Freedom Saga 1: Heaven's Light (12 page)

Brian stood
alone in the holographic display chamber with his
rakna
in hand and
shield extended.

“Day by day I
hear their cries more,” he said. “This world is filled with tears. From those
who’ve died and those who survive. And yet the question remains if one can
really do anything about it.”

“We must be
prepared for that moment,” a ghostly image of a young Delne said. She wore an
emerald dress that matched her hair. Her crimson eyes shined in the false
light. “You can save them Brian. You saved a wretch like me. My heart was lost
until you found it.” She smiled gently. “Even the worst of us can change for
the better. That’s because all of us seek happiness.”

“I know,” he
said. “But at the moment all I can see are the hazy images of what may be. Like
a kite unstrung I’m afraid I’ll be lost in the wind.”

“As long as you
hold someone in your heart you’ll never come undone,” Delne said. “He kept me
in his heart until the end. Even knowing I was the one who committed the sin,
he forgave me. Remember that Brian. There’s someone waiting for you.”

“Seles,” he
said.

“She seeks the
same thing you do,” Delne said. “Her dream is to be at your side through anything.
It’s because of her feelings you’ll find a way back to her.”

“What I fear is
there won’t be anything left for her to love,” he said.

“That’s where
you’re wrong,” she said. “I was lost until you found me. I spent over a hundred
years in fear and denial. I hated myself, I hated the world, and I hated the
man who loved me in spite of it. You saved me. The person I was, the person he
remembered wasn’t dead, just buried away.” She took his sword and lowered it to
the ground. “She knows who you really are. Not the Warrior, not this awakened
being, but the man named Brian Peterson. As long as she holds that man in her
heart you’ll never die. I can see it in your eyes. You know I’m right. Seles
will save you from this madness one day. I should know, because I was saved
from a far worse fate.”

“I hope you’re
right,” he said.

She smiled again
as she faded away in the light. “No matter what you become you’ll never stop
being who you are.”

He stood alone
with his sword lowered and gazed at the false sky. Something caught his eye as
the sun glared on him. Turning, he saw Valis standing across the room.

“Who were you
talking to?” she asked as she joined him.

“No one,” he
said.

“I’m not buying
it,” she said impatiently. “You were clearly talking to someone I can’t see.”

“Does it
matter?”

“It does,” Valis
said. “I need to know I can trust you.”

“I gave my life to
return this ship to you,” Brian said. “What more can I do to show my loyalty?”

“That’s not what
I’m talking about,” she said. “You’re hiding something.”

“Aren’t we all?”
he asked before laughing.

“This isn’t
funny and you know it,” Valis said. “Please, tell me.”

Brian sheathed
his
rakna
and retracted the shield into the arm of his exoskeleton. “We
both know how this is going to end.”

“You plan on
leaving all by yourself, don’t you?”

“This journey
will cost only one person their life Valis,” he said. “If life is what one can
call this.”

“No!” she
shouted. “You always do this! Do you think charging in like a martyr is the
solution?”

“If only I could
end it like that,” he said grimly. “No Valis, I won’t leave you because of a
stupid notion like that. I have to leave to save everyone from this.” He tapped
his chest plate. “Whatever is happening to me it’s getting worse with each
passing moment. I see ghosts and images others can’t. I see the future before
it happens. But most of all I hear its voice. I’m blocking it as much as I can
but its close the point where I can’t ignore it any longer. Soon the Brian you
know will be gone.” He glanced at his right hand. “It’s sad to say but each day
I become less and less a person. I’m not leaving because I want to Valis. I’m
leaving because I have to. It’s the only way to save you and the others.”

Valis drew her
raiga
whip. “I won’t let you leave. Not like this.”

“You can try
stopping me with that,” Brian said. He drew his sword and focused his mind. The
rakna
fell through his hand to the ground before ringing. “But right now
you couldn’t even strike me.”

She lowered her
weapon as silence filled the room. “How much longer will you stay with us?”

“I’ll leave
after the next battle,” he said as he picked up his
rakna
blade. “We can
fight together one more time before the odds become impossible.”

“Why are you so
sure?”

“Because of what
I’m becoming,” he said. “The Confederation needs an awakened human to store in
case they need me for future battles with the Greys.”

“But one human
wouldn’t be enough to win,” Valis said. “Wait, they wouldn’t…”

“Yes, they would,”
Brian said. “While they store me away they’ll simply make as many copies as they
need to serve their purpose.”

“That’s
horrible,” she said.

The com
activated on both their wrist computers. “Captain, Brian, our scanners are
detecting a number of Confederation ships,” Baed reported. “They’re keeping
their distance for the moment.”

“We’ll be there
shortly,” Valis said.

* *
*

Esra and El Kar
were on the main monitor on the bridge of the Avoni. Zae sat in the captain’s
chair while Baed and Vae worked at their consoles.

“Another dozen
have come out of gravity jump,” Baed reported. “That takes the total to over a
hundred ships and five hundred mobile suits.”

