First came Harris, who was dead on arrival. That had been straight forward, the man’s corpse now frozen, awaiting their return to Nolix. From there, they’d send it to his family on Earon. Nee hated how accepting of death he’d grown over the years, but it came along with working in this profession. There was no getting around it. He didn’t personally ascribe to the entire Vastness theory, but for the sake of the deceased, he hoped there was somewhere eternal for them to go.
He walked the perimeter of the medical bay, checking on his first patient. The door parted as he stepped near it; the man inside was bound by energy tethers to the bed. This was the same place that Yephion, the five-hundred-year-old frozen Statu, had been in when they’d interrogated him, and even though it was less than three months ago, it felt like years as Nee stared at Lark Keen.
The man glared back, his eyes red and puffy. “Where are they?”
“Of whom do you speak?” Nee asked, knowing full well he meant his family.
“My wife, my daughter.”
“They’re fine. You should concern yourself with healing so we can put you on trial like you deserve,” Nee told him, casually tapping at a tablet.
Lark struggled against his tethers but fell back shortly after. “We won’t stop because I’m caught. We’re everywhere. You might want to watch over your shoulder.”
“Tell it to the jury.” Nee turned, leaving the man alone in the room.
Nee was sure Keen was right, but their leader was caught, as well as over two hundred of them out here. Constantine’s crew were spread out over Andron, Remie, and Persi, leading the envoy as they headed back the way they’d come. Nee was glad to be moving toward Concord space. It felt like too much could happen past the Border. The rational part of his brain told him it was silly to think an imaginary barrier could really keep trouble out, but there he was.
He’d left the next room empty and moved to where Brax Daak was being kept. The Tekol chief of security grinned at him as he walked toward the patient’s bed.
“The good doctor.” Brax sat up, looking far better than he had when they’d brought him in. There had been fear of brain damage, but after working quickly, Kelli and Nee had been able to limit any injuries.
“And how’s my second favorite patient doing?” Doctor Nee asked him, unable to hide his laugh at Brax’s reaction.
“You don’t mean that Keen traitor is your…”
“No,” Nee cut in, “it’s Belna, Tarlen’s sister. You see, she doesn’t do much talking, and I like it quiet.”
Brax shook his head in disbelief. “Do you always make jokes, or is it only when no one is dying around you?”
“No, I joke then too.”
“How is Belna?” Brax asked.
Nee leaned against the wall, lowering his tablet onto the table. He rubbed his gloves together, wishing he could take them off and let his skin breathe. “She’s… the same.”
“Poor kid. Did you hear about what he did?” Brax asked.
“The fact that a sixteen-year-old Bacal boy, unfamiliar with our traditions and customs, managed to hide on Basel’s cruiser, while having our brilliant commander in his ear guiding him? Not to mention sneaking around Andron and then kidnapping Keen’s daughter to use her as a bartering chip. Oh, and he’s the one who found you floating around in space. Another ten minutes and you’d be in the next room beside Belna.”
“Yes. That’s what I meant,” Brax replied. “Any headway on your projects?”
Nee had been trying to decipher what had happened to Basel on his ship, and thought he was close. He had the searches running but wouldn’t be certain until he received a signal boost from a Concord partner world, which was coming very soon when they arrived at Malrun XBH.
“I’m almost ready for the next stage of testing with Belna. I feel I’m nearly there.” Doctor Nee didn’t want to say more, because he wasn’t optimistic. If he could bring Belna back from whatever the Statu had done to her aboard that warship, it would be unprecedented.
“How long do I have to stay here, doc?” Brax asked.
“Only a few more hours. Have a rest, and you’ll be out in no time.”
“Where’s Ven? Is he next door?” Brax jabbed a thumb to the wall beside him.
Doctor Nee stiffened. No one had told the man yet that Ven was dead. His shoulders slackened, and Brax must have been astute enough to read his body language. “No. No way. Not Ven. He saved my life.”
