“No, we’ve met. I think she and my doctor have a…mutual fondness for one another.” Tom refilled their glasses with the dark red liquid.
“Is that so? How would it even work? I did hear Constantine had brought on a Kwant for the role, and was surprised.” Her brow furrowed inquisitively.
“He’s the best in the biz,” Tom told her. “At least, as far as xenobiology goes.”
“I’ve heard that. How does the rest of the crew handle it?” she asked.
“The fact that his skin is poisonous? It’s easy to get over when you talk to the man for two minutes. He’s the most charming member of the crew, and among the kindest too.” Tom watched as she sat down, reaching for her glass.
“Did I do the right thing?” Aimie asked softly, her stare lingering on him.
“Today?”
She nodded.
“The Prime was adamant that this happen. They were heading to the surface of Driun F49 with or without your permission.” He decided to be honest, hoping she’d be more forgiving of herself.
“I don’t think that makes me feel any better, but I do understand. What are your thoughts about them?” she asked.
Tom had been around enough political figures in his life to understand he needed to tread carefully here. “I know about as much as anyone. They’re mysterious, but Ven is one of the best crew mates I could ask for, and I don’t blame them for keeping secrets from us all these years. They were trying to build something.”
She sipped the drink before grinning at him. “And it doesn’t hurt that their fleet assisted the victory against the Statu.”
“There’s always that.” Tom felt the connection they were making and wondered if it was real, not that he had a lot of time to explore the potential relationship. His wrist comm buzzed, and he stood. “Sorry, I have to take this.”
Tom walked toward the exit and entered the hallway outside her suite. “Baldwin here.”
“Captain.” It was Brax. “We’ve received a communication from Talepen, the Minon world. Reeve sent it, and you’re going to want to see it.”
He peered at Aimie’s door. “Can it wait?”
“No, sir.”
Tom frowned, ending the call.
____________
Brax paced the bridge, eager for the captain to arrive. He stared at the viewscreen, watching the congregated protesters begin their departures from orbit around Driun F49. The meeting had evidently gone in Baldwin’s favor, or at least in the Ugna’s.
Only a couple remained in the long minutes after his call to the captain, and soon their shuttle emerged, the one carrying Ven and Baldwin back to Constantine.
The ship’s AI appeared, stepping beside Brax. “This is unprecedented. You’ll go down in the record books.”
Brax stifled a laugh. “What isn’t unprecedented these days? It seems like everything we do is of the utmost importance. Was it always like this?”
Constantine shook his head. “There was a time of harmony, if you can imagine. A century where we had no great wars, and minimal attacks from beyond the Border. The people were at ease, the economy and trade at an all-time high. We built vessels, but mostly for hauling minerals, supplies between our partners’ worlds. But as the saying goes, Peace is but a pause of the game. Ambition and greed are the true controllers of fates.”
Brax tried to recall if he’d ever heard that one before and guessed he’d read it with the others. Constantine had a penchant for ancient Code.
The message from the Minon enemy was loaded. If it was the same Keen they were after, the Prime would need to be involved, and Brax was curious to see how Baldwin would respond to this. He’d replied, filling his sister in with their current situation, and it was obvious the minimal crew of Cleo could use some assistance in helping the Minon right now.
“The Ugna seem anxious to enter the atmosphere,” Constantine told him. Brax had seen this too. Their ships were lined up, each behind the leader, Vastness. He didn’t appreciate their cavalier use of the name for a ship. It was something no one in the Concord had done, out of respect. Until now, he mused.
“Tom agreed to escort them to the surface first thing in the morning. The Ugna claim he meant their destination’s morning, not our internal clocks,” Brax said.
Lieutenant Darl lifted a hand, gaining his attention. “The captain has docked, sir.”
Brax nodded to the man. “Good. Let’s see what he reads into this mess.”
He continued chatting with the AI projection, and a few minutes later, Baldwin and Ven arrived, the captain walking through the bridge entrance with a frown.
“Did we interrupt something?” Brax asked, smelling the rich food and Vina on Baldwin.
