by Kyle Larson
He pointed to each door and then turned to fly away.
“Wait, my lord,” Kelvin called out.
Teve stopped and turned, a flash of anger on his face.
“You don’t ever call me that. Call me what you want, but I’m no lord.”
“I’m sorry,” Kelvin said.
“What is it?”
“We should have broken faces and cracked ribs from the number of times we’ve slammed onto hard rock in the last half-hour. Why don’t we feel pain?” Kelvin said.
“It’s not important now, my lord,” Teve said.
“If he doesn’t get to call you that you don’t need to call him that,” Amelia said. Teve tilted his head, bemused why she felt the need to say that.
“I’ll call him whatever I like, lieutenant.”
“Look, there’s no reason for any of this,” Kelvin said, and he started walking toward Teve. “I don’t know what problems you have with me or my people, but I’m here for a reason. If you don’t want me here, then hurry up with our training and I’ll be gone.”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” Teve said. “My entire life has been spent preparing to protect my people from the one truth in humanity: war. Now it’s here and I’m made to be the shepherd to a lost prince and a deserter.”
“Hey!” Amelia said, pushing past Kelvin and getting right in Teve’s face. “I don’t care who you are or if you’re some sort of master. You ever call me that again and you’ll be sorry. We’ve both had enough of your crap today!”
“If you knew our history then you would understand why the assignment to train to children from Earth is an insult to everything my life has stood for?” Teve said.
“Then why don’t you tell us?” Kelvin said.
“Venus has a much darker history than the other Nine Kingdoms. You both ask how you can fly and avoid pain? Well, those things were discovered by accident, at a time when most Venusians had been driven underground and hid from the Saturn Conquerors,” Teve said. “It was necessity and preservation that demanded we learn away to fight back against those who would oppress and dominate our people.”
Kelvin knew about the Saturn Conquerors held over Venus, an period of time that took place during the wars that formed the Nine Kingdoms. What he knew was told to him through Earth historians. From Teve’s expression, Kelvin could tell he was about to hear a story much more personal than the pixelated annotations he’d experienced in his reading.
“The Saturn Conquerors tried to rule our world, over six-hundred years ago. My mother and her master, Egodd Adall, lead our ancestors into this Archive we stand in now. It was just a system of caves back then. Master Adall had already developed our way of fighting, Thalosi, so he could teach Venusians how to defend themselves. When he discovered the Sanctuary Spring and the powers you have just been given, he knew they would need to be kept secret. All the books you see in the Archive are the volumes of lessons he, my mother, and the elder Gravity Warriors wrote to establish an order. With these great powers we needed to have the strictest discipline on how they would be used,” Teve said.
“Let me guess that training children from Earth wasn’t at the top of their list,” Amelia said.
“Those who wish to become Gravity Warriors spend nearly a century just studying these texts, before they are even allowed in the Sanctuary Spring,” Teve continued. “My mother, Master Adall, and the other elders spent a century in this Archive when it was just a series of random caves. They built this entire Archive with their hands, trained everyday to establish what the art of Thalosi is, and prepared to take on the entire fleet of Saturn Conquerors. At the time, Saturn had the most powerful army in the solar system, and they used it almost entirely to suppress and exploit the people of Venus. They mined our planet for ore and stripped everything my ancestors built to try and make Venus their home. Enslaved and imprisoned our entire population, not to mention the countless Venusians they executed. They turned our planet into a pit.”
Kelvin and Amelia could tell from Teve’s tone that what the Saturn Conquerors had done to Venus was not forgotten, even if it was six-hundred years ago.
“When Master Adall and my mother emerged from this Archive, they were armed with nothing but their skills and stone staffs. Together, with the first generation of Gravity Warriors, less than a hundred people vanquished hundreds of battleships and millions of Saturn Conquerors, all armed with the most deadly weapons. The defeat they dealt the Saturn Conquerors was so harsh that today Saturn doesn’t even acknowledge it in their history books. They are still so embarrassed and so humiliated by it that six-hundred years later it’s a forbidden topic among their historians.”
