Baldwin's Legacy: The Complete Series

by Hystad, Nathan

  “We have the asset. Captain Baldwin has demanded surrender of the station’s inhabitants, and they have agreed to his terms without negotiation. He requests you join us right away,” Ven told them.

  “What’s going on?” Rene asked under her breath. “Are we no longer in need of Keen as a hostage to exchange?”

  “That is correct,” Ven said.

  “Can you get me Baldwin, please?” Rene asked, and Ven asked them to hold a moment.

  A second later, Tom’s voice carried through the bridge’s speakers. “Captain Bouchard, how good to hear from you.”

  “Tom, what did you do?”

  “We didn’t have much of a choice. It turns out this has all been a big distraction from their real mission.”

  “Which is?” Rene probed, and Treena leaned in, anxious to return to her ship.

  “The Vusuls aren’t even here. The station is being held by a hundred of them, along with a bunch of other allies of theirs from beyond the Border. We forced them to shut the communication disruptor off, and leave it that way,” Tom said.

  “And how did you do that?” Rene walked toward the viewscreen. Conner was already moving them through the Govis system as fast as Shu would go, and Treena checked her console, seeing they were only an hour or so from arriving.

  “I told them I’d blow up the station if they didn’t disarm it. It only seemed fair after what they did to the Minon station, don’t you think?” Thomas asked with a light laugh behind the words.

  Treena smiled, and Conner glanced back, grinning in return. They’d had a bit of a rocky few days, but he seemed over his hurt stage.

  “You never cease to amaze me, Thomas Baldwin. Hang tight. Don’t torture anyone without me.” The communication ended, and Rene returned to her seat. “Looks like we didn’t need Keen after all.”

  “I suspect we’re still going to learn something from the traitor. I’ll prepare Lark, because I have a feeling that if anyone’s going to give us answers, it’ll be him,” Treena said, receiving a nod of approval from Rene.

  “I’ll go with her. Make sure he doesn’t try anything stupid,” Conner said, hopping from his console.

  One of the secondary crew members entered as they exited, nodding to Conner, and Treena was impressed with their speed and precision. “Bouchard runs a tight ship.”

  “Damn right she does. Most people don’t expect her to be so by the book. She’s hard when she needs to be, but also more than fair to work under. I’m extremely grateful for this position,” Conner said, his boots clipping along the floor as they walked into the elevator.

  Treena hadn’t seen Lark Keen since they’d brought him aboard and wasn’t looking forward to it. “I wonder what kind of captain I’d be,” she pondered as the doors closed, the elevator beeping gently with each deck they descended through.

  Conner turned to her, his expression dead serious. “You’re going to be one hell of a captain. You’re caring, kind, intelligent—a little overly generous, perhaps—but overall, any crew would be lucky to have you.”

  Treena was a little surprised by his words. “Do you mean it?”

  He nodded. “Sure do. I’m sorry about how I reacted before… you know…about your situation.”

  Treena smiled, shaking her head slightly. “It’s not a situation, Conner. It’s my life. I…” She almost considered telling him about the changes in her real body on Constantine, but refrained as the elevator stopped on their desired deck.

  “Talk about it later?” he asked.

  “Of course.”

  Conner took the lead, the guard letting him through after the captain sent instructions through the chain of command. The woman looked dubious at releasing their one prisoner. Most of the crew felt a deep hatred for the leader of the Assembly. Many loved ones had been affected at some point by one of the group’s claimed attacks.

  The hall was well lit, the entire place white. Treena knew where to expect Lark: in the same cell he’d been stuck in on Constantine. The crafts had the same layout, and if she didn’t know better, she was on her own ship, not Shu. They turned a corner and saw Keen sitting on his bed, head to chest. The sound of their footsteps seemed to rouse him from a dazed slumber, and he blinked, staring at them through the energy field.

  “Is it time?” Keen asked, rising. He stretched, making his torso long, and Treena heard his spine cracking with the exertion.

  “Change of plans,” she told him.

  “Commander Starling. You’re looking well rested.” He grinned.

