Freedom Saga 3: The Dawn of Liberty (7 page)

Veda
quietly went about her work as the others repaired the base, ships, and mobile
weapons. Reban did likewise as she directed traffic. On both the surface and in
orbit of Dega Jul the Confederation forces were on high alert. Veda was
thinking about Brian when Myden stepped into the room. He stood next to her as
she programmed the detection system for use in mobile weapons.

“You’ve
grown quite fond of him, haven’t you?” Myden asked.

Veda
nodded. “I resisted for a long time, I really did.”

“What
caused you to falter?” he asked.

She
smiled. “The honest and kind heart he bears. Brian’s a fighter, that much is
proven. But under all that he cares about others. So much so it makes you
rethink your beliefs.”

“I
can see that,” Myden said. “The stern lady of the house of Kein is not the lady
standing next to me today.”

“Is
it that obvious?” she asked.

“It
is,” Myden said.

“Am
I different Reban?” she asked.

“When
I first came under your employ you were much sterner, colder, and calculating,”
Reban said. “As the years passed you’ve become softer. And to be honest, it
makes you look younger.” She pointed to Veda’s hair. “The grey that was
beginning to show is gone.”

Veda
laughed. “I used a little coloring to help with that. I am a lady after all.”

“I
thought you looked at Brian as a grandson,” Myden said.

“We’re
not related by blood or species,” Veda said. “As such, I can snag him if I
want.”

“He’ll
live,” Reban said.

“He
may struggle, but I believe the same,” Myden said.

“I’ll
be praying he pulls through,” Veda said.

* * *

Seles
and Mira helped Brian to his quarters. Before the door closed Valis, Kivi, and
Celi entered. Brian sat in his chair and offered each of them a place at the
table. He removed his helmet and revealed his left eye was starting to flicker
between blue and red.

“Have
the five of you had a chance to discuss what I told you?” Brian asked.

“We
have,” Valis said.

“We’re
prepared for the worst,” Kivi said. “But we’re not letting you off the hook.”

“You’re
not dead yet,” Celi added.

“As
long as we can we won’t let you,” Mira said.

“Even
if we have to drag you back from the abyss of that weird blue world you’re
staying,” Seles said. “That’s final.”

“Alright,
I get it,” Brian said. “I’m sorry if I sounded like a doomsayer. So why did you
want to see me?”

“Both
Celi and I have found you’re stabilizing,” Mira said. “But once we turn them
back on you may not like it.”

“The
pain will be unbearable,” Celi said.

“I’m
ready,” Brian said. “I’d rather get it over with than keep waiting.”

“We’ll
begin preparations then,” Mira said.

Mira
and Celi left to get a few things.

“Before
undergoing this I wanted you to look over a few things,” Valis said. “The plans
are on your computer.”

“I
will Valis,” Brian said.

“When
this is over I want to spar with you,” Kivi said.

“I’m
looking forward to it,” he said.

Kivi
and Valis left. After the door closed Seles came up from behind and hugged him.

“Is
there anything you want before you do this?” Seles asked.

Brian
smiled. “I’d love to do that, but my body’s killing me.”

“I
know,” Seles said. “It’s also this.” She dinged the exoskeleton.

“I
think we can call it a chastity suit,” Brian said.

Seles
laughed. “That’s true.” After gazing into each other’s eyes for a while she
pulled him down for a kiss. “I don’t want you to leave me.”

“I
won’t,” Brian said. “I’ve got an idea.”

“Now
what would that be?”

“A
pizza,” he said. “My stomach has been empty for far too long.”

“I’d
be happy to make one,” Seles said before kissing him again.

* * *

Mira
and Celi looked over the data in the med lab of the Freedom. Both shook their
heads in disbelief.

“I
didn’t think it was possible for a life form to change its genetic code,” Mira
said.

“All
theories up till now pointed at such,” Celi said.

“What
about you?” Mira asked. “He said you awakened once, so did your genetics
change?”

“No,”
Celi said. “I’ve done a number of checks since then and nothing is different.”
She stared at the data. “Perhaps once isn’t enough. Remember, Brian has done
that dimensional thing more than a few times now. The other factor would be
time. He’s been berserking for over a decade now, and at a prolific pace. For
us it may be years before anything manifests.”

“That’s
what I think,” Mira said. “What about on the home front?”

“The
scientists back home have isolated the chromosome that makes him male,” Celi
said. “The goal has always been to mix as little as possible. The more factors
put into mixing species the more likely we’ll have experiments like the Greys.”

“I
saw enough of the footage you obtained to be sickened for a lifetime,” Mira
said. “What about half-breeds?”

