Birthright: Chapter 3

Planet Arus

Keith looked at the photo as Allura held it to him. He stared at the young man trying to find any clue within the picture to see who they were. As he took the photo from Allura, a small disc slipped out from the back of the picture frame. Allura bent down to pick it up and found that it was addressed to Keith on the jacket.
"To my son," she read.
Keith took the disc from her and without any questioning, the five members walked over to the video unit to play what was on the disc. He immediately turned on the viewer and inserted the disc.
He then seated himself in one of the chairs as everyone gathered around him, to watch the disc as it started to play. The young woman who was in the picture appeared in the viewer and Keith turned to Allura before turning back to the video.
"I know that this will seem awkward...I know that there is much to explain....by now...you will have probably figured out that we...that I am your mother...your real mother. If you have found this disc, it probably means that my good friend, Derek...the man I owe my life to has finally passed on, and he can no longer protect you from your....protect you from your own enemies, and by seeing this disc now, he has followed my request to the fullest."
"Enemies?" Lance asked.
Allura quickly shot him a look that silenced him.
"Keith...that should have been the Earth name you were given," she said. "I had originally named you Kylen...after my own father, but Alex...." She paused as she looked into the camera. "Wait...I have to explain...to understand...." She then seemd to take a deep breath.
"I am Lady Alysson, born to a dignitary on the Planet of Vallis." she said. "A far away planet at the edge of what your Galaxy Alliance calls the Crimson Quadrant. We are unaligned, but have had good relations with the Galaxy Alliance over the years...prior to your birth....before the uprising...."
"I traveled to Earth while I was a child, to attend the schools here, to further my education in the cultures of the other planets in the universe. I fell in love with what the Earth had to offer. My father didn't mind my absence. It was also at that time that King Vellum, sent his daughter as well to Earth, and knowing that I was already here, the king figured that she would have an easy time adapting to Earth as well. Her name was Lyana. Why its important to know that leads to why...why I had to leave you behind..."
"I grew up on Earth, excelling in the courses taught there. And it was here on Earth that I met and fell in love with your father. His name was Alex.... Alexander Keith Kobayashi. He was a very successful and charming Ambassador in the Galaxy Alliance and the nephew of your foster father, Derek Hayashi. That is how your foster father became a very close friend to me...and my savior."
"Princess Lyana and I grew very close and she had loved her stay here as well. She excelled in her studies, and planned to return to Vallis with her new found knowledge and start a petition to join the Galaxy Alliance. But it seems that would only remain a dream to her."
"We later learned that there had been an uprising on Vallis, rebels who did not like the political structure, and felt Vallis was suffering military wise under the rule of Vellum. The uprising was led by a man by the name of Kellar. News of the uprising came quickly to us on Earth, and we later learned that Lyana's father was killed in the coup. We both figured that if Kellar was willing to take over Vallis by such show of force, he would surely send assassins after Lyana so that she may never succeed to his throne."
"We hid here on Earth, hoping that Kellar would forget about us," she went on to explain. "You were born to us a year later. We all had put the situation on Vallis behind us, knowing that without a strong enough force, going back home would mean a death sentence for us. We hoped that we could live normally here on Earth."
"We were wrong." she said as they continued to watch the video. By now, the young woman in the video started to shed her tears, as she tried to relat her long tale. "Kellar learned of Lyana's stay here on Earth, and he sent an assasin force to take care of this one loose end. However, he did not know what Lyana looked like since she had grown up here on Earth.
"Lyana and I were away from home that tragic day. You were in the company of Alex's god-parents, so you were safe from harm." she explained. "When we returned to the home I shared with your father, what we found....."
"Kellar didn't care..." she couldn't finish the last thought. "Your nursemaid...your father...both gone..the assassin probably had thought that they were Lyana...and a servant. We had no idea what to think. I was devastated. But at that moment we knew that we were not safe, no matter where we went. Even if the assassin had thought that he had killed the princess, what would prevent Kellar from sending out another one to make sure?"
"It was at that moment that Lyana and I decided that we need to take care of this." she said. "We had two spies go to Vallis, to come back with information we could work with. We knew that Kellar put a strong hold over Lyana's people...he prevented any family from bearing male children. Only females were kept. He ruled over everyone with an iron fist. So much as to even control the food and water everyone was getting. He enslaved everyone, to work on these war machines that he sold to planets all over the galaxy. He was merciless. We both knew that this had to be stopped."
"Knowing that he had a distaste for male children, I was forced to leave you behind," she went on. "Derek protected me for as long as he could, but he knew that my place was to bet at Lyana's side. He vowed to protect you from any harm, and to take you in as his own. If only to protect you from my enemies, it meant that much more to me. I prayed everyday up until I left that you were protected...and one day that I would be able to return to you..."
"I made this recording hoping that you will belive all that has said. You have every right to be angry.. You have everyright to not believe this at all. But if there is to be justice returned to Vallis, I am hoping that you are old enough...strong enough...wise enough to see the peril we live in." she begged. "Derek has told me everything I need to know about you. Kept in touch. I've felt that I have always been there with you, even though, you may have not known it. But I would trade everyday that I have lived apart from you just to hold you in my arms again...as mother should have."
"You would have been fourteen today..." she stated. "I sent you a gift...you probably got it, and not realized that it was from me. Fourteen is a very important age to Vallusians. Its a sign of the move toward adulthood. So I made this recording hoping that you will understand, that I have been there.....watching over you.
"Now, I must offer my request for help," she added. "If you do not harbor and ill feelings, Princess Lyana only hopes that we can gain your help. To bring back Vallis to the rightful rulers. To make her whole again.
"With the death of Derek, I am sending a messenger to you," she said. "She will fill you in on the situation on Vallis, and its up to you if you decide to return with her...I am not going to force you. After all, I am the one who abandoned you......For now I only ask you for your forgiveness....
"I've said enough," she said as she looked away from camera, looking as if someone had entered the room she was making the recording in. "I hope that we can be together again, Keith....as mother and son."
They watched as she stood to turn off the camera, giving them a quick glimpse of the room she was in before the video went black.
Keith could only stare at the blank screen before him, as he replayed the entire video in his memory over and over again.
"Keith?"
Lance and Allura exchanged some concerned looks as their captain seemed lost in thought.
"Keith?"
Keith turned to Allura and she saw that he was still confused over what was presented to him.
"Kylen...."
The five members looked up to the Recreation Room door and saw a young woman standing in the door frame as Coran stood beside her. Keith slowly stood as Coran escorted the young woman into the room. She looked at everyone standing there, and Allura could not help but feel that the young woman looked familiar somehow.
"Coran?"
The court advisor cleared his throat as he turned to the young woman. "She had the right clearance from Galaxy Garrison," he said. "A priority one from Admiral Benson himself."
"Priority one?"
Coran nodded as he turned to her. "Seems that she is here to speak to Captain Hayashi."
The young woman then turned to Allura and bowed slightly. "I must appologize for my intrusion, princess," she said. "but I come on behalf of Lady Alysson."
"Lady Alysson?" Lance asked.
"Yes," she said. "I assume that you have seen the disc she left with Admiral Hayashi?"
"We just finished watching it," Allura started. "But how...."
"There's much to explain," she said. "But very llittle time."
"And you are?"
The young woman turned to Keith as she met his gaze.
"I am Lady Anala," she started, and with a smile she added. "Daughter to Lady Alysson and Admiral Alex Kobayashi."