The Gallant (Star Legend Book 3)

by J. J. Green

Lorcan felt soft skin and a firm grasp as he shook hands with her. “Apology accepted.”

  Now Hale was out of the way and everyone had returned to doing their jobs, he was calming down.

  “Anders Kristiansen,” said Anders, also shaking Lorcan’s hand.

  “I’m pleased to make both your acquaintances,” Lorcan said. “Dr Lebedev, I’ve read some of your papers on human immunology, and Dr Kristiansen, I admire your work in genetics tremendously. I’m honored you agreed to come here, and I’m grateful you’ve agreed to spend your precious time working on my Project. I only wish our introduction could have been under more favorable circumstances.”

  “Let’s pretend it never happened,” said Camilla amiably.

  Lorcan was finding it hard to take his eyes off of her. He’d seen vids of Camilla Lebedev at various talks and on media panels, but meeting her in the flesh, she looked different.

  Suddenly, he realized what it was about her appearance that was striking him so forcibly.

  She reminded him of Grace.

  “Iolani has helped set up laboratories for you,” he said, dragging himself back to the present. “Would you like to see them?”

  “I would,” said Camilla. “How about you, Anders?”

  “To be honest, I was already tired after the shuttle flight and socializing at short notice has squeezed out the last of my energy. If it’s okay with you, Lorcan, I’d like to take a couple of hours to rest and recuperate.”

  “Of course,” Lorcan replied. “Take the rest of the day off and tomorrow too if you need it. I grant you it might not seem like it after what’s happened, but I’m no slave driver.”

  “I never thought you were. See you tomorrow, Camilla.”

  Lorcan led his new employee through the Bres’s passageways, taking his time, enjoying the pleasant sense of familiarity about her.

  “Have you lived aboard a starship before?” he asked. “I know it isn’t safe to spend much time in space anymore, but scientific research vessels used to be quite common.”

  “Sadly, no. I was offered the opportunity, but I always had something else to do that was either more urgent or more interesting. This will be a first for me.”

  “Then I’m doubly grateful you agreed to come.”

  “Iolani is an old, good friend who never asks for favors. It would have felt churlish to turn her down, but I’m also intrigued by what you’re attempting here. And, I have to confess, funding is getting harder to come by every year. The prospect of not having to beg for every penny was appealing. How about you? How do you cope with living out here?”

  “I enjoy it. The Bres has everything I need, including green spaces now that several habitats are up and running. Plus, I have to admit I’m a workaholic. If I spend too much time away from the Project, I begin to twitch.” He did a bad impression of a nervous tic.

  Camilla laughed. “I’m sure you don’t, though I empathize with being a workaholic.” She went on, “But, don’t you feel out of touch with what’s happening on Earth?”

  “I’ve had my fill of Earth affairs. So much so, I’m spending trillions just to get away from them.”

  “Hmm, I feel like that sometimes myself. I take it you haven’t heard the latest, then?”

  Lorcan doubted any news he’d missed would interest him. Nevertheless, he replied, “I don’t think so.”

  “The Britannic Alliance is said to have recovered an ancient artifact that will help them in their war with the EAC.”

  “An ancient artifact? That sounds like something more up the Dwyr’s street.”

  “I know, right? I thought I must have misunderstood when I first heard about it, but it belongs to the Alliance.”

  “What is this thing exactly?”

  “No one knows. Whatever it is, Dwyr Orr is so scared of it, she’s fled to space.”

  Admiral Bujold had reported the woman was aboard the Belladonna, though he hadn’t given the fact much thought. As long as the Crusaders stayed away from his precious ships, he didn’t care what the madwoman did.

  Iolani Hale marched up to them.

  “I thought you might be on your way to the labs. I’ve ‘locked my dogs up’, as you put it, but I’m warning you, things are going to change around here, whether you like it or not.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Wright eyed the gigantic sword Arthur was insisting on bringing along on their trip to find Taylan Ellis. Only he and Arthur were in the cabin. Merlin was nowhere to be seen.

