Baldwin's Legacy: The Complete Series

by Hystad, Nathan

  Ven Ittix basked in the sunlight, a rare thing for their people. He wore a protective layer of cream over his face, which would be beet red if not for the substance. The Ugna were powerful, but things like too much sun tended to alter their pale skin in minutes.

  “Truth be told, I am excited for the mission,” he said.

  “Earth…” Hanli slowed, turning to stare at the water. “How is it no one knew the location of the humans’ home world?”

  “Technically, Celevon, the Pilia’s planet, is their true home world,” he told her. The Pilia had sent off five colony ships a million years prior. One had ended up becoming the Vusuls, who were the same race that had fought with the Minon only a few short weeks prior. They’d also been destroyed by the Ugna fleet with ease. The Minon and the Seeli were the other two races, aside from the colony ship where they’d discovered the pure Pilia girl, Eve, alive.

  “Have you heard from Talepen recently?” Hanli asked him.

  “Yes. The Minon have been successful in their efforts. They expect to begin implementing the DNA adjustments, allowing their race to breed and thrive once again. The Seeli managed a few pregnancies as a result of the testing,” Ven told her.

  “That is great news.” Hanli moved toward a boulder and took a seat, leaving room for Ven. He’d thoroughly enjoyed his time on Driun F49, learning more about the Ugna this last while, but he longed for the comfort of his cabin on Constantine. With Baldwin gone, things would be different, but Ven was still excited at the prospect of traveling to Earth.

  “Has your Doctor Nee returned?” she asked him.

  “I think he will arrive at Nolix in time for the crew’s introduction to the new commander.” Ven wished he could be present, but he was being picked up on the way out of Concord space.

  “You should have been promoted. You are capable, and Ugna.” She said that as if it should be enough to claim he’d make a competent commander, despite the fact that he had only a year of experience.

  “My time will come. It is not yet. Patience is a learned attribute. Faith in the Vastness is honed. Seek either too quickly and falter. Balance your mind and efforts, for the finish line is rarely when you expect it.” He spoke the words with the respect they deserved, but Hanli broke into laughter.

  “I am sorry, Ven. You are always so serious. I understand your point. Perhaps you are too inexperienced. I do wish you the best success on your venture. Will you return to Driun when you are able?” she asked, her short hair styled to the side, her soft pink eyes boring into his.

  “I will return.” He didn’t know what else to say.

  “Good. Were you aware that Elder Fayle is gone?” Hanli changed topics. She stood again, slowly walking in the direction of their village, which was becoming more of a city.

  “I said goodbye to her last week.” Since then, Ven had spent a lot of time within the training structures, working on restoring his own faith. After learning how much had been kept from him over his life, he’d felt betrayed, but Fayle had assured him it was for his own protection. Before she’d departed, she’d issued an odd omen: a warning about High Elder Wylen. Be cautious around him. Do not show your true strength. I fear he will use you.

  The rocky river’s edge changed to paved walkways as they entered town, and Ven greeted a couple strolling by, boxes floating over their heads as they exited the storage warehouse with supplies. This city held somewhere around fifty thousand people, but it never felt crowded, despite the numbers. Many spent days, weeks even, training indoors. It was rare to see more than fifty people in the streets at the same time, and even the optional communal dining halls were never fully occupied.

  The sky was growing dark as the sun began its daily routine, setting behind the mountain range they lived beside. For a moment, he forgot he was leaving soon, and relished his time spent with another of his kind. Hanli was the perfect partner, and Fayle had more than hinted at their coupling potential. He remained unsure, not wanting to create waves quite yet. The idea of being with Hanli so intimately sent a ripple of nerves through him.

  “Do you want to eat?” she asked, but as much as Ven wanted to, he didn’t think it was proper. Perhaps after their next mission.

  “I should return to my quarters. I have an early morning,” he told her.

  She gave him a smile and touched his hand briefly. He felt her thoughts, her mood, her obvious interest in him. It was partly veiled with intrigue because of his notoriety, but not so much that it was disturbing. Hanli liked being around him, and she fed him those emotions. Ven stepped back, the onslaught of her intentions too much for him.

