Children of the White Star

by Linda Thackeray

  Garryn felt a sharp jab in his shoulder and was prompted to move by the trooper standing behind him. Garryn began walking towards the door, reluctant to leave the others. But knew he had little choice in the matter. He threw a glance over his shoulder at Flinn and the others.

  “Flinn, stay calm.”

  “No speaking!” The trooper behind him snapped.

  Garryn said nothing further, but saw Flinn nod slowly at the request. Next to Flinn, Hannah clung to her mother, offering her what support she could. Both stared after him with a mixture of fear and longing. Aaran's expression was simply unreadable. As Garryn was led out of the room, he prayed this would not be his last view of them ever.

  * * *

  They led him through the length of the ship. If the Dragon's Eye had seemed enormous from the outside, it seemed endless inside it. The ship was a collection of twisting and turning corridors, leading to a dozen decks, several lounges and a vast series of rooms and compartments. Strangely enough, Garryn did not see many crew members. Somehow it was difficult to believe that a ship this size could operate on anything less than a full crew complement, unless dreadnought class ships had recently undergone refit for partial automation.

  It suddenly occurred to Garryn with a flash of clarity that he was being intentionally kept out of sight. His route to Edwen was through the engineering and maintenance decks, where crew traffic would be minimal. Perhaps Edwen was aware of what a gamble he was taking by doing this. If it was realised he had taken Garryn prisoner, he would be guilty of high treason.

  Edwen's quarters were located in the starboard section of the ship. The entrance to the General's suite was marked by two Security Elite sentries flanking the doorway. His escort was promptly dismissed and Garryn was ushered through the doors by the guards who abandoned him once he'd entered the room.

  The room was larger than the normal commanding officer's cabin. Even for a dreadnought, the space within the room was luxurious in comparison to others he had seen before. Garryn guessed this was once a conference room or something similar before Edwen had gutted it to make it his own. Despite its size, its furnishings were nothing out of the ordinary and looked like standard military issue. The decor seemed draconian, like Edwen himself.

  “Greetings, Prime.”

  Behind the glass top desk, he saw Edwen sitting in wait. The adjutant, Danten, if Garryn remembered correctly, was standing next to the General.

  Garryn maintained his calm, even though there was a part of him that wanted to tear Edwen's heart out in the light of what he had learned on Earth. He chose instead to walk casually to the nearby sofa and sit down. This was not the time for allowing his emotions to overwhelm him. Edwen wanted information and Garryn needed to bargain for the lives of his companions.

  “Greetings, General.”

  Edwen rose to his feet and looked up at Danten. “Get the Prime some refreshment.”

  Without question, the Major walked to the sideboard at the corner of the room and began pouring Garryn a drink from a crystal decanter. Garryn could not help feel the absurdity of the situation with all its forced civility. Only after he was served did Edwen finally speak.

  “It has been a merry chase hasn't it?” He took a seat on the chair across from the sofa.

  “Yes, it has. I have to admit, even for you this is beyond belief.”

  “I take it that Aaran has apprised you of the situation. Frankly, I had hoped he was dead, but then he was always so determined.”

  Garryn did not ask Edwen how he knew about Aaran. The man had probably viewed their entire arrival on board the ship. “He told me enough and I found out a few things myself.”

  “You must understand, Garryn,” Edwen explained, impressed by the restraint shown by the young man and wondering how long it would last. “Twenty three years ago, the home world was on the brink of extinction. There is no Empire if Brysdyn itself is no more. Almost ninety percent of our population was sterilised by the Cure. We had no future. I could not allow that to happen. The Empire had to endure.

  “I don't question your motivations,” Garryn answered, surprised by his own understanding of Edwen's intentions. He had not meant to see his enemy's side of it, but he was Brysdynian too, no matter where he was born. “I love Brysdyn as much as you do, but you cannot believe our people would have stood for this. We are a warrior people and there is no honour in a war waged this way. No one on Brysdyn, no matter how desperate the need, would have justified what you've done.”

