Baldwin's Legacy: The Complete Series Page 4

  “This doesn’t bode well for our mutual forthcoming relationship, Admiral,” Ven said stoically. The picture was of Greblock; Tom knew from the distinct dusty orange landscape below thin clouds. Beyond was a rough-shaped moon, which was a tenth the size of the world below. “Do you think they’re hesitating due to the negotiation agreements?”

  “What negotiations?” Tom asked, suddenly feeling foolish. He was trained in so many aspects of the Concord, but most of it was exploration and defense. He didn’t have much experience with the government side of the Concord, but he was quickly learning that was going to change.

  “How do you think planets gain access into the great Concord, Baldwin?” the admiral asked.

  “I… They have something the Concord needs,” he said, the answer becoming clear.

  “Exactly. Greblok recently discovered an ore deep below their oceans. It’s the most conductive material the Concord has ever seen. It can be used to replace an element in the cables we use on our ships and, more importantly, in our cities. This is a huge win for the Concord, Baldwin. We need this agreement to happen,” Hudson said, desperation evident in his voice.

  “Then we’ll make it happen. When we go in a week…”

  Tom was cut off by Hudson. “No. You don’t have a week. You leave tomorrow,” he said.

  Tom’s heart beat faster, and he saw the look of uncertainty spreading across the others’ faces. “Sir, no disrespect meant, but there’s no way in hell we’re ready to launch by tomorrow. The crew only arrived today. I only got here today. This is the first trip any of us have had to the bridge,” he said, perhaps a little too aggressively.

  The admiral glared over at Tom, his eyes puffy and red. “Baldwin, there are at least ten other captains within a day of here that would jump at this chance. Don’t make me put a call in.”

  The threat was palpable, and Tom stood rigid, not trusting himself to speak.

  “We’ll leave tomorrow, sir. Don’t worry about that,” Treena Starling answered for him, giving Tom a tiny nod of her chin.

  The admiral looked between the two of them and sighed. “Good. Find out what’s going on. If they’re trying to play hardball, we can work with it. If something’s happened to them, the Concord needs to act. These are peaceful times. Let’s ensure no one has crossed the line here. Understood?”

  “Fully,” Tom said, and the admiral stalked off, leaving their group alone on the bridge.

  Three

  Tarlen woke with a shout, his hands coming over his head protectively. His eyes jumped open, scanning the dark space around him. There were no bombs going off, no red lasers tearing the land up, just him alone in a cave.

  Images flooded his mind from yesterday. “Belna! Are you here?” he called hesitantly. No one answered. He’d been so sure his sister would have escaped the carnage and made it to their safe zone, but his hopes died with the silence. From inside the cave, all he could hear was the rush of the wind echoing through the stones along the hillside.

  Tarlen stretched, his back popping as he did so. He wiped his eyes with dirty hands and crossed the dusty ground, heading for the cave entrance. It was dull outside, the sky cloud-covered and bleak. Visibility was poor, and the smell of smolder filled his nostrils as he stepped to the rocky pathway.

  “Belna…” he whispered to no one. Wisps of smoke lifted from the cityscape in the distance, most of the deep orange glows of fire all but out now. He couldn’t tell what time of the day it was, the star’s position hidden behind the smoke-cloud mixture.

  A shrieking noise emanated from the west, and Tarlen’s head snapped in that direction. It sounded like a monster come to life. Was it far away? He couldn’t tell. The sound came again and again, a constant pulse of terror. That was the direction of the ocean.

  He recalled something about the new underwater mines. Was that what the invaders had been after? If it was important enough for Greblok to receive attention from the Concord, who knows who else might have been interested in the commodity. Tarlen’s father was a bookkeeper, and he’d exclaimed how much business he was expecting after the mining operation was in full swing.

  There was no sign of the invaders in the sky, at least not below the clouds, and Tarlen moved into the open, suddenly extremely thirsty. The river was close. He stumbled over the dusty path, eventually finding the flowing water. It was clear here, and even though his parents had warned him not to drink from unfiltered streams, he drank deeply, not having any other options.

