers encircled a beautiful fountain and iridescent green birds drank from the pool beneath. As she watched the birds, her pain gradually began to ease enough that she thought she could sleep. She returned to her room.
At dinnertime, Toemeka went to the Center’s dining hall. She filled her plate in the buffet line, then located Michio and Master Bakka at a small table in the corner. Michio rose when she approached and pulled out a chair for her.
“Did you get some sleep?” he asked, a worried frown creasing his brow.
“Yes, I’m feeling much better.” She set her tray on the table and sat down. The buzz of voices, laughter and the clink of dishes filled the dining room around them.
Bakka smiled warmly. He had a short, white beard and his round tan face was deeply wrinkled. “Welcome, Toemeka. Thank you for coming to the retreat with Michio.”
Her heart expanded with love for the Master. He’d been her inner teacher and guide since she was a child, although she’d only met him outwardly for the first time two months ago on the planet Alandra.
“It’s been a wonderful experience,” she said.
“In a week, Michio is expected at the School of Eagles. His plans were made before you two were married. I want to be sure you’re all right with him going there now that you’re his wife. You won’t be able to accompany him, of course, since it’s an all-male monastery with rigorous training.”
Toemeka glanced at Michio then back to the Master. Bakka’s deep blue eyes expressed as much as his words and she felt a strong flow of positive energy pouring from him.
“At the monastery,” Bakka continued, “Michio will sharpen his skills in self-defense both physically and psychically. The instructors can teach things far beyond what most men learn; things that would be dangerous for an unenlightened man to know. It’s necessary for Michio to have this type of training. Samrat Condor’s dark powers grow ever stronger and Michio will need these skills for what lies ahead.”
Toemeka shuddered at the thought of Michio fighting Samrat Condor. “I don’t want to interfere with Michio's training. I knew about it before we married.”
“There is no way to know how long the training will take,” Michio said.
Toemeka fidgeted with her napkin. She hated the thought of being separated from Michio, especially for an indefinite period of time. But they would be separated regardless when she left to fight in the war on Alandra.
“I know,” she replied at last. She’d do whatever the Master asked of her.
“My unconditional love is always with you,” Bakka said. “I have something for you.” He handed her a small box.
She opened it and found a gold necklace inside.
“This chain is made of small golden links,” the Master said. “It is symbolic of golden threads between all people and between the physical and Inner Worlds. This life stream of love holds the universe together. It’s the binding force between Souls.”
“Thank you. It’s beautiful! I’ll treasure it always.”
“I have something for you as well,” Michio said. “I hope it will help ease the long days when we are separated.”
Michio placed a small golden-heart locket in her hand. An image of a rose was on the front. She turned it over and on the back it read: “Our love will never die.” Inside the locket was a tiny picture of Michio on one side and Toemeka on the other.
Michio slid the locket onto the gold chain and then fastened it around her neck.
“Thank you,” Toemeka said. “I'll never take it off.”
Michio eyes lit with pleasure. “I’m glad you like it.”
“In contemplation, look for a special mantra you can both use to contact each other inwardly,” Master Bakka said.
After eating, Toemeka and Michio went to the amphitheater where Master Bakka was speaking that evening. They found seats toward the back of the almost full room.
“This is the biggest retreat I’ve ever attended,” Toemeka said.
“People traveled great distances to be here.” Michio smiled at the toddler who was grinning at him from the chair in front of them. The boy’s mother picked him up and placed him on her lap.
Toemeka realized she and Michio had never discussed having children. She didn’t even know if he wanted a family. “Do you like children?” she asked.
“Sure. That little guy’s really cute.”
She was relieved until he added, “As long as they’re someone else’s. Kids don’t fit into my lifestyle.”
“Do you ever want to have a family?” Her heart hammered as she awaited his reply.
“I’ve never thought much about it. Do you?”
“When I was growing up I assumed everyone got married and had children. I had a cherished doll named Asta that I carried everywhere until I accidently dropped her off the side of a mountain.”
Michio raised his eyebrows. “You dropped your doll off a mountain?”
