by Justin Sloan
Kalan chuckled. Over the course of this journey he’d gotten to know Valerie and Robin and the others much better. Valerie and Robin had shared a little bit of their past on Earth with him, and his respect for them and their mission had grown. After all the things they’d been through, it was amazing that they were still in the fight and as hungry for justice as ever.
They’d long ago done their part for the greater good. No one would have blamed them if they’d decided to retire to a quiet life, yet on they fought.
It was inspiring to Kalan. He hoped he could remain as dedicated for half as long.
“I was reading about our destination,” he said, sinking into a chair.
“Learn anything interesting?” Robin asked.
“Not really. Turns out there’s not much information. It says Rewot can sustain human life, which I’m hoping means even I’ll be able to breathe.”
“It’s a bit of a longshot, isn’t it?” Garcia asked. “Going to a location embedded on a chip by a stranger who remembered meeting a foreign fleet years ago?”
“It’s a longshot,” Valerie admitted, “but right now it’s the best we’ve got. How far out are we?”
Flynn checked the monitor. “A little over two hours.”
They spent the next hour and a half speaking and laughing together. Valerie and Kalan talked about what they’d say to this Lost Fleet if and when they found them.
When they were half an hour out of Rewot, some blips appeared on the monitor.
“What’re those?” Robin asked.
Flynn frowned. “Look like five ships. Small ones.”
“What are they doing?” Valerie asked.
Flynn sat up a bit straighter. “Flying straight at us.” An alarm on the control panel started beeping. “And firing on us.”
Valerie hopped out of her seat and ran over to the screen. “Shit!”
Then was another beep, this one slower and longer. “Looks like they want to talk.”
“Put them through.”
Flynn punched a button, and a moment later a strange lilting voice came through the speakers.
“Attention: you’ve entered Rewot airspace. Change course now. Those first shots were warnings, but the next ones won’t be.”
“They’ve got to be crazy,” Bob muttered. “Going up against the Grandeur with five little fighters? We could blow them back into their atmosphere with the push of a button.”
“I say we give them a warning shot right in the engine,” Wearl added. “Disable them, and let them float around up here for a few days thinking about what they did.”
“Shut up, both of you,” Valerie said. She pressed a button and spoke into the microphone on the control panel. “We are heading toward Rewot, and we are not able to change course.”
There was a long pause. “On what business?”
“No use lying,” Kalan told Valerie.
She nodded. “We’re looking for a fleet of ships that arrived here maybe five years ago. We have important business with them.”
Another pause. “There’s nothing like that here. Rewot is uninhabited.”
“Then why the hell are you protecting it?” Garcia whispered.
Valerie sighed. “We’re not in the mood for games. We’re trying to find the Lost Fleet. We have one of their allies with us.”
“Yeah?” the fighter pilot asked, the hint of a laugh in his voice. “Who’s that?”
“A Bandian,” Valerie answered.
There was another pause, this one much longer than before.
“At least they’re not shooting at us,” Bob said.
After nearly a minute, the pilot spoke again. “Please follow us. We’ll escort you to Rewot.”
Flynn looked up in surprise. “I don’t believe it. For once in our lives, something was easy.”
As they were passing through the atmosphere, the pilot’s voice came over the radio again. “Are you equipped to handle a water docking?”
Flynn’s eyebrows shot up. “A what?”
“A water docking. Can your ship land and float on water?”
Flynn looked at the others. “What the hell kind of a question is that?”
Valerie leaned down and spoke into the microphone. “We haven’t tested it, but we’re a big fucking spaceship so I’m going to say no.”
“Copy that. When we break through the clouds, you’ll see a small island in the center of the ships. It should be big enough for you to land on.”
“Should be?” Jilla asked.
“Am I the only one who’s confused?” Robin asked.
Moments later they broke through the clouds, and it all became clear.
The deep-blue surface of Rewot stretched below them. It was water all the way to the horizon.
