just a little note- I replaced Quatre with a character named Broden because I really need Q in another place -and it was going to be impossible to get him with Trowa otherwise-
DEC/ THREE
Duo stumbled over the debris as he attempted to get his senses under control. Every sound, no matter how soft, echoed like a shout inside his skull. The light hurt his eyes, his visioned doubled before sharpening on a single small movement and zooming in. The soft patter of dripping blood, the squeal of scavengers fighting for a meal, the last breath of the dying all seemed to assault his senses until he finally fell to his knees wanting to scream.
Grabbing his head, he forced air into his lungs pulling his power to him. He moaned as the blood burned in his veins, his skin became so sensitive that every thread in his tattered uniform seemed to rub him raw, every brush of the wind was like ice cutting into flesh. Using the training, the things forced on him by the Facility, Duo began to slowly gain control of the Naijor power and merge it with his own. Threads wove themselves in and out of his mind, binding the energy of one into the other until finally the Naijor power was part of the New Born.
It was a few triax before the fire ceased on his skin; another few mirax before he could open his eyes without pain. Slowly his body was adjusting and he was able to look around at where he was. To his surprise he was in the tattered center of the Entertainment District, having no idea how he came to be there.
As he came slowly to his feet, the center of his left palm began to burn. Looking at it, he was surprised to see a faint bluish glow pulsing just below the skin. Stretching out his hand, he jumped when a map suddenly formed within his hand. The bluish sphere became lines with markers in yellow, showing him the way to a chamber long hidden in the depths of this area. Even without the Naijor power, he would have known that this was where the Protector had brought the Alliance Council to insure their safety.
Somehow, even as dazed as he was, the power had lead him to the point where he could look for the Council. Committing the map to memory, he began to pick his way through the debris. The sphere remained his guide even though he no longer needed it. It had something to do with the promise made and the duty to be kept.
Moving around the bulk of the debris, Duo found his way to a large wall of stone. It was too organized to be anything other than man-made and bore the marks of several phase hits. Closing his left hand, Duo examined the wall carefully looking for the trigger that would open the door. Finally in the center of the wall, there was a large polished stone. Squeezing his left hand, he sighed before carefully placing the palm flat against the stone. There was a vibration as the jewel hidden in his palm pulsed against the stone before it flashed and the wall split revealing a tunnel.
The walls of the tunnel were lined with illumians which enabled Duo to see in the dim light. They were smoothed and re-enforced with tellium, making them almost indestructible. Checking the area around him, Duo cautiously stepped inside. As soon as he was within the walls a low hum sounded and the door slid shut, a protective measure to insure the Council's safety.
The tunnel sloped downward, deep into the heart of the planet until it leveled off and the walls grew brighter. At the end of the walk was another door, this one more decorative, more luxurious. A key pad of small jewels was on the face and without thinking, Duo touched five of the stones and the door swung open.
The room was dimly lit, but Duo could still see how opulent it was decorated. A crystalline holo-globe balanced in the center of a small fountain; a floor covered in a thick rampart of wool; and walls dusted with macron crystals and murals of meadows. This was no spur of the moment safe haven, this had been here for a long time.
Stepping quietly into the room, Duo felt decidedly out of place as he stepped around the globe and toward the back of the room. There, at a long table, sat the six members of the Alliance Council- three human; three non. These people were the leadership of the truth, the guide by which they all went by. They were the governing body above all others.
Duo's gut tightened as he looked upon their hooded vestments. In his memory flashed the image of looking up into ones such as these. Each had worn a mask of darkness and thought of pain as they had grabbed at him, pulling him from his father's arms. So deep within this memory, Duo did not see a member of the Council rise, push back his hood, and approach him until the man was almost in front of him.
"I am Tri Quor Fermeldon, how did you get in here?"
The man was thick chested and big. He had thick dark brown hair which he wore short and styled to part across his forehead. His eyes were light and clearly marked the man's origins as that of the planet Una.
Taking a deep breath, Duo calmed his mind and allowed his senses to focus on the task at hand. . .seeing the Alliance Council to the safety of Polls.
"This place is no longer safe. We have to get moving. Is anyone injured?"
"No, we are all well. Who are you?"
