Baldwin's Legacy: The Complete Series

by Hystad, Nathan

  “Only if you think it’ll make a difference,” Reeve told him, lifting the shuttle from the floor of Shu.

  Reeve peered through the viewscreen, waving at Kan Shu and Hans, who were watching their departure from the edge of the hangar. Captain Bouchard was there too, and Ven noticed that Conner Douglas was absent, probably on the bridge so one of the executive team was present.

  “This is Shuttle Two to the bridge,” Reeve said, and Ven was proven correct as Douglas’ voice carried through the speakers.

  “Go ahead, Shuttle Two,” he said.

  “We’re prepared to depart the hangar.”

  “You’re cleared for takeoff,” Executive Lieutenant Douglas said.

  “Until we meet in the Vastness,” Reeve whispered softly.

  He repeated the phrase, and the communication ended as their modified shuttle emerged from the side of Shu.

  Reeve remained silent as she guided them away from the cruise ships, well past the point of danger should an explosion occur, and she slowed the shuttle, running one last scan. Reeve never did that, and it made Ven nervous. He needed to help his people, to warn them of the impending attack by the Vusuls. He closed his eyes, intending to picture the flame of life, but instead he saw the beautiful face of the Vastness officer Hanli.

  He took a few deep breaths, and when he opened his eyes, Reeve was beaming. “We’re ready.”

  “You have an interesting disposition, Reeve Daak,” he told her.

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  “Quite the contrary. I find your company refreshing and inspiring,” he admitted.

  “That was unexpected. Don’t get too sweet on me, though. I’m holding out for a rich business tycoon,” she said with a laugh.

  “Sweet on?”

  “Never mind. Okay, destination programmed. No one has ever set a course this far with something like this, so we’re going to stop”—her finger ran across a star map, settling on a system about midway through the trajectory path—“here. We’ll regroup, check the engine, run our scans, and continue to Driun F49. Does that sound good to you?”

  Ven was relieved by the approach. Nek could be volatile, and putting that much strain on this drive that had only been tested for relatively short distances wasn’t his idea of fun. “That will work.”

  Reeve flipped a switch on the overhead dash, and the lights in the cabin dimmed. “Three, two, one…”

  The entire interior flashed bright blue, and Ven held his breath as they vanished.

  Ven stood on the surface of a distant moon, overlooking a planet. It was a wondrous sight: a dark blue globe with green land masses, swirling stark white clouds moving across the world. He took a few steps, dust kicking up on his boots. Where was he? For a moment, he was afraid to breathe. He didn’t have an EVA suit on, but he inhaled, not needing air here. He held a pale hand up, as if to caress the planet hanging in front of him, and he let the arm fall to his side.

  “Ven! Ven, are you okay?” Reeve was craned over him, shaking him by the collar, and he blinked the colorful lights from his vision.

  “I’m fine. Did we make it?” he asked. Something had happened, but he couldn’t recall what.

  “We did, but…”

  “What is it?” he asked, checking the system scans.

  “The sensors are normal, but…” Reeve’s voice had a waver, and she pointed through the viewscreen. Ven didn’t see anything but the stars, but he felt something emanating from a distance. People were out there… a lot of them.

  He understood and opened the radar. “There are ships here. Dozens of them.”

  She nodded. “And Ven, this isn’t where I set our destination. We’re three-quarters of the way to Driun F49.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.” Her voice cracked.

  He saw something in the edge of his mind, a planet from the vantage point of its moon. “I went somewhere.”

  “What?”

  “I… I saw a world.”

  “Look, Ven. We have some serious issues. The Nek drive must be unstable if it brought us here, instead of to our programmed coordinates. We may be in trouble,” she told him. “And this has to be the damned Vusuls fleet. How in the Vastness did we end up here, of all places? The chances of that randomly happening are… astronomical.”

  Ven sat staring out the viewscreen, barely hearing her words.

