Ranger Dawning

by Richard Ford

  ‘It is not a “feud”. “Vendetta” would be a better way of describing it. And it was my father who was killed also, not just Merreck’s. I am a Star Rider as well. If I can find the desire and the means to forgive, then there is no reason why he should not.’

  It suddenly dawned on Vance. His father had killed hers, had changed her life forever and split up her family. She had not seen her brother for years because of the Colonel. Again the anger flared within him, a momentary resentment at what his father caused that consumed itself when he looked at Jerklenn’s placid face. If Jerklenn could forgive the Colonel, then he could too. After all, it was a time of war. Vance’s father had been defending his own family. He had little choice.

  ‘So why the secrecy?’ Vance asked, too curious to change the subject.

  ‘My brother has always respected and yearned for martial prowess. It is how Neroon brought him up--to be the strongest and fastest. Out of respect for my father’s memory, I could not embarrass my brother by appearing more skilled in the martial arts than he.’

  ‘But how did you know you could beat him?’

  ‘I didn’t,’ said Jerklenn, a sly smile suddenly creeping across her face. Before Vance could speak, she stood and walked across the square, a hand covering her smile.

  ‘Wait a minute,’ said Vance, following her. ‘What do you mean “you didn’t”? You must have had some idea. Merreck’s almost a master. Just how well trained are you Religious Caste types?’

  ‘As I said, my foster parents were always respectful of my father’s wishes and teachings. However, my foster father, Keltoc, was not always of the Religious Caste.’

  Vance could see another session in the library coming on. Whoever this Keltoc was, he must have been a denn’bok master, maybe even as good as Durhan. ‘You realise you’re now going to have to impart your teachings to me,’ he said, struggling to keep up with her. She didn’t answer, changing her walk into a trot, then into a run. Vance began to pursue, and he was sure he could hear her giggling as she ran into Tuzanor’s maze of streets. However, increased heart rate caused a pounding in his mashed face, forcing him to stop. Much to his frustration, she had lost him completely within seconds.

  Despite her initial reticence, Jerklenn agreed to spar with Vance in the combat hall, and this time she did not hold back. She proved to be a good teacher, and Vance responded to her instruction much better than to Durhan’s. Merreck appeared in the view of others only when he had to. His pride had taken a real beating, and he made a point of avoiding Jerklenn and Vance whenever he was in the same part of the academy. Vance felt sorry for Merreck but could never actually bring himself to offer words of consolation. He knew they would not be accepted in the proper spirit, and he would get a condescending rebuff at best.

  One morning at prayers, Turval interrupted the assembled acolytes with news of their impending graduation. ‘Soon you will walk the path of the Ranger, but a number of tasks lay ahead before you can do this.’ The assembled trainees sat obediently, hanging on Turval’s every word. ‘Some of you will find the tasks ahead rewarding, while others will see them only as obstacles to be overcome. However you consider them, remember they are necessary to your acceptance into the Anla’shok. Embrace them.’

  The acolytes awoke the next morning to be greeted by several Anla’shok but none of their actual instructors. They were taken--without breakfast, much to Vance’s chagrin--straight to a transport and flown across the surface of Minbar. The long and silent journey unnerved Vance and several others, but the acolytes knew better than to question the more experienced Anla’shok. Eventually the transport touched down in a sparse area of desert. From the trajectory and position of the sun, Vance could only guess they were in the planet’s southern hemisphere, thousands of miles from Tuzanor. In a silent procession, the acolytes left the transport and followed their leaders across the barren landscape, walking for what seemed like hours. Soon, Vance could make out their destination. The sound reached him first: the clank of heavy machinery. In a place like this, such a sound could only come from a mining facility. When they reached the installation, Vance noted the building and machinery looked like something out of a history book detailing Earth in the twentieth century.

