Progeny of Vale

by Rhett C. Bruno

  In a struggle for his fallen gun, he managed to slam her back against a supply crate. They were so immense that the impact was hardly enough to make a noise, but the gun would. She yanked him down, and used her legs to pull back his arms and pin them behind his back. Then she squeezed even harder to keep him quiet, until all he could manage was to kick futilely. There was no way to feel his pulse through her artificial arm, so Sage did the only thing she could and held him tightly until his legs went still.

  She released him, allowing his body to roll off of her in a mess of tangled limbs. Only then was she able to draw a breath. She crawled over to him and checked his pulse. There was none. She unlatched his helmet and pulled it off. His eyelids remained slightly ajar, but as she felt his crushed trachea with her human hand it began to tremble.

  “Forgive me…” she whimpered to him. As if it were reflex, she whispered a prayer to the Spirit of the Earth for him under her breath. It was the least she could do with so little time. “This day is yet another test of my conviction,” she whispered, “but though the Earth may be wreathed in flame and shadow, she remains within me. May those who have left to join this essence guide my daily endeavors. Redemption is near.”

  The floor quaked from a Mech placing down another supply crate. She pulled the guard’s body as tightly against her own as she could. Her artificial hand was steady, but she couldn’t keep her other from shaking. Remorse was a new emotion for her. So foreign that she couldn’t bear to look at the soldier as she removed his armored suit piece by piece.

  She knew she couldn’t waste any time before any more patrols strolled through. She had to focus. She swallowed hard and removed her own armor. Once she was down to the tattered tunic Cassius had provided her she put on the Tribunal armor. It was built for a man so it didn’t quite fit right, but that at least allowed her synthetic arm to slide inside of the loose, carbon-plated sleeve.

  Once she had everything on except for the helmet, she lifted the body with ease and placed it in the duct from where she’d emerged. She reached in, closed his eyes gently, and whispered, “May the Spirit guide you always.”

  Sage glanced down at her vacant suit of white nano-armor. It’d been with her since the day the Tribunal Council named her an Executor. Every Executor had their own unique set. Hers had one bulkier sleeve to fit the arm which Cassius had constructed. The bright lights of the hangar revealed all of the blemishes along its glossy plates. There were too many scratches and dents to count. So many that she couldn’t even remember how a single one was inscribed, but she knew she had earned all of them.

  She’d always served loyally, and no matter what her superiors may have thought, she would never betray them like Cassius did. Once Elisha was safe and her promise to Talon was upheld, Sage could work to prove her faith in the Spirit. Then she could come back for her suit.

  Sage used her blade to cut a hole on the inside of the shaft and stuffed the sleeve of her suit inside so that it wouldn’t blow away. She pulled the bloody bandage off of her head and tossed it in as well. The visor on the guard’s helmet would do well to keep her face mostly concealed, but she couldn’t risk keeping any of her more identifiable features. The skin was still tender underneath, but the rest of her body was too sore for her to notice. She pulled what was left of her red hair taut and sliced it off with her wrist-blade before throwing it in loose as well. Before long everything but her armor would be expelled from the ship and buried under layers of Titan’s shifting sands.

  After doing her best to reseal the hatch, she picked up the deceased guard’s helmet and placed it over her head. It was wobbly and reeked of sweat, but it would have to do.

  Her transformation was complete.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE—TALON

  Kill Them All

  Talon sat on a rock at the edge of the secluded promontory in the West 534 Housing District. It was where he’d gone to be alone ever since he was a child.

  He held up the portable HOLO-Screen Zaimur had given to him and was watching the surveillance footage from the day Elisha and Julius left for Kalliope. Julius had his big hand wrapped around her, likely to try and hide her from Zaimur. Just like Talon had asked him to. There was no question that it was her, though—that was evident enough when Julius said something and she turned around to nudge him playfully in the side. At that moment Talon could make out the profile of her face and the green of her eyes. Julius hurried her onto the waiting transport.

  There were no tears dripping down Talon’s cheeks as he watched. His eyes had already dried out. He didn’t bother to imagine how many times he’d watched the recording on repeat since he left the Morastus compound. Every time it started he felt like his heart was being freshly ripped out.

