“Yes.”
Alex looked Trok in the eye in her probing way. “Our parents knew? Grandma too?”
“Yes, as I explained to you before. You, Ryu, Loree, and Zaak were born in the Kota remnant camp. You were together for a while, but it’s no wonder you don’t remember. Things got hairy a short time after Ryu was born, and you were divided. But, I was meant all along to watch after you and see that you found each other again.”
Ryu tried to jump back in. “These Marks on our arms mean we’re these Warriors, then?”
“Yep,” Loree chirped. “I know it sounds like a fairy tale. It took me a while to understand too. As I told you, I’ve only been with Zaak a few months. Unlike the rest of you, I was old enough to remember living with the Kota remnant, but… Well, Zaak’s the only one who’s always known the whole truth about us, and that’s thanks to Trok.”
“Basically,” said Zaak, “the Mark Prophecy explains that we with the birthmark will drive evil from Earth. That’s what even Trok is still working to interpret, because we’re not sure how we’re supposed to do it.”
“But the Warriors Prophecy does say what our roles are,” said Loree, “according to our order of birth. I’m twenty-seven, Alex is twenty-five, Zaak’s twenty-four, and Ryu’s twenty-two. That means I’m the Leader, Alex is the Seer, Zaak is the Hunter, and Ryu is quite obviously the Fighter.” She said this with an impressed smile at him.
“So this Mark singles us out,” Ryu said to make sure he understood. “Does the tingling burn we feel act as another sign? You said you’d never met anyone who feels the sensation either. Are we Warriors the only MOB or telepaths-” looking at his sister “-who have it?”
“We think so,” said Zaak. “It’s a physical side effect of our connection with the space dimension. Trok’s taught us that a power flows there like a pulse, sustaining everything. No one can control the power, but sometimes it works in people. Throughout history and in the Kota texts, some people have been gifted with forms of it. So, this gift we have isn’t anything new, but how it’s manifested in us Warriors is. Others may be out there who have similar gifts, but few people understand the space dimension. Even fewer respect the vastness of what it holds.”
Loree nodded. “We’ve been blessed with something that makes us stronger. I’m happy to have that blessing, however it works scientifically.”
“Okay…” Ryu rubbed his shaved head.
This is incredible, he thought.
Alex couldn’t keep quiet. “Our parents taught us the Kota faith. I was little when they died, but I’ve always remembered. Are there any Kota left to help us?”
“No,” said Trok. “We’re the last on Earth. And when I…lived here, I wasn’t part of the Kota community, so I can’t really tell you what they were like as a people.”
“What happened to them?” asked Ryu.
“Thurston Olander hunted down the Kota remnant and murdered them. The Dominion tyrants were always Kota, but Thurston was a little unstable. To get rid of the prophetic threat against his DRK weapon, he slaughtered thousands. The Kota were lost, except for you four and myself because we escaped the final onslaught.”
Loree shuffled with a scowl. “We’re not the only Kota. Not technically.”
Trok frowned. “Well, I suppose Cruelthor and Beathabane are Kota too, but their father hated the Kota. After Vedanleé… Well, the boys were never taught about the Kota. Beathabane, I think, looked up his roots when he was banished, but I’m quite sure Cruelthor couldn’t care less.”
“He cares about the prophecies now, I’ll bet,” muttered Loree.
Ryu thought on this. “So if the Dominion exterminated the Kota because of prophecies about us…”
Alex must’ve realized the same. “That’s why our grandma wanted us to hide our Marks. She was keeping us safe because she knew the Dominion would want us dead?”
Trok nodded.
Alex and Ryu took a moment to absorb this news.
We were part of this all along, thought Ryu. Our parents knew. Grandma knew. This is unlike anything I ever imagined. At first I was worried this wasn’t for real, but now… Now I wonder if I’m right for this. These people are light-years ahead of Alex and me.
Ryu looked to Zaak. “Alex and I are just small-town kids trying to get by. Now you’re saying we’re meant to save the planet?”
“Loree and I don’t really understand this ‘save the world’ business either. We may seem like we’re prepared for this, but we haven’t known what to do without you. Only together do we make a team. We’ll all have to take it one day at a time.”
