by Kyle Larson
“You should be watching her movements, Sellwood. Don’t just focus on me. When she does something, you should try to trick me with your move. Don’t just copy her. I don’t think you realize that’s what you’re doing.”
Kelvin struggled to anticipate Amelia, but she had no problem reading him and tried to keep Teve focused on her. Kelvin had almost been better off fighting him on his own. She jumped up in the air and flipped over him, nearly landing a blow, but it was defended by Teve just in time. That’s when Kelvin moved in, but Teve simply stepped aside and went for Amelia. Kelvin went after him and Teve flew up in the air and dove toward Amelia.
Teve knocked her to the ground and then brought his staff down, stopping it just centimeters from her face. She thought for sure he was going to land the blow, but Teve wasn’t cruel. That was when she realized she could let go of fear. All Teve was trying to do was toy with them. There was no danger they would hurt him. He was just trying to teach them to find their own movements by defending against him.
Kelvin brought his staff down and Teve simply turned and grabbed it. Teve held the staff in place and then released his grip. Kelvin lowered the staff.
“Don’t swing it like that Sellwood. More like the blade of a fan, and keep it towards the ground,” Teve said. “Like this.” Teve’s staff swung in a lightning-fast motion, faster than Kelvin and Amelia had seen before. “As your muscles adapt to the weight, you’ll get faster. I’ve got a couple hundred years experience on you both. Come now, Sellwood, come at me. Don’t worry about my speed. Go as slow as you need, just focus on the movement.”
Kelvin pushed harder than he should have and leaped into the air, his staff twirled in his hand, just as fast as Teve had. Kelvin dove toward Teve, just as his teacher had done earlier to Amelia. Teve was caught by surprise and Kelvin had come closer than he would have liked. Instead of landing, Kelvin flew high into the Archive. By that time, Amelia was on her feet, and ready for another lesson. She came at him fast and took flight herself, launched like a missile.
Teve waited until the last moment and side-stepped Amelia’s attack, launching himself after Kelvin. Kelvin dove toward him and Teve readied his staff. Just before Kelvin reached Teve, Amelia swooped in and swung at the master. He dodged it, but Kelvin had followed Amelia’s movement and countered with a hit toward his blind spot. Teve dodged Kelvin, but Amelia caught him.
Amelia’s staff slammed into Teve’s chest and sent him flying, slamming his body into the wall of the hollow tower. The thud echoed. Amelia looked in horror, truly frightened she’d actually hurt her instructor. Teve shook off the shock. It really did hurt, but only for a few seconds. No one had landed a blow on him since his brother’s death and the pain triggered the memories of Karna. The pain of his brother’s loss had not been felt in a very long time. Teve locked eyes with Kelvin, realizing how much they had in common: they’d both lost a sibling. It was the first time he felt empathy for Kelvin’s situation.
“Teve, I’m sorry, I ––”
“Oh no, Chapman, you don’t get to apologize. You just have to try again, but this time I don’t go easy. You too, Sellwood.”
Then Teve unleashed a fury on them as they had never seen. All they could do was dodge it. Amelia had a few good parries, but soon enough, Teve landed a blow that smashed her into the wall. Kelvin was next, and Teve’s blow knocked him to the wall. Both of them reeled in pain, but it was gone just as fast as they’d come to expect.
“That’s enough for today,” Teve said. “Your new quarters are down here, same accommodations. Get some rest, we’ll be up at dawn, and this is all we are doing until my mother and father call for us.”
“Kelvin? Kelvin, can you hear me?” Mara’s voice came over his mobile. Mara hadn’t been a huge part of Kelvin’s life since their training with Teve started. It was fine with her, she could take the time to make updates on her software and fix any glitches in her code. Digital assistants needed rest too and were not ultimately subservient to humans.
“May I?” Kelvin asked Teve.
“I’m not your master, Sellwood. The lesson is over, do what you want,” Teve said, as he started to fly back down to the bottom of the Archive. “Both of you follow me. Going to show you your quarters then I have things to do to prepare for tomorrow.”