  He didn’t say a word, but only took off, leaving her alone in the middle of the walkway.

  Ven’s mind felt clouded. By the time he made it to the third resident tower, he’d stopped, making sure Hanli hadn’t followed him. She was nowhere to be seen. He felt like a fool for storming off. She’d put herself out there, and he’d run from her like a child. Never had one of his own kind opened themselves up like that to him, and it had severely startled him.

  “What has you so perturbed, my son?” a voice asked.

  Ven spun to see High Elder Wylen lingering near the building’s entrance. He was alone. Ven sensed others in their vicinity and scanned the promenade, recognizing the High Elder’s personal guard watching over him from twenty yards behind. He counted four of them, which meant there were likely ten or so others in hiding at this moment.

  “Nothing, High Elder. I’m only returning from a pleasant evening stroll,” Ven told him.

  The High Elder looked younger than he had the first time Ven had laid eyes on him, his eyes so dark and red, it was difficult not to stare into them. His head was bald, and he had once been very tall, but age had stooped his spine enough to cause a slight hunch in his posture. Wylen had scars on his cheeks, one on either side, and he guessed the cuts had been deep. He didn’t ask about them. It felt like there would be a long and personal story attached to the injury, and it was none of Ven’s business.

  “An evening stroll. I once had time for such activities,” Wylen said. He wore dark clothing, a long gray cloak draped over his shoulders. He was thin, as were most Ugna, but Ven saw something else in the High Elder. A sickness, perhaps. “Were you with First Officer Hanli?” The question sounded innocent enough, but Ven heard the accusation laced behind the words. Or was it something else? Was the High Elder the reason she’d been spending so much time with him?

  “Yes, with the First Officer, but I assure you…”

  High Elder Wylen shook his head, clicking his tongue onto the roof of his mouth. “You have no need for explanations. I was only curious. You two are well-suited. Tell me, Ven. When are you setting off?”

  It was becoming a popular query, and the fact that Wylen had asked it made Ven want to leave Driun F49 even faster, especially after Fayle’s warning. He undersold it. “In a few days. Not long.”

  “Good. You are doing a satisfactory job with the Concord. It’s nice to have someone on the inside, if you will.” Wylen had a different way about him, one that set him apart from the other Ugna, the Elders especially.

  “I appreciate it, sir. I have enjoyed my time spent aboard…”

  “Enjoyed? Are you not supposed to be training? Working on Constantine?” Wylen’s expression shifted, and he frowned. His brows were wisps of white-blond hair.

  “I am working, yes. I am an Executive Lieutenant…”

  Wylen cut him off. “Yes, I am aware. I only meant that the reason you’re there is not relevant to your amusement at the position.”

  Ven didn’t move, the High Elder preventing him from entering the residential block. “I do not understand.”

  “Fayle told me you were aware of your role. Is this not the case?”

  It was Ven’s turn to frown. “I still…”

  High Elder Wylen stepped closer, and Ven wanted to retreat the second he felt the intense vibrations emerging from the powerful man. Ven had seen what they were capable of, and it h
ad taken some convincing from Fayle to not renounce his faith at their actions against the Vusuls.

  “Listen closely, Ven Ittix. You are one of us. You belong to the Ugna, which means you”—he pushed a long, bent finger into Ven’s chest—“belong to me. You will be my eyes and ears aboard Constantine, do you understand?”

  Ven nodded, even though he would do no such thing. If he denied the man, he had the feeling he’d be killed on the spot, his body removed by Wylen’s personal guards and buried somewhere no one would find him. “Of course, sir. I was hoping you would ask me this very same thing,” he lied, struggling to force the words from his lips.

  The man’s mood changed in a flash, and he smiled, the sight disturbing. “Good. Let’s not tell Elder Fayle, though, okay? She has plenty on her plate, and I know how much she cares about you and your position. I’ve programmed my personal communication details into your console upstairs.”

