by Clay Kronke
"Where are you headed?" Jor asked.
"The dragon planet," Petra said, looking at Bran, raising her eyebrows. "I don't remember its name…"
Bran shook his head. "I don't either. Harr? Something like that."
"The dragon homeworld?" Jor asked, sounding surprised.
"Yes," Bran said. "I hadn't heard of it before today."
Jor smiled, and when he spoke, his tone was hushed. "Your coming here was providence," he said. "The Mother Spirit guiding us where we are meant to be." Bran rolled his eyes, but Jor continued, "You must come with us. We're about to journey there ourselves."
Petra was surprised. "What? Why?"
"Members of the Brotherhood will periodically make a pilgrimage to the dragon homeworld to pay tribute to the Mother Spirit, usually in the winter," Jor explained. "But with the unusual dragon activity that's come about lately, it felt imperative that we make the journey now."
Bran looked incredulous. "You think making an offering will help stop whatever this is?" he asked.
"Imwe is angry," Jor said. "Showing her that we are her loyal servants, that we are at her mercy, can only help."
Bran didn't have a response. Jor seemed very sincere in his beliefs, and Bran didn't feel like they had time to argue the merits of his theology. Instead, he smiled. "Would you excuse us for just a minute?" Jor nodded as Bran stood up, beckoning Petra to follow him.
A few feet away, they found an empty corner. "What?" Petra asked.
"Well?" Bran said. "What do you want to do?"
"Why are you asking me?" Petra asked.
Bran shrugged. "This is your crazy quest, I'm just along for the ride."
"I think we should go with them," she said.
He nodded. "Thought you'd say that."
"Don't you?" she pressed. "We can't stay here. The city's in ruins, it's probably about to be swarming with people, and I don't want to stick around while a bunch of dragons try to burn the place down!" She took a breath, looking around. Several sets of eyes were now on her. "Sorry," she said, her voice smaller. She hadn't meant to start shouting.
"I agree," Bran said, putting a hand on Petra's shoulder. She also hadn't realized that she was shaking. "It's okay," he continued, his voice softening and seeming to recognize just how much on edge she actually was. "We'll go with the nice religious nuts and see some more dragons." He attempted a bemused smile. "Hopefully ones that won't try to kill us."
ancient history
Mira padded into the commons wearing a fresh set of clothes, her hair damp, and plopped down at the table across from Gareth, who was scrolling through files on a data tablet.
"Feeling better?" he asked, looking up.
"Quite," she said, her voice flat.
Gareth paused, noticing. He put a hand on hers and attempted a warm smile but didn't really have any words to offer.
"I know," Mira said. "She'll be fine. She's gotten out of stickier messes before, right?"
"It's what got her into this job," Aris said, walking into the commons and sitting down at the end of the table with his own data tablet. "She told you that, surely."
Mira smiled, nodding.
"Something about a wrecked ship, a diverted infantry platoon, and a stolen identity? Voss didn't go into detail," Gareth said with a dismissive gesture. "Neither did you, for that matter."
"Well you can ask her when she gets back," Aris said. "Frakes doesn't think she'll need her much longer."
"Need her?" Mira repeated.
"Apparently Voss is simply a piece they're using to get to Kale. For the moment, there's not much we can do, except stay out of her way."
"You don't have any intention of doing that," Mira guessed.
"Well, yes and no," Aris clarified. "Our objective hasn't changed. Frakes is following the wrong leads going after Kale, which means whichever direction we go shouldn't cross paths with the Ranger Corps."
"And what direction is that?" Mira asked. "Were you two able to make any headway?"
Aris shrugged. "Sort of," he said. "The equipment angle was a dead end. My friend Gunnar in Tech said there wasn't any missing blind units, and there weren't any unusual transfers of technology, legitimate or otherwise. However these creatures are being controlled, it's not through standard Kingsguard tech. Though that might explain the device you saw," he said, turning to Gareth.
"Maybe," Gareth said. "But that would seem to mean Frakes is right, and the Sanctuary is behind it."
"Or at the very least providing the technology," Mira suggested. "But to what end? What would they even get out of all of this?"
"I don't know," Gareth said. "None of it adds up. I mean it could all be entirely coincidental. The Sanctuary's been trying to develop ways of making the operation more efficient, maybe they found a way to extend the neurotransmitters' capabilities. They have been trying to get to the point where they can control a dragon without putting people on its back."
"Which sounds very close to what's actually happening," Aris pointed. "You said you ran into the director while you were skulking around. What happened with that?"
"Yeah, that was almost a disaster," Gareth said. "But as odd as just about everything else. It wasn't just being found inside a restricted area, both Greyc and her tech felt really cagey. And I've seen Greyc be short with people, but there was something else there."
"You think that means Greyc is working with whoever's behind this?"
"I don't know," Gareth shrugged. "Maybe."
"How did you get out?" Mira asked.
"I had to pull a couple memories to avoid being detained, and even that almost didn't work."
Mira looked surprised. "I didn't know that was something you could do," she said.
"Trust me, it's not something I want to attempt again," Gareth said. "The rest of me pretty much rebelled at the prospect."
