Heaven Saga 2: Sands of Aquarius (32 page)

“This
is terrible,” Seles said, seeing mangled metal mixed with concrete.

“I
know,” Brian said.
Even with all their advanced technology, these people are
addicted to war.
As Brian thought, scores of Novaguards emerged from below
the Kein estate and tore into the enemy fighters. “I’ll send a signal to Veda
we’re here.”

“Alright,”
Seles said. She took a few shots with her mobile suit’s pulse cannon,
destroying a few enemy crafts.

Brian
joined Seles in attack mode when Veda appeared on his monitor. “I’m glad to see
you’ve joined us here on the ground.”

“Valis
and Shiken Ka have taken their positions in space,” Brian said.

“Good.”
Veda paused, thinking. “I’ve decided to leave the future in your hands young
man.”

“What?”
he asked.

“You
must be my late brother’s reincarnation,” Veda said. “Follow the plan Valis
gave you, but remember to follow what’s in your heart. I can see that this war,
that fighting itself disgusts you. I for one agree. It’s time to stop fighting
and start working towards the future Gaelic envisioned. He wanted a world not
just of equality, but of justice, fairness, and most of all, that didn’t value
things over people. So in a moment I’ll give up what I have, not for Valis, not
for you, but for everyone.”

“I’m
glad you’ve changed your way of thinking,” Brian said.

“No,
I’m still the same bitter old lady,” Veda said sarcastically. “But I know it’s
time to leave things to the younger generation. My time of ruling, like
Celestia’s, has come to an end. I entrust the future to you. Fight for the
future to come and not for the past that has been.”

The
image of Veda Kein appeared on video screens across Dega Jul. Simultaneously
the audio was broad waved over all communications networks.

“I
have an announcement to make to all who call Dega Jul their home. As you may or
may not know, I am Veda Kein, head of the Kein estate and all associated
material systems. But who and what I am is less important than the horror you,
the people have witness to today. At this moment two factions have chosen their
paths on the question of rulership of Dega Jul; the Kein and Ka organizations,
and the Duchess Chka’s joint venture with the Malcovin. I know that matters
little to those of you working hard each day for a better future. But I thought
it prudent to set the record straight and explain everything to you. The reason
I’ve chosen to speak to you today like this is not to ask for help but to ask
each of you about the future of Dega Jul. Right now the governing body of the
Degan system is called the High Council, but what it really means is the rule
of the wealthiest merchants and noble families from various worlds. The only
voices that matter are those with the power to move wealth and material power.
The voice that should matter, that being the people of Dega Jul, is shut out. I
admit for years I have been one of the exploiters of this system and the wrongs
I have wrought against you are numerous. But now I know this system can’t last
forever. It’s time to move on. I declare the people of Dega should rule
themselves, not as a dictatorship, not as an oligarchy, but as a democratic
republic. I concede my wealth and power to this dream and as such give up what
I own to you the people. No longer will I see you ruled as nobles over commoners.
I’ll join you in this fight.  You might ask yourself why I’ve chosen this path.
Has she gone mad? Is she lying? I understand your concerns and I’ll answer all
of them in due time. But the reason is because of a young warrior fighting
right now, by the name of Brian Peterson. As a Terran it’s assumed he loves
battle and is thriving in this twisted war. But he’s not. I see in his eyes not
that of a conqueror, not of a warmonger, no, I see the eyes of a dreamer. He
alone saved Kalaidia from falling into civil war and now he’s fighting to end
this one. I’m entrusting my future as the people of Kalaidia have already done
to this young man. He’s proven to be a guide at finding peace between the
people of Kalaidia and the Shandi, an event never thought possible. He saw
through our differences and forged a lasting pact. He achieved the impossible
and that’s why I will follow where he goes.”

Veda
ended her message to the people of the Degan system before reclining back in
her chair and sighing. “Do you think I did the right thing?” she asked the blank
seat at the table. Veda smiled. “You do, don’t you brother?”