“I’m sorry, Brax. He didn’t make it.” Nee’s words were nearly silent, almost lost over the monitor’s chimes.
“This can’t be. Oquid and Ven. Why did I make it?” Brax asked, his eyes brimming with tears.
“You’ll have to save your trip to the Vastness for another day, my friend. Today, you have too many things to accomplish.” Nee forced a smile and picked up his tablet, heading for the door. He paused, turning to Brax. “You’re lucky to be alive, but I’m glad you are.”
Brax didn’t reply, and the doctor left, finding Kelli running across the medical bay to him. “Doctor, we’re close enough to the Vralon world. Your results came in. I think you’re going to want to see this.”
He jogged over to his desk along the research wall and read over the blinking files. He plopped to his seat, laughing out loud. The results weren’t particularly funny in any capacity, but he’d done it. He’d learned what had killed Basel.
Now he needed to ensure Captain Baldwin would stop at Leria on the way to Nolix, so they could verify the truth.
Twenty-One
Nomin left the ship in the Vralon shuttle, the seat beside her empty. Tom had mourned the loss of Oquid with her over a ceremony that morning, learning a secret custom of the dead. It had been both touching and inspiring, and he wondered if there had been more to their relationship than they’d shown.
Telling Captain Vat of Triumph that Wan was dead, along with the entire Ugna vessel Faithful, hadn’t been an easy task, but Vat took it with the stoicism he’d expected from their people. The captain had flinched at hearing about Ven’s passing, showing a crack in his façade.
Tom was crestfallen over the loss as well, but he had no time to dwell on it. Already there had been two attempted mutinies on Persi and Andron, and over five of the Assembly members had been killed in the altercations, while two of Tom’s crew had been murdered. He wanted nothing more than to return to Nolix and offload the entire lot of them.
His office buzzer rang, and Tom opened it from his console.
It was Doctor Nee. “Captain, may I speak with you for a moment?”
“Sure.” Tom motioned to the chair opposite his. “Have a seat. Is everything okay?”
“Yes, sir. Brax has been released, and Lark Keen has been moved to his cell.”
Tom rested his forearms on the desk, glancing out his viewer. Triumph was out there somewhere, racing through space at hyperlight, heading for Nolix.
“Is there a problem, then?” Tom asked the doctor. He appeared nervous, a look Tom had never seen on Nee’s usually cocky and confident face.
“Not per se, but I have a favor to ask of you,” Nee told Tom.
“Anything.”
“We need to stop at Leria. Ulia, specifically.” The doctor’s hands remained folded on his lap.
“Why? We only have a few days until the coronation, and I’d like to have this dealt with before Shengin takes on the title of Prime.”
“It’s Basel, sir.”
“Basel, the trader?”
“That’s right. He died… let’s just say, suspiciously.”
“Brax filled me in.”
“Then you know it wasn’t natural, and I think I figured it out,” Nee told him.
“What does this have to do with Leria?” Tom didn’t want to stop, especially at the city where he’d parted ways with his old friend. Seeing Seda and Lark had reopened some wounds that he’d considered long healed.
“This particular race leaves their host, takes over another body, and I suspect your missing crew member Ginn was invaded,”
Nee said.
“Invaded?”
“The Radhas come from a world called Naivich. They lived there for millennia, long before they even became aware of their capabilities. They’re parasites, clinging to the inside of a host and taking over their brain functions by attaching to the nervous system.”
Tom’s brow furrowed as he listened. “And how does this relate to Ginn?”
“I think Basel was carrying a parasite. The records from his ship indicate he was on a world called Metron VII, the same world where a Votal woman named Relizi Tovep went to perform scientific studies. She’s since gone missing, according to her people. Basel mentioned to Brax and Reeve about having a Votal mechanic,” Nee said.
“And you think this Basel picked up a parasite from Metron VII and brought it to our ship, passing it on to Ginn?” Tom asked. It was a solid theory, one that seemed to line up well with the facts.
Nee crossed his left leg over his right. “That’s exactly what I think.”
