by Kyle Larson
“So I’ve heard,” Erelm said.
“Do you still have the plans for it? To build the Valcor?”
“They’re in the palace archive. I don’t see why they wouldn’t be there now. Right before Aren went missing, I thought about building it. As you know, I became distracted,” Erelm said. “Now my daughter has turned on her people and her family. It’s time for me to move on. It’s time for the grief to stop.”
It pleased Earlos to hear those words and see some light in the dark eyes of Erelm. When he was young, Erelm was an imposing figure, but he’d become meek in his seclusion. Earlos recognized more of the former friend when he looked at him on the balcony. Erelm looked alive, despite the matted beard with gray and white patches. His hair had become long and thin, unkempt with the same silver stands that speckled his face. For a moment, those age indicators seemed to disappear and Earlos looked at a man who could’ve had his whole life in front of him. There was one thing Earlos knew though, is that this sight and the words Erelm spoke should not have been for him.
“Erelm, I’d suggest you get the naval yards in Greenland to build the Valcor. They build fine ships.”
“They are fulfilling orders for more ships. There’s a graduating class from the academy and we’ll be able to launch three more ships in the next six months. The Royal Council won’t authorize me to stop that for the production of one ship, even if it is the Valcor.”
“Erelm,” Earlos began, hesitant in what he was about to say. “Perhaps you could ask Eleyn to ask the council. The person I’m seeing, the words you are speaking…those should be for Eleyn. If we’re speaking as friends, you shouldn’t be worried about building ships we dreamed up when we were young. You should be rebuilding your marriage and your family. Your wife needs you. Your son needs you. The people of Earth need you.”
Erelm picked up the glass of whiskey and took another sip. It was sweet it but burned his throat. The words Earlos spoke were true and their truth hurt.
“Eleyn doesn’t need me.”
“You’re a fool if you think that. Yes, she’s strong. She’s kept your house together for the last ten years, but she can’t keep doing it alone. The Royal Council is waiting for their chance to replace you as king. If things don’t change, she’s going to give up. I don’t think she knows that yet. She’s had no time to grieve for Aren and she’s the reason I went to the Antioch Belt. She’s terribly worried about Kelvin.”
“I’m just a fool, Earlos. I’ve lost a daughter, but I didn’t realize until it was too late that I’d lost a wife and son, as well,” Erelm said.
“You haven’t lost anyone. Nothing is lost, Erelm. Not even Aren. We can only do what life allows us to, but you can still take control of your life. Start with Eleyn. I’ll speak with my people about building the Valcor, but you need to get back your kingdom. The Lunar Guardians stand with you,” Earlos said, in as encouraging a tone as he could.
It had been a long time since Erelm felt anyone believed in him, including himself. There had been days when it was difficult to look in the mirror. The days turned into nights and back into days, as Erelm barely slept and just watched the clouds float on the horizon. He had been a prisoner in himself, with a sadness he no longer needed to bear. That sadness slowed down everything for him, while the rest of life in the Nine Kingdoms seemed to speed up and leave him behind. It seemed like yesterday Kelvin was a small child whom he had to tell his sister was lost. Now, Kelvin was on his way to becoming an adult and on the frontline of what would be a major battle in a coming war.
Kelvin was fighting for his kingdom because Erelm was unable. Erelm didn’t need a ship to make him a leader. Erelm realized he needed his family and he could pick things back up.
“Thank you, my friend. Please let me know if your people are willing. I’d love to see the Valcor fly someday, but you’re right in that I have much work to do,” Erelm said.
Earlos set his empty glass back down on the rail and bowed his head in respect.
“Thanks for the drink,” Earlos said, as he turned to go.
Erelm watched his friend leave and then he reached for his mobile, tucked into the pocket of his jacket. He thumbed through the contacts, as he rarely used it, other than to watch the occasional Tube or check the news around the Nine Kingdoms. He couldn’t even remember the last time he made a call. He found Eleyn and pressed down to start the call. She answered immediately.