  His stomach grumbled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten anything in a day. It could be worse. He could have been vaporized in the attack. The walk usually only took around a half hour, but Tarlen bided his time, trying to stay out of plain sight. There were a few treed copses along the way, and he took to the cover, his legs getting scratched by the wild brush. By the time he entered the city boundaries, he was covered in sweat, his face sticky with dust.

  Tarlen swept his dark hair from his eyes and found the edge of the sidewalk. He blended in well enough with the beige stone buildings, his clothing being much the same muted tone. Most of the structures were now piles of rubble, destroyed by the invaders. Smoke filled the city air, and he blinked quickly as he walked, his eyes becoming red and tender.

  His father’s shop was nearby, and Tarlen clung to a hope that he’d arrive to find his parents with Belna, safe and united, awaiting his triumphant return. There were bodies strewn about, pieces of his neighbors in the streets, and Tarlen held off a scream as he saw his teacher on her back, her legs missing. He stumbled away, tripping on something. It was another body, this one headless. He cried out, unable to stop himself.

  Tarlen ran. Away from the destruction, away from the death, but he couldn’t escape it. Once he spotted the first body, he saw them everywhere. Pieces of his people were spread all over the city, at least the parts not vaporized in the assault.

  His skinny legs pumped as fast as they could, and he wasn’t certain where he was going. Tarlen heard the angry pulses in the distance again, coming from over the ocean, and he turned to look. Before he could spin his head around, he hit something that felt like a wall.

  “Calm yourself,” a voice said as Tarlen fell to the ground. A plume of dust shot up around him, and Tarlen coughed. A big hand reached toward him, extending its assistance.

  Tarlen peered at the huge man with bloodshot eyes. “Who are you?” He saw the man had a gun strapped to his hip, and his uniform was familiar. He was one of the Regent’s guards.

  “I’m Penter.” He pulled Tarlen up easily. “Where did you come from, son?”

  Tarlen cringed at the man’s choice of words. He needed to find his father. “I saw them coming. I tried to get my sister away, but we were separated. I hid in the caves,” he said, feeling a wash of shame envelop him.

  “Good idea. There have to be more,” Penter said.

  “More?” Tarlen asked.

  The big man pointed to a building that remained, and Tarlen saw a handful of faces peering out an open window. He didn’t wait. Tarlen raced to the people, searching for his family. “Mom, Dad, Belna?” There were only seven inside, and none of them were his family. Tears found him now, and he slumped to the floor, crying as an older woman crouched beside him, attempting to console him. “I have to find them. I have to try.”

  “We must stay hidden. You tell me where you live, and I’ll take a look,” Penter told him.

  A small child waddled over and passed Tarlen a mug with water in it. He took it and drank it greedily. “Thank you.”

  “Have something to eat. Rest. Let Penter take a look,” the woman said. Her eyes were kind, her arm bandaged. She had a hard bun and gave it to Tarlen. He bit into it, the rough edges scratching the inside of his cheeks.

  “I’ll go with you. I have to find them,” he said, no longer allowing himself to cry. He was too old for that, and they needed him to be strong.

  The pulsing screeches grew louder, and the little girl clutched Tarlen’s arm in fear. “What’s that
noise?” Tarlen asked the guard.

  “That’s the Statu,” Penter said quietly.

  “The Statu,” Tarlen repeated softly. They were things from children’s stories, meant to frighten you to do chores. They were hideous monsters, dropped from space to snatch misbehaving children from their beds as they slept soundly.

  “How can you be sure?” a man asked from the corner of the room. The walls were bereft of art, shelving knocked to the floor in the attack. Tarlen realized that this had been someone’s home only yesterday. Now that person was likely dead, along with everyone else.

  “The ships. Someone in my family saw them attack during the old Wars,” the guard said.

