Chapter 4: The Future takes Shape
As is the custom on Matanuska all of its citizens are entered into the rolls, a record of the person from time of acceptance to death. Where all of their deeds either heroic or horrible are placed, so anyone in the planet can get the measure of the person they are relying on. Nick takes his adoptive son to the medical wing to have him examined, finding it crowded with those injured over the course of the fighting he decides to visit Rachel instead. As he is walking to place she works at he stops, he can't take a kid there. Rachel is the owner of The Cloudy Moon, a good place for a drink and close if somewhat brief companionship. It is still the best bar on the whole damn planet in Nick's opinion but as the Lord Castellan has reminded him over and over it is not a place a Knight-Commander should be seen too often.
Sighing he looks down at Horus, the kids eyes are bright as he observes his surroundings taking in every detail. "Let's go tell the Castellan your name little one." Walking to the nearest wall console he calls up information about the Castellans whereabouts. "Inspecting the frigate, why am I not surprised." Before leaving he drops Rachel a quick message to meet some time tonight in his quarters with a bottle of whiskey and a bucket of ice. With that done he heads to one of the Keeps larger hangars.
After several security checks he is standing in front of the captured ship. Ugly compared to the Alliance ships he use to serve on but definitely a lot bigger and meaner. Most of the damage to the external hull has been repaired and the new metal looks like a grey scare on the reddish brown hull. One of the Knight-Errants walks out and waves me over, "Ah Nick I was just going to find you. Now that you're here the Castellan wants you to tour the ship with him." Looking down slightly he notices the baby I have in my hand. "Is that the child from the pod?"
"Yes it is. I have named him Horus."
"The tour can wait come with me please."
I turn to follow the older man. We head straight back to the medical bay. Pushing his way through the crowd we enter a sealed off portion of the bay. "This is my personal lab," says Knight-Errant of the Hospitallers Ponce de Leone. "Place the child into the scanner. I want to run a basic diagnostic." I place Horus in the scanner and stand behind the older knight. He presses a few keys and the scanner turns on. It hums as an orange beam is swept up and Horus several times. The data collected is then codified, analyzed, and displayed on the screen. What they discover is that Horus is not entirely human. Just at this moment the Lord Castellan walks in.
"Do you have the results yet?"
"Yes milord. They are on screen right now. I have never seen anything like this. Its DNA is similar to ours but it has been altered and the best way to describe it would be improved. Everything that humanity as a species lacks this child has. He will be faster, stronger, taller, immune to damn near every disease and that is only the tip of the ice berg. He will also mature at a significantly higher rate."
Stunned I look from the screen to my son in utter disbelief. "I thought that pod was from the batarian frigate. Some uprising gone badly and the kid was the only survivor."
The Castellan shakes his head, "No we have searched every inch of the ship. The only signs of internal damage was caused by the grenadiers. Did you run any tests on the pod?"
"Yes," replies De Leone, "It is made from an unknown material. All analysis was inconclusive so I dated the thing. It is not from any part of the past. That leaves me with only one hypothesis, it is from another galaxy or the future. As strange as that sounds the data has no other explanations."
The two men consider the possible ramifications this discovery has and do the first logical thing. "We tell no one," orders the Castellan. The two knights nod in agreement. "I gave you permission to rise the child and I cannot and will not go back on my word Nick. So what did you name him?"
"Horus. Horus milord. I thank you for not taking him from me. If you gentlemen can excuse me I would like to return my child to bed."
"Yes you may," replies the Castellan, "I would like to accompany you. I wish your council on what to do with our new ship."
As they head back to Nick's quarters he notices that Horus seems heavier and larger, pushing those thoughts aside he tunes back into the conversation. "Sir I think we should take one of the heavy guns off if possible to create anti-orbital battery. The rest of the ship should stay the way it is. Also have it do a detailed mining survey of the planet. Also its information banks could be of worth to some."
"Those were the same ideas I had. I just wanted conformation. That is why once your kid is old enough to become an aspirant you are going to find some people who will help us mine this rock without stabbing us in the back as well as some who would pay for the data." With those edicts stated the Lord Castellan takes his leave. After dropping his son off Nick heads to the training yards to fulfill one of his many duties, teaching squad tactics.
He has a new group of initiates and they are frustrating him to end. Wiping out his stun baton he has them run the obstacle course several times until they are exhausted. "Good very good, that was the warm up. You are going to run the obstacle course reserved for the grenadiers and dragoons. Be careful and work as a team. To make this interesting two other initiates teams are going to run it as well." Marching them over they see that they are going up against a senior class. Each one of the kids are prideful, their heads swell in the anticipation of victory and the glory they will achieve. "Listen up all of you," shouts Nick, "The losers gets no food or rest for the next 48 hours. Understand? Good. Now go!" the three squads rush ahead into the potentially lethal maze.