  “Do you want a closer look?” Arthur asked.

  The sword was enclosed in a plain scabbard printed on the Gallant, which was attached to a belt around the king’s waist. The weapon stood out painfully, and Wright wondered how on Earth they were going to remain inconspicuous with Arthur carrying it wherever they went.

  “Sure,” he replied.

  Arthur drew it out and gently grasped the blade so he could hand it to Wright hilt first. “Take care. It’s very sharp.”

  He took it. He’d trained with knives for hand-to-hand combat, but he was out of practice, and in truth he wasn’t comfortable with anything bigger than a steak knife. Most of his engagements involved killing at a distance.

  The sword was surprisingly light for its size. As Arthur had warned, the edges were very fine and sharp. The solid section of blade ended about thirty centimeters from the tip. From there, a groove ran down the center on both sides to the hilt—to channel away blood, Wright guessed, a little nauseated.

  The hilt was a wonder of craftsmanship, reminding him of the torc Arthur wore around his neck. Two slim dragons writhed from the guard to the grip, their legs forming the guard and their bodies entwining to create the grip. The pommel was a lion’s head, fangs bared.

  He examined the metal. It looked like regular steel. He didn’t know much about the history of sword making, but he guessed that in Arthur’s time the craft hadn’t developed to creating ironwork of this caliber.

  “Are you sure this is the same sword you used in your former life?” he asked. He wondered if Merlin had returned to the little church in the intervening centuries and replaced it with a more advanced model.

  Arthur smiled politely as if the question was dumb. “I am sure.”

  “Where did you get it?”

  This question conjured a bigger smile. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, but, in short, a lady gave it to me.”

  “She must have been a helluva blacksmith.”

  “She was neither a blacksmith nor a swordsmith. Women didn’t do that kind of work in my time.”

  Wright guessed Ellis probably knew the story of how Arthur got his sword. She was a fountain of knowledge on the subject of Arthur and his table of knights, or whatever it was.

  He gave the sword back. “It’s not what I’m used to, but I have to admit it’s a beautiful weapon.”

  “It’s strange,” Arthur mused as he took it. “I didn’t know Merlin had sealed Caledfwlch away along with my armor. I gave it to one of my knights to return to the lady who had given it to me. But I’m glad he took it. I don’t feel complete without it.” He slid the blade into its sheath.

  Wright wasn’t surprised Arthur had given his sword a name, though he didn’t quite catch what he’d called it. He also wasn’t surprised he was so attached to it. When your weapon was the only thing standing between life and death, you tended to start seeing it as a personal friend. A lot of Marines got attached to their pulse rifles.

  “I understand how much it means to you,” he said, “but once we’re planetside carrying that around is going to make life difficult for us.”

  “T.J., you made strong demands before you would agree to go to find Taylan. Bringing Caledfwlch with me is my demand.”

  “All right. I get it.”

  Merlin arrived, looking surprisingly chipper. Wright had expected him to make a bigger objection to being left behind, but he didn’t seem to care.

  “Are you leaving soon?” he asked.

  “The dropship pilot is waiting
for us right now,” replied Wright.

  “Then let me wish you a safe journey and a successful mission. I have a feeling you will find Taylan Ellis without too much difficulty.”

  “Is that so? Have you been reading the signs?”

  “For someone who has no idea what they’re talking about you’re very scornful.”

  “I’d have a better idea if a certain person didn’t play their cards so close to their chest.”

  “Knowledge is a precious thing,” said Merlin. “You’re right to desire it. Unfortunately, some things are beyond human beings’ understanding. You’ll have to...how should I put it?...trust me on this.”

  Arthur interjected, “I have everything I need, Major. We shouldn’t keep the pilot waiting.”

  Ever the diplomat, the king was trying to head off the impending argument, but Wright wasn’t about to have it out with Merlin anyway. Attempting to get information out of the creature was a pointless exercise.

  Yet he couldn’t help saying as he and Arthur left, “Trust is earned, Merlin, and you haven’t done anything to earn mine yet.”

