Authors: Rick Bentsen
T
HE picture in the holosphere faded and the four grey-robed figures stepped away from it. Each of them had their own thoughts about what they had seen.
The leader of the Watchers pulled back the hood on his robes and grimaced as he watched the static in the holosphere fade to nothing.
“Things have gone in an unpredictable direction,” Alan said. “The way this alliance came about is completely unexpected.”
“Yes,” Kiara smiled. “But I believe that things have gone in a direction that can be used to our benefit.”
“Time will tell, Kiara,” John said. “Let us see if this alliance can stand. If it can, then perhaps…”
John trailed off as he turned from the holosphere and walked into the shadows once more.
“It is as Ugatu foresaw,” Kiara’s soft voice came from the shadows. “The time of the great war he spoke of is upon us.”
“Not just yet,” Samantha spoke for the first time in days. “Michael would know better than I, but there is much to come still before the war Ugatu spoke of comes.”
“This alliance indeed has many challenges yet to face together,” Alan nodded. He took Samantha by the arm and led her out of the Central Chamber.
“The time is upon us,” Kiara repeated to the empty chamber. “Preparations need to be made.”
With that, Kiara, too, left the Central Chamber, heading off to start her own preparations for what was to come.
To be continued…
A Gamma Strike Short Story
“
A
RE we online?” Kiara asked quietly as she entered the imaging chamber.
“Not yet,” Martin sighed. “The damn holoprojector is on the fritz again.”
“Can it be repaired?” she asked. “Events are about to take place that we must bear witness to.”
“I’m doing my best, Commander Westlake,” Martin sighed. “This whole system needs to be rebuilt eventually.”
“Do what you can, Chief,” Kiara nodded. “Let me know the moment the holomatrix has been established.”
“Yes, Commander,” Martin said, turning back to the control panel.
“Don’t you think you were a little hard on him, Kiara?” Samantha asked from behind her. “The poor man’s doing the best he can under the circumstances. I don’t think even Alan understands all the modifications that have been made to the holoprojector, and he designed it originally.”
“That may be, Sam,” Kiara sighed, “But I believe we are missing events surrounding the one we have been searching for.”
“Yelling at Martin won’t change that,” Sam smiled. “Besides. Why are you so sure we’re about to find the one we’ve been searching for? We’ve been searching for over a hundred years so far.”
“Call it an instinct,” Kiara chuckled. “You used to trust my instincts, once upon a time.”
“Only because Alan did,” Samantha reminded the other woman. “I would have thrown you out had he not.”
“I’ve never been your enemy, Samantha,” Kiara said softly.
“You’ve never been my friend either.”
“That may be, but when have I ever given you reason to mistrust me?”
“Some questions are better left unanswered,” Samantha said as she laid her hand on Kiara’s shoulder. “This is one of those questions. Now go. Get the others. We shall watch this together.”
“Yes, Captain,” Kiara said sharply, snapping off a sharp salute before turning on her heel and leaving the imaging chamber, her grey robes rustling as she moves quickly.
“You were hard on her, Sam,” Alan said quietly as he put his arms around her. “She is one of us.”
“I don’t trust her, my love,” Sam said quietly. ”And I never have.”
“I know,” Alan nodded. “I’m not really saying you should, but at least try to be nicer to her.”
“I will try, my love. For you and for the cause,” Samantha nodded. “But I still don’t trust her.”
“I can live with that,” Alan smiled at her. “Now. Let’s see what Martin has come up with, shall we?”
The two walked over to where Martin was lying with his head and shoulders buried deep in the panel housing the holoprojector controls.
“Before you two ask, I’ve just about got this thing fixed,” Martin called from inside the panel.
“Good,” Alan nodded. “Let us know when it is fixed, Martin.”
“I will,” Martin grunted. “It’ll go a lot quicker if everyone doesn’t keep asking me how it’s going.”
“Point taken,” Alan chuckled.
Kiara walked into the imaging room just then, leading the eight other Watchers. Sam and Alan walked over to the rest of the group.
‘It’s just about time, my friends,” Alan said, indicating with a wave the twelve lighted spots around the holosphere.
Each of the twelve, minus Martin who was still working on the holoprojector, took their usual spot, waiting impassively in their grey robes.