  She pulled her PL-30 and aimed it at him as Conner deactivated the cell’s barrier. “Make one move and I’ll end you.”

  “You wouldn’t do that. Not when I’m your trade bait,” Keen said, still smiling.

  “Turns out that won’t be necessary. And from what we can tell, they never wanted you. So we anticipate hearing your side of that story,” she told him. The truth was, Tom had told them about Admiral Keen dealing with the Vusuls years ago, but that didn’t necessarily mean Lark had as well.

  “But they asked for me… they need me alive, Starling,” Keen said, his tone shifting.

  “We already have our prize, and it isn’t you,” Treena told him, her gun aimed steadily as Conner entered the cell, bringing a pair of energy tethers with him.

  Lark obeyed, putting his hands behind his back, and soon he was locked up and being prodded through the hallway toward the elevator. “Where are you taking me?”

  Treena thanked the guard, who was already sending a CleanBot toward Keen’s old cell to sanitize it. “That’s not your business.” They moved up a few decks to the proper hangar level and exited, Conner shoving Keen a little harder than necessary. Treena struggled to feel bad for the man who’d killed so many and had been behind Felix’s death. She hated this man with a passion, and wondered if anyone would be truly upset if he didn’t make it between the shuttle on Shu and the space station.

  It was time to find out what Keen was withholding, and Treena was excited for this upcoming conference.

  They met Advisor Iliandra and her Guardian, Dothran, inside the hangar. The two seemed eager to depart and find out the location of their ancestor.

  They latched the wordless prisoner into the rear of the shuttle, and Treena allowed Conner to take the pilot’s seat in place of her. If she was going to be a captain, she needed to be better at delegating tasks. She’d need to react if something was to happen, and that would be easier without the distraction of controlling the ship.

  They exited through the hangar when Shu was close enough to the Vusuls station, and they slowly moved toward their destination.

  Eighteen

  Ven was among the few Constantine crew members on the Vusuls station. It was a strange place. His emotional sensors were highly agitated here for some reason, and no matter how hard he tried to shut the flow of influence from the hundred or so inhabitants, it was difficult.

  Everyone they saw oozed with information, with emotions, as if they all had a story inside them aching to be released. On the outside, the Vusuls acted calm, but that didn’t deceive Ven. He was sure they were hiding something, and hopefully, with the upcoming meeting, they’d get to the bottom of their new enemy’s plans.

  “Everything good, Ven?” the captain asked him. Ven was staring through a viewscreen at the edge of the station’s main concourse. The area was lit by strong orange lights, casting an odd glow over everyone.

  “This place. It is different than most. The Vusuls have an ancient story.”

  “What do you mean?” Baldwin asked.

  “I’m uncertain if they are aware of the emotions they exude, but it’s almost debilitating to me. I have grown more powerful in the Talent since my … experience, and with more training alongside Elder Fayle during our trip to Driun F49. They’re suppressing something, and I’m getting the sense that they are at the precipice of an important moment in their history,” Ven told him. It wasn’t an easy thing to attempt to explain. But Captain Baldwin nodded, as if h
e understood.

  Gotran stood near them, but they’d left the girl, Eve, on Constantine to be safe. They’d also been informed that Dorthan, the other Guardian, and Advisor Iliandra were coming from Shu. Captain Baldwin had twenty armed crew members watching over this station, including Harry, who was in the main control room, where he’d already begun the dismantling of the communication disruptor.

  Ven noticed the shuttle arriving through the viewscreen as the flat gray vessel’s indicator lights blinked outside the space station. “Commander Starling is here.”

  “Good.” Captain Baldwin was giving off his own reading, but he was an enigma to Ven. Thomas Baldwin was a strong man and a great leader, and Ven thought a lot of it had to do with controlling his fears.

  It didn’t take long for Commander Starling to enter through the corridor leading from the docking bay. She was escorted by Kurt and Brax, both having lingered aboard Constantine during the captain’s and commander’s absence.

  A familiar face trudged along behind the commander, and Lark Keen peered up as she shuffled into the main room.

