Alliance Hunter

It was a long wait for Joyce’s team from the Elafi. I assumed it was a Confederacy ship one of the half dozen orbiting Melanos. Jervic stood beside me looking all business in his armour. Of the two of us he was armed. We guarded the door and talked about nothing specific I still hadn’t told him everything, my inner coward and me. I didn’t want him to freeze me out anymore than he had already done. Or as I seemed to believe it was the other way around I was the one freezing him out.

“So this device of your Keepers, the one that’s got all the archaeologists drooling over it. That’s your word not mine. It’s like a whole archive in one?”

I gritted my teeth. I didn’t like him referring to the Keepers as mine. I ignored his comments. “That’s what Joyce says. Funny when I was ‘forced’ to handle those rods before they never glowed.” I empathised the word ‘forced’.

Jervic winced visibly. “Look I’m sorry I got jealous?” Adding hastily. “Perhaps the rod needed to be activated first?”

“What have you to be jealous of?” I asked him. Perhaps this was why he was so distant to me. As to the other I suppose he was trying to make amends but not doing a good job at that.

“I wanted to be with you but you hardly have any time for me anymore?”

“Xenai made me your CO I never wanted that. You know her better than I. I do want to spend time with you but…” I trailed off.

I couldn’t really justify that. A lot of it was keeping secrets from him and trying to undo my mistake in the ruins. Guilt was a large factor in that. I froze at the wrong time and nearly got him killed. I found myself flexing my hand just thinking of the battle in the ruins.

“It seems to me that in that ‘Terran’ expression ‘everyone wants a piece of you’?”

In that he was correct. “It seriously feels that way,” I told him. “All I ever wanted to do was lay Solstrid’s spirit to rest and spend whatever time is allotted to me with you. Except I can’t do that every time I think I’m getting on top of it something else crops up.”

“Including me,” Jervic said to me.

I turned to him. With his helmet on I couldn’t see his face or even guess what he was thinking. “No never you. It’s having to deal with the Black Stripes. I keep getting side tracked by them. I really want them stopped before they actually start a war.”

I was about to say more when the tramp of someone coming up the stair put me on alert. I felt Jervic tense beside me his hand on the coil assault rifle strapped to his chest. A female T’Arni captain walked up the stairs followed by a squad of Marines in full Confederacy armour easily taller than the T’Arni they trailed after. Valkyrie I knew that even without thinking. I straightened up this must be the squad from the Elafi. I was glad I was in uniform it would have looked awkward in civilian gear even if I was only pretending to be a lieutenant.

“Captain!” I snapped to attention and saluted in the way Kelli had taught me.

The captain smiled, I smiled back my hand still at my forehead the proper Confederacy salute. What did surprise me was that the Confederacy captain was wearing an Imperial medal. One I knew, a combat medal but the Empire never awarded medals to those not from the Empire. But I wasn’t going to ask.

“I’m Captain Kyrikia,” the T’Arni said. “And this is Sergeant Hollen and her squad.”

“Lieutenant Hunter, and this is Lieutenant Jervic Gorana.”

“Stand down lieutenants my squad will be taking over from you.”

“Yes ma’am.”

The door behind us slid open and Joyce appeared. “Kyrikia, Freyhilda good to see you.” Joyce said to the newcomers easily. “Kyrikia come on in and I’ll brief you on the find Gwen brought me. Freyhilda you can stay here and keep Gwen company I’m sure you have a lot in common.”

Captain Kyrikia entered Joyce’s office leaving me to confront the Valkyrie sergeant. I hadn’t wanted Joyce to say I had a lot in common with the Valkyrie. I was certain she hadn’t meant it maliciously.

I saw the Valkyrie glance to the door as it closed before turning to me.

“Ma’am,” the Valkyrie said politely. “What is this about?”

“You and your squad are to guard this room. There’s a device in there that has a map to a number of wormhole routes.”

“More than they’ve discovered so far?” It was clear she distrusted the Guardians as much as I did.

“Yes, it is vital we keep this information safe.”

“I understand ma’am.” She saluted.

I returned the salute my movement must have exposed my bangle I had it hidden under the sleeve of my uniform jacket. I heard her gasp at the sight of it. Her squad suddenly shifted their stances. I wasn’t sure what they would do. They were Valkyrie and nothing happened the way you expected with them.

“You wear the silver, Poi.”

I knew what Poi meant. It was a Valkyrie word for an honoured soul. Like Moi it garnered a lot of respect. I shook my head. “I’m only an initiate.” I had to say that having to deal with Valkyrie.

“A great achievement for a Terran of the blood.”

I saw the rest of her squad nod approvingly. Her words reminded me that as much as I tried to hide it I still had an Imperial accent.

“So you know I’m vaihdokas?”

“I assumed so. I will take over now!” Sergeant Hollen saluted. “Good luck initiate.”

I returned her salute. “Stay frosty sergeant!”

“That I will ma’am.”

“Frosty?” Jervic asked as we walked away.

“Chilled, relaxed but alert.” I told him glad he was talking to me. When we reached the floor of the habitat I turned to him. “Let the others know we are packing up. I’ll alert Runa to send a shuttle.” I had no other option I’d done what I come here to do.