  THEIR ROUTE TO WEST BI was to be the same as the one they’d taken when they’d attempted to assassinate the Dwyr. The dropship pilot would take them to Ireland, and then they would cross the Irish Sea by boat. They would make their way inland on foot, beginning their search for Ellis at the hideout in the Preseli Hills.

  As he undertook the first part of their journey with Arthur, the only passengers aboard the small vessel, he hoped it wouldn’t take them long to find her. They couldn’t survive in hostile territory indefinitely. The longer they were there, the greater were their chances of being discovered by Crusaders, especially with Arthur carrying a massive sword.

  But Ellis had said the king was impervious to pulse rounds. After witnessing his transformation from mummy to living, breathing human being, anything was possible. Ellis had also told him Arthur had turned into a killing machine at the invasion launch ceremony. That sounded far-fetched, but then so had her explanation of who Arthur was, and that had turned out to be true. He didn’t know what to make of it all. Maybe if they were captured, the Dwyr couldn’t hurt Arthur. The same couldn’t be said for himself.

  Now that Arthur was away from Merlin for the first time since the alien had coalesced from a cloud on the hull of the Fearless, Wright was eager to take the opportunity to probe him for information. His first question had been plaguing him ever since the meeting where he’d been assigned the mission.

  “Arthur, do you know why Merlin wants Taylan so badly for this attack on the Dwyr?”

  “When I was king, I had many knights to defend my kingdom, dispense justice, and maintain order. One of these was a very special man. A perfect knight in all ways except one.”

  An expression of pain and sorrow twisted the man’s features. Wright wondered what the perfect knight’s flaw had been. Whatever it was, it had left a deep wound.

  After a pause, he went on, “No man could stand against him in battle, and in all knightly tests he was unbeaten. I don’t know what happened to him after my final battle, but I doubt he was killed. What I do know is, at some point in his life, he must have fathered a child.”

  “Because you think Taylan is his descendant.” As soon as Arthur had mentioned the knight’s prowess Wright had put two and two together. “That’s what Merlin told you? But how would that work over thousands of years, hundreds of generations?”

  Arthur looked mildly annoyed.

  “Sorry, but it’s hard to believe your knight’s abilities could be passed on so purely down the centuries.”

  “It isn’t as simple as you think,” said Arthur. “Anything involving Morgan le Fay or Merlin is extraordinary. My fate is tied up with the two of them, and my guess is, so is Taylan’s.”

  “Are you saying Merlin had an influence on her abilities?”

  “He may have, not directly, but through her ancestor. Our friend’s fighting skills are not just unusually good, they’re uncanny. It wouldn’t surprise me if Merlin had something to do with them.”

  “He didn’t tell you?”

  “Merlin only reveals his secrets when it’s useful to him.”

  “You can say that again! But I thought you and he were close.”

  “We are. But he is still his own man.”

  He isn’t a man at all. But how to explain that to someone who only just found out the Earth orbits the Sun?

  “Does Taylan know about her ancestry?”

  “If she does, it isn’t through me. I didn’t know about it until Merlin identified her when we sparred with staves. After that, I didn’t have an opportunity to explain it to her.”

  “Arthur, can you tell me something? Why do you put so much faith in Merlin? Do you think he has your best interests at heart?”

  “I understand why you’re suspicious. Many people of my time were suspicious of Merlin too. Some believed he was the Devil’s progeny. But before I became king my country was a terrible, lawless place. Barbarous tribes raided the coastal areas or stole land and livestock and tried to settle. During my kingship, with Merlin’s help, I put an end to all that. It became safe for ordinary people to travel through the forests, for families to farm their land without fear of enemies burning their crops, raping the women, and stealing children. By the time my challenger rose up against me, my kingdom was a peaceful, prosperous place. I could not have managed it without Merlin. I know he’s easy to dislike, but I believe he has my and your interests at heart in all he does.”

  Wright didn’t agree. From what he’d seen, the alien’s motives were obscure, though now he could see better why Arthur stuck with him.

