CHAPTER TWO
Roark reached forward to set his mug on the desk. "After I was offered the command, Harry and I sat down with Roan and Garath to discuss WHY they decided I should take over. It was Harry and Roan that convinced me that I was, truthfully, the only one who COULD take the command. To finish what we had started. But I should never have had to take that command."
"No," Gabriel said, his blue eyes on his face. "No, Roark, you shouldn't have. Harry, I think, underestimates himself just a little too much. He could have taken that command just as easily, and done just as well. We're going to need to work on that, I think," he said, glancing over at his father and Dacian.
They both nodded as Gabriel returned his attention to Roark. "You're right, Roark. You both were. They SHOULD have known about the case, should have known what needed to be done and did it. Yet the did not. Granted, you graduated at the top of your class, the top of your yahren group. You also had the highest marks and practical scores in Academy history. All that, however, did not mean you were ready to take on the kind of responsibility being in command gives to you. Especially of such a volatile situation."
"No, I wasn't, but all the same…" he paused, gave them a wry grin, looking first at the Admiral, who was sitting back in his chair, fingers forming a steeple under his chin, watching him with speculative eyes…almost as if he were weighing him.
Weighing him for what exactly, he didn't know, nor could he guess.
He turned his head then, looking at Dacian next, who was looking at him with nearly the very same look at his father. "You and Harry really DID do an excellent job there, Rory. Better than we ever could have hoped for. You surprised more than a few of the higher ups," he told him, his tone holding a great deal of pride.
Something was wrong, he thought suddenly, aware of a very bad feeling forming in the pit of his stomach as his gaze next moved to Gabriel, his body tensing in alarm at the look in his blue eyes. "There's something wrong," he breathed, brow knitting in consternation as he looked at Admiral Roark, now seeing a look in them that he had NEVER hoped to see.
"Oh KOBOL, something very bad had happened."
Roark Sr. looked first at Gabriel, who turned his head to look at his twin, who gave him a nod before turning his forest green eyes on his father. That was when Admiral Roark sat forward, arms coming to rest on his desk. "The situation on Aquaria has, if possible become even more volatile then it was on Virgon," he told him.
The tone of his voice had Roark blinking, his alarm rising. "Of COURSE, it has. Tom Riddle, or Voldemort, whatever he is choosing to go by, has never been the most stable of men, nor has he been known to be at all reasonable."
"That he has not," Gabriel spoke up.
That was when Roark heard it…something not good at all. Looking at each in turn, he read their expressions…recognized it, and drew in a deep breath of dismay. "WHO? Kale?" he breathed. "Fili? Kili? Not LOGAN?"
A pause of a few microns, then slowly, quietly, "No, Rory, not Logan. It's Kale."
"Ah…hh damn," he breathed. "How?"
We don't know at this point. Logan and Kili found him in his apartment. They immediately called for medical, called Fili, then called us."
"Blessed Kobol, they must be devastated. Especially Logan," he lowered his eyes to his now clenched hands. "I know just how close all of you are, and Admiral…" he looked up. "I am so sorry."
"Thank you, Rory, and they are," he returned, "but they seem to be holding up well.
"Seem to be being the operative words here."
There were nods of agreement to Gabriel's words. "I would, of course, like to get some of the family to them," Roark Sr. said, "but with everyone tied up on assignments, and Gabe, Dac, Raph, Schy and I just can't leave here right now."
"What about Commander Thorin?" he asked of them. "Couldn't he go to them?"
They shook their heads as one. "He would, of course, like nothing better," came the answer, "but he just can't get away right now either. There is still too much to do to get the Academy ready for this yahrens graduating class."
"Roark," came seriously, "we need your help very badly. Yours…and Harry's."
"Of course, Dacian. Anything. All you need to do is ask."
"Don't be so quick to agree, Roark," came the response, followed by a deeply amused chuckle. "What we are about to ask of you and your brother, is going to put you both in even MORE danger than you are already in."
"Gabriel, we are going up against Tom Riddle, the very man who murdered our parents, who then tried to kill a four yahren old, and a fifteen sectar old. We are also going to be facing off with his top two Terminator's, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange. How much more dangerous can it possible get?"
"A very good point, Rory, still…"
Roark shook his head. "What is it you would like us to do?"
A/N Okay, so here is chapter two. I hope you like it. Please let me know what you think. I'll get Chapter 3 out in a few days.
Thanks for reading.
