Earth Song: Etude to War (61 page)

The sight of Aaron grinning mischievously tore at her heart. She needed to be out there looking for him, not moving into an office she didn’t deserve.

“I’m sorry about Aaron,” Dram said from behind her, his deep bass tenor rolling reassuringly over her. He put a big hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. “And Pip too. It was a tough trip.”

“Pretty tough for over seven hundred Rangers too.” Minu sighed. She’d trained many of them herself. “Dram, I’d rather just run the Rangers. Give the Chosen to Gregg, damn it.”

“That isn’t your decision.”

“I could just resign…” she suggested.

“Yes, you could. But you do that and I swear I’ll push for Jasmine as First.”

“You wouldn’t do that.”

“Maybe not, but it wouldn’t be your call to make. As a two star, you only have one vote.” He gestured to the chair behind the desk. “Take your rightful seat, and we can talk.”

She glanced from him to the seat, shook her head, then sighed and walked behind the desk. How many times did she sit on the other side of this desk and get her ass chewed off by its previous occupant?

She couldn’t easily recall, but it was more than one and less than a hundred. As she sat in the common high-backed office chair, she was grateful Jacob took the other chair.

“You realize that you were destined for that chair from the moment you put on stars?” Dram sat across from her and looked as serious as the first time she’d seen him so many years ago as the daughter of the First. She snorted and he held up a hand.

“Now that you are sitting there, I can tell you things I’ve kept to myself for almost twenty years.”

“What
are
you talking about, Dram?”

“I’m talking about what your father said before he left.”

Chapter 75

September 11th, 534 AE

Office of the First, Steven’s Pass, Bellatrix

Minu sat and stared at him. This man had kept a secret for almost twenty years for her father. Could she instill such loyalty herself now as First?

“What did he say?”

“He’d just gotten the official notice that you’d passed your written exams and would move on to the physical Trials. He had somewhat mixed emotions, as I would guess any other parent would in that situation. But at the same time, he seemed to know that day would come.

“Anyway, we find out days before the applicants do, and as soon as he was notified he assembled his personal team and called me into this very office. ‘Dram’, he said, ‘I’m going offworld and I might not return’.

“I said that was the same thing he said every time he left, but he insisted this time it was serious. He was going far into the frontier looking for something. I asked him what it was, and he said it was vital to humanity’s survival.

“You know your father was not one to be taken with hyperbole”, Dram said.

“You can say that again,” Minu chuckled.

“He went through the Trials a couple years before me and was already a team leader in the scouts when I came up. I’d never met a smarter, braver, more driven man in my life, and never have. Until you came along. There’s something about your family that defies understanding. It’s like watching a comet blaze across the heavens. Powerful, beautiful, untamed, and utterly uncontrollable.”

Minu thought he didn’t know the half of it, thinking about how she’d found out that genetically she wasn’t Chriso’s daughter. The genetic oddities were becoming rather thick. She’d already turned over the anachronistic details of the soldier they’d found on the way home to the science branch to begin working on.

“Anyway,” Dram continued, “after that he told me about your being accepted for the Trials. He said, ‘she’ll make it, I know she will. And when she does, I want you to keep an eye on her. Do not coddle that girl, but don’t let anyone victimize her. You know how Chosen politics can get, especially for a girl’.

“I said I would, and promised to watch after the blood of my best friend. Then he got this strange look on his face. It was the same kind of look he got when he talked with Bjorn and Ted about the Concordia and their theories of how things have evolved over its history. I never wanted her to be Chosen, he told me, but she’s always been beyond my control. Not even Sharon could hold her back by the time she turned five or so. I’d always wondered why they didn’t have more kids,” Dram finished with a shrug.

“I’ve known you were protecting me from the beginning,” Minu admitted.

“I’m not a very good liar. Luckily, you haven’t needed too much protection from me. The Tog have always been your guardian angels as well.”

“Almost makes me wonder if father got them to help with me as well.”

Dram gave a single laugh and shook his head. “He understood them better than any human before, but that is beyond even him. We have a saying, you know.”

“Yeah,” Minu piped up.

“No-one makes a Tog do anything,” they both intoned together and laughed. Then Dram turned serious.

“You’re going to go back and request our Awakening, aren’t you?”

“Not without the approval of the Council. I don’t believe I have the authority.”

“I can’t say if you do or don’t. I have the feeling that the council is going to become less and less of a leading body under your administration. I’m not criticizing, just making an observation. And it’s probably for the better, too. The organization is changing. Humanity is changing. We’re in a new place we’ve never been before.”

“And the game is changing too.”

“With the Rangers and all the mercenary contracts Jacob took, I can see that.”

