Alliance Hunter

We caught up to the others before they had gone too far and as a group we headed to the mess hall. As I stepped through the door I saw trouble. The same Valkyrie I’d assaulted was serving food. It was obvious from the bruise on her chin where I had fisted her that she hadn’t received medical treatment. Either it had been refused or she had refused both of these were viable options when it came to the Valkyrie.

“Let me go first,” Jervic said on seeing her.

“No!” I countermanded him. “If she causes trouble let me deal with it.”

“Oh like you did the last time?” Jervic replied.

“Like I said I’ll deal with it. You know I’m talking sense. You’ll only have them all fighting you. These are Valkyrie we are dealing with?” I received a confirming nod from Miri and Al. Of any in my team at least these two understood the workings of the Valkyrie mind set.

“Because you are male,” Miri defended me. “They’ll take it as an insult.”

“With me it will be one on one.” That was my hope but I wasn’t going to tell Jervic about that I cared about him and I didn’t want him injured. Not after the last time guilt made me shiver inside he nearly died protecting me. I couldn’t let him sacrifice his life like that not for something this trivial.

“I don’t like it,” he said to me. “But you are right. I wish it was different but it isn’t.”

“Damn should have brought my kit,” Kelli sighed and waved her glove. “I swear Gwen you are just as bad as these Valkyrie you seem to love a good fight.”

I noted she was steering away from using the word ‘Ancients’ like she normally did. I guess meeting Mouse had scared her a little she seemed more respectful around me.

“I don’t, you should know I don’t. I just know them.”

I moved to the counter and picked up a tray dreading what was coming next.

“You bitch!” The Valkyrie snarled and spat into my tray.

Anger surged within me. I as the old saying went blew a fuse. I was just about to use the tray as a weapon when an all too familiar voice interrupted me.

“Enough!”

I turned to see Runa stride towards me her face full of fury.

“Oh shit!” I muttered under my breath.

“You were warned before!”

I cringed at the anger in her voice. Instead of stopping in front of me she leaned across the counter and grabbed the Valkyrie by the front of her jumpsuit. I still had difficulty in using the Confederacy term and call them skinnies. She hauled the woman over the counter scattering trays of hot food and smearing their contents over the counter and the woman.

“Throw this idiot in the brig!” Runa snarled bodily tossing the poor unfortunate to her guards.

I hadn’t realised how strong Runa actually was. Had she been using her full strength on me I would have been a greasy smear on the floor.

She made a gesture. “Someone clear this mess up.” She pointed to me without looking at me. “Not you initiate.” She turned her attention to a blue and silver sash wearing Valkyrie. “Make sure our allies are properly fed will you?”

The Valkyrie in question gave her a smart Confederacy salute and vaulted effortlessly over the counter.

Runa took a deep breath and turned her attention to me. She grabbed my arm before I could object and held it above my head the bangle on that arm clearly visible. “See this!” She glared at the other Valkyrie some still seated at their tables. “The Elders do not give these out lightly. You have to earn them!”

I saw a number of Valkyrie nod thoughtfully. Except I never earned mine I’d been given the first one to pursue Vanessa. The one I wore now Runa had forced on me. The cynic in me began to see the politics behind it. Runa let go of my arm and it dropped to my side. Runa stood there her gaze tracking everyone in the mess hall.

“Be ashamed for insulting one of the Chosen.”

I didn’t like the implications of that but I held my tongue.

Runa glanced my way a slight smile on her face. “Good initiate you are learning.”

I looked at her worried she seemed to have got my measure all too well. She glanced up with glare and abruptly turned and left the mess hall.

My team and I were alone with a number of Valkyrie some with anger on their faces. A cheerful sounding shout from behind us broke the tension in the room.

“Hey TCA!”

I turned to see the Valkyrie, Runa had assigned to the kitchen wave us forward. She handed each of us a covered tray. “Take these the officers will have to go without.”

Cautiously I lifted the lid and peered at the contents. It seemed the officers ate well this was far superior to anything served to the crew. My tray had a selection of meats and cooked vegetables I was familiar with during my time on Alfheimir.

“You sure?” I asked her.

“Yeah, Mother Sigrunn said to keep and eye out for you. You’ll find a welcome with clan Yanik.”

I understood her offer. So I could rely on two clans to back me up. “Thanks to you and thank Mother Sigrunn for me.”

