Solbidyum Wars Saga 9: At What Price

by Dale Musser

  It was strange to see Lunnie snap to attention as we encountered senior officers on our way through the gate system to the base. I was impressed with her form and stature and it was hard to believe that my little girl had grown up into the trooper who stood beside me. It was difficult to keep from grinning ear to ear and beam with pride with every stop we made along the way. While it may not have been apparent to the troopers we encountered in transition, it was evident to Kala. More than once she looked at me and smiled with a knowing grin. After we’d passed through the last gate and arrived at Plosaxen we entered the transport that would drive us to the ceremony site inside the base grounds. Kala waited until we were underway and Lunnie was engrossed with the passing scenery before she whispered, “Tib, I think you're about to burst with pride over Lunnie. If you're impressed as much with Reide today, you just may pass out.”

  Her comment jerked me back to reality. Though I was proud of my children for their achievements, I also had trepidations. My son and daughter had now joined Kala and me in the formal ranks of the military, for good or for ill.

  The layout for the ceremony was straightforward. The several thousand people filled the bleacher-like seating that lined one side of the parade grounds. Kala, Lunnie and I took our prominent place among other military officers and Federation dignitaries who were there to celebrate graduating family members. Behind us and to the side of the dignitary seating area were other relatives and friends of the graduating cadets.

  A thunderous boom heralded the commencement of the ceremony, as Federation drummers began to play and move into formation at the end of the stadium field. At first, the drums triggered pang of sadness in my chest that made me swallow hard; I couldn’t help but be reminded of the massive funeral services where I had said goodbye to too many friends and soldiers. But then I realized the rhythm carried a more exuberant mood than the intense funerary drumming. This was a drum beat composed for marching and for conveying a sense of strength and power. The audience turned toward the drummers, who began to divide their formation in the middle, through which the cadets began to enter in well-defined ranks and proceed to the center of the grounds. More than one thousand cadets marched in rows of twenty, turning their head to salute as they paraded past the dignitaries and military personnel. I was quite taken with these first few moments of the ceremony and it wasn’t until I saw Lunnie and Kala rise from their chairs that I realized it was part of the protocol for all military personnel to stand at attention and salute back. As head of the military, I should have known this, but the truth was I didn’t. My indoctrination into the Federation military bypassed the usual steps where I would have learned this kind of decorum.

  I quickly rose to my feet and held a salute. I kept trying to locate Reide, but I must confess I didn’t see him in the assembly that passed before us. After all the cadets had filed by, they split off, still in rows of twenty, and lined up into multiple columns in front of the rostrum, where the commander and senior officers of the base stood in front of their seats. Once the cadets were in their final formation before the rostrum, one of the officers on the stage stepped forward and shouted out an order, after which the cadets stood at a parade rest position.

  “Where’s Reide?” I asked Kala out of the side of my mouth.

  “You didn’t see him?” asked Kala in disbelief.

  “No. I was looking, but I didn’t see him anywhere. Did you?

  “Yes. He was the second person in the very first row. How could you have missed him?”

  I didn’t say anything, as Base Commander Ircart stepped forward to speak. I was glad, as it gave me an excuse to not answer Kala. I squinted and tried to scan the vast assembly of cadets to see just where Reide was now, but I still couldn’t spot him. I sighed and decided to listen to what the commander was saying just as he introduced Admiral Windangar.

  The content of the admiral’s speech was relatively routine. He conveyed rather blandly the need for additional troopers, the valiant efforts of the military in fighting off the enemy, blah, blah, blah… the honorable sacrifice of the men and women, blah, blah, blah… preserve and protect, blah, blah, blah… the Federation. So I tuned out and began searching again across the thousands of cadets standing in front of me, wondering which one was Reide. From where I sat, all I could now see was the backside of a thousand heads, which didn’t tell me much. Finding him seemed hopeless. Finally, Windangar ended his speech and mild foot stomping followed, while he took his seat and Commander Ircart returned to the podium to introduce the next speaker.

  “When the candidates enroll as cadets and arrive at the base, one of their first assignments is to write an essay explaining their reasons for joining the Junior Auxiliary Corp. We see a broad range of responses from the new cadets, such as I always wanted to be a trooper; My dad made me do it; I’ll get to travel; and even I was given a choice: join the JAC or go into a juvenile detention program.”

  There was a chuckle from some of the audience at this last example; but I didn’t laugh, because I knew in some cases this was true.

  “With each graduation class, these essays are reviewed by the officers and instructors of the JAC and a single response is chosen that best exemplifies the reason the Junior Auxiliary Corp exists. As part of the graduation ceremony tradition, that essay is read before the assembly by the cadet who wrote it.

  “Sometimes the selection of an essay can be a difficult process; however, that was not the case this year. The decision was swift and unanimous. This year’s composition was exceptional in every way, not only because it embodies the purpose and values of the JAC program, but also because the young man who wrote the essay is outstanding in every sense of the word.

  “Cadet Renwalt! Attention! Report to the podium to read your essay!”