  “Ven, pull it together! I’m worried about using the drive again, but they’ve probably already spotted us on their radar. What do you think I should do?” Reeve asked. The composed chief engineer was gone, replaced by someone unsure of their work and creation.

  It finally made sense to Ven. “It wasn’t an error, Reeve. We were meant to be here.”

  “Jeez, enough talking from the side of your mouth. What are you trying to tell me?” She yelled this; everything about Reeve was frantic as one blip, then two, surfaced on the system’s map. “Two of them have broken formation and are coming for us.”

  “I brought us here. I made the Nek drive shift destinations,” he said, confident it was what had occurred.

  “How did you do that? It’s impossible. You don’t even have the controls on your console, only the pilot…”

  “Not with the computer. With my Talent. It directed us here. We were intended to see their fleet and find out where they were in relation to Driun F49.” The explanation sounded a little crazy to him as he said it, but Reeve appeared to believe him.

  “Seriously? How in the… Fine. Are you saying we’ll be able to make the trek as intended without issue?” she asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “What do you mean, you don’t know? Ven, stop messing around.”

  “I did not attempt to alter our course last time. That is why I cannot be sure,” he told her.

  The blips were growing closer, and Ven zoomed, scanning for IDs. They were old decommissioned long space haulers, with obvious modifications to the weapons systems. “We need to leave. Unless this shuttle is equipped with shields and pulse cannons.”

  “Of course it isn’t. Fine, but try to leave your Talent out of this one!” Reeve hurried through the calculations, setting a new course, since their beginning coordinates had changed.

  Ven estimated the incoming Vusuls guests would be within firing range in twenty seconds. “They are going to be…”

  “I know, Ven! Thanks for the help!” Reeve was clearly flustered, and she flipped the switch again. The ships were close enough to see through the viewscreen now, and Reeve gave a growl as she brought the Nek drive to life. Warning alarms chimed throughout the cockpit.

  The cabin glowed blue again, and a second later, the alarms ceased. Ven opened his eyes, seeing Driun F49 two hundred thousand kilometers away.

  Reeve’s color returned, and she began doing the calculations, whispering as her fingers ran across the dash. “They’re five days out. And Constantine and Shu are three weeks, at best.”

  “The Concord will deliver reinforcements,” Ven assured her. He wondered why they’d been unable to reach Elder Fayle, and he used the shuttle’s message system to attempt a communication.

  “Let’s go tell Fayle it’s time to pack her bags,” Reeve said, but Ven doubted very much that the Ugna would give up their planet quite so easily.

  Twenty

  Tom found Treena in the courtyard. She was staring at the vegetation along the edge of the open room, and he greeted her from a few yards away, so as not to startle her.

  “Do you want some company?” Tom asked.

  Treena’s eyes were squinted, her face otherwise passive. “Sure.” She was in the center of a bench and slid to one side, accommodating him.

  “How are you taking all of this?”

  She continued assessing the greenery, not breaking her stare. “I really don’t know what to think. I’ve been used to push an agenda by a corporation. Should I be surprised? No, but it’s not easy.”

  “It never is. I’m sorry this is how it transpired.”


  She finally met his gaze and nodded slowly. “Me too. But it’s neither of our faults.”

  “How’s everything going in your room?” Tom asked, even though Aimie had given him twice-daily updates.

  “From what I can tell, very well. They put me in the tank.”

  Tom couldn’t fathom what Treena Starling was going through on a daily basis. He glanced at his own hand and flexed it. What would it be like to make that motion, fully aware that you were robotic and your real body was in another room? He didn’t want to experience it.

  “You’re the strongest person I know,” Tom admitted.

  “I doubt that.”

  “Believe me, it’s true.”

  “Tom, you’d be surprised what people can do when given no other choice,” she told him.

  “Are you going to be okay?”

  She turned to half-face him on the bench, crossing her hands over her lap. “I think so. I never expected to have any sort of life other than this one, so the longer I think about it, the happier I am. I might walk one day. In my real body. Can you believe it?”

  “That’s one for the books. I can’t wait to celebrate with you,” Tom said, unable to hold back his grin.

