Viole[n]t Skies

by Derek Baker

  “But now, we have important matters to discuss,” he continued. “Doubtful it is that you have had sufficient time to receive many reports, but are there any estimates on casualties on the surface?”

  The Human Minister referred to her preliminary reports and answered: “Predictions are that anywhere from fifty to sixty million were killed or injured, and maybe almost half a billion homeless or with some sort of property damage. Massive losses, one could grieve for a lifetime over those, but we have won the day.”

  The Martian Minister nodded gloomily. “Yes, we have. There are those who say we ought to take immediate action in pursuing the retreating Wendran fleet in my legislature. What they do not realize is that in addition to vengeance not being a part of Martian etiquette, there are also many important factors to consider around this sector of the galaxy in terms of the war.”

  “And what would those be?”

  “Well, you see, there are many more Wendran fleets in existence flying about, tying our own fleets to other planets and other battlefields light years away. For example, a Wendran fleet twice the size of the one we fought today surrounds the planet of Choobadda, a trip of about six months from our star system. A two years trip would take you to the Helix Nebula where we are currently waging a guerilla war against their space debris mining operations. We have even engaged our forces against theirs in outposts located as far as the Orion Nebula. This war has proven extensive and lengthy. Though we have caught a break here close to home, it’s expected they will likely go into heavily fortifying their planet and attempt to bring back as many ships as possible to defend our inevitable attack. They will be prepared, but we must be prepared better.”

  “I can see the sense in this, though I’m sure there are many who will disagree with this decision. How soon will we launch an offensive then, would you guess?”