Trok nodded. “It’s not as if you’ll leave behind any friends or family – none of you have led normal lives. Joining together will make sense of everything, I’m sure. But I understand joining us isn’t an easy decision to make. It means throwing away everything you’ve known to be normal.”
“Ooh,” laughed Ryu sarcastically, “pick me, then.”
But Trok’s right, he thought. I really do want this…
Trok smiled like he already knew Ryu quite well. “I have full confidence that you and Alex can handle this, Ryu. Loree and Zaak can teach you everything you’ll need to know. And I’ll guide you as much as I can, I promise.”
Zaak looked up at Loree and exhaled before facing them again. “So, are you guys in?”
Ryu hesitated, thinking of his sister. “What exactly are we getting ourselves into?”
“Fighting,” said Zaak. “And lots of it.”
“First step,” Loree added more helpfully, “we have to hide our identities. You said you’ve been living as Drake Anders, so you’ve got the idea of living incognito. You already know how much easier it is to hide without ID tags. Zaak was never implanted with one when he was born, so as far as records are concerned he doesn’t exist. I told you how I lost my ID tag a long time ago. So, sans ID tags, we’ll be untraceable ghosts to Dominion security. There are more scanners in place than you citizens are aware of, and we’d never avoid all of them. So, operating without tags is the first step toward protecting ourselves.”
“But how will we live?” asked Alex. “I mean, Ryu and I have had a hard time living off the loose kronar from his winnings, and if none of us-”
Zaak raised his hand and wiggled his fingers. “I’ve got thousands of fake ID tags. We can take turns wearing them. They’re linked to a Dominion account with all the kronar we’ll ever need.”
Alex nodded and looked at Ryu as they remembered what Eva had said. “So we’d live here in this base?”
“Primarily,” said Loree. “But when working incognito as citizens, we can stay in an apartment Zaak keeps in downtown Havanahell. That’s when we’ll use Zaak’s fake ID tags. Appearing as ordinary citizens will be necessary from time to time. For one thing, we’ll have to maintain contacts who know us on sight and by name – fake names, but still. Also, some missions will require undercover work as citizens.”
Alex made a face. “Won’t that make us easier to catch?”
“I know methods to keep our double-identities protected. The main thing is that, whenever we leave this base, we’ll appear only as the Warriors – we’ll switch to our citizen aliases somewhere else. As the Warriors, we’ll only ever appear in disguise, using code names, without ID tags. We should be able to remain undetected for quite some time if we use methods I’ve worked out.”
Zaak grinned. “I’ve been debating options for my code name for months.”
Alex squirmed on the couch. “So the Warriors part of our double lives would be the fighting part?”
“Yep,” said Loree with a kind smile, “but each of us Warriors will have a different role in the team. Don’t worry – we’re not expecting you to fight as well as your brother.”
Ryu sent his sister a reassuring smile.
“Becoming a team,” said Zaak, “will take months. We’ll all have to work incredibly hard. Loree will teach you strategy, tactical maneuvers, and undercover methods. I’ll get you into sha
pe and handle your weapons training. At the end of your training, we’ll begin fighting the Dominion.”
Loree nodded. “The Underground and other rebel forces have been struggling against the Dominion for years, but that’s mostly defensive work. We’re taking an offensive approach. With what I know, we can strike the Dominion where it’ll do the most damage. Zaak and I haven’t done anything yet because we thought it best to solidify our team first. We’ve stayed under everyone’s radar. The Underground doesn’t know we exist. The Dominion thinks I’m on the run, for now. I’m positive Cruelthor knows about the Kota prophecies, and I have no doubt he’ll consider us a threat the minute we go public. We have to be ready before we let anyone know about us.”
“We’ll become a unit,” said Zaak with a playful grin, “complete with matching suits, synchronized watches, a secret handshake, and all of that.”
“How will we train?” asked Ryu. “Do you have an indoor shooting range in this place?”