  It was infectious, and she returned the smile. “And this doctor… Aimie Gaad. What’s going on there?”

  Tom clenched his jaw, considering his answer.

  “Tom, it isn’t that tough. She’s a beautiful, successful woman, and you’re into her.”

  “There’s more to it than that.”

  “Like what?” she asked. “Aimie had nothing to do with the R-emergence team that created this.” She patted her leg. “And she’s clearly trying to make amends on behalf of the corporation. I say cut her some slack.”

  Tom hadn’t expected that calm and composed reaction from Treena. “I do like her.”

  “Then what’s the issue?”

  “She’s busy, and she lives on Nolix. I’m a Concord captain. It won’t work,” Tom said.

  “Does she live in Ridele?”

  “Yes, she’s in the capital.”

  “The same city your offices would be if you took the admiral position?” Treena’s eyebrows rose and fell.

  “I know what you’re implying, but could you see yourself leaving Constantine behind for a desk in a room? Landlocked. With Benitor peering over your shoulder,” Tom said quietly.

  “And you’ll miss him.”

  “Who?” Tom asked, even though it was obvious.

  “Your grandfather. Con has been a comfort to you during these first few months, and you two have been through a lot together. We all have. But this is every captain’s endgame, isn’t it? The promotion. The next step up the hierarchical chain,” Treena said.

  “I suppose.” Tom had stepped onto Constantine for the first time with high hopes, and a thirst for exploration. Instead, he’d been thrust into a five-decade-old war and had been a babysitter for the Founders. Was this role ever going to be what he’d wanted from it?

  “If it helps, I still haven’t decided if I’ll accept the promotion either.”

  This was a little bit of a surprise. “Are you sure? You’re going to make an admirable leader.”

  “With everything going on… my body… the R-emergence scandal that’s sure to come... They might rescind the offer.”

  Tom shook his head. “Not in a million years.”

  Treena rose from the seat and dusted off her uniform pants out of habit. “Then we both have a lot to contemplate while we try to reach Driun F49. Do you think the Ugna will leave?”

  Tom had no idea but put on a tight-lipped smile. “I hope so.”

  Treena departed, leaving him alone. He sat for another ten minutes before someone else came over, sitting beside him.

  “Hi, Tom.” Aimie spoke softly.

  “Hello.”

  “I don’t blame you for hating me...”

  “That’s not true,” he told her.

  “Can we try this again? Pour a cup of Raca and talk?” she asked, motioning toward the ServoBot in the café.

  “Sure. I’d like that,” Tom said, standing first. They ordered a drink and took a seat at the farthest two-seater table. They both sat quietly for a minute, before the silence was too much to bear. “I don’t blame you.”

  “Thanks. That’s important to me.”

  “And if Treena isn’t angry with you, there’s no way I can be,” he added.

  She lifted her cup, blowing some of the steam to the side before sipping it. “What’s next for us, Captain Baldwin?”

  “Well, we’re sending your ship home at the next chance, once we’ve entered Concord space. And I think you should be on it,” Tom said.

  Aimie immediately acted hurt. “I can’t leave. I have to stay with Treena. This is a crucial time, and she needs me present to see this recovery through.”

  Tom had expected this, so he only nodded. “The rest of your R-emergence crew will return home, then.”

  “Okay. Will it be dangerous? Your mission?” she asked.

  “I suspect so, but nothing we can’t handle. The Ugna have a well-stocked fleet, and the Concord is sending everything they have within striking distance of Driun F49. It will be over quickly.” Tom only hoped they were fast enough; otherwise, the Vusuls would be holding the planet by the time Constantine and Shu arrived. Right now, Reeve and Ven would be landing on the Ugna world, and if anyone could convince them to evacuate, it would be Ven. It was their only shot.

  “And after that’s over?” Aimie’s hand took his on top of the table.

  “It’s up in the air. There are several unknowns,” he said.

  She raised an eyebrow. “Like?”