  Ven peered up the building’s wall, wondering how long Wylen had been snooping through Ven’s things up in his room. “Very well. I look forward to reporting to you.”

  Wylen walked away, the bottoms of his shoes scraping against the path as he entered a hovercar. The guards moved in after him, and Ven continued standing where he was until the vehicle was no longer visible. He exhaled and wondered how Fayle would react when he told her the news.

  ____________

  “You’re really going to let Anthony West get the best of you? That guy has been a thorn in R-Emergence’s side for years. He’s constantly voting against every little ruling, each law that we’ve tried to pass. He’s as far against cloning as you can be. A younger man with old-world ideologies,” Aimie Gaad told Tom as she massaged his tense shoulders. Her apartment overlooked the ocean from the penthouse, which was impressive, since the water was at least ten kilometers from them.

  The sun had set an hour ago, and he’d rushed over, using one of the personal robotic shuttles, where he was dropped off on the rooftop pad with two minutes to spare. He’d already been late for three dates over the last month, and he didn’t want to get on her bad side.

  “I agree with some of his reasoning, but I still hate the jerk,” Tom told her.

  “Are we going out or staying in?” Aimie asked, sitting on the couch beside him.

  “I have to go,” he told her.

  “But you just arrived,” she complained.

  Tom laughed, rubbing his temples. It had been a long day. “No, that’s not what I meant. Aruto. I’m going to Aruto.”

  “You have to be kidding me. What for?” she asked.

  He was a little surprised by her reply. “Is it really that odd?” Tom tried to think about his previous posting and couldn’t recall if Yin Shu, his previous captain, had mentioned the planet. They’d all studied the Founders in depth during their Academy days, and nothing had stood out as overly unique about Aruto to him.

  “They never did allow us to put an R-Emergence research center there.”

  “So that’s what this is about. You’re upset? I thought you were going to retire anyway.”

  Aimie rolled her eyes at him, and he smiled, pulling her in for a kiss. “They’re working at fixing their issues, and since the board has been removed, I think I can help steer the company in the right direction. With the Concord’s approval, of course.”

  Prime Xune was disappointed in R-Emergence, and his actions had been fast and efficient. A deep dive into their politics and records had instantly gotten underway, and nearly a quarter of their staff had been removed. The company had a long way to go, but Tom agreed that they were on the right track. Each of their facilities had a Concord representative attached, and so far, the sites were playing along nicely.

  “Back to Aruto,” she told him. “What are you doing there?”

  “That’s Concord business, I’m afraid,” he told her, without specific awareness of why he was being sent.

  “I see. How long will you be gone?” she asked.

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Wasn’t part of the reason you took this promotion to work on this?” She wagged her finger between the two of them.

  “It was… it is…”

  “How can we do that if you’re off on starship adventures?” Aimie smiled, but Tom felt her hesitancy at the news.

  “It won’t be long, and then we’ll be together,” he assured her.

  “Until the next time,” she whispered.

  “Let’s stay in tonight,” he told her. She looked beautiful, and she’d obviously put a lot of effort into her appearance, but he needed to meet with the crew of Constantine in the morning, and then he’d be leaving with Shu.

  “You read my mind,” she said.

  As much as Tom was enjoying her company, he was thrilled at the idea of departing Nolix and accompanying Captain Rene Bouchard and her crew into the unknown. But he couldn’t tell Aimie that, not after their time together over the past few months. And he didn’t want their relationship to end either. He wanted it all, but remembered his grandfather’s words.

  Tommy, there will be times when you need to decide what’s truly important to you, because it’s those choices that will lead your life’s path. You may want everything to be exactly as you desire it, but it doesn’t work like that. Choose wisely. And if you want my advice, choose selfishly.

  Tom watched Aimie beside him and considered the old man’s guidance.

  They ordered in, discussed Treena’s progress, and eventually, they ate, had some Vina, and lay in each other’s arms. Tom stared at the ceiling, wondering which path he was going to take.