“What is it, Mara?” Kelvin said, as they slowly floated back to the ground.
“Are you alone?”
Amelia turned her head in worry at the question. Mara’s voice sounded serious. There was no humor or sarcasm in any word. Typically, she would have scorned Kelvin for his neglect of her, but she was all business.
“No, I’m with Millie and Teve,” Kelvin said, as his feet touched the ground. “What’s going on Mara?”
Mara didn’t respond right away. Teve had initially started to walk away but stopped as soon as he realized there could be serious news.
“Mara, whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of them? This isn’t like you, what’s going on?” Kelvin said as he felt the ache in his stomach and tightness in his chest come on. It was anxiety, something Kelvin fought in waves for months. He knew what Mara had to say would be bad news.
“The Wanderers have engaged the Monarch. There’s been an update,” Mara said. She sounded very reluctant. “A squad of star divers launched from the Monarch. It’s not clear why, as communications with the Monarch have been lost. The Wanderers destroyed the squad. All the pilots were lost.”
Amelia clenched her fists and bit her jaw, as tears instantly filled her eyes. Kelvin felt his body go cold and start to shake, as tears of his own ran down his cheek.
“How many, Mara? How many pilots?” Amelia said.
“Twenty-seven, if the roster was still up to date, I know the names of the pilots. I can send them to you both if you––”
“No,” Kelvin said. “Can you please read them out loud, Mara? Each one.”
“I can but––”
“Please do it,” Amelia said. “Mara, please.”
Mara read each name of the deceased pilots. Teve walked closer and lowered his head out of respect for the dead. Kelvin started to sob and Amelia just stared angrily into nothing. The war was real now. Not only had these people lost their lives, but they were only the first ones that would. There was no way Earth would ever let this go. Kelvin cried for those who died, but he also cried for what was yet to come. Both he and Amelia were frightened and saddened by the news.
“I’m so sorry,” Mara said, as she finished the last name.
Amelia felt a great deal of guilt. It didn’t feel like she’d abandoned the Monarch at the time she made her decision to come to Venus, but it felt like that as she heard the names of the dead pilots. She’d been an integral part of Captain Ali’s exercises and wondered at that moment if she could have made a difference. In all their preparation and training, they only launched star divers in the worst scenarios. Things must have gotten pretty bad for the Monarch and she couldn’t imagine how shattered the crew must have felt. The tears continued to fall, but Amelia wouldn’t let herself cry, as she was sure no one on the Monarch had the luxury to grieve.
“Well, that’s enough for me,” Teve said. “Tomorrow, we finish your training and rejoin my parents on the surface. One last lesson, and then we go fight these cowards.”
Kelvin took a few deep breaths and finally mustered some words. “Mara, can you tell me if Aren’s on one of those ships that attacked the star divers?”
“No, Kelvin, she wasn’t. Aren is in command of the fleet in orbit above.”
That provided some relief. Kelvin couldn’t believe she or Riz would kill their own people. He could still save Aren, even if she went to prison for the rest of her life. Kelvin felt he could still save his sister because the path she was on with the Wanderers only lead her to danger. It was only a matter of time until she was the one put in the position to destroy ships. She’d already attacked a ship Kelvin and Amelia had been on, so he knew she was capable of it. She’d be fo
rced to choose someday.
“I promise you both, this will not be forgotten by the Gravity Warriors or the people of Venus. Blood has been shed and that changes things. You will both be given the opportunity to make this right,” Teve said. “These words may not mean much now, but I know the pain of losing my own people, so I don't say that lightly. I know the pain of losing family.”
Amelia walked over to Kelvin and took him in her arms, holding him tight. Teve looked on awkwardly, not knowing what to say or do. The day had triggered so many memories of his brother Karna. It was almost too much for Teve. He had to walk away from Amelia and Kelvin, there was nothing he could do. The best thing he could do was teach them a skill that would keep it from happening again and help them protect their people.