"My name is Duo Maxwell, the Protector sent me to lead you to safety."
The Council exchanged looks before Fermeldon motion for them to rise and join him. "We're ready to follow where you lead."
Duo nodded, unsure by the ceremony in the phrase used, and lead the way down the tunnel. Checking to make sure all had followed him, he re-opened the door by pressing his palm to another stone and told them to wait while he checked to make sure it was safe.
Outside nothing stirred. The Sadow had been eradicated by the patrolling vistars and there were no warriors patrolling on the ground. Motioning for them to exit, he took the lead.
"By the Father!" The soft gasp was murmured by them all as they got their first look at the destruction the Spectronians had wrought.
"Eblahn!"
Duo recognized the Nomian curse and turned to see one of the Councilmen covering his face to ward off the stench of death. He had long ago shut his mind to the sight of the charred bodies. The cries of those left for the Sadow no longer reached his ears. But now, looking around with the eyes of the cloistered Council, he could see the shock and the horror of it all. He'd put off his emotions upon finding the pyre of his father, now they all came crashing back. The anger over the arrogance that had left his home unprotected; the grief over the loss of everything he knew; and the overwhelming need for vengeance.
He forced himself to tamp down on the strongest of the emotions before turning to Councilman Fermeldon. "Be careful and follow close."
Fermeldon nodded, pulling his hood up to cover the horror on his face. His heart broke upon looking at the ruins of the Alliance Capital city. The unnecessary death and destruction brought down on the innocent, all because of their presence in this place. Looking at the boy, who was now their protector, he cried for the lack of expression and the dead eyes. How many more would die inside as this youth had?
"They've set up a command center at Delfin Polls. That's our destination." Duo took a steady breath before taking the lead and heading out into the rubble.
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"We've scanned eight edgeway quads, Commander, they have not attempted to leave the area."
Odin looked hard at the image of the Rising Star's Commander. He looked like a boy of only eighteen or ninteen thyerox, but with his race age could more often than not be determined by looks. Notorious for having long life spans, Dawntians always looked younger than they truly were. But this Dawntian, Broden, was heralded as the youngest in the Empire to receive a Starfighter Command. This alone made Odin suspect that the golden haired, aqua eyed youth was as old or as young as he looked. "Has your fleet spread out to cover as much as possible?"
Broden's eyes narrowed slightly at the unintended slur against his tactical and leadership abilities. It was only the older Commander's haggard appearance that stopped his usual comment.
"The fleet has spread out in a wide pattern. We allowed only a drek of sensor overlap between each quad. Nothing has been detected so far." Broden hated that he had to report on a failure and understood the Teirsan's want for better information.
Odin sighed and nodded tiredly. Somehow he'd known that the Spectronians had not left the system after the attack.
Looking up at the youth, he tried not to sound as if he were reprimanding him or alluding that he could not do his job. "Did your sensors detect anything unusual or out of the ordinary?"
Broden pursed his lips, thinking carefully on all the information he'd been given. "There was a report from the Del Tren stating that they detected minute traces of formyte. It sent a searcher to track the trail but it dissipated almost as soon as the searcher picked it up. The searcher couldn't be sure whether it was tracking an old trail or if it was a faint trail left behind by the attack group. I've ordered them to follow it as best they can along the outer orbit before it's completely lost."
Odin had been hopeful until that moment. "What about traces within the system?"
Broden looked away from the com before answering. "The Del Tren read it for seven quads before the Andra picked it up again. Both sent out searchers; one within and one without. Neither have reported anything positive. We will . . ."
Alarms flared drowning out whatever else the young Commander was saying. Odin jumped at the sound and waited for the boy to report.
"Sensors have picked up a war craft in quad skedish. It's too small to be the lead craft but it could be a scout." Broden spoke quickly away from the com before giving Odin word. "I've dispatched fighters to track and report."
Odin groaned, skedish was on the far side of the system, too far for the Red Star to join in the battle. "Good hunting, Commander Winner. Red Star out."
Broden nodded. "You as well, Rising Star out."
Odin stared at the blackened com screen for a mirac before the alarms on his own ship flared. Jumping up, he ran toward the bridge hoping that they had found what they were looking for.
