Center Moon - The Stone Of Cordova

by Stephen Gambuti

  "What did you say your last name was?" Jada's thick gray eyebrows lifted curiously upon his huge brow.

  "Troupe, sir. I--"

  "Jonas, come quick." Liotta stood staring at a picture with her hand over her mouth.

  "Excuse me." Jonas gestured he would return in moments. He stepped back into the hall where he noticed Liotta standing with her mouth covered.

  "Jonas. Come here." Liotta grabbed him. "Look there." She squeezed his arm. "It's you. That's you."

  "Don't be ridiculous Lio..." Jonas' jaw dropped and a tingle ran up his spine. He was staring at himself. "I don't understand. That's me. On this guy's wall."

  "It's not you, son." Jada hobbled over with his thick ivory cane. "That's my son." The old man stared at Jonas. "That makes you... my grandson."

  "Yeah, right." Jonas gave Liotta a look and rolled his eyes. He thought the old man was crazy. "How could you possibly be my grandfather?" Jonas tapped his forehead showing Jada they were different. Somehow though, deep down, he believed him. That could be the only reason his father had told him about Strom in the first place. Because he knew someone would be here to protect him.

  "Big deal. So you gotta nice forehead. That picture was taken when your father was seventeen. I bet you're about that age as well." Jada nodded with confidence. "I heard he was murdered. He and your mother. Damn shame. I must've cried for three rounds straight."

  For some reason, Jonas was beginning to believe Jada was telling the truth. He quickly glanced at Liotta for her non-verbal opinion, but she was still focused on the picture. How could this be possible? How could I be a half-breed? Jonas turned and looked at the picture again. "But how?"

  Jada was trying to read Jonas's thoughts. "You see, your grandmother, my wife, was a Sapien. Your father had her genes."

  "But the Academy? He told me you had died when he was a boy." Jonas was getting visibly confused.

  "Come with me, son," the old man said as he took Jonas by the hand.

  Jonas was reluctant until he noticed that they had identical knuckles. The hairs, the creases, everything. He followed Jada into the galley. The old man fixed Jonas a bright orange drink.

  "You must be thirsty." The old man sat on a chair across from Jonas. "I had a feeling this day would come." He looked sternly into the teen's eyes. "Your father sacrificed his life for this village and all of us living in it."

  "I don't understand." Jonas chugged a sip of the orange beverage.

  "To make sure the Alliance was not discovered by anyone, your father left and joined the Parliamentary Council." Jada slapped his own forehead. "Damned bugs." He returned to the explanation. "Your father decided it would be best to keep things hidden by joining the Enforcers. He became part of their elite squad in order to gain information."

  "I still don't understand." Jonas looked more puzzled than before.

  "My son was the highest operative the Alliance ever had. He was a spy, Jonas. He would go out on missions with a small squad. That squad was supposed to kill anything different without question. Your dad would go on those missions and terminate his peers." The old man sat up straight. "There were times when the Parliament was right on our heels. Your father would save small villages of innocent people, then have to terminate his fellow officers for the sake of secrecy."

  "I think I understand." Jonas was putting pieces together slowly. His grandfather's story was consistent with what Darden had said. Except for the parts about saving innocent people. His father killed Darden's son. Jonas was certain the boy was innocent. "My father killed a young boy. My friend Darden told me that Dad killed his son. He saw it."

  "Unfortunately, bad things happen." Jada sighed, knowing this would be tough. "Your father did what he had to do in order to keep an entire civilization in existence. That is no easy task."

  "Why didn't he just outwardly command the Alliance?"

  Jada poured an orange drink for himself. He snatched a quick sip and continued. "You see, the Parliament has such superior technology that your father was able to secretly protect our existence and stop the Old Republic from finding us at the same time."

  "I don't understand."

  "The amount of information your father had at his fingertips alerted him to any hints someone was on to us." Jada sipped on his drink with a soft slurp.

  "You mean all the communications devices?" Jonas did not see any devices that could transfer data like the Sapiens had. "How did you talk with my father?"

