Legions & Legacies

by Lee Watts

  "Yes, well my family did. I was only a little girl at the time."

  "Heading to one of the new colonies?"

  Not wanting to damage the Realm's relations with the Entaurans, Aulani hesitated before answering.

  "Not exactly."

  Picking up on her uneasiness, President Ilan smiled.

  "It's alright," he nodded, encouraging her to continue. "I know better than anyone that things are not perfect in the Entauran Cluster. Please, tell me the real reason your family left."

  Her eyes darted to Alexander, but his quick nod let her know to go ahead and tell him.

  "To be honest, Mr. President it's because of the religious intolerance in the Cluster. My family follows the Narrow Way, but we were persecuted for our faith. My father tells stories of how many Elderites in our town were arrested for simply sharing their faith with others."

  "Yes," Ilan admitted as he let out a sigh, "it hurts me when I hear of such things. I was also raised an Elderite, but I've found it easiest to keep my faith to myself and not make waves."

  "We started as an Elderite world," Aulani reminded him.

  "Yes, but Elderite philosophy is offensive to many, so the Senate decided to make proselytizing illegal. With that said, nothing is stopping any citizen from practicing their faith personally."

  Interrupting their conversation was a messenger who reported that the first group of emissaries was arriving. Alexander and Ritriov went to greet the newcomers, both leaders looking to establish a unified, multi-national alliance against the Ramillie.

  During the next few days, representatives from approximately six thousand systems accepted the invitation to the Realm's conference on Entauri Major.

  In an antechamber adjacent to the main meeting room, Alexander peered through the slender glass pane of the door.

  "There's no one else coming is there," he complained to his vizier.

  "I know it's not what you were hoping for, Sire, but at least it's a start," Yilib said.

  Confused, Aulani crossed to Cheyenne as Alexander and his Councilors discussed their strategies for the upcoming negotiations.

  "Majesty," the translator quietly addressed the former queen. "I don't understand. There are six thousand governments represented here. This is a great showing, isn't it? Why is Alexander upset?"

  Cheyenne shook her head and kept a low tone so as not to disturb the discussions.

  "My Dear, the assembly has more than a million member nations. A mere six thousand is an incredibly small percentage - especially when you consider the galaxy has four hundred billion stars. Six thousand is nowhere near the number of worlds controlled by the Ramillie Hegemony. Even if they all joined the resistance, it's still far from enough."

  It was the first time Aulani actually considered the incredible size of the galaxy and numbers they were facing. She wanted to ask more, but it was time for the conference to begin. Alexander tried to bolster himself and the entire Realm delegation before entering the meeting room.

  "I know this is a… humble beginning, but if we fail to start an alliance here, we won't get a second chance. This is it, so consider this conference the most important battle of the war so far. All of you are now warriors, and the war's front line is on the other side of this door. The Realm's survival, and so each of our lives, depends on our winning this fight. No one wants to join a hopeless cause, and if we look desperate, it could drive people toward joining the Ramillie instead of fighting against them. So, confidence… confidence. Long live the Realm."

  "Long live the Realm," they replied in unison. It wasn't as boisterous a response as he'd ever heard, but under the circumstances, he'd take it. He let the Councilors, his mother, and Aulani precede him into the room saying that he would follow in a few minutes. Yilib and Imenand stayed with the king.

  "What is it, Excellency?" Yilib asked after the door shut.

  "Chief Mediator, I want you to lead the group in prayer to the Elder before we get started?"

  "I am happy to intercede, Sire, but I'm not sure if it's wise to invoke the name of the Elkanah," cautioned Yilib.

  "Why not?"

  "There are many other faiths represented in the room, Highness. To pray in the name of Elkanah would likely offend many."

  "We're not going to start this alliance praying to false gods," Alexander insisted.

  "Of course not," Yilib assured him, "but, you're dealing with a large multi-national group. We can't force our beliefs on them. The freedom of religion is one of the things we are fighting for is it not?"

