“I will go to fight this battle” six other Apostles answered in their own various ways. Two had yet said nothing.
They all looked at the twin defenders of hope with intense expectation. “I’m sorry sister, but we cannot go,” Hydra said finally.
“We have to remain here. Apollia cannot be compromised” Seraphim insisted.
“Compromised? Can you hear yourselves, brothers? The Lion purged the free Phantoms and the rest are trapped on Colossi; this little escapade is nothing more than a clean-up. There’s nothing to suggest there are armies still big enough out there to pose a real threat to other worlds. The Auranair’s birthplace is far from vulnerable” Cerberus fought not to spit out every word, fed up as he was with the self-righteousness of his two brothers.
To everyone’s surprise, Oz agreed with him. The two had precious few moments when they saw eye to eye, the latter’s levity often seen as inappropriate to the former. “He has a point, brothers. You need not leave your forts defenceless; leave your legions behind if you must, but come with us. It’s time we fought together as we were meant to”.
“Is that so, Waterfox?” Seraphim asked. “Is it really safe for us all to be in the same place in this war? Tell me, how well has that presumption survived? You heard our sister’s legionnaire; their world is under attack, not infested with paradigms. This is not some foolish band of Phantoms – Gore Princes are not to be underestimated; even I know that. It’s a trap and you should all be able to smell it. They’re baiting us all to go, to hide a different threat ready to be unleashed when we make this place unsafe”.
“The enemy is more cunning than we imagined, Waterfox. You more than any of us should understand how dangerous that can be” Hydra added. “We will not risk abandoning our posts only to create an opportunity for their destruction; the Auranair gave us these worlds for a reason. Ten Apostles is more than enough for this task”.
It was obvious they could not be swayed, so Lupus said what he must. “They’re right. No matter what foe we find, we are more than sufficient. Nothing outside the time-lock has even the slimmest hope of withstanding ten of us”. Even if he hadn’t recognised them and their names when he came to Hydron, he knew their forms and abilities well enough. He had even underestimated Valkyrie, unaware that her psychic prowess was so fierce until the beacon called them all to her. They would surely annihilate whatever was waiting for them at the Phoenix Palace.
“Then it is decided,” Phoenix announced, looking to each of her brothers and sisters. “We Ten shall go; you Two shall remain and guard this sacred place, but make no mistake, the day will come where we must all fight together”.
“For the Queen” Calla intoned.
“Retyr Auranair!” the rest chorused.
Chapter 9
AFTER THE DISTINCTIVE flash that signalled the completion of a fleet completing its jump, the Luminon was brought into orbit above a black, shadow-covered world deep in the Tempest Sector. Without any enemy ships in the area the vessels were able to shut down the majority of their combat systems to redirect the power to jump capabilities.
Now, in less than half a standard Gothican day, they had arrived above the world they had come to cleanse of the enemy. The entire surface of the planet was bathed in darkness; the only light to be seen from even this high above was a tiny dot in an ocean of nothingness. Sabre exhaled in awe from the bridge of the Blackstar, the legionnaires of the 617th around him sharing in the wonderment.
“Noiran, they call it…” the commander breathed, “the world of shadow and flame. Home of Apostles Phoenix and Solitaire. We’ve seen so many things old friend and yet I cannot describe how it feels to see this…”
“A speck of hope, in a place so blighted by eternal nightfall. Few words on their own would be apt” Orion said, standing next to him as they looked at the banks of view screens mounted on the walls of the Luminon’s bridge.
They heard the bulkhead doors behind them open and turned to see a legionnaire approaching, another old friend.
“Commander, Captain” Olympus greeted them. He was seldom prone to any further affection or familiarity. “The Lion requests our presence in the PTH” he informed them.
Orion was surprised for his personal attendance to be necessary, but gave only a raised eyebrow in display of his reaction. Sabre looked at him, bemused.
“It’s a time of great change, Orion, when even captains must leave their seats” he joked.
