by Jacob Holo
“It’s all right,” Quennin said. “There’s no need to apologize.”
Jared clicked the lid of the board shut and stood up.
“I said hello, Jared.”
“Quennin, I’m sure you mean well,” Jared said. “But I have nothing to say to you.”
“And yet you’ll talk to him?” Yonu asked.
“He’s okay once you get to know him.”
“He tried to kill us!”
“Well, yeah. But we were out to kill him too.”
“So working with him doesn’t bother you, but working with her does?”
“Of course.” Jared pointed at Veketon. “Former enemy.” He pointed at Quennin. “Murdering traitor. I mean, she did killed both of my half-brothers and your parents.”
“There is nothing for you to fear,” Veketon said. “Any oaths I make also bind my protégé. You will find her to be a faithful and powerful addition to our forces.”
“Yes, but—”
“Jared, it’s all right,” Quennin said. “Please, just leave if my presence bothers you. I’m here to speak to Vek.”
“Yeah, come on,” Yonu said. “Let’s get away from these two.”
“Right.”
Quennin waited for the two pilots to leave. She hobbled over to Jared’s vacated seat.
“Do you need any help?” Veketon asked.
“No. I can manage.” She leaned her cane against the table and eased herself into the seat. “Aahhhhh…”
“I’m sorry about not being there when you woke up. Are you hungry? I could fetch you something to eat. It’s hot and filling, though not much else.”
“No, that’s all right,” Quennin said. “I’d rather just sit and talk.”
“Okay.” Veketon sat down across from her.
“Did anything happen while I was out?”
“Well, for starters, our thrones are being repaired. Fuurion shipped over two sets of spare halo-wings from the Vengeful Ascendant, and the rest of the components will either regenerate or can be replaced from the Judgment’s stores. They should be ready for combat in another few hours.”
Quennin nodded. “Ahead of me, it seems.”
“We’re in pursuit of the Disciple Gate. I’ve done some calculations, and it’s likely unstable at both ends, so we have a limited amount of time. Unfortunately, once one side begins to stabilize, the other will follow.”
“You think Zophiel and Othaniel will use their portal lances?”
“Perhaps. Perhaps not. This Gate is unlike any I have ever encountered. Its artificial nature makes the math a bit uncertain, but I believe two lance-wielders may not be sufficient to permanently stabilize it. It may, in fact, shrink back naturally given time unless another device similar to the Ziggurat ring is utilized. In any case, Keeper Elexen and I have been working out a plan to destroy the Gate, though it will involve some extreme risks.”
“I don’t think risks matter much at this point,” Quennin said. “We can’t let things like those spawns flood into this universe.”
“You are quite right,” Veketon said. “More than you know, since spawns are some of the least dangerous creatures the Lunatic Realm has to offer.”
“You mean the fiends?”
“Oh, yes.”
Two identical silhouettes came up behind Veketon and tapped him firmly on the shoulder.
“Your turn, jackass,” Jack said. “Seth wants to see you in the command center.”
“I beg your pardon?” Veketon turned in his seat.
“Jackass. It’s your new nickname. I’m actually surprised I didn’t think of it sooner. It just came to me how you’re this planet-sized butthole, but you’re also a clone of me. Jack. Ass. It’s perfect!”
“You think you’re so clever,” Veketon said. “How small it must be inside that head of yours.”
“Look who’s talking?” Jack said with a laugh. “You have the same brain as me.”
“Actually, I don’t.”
“Say what?” Some of the humor left Jack’s face.
“Do you really think I would imprint my mind on this clone body without making improvements?”
“Well, now that you mention it, no, I guess not.”
“Human beings in this universe have both evolved and devolved to better suit their environment,” Veketon said. “The harsh passage of time in this realm has made you hardy, resilient, and powerful, but this new strength has not come without a price. More specifically, your long term memories have atrophied due to your extremely short life spans.”
“Is that so?”
“Indeed. I can recall events that happened thousands of years ago with near perfect clarity, whereas you struggle to remember what you ate for lunch yesterday.”
“No, I don’t. I had a… it was a… ahh, damn it.”
“I believe you have just proven my point.”
“Whatever. Seth still wants to see you.”
“Then I shall not keep him waiting.” Veketon rose from his seat. “Quennin, I will return as soon as I can.”
“It’s all right. I understand.”
Veketon departed, and Jack took his seat.
Quennin found it disconcerting sitting next to Veketon and then Jack. The two were genetically identical, and even though Veketon’s body was much younger, Jack had ceased to age. The two looked almost the same, save for a few features like Veketon’s long tail of hair or the slightly receded hairline at Jack’s temples.
With sudden clarity, Quennin remembered the look of shocked disbelief on Jack’s face as she’d run a sword through his chest, killing him. Only his powers as a bane had saved his life, freezing the passage of time in his body until he could receive medical attention.
Jack suddenly smacked the table, startling Quennin.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Turkey sandwich. It was a turkey sandwich.” Jack cupped his hands around his mouth and said, “Jackass!”
Veketon gave him a small wave without turning, then left the rec center.