“Our village was in the mountains and my brother Baymond and I spent a lot of time climbing the peaks. One day Baymond wanted to show me the view from a rock outcrop he discovered. Unfortunately, the only way to get there was by jumping from the side of the mountain to the outcrop. I was young and afraid to jump that fa
r. Baymond called me a coward and said he wished he had a brother instead of me, then he jumped across. I didn’t want him to be disappointed in me, so I jumped to the outcrop. Only I landed on my hands and knees and began to slip over the edge. I had to let go of Asta to keep from falling. We never found my doll though Baymond and I searched until dark.”
“Your brother doesn’t sound very nice.”
She shook her head. “He was wonderful to me most of the time. That day he was eager to show me the view so he taunted me. He was a few years older and I had a hard time keeping up.” She returned the conversation to her current concern. “Do you think you’ll ever want children?”
His eyes shone with love as he gazed at her. “I’m open to having children in a few years if you want them. Right now I have dangerous duties connected to the war and it would be irresponsible to start a family.”
She wasn’t ready to have children yet either; she wanted to continue her Coalition career.
On stage a string orchestra finished tuning up and began to play. Music filled the air with the hauntingly beautiful sounds of violins, a harp and violas. When the piece ended, an Initiate came onstage and led the audience in a HU chant. Toemeka joined in and during the quiet contemplation that followed heard the word Shonu. She instantly knew it was the mantra the Master told her to watch for so she could connect with Michio inwardly.
“May the blessings be,” Master Bakka said. Toemeka opened her eyes and saw him seated on stage.
“I’d like to welcome you all here for our last night together. Tomorrow we will return to our homes, taking with us the gifts we have received during this week together.” Toemeka could see a sparkling white light around the Master that radiated outward.
“I wish there was something I could say about God that would instantly raise you in consciousness,” Bakka continued in his rich melodious voice. “But that is not possible; I can only point the way. Each of you must travel the journey for yourself. Tonight, I would like to speak to you on the topic of becoming a warrior of God. To become a warrior, the individual must battle the negative force. The lifestyle of a warrior on the path to God is never an easy one.”
While the Master spoke Toemeka listened with rapt attention; she felt like a warrior of God. His talk seemed to confirm that she should fight in the war in Alandra.
At the end of his talk, Master Bakka said, “Thank you for coming to the retreat. My love is always with you.”
Toemeka fingered the golden chain around her throat, grateful for the gift.
Michio stood up, stretching his long legs. “I'm going to meet with Master Bakka.”
“I'll see you back at our room.” She watched him go, worried about his role in the war.
The wind blew softly through the trees and across the river, stirring the surface of the water. The stars shone brightly in the clear night sky. Michio walked beside the Master, breathing in the fragrant air, listening to the night sounds, and watching the river always flowing onward in its journey to the ocean.
Bakka had aged greatly over the last few years as the struggle between the dark and light forces in the galaxy intensified. His face was wrinkled and his thinning hair white. The Master had dedicated his life to helping people awaken spiritually, guiding them in the Inner Worlds and serving as a pure channel of positive energy in the darkness of the physical world.
At last Bakka spoke. “What I’m about to reveal to you must never be shared with anyone, not even Toemeka. It’s secret knowledge that could harm a person who isn’t ready to hear it.
“Samrat Condor is growing in strength. He plans to annihilate Coalition headquarters, then take over all of Alandra. The Coalition won’t be able to stop him. His airfleet is too massive.”
Michio’s inner peace instantly shattered. “But the Coalition is the heart of the resistance.”
“They will have to move their headquarters to another planet. The fight is far from over. The books you’re writing on the Secret Teachings are an important part of stopping Samrat Condor’s spread of control over the galaxy. On the surface, it appears that Condor is taking over countries, even entire planets, purely by virtue of military might alone. But that’s not true. He’s also using psychic control and weakening countries from within. He attacks countries internally by spreading his religion, which is one of rituals, blood sacrifices, psychic phenomena and black magic. Condor teaches that he is a god. His religion worships the dark or negative force.
“Your books show people who they truly are as Soul. People who are spiritually centered will not be taken in by false religions.
“At the monastery, you’ll learn how to fight psychic power without being controlled by it. You are the one I am training to fight Samrat Condor.” The Master stopped walking and looked at him with a piercing gaze.
“Condor is a sorcerer—a formable opponent,” Michio said. “I don’t have the ability to fight him.”
