Freedom Saga 1: Heaven's Light (2 page)

“At first I was
terribly lonely,” the Mjolnir said. “But now I don’t feel that way. Even so, I
look forward to meeting them someday.”

“It’s going to
take them several years to catch up to you in terms of sentience.” Daes
explained.

“I can wait,”
the mobile suit said. “One of the personality traits I inherited from Brian is
patience.”

“I’m glad.”

Orbiting a
massive gas giant and surrounded by innumerable moons, a station of colossal
size floated. Surrounding the center sphere were a series of orbital rings.
Ships of every advanced race in Alden flew in and out of the headquarters of
the Galactic Confederation. Inside were a like amount of chambers and halls. All
were patrolled by Minan soldiers in uniform. At the heart of the station was
the Great Hall, the assembly of all Confederation representatives. The hall
itself was a gigantic cylinder reaching hundreds of
vetres
from top to
bottom. Starting from the bottom a number of balconies reached outward towards
the middle.

On the first
level were the Original Five, the five oldest races of the Confederation. The
first delegation was the Mylor, the oldest member race. A dozen cat-like exoskeletons
stood together with one wearing black and gold as their leader. Lord Kris acted
as the holder of order within the grand chamber. To the right of the Mylor in
the circle were the Daemos, the second oldest race. Though their bodies were
also covered in black and grey exoskeletons, their frames appeared as eight
foot tall humanoids with large, dragon like wings. To the right of the Daemos
was the Rendi delegation. A dozen metal covered beings with the vague
appearance of cacti floated. To the Rendi’s right in the bottom circle stood
the Saeki. Their white and silver exoskeletons appeared much like Malcovin save
for their size being a
vetre
taller. The last of the Original Five was
the Avar delegation. Together the dozen beings appeared to be tall humanoids
seven feet in height with no other distinguishing features. Though their exoskeletons
varied all of the Avar had a metallic color component.

Above the first
level was the next coalition of races. The first race on the second level was
the Ick-Tckt. The ant like people’s delegation was dominated by six duchesses.
The females were twice the size of a human and their six warrior mates, two
thirds that size. On the balcony next to theirs was the Xaua delegation. The
spider people had twelve females as their representatives. They appeared much
as a huge spider with brown fur and black stripes. Their leg diameter was two
vetres
,
twice that of their males. Next to them was the delegation for the Boran, an
insectoid race much like the Ick-Tckt, but silicate in origination. Their group
was dominated by twelve females the size of a human. The next two races of the
second level were independents. The first was from the Echtan, a plant based
people able to shift their shape. Currently, most of the Echtan appeared as
Kalaidians with bark skin and leafy hair. The final race on the second level
was Minan delegation. The tall bear like people stood near eight feet in height
and had fur color varying between red and black. Their group was evenly divided
in terms of male and female.

On the third
level were five more races. The most powerful delegation on the third level was
the Shandi. The snake people had a group of six males and six females. Their
height was seven feet or more with a massive tail in place of their legs. Their
upper body was more humanlike with a head and two arms. To the right of them
was the Vikan delegation. They looked like lizard people the same size as
humans. Their faces were vaguely crocodile like and they sported long tails. To
the right of their group was the Trictis delegation. They appeared as
pterodactyls with round heads and stood about four feet in height. Next to them
was the Droni race. They resembled raptors the same size as humans. The last
race on the third level was the powerful Malcovin delegation comprised of twelve
males of varying feather color from red to black.

Above was the
fourth level, home to the aquatic races of the Confederation. The four aquatics
floated inside sealed chambers filled with water. Their rooms linked to water
filled hallways serving as their route through the Confederation headquarters.
The most influential of this group were the Maelokan, a black and white race
descended from dolphins. Their shape was like a mix of a Terran and dolphin
with a size similar to humans. Next to their chamber was the Findau, a species
looking similar to the Maelokan save for their exaggerated fin projections and
shark like jaws. To their right floated the Leki delegation. The frog people
had a mass similar to the Kalaidian people but couldn’t be more different in
every other way. Next to their chamber was the last of the true aquatics, the
shape shifting Maukai. Their favorite form was that of a Maelokan or Findau
with no sensory organs and being completely black in color. The last race on
the fourth level was the Reiki. The octopi people were half the size of a human
with long tentacles in place of other limbs. Given their nature, the Reiki were
amphibious and able to move about in either water or air.

On the fifth
level the largest coalition of beings were positioned. The most powerful of the
mammal races was the Cealora, a cat people slightly smaller than the average
human. Their people appeared as leopards or tigers depending on whether they
had spots or stripes. Positioned next to them were the diminutive rat people
called Odairans. They stood half the height of an adult human with brown or
black fur covering their bodies. To their delegation’s right were the Kchto.
They stood four feet in height and appeared as human like bats with delicate
hands and large heads. To their right was the Rhonar delegation. Their people
appeared as a cross between a short and powerfully built human with the face of
a rhinoceros. The seven males in the group had short horns protruding from
their noses. Next to them was the delegation from Keneksis. Their people were
fox like humanoids with red or black fur and tails, standing about the same size
and weight as a Kalaidian.

The only
individual race on the sixth level was the Kalaidians. Given their present
state only females were present, all appearing much like short human women with
wildly colored hair and eyes with pointed ears. The other delegation was from
the melting pot of Dega Jul. Given the racial make-up of the Degan Republic,
their delegation consisted of two Kalaidians, two Malcovin, two Shandi, one
Reiki, one Minan, two Odairans, one Cealora, and one rogue Ick-Tckt Warrior. The
chamber echoed from the voices of all those inside. Their frantic speech was
interrupted when Lord Kris banged a gavel.

“Order to the
hall,” he said with his robotic voice. “We will now take the vote on the fate
of Brian Peterson.”