Orion laughed, unoffended by the jest, before telling his bridge staff to maintain the ship’s orbit around Noiran. With his fellow legionnaires he made his way from the room he was so used to almost living in and travelled down the corridor A0, a direct path to the Primary Tactical Hall. It had been a long time since he needed to leave his station, but he knew his ship better than anyone, even his Apostle. It would endure his absence for a while, even his death, he fancied. Sometimes he wondered if it could fight a battle on its own.
Putting such thought aside, he was heartened to see more of the ship than his normal duties allowed and he returned the salutes that various legionnaires gave him on their way. The corridors were hexagonal, a design that improved structural integrity whilst allowing as much space as necessary. The Luminon had been in its fair share of brutal battles before, taking broadsides that would annihilate most other ships, even some of its sister Blackstars. This was a different ship altogether, though; the Luminon was a flagship, one of less than five in the entire Guardian fleet.
Its crew were proud to serve on it and loved the vessel, Orion most of all. He had to confess to a small pleasure and relief in the fact that the Apostle had not wanted to assume command of the ship as well as the legions on the ground. Of course in a battle, were the Lion to be on board, the captain would be answerable to his orders and would dutifully obey. That said, Orion had not yet been asked to give up his position on the bridge. He had heard it was different for some of the other legions sworn to an Apostle. He had to respect the Lion for being different; not only because it acknowledged his experience and skill, but because it spoke of respect and admiration.
The door to the PTH was already open, two legionnaires standing guard either side. It was Fia and Nexus and where a Gothican soldier would doubt the efficacy of a male and female in the same army, it meant nothing to the legions; they were disciplined enough all the same.
Both were as loyal as any other, but Orion felt a personal trust towards them. They could perform their job of security on the door as soundly as they could slay the enemy on the battlefield; the latter something that both Sabre and Olympus could attest to. It just so happened that this rotation they drew the short straw for guard detail.
The command trio of the 617th walked into the PTH and Fia closed the door behind them. In the centre of the room, the Lion and Whitewolf stood around the vast holo-table, several projections already floating above its cool blue surface. Valkyrie stood next to her blood sister and Waterfox was arriving through another doorway on the opposite end of the hall. The door behind him was also closed as he entered, a different pair of legionnaires dutifully on guard beyond.
Orion noticed some legionnaires seated in the rows on both sides of the holo-table and recognised faces that he had not seen in over a decade. The room was an elongated rectangle, with the sides filled with banks of ascending seats so that no observer’s view was sacrificed and a channel running through the centre to where the battle plans were made. He had rarely been in this room when issues of war were raised and strategies forged; instead, he was more familiar with giving his input from the bridge, ready to control the ship at a moment’s notice of danger or order.
The Lion was in fierce debate with Valkyrie when they came in and now the captain was even more uncertain why he was here. He decided to stay well clear of the two Apostles, knowing that he would be called upon if his voice was needed.
He saw a legionnaire seated to the right of the table gesture to him. He went over to her, eager to talk to a friend he scarcely thought he would see ag
ain. Three rows up, the lights were dimmed to allow focus on the meeting below, but he found his way as though it were rehearsed. When he moved closer to the familiar face, leaving Sabre and Olympus to find seats next to those they hadn’t seen for an age either, he was elated to see who had invited him up.
“Captain Vita” he grinned, failing to keep any restraint in his joy. He sat down next to her as she patted the smooth surface of the bench she was on.
“Orion! It’s so good to see you again” she replied, equally as happy.
Though they were close, they had never shared a romantic relationship. Instead, the shared status of being captains in the fleet forged between them a platonic bond that few legionnaires could claim to have with each other so intensely.
A loud voice suddenly distracted them from their reunion. “No! I will not risk the lives of my legion without due reason!” the Lion bellowed, his previous control receding and his temper winning over.
Orion watched as the First Apostle slammed a fist into the holo-table, wishing dearly that he wouldn’t as the metal dented and buckled under the impact. Those things were costly to maintain.
“How long has this been going on?” he asked Vita.
