by Lee Watts
"It does make sense," the Colonel offered. "Think about it, no distress signals were ever received. No wreckage found, nothing. It also explains how the Ramillie seem to have so many people and resources. They've been stockpiling them for years, freezing them in hyperspace and waiting for the time they would leave The Cloud."
"The entire fleet," Balin whispered. "Hundreds of thousands of ships."
He placed a hand over his mouth while rationing out the possibility of the shocking revelation.
"Even if it is true," the pilot blurted, "how could we get them out?"
"We have that hyperspace generator, and shielding from the Ramillie convoy LaRouche raided," Balin offered. "I bet we could tie it into the Dauntless' shields. We find the fleet and extend the shields around them. We might only be able to get out a few at a time, but I bet it would work."
"The Realm can be back to full strength in a matter of days," Veltri beamed. "We could go from a remnant to a revolution. With that many ships and soldiers, we'd have a real chance to push the Ramillie out of the Realm."
"Where are the ships?" Balin asked.
"That's the only thing," the pilot moaned. "She claims she doesn't know."
Elation turned to disillusionment as their hopes seemed to fade away.
"She knows not the location," came the voice of Caedmon who entered the room unnoticed, "but the Elder does."
"Caedmon," Balin nodded in respect as the man entered, "do you think it's true? Is the fleet preserved? Do you know where they are?"
"The Elder assures me the woman's words are true, but as for the location, I must needs accompany you and let the Elder direct our path."
"Colonel Veltri," Balin called out, "have crews install that hyperspace generator immediately. I want people on this around the clock."
"Aye, Sir," he replied with joy and hastily left to see to it.
"Caedmon, as soon as the ship is ready, we'll leave together. We'll bring them back, and then… then we take back our home."
***
From the cold floor, Hector Silvanus squinted through swollen eyes as the door opened, and the comparatively intense light poured into his darkened cell. Captured during a rescue operation, Hector, thought dead, was now tortured for information in the Hegemony prison on Beta Omari VII.
Lord Edric Canton winced at the smell of dried blood mixed with other foul odors assaulting him as he entered the bare metallic cube of his former classmate. Hand shielding his eyes as they adjusted to the light, Hector thought he was hallucinating as the newcomer ordered the guard to bring in two chairs and then leave them alone.
"Ed-… Edric?"
"Oh Hector," he muttered in pity.
"Is it you? What are you doing here?"
"What am I? What are you? Look at yourself."
Edric helped the battered man to one of the chairs then took the other one.
"Did they send you, Edric?"
"Nobody sent me, Hector. When I heard they had you… I had to come."
"You look good, Edric. I see you made a success of yourself. I always knew you would. You were the best district councilman I ever saw. How long's it been - thirty years?"
"Closer to forty, but look what's become of you, Hector. You could've been like me, more than me. You were the most effective and popular district governor on Enty. You taught me everything there was to know about running a campaign, how government should work, and making a better Realm. You had a great future in politics, but you threw it away to be a teacher. Now, look what's become of you."
"I didn't throw it away, Edric. I dedicated myself to something greater than my own ambitions, to something greater than the Realm."
"To the Elder and Elkanah? Yes, I know. And what do you have to show for it? Look how your God's rewarded you for throwing away your career, your home, everything."
"All I have lost for Him I count as gain. It says in the Holy Codex to Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward."
"I don't see how you can really believe the Codex as literal. Come on. They were written on more than forty different planets throughout hundreds, if not thousands of years."
"Yes, yet all the stories have the same message, and none contradict the others."
"I've read some of the Codex; it's all kinds of different stories."
"Stories yes, but the message behind all of them is the same. We are all imperfect, there is nothing we can do to atone for our errors, and only by admitting our imperfection and accepting Elkanah as our means to the only true God can we have assurance of being saved from The Vortex and live forever with Him in Paradise."
"See, that's part of the reason I have a hard time believing the Codex as entirely true. I can't see why a 'loving Elder' would send anyone to the Vortex for eternity."
