"What are you talking about, you are a born fighter?"
"Of course, but that's not what I meant. I wasn't born to lead. I was born to hunt. And now here I am, leading a unit that I would have called the enemy not so long ago. Living with the name of a man I never knew."
"Maybe CJ doesn't have to stand for Charlie Jones at all. You aren't him, and you never were."
He couldn't help but agree.
"A hunter?" she asked, "Mmm. Jaeger, the hunter. CJ...Captain Jaeger."
He smiled as he appreciated that. He was sick of the name of the man he was cloned from, and that fitted him just fine.
"Not bad at all."
"And just like that, you've got a name."
He looked rather pleased with it.
"And you? You are not just Lieutenant King."
"Emily."
"Emily King? EK doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it?"
She laughed, and it was the first time she had since they met.
"You aren't a bad guy, as much as you think you are. The Alliance as it is now would have called you a villain once, but nobody alive today is as they were back then. And by fighting for the Alliance, you do your ancestors proud."
"Ancestors? I am not even sure what or who they were. I was not born, was I? I was created."
"It doesn't matter how or why you came into this world. All that matters is what you do from now on. Your name, your reputation, your legacy, it all hangs on what you do in this life, not what you did in the last one."
He took in a deep breath as he thought it all over.
"Captain Jaeger?" he asked, "Mmm, it's as good as any name."
But he smiled further as he realised he finally had an identity that was his own.
"It isn't so bad, is it? Having to fight with us Humans?"
"I never thought I'd see the day, but no it isn’t."
"Ultimately, you are going to realise that no matter how or why you were created, you are one of us."
"But I am not Human, however much I may look it."
"I wasn't talking about Humanity. Human, Krys, we are all the same. We all stand together, and that is why in this life it doesn't matter which race you were born into."
He groaned as though not convinced, but deep down he was feeling it. He'd never had such a bond and friendship with anyone before, let alone so many as he now had.
“What is our strength now?”
“Forty-four are fit for duty. I hate to say it, but if we make it back, we’re going to have to find a source for recruitment. We need to replenish our numbers, if not expand.”
“Replenish, yes, but I see no need to be any bigger than we are. You heard Jafar. We are a special unit for specialist duties. We cannot manage with an unwieldy number. We are not a blunt instrument, we are a precise tool for the Alliance.”
“And when we encounter odds that we cannot defeat?”
“I was never created for fighting battles head on. I pick the ground and time that I fight on to maximise my chances of success. I run when the enemy wants to fight, fight when they want to run, and keep them guessing all the way. If only we had a way to infiltrate their camps, we could do so much more.”
“But how? You were made to look like one of us, so how could we ever pass for one of them?”
CJ shook his head.
“I don’t know, but I am going to find a way, a way to strike at them from within. Mark my words, there will be a way, and I am going to exploit it.”
"Forgive me for prying, but my knowledge of history is not quite as good as I would have hoped. And the old life you led, it was hundreds of years ago. The wars between the Krys and Humans are well known about, but I fear we know just a tiny fraction of what really happened."
"What is it you want to know?"
She looked uneasy.
"Spit it out. Ask anything you like."
"Mitch Taylor. Why do you hate him so much? I know you were on different sides, but you were soldiers, nothing more."
CJ sighed as he thought back to it. For a while he had been able to forget his past life, but only because of the risks and dangers that hung over him.
"Taylor fought to create the peace we have between our peoples today," she added.
"And that has spawned weakness. This new enemy, Bolormaa, she would never have been allowed to run freely through the universe if the Krys Empire was what it used to be."
"But Earth defeated the Krys. One world."
"It was not one world. The Aranui, and traitors among the Krys people. Taylor turned my people against one another and led them down this path of weakness. The Krys are half Human these days."
"I am not sure that is a bad thing."
"Because it is all that you know."
"Yes, and the same could be said for you. All you knew was a cruel life where feudal Lords kept you under their thumbs. I doubt you were ever given a choice whether to like or dislike Taylor. Or whether to fight against him or not."
CJ groaned as if not wanting to hear any more.
"Like it or not, Taylor has done some wonderful things for the Alliance. Back all those hundreds of years ago, and today."
"And yet you cannot see the mess that he created. The weakness that he bred."
She couldn't find any other way to get through to him, when finally it struck her.
"You know you wouldn't be alive it wasn't for him? If Erdogan had won the war, do you really believe clones like you would have been left alive? You'd have been terminated like every other Human if he had gotten his way."
"And?"
"And you'd be dead, and it would all be over."
"No, I would be over. The Empire would be alive and thriving. There is more to life than my own."
"And you would sacrifice yourself for your beliefs so that others could live on?"
"Yes, I would, no question."
"Then you have more in common with Mitch Taylor than you realise."
CJ sighed.
"What?" she asked.
"You won't ever convince me of that. You weren't there, and you didn't live it. Whatever is between Taylor and I, we will resolve it one day. But it will not be with words."
"I wouldn't worry. You probably won't live that long," she said and stormed out of the room.
