Chapter 6
It had been a week since she first heard a voice come over the radio. She'd all but moved into the old barracks at the processing station. In that week, she had counted seven different voices calling out. She could hear their desperation and their pain, but she didn't know why. Finally one night it got to her as she sat on the sofa and stared at the radio. She would make contact. She would keep it quiet and then she would talk to Balt before allowing them to come down.
"Eligius Three, this is Eligius Four, over," a powerful woman's voice came over the radio again.
"Eligius Four, this is Eligius Three, over," she answered and waited.
It took a few minutes for the woman to reply. She figured it was because she was surprised by the sudden answer. She wanted to laugh about it, but she couldn't. She needed to know what they wanted, needed, and planned on doing now that they were at Terre Nova.
"Eligius Four, this is Eligius Three, we're seeking permission to land. I have four hundred and eleven souls that would like to find a home. Please advise, over," the voice told her.
"Eligius Three, this is Eligius Four, permission denied at this time."
"Why?" another voice came across, almost threatening, but worried at the same time.
"Eligius Three, repeat?" she questioned hoping that she wouldn't have to call up the Rangers to meet them and end them before they had a chance to prove they weren't...she didn't even know.
"Eligius Four, can you explain?"
"Eligius Three, you are a prisoner transport and winter is coming. I have no where to house four hundred prisoners. However, I will let a party come down and talk with our leadership. I am sure that we can find some sort of resolution."
"Eligius Four, the prisoner population is not four hundred, over," the original female voice replied.
"Eligius Three, regardless of the amount. We are not prepared for that many to come down at this time. However, a small party can come down. We will work out something. I can get my engineers working on something for your cargo and your people. But, for now, all that will be allowed to land is a party no more than five. Any others would be considered an act of aggression and will be dealt with accordingly," the voice told them.
"Eligius Four, roger, understood. We'll radio back in a few hours. Can you transmit coordinates for landing?"
"Eligius Three, is your video freq down?"
"Eligius Four, video freq?"
"Eligius Three, the Captain's video freq," she told them.
"Eligius Four, the Captain is dead. I will get with lead engineer and pilot to test. Is there a channel for us to use?"
"Eigius Three, channel 100. I'll be waiting for your call. Eligius Four, out," she told them as the line went dead.
She fell into the sofa as she stared at the computer and radio. Contact had been made and she wasn't sure what to make of it. Whomever she was talking to was adamant about coming down, but it was a prisoner labor ship. She wasn't sure that it would be safe. She'd pulled the manifest and they were mostly violent offenders. And, if they were speaking the truth, that meant that there was a possibility of four hundred plus violent prisoners coming. They weren't ready for that.
She was suddenly off the sofa like a shot. She made her way back down into the processing station. She went into the back. There was a small garage that the Rangers used in the winter instead of the caballos. She grabbed a set of keys off the rack and rushed back to the Village.
Imber must have seen her coming because he met her on his black caballo, Mavros. She just nodded to him as she went into the Schule and found Balt looking over books. Balt looked up at her and she realized actually how old he really was.
She actually looked at his gray hair and wondered how much of it she gave him. He'd raised her after her parents' death. And, because of that, he really did expect her to take the mantle of Keeper, but he didn't stop her when she went to Imber to train as a Ranger. She was an enigma to them all. Farmer, warrior, scholar...she was of her people and she fought for them in everything that she did. He was proud of her, but he could see the worry in her face.
"What is it, Child?"
"The ship answered."
"And?"
"Eligius four," she replied.
"A prisoner ship?"
"Yes."
"How many?"
"The radio officer stated four hundred eleven," Palla answered.
"All prisoners?"
"No," she stated.
"And, what do they want?" Balt inquired.
"A place to live," she responded.
"A place to live?"
"Yes, she seemed to be distressed when I denied permission to land. However, I did grant a small party access. I don't know if they'll be cordial or not. I am going to ask Imber to raise the guard near the old processing station. I'll be out there until this is resolved."
"Would you like me to take Lex until it is over?" Balt asked her.
"No, I'll leave her with Hrathgar and Ferre. She'll be fine and will have Sprite to play with. I know that she might not understand why I'll be gone so long, so I'll need your help with that."
"Anything, Palla. You know that. Do you fear that they will try something?"
"No, it doesn't seem that way, but I have to get back to talk to them. I'm going to try a video call. As the acting FIO, I have the access codes and such from the old ship. I want to know more about them. For now they are will to do as I ask and until such a time as they don't, I don't want to start something if I don't have to," she explained.
"Go talk with Imber and arrange for protection. And, make sure to set up something to talk with Lex at night before bed. She'll want to hear from her Thetos."
