The Pirates of Mercury: The Kelvin Voyages Book One

by Kyle Larson

  Kelvin could see deep sadness in his mother’s face when she said Aren’s name.

  “There’s no easy way for me to ask you this, Kelvin, so I’m just going to say this. I would like you to suspend the Traditions of Service until this situation with the Pirates of Mercury is resolved. This news has the potential to throw the Nine Kingdoms into panic, and I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be out there right now. I was lucky that your uncle was there to help you and that there are star dragons in the Antioch Belt, but we won’t always be that lucky. It’s not safe for you, and I hate to say it, it’s not safe for the crew of the Monarch to be out in space right now. We don’t yet know what we’re up against and what it means for the Nine Kingdoms.”

  This was expected, but Kelvin was surprised his mother asked him. He thought she would see the importance of Earth fortifying it’s relationships with other kingdoms. Kelvin assumed his father would be asking this of him and wished the old man would have been standing next to his mother. The unspoken worry Kelvin had was how the news about what Aren had become would affect his father.

  “I’m sorry, mom,” Kelvin said. “I feel that I must continue the Traditions of Service. The Nine Kingdoms need us now and they need to see that Earth will help strengthen allies, not hide and wait for the Pirates of Mercury attack. We’ve renewed our alliance with Mercury because of this, and if I can do that here, there’s no reason to believe I can’t do it in the other kingdoms. It’s my responsibility. I have to try.”

  Queen Eleyn and Taija exchanged disappointed glances. Kelvin could tell Taija was equally unhappy, since her daughter would be along for the ride. He looked to Amelia to judge her reaction, but she gave him a confident nod to let him know she stood with him.

  “Kelvin, this is real. We’ve studied the scans of those ships in their fleet. They are heavily armed and if the Lunar Guardians and the star dragons hadn’t shown up, the Monarch wouldn’t have been able to fend them off. Those ships could have destroyed the Monarch if they wanted to. What you want is noble, and it’s something I want too, but now is not the time. This is a crisis and we’ll continue to work with the rest of the Nine Kingdoms, but you are risking lives by doing this.”

  “They all believe in what I’m doing, mom. They are stronger than you think, and when we encounter the Pirates of Mercury next time, we’ll be ready,” Kelvin said. “I’m sorry, mom, but I’m not going to let them scare me. I’m going to Venus next, as well as the rest of the Nine Kingdoms.”

  “It is your decision and your right, Kelvin. I’ll warn you though that your father, the Security Council, and myself have all issued formal objections to be heard by the courts. They will no doubt take months to arbitrate, but they have the authority to order you to suspend this and return home. That is most likely what they will decide, so if you have business you wish to conduct on Venus and the other Nine Kingdoms, I suggest you get started right away.”

  “Be safe, my dear,” Taija said to Amelia, warmly and worriedly. She turned and cast a stern look of disappointment. “I wish you much success, Lord Sellwood.” Taija’s holo-projection faded as she stepped away, and was quickly gone. The formality of her words stung Kelvin, as Taija was like family to him. It was the first time his role in the royal family had negatively affected someone he cared about. It was clear that this decision would not be an easy one in it’s consequences.

  “I’m not going to lie to you, Kelvin,” Queen Eleyn said. “I’m not happy about this at all. You’re not thinking about all the people you’ll be putting at risk. Amelia, Holloway, the whole crew…keeping them safe is part of being king.”

  “I know that, mom, but the Nine Kingdoms need to be united. They need to know what happened from the people who were there and they need to know that we stand together. I don’t think there’s any other way to do that now.”

  “We shall see, Kelvin,” Queen Eleyn said, then she turned to Amelia. “Amelia, congratulations and thank you for your bravery. Kelvin, I love you very much and all I ask is that you be as careful as you can and listen to Holloway and Captain Ali.”

  “When are you and dad coming to Venus to meet me?” Kelvin said, attempting to change the subject with a pleasant topic like the possibility of a family reunion.

  “Oh, Kelvin,” Eleyn said, shaking her head in disappointment. “Your father and I can’t leave Earth. There’s a lot of preparation to do in case this fleet decides to launch an attack directly on us. We have to stay here. I’m sorry, I really wish we could. That’s one of the reasons we wanted you to come back. We love you and want you to stay safe.”

