Two days of high warp travel brought the Aurora into the Domaram Cluster. With their launch point coming up, Robert assembled his landing team in the Jayhawk. It would be the largest such team he'd assembled since the assault on the old Ancient city-ship in N1C4.
Lucy, her student Talara, and Gina would be going, as the members of his personal ops team. Meridina, Yellow, Julia, Miko, and Liara were all coming along as well, with Jarod to pilot the Jayhawk and back them up if necessary.
Everyone was suiting up. Those with metaphysical sensitivity, save Megaera, donned their Order of Swenya-style armor and robes. Julia, Miko, and Liara fit themselves into the dark-colored protective field ops suits made for Paladins and their teams. It was made of the same materials as Stellar Navy field action uniforms, but with further integrated capabilities and thicker armor material.
Megaera simply had arrived for the meeting in a black jumpsuit with boots and a burnous tossed over it, carrying a long black pelican case. She seemed unconcerned about other preparations, though she was armed with lightsabre, sword and pistol.
Robert could feel the sensation in Julia as she looked over her suit. She would rather be in her own field uniform. But she was still officially on medical leave and it would violate a host of regulations to be on official duty in any capacity, even with him. It could cost her command of the Aurora. So it couldn't be risked.
"So, just where do you think the Temple is?" Talara asked Meridina. "Would your people have built it somewhere significant?"
"I cannot be sure my people built this place," Meridina answered. "This world was not even known to us at the time. Reshan may have had another species aid him in constructing it."
"We'll find out more as we approach." Lucy gestured to the cockpit. "Jarod will be monitoring sensors."
"Given there's a native species on the planet, Reshan probably had the Temple placed somewhere remote," Liara said. "He wouldn't want the local species causing any problems. It would be somewhere with limited habitability and access to water."
"That assumes the Temple doesn't have some kind of camouflage. Holographic generators, or it might be underground." A bemused grin crossed Lucy's face. "That would fit the adventure holovid feel pretty well, wouldn't it? Have it in the heart of some cave network or mountain."
Robert chuckled at Lucy's remark. He wasn't the only one, and he turned to note the small grin forming on Megaera's face. I wonder if she knows, that might be why she finds it so funny?
"I don't know," Megaera said, turning her head to face him even with the wrap around her eyes. She laughed. "Reshan wouldn't trust me with the location either."
"Because you served the Alekto?" asked Lucy.
"Among other reasons," she replied cryptically.
"Varma to Dale." Kaveri's voice sounded through the hold, courtesy of the Jayhawk's internal speakers. "We are approaching the planned launch point. Our ETA is thirty minutes."
Robert drew in a breath. Maybe now we'll learn more about the ancient Darkness war. Maybe even how to keep them from ever coming back. "Thank you, Captain," he replied. "We're on schedule to launch as planned."
"Then it's best for us to discuss my gifts now," Megaera said abruptly, and flipped open the case. "I had these replicated last night, they'll never be as good as the real thing… So just replace them often." The case was filled with small firearms and daggers with a particular silver sheen, as well as silvered gorgets with clasps.
Julia glanced at Megaera's sword and thought of her mother's old necklace, currently under her operations suit. "It's for any Pretenders we run into," she realized aloud.
Lucy raised the question many of them were thinking. "Why does silver hurt them? Is it just because that's what people believe about actual vampires?"
"Yes. They are, as I said, your fears transformed into reality," Megaera said, "with the virtue being they have weaknesses from those same fears."
"Weird." Lucy's lip curled into a bemused smile as she glanced toward Robert. He was, for diplomatic reasons if anything, taking up the silvered weapons and slipping them into his robe compartments. "Maybe we should replicate some garlic while we're at it."
"There are other kinds of Pretenders, but they all share the vulnerability to silver, it must be as old as time among our beliefs," she shrugged. "Garlic, no."
"Probably for the best, that stuff smells." She accepted the offered weapons as well. "Lucy Lucero, Vampire Hunter."
Robert and Julia shared a chuckle.
In the heart of the Aurora's drive hull, on Deck 26, Main Engineering was the hub of activity as always. The ship's engineering and operations personnel came in and out of the section, taking assignments and reporting on successes, while the engineers on duty maintained an eye on the ship's powerful naqia reactors. Currently they were powering the Aurora's ongoing warp flight.