“I have it,” Martin called from inside the panel. “You should be seeing haze right now, but the picture will clear in a couple of seconds.
The picture indeed began to clear as Martin took his own spot around the holosphere. As the haze cleared, a picture began to focus within the holosphere.
5.26.2125
0855
Duterius Prime
Braga Valley Great Hall
K’Itea Bryce sat on her throne in the Great Hall of Braga Valley. It was the first thing in the morning, and she was waiting for her daily dose of supplicants to begin arriving. She loved what she did, and she loved helping people, but sometimes she really hated dealing with the trivialities that were brought before her.
As the morning supplicants were shown in, K’Itea looked them over. Many of them she knew, others would be appearing before her before her for the first time.
But it was one of the new supplicants that caught her attention. He was a tall Duterian male with long black hair and piercing blue eyes. He had chiseled features and he appeared to be quite muscular. He wore the uniform of the Braga Valley militia, wearing the rank of Lieutenant. But what caught her attention the most was the fact that, unlike the other supplicants, he was not bowing in her presence. Instead, he was gazing straight at her, an almost perceptible sneer on his features.
“J’Anai, bring the first supplicant before me,” K’Itea said in a soft voice to her aide.
The old man nodded and walked towards the supplicants. He scanned the group, and his eyes locked with the strange military officer. Furrowing his brow, J’Anai headed over to the stranger and the two exchanged some whispers.
J’Anai turned on his heel and headed back to where K’Itea was sitting.
“I do not trust that man,” he whispered to her. “I suggest you deal with his supplication first and get it over with quickly so that he can leave quickly.”
“As in all things, J’Anai,” K’Itea whispered with a touch of amusement. “I trust your judgment. Send him forward.”
“Very well, Gentlewoman.” J’Anai stood, and his voice boomed out. “The Gentlewoman will now hear your supplications. K’Orin Thamur, please step forward and present your petition.”
The strange lieutenant strode forward with measured strides. He stood at attention before K’Itea and took a small breath before beginning.
“I thank the Gentlewoman for agreeing to hear my petition,” he began. K’Itea nodded, waving him on. “I understand that the Gentlewoman is to be married in short order. I submit that she has the wrong groom picked, however, and I humbly submit myself for consideration for her husband.” He dropped to one knee as he said this, and his petition brought gasps from the assorted petitioners.
“You know not of my intended, Lieutenant Thamur,” K’Itea said quietly after the commotion died down. “I do not think that you would believe the bonding to be wrong if you did.”
“I know that he does not stay on Duterius as he should,” K’Orin shot back. “Nor does he stay to honor his Gentlewoman and his intended as he rightfully should. I would do this.”
“It is immaterial whether you would or not,” K’Itea said, her voice firm. “The match has the blessings of the gods. It cannot be undone.”
“Even so, it shall be,” K’Orin growled, his voice dropping in volume to barely above a whisper. “One way or the other, this wedding will not proceed unless I am the groom.”
“I think not,” K’Itea smiled. “Your petition is denied, Lieutenant. The guards will show you out.”
As if on cue, two burly members of the royal guard appeared on either side of the lieutenant and took him by the elbows.
“This is not over,” he shouted as he was escorted out of the Great Hall. “You will be mine, Gentlewoman. One way or the other, you will be mine.”
K’Itea watched him all the way out as he was thrown out of the Great Hall.
She stood and motioned for all the supplicants to come forward.
“I will listen to all of your supplications today, my people,” she began, spreading her hands. “However, I must ask for a few minutes to myself after that first supplicant. The guards will show you to waiting rooms. I promise to hear every one of you before I leave the Great Hall today, though.”
The people nodded in understanding and began to file out to the appropriate waiting rooms. She turned to J’Anai, and the old man stepped forward.
“Has there been any word from K’Alan, J’Anai?” she asked.
“No, K’Itea, there has not,” J’Anai said in a pained voice. “The Quintanilla is currently engaged in battle and has been off and on for the past two weeks, and the ship is on communications blackout. I have been able to confirm for you that, as of this morning, he is still quite alive though.”
“I hope he does make it, J’Anai. I do not wish any more events such as this morning’s petition.”