“This is crazy,”
Vae said. “Even the best pilot couldn’t fly their way out of this.”

“Even Valis can’t
wriggle out of this one,” Esra commented from her bridge.

“Numbers mean
nothing if they don’t have the conviction,” El Kar said. “Lady Star sees light
where there is none.”

Esra smiled.
“True.”

Zae scratched
her head. “Well, I’ve sent the battle plan over to both your ships.” She
smiled. “I have a feeling you’ll like it.”

Both Esra and El
Kar checked their computers.

“Quite bold,” Esra
said. “I’d expect nothing less from her.”

El Kar laughed.
“One wonders where she gets these ideas.”

“It’s from her
days during the last war,” Esra explained. “She lured a fleet in destroyed them
with ease.”

“Old tricks in
new places,” El Kar said.

Valis entered
the bridge and headed to her station. Zae switched to her chair.

“Baed, put
everything on the monitor,” Valis ordered.

“Yes captain,”
she said.

A moment later
all the Confederation forces were displayed on the monitor. Valis quickly
assessed their situation.

“Everyone,
switch the plan to E-2,” Valis ordered.

“Is there a
reason we should know about?” El Kar asked.

“By the time we
get close to the moon we’ll be cut off,” Valis said. “I want the two of you to
cloak your ships while the Avoni draws them away.”

“Alright,” El
Kar said.

“See you on the
other side,” Esra said.

A moment later
their ships disappeared.

“What are our
chances?” Zae asked.

“If we want to
win Kali must grace us,” Valis said. “Tactics are thrown out when facing this
many foes.”

* *
*

Brian entered
the launching bay as everyone boarded their mobile suits. Time slowed down as
he strode to the Mjolnir. He gazed at the newly outfitted Mjolnir before
noticing Daes was riding down the elevator cord.

“How’s he
doing?” he asked.

“Everything’s
been installed,” she said after setting down on the ground. “Make sure you
brace yourself properly before using the rifle.” She pointed to the pulse
cannon on the back.

“What are
those?” he asked as he pointed to the metal plates attached the outer frame of
the mobile suit.

“Those are
experimental,” Daes said. “They should work, but we won’t know until they’ve
been tested. They work similar to the Artemis’s reflector plates.”

“I won’t use
them until I have to then,” Brian said before taking the elevator cord up.

The Avoni
approached a gas giant while the Confederation fleet surrounded them. The
Mjolnir and Phase Raknas flew outside to add their shields to the Avoni’s. The
Kalaidian ship flew to a nearby rocky moon to use for cover.

“All units ready
for combat,” Brian said over the com. “If an enemy comes close fire at will.”

“Yes commander,”
the pilots responded.

A number of
Lances advanced on the Avoni and fired their pulse cannons. Although the
shields were holding, the constant hits started shaking the ship. The Mjolnir
and Raknas returned fire with their pulse cannons. The Avoni did likewise while
launching a number of HV missiles. The Lances took damage while a number of
them were destroyed. They moved into formations of five to aid in their
shielding.

“It looks like
our enemy is learning,” Brian said.

“Our trick isn’t
too difficult to figure out,” Meldi added.

She and Myli
were on his monitor.

“The counter measure
is to concentrate on individual clusters,” Brian said. “All units are to do
so.”

“Yes commander,”
the pilots said.

When the Avoni
came close to the moon the mobile suits on the bottom of the ship flew to the
top and joined the others. The enemy fleet closed from all directions and
continued firing. The dust began kicking up from the moon as shots smashed into
its cratered surface. The Avoni turned its cannons from aiming above to below and
fired into the moon. As it flew lower dust covered everything. The Confederation
fleet continued firing into the opaque dust storm emerging from the moon. When
the Avoni was finally surrounded by dust and couldn’t be seen Brian turned on
his com.

“Meldi, take
squadron one with you in formation I-15,” he ordered.

“Of course,” she
said.

Her Phase Rakna
and eleven others packed together and slowly flew away from the Avoni. During
the whole time they turned their fire towards the moon’s surface and aided in
kicking up more dust.

“Myli, take
squadron two and do the same thing,” Brian ordered.

“Yes commander,”
she said.

Myli’s Rakna and
eleven others moved in the opposite direction of Meldi’s unit and fired into
the surface of the moon.

“Squadron three
and squadron four are to stay with the ship,” Brian said.

“Yes commander,”
the remaining pilots responded.

“Do you want to
deploy the reflector plates?” the Mjolnir asked.

“Not yet
friend,” Brian said. “Let’s save that for when things get desperate.”

“And this
isn’t?” the mobile suit asked.

Brian’s eye
glowed red through the contact. “No, not until I say so.”

* *
*

“The plan is
going well,” Zae said.

“No, it’s going
slow,” Valis said. “Baed, speed up penetration of the surface.”

“Yes captain,”
Baed said. “All cannons are now heating.”

“Good,” Valis
said.