  “If I did move to Ridele—temporarily, for argument’s sake—would I have any familiar faces around?” he asked.

  Aimie clearly got the picture. “I’ll be resigning from R-emergence, so that’ll give me time at home. At least until I figure out what’s next.”

  This was news to Tom, and he tried to take it in stride. It added to the pressure of accepting the admiral role. Could he really leave this ship, his crew members, and his grandfather to move up in the ranks, and attempt to nurture a fresh relationship at the same time?

  Treena had said something that stuck with him: You’d be surprised at what people can do. His situation was almost laughable to anyone else, and he relaxed, telling himself he had nothing to worry about.

  At least, not after they dealt with the Vusuls.

  “I’m hoping to visit with Brion when we’re at Driun,” she told him after releasing his hand.

  “Good. I’m sure he’s going to love seeing his sister again. I look forward to meeting him too,” Tom told her.

  “I understand the Ugna’s motivation for their behavior, but I wish they’d find a better way to go about it. Taking children in the dead of night seems a little clandestine, doesn’t it?” she asked.

  Tom hadn’t given it much thought, but she was right. The Ugna were a strange bunch, and if there was one thing repeated over and over in the Academy, it was to have compassion and respect for different races’ cultures and customs. He’d been so used to that rule that the Ugna’s practices didn’t seem as odd to him as they might to someone without the Concord’s training.

  “If I do take the role, Admiral Benitor told me I’d be the Ugna’s capital city contact,” Tom said. “Maybe that process is something I could speak with them about.”

  She brightened at this, wrapping her fingers around the cup. “That’s great. Thank you.”

  They stayed, talking about nothing for a while; then their pasts, their futures, and everything in between. The looming threat hung in the recesses of his brain, but for the short time, all he saw was Aimie Gaad.

  ____________

  Reeve guided the ship into orbit, and they once again attempted communication with Elder Fayle. When that faltered, Ven sent the communication to all channels, hoping someone on the planet would pay attention to the message. Nothing.

  �
�What is wrong with them?” Reeve asked, but Ven didn’t have an answer.

  “I cannot presume to understand why their systems are down, but with the Ugna, I suspect there is a justifiable reason,” Ven replied.

  “It better be, because they’re putting themselves into quite a dangerous predicament.” Reeve moved them closer to the planet and began to pass through the atmosphere a few minutes later. Ven targeted the main city he’d visited with Captain Baldwin on the radar, and he watched as she set course for Elder Fayle’s location. He sought out his people with his Talent and instantly felt the thrum of energy exuding from Driun F49. The Talent was everywhere. He nearly floated from the seat, but he was buckled in safely.

  An alarm blared out, and Ven scrolled through the sensors, trying to locate the source.

  “Ven, we’re under attack!” Reeve called, pointing to the dash console. Blinking green lights were shooting toward them.

  “A suborbital defense system. They’re firing at any unpermitted IDs upon entry!” Ven shouted over the alarms.

  “Damn it.” Reeve jerked the shuttle’s yoke, but it wouldn’t be enough. Once targeted like this, it would be next to impossible to prevent the pulses from striking their hull. Unless…

  Ven closed his eyes, trying to recall the feeling when Fayle had sapped his strength when defending against the tree-dropping creatures on the surface. He pictured the flame briefly, and it burned fiercely, brighter than ever before. He pushed, using his Talent, and the entire shuttle shook with a deadly ferocity before calming again.

  He blinked his eyes open, the alarm still sounding, but the incoming dots were gone.

  “Ven, what in the Vastness did you do?” Reeve stared at him from the corner of her eye, and he didn’t know what to tell her.

  “I’m not sure, but it seems to have worked,” Ven said.

  “There’s more…” New dots appeared, twice as many, and Reeve raced the shuttle as fast as she could toward the surface. Ven attempted to prevent them from striking again, but his reaction time was too slow. One of them blew past his barrier and hit the shuttle directly along the Nek drive. Their ship filled with smoke, and Reeve shouted loudly as she struggled to pull the shuttle up.