  When he woke, Aimie had already gone to work, and he felt like an intruder inside her giant penthouse suite. Everything was practical, if not overly expensive, but he appreciated her taste. The bedding was from Gatiz, woven from a rare worm’s silk. The kitchen table used an ancient stone from the pits of Tavu, covered with a thin sheet of blue-tinted glass, adding to the effect of the stone’s coloring.

  Tom used her steam shower and changed into his Concord admiral’s uniform. It was similar to his captain’s version, only with a gray collar instead of red. He shaved, combed his hair while staring into her fogless mirror, and for a brief moment, felt older than his age. He wasn’t an old man, barely over forty, but the stressful adventures since he’d taken on Constantine had been enough to exhaust him.

  With Aimie around, he was starting to take even better care of himself, not wanting to get out of shape like some of the others that sat behind their desks every day. As a crew member on a cruise ship, he’d always been on his feet, rushing from task to task, but once he’d settled into the flagship, the immense size of the vessels had meant that there were staff for every little thing.

  Tom remembered what he was about to do and shook off the cobwebs of his daydreams. He hadn’t stepped foot aboard Constantine since he’d made the decision, and he knew it was going to be a daunting task. Not the entering part; leaving after would be the real challenge.

  After a light breakfast, Tom walked to the rooftop dock and waited for the shuttle to pick him up. It arrived right on time, and the robot-driven craft floated over Ridele, using the intricate system maps and roadways to avoid an accident before it began ascending into the atmosphere. Eventually, he came to one of the distant docking ports outside of Nolix.

  The area was bustling with activity, the moon bases lined up with freighters, and Tom could only smile at how different this was than the Zilph’i world of Leria. Earon was busy like this, with the human space station taking the load of traffic from the planet, but what would it be like at Aruto?

  Constantine appeared through the viewscreen, and he saw its twin, Shu, a few kilometers in the distance, waiting for him to arrive after his impending meeting. The shuttle moved into the hangar and Tom rose, stepping off the craft and onto his old ship as an admiral for the first time.

  The clapping surprised him, and he glanced up to see the entire crew in straight lines, cheering for him as he entered their home. He smiled
in shock and spotted Treena Starling front and center, her red collar crisp and bright. She was in her android form, not yet ready to live full-time with herself. Brax Daak was beside her, his big palms slapping together loudly. Reeve was the first to break formation and meet Tom halfway, nearly knocking him over as she jumped into a hug.

  “I’m sorry, sir.” She grinned sheepishly after releasing him. “It’s just so great to see you again.”

  The cheering had subsided, and Tom looked at the full contingency of a couple of hundred crew members, plus all of the other staff. Many of their faces were familiar, and he’d worked relentlessly to memorize as many of their names as possible.

  “Reeve, I’ll let it go today.” He smiled at the chief engineer as they stalked across the hangar, stopping near the new captain. “Captain Starling. It’s good to see you.”

  “Likewise, Capt… Admiral,” Treena corrected herself. She motioned to the crew, who were standing in anticipation of his arrival. “Do you mind saying something?”

  Brax clapped him on the shoulder and passed him a device to amplify his voice. Tom clipped it to his own collar and turned his attention to the crew of Constantine. The ship’s AI surfaced near Treena, and the young projection of his grandfather smiled at him in support. This was going to be more difficult than he’d expected.

  “Hello, crew of Constantine.” Tom hadn’t prepared anything. He’d thought he was coming for a private meeting with the executive crew and their new commander, but he tried to speak from the heart, not wanting to mince words. “We didn’t know each other long, but we’ve been through some serious conflicts together. I came to Constantine as an untested captain and left as a veteran and survivor of the Statu, not once, but twice. You did the same, and for that, you should be extremely proud.

  “Our efforts, along with those of our allies, have allowed the people of the Concord to continue to live in a peaceful and prosperous time. We assisted the Ugna to their new home in an unprecedented offer to our newest Concord partner, and I am confident that Constantine will continue to do remarkable and brilliant things under the guidance of your new captain, Treena Starling.” Tom paused while everyone began applauding and hooting once again. He smiled, clapping along with them until the noise began to falter.