“Of course I do. Come in.” Her mom looped an arm around her, and Treena knew she was trying to ensure Treena stayed upright. She didn’t need the help but appreciated it nonetheless. A minute later, she was inside her old home.
She inhaled the familiar scents and couldn’t remove the smile from her face. It was so different than visiting in the avatar. Those senses were artificial, relayed through a computer board, but this was real.
“What brings you here without notice? All the way to Earon too,” her mom said, moving for the kitchen.
Treena followed, taking a seat at the small round wooden table. She noticed a dent in it from the time she’d dropped a bowl of potatoes during an argument with her mother when she’d been a teenager. Treena remembered the anger, but not the reason for the fight. Memories were often like that.
“You heard about the Ugna?” she asked.
“You know I have.” Her mom started the machine, and a few seconds later, passed Treena a cup with steaming Raca in it. She inhaled deeply, not wanting to let any moment pass her by without consciously living it.
“Then you know that we’re about to have the biggest fight inside the Concord barriers since the Statu. Perhaps larger even than the War.”
Her mom sat down, holding her own cup, and shook her head slowly. “This isn’t good. We thought we were done with everything when you defeated the Statu. Now we have to deal with these devils.”
“Devils? The Ugna aren’t all…”
“Treena, don’t come here and lecture me on seeing the good in people, because from where I sit, the Ugna are a terror you need to destroy. When you’re out there fighting their ships, fending off their assaults on the Founders’ worlds, you’d better not let your bleeding heart prevent you from doing what’s necessary.” Her mom stared hard before breaking eye contact and sipping her hot beverage.
Treena’s jaw dropped a little, and she recovered from the words. Was she like that? She didn’t think she ever held back. She did want to see the best in people, but from her experience, the lines blurred when it came time for war. “I won’t, Mother. I’m the captain of a starship, not a little girl anymore.”
“The Ugna are evil. What they do is unnatural, and you have the opportunity to expunge them from the Concord. Don’t miss your chance. You’ll be welcomed to the Vastness with open arms when the time is right.”
Treena cringed at the words, as if her mom was passing a terrible prophecy in her direction. She wasn’t ready to meet the Vastness, not yet. One day she would, and maybe she’d see Felix there, but that would hopefully be decades from now. She’d just returned to her own body, and she’d treasure every moment within it.
“What about the Ugna on your crew?”
“Ven Ittix is working on a different mission. I’ve had to replace him,” Treena said with a heavy heart. She wished the intuitive officer was still on her bridge. He was as reliable an executive officer as a captain could ask for.
“With whom?” Her mother had a way of sensing her moods, and it was obvious she’d picked up something in Treena’s voice or posture that suggested a nugget of information.
“Conner Douglas,” she said.
Her mom sipped from her cup, lifting her brow slightly. “He’s a nice man, isn’t he?”
The question held the tone of a mother trying to imply something, but refraining from outright saying it. “Yes, Conner is a nice man, Mother.”
“It’ll be good for you two to bond. He’s the one that’s been helping your exercises and recovery, right?”
Treena sighed. “He’s been very supportive.” She still didn’t know what it meant. The man surely wasn’t interested in her. He was a handsome officer on a starship, not some desperate person looking for an uphill battle.
“That says a lot about a man, what he’s done.”
Treena was starting to regret coming. “And just what has he done?”
“You said he’s encouraged you. If he’s willing to be there in the hardest times, imagine the good ones.” Her mom smiled, a genuine expression of happiness, but Treena wouldn’t let herself get caught up in the what ifs or what could bes. She had a war to prepare for.
“Use the bunker if things get too crazy. We’re going to try to keep the battles distant, but if the Ugna arrive at Earon, lock yourself in until you’re told otherwise,” Treena told her mom, standing on shaky legs.
“I will, honey. I’m sorry for talking about Conner like that. I… It’s so nice to see you like this, and it reminds me of what you’re missing,” her mom said. More likely, it reminded her mom that she was lonely too.
“Have you seen Bryson lately?” Treena asked her mom.
“Bryson? Not for a while.”
Treena didn’t want to be pessimistic about the impending war, but things were going to change for good in the Concord. “Why don’t you contact him? Everyone deserves to be happy.” She didn’t know why the pair had stopped seeing each other, but her mother had never been in better spirits than when he’d been in the picture.
“Maybe I will. Can I walk you to the shuttle?”
Treena headed for the door. “I can do it on my own.”
They embraced for several moments, and soon Treena was returning to Constantine. Their meeting on Earon Station was occurring in the morning, and she wanted to be well rested.
The countdown to the war with the Ugna had already begun.
____________
Tom walked through the bridge, smiling at the results of a constant work schedule over the last couple of weeks. His ship was almost ready. He walked to the captain’s chair and set a hand on the top. This was what he’d been missing.
The Ugna were going to make a worthy adversary, but Tom was confident they’d win in the end. The Concord had been through too much to fail at this point, and he was going to see to that.
“Fancy meeting you here.”
Tom turned in surprise, and Reeve Daak entered the space. “Reeve, I wasn’t expecting you. Aren’t you supposed to be with Treena at Earon Station?”
