by Vi Voxley
The target was a ship called Levi. It was a part of the fleet, in many ways similar to the Flora, the most notable one being that it was also without weapons. When Lana said that in her opinion no ship could have afforded to be defenseless in a galaxy like that, Corden laughed. She suppressed her own smile in a hurry, but the captain couldn't deny something in her responded to him.
She blamed it all on the obvious attraction, because that was an easy target. Brion men were, after all, officially forbidden to set foot on Terra. The widely known joke said that the reason wasn't the bloody image they carried, but the fact that the warriors were too hot for Terran women to handle.
Stealing glances at Corden, Lana was willing to admit there was more than a share of truth to that. She'd called up the images of the fleet on the captain's holoprojector. Every time Corden leaned forward on the table to take a good look at the formation, Lana's eyes traveled shamelessly over his perfect form.
She was being a fool, but of course she was a fool either way she chose.
Because it didn't pose a threat, Lana thought that Levi was less likely to be carefully observed, compared to bigger ships with potentially dangerous firepower. And Corden agreed with her that the Abysmal, while formidable, was behind in the technology that allowed tracking ships.
The plan was simple, Lana said. Corden would go to the Levi and arrange for the crew to leave before sending the ship on its way to the warship. Lana would stay on the Flora and gain an alibi by inviting Worgen over to meet the Palians.
The military genius next to her laughed once again and said she was asking for trouble with that statement, wondering if next she was going to say nothing could go wrong. Lana wanted to believe that it was the joke that made her smile, not the man.
In truth, she knew how bad of a liar she was and how fiercely everything in her called to Corden.
At least she wouldn't see him for a while, Lana told herself. Instead of him driving her insane with his presence, he'd simply be in mortal danger, fighting for her.
No problem, right? What could go wrong?
She must have looked miserable, because Corden walked over to her. For a moment, Lana thought he was going to pull her into his arms again, but he stopped. She badly wanted to ignore the tinge of disappointment that brought.
"This is a good plan," Corden said seriously. "I'm Brion. We don't try out plans destined to fail and we don't fight hopeless battles. If I'm going, it shows there is a chance. You do your part and we will gain a victory against that monster."
Lana nodded, but her heart felt three sizes too small for her. Corden waited for her, but she didn't trust her tongue not to betray her fears. Finally the general bent down to lay a chaste, soft kiss on her lips. It was no more than a goodbye, without the demanding forcefulness of their first kiss. A moan escaped her lips before she could stop herself, but Corden didn't rub her nose in it. The general straightened himself, his powerful body towering over her, filling her with confidence.
"I told you," Corden said. "I will not let anything come between us again. Not even death."
And with that, he was gone and Lana felt more alone than ever before. She wanted to believe in the same stubborn way that the Brions did, but couldn't find it in her.
Corden had his spear and his strength to trust in. Lana only had hope.
***
She headed back to the bridge, ordering the crew to hurry with gathering all the Palians. That earned her several suspicious glances from the officers, including Yarel who had to appear before Worgen too. Lana wished she could tell them the truth, give them something to root for.
She really wanted them to know they weren't alone in the fight. That there was another general out there, fighting for them with his flagship around the corner, but she kept her mouth shut. Corden had been right. Until Lana was absolutely certain who she could trust, she couldn't say anything.
Instead, she offered them a half-truth.
"We know they want something from the Flora," she said. "General Worgen has been acting weird ever since I got here."
"How so?" Yarel asked, a hint of disapproval on his face.
"He is not doing anything."
That turned the bridge into a hissing, whispering nest, but Lana didn't care.
"I mean," she said, raising her voice to be heard. "Everything he does is terrible, but it has no meaning. He goes around killing the men, looking for his fated. If I'm being honest, I don't know how he expects that to happen just by looking at the women. Brion bonds are supposed to be born on a very special occasion, after all. I think he's making a mistake by looking for someone he wants, but I'm not going to tell him that. He also seems to think it's me or that it's going to be me. And he hasn't killed a single Palian yet so I wouldn't worry too much about the gathering to come. My point is—"
She paused for a moment to make sure they were all listening.
"That we need to know why. Worgen is mad, I agree, but there is a purpose driving him to this somewhere. He wants to attack Briolina, but isn't going anywhere. So the question is, why? I say the sooner we know, the better for us all. That way, maybe we can find a way to fight back."
That last sentence was a risk too, but one Lana was willing to take. Worgen knew she had no love for him. As long as she didn't do anything too foolish, everything was going to be fine.
It had also caught the crew's attention. They stood, exchanging glances, but eventually returned to their posts and started carrying out her commands.
Lana called Yarel to her command chair.
"I had a Palian second-in-command aboard my ship too," she said, straight to the point. "He refused to tell me what he thought was going on. Now he's dead."
The captain had decided not to show she knew about her former crew. She didn't even make any attempts to find out whether all of them had made it. All it would do was draw attention to it and she refused to do that. If they were all lucky enough to live, she'd find out later. And after seeing the way Worgen cut through lies, Lana had no intention of incriminating anyone with that information. Especially when it was vital in her new plan.