Zaak grinned. “I have shooting ranges, driving courses, computer training programs, sparring rooms, medical labs, gym equipment, and tons of technology the Dominion doesn’t think anyone knows about. You’ve already seen my garage. Eva is at our beck and call all day every day, and she’s linked to the central computer that runs this place. I made stealth suits for Loree and myself, but I’ll make more. The suits are great. They’re black, which is the best camouflage in urban areas. They’re waterproof, bulletproof, and they’re made of a spider-silk protein fabric that clings so there isn’t any excess to get caught or make noise. We have facemasks and headgear made of the same fabric, so our faces will always be hidden. I bought adjustable straps to fit as many holsters as we desire, and they can fit around legs, arms, waists, backs, or wherever. Oh, and I installed Dominion stealth technology that makes us undetectable by infrared systems. Not that Loree needs-”
“Zaak,” Loree cut in.
“What?”
“You’re babbling.”
Zaak mouthed ‘Sorry.’
“Basically,” Loree said with a smile, “Zaak’s had a lot of time to collect toys. Why don’t we show you? Follow me.” She turned and waited for everyone to stand before leading them out of the living compartment.
They walked along the grated corridor, and Ryu looked through every open door he saw. Not far down the main hall, the group turned into the base’s training facilities. Loree led them across an open gym with sparring mats, and she opened a far door to lead them onward.
Ryu entered a tall chamber with a large, circular cage fixed in the center. The room smelled of cold metal. It was dark except for overhead beams aimed at the metallic cage. Controls on the far wall suggested technology Ryu’d never seen before, and Eva appeared from a display module beside these controls.
Still padding barefoot across the floor, Loree led them to the cage’s wiry exterior. She pulled open the creaking doors and stood aside for Ryu and Alex to enter. Ryu made sure it was okay with his sister, who seemed thoroughly out of her league but interested nonetheless. Then he led her into the sphere. Loree joined them inside, and she pointed a finger at Zaak through the wire mesh. He lowered his head guiltily and closed the door behind her.
“Why isn’t Zaak coming in?” asked Ryu.
“I’m not allowed in the cage with Loree…for a variety of reasons.”
Loree laughed and reached through the cage’s mesh as Zaak handed her a box. She opened it and took out a set of contacts. Placing them in her eyes, Loree blinked to adjust. She instructed Alex and Ryu to do the same with the remaining contacts.
“What is this?” Alex took a pair between her fingers.
“It’s one of Zaak’s training programs. These contacts work with the techno-cage to create a false environment. A holo-field is generated around the cage when it’s activated, and these contacts run with the program. Everywhere you look will be the world simulated by Zaak’s training simulation. As we walk, the cage revolves. It’s very realistic. You can shoot at every simulated character in here because the cage absorbs the fire. Just don’t forget when other people are in the cage with you.” She lifted an eyebrow in Zaak’s direction.
Zaak, his back to them as he worked the controls, had heard her. “For the hundredth time, I’m sorry.”
Loree smiled and looked back at them. “Ready?”
Ryu blinked as his eyes adjusted. “Sure am.”
Alex wasn’t as sure, but she tried to prepare herself for whatever might happen next.
Zaak instructed Eva to activate the techno-cage. The overhead lights went out. Then, as Alex braced herself, a shimmering holo-field spread over the spherical interior of the cage. The next moment, they saw before them a completely convincing downtown alley. It was night, and thick shadows covered the sides of the opposing buildings. Trash littered the alley. Streetlights beyond shown on a bustling sidewalk full of pedestrians. A cat scampered across the alley’s entrance. The brickwork even looked real. The sounds of traffic and pedestrian commotion reached their ears from unseen speakers around the cage, and a faint breeze brushed across them, presumably from air jets.
Turning in a circle and looking into the sky above, Alex couldn’t find anything that revealed she wasn’t actually in a downtown alley. Closing her contact-wearing eyes, she saw what was really there with her telepathy. A metallic cage surrounds Loree, Ryu, and herself. Outside in the dark room, Zaak stands by the controls while Trok watches from the side.
Eyes still closed, Alex said, “Incredible. My telepathy lets me see it’s just a cage, but if I didn’t have my second sight…” She opened her eyes and again bought into the faux scenery.
