by Kyle Larson
“Try accessing the piloting controls,” Etho said, as he stepped onto the bridge.
Tendai’s face lit up to see her partner. Etho joined her at the workstation and took over. Tendai was the highest Gravity Warrior, but Etho was the chief of technology for the Gravity Warriors. He swiped through the Empress’ system and brought the piloting controls online. He tried to access the auto-pilot, but it was locked out. Etho realized the unfortunate dilemma they were suddenly faced with.
“The auto-pilot will not function. The only thing working are manual controls,” Etho said. He didn’t need to look at his partner to know she understood. One of them would have to stay behind and pilot the Empress out of the atmosphere. It was without question that as king and queen, it had to be one of them. Etho was not going to give her that choice. “Go back to the Royal Palace. I will do this.”
“No, Etho, my love. We live together and we die together, my love. Venus will endure. Teve will stop them. We have lived many lifetimes together, my love. Our time here is done. This will save our son and our home. Venus will endure. The Gravity Warriors will endure. Teve will understand.”
Justeph could feel himself starting to heal, but he knew it was too late. He lost.
Tendai and Etho joined hands as they piloted the Empress out of the atmosphere and into oblivion. The Master of the Gravity Warriors stared into the stars as she prepared to join them in her last act of courage. Venus would be safe, her son would live, and the Gravity Warriors would continue the legacy she’d helped start. A quick flash of heat and then they joined the cosmos. Their spirits and love forever burned into the infinity.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
KELVIN DIDN’T THINK, he just fought. The Wanderers outnumbered the Gravity Warriors, but their lack of experience showed. Some of the Wanderers were deadly, but the Gravity Warriors had practiced Thalosi and mastered their powers for centuries. The Colonel counted on being there to lead the charge as Justeph Leray, one of the most deadly Gravity Warriors in the history of Venus. Even with an army of amateurs, Justpeh would have most likely been able to overpower the decimated Gravity Warriors.
The Wanderers didn’t know their leader was gone and they awaited his arrival, even as their numbers continued to drop by the staffs of the Gravity Warriors. The only other person who knew the Colonel’s intentions was Juda, and they had no idea where she was. They’d lost communication with both of them and could raise their mobiles. The army of amateurs was on their own, up against a squad of very angry and determined Gravity Warriors. The Wanderers who would be Gravity Warriors didn’t realize how much their training depended on the leadership of the Colonel and Juda –– without them, they didn’t stand a chance.
Mercy was something in the furthest reaches of Kelvin’s mind, but the Gravity Warriors could see the youth in each person they went up against. Unless they were forced to, none of them had any interest in taking the lives of a Wanderer. The damage had already been done and it was a waste to add to the death toll. These were young lives that had been lead astray and perhaps they could be saved someday by the horrors they’d seen on Venus. It was not an order the Gravity Warriors were given, it was a choice each of them made.
It took a long time to disarm the Wanderers and get them to surrender. Ultimately, confusion and lack of leadership were both allies to the Gravity Warriors. The only thing the Wanderers had were their numbers, but the Gravity Warriors were trained to take down armies.
The fight became futile so the Wanderers surrendered. Without staffs, they wouldn’t stand a chance. Most of them surrendered because they believed the Colonel or Juda would make a surprise attack and it was a way to get the Gravity Warriors to lower their guard. But the explosion above the planet told them the battle was over. Kelvin fought furiously against two of them, but when they saw the rest lay down their staffs, they both withdrew and joined the group of Wanderers that had already surrendered.
The Empress became a fireball above them. It's wreckage crashed to the ground, just beyond the canyon. They all looked to the sky, not sure what to think, but still recovering from the chaos of their fight. No one knew who was onboard the Empress.
Eryel, First Guard of the Royal Palace, took charge of the Gravity Warriors and prepared to address the crowd. All of them landed in a large clearing, just beyond where the Monarch lay. She’d just been contacted by the Archive in Judur and informed of Tendai and Ethos death, as well as Justeph Leray. Teve was still recovering on the lower deck of the Royal Palace, under the supervision of Amelia Chapman. The other Gravity Warriors were bound to find out their queen and master was dead, so rather than have them whisper about rumors, she chose to address it immediately.