She regarded him with mild exasperation, not meant for him but for the argument going on below, and rolled her eyes.
“Too long,” she replied without fear of judgement. “As much as I love her, like any legionnaire of the 402nd, Valkyrie should not be pushing the Lion’s buttons. I know it’s bad to suggest this – after all, she is my Apostle – but I think her love for her sister Whitewolf interferes with her regard for the First.”
Orion nodded, understanding without trouble the reason behind the tension between the two Chosen. “It must be hard, though. From what I’ve heard, the Lion and Whitewolf met before the latter even received the Blessing. Some claim they fell in love when he was an Apostle and she was not; imagine that, a demi-god choosing a human to be his life companion, even if she did turn out to be more similar to him than he could have expected. It must be difficult for Valkyrie to accept that her sister has someone now that…on some levels …replaces her”.
“I’m sure that’s not even the half of it” a third, confident voice joined in behind them. Both captains turned to see the commander of the 10th legion, the Eternals, take a seat on the fourth row.
“Commander Chana, you always did have a way of sneaking up on people” Orion smirked. Fortunately for his sake, the rank of captain was equal to hers of commander, so his casual remark left little disrespect for reprimand. Had he been a legionnaire, though, she would have put him in his place without remorse.
“I still am. Some of us have to be fast, Fleetie” she grinned. It was the colloquial term all the legions outside those serving in the Guardian vessels used. There was a term used for the infantry and armour legions, for sure, but before Orion or Vita could attempt a witty comeback a voice more authoritative than any of them filled the room.
“Assembled legionnaires, commanders and captains,” Waterfox announced, the debate at the holo-table finally subsiding. “We have asked you here to witness and learn of our battle plans. I must first explain myself by that; it is with regret that, on this occasion, we will not be taking to the field with legionary support.”
There were startled whispers and hushed questions in the shadows of the seats as his listeners heard something they could not quite believe. It was unheard of for a legion not to fight a battle against a validated Phantom presence. Orion recalled the heated discussion between the Lion and Valkyrie from before. Not all of the Apostles had agreed to what Waterfox just proclaimed, he realised.
“Only we ten Apostles will go to the surface of Noiran to extinguish the Phantom threat. No legion will fight this day”. Waterfox reiterated. His audience was dumbstruck.
LUPUS SURVEYED THE faces of the Guardians when Oz told them the news. He had expected the legionnaires to be shocked and he was vindicated in that belief. He felt a guilt tug at him for denying them the glory of taking to the field for the first time with the Apostles of other legions, but nothing would sway his decision.
Sabre stood up, the conventional way for any seated member of the meeting to offer their input and spoke the words Lupus knew were on all the legionnaires’ lips. “My Lords, this is unwise. If what the Fireblades reported was accurate, there is more than one Gore Prince down there trying to assault the Phoenix Palace. They are far too deadly for a small force to tackle. Please, you shouldn’t risk this without us”.
“We shouldn’t? Commander, you forget yourself…” Waterfox warned him.
Despite Sabre’s presumption and tone, Lupus felt his lips curl in amusement at his concern for them, even if they were Apostles.
“Commander,” he replied, using Sabre’s rank to bring more weight to his voice, “we are no meagre response. I know what a Gore Prince is capable of. I lost almost an entire squad to the paws of one; legionnaires with decades of experience were cut down like child’s play.
No, Commander, this is not unwise. You cannot endure the same punishment that we can. Few legions have even encountered one; my brothers and sisters assent to that. I faced a single Prince on Dystopian and I have still to mourn the Guardians we lost there. This time it is a cohort, at the least; perhaps something even worse. We simply will not risk your lives when we alone are capable”.
Sabre sat down, signalling an acknowledgment of his argument, but another commander rose to their feet in his stead.
“But this isn’t how it’s supposed to b-“ Chana began.
“Is it not?” Calla interrupted, snapping at her to cull the challenges. “Chana, you cannot know that. None of you can. You were not with the Auranair at the Blessing; we were and She told us there would be battles we ought to fight alone. This is one of those times; do not mistake our denial of you for apathy or disrespect”.