  "I never needed to do much of anything. When your father received word about any kind of trouble, he eliminated the threats. We could not communicate with normal devices because the Parliamentary Council would pick up our transmissions." Jada eased back in his seat and pursed his lips. "I remember one time your father actually sent a message through smoke signals." Jada cracked a small smile for himself.

  "Where is the Alliance now?" Jonas asked as he finished his drink.

  "We spotted a couple of Crow transports landing near here. The troops went out to scout for anything strange. We maintain a peaceful existence through force."

  Jonas thought of Darden's transport landing nearby. "Where did they land? When?" Jonas stood up.

  "Easy, young man. Our men our checking it out. If the transports seem to mind their business, we will leave them be." The old man tilted his head and studied Jonas. "I had a feeling when I saw you. You are his spitting image."

  "I was going into the Academy, too." Jonas took the paper out of his pocket. "Until my friend found this." He threw it on the table.

  Jada unfolded it and patted down the wrinkled parchment. He read it over carefully.

  "Liotta thinks it came from an Enforcer we were holding." Jonas waited for a response from his grandfather but none came. "I know it's from a Crow."

  The old man looked up at Jonas. "They were Republican probes that killed your parents, right?"

  "Yes. See, I knew it was the Crows." Jonas smiled.

  "Your friend Liotta was right on the mark."

  Jonas's smile ran away from his face. "What?"

  "This was written by a Sapien. The lines are too perfect. The probes were used to confuse people. The Parliamentary Council killed your parents. An assassination. I am glad you're here. They want you dead, too." Jada folded the note back up and handed it to Jonas. "They have caught on to your father's plan."

  "But they accepted me into the Academy. Three rounds early even." Jonas tried to defend his point.

  "Sure. Because you survived the probe attacks. They would let you come to them."

  "But they gave me bodyguards, too," Jonas exclaimed.

  "Yes. To make sure you don't run off. But you did." Jada nodded happily. "Now, tell me all about your little adventure."

  Jonas and his newfound grandfather discussed all that happened. They spent several hours together. Liotta and Leo toured the village, while Jonas and Jada continued introducing themselves to each other. The more Jonas learned, the prouder he was of his father. The more Jada learned, the fonder he grew of his grandson.

  A Sapien man burst through the front door and shouted for Jonas's grandfather.

  Jada looked up when he heard his name. He motioned to Jonas that he would return shortly as he got up from his seat. The old man walked out of the galley and down the hallway to greet the Sapien man.

  "Jada. Sir." The man was catching his breath. "We have double trouble."

  "How so, Quarp?" Jada asked as he leaned into his cane.

  "Well, we scouted the transports that landed. From what we could tell, they are a group of about thirty. All breeds. They apparently escaped Cordova because they came in Crow prison crafts."

  Jonas, who was listening, had curls developing in the corners of his lips. He knew this was the group that had escaped with Darden. "They are good people."

  Jada turned, surprised to catch Jonas eavesdropping. "How do you know?"

  The Sapien man had confusion all over his face.

  "I freed them." Jonas grinned.

  "You
didn't tell me you had gone to Cordova." Jada shook his head with a cross between shame and pride. "You could've gotten killed."

  "Darden saved my life while I was in the medi-center," Jonas explained as he moved down the hall to become closer to the discussion. "He also saved me in the prison."

  "Who is Darden?" the Sapien man asked.

  "He is a friendly Crow. He belongs with us... and the Alliance." Jonas stood firmly.

  "Well, your friend brought along another problem." The man coughed, trying to catch his breath. "Landing in the woods behind them were ten Parliamentary cruisers. I am certain they are packed with Enforcers, sir." He trained his eyes on Jada again.

  "Oh my. This does sound like a problem." Jada bit his lower lip and played with his beard. "Where are our troops?"

  "A handful stayed behind to monitor any signs of aggression. The rest are along our borders just in case."

  "The hovers?" Jada asked.

  "They are standing ready. We have about six ready to go. The other two we can't fuel." The man seemed to be breathing better.