She shrugged and strolled onto the bridge, eyes poring over the newly added details. “I was, until I requested a new position.”
“New position?” he asked.
“I heard the fleet’s best captain was returning, and I jumped at the chance to work with him again,” Reeve said with a classic grin.
“Are you serious?” Tom asked. It wasn’t easy finding a capable crew, one that wasn’t already part of a long running starship. And since there were only two operational flagships, Constantine and Shu, even fewer people had experience with the technology. “You must have learned I offered Harry the job.”
“I did, but it was his choice in the end, Admiral. He said he’d rather stay on board Constantine, and that I’d be better suited to work with you,” Reeve said.
“How did Brax take the news?” The Tekol twins were inseparable, and Tom had often thought of them as a package deal.
“He’ll get over it. He’s got his hands full with Commander Teller.” Reeve laughed at this.
“I can’t believe Treena’s keeping him on the crew. Remember the first meeting with him? It’s only been a couple of months, but it seems like years.” So much had happened since he’d departed for Aruto with Rene. His life was changed forever.
“Teller is a hardass, and a bit of a dinosaur, but he understands combat, and he applies techniques the Academy would consider reckless. The only problem is, they seem to work.”
“Reeve, there’s a reason the Concord doesn’t sanction some of those moves anymore. They’re dated and dangerous,” Tom reminded her.
“But the enemy won’t suspect some of them. I think he’s a good balance for Treena.” Reeve stood beside him, both of them facing the viewscreen. It showed an extraordinary view of Nolix. The star was across the planet, and the lights of Ridele cast their glow high into the night sky. The city looked huge from this far above the world.
“Treena will know what to use, and what to filter.�
��
“Admiral, is everything okay?” Reeve asked.
Tom shook his head. “We haven’t heard from Ven. I know we told them to reduce communication, but Fayle and Ven have gone dark. Our probes show no activity on Driun F49, which tells me they’ve already departed.”
“Were you told of their destination?” Reeve asked.
“No, but Fayle suggested they were somewhere named Tebas. Maybe they—”
“I doubt Fayle would take the offensive against the entire Ugna fleet. She’s likely sticking him where it hurts, using her knowledge of Wylen to our advantage,” Reeve said.
“Hopefully, you’re right. I hate being in the dark on this. The Concord is so vast, we must spread far too thin to protect the Founders, not to mention the partners,” Tom told her. “We’ll lure them in. A prize. Show weakness and pull them into a trap. It’s the only way.”
“I’ll let you guys figure that out. In the meantime, I’ve checked the star drive. Bentom ball is working perfectly, and the Nek modifications are intact. Everything is operational. My Engineering looks like a storage closet, but it’ll do.”
Most of the ship had been empty before, resembling a completed Concord flagship from the exterior, but they’d added crew quarters and dining halls since the work began a couple of weeks ago. Things like the courtyard had been left out. They weren’t going to need anything fancy, as long as they had the drive and the full array of weapon systems.
“Times of war force us to inquire within: not to dwell on the past, but to remind us what we’re fighting for.” Tom didn’t know why he quoted the Code, but Reeve’s grin faded.
“And what are you fighting for, sir?” she asked.
No one knew about Rene and him, or their child. “The future. How about you?”
Reeve walked to the seat she’d occupy over the coming weeks and sat down. “This is all I ever wanted.”
Tom took the position next to her and listened.
“When we were kids, I dreamed of being on a starship. Leaving Nolix for a life among the stars. I was smart enough to realize the odds, and they weren’t good, not for a poor Tekol girl without parents in the service. Brax was the one that convinced me to try. He pushed me when no one else cared. He always talks about being dragged behind in my wake, but the reality is that he carried me. Without that big lug, I’d be working in a manufacturing plant at the edge of Ridele, not knowing any better,” she said, gaping at the viewscreen.
“Sometimes I wish I’d lived that kind of life. Wear a worker’s uniform, punch your ticket, and go home at night. See the family. Return to work the next day. Ignorance is bliss, isn’t that what they say?” Tom asked.
“You’re kidding yourself. You’re Thomas Baldwin. Even if that’s what you sincerely wanted, it’s not in your cards, sir. You’re meant for great things,” Reeve said without a hint of mockery in her tone.
“So are you, Reeve Daak.” He reached over and squeezed her shoulder. “Welcome to the crew.”
“What’s the ship’s name? Have you decided?”
It was exceedingly rare for a captain of a ship to choose a name for it, but he’d been bestowed the honor by the Prime and Jalin Benitor, and he’d struggled to pick one until this very moment. “She’s called Legacy.”
“Legacy. I love it,” Reeve said.
He let it sink in, the word so powerful.
“Now you just have to decide who your AI is going to be, and we’re almost set.” Reeve rose, dusting her hands off, and walked for the bridge’s exit, leaving Tom to ponder that very problem.
Three
Brandon walked the halls of their complex, wishing they’d been kept in the loop about anything over the last couple of weeks. Kristen matched his pace, and eventually, they exited into the fresh air.
“This is much better than Mars, don’t you think?” she asked.