"He does not send us; we send ourselves by having a debt of error we are unable to pay. In fact, the Codex says, the Elder is unwilling that any should perish, but all should have eternal life. Throughout the ages, He sent the Faithful Voices to tell us of His love, warn us of the Vortex, and show us how He has made a means of escape for us. He has given and preserved His Codex on many worlds for all people. Then He sent Elkanah, who lived the perfect life that we could not. The Elder's is not a story of condemnation, but of love, and mercy, and forgiveness. It is His love letter to humanity. All we have to do is accept it."
"I don't think it's for me. I've… done things, terrible things. I've made so many mistakes along the way. If I started being an Elderite that would make me a hypocrite, and everybody would know it, including me. The stuff you talk about is all well and good, and it might work for somebody like you, you deserve it. But not for somebody like me."
"Oh Edric, I don't deserve it. I make errors, and there's nothing I can do to erase them. I have no way to pay for my errors. I stand guilty before the holy Elder, full of mistakes, and deserving of the Vortex as much as the Dridmor it was made for, but the Elder's offered Elkanah to take away my errors, and I didn't deserve it, but He loved me and offered it anyway, and I took it Edric. I took that gift, and it was the best decision I ever made. Nobody deserves that kind of love. We don't get it by living right all the time, I can't do that. Nobody can. And once you accept His gift, guess what? You'll make errors again, but He is merciful. If it were up to us having to live good enough to get to Paradise, nobody would make it. That's why it's called a gift. You can't buy it; all you can do is accept it or reject it."
"But I've done... so much. I could never forgive myself."
"It's not about your forgiveness, Edric. It's about His. So, what will it be, Old Friend? Will you accept His gift of love today? Will you let Him forgive you, will you trust in Him take away your errors? Will you give your heart to Elkanah?"
Tears began to well in the Councilman's eyes as the burden of his errors weighed on his heart.
"I used to go to the temple when I was young. I'd hear the Voices talking about the Elder… Elkanah, and forgiveness… and error. Sometimes I thought the Voice was speaking right to me. Like somebody told him all the things I'd done wrong, but I didn't want to go forward. I was too proud. I wanted to do things my way because I knew best. Now… seems every decision I've made is wrong. I've done such horrible things, Hector. I tried to commit murder. I conspired with the Ramillie. I was the one to lead the vote supporting the Regent. Even my own daughter has turned away from me. Now… everything I've worked for or cared about is crumbling."
Overcome with the burden of the choices he'd made, Edric slid from the seat to his knees weeping deeply.
"Oh, Elkanah, I'm a broken man. I give up. I've been fighting you, full of pride and stubbornness. I've got nothing to offer. Only this shell of a life I've wrecked, I've wasted. Forgive me… Forgive me."
His words came in gasps, and he shook from the grief of his breaking heart.
"I've made so many mistakes…. I'm a man of errors and know there's nothing I can do about it. I pledge what is left of my life to you, and accept Elkanah as payment for
me. Please… wash away my errors. Let me be with you in Paradise."
He slumped and sobbed heavily. Hector knelt beside the broken man, placed an arm around his heaving shoulders, and then prayed.
"Elder, maker of Paradise and the planets, thank you for forgiveness. Thank you for loving us so much that what we could not do for ourselves you do for us. Thank you for mercy, and grace, and your gift of love to us. Thank you for bringing us to this place where you're drawing us closer to you. Thank you for your promise that whosoever shall call upon the name of Elkanah shall be saved. Thank you for accepting my plea, and thank you for accepting Edric's today. Be with us now, Elder; help us to reach others for you before it's too late, amen."
"Amen," Edric whispered.
Regaining emotional control, Edric reached his arm across Hectors' shoulders but stayed kneeling and silent for quite some time. Eventually, he opened his eyes and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He sniffled and took a deep breath feeling as though a weight had been lifted from him.
"Thank you, Hector."
"Don't thank me," he said as the two men stood. "I didn't do anything but point the way."
"I'm going to get you out of here, Old Friend."
"How?"
"I don't know. There're so many things I have to do, have to set right. I don't know where to begin."
Hector told him the Elder would lead him where he was to go, and He did… to Acatus V.