Kalan frowned. “Why’d they bring us down over an ocean?”
Flynn adjusted the settings on a monitor. “I’m scanning for landmasses, and not finding any. A few small blips here and there—islands probably—but nothing large.”
Valerie grunted. “Huh…a water planet.”
Kalan pointed through the window in front of them. “Look.”
The water below them was speckled with large, oddly-shaped objects that reflected the light of the system’s sun back at them. It wasn’t until they were a bit lower that they could determine what these things were.
“They’re spaceships,” Jilla said, excitement in her voice. “There must be two dozen of them.”
“Not small ones, either,” Robin added.
She was right. Each was nearly the size of the Grandeur, and a few were larger.
“The Lost Fleet,” Valerie whispered.
“Those things are parked right on the water,” Flynn pointed out. “I guess that’s why they asked if we could float.”
In the center of the floating dock was a single swath of land—the island.
Flynn set them down gently on the sand-covered island while Bob ran some diagnostics.
“Looks like the air’s breathable,” Bob said. “We should be good to go.”
Kalan grinned at Valerie. “How’s it feel? After more than a month of searching, it seems we found our Lost Fleet.”
“Ha!” she said. “Here’s hoping. But if there’s one thing I learned, it’s that things are never as simple as they seem at first glance.”
She walked to the nearest airlock and opened the door. When he gazed over her shoulder, Kalan was surprised to see a crowd of a hundred or so beings gathered around the ship, looking up at it in anticipation.
Kalan was momentarily taken aback by their appearance. The Skulla had described them simply as orange, as tall as Kalan, and thin. While all that was technically true, it understated the effect of seeing them. They were more than thin. They were willowy, and their thin limbs almost flowed with their movements.
But their most striking feature was their skin. It was a deep and vibrant orange that almost seemed to glow, and it offset their pale-yellow eyes and tiny black irises.
Kalan lingered in the airlock to take in the scene as Valerie stepped onto the sand. It took him a moment to realize that the thing they were all staring at so intently was him.
“It’s true,” one of them said. “A Bandian. A real Bandian.”
Two of the beings stepped forward, a male and a female who appeared to be a little older than the others.
“Welcome to Rewot,” the female said. “From your strange expressions, is it safe to assume you’ve never met a Lavkin before?”
“That’s right,” Valerie said.
“Let’s change that immediately,” she said with a smile. “I’m Mej, and this is my husband Lien. We are the caretakers of this squadron.”
“Caretakers?” Kalan asked. “Does that mean you’re the leaders?”
The two Lavkins exchanged a glance, then Lien said, “Yes, I suppose you could say that. At least temporarily. Mej’s brother Lolack is the true leader, not just of this squadron but of the entire fleet.”
“Great,” Valerie said. “W
here is he?”
“He’s not on Rewot at the moment,” Mej said quickly.
The others had disembarked from the Grandeur and joined them now. Valerie introduced them all to Mej, Lien, and the assembled Lavkins. She didn’t give any other details as to why they had come, and the Lavkins didn’t ask for any. They were too busy staring at Kalan in awe.
“Wait, you said ‘squadron,’” Robin said. “Does that mean this isn’t the entire fleet?”
Titters of laugher went through the gathered crowd.
“No, not hardly,” Mej said. “Most of the squadrons are spread throughout the system and beyond, even, doing what they can to fight for the greater good.”
“And why aren’t you?” Valerie asked.
Some might have considered the question blunt, but Mej and Lien didn’t seem to mind in the least. “It’s because Lolack isn’t here. He’s our leader, and my brother. We can’t and won’t leave without him.”
Kalan thought about that a moment. “From the information we got, you all arrived here five years ago. Have you been waiting for him to return this whole time?”
“Yes,” Lien said, “and it hasn’t been easy. We selected Rewot because it’s so sparsely populated. There’s a race of island-dwelling beings, but they are so spread out that we’ve had almost no contact with them. Rewot has presented some challenges, though. As your scanner probably told you, there isn’t much land. We had to rig our ships to float, and we’ve been living in them for years.”