This was the domain of Montgomery Scott, the Starfleet legend brought into the next century by the miracle of technology and a moment's desperation. He stood watch over his "wee bairns" from the central table and the adjacent Master Systems Control Display. Nearby Tom Barnes, acting as his Assistant Chief Engineer, was dispatching a team to the lower port nacelle to see to the plasma feed lines and the generators there.
When he was done he turned to Scotty. "If we get in a fight, everything's ready," he assured his mentor.
"Aye Tom, ye sent them out smartly. Donapuram's perfect for th' job. Best marks I've seen yet from th' new engineers."
"Thanks." Tom leaned onto the table. On a ship as large and complex as the Aurora things broke down every day. That so many of the systems showed green anyway spoke of all their efforts, with the ship's operations section, to keep it in top shape. "Hargert's planning a Christmas dinner."
"Aye? Good of th' man. He always makes th' best."
"It'll be our first Christmas out of the repair yards in three years," Tom said. "I hope."
"Aye. Had a rough endin' tae th' last couple o' years, an' this one isnae over yet."
"It's all so nuts," he said. "I mean, we're off in some star cluster hunting down an ancient temple of some kind, and all because an ancient code in a book knew our buddies' names." He shook his head. "It's like a crazy time travel adventure movie or something."
At that Scotty chuckled. "Lad, it's certainly a unique situation, but I've been in crazier. Space travel's like that, Tom."
"I always figured it'd be more staring out at void trying not to go nuts from boredom." Tom's eyes swept the chambers. "Even with the crazy stuff, this is so much better. So much cooler." His eyes settled on his right arm. While it looked flesh and blood, he could feel the slight difference from his original arm. The flesh was a synthetic surfacing and beneath was all alloyed metal. "Even if it's been tough at times." He shook his head. "And did you hear about that thing that attacked Julia? A fracking vampire, Scotty. Something like that's out there!"
"Seen somethin' like that. Captain Kirk dealt with a thing that sucked th' salt right out of a man's body." Scott grinned. "An' there was that planet with th' witch an' wizard, with their castle."
"Well, like you said, you've seen crazier." Tom noted something on the table go yellow. "Huh. Secondary Shield Generator 4's sending a failure signal. Looks like a problem with the field generator. I'm going to send Chief Baker's team to check it out."
"Good choice."
The two men got back to work.
On the bridge of the Aurora the best available officers took their places. Tra'dur was at Ops, Ensign Rawlins at the helm, and the Delgado sisters at their stations of Science and Tactical. Ensign Mallory, an Avalonian man, was at Engineering.
Locarno took up the seat beside Kaveri, serving as First Officer given the need for Meridina and Jarod to be with the Jayhawk.
Rawlins looked up from her console. "Captain, we're now at the launch point you requested."
"Thank you, Ensign." Kaveri turned her head slightly to Tra'dur. "Begin the launch sequence."
"Signaling the Jayhawk now."
Kaveri sat back and watched patiently while Locarno took over. "Ensign Rawlins, maintain course and speed," he said to Rawlins. "Ensign Mallory, keep an eye on the warp field harmonics." Two "Aye Commander"s came in reply.
In the secondary shuttle bay the Jayhawk's engines flared to life. Tra'dur watched her own instruments as Lucy gently brought the Jayhawk out of the shuttle bay, cloaking her as she did. The timing of her next maneuver was critical. With Tra'dur's telemetry to guide her Lucy readied the Jayhawk's warp engines to activate and generate their own warp field just as they approached the edge of the Aurora's, guaranteeing the two fields wouldn't interfere with each other. It also had to be done before the Jayhawk fully left the Aurora's field, or she would be forcibly decelerated at a velocity beyond her designed speeds.
The maneuver was tricky and quite dangerous, and the officers in the cockpit watched her carefully. Tra'dur informed her of the distances and times as the seconds ticked down. Just as they reached the edge of the field Lucy brought the Jayhawk's warp drive up. The split second the two fields overlapped wasn't enough to harm either ship, then their respective headings brought them apart. The launch was a success.
"Well done, ma'am," Tra'dur offered, impressed by the display of skill.