CHAPTER 34
"…ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." – Genesis 50:21
As Edric's yacht entered the system he had left three years earlier, he didn't know why he was there. He considered maybe he could find something, anything to use it as evidence of the Ramillie's treachery. Uncertain what good that information could be now, at least it was something to present the people. Not understanding, but trusting, he angled the ship toward the fifth planet and scanned the surface.
Entering the atmosphere, he detected a weak signal and honed in on it. Making a low pass, he saw, instead of the prince's ship, the wreckage of some transport craft now overgrown with thick vegetation. Moving on, he flew for quite a while then detected some faint power signatures. While honing in on them, his sensors displayed the image of a settlement. Knowing the site of a spacecraft could have serious repercussions on primitive natives, Edric decided to set the craft down out of sight of the people in the village. Unsure what to expect on an island of that primitive world, he armed himself with a heavy blaster pistol and ventured out.
Gravity was slightly more than standard, and the air was thick, making it hard to breath. Dense humidity forced him to undo the collar of his shirt, and strange sounds of rainforest creatures joined in a virtual chorus. Cautiously, he proceeded, wary that at any moment something might jump out at him, and something did, Alexander. Seeing the craft landing, Alexander had raced to the spot where it disappeared into the trees. When he burst into the small clearing, Edric was the last person he ever expected to see.
The two men stood there motionless, each dumfounded at the sight of the other. Edric had changed little during the three years, but Alexander was greatly transformed. His hair was jagged, his clothes tattered and skin well-bronzed. For a long while, neither man spoke. Alexander, though panting from his run, looked at Edric with a mix of anger and defiant courage. His portion of the battlestaff was slung across his back, but despite his now considerable skill with the weapon, he knew there was no way he could use it before Edric could fire. Alexander locked eyes with the traitor while expecting at any moment to hear a blast from the pistol as Edric finished the job he started three years prior.
To his surprise, Edric's eyes welled, and the grip on his pistol began shaking in trembling hands. Taking a few steps nearer the man he once tried to kill, Edric dropped the weapon and knelt before the prince while weeping deeply.
"My Prince," he heaved in grief with his head down, "I have done the… unforgivable. I-" his words came difficult and wavering through his deep sorrow. "I kneel before you as my sovereign and offer… my life to you."
Alexander was a knot of conflicting impulses. Here was an opportunity for vengeance; the cause of the great trial he'd undergone was now helpless before him. He could pour out his anger as he desired. There was a day when he would have shot Edric on sight. But now… all he could do is pity the broken man. The trials in the wilderness had changed the prince; he came to realize it was his own pride and lack of faith that caused the ordeal. The Elder had molded him, matured him in that wilderness to a point where the prince realized his need to look beyond the aches of his own heart and first consider another man's. He was to forgive Edric, as he too was forgiven. He reached out, placed a hand on Edric's bowed head, and silent tears fell from both men as they emptied the pain they had held onto for years. For a long, while the two men stood there weeping and unmoving, then Merrick, flaming battlestaff drawn in case of danger, crashed through the trees. Beholding the spectacle, he stopped, and Alexander looked at him, letting him know it was alright. Merrick slowly sheathed his weapon, reflecting on how the Elder once again used a time in the wilderness to shape a boy into a man. He wondered what it was about mortals that when they are stripped of their veneer of civilization and forced to face the Elder's creation alone that brought about such change.
Late that afternoon, sitting around the communal fire of the Omaz village, Edric explained about Salazar becoming Regent, what had happened to the Queen, the fall of the Realm, and the Ramillie Hegemony's occupation.
"But there is a group that has remained loyal, Sire. They call themselves The Remnant."
"We'll have to find them," Alexander declared.
"That is more difficult than it sounds, Highness. The militia and Hegemony have sought them for years but have no idea where they are."
Then a thought crossed Edric's mind, and he added, "But I know someone who does."
Edric's yacht wouldn't hold all of the castaways, so they agreed that Alexander, Merrick, Marcus, Cale, Payton, and Jaiden would go on the first trip. Alexander insisted Aulani come as well, and she in-turn insisted there be made room for her gorilla-like pet, Tooka. The plan was to rescue Hector, find The Remnant then send ships back for the others. With everyone bustling with excitement about their long-awaited rescue, no one realized Aulani had wandered off. When Alexander turned to say something to her, he noticed her absence. Knowing where she would be, he went to the spot by the river where they would often go to talk and look at the stars.