Eryel also believed that she was doing Teve a favor. When he woke up, the first thing he would learn is that his parents were gone. Teve was the last of the Dubak family line. By right, he would inherit the throne and is also the ranking master of the Gravity Warriors. In seconds, Teve became the most tragic and powerful person on Venus. There would be a lot of weight on him at first. She would take the burden of informing their people the dreadful news.
As soon as silence came over the crowd, Eryel began.
“Gravity Warriors,” Eryel said. “The explosion we have witnessed is the last ship of the Wanderers fleet. We have won this battle.”
The crowd cheered and she let them have their moment of celebration. They’d lost so many of their friends and family today, and they were about to find out they lost more.
“I have spoken with the Archive in Judur. They have informed me that the ship was headed into our atmosphere, with the ship set to detonate its core. It would have killed everything on this planet. Our queen and king, Tendai and Etho Dubak, piloted the craft away from the planet. They saved all of us. Both Gravity Warrior, Venusian, Earther, Uranian, and Wanderer…we all breathe because of Tendai and Etho Dubak. Their heroism did not come without cost. Our masters are gone.”
Eryel stopped, but there was nothing. It was as if the wind itself stopped. All eyes looked to the ground. Slowly, the Wanderers took a knee and bowed their heads. Once the Gravity Warriors noticed, they joined. Then the Earth Navy officers who were had just arrived joined them, followed by the few Uranian Corsairs. No one cried, but the pain overwhelmed them. Some of them had to fight just to breathe.
Kelvin was the last to kneel, and it was something resembled a collapse. He struggled to keep his composure, with tears in his eyes. The Nine Kingdoms didn’t even know what they’d lost, but Kelvin would make sure they did. For the first time, the loss of life was real to Kelvin. Just as it had been with the pilots he heard were killed, death had arrived in front of him. And, his sister still got away.
When Kelvin looked up, he saw Teve and Amelia descend. They both held their staffs, ready to attack, but looked puzzled when they saw everyone kneeling. Eryel flew to intercept them. When she got to them, the three floated in mid-air.
“Lieutenant Chapman, I need to speak with Master Teve alone. Lord Sellwood is down there and some officers from your Earth Navy. I believe your captain and another officer from your ship. I’m sure they’d like to see you,” Eryel said.
Amelia could tell this was a stern suggestion, so she didn’t want to do anything other than what was suggested. The thought of seeing Captain Ali again made her nervous. She’d disobeyed a direct order and abandoned her post. There wasn’t anywhere else she could go and she’d have to face her sooner or later. Amelia nodded to them both and flew down towards the crowd.
“Master,” Eryel said.
“Why are they all kneeling, Eryel?”
“Your mother and father are gone, master. They sacrificed themselves for us. They died for us.”
Teve had seen the explosion in the sky. He didn’t ask Eryel to explain it to him. At that moment, Teve didn’t need to know. If Eryel said they sacrificed themselves, that was all he needed to know in the moment.
“Justeph?” Teve said. As soon as the man’s name came out of his mouth, Teve felt deep shame that
the first place his mind went was to make sure if his enemy was dead.
“He was with them, master. The Wanderers have surrendered. They have no more ships. Your parents won this battle.”
There was relief in knowing that no more of their people would be at risk, but Teve felt hollow inside. He was reminded of the dark days in his Archive on the sea. He could feel it calling to him, the retreat from the reminders of the world. It had been his mother who brought him back. She’d given him students and continued to teach him. If it had not been for Tendai, Teve would still be in that Archive. The slate skies and the cold rain had consumed him, but his mother never lost faith.
The temptation to fly away and turn his back on everything so he could keep the grief at bay was there. Teve nearly did it, but he decided it would dishonor what his mother and father died for. It would dishonor everything they taught him. He chose to stay and help his people however they would have him.
“So that is why they kneel?” Teve said.
“The Wanderers knelt first, then everyone followed. Your mother captured one their top commanders, Justeph’s apprentice. She’s in an anti-gravity cell in the Archive. We are prepared to transfer the rest of the Wanderers there,” Eryel said. “And, by the authority granted me as First Guard of the Royal Palace, you are now king and the ranking master.”