“I understand. If you wish, I will have Lieutenant Thamur barred from the Great Hall.”
“Please, J’Anai. And have him watched,” K’Itea sighed as she sat back in her throne. “I do not believe we’ve heard the last of him.”
“Neither do I, my lady.”
5.30.2125
1047
SLS Quintanilla
Captain Starlos’s Office
Captain Thane Starlos had had a long day. Commodore John Bonetti had been riding all of the ships in the attack wing pretty hard the last few weeks, and Thane had not had a chance to do all his paperwork and performance evaluations.
But now, there was a lull in the action, and Thane was taking this opportunity to catch up with his paperwork. Not a task he overly relished, but it needed to be done nonetheless.
So when there was a knock on his office door, Thane sighed a sigh of great relief.
“Come in,” he called.
Ensign K’Alan Ilan Bryce walked into Thane’s office slowly, a bit hesitant with making the request he had to make.
“Captain, I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time?” the young ensign asked.
“You can have as long as you want, K’Alan,” Thane chuckled. He motioned for K’Alan to take a seat in the chair across from his desk. “I’d much rather talk to you than do these reports.”
“I can understand that,” K’Alan nodded as he took the offered seat. “Commander Westphalen has been shuffling a lot of her paperwork on me of late.”
“I hope that’s not a criticism of the Commander, Ensign,” Thane sounded amused. “I’m not sure how that would be taken.” It was a joke, and both men knew it.
“I would never think of criticizing a superior officer, sir!” K’Alan barked in mock seriousness.
“I would hope not!” Thane laughed. “Now, what can I do for you, Ensign? You obviously came here for something more than making me laugh.”
“Sir, I need to ask for a small furlough,” K’Alan said. “I have some personal matters to attend to on my home world.”
“Business on Duterius Prime?” Thane leaned back in his chair, resting his hands on his stomach. “And what, pray tell, is so important on Duterius Prime that it is taking one of my brightest and most promising crew members away from my ship?”
“It’s…” K’Alan started and trailed off, starting to fidget nervously.
“It’s what, Ensign?” The captain looked his pilot over with an upraised eyebrow.
“It’s her,” K’Alan said quietly as he slid a datapad with a woman’s picture on it. “I’m to marry her in a little over a week. With how busy we’ve been lately, I was afraid I would miss my sealing ceremony, but with things so quiet at the moment, I really would like to go.”
Thane took the datapad and looked K’Alan’s intended over. His other eyebrow raised in appreciation. “She’s beautiful, Ensign,” Thane said.
“Yes, she is,” K’Alan said, a broad smile crossing his face.
“I don’t see how I can say no to your request, K’Alan. I would not want to make such a woman angry with me,” Thane returned the smile. “There is a condition attached to it though.”
“A… condition, Captain?” It was K’Alan’s turn to quirk an eyebrow.
“You and the other Duterians I’ve served with have always spoken of the great beauty of your home world. I would like to see it. The Quintanilla will take you to your home world. And I will go down to the planet with you.”
“Thank you, Captain,” K’Alan smiled. “I’d be honored to have you along.”
6.2.2125
0849
Duterius Prime
An Antechamber in the Braga Valley Capitol Building
The two Star League officers fidgeted in the antechamber waiting. K’Alan held his flight helmet in his hands, turning it over and over again.
“You know if you wear that, you’ll have a bad case of helmet hair when you get to see her, K’Alan,” Thane chuckled.
“You are no help, Thane,” K’Alan grumbled. He could not stay angry at his friend for long, though.
“Can I help you two gentleman?” a voice from behind them called. “I assume you are here for an audience with Gentlewoman Bilso?”
“I know that voice,” K’Alan said without turning. “I know that voice very well.”
“And I know that voice,” the voice continued. “It belongs to a young upstart that had to go and join the Star League Defense Force, leaving the Gentlewoman a very lonely person. How inconsiderate of him to do so.”
“J’Anai Sirrus,” K’Alan said as he turned and gave his old mentor a hug. “It is good to see you again.”
“And it is good to see you too, K’Alan Bryce,” the old man smiled a warm smile. “I am pleased that you were able to come for your sealing with Gentlewoman Bilso. She was afraid that with the war you would not be able to make it.”