Heaven Saga 3: Sojourn Into Despair (12 page)

Mira
spent the evening walking around the Kalaidian district on Dega Jul. She was
deep in thought as she listlessly went from place to place. Often she looked to
the stars as if searching for the place where Brian may be. She walked until
she found herself standing outside Brian’s apartment. She also noticed the
captain’s and Kivi’s apartments were dark. She took the key card from her belt
and swiped the door before walking inside. The lights were on. Mira heard
voices speaking in another room. As she went inside she heard Dreka and Daes in
the middle of a discussion.

“I’m
sure they’re still alive,” Dreka said. “And if Jesela’s with them I’m sure they’ll
make it back.”

“I
wish we could have stayed behind and done a few more scans of the area,” Daes
said. “Maybe the main gravity drive overloaded?”

“That’s
plausible,” Dreka said. “One good thing about that is the Mjolnir’s drive can
offset the main drive in such a situation. The Avoni would be stranded
somewhere far away from us but at least they’d still be on one piece.”

“True.”
Daes paused for a moment. “How’s the Raulno coming along?”

“Better
than expected,” Dreka said. “We should be ready to roll out in a month’s time,
maybe a little less.”

“I’m
glad,” Daes said. “I’m sure everyone is looking forward to searching for the
Avoni.”

“Here
it is!” Dreka shouted with excitement. “Brian sure buried this on his
computer.”

“Is
that the complete file?” Daes asked.

“Everything’s
here,” Dreka said while making a copy to his wrist computer. “Alright, let’s
go.”

Mira
waited in the main room and gazed at the
raknas
of Gaelic Brian kept
displayed on the wall.  Dreka and Daes emerged from Brian’s bedroom. They
stopped when they saw Mira. Dreka placed his clawed hand on her shoulder.

“They’ll
come back,” Dreka said. He cawed afterwards. “He’s too stubborn to die.” The
birdman left with something in his other hand.

“Are
you alright?” Daes asked. “I can tell this is bothering you.”

“It
is,” Mira said. “But Dreka’s right. He wouldn’t disappoint a girl like me.”

“I
feel the same.”

“So
what were the two of you doing here?” Mira asked.

“Brian
had a few things he’d been working on before the last mission. He left them
behind because of his change in rank and all the studying that came with it.”
Daes paused to look at Gaelic’s blades with Mira. “Valis gave us permission to
come and get them.”

“What
kind of plans are they?” Mira asked. “Is it more on mobile suits or something?”

“No,
something quite different,” Daes said. “Brian’s original goal when he came to
us was to earn his freedom from Valis. He’s half way through the contract and
has begun planning his next move. Maybe it’s what he saw when he was taken to
the ruins on Shandi Prime, or something else, but he’s been writing a lot of
political and philosophical works lately. Valis and Kivi have been pouring it
over. I’m sure they’ve been sending copies over to Shiken Ka as well. I haven’t
had a chance to look over much of it myself, but I do know that what he’s working
on is something capable of changing the policies of the Confederation in the
near future.”

“Can
you clue me in on what it may be about?” Mira asked. “He hasn’t told me
anything about it.”

“The
goal of the organization is to act as an armed force to preserve the peace and
liberty in the Alden galaxy,” Daes said. “That’s about all I know Mira.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll
be leaving now, see you later,” Daes said before closing the door behind her.

* * *

Mira
awoke the next morning with the sun shining near her eyes. She sat up and
looked around the room before clutching herself tightly.
I wish I was with
him right now. The uncertainty is what bothers me the most.
She yawned,
stood up, and danced a step towards the main room. She stopped to look at her
father’s blades once more. Mira took the two blades and held one in each hand.
Taking a deep breath she clanged the swords three times. The
raknas
began glowing bright blue before enveloping Mira.

“So
the time has finally come for me to pass on what I know to you Mira,”
her father’s
voice echoed in her mind.

“I
need to know how to find him father,” she said.

“Focus
your mind Mira; focus on the image of him in your heart. Clear your mind of all
doubts and fears and see the image clearly.”