Each one of the three initiates play to their strengths not caring about the rest of the squad. They progress faster individually through the tests of strength, endurance, dexterity, reflex, and intelligence. They faltered when the challenge is built to be done easily by two people and they insist on doing it alone. As a result they break squad cohesion and slowly lose ground overall. The last challenge is simple, climb the rope and ring the bell. There are several baskets and one stand-alone rope. The older squads opt for the baskets as Nick's team arrive piecemeal. Pulling as one entity the older squads make it to the bell just as the first of the younger squad runs across the finish line yelling that he won. Another one is climbing and the other stuck waiting. The older teams crossed the line together. Once the squads were assembled Nicks initiates were screamed at, lectured, and then giving 48 hours of physical exercise and weapons drill to accomplish. Over the course of the next two days Nick watched as they become more dependent on each other as well as less prideful and more humble as a knight should be.
It took several months to get the anti-orbital cannon working but it was considered a major success the first time it had to preform, under actual combat conditions. Another raider was searching the system and got to close. It was disabled by the ground based gun and swiftly boarded and taken in orbit with Nick leading the grenadiers across the void into the enemy's ship. Also the mineral scans have located several massive veins of element zero, iridium, and platinum. Along with several hotspots of palladium. This can make the planet very rich or a very big target depending on who they share the data with.
As life goes on, Horus has grown from a small child to a teenager in peak physical condition. He excels at anything he attempts, quickly understanding any concept or problem. His talents however shine during his initial testing to determine what order he will be groomed for. He was selected to join the Knights of the Praesidium, the last time an aspirant won that honor was forty years ago. He is given twenty-four hours to say good bye to his parents and friends for he will see them again, only if he survives and passes to become an initiate. He is a year old and already towers over all but the tallest adults. Seeing his father and his lover Horus waves and walks over. Bowing as an initiate has been taught, "Father I have won us a great honor, I will study and train hard to ensure that you don't regret your decision to foster me."
Nick smiles, "Nonsense boy. You did this on your own. There was very little that I or the other instructors did. You are a natural at the martial arts. I am sure by the time I return you will be an ordained Knight. Let us go out and celebrate."
Horus looks slightly uncomfortable at that pronouncement, "Father I would prefer that we could spend some time together inside instead of going out." He used that tone of voice that seems to persuade anyone. It was easy for him to debate or lead his fellow aspirants during their early training. His father agreed and after meeting with several other friends the three of them went back to their home. Once inside Rachel and Nick busied themselves on cooking, Horus paced impatiently. "Father you said that you were going somewhere. May I ask where?"
From the kitchen he sticks his head out, "Yeah. I am going to take our new ship and head into Citadel space to find a trustworthy mining corporation and talk to some of my old friends in the Alliance about dealing with the growing threat of slavers. Also stop pacing you're going to go through the floor. Relax, why don't you go over the creed in your head. It helped me focused when I was starting here." Following his father's advice Horus sits and enters a meditative state. He feels his perception change, his gaze leaving his body. It feels like he is flying, he sees the sky obscured by the fierce clouds of a growing storm and feels something else something vast and alien. It shocks him back to reality.
He hears Rachel's inviting and friendly voice calling him, "Dinner is ready Horus. Come join us." Getting up he walks into the dining room, ducking instinctively as he passes the chandelier, he smiles mentally, his stature is an advantage everywhere but in the home. The odd family sits down and enjoys a pleasant meal, that last one together for a long time. Nick regales them both about his training during the N7 program and a few friends that have fallen in the line of duty. Once the dinner is done Rachel cleans up the table as the two men, well the man and the boy, walk outside. She thinks their crazy for standing out there in the frigid air and howling storms.
"So what is on your mind son," begins Nick once they are outside.
Horus shuffles uncertain at first but quickly builds his confidence, "I know I am different father. No one year old human should be like this. What am I?"
"You ask the only the question that I can't answer. I don't know what you are truly. The best way to describe you is the zenith of humanity. You are the perfection that humanity strives for. The problem with that is everything a person has to strive for you do without effort. Remember to embrace humility and compassion this will help you relate to us normal humans. Also by the time I get back your own deeds will probably surpass mine and the senior knights. I can't give you piece of mind son. You have to find that on your own. What I can give you is a fathers blessing. Hominis Triumphus." They embrace and Nick goes inside to be with Rachel and Horus stands out in the cold mountain air a little longer. His super sensitive hearing picking out the laugher that quickly moves to another room in Nick's quarters.
Looking up Horus stares at the stars, he was always fascinated by them every time his dad went on a shuttle trip he would beg and plead to accompany him, and he usually got his way. Listening to everything Nick has told him about the Alliance and the Council Horus's own goal has been to prove the galaxy wrong about humanity. They are a true power of the void, a race to respected and feared. For the honor and courage of its soldiers, for the skill and inventiveness of its workers, and the resolve of its leaders. He knows that he can't change the whole galaxy from here but hopefully he can help those poor souls trapped under the slavers lash in the Nemean Abyss.