* * *

Good
job grandmother.
Valis thought after watching Veda’s broadcast.

“Your
grandmother has taken a bold step,” Kivi said. She turned back to the work on the
computer.

“I’m
glad to see her vision isn’t as limited as I feared,” Valis said. “Zae, how
goes the battle?”

“Our
forces are holding up with little losses so far,” Zae said. “We’ve successfully
destroyed two of the enemy formations, four remain.”

“Good,”
Valis said. She looked at the battle formation again. She saw an opening behind
her condensed fleet.
That doesn’t sit well at all.
She pressed her com.
“Myli, Meldi, and Kaela, board you’re Phase Raknas. I’ll be sending you the
coordinates to head to.”

“Yes
captain,” each of the three said over the com.

“You
think Riga and his fleet will show up soon?” Kivi asked.

“Yes,
this would be about the time to strike,” Valis responded while looking at the
battle map. “They have enough ships to crush us if we break formation, but not
enough to execute the plan on their own. The opening at the rear of our fleet
is perfect for attack. That’s where I’m going to put our trump cards.”

“Brian
and Seles have joined three squads of Novaguards on the surface and are headed
for the Duchess’s palace,” Zae said. She called up their position on the
monitor.

“Good,”
Valis said.

“If
there really are four Talons with Q-Drives down there, do you think we have enough
to challenge them?” Kivi asked.

“We
don’t have much of a choice,” Valis said. “But, I’d guess none of those
Malcovin pilots are as good as Dreka. Seles and that many Novas should be able
to keep them occupied while Brian fights Dreka.”

“You
have a lot of confidence in him,” Baed remarked.

“Has
he proven me wrong yet?” Valis asked.

* * *

The
Mjolnir and Zero flew at the head of a formation of three Novaguards squadrons
of eleven. Below, metal and concrete buildings stretched from horizon to
horizon as the afternoon sun hung high in the sky. Brian looked at his radar. They
were approaching the Duchess’s palace. A moment later a series of pulse blasts
came from ahead, destroying three Novas. Brian and Seles, along with the rest
dodged skillfully. They saw four Q-Drive equipped Talons ahead.

“I’ll
draw Dreka off now!” Brian shouted as he flew the Mjolnir away, while Seles and
the Novas scattered as headed for the Duchess’s palace. Dreka obliged Brian’s
move and flew alone at the Mjolnir. Brian noticed a call.

He
flipped the switch. “So you wish to talk again?” he asked while dodging a pulse
blast from the other craft.

“Of
course Terran,” Dreka said. He dodged a shot from the Mjolnir’s pulse cannon.
“When you were on Shandi Prime I had a strange vision.”

“You
saw that?”

“My
grandfather told me to believe you,” Dreka said. “But I won’t, not to the man
who stole his work and twisted it.”

“Is
that what you think? Do you really believe I stole Grigon’s plans?”

“I’m
not sure what to believe,” Dreka answered.

Dreka
closed in for a series of vicious strikes with his claws, forcing Brian to draw
the sword on the Mjolnir and block them, alternating with the blade and shield.

“Why
do we have to fight?” Brian asked.

“Isn’t
it obvious?” Dreka asked. “Your people suffer from the same fate as mine, don’t
they?”

“What
do you mean?”

“To
be the strongest, to be the fastest, to fly the highest, to be the wealthiest,
to compete over and over again until the loser is destroyed! That’s what my
people believe. Only by pursing perfection, only by constant strife can one
ever attain happiness. But some of us know the truth. We know this way of life
can’t last forever. That’s why we accept the fate that will come.”

“And
what fate is that?” Brian asked.

The
Mjolnir and Dreka’s Talon exchanged a series of melee attacks. Neither could
break through the defenses of the other as they backed away from each other.