Kelvin knew firsthand that Venusian history was hard to come by, especially before the formation of the Nine Kingdoms. He’d found a few references to Queen Tendai’s role in vanquishing the Saturn Conquerors, but no direct account on how the actual battle went down. History from before the formation of the Nine Kingdoms was hard to find in general, since so many royal families wanted to protect their legacies. The Saturn Conquerors remained very powerful, even to this day, and had a huge hand in the affairs of all Nine Kingdoms. Kelvin didn’t realize their history was as bloody and dark as Teve described.
“I can only assume my mother sees the threat of the Wanderers to be as great to the Nine Kingdoms as the Saturn Conquerors were to our people, all those centuries ago. One of the curses of our long lives is that we do not forget what happened, while the voices of history simply become pages in history books passed down to schoolchildren who grow up to be leaders but forget those things actually happened. There are still Gravity Warriors living who buried family from the Saturn Conquerors occupation. Their stories all line the walls of this Archive. I hope you will remember that during our training.”
“What happened to Master Adall?” Amelia asked. “I’ve never heard his name in any of the Venusian history.”
“Master Adall sacrificed himself in the final battle against the Conquerors. The Conquerors were so bitter from their defeat that they planned to detonate an explosive that would have polluted the atmosphere of Venus so badly it would make the planet uninhabitable. It was the last thing they intended to do before their retreat. They launched a missile with the explosive, but Master Adall was able to intercept it and flew it out of the atmosphere before it exploded. One of the last lessons he wrote in the Great Book of Thalosi was that the master must always be ready to sacrifice themself to protect the Venusians. After his death, my mother took up his mantle and staff.”
Teve pointed to a carving along the wall Kelvin and Amelia hadn’t noticed. It was of a woman that resembled Tendai, holding a dying man in her arms. Just adjacent to the carving, the woman stood with a large staff in her hands, above a crowd of hundreds, with the sun coming up over her back. Teve didn’t need to explain the carvings were of his mother, after she’d said goodbye to her master and became the protector of Venus.
“I have no doubt my mother would’ve done the same thing. I have no doubt she would do it now, to protect our people and our home. It’s unfortunate that the training you will receive will come with none of the history, since we don’t have the time.”
“I want to learn that history, Teve,” Amelia said. She couldn’t help herself. The thought of an incomplete form of training bothered her. If she was going to learn to Thalosi and the ways of the Gravity Warriors, she wanted to know everything.
Teve smiled at the sentiment. “I’ll do my best, but for now, the two of you need to rest. The lessons you do receive will be hard and brutal. When the fight comes, your lives will depend on knowing them. We’ll focus on that, and if there is time, I will teach you the stories of the Gravity Warriors. For now, I leave you to rest.”
As soon as Teve finished speaking, he flew off into the darkness of the corridor.
“I’m sorry, Millie,” Kelvin said. “I’m sorry I got you into this.”
Amelia shook her head and turned to Kelvin. She resented the f
act that he constantly felt as if his actions were what controlled her choices. Amelia chose to be with her friend and help him and wished he’d realize that.
“You didn’t get me into anything, Kelvin,” Amelia said. “You need to stop saying that. I’m here because I want to help you.”
He could tell Amelia was irritated with him and decided not to push. Whether it was his fault she was with him or not, Kelvin didn’t want to argue, and he could tell his mood was sour as well.
“Let’s just call it a day,” Kelvin said.
“Yeah, I’m gonna meet you both in the middle and say that’s a really good idea,” Mara said. “It’s been a day and I can detect your bodies are both fatigued. Funny how the mystic prince didn’t bother to mention that hot spring was going to fundamentally alter your entire physiology.”
They both ignored her and turned toward their opposite doors.
Amelia was surprised by the view she had. Her main window looked out into the canyon. The sun had started to set and the red glow pierced through the craggy edges of the canyon’s highest points. It was a spectacular view.