  “I’ll stay safe, mom. I love you, too.”

  Queen Eleyn’s holo-projection faded away. Her last glance at Kelvin was one of worry and sorrow, and it was hard for him to see his mother so unhappy. Kelvin and Amelia said nothing as they started back up the long staircase to exit the chamber. Suddenly, a voice came from behind them.

  “Son,” King Erelm’s voice echoed through the chamber.

  They turned to see a holo-projection of King Erelm, just where Queen Eleyn had been a few seconds ago. Amelia knew well enough that the conversation would be for Kelvin alone, so she acknowledged that with a nod to Kelvin and kept walking.

  “I’ll wait for you outside,” was all Amelia said, nervous for her friend.

  Kelvin turned and walked back down to the center of the chamber, looking at the holo-projection of his father that flickered back at him. King Erelm kept his eyes to the floor, a look on his face that was impossible to read.

  “Hello father,” Kelvin said when he reached the bottom of the stairs.

  “Why do you disobey us?” the king said, not wasting time, but still not looking his son in the eye. “You may think I’m a tired old man, but I’ve seen the Nine Kingdoms. The Pirates of Mercury…” The king’s voice trailed off and he paused before he began again. “Your sister and Sir Ristep, as misguided as they may seem, are exploiting a weakness every ruler in the Nine Kingdoms knows has been there for many centuries. Humans do not have a history of accepting peace. There is always someone who wants more power. The Jovians have been docile for much longer than anyone with that much power, and they have no reason to start a war.”

  Kelvin remembered what Aren and Riz showed him. The massive fleet below the thick clouds of Jupiter. Undetectable to anyone, even if they were in the lowest orbit possible around the gas giant the infinity of battleships Kelvin had seen on the recording would be invisible. He hadn’t mentioned it to anyone at this point, because he didn’t know if what they showed him was true. Riz and Aren believed it was, but Kelvin wasn’t convinced. He knew there were too many stories in history of people starting wars under the premise of a lie or misunderstanding. After everything that happened, Kelvin had no reason to trust his sister or Riz.

  “Why do people mistrust the Jovians so much, father?”

  “They used to be conquerors and the only reason they changed their ways is because we forced them to. It has been centuries, but the past is not easily forgotten by families like ours. The Sellwoods were one of the families who lost the most to the Imperators of Jupiter. Our people may have forgotten the lives lost or in bondage at the hands of the Jovians, but I have not. Your sister, it seems, has not either.”

  For a moment, King Erelm almost sounded proud of Aren. Like there was some strange nobility in what she was doing. This made Kelvin very uneasy, as he knew his father was not the most stable person, and any notion that the king of Earth could be sympathetic to Aren and Riz was troubling. Kelvin hoped his father wasn’t speaking to anyone else like this, as if word got out, it could be very bad for Earth and for the new alliance Kelvin just secured with the people of Mercury.

  It could also prompt the Security Council to remove him from power, which would be very bad for the Sellwood family. Queen Eleyn would rule in his place, but it could cause a great rift between his parents, and potentially push his father and those loyal to him to align with the Pirates of Mercury. In this moment,
Kelvin realized that nothing mattered to his father other than Aren. The man had become so obsessed with being reunited with his firstborn that he’d become derelict in his duty to protect Earth and be a responsible leader in the Nine Kingdoms.

  Kelvin was very disappointed in his father, and chose not to tell him what Aren and Riz had shown him.

  “My sister lead a group of criminals to our flagship and put the lives of every person on that ship at risk. Maybe she hasn’t forgotten an ancient blood-war between our ancestors and those of the Jovians – who have been dead for over four-hundred years – but she’s forgotten that our family is sworn to protect the people of Earth. Aren has betrayed everything I thought our family was supposed to stand for.”

  Kelvin hadn’t realized the anger that seeped into his voice. He could tell his father had, because King Erelm’s surprised eyes looked right at him.