  “Within six months, that’s for sure. The whole goal will be for Emperor Albalon IV to surrender and give up his imperialist aims. If we have to destroy the entire planet of Wendra to that, so be it. It will be justified if it means we can save billions more lives in the planets and moons that Wendra occupies.”

  ~~~~~

  My mind was warped, my brain ready to collapse inside my skull from exhaustion. I wanted nothing more than to sleep for the next three days if I could. I didn’t even bother driving the rover back to my apartment where my family waited, worried sick. I walked down the numerous avenues of the city of Tai, watching the victory celebrations and parades going on everywhere. Every dwelling was loud, filled with Martians and humans alike expressing their joy in their mutual achievement. As happy as I was, I just wanted to sleep. I could celebrate when I woke up.

  I creaked the door open slightly, only to find my apartment was just the way as everyone else’s.

  “Oh my god, you’re okay!”

  “Delvon! Welcome back!”

  “I’m so glad you’re alright.”

  “How was the battle? Were you scared? Nervous?”

  “Guys, stop!” I snapped in the blur of my fatigue. They did as I said, sorry to anger me. They’d never know everything I went through. Neither Claire nor my parents were there when I was tortured by the sons of bitches on the Tinzyick. Nor were they present when Alexander and I were locked up in a cell for Alexander simply speaking out in the legislative chamber, breaking a millennia-old Martian custom. They might have seen some video footage of the Battle of Earth, but they certainly didn’t fight in it, see it through my eyes. All the better for them, but they needed to understand that I needed time to think, time to repair and recharge my batteries.”

  “I’m sorry, guys, I just…I just need to sleep. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know in the morning.”

  “But it is morning here already, Delvon,” my mother said.

  “Then whenever I decide to wake up.”

  I moped over to the bathroom, hoping to bathe myself before landing face first into my pillow. Suddenly, I noticed that my tablet which I had brought with me from the nightstand was ringing with a call. I looked at the name, and lo and behold it was Alexander.

  He was clean, shaven, with his hair slicked back, looking entirely professional. Good for him, I thought. I took a quick glance at myself in the mirror, taking note of the grimy, greasy appearance my face and hair took on.

  “Hey man,” I said. We hadn’t talked much recently. He sent me a message bidding me good luck before the battle, but that was it. He was either too wrapped up in his new job or couldn’t bear to send me off for fear of what might have happened to me.

  “Delvon…” he said quietly. “Glad to see you’re in one piece.”

  I sighed heavily, subconsciously tapping my fingers against my thigh as I stood there. “Yeah. Listen, man, if you want to talk, I just can’t right now. Too many things going through my mind.”

  He looked a little hurt, but quickly hid it. “Oh. Yes, of course. I just…just wanted to congratulate you on your success.”

  I felt like I was starting to nod off right then and there. “Thanks, man. I’m glad everything’s going well for you too. Maybe when this war is over we can go watch Halley’s Comet again.”

  “Dude, I just thought…” he made a face like he was conjuring up an idea, “We could go to it now. See it up close and personal.”

  The bit of excitement from the idea woke me up a little. “You’re totally right. You and me, man, when this war’s over. We’ll hop in a shuttle and go.”

  “Sounds like a plan. That might take a while since we’re not trying to end the war here and now.”

  I sensed some inner resentment, but in a way almost agreed with him. Though that would only mean the battle would be far from over for me, something I couldn’t imagine in my current state.

  I ended up saying: “Don’t worry, man. This war’ll be over eventually. No one thought we could pull this much off already, but if we could do that, then we’ve got this.”

  “I hope you’re right, Delvon. Talk to you soon.”

  “Alright, until then, Alexander.”

  I began undressing out of the Martian jumpsuit I had worn under the actual spacesuit I had worn in the fighter. My skin felt hot and sweaty to the touch, and I turned some water on in the tub. I relieved myself in the strange looking Martian toilet and then a knock came to the bathroom door.

  “Yeah?”

  “Delvon? It’s Claire. Can I come in?”

  I stepped over and cautiously opened the door. She quickly passed through the crack. She looked at my naked body from head to toe, and then looked at the tub filling up.

  I turned around without saying anything, turned the water off, and stepped into the tub, sitting back so my head rested on the rim. She came over, getting on her knees, arms crossed and resting on the rim beside me.

  She then brought a hand to my face, caressing it as if she was trying to wipe off some dirt.

  I gulped, looked at her in the eyes. I reached my hand out of the water and touched her chin, guiding her lips to mine. Then I looked her squarely in her beautiful hazel eyes.

  “I love you, Claire.” It was the first time I had ever said anything of the nature to any woman other than my mother.

  Her expression suddenly changed from worry and concern for my well-being to ease. “I love you too.” We kissed again before she slipped off her clothes and slid into the tub next to me.

  Chapter 26

  Quansor had expected to find the Emperor Albalon IV in a state of fury; instead he was surprised to find his master in a strange mood of excitement. He walked into the meeting room to see Albalon and his son, the Prince Beltrush, drinking hot beverages that steamed profusely. The pair gazed up at him.

  “Ah, Quansor, give us one moment, we’re nearly finished.”

  “Of course,” he nodded in obedience.

  The Emperor turned back towards his only son and heir. “As I was saying, Beltrush, the Puitar Training School on Eridos will make a fine establishment for a student with such high capabilities such
as yourself.”

  The Prince ignored everything around him, staring off at the sky outside the meeting room’s windows, “Why do you wish to send me so suddenly, father? Surely something is amiss here.”

  Albalon rolled his eyes, then nearly whispered: “Well son, we expect an attack upon the city of Riveron, if you must know.”

  “I feel I must, yes.” The prince raised a sarcastic eyebrow, looking almost proud to have been able to retrieve this much information out of the normally so secretive and cunning Emperor.

  “I can come back in a little while if you wish,” Quansor nodded his head sullenly.

  “No, no, my dear Quansor,” the Emperor’s hand rose to stop him, “We’re nearly concluded.”

  “Just as well, my lord.”

  The Emperor stood, put his hands on the shoulders of the chair in which the Prince sat. “I suppose it’s all the same that you know these matters, my son. After all, you will ascend to the throne in due time. I just did not see it fit to overwhelm with such grave news that you might be…intimidated.”

  “That’s a ridiculous notion. I’m all too aware of what shall be required of me, father.” There was a hint of injured pride in his voice.

  The Emperor’s eyes widened in understanding, secretly feeling undermined and intimidated by his own flesh and blood, an unacceptable position to be in. He hid his insecurity and pressed further. “You know everything I arrange for you is only for your safety in this war. Don’t worry, we shall see each other again. Wendra will fend off this sure-to-come invasion and continue the plans to destroy Robhustare from the inside-out.”

  Oh, I’ll see to it that we see each other again, father, Beltrush thought, a weighing expression in his face, considering his options and their consequences that they held. He then nodded in assent. “Yes father.”

  “And you understand the purpose of your departure?” The Emperor added on for a last touch of testing his son’s obedience.

  “For my safety, of course. Also a means of preserving the family line seeing as I’m the heir apparent.” Spoken as if it came straight from a text book.

  Albalon smiled satisfactorily, hearing exactly what he had desired to hear. “Very well. Your shuttle will be leaving within the hour. Best pack light, son.”

  “So long then, father.” He rose from his chair, bowed lightly, and turned and left the Emperor with his closest advisor.

  The Emperor took a sip of his beverage, noticing his son’s mug left behind, no longer steaming. He looked at Quansor and back at the mug. “Would you like it? Beltrush didn’t even take a sip.”

  “Um, no thank you, that’s fine, your highness. I came to enquire a question that’s been bothering me ever since our defeat at Earth.”

  The Emperor sat back down in his chair at the end of the table. “What ails you, Quansor?”

  “Sir, I fear we miscalculated the appropriate size of fleet to send on our recent invasion.”

  “Ah…” the Emperor smiled, a rare show of his emotions.

  “My lord? Was this…done on purpose? All the blame I have been shouldering these past days has been a deception?”

  Albalon then leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head. He let out a small chuckle, another rare occasion. “Oh, Quansor. My dear, dear Quansor. Don’t you worry about it. It’s all been part of the sinister plan.”