She
closed her eyes but strained to concentrate like the voice told her. “I’m trying
father, but it’s not working,” she said.

“Try
once more, but do it as if yours and his life depended on it.”

“Yes
father,” Mira said. She blinked her eyes. When she opened them once more they
were glowing bright blue. She closed them once more.
Focus; focus as if my
life depended on it. Focus as if his life depended on it.
She felt like her
body was losing its form. It was as if she was becoming ether itself. When her
vision cleared she found herself in Brian’s room on the Avoni. The lights were
on with him asleep in bed. She walked next to the bed and noticed the condition
he was. She turned and saw Celi working at the computer on something. Mira
looked closely and found she was trying to figure out how to combat some type
of disease. As Mira looked at the symptoms and readings she recognized it as
similar to the Grey plague.

“Celi,
what’s going on?!” Mira shouted. Celi didn’t blink or acknowledge Mira’s
presence and continued focusing on the task at hand. Mira shouted again with no
response. She tried grabbing Celi’s hand and found it went straight through her
body. Mira looked at her body and it appeared solid to her eyes. “What’s
happening father?”

“You’re
seeing the present or near past right now,”
the voice answered.
“It’s
obvious my original programmed you well. He gave you the ability to enter the
Awakened state. In this state, you can see and hear what’s happening far away
but can’t interact with it at all. Use this power to find him Mira.”

She
found herself back on Dega Jul standing in the main room with a sword in each
hand. She glanced around and saw nothing was different.
What happened?
She thought while placing the
raknas
back on the wall. She shook her
head, unsure of what had happened the moment before. Mira decided to take a
long morning bath in the bathroom off the side of the kitchen. After relaxing
in the hot water for a while she left the room and put on a different set of
clothes. As she walked towards the door of the apartment her eyes widened.
So
that’s what father meant.
She touched her earring.
I need to do this
while I have the chance.

* * *

Valis
and Kivi stood on a platform above the construction dock. They were currently
in orbit of Dega Jul in the main dock of a Kalaidian space colony. Below them a
ship was being built, one that looked similar to the Avoni but much larger in
cargo space. Dreka scrambled from person to person while shouting orders in a
frantic manner.

“So
what’s the total capacity of the Raulno?” Valis asked.

“A
hundred mobile suits,” Kivi said. “I wanted a light carrier class style of
ship. Nothing like a Mylor carrier, but this will suffice.”

“You
see the future has little to do with who has the biggest battle ship,” Valis
said. “The day of lining up in space and blasting until one side or the other
is defeated are coming to an end. Before, the small fighter types didn’t have enough
firepower to fulfill the requirement. But with the mobile weapons things are
changing.”

“The
Raulno will also be integrating the upgrades Daes wanted for the Avoni,” Kivi
said. “The shields and weapons on this vessel will far surpass that of any of
the younger races vessels.”

“I
have to admit I’m a bit jealous,” Valis said.

“What
do plan to do if they don’t return?” Kivi asked. “I know I’m taking this ship
out and searching at least a few spots before giving up.”

“I’m
not sure,” Valis answered. “Although I have enough money to build another ship
I don’t want to until I’m sure the Avoni’s been destroyed.”

“You
skillfully didn’t answer my question.”

“As
I always do,” Valis said before laughing. “I’m not sure to be honest.”

“You
can always join me on the Raulno,” Kivi offered. “I’m not asking you to serve
as one of my officers but as a friend and consultant until we find out what
happened to them.”

“I’ll
take you up on the offer,” Valis said. “I’m not going to sit and wait for you
to bring everyone back to us.”

“I
didn’t think you would,” Kivi said. “It’s strange though. For the first time in
my life I’m the one in charge. That’s my ship down there.”

“You’ve
waited longer than I thought,” Valis said.

“Remember,
I came from a common family, not nobility,” Kivi said. “I saved credits for
years to build this ship.”

“I
won’t dispute what you say,” Valis said. “There are advantages in being born to
the noble caste but there was a price to pay. I didn’t have much say in my
youth. After my mother died, Veda ran me ragged as the child prodigy of the
Kein family. The Avoni is my home now. I miss it Kivi.”