  As they descended into the complex, Vance’s spirits lifted at the sight of Turval’s familiar figure awaiting them. They obediently lined up in front of him as the Minbari addressed them, raising his voice above the incessant noise. ‘Humility is important for all, not just Anla’shok. I have already warned you there would be a heavy task ahead, and any of you who feel this work beneath you are free to leave.’ He paused, waiting for any sign that someone might take him up on his offer. None did. ‘You will each swear fealty to the Worker Caste who mine this facility and work with them freely for as long as we deem fit. Good luck.’

  With that, he and the rest of the Anla’shok walked back in the direction they came. Immediately, several dust-covered Minbari appeared from large caves set around the mine. They bowed before the trainees and the trainees bowed back--some more readily than others.

  One of the Minbari removed a mask that protected his face from the fine dust of the mines. ‘I am Tallka. I will be your instructor whilst you are with us. Please, follow me.’ Tallka led the trainees to a room where masks and tools for mining were distributed. He explained that for the next week, the would-be Anla’shok would learn how to mine the “old-fashioned way”. The prospect of the hard, dirty work seemed a mixed blessing to Vance. While it wasn’t fighting the Shadows, it represented a chance to show the Minbari that he, as well as the other humans, willing accepted any challenge or chore.

  Over the course of the week, Vance noted with pleasure that Merreck bore no love for the job but nonetheless threw himself into the task. The rest of the trainees did likewise, although some seemed to take to it better than others. The few complaints--besides the occasional grumble that the galaxy was in danger and here they were digging for gold with pickaxes and shovels--were met with encouragement from the other acolytes.

  When the week was over, the trainees assembled once again, their uniforms much the worse for wear. Turval and the Anla’shok returned to greet them and, before they left, each trainee received a large nugget of gold ore. When they were gifted with the ore, Tallka smiled and bowed, thanking them for their labours. With that, Vance and his fellow acolytes walked back to the ship.

  The journey back to Tuzanor did not seem half as long as the journey to the mine, but Vance’s exhaustion allowed him to sleep for most of the trip. While he was awake, he could not help but stare at the ore, wondering about its significance. The acolytes debated that significance upon their return. What was the ore actually for? There was no way they could use it as currency. Late into the night, William came up with the answer.

  ‘The symbol!’ Vance almost leapt from his slanted bed to find William crouching by his side.

  ‘Huh? What?’ replied Vance, still groggy and finding it difficult to breath with all the mine dust that clogged his nostrils.

  ‘The gold is for our symbols, the Ranger pins. All the Anla’shok wear them, the gold pins. The gold must be to craft them.’

  And this important information couldn’t have waited until tomorrow?’ said Vance. William nodded sheepishly and slid off back to his bunk. Despite Vance’s curt reaction, he was grateful to William for putting that quandary to rest.

  The next morning, when they went for prayers, Turval was waiting for them yet again. ‘Some of you realise why you were assigned your most recent task. The rest of you will discover it in time. Now, a similar task awaits. Good luck.’

  Turval left the acolytes in the care of the Anla’shok once more. Again the acolytes followed the Anla’shok out of the academy and onto a transport. This time, though, they did not cruise within Minbar’s atmosphere but shot beyond it, breaking the planet’s invisible boundary and lurching into the blackness of space.

  In scant minutes the ship slowed to landing velocity, and Vance guesse
d they were approaching one of Minbar’s two moons. When the doors to the transport opened, Vance could see they were at yet another mining facility. As before, the acolytes entered the complex, but this time the sterile atmosphere of a hab dome welcomed them rather than the dusty confines of the other mining facility.

  One of the Anla’shok stood before the acolytes, waiting for them to finish taking in their surroundings. When he had everyone’s attention, he began. ‘This is the Kayaz’kar mining facility. The Worker Caste mines silver ore from the surface of the moon. The job is very dangerous and casualties are sometimes unavoidable. Consequently, none of you are allowed near any of the mining equipment or the mines themselves. You will confine yourselves to the habitation dome at all times. You have six hours to procure a piece of silver ore, identical in size to the gold you already possess. Now begin.’

