Baldwin's Legacy: The Complete Series

by Hystad, Nathan

  She had a mischievous gleam in her eyes, but Treena guessed the woman always did. “We’ll board you and fill the team in. See you in an hour.”

  “Very well. Until then.” Bouchard vanished from the viewscreen.

  “I can’t wait to make it to Talepen and learn what we can about the attack,” Reeve said.

  “You and me both, Reeve.” Treena guided the expedition ship away from the wreckage outside the station’s previous location. They found Shu in just over an hour and entered through the hangar along the outer edge of the shiny hull. It was bright even from the outside, an exact replica of Constantine.

  She could be in charge of one very soon. Her own cruise ship to match the other flagships, with Tom’s previous AI on board. Cecilia would be upgraded to a version closer to Shu and Constantine. Treena had only met the other AI a couple of times on Tom’s old vessel when she’d visited with Felix, but she was confident she’d get along with the updated projection.

  She settled Cleo to the hangar floor. It took up four shuttle parking spots, and she powered the engines down, tapping the speaker system to life. “All passengers, report to the ramp for departure.” She winked at Reeve, who laughed with her.

  Nee was still in the cot when they headed to the cargo hold, pushing the icon for the ramp. The doors opened as the metal panel slid for the hangar. “Where am I?” he asked, staring at an equally stunned Yunrio. “Now I remember.”

  “Welcome to Shu,” Treena told them, and took the lead off Cleo.

  A Callalay officer with deep ridges on his forehead and an orange collar greeted them, and Treena lifted a hand. “Hello, Commander Shu. Nice to see you again,” she said.

  Kan Shu nodded. “Likewise, Commander Starling. The captain would like to meet with you immediately.”

  Treena found it somewhat odd that the young commander had been sent as a greeting party, but each captain had their own leadership style. The four of them followed him into the ship, through the corridor, into the courtyard, and beyond to the elevator that took them to the bridge deck. They walked across the bridge to Bouchard’s office, and Treena tried to see who had replaced Cedric after his unfortunate demise on Casonu Two.

  It was clear Reeve was doing the same thing, but she didn’t see anyone in a yellow-collared uniform amongst the current crew. Kan Shu waited for them at the office door, and they passed by, including the Seeli man. He stared at everything with evident curiosity.

  Captain Bouchard only had three extra chairs, and she called someone from her desk to bring more. “Come in. I wasn’t notified we had guests.” She nodded to the doctor and Yunrio.

  “This is Yunrio of the Seeli. He’s the reason we came to search for the Minon in the first place,” Treena advised. The extra seats were brought in by a young woman, who ushered herself away from the room with a slight bow of her head.

  “Please, take a seat. Would anyone care something to drink?” the captain asked.

  Shu sat beside her on the other side of her desk. “We could do this in the boardroom, Captain,” Treena suggested.

  “Nonsense. We’ve all met.” Rene’s eyes squinted as she smiled, and Treena saw the young woman she’d once been, wet under the collar, eager to please the Concord. “How’s Baldwin?”

  It hadn’t been very long since they’d returned from the war with the Statu, but she seemed genuinely interested in Tom’s well-being. Treena was fully aware that they had a blip of a past together, but she wondered if there was more interest from Rene than her memory of the time spent with Tom.

  “He’s doing… great. He has his hands full with Elder Fayle; otherwise, he’d be here right now, and you could have stayed on whatever mission you were prepping for,” Treena said.

  “It’s no bother. We were only up for a routine patrol. Not my favorite way to spend two months,” Rene told them. “Let’s get to business. What are we dealing with here?”

  Reeve told the captain and commander about the destroyed Border station, and Yunrio shared the plight of his people.

  “Yes, I’ve heard about your race’s issues for years. And you need to journey to Talepen? To see if this… asset remains behind?” Rene asked, and the Seeli man nodded.

  “That’s correct.”

  “Then let’s not delay any longer. Kan, have the crew set course for Talepen at once,” she ordered her commander, and the young Callalay man exited the office. The same woman appeared from earlier, and Rene asked her to show their guests to some private quarters for the duration of the three-hour trip. Treena rose, but she waved her down. “I’d like to speak with you, please, Commander Starling.”