Ryu was also examining the generated world. “You said this is a training program?” He looked at Loree, who leaned against the side of a building.
“Zaak has it set up so we can insert Dominion drones into the program. They appear much like Eva. You can’t physically hit them in hand-to-hand combat, but it’s a good program for weapons training. This simulation holds all of mapped Havanahell from the most recent satellite images.”
Loree apparently saw they were getting the hang of it, so she called for Zaak to deactivate the program. When the cage’s holo-field disengaged, they took out the contacts and placed them back in the box, which Loree shook, presumably to clean them. Alex blinked to adjust.
That was pretty amazing, she thought.
A smile spanned Ryu’s face. “So, what else you got?”
Zaak laughed as he let them out of the cage. “Why don’t we pace ourselves? I’d love to see what you’re made of, though. Mind sparring a little?” He didn’t wait for an answer as he led them back to the exit.
The group reentered the training facility’s front gym, which was better lit than the techno-cage room. Alex followed Trok and Loree across the mats to the sideline, but Zaak went more to the center of the room. Alex watched as he took off his coat and then hopped around on the mats, expecting Ryu to join him.
Alex looked at her brother and was glad to find he was waiting for her permission. He was sticking to their deal of making decisions together. She felt way out of her depth, but at least with Ryu in the spotlight she had a moment to think.
Besides, she thought, I’ve seen Ryu fight. I’m not exactly worried.
She smiled at him. “Go ahead.”
“We’re just curious about your mutate-genes,” Loree said to Ryu. “Zaak did this with me when I first came too.” She chuckled in memory.
Ryu grinned, took off his suit coat, and walked across the mats to Zaak. He waited until the leaner man lunged at him before he moved. Ryu dodged Zaak’s swinging arm, but he wasn’t prepared for the leg that caught his calves. He winced but twisted and hit Zaak on the back. Zaak rolled across the mats and leapt to his feet to come around again. This time prepared, Ryu blocked Zaak’s punches and got in one of his own. He struck Zaak square in the nose, and Zaak slumped to the floor.
“Ouch,” said Loree from the sidelines. She walked to her bleeding brother and
looked back at Trok with a smile.
Trok laughed. “See? I told you he was strong.”
Zaak agreed somewhat crudely and rose to his feet with Loree’s help.
“Sorry,” said Ryu. “I didn’t mean to-”
“No, no!” Zaak held his bleeding nose but shook his head. “That was great! You said you’re a professional fighter, but that was killer. We need someone on the team who can bring anyone to their knees. Please, oh, please say you two are in.”
Ryu looked at Alex, and she almost laughed at the eagerness in his eyes and in his thoughts. Then she stopped to consider. Looking at the others, she noted how appropriate it was that she was the only one in a dress.
I’ll never fit in as a soldier, she thought. But, this feels like the right thing to do. I already like these people…
After a minute, Alex looked back at her brother and said in his mind, “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine with this if you are, and we’ll figure it out as we go. What do we have to lose?”
Ryu smiled. “Okay,” he said to the Kandoyas. “We’re in.”
Trok told his niece, “Loree, take Zaak to the medical facility and show Ryu to his new compartments, will you?”
Loree waved for the two younger men to follow her out of the gym.
When they were alone, Alex turned to Trok with a raised eyebrow. “So, just like that, we’re a team?”
He nodded with a smile.
Alex took a breath. “Are you sure about this? It seems like an awfully big risk you people are taking. Ryu will probably turn out to be as tough a soldier as ever existed, but my being a Warrior is a joke.”
“Alex, even Loree and Zaak had to prepare for this. They just learned sooner than you or Ryu. Loree and Zaak are far from perfect. Take a peek inside Loree’s memories sometime. I know she and Zaak told you about their pasts, but she left out a good deal. Loree’s been through hell to get here, and she’ll sympathize with you that adapting to this new life is difficult. As for Zaak, I trained the boy myself. His heart and soul belong to this mission, but you’ll have to bear with his eccentricities.” He spoke these things with love, not judgment.
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