  A jolt of electricity shot through my body. I nearly leaped to my feet. I heard Kala gasp beside me as she grabbed my arm and squeezed it, and from the other side of Kala I heard Lunnie whisper, “I knew it would be him!”

  I saw Reide step forward from the ranks and march to the stage, where he saluted the commander and was handed an actual paper document. The commander said something to Reide we couldn’t hear and then stepped back and took his seat, leaving Reide alone at the podium.

  “Tib, did Reide know in advance his essay had been selected?” asked Kala.

  “I have no idea. I don’t think so. I really don’t know,” I answered.

  “Why I joined the Federation Junior Auxiliary Corp,” Reide began, as he glanced briefly at the mass of cadets and civilians before him. “All my life, with the exception of a brief period after I was born when my family was stranded on Desolation, I have lived an extraordinary life of luxury, privilege and wealth beyond what most people could ever comprehend. Everything imaginable that anyone could desire has been available to me. Servants have catered to my needs. I have enjoyed the finest foods, grown up on the most fantastic estate and had the most elegant space yacht imaginable at my family’s disposal to fly throughout the galaxy. I have met celebrities, government leaders and their families, and dignitaries from worlds located in every sector of the Federation… and I took it all for granted.

  “More than all of this, I have, without a doubt, the two greatest parents in the universe and I happen to know the Federation agrees, because they are your First Citizens. So, in light of this deeply enriched life and incredible privilege, why should I want to join the Junior Auxiliary Corp?

  “To be honest, I never gave it a thought until recently. My father, who you know as First Citizen Admiral Tibby, has been in the military ever since I can remember. In spite of the demands placed upon him during his history with the Federation’s military forces, he has been the greatest dad a boy could ask for. However, I would have really been delighted if he’d had more time, not just for me, but for my entire family. You see, my dad is away from us much of the time, dealing with matters relating especially to the war with the Brotherhood. When he is at home, it’s usually for a quick meal and,
if we’re lucky, some conversation, and then a brief sleep. After that he’s gone again, answering to the call of duty. So, to be honest, I was not always enamored with the military, nor did I have a positive impression of military life.

  All that changed after the liberation of Alamar-4.

  “My dad was asked to guide a group of reporters and senators to Alamar-4 to see firsthand the devastation encountered by Federation troops after the planet’s liberation from Brotherhood occupation. All I had ever seen of war were news reports on the vid screens, so I thought it would be interesting to see for myself what the fallout of war looked like. I asked my dad for permission to go along with him, but I honestly didn’t think he or my mother would agree to it. I was surprised when they both agreed and even suggested that my sister accompany us.

  “What I witnessed on Alamar-4 was nothing that I could have predicted. I don’t think any rational human being could anticipate the scenes and smells that told the story of the inhumanity inflicted there,” he said as his voiced became strained.

  He paused a few seconds, staring at the paper in his hands before continuing. “It wasn’t the damaged buildings or ruined cities and farms; it wasn’t the lack of fresh water and utilities that affected me. It was the people. Somehow, seeing victims of war on the vid screen and actually seeing them in person are two different experiences. On Alamar-4 I stood strong… and healthy… and safe… before real people who had been subsisting in unspeakable conditions and who had suffered brutalities that I cannot, even now, imagine enduring. I walked with my father and sister and with representatives from our Federation’s legislative body through the ruins of once beautiful cities and towns that had been transformed into places of violence and torture of innocent women and men and their children. Until I stepped foot on Alimar-4, I couldn’t even begin to conceive the depth of cruelty and ruthlessness inflicted by the Brotherhood upon its victims. I saw malnourished and diseased people that were little more than skeletons, clinging to life with the barest of flesh hanging from their frames. I saw piles of dead bodies – men, women and children – who had been forced to toil as slaves for the benefit of the Brotherhood until they could toil no more. These people, who had thrived and raised their families on a beautiful planet, had been all but completely exterminated at the hand of an enemy so vile, so vicious, and so evil that its very existence is almost unfathomable.”

  Reide’s voice wavered and I heard him choke for a moment. He paused briefly, adjusted his posture, and took a deep breath before continuing. “I could write all day about the things I saw on Alimar-4, but I could never convey the horrors and level of depravity that I witnessed – that all of us witnessed – on that day.

  “After returning home with my father and sister, the memories and feelings that overwhelmed me during the visit continued to intensify. Every luxury around me mocked the victims that I still saw vividly in my mind’s eye. I couldn’t justify my home, my luxuries, my food or even my existence in light of what I saw there. I suddenly came to realize what it was that my father and mother stood for; why my father fought so hard to defeat the enemy; why he sacrificed time with his family to protect not only us, but everyone on every world in the Federation and even those who lived on non-aligned worlds.

  “My father and mother possess the greatest wealth and fame the universe can provide. They could have chosen more than twenty years ago to raise their family in peace and luxury, far from any enemy threat. Instead they chose, and continue to choose, to give more and fight harder for others than anyone I know. They’ve both been wounded in action fighting for the Federation. My father has died at least once and been revived. My Aunt Luinella died fighting for the Federation; and Jenira, who is like an aunt to my sister and me and who was once a slave to the Brotherhood, has also been wounded since dedicating her life to defending the innocent from the Brotherhood.