“Just doing my diplomatic duties, Lieutenant Commander. What’s this pressing business from Reeve?” Baldwin asked.
“Over here.” Brax crossed to his console at the left edge of the bridge. He showed Tom the initial message that had arrived at Talepen from the enemy warship.
Have the asset. Captors want a trade. Her for Keen. Please confirm.
“Keen? What is Reeve saying?” Baldwin leaned in, Ven standing stiffly behind Brax.
“She told us a story. It turns out the Seeli and Minon were derived from a distant planet, Celevon. They were in danger and sent five colony ships out. Two of them are our Concord partners,” he said.
“But they’re so much different in appearance,” Tom told him.
“That’s what a million years of evolution and environment will do, according to them. The vessel Reeve showed us before she left, this … ten-kilometer-long behemoth… they’re from the third colony vessel,” Brax advised them.
“Are they encountering the same reproductive disorders?” Ven asked.
“We don’t know. But to really make it interesting, the Minon have been trying to calculate the other colony ships’ destinations for centuries. They had some of the details in the wreckage of their ancient vessel. Two weeks ago, they located one. Everyone on board had perished, with one exception,” Brax said.
Tom groaned. “Let me guess. That’s who these invaders from beyond the Border came for?”
“That’s right.”
“They must be after her. If she’s of this origin race, they have to assume she’s going to act as a redeemer somehow. Is that the gist?” Tom asked.
“It appears so. They’d only begun testing, but the Minon scientist claims her genetic stock and code could be the answer. Unfortunately, the invasion happened, and they attempted to hide her in the station, with an Advisor Guardian to protect her,” Brax told them.
“I’ve heard of those Guardians. They’re supposed to be very good at what they do,” Tom said.
Brax pretended not to be insulted. “We have to assume they have the girl, and they want to trade her for Keen.”
“Keen. Why Keen?” the captain asked.
Brax lowered his voice. “You remember him trying to barter for his life when we dropped him off. Either these guys are buddies with him or they want him dead because of what he knows.”
“I’m guessing those lines are blurred when it comes to my old friend Lark,” Tom said.
“What should we do?” Brax peered over his shoulder at Tom, who looked like he wanted nothing more than to pass on this burden of knowledge.
“We’ll prepare for it. We’re going to drop the Ugna off in a few hours, contact the Prime and Benitor, and decide the next steps. First things first. Elder Fayle is out of our hair. No offense, Ven.” Captain Baldwin patted the Ugna officer’s arm.
“None taken, sir.”
“Then it’s settled. No one wake me until it’s time to head to Driun F49 in…” Tom waited, and Brax found the countdown on his console.
“Six and a half hours, sir.” Brax grinned, and Baldwin sighed.
“Six and a half hours.”
Nine
Reeve was exhausted, and she slumped into a chair in one of the government building’s offices. She was glad to be helping, but she
wished they were out in Constantine chasing this enemy, the Vusuls, instead.
Commander Kan Shu walked into the room, setting a tablet on the desk beside her, and sighed. “We have the printers running at full output. Our engineering team has worked wonders in this facility, but I’m afraid it won’t be enough.”
“And the power? Has it been restored city-wide?” Reeve asked as she glanced around, finding the rustic décor comforting for some reason. The lights flickered slightly, and the entire place had an odd scent to it. They were in the Advisors’ offices, right next to a lunchroom.
“For the most part. At least, the sections still standing,” Shu’s commander said.
Treena and Conner Douglas strode through the doors, the commander as fresh as ever in her artificial body. It wasn’t often Reeve would want to trade places with the woman, but this was one of them.
“We’ve managed to find a fifth of the population by our estimates, but we suspect tomorrow will be at least four times that,” Conner said, plopping into a seat. It squeaked as he leaned back, kicking his boots up onto a desk across from Reeve.
A man and a woman trailed after them, wearing formal garb: dusty white uniforms with dark gray cloaks. These were the two Advisors they’d managed to locate. The other four were dispersed in the different cities, with Guardians to protect them.