“That’s why you must go to the School of Eagles and complete your training. At the monastery, you will learn about love vs power. Once you start the training, you must stay at the monastery until you’ve passed all the tests, no matter how long it takes. A warrior who is not fully trained can cause great harm.”
The Master continued to hold Michio’s eyes with his. “At times, the tests may seem too great, but I have confidence in you. I see within you the potential to become a Master of the Eagle.”
Michio looked forward to going to the monastery, but now that he was married he felt torn. He didn’t like leaving Toemeka. She was the center of his world.
“You must not battle Samrat Condor until you have completed the training,” Master Bakka said. “If you do, it’s likely it will result in your death.
“The wars in the physical worlds are only a reflection of what is happening in the lower Inner Worlds. When Condor attacks a country, he controls the war from the Astral plane. You are my hope for restoring balance in the physical world.”
The Master raised his right hand in an ancient blessing and bowed. As Master Bakka walked away, Michio felt burdened by the Master’s words. How could he be the one Bakka was training to fight Condor, the most powerful sorcerer in the galaxy? Surely, there were others warriors who were much stronger and better trained than he. He didn’t feel up to the task but knew he couldn’t turn away from the responsibility.
Michio returned to his room, concerned about Toemeka. She was upset about the attack on Jelmur and not feeling well. He hadn’t liked leaving her all day and now he’d left her again to meet with the Master. Things were harder now with Toemeka to consider, instead of just his own duties. Yet she added so much meaning to his life.
In the morning Toemeka awoke, feeing thickheaded from having slept deeply. She peered at her large aviator watch. “Oh no, you shouldn’t have let me sleep in. I’m late,” she said to Michio, who was doing a martial arts workout. She began pulling on her flight suit.
“Late for what?” he said, executing a high kick.
“I’m joining the Coalition fleet flying to Alandra.”
Michio froze, his right hand extended in a move she recognized as “strike to the throat.” She had his full attention now.
“You decided to wait until the last minute to spring this on me!” he said.
“I told you I was going to fight in the war yesterday on the Viper.”
“We agreed to discuss it.”
“Well you were gone all day and we didn’t have a chance to discuss it last night. I was asleep by the time you returned to the room. This plan will work out well. You’re leaving soon for your training and I’m joining the war on Alandra. I’ve known all along it was my duty to return there.” A wave of nausea roiled through her and she put her hand on her stomach.
“Aren’t we going to discuss this first? It’s an important decision.”
“I’m a Coalition field agent and fighter pilot. You knew that when we got married. We’re in the middle of a war and I’m needed. What is there to discuss?”
“I thought we’d agreed it was too dangerous for you to go into a combat zone.”
“Coalition Headquarters is fighting for its survival. I belong there.” The nausea was growing worse and she was afraid she might be sick.
“If you’re going back on active duty just because I’m leaving for training, I won’t go.”
“You have to go. You promised the Master.”
“I wasn’t married when I originally agreed to the training. Master Bakka will understand if I don’t go.”
“You need this training and the skills it’ll teach you. The dark power is growing stronger.” Toemeka broke into a sweat. “By the stars, I’m going to be sick.” She rushed into the bathroom and vomited into the toilet. She sat down on the floor and leaned back. The cool wall tiles felt good to her feverish body.
Michio followed her into the bathroom. “Can I get you anything?” he asked, squatting beside her.
“Not right now. I must have eaten something that didn’t agree with me.” She waited a few minutes to be sure the worst was over. The queasiness finally abated and she started to stand. Michio clasped her arm and helped her up.
She rinsed her mouth out with water. In the mirror over the sink, she saw Michio standing behind her with a concerned frown on his face. “What?” she asked.
“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”
Her breath caught in her throat and she shook her head. “No, it’s not possible.”
“You’ve never had a monthly cycle since we’ve been married.”
“I’m often irregular.”
“And you have morning sickness.” He sounded thoughtful not accusing, which made her feel a little better.
“Maybe I have the flu.”
He frowned thoughtfully. “And you’ve been emotional.”
She walked out of the bathroom to put more space between them. “I haven’t been overly emotional. I mean anyone would be upset seeing the Temple blow up, not knowing if the people they love were killed. I can’t be pregnant. We’ve been careful.”
“Except for the first time.”