  “Maybe you’re right, son. You can’t understand now, but you will someday when you have children of your own. A parent can’t condemn their children, and it’s very hard to believe the worst about them,” Erelm said. “You are right. Your sister has betrayed her people and her family. Perhaps, one day, we can bring her home and she’ll realize her place is on the throne of Earth.”

  “Maybe, father, but our people and the Nine Kingdoms no longer have the luxury. If you aren’t going to leave the castle, then it’s up to me to make sure Earth has as many allies as I can get us. We didn’t defeat the Pirates of Mercury, but the Nine Kingdoms will. It won’t be easy. Earth needs its king now, more than ever, and if you can’t do what is needed, I beg you let mother.”

  “Your mother has enough to worry about–”

  “Because of you!” Kelvin shouted. Everything that had bottled up over the years as he’d watched his father mope about the castle and neglect everything around him exploded from Kelvin in an instant. There always seemed to be excuses or reasons why his father wouldn’t sit on the throne and his mother had to take up the slack. His mother grieved just as much as his father, but she knew it couldn’t get in the way of what the Sellwood family had been charged to do since the formation of the Nine Kingdoms. “Mom has to carry everything in this family. You wear that crown and carry that bloodline, but mom is the one that keeps our family in the castle and helps keep Earth safe. You didn’t do her any favors by closing our borders and cutting off ties with the rest of the Nine Kingdoms! Do you think I would have felt the need to do any of this if there were still alliances? I’d been in school right now, back at home, maybe in my room doing homework or watching Tube. Do you think it was fun for me to be kidnapped and threatened by my own sister and a man I thought was my friend?”

  King Erelm did not respond. His face dropped again, but there was no anger.

  “I’m sorry, Kelvin,” the king said. “This isn’t what I wanted. I’ve forgotten who I was and I’ve ignored who you are. What is it you need from me? Do you want my blessing to continue to Venus and complete the Traditions of Service?”

  Kelvin took a few deep breaths to calm himself. He noticed he was slightly shaking from the wave of anger he’d just released.

  “I don’t need your blessing. Just try to be the king I read about in history, before Aren went missing. Try to help mom, because she’s going to need it. Try to be the leader our people need,” Kelvin said, consciously trying to add a sympathetic tone to his voice. Then he remembered what his uncle Earlos told him about being banned from Earth. “Father, if it were not for uncle Earlos, the Lunar Guardians, and their crew, none of us would have made it out of the Antioch Belt. It’s not my place to tell you how to feel about uncle Earlos or the Lunar Guardians, but all they want is to return to their homes on Earth. Will you please allow them to return to Earth? Only you have that power.”

  King Erelm did not look pleased with the request. Kelvin knew it was a lot to ask from his father, as the feeling of betrayal was something Earlos even validated. Kelvin knew he was asking a lot and that the level of betrayal his father felt by the Lunar Guardians could be the same as he felt about Aren and Riz. He could tell his father thought deeply about the request for the few moments he was silent.

  “The Lunar Guardians and their people will be permitted to return and live on Earth, if they desire,” King Erelm said. “I will inform your mother that I’m lifting the ban, which will also allow them to live anywhere in the Nine Kingdoms if they so choose.”

  “Thank you, father.”

  “So,” King Erelm said, a new hint of relief. “You are to depart to Venus, now? That’s a long trip from Mercury at this time of year. Do you know much about the Venusians?”

  Kelvin had spent so much time studying Mercury and then everything that happened once his tradition had begun, he hadn’t even glanced at a history page about Venus. He only knew the names of their rulers: King Arnan and Tendai Ochoa.

  “I don’t really know anything about them,” Kelvin said, sheepishly.

  “They are known to be the fiercest warriors in the Nine Kingdoms, so perhaps they can teach you a thing or two our people may need in the near future,” King Erelm said, a small smile crossing his face. “You should go now. The Monarch is no doubt ready and you have a long journey ahead of you.”

  “Thank you, father,” Kelvin said. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t bring Aren back. I’m sorry that she’s gone this way.”

  “It’s not your burden, Kelvin. Your sister has made her choice and all we can do now is hope she realizes this is not the way. I’ve not given up hope and never will. This is Riz using your sister, as he tried to use me once in the same way, and hopefully she’ll realize what that man is.”