  "We have to save those people, Jada. They will just go back into a prison zone. Besides... My friend is out there," Jonas interjected as he stared at his grandfather.

  "Son, if we rescue those prisoners, then they will know of our existence." Jada patted Jonas on the back. "Your heart is in the right place, though."

  Jonas felt completely incompetent. His grandfather had just blown off his idea.

  "Go and continue to monitor. Let me know when the Enforcers destroy the prisoners and make sure they leave shortly after," Jada ordered. "Keep the hovers ready... just in case."

  "Yes, sir." The Sapien man left at once to deliver the command.

  Jonas looked over at Leo and Liotta, as they, too, were privy to the conversation. Liotta was shaking her head. She hurried over to Jonas and pulled him aside. "You know I have never been a big fan of those Crows. But you can't just let them get slaughtered like that."

  Jonas knew she was right. He also knew Leo was thinking the same thing. "Jada... Grandfather... Sir?"

  "Yes, son."

  "I'm sorry if I threatened your community's secret existence. I am sorry if my father spent his whole life defending this existence, but remember the man who told me that his son was killed by my father?"

  "I told you that came with the territory," Jada tried to reassure his grandson.

  "Well, this Darden... that man is the one who lost his son. I need to make things right again." Jonas's sincerity amazed his grandfather.

  "You will stay here."

  "No, sir. I won't. After all, if my father hadn't killed this man's son, then I would've never have questioned why he hated him in the first place. Because he hated my father so much, I needed answers. I needed them so bad that I was willing to risk my life and the life of my friends. I freed those men. Darden almost died trying to help them, as he did me. Because they landed here, the Enforcers followed. I have to do what's right." Jonas signaled his friends to follow as he walked out the door.

  Jada moved as quickly as he could to stop him. "Jonas, wait. They will find us! You will get killed!"

  The Sapien man who delivered the news was still outside the dwelling. Jada yelled to him. "Make sure nothing happens to that boy!"

  The man acknowledged his new orders and followed quickly on foot.

  Thirteen

  Jonas, Leo and Liotta found six of the hovers along the border. Next to them there were nine dracosaurs completely covered in man-made armor. Jonas could not believe how fierce they looked. Their backs bore huge two-man seats with leather holsters on each side.

  Leo noticed that only one person was tending to them. "There. Easy take."

  "You guys grab one of the hovers and I will ride on one of these." Jonas separated himself from his friends. He made certain the guard was not looking and hopped on one of the huge lizards. The animal gave a bit of a struggle but Jonas quickly quelled him by pulling back on a long set of thick ropes, which were attached to horns on either side of the animal's head. He turned to see Leo talking with one of the troops by the hovers.

  "Where do you think you're going?" The guard stood next to the dracosaur with his blaster trained on Jonas.

  Jonas just grinned at him. "There are some innocent people who are about to get slaughtered. We need to save them."

  A twitch ran across the man's cheek. "Are they Alliance folk?"

  Jonas thought about this for a moment. He had to be careful now. He had already burned his bridges with his aunt and the Enforcers. If he ruined this, he might lose his relationship with Jada. "No, they are Crows, Sapiens and half-breeds."

  "Get off that drac, son. We cannot get involved." The guard lowered his weapon, realizing Jonas was not an enemy. "You're Jada's grandson, right?"

  "Yes."

  "We heard all about you." The man smiled. "One of the guys told us you had just arrived."

  "Well..." Jonas could not help it. He had Darden heavy on his mind and this conversation was a waste of time. "Today is a new day, sir."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Today the Alliance comes out of hiding. Today we fight for what is right." Jonas kicked the dracosaur in the ribs. A tremendous jolt, which nearly knocked the teen off the animal, started the dracosaur on his way. This particular lizard moved faster than any land craft Jonas had ever used. The man picked himself off the ground and signaled to the others.

  Seven troops ran over and mounted their dracs. Six more took the extra seats and threw light cannon blasters over their shoulders. They followed Jonas up the path that led beyond the Sara Mountains.