"Yeah, all over the floor in front of Greyc," Aris said.
Mira cringed. Gareth waved it away. "My own embarrassment aside, it did tell me there's something going on behind the scenes that they'd rather keep quiet and I don't really know what to make of that."
"We keep digging," Aris said, turning to Mira. "You managed to make it into the archives. Find anything worthwhile?"
"Quite a bit, actually. I forwarded it to both of you," she said. "But I haven't had a chance to look through it in depth yet."
"There's a lot here," Gareth nodded, skimming through the files on his tablet. "I didn't realize they had records going back this far. Some of this is bordering on mythology."
"They had the usual info," Mira nodded, opening the folder on her tablet. "Biochemical makeup, migratory history, dietary, pretty much everything the Sanctuary already has logged. But then there were these, the last three titles on the list," she pointed to images of yellowed, cracked pages with handwritten text and elaborate illustrations while both Aris and Gareth pulled up the corresponding documents on their tablets. "They're ancient volumes, full of old notes, observations and drawings, and they read like old explorers' journals."
She scrolled through the first set of images. "Look at this," she said, sliding her tablet to the center of the table.
Gareth frowned. "Is that—?"
"A navigational chart," Mira finished. "Crude, but clear. Here's Aelden, the pre-colonized Middle Reaches, and here's the Outer Andula Belt…"
"Is that a planet?" Aris asked, noticing a significant marker in the middle of the graphic representing the larger of the system's asteroid belts. It was drawn as a small planetoid mass with its own debris cloud. "The Andula's been mapped. There isn't anything there but iron ore and dust."
"It's appears to be in the middle of the Greater Voort Cluster," Mira said. "Which means it could have easily been mistaken for a larger asteroid mass. Sensor readings are always hit or miss inside the belt anyway…"
"True," Aris said. "
What's the significance?"
There was a pause as Mira read. "This is the origin of the species," Mira said, looking up from her tablet, her eyes wide.
"Wait, what?" Gareth said. "Dragons have a homeworld?"
"So it would seem," Aris said, scanning the same page. "It's called Mael, does that name mean anything to you?"
"No," Gareth said, "and how does that even work?"
"Well, we know dragons can get around above atmosphere using the heat vents in their sides," Mira said. "but for longer distances? That's always been a subject of speculation."
"I always assumed they just hitched rides," Aris said. "The groups that hang around in asteroid fields usually latch onto something. Asteroid fragments, comets, passing ships? I don't know."
"Apparently we're thinking too recent," Mira said, already on the next page. "If this is even remotely accurate, dragons have been present in this system since even before Elven written history." She looked up, surprise evident in her expression. "And we've been around forever…"
"What, were they just hanging around during the formation of the system itself?" Gareth asked.
"Maybe," Mira said. "We already know they're ancient, and they are drawn to protoplanetary formations, anything with high magma activity."
"I think we're getting off topic," Aris cut in. "We don't know how these creatures are being controlled, and while their point of origin is interesting, it doesn't really help us solve that problem."
"Well, if the Sanctuary has something to do with it," Mira said, "then it will undoubtedly be some form of neurological device, though far more advanced than the technology we currently use."
"But that makes it seem unlikely that the Sanctuary is involved," Aris pointed. "It took years of development to get the blind units functioning to the point that they are, and it was my understanding that there's not much room to push that technology much further."
"Not exactly," Mira said. "The blind units function on the level that they do because exerting a more direct control has the potential to damage neural pathways. Simply introducing a more passive state and a receptivity for being led is relatively safe, but if you don't care whether a dragon has its nervous system damaged, then it is physically possible to have a greater level of control."
"Yeah, but that's not counting the control method itself," Gareth said. "The blind units target a very broad set of neurological impulses, which allows for a wide margin of error. But as soon as you start trying to direct more of the fine motor controls, you suddenly have multiple very precise target areas, and that's not something you can just drive with a control yoke. You would need a real-time neurological connection…" His voice trailed off as he realized where he was going.
"Like what you do with a touch?" Mira said, her voice soft.
All three looked at each other in silence for a moment as the implication sunk in.
"You did say Greyc had been paying closer attention to you lately," Aris said after an interminable moment.
Gareth stood up. "No," he said, stepping away from the table and starting to pace toward the other end of the room. "This is absurd."
"Is it?" Aris asked. "Put the pieces together. Dragons are being piloted through very precise patterns, and we now know from on-site reports that those dragons have no riders, so they're being controlled remotely. You saw one in a test area with an elaborate device that could have been a neurotransmitter, and there were two separate neural waveforms on the monitor, not to mention the Sanctuary already has a ready supply of specimens on hand for these offensives, while you and presumably any other Acradian on staff are being studied to some extent." He took a breath. "Isn't it possible that your particular biochemistry could be replicated in a device that mimics the same neurological control you're capable of?"
Gareth had stopped pacing and stood for a long moment not saying anything. "That would mean this is my fault," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "And I'm not sure I'm ready to face that possibility."