“Erelm?” She said and sounded somewhere between concerned and startled.
“Hello, my dear,” Erelm said.
The king wouldn’t know, but he hoped the healing would begin, for both of them. There was work to do, but nothing they could not finish together.
“Major Rison, you’ll be pleased to hear that we have just cleared interception range. There’s no way that the Earth Navy will be able to catch us now,” the Colonel said from his workstation.
Juda had just walked onto the bridge. The Colonel didn’t even bother to turn to face her. She was used to it and could tell the Colonel was ready to put his plan into motion. She could see the pilots had full control over all the systems, but the team of hackers was still trying to get access to the central computer core. Their brows were furrowed and their expressions strained. The team usually stared at their screens, emotionless and vacant, so it was easy to tell they were a little more stressed than usual. The core must have been well protected, due to the grim expressions on their faces.
She didn’t need to wait for the Colonel to give her an order. Juda knew it was time to get to work. She activated her mobile and reached out to the engineers who’d come aboard. They were hard at work somewhere in the bowels of the ship. A technician came online right away.
“Yes, Major Rison?” an officer said over the speaker. Juda had it going through the comm system of the bridge, so the Colonel could here and participate in the conversation if he wanted to.
“What’s the status of the engine modifications? Who is this?” Juda said. Since she was much younger than most people on the bridge and most likely the person she spoke to, Juda used a harsher tone to add intimidation. It was the easiest way for her to compensate and keep them from second-guessing. Like Aren, she wanted them to know she could be mean.
“Woodav, ma’am, head technician,” the voice answered back, rattled Juda. “Yes, ma’am, we’ve finished the installation. We are still running a few tests and simulations to make sure the structural integrity holds.”
“This is the Colonel. The order is given. The Monarch will hold together. Bring the new engine online now.”
Woodav knew better than to question the Colonel, especially in front of the whole ship.
“Yes, sir should take us five minutes and it will be fully charged for a burst,” Woodav replied.
“Make it two minutes, Woodav. Time starts now.” The Colonel ended the transmission.
“Pilots, prepare to bring the burst engines online,” Juda said.
The pilots looked to each other nervously.
“What’s the problem?” She snapped.
“Did you think I ordered you to stop your search just so you could come up here and keep us all company, Major Rison?” The Colonel said with a cackle. “You’re the only one onboard who knows interplanetary navigation. You’re going to need to give the dummies flying this thing a direction to go in.”
Juda felt embarrassed. Here she was, ready to charge into battle, but all the Colonel wanted from her was a set of calculations. The navigational programs on the Monarch wouldn’t be able to calculate a course with how fast they would be going. Juda would have to do it using her knowledge, as navigation was an expertise of hers.
The Wanderers may have lead a bleak life, but they made sure the people in their ranks were educated. Juda’s focus in her final studies was astrophysics, calculus, and cartography. She was a walking computer when it came to navigating between planets. One of the reasons the Wanderers were able to travel so stealthily was because of the routes she’d been able to ch
art from the Antioch Belt to the rest of the Nine Kingdoms.
She took her seat at the workstation near the Colonel and started the calculations. Since all planets were constantly in orbit of the sun, she had to first establish where Venus would be in five hours. That was how long she calculated it would take at the maximum speed the bursting engine was capable of producing to cover the estimated distance. The calculations she made didn’t offer the Monarch an easy path. They’d have to dodge several space stations that floated between them. Most of them were supply stations for cargo freighters, so there’d also be ships coming and going she’d have to account for. The two pilots on the Monarch were new, so Juda wasn’t sure how capable they would be of piloting the Monarch.
Juda was going to need to pilot the Monarch herself. She transmitted the course to the Colonel’s workstation and walked over to him so she could explain.
“It’s not going to be an easy flight, sir, but I’ll get us there,” Juda said, as soon as she was in front of him. She could see the Colonel studied her course and didn’t look up at her right away. When he did, he let a smirk stretch the side of his creased face.
“I suppose you’re going to need to be the one flying,” the Colonel said.