  “Sure.” Reeve gave her a nod before the door closed, leaving her alone with Bouchard. “What is it?”

  “I’ve heard about the offer. Quite the step for you, don’t you think?” Rene asked.

  “It seems like everyone is in the know. Are you implying I’m not ready?” Treena asked.

  “Quite the opposite, in fact. I was the one who recommended you for the promotion,” Rene said smugly.

  This was news to Treena. “Really?”

  “Xune’s first order of business was to streamline a few more cruise ships into working order, and when he asked each captain for a list of possible names, I offered yours. A couple of the others agreed. I’m assuming Baldwin did as well,” she said.

  “I have no idea. He didn’t mention it in our discussion,” Treena said.

  “I hope Tom is doing all right. I’ve heard a smattering of distressing news about the whole Ugna incident.” Rene drummed her fingers on the desktop.

  “What do you mean?” Treena didn’t like the sound of this.

  “There’s a group determined to see their membership revoked. They’re basing it on the fact that the Ugna have paid for children with Talent for the last few hundred years,” Rene said.

  “Should we worry about them?” Treena hated being away from Constantine if they were in any kind of danger.

  “I don’t think so. Tom’s a smart man, and he has a veritable fleet with him, even if they are all Ugna ships.”

  “The sooner we track down this miracle asset, the better. Thanks for coming to help,” Treena said, feeling a little more at ease with Bouchard now that it was just the two of them.

  “Remember that time at the Academy when you beat up Conner Douglas?” Rene asked out of the blue.

  “Sure. He had it coming,” Treena said. He’d been a great student, always at the top of the class, but Treena had defeated him in hand-to-hand. She’d had the biggest crush on the young man, until she’d met Felix.

  “Want a rematch?” Rene asked.

  “Why…? He’s your new executive lieutenant, isn’t he?”

  Rene laughed out loud. “The one and only.”

  “Where did you find him? I haven’t heard that name in years.”

  “Well, I needed a body, and a capable one, and I tracked him to a cruiser running Border patrols in the far reaches of Concord space. He was captain of the ship, but was only too happy to take the demotion if it meant coming aboard our luxury vessel. He hasn’t changed a bit,” Rene said.

  “Then I look forward to seeing him again,” Treena said, not sure how much truth there was behind the words. She didn’t want to think about the past; it only reminded her of Felix.

  “You’re in luck. I’m sending him on the ground team with you when we arrive at Talepen,” Rene told her.

  Six

  Tom paced the office, trying to calm himself. It wasn’t working. “Daak, tell me you have a way to shut these fools down.”

  Brax stared at him, shaking his head. “Captain, we can’t act aggressively toward them. They’re not technically impeding our entrance to the planet, and they’re within their rights to a peaceful protest,” the chief of security told him.

  “Ven? What are you sensing from them?” Tom turned his attention to the Ugna executive officer. He hadn’t offered much about their current situation.

  “They’re passionate about their
endeavor; that is quite clear. We’re not in proximity to read anyone specifically, but perhaps if we had a face-to-face meeting with Doctor Aimie Gaad, then we could get somewhere,” Ven suggested.

  Fayle was furious at the delay, and already ten more Ugna vessels had arrived in-system, moving behind Constantine in formation. They had a lot of firepower on them, and Tom felt like the place was a tinderbox threatening to explode.

  “Ven, how do you think the Elders would react to meeting with this...doctor?” he asked.

  The Ugna glanced at Brax, then at Tom again. “I don’t think it would be an ideal situation, sir.”

  “What are your feelings on the topics she brought to our attention?” Tom asked. He still hadn’t learned who Ven’s real parents were, but he hoped to have the answer shortly. If only he could have delayed the arrival by a day or two.

  “I’m unsure how to answer this. The Ugna are the only family I remember, sir. Until now, perhaps,” Ven said, implying the crew was his new family. After a long, tiresome day, this warmed Tom’s spirit enough to make him smile.