Valkyrie follow suite, a little more harshly. “We have invited you here to comment on our strategy and propose any changes you feel in your experience are worth making. Nothing more” she said, looking each legionnaire in the eye. The tremble of her voice when she first spoke revealed how uncomfortable she felt talking to them that way, as though she had been persuaded to be strict and curt.
“If we can’t handle the enemy down there on our own, what help could you give? If something is strong enough to resist ten Apostles, you can be certain ten legions would do nothing” Oz added, his levity and sincerity gone, replaced by confidence and intelligence.
A silence settled and the disruption to the strategy meeting was over. Lupus returned his voice to the chamber.
“The other Apostles are aboard their own vessels. They will be joining this meeting over holo-comms.”
As he said this, six projections appeared on the holo-table one by one of the remaining Apostles.
“Assembled legionnaires,” Lupus announced, his attention now fixed on the audience of shadows. “This is our plan…” he began, gesturing to a series of holograms protruding from the table as he shared his tactics for the salvation of the Phoenix Palace with the Black Guardians they had called to witness their strategy.
ONLY AN HOUR earlier, Lupus had met with the Apostles in person aboard the flagship of his sister Phoenix, the Burning Spectre. It was a Blackstar class, much like the Luminon, but narrower with the bridge at the front of the vessel encased in the ship’s thickest armour. If one were to take in its massive form from above, the craft resembled a black blade ready to gut her enemies with its devastating weaponry.
Phoenix had decided long ago to remove the Primary Tactical Hall on her ship and convert it into a dedicated medical bay for the bridge crew. Deeming it essential that her ship’s captain and other officers should witness her strategies first-hand, she chose to plan every military action on the bridge in their direct presence. In order to do this, she had to expand the available room on the command deck, removing the captain’s command seat to allow room for the vital holo-table that aided in battle meetings
.
“What do we know so far?” Lupus asked as the ten of them grouped around the holo-table on the bridge.
As an exception on the Burning Spectre, there were no commanders present; it went without saying that this wasn’t a time for legionnaires to strategize, but for Apostles. However, those 77th still on the deck with them couldn’t help but overhear the exchange, though they tried to keep to themselves out of respect nonetheless.
“Akurei tells me that the Palace is not under direct attack; at least, not anymore” Phoenix said.
The implication piqued the interest of them all.
“What do you mean, not anymore?” Valkyrie asked.
Phoenix replied to them all, knowing it was a shared question. “It would appear that the enemy attempted an assault against the walls of the Palace, but were repelled.”
“Perhaps they were scared,” Oz suggested, a small laughter escaping his control as he paid heed to the spinning holo-projection of Noiran that he had made appear from the table. He was focussing on the Phoenix Palace, his eyebrows raised in surprise at the way the walls seemed to be aflame. No, they’re made from fire he realised. “I wouldn’t go near that place, sister, as beautiful as it is” there was little levity in his remark now.
“Then you are smarter than these moths to the flame, brother. Don’t get too close in your form, unless you want to know life as a vapour stream” Calla smirked before speaking to Phoenix. “I assume your legion pursued the foe when they withdrew? What did they learn?”
“No, Whitewolf, by my orders they did not,” Phoenix said, folding her arms across her chest. “I commanded them to hold the walls, but never to leave them. The world is dark and even I know little of what nightmares still await beyond the light of my home.”
“Oh, so many…so many…” Solitaire sighed, her eyes distant as though recalling a terrible past.
Phoenix frowned with her eyes in sorrow for her sister’s history before continuing. “The Phantoms failed to even reach the walls before the fire turned them away. My legionnaires barely saw the enemy, but they heard them clear enough. There are monsters on my world, brothers and sisters, beasts that I don’t even think you, brother” she said, gesturing towards Lupus, “have encountered, but these are altogether new”.
The Deian War: Vermillion's Apostles Page 27