Alliance Hunter

The bridge of the Valkyrie ship wasn’t what I expected to it to be. Instead of being at the centre of the ship it was perched high on the hull. I’d been on the bridge of the Valorous Star Captain Xenai’s ship once and because it was an ex-Imperial ship the bridge was inside the hull the better position in my mind. Captain Wulfgara sat on her chair one of three at the rear of the bridge and stared through the windows at the grey vista in front of her. Hyperspace or that’s what all the vids called it. An unrelenting grey nothingness ships travelled through. All this speculation didn’t answer the question of why the captain had asked to see me.

“Captain?” I saluted like I was the TCA officer I was pretending to be. The Elders had already seen through that.

“Initiate Hunter,” she said I saw her glance at the red and silver sash around my waist. “Sorry Initiate Martin.”

The sash was my concession to Kara for her keeping silent about the Keepers. The last few weeks were blessedly peaceful. The only thing that marred it was Angrima’s death. The Chief’s investigation had shown she had committed suicide the greatest of sins according to what Kara had told me.

“The coward’s way out,” she had said me during one of her check ups.

At least my love life was back on track even if I hadn’t told Jervic about the Keepers. I felt guilty about keeping him in the dark. I guess I was a bit of a coward, fearful that he would hate me.

“You wanted to see me ma’am?”

Captain Wulfgara nodded. “Get your team ready. You’ll need thermal suits.” She hesitated considering her words. “Most of your team will it gets really cold on Melanos.”

“Yes ma’am I’ll get my team prepared.”

I turned to go Wulfgara called me back. “Gwen Martin.” She spoke loudly I think she was alerting the bridge crew I was clan even if it was temporary.

“Yes ma’am?”

“Stay a while, one day you’ll be captaining a ship such as this. This will be good practice for the day that comes.”

I was a little surprised by her offer. I had no intention of doing anything like that but then I hadn’t really thought that far ahead. Too much was happening today to worry about tomorrow. “Thank you ma’am.”

“Good!” Wulfgara addressed the female Fandaran at the helm. “Helm ETA to exit please.”

“Five minutes ma’am.”

As far as I knew most Confederacy ships had Fandaran navigators. Most but not all I’d learned that a long time ago on the ship that brought me to the Confederacy. They hadn’t had a Fandaran navigator. Thinking of that only added to my growing sense of frustration. I hadn’t achieved my goal of bringing Vanessa to justice, every time I did something else got in the way. I realised I’d missed some of Wulfgara conversation.

“Attention crew make ready to jump!”

The lights flickered and we exited into normal space. The best was I could describe was as a fog. Suddenly it was if a hole appeared in the fog and we slid into normal space. I was relieved to see stars again and yet I felt anxiety grow in my guts. As much as I was relieved that I was finally here but the thought of the Guardians hung over me.

I was so concentrated on the stars that I barely registered Wulfgara’s words.

“Close the shutters,” she said to her crew and then to me. “Initiate Martin have your team meet in the conference room.”

I saluted neatly. “Yes ma’am.”

I stopped at the door of the conference room and stared hard. Seated at the table was Runa, Kara at her side. I could see her looking better I was glad of that. The rest of my team, which now included Miri and Al, sat opposite them. I felt nervous I’d expected my team but hadn’t counted on Runa and Kara.

“Commander Hrutdottir. Doctor Kara Martin, team,” I said and left it at that. This was my formal team briefing and I felt nervy not sure what to say or even where to start. I saw Runa point to the seat next to her indicating I should sit with them. I took a deep breath as I sat and swallowed hard. “Ok team.” I hoped Runa wasn’t coming with me. I hadn’t planned for her inclusion. Heck I hadn’t planned for anyone else to accompany me down. I just didn’t want to put anyone in danger. I didn’t know what to expect once we landed. I really hadn’t thought that far forward. I spoke again aware the intense scrutiny Runa was giving me I found it off putting. “We land on Melanos and hand the rod the chief archaeologist there. They can see if they can unlock the data on it?” As for a briefing it sound pretty lame. I couldn’t help it I wasn’t used to being in charge. I’d be fine once in the field but I just fell to pieces feeling as if I was being judged.

Runa touched my arm in a reassuring way. “I can see you’ve not done this before initiate?” She wasn’t being hard just trying to encourage me.