  “Were you aware of the disdain for the Ugna practices?” Brax asked his friend.

  Ven shook his head. “Not really. Most people haven’t paid much attention to us before our fleet and population were revealed a few months ago. We weren’t any more than rumors and stories to most of the Concord.”

  “But there are some cases where parents have been upset that their children were stripped from them at such a young age, correct?” Tom asked.

  “For everyone’s safety,” Ven said.

  “Of course.” Tom nodded.

  The doors opened, revealing Elder Fayle and two younger Ugna: one male, one female. “Captain, what do you intend to do about our situation?”

  Tom motioned for them to have a seat, and when Fayle remained standing, he rose too, stepping in front of her. “I intend on having a conversation with their group.”

  “How diplomatic of you,” she muttered.

  Tom stared at her, wishing this was over. He hadn’t asked to seek their assistance in the battle with the Assembly, and he hadn’t asked to escort them to their planet either. When he thought about it, every path led to Jalin Benitor, and as much as he found himself liking the old Callalay admiral, he was beginning to see that she was the cause of nearly all his headaches.

  “What would you have me do?” This’ll be good.

  “I want us to move around them and land on Driun F49. Do you know how long we’ve waited for this moment, Captain?” she asked, not letting him hazard a guess. “Centuries. Now we’re delayed by some self-righteous doctor, of all people? Is she aware of how many lifeforms their company has harmed in their testing over the years? The moral implications of AI projections and storing sentient beings’ brains for placing them into computers? She has no right to question our culture’s integrity!” Elder Fayle’s voice reached a new crescendo, surprising Tom.

  “Fayle, I think you should have a seat and drink some water. We’re going to settle this and get your people to their new home,” Tom said. He stared at the viewscreen on the wall, and noticed even more Ugna vessels entering the system. “How many are arriving? I thought we were doing a small contingency at first.”

  Her eyes had a glimmer in them, and he almost cringed. “No, Captain. We’re bringing them all.”

  ____________

  Talepen was a beautiful sight from their perch above it. The system was quiet, only four planets within; the Class Zero Nine world had a single moon, a misshapen hunk of brown rock, orbiting around it. The world appeared to have a lot of water and dark green land across the continent they stared at through the viewscreen.

  “Time to go,” Treena told the others.

  “Shouldn’t we wait for Bouchard’s team?” Reeve asked a second before the hangar doors opened. Commander Kan Shu entered with another officer, each wearing EVA suits, and Treena instantly recognized the man. His short blond hair was light against his tanned face, and he smiled at her, flashing his white teeth.

  “Executive Lieutenant Douglas. Nice to see you again,” Treena told him as he approached.

  “Who’s the hottie?” Reeve asked out of the corner of her mouth.

  “Commander Starling. I can’t believe it’s you!” Instead of shaking her hand, he rushed over and hugged her, their hard suits clinking together. She laughed as they separated, his helmet under his left arm. “Call me Conner, though. It’s a lot less formal-sounding.” She took him in, his green eyes, the clean-shaven cheeks. He almost didn’t look his age.

  Reeve cleared her throat, and Treena introduced their group to Conner Douglas.

  “Is there anyone else joining us?” Treena asked Shu’s commander.

  “This is it,” he said. “Have we heard from the surface?”

  “Nothing. Not a single reply, which has us thinking these enemies used some kind of pulse to knock out any electrical components on the surface,” Reeve said.

  “But we’re finding life signs all over the place. Millions of beings are still alive down there, so with that comes hope,” Doctor Nee advised them with a gentle smile.

  “Yunrio, you’re confident you can direct us to their capital city headquarters?” Treena asked the Seeli.

  “I assure you my coordinates are correct,” he said.

  “Then what are we waiting for?” Douglas said, jogging for Cleo. He was the first up the ramp and into the ship, and already Treena felt like it was going to be tight quarters for the group of six.

  “I’ll stay with the young commander in the cargo hold, if that suits you fine?” Reeve asked.

  “Perfect,” Treena said.