  "Yes."

  "And there are many names for the Elder," Yilib noted. "Perhaps it's best to pray and simply use the word God. We know I am praying to the Elder, and it will allow us to seek His blessing on the conference, yet not offend those of other faiths."

  "He's right," Imenand affirmed, inserting himself in the conversation, "Fear not, Alexander. The Elder knows your heart, and I know he's chosen you to lead the way to victory."

  Alexander relented with a nod to Imenand, and the trio entered the main meeting room. Alexander made a brief opening statement then asked the Chief Mediator to pay to God for guidance in the conference. Alexander could tell the show of faith made some representatives uncomfortable. It made him consider what they would have done if the prayer was in the name of Elkanah.

  When Yilib's intercession was complete, everyone sat, and Alexander went straight into his presentation. Detailing the victories of the Realm over the Ramillie, he offered them as proof the Hegemony could be defeated, and with more allies, victory would come sooner and easier for all. The initial response was positive, but as the conference continued, concerns surfaced. They included how dedicating forces to engage the Ramillie would leave insufficient numbers to repel a potential Hateeg invasion. Another critical point debated was the economic impact if the AOW imposed sanctions against the nations attacking its largest member state, the Hegemony. Each concern seemed to spark three more, and by late afternoon the tone of the discussions was decidedly defeatist.

  "The Ramillie are the largest power in the galaxy and expanding every day," bickered the representative from the Vaunling Federation. "Who knows how far they reach beyond the explored territories of the Assembly. The more we discuss it, the clearer it becomes that there is no way to stop them. They are simply… inevitable."

  The words hung heavy in the room. Many considered them the truth and contemplated how much easier it would be to join the ravenous Hegemony rather than trying to mount a foolhardy challenge.

  "The Ramillie are many things," Alexander retorted. "Oppressive, racist, and dictatorial, but not inevitable. NO! They are neither inevitable nor indomitable! The Realm has proven that. During this past year, the liberated Realm has grown to twenty-four worlds. We've steadily pushed them back, and with your help, we can continue to do so."

  A snide voice called out, "There's a rumor that the only reason the Realm made advances is because it's too small to warrant the Hegemony's attention, but that's changing. I heard you've lost a world back to them."

  "I've heard the same," another delegate tagged on. "My people won't fight just to liberate yours." This was met with several agreeing grumbles.

  "Then what about fighting for your own people?" Alexander asked forcefully. "Do you think the Ramillie will stop where they are?! The machine of the Hegemony needs fuel to keep running, and what feeds that machine?" Everyone knew the answer, but no one spoke up. "Expansion!" he said, vocalizing the answer. "The only way the Hegemony stays strong is continually bringing new worlds under its control, and what happens when they finish with the unexplored territories or squelch individual resistance movements like the Realm? Where will they turn? You know where - to your worlds. So maybe the Vaunling are correct; facing the Hegemony is inevitable. Either we face them now, together, with a chance to drive them back into The Cloud, or face them one at a time. So, it comes down to a simple choice: fight them now, or surrender to them later. After all our discussions and debating it boils down
to that simple question, and that's the one I put to you now."

  Sitting, the King of the United Realm let the silence punctuate what he had said. In a room of thousands, there wasn't a sound; it added to the pressure of the decision weighing on each representative.

  After a long while, one of the delegates activated the speaker at his position, which also enabled the built-in camera to display his stocky visage. With gleaming dark eyes and full lips protruding from his lush, burgundy-hued beard, his image appeared on each monitor. His was a people short of stature, but big of heart and courage. The man's voice rang out through the expansive room.

  "As the leader of the worlds of the Arwick, we now pledge our support to this coalition. We must be united if we are to be victorious against the Ramillie. I stand with King Lyons."

  The Arwick were known for their shipyards, and the vessels they crafted were among the best in the known galaxy. To have their support was a significant boon.