  “Talon,” a man said. He didn’t bother to look. Whoever it was, Talon hoped they would put a bullet in the back of his head before he had a chance to get anybody else killed.

  “What are you doing up here?” the man continued. As he got closer Talon could hear the whining of mechanical joints.

  “Tarsis,” he mouthed. He placed the HOLO-Pad down at his side. “What are you doing here?”

  Tarsis drew a hood back from over his head to reveal his gaunt, vein-stippled face. “Kitt went looking for you after you never returned. He spotted you coming up here and told me you’ve been up here for hours. He wanted me to let you know that the woman you two saw earlier is safe and asleep.”

  “Good. That makes one of us.”

  “The docks are a mad house. That was the only way I was able to slip past the crowds without being spotted. Mercenaries in yellow have flocked from all corners of Ceres, shouting about how they’re going to show the Tribune real justice. Endless lines of Ceresians are being recruited onto their warships.”

  “Warships? So it’s really happening.”

  “Trust me, I may be from the Verge but I know a ship prepped for battle when I see one. These aren’t just normal transports.”

  “It’s the Lakura Clan. They’re going to strike the Tribune first.”

  “Alone?”

  “Most likely.” Talon sighed. “One last suicide run to honor our ancestors.”

  “Don’t talk like that.” It took some effort with his mechanical exoskeleton on, but Tarsis took a seat on a rock beside Talon. “What’s that?” He pointed to the screen in Talon’s hands.

  “She’s…she’s gone, Tarsis,” Talon whispered. “All that and she’s just gone.”

  “Who’s gone? What are you talking about?”

  “Elisha.” Saying it out loud made it all too real. “They killed her, and we’ve already seen her grave. We just didn’t know it. Julius’s too.” Talon’s lips trembled. “I left her behind with him before I wound up getting picked up by the Amerigo,” he explained. “He took her there to keep her safe and now…I thought Kalliope had already taken everything it could from me. But, what did I—”

  Before he could say another word Tarsis pulled Talon’s head to his chest and let him cry there. Once Talon was able to somewhat get a hold of himself they held each other at arm’s length.

  “Kalliope was just a floating rock,” Tarsis said. “They took her from you.”

  Talon wiped his cheeks and took a few short breaths. “They’ll take us all before they’re done. Who would’ve ever thought Cassius Vale would be right?”

  “I’m sure the bastard would be happy to hear that,” Tarsis scoffed.

  They sat quietly after that, staring out at the bright lights of Dome 534 together. For a second Talon considering visiting there and scrounging up as much Synthrol as he could to help numb the pain in his chest. That was until he remembered that the last time he turned to the bottle for help was when he accidentally killed the miner on Kalliope and got caught up in Zaimur Morastus’s plotting. Instead, he closed his eyes and tried to picture Elisha as best as he could. He remembered the devious little smile she’d put on when she didn’t feel like bathing or eating the nutrient supplements he bought for her.

  “
So what now, Talon Rayne?” Tarsis asked.

  “I really don’t know,” Talon admitted. “But I’m sorry I got you into this.”

  “I don’t want to hear it. We’re here now, and because of you I got to see something I never thought I’d see again. If there is a Spirit of the Earth, I’m starting to doubt it gives two shits about the vows of one broken, old Keeper.”

  “Well, I know I’m not going to stay here, at least.”

  “Thinking about doing something stupid?”

  Talon turned his head and glared directly into Tarsis’s eyes. “I’m going to kill all of them, Tarsis,” he seethed. “Every single one. If the Tribune wants a war, I’m going to help give it to them.”

  “Well you aren’t going to do it alone. You think they’ll take me like this?” Tarsis held out his arm and ran the fingers of his other hand down the metal bracing along the length of it.

  “I think they’ll take every gun they can get,” Talon said, placing his hand on Tarsis’s shoulder. “Too bad you’re not coming. You’ve got a crew to help now.”

  “Too bad I don’t take orders from Ceresians,” Tarsis joked, and then his lips straightened into a line. “I had a crew once. It was nice to see my people again, but we’re in this together now.