"A sensor pod as been destroyed baring ish, meich, quor. Last transmission garbled." De'mon reported as Odin took his seat at bridge command. "I dispatched a searcher drone but it's almost a certainty that it was Spectronian."
"Commander! I'm picking up heavy amounts of formtye!" Trella's excited voice echoed over the bridge com, her eyes remained glue to her station. "I have four, no, five distinct trails!"
"Get the squads ready for launch and alert the fleet. Move us out of orbit and check all weapons!" Odin ordered.
Wufei moved nearer to his friend and Commander. "Do you think it wise to move the fleet at this time?"
Odin knew that his friend was merely being the voice of reason, but he could not take the chance that their enemy was setting to attack elsewhere. "I'd rather wait until we have a firm confirmation but if it's an armada we don't have a chance alone."
Wufei nodded and stepped back to his station to alert the rest of the fleet of his Commander's orders.
"We have sensor lock on a vapor trail."
Odin leaned forward as his nav com and sensor officer shouted his report. They had been scanning the area with everything they had and nothing had shown itself until now.
"Readings, Con Regas."
Regas was young man, having only been aboard the Red Star for three tours and had earned the respect of his higher ranks. He'd never taken the command of any of the missions before, but here he was in his element. His specialty was finding that which could not normally be found and he was so glad that he now had.
"Sensor echoes put the trail at sector drehm grid qzhar. It's faint almost non-existent but it's there." Double checking himself and getting a confirmed reading, he looked up toward the command deck. "It's a defiant Spectronian trail."
Odin nodded and sank back into his chair. It had begun. "Lay in a course and send out the com. Let's get those bastards!"
"Commander! We have reports of a Spectronian Battlecruiser, Barax class, clearing the Karn Drex two pars from Mefour!"
Alarms sounded through out the large Starfighter as the crew scrambled to the ready.
"Cut me the fastest course to that sector and I want all Starfighters placed on status alert. It's going after Una! Contact all fighters and Starfighters to converge on that area and sweep the sector for any disturbances inside the system!"
Odin's orders were carried out with as much speed as possible. He could not allow their enemy to strike again.
"What is the status of the patrol on the planet?" Odin asked his first officer, Erith De'mon.
"We just sent the remainder of the Satray squadron down to make a final sweep. They and the Gammon are to report back to us once their sweeps have been completed. The Detra is back aboard and awaiting orders." De'mon confirmed.
Odin nodded and took his position on the higher bridge of the Command deck. He wanted to be able to see what was out there.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to confront the enemy. We are sworn to protect all those worlds within the Alliance. Our enemy has struck at the heart of our legion and now they intend to attack others under our protection. This cannot happen." He paused just long enough for his words to sink in. "I want full reports every fein triax. I want two sensor sweeps on all sectors within ten leagues. Let's make sure this battle is payback for Calodonie."
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The Spectronians had left nothing to chance. Their attacks had been precise and brutal. The protective dome had been shattered in the first wave and for the first time in Caledonian history real sunlight touched the Teirsan soil. But the cost, so great the blood that mixed with that light that it looked like rich deposits of rubinore scattered over the ground. As Duo lead his group of hooded figures through the rubble, the Council bore silent witness to the devastation the Sadow had wrought. Bodies, of what had been only the injured, had not survived their assault and were now charred heaps; testaments to the killing force of the Spectronian weaponry.
Duo knew that they would never make it to the Polls before dark fall. What would normally be just a few short trans stops or a half dial on a convey, would take longer on foot. No one had ever thought how large Calodonie had become since it's first incarnation. Raising a hand, Duo silently ordered the cloaked procession to stop while he made his way over a mound of debris, hoping to find a safe harbor for the night.
"A shuttle!" The Councilwoman scrambled over the debris, her hood dropping away to reveal the pale green beauty of a Nomian.
Duo turned and caught the gleam of sunlight on metal. He focused on the light and his vision sharpened on the abandoned craft.
"No!" Reflexes honed from thyerox of testing helped him get off the rubble and in front of the Councilwoman mere mirax before she reached opened ground.
She screamed as he grabbed her and lifted her struggling form off the ground, swinging her away from the shuttle.