“Seles
has said she’d like to have children with Brian someday,” Celi said. “But true
half-breeds are a long way off. In spite of our similarities humans and
Kalaidians are different species.”

“It’s
easy to forget that,” Mira said. “Has Brian told you his half of the equation?”

“No
he hasn’t,” Celi said. “Does he want sons or daughters?”

“He
thinks of Mjolnir as his son now,” Mira said. “He told me he’d like a pair of
daughters.”

“He
really said that?” Celi asked.

“He
said his household when he was a child was three sons, a mother and father,”
Mira answered.

“If
only our people had such a problem,” Celi said with a sigh.

“I
agree,” Mira said.

* * *

Valis
and Kivi stood together in the docking area of the Columbia base. All around them
engineers ran to and fro fixing everything.

“There
are moments in our lives when we are tested,” Kivi said.

“Is
this one of those moments?” Valis asked.

“Yes,”
Kivi answered. “For Brian it’s a test to survive, for us it’s a test of faith.”

“Is
it our faith or Kali?” Valis asked.

“I’d
say both,” Kivi answered.

“You
look more confident than the rest of us,” Valis said. “I have to admit even I
don’t know what to believe.”

Kivi
looked her old friend in the eye. “Raulno was banished from the north because
his queen was killed when he couldn’t protect her. His fate was death in the
deserts of the south and yet, he endured. He fought his way across the wastes
and united the Southlanders. In only a few years he conquered the southern
continent and set out to invade the north. After a long and bloody struggle, he
was crowned the first and only king of our people.”

“Our
history books say no such thing,” Valis said.

Kivi
laughed. “Our history books were written by the bitter females who undid what
he made after his death. My point is Raulno refused the destiny he was given
and forged a new one. Brian will not fall now, not to this. If he is to die it
will be in the fire of battle. I say this because he’s proven fate wrong every
time. When he was taken from his world he resisted. When he and Seles crashed
he survived and fought off a contingent of Malcovin troops with no real
training. When the Avoni was stranded in the Grey’s territory he led the crew
through hell all while suffering a terrible illness. No matter the trial, he
always lives. Even in moments when I know he’s seeking death, part of him will
never accept it. Brian wants to write his own story, not live someone else’s.”

“He
wants to write his own story,” Valis said. “Perhaps we should be doing the
same.”

“I
think that’s what he was trying to tell us,” Kivi said.

“How
do we do that?” Valis asked.

“We
must endure whatever is thrown at us,” Kivi answered. “Otherwise someone else
will write the story of our lives. And I won’t have that.”

Valis
smiled. “You’ve grown wiser over the years.”

“I’m
not anywhere close to my grandmother,” Kivi said. “But I’m trying.”

* * *

After
thoroughly enjoying a cheese pizza Brian sat back and belched. Seles looked at
him funny as he did so.

“That’s
disgusting,” she said.

“On
some places on Earth a belch is a compliment to the chef,” he countered. “And I
will compliment you.”

“The
others say I should cook after the war,” Seles said.

“I
agree,” Brian said. “I can see it now, a restaurant under your management.
You’ll struggle with the finances and the more frustrating parts of being a
business owner, but after a few years you’ll sell great. Kalaidians from every
colony and planet will come to taste your cooking. After that you’ll be forced
to open more restaurants across space. After a few centuries pass the first
human you’ve seen in ages will walk in the door and order a cheese pizza. As
you finish his order dozens more will stumble in and surprise all the
Kalaidians in the shop. You’ll laugh as a number of the human men try hitting
on the Kalaidian women, including the idiot trying it on you. As night falls
they’ll leave and you’ll close up shop. Before going home for the night you’ll
stop and have drinks with friends. And before bed, you’ll stare at the stars
for a while.”

She
smiled at him. “Sounds like a dream. But there’s one thing missing.”

“I
gave you the hint Seles,” he said.

“So
you’ll be the first one then?” she asked.

“That’s
right,” Brian answered. He took her hands in his. “Time may pass, but the
feelings I have won’t die. Even if I have to come back as a ghost I will. That
I promise.”

“I
accept,” she said.

The
door buzzer went off.

“It’s
us,” Mira said.

“Come
in,” Brian said.

The
door opened and showed Mira and Celi with some medical equipment. They set it up
and scanned Brian thoroughly.

“Are
you sure about this?” Celi asked.

“Yes,”
Brian said. “I’m ready.”

Mira
injected him. As his eye began burning he locked the helmet into place and
gritted his teeth as pain filled his entire form.