The next morning Nick and Horus part the two men were quiet and stoic, a hug and a hand shake and they went their separate ways. Nick went to the shuttle bay to join up with a cohort of praesidium knights and get on with his mission in citadel space. Horus reports to another shuttle bay so he can be sent to the Praesidium Castle, where he will be trained for the next several years in the arts of combat, diplomacy, science, literature, and chivalry. If he survives his training he will become a member of one of the most lethal and honorable orders on the planet.
"All right captain lets head to the Citadel I have people to meet and credits to find," says Nick from the bridge of the Tempest, the batarian frigate that they captured. The captain relays his orders to his helms man and the ship plots a course through the relay network, it will take an estimated three weeks to get to the Terminus Systems-Traverse border and then another week to get to the Serpent Nebula. During the voyage Nick was busy reaching out to old friends from his Alliance days, must brushed him off except one. Joe is now a representative of the Illusive Man and is willing to buy the data and help with the mining. The deal was an agent will come in person to verify the information and then payment will sent. Nick agreed but with one caveat the person is picked up on the Citadel and the exchanged made on Matanuska. As they reached the border they pick a distress call of a Turian marine detachment on a nearby planet. The transmission though garbled indicated that they got ambushed by a Batarian lead slaver band, even though Nick does not like aliens he respects the Turian soldiers with their sense of duty and honor. Plus he really hates Batarians. "Captain divert course and tell the knights to muster we have slavers to kill and goodwill to gain."
The frigate dropped out of FTL and was greeted by the sight of a destroyed Turian frigate and a pair of heavily damage slaver ships. They are broadcasting the batarian IFF codes and the other ships fall for the ruse. The captain of the Tempest gets closer to the other ships and open fire. Taken by surprise the slavers succumb to the relentless barrage and explode. The knights shuttles descends into the planet's atmosphere, above them the frigate's broadside guns open fire with a quick low-velocity strike to wipe out several large concentrations of slaver scum.
Planetside, the Turians are reeling from the unsuspected reinforcements that the slavers got. Captain Maiel Ignis is studying the holo-map in a small cave cursing Murphy's Law, at least those human books weren't wrong when they described its impact on combat. His plan was prefect, send a few infiltrators and an engineer to hit the small outposts surrounding the main camp and then wait to kill off the reinforcements as they responded to the initial attacks. They have been steadily reducing the garrison of this slaver base when their friends showed up and deployed at least two companies of air-mobile troops. Those gunships changed the rules and Ignis was reacting well until they got ambushed. Now with half of is team dead because of an orbital strike they are currently defending a small cave system until someone comes and rescues them.
"Sir," one of his soldiers runs into the cave, "There is another ship in orbit. It is a design that is a common batarian slavers but with different markings.'
"Great one more ship to deal with once we get off this rock. I don't think this mission could get any easier do you?"
The soldier laughs and agrees with the captain. Saluting he goes out of the cave and back onto the firing line. Ignis is moving squads around on the tactic map with deft and skill. Turning flanks, engaging in ambushes, and countering charges. He is making the enemy bleed for every turian life that is lost. At least we managed to burn through their jamming for a few hours, help could be on the way. The radio cackles to life in spite of the heavy interference. Thinking it is a Turian flotilla coming to the rescue he activates a new ECCM program and the message comes through nice and clear, "This is the Knights of the Guard order Lighting, we are coming to aid you. Mark friendly positions with IR strobes at frequency 375 Mhz."
"Well," thinks Ignis, "This is unexpected." As he relies the instructions to his men he orders a fighting withdrawal to the command base. Satisfied he grabs his Raptor DMR and joins his men on the firing line. The slavers have brought up heavy weapons and have peppering the Turians with sustained heavy machine gun fire for the past two hours and only recently have been dropping mortars all over the hillside. Most of his men have been wounded and he is no exception. Hearing a whistling sound he pulls the man next to him into to cover and shelters him as a quartet of mortar rounds are walked over his position. Catching a blast of shrapnel in his leg he snorts, "Idiots can't even shoot straight with a mortar." Peeking his head out he almost got hit with a Kishock harpoon. He quickly ducks back, and hears the soldier next to him chuckling. "When is the cavalry going to come?" he wonders aloud. Two sonic booms are heard thirty seconds later.
He watches as a pair of shuttles swoop down, they open fire on the gunships in a looping dive. The gunships scatter in the face of heavy cannons and missile fire. Flying over the battlefield the hatches on the shuttles open and a dozen of human soldiers jump from the aircraft straight into the slavers ranks. Stunned at their bravery or stupidity what happens next amazes everyone. Each soldier clad heavy armor made in the style of the medieval ages, of a dark grey color with a gold lightning bolt displayed on a dark blue shield. They are carrying what looks like shields created from their omni-tools, a heavy machine gun, and a sword.
