by Kyle Larson
The Monarch would act as a disguise for him to land on Venus once the shield was down. It would keep the Gravity Warriors from attacking so he and his people could land on the surface of Venus.
The Colonel picked up a tablet, swiped it, and its pixels came to life. After a few more swipes, Sir Ristep Aker stared back at him.
“Riz,” the Colonel seemed to hiss. “I hope you have some good news for me.”
“I do indeed, sir,” Riz said. His relationship with the Colonel had improved, but he was still looking for an opportunity to take him down. Riz and Aren both shared that pursuit. The Colonel didn’t trust him any more than Aren. “We’ve completed all repairs and construction of eighty-one percent of the fleet. Shall I send some reinforcements for you or Commander Sellwood?”
Riz wanted to watch Aren and the Colonel face off from a distance. Whoever was leftover would be that much weakened from the fight, Riz could move in and take their command. He had no idea what the Colonel had planned, but Riz didn’t have much confidence in Aren. In a way he was relieved that she would no longer be his responsibility. She would serve her purpose by weakening the Colonel so that Riz could ultimately defeat him. Her youth didn’t stand a chance against the Colonel.
Until then, Riz did what he was told and tried to be a good officer. There was no use in challenging the Colonel, since he and Riz essentially wanted the same things for the fleet he was building. All of the ships he rebuilt and all of the crew he trained would be in his command. There was no reason for him not to keep the Wanderers functioning like a machine so it would be that much stronger when he took it over, especially since all its new officers would be loyal to him.
“That won’t be necessary. As soon as we’ve finished with the Monarch we will proceed to Venus to aid what’s left of Commander Aren’s fleet. We’ve just disabled the Monarch and it’s part of our fleet now. I have all our squads going over there to keep an eye on the crew.”
Riz gulped. He didn’t like the thought of his old friends’ welfares depending on the Colonel.
“They’ll surrender. They’re not going to put up a fight.” It was Riz’s way of reminding the Colonel that Earth Navy officers were not ready for an electro gun fight. “Is Major Rison with you?”
“Of course she is. She’s preparing the security team. I expect the training you and I have given her over the years is about to go to good use.”
The concern for Riz’s student, Juda Rison, was genuine. He knew she was ready for battle, but just hoped her youth would not make her careless. He’d tried to temper her more aggressive tendencies in the combat training he’d given her, but the Colonel undid most of his training when he took over. Juda had once been his student, but the Colonel sent a message by making her his first officer. She would be working for him now, not Riz. It was the one officer Riz wished he hadn’t lost to the Colonel and hoped he could get back.
An alert went off from the monitor in front of the Colonel. It was a proximity alert. A squad of star divers had launched from the Monarch and were attacking the shuttles filled with the Colonel’s soldiers. The shuttles were no match for the star divers, and each electro-blast left a shuttle floating. Once all the shuttles had been disabled, the star divers started heading towards the other ships.
“If you’ll excuse me, I have something I need to deal with.”
Before Riz could respond, the Colonel cut the transmission. The Colonel was about to do something he knew Riz would not approve of and wasn’t in the mood to hear defiance. The Colonel was sick of people fighting him, so he wanted to send a message.
“Bridge, arm the astra-torpedoes,” the Colonel said.
Astra torpedoes destroyed, they did not disable, as electro blasts did. They were deadly weapons. The torpedoes would destroy the star divers.
CHAPTER NINE
KELVIN LOOKED DOWN at Amelia, who was a few steps behind him. She had made the smart decision to stop for water. Kelvin was afraid if he stopped for water he would collapse. Amelia paced herself and was not as fatigued as Kelvin. He was trying to operate on adrenaline and pushed his body too fast. Amelia knew that slow and steady was the only way for the body to adapt to the staff. The staffs had not gotten any lighter for either of them.
It didn’t matter to Kelvin, and he knew he was pushing himself too hard, but he was stubborn. So far in their training, Amelia had surpassed him in every aspect. Kelvin wanted to at least be as good or better in one section of their training. He climbed a few more steps and then came to a stop. His thirst overcame any desire to push on.
