by James Somers
THE Baruk flagship began to crumple inward upon itself as the containment field fully collapsed around the store of massive gravity weapons within its core. Ranul and Estall watched with their bridge crew as the whole superstructure caved inward.
The numerous escape pods trying to jettison into open space were quickly succumbing to the gravitational pull and being cast back upon their mother ship to join the imploding mass.
The other Baruk ships, many of which were already drifting or damaged were now pull toward the implosion. Then, without warning it burst outward again, destroying or damaging nearly all of those ships being pulled to it.
The bridge crew of the Esyia howled their approval as the whole conflagration went up before their eyes. Only three ships of the Castillian army remained and they were nearly out of shield power, but the fight appeared to be over; they had won against the odds.
"GET the medics in here!" shouted Grod to those monitoring from the control room.
Tiet laid his brother on the floor as gently as he could. Kale's expression was fixed on his face. His face was a mask of blood as he tried to speak to Tiet.
"Forgive?" he asked through the pain.
Tears welled up in Tiet's eyes as he watched the brother he had only recently known, dying before him. He could not hold them back as they fell upon the damaged body.
"Forgive?" Kale strained again.
"Kale, I forgive you all, my brother," he said through the lump in his throat.
And with that, Kale's expression turned from anguish to peace. He stopped his struggle and laid his head back to the floor and was dead.
The Horva medics rushed into the chamber, but Grod bade them to hold with a wave of his hand. The Barudii warrior was dead and they could not have saved him.
Tiet moved away from his body as the Horva prepared to remove him.
"I am sorry for your loss," Grod said genuinely.
He only looked at the General. He had no words now.
"My men will show you where you can rest awhile. I will contact your people in Baeth Periege and we will arrange transport for you back to the city."
Tiet nodded as he choked back his emotions. He followed one of the warriors out of the room as the medics loaded Kale's body onto a carrier.
"What do you want to do with this tissue that came through the portal?" asked the transgate tech.
"Have it taken to the incinerator, that way it will be completely destroyed," said Grod as he followed the medics out of the room.
The transgate technician left his controls after shutting down the control board and went to find a suitable container to remove the tissue. He found an old metal box and scooped the symbyte flesh into it. With the lid shut he headed for the incinerator to dispose of the specimen.
THE trip back to Baeth Periege was lengthy but uneventful. Tiet did not speak to anyone and no one attempted conversation with him. General Grod sat behind him on the shuttle flight, along with a contingent of his warriors; a proper escort for the Barudii King.
When they arrived within the city, Wynn was there to meet him at the port, along with seemingly thousands of people, both warrior and civilian, from among the Castillian and Vorn races. Tiet followed the casement carrying Kale's body as the Horva warriors carried it from the shuttle toward the main port building.
The crowd clapped and cheered for their young king as he passed through them on the walkway. He tried to be as cheerful as possible; waving several times to the people who had come to see him home, but the pain of losing his brother after so short a time of knowing him ate at him.
He was reminded of his other loved ones who had died around him in so short a time. He never doubted the purposes of God in all things, but it seemed so senseless to him.
When he entered the main port building, Mirah was there to meet him.
"I thought we had lost you," said Mirah.
Wynn was relieved to see him safe. Tiet would grieve for Kale, but he would certainly bounce back, in time.
They remained in the south gate only minutes longer before going on to the medical complex where he could get treatment for any lingering effects of the neurotoxin he had been subjected to, and receive dressings for his wounds.
When they arrived he followed Mirah on into the treatment bay. He seemed to be bruised all over. Mirah noticed fresh blood trickling down his arm, the same that had been previously broken and repaired. She cut away the sleeve of his uniform to examine it.
Mirah wasn't exactly sure what to say as she tried to concentrate on her medical duties. She liked Tiet, but they had never been anything more than friends. She had wondered if they might ever be more. He had lost some of the brashness he possessed when he had rescued her from the Vorn prison back on Castai's twin across the Rift. Now he was quiet and kind and very respectful of her as a professional.
Mirah remembered that he had promised her they would sit down and talk soon. As she dressed his wounds, she decided she was going to hold him to that.
RESNIOR watched the alarm on the transgate with frustration.
"Where did Merin go? He's been gone for hours and he's the only one trained on the shutdown procedures for the transgate until Orikel comes on tonight."
"I think the General had him running some errand to the incinerator," said one of the other techs in the control room. "But that was hours ago."
"Well someone needs to take care of shutting that thing down and I'm not messing around with it. I'm going to see if I can find him."
Resnior got up from his station, headed out of the control room and found the lift to take him down to the incinerator.
When he came down the main corridor he could see the main debris port was open. There was a metal container on the floor next to the port, but no Merin. He walked over to the container, which was open and laying on its side. On the ground was some sort of liquid residue. Resnior bent down to examine it. He noticed that there was also blood mingled with it.