“The weather is another concern,” Mej explained. “Hurricanes are incredibly frequent. Our ships are strong enough to withstand even the most violent of them, but that doesn’t make them fun.”
“So why stay here?” Flynn asked. “Why not just wait in orbit for your leader to return.”
“Resources,” Mej said. “The benefits outweigh the costs. Rewot has plentiful sea life, as well as edible underwater plants. There’s more food here than we would ever need, all free for the taking.”
Valerie scratched her ear. Kalan could tell she was starting to get impatient.
“We need to talk to you about why we’re here,” she said.
Lien smiled and gestured to Kalan. “Yes. You’ve brought us a Grayhewn. Thank you so much. Now our great alliance can resume.”
“That’s not the only reason,” Valerie said. “We believe you’re in danger.”
“Danger?” Mej asked. “From what?” Then she held up a hand. “Actually, don’t tell me—not yet. The crowd here is very anxious to hear the results of the testing. Isn’t that right?”
The gathered Lavkins let out a cheer that made it clear they were indeed excited for the results.
“So here’s what I propose,” she continued. “I handle the military affairs for this squadron. Why don’t you and your friends come with me, and you can tell me about this threat. Lien handles matters related to lore and history, so he can take Kalan to perform the testing.”
“Uh, hang on,” Kalan said. “Testing?”
Lien waved a hand as if shooing away a silly notion. “Don’t worry, it’s just a simple examination. Nothing to be afraid of.” He paused thinking. “Well, until the second stage, anyway. But that won’t be until tomorrow at the earliest.”
“Er, okay,” Kalan said.
The crowd let out a cheer, their impossibly thin arms waving rhythmically in the air.
Lien took Kalan by the arm and lead him away.
CHAPTER FIVE
Walking with Mej, Valerie felt like a child. These Lavkins even carried themselves in a way that felt more adult, though maybe that had to do with their military nature and all they had been through. One didn’t become part of a legendary fleet of badasses without having been through a situation or two.
“You…lead this ship?” Mej asked, gesturing to the Grandeur. “How is that possible, considering the presence of the Bandian?”
“That’s a long story,” Valerie answered, glancing around at the beautiful island and the large ships nearby. “Something tells me we have time, though. Am I wrong?”
“Come, let me show you my brother’s ship,” Mej replied as an answer. “If you’ve come all this way, you must have a reason. I would like to understand all of it.”
They walked to the largest ship there…what back on Earth would have passed for a whole city, with a walkway connecting it to the island. The turrets on the top dwarfed anything Valerie had seen up to now, even those she had fought against on the space station where she had learned of Talrok’s betrayal. Well, that he wasn’t the real Talrok, anyway.
“The stories this ship could tell if it had a life of its own,” Mej said, walking with her hands behind her and looking up at the ship in awe.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Valerie said.
“Indeed. Do you know that we once faced down the five best ships in the Skulla armada with only this one vessel? But now Lolack is gone, his second-in-command is gone…and the ship just sits here, as if all of those adventures were some nearly-forgotten dream.”
“You were part of these battles?” Valerie asked.
Mej nodded. “I rode at my brother’s side. That’s how we do it—a family crews each vessel. It isn’t easy, you know. None of it is in warfare, but we do what we must to survive, and to make the universe a safer place.”
“And my story?” Valerie asked. “Hearing it…that’s to judge whether I’m on the good side or not?”
Mej smiled, though not with her eyes. “You’re a smart one, at least. You see, even if your friend back there is a true Bandian, we don’t know what that makes you. You could be holding him hostage. Maybe you’re blackmailing him, or even tricking him. Duping him into something without him knowing.”
“I promise you that none of those are true.”
“I want to believe you, but…” They reached the ramp to the ship and ascended it. “It’s not easy, as you well know, being in charge of so many. Putting trust where it doesn’t belong can be very risky.”