The quarters were much plusher than she’d expected. Many things about the Gravity Warriors suggested they would be minimalist, with no more than a mattress and pillow for a bed. Instead, a bed much larger than the one she had on the Monarch, with full sets of what looked like workout clothes and pajamas, laid out on the edge of the bed.
On the kitchen counter, there were crates full of fresh fruits and vegetables, and the refrigerator was filled with different types of nuts and seeds. It wasn’t until she saw the food that she realized how hungry she was. Amelia quickly gobbled up what seemed to be the Venusian version of an apple. It was the best piece of fruit she’d ever tasted. Two more pieces quickly followed.
After Amelia finished ravaging the fruit crate, she took out her phone and turned it on. She figured it would be difficult getting a connection in a remote canyon, but decided to try. As soon as her phone came to life, notifications flashed and beeped at her. Her father sent multiple messages and voicemails. She swiped through to see what time it was on Earth. Since it was the middle of the day, she decided to avoid listening and reading her father’s messages one by one, and just called him.
Benito Chapman picked up on the first ring.
“What do you think you’re doing, Amelia?” Benito said, his voice a mixture of anger and concern. “Your mother and I said it was okay to serve aboard the Monarch as an honorary officer. You’re not the prince’s bodyguard. Your mother and I have spoken with Captain Ali. You are in a lot of trouble, young lady. I want you on the first shuttle off of Venus.”
Amelia didn’t respond. The harsh tone of her father’s disappointment felt like too much. She thought she had done the right thing, but between Teve, Kelvin, and now her father, Amelia was angry that they didn’t recognize she did this for herself. She wanted to see and help the Nine Kingdoms just as much as anyone else.
“I didn’t do anything wrong, dad.”
“Your mother is worried sick and beside herself right now, trying to keep up appearances on the Royal Council. How could you add this stress to her? Did you only think about yourself?”
Amelia shook her head and clenched her teeth.
“I didn’t expect either of you to understand, and I’ve honestly been waiting for this phone call since you both agreed to let me accept the rank,” Amelia said. “I knew you would try to limit what I could do in Earth Navy. I didn’t break any rules and I came to help our people and our crown. You haven’t seen what’s out there, dad. None of you understand that the Wanderers don’t care about Royal Councils and old alliances. We need to face them–”
“The Gravity Warriors don’t need anyone’s help,” Benito said.
“Why do people keep saying that? We don’t care! We’re here and we’re safe. Tell mom I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
Amelia ended the call before her father could say anything else and tossed her phone across the counter. Sleep was what she needed. Amelia didn’t feel like she had anything to prove, but somehow she felt every student of Teve’s probably has to prove something to him. Amelia intended to complete whatever challenges he threw at her.
After a big glass of water and a quick shower, Amelia was in her pajamas and on her back in the soft bed. It wasn’t long before sleep took her and the concerns about where she was and what was next left her.
CHAPTER SIX
HOLLOWAY RAN THROUGH the halls of the Monarch. She was running late for an important meeting that would decide the next course of action for the Monarch. The battle alert had just been elevated to orange after a sensor report indicated a fleet of fifteen Wanderer ships increased speed and were heading for the Monarch. Holloway was grateful for was that Kelvin and Amelia were no longer onboard the Monarch, because it appeared they had headed straight for battle.
The Wanderers had found them. As soon as Kelvin and Amelia departed, the Wanderers had been gaining on them. They weren’t in danger yet, but Holloway was being summoned to the projection chamber to meet with Queen Eleyn. Captain Ali would be there too.
The first officer of the Monarch was wide awake, after a jolt of black coffee. She’d been training for months to function on little sleep. If they were to engage the Wanderers, the chances were the battle would go on for days. The whole crew trained to work in shifts, with four-hour sleep breaks allotted. Those were necessary. You can’t stay sharp in a battle if your mind becomes tired. Holloway had gotten her sleep down to three-hour windows, scattered throughout the day.
The coffee always helped.
Holloway turned a corner and met Captain Ali. They nodded and matched pace, walking alongside one another.