“Yes, sir, unless you think those two can.”
“I’ve no clue. Remind me to reprimand Captain Machosko when we’re finished. He sent me these two and they look younger than you. I’ve been watching them and they don’t have much business flying the Monarch. I was going to order you to fly anyway.”
The two pilots knew to vacate their seats before Juda even approached them. She put a headset on and brought up all the controls. The Earth Navy technology was much better than the outdated machinery in most ships of the Wanderers. Most of their ships were old, with obsolete computers and piloting systems. Juda was grateful she’d learned on those difficult machines because it made the systems of the Monarch feel effortless.
“Sir, all systems are ready to go. Course plotted and ready to engage,” Juda said as if it were her first day on the bridge. She was excited to fly the ship. There hadn’t been any flying in her life for some time. Plus, she had one of the best views on the ship, but not quite as good as the observatory she’d just been standing in.
“Woodav, that’s two minutes,” the Colonel said over the comm system.
“Burst engine charged, sir,” Woodav said as if she’d just run a sprint.
“Go.”
The Monarch had been moving fast before, but as soon as the burst drive kicked in, it vanished in the darkness of space.
Holloway felt her back slam into the thick glass of the outer observatory. The force from the burst drive pinned her against the glass after it tossed her and Captain Ali across the hull. Just to her left, Captain Ali suffered the same fate, the faceplate of her helmet was what suffered the impact. The glass faceplate suffered a hairline crack and Captain Ali was losing oxygen. Holloway was able to reach her and she grasped onto the captain.
“Captain!” Holloway shouted, but there was no response. The captain was unconscious, she could tell as soon as she tugged her closer.
The extreme speed of the Monarch ripped them off the hull, but the dome caught them and their magnetic boots were able to reestablish footing on its metallic base. It did save them hours of time from walking across the hull, as well as further exposure to radiation in the vacuum. It was difficult to move against the inertial force. There wasn’t a lot of time, so Holloway made sure the captain was secure before she started to figure out a way to get them into the observatory.
Captain Ali’s magnetic boots clung to the hull, so Holloway clumsily positioned the captain’s body so it rested against the glass. Since the faceplate was cracked, Holloway wouldn’t have a lot of time to get the captain into the ship. She tried to walk, but it was nearly impossible. She could see an emergency hatch nearby that would let them into the Royal Cabin, at least. Each step felt like she was walking against a strong current of wind that would blow her back.
Holloway decided she needed to try something drastic. She positioned her body toward the hatch and took a hold of Captain Ali. Holloway reached down and turned the captain’s magnetic boots off, but held on to her. The captain’s body was limp and floated, as Holloway kept a tight grip on her arm. She wasn’t sure if what she planned would work, but she wasn’t going to abandon the captain, and the Ali maybe had a minute left to live.
At the same time, Holloway switched off her magnetic boots and fired up her thrusters. In seconds, she and the captain slammed into the hatch after flying across the hull. Quickly, Holloway keyed in the access code to the hatch, it opened, and they were in the decompression chamber, which quickly closed behind them. Holloway started the decompression sequence and ripped Captain Ali’s helmet off, followed by hers.
They were back in the ship, exactly where they needed to be.
Holloway smiled. She was a big believer in little victories leading to big ones.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE DRONE SHIP Amelia and Kelvin picked away at with his staff was as large as many of the giant cargo ships they’d seen in the famed Port of Nairobi –– the largest trading port on Earth. Amelia was able to identify it as a Uranian gunboat but didn’t have time to relay that information to Kelvin and it wouldn’t have mattered. They both had the same vivid memory of their field trip there when they were in elementary school. Ships as big as cities, bringing ice and ore mined off comets and asteroids in transit through the Nine Kingdoms. It was also a display of the wild variety of ship designs throughout the Nine Kingdoms. The ship they fought against was just as awe-inducing as the behemoths they’d seen in their childhood.
