He moved with purpose to the hangar and entered right after Brax and his contingency of officers. They flanked a man, his head hanging to his chest, his posture slouched as he shuffled along. Tom noticed that Lark Keen was bound with chains, as well as energy tethers. Brax really wasn’t messing around with the Assembly leader.
“Captain, we have the coordinates for his final stop, but I haven’t loaded them into Cleo.” Brax tapped his temple. They’d been sent the details by encrypted message from the admiral, and they intended to keep the location secret from any potential Assembly members still lurking in the shadows.
“Good work. Keen, I suppose you’re as happy as anyone to get this over with?” Tom stepped in front of his once-best friend turned adversary, and the man lifted his chin, his gaze settling on Tom.
“Baldwin. I didn’t expect to see you.” His words were raspy, his throat raw-sounding.
“And why’s that?” Tom asked.
“Because I’ve been requesting you for two weeks now, and no one’s listening to me,” he said.
“Keen, the time for talk is over. You’re going away for the rest of your life,” Tom said firmly. He wished he’d been absent for this, but Benitor had asked him to be the hand of justice, and he would do the honors – with Brax at his side, of course.
“We’ll take it from here,” Brax told his crew, and they nodded, relinquishing control of the man to their superior. Cleo sat on her landing gear near the exit, and Tom took the lead, letting the other two men follow him.
“Baldwin, I can help you. Help the Concord.”
Tom stopped outside the vessel and turned to face the prisoner. “You just won’t give up, will you? First you try to take over, now you’re offering to help the big bad Concord. What would your followers think of you?”
Lark Keen only smirked at this. “You must understand that when your back’s against the wall, you need to do what’s best for you and your family.”
His mention of his family sent warning bells off in Tom’s head as he thought about Luci secreted away in his suite. He wondered if Lark somehow knew about that. “I would never sell the Concord out as quickly as you’d betray your Assembly, if that’s what you mean.”
“Sure you would. What about your grandfather? He sure turned a blind eye after the War, didn’t he?” Keen was trying to goad him into something, but Tom was past caring.
“You’re a pit stop only, Keen, so if you wouldn’t mind shutting up and getting inside.” Tom waved to the extended ramp, and Brax shoved the cuffed man up the incline.
“I have no choice entering your fancy little vessel, but I won’t keep quiet,” Keen warned them, and Tom rubbed his temples when no one could see him. It was going to be a long trip. They settled in to the ship, Brax in the pilot’s seat, Tom facing Keen on the rear benches.
“I never meant for her to die,” Keen said softly as they pressed into space. The planet was gray with red blotches, the oceans small but plentiful as they surrounded a continent directly ahead of the viewer.
“I don’t care,” Tom told him. He wasn’t even confident who Keen was talking about, but he assumed it was Zare.
“She was a good girl, hardworking student. When Seda convinced her to join us, I was thrilled. We didn’t have many Zilph’i in our ranks,” Keen said.
It was becoming clear. “Are you trying to atone for your sins, Lark?” Tom asked him.
“Nothing like that. I wanted you to hear it from me. I have a heart. I’m still the person that caused trouble with you when we were boys,” Lark replied.
“You know what? Constantine was right. You were a bad influence on me. I’m glad you disappeared, because one of those days, you were going to get me kicked out of the Academy. Then where would I have been?” Tom wished he could have ignored the man, but he did have a half-hour to kill.
“Would that have been so bad? All you ever wanted was this, wasn’t it? To captain a cruise ship for the Concord, just like the old bastard. You never thought for a moment that your mother would have wanted you to live a civilian life, maybe on Earon. You could have married, had a job. With a brain like yours, you’d have made a fortune.” Lark stretched his arms out as far as the tethers would allow and returned his palms to his thighs.
Tom almost laughed but stopped himself. “Imagine that. Baldwin’s Batteries, for all your intergalactic power source needs.”
“Has a nice ring to it,” Brax said from the front of the ship.