He could think of nothing to do, but he was more tired than ever. He headed for his room and soon found himself flat out on his bed. He had always dreamed of the previous war and what he would do if he met Taylor again, but this time it was different. He saw Ganbaatar, and relived the torture he had endured over and over again. It was an uncomfortable sleep as he began to sweat. He feared and hated the alien Prince in equal measure.
It was not long before he returned to his bitterness towards Taylor, and once more he envisaged the Colonel standing before him. But he was not alone. The two of them stood off in a triangle standoff with Ganbaatar.
But whose side am I on? Who do I hate more? Who could I tolerate the most? Life has never been this complicated. I always knew who the enemy was and who gave me my orders, and yet that’s all gone now.
He awoke just as conflicted when conscious as he was in his own dreams. He wasn't made for this life, and he knew it. Certainly not to lead, and yet that was now expected from him. Expected by an Alliance that he could never have foreseen and didn't trust. And yet on the other side was an enemy who could not be reasoned with, and seemed to want him even more. He wished there was a third option. The only faith he had was in his own people. He didn't see them as part of the Alliance, even if they would begrudgingly work for them.
Jafar? How did I ever end up working for him?
More than anything he wanted to see Taylor once again. Not because he liked him, but he and Jafar, they were the only connection to his old life. He wished he could go back. He didn't like this world at all. He closed his eyes to try and get back to sleep, but he soon realised that it would be impossible. He sighed as he got up, pulled on his uniform, and holstered his pistol. He strode out into the corridors
to walk it off and paced uneasily through the ship. Everyone he passed greeted him as a friend, and that calmed him down. They owed him nothing, and yet he had their friendship and loyalty. Many of them were Human, and yet he couldn't bring himself to hate them like he thought he would and always had. He had gotten so used to cheating and lying to Humans to get his job done, but he couldn't do that anymore. Every one of these men and women had risked their lives to save his, and he would never forget that.
Once more he found himself at the viewing deck where King had rushed off in a huff. A small repair module passed by, and sparks flew as final repairs were carried out on the Phoenix.
"Captain Jones?" a voice asked.
He didn't recognise it, but he turned to see that it was Tamay.
"I am not Jones. You can call be CJ...or Captain Jaeger.”
"Yes, Sir."
"What do you want?" he snapped.
"Sir, I am just here to say that I believe in what you are doing."
"Yeah, and what is that?"
"Standing up against an enemy that most people would run from."
"Running isn't my way. You should know that by now."
"Exactly, and that is something very special in this life."
CJ took a deep breath as he tried to decide how to deal with the Cholan. She seemed so eager to please.
"You are a convict, like the rest of them. You must have been, all those who volunteered were."
"Yes."
"Well, tell me, what were your crimes?"
She didn't look eager to share that info.
"Come on, it won't cost you anything to tell me, and with what we have in store for us tomorrow, it may not even matter that you told me."
"I once held the rank like your Major."
"Okay, go on."
"I was ordered to fire on a vessel that contained both our troops and the enemy’s. The officer in charge ordered me to destroy the ship, and I would not."
"Okay, and what else? There must be more."
"And when the officer tried to have me detained, I killed him."
CJ smiled and that soon turned into a laugh as he cracked up, but Tamay didn't see the funny side.
"I would have been executed for my crimes, had I not been given the opportunity to fight by your side."
"That is why you came back, even after I declined your help?"
"Yes. I have no choice but death, or to serve you."
"And you know that there isn't a place for you in this unit. We are a small, elite fighting force."
"I understand the nature of your role, and I know that you will not be able to complete your mission tomorrow without my help."
CJ nodded in agreement. "Fair enough."
"If you will not accept my help, then you will condemn my entire unit to death. More than just those who you saw before, but four hundred Cholans who now crew those ships before you," she said, looking at their modest fleet from the viewing deck.
"I guess your leaders are not too tolerant of failure?"
"The Cholan Emperor does not agree with this war, and he would just as soon turn on the Alliance, given half a chance.”
"Really? And nobody has done anything about this?"
"How can they? They are too busy fighting to survive."
"And you? What would you do if your people turned against the Alliance?"
"I swear my allegiance to you, Captain. You have given us a second chance in life. And even though we had never met, I felt closer to you than any leader of my own people."
"You don't even know me."
"No, but I know you are strong, and that you will do the right thing."
"The right thing, and what is that exactly?"
"You are the same man that fought beside Mitch Taylor in your war against the Krys, are you not?"
He grimaced for a moment, but he shrugged as if he didn't want to begin explaining it.
"No, I am better."
That was all that the Cholan needed to hear.
"No matter how we fare tomorrow, you have my word that I will fight for you until this war is won, or I am dead."
"Impressive. And if your people leave this war, or join Bolormaa?"
"I have no loyalty to the Cholan Emperor. He is no leader of mine. There is more to life than blood. We may share the same DNA, but that is where the similarities stop."
I know that feeling all too well. Well said!
"Sir, if I may. I hear the rumours about Ganbaatar, and you say that it is him. But is it really true, is he really alive?"