  “I agree.” Edwen nodded with maddening calm. “A true patriot must do things for their world no matter how painful it is. I did what was necessary to keep Brysdyn from bleeding to death. The fruits of what I achieved are all around us. The New Citizens gave the Empire much needed life again. We, in turn, gave them the universe. They have known lives that were centuries beyond their primitive beginnings. You of all people should understand that.”

  “You mean being Prime?” Garryn said sharply. “You think it gives me comfort knowing I am going to be Imperator some day? I can't even close my eyes without seeing my parents blown apart in front of me.” His feelings began to show between the cracks of his icy demeanour, but Garryn did not care at this point. “You'll forgive me I am not more gracious.”

  “Yes, your father told me of your problem,” Edwen replied, unaffected by Garryn's outburst. “He explained your association with the mentalist.”

  His attitude infuriated Garryn. “You didn't have to kill him! You tried to destroy all evidence of what you did on Earth and you still have no idea why, do you? You can't comprehend how much of it is out of your control already!”

  Edwen blinked, perhaps feeling a little more than he should have. “Brysdyn is not ready for such truth. The people are happy and content. The Empire is stronger now than it ever was. Security Elite was created to protect the sovereignty of Brysdynian rule and its survival depended on the infusion of new blood. Believe me, I do not take what I did lightly, Prime, but I understood that it needed to be done for all our sakes. Warriors must be born to defend the Empire.”

  “Warriors?” Garryn looked at him incredulously. “You really believe you lived up to some ancient warrior code? Poisoning an entire world to steal their children is not the way of warriors. I don't care how much the Empire needed defending! I am not alone, Edwen. Your daughter dreams as well. The mentalist you so casually refer to was treating dozens of us. They are emerging from their sleep across Brysdyn. What are you doing to do? Murder them too?”

  “Enough,” Edwen said icily, glaring at Garryn with similar venom. “I had hoped you would understand. Even if you did go to the planet. You know as well as I do that, in war, sacrifices are necessary. I made a decision, saving our Empire at the cost of one insignificant planet.”

  “Except it was my planet!”

  “Perhaps it was once,” Edwen countered, “but no more. You are as much Brysdynian as I am and you have a responsibility to the people who have chosen you to be their Imperator! Will you destroy them with what you know?”

  “I will do what is right,” Garryn replied, but inwardly he wasn't so sure. Despite his outrage, the general's words hit home.

  “Then I will do what I must. I will not allow you to tear Brysdyn apart. Even if it means sacrificing our next Imperator.”

  XXIX

  Escape

  Once the sentries were ordered to remove the Prime from his presence, Edwen downed the entire contents of his untouched drink with one stiff gulp. The fine taste of cognac did little to improve his mood. No matter how much he justified in the name of Brysdyn, nothing could ever make him feel comfortable about assassinating the future head of state. Then again, what was one more death after all the others?

  Edwen wondered at what point life had become so cheap to him.

  “Speak.”

  Danten was present throughout the exchange but had remained silent, as always, in the background. In fact, now that he thought of it, Danten had been silent a great deal lately.
/>   “Are you really going to have him killed?”

  “Having an attack of conscience, Major?”

  Edwen avoided Danten's gaze by staring into the bottom of his glass, as if the remaining contents could offer him comfort.

  “No Sir, I just hoped we could have convinced him.”

  “He is angry and full of self righteous rage, not to mention he absolutely despises me. I never really believed we could convince him, but who could foresee going back to the planet would actually awaken all his memories of it?”

  Edwen thought about Kalistar. Garryn claimed she dreamed as well. What were her nights plagued with? To his shame, he'd never thought to ask her if there was a problem when she had come home to Brysdyn. Then again, she knew his views on mentalists and probably thought it better to remain silent.

  “How…” Danten tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat. When he found his voice, he tried again. “How will it be done?”

  “We will place him and his companions inside his ship.” It was as if a stranger was speaking with his voice and committing treason with each word. “Their ship will launch from the Dragon's Eye and, once it is in orbit around the planet, we will blow it out of the sky.”