“No, there’s more. I’ve been keeping a lot to myself for years as well, and now that Jacob is gone I feel safe telling you about what we really found out there in the deep dark.”

He looked curious, and Minu told him. She told him about the firebase and its hundreds of warships. She told him about Dervish and the refueling center. Endless amounts of power, enough to run thousands of worlds independent of the Concordian power brokers.

She told about the space battles with many other Concordian spacefaring species that weren’t supposed to have spaceships, and how her daughter thought they were making new ones. And she told him about the derelict fleet where they’d gotten the Ibeen to rescue the Rangers, and ultimately lose Pip.

She hadn’t given the council the full report of how he was lost, and never intended to tell them about his cowardice at the end. She felt his final act had washed away a lot of wrong with one big right. She still needed to talk to someone about him.

When she was done, Dram sat back and stared at the ceiling with his eyes wide. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, “that about says it all.”

“Are you going to try and get those ships, aren’t you?” he asked.

“I’ve never stopped thinking about it for years. Lilith is sure that eventually the firebase will lose power, and the ships will all be useless then. If they lose power completely, it wrecks them somehow. The problem is their computers. They use powerful AI programs that aren’t stored on board. The Lost were scared of these ships becoming loose and running around the galaxy destroying everything, so they kept a tight rein on them.

“The programs were stored in some computer somewhere she calls the Well of Souls. Problem is, she doesn’t know where to find it. Biological operators, as the Lost called the beings who ran those ships, weren’t supposed to be hooked into them like she is. The medical intelligence, the only true AI each ship is born with, improvised when it modified her.

“We managed to get that one ship out by controlling it manually. Only barely, mind you. It was nip-and-tuck there until Lilith came along. We could barely fly the damned thing. Well, the T’Chillen control the firebase and its perimeter. When we went there the first time, they’d set up a research base to try and get into those ships and had been working on it for a very long time.

“Now that we blasted in there and stole one, more than likely they have several of their own warships there watching closely. I have no doubt they’d blow the whole thing to hell if it even looks like we’d get one of them out.”

“If the galaxy is full of trigger-happy aliens with spaceships, we have to get more of our own,” Dram said.

“I agree, I’m just not sure how. And the last thing the galaxy needs is for the snakes to get their tentacles on a stash of Kaatan class warwagons. When my daughter gets home, we’ll turn some effort toward solving that.”

Dram nodded and they talked for a few more minutes, mostly about some of the First’s duties and what she would need to do on a daily basis, before he got up to go.

“I know Ariana is probably waiting with a pile of things for you to do, but I’ve got one more thing for you as one of your first official duties.” He handed her a printed page.

“It’s Fernando Vega’s resignation.”

When Dram was gone she read the resignation. He stated it was purely because of his age. And while he was almost sixty, Minu knew better, Fernando had been a supporter of Jacob’s. She was certain that his fall from grace had hit him pretty hard, as he realized he’d backed such a dangerous choice.

Chapter 76

September 12th, 534 AE

Tranquility, Capital City, Plateau Tribe

Minu locked her red aerocar and walked across the street to the stylish little house. As she walked up the steps a young boy jumped form the bushes and roared. “I’m a kloth, and I’m going to eat you!”

“Oh no,” Minu feigned fear, holding up her hands and backing away.

The boy giggled then cocked his head.

“I remember you,” he said and pointed at her long red hair. She’d tied it back that morning in a pony tail that was almost to her waist now, where it fell out behind the wide brimmed hat she wore to ward off the sun’s angry radiation. “You gave me strawberries.”

“You are right, and where’s your hat?”

“I don’t like to wear hats,” he said defiantly and took a step back.

Too late, Minu scooped him up and carried the squalling little boy up the steps to knock on the door. A man in his sixties answered. His expression of concern turned to curiosity when he saw her black Chosen jumpsuit, then recognition when he examined her face.

“First Groves,” he said and bowed his head. “Congratulations are in order.”

“Just Minu is fine, Mr. Basil, and thank you. I found this outside without his hat.”

“Leo,” he chided and took possession of the rapidly escalating fit, “how many times have I told you?”

A woman of similar age approached at the sound of child outrage. Unlike her husband she instantly recognized Minu.

“How are you doing, dear?” she asked.

“Fine, thank you. And I’m glad to hear Leo is okay as well. He had the Nocturne, right?”

“Yes, but only a few days before the cure was released,” Mr. Basil explained. It didn’t have time to seriously affect him.”

“I see. Is Cynthia home?”

“She’s out back picking some carrots for dinner,” Mr. Basil told her.