The Valkyrie just smiled and waved us away.

We found an empty table and sat down. As we did the conversation that had fallen silent with Runa’s rant started up. I tried to listen in but most was too muted to pick out anything useful.

Suddenly a voice from behind me said. “Can I see it?”

I turned to see a youngish Valkyrie standing there. She was tall and thin her blonde hair plaited to hang down her shoulders. I went cold seeing she was sporting a black and yellow sash. Ljufu’s former clan and whose Clan Mother I’d insulted.

“See what?” I tensed ready for trouble.

“Your token if I may?”

She didn’t sound threatening just curious so I self-consciously showed it to her.

She examined it closely. “As I thought it’s genuine.” She scowled. “There are some with the opinion that it is a fake.” She straightened her voice carrying over the hall. “It isn’t, the Elders gave this to you why?”

I hesitated for a moment Solstrid’s callous murder still hurt after this time. Jervic reached out to me I shook my head and he withdrew his hand. He at least understood we were on our own amongst these Valkyrie and we had to play things carefully. I told her of Vanessa’s betrayal, Solstrid’s last wish and my battle with the Orsini.

The Valkyrie gave a low whistle. “Thank you, I see now why the Elders chose you, you do have a warrior’s soul.”

Another Valkyrie joined her she didn’t have a sash so I couldn’t determine her clan. “I see you now,” the newcomer said. “You were at the Hall of the Elders when those arouraío tried to destroy us?”

Comparing the Black Stripes with slime rats seemed quite appropriate here.

“You mean the Black Stripes,” I said to her.

She looked at me queryingly. “Black Stripes?”

“Because they wear three black stripes on their uniforms or tattooed on their skins.” I noticed my team was letting me do the talking.

“Tattooed?”

“Those we killed on Saros had their stripes tattooed on their skin.” I touched my breastbone near my shoulder. “There.”

“Saros is a long way from Alfheimir?” the Valkyrie with at black and yellow sash asked. “What were they doing there?”

“The same thing they did on Alfheimir trying to start a war.”

“With whom?” the second Valkyrie asked.

“Between the TCA and the Confederacy.” I noticed we had drawn an audience. I continued. “Again using the Planetary Defences to this time fire upon the TCA ship and at the same time destroy a city and make it show that the TCA fired on the city and the system retaliated.”

“That’s insane!”

“Yes, they were willing to murder millions of people to further their aims. The TCA is our first defence against the Rhosani.” I held up my hand. “Which makes me think perhaps they are working with the Rhosani. Who benefits more from this? Not the Empire they’re too busy with the Orsini to take advantage of any conflict within the Confederacy.” I had to be careful and hide my Imperial origins.

The two regarded me carefully I could almost see the cogs whirling in their brains. Another of those ancient phrases the Confederacy didn’t use.

“Thank you Chosen,” black and yellow sash said. “I’m Torfrid Thidrikdor and this is

Frenhilda.” With that they turned and headed back to their table.

I watched them with their heads down in an animated conversation with the others on the their table their voices pitched too low for me to hear anything they said.

I glanced at the table then back to my team. “Ok someone tell what that was about?”

Kelli shrugged and Jervic shifted uneasily which didn’t fill me with confidence. It was Al that answered my question after a look to Miri.

“Some kind of power struggle if my guess is on the mark.” I noted he was deliberately talking in USE. “Three factions, two opposing and a third of the wait and see kind.”

“Wait and see?” I asked him in Galactic.

“Either they join the stronger faction when it comes apparent or bolster the weaker faction. That’s the part I’ve yet to figure out?” he said still speaking USE.

Miri nodded taking a deep breath. “I’ve felt it ever since we boarded.”

“Your arrival added fuel to the fire,” Al added.

“Do you know which faction is which?” I changed to speak in USE figuring it would make it harder for others to listen in. The downside was Jervic and as far as I knew Denassi didn’t speak USE. I refused to call it Terran, despite what had been done to me I was determined to keep my Imperial heritage.

Al’s brow crinkled in thought. “We have the Isolationists and the Progressives.”

