Hero of the Confederacy

Waking up in strange places was a habit I was determined to break. I opened my eyes and regarded my surroundings with hostile eyes. I was in some sort of metal room there was only a door and no windows definitely not the shuttle but somewhere else. I was lying on a camp bed a thin cover across my body. There were two other beds in this windowless room with a bedside cabinet and locker for each. On the cabinet beside my bed was an AR 32 and two spare clips. Seated on a chair opposite was Lady Camelia wrapped up in the same thermal suit I was wearing. In her hands was a datapad. She had a sad almost tender expression on her face.

“Hello Sandra,” she said, “I know you are angry but please hear me out?”

“Angry, damn right I am,” I responded hotly as I sat up in bed, “Captain Yanik wouldn’t stand for this!”

“I’ve already spoken to your esteemed captain. She came looking for you. Her and your squad I sent them away. Don’t try to contact them this planet blocks comms signals.”

“What more lies!” I almost spat.

“I’m sorry about that I never meant it but Captain Yanik kept stalling. Every day wasted means the Usurper has another day to consolidate his stranglehold on the Empire. I can’t allow him to destroy everything Constantine worked so hard to fix.”

“So what’s it to us.” I scrambled out of the bed and then rose towering over Camelia. A tinge of pain spread out from my still injured leg I ignored it.

“You didn’t know. Then how could you,” she sighed, “it’s complicated, too complicated to explain at the moment. I promise when the time is right I will tell you but too much is at stake to say anything now. “

“Yeah right.”

“Here take this the messages are encoded only you can access them. One is from Captain Yanik. I had to tell her everything. She knows what’s at stake and she can’t help you,” she stated eyes in the datapad in her hand she wouldn’t look at me eye to eye.

“Another set of lies. I don’t know what I’ve done to you to hate me?”

“Sandra I don’t hate you. I promised your father to watch over you if anything happened to him I failed. I did what I could but your mother didn’t want me close. I do understand her feelings I would have done the same in her boots.”

“What?” I felt a chill in my bones. “Who are you?”

“Someone that knew you father well we grew up together. Did you know he had high hopes for you? His plan was for you to heal the wound between the Empire and the Confederacy.”

I just stared at Camelia my ears disbelieving. “I don’t believe you.” I was sure she wasn’t telling me everything. I didn’t like being left in the dark.

“I suggest you ask Veronica next time you speak to her.”

“My mother what’s she got to do with this?”

“I suggest you find out I don’t want to speak about that you should hear it from her lips. The other message is from Combined Operations,” she handed me the datapad, “the kitchen is in the prefab across the way.”

Shocked I nearly dropped the datapad. What were Com Ops up to that’s if Camelia was telling the truth? She seemed to be playing a game, a game that involved me in some obscure way.

“I’ll be with Ellie if you want me,” she stood, “one other thing Sandra. The shuttle controls are locked out.”

That wouldn’t have made much difference I wouldn’t have been able to fly it any way. I watched her go and then turned my attention to the datapad. Sitting down in the chair she had vacated I turned the unit on. I tapped the icon from the first message.

“Locke, Sandra, activate message.”

There was a moment before the mechanical voice responded. “Command acknowledged.”

A hologram of Marsha’s face appeared above its surface. “Sandra,” the image stated, “if this is you please listen. Understand that I have spoken to Lady Camelia.” The image grimaced. “She told me a lot about you and about her daughter. Things I am honour bound not to reveal to you. I’m sorry I can’t say more than that. I did speak to Com Ops and they have stated the same. There’s much I could have said but can’t do, you see the dilemma it puts me in. I am forced to ask you to take my silence on trust. Lady Camelia and I had a long talk I understand her reasons. You must stick close to Ellie Broaden, be her shadow if needs be she is vital to the success of the mission. More I can’t tell you I wish I could but these orders come from Com Ops themselves.”

That revelation rocked me to the core. “Com Ops?” I muttered.

“We’ll keep station above the planet and on your return I’ll tell you everything.”

“I’ll keep you to that promise,” I said but she would never have heard that it was just a message. Turning her off I pressed the other message repeating the code unlock.

“Major Locke,” General Pitney’s image replaced Marsha’s, “it is vital you co-operate with Lady Camelia Broaden. Make this your mission priority she has information essential to ending the war and by extension you and Captain Yanik must ensure that Lady Broaden gets to Earth and protect her daughter at all costs. I cannot say more for operational reasons. Follow orders and we can end this senseless war quickly.” The message ended.