“Jack, I…” Quennin began.
“Oh, no-no-no-no-no. You don’t get to address me so informally.”
“Yes. Of course, Pilot Donolon. My apologies.”
“There, that’s much better.”
“Why are you here?”
Jack put on a congenial grin. “I just felt the need to stop by and say hello.”
“I doubt you have any desire to speak with me. Please just truthfully answer my question.”
“Very well.” Jack put his elbows on the table. “It’s sort of strange, but I think I’ve grown a bit cynical with old age.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the techs are busy putting your thrones back together, and I thought this would be the perfect time to add a missing feature. It involves a small alteration to the cockpit. In fact, you will hardly know it’s there.”
“And that is?”
“Two small fusion warheads. One for each of you.”
“I see. Does Seth know about this?”
“Seth is a trusting man, but I am not.” Jack placed his hand over Quennin’s wrist and squeezed. “You won’t make me use them, will you?”
“Jack, please stop. Ah! That hurts!”
He leaned forward and whispered, “So does having a sword shoved through your heart.”
Quennin tried pulling her arm away, but his hand gripped hers like a mnemonic clamp.
“If Veketon has really changed, then fine, great! Welcome to the club. But if either of you betrays Seth, I swear I will kill you without the slightest hesitation.”
Quennin met his cold-blooded stare, even as her heart beat furiously with terror.
“You won’t have to,” she said.
“That is wonderful to hear!” Jack released her hand. He leaned back in his chair and smiled. “I’m so glad I was worried about nothing. You know, I feel a lot better now that we’ve had this chat.”
Quennin rubbed her wrist.
“By the way, you look hun
gry. Let me grab you something to eat.” Jack rose from his seat without waiting for a response.
Quennin watched him leave. She remembered the Jack of old, always putting up a cheerful veneer over his inner pain and torment. But what lurked under his easy smiles was a fierce determination to do whatever he thought was right regardless of the costs to his comrades. In the end, Jack would do anything he believed necessary to achieve his goals.
With a sudden chill, Quennin realized that, of all the pilots on the Judgment and of all the scores waiting to be settled, Jack was the one person she actually feared.
***
The hologram of local space glowed within the Judgment’s command center. A large silver sphere pulsed importantly, currently traveling through a six star system cluster.
“The Gate appears to be decelerating,” Seth said. “It should be at sub-light velocities upon reaching this system here.”
Veketon scrutinized a wall screen filled with golden script Seth couldn’t read. Extra-dimensional equations and chaotic mechanics formulas shifted in several places.
“Yes, I concur,” Veketon said at last. “And there are enough stellar bodies within the system to attract the Gate. We should have an opportunity to close with it and stabilize this end.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
“The accuracy of your guesses is phenomenal.”
“Thank you.”
“Even with equations I’ve spent millennia developing, I can only improve your guesses by a few percentage points. Your intuitive grasp of Gate behavior is exceptional.”
“It just feels right.”
“You are a natural Keeper. I must admit I am somewhat humbled.”
Seth bowed his head ever so slightly.
“Of course, you do understand this Gate is quite untamed,” Veketon said. “It will be difficult to lock down our end.”
“Yes, that is why we will secure it together,” Seth said.
For some reason, he enjoyed Veketon’s bewildered expression.
“I had Knight Squadron search through the Ziggurat ring wreckage,” Seth said. “They found five portal lances. Or what was left of them. One was fused with the Ziggurat structure and couldn’t be retrieved. I didn’t even think that was possible.”
“There are few things that can damage a portal lance,” Veketon said, “but using them to create a Gate must have pushed them past their limits.”
“Three others were recovered, but are currently unusable. We’ve stored them onboard, and they appear to be regenerating. However, one lance was recovered whole.”
“And what do you intend to do with it?”
“I’m giving it to you.”
“Keeper Elexen, I thank you for this gesture of trust, but I would be more comfortable if someone else were to wield the lance.”
“Are you suggesting I give it to some amateur who has no knowledge of Gate behavior?”
“No. Perhaps Quennin, then? She was some experience with portal lances.”
“Has she ever manipulated a Gate with one?”
“No.”
“Then it is settled. You will wield the lance.”
Veketon sighed. “If that is your wish.”
“Securing the Gate is only the first step,” Seth said. “We then have to destroy it, and you’re the only one who knows how.”
“It has been quite some time, but yes, I can guide you through the process.”
“So.” Seth tapped the icon representing the Gate. “How do we destroy it?”
“First, we will have to temporarily secure both ends of the Gate.”
“To do that, we will have to enter the Lunatic Realm.”
“Correct,” Veketon said. “Regrettably, there is no other way. An unstable Gate would interfere with the technique. Once the Gate is locked down, we must destroy each side of it individually. The technique involves literally tearing the Gate apart by both opening and sealing different sections simultaneously and in a precise pattern.”
Seth nodded. “I think I see what you’re saying.”
“The technique is very difficult to pull off. You may be right that it’ll require both of us working together.”
“And the Keepers never thought to seal their own Gate?”