  The old man’s face scrunched up in a ball. “Why are they here? I thought they were defeated, all destroyed?”

  Penter shrugged with exaggerated movements. “How should I know? That was fifty years ago. I’m sure not all of them were at the last battle. My uncle used to drink too much ale and mutter how they’d eventually return to be a thorn in the Concord’s ass.”

  Tarlen couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Penter really thought the Statu had returned. It couldn’t be. Everybody knew they’d attempted a takeover along the Border, destroying anything that could help the Concord, and then, more bravely, inside Concord space. He shuddered thinking about it.

  If the Statu really were here, was there any hope for Greblok at all? All he had to do was picture the utter devastation outside, and he knew there wasn’t. His world was over, his people slaughtered. When Penter finally waved for Tarlen’s attention, telling him they were ready to go search for his parents, Tarlen found he barely had the strength to nod along.

  ____________

  “Lost in thought?” Reeve’s voice carried across the bridge. It was early, but Brax was usually up a couple of hours before his shifts each day. It gave him time to work out, eat, shower, and start the day with a clear mind and strong body.

  He was staring out the viewer, watching the planet below. It was a beautiful Class Zero-Nine world: lush, abundant. The locals were still excited by their inclusion into the Concord a decade later, to the point of being irritating with their pleasantness.

  Brax had spent the last couple of days soaking up the sun and relaxing with his sister before taking this posting. It had given them some much-needed time to catch up, since he’d been stationed on a different ship than her for the previous five years.

  “Not lost, per se. Just taking in the sights.” He glanced to the right, where a pale moon orbited Kevis VII.

  Reeve came to stand next to him, and he saw her glance around before leaning her head on his arm. She was a head shorter than him, and she only came to his chin in height. It was a rare moment of familiarity on the bridge, one that wouldn’t happen again once their mission was underway.

  “How have we not spoken about Treena Starling?” Reeve asked softly.

  The commander had yet to report to the bridge for the day, but Brax still peered around to make sure no one was listening before he responded. “It’s a shock. I thought she died.”

  “I’d only heard she’d survived, but no one spoke about it again, and I just assumed… you know, the worst,” Reeve said. Her red eyes shone brightly as they watched the world below together.

  “Apparently, she healed up nicely,” Brax said, and Reeve raised an eyebrow.

  “Do I sense an attraction from my brother?” she asked playfully. She always knew how to press his buttons.

  “Stop that.” He straightened, hoping no one heard her. “We’re on the bridge.”

  “Settle down. You’re always so by the book. Maybe you should loosen up once in a while,” Reeve told him. He was sure that was, at bare minimum, the thousandth time in their lives she’d said those exact words.

  “I’m only here because of you, Reeve. I have to play by the book. Not everyone gets by on their extreme intellect, joking their way through the ranks,” he said through sharp teeth.

  She rolled her eyes at him. “Sure. And you just happen to be here on this ship because of me. Did I mention that I never once suggested you for the position?”

  He hadn’t known that. “Should I be offended?”

  “No. From what I hear, the Concord hand-selected each and every member of the executive team. Baldwin didn’t even have a say,” Reeve told him.

  This was news to Brax. “Seriously?”

  “Again, I didn’t hear that firsthand. Not that I think the captain would straight-out tell us he didn’t choose us, but don’t you think it’s a little strange?” she asked.

  “It is. Has this precedent ever been set before?” he asked. Reeve understood the Concord’s history better than anyone else he’d ever come across.

  “Don’t think so. This stuff isn’t available in public records, but I think every captain has always at least been given options to choose from,” she said in hushed tones.

  “And what about the obvious missing Callalay member?” he asked his sister.

  “That’s beyond me. I’m going to ask around, but I don’t want to be nosy. Our people will be happy to see two Tekol on the bridge, though. How amazing is that? There have never been two Tekol siblings in the same executive ranks, let alone twins. We’re…”

  “Famous?” He finally let himself laugh, letting her infectious attitude fill him.