Reeve glanced over their shoulders, seeing the imposing figure leaning against the wall. He was older, a gray beard adorning his face, but he moved with fluid grace, and she didn’t think his fingers were ever two seconds from pulling his gun.
“Good. Has Baldwin told us how to reply? Should we be accepting their terms?” she asked Treena.
“He hasn’t advised us yet. I’ll contact him tomorrow if we haven’t heard anything,” Treena told her. “This needs to be resolved.”
“From the sounds of things, their arrival at Driun was a little rocky,” Reeve said.
“We cannot delay this exchange,” Iliandra, the female Advisor, said. Reeve was growing tired of their never-ending demands.
“These things take time. There’s a hierarchy to the Concord,” Treena told them.
“We only seek what is ours,” the woman said.
“Whoa, hold on,” Reeve told her. “She’s a woman. Flesh and blood. From what we know, she would have gone to sleep in stasis all those millennia ago, and then woken up to you surrounding her. She’s not an ‘asset’ or property of yours. Do you understand?”
They acted abashed but stood their ground. “There is more at stake than her single life.”
“From someone so preachy about the importance of the Minon life, you’re not selling your case very well,” Conner told the Advisor, and they bit back any retorts. “Reeve, you mentioned Driun F49. What’s the issue there?”
“Protesters. Brax filled me in. I guess the captain had to bring Fayle for a meeting to convince them that the blockade wasn’t going to work. He told me someone from R-emergence was leading the charge, so I asked Brax that she be present when they come for us.” Reeve longed for a pillow and blanket. She guessed she’d be able to sleep on the floor even without them.
“Then let’s hope the drop-off of the Ugna colony goes well, and we can keep this mission moving,” Treena said.
Reeve nodded, but if there was one thing she knew about Constantine’s missions, it was that they rarely went as planned.
____________
Driun F49. The world grew large in the shuttle’s viewscreen. Tom had seen the images from the file on the Ugna’s new home, but nothing had prepared him for the tantalizing view as he stared toward the lush, jutting hills.
Dueling rivers ran along each edge of the valley, the land flat and different shades of jungle green between the expanses. Even from here, Tom could tell this region was going to be hot, muggy, and sticky. As the shuttle’s landing gear rolled out and they set on the soft grass, his theory was proven correct. The instant the doors opened, the air blew in, flushing his skin.
Ven rose, seeming unperturbed by the heat. Their village on Leria was close to the same climate. Was that why they’d selected this particular valley to settle first? He kept his questions internalized as Elder Fayle stood, passing a rare smile to Tom as she walked past him toward the extended ramp.
“This is a wonderful moment for our people,” she said. Elder Barip, the old albino man often seen trailing around behind Fayle, was present, making their group somewhere around ten. Brax had sent two of his guards along, and Fayle had matched them. Tom had never seen Ugna soldiers like this before, and was surprised at their assertiveness when they’d first arrived. They wore olive uniforms, protective dark knee-high boots, facemasks that only showed their red eyes beneath, and short capes off their shoulders.
Brax would have appreciated the quality and size of their guns. Tom hoped it was overkill, since the planet was supposed to be empty.
Elder Fayle moved down the ramp, stopping before setting foot on the surface. “Ven, would you please join me?”
Ven peered at Tom, and he nodded at his executive lieutenant. He could see the leadership confusion in Ven’s face, and wanted to make it as simple as possible. Soon they’d be leaving the rest of the Ugna behind, and Ven could stop feeling the pull from Fayle. Tom wanted his clever officer back.
“This is monumental for our people, Ven Ittix. We have emerged from our cocoon, and have made it here, to our final destination. I’d like you to do the honors with me,” she told Ven.
Ven nodded, extending his arm out. She wrapped hers inside his, and together they took the first step onto Driun F49.
Sweat pooled under Tom’s uniform as the Ugna soldiers rushed past him. They each had a hovering drone whirring ten feet above them as they ran twenty yards ahead of their leader. Their guns were at the ready.