“Long
ago the box of destiny was opened and inside it contained an infinite
darkness,” Dreka answered. “The fate of all things is to die. Fight if you
wish, deny it if you can, but death will claim you one day. Nothing lasts forever;
our fate is oblivion. The strong shall consume the weak and the strongest, sad
to say are the Greys. One day their power will engulf the galaxy in darkness so
great everything will be consumed. There’s no escaping it and no hope to defeat
it. We must simply accept it.”

“Since
the day I was taken by those bastards I’ve been living on borrowed time,” Brian
said. “That’s what I felt at first but now I remember I have someone to live
for.”

The
two mobile suits clashed in a series of melee strikes and blocks, finally a
feint from each separated the two machines.

“Who
would be worthy of your life?” Dreka asked before charging in the Talon and
forcing Brian to go on the defensive again.

“A
year ago I swore my life to her. No, it’s been longer than that,” Brian said.
“I live for her most of all. She’s the shining star in my life, the heartbeat
of my soul, my Joan d’Arc. Seles Daevon is the one I speak of, the one who can
surpass either of us as a pilot.”

“Prove
me wrong,” Dreka said as the Mjolnir charged forward with a flurry of slashes
and shield punches. He blocked each attack with a claw while being forced back.

“And
the only way is to beat you in battle?”

“Yes.”
Dreka’s eyes began glowing blue. “If I’m defeated then I’ll follow you. Show me
you can defy fate, defy even the gods themselves!” Dreka’s Talon charged and
slashed furiously, the Mjolnir blocked each strike.

Brian’s
eyes began glowing blue. “If that’s your wish then I’ll grant it.”

* * *

Seles’s
Zero engaged a Talon in melee, trading attacks back and forth over the
Duchess’s palace. Ten Novas circled around and pounded the palace’s shields
over and over again while the remaining Novas tried their best to keep the
other Talons occupied.
This isn’t good.
Seles thought. She turned her
Zero to full defense and flew to intercept the attacks of the Talons.

“Lieutenant,
your craft can’t take that much damage,” an ensign said over the com.

“Don’t
worry about me,” Seles said. She concentrated all her energy on defending the
Novas. “This mobile suit was built to take a beating. Concentrate your fire on
the palace.”

“Yes
lieutenant,” the fighter pilots echoed.

They
fired frantically at the palace’s shields. After a few minutes of bombardment
the shields began weakening. Seles glanced at her radar and noticed a craft
leaving the palace at high speed. The Talons moved in to engage in melee as Seles
drew the pulse cannon and fired into the air, driving the three Talons away.
She flew towards the fleeing aircraft and fired an attack straight into the
small Ick-Tckt ship. After the shuttle exploded the three Talons began
withdrawing. Seles turned to the remaining Novas.

“All
Novas are to cover this area until further orders. We have to make sure the
Duchess and her associates don’t have a chance to escape,” Seles said. She
turned the mobile suit to the battle between Brian and Dreka.

The
Kalaidian and Shandi fleets were in the process of attacking the third of six
enemy formations while holding its own.

“Fly
in cautiously, something’s bothering me,” Riga said.

Their
radar flashed three bogeys. “Captain, our scanners are detecting three light
class crafts heading for us at full speed.”

Riga
saluted Valis’s fleet. “Well met, Lady Star.”

The
three Phase Raknas tore into the Malcovin fleet, destroying one ship after
another.

“Captain,
what…” his commander shouted as the ship was hit by a blast from one of the
mobile suits. Riga’s bridge crew was thrown around as fire began popping up all
over the ship. Riga sat fast in his chair.

“You
fought well my friends,” he said. He found that the communications systems had
been destroyed. Riga looked at the monitor and saw a Phase Rakna point its
pulse rifle at his ship.

“There
are so many things I wish I could go back and change,” he said to himself. “If
only I had the courage back then, maybe Grigon wouldn’t have died.” The Phase
Rakna fired into his ship, causing a series of explosions. “Dreka, I pray you
find the happiness none of our race has seen. Wake us from the long night and
blaze a trail to the future.”