“We’ll
find them Valis, that’s a promise,” Kivi said.

Zae
stood in the dressing room behind the stage of the Avoni’s auditorium. She
looked over her outfit one last time before adjusting the small silver and
emerald barrette in her hair. She wore a loose, short skirted green dress with
silver flecks in the fabric. On her feet she wore a pair of black high heeled
shoes.

“You
look pretty,” Brian said. He stood at the door.

She
turned to see his approving smile. “It’s been awhile since I dressed in a
costume like this,” Zae said.

“Your
look is quite different from Mira’s,” he remarked.

“You
prefer the lighter colors?”

“Not
really, it just looks different,” he said. “Don’t read into it too much.”

“My
musical style’s different as well,” Zae said. “You’ll see in just a few
minutes.”

“I
wish I could join you Zae,” Brian said. “If it wasn’t for this illness I’d be
out there as your back up.”

Zae
went to him. “You’re doing enough just standing right now. Both of us know
that. I can see the pain in your eyes every moment as well as the fear behind
them as well.” She put a hand on his chin and pushed back up. “If I could give
my voice to Kali to heal you I would in a heartbeat.”

“Thanks,”
Brian said as he took her hand. “But don’t you think you should save that for
Baed?”

Zae
smiled. “My feelings for her and you are different. The dance of love is a
delicate thing. You’ve found that balance.”

“In
a way, I guess.”

“That’s
why I’m not worried about you,” Zae said. “Celi will find a way to save you, I
know that for sure.”

“Your
confidence is refreshing,” he said. Brian turned to look outside. “It looks to
be about time.”

“Then
let me give them a good show.”

“I
know you will,” he said. Brian left and went to the back of the auditorium. He
noticed the others sat near the stage. Celi came back and stood next to him.

“It’s
good to see you’re having a decent day,” Celi said.

“Better
than last week,” he said. “Whatever you added to the cocktail is making things a
bit easier.”

“I’m
glad,” Celi said.

The
lights dimmed to black with a single ray shining down on Zae. A song began playing
when Zae moved her gloved hands. The beat was slow and deliberate, with winding
scales setting the tone. Zae began dancing in a slow arcing manner, matching
the music. After a few minutes of silence she began singing a low tone. The
crew reacted positively to the show. Zae kept going through several songs
before taking a break after forty five minutes. The crew sat back and relaxed
to talk amongst themselves during the intermission. Brian headed back to the
dressing room and found Zae relaxing.

“I
see what you mean,” he said.

She
turned to meet his gaze. “Mira prefers a lighter style, I like the dark myself,”
Zae said. “Slow and seductive, that’s my way.”

“I
like it,” Brian said. “If Mira’s a shining diamond than you must be a
glittering emerald.”

“You
really know how to make a lady feel good,” she said.

“The
truth is I wasn’t much of a ladies man back on Earth.”

“I
would never have thought it true,” she said before standing up to stretch. “I
believe it’s time I finish this off with something special.”

“I’m
looking forward to it.”

* * *

“Your
people’s culture is quite refreshing after the long silence I’ve been through,”
Grigon commented as he and Jesela watched Zae’s performance from the launching
bay. “Malcovin don’t sing and dance like that at all.”

“She’s
gotten a lot better,” Jesela said. She turned to the old Malcovin and saw he
was transfixed on Zae’s image. “You must really like this.”

“Like
I said, it’s been far too long since I enjoyed something artistic in nature,”
he said. “For twenty years it’s been all numbers, calculations, applied theory,
etc. But to see something as simple as music I know I was deprived all this
time.”

Jesela
looked down on the schematics for the new mobile suit. “Are you sure this
system will work?”

“We
won’t know until the thing is completed,” Grigon cawed. “I crafted and tore
down a number of units until I got the Talon right. I know it’s a bit risky but
I have faith it’s going to work.”

“If
you’re correct the shielding systems on this mobile suit will surpass anything
ever created. What I’m wondering is why there are no weapons.”