  The Anla’shok and his comrades returned to the transport and the doors closed. At the same time, the airlock to the hangar opened. Vance could just see the smiling face of a Worker Caste miner beaming from within.

  William approached first, smiling in his usual, amiable way. He spoke a few words in English, but the Minbari had no idea what he was saying. One of the Minbari acolytes then spoke in clear Worker Caste dialect. After the initial pleasantries, the Minbari acolyte asked if they could enter. With a smile, the miner let them in without question.

  Inside the hab dome, it was comfortable if a little fusty. The air recycling system was working overtime to deal with the emissions of dozens of filthy miners. As soon as they were inside, some of the would-be Rangers crept off to explore and maybe locate some ore by chance. Vance, Jerklenn and William remained for a while, hoping to find any clues regarding the best course of action.

  The miner simply stood, his friendly smile still plastered across his face. After several minutes, Vance grew bored. ‘I’m off to do a little sight-seeing,’ he whispered to Jerklenn. ‘If I find anything, I’ll let you know.’ She and William nodded their reply, obviously still intent on gleaning what they could from the miner. Vance made his way down the nearest murky corridor to see what he could find.

  After about an hour of wandering, it became clear no ore could be found in the normal hab zone. However, several signs for restricted areas were beginning to tempt Vance. He had watched a number of acolytes walking past with beaming smiles. They were on to something but would not tell him what they knew. The few Minbari miners he had passed remained characteristically coy about the information they gave out.

  Vance freely admitted his diplomacy skills were substandard at best, and he felt his frustration mounting. Maybe this was one test he could not pass. He probably wouldn’t be able to talk his way into a piece of ore. In that case, he would have to complete the task by other means. Quickly retracing his steps, he found a door to a restricted area. The words “No Access” were written above it in clear, red Worker Caste script. A keypad and ID card slot rested beside the door.

  Vance pulled a miniature jemmy from his belt and hooked it around the back of the keypad. Kattak taught the acolytes every aspect of infiltration, from stealthily scaling walls to overriding security systems just like this one. Vance timed himself as he worked, just to see if he could circumvent this simple security device as quickly as he could a rigged simulation. Five seconds and the door slid open. Not a bad time at all, though he supposed Kattak could have done it in three.

  Stepping through the door, Vance could see he was close to his goal. This area was even filthier than the rest of the complex. It seemed the Worker Caste miners were not quite as particular about cleanliness and appearance as the other Castes. A sudden noise forced Vance to duck into the shadows. Something large was being wheeled his way, probably a cart, hopefully full of silver. From the shadows he could even hear the wheezing breath of the old Minbari who pushed it along. Seconds later the Minbari appeared. Unfortunately his barrow appeared to be empty. Vance followed the old miner as he pushed his cart, sticking to the

  shadows and using the sound of the barrow to mask his movement.

  They soon entered a large chamber with a number of passages leading off. The old miner headed for one of the tunnels, but Vance’s attention was grabbed by something glistening on a table in the corner. Mining implements and safety clothing lay strewn across it, but Vance was sure he had seen something on it glisten for a split second in the dim light. He waited for the miner to leave, not really believing he could be this lucky. There was no way it could be this easy.

  As soon as the old Minbari disappeared down the corridor, Vance moved closer to the table. He kept his eyes fixed on the point where he had seen the glint of light, hoping against hope. When he was halfway across the chamber, more noise came from one of the other tunnels. Vance glanced around, desperately searching for the nearest spot of shadow. The chamber was dimly lit, but a lack of cover forced Vance to assess his situation in an instant. Abandoning silence for cover, he sprinted forward and dived to the ground, rolling beneath the table just as a group of miners entered.

  The miners laughed as they strolled into the chamber, obviously ignorant of Vance’s presence. He could see only their lower halves, covered in the dust and filth of the mine itself. They walked straight across the chamber and exited the other side. Suddenly one of them turned back, telling his fellows to wait a second. Then he approached the table under which Vance hid.