"Hey," Mira said, getting up and walking around the table to stand in front of him. "None of this is your fault," she said, putting both hands on his shoulders. He could immediately feel a wave of calm emanating out from where her hands made contact, realizing she was using his biochemical empathy to project as much of her reassurance as possible.
He met her eyes. "Well not directly," he said. "But if any part of this is possible because of me or my people…" his voice trailed off as his face hardened. "We need a plan."
"Well, however they're actually being controlled," Aris started, "there will be a signal to disrupt. That'll be the first objective. Once the signal's gone, the second objective will be reclaiming control."
"And we won't be able to use the same methodology," Mira added as she and Gareth sat back down. "So we'll need an alternate way to pacify them."
"That'll be fun," Gareth said. "A group of highly territorial creatures with a penchant for wanton destruction? Not a big margin for error."
"With the added wrinkle that we need to do it as natural as possible," Mira said, her tablet back in hand, scrolling through pages of the next journal. "We won't know what level of resistance they'll have built up to the neurotransmitters, nor the extent of the damage that may have already been done, so we can't count on being able to bring them out the same way they were brought in."
"This is assuming, of course," Gareth put in, "that we don't get to them before they're launched again."
"Probably a safe assumption," Mira said. "Though if the Sanctuary is our prime suspect, we might be able to do that from inside."
"Probably not after today," Gareth said. "Greyc likely suspects we're up to something by now. And when she sees the security feeds, she definitely will. Sorry."
"It doesn't matter," Aris said. "The odds are against us regardless of which way we approach this. Our best bet is to make sure the solution gets in the right hands, someone who actually has the resources to mount a proper defense."
"You mean the Republic?" Gareth asked. "Frakes will never let you hear the end of it."
"I know she's been a pain in my ass, but unfortunately she's our best option."
"Pain in our ass," Mira amended.
Aris nodded. "The point is, we're out of our depth. We can't take on the whole of the Sanctuary, even if it is just a few key people on the inside."
"Maybe we can," Gareth suggested. "We don't work for the Sanctuary, we work for the Kingsguard. And while we might be just flyboys under contract, we're also one of the oldest organizations in the system, and the Sanctuary was built on the foundation of that organization. You make a few calls, I guarantee you we won't be the only ones in this."
"Maybe," Aris said. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Until we know who's pulling the strings, we need to concentrate on the how."
"Here," Mira pointed. She had been scrolling through the next few journal pages. "Dragons have a hierarchical society. We, theoretically, should be able to control them by simply introducing a member of a higher order. Then we'd only have to control one…"
"A higher order?" Gareth said. "Like an alpha?"
"No, dragons are matriarchal," Mira said. "What we need is a queen."
There was silence around the table as the word hung in the air for a moment. Gareth broke the silence with a nervous laugh, throwing his hands up. "Yeah, okay, no problem," he said. "Can we use two blind units? I don't think one will be enough…"
"We'll have to find one first," Aris pointed. "No one's ever captured a queen before."
"No one's even seen a queen before," Gareth said, his voice rising.
"Calm down," Mira said. "This is why the point of origin is important. We need to go to the source."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Aris said. "Do you know how far into the Andula Belt the Voort Cluster is? We don't have the right kind of shields for a trip like that."
/> "I'm sure Voss could jury-rig something," Mira said sharply, attempting to remind him why they were doing this in the first place.
Aris frowned. "Point," he said, nodding. "I'll set course for Mael."
• • •
Petra woke up and couldn't move. Finding herself strapped to a chair, she looked around, her brain taking a minute to remember where she was. Bran sat strapped into the chair next to her, leaning back against the headrest, asleep. A tremor ran through the floor, and her mind suddenly snapped back to the present.
She, Bran and Jor sat in a passenger alcove off the main hold of a small transport ship. They had been shuffled through an underground tunnel from the catacombs of the temple and led to a private landing pad a number of blocks away, outside the blast radius. They had settled in and taken off without much delay, managing to slip into outgoing traffic before most of the congestion started. With the course laid in, they were told the trip would take several hours, and having decided that she had been through enough for one day, Petra allowed her body to shut down, and had fallen asleep almost immediately.
"Oh good, you're awake."
Petra looked up to see Jor smiling at her. She blinked a few times and yawned. "How far away are we?" she asked.
"Not far," Jor said. "We should be in planetary proximity within the hour. How was your nap?"
Petra shrugged. "Not bad, though I don't think these seats were designed to be slept in," she said, rubbing her neck.
"Probably not," Jor agreed. "Do you mind if I ask why you're trying to get to the dragon homeworld? We didn't really get a chance to talk during all the commotion."
Petra exhaled. She felt like she had told this story a dozen times in the space of only a couple of days, and the thought of recounting it again was suddenly exhausting.
"She's looking for someone."
Petra turned, surprised to see Bran awake. "A dragonhunter," he continued. "The sanctuary they operate out of orbits this dragon planet, so we're hoping to be able to connect to someone there who might be able to put the two of them together."
Jor nodded. "Interesting," he said. "I've not heard of this sanctuary before. I would have thought the planet's debris field would prevent anything from orbiting it."