  "I agree," commented a teal-skinned, gaunt man. "It will take a united force to defeat the Ramillie, but I say the Realm must first prove it can win before we dedicate our forces."

  "Have we not already done that?" Alexander questioned.

  "You've fought in your own space, and on your own worlds," the alien replied. "This coalition you propose would face a war with fronts spanning the known galaxy. If the Realm demonstrates it can win in open space, far removed from its own borders, then I will pledge my worlds to join this coalition of yours."

  By the nodding heads and mumbles, Alexander could see the precondition was the same for the vast majority of represented worlds. In one way, he saw this as a triumph. If the Realm satisfied the terms, then the coalition would form, and victory was attainable. On the other hand, he saw the delay as defeat. For all his effort, the conference had come to all but naught, and at the end of the day, the Realm remained virtually alone in its struggle. He tried to think of another way to press the matter and force the worlds to act now, but he knew that wasn't going to happen.

  Subtly, he blew out his frustration.

  "Very well. The Realm will prove its strength in open space and then call upon you all to honor the pledges of this day."

  He rose, clearly displeased with the results.

  "This conference…" he scowled, "is concluded."

  Turning, he went back to the antechamber. For the next several hours, he met with several of the delegates individually before they left to return to their own worlds. Each representative personally assured Alexander of their nation's hopes for the Realm's victory and confirmed their pledge based on the condition. By the end of the day, when the king was finally alone, he sat in the antechamber, brooding. Several hours passed then came a knock on the door; it was Yilib Wasi.

  "Sorry to disturb you, Sire, but there is one more person who wishes to meet with you."

  Alexander sighed.

  "It's late," the king grumbled while rubbing his temples. "I thought all the delegates were long gone."

  "They are, Sire. This is someone who wasn't at the conference, and he says he's willing to pledge his forces without the condition mentioned by the others. It's a substantial force, Sire."

  Alexander's curiosity peaked. He had no idea who would possibly be willing to make such a move. Maybe the day could be salvaged after all.

  "Send him in, Chief Mediator," Alexander instructed then rose to welcome the unknown visitor.

  The newcomer entered the room, and Alexander became immediately speechless.

  "What's wrong, Brother," Salazar said. "Don't you recognize me?"

  CHAPTER 37

  "In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall." – Ezekiel 27:34

  "It's been three days," Crimson bellowed. "Where is he?"

  Realizing the wrath of the captain would fall on them if they said they didn't know, no one dared answer.

  "Keep looking," he demanded adding a string of curses to the order. "We would have detected him leaving the system, so he's got to be here somewhere."

  Keeping pace with Acatus V on its lengthy orbit of the system's star, the Fortune hovered closely below the world. By staying directly inline where the planet's magnetic pole arched, the ship was effectively invisible to the Fame's sensors. While this did not hide the Fortune from the naked eye, someone would literally have to look out a window to spot it.

  "Captain LaRouche," Jaiden started as he entered the bridge, "the engineer told me to let you know the lightdrive engines should be fixed."

  "Should be?" the captain questioned.

  "He did mention not having all the right equipment to make the repairs and wants to run some tests first."

  "Engineers are like doctors, they always want to run tests," Sosimo commented. "And at the end of it they tell what you already knew, but it always costs you an arm and a leg. I've already lost my hand, and I want to keep my legs, so I think we'll go without the tests."

  Mei crossed to the ship's commander and spoke quietly.

  "Captain, if the lightdrive goes out in the middle of a jump, we might find ourselves in the middle of literally nowhere - not to mention the risk of power surges."

  "We can't risk it," Sosimo decided. "If we power up to run the tests, then even in this magnetic field we'll show up bright on the Fame's screens. What does the weapon system look like?"

  "Main weapon generator is slag so we can't use the lasers. We've got sixty torpedoes, but with no way to charge them they're not much good."

  Sosimo stroked his chin considering ways around his limited options.

  "I think our best bet is to make a run for it," he finally said. "We'll jump somewhere close then find a port to get the parts we need."