  “May I speak candidly, Sir?”

  Edwen turned to him in mild surprise. It was not a request Danten often made. Despite their years of service together, Edwen had very little idea on how the man felt about most things. Danten obeyed without question and kept his own counsel.

  “Go ahead.”

  The general's appearance unnerved his loyal servant. The master of Security Elite, always supremely in control, now looked worn and tired. More than ever, Edwen now resembled a greying old man, unable to cope with the burdens of his position. Seeing him this way made Danten hesitate, but it was too late to withdraw the request.

  “How will we explain this to the Imperator? You said he knows everything. If Garryn should suddenly turn up dead, surely the Imperator will know that we are responsible.”

  “Of course he will,” Edwen nodded. “Fortunately, during our last meeting, I clarified our position. If he retaliates because I took his son's life, then he risks exposing Brysdyn to the truth about the New Citizens. Iran is not strong enough to survive the chaos this will cause in the Empire. He barely survived the anarchy during the Scourge. I think the Imperator knows not even a child is too great a sacrifice for Brysdyn.”

  Danten said nothing. When he was the young ambitious aide, their path was clear. They were saving Brysdyn from a slow death. In those days, he seldom lay awake at night, thinking about the choices of his life. Youth made one feel invincible. Now that youth was gone, and experience had given him a greater understanding of what they'd done. The more he pondered what lay beyond death, the more convinced he became a higher power would hold him accountable for his actions.

  Garryn was correct. Control over this dark secret was beyond them now. The Dreamers were awakening across the Empire and, sooner or later, they would remember. As much as the General needed to believe what they were doing was for the greater good of Brysdyn, Danten knew better. This had stopped being about Brysdyn a long time ago. This was now about saving their skins and about saving the Security Elite.

  For the first time in his life, Major Danten started to wonder if it was really worth saving.

  * * *

  “Are you really the Prime?”

  The question startled him. As Garryn glanced over his shoulder at the guard asking the question, he wondered if his other escort was just as surprised. There were two of them, wearing the dark uniform of Edwen's private guard, with faces hidden behind the faceplate of their helmets, marching him back to the others.

  “I am.”

  Except for them, the corridor was deserted, maintaining the secrecy of his presence on board the ship. He wondered how Edwen planned to get rid of him and the others.

  “Shut up!” The other guard barked angrily.

  “Come on, Yarn. You heard the General call him Prime.”

  His voice betrayed his uncertainty. He had to be a relatively new recruit to the Security Elite, Garryn decided. An experienced Elite trooper would never think to question his superiors, most of all the General.

  “Maybe we should think about this…”

  “I SAID SHUT UP!” Yarn cut him off before he could say anything else.

  “Yarn! If this is really the Prime, we're committing high treason!”

  “We are Security Elite! If the Prime threatens Brysdyn, then he is an enemy! You took the Oath! You know that! Now stop this!”

  The guard fell silent and it appeared the temporary rebellion was over as they continued a little further along the corridor. Then, without warning, he stopped abruptly and swung around to face his comrade. The other man had barely a second to register what was happening before he pulled the trigger. The blast struck the older Security Elite officer dead centre, flinging him back against the wall. He slumped to the floor in a heap, his armour smouldering with heat.

  Pulling his helmet off his face, he showed Garryn just how young he was. He couldn't be more than twenty years old, with olive skin and brown eyes.

  “How can I help you, Prime?” he asked quietly, his voice indicating how overwhelmed he was by his own actions.

  “What's your name?” Garryn wasted no time with the opportunity presented and quickly retrieved dead Yarn's weapons.

  “Nyall,” he replied, hesitating adding his rank after what he'd just done.

  “Nyall, thank you for what you've done. I know it can't have been easy.”

  Nyall shrugged. “You're the Prime. I didn't sign up to stand by and let you be killed, whatever oath I took. But what now, Sir?” This impulsive step didn't come with any idea on how to proceed next.

