by James Somers
The strider touched down on the platform and the squad of Alliance troops surrounded the vessel. Kale looked out at the soldiers with their pulse rifles focused on him. It's not too late to fight, he thought. No, this was the right thing to do; no more running.
Kale lowered the platform and descended. Daooth met him with two armed escorts flanking him on either side.
"Kale Soone, I presume?"
"Yes."
Kale recognized the insignia on the Vorn man's uniform distinguishing his rank.
"Commander, I offer my formal surrender to you," said Kale.
"Your weapons, Kale."
"Of course." He removed his coat slowly. He unbuckled the strap for his blade and scabbard, handing them to Daooth. "My other weapons are on board, Commander."
Daooth stepped aside to allow the soldiers with him to secure the prisoner. He had never seen Kale Soone before, but he could see the family resemblance very clearly. Tiet looked very much like him.
"Sergeant, secure the prisoner."
"Yes sir."
The two soldiers with Daooth secured Kale with a binding around his hands and a hood over his head. They didn't want him to recognize the layout of the holding facility if he tried to escape. The two soldiers now flanked Kale and then with each holding an arm, they led him to the holding facility. Daooth fell in behind them with the Barudii blade in his hand, and the other soldiers in the squad followed close behind them.
Kale couldn't resist thinking of how he might escape from these men; if he had really wanted to. As a Barudii warrior it was just natural for him to try and resolve such problems. He could sense all of them around him with his kinesis and he could tell the layout of the building even though they deprived him of his sight with the hood. It seemed kind of funny in a way; how easy it would be. Of course he wouldn't attempt it. That would only make everything worse than it already was.
They led him to a holding cell deep within the complex. The square chamber was approximately ten foot by ten foot. It was heavily armored on every side except the open front entrance. The soldiers placed him inside and walked back beyond the entrance.
A charged field was activated to seal him in. Someone he could not see tapped a keypad that caused the binding around his hands to release.
With his hands free he removed his own hood and surveyed his surroundings. There were ten guards still in the room outside his cell. They were heavily armed and watching him like a hawk. He had the feeling they understood the damage a Barudii warrior could do.
He was tired. He stretched out on the padded bed that was the only furniture in the chamber. Surely Tiet would be down to confront him soon. He thought it was very strange he had not met him on the tarmac. But he would be here. Now all he had to do was wait.
THE blasts came fast and furious from the towers along the length of the compound's perimeter shield. Tiet ran hard toward it, dodging along the way. By his kinesis he could sense the laser fire coming in at him as he ran across the open space before the shield wall.
He speedily approached within range of one of the towers, then ran right up to it and began to kinetically scale it as though he continued to run upon the ground. The guard in the tower tried to fire upon him from close range.
He pulled his blade, igniting it as he passed the large gun turret. The barrel and main chassis of the gun fell away as his weapon kissed it. He went on, never pausing, never killing any of his attackers. As he reached the top of the tower he leapt away from it, flipping end over end down to the ground below.
He hit the ground still running. More shots were coming at him from ground soldiers firing with their weapons. Warriors from all directions seemed to be closing in on him. He ducked and rolled fast across the ground to dodge more laser fire, then rolled out, back to his feet running. He hit the main gate and drove his blade deep into it, cutting a portal as laser fire raged upon the wall and ground around him.
He dove through, finding a great hall beyond. Many Horva were already in the great room. Tiet could hear hundreds of weapons cocking their firing bolts in readiness. He stopped dead in his tracks. He stood at the ready with his blade ignited and his E.M. shield charged. Mere seconds seemed like an eternity. Then a voice shouted over the silence.
"You will go no further, Barudii!"
"My business is with your General Grod," said Tiet. "Why is it that with so many brave warriors, he will not face me?"
"He will face you," replied the voice again as warriors parted before him. From among them Grod came forth. He was easy to distinguish as Tiet had guessed. The Horva leader was an imposing person; a good foot taller than himself and of a regal stature. He looked quite strong physically and there was an air of confidence he exuded.
"Why did you come here Barudii? Do you mean to assassinate me?"
"No. I've come to propose peace between our people. Surely you must know the Baruk are coming to destroy us all."
"I have no use for your peace. You are a fool to come here and your folly has caught up with you."
Grod drew a large broad sword.
"We've discovered something of your people's technology on our explorations through your cities," said Grod.
He slid a catch on the hilt and a dispersion field enveloped the blade. Grod smiled, then charged him. There was a quick exchange of sword strikes between the two. Tiet concentrated on Grod's broadsword; on the hilt.
The field on Grod's sword failed. Tiet's next strike divided it in half as planned. Then Grod did something unexpected, he moved in fast, grabbing Tiet's sword arm. He had expected the Horva to back away with his weapon destroyed, but the fearless old warrior had surprised him.
Grod held his right arm with one hand, preventing any further strike while delivering his own hard blow to Tiet's face. He was stunned and almost staggered, but Grod still had his sword arm. It was all very fast. Grod's next strike was to his forearm.