  Kelvin was intrigued, as he only knew that his father and Riz were once like brothers, but had a falling out. There seemed to be more to the story and Kelvin wanted to know.

  “What is Riz?”

  The king looked at Kelvin with contempt at the sound of the man’s name.

  “He is a villain, son. I always suspected it, but now I know it,” Erelm said. It seemed like he wanted to say more, but stopped himself. “We will speak of this again another day, son. You have enough on your mind. Go to your ship and continue the Traditions of Service.”

  “Thanks, dad,” Kelvin said, as he turned to go. Before his father’s holo-projection vanished, he turned back as he climbed the stairs. “I love you, dad.”

  Erelm smiled and looked like it was the first time he’d ever heard those words.

  “I love you too, son. And I’m very proud of you.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  THE EMPRESS LUMBERED through the Antioch Belt, with a crew of defeated soldiers stared out the cracked portholes at the lifeless rocks that had stopped their mission. Capturing the Monarch would have started everything they wanted in their desire to overthrow the Nine Kingdoms. It was the momentum they needed to return to their home worlds and break up their rulers.

  This defeat had soured them. They were no longer idealists trying to fight for a cause. The time to talk with their potential enemies was over. No kingdoms would be offered a chance align with them. The Pirates of Mercury were ready to establish themselves as a legitimate army. They hoped Aren and Riz would have convinced Kelvin to join them and make Earth an ally. That was not to be and now Earth was their first enemy.

  The only thing the Pirates of Mercury would accept now was surrender. They were confident the planets would fall, one by one. Riz knew the defensive capabilities of every planet in the Nine Kingdoms. Once their fleet had regrouped, both Riz and Aren were confident the only challenge they would face would be the Jovian Fleet.

  Riz and Aren both sat in workstations that were raised above the rest of the bridge crew in their flagship, the Empress. The ship had taken heavy damage, but it’s engine systems were still functional. They were the largest ship in the fleet, but so far on their search through the Antioch Belt for surviving ships, they’d found no one. The stampede of star dragons had caused a lot of distortion, so it was impossible to communicate. All the Empre
ss could do was search, but it was like looking for needles in a haystack.

  “Any signals?” Riz asked down to Harcrow, who prepared to sit on the bridge level, close to the rest of the crew. He made no attempt to hide the fact he didn’t trust Aren or Riz. The only reason he went along with them is because so many others high in the ranks had trusted them and followed their orders.

  “You’ll know when we found someone because I’ll tell you,” Harcrow barked back. “Now shut up and let my crew work.”

  Riz didn’t waste time engaging Harcrow unless he had to. Aren often times antagonized Harcrow because she despised him, and she knew she could get away with it. Aren hoped as soon as they established a base in the Nine Kingdoms, she wouldn’t have to see Harcrow. Governing would be her duty, and she’d let the angry captain go do his fighting.

  “The crew is not well,” Aren said quietly to Riz.

  “No kidding,” Riz replied, sarcastically. “We’ll be lucky if they don’t mutiny. If any of those ships have been destroyed, we’re going to be in big trouble. There’s been rumors that more soldiers have been prepared to put the Colonel in command. If we can’t get them out of this, I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

  Aren looked nervously around the bridge, with the side glances and mistrustful looks from their fellow soldiers. For the first time, she realized how delicate her rule had been all along. In an instant, all these people could turn on her, even Riz. There was no reason to trust anyone aboard the ship. People would pledge loyalty for whoever showed strength and kept them victorious. Aren and Riz had shown neither with the failure to capture two ships that had been greatly outnumbered.

  The soldiers didn’t care about the star dragon stampede. To them, that shouldn’t have mattered. Riz was right, their trust was shifting. The Colonel was older, but he was more fierce and not afraid to come out shooting. More and more, the Pirates of Mercury were prepared for war, and the Colonel was ready to lead them to one. Riz didn’t want the Colonel in charge because he was reckless and played with too many lives, on both sides of a battle. Aren just thought he was crazy, but didn’t doubt that made him very dangerous.