  “Why do you think he kept you alive all these years?” he asked. “Why not find another Arthur to make king?”

  “I’m not certain. Maybe he needs me in particular, or maybe it pleases him. He’s hard to understand.”

  “Major Wright,” said Colbourn via comm.

  After asking Arthur to excuse him for a moment, he replied, “Yes, Brigadier?”

  “I thought I should let you know, we’ve lost Merlin.”

  “Lost him?”

  “Not long after you left, I tried to find him to discuss...you know. He couldn’t be found. Lieutenant-General Carol ordered a shipwide search. He isn’t anywhere on the Gallant.”

  “Could he have stowed away on a shuttle?”

  “Yours is the only ship to depart since the last time he was seen, and as we both know, he doesn’t need a ship to survive space.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “It’ll take at least a week to get there,” said Meilyr. “We should allow at least ten days in case of hold ups. Preferably two weeks.” He sat at a table with his brothers. The four men huddled in as they discussed the next act of resistance against the Crusaders.

  “Four weeks, there and back. It’s a long time to spend in the wild,” his brother, Madog, cautioned. “Every day we’re out there increases our chances of being picked up.”

  “Are we any safer here?” asked Marc. “They’re bound to find this place sooner or later.”

  Medwyn, the fourth brother, said, “I’ve been saying the same thing for months. We should move around regularly, not stay in one hideout all the time.”

  “If you know of anywhere else we could go,” said Madog, “I’d love to hear it.”

  “If we could stick to discussing the plan...” Meilyr said, glaring from face to face.

  Medwyn lifted his hands appeasingly. “I’m only saying...”

  “Meilyr’s right,” said Madog. “We can decide whether to move to another hideout when we get back...in about three weeks to a month?” He addressed the last comment to Meilyr.

  “Midsummer is in two weeks,” Meilyr replied. “The festivities are going to peak then. I’d feel happier if we set out tomorrow to be sure we don’t miss it.”

  Taylan had been hearing snippets about the brothers’ planned trip to Ynys Mon for several days, but she hadn’t been included in
the discussions. “I want to come too,” she interjected, walking over to the group of men.

  Meilyr looked up. “No, you aren’t healed properly yet.”

  “I’m a lot better, and the exercise will do me good.”

  “We’re talking thirty kilometers a day over hilly ground,” said Madog. “That’s not a little light physiotherapy.”

  “I can manage,” Taylan protested. “I’m from around here, remember? You think I’m not used to hills?”

  “No one’s saying you don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Marc.

  “I am,” said Medwyn, addressing the others. “We can’t afford to take along anyone who isn’t in good shape. What if she can’t keep up or get under cover quickly if we see a patrol?”

  “Hey!” Taylan exclaimed. “I’m right here. If you have an objection, say it to my face.”

  But he only scowled and refused to look at her.

  “Medwyn has a point,” Meilyr said. “This is going to be a tough mission. You might feel okay now, but what about after three or four days on the road? I know you want to help, but you could be a liability.”

  “If I start to slow you down, I’ll turn back.”

  “And what if you’re seen and put the EAC on our trail?” Medwyn asked.

  “Now you’re being ridiculous. Are you going to insist every member of the Resistance doesn’t leave the hideout all the time you’re gone?”

  “No, but—”

  “I trained and operated as a Royal Marine,” said Taylan. “I have to admit sometimes I wasn’t the best Marine in the world, but I still know more about military assaults than the four of you put together. You’d be idiots to not take me along.”

  “We’d be idiots if we took a cripple with us,” Medwyn said, just loud enough to be heard.

  Meilyr said, “Brother, your mouth has got you into trouble more than once. Keep running it and you’ll be the one left behind.”

  Taylan felt bad for coming between the siblings. It was true, she wasn’t a hundred percent fit yet, but her wound was nearly healed and only hurt at night or when she wasn’t distracted. She was confident that in a week or so she’d be back to normal. However, by then the brothers would be halfway to Ynys Mon and the Crusaders’ midsummer festival they intended to target.