“It’s going to take us a week to get to the top at this rate,” Kelvin said.
“I don’t think we’re supposed to be going this slow the whole way. He said our bodies would adapt. At some point, we should be able to fly, just like he did with his staff. If anything, we don’t have weeks. The Gravity Warriors must be getting ready to take on the Wanderers. You heard what he said, we have to be ready to stand with them. I have a feeling our training has been, uh, accelerated.”
That made Kelvin think, about the first time they’d discovered a new ability. It had been just a few hundred feet from where they stood now. It took a leap of faith, and Kelvin wondered if maybe they’d overcomplicated trying to figure out Teve’s lesson about the staffs. The strange way gravity worked on Venus, it made Kelvin think that he may be able to use it. Gravity was at its strongest when in free fall, so maybe all he needed was that momentum. Kelvin put his flask back in his pack and walked to the ledge, dragging the heavy stone staff with him.
“Kelvin…what are you doing?”
Kelvin held the staff firm and leaned over the edge. Before Amelia could grab him, Kelvin leaped, diving down toward the bottom of the archive. He pushed the staff in front of him, and suddenly, Kelvin felt like he was in control of his fall. Sure enough, he slowed his descent and swooped back up toward Amelia. He waved to her as he sped up toward the top of the Archive, faster than he had ever flown before. The staff was more than a weapon, it was a lightning rod for the Venusian gravity. The more intense the gravity, the easier it was to hold the staff.
Amelia shook her head and couldn’t believe she hadn’t realized what Kelvin had. She put her flask back away and moved to the ledge. Just like Kelvin, she took a steep tumble and then soared up toward the top of the Archive.
The thoughts of Aren came into Kelvin’s mind as he flew toward the top of the Archive. He thought of his sister and it filled him with anxiety. Kelvin knew the day would come where his sister would be truly lost. It would not be easy for her to come back to Earth, but it was still possible. Over the past months, Kelvin had pushed Aren from his mind. He knew the pain and shame his parents must have felt. For so long they believed she was lost forever, then to have the glimmer of hope that she’s alive come true, only to find out she’s been corrupted and wants to destroy you.
Something in Kelvin was certain it was already too late for Aren. Whenever adrenaline found him, like it did as he shot through the air, Kelvin thought of tumbling through space in the Antioch Belt, trying to escape his sister. He felt lucky to be alive. If his uncle and the Lunar Guardians hadn’t helped him, Kelvin would either still be floating in space or locked up in a Wanderer's jail. Instead, he and his friend were learning something no one else from Earth ever had. They were free and could fly through the skies of Venus.
Kelvin and Amelia were preparing to fight for what they believed in. Kelvin knew that Aren was, too, and that made him nervous. He doubted there was any better way to prepare for the challenge ahead than Teve’s lessons. He could see the top of the Archive approach, so he slowed down, remembering the last time he’d smashed into the glass ceiling.
Teve floated there, waiting for him.
“You figured it out before the lieutenant? Catching up, Sellwood,” Teve said, in what was as close to a joking manner as he could get. Kelvin and Amelia doubted they would ever be friends with Teve, but they were relieved they had broken some of his tough guy persona. He
’d taken to calling them by their last names, instead of the rigid titles of ‘lord’ and ‘lieutenant’.
“What is this thing?” Kelvin said. He held up the staff and was nearly breathless from how fast he’d just traveled.
“I told you, Sellwood, it’s your staff. The ore of the stone attracts the gravity. This will make you stronger and faster than you can imagine. To anyone else not from Venus, this stone would be impossibly heavy to pick up. Now it feels light as a twig, no?”
“It does!” Kelvin said.
Amelia sprung up near them. She looked equally surprised as Kelvin had been. Teve rolled his eyes at them both, just like he did to every student. He wanted to humble them a little bit. As a teacher, Teve wanted to make sure new abilities he passed on to his students were done slowly. No one should have all the powers of a Gravity Warrior all at once. Teve had seen what happened when people didn’t deal well with the responsibility of having those powers.