  “I wouldn’t go that far… but we’re on our way.” Reeve turned around, staring at the door as the rest of the crew began filing in. “Looks like it’s time to work. I’d better return to the boiler room. See you soon, brother.”

  “Yes, sister,” he said, drawing out the title and smiling at her.

  Reeve stopped and greeted the commander and captain before walking by Ven without so much as a glance. The strange albino didn’t seem to notice.

  Thomas Baldwin looked every inch of his role. He stood straight-backed, hands at his sides as he stepped in front of his captain’s chair. His hair was short and brown, gray speckling the edges as if he’d dyed it to be perfectly symmetrical. Baldwin even had a cleft chin. It was as if the man was sculpted to be in a leadership role, and Brax appreciated the fact that the man seemed unsure of his own abilities yet. He thought it was going to be a good challenge working together and figuring out their new positions as a team.

  “All systems are a go, Captain.” Ven sat at one of the two front helms positions, and a Zilph’i woman wearing a white collar, denoting her rank as Junior Officer, took the primary pilot’s seat. She was tall and thin, like the telekinetic man beside her, but she was dark-skinned, her hair long and brown instead. It was hard to believe the two were of the same race. Brax hadn’t studied much about the Ugna, but knew there’d only been one in Fleet history to work on a Concord cruise ship, which made this a momentous win for them.

  “Very good, Executive Lieutenant Ven.” Captain Thomas Baldwin took his seat, and Commander Treena Starling sat in her position beside him, her face impassive as the viewer showcased Kevis VII below. Their ship had been finished out here, away from the throngs of attention.

  Brax found his seat at the edge of the room, checked the weapons systems twice, and confirmed with the computer that they were functional. He really hoped he could operate them on the real ship. He’d learned the new technology inside and out in the simulators, but he found there were usually some drastic variances between theory and reality.

  “Nothing to report from the inside, Captain,” Constantine’s AI said, suddenly appearing in the center of the bridge.

  Baldwin jumped back, startled, and it had surprised Brax too.

  “Can you please either announce yourself or appear at the edge of the room?” Baldwin asked the AI.

  “If that satisfies you, then yes, sir,” Constantine said, a slight smile on his lips.

  Brax had never seen an AI quite like this before, and wondered how much of the old hero was really in there. From what he’d heard, the real man had been a bit of a joker when he had to be, and a stubborn hardass when necessary.

/>   “We were supposed to have a procession, camera feeds, and a visit from the Concord Prime Minister, but since Greblok has gone dark, we go alone, which I prefer,” Baldwin said.

  “Orders, sir?” the Zilph’i woman asked.

  “Take us out. Set course for the Oanush sector,” Baldwin said. “Thank you, Junior Officer Zare.”

  “Course is set,” Zare told the bridge. “Four point two standard cycles before arrival.”

  Baldwin nodded. “Move us out,” he said, and the ship began to detach from the massive station it had been linked to during the final stages of construction. Ven switched the camera feeds showing on the viewer, and they watched from the vantage point of the station as the ship emerged into space, free of its shackles.

  Brax thought the ship looked magnificent. A truly epic vessel, and he was filled with pride at being chosen by the Concord for this prestigious assignment.

  Four

  Treena Starling sat in the private bathroom stall, feeling the very human urge to throw up, but she wasn’t able to. This form didn’t have a stomach and didn’t ingest food or liquid. It had taken all her composure to sit on the bridge and watch as their ship moved from the station to space. From there, the engines had activated, switching from impulse to hyperlight, sending the stars scattering into streaks as they powered through the expanse at immense speeds.

  She’d been on a few ships since her accident, mostly tucked away in a room with no way to see out a viewer. The last time she’d watched space through a screen like this, her ship and crew had been destroyed at the Border.

  “You’re fine, Treena,” she told herself over and over. No one else even seemed to be aware she wasn’t a human. They stared at her like she was a ghost, and she half expected someone to try to wave a hand through her as though she was an AI like Constantine. Close enough.