"I suggest you don't make that same mistake," she said.
Yarel gave her a hard look. It was unnerving on a Palian, a species that almost never lost their perpetual, soothing calm.
"Rejuvenation," he said simply.
"Good," Lana replied, leaning back in her chair. "That much is obvious, but I appreciate that. Now, let's build from there."
Yarel paced, folding his hands together. Lana thought she'd never actually seen an anxious Palian. They all seemed to be acting weirdly, so there had to be a secret. A big one at that.
"I don't know the details," Yarel offered.
"Great, because I wouldn't understand them," Lana said. "Give me something. Don't let me guide us blindly."
That was hopefully the right push. Palians were obsessed with knowledge, and they hated being kept in the dark, because it didn't allow them to make informed decisions.
"We..." Yarel began, but sighed then. "If the Union finds out about this, we're facing a scandal that you can't even imagine."
"Skip the dramatics."
"All right," the Palian said, looking at her seriously. "We have rejuvenation technology, everyone knows that."
"And one of you thought it was wise to let a monster like Worgen live forever."
And an angry Palian now, Lana thought, seeing Yarel's face twitch in irritation. This is a day of many firsts.
"Wise," Yarel snapped. "I swear on the gods, I didn't know someone had given a Brion general access to it. If we'd known, we would have warned you. Those who did it are more than likely dead now, but I refuse to believe they did it voluntarily. Wise, Captain? I expect they were tortured for the information."
"I'm sorry," Lana said, regretting her outburst. "Go on."
Yarel still looked upset, but he continued.
"The problem is, we have more than just rejuvenation. We've had the knowledge for a long time now,
so it's possible that whoever helped Worgen knew it too."
"Like what?" Lana asked.
"Regeneration," Yarel said, shrugging, as though being so advanced that Lana recognized the terms only from Terran science fiction was nothing. "But I don't think this is at work here. You have noticed that the Brion warriors are lifeless compared to the ones we know, right?"
"Yes," Lana said. "It's like they're zombies—"
Seeing the puzzled look on Yarel's face, she switched to simpler terms.
"It's like they're not really alive."
"They are," Yarel said, holding her gaze, his big eyes gleaming. "But I don't think any of them are the originals."
"The what?" Lana asked.
"We started developing the technique to help the colonies settle quicker. Stronger plants that could be duplicated, strengthening the growth of the fields and forests. Same with the animals. Bigger, more powerful breeds would be given an advantage. The colonists could speed up the process by decades."
"You're talking about cloning," Lana said. "We have that on Terra too."
"Not like we do," Yarel said with emphasis, and she didn't doubt him.
This is the one problem with Palians. They know a lot and they do the right thing and you know they want the best, but no one has any idea what they have hidden somewhere.
"So how's yours different? Quicker?"
"Much quicker," Yarel assured her. "Think about the implications. Worgen has warriors that can be replaced when he wishes. It's practically an army with a never-ending reserve."
"Clones," Lana said. "He has an army of clones."
"I am almost certain of that, yes," Yarel said. "The way they move, it all speaks of sloppiness. He doesn't understand that when he grows a warrior to full size, he's skipping all the experiences that make a warrior great. They're still good, Brion genetics ensure that, but not good enough. He teaches them to fight, but they'd be at a huge disadvantage if they met a real Brion army."
"What about him?" Lana asked, her mind spinning with ideas. "Is he—"
"Definitely the original," Yarel said at once.
Lana listened to the buzzing of the bridge around her. It started to make sense. Worgen needed the Palians to help him and the only lab large enough that wasn't on a Palian world was on... the Flora and her sister ships. They were meant to be equipped with everything the colony might need, to sustain life for years if the ship lost its course in the uncharted parts of space.
"So he wants you to build him a new army," she said.
Yarel came closer, dropping his voice so that only Lana could hear him.
"I think it's worse," he said and the fear was plain in his voice. "I think he wants us to make him immortal."
"Can you?" Lana asked, the image of the Flora going down in flames flashing before her eyes. She knew what would happen if Worgen didn't get his way.
"No," said Yarel.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Corden
Corden saw Levi on the monitors of his fighter.
His scanners were picking up the nuclear signature that Lana had told him about. Levi was a transport ship, on the way to the planet Horma. The three nuclear cores aboard were meant to be used in the plants providing power to the cities. Horma itself lacked the resources for it, so the cores had to be brought in from elsewhere in the Union. They were not weapons per se, but they could be easily weaponized.
The small ship was dutifully following the Abysmal's lead, doing its best not to be noticed. The general allowed himself a small smile. His gesha was a true wonder, it seemed. The plan she'd come up with was good. It still carried all the dangers he'd mentioned to her, but nothing was entirely without risk. This was their best chance to gain vital information. If Corden knew what Worgen's ship could take, he would be able to relay that information back to his fellow generals.
So far, they'd stayed back like the Claw, so as not to make the situation any worse. Brions didn't succumb to fear, but the truth was a painful one. Their species was not the best at keeping knowledge alive. Worgen was as much a legend to them as he was to the rest of the Union. It was impossible to say with certainty what the Abysmal was capable of.