Teve knew this moment would come someday, but it was never something he sought. Power was not something Teve thought should be handed out by titles and decrees. For the time, he would accept it, but he wasn’t sure if Venus should have another ruling family. It was his chance to show those in the Nine Kingdoms that Venus was not a monarchy. They could still have leadership, but it should be up to the Venusians to decide, not a bloodline.
Eryel and Teve flew down to the Wanderers, where she repeated her pronouncement, seeming to anoint Teve. The Gravity Warriors cheered. Many of them had been trained by Teve and they were happy to see their teacher would continue to guide them. There was no one on Venus that mistrusted Teve. They all knew someday he would be their leader.
Kelvin approached Teve and knelt in respect.
“Your majesty,” Kelvin said.
“Okay, that’s enough, Sellwood,” Teve said. The raw emotion he felt from the loss of his parents was masked by the joking tone of a teacher. “Glad you and your people are okay. If you need anything to help repair the Monarch, we’ve got you.”
“I’m sorry about your parents, Teve,” Kelvin said. “I didn’t get to know your mom that well, but she was an amazing person. I’m going to make my dad tell me all of the stories about her.”
“Oh, you definitely should. I think you’ll also learn something about your father.”
Kelvin stepped aside as other Gravity Warriors Teve had taught came to greet their teacher. In the moment of sadness, there was also great hope for the planet Venus. Kelvin walked back toward the Earth Navy officers and saw Amelia making her way toward Captain Ali. He knew this was going to be tense for both of them.
Captain Ali spotted Amelia and walked toward her. Once the two made eye contact, they both stopped. Ali was the first one to keep walking and as soon as she was close enough, she embraced Amelia in a hug. They clung to each other tightly for a few moments, as if they were sisters who’d just been reunited. When they realized most of the Earth Navy officers were watching, they let go. Captain and Lieutenant faced each other now.
“Captain, I’m sorry,” Amelia said. She felt like she had all the eyes of Venus on her.
“I’m glad you’re okay, lieutenant. We missed you.”
Holloway came alongside them and put her arm around Amelia.
“You know you’re in trouble, right?” Holloway said. She smiled at Captain Ali and then turned back to Amelia, whispering in her ear. “She’s my new best friend. I’ll put in a good word for you.”
Kelvin walked up to join them.
“Kelvin,” Holloway said. “You said you were going to fix the engine and you never came back.”
“In case you didn’t notice, I had some other things to do,” Kelvin said, raising his staff. He looked out at the crowd of the Wanderers, who looked disappointed and sad. “How long will it take to repair the Monarch?”
“Probably a week, our engineering crew came back with the rest of the fleet. There are a few crews who’ve offered to help, so I don’t think it will take longer than that,” Captain Ali said. “The Royal Cabin took some damage, but it’s being repaired.”
“Oh?” Kelvin said.
“We had to shatter an airlock to get into the observatory,” Holloway said.
“An airlock? Wait, were you in space.”
“She said it’s a long story, Kelvin. That means she doesn’t want to tell you now, but if you quit while you’re ahead, she might tell you later,” Mara said.
“Captain,” Amelia said, as she lead Ali away from the conversation that continued between the others. “Is there a chance I can have my position reinstated on the Monarch? I know I disobeyed a direct order and I’ll accept whatever report you file for my permanent record.”
“I’m afraid that decision may be out of my hands. They’ve said I can keep my command of the Monarch, but they want to rotate a different crew in. A whole new bridge crew, because most everyone on ours has been given a command of their own. They’ve all been promoted. I’ve requested you stay onboard, but an admiral will most likely be making the decision. I’ll do what I can.”
Amelia’s heart sank at the prospect of not being able to return to the Monarch. Her mind went back to the recent conversation she had with her father. He’d called her home and she’d flatly cut-off the conversation. If Amelia didn’t serve aboard the Monarch, she’d go back to typical lessons from Holloway or another tutor instead of getting her education on the bridge of a real ship. Even if she went to the Earth Navy Academy, it would be almost ten years before she’d be able to work on the bridge of a ship. This was the fast-track to her dreams and now it was threatened.