“What is this thing?” Amelia said, not knowing she repeated Kelvin’s question.
“Magical rocks,” Kelvin joked.
“It’s the ore, right?” Amelia said. The concept didn’t take long for her to figure out.
Teve nodded his head and she tested how capable she was with the staff. She swung it like she would a sword, cutting through the air extremely fast.
“Careful,” Teve said. “It takes years to master the staff. What I’m going to teach you in our limited time together will be what saves your lives when we fight the Wanderers. These staffs are strong enough to smash through steel and shatter other rock. It is how we will fight against the Wanderers. They can bring electro-cannons and astra-torpedoes, but their ships will be no match for a well-trained Gravity Warrior and their staff.”
As calm as Teve said that, the reality of discussing a fight made Kelvin nervous. He hated the idea of violence. Everything he had been taught was against it. Still, there were those that attacked, and he had to remind himself this was defense. The Wanderers didn’t have to spread their message through war, they made that choice. Aren made her choice, and a fight was unavoidable. It was just very difficult for Kelvin to accept.
“I’ve heard stories,” Amelia said. Her mind once again went back to the Chapman family archives, that described many of these fantastic things that kept turning out to be true.
“So, Chapman, you want to learn how to swing that. Watch me,” Teve said.
Suddenly, Teve swung impossibly fast at Kelvin, who dodged in mid-air, barely missing the end of the staff. Teve held the staff in one hand and swung it with the finesse of a painter –– with fine, quick strokes. Teve didn’t stop, but Kelvin was surprised how quickly he was able to move out of the way. He held onto his staff but was nervous to try and parry the blows, for fear it would slow him down.
“Notice how each movement is one. I know where I’m going to strike, exactly where the movement ends before each new movement begins. It is just doing several small things at the correct speed and with the correct motion. Not all at once, but in the proper sequence, but don't think of this like a dance. Think of it like a blank canvas you are trying to paint a picture on. Every movement you make should lead to something greater by the end, with no two movements the same,” Teve said. “Each movement is its own. Do not think of them leading into each other. Do you understand me, Chapman?”
Teve did not take his eyes away from Amelia’s as he spoke, still swiping at Kelvin, who struggled each time.
“Sellwood, you’ll get your lesson later, just try not to get hit,” Teve said. He continued to swing at Kelvin, who continued to dodge. “Just watch, Chapman. Watch the beginning and the end. Each time.”
Amelia was mesmerized at the speed and eloquence Teve had, even as he aggressively pursued Kelvin. The fight remained in mid-air, as they circled around one another. In her mind, Amelia calculated the strength and speed she would have to use to mimic it. Before, she swung the sword in clunky strokes. What Teve did was something else entirely. One movement to the next, no movement repeated, a strategy she thought must have been designed so an opponent could not adapt. It was like nothing she’d ever seen and couldn’t imagine the combination of thought and reflexes it must have required from Teve.
“Sellwood, you do know you can fly, right? Why not try to fly away? Isn’t this boring for you?” Teve said.
“Guess you have a point,” Kelvin said, his breath a little quicker. The sharp movements were starting to wear on him, so Kelvin took his teacher’s advice and dove back down toward the bottom of the Archive. He had a feeling that’s where the lesson would primarily take place.
Kelvin looked behind him and saw Teve was hot on his tail. There was no way that Kelvin was going to outrun his teacher, he knew that. Teve eventually caught up to him and started to strike at him while they both dove toward the bottom of the temple. Kelvin struggled while trying to maintain his speed. Teve gave him little choice, so Kelvin turned on his side into a barrel roll and extended his staff. The two stone staffs smashed together. The pain from the reverberations flashed through Kelvin’s wrists, but like all pain on Venus it was gone in seconds.
“You sure you want to do that, Sellwood. Maybe you should worry about two things at once, instead of three,” Teve said, completely calm, but still swinging at Kelvin.
Amelia was just behind them.