“And you want to find out what happened to Ginn, correct?” Tom asked. “Where’s her locator chip directing us?”
“She was in the delegates’ chambers, but she changed locations a few days ago, and hasn’t moved since,” Nee said.
“And you suspect she didn’t play host long.”
“Exactly.”
“We should have enough time for the coronation if we make a quick stop. I’d actually like to drop off Ven to his people while we’re there.” Tom felt the weight of what he’d just said. He hated to admit his executive lieutenant was dead, but there was no tiptoeing around it. He’d seen the lifeless Ugna with his own eyes. “It’s the least they deserve. They join us, and we give them news of a destroyed fleet ship and a dead Concord officer.”
Nee frowned, his yellow eyes bright. “None of this is your fault, Captain.”
Tom rubbed his forehead and nodded slowly. “I know.”
“We’ll stop at Leria?” Nee asked.
“We’ll stop, but bring Brax with you to the surface. If you think he’s medically sound for something like this.” Tom didn’t want to rush the chief of security’s timeline.
“He’s fine. Thank you, sir.” Nee stood, walking toward the door.
“Doctor.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Good work.”
The man gave him a tight-lipped smile and left Tom alone in his office to contemplate the recent events.
____________
“This isn’t over, Baldwin! By the stars, I’ll find a way out. Do you have any idea how many people I still have out there? They’ll free me! You can’t keep me from…” Lark Keen continued to rant from the cell at the end of the holding corridor, and Zare jammed her fingers in her ears.
If there was any punishment crueler than hearing the hostile ravings of a madman, it was lost on her. Zare suddenly felt as though she deserved far worse. She unplugged her ears, forcing herself to see what the man she’d blindly followed for so long had become after losing the war.
He was acting a fool. Her cell was compact: a bench, a cot on the floor, and a latrine. Everything was stark white, the lights recessed into the ceiling so bright and never turning off. It was as if Baldwin wanted to make them suffer, but again, she found she couldn’t fault the captain.
He was a man of honor, at least. There was no way Baldwin would have sat in his cell shouting obscenities until his throat was raw. Zare had been given opportunities in her life, but she’d squandered them on false promises and lies.
Had she really thought that Keen could have made things better? Baldwin had already persuaded a new Concord partner to join in the Ugna; his crew had managed to convince the Zilph’i, her own people, to stay in the Founders. She’d not only betrayed the Concord, but she’d deceived her own kind.
She fumbled through her hidden pockets, feeling as if there was only one choice. Zare had worked so hard her entire life. She’d struggled through the Academy, rising through the ranks through sheer will and determination at times, until she sat on Constantine’s bridge.
It was fitting she was to die on the very same cruise ship. Lark Keen continued to shout, but no one was listening, no one but her. She pulled the small pill from its hiding spot and placed it on the tip of her tongue. It was bitter.
A tear flowed down her cheek, and she let it roll off, closing her eyes. Zare leaned against the wall, her head lolling to the side. She was free.
____________
“I’m coming with you,” Reeve said. She fixed her collar, clicking together the loose button. She’d managed to rest during the trip, and it felt great to be clean and changed into a fresh uniform.
Brax’s arms were crossed, the way he always did when he was trying to be imposing. “Stay here. We only have two hours before the captain said we need to return.”
“That’s fine, but I’m still coming with you,” Reeve said.
“What about the ship? We need someone in charge,” Brax said.
“Fine, Treena Starling can be in command,” Reeve said.
Brax stared at her. “That makes a lot of sense.”
The hangar doors opened, and the captain waltzed through. “What are you all doing here? Get into the shuttle.”
With Cleo nearly destroyed, they were resorting to using a transport shuttle to the surface, and Reeve smiled at Baldwin. He looked better than he had in days, after resting during the journey to Leria.
“Are you coming with us, Daak?” Baldwin asked, using her surname.
“Sure am, Baldwin,” she said with a nod. He didn’t flinch. “I mean… sir.”
“Good. If there’s nothing else, let’s get this over with.”