The fact that Corden found it surprisingly easy to slip aboard the Levi was already a sign of that. His own flagship would have picked up uncoordinated flights between the fleet immediately, but the Abysmal clearly did not. It was how the crew of the Raptor had been able to escape. That was evident from the lack of punishment. Corden had no doubt Worgen would have rained death on the fleet if he'd known.
Corden didn't doubt the plan, nor himself. He'd thought it through from every angle and it was the best they had. The only aspect that bothered him was Lana, out there alone with Worgen. If the other general insisted on her being his fated, he might... The valor squares gleamed blood-red on his neck. The mere thought of another man touching Lana was unbearable. For him to claim her, that was impossible to imagine.
Yet it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. At some point, Worgen was bound to get tired of waiting for the recognizing moment to happen. Corden knew his kind well enough.
Getting on the Levi was easy. Corden landed in one of the docking bays, unquestioned and undisturbed. The same rank fear he'd met on the Raptor was everywhere. Clearly, this ship wasn't about to rebel against the Brions.
The general stepped aboard the ship that was about to become a bullet to the heart of the enemy.
Now all he had to do was convince a whole crew to be braver than they'd ever been in their lives.
***
Corden's first task was to take out the Brion patrols on Levi. Once they were gone, the crew would have a free path to the escape pods and smaller vessels that could carry them away. Of course, this time there would be no confusion and an explosion to cover their exit. Corden had to hope that the Abysmal wasn't watching too closely until it was too late.
The warriors he met were the same as the rest had been. The general was once again hit with the thought that they moved in slightly off ways. He recognized all the moves before they could even start to carry them out.
They reminded Corden of the mechanized AIs and mechs he'd trained with when he'd been a child. Programmed to remember basic fighting stances, strikes, and blows, they were easy tools for combat training when a warrior was still building up his speed and strength.
That's what it felt like to fight the cold Brions. They were powerful enough to overcome most of the others, but not Corden. He went through them with a kind of ease that bothered him. Not only were they a disgrace to the Brion name, it had the bad taste of killing enemies who weren't really able to defend themselves.
He remembered the Torons tearing the warriors to shreds, too. So easy. How could it be so easy? They should have been better, but the only one who seemed to have benefited from their long exile was Worgen.
Corden cut, slashed, and pushed through the units he met. Every time, the Brions greeted him with the same reckless abandon, only to pull back a little when they saw he wasn't going down. The general delivered them the only mercy he could, giving them a quick death.
It was a blur of blades and blood and flesh until he recognized a face. No realization dawned in the eyes of the warrior Corden could have sworn he'd killed once before. It was the same man, he was certain of it. The one who had promised him they'd meet again.
But it was too late. In the time it took to see the face of a dead man, Corden had already killed him. In the middle of a battle, a Brion became an unstoppable killing machine, not pausing until all the enemies were dead. Coming to a halt in the middle of it took time, like applying the brakes on a huge machine.
The general was left watching the body of the familiar warrior slump to the ground for the second time. Once again, he was the last one to do so, implying he was better than the rest. Possibly the unit leader, although he barely acted like one.
Corden watched him die, the spear in his hand dripping with blood. As the warrior dragged in his final, rasping
breaths, he kept his eyes on Corden. The general half-expected him to say something about his vow, but the warrior didn't seem to remember. Instead, as his eyes closed for the last, he said:
"I will see you again."
Corden had led a very eventful life, but that had definitely not happened to him before. It would have been amusing if it wasn't so perplexing. When someone was killed by a Brion, they usually stayed firmly dead. This was a first.
It couldn't have been the same man, the general knew that. He'd watched the warrior get torn into pieces by the Torons. He was about to check if this one really died when footsteps sounded from behind him.
This time, he encountered the Levi's crew. Three men rounded the corner, guns held in shaking hands before them. The sight that greeted them was Corden, crouching over a pile of dead Brions. It should have told the newcomers he was an ally, but he supposed it was understandable he didn't have a calming effect on them. Seeing a man covered in blood and wielding a spear twice their height didn't say safe, exactly.
They opened fire.
Despite the obvious terror, the men were trained and their aim wasn't off. Another man might have been cut down in the hail of bullets, but Corden's reflexes were far beyond their understanding. He was moving before the first shot sounded, dashing toward them, staying out of the line of fire.
No living being could have dodged bullets shot at such close range, but as he neared, the men stopped shooting. The sheer shock of someone running headlong into the guns was enough to make them stumble back.
Corden swept their feet from under them in one quick strike, leaving all three lying on the floor, staring up at the razor-sharp blade of his spear.
"Drop the guns," he growled.
They did. The guns practically fell out of their grasps, clattering to the ground. The men seemed to search for words to plea with, but Corden had no time for them.
"Do you want to live?" he asked.
They nodded, yes, they very much wanted to live.
"I will let you stand and you will not attempt to do anything stupid, like flee," Corden said.