When he stood and turned to return to the lift, Merin was standing there almost on top of him. Resnoir only had a moment before Merin caught his head with his hands and quickly turned it hard to snap his neck. The body fell to the ground dead.
Merin tapped the switch to open it with his elbow and pushed the body inside. He picked up the metal container from the floor that he had carried the symbyte tissue down in and threw the empty casing inside with Resnior's body.
After shutting the chamber door again he switched the incinerator on and turned to leave. He reached down on his abdomen and began to close the uniform shirt he wore. Underneath it, fluid from the symbyte tissue began to bleed through the cloth. He covered it up with his vestment and walked to the lift, letting the doors close behind him.
A Horva wasn't a hospitable body for Lucin to inhabit. Another would have to be found before the man's natural defenses could respond. Fortunately this planet had many to offer.
XV
DATE: The Year 9042 (Planet Castai-Rex)
THERE was a steady wind blowing across the plains that night that caused Wynn to stoke up the fire that burned inside the custom pit within his living room. The whole space was very open and he liked it that way. The whole back wall was capable of opening up onto the courtyard beyond where he liked to train and teach his personal students.
Many of the soldiers in the Castillian army had decided to extend their training into the Barudii warrior arts, well beyond the normal military regimen. The war had been over for fifteen years now and the military had been on stand down since two years after the last of the Baruk were disposed of. The soldiers reported for regular training but were otherwise free to conduct their own personal lives.
An increasing number of the soldiers had become interested in knowing more about the concepts and tactics used by the Barudii of long ago and had began to come to Wynn for the training. He had been reluctant at first, but as his duties lightened with the end of the war and more people turned to him for additional training, he had decided to begin his o
wn formal program. It brought him a nice income and provided him another means of keeping his own skills up while contributing to the overall well-being of the people.
Wynn sat at his desk near the screened wall leading to the courtyard, which was bathed in moonlight. He liked the feel of nature and tried to keep his home as free from overt technology as was convenient. He wrote upon paper to complete the idea as he formed his lessons to give to his students. Only one of them possessed Barudii psychokinetic abilities, but still they were mastering the ancient fighting techniques that predated the kinesis.
The fire flickered with the wind as he continued his writings in preparation for tomorrow's class with his students. He began to sense something around the edges of his consciousness, and the feeling that something or someone was approaching. He stopped his writing but did not move otherwise. His eyes closed as he tried to fix his mind on what was nearby. Then he had it; a brutish form of the Horva was within the confines of his perimeter wall around the courtyard.
This dangerous form of Horva had managed somehow to survive in the wilds of the planet and only rarely did they venture into populated areas when their food shortages ran low. It appeared one was hunting for food on his property now and likely he was the intended meal.
Wynn stood looking out into the courtyard and with his mind he cut the lights around him, leaving only the firelight flickering behind him. His eyes quickly began to adapt to the moonlight beyond in the courtyard. He could not see anything moving yet with his eyes, but his mind was focusing in on a life form; definitely one of the feral Horva.
His blade leapt off of a wall mount across the room into his outstretched hand as he opened the courtyard access door mentally. Wynn moved quickly and silently into the courtyard toward the figure hiding in the foliage beyond. Suddenly he sensed the creature coming down fast on him from behind. He whirled with his blade, igniting it in mid-swing. He sliced the air behind him but there was no attacker. He searched quickly with his mind but could not sense anyone else at all now.
Wynn was completely perplexed. He had been quite sure of his senses and now he was out here cutting air in the dark like a fool. Suddenly he sensed something again, but it was a different form. He could clearly sense a bathosphore coming up behind him. He whirled again, expecting to find it there, but again there was nothing.
"What's going on here?" he muttered.
Then he heard something approaching, rolling across the ground. He looked to see a wooden ball twice the size of his fist rolling toward him. Simultaneously there were six others coming from directions all round him. He could sense that they were nothing more than wood and yet they were under some control. He realized what was going on just as the balls leapt off the ground to attack him.
He brought his blade to bear as he dodged several of the fast moving objects that began to swirl about him. As they came at him he struck them each in turn, disintegrating them until only one was left. As it came at him again, he seized it with his own mind, halting its advance.
"Alright, Kale, where are you?"
Then he sensed someone coming from behind to attack and he turned to find nothing again. Realizing another trick he turned back in time to meet the real attacker's ignited kemsticks. The dark clad figure was furiously flourishing double sticks at him. He tried to meet the strikes, but they were so fast the light blurred together like a wall of neon in the dark. How had his attacker masked his presence so well and made Wynn sense other creatures instead?
Wynn was beginning to lose ground in the fight and pushed out with his mind against the attacker. The figure sailed backward through the air, flipped over under control and landed on his feet again. Then he linked the ends of the kemsticks together, forming a staff with kemblades at either end.