“Is all this necessary?” Tom asked as his boots landed on the grass outside.
“Just because this planet is not inhabited does not mean there are no threats here, Thomas. You of all people should understand,” Fayle told him.
She wasn’t wrong, so he kept silent. “What do you want us to do, Captain?” asked Kurt, Brax’s number two security officer.
“Stay close. Send the probes as well. I want to know exactly what’s in this valley from end to end. Understood?”
Kurt nodded, releasing palm-sized drones into the air. The four of them rose into the skies, scattering in each direction. Kurt slid a tablet from his uniform and powered it up. “I’ll advise anything out of the ordinary, sir.”
“Thank you.” Tom strode behind Elder Fayle, catching the odd word as she spoke in hushed tones to Ven just ahead. He caught up to them and she quieted, catching his gaze.
“What do you think, Captain?” she asked.
He peered around, seeing the bright sun in the distance. It glowed hot and yellow. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and no breeze here in the bottom of the valley. From here, he could hear the rush of the river to their left, and he was drawn to it. Liquid poured from some of the rounded hills, almost mountains, and into the river in a waterfall. It was all quite majestic. As much as Tom liked being in the climate-controlled Constantine, this was peaceful, beautiful; so far removed from Nolix, or a spaceship.
Trees pierced upwards from the ground ahead, and Tom wasn’t able to see past their thick leafy exteriors. He estimated that Fayle was leading them into the forest, deeper into the valley.
“We could have landed across them,” he told her, billowing out his uniform at the top, trying to get some airflow.
“Then we wouldn’t experience this part of it, would we?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye. “Sometimes the journey is the most important part, wouldn’t you agree, Ven?”
“Yes, Elder Fayle.” Ven seemed enthralled with the entire process, and Tom didn’t argue with them. It was spectacular here. As they entered the cover of the trees, tiny black bugs flew in clouds overhead, sticking to their clammy skin. He swatted at them, and one of the soldiers sent his drone over. The hove
ring sphere blinked and emitted a high-pitched sound, sending the blood-seeking insects scattering in a hurry.
“Nice trick,” Tom said.
“We’ve lived in jungles and forests for so long, it was imperative to avoid bites. We keep these close if we’re venturing outside of our villages, and I suspect that will not change here.” Fayle stepped into thicker forest. The trees were tall, the trunks slick with green moss. Tom walked into something, thinking it was a dangling legless animal, but it was only a vine.
The canopy covered the bright sunlight, and everything changed. It cooled slightly, the ground growing damper as they went. His feet squelched in the overgrown forest bed, and things rustled all around them. “I assume this is part of the experience?” he asked with a forced laugh.
Elder Fayle’s gaze darted around at the noises encircling their group. She pointed to one of the guards, and he moved to their right to investigate. The sounds grew closer, and Tom tensed up. If he didn’t know any better, they were being tracked.
“We are in their territory; let us remember that,” Fayle told them. “If we remain vigilant and careful, they will let us pass.”
“‘They’? What kind of creature are we dealing with?” Tom asked.
She shook her head. “I cannot sense anything.”
This did little to ease the stress. Kurt tapped him on the shoulder, the big human’s breath slightly labored. “Sir, you’re going to want to see this.” His voice was quiet, and he slowed, as if keeping his distance from the prying ears of the Ugna. Elder Barip walked past them, humming a familiar Ugna mantra, and Tom waited until he was caught up with Fayle and Ven to look at the outstretched tablet.
The image from the drone was clear. “This resembles a town,” Tom said. “This world isn’t inhabited. We ran scans and topography with the survey probes years ago.”
“Then someone’s been here since those maps were created,” Kurt advised him, tapping the screen.
The buildings appeared tall, antennae jutting from the tops. There were three of these, with dozens of smaller two-story structures encompassing the area. Even from the drone’s vantage point, Tom saw the construction taking place below. “Where is this?” he asked.
Baldwin's Legacy: The Complete Series Page 94