I stared at the datapad my mind in a whirl. My anger turned to despondency, “I am a soldier,” I told myself bitterly, “I must obey orders.” I didn’t like it but I had to obey. “Lottie?” the implant never answered I started to worry. “Lottie?” I repeated. There was no response. I pressed my fingers behind my ear and called again. “Lottie answer me damn you!” I removed my fingers from behind my ears. I wondered if the same comms interference was affecting Lottie although I seriously doubted that.

Shaking myself into action I picked up the AR 32 and checked it. The Imperial version was similar to ours but without the refinements developed in our battles with the Commonwealth. Strapping it to my chest I stuffed the clips into the pocket of my jacket transferring my gloves to my belt.

I don’t know what I was expecting as I exited the prefab but it wasn’t the interior of a cavern. It reminded me of the underground bunker on Anwa Padak. Although the wall and floors were smooth the roof had retained the roughness of the rocks. There were three prefabs on my side and three on the other sides and in the middle of the space was a fusion generator. Cables spiralled out to all the prefabs. There were two exits one led deeper into the caves while the other led to the surface and the shuttle pad. One of the prefabs had a large storage tank above it. I guessed that was the washrooms and the tank was the water recycler. Attached to the side of the prefab was a waste reclaimer. I hated to be the one that had to empty that out. Stepping into the washroom I was surprised to find it clean and tidy. I stripped off and washed warmed by the water.

Dried and dressed I headed across to the kitchen prefab. I didn’t recognise the man seated there in his pale green skinnies his hair close cropped and greying. I guessed he was Camelia’s pilot I nodded to him in passing. The kitchen cum dining room was well appointed. Two tables and several chairs made up the cramped dining area while the kitchen made up the rest of the prefab. I got a coffee and a freeze dried meal from the storage cabinet and sat down drinking my coffee as my meal heated and reconstituted in its package. As I munched my meal and washed it down with a really good cup of coffee I tried to review everything I had heard and seen. After a while I just gave up nothing made any sense.

A heat shield separated this cavern from the archives I noticed the drop in temperature forcing me to don my gloves and put up the hood of my thermals. The archives were huge the sides and walls disappearing in the dimness of distance. Luckily for me globes of light hung from the ceiling illuminating areas of the archives. Tall rounded stone columns dotted the caverns each surrounded by stone benches. Camelia was seated in front of a column that was squarer that its fellows. I limped to her and sat down beside her. Camelia’s eyes were on her daughter. The column was a blaze of a rainbow of colours and symbols none of which I could read. Standing at the base was Ellie despite the cold of her surroundings she had her bare hand against the column. In her other hand she held a datapad. Camelia’s captain stood close beside her his eyes sweeping the area I admired his professional demeanour. Ellie saw me and removed her hand. Instantly the colours faded turning the column inactive the only thing that stood out on the column was the concaved diamond symbol the same shape as Ellie’s medallion.

“Are you ok?” she asked me.

“Better.”

“Mother never told me anything. I never knew what was going to happen.”

“Would you have stopped her?” I was aware Camelia was listening to every word I said.

“Probably not,” she admitted, “mother can be convincing when she has to be.”

“I did what I did to protect you,” Camelia replied.

I changed the subject quickly Com Ops made it clear what my orders were. “What’s this?” I waved my hand at the column.

“The archive index it will give me the location of the column we need.”

“Can you read it I couldn’t make any sense of the symbols on it?”

“Not in the way you think it.”

I felt confused I had to admit I was never into techie things. “I don’t understand?”

“Touching the column activates it and sends images directly to the brain. From there I must dictate it to the datapad or the information is lost.”

“Can’t you remember what you saw?”

“As much as I’d like to, once you lose contact all memory of what you have seen fades it can be frustrating hence the datapad.”

“How come no one else knows about this?”

“You need the key.”

I was then that I noticed she was holding her medallion under her datapad. “Just like the wormholes?”

“Exactly, Professor Michael found out by accident. He showed me how it worked once he figured out how to do it.”

I limped over and touched the column it remained dead under my fingers.

“Here let me show you,” Ellie touched the column and immediately it blazed into life. She began dictating to her datapad.

“She may be a while,” Camelia told me, “why don’t you head back to the camp and rest your leg?”