Each delegation
voted on the charges against Brian. When the vote tallied it showed a fourteen
in favor of the charges while thirteen were against.

“As the vote has
been cast the laws of our Confederation will be upheld,” Lord Kris said. “Our
special task forces will be dispatched to capture Brian Peterson.”

* *
*

Mira sat inside
a mobile suit simulator on the Avoni. After a few minutes of battle against
Grey ships she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“End
simulation,” she said.

The lights went
out and the front hatch opened up. She ran her hand through her long pink hair
and rubbed her blue eyes before heading outside. Lieutenant Meldi waited
outside and offered her a hand. Over the last few years Meldi let her dark blue
hair grow long. She had deep blue eyes to match. Both she and Mira stood the
same height at about an inch taller than Seles.

“You’re getting
good,” Meldi said.

Mira took her
hand with a smile. “Not as good as you. There’s also the fact I’ve never fought
in a real battle.”

“Still, I can
see your potential,” Meldi said as she offered Mira a drink. “What I’m still
wondering is why you and Valis come down here.”

Mira smiled. “As
soon as the Freedom launches the new models will come with it. Brian and Grigon,
along with Jesela planned it that way four years ago.”

“I guess the
rest of us were too busy worrying about survival to take notice,” Meldi said.
“The only thing I remember was Celi flying the Aegis to save him.”

“The Aegis was
the first,” Mira glanced at the simulator, “It’s almost time to begin our real
mission.”

“True.” Meldi
looked at Mira. “When we go to war we’ll need to be of the same mind. Otherwise
we’ll never survive.”

Mira took a
drink of water and watched the others enter the simulators to fight their
virtual battles. “Sometimes, I wish I had been there,” she said.

“Be glad you
weren’t,” Meldi said.

“No one who
survived ever says much about the journey,” Mira said. “Even Brian won’t talk.”

The door opened.
Celi walked in while adjusting her pilot’s suit. She still had her dark blue
hair grown long and had emerald green eyes. She stood a little shorter than
Mira and Meldi. When she saw the two of them she walked over. Meldi saluted
Celi before turning to Mira.

“Well, I’ll
leave you two to enjoy yourselves,” Meldi said as she left.

“Take care,”
Mira said as she left.

Celi stood next
to Mira and eyed her over. “You look rougher around the edges these days.”

“It’s the same
for you,” Mira said. “So how’s his condition?”

Celi closed her
eyes and shook her head. “I have no clue,” she said. “The plague was easy to
track once I spotted it, but the issue he’s having now doesn’t follow any
logical path. I gave him the special lens to wear over his eye to prevent
others from seeing it, but I don’t know how long that’ll work.”

“It explains why
he’s been so distant from everyone,” Mira said.

Celi looked away.
“I hope I can save him again.”

Mira took her
hand and met Celi’s eyes. “You will, because we’re here to help you this time.”

“Thanks,” Celi
said with a faint smile.

* *
*

Brian and Seles
walked through the streets of Dega Jul as the day wore on. He turned when they
passed by a restaurant in the Kalaidian district and watched those inside.

“What’s wrong?”
Seles asked as she took him by the arm.

“I never thought
I’d see the day when that was the norm,” Brian said.

Inside the
restaurant Kalaidians were enjoying pizzas. “You changed our culture more than
expected,” she said. “That’s what you’re trying to say, right?”

“Perhaps when
I’m gone that’s what I’ll be remembered for,” he said as he turned to leave.

“Don’t say it
like that,” Seles said. “You promised me you’d live.”

He nodded. “I’ll
try, that’s all I can do.”

 The pair came
to the apartment complex where Brian and the other commanders lived. No one
else was around as they walked up the stairs and headed into his apartment. Seles
could tell he was in pain and trying to fend it off as the door closed behind
them.

“Is it bothering
you again?” she asked.

He sat down on
the couch and held his hand over his left eye.

“I’m not sure
why though,” he said as he cringed in pain. Seles ran into the kitchen and
filled a cup with water and brought it to him. He took the cup and drank as
much as he could. Then he sighed with relief. “It’s going away.”

Seles put her
hand on his forehead. “You’re burning up.”

“Celi told me it
was because of the berserk,” he said. “I’ve done it too many times and now it’s
come back to haunt me.”

Seles took his
hand as she sat down next to him. “I’ll always be here to protect you.”

“I’m happy to
hear you say that Seles, I really am,” he said. “But I’m not changing Valis’s
orders.”

Seles turned her
face from his. “I knew you’d say that.”

She pulled away
and danced before taking a pose. Brian gazed as she moved with fluidity and
perfection.

“You’re much
better than before,” he said.

She smiled. “I’m
still not very good at singing. Mira’s an excellent teacher, but I have a lousy
sense of rhythm.”

He sat back and
relaxed. “When you’re singing imagine you’re inside a mobile suit, or even a
Novaguard. I’ve found that one needs inspiration to perform at their best.”

“So what do you
imagine when you’re performing?” she asked.

He gazed at the
setting sun. “I think of Earth, Kalaidia, then you and the others.”

“Someday you’ll
have to take me there,” she said.

The two watched
the sun set.

“Someday, Seles,”
he said.

The pair stood
quietly for a few minutes as night fell. She noticed he was staring off to the
side with a strange smile on his face.

“What?” she
asked.

He shook his
head and sighed. “You can’t see her can you?”

“See what?”
Seles looked closer at the air he was looking at. “I don’t see anything at
all.”

He turned away
as if what was there had disappeared. “Be glad that you can’t.”

“Now I’m really
worried.” Seles took his hand. “What did you see?”

“Delne,” he said.

“What?” Seles
asked while looking at the empty space once more.