  "Are you sure this is a good idea, Captain?" Mei asked.

  "Maybe," Sosimo claimed. "In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's a definite maybe." Switching on the ship's intercom, he addressed the entire crew. "All hands this is the captain, we're going to try and make a jump."

  Mei, crossing back at her station on the bridge, raised her eyebrows and tilted her head, prompting the captain to inform the crew of the dangers involved. Catching her look, Sosimo grimaced and spoke at a steadily increasing pace as he added a final comment.

  "…and on a completely unrelated topic, there might be some power surges, so everybody stay clear of power couplings until further notice. Captain out."

  Switching off the intercom, he instructed the helmsman to lay in a course for the nearest port. Jaiden made his way over to the jade-eyed Mei and spoke quietly so as not to openly question the captain's decision.

  "Honestly, is this a safe idea?" he asked.

  "Not really," she admitted, "but he's the captain. Don't worry; he's got us out of worse scrapes than this. Just sit back and watch the show."

  "Show?"

  "With Captain LaRouche you're always in for a show. You better hold on to something."

  External lights of the Fortune came back to life as power was restored to systems dormant for three days.

  "I think they've spotted us," Mei reported. "The Fame is changing course."

  "Move us out," Sosimo ordered, "Helm, try and keep the planet between us."

  "Aye, Captain, but the controls are sluggish."

  "How long until the course is plotted and engines fully charged?" Sosimo asked.

  "Course is set, Captain," Mei answered. "Just waiting on the engines; they're coming up slowly – estimate thirty minutes."

  "Thirty minutes!" Sosimo grumped in surprise. Switching the intercom to the engineering section, he asked what was taking so long.

  "Captain, if I run full power through the conduits right away it'll blow the patch job to pieces," the engineer explained.

  A simmering bolt of orange energy streaked behind the ship, barely missing.

  "If we stay here Crimson will blow the whole ship to pieces," Sosimo bellowed.

  "The radiation shielding can only ab
sorb so much so fast, Captain! If we bring the engines up too fast, we'll have to evacuate half the ship. It's too much radiation!"

  "Radiation…" Sosimo echoed pensively.

  "Captain?"

  "What if we put something else in the engine compartment?" Sosimo questioned. "Would that absorb the radiation?"

  "It'd absorb the radiation sure, but it wouldn't act as extra shielding," the engineer answered. "Doesn't really help us."

  "On the contrary my Dear Engineer. It helps a great deal. I'm sending Byron on his way with some orders, no time to explain, Captain out."

  After the captain's odd instructions to Byron, Jaiden looked at Mei questioningly. The ship's first mate merely shrugged that she had no idea what the captain was thinking.

  "Fame closing fast from astern," a crewman reported.

  With the engines still powering up, there was no way the Fortune could outrun the pursuing ship at sublight speeds. Orange bolts of energy came in triplets toward the Fortune, two splashing against the already weakened shields. Sparks blasted out of the helmsman's console, sending him flying. Jaiden rushed to the man to check his pulse. He looked at Sosimo and shook his head, indicating the crewman was dead.

  "How are you at flying kid?" Sosimo asked.

  "Well, I learned to read from a flight manual; and I've tried to pick up as much as-"

  "Sounds good to me," Sosimo said as another blast came at them. "You've got the job; take the helm."

  Jaiden hesitated a moment then stepped to the helmsman's chair and placed uncertain hands on the controls. Though he learned all he could about starships in the year since his rescue, he didn't think he was ready for a combat test. With apprehension, he glanced to Mei. She gave him a nod of confidence, and he turned back to his console, swallowing hard.

  Ship shaking from another series of impacts, Sosimo clung to the arms of his command chair as he switched on the intercom.

  "How's it going, Byron?"

  "Were loading the last of 'em in the engine compartment now," Byron answered from within his radiation suit.

  "Ask the engineer how long it will take before their fully saturated."