I was too keyed up to rest. “I’ll just look around while I’m here.”

“Don’t wander off too far. I’ll be getting lunch ready soon.”

“Ok,” I replied then realised what I’d said she sounded just like my mother. I shook my head in shame feeling a little put out.

I wandered between the columns wondering what secrets they held and why Com Ops didn’t know about this. Or maybe they did. The thought was giving me a headache and my leg had started to throb. I sat down on a stone bench to rest. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the flicker of a shadow. With the constant light of the globes in the ceiling an impossibility.

“Hello?” I said loosening the strap on my weapon. I edged cautiously to where I saw the shadow but there was no one there. “Lottie?” I called my implant. “Lottie?” I called again, “damn it Lottie don’t play games!” I began to wonder if the same thing that effected the comms as effecting Lottie. It could be the reason why I couldn’t contact her earlier. I could have done with her advice even if it did mean putting up with her quirks. I had begun to think of her as a friend. Slowly I made my way back to Camelia watching every corner as I went.

“There you are Sandra,” she said on seeing me, “we were just about to head back to camp.

“Is there anyone else here besides us?” I asked her.

“We’re the only ones. My pilot is with the shuttle and the captain has been with Ellie all the time. Why do you ask?”

“I thought I might have seen someone down the far end.”

“There should be no one else here,” she turned to her captain. “Fetch Pilot Kelly and ask him to bring his weapon. I will remain here with Lady Sandra.”

“Yes my lady!” he saluted and was gone.

I felt under scrutiny as we waited for the captain to return. Ellie had gone back to her examination of the column while Camelia watched me. I breathed a sigh of relief on seeing the captain and the pilot returning.

“You two will wait here with Lady Camelia and Lady Elspeth,” I ordered them, “guard them with your lives.”

“We’ve already pledged to do that,” Camelia's captain snapped back.

“And what will you be doing?” Camelia asked me directly.

“I’ll be taking a look around.”

“Sandra you are still injured. Captain Yanik made it clear that I was to look after you.” Which wasn’t what she had told me earlier. Then she had stated it had been my late father’s idea. So I severely doubted her motives besides I had my orders.

“It’s safer for you here,” I told her.

“I’m coming with you.”

“Stay here!” I barked.

“Sandra!” it sounded as if she was about to issue a command.

I interrupted. “My lady,” I was being polite in front of her soldiers, “you know I am better equipped to handle the situation than you are even with my injuries.”

Camelia looked as if she wanted to say more. “Have it your way Sandra we’ll talk about this later,” she said with a finality that didn’t bode well for me. I winced at that.

Moving with caution I sneaked my way around the columns and benches heading to the spot I last saw the shadow or thought I saw it. I was beginning to doubt my own mind and unable to contact Lottie another worry I could have done without. A sudden flicker of light on the edge of my vision had me turning fast. I almost cringed as pain shot up my leg. I couldn’t see anything amiss and that didn’t make me feel any easier. I spent the next hour checking every column just to justify my unease.

Then just as I was about to head back I noticed a side tunnel I hadn’t seen before. I was sure it hadn’t been there a moment ago. Carefully I approached and halted at the edge of the tunnel. Weapon at the ready I peered into the tunnel. Like the rest of the archive the walls and floor were smooth while the roof was rough stone. “Here goes nothing!” I muttered as I stepped into the corridor. Something brushed against my face and I blinked.

I halted shocked my mouth open before me was an impossibility. I was standing on a marbled floor. The doors stretching out either side of me were old-fashioned fake wood doors. Doors I could easily recognise. I had stepped into the halls of the Rosewood Academy but something was very wrong. Rosewood’s walls and doors didn’t stretch to infinity. Swiftly I turned expecting to see the tunnel and found myself staring at a blank wall. Reaching out I touched its surface it felt solid. I pulled off my glove and touched the wall again my mind trying hard to disbelieve what my fingers were feeling.

“Do not fear,” a voice said from behind me.

I turned weapon at the ready. Standing before me was someone I instantly recognised. Someone who fitted into the décor of the surroundings.

“Olga?” it looked like her in her pink blouse and skirt but the voice was male, “you look like my secretary Olga from the Rosewood Academy but your voice doesn’t match.”

“We have been waiting for you.”

“Who are you?” I demanded it felt wrong pointing my gun at Olga I had a hard time convincing myself that it wasn’t her.