He turned to face her, the warm glow of Nolix’s sunlight on her cheeks. “Is this enough?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean our people are at home on Earth, still under duress, that’s what,” he said, trying to keep his voice calm.
“Bran, we’ve been through a lot. These people will help us, but they have a war to fight first, and the Invaders are coming to combat their Concord too. Is this any different than when we were hiding on Mars?” Her words were innocent, but he hated her choice of phrasing.
“Is that all we were doing? Hiding?” he asked.
The weather was gorgeous this far from Ridele. When they’d been asked if they wanted to stay in the city center or at a location in the countryside, the answer had been quick for Brandon and Kristen. Jun and Carl had intended to be in the middle of the action, but when reminded an enemy could target Ridele at some point, they’d changed their minds.
The grass was lush and green, and Brandon stepped over it, walking toward the lake’s edge a short distance from their accommodations. It was nice. Pleasant. Easy to forget they were strangers on a foreign planet, assisted by an alien conglomerate that included other humans. It was unbelievable, but after being invaded years ago, the entire concept wasn’t that far-fetched.
Kristen walked quietly beside him, her hand slipping into his. Brandon smiled, the worry and fear rushing off his shoulders as pebbles grated under their footsteps. Tiny flitting birds darted across the serene water’s surface, occasionally diving to grab a hovering insect. Beyond the lake were giant trees, larger than any Brandon had ever seen on Earth. They were majestic, blotting out the skyline of Ridele in the distance. The impressive metropolis was fifty kilometers behind them, but it felt like they were a continent away in this tranquil setting.
“We weren’t hiding, Brandon,” she finally answered. “We were seeking a new life. One out from under the thumb of oppression. We learned so many things, didn’t we? Mostly how to survive.”
“Isn’t there more to life than just surviving?” he asked her.
“Definitely, and being here for the last while has reminded me of that.” Her grip on his hand tightened, and she set her other hand on his cheek, lifting onto her toes to kiss him gently.
“What was that for?” he asked.
“I don’t want you to forget,” Kirsten said.
“How could I?”
She kissed him once more and withdrew a few seconds later. “It’s easy to get caught up in everything. The war, the expeditions, the everyday struggle to eat and breathe, but that was Mars. We have a new start here on Nolix, with the Concord.”
“Are you saying you want to stay?”
She shrugged. “I’m saying when we’ve liberated our people, maybe we live here.”
“Here? Like right here?” He pointed at the building they’d been occupying with the other colonists.
“Someplace like this. With the sunlight, the lake, and a future.” Kristen’s eyes grew misty, and Brandon leaned down, pulling her into an embrace. He kissed her forehead and stroked the back of her hair.
“We could have that on Earth.”
“If it’s safe and I’m with you, that’s really all that matters.”
Brandon and Kristen lingered in an embrace, watching the birds play and feed, listening to the songs of the local insects as the light careened over their damp nests in the morning dew.
Brandon wanted this with every inch of his body, but knowing the plight of the humans at home constantly tugged on his soul.
____________
Obilina Six wasn’t a habitable planet, but it held enough atmosphere and resources to make it a no-brainer for a giant manufacturing facility. Ven had studied its history the day before leaving Driun F49, and though the details were sparse, he thought he understood the functions very well.
Fayle was confident there would be a large assortment of Ugna fleets in residence, creating more ships for the coming war. She’d been left out of the loop on some of the production schedules, High Elder Wylen choosing to keep most of this under wraps and close to his own chest.
Wylen had taken a break f
rom producing their own Ugna-style vessels in favor of the Concord models, and Ven hoped that choice had slowed them down. He didn’t think Wylen would have been overly short-sighted, though, and fully expected a strong defensive positioning by his people.
Ven hated that they were resorting to a civil war. He was also disappointed that only fifty thousand of their over one million population had decided to side with Fayle. One of the issues with having just tens of thousands of Ugna on their team was the fact that they had no more than twenty Ugna ships to their name. She’d assured him more would follow once they’d removed Wylen from power, and that started with today’s attack on Obilina.
“High Elder Fayle, are you positive coming to this location was a good idea?” he asked the woman.
“Ven, it was an inevitable choice. Had we left them behind on Driun, Wylen surely would have retaliated. This way, we have our entire fighting fleet on hand,” she replied.
Gar Ellix piloted the Nek drive shuttle, leaving Ven to sit on the secondary bench, and he gawked over Fayle’s shoulder as they neared the rendezvous point with their small fleet. “Ven, we have a plan, and it’s as common sense as we could make it.”
“Bring everyone to Obilina, fight the defenses, take any available and completed starships. What we have not discussed is what happens if they are waiting for us,” Ven said, slightly irritated at this pair’s lack of concern. Perhaps he’d been around humans, Tekol, and Callalay for too long. Their worrisome habits were leaking over to him.
Fayle didn’t turn around to address him. “Then we retreat.”
A face surfaced on the screen as they grew closer to the fleet, and Ven found himself abuzz when First Officer Hanli spoke. “High Elder Fayle. We have encountered no issues upon arrival. I trust your mission was successful?” Hanli glanced past Fayle and Ellix to Ven.
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