“Maybe we could have been partners. In another timeline,” Keen said.
“Right. In another timeline. Until you stole my patents and tried to wage war on my business, right? Because no matter what dimension we’re in, there’s no happy ending where we’re friends, do you understand that?” Tom asked.
Keen nodded slowly, his fingers drumming his knees. He seemed agitated, nervous about something, so Tom decided to just ask. “What is it? You’re clearly wanting something.”
“Can I see them? One last time?” Keen asked, blinking quickly.
“They’re gone, Keen. Dropped off already,” Tom lied – or, at the least, gave him a half-truth.
“I see. I don’t deserve it, but I’m going to ask one thing of you,” Keen said.
“You’re right. You don’t deserve it.” Tom knew what it was going to be, and he sat there, waiting.
“Check on them once in a while. Not physically, but just… make sure they’re fine. It’s my fault, not theirs,” he said.
“Your fault you were caught, you mean?” Tom was tired of the conversation, and he turned to check on their progress. The pocked surface of the moon filled the viewer, and Tom watched as they neared it. Eventually, he spotted the structure. It was almost camouflaged among the gray dust and rocks, but when Brax repositioned the expedition vessel, he could see its shape.
“Welcome to your new home.”
____________
Belna sat quietly as Nee pressed the medispray to her arm. Her eyes were milky white, with no colored iris to be seen. He guessed they were brown like her brother’s. Nearly all the Bacal were of the same ilk: dark, thick hair, with dark eyes. The girl was pretty, her features long, also like Tarlen’s.
“Are we close?” The voice emerged from the speaker beside her bed.
After Nee had realized that Belna was lingering somewhere inside her brain, he’d moved her to a room in the crew quarters, one close to Tarlen’s. She needed constant care, but most of that had been resolved by programming a ServoBot to stay with her.
Nee glanced over at the tablet and smiled. “Yes, my dear. We’re close.”
Belna’s mouth remained closed, but her voice carried through the device, much like the tool Treena had used when she had no artificial body to inhabit. “Good. If this doesn’t work… I’d like you to…”
Nee touched her forearm with a gloved hand, shaking his head. “Belna, don’t go there. We will figure this out.” Doctor Nee was confident this technology would be important when they returned to fight the last of the Statu. They would find slaves behind the suits of armor, and he wanted to be able to free them. He’d speculated with Captain Baldwin about how many they might have on their hands, and it could be in the tens of thousands.
So many had been taken during the War, and if the Statu had kept them alive, they might have bred an army.
“Besides, we’re almost at Earon, where I’ll meet with an old colleague,” Nee told her.
“Who’s your friend?”
“Vicci DeLarose. She heads the research and development team at R-emergence, which has an office at Aris on Earon. She’ll be the one to crack this wide open,” Nee said, and though Belna didn’t move, he heard a slight muffled cry. He realized his slip of the tongue. “No, dear. Not cracking you open; just the problem. You see, I’m close, but there’s something blocking your mind from the central nervous system, and I can’t isolate it. Vicci is the best in the business, and I’m confident she’ll find a way.”
“Will I be staying there?” Belna
’s voice was small.
“I hope not. The captain has given us five days to ourselves at Earon, and Vicci has already committed her time to your case,” Nee advised her.
“Thank you. For everything,” Belna said, her voice clear over the speaker.
“You’re welcome.” Nee stood, slipping the tablet into his lab coat. “I’ll make sure Tarlen’s told you’re free for company.”
“Can you ask him to stop by tomorrow? I…”
“What is it?” Nee asked, leaning forward.
“I’d rather he didn’t spend all his time worrying about me,” she told him.
“I don’t think he minds. Tarlen is rather fond of you,” Nee said.
“I know, but he has other roles to play. He’s just a Bacal teen, but somehow he’s on a cruise ship and studying for the Academy. I don’t want to mess anything up for him,” she said softly.
Nee patted her hand. “I understand. I’ll leave the decision to him.”