  ~~~~~

  “Daddy! You’re home!” The little boy darted out the front door and down the front steps from the porch. He was met by his father’s open arms and scooped up in a tight hug.

  “Hey buddy, miss me?” The toddler’s feet dangled down as he rustled the child’s hair in a playful gesture.

  “Yeah I did! We gotta play, daddy! You gotta push me on the swing, daddy! Can you? Can you pleeeaaase…?”

  “In a little bit, bud. I gotta talk with mommy first, okay?”

  “Okay!”

  Evan Coholte set his son down and the pair walked towards the door where his wife waited for him. She then too rushed toward him in a fit of joy, hugging and kissing him with tears streaming down her face.

  “My god, I thought we were going to lose you. When I heard Baltimore was hit hard…I didn’t know what to think…”

  He stroked the back of her head, trying to comfort her. “I’m okay, babe. I’m right here. I showed those mother fu –ahem- I mean, I showed those bad guys who was boss.” He looked at his son who was watching expectantly.

  She kissed him again. “How much longer?”

  “How much longer what?”

  “How much longer until you’re done with this tour of duty?”

  “Well, actually, I’m done already.”

  She looked up, surprised, sniffling and wiping the tears off her cheeks. “What do you mean, you’re done?”

  “I’ve been transferred. Well, not transferred officially, ‘cause I figured I’d check with you first. But yeah, they want me to transfer.”

  Her face turned from sorrow to excitement. “Well? Where to?”

  “They want us to move out West. Out in the Rockies. They’re building a new city there, apparently. Some alien-proof one that’s going to be the new HQ for the UN. Free housing, food, clothing, all that good stuff.”

  “And will you be fighting anymore?”

  “Not if the Martian and Earth fleet have anything to say about it.”

  She wrapped her arms tighter around her husband, “When do we leave then?”

  He smiled, ready to hear his wife’s exasperation, “Tomorrow.”