“You know what this about?” Captain Ali said, not taking her eyes off the path in front of them.
“Not a clue, ma’am,” Holloway said.
“The transmission is from the queen. No one knows what’s going on with King Erelm. He hasn’t been seen in months.”
Holloway knew exactly what this was about. The Royal Council and the Earth Navy brass had been pushing to engage the Wanderers. There were still those who wanted to resist potential conflict, but no one knew where Queen Eleyn stood on the issue of whether to engage the Wanderers or not. She and King Erelm were torn because they would be sending their ships after their own daughter. Queen Eleyn would go with whatever the Royal Council decided, and Kelvin being on Venus was the perfect excuse for Earth Navy to go after the Wanderers. Those in the Royal Council clamoring for the Earth Navy to get involved could use Kelvin’s safety as cause.
Holloway feared this was the beginning of a war. There was no need to tell Captain Ali that. The captain’s nerves were already shaken enough. There was a good chance the Wanderers would catch up with them. Captain Ali had been strong, but any captain would be nervous about engaging fifteen ships. Holloway had been monitoring the Wanderers transmissions, and she was almost positive the Colonel was in command. There were six of the largest ships the Wanderers had yet to unleash among the fifteen headed their way. The ship rumored to be the Colonel’s personal ship, the Sentinel, was among them.
There were ten other ships they detected but those were headed for Venus. Holloway was pretty sure Queen Eleyn was going to have the Monarch turn around and go back there. Either way, the Monarch and its crew were about to be tested. Holloway’s biggest worry was how much of the Earth Navy would be sent to meet them. Once the Earth Navy got involved it could trigger the rest of the Nine Kingdoms. The Saturn Conquerors and Mercury had been attacked, but a full military had yet to engage the Wanderers. If Earth Navy intervened it would set a precedent for the other Nine Kingdoms, who wouldn’t want to appear to be sitting on the sidelines of the conflict.
The chatter around the Tube from people who were sympathetic to what the Wanderers preached was picking up momentum. There had been social movements like these before, but they were often overwhelmed by popular opinion in whichever kingdom they happened in. Kin
gs and queens were not totalitarian rulers, they were bound by the checks and balances necessary for any healthy democracy. Still, there were many in the Nine Kingdoms who didn’t like the fact that the monarchies were given a deciding vote in whatever policy their government established. The Wanderers played to that insecurity, and the movement was starting across the Nine Kingdoms. There were even rumors that the Wanderers had established agents in every Royal Council of the Nine Kingdoms.
Holloway was also alarmed at how much Kelvin had been thrust into the spotlight and how much of a divisive symbol he had become. Over the last eight months, most of the Tube celebrated Kelvin and what the Monarch had done in the Antioch Belt. The actual conflict between the Wanderers and the Monarch had morphed into an exaggerated account, as most things on the Tube often were. Kelvin was praised to be a hero who had vanquished the Pirates of Mercury single-handily and now turned his sights to saving Venus. Everyone who was actually there knew that wasn’t true, but because the Earth Navy policy was that no officer was to make a Tube video describing what happened. It didn’t really matter, as they all supported Kelvin and welcomed his praise. What made Holloway nervous were the slow growing number of videos that denounced Kelvin as a tyrant and praised the Wanderers. Some even called for his capture by the Wanderers.
The doors to the projection room parted for the two officers. Queen Eleyn’s projection was already waiting for them.
“Captain Ali. Commander Holloway,” Queen Eleyn said.
The buzzing projection of her was poor. They were very far away from Earth. It was nearly on the other side of the sun. The connection came through thousands of satellites, placed between planets at various points in the Nine Kingdom, which was the only way they could get around the sun’s radiation. It was possible that connection had been transmitted through satellites that were past Pluto and then beamed back to the Monarch. It was a technological miracle they could even get a connection at that distant, let alone a live one with no delay. In the first days of space travel, it would take hours to communicate a message to other planets. It was instant, thanks to the precise network of satellites the Nine Kingdoms maintained.