“We have been waiting for you,” Olga’s doppelganger repeated.

“Who are you? I want answers?”

“We are the Guardians,” the voice had changed to another male voice.

A chill ran down my back. It was the same voice that had whispered in my mind on board the Havok. “You made me go up to the bridge when I should have headed for the medbay!”

“Duty,” the voice breathed. Olga’s face twisted and distorted.

I slipped the safety of my weapon and I inched my finger on to the trigger. “Duty? Damn you, what do you mean by that?”

“Your duty is to defeat the Rho’xan.”

“The who?”

“Those you know as the Rhosani,” the voice replied.

“The hell I’m already doing that! What has duty got to do with this?”

“Long ago we sent them away,” the voice continued as if I hadn’t spoken.

“Away where?”

Olga’s image shimmered and was replaced by a more familiar one.

“Mother?” I stuttered lowering my weapon in shock. The image of my mother looking as sad as I had last seen her that was enough to stop me from pulling the trigger. I vividly remembered the harsh words I had said to her. I had been drunk at the time and bitterly regretted the tone I had used.

“Into the great beyond to a place of no return,” even the voice sounded like my mother’s.

“But they have returned?” I fought back my skittering emotions on seeing the apparition of my mother it seemed all too real to me.

“Yes they have. A few but they need to be stopped.”

“Can’t you do that?”

“Not we but you,” mother raised her hand or the image of my mother did pointing directly at me.

“I am one against many?” I protested.

“One is all we need, Avatar.”

“Avatar?”

“We have touched your soul. Flawed as it is we find you acceptable.”

“Acceptable?” suddenly a feeling of dread washed over me.

“Too soon!” mother’s image cried out.

“What’s too soon?”

“So much more I could tell you,” the figure shimmered and was replaced by Olga’s doppelganger, “you must learn or die.”

I was so shocked by the announcement that I barely registered the figure grab my ungloved hand. A burning pain seared my hand my vision blurred as tears streamed down my face.

“Sandra?” a voice called out.

I blinked away the tears and found myself facing the back of the cavern. I turned to see Camelia standing there a concerned look on her face. After what I had just witnessed I wasn’t sure if she was real or an illusion. “Are you real?”

“What?” Camelia looked confused, “I found you here just staring at the wall are you ok you look a little pale?”

I remembered the pain in my hand. I glanced at my hand. Etched deep into my palm was a concave diamond. I flexed my hand surprised to not feel any pain. “So it wasn’t my imagination?” I showed it to Camelia.

She took my hand gently and touched the mark. “Does it hurt?”

“Not now,” I saw the odd look she was giving me so I explained what had happened.

Camelia frowned. “Best we get you back to Ellie she might be able to understand what this means.

Feeling chilled to the bone we walked back to Ellie in silence. I realised that I no longer felt the cold outside my suit. A sudden scream pierced the silence the sound echoing around the cavern.

“Ellie!” Camelia yelled and ran.

I was a few heartbeats after her. As I ran I realised something I was running with no sign of pain in my leg. I skidded to a halt my weapon at the ready. The pilot was dead I had seen enough death to know that. Camelia’s captain stood as if rooted to the spot his hands wrapped around Camelia. A strange man in a Terran dress uniform stood over Ellie. Ellie lay on the floor groaning. A cut on her head dripped blood.

Instantly I fired feeling the slight kick of the weapon against my shoulder almost seeing the flight of the rounds as they centred on my target in my mind’s eye. They never touched him bright flashes peppered the air in front of him. The man raised his hand and some unseen force plucked me up and flung me hard against a column. I felt something crack in my back. A numbness spread out across my body I was paralysed only my arm and ungloved hand were free to move. My gun lay several metres from me too far in my present condition. The Terran officer approached while Camelia struggled in the grip of her traitor captain.

“You cannot harm me little worm. I will make your death long and painful,” he laughed the sound harsh against my ears.

Something sharp pricked my ungloved hand. I could feel a shape beneath my questing fingers. An image flashed across my mind a weapon, a weapon I could use. Gathering up the last of my strength I flicked my hand. The whirring shape flew straight and true embedding itself in the officer’s chest.

“No!” he screamed, “you promised. You promised I would live forever.”

I felt the strength drain from me and as the blackness closed over me I whispered. “Not here not now!” and that was that last thing I remembered.