  Leo and Liotta had not yet made their way over to the hovers. They watched as troops jumped into the crafts. Each vehicle, loaded with five troops, headed after the animals over the mountain. Liotta could not get over the fact that these troops were a mixed breed of men.

  There was one hover, which sat abandoned. Leo looked at Liotta and his lips curled with delight.

  ***

  Jonas headed swiftly toward the battle. He knew he was getting closer because the sounds of explosions were gaining volume. He glanced over his shoulder to see a small army of men following his lead. Jonas understood that they were trying to get to him before he revealed the Alliance to anyone. However, he knew that, once revealed, they would fight. Now he needed to make sure the troops only destroyed the Enforcers and not Darden's group.

  Men of all breeds working together. This was how he imagined the world should be one day. He was about to not only follow his father's footsteps, he was about to stomp them into a completely new universe.

  Jonas led the troops right into the thick of an ongoing battle. The power of the Parliamentary Council was already displaying its awesome firepower. The small valley was a complete war zone. Dismantled transports had been blown apart. Tattered bodies of once hopeful prisoners were lying across the field. Dead Enforcers were scattered behind useless barricades.

  Jonas's dracosaur scrambled down the trail toward the fight. The others followed. The additional forces surprised the Enforcers. The troops led their attack on the opposite front of Darden's group. The Sapiens were tightly nestled in the middle, absorbing blasts from both ends. Some Enforcers retreated into their crafts.

  "Darden!" Jonas raised his blaster as he stood up on the drac. He did not see his Crow friend anywhere. Have I come too late? "Darden!"

  "My friend!" a voice ripped from the other side.

  Jonas stood up again to see Darden flailing his arms.

  Liotta brought the hover down the peak, toward the action. Leo carefully positioned himself behind the cannon. He set the gun sights on the approaching cruiser, which was just about to settle on the grass. He gripped both triggers and applied pressure. The blasters sent a stream of enormous energy into the side of the Parliamentary vessel. The explosion rocked the entire valley.

  Jonas waved back at his friend. Then he noticed an Enforcer leaning out of the safety of his craft. The officer was focused on
one of the escaped prisoners from Darden's group. Jonas plopped himself into his seat. He pointed his blaster and fired a shot into the back of the Enforcer.

  Liotta quickly spun the craft around to avoid being hit by falling debris. The whole thing vibrated as pieces of the broken Parliamentary ship trickled along the hover's side.

  Jonas plucked a metal sphere from the drac's saddlebag. His father had introduced him to these spherical bombs when they'd gone to Jenco. He swung the huge lizard around to the side of the Enforcer's craft and tossed the metal ball into the hatch.

  The Parliamentary ship went up instantly. Jonas pulled tight on the ropes and slammed his foot into the lizard's side. As he moved across the field, the drac slammed into the ground. Jonas kept moving forward. The teen rolled fifteen feet and noticed his blaster lying next to the dead animal. A hole had blown out a chunk of the drac's side.

  Jonas remained on the ground for safety. He heard a familiar clicking sound. Another Enforcer craft turned its turrets on Jonas. He buried his face into the dirt as he refused to witness his own murder.

  Whack!

  The deadly turret blew into fiery pieces. Jonas looked up to discover a chunk of burnt metal had sliced into the ground next to him. Someone in the distance was screaming his name.

  Jonas turned to see Leo jumping up and down in his hover. Smoke was still dribbling from his mounted blaster's nozzle.

  Jonas knew it was Leo who'd saved him.

  Liotta quickly brought the hover to rest by a nearby group of rocks. She lifted her blaster and jumped for the stones. Leo remained behind his huge gun, taking swipes at anything in a Parliamentary uniform.

  Jonas hopped out and ran over to someone who looked like Darden. Sure enough it was.

  Darden and six others had parked themselves behind a cluster of downed trees. They were in their own small combat against some Enforcers inching toward them.

  "Hey." Jonas tapped his unaware friend on the back.

  Darden defensively turned. "Jonas." His face lit up. "See those men?" He pointed to a distant team of fifteen Enforcers. "Those men are planning on driving us out."