CJ nodded. "This is all new to me, but from everything I see and hear, it sure is."
"So Taylor didn't really defeat him?"
CJ shook his head.
"But you faced him. Is a Morohtan Prince as powerful as they say?"
He just shrugged as he began to dwell on it once more. Never before had he faced such a threat. Being on Erdogan's side he always felt he had the most powerful beings in the universe on his side, and yet the tables had now turned.
"I have faith in you, and that you can do what Colonel Taylor could not."
He smiled in response, but deep down he was worried. As much as he hated Taylor, he also respected him for how strong and successful he was as a warrior.
If Taylor could not kill him, how can I?
Chapter 24
"This is it, isn't it?"
"What, Mirov?"
"The reckoning. This is what we were created for. This is what we fought for, why we rescued you. Everything has brought us to this point. And the only question remains, are we good enough?"
"We can do it," he replied bluntly.
"How do you know?"
"Because if we can't, then we'll be dead, and you'll have nothing to worry about."
Mirov smiled. He could see CJ was semi-serious and yet having a little fun at the same time. It was the injection of humour that he needed.
CJ paced back and forth across the bridge. Only the crew, he and Mirov were there. The door to the bridge opened, and he stopped to look in the anticipation of seeing Emily King, but was disappointed as Kaner stepped aboard. He didn't even know what his emotions were towards Emily, and he didn't understand them. He'd never had feelings for anyone, and especially not a Human.
It must be some part of Charlie Jones that I was programmed with, but I sure feel a powerful attraction to her.
"Everyone loaded up and ready to go?"
"Yes, Sir."
There was no sign of Kaner's injuries, or he at least did whatever he had to hide them. The door beside him opened once more, and this time King stepped into sight. She looked at him with anger, but that turned to a smile as she saw something in his eyes that she had never seen before. Neither knew what it meant, but it warmed their hearts to make that connection.
"It is almost time," she said quietly.
He looked at the clock at the front of the bridge. A countdown was ever present beside the current time. They had just a few minutes left. He'd never felt fear or worry before going into a mission before, but this time it was different. He had always gone solo into any mission. He never relied on anyone else, and he never held anyone else's life in his hands but the enemy’s. It was an overwhelming feeling, and the realisation that he was more Human than he ever wanted to admit.
"We are being hailed by the Kadir."
"Put them through."
Jafar appeared before them soon after, and Sarik stood at his side.
"Captain...Jaeger."
CJ appreciated the use of his new title. He liked the sound of it and nodded towards King in appreciation for what she had done for him. Jafar went on.
"I know that your introduction into this new life was a difficult one, and there are few in the Alliance who believe in what we are doing today. I am here to tell you that I am not among them. I believed in this project, and I still do. Most of you are outcasts from society because you have not played by the rules. You have not been what a civilised society expected of you. Well, I am here to te
ll you that I want you to be just what you are. Be strong, fight for one another, and I will see you on the other side."
"Thank you," he replied.
He appreciated Jafar's kind words for the others even if he didn't want to hear them himself.
"You have my respect," Sarik said.
CJ was taken aback. The alien seemed to despise him as much as he did Jafar.
"You are a warrior, and I salute you for it," he added.
"Good luck, Captain, good luck to you all," said Jafar, and he ended the transmission.
"I have to say this isn't the life I saw myself living," said King.
"None of us did," said CJ.
“Any regrets?”
“None.”
He looked to the others. All eyes were on him now.
“Give me an open channel, to the Cholans as well.”
Captain Marks nodded towards him to acknowledge that he was now live.
“This is CJ speaking. We are about to embark on a mission that many would never have the stomach to even consider, and yet I have not heard a whisper of doubt from this crew or any other. When I needed you most, you were there for me. We aren’t going out there to fight for an Alliance, for Jafar, or anyone else. We do this for each other, and I want you to remember that when you’re out there. We fight for one another, and if necessary, we die for one another.”
He paced back and forth, thinking about his words. He could see they were all right behind him, one hundred percent behind him.
“There is no question that we are going to succeed in this mission. We didn’t come this far to fail, and if we stick together, we will get through this. I am sure you all know that I have no love for the Alliance. To them I was just a criminal a matter of days ago, and today I am their weapon. I didn’t ever want to fight for this Alliance, and I know many of you feel the same, but we didn’t choose this fight. Our enemy chose us, and while that enemy exists, we will fight against it with everything we have. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and that is what the Alliance is to us today. You don’t have to like it, you don’t have to respect it, but you can take every advantage of being a part of it.”
Once more he paced across the bridge before coming to a stop.
“You know, I haven’t ever done this before. I don’t do speeches, and I have never led a body of men. This is not what I was created to do, but it is what has come to me. You have proven your faith in me, and you have earned my faith in each and every one of you. If you are going to do a job, you might as well do it right, so let’s do this. Let’s kill every last one of those bastards, and live to drink to their deaths!”
Phoenix Odyssey Book 1 (Battle Beyond Earth) Page 18