"Thank you, Lieutenant," replied Lucy.
Kaveri noted the success with quiet pleasure. While she hoped there would be no contact with the Cylons and the mission would be accomplished peaceably, she suspected they would be in a fight soon enough. "Commander Delgado, any sign of enemy contacts on sensors?"
"None yet, Captain," Cat answered. "The Cylon fleet is still in the reported position, so they haven't moved this way yet. Just in case I've got sensors on full power to see if we pick up any jump traces."
"Excellent. Keep me informed. Commander, you have the bridge." Kaveri rose from her chair and headed for her office. If a fight was coming, she wanted to be fully rested when she faced it.
The Jayhawk entered the Domaram H system and made for the third planet. Robert joined Lucy and Jarod in the cockpit, with Liara also watching from a seat brought up beside Jarod. At his chosen station Jarod watched the sensor sweeps of the planet show their results on a holo-screen. "Life signs are approaching five hundred million," he said. "Fits the Gersallian records from their last survey. The atmosphere shows no sign of industrial-level burning of coal or wood, so they're still at a pre-industrial level of manufacture." He furrowed his brow. "The population distribution is interesting. It looks regionally focused."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Robert.
"As in the majority of the population is on one continent, and the distribution of the rest looks like colonies sustained by sailing trade."
"Like if we were seeing an Earth in the 17th or 18th Centuries where Europe was the only heavily-populated continent," Lucy suggested.
"Exactly. This isn't consistent with a species that evolved on this planet. We may have another case of a species transplanted by the Darglan." Jarod's tone of voice made it clear he was interested in the possibility. "Or someone else, like the S5T3 Preservers."
"Any sign of the temple?" Lucy asked.
"Nothing that stands out yet. I'll begin another scan."
"Wait." Robert studied the scan's map of the world and drew in a breath. For a moment his eyes closed. Lucy felt his energies focus. He opened them again.
Now Lucy felt it as well. A pull in the energies of the planet. She sensed the other sensitives aboard reach for it as she and Robert did.
His hand went up to the planet and settled on a small mountain range along a river valley, located on the planet's primary continent. Life sign readings showed one end of the valley was inhabited, likely a town that made use of the river. The nearby mountains had some forest life showing as well.
Nothing on sensors yet explained what he was feeling. A look passed between him and Lucy. "It's there," he said. "Reshan's Temple is there."
"If you say so." Jarod tapped at the controls while Lucy adjusted their course.
Noting the location, Liara stood from her seat. "I'll see to climbing gear," she said. "We may need it."
"Right." Robert kept his eyes on the sensor returns while Liara left the cockpit. "Jarod, anything more from the scans?"
"Looks like an arboreal mountain range, think of the Appalachians or the Cascades. Plant and animal life, and I wouldn't be surprised if the local species engage in hunting and forestry work. We'll have to be careful about picking our landing point. I'm also picking up something on our energy scanners. Or, more to the point, nothing."
"And that's important?"
"We should be getting signs of thermal energy, at least, from animal heat or the plants holding solar energy. But there's nothing. Just a big empty space." He highlighted the zone in question. It covered a pair of mountains and a part of a third.
Lucy relayed the scan results to the helm. "It might be some kind of dampening field. We'll want to land outside of it. I'll bring us in."
"Is it technological?"
"Most likely, but it could be from a combination of ores in the area. The right mix of naqia, element zero, jevonite, ripleyite or cameronite, it would create a natural blind spot in the sensors." Jarod shook his head. "We'd have to survey the area to know for sure."
"Maybe we'll get to that later," Robert remarked idly before going silent. He watched the planet grow larger through the cockpit window. It was a lovely garden world and the snow-capped peaks that soon became the center of the view reminded him of images of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Soon he could make out the river cutting through them. Just as Lucy leveled them out he made out the rough collection of stone structures showing the town of local residents. Trees clung tightly to the mountains ahead.
Lucy stopped them just shy of the dampening field. She brought the Jayhawk down into a mountain clearing. It was a tight fit that she just managed to slip the ship into. "Here we are," she said. "Let's go find the hidden temple, Indiana Dale."
Robert sighed and rolled his eyes. Her response was the expected tongue sticking out of her lips.