I just nodded and blushed. The thought was in my mind but her presence had me flustered. It would be hard enough telling my team about the Guardians without revealing things I wanted to keep silent, things that might lose me Jervic. Then on the other hand I had to swallow my fears and warn him. I didn’t want to lose him because I was frightened of what he thought of me. Nor did I want him in danger because I hadn’t warned him. What to do, what to do? In the end I decided to go with the practical part of my mind.

“What I do know is that the Guardians are and were hostile to the Keepers.”

“Keepers?” Jervic asked.

Awkward yes but I’d have to carry on and hoped that Jervic would forgive me. “The name of the ancients under Saros.” The very question I had hoped to avoid. “Better give them a name than say the ancient race that once inhabited Saros.” That was an outright lie. “I don’t know there true name and they never said when I was there. Does anyone know the original name for the Guardians?” That was the truth as far as I knew.

Runa spoke up before I could drop myself into the hole I was digging. “Enough speculation you know your tasks so let’s get to them. We can save this debate for another day. So concentrate on what we do know. Dismissed!”

I open my mouth to protest but closed it thinking I’d better stay silent. Runa nodded to me and looked at my team. I rose from my seat to follow my team out when Runa called out to me.

“Sit back down Initiate. We have things to discuss.”

I looked imploringly at Kelli. She glanced to Kara and shook her head. “Sorry Gwen I’ve got to prep for the landing.” She gripped Jervic’s arm and whispered into his ear.

He looked at me and touched his heart. At least I had that for the moment. I watched them go my fear rising within me. I sat back down my hand clenching and unclenching I really had to get myself out of that habit. I suppose it was my nervous tick. The door opened and Leadra entered.

“Miss anything?” she said cheerfully.

“No,” Runa replied.

“Oh good.” Leadra walked over and sat opposite Runa. “Hey Gwen sit this side and we can give this table some balance.”

With a sinking feeling I obeyed. I was beginning to feel that I was being set up. “I haven’t done anything wrong?” I considered it my right to protest.

“No you haven’t,” Runa reassured me I didn’t feel it. “I’m grateful your friend helped me.”

My heart dropped through my stomach I felt ill. If I could have I would have run but I didn’t have anywhere to go. I was trapped on this ship. I had a feeling the Valkyrie would hunt me down wherever I’d run to.

“Look Gwen,” Runa said to me. “I know about the nanobots in my blood and how they got there.”

I glared at Kara instead of being embarrassed by it she chuckled.

“I trusted you!” I accused her.

Kara merely shrugged. “I had to let Runa and Leadra know about danger to the ship.”

“Oh great now everyone knows. Gee thanks Kara.” I pulled off the Martin sash I was wearing and slapped it on the table. “I should have never trusted you!” I stood only to have Leadra pull me down she was far stronger than she looked.

“Now sit and listen girl!”

I glared at her and then the others anger flushing my face. “I can’t trust any of you!”

“Not when there is a danger to the ship. Did you ever think about that Gwen?”

Runa’s quiet words stopped me in full rant shocked that she had called me by my first name.

I regarded her carefully not wanting to admit her words made sense. “Then let me go. I’ll take another ship to go anywhere. I’ll even leave the Confederacy?” Unfortunately my heart didn’t agree with my mind. My mind said I’d make a sacrifice to keep Jervic safe. I know he kept saying that he was a soldier but dealing with powerful alien races was more than any soldier could handle and I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to him. I’d do what I’d have to, to keep Jervic safe although he would never forgive me if I failed. Not only that I knew I’d never escape the Keepers, they would be with me wherever I ended up.

“We all know we can’t let you do that,” Kara said rebuke in her words. “Running away isn’t an option. You know that?”

I hated that she was right.

“And I know your heart won’t let you,” Runa said to me. “Despite you anger with us. You are loyal to your friends and loyal to your memory of Solstrid. You made a promise which you will not forget.”

I hated that more Runa was correct I had to honour my promise to Solstrid, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t. I really couldn’t see a way out they had me in a corner my back to the wall.

“I can’t trust you?” I said more a plea than with any anger.

I jumped a little when Leadra pulled a knife from her boot and placed on the table in front of her.