  I could name more examples than just my family. All around me are heroes who have fought to preserve life and liberty. Some were enslaved by the Brotherhood; others lost friends, family and comrades; and the greatest heroes of all are those who paid for our security and freedoms with their very lives.

  In the meantime, all I have done is enjoy the fruits of their sacrifices. But I can no longer live that life. After having witnessed the things I did on Alamar-4, I can no longer justify enjoying any of the things that have defined my life, especially the freedoms and privileges provided to me, without doing something to help fight the evil that denies others even the simplest of daily needs and the most fundamental right to dignity.

  “I understand now what our heroes fight for and I too must join that fight; for if I fail to do so, I fail as a human being and I do not deserve to live, let alone enjoy the benefits that our guardians have sacrificed to preserve.

  “Serving in the Galactic Federation Military Service is not about glory, honor or recognition. It’s about upholding and defending the greatest of all things – life, dignity and freedom. I cannot and shall not stand idle in the face of a threat to these most essential manifestations of virtue and morality; and I refuse to reconcile myself to a future where I do nothing less than fight as hard as my predecessors and heroes to vanquish the enemies of peace.

  “That is why I joined the Junior Auxiliary Corp.”

  Reide stepped back from the podium. An emotionally charged silence was suddenly replaced with a roar of foot-stomping and cheering that lasted several minutes. Even the cadets on the field and the officers on the podium were stomping and cheering with their hands raised in the air. I looked about and saw so many people with tears running down their cheeks that I though my chest would burst with pride. When I turned to Kala, she and Lunnie were also crying and hugging each other. As I gazed upon them and looked back to the stage where Reide still stood, I could feel in my heart that I truly was the luckiest man in the universe.

  When the roar of the crowd finally began to subside, Commander Ircart returned to the podium and began to speak. “I know what I am about to request is not the normal protocol, but these are not normal times. First Citizen Rear Admiral Tibby was asked earlier to speak at this graduation ceremony, but he refused, because he didn’t feel it would be right when his son was among today’s graduates. To be more direct, he didn't want people to feel that his son had been provided special privileges and I can tell you for a fact that his son was not. Cadet Reidecor worked harder than any cadet here and he graduates second among the cadets today. Not only did he apply himself to the best of his abilities at every task, he went out of his way to assist and inspire as many of his fellow cadets as he possibly could – a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by his commanding officers and instructors, in spite of his efforts to hide it.

  “As I said, my next request is outside the normal protocol, but the leadership of the Federation Junior Auxiliary Corp would be honored if Cadet Reidecor’s family would come forward to stand with him, while First Citizen Rear Admiral Tibby says a few words.”

  As the foot stomping and cheering once again filled the stadium, Kala said, “You may as well go. It will look bad now if you don’t.”

  I sighed as I started to stand. “Alright, let's get this over with.” Kala and I both began to walk out onto the parade grounds as Lunnie began sit back down. “Ohhh no, Lunnie. The commander requested that Reide’s family come to the podium, so you’re going too.”

  Lunnie reluctantly followed us as we began walking toward the rostrum. My trooper bodyguards remained behind, since we were on a military base where it was unlikely I would be attacked.

  We had just reached the first column of cadets when one of them shouted out, “Attention! Admiral on the field!”

  Immediately the cadets snapped to attention and saluted as I walked to the podium accompanied by Kala and Lunnie. Of course, this made me feel awkward, as always, but it was a protocol and I just had to tolerate it.

  After climbing the steps of the rostrum, I saluted the officers and then turned and saluted the cadets and ordered, “As you
were.”

  Commander Ircart began speaking again. “As you will note, all of Reidecor’s family serves in the military. Reidecor’s sister…” he leaned over to Reide and whispered, “What is her name?”

  “Luinella, sir,” Reide responded quietly.

  “…Luinella,” the Commander repeated, “Just completed her boot camp training and is now a trooper in the Federation military. So, as you can see, this family truly is giving its all in service to the Federation.

  “Now, Rear Admiral Tibby, if you don’t mind, I believe the people would like to hear a few words from you.”

  I never got the chance to say anything, for at that very moment the air was split by a loud boom. The dignitary section, where Kala, Lunnie and I had been seated a few moments earlier, and a large radius around our seats, had exploded, sending bodies and debris flying in all directions. At least three other explosions could be heard around the base grounds. Seconds later claxons began to sound. I started to shout out an order for everyone to take cover, when something hit me hard in the chest, immediately knocking me off my feet. I heard someone yelling out orders, but I couldn’t make out clearly what they were. I seemed to fall to the stage floor in slow motion. Even at that, it seemed I was looking up at the blue sky for only a split second before Lunnie had thrown herself across my body. I turned my head to the side long enough to see Reide and a group of cadets surround me to form a body shield.