“None
are needed,” Grigon answered. “The Aegis is meant to act as the defensive
support unit for the Maidens.”

“So
four more are going to be built?” she asked.

“Yes.
But we must finish this one as quickly as possible. The defensive systems will
keep us alive.”

“Okay,”
Jesela said. “It’s going to look strange using parts from Talons and the Mardok
space colony to build the mobile suit.”

“We
have to use what’s on hand. Anyway, we need every functioning mobile suit
flying at the moment.” Grigon watched Zae some more. “I’m glad I was able to
run into this ship when I did. The thought of six more months of isolation is
terrifying.”

“But
you survived for twenty years on your own. How could that little time bother
you at all?” Jesela asked.

“It
was taking its toll on me,” he said. “But that’s changed. We have to finish
building the Aegis as quickly as we can.”

“Do
you have a spare drive?”

“Yes.
I have one left on the Vomada. I’ll bring it over once the frame of the Aegis
is completed.”

“The
reason I’m wondering about this is because of the A.I. system. I know it sounds
odd, but Kalaidians have historically been hesitant to allow for any amount of
A.I. presence in their society. The Keinien Androids were retired for that very
reason.”

“Foolish
really,” Grigon cawed. “Those androids were an amazing piece of technology. Not
to mention their capabilities in combat. Their abilities as Novaguard pilots
surpassed that of any living Kalaidian. Heck, any living being short of an
Original Five species.”

“Were
they really that impressive?” Jesela asked.

“You’ve
seen how quickly my Talons installed with the auto system can move. The Keinien
Androids were of similar ability, save for the fact they were built to the size
of a Kalaidian male. Well, maybe a little bigger to impress the other races.
When they were decommissioned and scrapped I thought the Kalaidian nobles were
fools. Sure you chanced an A.I. rebellion, but the military applications
outweighed the risk. The only thing greater was berserk
Maigar
. Now that
was something to see.”

Jesela
looked at Grigon closely. “How old are you exactly?”

“In
three months galactic standard time I’ll be a hundred and ninety six years
old.”

“So
you saw Kalaidian males?” she asked.

“Of
course,” Grigon answered. “I met with many of them during my younger years.
Back then I was as crazy as Dreka is now. During the first war between our
peoples I was on the losing end of a fighter battle in space with the famed
Gaelic Kein. Life was so different back then. Looking back on it, I can’t
believe he beat me in that antique piece of junk.” Grigon took a breath. “As
for what they looked like Jesela, Kalaidian males looked like a cross between
Brian and the features your females still maintain. He’s a bit taller, but not
so much so as to throw things off.”

“Celi
and some of the scientists back home are working on a way to mix his genes with
ours to create viable males,” Jesela said.

“Not
surprising. Your artificial breeding technology is years ahead of the rest of
us, but the old fashioned system of producing offspring is still the most
reliable. Has he attempted to mate with some of your kind?”

Jesela
smiled. “You’re looking at one of them.”

“How
many of the crew has he done that with?”

“At
least five that I know of,” Jesela answered.

“Interesting,”
Grigon said while holding his chin with his clawed hand. “Well, you are mammals
and that’s what your kind does. Mating for my kind isn’t very exciting or
pleasurable. It’s more like being forced to do a job.”

“I’m
sorry to hear it Grigon. I really am.”

* * *

Zae
ended her final song with a resounding applause from the crew. “Thank you all
for coming today,” she said before bowing to the crowd. “Every week from here
on I’ll be doing this for you. Let Kali watch over us all as we make our
journey home.”

The
crowd cheered as she bowed once more. After she left the stage the crew began
leaving as well. Brian went to the dressing room.

“You
were great,” he said while clapping at the door. “Your style is very different
from Mira’s, but no less enjoyable to watch.”

“Thank
you,” Zae said before sitting down to catch her breath. “I feel exhausted. I’ve
been practicing a lot lately.”

“I’m
glad the crew enjoyed it as much as they did.”

“My
people consider music and dance sacred,” Zae explained. “They needed to feel
the goddess flow through them once more, that’s all.”

Brian
bowed. “Kali was channeling through you this evening.”