“On it ma’am,” he said with a salute.

I shuddered at his words just when I thought we’d be back on track he did that to me. I relaxed a little when he glanced up. I looked up to see Sergeant Hollen looking over the balcony. I gave her a wave and hurried to pack up. I was glad that he was just playing to the audience rather than what I had first thought and having him think I’d gone native.

Kelli and Miri were in the quarters when I reached it. Both women looked at me expectantly. “A squad from the Elafi is taking over, we’re heading back once I comm some transport. Get your gear together and be ready to move.” I took a breath adding. “Make sure we return anything we borrowed back to the archaeologists.” We hadn’t brought much in the way of a change of clothing. I know I should have planned better then I hadn’t anticipated we’d be stuck here this long. Nor had I appraised Runa of the situation once we had regained comms. In that I had been deliberate.

“Done Gwen,” Kelli said to me.

“Good we’ll assemble by the entrance. Grab a quick meal and make sure the boys know.”

I winced at that but I couldn’t take in back.

Kelli smiled at my mistake and spoke. “I’ll make sure.”

I grabbed my thermals and headed to the outside.

Joyce caught up with me before I reached the end of the tunnel.

“You are going?” she asked me.

“Yes, I really don’t want to disrupt your people any further.”

“Nonsense we’re glad of the disruption. Things can get pretty boring here.” Joyce frowned. “Most of the time we feel like we are trying to swim against the current. But we plough on because people are counting on the information we occasionally gleam from the Archive.” Joyce linked her arm in mine. “Don’t worry I’m not your type. I don’t won’t you slipping out there it’s freezing up again.”

I felt the sudden drop in temperature as we crossed the barrier. I could see the snow had melted but it had left behind icy frozen patches making walking treacherous. I nearly slipped only Joyce’s firm grip on my arm kept me upright despite my Confed issue military boots.

“Is it always this bad,” I grouched to Joyce I hadn’t meant to be snappy it was just the thought of having to go back to Alfheimir.

“Not always it’s the Guardians way of messing with us. They don’t like to make things easy for us.”

“I just added fuel to the flame by coming here?”

“Certainly not,” Joyce replied. “We’re surrounded by ruins and every time we decide to excavate, it blows up a storm. It can get so bad we can’t even use the comms.”

A thought occurred to me. “Why didn’t you move the comms tower closer to the entrance?”

Joyce gave a laugh. “I wish we could. We’ve tried a failed.”

“The Guardians?” I hazarded a guess.

“Exactly. We even tried to build a covered walkway between the tower and us. As soon as we try anything.”

“Let me guess a storm whips up?”

“Yes and destroys our efforts. We can’t even get a proper scan of the planet. According to Lottie there are thousands more Archives underground. And yet all we detected is this one.”

It gelled with what the Keepers had told me although I couldn’t trust something a machine said. I halted the way my thoughts were going. Despite what the Keeper’s computer did to me I couldn’t get angry with Mouse or Digger. They looked and talked too human. Then how was I to judge I’d accepted Digger’s helpers in me. I couldn’t but worry about Mouse. I only had Digger’s word and those two weren’t exactly friendly. “These Guardians aren’t exactly friendly to anyone?”

“That’s the impression we get. They guard the little information we gleam from the Archive like misers with gold.”

I had to ask the question. “Why stay?”

“Because every now and again we find a diamond amongst the garbage. What we do find is a boon for both the Empire and the Confederacy.

We reached the comms tower without an incident. Joyce entered first after punching in the code for the door. I thought it archaic doing it that way but I supposed the archaeologists had their reasons.

“Still warmer than the outside,” Joyce said to me pulling off her gloves.

“That it is?” I replied wondering where this conversation seemed to be going.

“Gwen?” Joyce turned serious. “We need to talk.”

“I figured this was more than you were letting on.”

“That’s true,” Joyce said with a sigh. “I want to meet the Keepers?”

I wasn’t sure about that and told her so. “I’m not sure about that. I got the impression they were hiding. They did get all but wiped out the few that remained became columns of data. They’ve only just emerged if I were them I’d be wary of the outside world. And then there is the Guardians they seem hell bent of destroying the few that remain by any underhanded way.”

“I know it was just a thought. It’s just that we’ve tried to talk to the Guardians and if and when they do it’s to turn someone into a weapon.”

I winced Joyce made that sound like a personal affront to her. I guess that it was because it was her niece they had targeted. I suspected they would have done that to me make me a weapon against the Keepers. Only Mouse’s intervention had stopped that but I could but worry about her safety.

“I can ask,” I said after a lot of consideration. “But not here and not now.” I was reluctant to contact the Keepers not with the Guardians so close.

“I understand that,” Joyce said. “If you do please thank them for the rod it’s given me more data than the last couple of years studying the Archive.”

“I can try,” I assured Joyce. “But they may refuse. The only thing going for me is that because of my ancestry I’m part Keeper. I’d like to know how the hell that happened. If it hadn’t been for that I’d be dead my body entombed by a rock fall.”