“I’m proposing an Ezaran blood oath and before anyone says it I’m still enough of a Ezaran to make it count.” She picked up the knife and sliced across the palm of her hand blood trickled from the wound. “I pledge to you Gwen Hunter that I will stand by your side whenever and wherever you need me. I am your sister in blood.” She slid the bloody knife across to Runa. “Your turn old friend,” Leadra said to her.

Runa without hesitation picked up the blade and sliced into her hand.

“I pledge that Gwen is my foster daughter and as such she demands my protection.” Runa gave me a look. “I will not betray her trust.” She added as a proviso. “Only if it does not endanger the ship or the crew within it.”

Again she was right. I hadn’t thought my way through it I was putting the ship in danger. And yet I couldn’t tell anyone about the Keepers. They had hidden for a reason and despite my anger at what they had done to me part of me wanted to keep them safe. Runa passed the knife to Kara.

Kara regarded it like she had stepped into something unpleasant and made a cut to her hand. “Yuck! Cross contamination this is so unhygienic.” She stared at me knife in one hand blood dripping from the other. “Gwen is a Martin it flows in her blood and is a Martin no matter how hard she denies it. She has my support in anything she does. Well within limits.”

Runa chuckled. “Now sister?” She gave Kara a querying look.

“Ok,” Kara muttered she didn’t sound angry. “Gwen has my full support and protection of my clan.”

I thought their pledges odd. But before I could say anything Kara slid the knife to me. “Your turn Gwen you need to complete the circle. I’m sorry it will hurt. I can’t protect you against that.”

I guessed she meant what I had to say rather than anything physical. I hesitantly picked up the blood stained knife. I didn’t know what they wanted or even what to say. I took a deep breath and made a cut. The sharpness of the knife took me by surprise. I felt the pain and winced seeing blood pour from my hand. “I promise not to cause harm to those here today as long as they do no harm to me.”

“Training does not count!” Runa told me directly

“And I promise to heal you a quickly as I can,” Kara told me.

I think she was worried about the amount of blood coming from my wound. In truth I was worried as well. “I’m sorry Kara.”

“Here quickly, good thing I brought a medkit with me. It was more for Runa than you?” Kara gestured to me.

I heard the admonishment in her words. I extended my wounded hand to her. She spent several minutes cleaning the wound and spraying on a wound sealant. She then attended to both Leadra and Runa’s wounds before turning her attention to her own. “Good that’s done I’d rather not have to deal with any infection.”

“Now we’ve got that over we can get back to business,” Leadra stated. “And I’ll have my knife back.” I handed Leadra her knife Kara had cleaned all the blood off it. She slid in back into her boot. “It’s my favourite, it’s got me out of many a sticky situation.”

“What business?” I asked I was feeling a little sensitive at the moment.

“Silver business Gwen. Which you are now one of,” Leadra stated. “The attack on Runa was an attempt to discredit you.” She held up her hand. “Whether or not the Guardians were involved is a moot point at this juncture. You and I mean you as a human and one of the TCA. The Elders are convinced the ATL are behind it.”

Black stripes, Anti Terran League were all the same to me. A group out to cause as much chaos as they could. Leadra was right in one respect whether or not the Guardians were involved they just used the situation at hand to their advantage.

“And I’m ashamed that my attackers are Valkyrie, Valkyrie too ashamed to take me on in combat. Sneaking behind my back is a ATL trick and I can’t believe some of us openly support the ATL,” Runa said quietly.

Kara nodded thoughtfully. “I’m more than ashamed.”

“With all that’s going on is it possible that someone or something beyond what we know is behind it all?” I asked not sure if I had a point. The Guardians were users using events for their own aims.

“We have heard you what you have said. We don’t know your Keepers, so we can only speculate on what you told us.”

“You know me!” I protested. “If the Keepers told me they know.” Something from Earth I’d remembered came to mind. “It’s like something I heard about news network setting events in motion to make a story something they did to increase their viewing figures. They were quickly and harshly dealt with.”

There was silence around the table as the Valkyrie considered my words. Finally Leadra spoke.

“That is a distinct possibility. Gwen, make that your secondary objective. We might as well use the assets the TCA lent us. If you think about it, what happened in the last few years? We had border clashes with the Orsini in the Disputed Territories but if you see things from the long point of view. The only things of note before the Rhosani emerged were Anoxi and Praxi. Mistakes were made, mistakes that should have never happened. Gwen may have a valid point perhaps the Guardians wanted something to observe?”