  Garryn considered their options before turning to Yarn. “We need to hide him. I don't want a general alert sounded until I get to the brig. Is there anywhere we can put him for the moment?”

  “There are maintenance compartments along all corridors in this deck. It will be a tight squeeze, but I think we can fit him in there.”

  “Good. Let's do it,” Garryn replied impatiently, eager to get moving. As it was, it was a small miracle no one had happened along yet. As big as this ship was, Garryn did not think much time would pass before someone discovered what they had done. He had an idea how they might escape, but he needed to reach Flinn and the others first.

  They carried Yarn down the corridor quickly before shoving him into one of the compartments Nyall spoke about. It was a tight squeeze with all the cleaning equipment already in storage, but the door slid closed without issue.

  “Would you know where the people who came on board with me were taken?” Garryn asked as they hurried away from the compartment.

  “Unless the General requested otherwise, I would assume they would be taken to the brig.”

  Garryn had thought as much. “Okay, then that's where we're going.”

  * * *

  Next time, Flinn, just walk away.

  Flinn told himself this repeatedly over the duration of time he spent sitting in the cellblock with his companions, on the verge of execution. Even though he knew he would never have abandoned Garryn if he had to do it all over again, it still made him feel better thinking it. It was better than driving himself crazy thinking of a way to escape their cage.

  His companions were in similar torment. Aaran and Rachel were huddled together in one of the bunks. They had remained in that same position since they were placed inside this cell and Flinn saw no reason to disturb them. While Aaran wore a look of resignation, Rachel's terror was plain. For an instant, Flinn forgot his own troubles long enough to feel for the poor woman who, until today, had never even left her home, let alone her planet. Now it seemed the journey would cost Rachel her life.

  Hannah was in a better state. She didn't show her fear, but occupied her mind by studying everything closely, even though there wasn't much to see in their cell. He noticed they were the only
prisoners in the brig. All other cells were empty.

  They were sealed in by a wall of energy facing the corridor. At the end of it was a central hub where three guards and one communications officer kept a vigilant eye on them. With frustration, Flinn realised there was no possibility of escaping without being seen.

  “How are you holding up?” Flinn asked, walking next to Hannah. He thanked the maker that the guards had let him keep his translator so he could at least speak to her.

  “Alright,” she said, trying to smile but not quite managing it. At that point, Flinn realised she was afraid but was hiding it better than her distraught mother. “Do you think Garryn is still alive?”

  “I think so,” Flinn replied with a sigh. Truth was, he had no idea if the Prime was dead or not.

  “They will kill us, won't they?”

  The acceptance of this fact made Flinn wish he could lie, but wouldn't insult her by doing so. “I think so.”

  “My father told me stories of Brysdyn all my life,” she said, glancing at the elderly man holding her mother. “I always wanted to see it. It sounded so pretty. I made sure when he taught me to speak Brysdynian I learnt everything I could, so if I went there I wouldn't sound strange. I got part of the way, I suppose.”

  Flinn did not know what to say to her. The translator made everything said intelligible, so he could not say for certain if her fluency with Brysdynian was genuine or not. Fortunately, he did not have to answer, as their attention was taken up by the opening of the main doors to the cellblock. Garryn appeared, much their relief. The Prime seemed unhurt as he was escorted into the room by another guard.

  Garryn scanned the room quickly, searching the cells until he found his companions. Once he met Flinn's gaze, the pilot saw the relief in the Prime's eyes.

  “I thought there were two of you,” Flinn heard one of the guards say.

  “Officer Yarn was called away.”

  Something was up, Flinn thought.

  It was very bad practice to pull a guard off a prisoner as important as Garryn, especially while escorting him to the brig. Flinn knew it and he was sure the other guards knew it as well. Before anything else could be said, Garryn suddenly dropped to his knees as his escort opened fire. To Flinn's amazement, Garryn reached behind his back and produced a weapon as well, shooting the other guards taken by surprise.