I understood that all too easily my mind on the two young Valkyrie that wanted to kill me because I was an outsider. It was too clear despite the Elders edict the Isolationists were still active and aboard this ship. I never got to the bottom of why those two were so determined to see me dead. I sincerely doubted they were acting on their own I suspected someone else was pulling their strings. Trouble was I never saw the resolution of Thirika’s action since the Black Stripes had intervened and then the Elders bundled me off world. At the time I’d been so pleased to be back on Vanessa’s trail that I’d never questioned their actions until now. I wasn’t going to ask Runa. I guess her being on board was more than just for me, she was on a mission for the Elders. Although she didn’t wear silver I guessed she was one of the Elder’s Silver Guard. But I wasn’t, that I could be certain of.

“Have you been able to establish who the Isolationists are?” I asked Al directly.

“No, unfortunately we’ve been kept away from the crew and confined to our quarters. That was until you came along and upset the apple cart.”

I was glad to be back amongst my own people. And yes I did class Miri as one of mine and an Imperial despite her birth. The only fly in that ointment was Jervic I hated leaving him out of the loop. “I’ll fill you in later,” I apologised to Jervic in Galactic. “I just want to make sure we don’t have anyone listening in when we don’t want them to.”

He gave me a thumbs up not something the Confederacy normally did but it eased the pain in my heart for leaving him out of the conversation.

“Ok, someone must know something?” I was casting around desperately for information still speaking USE.

“I might be able to help,” Denassi said.

I stared at him shocked I wasn’t the only one. I didn’t know he spoke USE. He had a strong accent but it was my mother tongue. “Denassi?”

“My people are on board.” By that he meant other Ezaran’s and this being a Valkyrie ship female Ezarans. “I’ll ask them for their opinions we get everywhere. Someone would have bound to have heard something?”

“Ok Denassi,” I told him and switched to Galactic. “If things are that volatile we need to be prepared.”

We finished our excellent meal there were no doubts the officers ate well. I enjoyed it, going forward I could envision freeze-dried ration packs in our future. We left the mess hall and headed to the corridor where we had to split up. Despite being Runa’s initiate I hadn’t been able to persuade her to let us quarter closer. I turned to my team, taking note of their glum expressions.

“No one is to go out alone.” Colour drained from Miri’s face as I gave her a look. She knew exactly what I meant. “No sneaking off to spend time with Al.” And from the looks of it none of that for me either. I’d just have to swallow my disappointment and take a dry spell. “Not until we know things are safe.” It was a dire warning my mind on the incident in the forest.

“I’ll be ok on my own,” Denassi stated. “Not one of these Valkyrie takes any notice of an Ezaran. They may let us run their ships but to them we might as well be ghosts.”

I grimaced Denassi was right about that. “Ok Denassi.” I looked at Miri and Al in particular. “I know it places restrictions on our activities but I’d rather be safe than sorry. “You especially Miri.” Adding. “And you Al!”

Jervic grabbed my hand before I could move away and brought my fingers to his lips.

“Be careful.” Was all he said and dropped my hand.

“I will,” I replied it was hard parting from him but as leader I had to set an example no matter how hard it was for me.

With that we split up and went back to our respective quarters, I with a lump in my throat and a heavy heart. Once inside I headed for my bunk and sat down feeling depressed without Jervic. It felt as if I’d left part of me behind. The bleep of my comms jerked me out of my depression with a start. I glanced at Kelli and Miri both regarding me with avid interest. I worried since the only ones with my comms number was Runa or my team.

“Yes?” I hesitantly answered it.

Instead of a voice lines of text appeared on my comms screen. Lines of backwards text in a font I was all too familiar with.

“Miri?” I said to her.

“Yes I know that look Gwen. I’ll just wait outside and panic when I see a crash team rush in that ok with you?”

I winced at the anger in her voice. “Look I’ll be safe,” I lied I wasn’t certain of that. “Please Miri.”

Finally she nodded. “Ok just don’t keep leaving me out of the loop. I am here to help.”

I did feel sorry about keeping her in the dark but the fewer that knew about the Keepers the better. Did I just call them the Keepers? I shuddered at the thought my last conversation with Mouse ended up with my head trying to explode.

Kelli watched her go. “What was that about?”

“Mouse is contacting me.”

“Ancients…” She stopped herself. “I’ll get my kit ready.”

“No we should be safe they are using the comms.”

“I’ll still get my kit I really don’t know how to explain this one if you get hurt again?”

“I’ll be fine,” I lied trying hard to hide my nervousness. I opened the comms it took me a while to decrypt the text message.