“I hate carrots,” Leo announced, and finally squirmed free. Minu moved to block the door, but he raced upstairs instead.

“Rather like his father, I would think,” Minu noted.

“It’s about Pip, isn’t it?” the elderly Mr. Basil said in a somber voice.

“Yes.”

“We’d figured something happened when he didn’t come to see Leo after you got back.” Pip’s grandmother looked at her husband and they both looked away. Minu heard the back door open and close and Mr. Basil spoke up: “Cynthia, can you come up front?”

“Just let me take car ofe these carrots, dad.”

“It’s important,” he said, “First among the Chosen Minu Groves is here.”

The sound of a bowl crashing to the floor echoed through the house. Leo demanded to know what was happening from upstairs, but as the silence stretched into seconds he gave up his curiosity and went back to whatever mischief he was creating.

Cynthia appeared in the swinging doorway to the kitchen. An old pair of jeans were covered with a dirty apron and she was using a towel to clean her hands. She appeared composed on the outside. Minu knew better on the inside. She walked slowly down the hallway and nodded to Minu.

“Thanks for finding the cure,” she said in a little voice, “I don’t know if I could have lived losing Leo.”

“I’m glad it was in time, but that’s not why I’m here.”

“I know. How did it happen?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t really say. The mission was classified. More details might eventually be released, but I cannot say for sure. I am allowed to say that he died saving several thousand Rangers from certain death. He knew what he was doing and made a conscious decision to sacrifice himself to save all of us.”

“I see,” she said and looked down. Her mother put a protective arm around her and her father ran a hand through her hair.

“I know things didn’t go right between you after he was… healed.”

“There wasn’t enough left of him to love.”

Minu stood silent for a long minute then began to feel like she was intruding. “I’m sorry. Please explain it to Leonard as best as you can.”

“He’s just as smart as his father too,” Mr. Basil said. “We’ll help him understand. Thank you for coming yourself.”

“It’s my job.”

Minu turned and left. As she was walking down the stairs she heard Cynthia disintegrate into sobs and her knees hit the floor. The sounds of anguish followed her all the way across the street. She dearly wished she could do this very thing for the hundreds of Rangers who’d died on an alien world as well.

What she did do was make sure that a trio of Rangers would visit each family to provide official notification of their loved ones death in service to humanity.

* * *

The old Chosen tower in Tranquility was no longer used for official offices. Minu was seeing it converted into a monument. There was a granite wall on the first floor where dozens of names of Chosen were etched, their only marker for a life given in service.

Now there were many floors above it being lined just as well to make a long continuous hallway where names would be placed. All of those who fell in service to their species would be honored.

The entire top floor was empty and lined with floor to ceiling monitors. Twenty-three hours a day montage images played across its surfaces with pictures of those who’d died. Anyone could come anytime and sit and watch those faces drift in and out of the montage.

Six young Chosen would stand guard along the mural floor, one from each branch including the Rangers. It was a huge version of the hologram she kept on the mantel of her cabin showing the names and faces of everyone who died under her command.

After visiting the construction at the old Chosen tower, Minu took to the air for a relatively short flight. Since she’d received the top level access codes as First there was no longer any file she didn’t have access to.

So she’d spent a few hours combing through the encrypted data to see what Jacob might have kept secret from just about everything. What she’d found was the reason for her husband’s abduction.

She landed the car and got out. The Rasa who greeted her bowed low and smacked his jaws in recognition. “Var’at said you were coming, welcome to Lizardville!”

“Thank you,” she said, but didn’t know the young Rasa’s name. She gave a bow in reply and the Rasa flexed his tale back and forth, a sign of pleasure.

“I’m here to see the prisoner.”

“Var’at said to apologize for the secret,” the Rasa said and looked down at the ground with both eyes. “We had no choice.”

“I know, your allegiance is owed to humanity and Jacob was the representative of our species. Now I lead the Chosen, and I hold no grudge. You are to keep this secret for now. Is that understood?”

“Absolutely,” he said and bowed deep. “Please follow me?” He skittered off and Minu followed.

The town was an abandoned village at the foot of a small mountain near the edge of Plateau territory, only a short distance from Peninsula land and also not far from Fort Jovich. It was the location first settled by the Rasa after they’d been given sanctuary following the vendetta.

The collection of huts were old houses had grown many times and increased in size to hold the thousands of refugee Rasa. Now it was more than half-empty, many having chosen to move to the farming operations on Remus. There were not yet any young on Bellatrix; Minu had gotten Var’at to agree not to do that. The Rasa young ran wild and there were some fears they would take to the planet too well and become an infestation.