  Vance froze, holding his breath as he watched the miner draw near. A pair of dusty legs reached the table, paused for a second and then returned to address the rest of the group. Vance felt relief wash over him until he heard the Minbari’s words: ‘Someone left a piece of ore behind.’

  As soon as the miners left, Vance let out a long sigh. Quickly, he stood and examined the table. No ore. The miner must have taken it with him. What was he going to do now? There wasn’t much time left until they were due back on the ship. Throwing caution to the wind, he dashed toward the exit through which the miners had disappeared. Using everything Kattak had taught him, he slipped along the corridor, making no sound and hugging the shadows, until he caught up with the miners. Their good spirits led Vance to believe they must have just finished their shift, and their noise made his pursuit easier.

  After several seconds of stalking the miners, they eventually reached their destination, and Vance allowed himself a smile of satisfaction. They were headed for the shower area. No ceramic tiles lined the walls. The surfaces were covered with a sheer, one-piece material, crystalline in appearance but warm to the touch.

  Vance stayed at the edge of the room while the miners disrobed. They left their garments on hooks then entered the cleaning area. Vance took his chance and darted forward. He patted two of the coveralls, but they had nothing in their pockets. As he searched the third, his fingers closed around a rough, hard object. Vance dipped his hand into the pocket and pulled out the glittering piece of ore. While smaller than the gold one he already owned, he hoped it would be enough. One of the showers suddenly cut off, and Vance realised a miner was approaching. Before the miner had time to step out of the shower area, Vance was away and down the corridor without making a sound.

  Back in the small hangar the rest of the acolytes waited. Vance was the last to return. William and Jerklenn stood together, beaming at Vance as he appeared. ‘Have any trouble?’ asked William.

  ‘None to speak of,’ Vance replied. ‘How did you manage to get hold of yours?’ he asked, nodding towards the large nugget William held out on his palm, obviously proud of his acquisition.

  ‘Well,’ the smile spread across William’s face, ‘Jerklenn and I simply asked.’

  Vance raised an eyebrow. He found that highly unlikely, but by the way Jerklenn was smiling, he assumed William couldn’t be embellishing that much. ‘How about you?’ William asked.

  ‘Yeah,’ Vance forced a smile on his own face, ‘I asked too.’ He could tell by his friends’ expressions that they were not convinced.

  Before breakfast the following morning, each acoly
te handed over his gold and silver ore, and the precious materials were taken away. Vance felt slightly aggrieved that he had spent so much time and effort procuring the items and now had to hand them over. It hardly seemed fair.

  After their morning lessons, the acolytes gathered in the Chapel, and Sinclair arrived to speak with them. At first his stern face made Vance think that maybe he had some bad news, but his expression soon softened. ‘Your time at the academy is almost at an end. You have all proved yourselves beyond expectation, and each of you should be proud of your achievements. Remember though, your training never really ends. When you are on a mission, you will be learning every second of the day. Just remember to keep your eyes open and be careful of whom you trust. Now you will be going on another short trip, but don’t worry. You won’t be asked to beg, steal or borrow anything this time.’ A low ripple of laughter filled the Chapel as Sinclair departed. The acolytes filed out of the ancient building and were led yet again to the hangar.

  ‘Where to this time?’ whispered William. Vance shrugged his answer as they boarded the transport.

  Upon leaving Minbar’s atmosphere, they were met by a Sharlin. Their velocity didn’t seem to slow as they docked, and Vance could only marvel, as he had done a hundred times before, at the efficiency of the Minbari fleet and its pilots.

  Soon they stood in files in the Sharlin’s hangar, a procession of Warrior Caste Minbari flanking them. Vance could see no antipathy in their disciplined faces, although so many humans had probably never been aboard a Sharlin at any one time. At least not without wearing shackles.

  The acolytes were led through the bowels of the ship to an anteroom. Despite no visible source of illumination, Vance could still see his fellows. When he strained all his senses to their limits, he felt the presence of others in the room. Probably Warrior Caste Minbari sent to watch them as they waited.