“Gwen we are sorry about what happened. We didn’t know how powerful they had become. I didn’t want to tell you but bigger voices than mine overruled me. Those you call Guardians tried to kill you.”

“Oh wonderful,” I said to Kelli. She had sat down beside me on my bed and was looking at the same text I was.

The message continued. “Not you personally but us through you because they thought it was us and not you. We will not be able to contact you as we did before until we have a work around. Be assured we are working hard to re-establish that connection. Until then we will watch and wait.”

“Oh wonderful,” I said again and winced I’d fallen back into the habit of repeating myself. I really didn’t want to have anything more to do with Mouse and her companions but I was stuck with them.

Kelli knew how they had used my DNA to re-make themselves. I turned my attention back to the message. As I read the next line I said. “Oh wonderful.” The third repeat of the same words.

The message continued. “Until then contact us only in an emergency. Hopefully we will have a work around soon.” It ended with. “Love Mouse and your Keeper family.”

I grimaced at the last comment. I turned to Kelli as soon as she finished reading it.

“What do you think?” I was asking her about those last few words they made me feel very uncomfortable.

“It’s not what I think,” Kelli stated. “It’s what happens next. The odd thing is when I scan you no other alien, I mean alien to your blood shows up in my scans. As far as I can see you only have that Valkyrie/ human mix you have.”

“Oh…”

Kelli interrupted me. “Please don’t say it I’ve heard it three times already.”

I wisely shut up. Finally I said. “Ok call Miri back and hit the showers and then bed I think we’ve had enough excitement for today.” To tell the truth the whole thing was wearing on me and I longed for sleep, sleep that was without awakening in the cavern. I was still unsure about Kelli’s explanation but I definitely had a body. Perhaps in a calmer time I’d ask Mouse about that but I doubted I’d get a answer from her.

Refreshed from the shower and feeling clean I lay in the bed a drifted off to sleep the sound of peace surrounding me. The harsh bleep of my comms woke me with a jerk. I opened my eyes dreading where I was. I was relieved to see I was in my bed on the ship. I sat up somehow my stumbling woke the others and the lights flickered on. Kelli and Miri sat in their beds their eyes on me.

“Are you going to answer that?” Miri asked.

I glanced to Kelli slowly she nodded I saw the reluctance in her eyes.

“Yes!” I snapped it on to be presented with another text message. “Oh crap!” I narrowly avoided saying ‘Wonderful’ again. It wasn’t from the Keeper this one was from Runa. I was instantly suspicious Runa wouldn’t do that she’d just turn up on my doorstep and drag me off. She certainly wouldn’t send me a text message.

“Gwen?” I heard the concern in Kelli’s voice.

“It’s from Runa, she wants me to go to the training room.”

“Why?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” I replied my concern showing. “What I do know is she wouldn’t have contacted me like this.”

“Gwen is right,” Miri said. “It isn’t her way. She’d come herself or send one of her soldiers.”

Kelli glanced at Miri the turned to me. “Are you sure it’s from her?”

“I really don’t know.”

“Are you going to go?” Miri asked.

“If you are I’m going with you!” Kelli declared.

“Even if we are walking into a trap?” I told them not holding back on my own fears. “Miri can come. I’m not leaving here on her own.” I turned on my comms. “Jervic?” I called.

There was a moment before he answered. “That you Gwen?”

“Yes,” I replied. Quickly I detailed my comms message.

“We can be with you in ten,” he said.

“Negative, hold yourself ready. I don’t want to give them an excuse to get us all together. If I need you I’ll keep this channel open.” I was reluctant to involve him I still felt guilty that he nearly died because of me. But I wasn’t that stupid to go into an unknown situation without back up.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” he said to me.

“Hey it’s me you are talking to,” I replied.

“Yes I know you all too well.”

“I’ll have Kelli and Miri with me.”

I heard him take a deep breath. “There’s no way I can talk you out of this?”

“Let me do this my way and I promise we’ll do something you will enjoy.”

“Right Gwen I’m holding you to that.”

“The best we can do is know it for a trap and be ready.” I turned off my comms. I’d keep it open once we were moving. “Right ladies lets get dressed and trigger this trap.”

“Oh wonderful,” Kelli said. “Great now you’ve got me saying it. I make sure I’ve got my full kit with me.”

We dressed and headed out. My biggest regret was that we weren’t armed. I could have done with a pistol in my pocket but our weapons were stored in the armoury, which we had no access to.