They walked through the village in the darkening twilight, many recognizing the red haired leader of the Chosen and bowing as she past. Minu nodded to the rare one she recognized, and to any others who offered their respects.

She passed a few trusted human merchants doing business in Lizardville. The Rasa were expert farmers and made some of the planet’s best wines and fruit juices. Exactly how they’d managed to keep their presence a secret was beyond her. Maybe everyone knew, and just didn’t care anymore? Seeing an alien on Bellatrix was no longer the rarity it had been.

Passing out the far side of the village, the walked over a low hill and reached a small estate. It stuck out right away because it was surrounded by five-meter tall dualloy fence and sported a guard shack. Immediately she felt her anger begin to grow. As soon as the Chosen in the shack came out and spotted her, his face turned red.

“First, I’m sorry, I was under orders!”

“It’s okay Derek,” she said and patted the young Chosen on his shoulder. She hadn’t seen him in years and was pleased to see the former misfit sporting four black scout stars. This did explain why the group had seemed to disappear. “How long have all of you been stationed here?”

“Since she was released from the hospital.” Minu gestured at the gate and he quickly unlocked it, letting them in.

The guardhouse was just big enough for the people who lived there and their charges, though it was far from tiny. It even sported a small patio and that was where Minu found Tanya, Orlando and Micheal. They were sitting in lawn chairs with a charcoal grill giving off delicious smells.

“Welcome to the Game Preserve,” Derek said with an expansive gesture. The other three looked up in surprise. It was obvious they almost never got visitors.

“Minu!” Orlando yelled and jumped up.

“First among the Chosen, Minu,” Derek reminded him.

“Oh, right,” Orlando said as he offered his hand and Minu accepted it. “Should I bow or kiss this?”

“You do and I’ll kick all of your asses for old times’ sake.”

“Welcome to the cathouse, First,” Tanya said as she got up, but she didn’t offer to shake her hand.

She’d never really forgiven her for the way their friend Chris had died. Not even the fact that he’d tried to molest Lilith tempered her anger. She believed Minu should have intervened.

“Thank you. How many names does this place have?”

“More than a few we don’t share with polite company,” Derek pointed out.

“Yeah,” Michael agreed, showing he hadn’t changed his speech patterns in the intervening years.

“Where is she?” Minu asked and gestured to the rolling plains.

“Out getting dinner,” Tanya said and shrugged.

“I thought that was dinner,” said Minu and indicated the smoking cooker.

“That’s our dinner. She prefers hers fresh.”

“Care to join us for dinner?” Derek asked.

Of them all, he’d always been the most cordial to her. She’d figured he had a crush on her years ago and just lacked the courage to do anything about it. Not that she would have gone for it anyway.

“I wouldn’t mind at all. Lizardville mutton?”

“Only the best for the jailed jailers,” Orlando said with a halfhearted laugh.

It was pretty common for people from the Boglands to joke at almost any situation. Gregg tended toward the same behavior.

She was offered an extra lawn chair and was just being served a cold glass of mead with the heavy sounds of running feet reached her ears. She looked up to see the fearsome sight of a Tanam running over the nearest hill towards the cottage.

“Here she is now,” Michael announced the obvious, his preferred way to join a conversation.

As she ran, Minu could see her middle limbs held something bloody against her abdomen while the other four carried her with surprising speed. They might not like to run on all fours, but damn they could move when they did!

When the Tanam was less than a dozen meters away she slowed, realizing there was a new human in the crowd. As she slowed to a walk and rose to her full three meters, she recognized Minu.

“You have come to see me at last, Chosen Minu.”

“I am sorry it took so long, Seela. I had not been told you were still here.”

“I have not been allowed communications with my people, I have not been given a chance to request ransom in exchange. This is in violation of the law.”

“I acknowledge that. Your keepers have not told you, but I am now First among the Chosen, and I offer you humanity’s sincere apologies.”

She dropped the mauled adult ram and crossed her two top sets of limbs, making Minu very aware that she was the only one evidently armed. A compact beamcaster pistol was held in a low slung holster on her right hip, and a combat knife on her left.

Did the ex-misfits even have any weaponry in the house? It was possible they didn’t. The only thing more fearsome than an unarmed Tanam was an armed Tanam.

She considered Minu for a minute, her nostrils flaring and sniffing. Minu wondered if she smelled afraid; she really wasn’t. She’d fought Tanam and was pretty certain she could deal with this one again, if she had to.

She took a moment to examine Seela’s cybernetic right middle limb. It looked almost identical to its opposite except it was not properly covered in tan fur.

“Was your medical treatment satisfactory?”

“That was the one thing I compliment you on, human. That and at least my prison has some amenities. The jailers though are boring.”