  She entered the main bridge to see the new executive lieutenant in the pilot seat. “I don’t think so, Conner,” Treena said, and he shrugged, sliding over one spot.

  “It was worth a try,” he told her with a grin.

  Treena put aside her old feelings for the man, knowing they had pressing matters on hand, not to mention the fact that she was in an android body. She wondered if he knew this. It didn’t appear like he did, but her new friends all treated her like a normal human, regardless of the vessel she was controlling.

  She powered Cleo to life and lifted the ship from the hangar floor, heading for the exit. She didn’t hesitate, only flew toward their destination. The entire trip took about thirty minutes, with Conner attempting to talk her ear off the whole time. The conversation was surface, chatting about family and their lives since the Academy.

  The city came into view, but there weren’t many of the Minon people in sight. This worried her. Yunrio muttered in his own language behind her, probably mirroring her own concerns.

  “Where are they all?” Conner asked.

  “They were hit hard and heavy, like we were,” Yunrio said. “I suspect most of them are indoors.”

  Everything appeared normal until they moved past the center core, where the destruction was evident. This metropolis had been attacked, and recently. “These look like orbital attacks,” Conner said.

  Treena saw what he meant. The pattern from the explosion indicated just that.

  “We found the asset,” the Seeli man said quietly.

  “The asset?” Conner glanced at Yunrio as Treena sought their destination.

  “It’s a long story, but we think the Minon discovered someone important to the survival of their race. A few days later, they were attacked. Is that about right, Yunrio?” she asked. He hadn’t had many details beyond assumptions before communication between the distant cousin races had ceased.

  “That’s correct,” Yunrio said. “But we need to concern ourselves with the asset first and foremost.”

  “She’s the key.” Doctor Nee rose as Treena extended the landing gear, dropping to the rooftop pad on the building Yunrio claimed was their main government office tower.

  The planet was Class Zero Nine, meaning all of the Founders could breathe there, so helmets weren’t necessary as they exited the ship. Conner was oddly silent as t
hey met up with Commander Shu and Reeve. They stepped out together onto the hard surface of the landing pad, a line of emergency transports powered off beside them.

  It was chilly and windy, and Treena followed Yunrio toward a doorway a hundred yards from Cleo. It was locked, and he tugged on it angrily. Treena moved him out of the way and pulled a finger-sized device from her pocket, placing it near the door’s mechanical latch. It hissed, and the door popped open. She unclasped it, returning the tool into her suit, and snatched her PL-30 from its holster before entering first.

  “What do you expect to find?” Conner asked.

  She glared forward into the dark stairwell. “I’d say an extremely hostile enemy flew into Concord space with a ten-kilometer-long vessel. They proceeded to send electromagnetic pulses to the surface, rendering all electrical components useless, and attacked from orbit. They also destroyed the Border station and a fleet of Minon dreadnaughts. Forgive me if I’m being cautious.” Treena was being too harsh, but she wasn’t in the mood to placate Shu’s crew. She suddenly wished Brax was at her side, pounding the stairs as they moved for a lower floor.

  Their group made too much noise as they went, but Treena saw no signs of any lingering enemies here.

  “Floor Twenty,” Yunrio said as they passed the thirtieth-floor markers.

  Treena’s legs didn’t tire, but the others behind her were already beginning to wear out. She kept the pace fast anyway. The twentieth floor met them soon, and she opened the exit, finding the room in disarray. There were tablets and computers everywhere, the lights all off. Her LightBot illuminated the workspace as it hovered a few feet above their heads.

  “This is where they did the research,” Yunrio said. “I was here years ago. Caalizan was my contact; a very intelligent man. I’d hoped he still lived and could assist us, or at least answer a few queries.”

  Reeve strode along the left edge of the room, her own LightBot carving a path, and Treena glanced at her as the chief engineer called for them. “Someone’s here.”

  They peered through a glass window, seeing a man lying on a patient bed inside. His chest rose and fell. Treena noted how these beings resembled humans: so much so, she had to ask Yunrio if it was one.