Because it was so large and slow, evading the electro-cannons was not difficult for Amelia and Kelvin. What was hard was knowing where to strike the ship to disable it. It felt like they were fleas trying to bring down a lion. Amelia had come up with a plan to attack the ship’s thrusters, but the heat was too intense and they couldn’t get anywhere near them. When that turned out to be a failure, they reverted back to trying to cause the ship to overheat through smashing the exhaust ports, but anytime they crushed one shut with their staffs, three more opened. It would take them hours to bring the ship down and they knew in a real life situation there wouldn’t be time to think of creative solutions.
Out of frustration, Kelvin resorted to just smashing up as much of the hull as he could on the massive freighter. His staff easily put dents in the hull, but it did nothing to move the ship itself. Amelia had put distance between herself and the large vessel, as she tried to assess where its weaknesses could be. She knew Teve wouldn’t have thrown the large ship at them if there wasn’t a way to bring it down. As Kelvin continued his assault, she dodged the electro-blasts and observed. The ship moved relatively fast for its size, but maneuverability didn’t really matter for giants like that. The ship’s purpose was to be a gunboat, with a usual complement of star divers that could swarm small threats like Amelia and Kelvin.
Ships like the one they faced were designed to take on other giants. Amelia and Kelvin clearly weren’t a threat to it, just a nuisance.
Amelia rejoined Kelvin as he smashed what looked like was a communications satellite dish on the lower hull. She could tell he just fought out of frustration now, which wasn’t good because that would only make them tired. Both of them were at the edge of mental and physical exhaustion, after their stand-off with the hundreds, followed by fruitless efforts to bring down this giant ship. Kelvin hadn’t noticed her when she first flew to him, but he looked up and felt a little embarrassed at how much he’d let his anger take over.
“This is useless, Kelvin,” Amelia said. “We’ve been at this for at least twenty minutes. If this were a real battle, this thing would’ve been able to blast a city or other ships without any interference from us.”
That made Kelvin think he should look at the ship differently. Maybe their goal shouldn’t be to disable it or bring it down. A ship that size w
as basically designed to be an impenetrable fortress for electro-cannons. Kelvin counted fifty-eight cannons that had targeted them and he assumed there were many more. Most ships were designed to be very conservative of their power, so at that point, whatever person or program that piloted the ship had deemed their threat only worth fifty-eight cannons. In a way, Kelvin felt flattered.
“I’ve got an idea,” Kelvin said. “Why don’t we try to defang it instead? Take out the cannons and it’s just a floating hunk of metal.”
“That’s a class-twelve gunboat, straight from the Uranian shipyards,” Amelia scoffed. Her knowledge of stellar aviation and its history far exceeded Kelvin’s. “Kelvin, there’s only fifty-eight cannons firing at us right now, but that thing has hundreds of them. It might even have more than the Monarch. It’s one of the largest frigates in the Nine Kingdoms.”
Kelvin stopped for a second to consider the large amount of resources Teve poured into their training. He assumed the drones were all in a pile at the bottom of the canyon and that they’d have to be repaired. Now, if Amelia was saying the ship was Uranian, it was rare and he felt pretty privileged the Gravity Warriors put this much into their training.
“Amelia, we just took out a few hundred drones. There’s no difference between what they were doing and these cannons. It’s probably easier to take out the cannons! Watch me!”
Kelvin darted to the nearest cannon, while dodging each electro-blast that came at him. He wound up his staff and smashed it into the huge cannon, which was three times the size of the other drones. The results were immediate, with smoke and sparks, but Kelvin kept smashing away at it. He had to keep moving and flew in circles as the cannon tried to pivot and adjust to his position. It was much easier than taking on a drone since the cannon was mounted to the hull. It took a little longer to disable the cannon, but eventually, Kelvin reduced it to a smoldering pile of metal.
The ship had an answer for him, though. As soon as he’d crippled the cannon, a large panel on the hull right next to it parted, and a fresh cannon that was identical to the one Kelvin just destroyed rose to the surface and resumed the attack. Amelia flew to assist Kelvin as resumed his attack.