"I will. Thank you, Balt. I might need more logs."
"I will get them. I'll give them to Imber to arrange delivery as necessary," Balt told her as he moved closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder as he stood next to her. She turned and looked into her eyes as he met hers. "Don't let this consume, Sor. Find a way to balance it all. Remember that Lex needs you as much as we need your protection. Don't sacrifice yourself again."
She nodded. She knew what he meant. Taking a deep breath, she reached for his arm and shook it.
"Until Val, keep peace," she told him.
"With honor, defend the peace," he replied as he watched her walk away.
Just out side the doors of Schule, she met Imber. He was sitting tall in his saddle. His giant black caballo hoofed the ground and snorted as she approached.
"News?" he asked her.
"No more than you gave me," she replied.
"You've been to the barracks," he stated.
"I have."
"Do we need to shift?"
"No, keep on track. Start patrols to the west near the old barracks. I want to make sure that the Praha cannot cross there. Get a team to reinforce the wall there. Station one squad at the barracks for my command."
"Aye, Palla," he replied. "I'll pick them all personally. Shall I send for your guard?"
"No. Keep them on the wall working. Spread them out. Give them each a section to command."
"Aye, Palla."
"Imber, come the first rays of Ostara, the Primas will grant us new life," she told him.
She didn't wait for an answer. She simply walked away from him. She had too many things to do, too many things to think about and too my outcomes to plan for. She headed back towards the vehicle. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and drove towards her house.
Once inside, she went into her room and knelt before the trunk at the end of her bed. It bore the double knot of the Rangers. She hadn't really been in the trunk since she'd brought Lex home to live with her. She sighed as she opened it.
She pulled out her sword and sheath, complete with baldric. She grabbed her leather armor. As she moved things in the trunk, she came across the blue Ranger shirt that Tamma made for her. It symbolized an officer. She pulled it out and packed it. She found her patched up LBE, knives, and tomahawk. She packed those as well. She closed the trunk and ran her hands over the knotwork again.
"I am of Eligius. I am a Ranger. I was born of Athena and Artemis.
Thor and Odin protect me as I ride against thee.
Titles mean nothing, for those on my left and right are my family.
I will defend my family and the weak until my last breath.
If you want my lands, come and take them, I dare all to try.
I will fight you, here and in your own home to protect mine.
I shall pursue all who threaten me, my family, and my way of life.
I will sacrifice so other do not have to and other may live.
I am relentless. I never tire and will never stop until peace holds.
I am a Ranger. Fear me, for I am Death and I ride a pale horse," she recited from memory the poem that Ferre wrote for her after avenging Tamma's death.
Ferre was in the kitchen when she walked in. She looked into Ferre's hazel eyes as they assessed her and her gear. She dropped the gear on the table. Stepping around her wife's twin, she grabbed her kamas from the wall by the door.
"You're going to war?"
"No."
"You're preparing for war?"
"No."
"Then, why do you have the sword Tamma made for you?"
"To protect the village."
"Sor..."
"Fer..."
"Tell me and speak true," Ferre demanded.
"A ship has come."
"And, they mean to land?"
"I have to speak with them. I will not let them ruin our peace. I will not let them harm us," she hissed.
"By yourself?"
"I've done more myself than half of the Ranger battalion could," she replied.
"I remember. I saw you in the Dark and fought to bring you back. Do not ask me to do that again, Sor. I don't know that I can."
"You have a find son to come. Worry for him. I shall be fine, Sister. Eligius smiles on us," she told her.
"May Eligius smile upon you, too, Sister," Ferre stated as she walked her walk away and pack up the vehicle.
Part of her was worried for her, but Ferre knew that she'd come back from the brink before. Lex was a big part of that. But, she knew that no one in the Village and most of Helios could stand up to Palla. She wasn't just the Fio, she was Palla and the legends were mostly true. It had only been Ferre's face that broke through the haze and fog of war. Vengeance had become a drug that had no end. Ferre knew that she would have wiped out the entire population of the Praha if she could have, but instead, when sanity and sense came back, she brokered for peace. She hoped that peace would remain.
Palla made her way back into the quarters that were hers at the barracks. She dropped her gear on the table in the kitchen and sat on the sofa. She'd already had the video link hooked to the monitor. She wanted to see this woman of Eligius Four. She wanted to look into her eyes and determine if a war was to come.
The monitor suddenly came to life and a blonde faced her. She looked young, not more than twenty-five summers. And, she was not alone. There was a young girl, who looked familiar to her. The symbol upon her forehead made her sit up and listen to what they had to say.
"Eligius Three, this is Eligius Four, are you ready to talk?" the blonde asked.
She nodded as she leaned forward more to study them both, before answering, "Yes."