For a moment, she wondered if Teve would let her stay to be part of the Gravity Warriors. She felt like they had become more than student and teacher, that they were friends. If she couldn’t be a part of Earth Navy, Amelia didn’t know what she’d do.
The Monarch was in the air in three days. The Uranian technicians were known throughout the Nine Kingdoms as some of the best. They pretty much took over for Earth Navy officers and repaired the engine system. The Colonel had modified it with a piece of Venusian core, which is what made the ship travel so fast towards Venus. Captain Ali promptly returned the piece of the core to the Gravity Warriors. They had seen what could happen if Venusian gravity fell into the wrong hands and didn’t want to use something that was not theirs.
Fleet Commander Raha Enner decided to fly back on the Monarch instead of her command ship, but Teve requested she stay behind to do Venus a favor. Grand Brigadier Anton Kaur of the Uranian Corsairs stayed behind as well. The favor was to observe a democratic Venusian election. Teve wanted to make sure he was the leader the people wanted, so he opened a nomination process and the Gravity Warriors selected Eryel to be another candidate for them and run against him, in the interest of giving the Venusians a choice. Earth Navy and the Uranian Corsairs could assure the rest of the Nine Kingdoms that the election would be legitimate, no matter who won. Teve was also prepared to surrender his power if Eryel, someone equally as respected, won.
Unsurprisingly, Teve won, so he made Eryel his top advisor. Teve assembled a council and pledged to rebuild Venus. His first act was to call on his planet to try and forgive the Wanderers who surrendered. It became clear to the Gravity Warriors that most of the Wanderers were very young. They had been raised to believe in the Colonel from a young age. They never had a chance for another life.
The Wanderers who were captured pledged to help rebuild the things Aren had destroyed. They said they would live in prison as long as Venus wanted them to. They wanted to pay for their crimes, now that they realized the damage they had done.
They still believed in freedom but saw that Venus had been free all along.
Teve said that if the Wanderers could dedicate themselves to rebuilding Venus, one day, he would grant them their freedom. He said that they would even be considered to be trained as Gravity Warriors. While they were rebuilding Venus and any trust with its people, the Wanderers would wear anti-gravity bracelets to keep the powers of Venusian gravity from them. They would be working alongside Venusians and be allowed to live in society, in a probationary capacity, for the years it took to restore the damaged areas of Venus.
For all Venusians, this forgiveness would be difficult, but they knew it could be good for Venus in the long term. If these people could be reformed and taught to be Gravity Warriors, Venus would only be stronger. The Gravity Warriors fundamental beliefs were to always see the good in someone, even those who were once their enemies. Teve truly believed the former Wanderers would become productive, valuable members of Venusian society. All they needed was a chance to be shown a good life and he intended to give them one.
Venus would thrive and the Gravity Warriors would remain.
The door to Juda’s cell opened and Kelvin stood in front of it. He had his staff sheathed and didn’t look poised to defend or attack. Juda was startled. The only person she’d seen for weeks were the rotations of guards that brought her food. They coldly informed her of what developed and Juda was convinced she’d be in this room for the rest of her life.
“Do you want to fly? One last time?” Kelvin said.
“Is this a trick?” Juda said.
“No, we’ll have an escort of Gravity Warriors, but they’ve agreed to let you have one last flight.”
“One last flight before what? Where are you taking me?”
“We don’t have a lot of time, Juda,” Kelvin said and motioned for her to step out of the room.
Juda moved quickly for the door and past Kelvin. As soon as she felt the Venusian gravity bond with her body, she darted down the corridor. Kelvin followed her and soon they both shot out into the canyon. He caught up with her as she began a steep climb into the sky. Within seconds they were out of the canyon and headed for the clouds. Kelvin spotted their escort –– ten Gravity Warriors, five on each side of them, hurtling upwards in the distance. He moved closer to Juda, who had her eyes closed and soaked in the sun. He almost felt bad that he’d have to interrupt and eventually end it.