The attacker sent the staff spinning at his head. He ducked below as it passed inches over his head and thrust the tip of his blade upward to slice both of the linked hilts. The weapon fell into pieces as the dispersion fields shut down and it spun off to the ground. Wynn looked back to find Kale was gone.
"So, trying to get a little surprise practice in, hmm?" he said to himself as he extinguished his blade with a sly smile and walked back into his house. He was amazed by the young man's ability to disguise his presence and trick Wynn's senses so effectively. I think the trials tomorrow will be very interesting indeed.
WHEN Mirah had prepared the morning meal she called for Tiet, then she walked to their son's room to call him. The door opened, and beyond, in the large room that contained a bed, some personal effects and room enough for personal training-sat her thirteen year old son, Kale, polishing up his personal set of kemsticks. He didn't look up as she came in.
"Good morning, Mother."
"Are you hungry Sweetheart?"
"In a minute. I have to finish prepping for the trials."
"Today's the day, are you excited?"
He looked back and smiled then. "Is Father eating a big breakfast? He's going to need it today!"
"I think your father has been ready for this day since the day you were born."
"He won't go easy on me, will he?"
"He loves you more than just about anyone. Knowing how much this means, he won't let up at all."
"Good."
Mirah turned and walked back to the dining room, leaving Kale to finish his preparations. This day was the biggest day in a young Barudii's life; the trials confirmed one as a man and a warrior, worthy to fight in real combat if necessary.
He had eagerly awaited the coming of this day, his thirteenth birthday, for several years now as he trained side by side with his father and Wynn Gareth. Though they were the only three Barudii known to be living, the tradition of training and trials to manhood continued.
He was looking forward to this. He was required by tradition to fight a group of elder warriors and since Wynn and his father were the only ones available they would be the ones to fight. According to archives on the trials, very few of the young warriors facing the test ever defeated the elders testing them. They only were expected to show their abilities as young men. But Kale had no such expectation; he planned to surprise his elders today.
COMMANDER Zurig looked at himself in the mirrored door of the lift as he ascended to his private meeting with the Vice Commander of Armed Services, Estall of the Aolene clan. He opened his mouth and examined the inner lining of his mouth and teeth which shifted tones quickly to pink flesh from a greenish hue that was not human. His eyes glared, then settled to the appearance of the man Zurig had once been when he was still completely human-that had not been so long ago.
The lift stopped at the appropriate floor of the auspicious Gladstone tower where the Vice Commander had his residence. Zurig was one of the few men able to gain such a meeting with Estall and that was very important. It was exactly the reason Lucin had chosen to use his form for the task. He had told Estall that the meeting was necessary because of dissension that was building within the Council of Twelve and the Vorn constituents under them concerning the rule of King Tiet.
And while there was truly a dissension building among the council, Lucin knew exactly what forces were at work to cause it and was glad for it. Now it was necessary to add another piece of the puzzle for gaining the power he wanted. Everything was going according to his plan.
He walked out of the lift and found the door to Estall's quarters, which just happened to take up the entire twentieth floor of the tower. Two guards were in place at the entrance, but they quickly stepped aside when they recognized Zurig. After all, he was their commanding officer. One of them entered the proper code and the foyer door slid open allowing him to enter. The door beyond was partially of glass and Estall himself answered it.
He motioned for Zurig to come inside as he greeted him in civilian attire.
"How are you doing, my friend?"
"Well, as you know, things are disturbing of late."
"Yes, I know."
"I fear things may turn worse than we've expected. The
Council has all been challenging the king's decisions regarding the rule of the Vorn. And the rift between the Castillian population and the Vorn population has been growing as well. The word on the street among the Vorn civilians is that they should have someone from among their own race ruling over them."
Estall listened, his expression grim.
"I don't know how long it will be before the council makes an outright move to disassociate themselves from Tiet's leadership and elect their own."
"It still doesn't seem hopeless to me," said Estall. "The Vorn warriors within the military are still loyal to the king. That has to have a positive influence on the whole situation."
"I'm not sure that will do it; you may be a bit detached from the men as the Vice Commander. My own observations have been more telling. Behind closed doors many of the Vorn warriors are changing their views about Tiet and that's probably due to their civilian loved ones and loyalty to the all Vorn council."
"I had no idea it had gotten so far even among my warriors. What can we do, Zurig?"
"Perhaps we can maintain some control over the situation if Tiet were persuaded to make some of the concessions the Council has been asking him for."
"He'll never give in to those demands!" said Estall. "Frankly, they're ridiculous."
"I understand what you're saying, but if he doesn't compromise with them, we could be looking at best at a break between our races again and at worst a civil war."
"Do you really think they would take it that far?"
"If they feel as strongly about the issues as they're presenting to the public, then who knows what they'll do."
"They've already created a rift between themselves and the Horva; all the Horva took their families and settled back near Nagon-Toth because of it. It's just racial hatred, pure and simple, and there was never a good reason for it. The Horva made peace with us and they would never attack us."