“Captain, we’re
receiving an encoded message from the Daevoni and Reinkar,” Baed reported.
“They’re in position.”

“I feel like
we’re cooks,” Zae said.

“Then let’s bake
ourselves a victory,” Valis said. She pressed the com. “Brian, we’re entering
phase four.”

“Alright,” he
said. “Are you sure?”

“Do your thing,”
Valis ordered. “I trust your judgment.”

“Then I’ll do
just that,” Brian said.

The Mjolnir
began glowing red as the particles in its gravity drive sped up. The mobile
suit shot out of the dust field and into the nearby formations of Lances. It
drew its sword and slashed into their lines.

“They seem too
focused on him,” Zae observed. “I’d think they’d be more concerned about
victory.”

“They have to
capture him alive,” Valis said. “If destruction was all it took they could
flatten us through overwhelming force.”

“That explains
why they’re falling for this trap,” Zae said.

“They’re not
using their heads,” Valis said.

“Captain, the
heating is working,” Baed reported.

“Good,” Valis
said. “Vae, make sure to keep us steady. Be ready to fly out of here as soon as
I give the order.”

“I’m on it
captain,” Vae said.

* *
*

The Mjolnir
continued flying around the enemy mobile suits and ships in circles. It was
slowly pushing them closer to the moon. The dust cloud pluming from the moon
covered everything near the surface. Once the Confederation mobile suits and
ships were stationed over the cloud, Brian flew the Mjolnir about in an effort
to keep them where they were. Siata and Baeron watched from their ship at the
edge of the fleet.

“He’s amazing,”
Baeron said. “The thought of thousands of his kind strikes fear into the heart
of even the most veteran warrior.” He turned to Siata as she watched with him.
“I understand why they want him so much.”

“The power he
wields is too great for him to handle,” the Mylor female said. “We must save
him from himself.”

“What about
Heaven’s Light?” Baeron asked. “Are we doing anything about their activities?”

“Until they
move, no,” Siata said. “If they do anything to aid him there will be
consequences. But as of now, they’re considered a private security force under
the legal ownership of Veda Kein.”

The Mjolnir
slashed through a pair of attack ships and caused them to explode. The light
flashed off the window as the pair watched.

“I feel like
we’re not taking this very seriously,” Baeron remarked. “This capture business
is costing us a lot of lives.”

“I agree,” she
said. She turned to the other officers. “Tell the fleets not participating in
the battle to not approach until further orders.”

“Yes captain,”
the officers said.

“She’s planning
something,” Baeron said. “That dust storm is masking their ship.”

“Brian has them
pinned in between,” Siata said. “If they try to escape by flying away he’ll
strike them down.” She turned to the science officer. “Tell me, what’s the
composition of the moon below?”

“It’s mostly soft
sediments with a large deposit of ice under the surface,” the science officer
said. “Because of its proximity to the planet the interior appears quite
unstable.”

“Is it unstable
enough to permit eruptions?” Siata asked.

“Yes captain,”
the science officer said.

“Damn,” Siata
said.

“We’ve figured
out their plan and yet can do nothing to stop it,” Baeron said. “I’m growing
weary of this.”

“So am I,” Siata
said.

* *
*

“It’s time,”
Valis said. “Baed, how close are we to going critical?”

“Just a few more
minutes,” Baed said. “The fleets jumping in are staying at a distance.”

“They’ve figured
it out,” Valis said. She pressed the com. “Meldi, Myli, its time you join
Brian.”

“Yes captain,”
the squadron leaders said.

From the dust
cloud emerged two groups of twelve Phase Raknas. They were in sphere shaped
formations and fired in all directions but the ground. The mobile suits with
the Avoni fired into the air despite their inability to see effectively. A few
volleys later, the two spheres of mobile suits joined with the Mjolnir. Any
Confederation ship or mobile suit looking to break away from the near surface
of the moon was attacked and forced back down. After a few minutes the Mjolnir
stopped glowing red and returned to normal. The Avoni turned its cannons on the
fleet above and moved out of the dust cloud. The surface of the moon groaned as
steam and lava stirred underneath. The Kalaidian ship flew through the enemy
fleet to join the Mjolnir and other mobile suits.

“Captain, the
Daevoni and Reinkar report the moon has heated up to the optimal temperature,”
Baed said.

“Alright,” Valis
said. “All mobile suits and gunnery officers are to aim their cannons at the
same location as given the in the mission plan.”

While Valis waited
for the moment to strike the Daevoni and Reinkar appeared next to them. The
three ships stacked their shields as they charged their weapons. The Daevoni
launched its mobile suits to aid while the Reinkar launched its mobile armors.
All of them aimed their cannons on the same position on the moon while the
trapped Confederation ships moved to escape.

“All ships
fire,” Valis ordered.

The three ships
fired their cannons while the mobile suits and mobile armors did likewise. The
mass of energy converging on a single point started a chain reaction inside the
moon. Geysers of steam and lava leapt into the sky above and into the fleet of
Confederation ships and Lances.