"Aulani, what are you doing here? Tooka is already on board, and I thought you'd be the first one on the ship."
As she turned, he noticed she'd been crying.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know," she sniffled and wiped her dark eyes. "For so long I've wanted to leave this place, now… with you here, the life we've all worked so hard to build… all I want to do is stay."
"I know how you feel," he replied. "For three years I've been so focused on getting home that now that it's actually happening it's made me realize something." He reached out and placed a hand on hers, squeezing gently. "Aulani, when I'm with you… I am home."
She smiled, and they embraced.
"But this isn't the end," he assured. "There's a future for us out there too. I'm not saying it's going to be easy. In fact, things sound a whole lot worse, but we'll make it. After all, your father's prophecy came true. 'For the king without a kingdom will your deliverance come.' It wasn't me who delivered you, but they came for me, and that's how you are delivered like the Elder promised."
He cupped her face in his hands and brushed away a tear with his thumb.
"Didst thou ever doubt?"
She smiled and laughed through the tears.
"Didst," she softly chuckled.
He smiled and leaned in to kiss her, but Jaiden bursting through the trees stopped him short.
"Come on! Everybody's ready, and I want to see the stars!"
The couple looked at him then Alexander turned to Aulani and with a wink, jerked his head signaling they should go after her brother. She smiled, and they headed to the ship hand in hand.
***
Returning to the detention facility on Beta Omari VII Edric was able to talk his way past most of the guards. The group retrieved Hector, and all seemed to be going smoothly on the way out when the alarms began blaring. Lasers scorched walls as the fugitives fought their way through the prison complex. At last, reaching the landing pad, they raced for the ship. Everyone sprinted to the yacht as Ramillie guards blasted at them. Making his way up the boarding plank, Alexander looked back to check on everyone. Rushing into the ship, Cale brushed past the prince.
"That's it," Cale shouted. "Let's get out of here!"
Through the smoke of the battle, Alexander saw Edric prone, a smoldering hole in his back.
"No! We've got to go back for Lord Canton!" Alexander protested and started down the plank.
Merrick caught him by the arm.
"He's gone, Sire! There's nothing we can do!"
As laserfire pelted the ship and troops poured out of the complex, Alexander was forced to concede. Hitting the button, he closed the hatch.
Cale rushed to the pilot's station to guide the craft out of there. As he fired up the engines, the ship lifted, and he smiled privately. He was certain no one saw him shoot Edric, and with Councilor out of the way, the secret of his betrayal was secure.
Hector directed them to The Remnant's secret base in the Oosay system. When they arrived, Hector radioed it was him and told of his special passenger, the Prince. When the yacht docked in the control asteroid's hangar, the entire area was packed with people. It was as if Alexander had returned from the dead, and new life was breathed into the entire Remnant.
Vivica pressed through the crowd trying to get near Alexander but stopped short when she saw the two-meter-high, gray and white-haired animal lumbering behind his group. While the monstrous Tooka was taken to a large open room with a generous pile of fruit, the rest of the survivors were taken to the medical bay for examinations. Eventually cleared, they were issued quarters and fresh clothes. Able to enjoy the first hot shower he'd had in three years, Alexander let the water run over him for a generous time. Cutting his hair and at last having a clean shave, he hardly recognized his own face in the mirror. The hard life of years on the jungle island planet showed in his countenance. Though only twenty-six, he thought he looked older. Studying the reflection, he saw faint lines etching the corners of his eyes, no doubt born of too many days in the bright Acatus sun. His once sandy hair was now a notably darker shade, and the shirt given him was a size larger than what he wore when he left. He guessed all the manual labor had toned him a bit. Running a hand over his freshly cut hair, he noted how rough his hands were. Callused from the daily work and Merrick's insistence on rigorous battlestaff training, he considered the toughened skin as a badge of honor. He'd worked hard to attain it, and promised himself not to let himself wax soft.