“To the best of my knowledge, they don’t know how.”
Seth watched the silver blip on the sector map move closer to the target star system. The Judgment was already one fold away, waiting in the black of interstellar space.
“The opposite end of the Gate is likely moving just as erratically,” Veketon said. “It will be difficult to predict what kind of environment we will emerge into.”
“There’s nothing we can do about that.”
“Once we cross over, we will have to move quickly. Temporarily securing one end will likely aid our enemies in permanently securing the other. If that happens, our chances of success diminish greatly. It took all of the Original Eleven working together to destroy a fully formed Gate the last time. You and I alone may not be enough if the Disciples have secured the far end.”
“Then we will strike quickly and decisively,” Seth said. “All pilots will traverse the Gate as soon as it is secured. What of your archangel squadrons?”
“Completely shattered in the last attack,” Veketon said. “And I doubt any ships could survive the Gate tunnel.”
“Then we go in alone. What do you think we’ll face on the other side?”
“A chaos fiend, I believe,” Veketon said. “Though I have never encountered one with intelligence, I can think of no other explanation. The Disciples were not responsible for the design of that Ziggurat ring or their weapons, and the chaos spawns that attacked in the last battle must have been under the control of a powerful entity.”
Seth closed his eyes and accessed his Keeper databases. Streams of images from recorded fiend encounters flowed through his mind. He selected one, summoning a vast serpentine shape that dwarfed the Keeper seraphs fighting it. It flew swiftly through their ranks, tearing them apart one by one. When all the Keepers were dead or disabled, it fled into a billowing cloud of fire.
Seth opened his eyes. “We will do what must be done.”
“Of course.”
Seth toggled the stellar map off. “I’m curious. Now that you’ve had time to reflect on your decision, what do you think of it?”
“Honestly?” Veketon asked, an odd grin on his face. “I feel like I’m having a bad dream and that maybe I’ll wake up to find everything back to normal.”
“I suppose that’s only natural.”
“It is incredibly foolish of me to want that life back,” Veketon said. “I’ve been so blind for so long that it’s strange doing anything else. But I swore the oath again, and I will not break it this time.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
The door opened, and Quennin limped into the command center, her cane clicking on the ground. Happiness, sadness, anger, and jealousy all threatened to come forward, but Seth shoved them down with practiced ease and kept his face passive.
“Quennin, are you all right?” Veketon asked. “Are you sure you should be moving around this much?”
“No, I’m fine,” she said. “Walking around helps. My muscles feel a little better, and my eyes are starting to focus again.”
“Well, that’s good to hear.”
“Am I interrupting anything?” she asked.
“What? Oh, no, I believe we were almost finished. Keeper Elexen?”
“We’re done for now,” Seth said.
“Okay,” Quennin said. “Hey, Vek? Could I have a word with Seth? Alone, if that’s all right with you.”
“I suppose,” Veketon said. He looked over at Seth, then back to Quennin. No one’s faces revealed what any of them were thinking.
“It won’t take long,” Quennin said. “I’ll see you afterwards, okay?”
“Yes, of course,” Veketon said, walking over to the door. “I understand. I’ll see you later.”
“Right.”<
br />
Veketon left. The doors sealed behind him.
Quennin smiled sadly. “Hey, Seth.”
“Hey.” Despite all his restraint, he found himself smiling warmly.
“Well, that certainly wins as the best response I’ve gotten all day.”
“Oh?”
“You sure you don’t want to threaten to kill me? Not even a little veiled threat?”
Seth closed his eyes and shook his head. “Of course not. I couldn’t do that.”
“I suppose I should expect more of the same given what I’ve done,” Quennin said. “Jack was… well, I don’t think any of them are reacting well to my presence.”
“I could talk to the other pilots if you think that’ll help.”
“No, I’ll prove myself to them through actions, not words. They can decide for themselves how to treat me afterwards.”
“Of course,” Seth said, smiling. “I would expect nothing less from you. You’re still the woman I remember.”
Quennin grinned sheepishly and looked away.
Seth desired nothing more than for everything to be the way it was, for him and Quennin to be bound to each other once more. He wanted to walk up to her, take her into his arms, and pull her close. He longed to run his fingers through her silken hair and to feel the warm press of her lips against his. He wanted to lie beside her and enjoy the warmth of her firm body.
He desired all of these things and more, but he knew he could have none of them.
“You know, I came here wanting to talk to you,” she said. “But now that I’m here, I’m at a complete loss for words.”
“You don’t have to say anything. Just coming here is enough.”
“Seth, you haven’t even asked for my word that I won’t try something… bad.”
“Please, Quennin, I know you too well for that. I always believed you would come around. Honestly, I thought I’d have to kill Veketon to do it, but I never doubted you could be saved.”
Quennin couldn’t meet his gaze: the strong female warrior, suddenly shy and vulnerable.
“And here you are.” Seth gestured to her with a hand.
“Yeah,” Quennin said. “Here we are, all fighting on the same side again. Almost like old times. Wouldn’t it be great to have everything back the way it was?”