I felt vindicated but I wished I wasn’t.

“As soon as we reach Melanos and changed crews I’ll contact the Elders.” Runa said with a nod to me.

“And me?” I wasn’t sure why they needed me here with them.

“You have a mission on Melanos to complete.” Runa told me.

“Make sure your team is properly prepped. It gets really cold outside the Archive. The caverns are warmer.” I heard the concern in Kara’s voice.

“Best get going,” Leadra added. “And for the Mother’s sake be careful.”

I felt relieved to be out of there. Jervic surprised me by waiting for me in the corridor instead of my usual Valkyrie escort.

“Jervic?”

“Lieutenant Hunter your team is waiting your command.”

I gave him a look before answering. “Jervic why so formal?” I hated the thought but perhaps he was breaking up with me.

He hesitated. “I… I just. No it doesn’t matter,” he finished lamely.

“It does to me.” My heart sank I’d got enough to deal with without the extra worry.

“It’s just that you’ve been distant?”

He was right in that respect I been worrying over what I would encounter on Melanos. “I’ve had a lot on my plate.”

Jervic looked confused. “Oh I see another of those phrases that confuse me.”

“And you’ve been very quiet since Runa’s attack.” Now that I thought about it he hadn’t been his usual self since the attack. I’d been fooling myself by pretending everything was fine. I had just want things to be normal. And I’d at least I did feel normal around him but now I wasn’t sure. I didn’t want all this uncertainty. “Too quiet.” I spoke again hating myself for saying it. “You’re going to break up with me?” I didn’t want to be alone. I know I had Kelli and the others but they weren’t Jervic. As much as I wanted his comfort I guess I was too much a coward to tell him everything.

Jervic looked shocked. “Ancients I thought you were breaking up with me?”

I stared at him my heart fluttering wishing I could take back my words. “I’m sorry there been so much going on lately that I feel I’m being pulled in too may different directions.”

“Please Gwen if you think things are bad please talk to me or at least talk to Kelli.”

“Sure I really need to get off this ship the air in here is stifling me.”

Jervic smiled. “We can do that. We have a shuttle prepped and ready.” He glanced down and saw the bandage on my hand. “What have you done to your hand?”

“Oh the hand, It’s nothing we all got one.” I winced at that I was classing myself of one of them, the Silver Guard but I wasn’t.

Jervic eyed me suspiciously. “What do you mean by that?”

“Some oath or pledge call it what you will. Leadra made us do it.”

“Leadra the Ezaran?”

“Yes?”

“Was it a blood oath?”

“Yes I think that was what she said?”

Jervic gave a low whistle. “Be very careful the Ezaran’s take those oaths very seriously. Break it and you will be hunted down and killed. That’s how serious they make it.”

I shuddered at the thought wondering what I’d got myself into. “Ok I get it. They all pledged to protect me.”

“That’s even more serious they would die rather than see anyone harm you.”

“Yeah that’s gonna happen especially when Runa turned around and said it didn’t apply to training.”

“And?” he asked quietly.

“That is as much as I can tell you.” I straightened up. “Ok we’ve got a mission to complete.

My team had assembled in the shuttle bay all dressed in grey thermal suits. Captain Wulfgara was there along with several of her Valkyrie in full armour. I quickly scanned them trying to deduce what clans they were from none wore their sashes.

“Lieutenant Hunter!” Wulfgara said formally.

I tensed waiting for the proverbial axe to fall. “Ma’am,” I responded with a salute.

Wulfgara gestured to one of her Valkyrie. “I think this belongs to you?”

The Valkyrie in question handed me a long seal box on long enough to contain the Keepers rod.

“Thank you captain.” I felt awkward holding the box and trying to salute. I wasn’t about to insult her and open it in the middle of the shuttle bay. I didn’t want to open it period I just wanted to hand it over and be done with it.

The ghost of a smile touched Wulfgara’s face. “No thank you,” Wulfgara replied.

“You have done us a great service. Now get aboard and we’ll see you later.”

With that we boarded the shuttle. I wasn’t sure what would happen once we landed but I had to be ready.