A few hours later the group was ascending the mountainside. The locals' handiwork was visible in the path cut up the incline. To their right, the majestic vista of the mountain pierced the sky with a snow-capped tip, the sides covered in green almost to the top. To their left the valley was open below, the river that created it still flowing its way back the way they came. Ahead of them a group of small rodent-sized creatures rushed across the path.
Alien animals aside, Robert felt a particular nostalgia. It brought back to mind summer vacations to New England, and the trips Grandpa Rob - his namesake grandfather - and his uncles on his mother's side took the family on. The hikes up the White Mountains and other locales, in a land so unlike his prairie homeland in Kansas.
He noted Talara stopping. Her eyes stared ahead toward the mountain and a slight frown creased her face. Seeing him looking toward her and the attention of Lucy, she spoke. "There is something melancholy about this place."
"Melancholy?" asked Julia
"That is the best way to put it. Hope and despair. Joy and anguish. It's all mixed together."
"I sense it as well," Megaera said. "But we can consider it later. You must learn to deal more productively with your sensitivities, child. We can ill afford you being distracted by every lingering trace of emotion."
"I… yes, you are right," Talara conceded, forestalling any protest from Lucy or the others. "My apologies."
They moved on for a short time before Miko spoke up. "Why did Reshan pick an alien world for his tomb? Why didn't he build this place on his homeworld?"
"Well, he knew our names," Lucy said. "He may have foreseen the Cylon attack on Gersal, or maybe just Kohbal's uprising. His temple would've been a target—"
"Quiet," Meridina urged. She stopped and the others did. One by one the sensitives felt the approach of other beings. They went into the tree line to their right and hid behind the trees and brush.
A minute passed before two humanoid figures came from further up the mountain. A male and female together, wearing leather jerkins and trousers with fur lining. Each had the carcass of a deer-like quadruped slung on a shoulder and the familiar shape of a bow on the other. While their skin tones were light in the Human and Gersallian way, the length and sharpened tips of their ears were visible differences. They talked in a language none recognized as they came past.
There was a rustling of leaves. Eyes turned to see where Miko's leg brushed up against a low branch on a bush.
Both stopped and, in unison, brought their bows up, dropping their kills as they did. Arrows with sharpened steel tips came up and scanned across their eyelines. They scanned toward the river first before swinging the arrows toward the group.
With the dampening field making cloaks unusable, there was no hiding from the two hunters if they moved forward. Their eyes focused toward Miko's position. Robert mentally reached out for the others to prepare.
Meridina acted first. Her mind gently reached into theirs and into the visual cortex in their brains. She projected the rodents they'd seen before, having them rush out from where Miko was hiding and head for the other side of the path.
The two hunters — a husband and wife, Meridina now recognized — laughed in amusement. They shared comments while re-shouldering their bows and reclaiming their kills. Without further disturbance they headed onward down the mountain path.
Megaera nodded to her. "Cleverly done."
"I am uncomfortable with such direct mental manipulation," she admitted. "But this was the path of least harm."
"Indeed. And we should keep going."
At Megaera's suggestion they continued. Julia hung back with Miko, who blushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Don't worry about it," Julia said. "I almost did the same thing, honestly."
"I'm still getting used to the idea of mind-readers. And she can make them see things too?" At Julia's nod Miko shuddered. "It's good that they're such nice people. That kind of power is scary."
"This, from the host of Raava?" asked Megaera. She looked back, as if her eyes were not covered in her headwrap, and she sounded almost incredulous. "At your full power you could bring this mountain down on top of the town below. You can flood a continent and burn down entire cities. That is quite 'scary' too, many would say."
"It is," Miko conceded, not finding any argument to use against Megaera's comments. "But you can make me see things that aren't there."
"Yes, and it's a remarkably more merciful way to deal with a threat, isn't it? A velvet glove for the Cold Iron of rulership."
Meridina felt that it sounded very much like the attitude of a telepath who had lived in the Earthreign.
"Commander Guan thought the same way two hundred years ago, and even Kuvira turned against him for it," Miko observed.
Before the conversation could continue the Force-sensitives, almost in one unit, looked skyward. Julia and the others did too.
Flashes of light filled the sky, and one by one a half dozen Cylon heavy raiders appeared above their heads.