Councilman Fermeldon ran up to them and took the Councilwoman from him. He was surprised by the boy's strength and speed and wondered if it were a natural phenomenon or something the Naijor had transferred to him.
"Grendahl. Calm Grendahl." Fermeldon held her tightly as he watched the boy turn to look at the shuttle sitting in the open. "Our protector has spoken law."
Duo glanced back to see the woman immediately calm down and wondered briefly why those words were spoken with such reverence toward him. Dismissing them as something only the politicals understood, Duo turned back to the shuttle.
There was an iridescent glow surrounding the craft. Duo blinked several times to make sure, but it remained there softly reflecting the fading sunlight. Taking a few cautious steps forward, he extended his left hand until he felt the resistance of the shield. It blinked, a tiny pulse reverberated against his palm, resisting his touch.
"It's shielded." He spoke the warning loud enough for the Council to hear before making his way around the debris searching for the thin veil that would allow him safe passage.
Sounds of battle echoed through the twilight as Duo's fingers finally found what he sought. Few would know of the spot let alone how to dismantle the protective crevice, it was an old but effective way to insure that none other than those familiar would survive the shield. Twisting his wrist, he parted the veil and stepped inside. The stench of burned flesh was almost overwhelming as he walked cautiously toward the shuttle. He wasn't worried about the enemy but any other traps that the crew may have set before they passed.
The bodies of the crew lay inside. They had fought a hard battle, obviously trying to save as many civilians as possible, if the amount of charred corpses were any indication. Pulling a warrior out of the door, Duo laid him carefully on the ground before stepping inside. He had to disable the shield first so the Council could be protected while he lay the dead to rest.
Inside the pilot lay slumped over the controls. Her wounds had been mortal but she'd made it to the second chair in order to set the grid before dying. She'd gone beyond the call of duty in order to keep the Sadow from retrieving the shuttle and the information it may have contained.
Gently, he lifted her back in order to reach the controls and made quick work of shutting down the grid. Once it was down, he activated the rayar to alert them to any ground forces coming and stepped to the door, signaling to Fermeldon to bring the group on. Without sparing them a glance, Duo began to grim task of removing the dead crew from the ship.
"By the Father." The words were spoken with a quiet reverence as Duo carried a crew men out. A hooded Councilman knelt over the body.
Duo caught fragmented whispers of a Serrian prayer of passing as he laid another beside his fallen comrade.
Fermeldon watched silently allowing Ahl Boren his time to make peace with the souls lost. The boy showed no emotion as he laid body after body down, pulling the crew from their stations as if they were nothing. Curiously there was a gentle sort of reverence in which he lay them and with each he made a strange, almost imperceptible motion with his hand over the body before going to retrieve the next one. It was almost as if he were blessing the bodies, some ancient Teirsan ritual of passing, but not one he'd ever seen before.
The pilot was the last to be laid to rest. Duo was extra careful with her as he lifted the fallen warrior from her seat. The woman deserved better than to be laid on the open ground, a pyre of honors should have been her final grace but that was not to be. Checking over her uniform, he found the key card to the shuttle's activation and gave a silent blessing to her.
Looking up, he shut out the Serrian's prayer and the bodies laid in perfect attention on the ground. "It's a standard hauler, no luxury but her engines still work."
Fermeldon gave a quick nod and motioned for the Council to precede him on board. The Serrian, Ahl Boren, was the last to board before Duo who made a quick check of their surroundings before shutting the door. Taking the pilot's chair, he began the pre-flight procedures as if he'd done them a tau times before.
"How far are we from Delfin Polls?"
Duo glanced at Fermeldon who had taken the second chair. The man was watching him closely and making Duo more and more aware of the politicals presence that surrounded him. Doing a quick rayar check, Duo took a breath before answering.
"A dial, maybe more." Duo really didn't want to speak to any of them, especially their leader. "It depends on the Sadow and the patrols."
Fermeldon smiled at the efficient, yet cryptic way the young warrior spoke and moved. No excess movements, no repeated motions, all controlled precision with limited emotional expression. 'So young to be so old,' he thought as the engines roared to life and the shuttle lifted slowly off the ground.