  Commander Starling smiled widely at seeing Baldwin, and then at Ven. He didn’t sense anything from her, since she was made of metal, but he suspected she was happy to be reunited with her crewmates. It had been a long time since they’d parted ways.

  “Where is the girl?” someone asked. The woman was striking: short, but commanding. She wore a brown shawl, her skin dark. She was the Minon Advisor. Ven could tell by the Guardian stalking protectively behind her.

  Captain Baldwin answered her. “Eve is with my crew on Constantine.”

  She didn’t relent. “Bring me to her. I must see if she’s…”

  Gotran stepped forward from the shadows. “Advisor Iliandra, she is well.”

  Iliandra jumped back, startled at the man’s sudden presence. “Gotran, I didn’t expect you to be alive. Why are you here if the asset, Charlan, is on their vessel?”

  Ven felt the heat pouring from the Guardian. “She is no ‘asset,’ Iliandra. She’s a girl. And her name’s Eve, not Charlan.”

  “He’s here because I asked him to show us where the Vusuls’ leader was situated,” Captain Baldwin said.

  “Fine. Let’s have this meeting. Promise we can see her when we’re done,” Advisor Iliandra said.

  Captain Baldwin shrugged. “I guess we’ll have to negotiate. Bring Keen. We’re going up.” He waved the gathered group toward the elevator.

  ____________

  This space station level was more cramped than the other, but Tom didn’t mind. He didn’t trust the archaic technology, but Harry had scanned the software to ensure it was trustworthy before they’d all arrived.

  They had to find a second table from another room, and the two Guardians had dragged it inside, Ven and Starling leaving to find more chairs.

  Tom nodded at Conner Douglas, surprised to see the man again. He’d been a bit of a wild kid, but Tom was glad the slightly younger man had landed with Rene Bouchard.

  He cleared his throat, a subtle indication the rest of the group should stop talking while he started the meeting. There weren’t many of them here, but it still felt tight for space. He was at the head, with the Guardians standing behind Advisor Iliandra to his right. Treena was at his left with Ven beside her, Conner next, and circling around the table was Lark Keen. He glared at Tom, but he disregarded the attention seeker.

  Tom patched a communication with Rene Bouchard from her bridge office, and they’d made contact with Prime Xune and Admiral Benitor, whose projections finally appeared.

  “Captain Baldwin, you did it,” Benitor said. “Thank you for sending the satellite disruptor locations. We’re already moving to intercept and will destroy every one of them. These Vusuls have caused enough havoc to last a lifetime.” The sheer inability for worlds to contact one another, let alone just the Concord cruise ships, would have had far-reaching implications.

  “Before we get to the rest of it, I have Lark Keen here, and I think we have some questions before we continue on,” Tom said, hating the fact that they needed Keen here at all. He’d wanted to interrogate the man privately, but the Prime had suggested they do it at the same time, because speed was imperative.

  Admiral Benitor’s projection was 3D and her head turned, facing Lark in the center of the table. “Keen, why did they want you?”

  Keen sat up straight, his arms tied together with the energy tether. “I don’t know. I’ve never heard of the Vusuls before.”

  It was clear the man was lying. It was so obvious.

  “I don’t believe you, Keen. Tell us, and we might not return you to Wavor Manor,” Prime Xune said. The room’s vibe shifted, and Tom held his breath. They couldn’t be considering letting Keen go after what he’d done, could they?

  Lark’s cocky expression disappeared in a flash. “You let me see them. Let me stay with my family, and I’ll tell you anything you want to hear.”

  The cramped room was silent for a moment, while Prime Xune contemplated this. “Captain Baldwin, what can you tell us?”

  “Treena, can you take this one, since you’ve been working closely with these people?” Tom asked, and his commander nodded, standing at the table.

  “The Vusuls are descendants of the Pilia, as are the Seeli and Minon. The Pilia sent five colony vessels out a long time ago, and those are the three races that have derived from them. The Seeli and Minon struggle to reproduce, and they’re dying off slowly. In an effort to find a solution, they’ve used information from their ancient colony ships to backtrack the other locations of the colony ships. It led them to the fourth vessel.” Treena paused, glancing around as she told the story.