Kelvin looked up and realized he was going to smash right into the floor. He stopped himself just in time and put his feet down. Teve landed a second later and continued his assault. He was even quicker when they stood. Kelvin was still able to dodge and jump over his strokes. The two of them glided across the floor, Kelvin nearly tripped over his feet, but he remembered the way he moved them when he flew, which gave him some grace. Kelvin realized that he was moving with so much speed but his finesse in dodging the attack by Teve was better than he thought. It was more apparent now that he was on the ground and not bombing through the air.
Amelia stayed in the air so she could see their movements. She couldn’t believe how well coordinated and fast Kelvin was. He ducked and dodged everything.
“Chapman, come down here,” Teve said. “You need to see what Sellwood and I see. We’re not putting on a show for you. You need to be paying attention.”
She touched down, not far from them. As they moved across the massive room, Amelia followed, never taking her eyes off of Kelvin and Teve’s motions.
“Not bad at all, Sellwood. You’re better on your feet than you are in the air, so I guess that’s what we’ll have to work on,” Teve said. He stopped swinging and lowered his staff. “Now, Sellwood, you watch.”
Without warning, Teve flung himself at Amelia and swung at her. Amelia immediately raised her staff to block and the painful impact rattled every muscle she had. It didn’t deter Amelia, she just grit her teeth and prepared for the next one.
“You sure you want to do this, Chapman?” Teve said.
Amelia took a breath and parried again. She was able to block and dodge every blow, but as she looked for a chance to swing back at Teve it seemed impossible. His movements were so unpredictable and each one came at her at an angle of its own. Teve lifted himself off the floor and started to raise himself above her, not at all relenting his offensive, and almost daring her to rise with him. Instead of matching him, she shot up past him, returning the dare for him to follow her. Teve went after her, with Kelvin behind him, still a bit flustered from his demonstration.
“Keep up, Sellwood!” Teve said. He didn’t take his eyes off Amelia, as he expected she’d try something tricky.
Amelia stopped suddenly and took a swing at Teve, who blocked it easily and returned the blow. Amelia got lucky and blocked it, but now she was mid-air, trying to keep up with her parries. It was much more difficult to concentrate on keeping your balance and grace when gravity couldn’t keep you anchored to anything. She felt like a limp yo-yo and returned to the strategy of dodging Teve’s blows.
“I think that’s going to work out a lot
better for you now, Chapman. But, I respect your ambition,” Teve said. “Sellwood, focus on everything I’m doing. One movement, that’s all. Where I start and where I end. Keep your eyes focused on that one movement.”
Amelia found herself watching it as well. She forgot everything, aside from where her body was in mid-air hundreds of feet above the Archive floor, and focused on the movements. She decided to try again and dove back down toward the bottom of the Archive. Teve and Kelvin followed. As soon as she landed, she grasped the staff with one hand, angling it so one end was nearly touching the ground. She figured it was the best way to get more gravity to her aid. When Teve landed he took a couple moments to study her pose.
“Did you mean to hold it like that or was it an accident?” Teve asked. He had no expression.
“It’s how I should hold it,” Amelia said.
“You’re a quick learner,” Teve said. Then he continued his attack.
Amelia's new grip made all the difference. It was the best way to draw power to the ore of the staff with gravity. The lower you went, the lighter the staff felt and the quicker it moved. It was a matter of reigning it in in quick spirts, which she did, enough so to defend against Teve.
Teve was not fighting at his hardest or most skilled, but he was going harder on Amelia than he would on most students at her level. Amelia handled it well. It wasn’t easy for her, but she felt confident with each movement. She defended, but she also managed to get in a few swings of her own.
“Now you come at me too, Sellwood. Watch Chapman. Move in on me,” Teve said.
Amelia stopped swinging her staff, irritated that Kelvin was going to step in just as she was starting to find her rhythm.
“Oh no, Chapman, you’re not done. Both of you. Learn what it’s like to defend and attack as a team.”
Once Kelvin moved in, Teve took it up another level of speed and accuracy. Both of them struggled to defend, but Kelvin started to get a few swings in. It was still Amelia who dominated the offensive. Teve started to get frustrated because they weren’t working together.