Tiet felt his right arm break at the Horva's powerful blow. His hand went limp and the blade fell to the ground. Grod did not even go for the weapon. The look in his eye was as though he meant to kill him with his bare hands.
He could hear the crowd of Horva warriors cheering Grod on as the sword fell to the ground. Grod left Tiet's arm and grabbed the young man's throat while pulling a dagger from his side. But his weapon stopped as though frozen by an unseen hand. Grod tried desperately to bring the death strike home, but could not move his arm at all. Tiet stared into his eyes, "Killing me will not be that easy, General."
Grod tried to bring the blade down, and then tried to crush the young man's throat; but he could not. He also realized that he could not move his body in any way; his will was not his own.
"Look down, General," said Tiet. "Your life is in my hands more than you realize."
Grod looked to find the Barudii holding a short rod between them with the business end across his own belly. He had seen the weapon before. The Barudii had used the same thing to kill the Teragore in the dome.
"Kill me then, if that's why you came here."
"I told you already, that is not why I came here Grod. I want peace between our people. I know and respect your struggle against the oppression of the Vorn military, but the civilian populace had nothing to do with that. I proposed this alliance to them and those people have sent me with the same hope.
"Our people need peace. We already have enough of a fight on our hands, the both of us, when the Baruk come; and they are already on their way. Join us, and let's fight them together and hopefully live to have peace on our planets."
Grod just looked at him, listening and studying the young man. His dagger was still frozen in mid strike above Tiet's chest; held by the Barudii's mental power. Finally after a long silence between them Grod spoke. "And if I refuse your peace?"
"Then I came prepared to kill you; I do not intend to fight a war on two fronts between you and the Baruk."
"Then kill me, I don't care about peace with you or the Vorn."
Tiet only had to ac
tivate the kemstick to kill him and Grod knew it as well, but he stood stone faced looking into his eyes, waiting for him to do it. Instead, Tiet pushed him away and released him from his mental grip. Grod looked surprised by the turn of events.
"I don't want to kill you," he said. "Believe it or not, I respect your skills and your mission to be independent of those who enslaved the Horva. I still think it's a shame I may have to face you on a battlefield some day instead of around a peaceful table breaking bread as friends, but that's your choice; I tried."
Tiet brought his broken arm to his torso, it throbbed terribly. He could hear the room full of warriors raising their weapons again, bringing them to bear on him. Grod raised his hand quickly to halt them.
"As you said, Barudii, we may see one another on the battlefield someday; but this is not your day to die. Now take your peace and go in it."
Tiet gave him one last look then backed away from the room full of warriors. The main gate opened up behind him allowing him to exit as Grod walked slowly after him, watching him leave. The Horva were falling in behind him with their weapons still at the ready just in case, but none were aggressive toward him.
Wynn watched from the support beams above the chamber where Tiet had fought with the General. He couldn't believe what was happening. Tiet had said he would kill him. Grod was within his grasp and he spared him.
Even with the broken arm he probably still could've made it out if he had wanted to. The young king was surprising him more with each passing event.
His gun was still trained on the General from his perch. Wynn waited for Tiet to make it back over the defense field and head back for his ship over the ridge before he left his hidden position and made his way back to his own fighter. The Horva never knew he was there; his Barudii cloak had seen to that. He hoped Tiet had not been aware of his presence either.
IT took Wynn several hours to make his way back to Baeth Periege in his ship. He had arrived nearly at the same time that Tiet's fighter was reported to have docked in a different part of the city, near the main medical facility.
He was going to have to see to his broken arm. The medics would put him through the standard osteoblast enhancement. What used to be done in weeks back home was now done in two hours with Vorn medical treatments. It would be enough time for Wynn to get to Kale before Tiet was able to. Hopefully he would be undergoing the treatment before anyone even told him about his brother being captured.
Wynn sprinted out of the lift of the holding facility. He wasn't sure why Kale would just surrender himself, but he needed to find out as much as he could before Tiet heard of his brother's arrival. From what he knew about Tiet's feelings concerning Kale, he would be fortunate to even get a quick death.
Wynn placed his hand on the DNA scanner and entered the room of Kale's holding cell. He was still there sitting quietly with two armed guards watching him carefully. The cell was such that any tampering with the mechanism, even mentally, would cause another separate system to fire a charge within the cell that would stun the prisoner and potentially even kill them. The energy field comprising the front wall was still functioning properly.
Kale stood to his feet as Wynn entered the room. He did not know the man, but he remembered him from the platform, running behind his brother after the battle with Orin. He perceived him as Barudii. He could sense his power before he had even entered the room.
Wynn stood before the energy field to face Kale. He could sense the power of the Barudii. He almost felt like he was in Tiet's presence, the intensity was so powerful.
"Kale Soone, my name is Wynn Gareth; I served under your father."
"I have heard your name, but I do not know you."
"I would like to know why you came back to this planet and why you surrendered to our forces."
Kale waited a moment before answering, studying Wynn's face and considering the question. "It doesn't really matter. The Baruk are on their way. I'm not one of them. I didn't have anywhere else to go."
"But you didn't have to come here. You realize that you are facing a death sentence by coming here. I just want to know why," said Wynn.