  “And what did they find?” Prime Xune asked.

  “A girl, still in stasis. She was alive, and they expected her to be their savior. They didn’t have enough time with her before the Vusuls swooped in, attacking the Minon home planet and destroying their space station.”

  Prime Xune frowned at this. Tom was aware the man had been given bits and pieces of this story, but it was probably the first time he’d heard the full story. “They dared attack a Concord Partner. We’ll send everything we have against them.”

  Advisor Iliandra sat up in her seat, smiling at the reaction from the attack on her people.

  Tom waved at the Guardian that had been accompanying the girl, and offered him a chance to speak. He remained standing, as if it was unacceptable for him to sit when one of the Advisors was in the room with him, and for all Tom knew, it was.

  They listened with rapt attention at the details of him escaping with her in the pod, and the Vusuls using a new technology to lash him toward their immense vessel. Tom cringed as he heard about the old cell they’d been kept in, and was curious when they were upgraded to the suite.

  “Why do you think they treated you differently after some time?” Benitor asked.

  Gotran shrugged dismissively. “I have no idea. It was after they received your answer. Maybe they changed their minds once they heard Keen was coming.”

  All eyes shifted to Lark, who raised his tethered hands in surrender. “What? You can’t blame me for their actions.”

  Prime Xune began to speak, and stopped, cutting himself short. His projection stared at Keen, and Tom noticed his communication go mute. His mouth moved, but nothing came through the speakers. Admiral Benitor did the same, and it was obvious they were having a private conversation. Benitor frowned, deep lines jutting through her ridged forehead. She was angry. Tom had spent enough time around her to know that much.

  Finally, after a few uneasy minutes, Xune once again spoke, directing his comment at Lark. “You tell us what we need to know, and if it helps us determine where they’re going and why they went to these elaborate measures to cut our communication, and…”

  Lark leaned forward, and Tom found himself doing the same. Prime Xune finished the thought. “We’ll let you live out your days with your family. Under permanent guard, of course.”

&
nbsp; Lark smiled widely, and Treena slammed a palm to the table. “He’s a traitor. He killed Felix and my crew! The man should be hanged, not rewarded!”

  Tom hadn’t seen such ferocity from his commander before, and he didn’t blame her for the reaction.

  “Commander Starling, you forget yourself.” Admiral Benitor’s image shifted to stare at her. “There’s more at stake here than our history with the Assembly. Keen, what in the Vastness are the Vusuls up to?”

  Lark Keen shifted in his seat, resting his hands on the table. “Could I have a drink of water?” he asked calmly. Tom saw what he was doing: taking some power and dignity back.

  Tom grabbed the jug himself, pouring a glass. He rose, setting it in front of Keen.

  “Thank you, Captain.” He drank it slowly and patiently, appearing to annoy everyone in the room.

  “Should I remind you of our deal? You’ll only be reunited with them if you supply real information that assists us, and we’re in a bit of a time crunch here, Keen,” Prime Xune told him.

  “I understand.” He set the empty glass down. “My grandfather did have a deal with the Vusuls. They attempted to assist the Concord during the War, but their offers were rebuked. The Vusuls have long sought out a home, having lacked their own. They’ve drifted, colonizing small parts of other planets for thousands of years, but it’s difficult to find an unpopulated Class Zero Nine planet these days. It’s impossible.

  “When they petitioned to join the Concord six decades ago, they were denied, primarily because the Concord demands that a race bring value to the sum of the whole. Basically, you want to deplete the partners of their resources to better yourselves, so you can create these wonderful starships and android bodies.” He pointed at Treena, who was already fuming. When no one commented, he continued. “They were insulted, claiming vast power to assist the War against the Statu, and Admiral Keen was on their side. He tried to rally for their entrance, and promised he’d do his best. He told them there was a world available, one that was in the final stages of terraforming, but it wouldn’t be ready for a few decades.