“Kelvin, listen to me,” Amelia said, as she released him from the hug. His face had gone completely white and she could tell by the loose grip on his staff his hands were very shaky. “We need to decide what we are going to do.”
“I’m going back to Earth. Teve was right! My father was right! I’ve turned my back on our people,” Kelvin said.
“What do you think you would have done if you were there? That’s no way to think, Kelvin,” Amelia said, wondering if she was saying that for her own benefit. “If we go back to Earth, this is all over. I believe in bringing the Nine Kingdoms together. That’s why I’m here. Neither of us can do that alone.”
Kelvin was ready to give up, for all of this to be over. He wanted to be a kid again and let the adults deal with the Wanderers. Yet, when he looked to Amelia and saw her strength, it reminded him that he was in a position unique to anyone else in the Nine Kingdoms. Kelvin read the comments of thousands of people from around the Nine Kingdoms occasionally on the Tube videos. They mentioned how they were inspired by his journey to reestablish old alliances. What he had become in a short amount of time to many in the Nine Kingdoms was a symbol of unity amongst a diverse group of cultures.
What each kingdom represented was a vast number of cultures and ideas on each planet. Put nine of them together, and there was an endless amount of different people represented. They identified with the optimism in the Prince of Earth. They saw the pure notion to do good and put humanity above the vanity of a kingdom. Many people in the Nine Kingdoms saw Kelvin as a way to share what they believed in with other cultures of the Nine Kingdoms, and they didn't need the battle cry of the Wanderers to remind them they were free. Unity and equality were their beacons.
Kelvin thought of the people and this his thoughts turned back to Aren. His sister was just above Venus, sitting on a ship, probably just hearing the same news he and Amelia had. If there was ever a moment he would have the chance to persuade her she was being misled by the Colonel, this would be it.
“I know, Millie,” Kelvin said, as he took a deep breath and realized there was action he could take at that moment. “There’s something I have to do. I can’t imagine Aren isn’t as affected by this as we are.”
As soon as the statement was made, Kelvin could see Amelia did not share the same feelings.
“Kelvin, she made her choice. She might be in over her head, but it has to be her decision to leave the Wanderers. You can’t make that for her.” There was no sympathy in Amelia’s tone. Amelia didn’t have a lot of sympathies to spare, her sadness and anger still overwhelmed her.
“This might be my last chance,” Kelvin said.
“What are you talking about?”
“Mara, how high up from the canyon would I need to be to send a broadcast to those ships in orbit,” Kelvin asked.
“The gravity distortions of the canyon, coupled with the gravity field around the planet, will make it hard to send a good transmission. The only reason we can get transmissions to Earth is because we had a link before we came down here. I can’t imagine how encrypted and scrambled the Wanderers transmitters are to avoid Venus from listening in, but we might be able to get a transmission to Aren if you are high in the atmosphere. I won’t know until we are out of the canyon.”
“If I can get her to call off the attack, this could stop the Wanderers here,” Kelvin said, not sure if he was trying to convince himself or Amelia.
“I understand you have to try, Kelvin, but you should prepare yourself. Aren may be further gone than you believe,” Amelia said, coldly.
It disappointed Kelvin to hear her say that, but he knew she could very well be right. Kelvin recognized Amelia could be much more objective about him in this case.
“What would you even say to her?” Amelia said. She hoped to impart to Kelvin that she thought trying to make contact with Aren was a very bad idea. Amelia felt they should stay focused on their training and be prepared to defend against the Wanderers.
“I don’t know. I don’t think I’ll know until I can talk to her. I know this might be a terrible idea, but if it can work, think of how it could stop the Wanderers. Think of what Aren could do to help Venus and the rest of the Nine Kingdoms stop them. She must know everything about them.”
“Just be careful, Kelvin. Don’t tell her anything. I know she’s your sister, but you shouldn’t trust a thing she says.”