Kale's guard seemed to soften at that point. "I'm guilty of killing my own family Mr. Gareth. I betrayed them to the Vorn. My brother is the only one of them who escaped. If he wants to kill me then I'm sure I deserve it."
Wynn could see the emotion in Kale's eyes as he spoke. He meant what he was saying. "Perhaps if you told Tiet then he might…"
"He'll never forgive me. And I really don't blame him. Whatever I receive for my crimes against my people will never be enough," said Kale.
Wynn wasn't sure what to say. He could sense truth in the man and genuine remorse for his past crimes. He stood there still, watching the son of his former king, and he felt sorry for the man. Not because he might die as a traitor, but because he was genuinely repentant and had no way to repair the damage he had done.
Suddenly the door to the room was opening and in walked Tiet.
"So it's true!!" he shouted.
He pulled his blade from his scabbard as he crossed the small room toward the cell. This was exactly what Wynn was hoping would not happen. He noticed Tiet's arm still tucked to his side. He hadn't made it to get the repair yet. Tiet was already bringing his broken arm up painfully to place his hand on the DNA scanner.
It was a moment frozen in time. The energy field went down to the cell as Tiet raised his blade to strike his brother. Wynn knew it now; he was really going to kill him. He looked at Kale. He was just standing there with his eyes closed like it was going to be a relief to his own inner pain.
Tiet thrust his father's blade toward Kale, and then it was landing on the ground beside him. "What are you doing?!" shouted Tiet.
Wynn had caught his arm in mid-flight and disarmed him. It was a split second decision to save Kale's life; to save Tiet from the regret and torture of having killed his own brother. "Tiet, if you kill him you'll never forgive yourself," said Wynn as they struggled.
"He killed my father, my mother and Orin; our people were slaughtered because of him!" shouted Tiet.
"It's alright, Wynn," said Kale, "I deserve this, let him go."
"You shut your mouth, traitor!!" shouted Tiet as he attacked Kale with his mind.
Kale was pushed backward into the wall. He slumped to the floor in pain under the kinetic attack; he wasn't trying to shield himself at all from his younger brother's righteous fury.
"Tiet, he is still your brother, all that you have left of your family!" shouted Wynn.
Tiet shook free of Wynn's loosening grip on his arm. "Stay out of it, Wynn."
He looked back to Kale still groaning on the ground trying to breathe. Something snapped in his expression as he looked at his brother bent to his will on the ground in pain. He released him from the attack and backed away with a bewildered look on his face.
He turned away to walk out, looking very disturbed. Tiet extended his good hand behind him and caught his blade as it leapt from the ground, flying across the room after him. The door closed behind him.
Kale began to recover himself. Wynn did not help him up. Instead he stepped back outside the cell and scanned the lock to reactivate the cell's energy field.
"Watch him," he said to the guards, who were stunned by the event.
He looked back at the cell to see Kale climbing back to the small bed against the cell wall. There wasn't time to worry about the pain either of the brothers might feel; the Baruk were still on their way.
XII
RANUL rushed into the power lift heading for the bridge of the Vorn cruiser Esyia. The Baruk were headed into the sector where they were patrolling. The probes along the way were being destroyed systematically as they journeyed toward Castai-Rex. With at least fifty large warships, they were flaunting their power and moving quickly.
The level indicator clicked away as the lift carried him toward the bridge where he could analyze the latest data. There were only two Vorn battle cruisers assigned
to each sector from among the twenty-three that had been confiscated on Castai-Ori and left on Rex after the departure of the remaining Vorn military during the battle of Baeth Periege. The Onicule was traveling with them nearby.
All the Vorn battle cruisers were heavily armed and highly maneuverable, but with the greater number of Baruk vessels approaching, many serving aboard the cruisers were expecting to fight a losing battle. Still, morale among the crews remained strong. If they were going to lose, then they would take as many of the Baruk with them as possible.
Suddenly the whole ship reeled. Ranul was tossed into the ceiling of the lift then down to the floor hard. The lights flickered then faded as low intensity emergency lighting came on. It felt like an impact to the ship's hull, but he couldn't tell. The lift continued its climb, soon arriving at the bridge.
When the doors opened up, he could see the bridge crew locked into their chairs prepared for battle. On the display they were tracking several objects heading in their direction. Estall was barking out orders to the crew from the command chair.
"Estall, what's happening?!"
"The Baruk have launched some sort of projectiles from outside the sector; the shields are having difficulty with them. They're not strong enough to repel these things-they're some sort of grossly dense alloy."
"The shields would have to deconstruct and disperse the matter; very difficult with objects of the density you're talking about." Ranul jumped to a science station and began to look over the data. An alarm sounded on the bridge.
"Incoming!"
"It's another one of those projectiles," said Estall. "Ranul, what do you have!?"
"It's some kind of Tritarium variant, super density. Its normal molecular arrangement would put it at one thousand times the current size."
"Evasive!!" shouted Estall to the helmsman.
"It's tracking with us!" said one of the science officers.
"I'm having trouble with the helm, sir. It's like we're being pulled into it."