  “Tarsis, I—” Talon paused and exhaled. “The last time I was standing on this lookout I begged the closest friend I had in the world to stay behind with my daughter while I did something stupid. Now he’s—”

  “Dead,” Tarsis finished. “And it’s not your fault, what happened on Kalliope. And it won’t be your fault when I go either. In the end I chose to leave that Ark with you because you helped me remember what was beyond it. I'm tired of invisible enemies. Let's go kill some people we know deserve it. I'd rather not sit here waiting to die.”

  Talon couldn’t fight the smile tugging on the corner of his lips. “I’ll owe you one.”

  “You’re just lucky I have nowhere else to be.”

  They met up with Kitt and made their way back to the Monarch. Talon wondered if they were the strangest group to ever stroll through the heart of Ceres without cuffs around their wrists. Two Vergents, one of which was so deeply affected by the Blue Death that he needed an entire exoskeletal-suit to help him walk, and one Ceresian outcast who would soon need a suit of his own. The people of Ceres were in such a frenzy due to the Lakura’s impetuous decision that nobody seemed to notice.

  Tarsis hadn’t been lying. The Buckle was more packed than Talon could ever remember seeing it. He was just a small child during the Earth Reclaimer Wars, so he couldn’t say what it had been like then. And this was only one clan. When The Morastus Clan and the others joined in, he pictured the entire asteroid beginning to spin under the weight of its inhabitants flooding to the Buckle.

  Talon took them on quickest route to reaching the dock where the Monarch was waiting. Once they were close enough he tugged on Kitt’s collar.

  “Tell your captain that she has my eternal gratitude,” Talon said.

  “Not comin’?”

  “Listen carefully. Tell her I’m sorry I can’t get her a deal right now, but to wait a few days after the Lakura fleet sets off. Exchange what you have for fuel and then let the Morastus Dockmasters know that you all are the ones who transported me here. They should let you all leave without a fuss, and if they don’t, ask to speak with Zargo Morastus in my name. Once you’re out, track the fleet to 5261 Eureka. That’s where they’ll be attacking and there’ll be plenty for you to scavenge after the battle. You got all that?”

  Kitt nodded hesitantly. He looked toward Tarsis. “And you?”

  “I’m going with him,” Tarsis clarified. The lips beneath his scraggly beard lifted into a grin. “You’ll have to wait a bit to kick my ass in chess again. Now go. It’s good advice he’s giving you. I’ve seen my fair share of scrap yards after a few warships go at it. You’ll be sitting on riches by the time you get back to the Verge.”

  Kitt waited in silence for a few moments, like he wasn’t sure what to do next. Talon decided not to drag it out. He was getting tired of goodbyes. He patted the young Vergent on the shoulder twice and then headed in the other direction. Tarsis and the boy exchanged a few more words before he hurried to catch up, his suit creaking from him having to move so fast.

  “You sure about this?” Tarsis asked, wheezing from the short sprint.

  “I’m sure,” Talon responded firmly.

  They weaved through traffic toward the Lakura docking tower and found the shortest line onto their main warship, the Lutetia—named after their once-proud android production colony. The ship appeared as if it was wrapped in a great, metal quilt. Every plate along its blocky hull originated in a different mine or time period. Some of them were aged enough to show clear signs of oxidation while others remained shiny. The sizeable vessel had an impressive display of weapons systems fit snugly along its hull, including a row of familiar-looking splinter chambers, but it could hardly hold a torch to the newest Morastus warships.

  Talon didn’t care. He knew exactly what he was signing up for.

  Lakura henchmen sat behind a table, accepting recruits. Behind them, watching from the shadows, was a woman Talon hadn’t seen since the days he used to accompany Zargo Morastus to Ceresian Clan meetings. Yara Lakura’s hard, unyielding glare was infamous, and it was being used to full effect as she watched her people prepare for battle. She twirled her jagged knife on a table.

  Seeing her didn’t allow Talon to hold onto any allusions of what they were doing. A war was about to start, and Ceres might not live to see the end of it. He didn’t slow down.