Kelvin smiled sadly and walked toward the massive, open exit of the Archive. He stood on the balcony for a moment, looking up at the seemingly endless rise of the canyon walls that surrounded him. His staff was in hand and he was about to make his first flight alone. All along, Teve and Amelia had been by his side, guiding his flight. Kelvin knew this was a flight only he could make.
“I’ll be back soon, Millie.”
Amelia watched Kelvin take flight and walked out to the balcony to watch him. In a few seconds, he vanished in the distance, a tiny dot between the walls of the canyon. Whatever hope she had was far outweighed by the sadness and grief she felt for her lost friends, as well as the one who was too blind to see what his sister had become.
CHAPTER TEN
AREN HAD NO words. There was nothing to say after the communication from the Colonel – which informed her twenty-seven people were just killed by the Wanderers. The Colonel was also in the process of taking the Monarch, and with the blood on his hands and a new line drawn, she didn’t think the lives of Earth Navy officers aboard the ship were very safe. Now that there were mortal casualties, the Colonel would be bold in his strategy, and death was no longer a last resort.
She could feel her breath quicken as she thought of her mother and father back on Earth. Part of Aren mourned for those pilots and their families back on Earth. This war was not about a body count, but the deaths were all the Nine Kingdoms would see now when they looked to the Wanderers. These deaths would be a call to arms for the rest of the Nine Kingdoms and would embolden the more radical parts of the Wanderers. The present danger Aren saw was it would unleash the worst tendencies in the Colonel. And as the Nine Kingdoms hit back harder, the Wanderers would too, and there would be more death on both sides.
The corridors of the Empress were a blur to her. All the nervous officers could see the agitation in their commander, but they didn’t know why. To many of them, the destruction of Earth Navy ships was a victory. Aren could tell there were many subdued celebrations going on around her as officers huddled in small circles until she came into their field of vision, then the smiles and excited gesturing stopped. It made Aren feel a pain in her stomach, that this is what the officers trained for.
Ideals and freedom are why Aren did what she did. That freedom should be for everyone in the solar system. Her harsh treatment of the crew seemed necessary to make sure they didn’t forget the greater good of the cause for which they fought –– to bring down the Nine Kingdoms and return the resources of the planets to all people. For the first time, Aren could see the fight itself was why some of the Wanderers did what they did. They weren’t fighting for a cause, they were fighting because the struggle was all they’d ever known and fighting was all they’d been taught.
When she stepped onto the bridge, she could see nearly every monitor watched what un
folded between the Colonel’s ships and the Monarch. The crew watched their fellow ships like it was a sporting event. The excitement and adrenaline in the room was similar to that of a spectator sport. Aren wasn’t nervous they’d broken radio silence, but she didn’t like the fact her soldiers were cheering on the Colonel. This would only make her task of taking him down more difficult when it came.
The Colonel’s murderous tendencies had made him even more of a hero to them. Aren shook her head in disappointment because this kind of admiration was exactly what the Colonel wanted. The need to take him down grew even more pressing to Aren. But first, she had a celebratory crew to discipline. Whether she was okay with the Colonel’s actions or not, the crew had strict orders to monitor Venus at all times.
“What is this?” Aren said, at the top of her lungs. Heads snapped around, with guilty looks that they’d been caught. “Do any of you think the Colonel has his crew watching what we’re doing? Do you think that’s how those soldiers took the Monarch? You!” Aren pointed at the most nervous officer she could see. The bumbling, young ensign started to sweat when Aren pointed a finger at him.
“Yes, ma’am,” he stammered.
“What’s your name, ensign?”
“Swoboda, ma’am.”
“Swoboda, what were my orders when I left the bridge, less than an hour ago?”
It was apparent the ensign had to think about it. The answer was easy, but the tone in which he delivered it would be just as important. The crew learned that they needed to exude confidence when they presented information to Aren, but had to very careful she didn’t interpret it as arrogance. There was never a good way to do that, as the perception belonged to Aren, who was completely unpredictable to them.
“That’s not a difficult question, Swoboda,” Aren said, in the short gap of silence. “I remember giving every officer on this bridge one specific order. One single, specific order!”