  She threw her hands up in the air, almost frantically. “Well what are doing standing around? Let’s get packing!”

  They walked into the house, his son meanwhile asking: “Daddy? Are those bad people from space gonna come back?”

  He looked down at little Leophil, putting a hand on his shoulder, “Not anymore, kiddo.”

  ~~~~~

  With the threat of the Wendrans no longer bearing down upon us –their closest concentration of force was by this time in a distant star system– it seemed as good of a time as any to return to Earth to see what damage had been dealt. Claire and I landed in New York City on a bright sunny afternoon while my parents were getting some personal time with their granddaughter back on Mars, thinking the two of us crazy for wanting anything to do with the chaotic mess that pocked select spots around the globe. Cities destroyed here and there, forests on fire, volcanoes triggered to explode, whatever diabolical disasters the Wendrans had sought to wreak upon the human race were all too apparent. Walking through streets that looked like Arabian pictures from the Financial War, we finally found a bus station that was miraculously still operating under the circumstances. Despite all this, the mood and atmosphere was arguably upbeat among the people we ran into, either because they recognized me or they were just happy to be alive, that the human race wasn’t going to be enslaved after all. If one could forget the mess and crumbling wastes that lied about, one could almost try to ignore the fact that anything had even happened a few weeks prior.

  “Can I help who’s next?” the middle aged, grumbling woman behind the glass motioned Claire and I forward.

  “Yes, we were wondering if you had any routes going to Baltimore.”

  She inspected me top to bottom, squinting her eyes to the point that the wrinkles had wrinkles. “You’re one of those kids that got abducted on the news, aren’t you?”

  I lowered my head, hoping not to draw extra attention, but I replied with a timid “yes.”

  She smiled and nodded, “How’d that go?”

  I wasn’t in the mood to be interrogated for the millionth time. Claire came to my rescue: “Look, lady, my boyfriend here just got done saving your miserable sarcastic ass in the war. Can’t you see he’s not in the mood?” A bit harsh for my taste, but I thanked her later.

  The lady’s face grew snotty, “Look, kid, I can ask him whatever I feel like. And who are you to speak for him?”

  “Only the mother of his child.”

  Her eyes raised in
sarcastic surprise, “Oh really? And where’s this child you’re talking about?”

  “With her grandparents on Mars,” I answered, “Now can we just get some tickets for the next trip to Baltimore?” I almost wanted to walk away from the whole situation from embarrassment. Confrontations weren’t my specialty, even when considering the fact that my social interactions mattered so little. At least Claire was there to stick up for me. What a gal. I thought it might be nice to marry her when all was said and done and the war was over.

  “There’s a bus leaving at 8:10 tonight,” the lady grudgingly complied to answer my original question.

  “Great, we’ll take it.”

  As the bus entered my native city, it was obvious that it had sustained far more amounts of damage that NYC or DC had. I almost began immediately to regret my decision to take Claire here. Curiosity had led me here, wondering whether or not my parents’ house had been destroyed or that favorite café in which I met Claire was still standing.

  My parent’s house was partially still intact, but other houses down the street received more devastating blows. The Wendrans had come like a tornado; their path of destruction was unpredictable and random. Trying to make sense of their tactics was ultimately futile in my opinion.

  The café had been spared, but the door had a closed sign on the front. We contemplated breaking in for a few moments but thought the better of it. We did, however, make sure to look through the window to see if we could see the table where I had been sitting the day we met over a year before. To our dismay, though, the tables had been rearranged in a different pattern, so it could have been any one of them in reality. Oh well, we made plans to eventually return.

  We were pushing our luck, but we decided it might be interesting to see what had come of the apartment I had lived in before being abducted. It bothered me to think that I hadn’t even thought much about it even after returning to Earth, and I hadn’t gone back to check on it since. Most of my stuff ended up either in thrift stores or in my parents’ house after I was presumed dead.