Baeron
stood in his office and looked over the cityscape as the sun rose. Behind him
on his desk were numerous scraps of metal and genetic material sealed in
plastic containers. Siata floated into the room and lifted the evidence with
her telekinetic powers. After thoroughly scanning them she placed them back on
the desk and joined Baeron.

“I
see,” she said. “Now I know why you called me in.”

“Our
technology can track it back to the Ick-Tckt homeworld,” Baeron said. “But
there were no identification markers. Whoever ordered this attack knew what
they were doing and made it so even if we obtained evidence it won’t trace back
to anyone specific.” He grabbed a container holding some genetic material. “But
this is the most telling.”

“It’s
the remains of a warrior,” Siata said.

“A
warrior and not a drone,” Baeron said. “Drones are easy to throw away, but
warriors are much more valuable. The only way they could get this many together
for a battle is if a number of females agreed to it.”

“Do
you suspect Queen Kchlt?” Siata asked.

“Perhaps,”
Baeron said. “But we both know how tenuous her power is. If the other nobles
want to attack Heaven’s Light she has little to stop them with.”

The
monitor on the wall flashed and showed a Minan female with brown fur.

“Sir,
the leader of Heaven’s Light has something she’d like to speak with you about,”
the female officer said.

“Put
her through,” Baeron ordered.

“Yes
sir,” the female officer said.

Veda
appeared on the monitor from the empty docking bay. Behind her was the Ick-Tckt
craft Valis had captured earlier.

“I’m
glad the two of you are together for this,” Veda said before pointing at the
craft. “In our first battle we recovered this mobile armor. We’d like to give
it to you as evidence.”

“I’ll
wager your people have already worked it over,” Baeron said.

“They
have,” Veda said. “But we kept everything, including all the video and scans we
took as we did so. Our coordinates have already been given to your
communications officer.”

“I’ll
head up in a few hours,” Baeron said.

“The
dock is ready to receive you anytime,” Veda said.

“Thank
you Veda,” Siata said.

“No,
thank you,” Veda said before ending transmission.

“She’s
offering us such a gift,” Siata said.

“I’m
glad,” Baeron said. “I don’t approve of everything Heaven’s Light does, but
they follow the letter of the law. The Ick-Tckt who instigated these attacks
they did so recklessly. The only ones who should die in battles are those
fighting in them.”

“We
may be working with them soon,” Siata said. “Be prepared to explain that to you
troops.”

“They
understand,” Baeron said. “That’s because they feel the same about Brian and
Heaven’s Light. They may not approve of them but they respect them. I have no
respect for cowards who attack in the night with poisoned daggers.”

“At
least we’ll have one of those poisoned daggers,” Siata said

“Hopefully
it’ll let me hunt them down,” Baeron said.

* * *

Jesela
and Dreka were working in the command center of the Columbia base on
implementing the new detection system. The birdman noticed something was off
because Jesela was not only quieter than usual, but not dancing or anything as
she worked. As she stared at the data on the console he walked up behind her
and cawed, causing her to jump into the air. Reban looked up from her work
while quietly laughing to herself.

“What
did you do that for?” she asked.

“You’re
dragging your posterior, that’s why,” Dreka said. “Something’s going on,
right?”

“You’re
fretting again, that’s all,” Jesela said.

“Don’t
give me that
relk
,” he said. “I know something’s wrong because of the
way you’re acting. So spill it.”

Reban
looked up from what she was working on.

“Should
I leave?” she asked.

“Don’t
bother,” Dreka said. “Jesela can say it in public, right?”

“Alright
then,” Jesela said. “I never could keep my mouth shut.”

* * *

Baeron
and Siata exited their ship and stepped onto the dock of the Columbia base.
Baeron marveled at the construction.

“No
wonder we lost,” he said.

“Their
technology is quite advanced for a group of younger races,” Siata said.

Veda
and Grigon wandered from the Ick-Tckt craft over to their guests. Both Siata
and Baeron noted the size of the new vessel.

“Can
I ask how you got that?” Baeron asked.

“It
seems all of their crafts are programmed to self-destruct should they be
damaged to a certain point,” Veda answered. “Valis was lucky to recover this
one.”

“Have
you disarmed the explosive?” Siata asked.

“Of
course,” Grigon said. “Everything else is intact. You can fly it if you want
to.”

Daes
stepped out of the inside of the craft in a sealed suit. She was covered in bug
guts even worse than the time before. She walked over and noticed Veda, Grigon,
and Baeron didn’t like the smell.

“We’ve
saved all of these for you take as well,” Daes said while pointed at her suit.
“I’m done now, it’s all yours.”