With a roar they charge the enemy, shields up and machine guns braced. The slavers try to halt the charge while under a hail of suppressive fire, those that do pop up are quickly put down with shredded chest or head. In less than a minute the knights are amidst their ranks. The typhoons fall silent as each warrior draws the blade from their hip and proceeds to crave though their foe with ruthless efficiency. The slavers break and run from the unstoppable warriors. The Turians cheer from the hilltop. As the knights secure the area Ignis and men move from their positions into the open waiting for the shuttles return.
A single gunship trailing black oily smoke strafes the Turians with cannon, missile, and bombs killing dozens before it succumbs to its wounds and crashes into the hillside. Ignis is slowly losing conciseness as he is pulled from the carnage. He is one of five survivors. With their task complete the knights head back up to their ship and resume their mission.
Horus's first is challenge in joining the order is to get there. The trainers on the shuttle dropped off him and six other men in the middle of the foothills. They are wearing light clothes and were given a location, compass, and stars to follow. As the first three that make will be accepted. The six men rush off in the direction as soon as the shuttle leaves. Horus recalling his father's stories of survival training gathers up thick leaves and bark. By placing them in his clothes he is creating a form of waterproofing because a storm is building. The other aspirants get bogged down in the rain, Horus uses this time to push ahead of them. The journey unknown to those attempting it will take three months of hardship.
His days slowly form a timeless blur, everything has boiled down to survival. He has hunted the creatures of the forest and has been hunted and yet he is still going his resolve strong. It has been two months since he started out and the planet has made him more self-reliant. He also manage to craft a crude blade, from the claws of one of the predators on this rock. The creature was a theropod with a slate grey hide of a thick mixture of scale and chitin. It stood nine meters tall with a pair of meter long talons. Horus was chased by the creature for several days until he lured into a simple trap.
Planning his ambush he wove together the saplings and vines into a thick braid and strung it between to trees. He partially broke the trees so that two would fall when the braid was broken. He fasten a dozen sharpened spikes to the two trees and set about finding his prey. It found him and he has been leading into his trap. At a full sprint Horus feels the thunderous footsteps getting closer and closer. The beast roars as its prey is just out of its sight. Horus dodges nimbly through the trees hoping to not to get eaten. The creature uses its size and strengthen to uproot trees and barrel toward Horus. Seeing his markers Horus leaps into the air, his powerful muscles propel him skyward. While in the air he throws a rock at the block holding the braid flush with the ground. The braid snaps up as the creatures charges into to. Snap, crash, and a shriek as the wooden spears hit home. The saurian is pinned, wounded but still alive. Horus walks up to and grabs one of the spikes that came loose, staring right into the monsters eyes he stabs. The creature gives a death cry and falls silent. Wanting to ensure the knights believe that he killed a terrex, he pulls one of the talons off the creature. That night he feasts, the next day he moves away from the carcass quickly as he numerous smaller predators approaching.
Another month passes and he reaches his destination, a castle perched atop sheer cliffs. Shrugging he begins his climb, his powerful limbs easily dig hand holes in the rock. It takes him a few hours to reach the castle door. He is tired, wearing torn and tarred clothing, a terrex talon on his back, and a smile on his chiseled dark features. The door opens and a knight welcomes him in, he is the first to arrive and has won the right to train with the Knights of Praesidium. He lives a spartan existence till he becomes a knight each day is taken up with weapons drills both ranged and melee against other initiates, drones, and senior knights. Then comes studying famous and important figures in galactic history, everyone from artists to generals are committed to memory. Squad drills and battle drill is learned then comes lessons in chivalry. Food is served twice a day, the trainees get one hour of personal time just before lights out at midnight.
As Horus homes his body and mind into the prefect leader, Nick has reached the Citadel and is sitting in Chora Den waiting for Joe's friend, what he does not expect is the raven haired beauty walk up him. "Nick I presume," she says in silky Australian accent, "I am representative of Joe's friends. I take you have information discussed?"
"Yes I do. Can I please have your name before we leave?"
"Sure, it is Miranda Lawson."
"Right this Miss. Lawson." The group heads back to the Tempest. Before they leave the Serpent Nebula Miranda is subjected to a heavy EMP to short out any homing devices that she has on her person. "Sorry about that but until the Lord Castellan decides that the deal is on we need to maintain the highest security protocol."
"Don't trust me?"
"To be frank no."
The Tempest heads back to the relay network in the medical hold, Ignis and his five teammates are still in a coma. Their injuries were extensive, too much for the equipment on the Tempest to handle. Besides Nick thinks that they could be useful to Matanuska as instructors and as fighters if they want a better paying job and revenge. As the jumps it fails to notice the small corvette follow.