“And failing to put trust where it does belong can be just as risky.”
“Like I said, a smart one,” Mej said. They walked on in silence until they reached the hatch, and she gestured for Valerie to enter first.
Valerie paused, looking at her. “If you are fighting for the right kind of justice, then we’ll get along fine. I’ll tell you my story, and we’ll see how this works out for both of us.”
“I test you, you test me.” Mej smiled, then ducked in first. “Naturally.”
The inside of the ship wasn’t anything like Valerie had expected from what she’d seen with Bad Company. Here was more glory and chaos—statues, tapestries, and other forms of art to symbolize the great warriors who had served in this ship. The walls were smooth metal, refined to have that perfect military shine that the Lost Fleet crew still wore five years after being grounded here.
Mej led her to an office that overlooked much of the ship. Large, with a view out into space—clearly the admiral’s quarters.
“My brother,” Mej started, “was the bravest Lavkin I’ve ever seen. Selfless, too. He gave it all up to serve, and I can’t tell you how many times he ran into battle with no thoughts about his own safety, just his crew’s. Something about the look in your eyes makes me feel the same about you, though it could be good or bad in your case.”
“Is that so?”
“You tell me.” Mej gestured to a seat on the near side of the admiral’s desk, then took the main chair for herself. “Do you start fires, or put them out?”
“That depends. If the wood is twisted and gnarled, or deformed to the point that it hurts others? I’ll burn the shit out of that. I see a fire about to singe a kitten’s tail? Call me ‘Ms. Firewoman.’”
Mej cocked her head, analyzing her. “You talk funny, but I like it. So…tell me how you came to be in business with the Bandian.”
Valerie sighed. “Where do I begin?”
The Lavkin leaned forward, elbows on the table, and folded her hands. �
��How about the day you were made a vampire? Is it like they say? Did you miss the sunrise most of all?”
“You know something about vampires?”
“I’ve done some research, although only from what the tech gurus could hack from your networks. Sorry.”
“Ah, you think you know about vampires, then.” She leaned in now too, smiling. “You have no idea.”
There was nothing to lose by sharing her story here, so she did. She started with that day in Old France when she realized she would never see her parents again, and the cravings for blood. She told Mej how she’d realized her vampire brother was wrong, that hurting innocents could no longer be allowed, and how she had eventually risen to be Michael’s Justice Enforcer. As the story went on, Mej’s eyes grew wider and wider with disbelief and awe.
Finally Valerie brought the story to a close, leaving Mej momentarily speechless.
“So,” Valerie asked, smiling, “was that the sort of vampire you had in mind?”
Mej laughed, then laughed louder. “I like you, Justice Enforcer.”
“Ah, I’m trying out something, actually. Since I’m in space and all, what do you think about ‘Prime Enforcer?’”
“Ohh, I love that!” Mej considered her, then shook her head in awe once more. “And I love that every word you spoke was true. I have a knack for this. Might have left out some details, but I’ll let that slide.
“Not everyone wants to know all the details,” Valerie replied with a wink. Now she leaned in. "Your turn."
"My turn?"
Valerie nodded. "We believe the leader of the Lost Fleet is being targeted. All of you really, but principally him. A powerful AI is searching for him, but we mean to find him first."
"My brother…" Mej shook her head. "He's been a hard man to find."
She spun and opened a panel on the back wall, revealing a glowing map of what they knew of the universe. It didn’t coincide much with the map that the Etheric Federation had of the universe. It showed more, so much more that it was overwhelming just looking at it.
“We’re here,” Mej said, indicating a nearby section that glowed as she pointed at it. “My brother wouldn't have gone far, but that doesn't mean he isn't in hiding.” She pointed to a small dot nearby. “Here’s where he often went with the boys to blow off steam. We’ve sent Lavkins out there from time to time to look out for him. Even had a rotating shift for the first year, but no luck. I tried going home once to that firestorm of a planet we were raised on, but no luck there either.”