Nee left her on the bed, wishing there was more he could do for the girl. The door closed, and he walked through the hallway. His own suite was in the executive wing, and he decided to call it a day.
The trip only took a few minutes, his pace brisk, and once he was inside the room, he crossed the large space to settle at the built-in viewer along the wall. He activated it, seeing the world they’d stopped at. Keen was being placed somewhere on the planet, he imagined, though it didn’t appear to be habitable. None of that was Nee’s business. He was only glad they were rid of the last of the Assembly prisoners.
Constantine was once again theirs. Nee sat at his desk, removing his white gloves one at a time. He stretched his fingers, happy to let the air settle on them. With a tug of the drawer, Nee pulled out a vial of lotion and began spreading it over his hands, kneading it into his palms. They warmed, and he melted into his seat as the lotion eased the stiffness.
Kwants weren’t common among the Concord, and for good reason. Doctor Nee closed his eyes and recalled the feeling of the Radhas shrieking and sizzling beneath his poisonous touch. He would forever be a danger to others, and here he was, healing their ailments aboard this beautiful vessel.
His parents would be proud, but they were gone. There were times when Nee wondered at his own choices. He’d left his planet twenty years ago, to the chagrin of his friends and family, but he’d never been one to be content with what was laid before him. He’d always sought the stars, ever since he was but a tiny white-haired child. When the Concord had passed a new law, allowing all Concord partners the ability to apply for entrance into the Academy, Nee had jumped at the opportunity.
He opened and closed his fists, happy to be free of the gloves momentarily, and crossed the room, finding a bottle of fermented Linel juice from home. He poured a liberal amount into a clear crystal glass and took a sip.
The taste buds on the front of his tongue danced. Here he was, a single Kwant aboard a crew made up of Founders. It was no wonder he’d taken such a liking to Tarlen. They were outsiders among the clique.
Still, Nee did like the rest of them, and they’d shown him nothing but respect and friendship since he’d joined their ranks. He especially liked the big Tekol, Brax, and he’d never imagined looking up to a man his own age, but Captain Thomas Baldwin somehow had that effect on everyone around him.
Nee settled to his desk once more, bare hands wrapped around the glass, and he brought his tablet out. He brought up Belna’s file and continued sorting through the details. There was a way to heal her, and he was going to find it.
____________
Brax lowered the ship through the energy shield. He’d been given a code to gain access, and the light blue field around the structure had flashed three times when he’d entered it into the console, sending it to the moon’s server.
“Captain, I’ll land as close as I can.” Brax didn’t wait for Baldwin to reply. It was clear the man was angry and wanted nothing more than to offload Keen and return to his ship. Brax felt the same way.
The building was the size of the Ulia temple: three stories with a utilitarian appearance. Nothing was built for beauty, only function, and it was all bland, the color matching the dusty ground around it. Brax landed Cleo near the entrance and used the expedition craft’s external sensors to determine that the air was breathable.
“It’s an artificial dome keeping the air in and invaders out,” Thomas told him. “I wonder how many people work here. I’d hate to be stationed at such a depressing post.”
Lark Keen had stayed silent, and Brax stood, crossing the cramped vessel to tug at the man’s arm. “Up.”
Lark rose, a smile on his face, as if he had a secret Brax wasn’t aware of.
“Lieutenant Commander, would you please see him off? I’ll remain here on the ship.” The captain stared at him, and Brax nodded.
“Of course, sir.” Brax had heard their conversation, and he didn’t blame Baldwin for not wanting to see the man he’d once called friend any longer. Keen didn’t move, and Brax shoved him gently toward the exit.
The Assembly leader paused at the end of the ramp and peered up into the ship. “Baldwin, it was never personal. For what it’s worth…”
Brax pushed him again and told the man to keep it quiet.
Keen’s new home was even more dismal as Brax neared it. The walls were roughly shaped, and Brax did everything he could to avoid staring up into the dark space above the moon. From here, the planet of Wavor felt so close, he could almost touch it.