Joyce shrugged. “If you can’t you can’t.”

I changed subjects I was reluctant to call Runa just yet so I commed Xenai instead. “I’ll comm my ride and let Captain Xenai know the state of play.”

I was surprised to see Xenai’s face on the comms I commed her ship expecting to get some comms officer. The comms officer must have put me straight through to Xenai.

“Captain Xenai,” I said aware that I had an audience.

Xenai smiled seeming to be glad to see me as much as I was glad to see her. I had taken a chance to comm her. I didn’t know if it was possible I didn’t know where she and had she been in hyperspace an impossible task unless it was a Keeper I was talking to. I was still no clearer as how they achieved that.

“So it’s Captain Xenai now?”

“I’m here with Joyce Neilson the Chief Archaeologist on Melanos.”

“Of course Gwen, Joyce Neilson. I’ve heard a lot about you Miss Neilson.”

“Captain Xenai,” Joyce said formally. “Gwen I’ll just step away until you are finished.”

Quickly I filled Xenai on the events since I last saw her. “That’s where we are as of now.”

“That’s bad,” Xenai said. “I’ll let mother know. We’ve long suspected the Guardians of doing that. Mother will know more she actually spoke to the entity called Lottie.”

I wasn’t sure what she was on about she seemed to know more than I did but I wasn’t about to pull her up about that. I was just glad to hear a friendly voice. “Spoke?”

Xenai smiled again. “I see you are still doing that again.”

I knew she was on about my habit of repeating others’ words. “I’m trying to keep that to a minimum.”

“Yes mother spoke to Lottie before she left with the Thousand for pastures new.”

I was glad to talking to someone I didn’t have to explain what I said to them. “Are they going to come back?” I thought on what Xenai said and what I’d been told by the Keepers. I suspected they were a remnant of the Keepers, the people they had sacrificed to keep their non-combatant status not that it did them any good in the end.

“No, they made that quite clear.”

Now I faced the inevitable. “Ok so I’m going to Alfheimir whether I like it or not.”

“No you aren’t. If I have any say in it.”

I was glad to have her on my side but I sensed a hesitation in her words. “And?”

“The Elders asked for our assistance. Because we asked for help they have asked to return the favour.”

“What favour?”

“That I do not know.”

“I expect Runa will know,” I said despondently. I hated being kept in the dark. When I thought about it, it was the thing I was doing to Jervic. I made a mental note to tell him everything. I didn’t want to but I had to tell him there could be no secrets anymore. My only hope was that it wouldn’t go wrong. “I’ve got to contact her then?”

Then I thought about Jervic and the other they were part of my team and I didn’t want to leave them stranded. “And the rest of my team can I bring them?”

“I don’t see why not they are your team and you command them. If the Enari don’t like that they should speak to me. We are doing them a favour after all?”

I felt better talking to Xenai. “I’ll speak to Runa then.”

“Good and when you get back we’ll have a long talk.”

“Will I get back?” I had to ask.

“I’ll make damn sure you do! The Enari can’t hold you.”

“They tried before.” I remembered the choice they gave me, train with Thirika or remain on Alfheimir for the rest of my life. I chose the training little knowing what it would entail.

“Don’t let them forget you are a TCA soldier and my crew.”

“Thanks.” I ended the comms on that.

I looked up at Joyce she hadn’t said a word except she looked at me interested.

“Well?” I asked.

“That’s interesting you’ve got a captain that cares about her people. Kyrikia is the same she had a rocky start but she’s got all the makings of a fine officer any navy would be proud of.”

I had only met Kyrikia briefly but anyone that garnered the respect of the Valkyrie had my admiration. “That was the easy bit,” I told Joyce. I took a deep breath and commed Runa.

“What took you so long?” Were her first words on seeing me through the comms screen.

I stared back unable to match her steely gaze I knew when I was outmatched. “We’ve encountered a few problems.” I said lamely.

“You can tell me about it when you return. I take it this is a request for a ride back.”

“And about this mission we’re to go on. I have spoken to Xenai.”

“I see,” Runa said sternly. “You spoke to her before you contacted me?”

“Of course she did. Captain Xenai is her CO,” Joyce told Runa directly.

“And you are?”

“Joyce Neilson.”

“Apologies Miss Neilson. I just wanted to know how Gwen knew.”

“About a mission,” Joyce snorted. “Oh I know your people all too well. Gwen is one of mine if you feel like getting difficult?”

I was surprised to hear Joyce defend me and a little concerned by her calling me one of her people.

“Apologies again Miss Neilson.”

“Call me Joyce we’re all friends here.” Joyce turned to me. “Gwen get your team together. Runa and I will talk a little longer. And for God’s sake stay safe the Empire needs hero’s like you.”

“Joyce, Runa,” I said getting up.

“We’ll talk back on the ship,” Runa said to me and then to Joyce. “Ok what do you want?”

Joyce smiled. “We have a lot to talk about.”

I didn’t hear the rest of the conversation. I hurried out my ears burning I could have lain a bet on that the topic of conversation would be me. I grabbed my few pieces of gear and with my team headed out to wait for the shuttle.