She
headed for the decontamination chamber to change her outfit. Baeron signaled
for his men to load the vessel. Four Lances emerged and moved the thing inside
the ship.

“Have
you found anything about who attacked you?” Siata asked.

Veda
shook her head. “They left nothing for us to trace it back to anyone in
particular.”

Grigon
cawed. “Their crafts have no identification at all.”

“That’s
the conclusion we came to,” Siata said.

“Was
there anything in the craft’s computer?” Baeron asked.

“Nothing
we could find,” Veda said.

“That
means they received their orders in person from someone,” Baeron said.

“Are
you going to be here for a while?” Siata asked.

“No,”
Veda answered. “The Viken rebels have requested our aid and we’ll be leaving
tomorrow.”

“The
situation amongst the Viken is complex,” Siata said. “I hope you’re not getting
into something too big for you.”

“We
can handle it,” Grigon said.

“When
you return please contact us immediately,” Baeron said. “We may have more to
discuss by then.”

“We
will,” Veda said.

Siata
and Baeron went back to their ship. A moment later the vessel left the base.
Daes emerged feeling clean and wearing her normal uniform.

“I’m
heading back to the Avoni,” she said before heading for the door.

“Are
you sure about this?” Grigon asked.

“We
have everything we need,” Veda said. “Anyways, it’s about time the
Confederation sees us as allies and not enemies.”

“We
can always hope so,” Grigon said.

* * *

Seles
was working on the next set of battle plans when Myden stepped onto the bridge.
The four droids silently went about their business as he joined her.

“It’s
been a while since I saw you,” Seles said.

“I’ve
been helping Tctie,” Myden explained.

“That
explains his power in the last battle,” she said. “Should I factor that into
the battle plans?”

“Yes,”
Myden said. “He’s growing better each day and will do as required. I came here
to check on you.”

Seles
feigned a smile. “I’m working to get my mind off things.”

“You’re
worried about him,” Myden said.

“Of
course I am,” she said. “But worrying won’t help anyone, especially him.”

“What
will you do if he dies?” Myden asked.

“I’ll…keep
fighting,” Seles said. “It’s all I can do.” She looked at him. “What about you?”

“I’ll
do the same,” Myden said. “I’ve lived all these years to see peace come true.
And now that it’s close, I fear death more than ever.” He saw something in her
eyes. “I know you’re wondering why I don’t fly out there and fight like the
rest of you, but there’s a reason.”

“It
could take you, couldn’t it?” Seles asked.

“I
fear its voice every moment I’m awake,” Myden said. “I can hold off its siren
call but I fear what would happen if I turned in a mobile weapon.” He paused to
think. “But to answer your first question, I’ll stay here on the Freedom and
man the cannon of Hades. The system requires an awakened being to activate
after all.”

“That’s
what I figured,” Seles said. “Why was such a weapon created?”

“To
pierce the hull of my people’s planet killers,” Myden said. “But I’m more
interested to see what you’re working on.”

“Very
well,” Seles said.

* * *

Dreka
stood outside Brian’s quarters and listened to the human moaning in pain.
Without hitting the buzzer he stepped inside and saw Brian on the floor in his
exoskeleton. He noticed Brian’s eye was glowing through the eye piece of the
helmet.

“I
knew something was going on,” Dreka said. “You’re pathetic, you know that
Brian?”

“Shut
the hell up!” Brian growled. “Can’t you just leave me be?”

“No,”
Dreka cawed. “And if Shiken were here he’d say the same thing.”

“Just
leave me alone,” Brian said.

“Not
until you stand up,” Dreka said.

“I
can’t,” Brian growled.

“Then
crawl,” Dreka said. “At least show me you’re not a useless and pathetic man
wrapped in his own coffin.”

Mira
stood at the door silently and watched. Dreka looked at her and nodded. She
smiled and backed off.

“I
have a solution,” Dreka said. “I’ll get a box full of beetles and leave it
opened next to you.”

Brian
growled loudly as he stumbled to his knees. A moment later he was standing up.

“I
won’t let that happen,” Brian said. “I’ll kill you if you try.”

“That’s
the spirit,” Dreka said. He took Brian by the neck. “Never forget what you said
to me. It’s time you break free from the chains that bind you.”

He
punched Brian in the face. A second later Brian punched him back. After the two
sat back up they started laughing.

“Thanks
Dreka,” Brian said.

“I’ll
take your thanks for now,” Dreka said. “But if I hear any moaning like that
again I’ll punch, kick, or do whatever it takes to knock the sense back into
you.”

“I
got it,” Brian said with a laugh.