There was a series of ten or so steps leading to the front entrance, and Brax was startled when the double doors pressed outward and two robots emerged. They were GuardBots, but clearly more advanced than the ones Brax had seen working on Nolix. These were new models, their exteriors shiny and metallic. Red bands were painted across their arms, legs, and waists, adding a pop of color to their silver bodies.
“Welcome to Wavor Manor,” one said without inflection.
“I’m Lieutenant Commander Brax Daak of Constantine, here to deliver our prisoner, Lark Keen,” Brax told them.
Both of the GuardBots’ eyes glowed yellow momentarily, and the other one spoke in reply. “We have been expecting your arrival. Please enter.” They stepped to the side as one, and Brax followed Lark through the door. There were lights embedded into the dark walls, but otherwise, the entire foyer was bereft of any charm or furniture.
One of the GuardBots walked forward, removing Keen’s energy tether. Before Brax could object, it had snipped the chains around his arms and feet, the metal snaking into a pile at the traitor’s shoes.
“You might want…” he began.
“We have no need to fear the prisoner,” it said, and Brax realized there were over five weapons pointed at Keen at any given moment.
A door opened at the far wall, and another robot rolled across the floor, this one round and squat, with no human features. It beeped and halted at Keen’s knees. A hatch opened, and a scalpel on a thin metal rod emerged.
Lark cried out as the blade cut through his thigh, right through the pants leg, then into his skin. Another rod emerged, and it jammed something into the open wound. A third rod quickly cauterized the wound before pressing a patch against it.
“Something tells me you’re in good hands. I’ll be leaving,” Brax said.
Keen’s face had grown pale, as if he’d only just realized his fate had been sealed. “Don’t leave me here, Daak.”
Brax kept walking. “Good try.”
“I can help you.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“What about the Concord? You’re a good Tekol from the Concord capital of Nolix, right? You’d do anything for your people. What if I told you there was a file secreted away that would disclose the location of every Reepa pirate ship? Every beyond-border enemy the Concord is so hungry to defend the Border against.”
Keen’s words were dripping with desperation, but something about them caused Brax to plant his boots before exiting. He turned, seei
ng a slight grin appear on the man’s scruffy face.
“That’s right, Daak. I have authorized access.”
“Tell me the coordinates,” Brax told him.
Keen shook his head slowly. “I don’t think so. That’s not how this kind of thing works. You take me with you, and I’ll make the bargain.”
“Why did you wait until now to bring it up?” Brax asked.
Keen lost his smile. “I don’t want to rat them all out, but I have no choice. Many of the outer worlds have become friends of mine. They gave me sanctuary when I couldn’t find it among my own people.”
Brax had heard enough. “You mean, the people you betrayed and became a traitor to? So you went to live among the pirates and the Concord’s enemies. And now, minutes after being handed off for the rest of your existence, you’re suggesting a trade?”
“A trade the Prime would be eager to make.” Keen’s grin returned.
Brax turned and strode away. “We’ll see about that.”
The doors shut, but Brax could still hear Keen’s cries cutting through the shut entryway. A minute later, he found the captain beside the pilot’s seat, a grim look on his face. “Sir, Keen said…”
“Whatever it was, you can be sure it was a lie. Let’s return to our ship, Daak. You did well.”
Brax left it at that. Powering up Cleo, he rose through the prison’s energy shield and started for their destination, happy to be rid of Lark Keen once and for all.
Seven
Treena paced her room. Her mother was a tough cookie and didn’t put up with much, but Treena was confident the woman would care for the child nonetheless. She had a soft heart and a firm hand, which had nurtured Treena into such a strong woman herself.
And over the last couple of years, Karen Starling had stepped up, sacrificing her own time to help Treena from crippling depression after losing her entire crew. Karen had loved Felix almost as much as Treena had, and the loss of her future son-in-law had hurt her mother deeply. She’d never shown it, though, not for a second, as she’d helped Treena acclimate to her new reality.
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