Brax cleared his throat. “We need someone from the executive team to stay behind.”
“Commander Starling’s on the bridge,” the captain said.
“How?” her brother asked.
“Tarlen’s in her seat on the bridge wearing the glasses,” Captain Baldwin said, as if this were the most common thing in the universe. Brax didn’t even comment, only climbed into the shuttle.
The hangar doors opened again, and there was Nee, a long box hovering in front of him. Reeve knew what was inside, and her heart ached at the thought of bringing Ven home.
“He saved my life. He could have saved himself instead, but he patched his last kit into my suit,” Brax said.
“He was a great man and a good friend,” Baldwin said as the casket approached. The body was kept cool inside, to preserve it for the Elders. Reeve wished she’d be able to accompany the captain to their village to see how they lived, but she’d been denied her request. Seeing the captain’s response, she could tell it was a personal endeavor, one he didn’t want to share with anyone else.
“Good morning, everyone,” Nee said, directing Ven’s body into the shuttle. Brax helped him latch it to the rear of the cargo hold, and they each took their seats, her brother taking the pilot’s controls.
Reeve wondered if Shengin was around, but she suspected he was heading for Nolix, if not there already. Now that he was going to be Prime, she doubted there would be any room for a romantic interaction between the two of them, though she’d picked up his intentions early on.
The shuttle trip went quickly, no one speaking as they descended toward Ulia, specifically Tieria, where they’d met with the delegates. Reeve was the first off the ship, as it was suddenly too hot, too stuffy for her. The air outside was warm but refreshing, and she inhaled deeply.
“You okay?” Brax asked, stepping up silently behind her.
“I’ll be fine. I’m just glad we’re here. Happy you’re safe. You need to stop scaring me like this. If you’re always off risking your life, I don’t think I’ll be able to make it,” she told him.
He wrapped a big arm over her shoulder and pulled her in. “Sis, believe me, there’s nothing intentional about my near-death experiences.”
Captain Baldwin stayed on the shuttle, calling to them before closing the door. “I’ll be here in two hours. Don
’t be late.” He was gone before anyone could comment.
“Nice place,” Doctor Nee said, rubbing his gloved hands together. “Shall we see what we’re working with?” He started toward the temple, and Reeve followed along beside her brother.
The doors were unlocked, and Brax took the lead when they were interrupted by a stiff-appearing Zilph’i security officer. “We’re with Constantine. Is Shengin available?”
“I’m afraid he’s been away for a few days,” the man told them.
“How about Delegate Xune?” Reeve asked.
“The entire group left with him. This is an important time for our people,” the man said proudly.
“We only need to see…” Brax pulled out his tablet and slid it to the guard. “This room. One of our people went missing, and we think she may have accessed that location.”
“That’s the Prime’s personal quarters.” The man frowned. “I’m afraid I cannot show it to you.”
“Technically, he’s not Prime for a few more days,” Reeve said, receiving a glowering stare in return.
“Either way, I cannot allow you into his quarters. Please see yourselves out.”
Brax looked ready to shout at the man, but Doctor Nee grabbed him with gloved hands and pulled him away, whispering into his ear. They left, and Brax muttered a few curses that would make a Reepa pirate blush.
“We have her current location,” Nee said. “That should give us some answers.”
“Fine, but let’s make this quick. We may be able to find time for some Cronski while we’re here,” Brax said, over his tirade.
Reeve laughed. “Only you could think about eating at a time like this. It’s good to see you still have your appetite.”
The tracker showed Ginn was only a kilometer away, and Brax began leading them on a direct path, down the hill the temple was located on and toward a forested area on the outskirts of the capital city. From this vantage point, they could see the beautiful landscape, the round and squat architecture Reeve was finding herself truly appreciating.
Growing up on Nolix, she was used to high-rises stacked on top of one another, the only greenspace on rooftops. Here it was like the city had given way to a historical park, and she loved the energy of it.
Baldwin's Legacy: The Complete Series Page 56