  “Can you use two more?” Talon asked one of the Lakura henchmen outside of the ship.

  The man looked them over. His gaze lingered for a while on Tarsis, whose brightly colored veins and exo-suit were impossible not to notice in such close proximity. He turned to look at Yara for her opinion. The Lakura leader’s stern features didn’t shift in the slightest, but after a few seconds she nodded. The henchman looked back and grinned.

  “I’m not even gonna ask, but you two sure as hell ain’t no spies,” he said. “Grab some armor and a pulse-rifle; we can use all the hands we can get. Let’s go kill us some Tribunals.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO—SAGE

  False Identity

  Sage was accustomed to having to take on false identities. She’d probably spent more time over the recent years pretending not to be Sage Volus then she had being herself. It felt different this time, however. Everything felt different.

  She emerged from the storage crates in the Ascendant’s hangar, making sure to walk slightly up on the balls of her feet so that she would more closely match the height of the soldier she was replacing. On an average day it might’ve been noticeable that something was off, but there were too many ships and supplies being carried in, too many people.

  It didn’t take long for her to figure out what was going on. Hundreds of soldiers in armor identical to hers were being shepherded onto the Ascendant. They were perfectly arranged into rows and columns. Security was scanning their retinas as they entered, likely searching for her. Even grungy-looking citizens of Titan were being allowed entry—refugees from the shaft colonies Cassius had crippled.

  They were being recruited, and Sage knew exactly why. This many soldiers in one place could only mean one thing. She quickly folded into the ranks of a formation closest to the end of the hangar, leading into the rest of the ship. As the soldiers stood still, an Earth Whisperer came walking by, his cane clicking against the metal floor.

  The man had a long, scraggly, gray beard and bushy eyebrows which did enough to draw the attention away from the scars that rendered his eyes useless. Just like all those of his ilk, his dark green robe had a sash crafted from thin strands of interwoven tree bark around the waist. His walking stick was made from the same wood.

  “The heretics have struck here at our hearts in order to attempt to shake your spirits,” he shouted. His voice was raspy, but p
owerful enough to fill that area of the room over the din of the watching crowd. “But we are as unshakable as the trees of Ancient Earth. Our roots run deep in faith. Your Tribune shall watch over you now. Those responsible shall be punished!”

  The soldier next to Sage turned to her and whispered, “About time. I had family here. If those Ceresians think Cassius Vale can save them they’re dead wrong.”

  Cassius Vale? Sage thought. She wasn’t sure what order he meant, but she couldn’t imagine that Cassius would ever join them, or that they would ever accept his help. “We are blessed with ground beneath us,” he said as he repeated after the Earth Whisperers and crouched. He allowed his fingertips to graze the floor. Everyone in the hangar did the same and between every sentence there was complete silence. Even the Mechs stopped moving.

  Sage kneeled as well, though she didn’t repeat his prayers. All she could think about was how she wanted to yank the Earth Whisperer aside and ask him what the Spirit wanted from her—why she was being so vigorously tested. She held herself back. She would have plenty of time to ask the Spirit of the Earth after she was dead. For now she knew she had to blend in as best she could. The Spirit was rarely ever easy to read.

  “May my faith be eternal and unwavering,” the Earth Whisperer continued. “So that I may one day walk the Earth’s untainted surface with those deserving at my side.”

  Sage managed to bring herself to repeat those last words, which always served to sooth her. As soon as the Earth Whisperers got to their feet the entire hangar mimicked them. Then Tribunal Honor Guards flooded into the hangar. They fanned out in a line in front of the waiting army, and in their center stood Tribune Benjar Vakari. It really is war, Sage thought. He rarely exposed himself to the entirety of his forces unless it was an important message.

  HOLO-Recorders were aimed at him, and projections of the other two living Tribunes popped up at his side, watching. The entire New Earth Tribunal was going to hear his words. Even as Sage watched the man who’d apparently ordered her death prepare to speak, a shiver shot up her spine. She couldn’t deny that she had been waiting for this day for years—the day when the Tribune was finally going to unite all of humanity and help them see the truth of the Spirit.