Freedom Saga 1: Heaven's Light (3 page)

“She’s been
visiting me a lot these last few months.” He shook his head again. “I’m not
sure why.” He noticed the look of concern on Seles’s face again. “She’s not the
only one, just the most frequent.”

Seles shook her
head as she went to leave. “I don’t want to leave you seeing ghosts, but it’s
time.”

“To be left
alone is my fate,” he said.

“I’ll see you
soon,” she said.

“I love you,”
Brian said.

She smiled. “I
love you too.”

Seles walked
into the darkness of night. Standing outside the door was Valis. Her violet
hair glowed with the streetlights filling the shadows.

“Are you ready?”
Valis asked.

“As ready as
I’ll ever be,” Seles said.

The headed for
the dock the Avoni was on.

“How’s he
feeling?” Valis asked.

“He’s seeing
spirits,” Seles said. “Other than that he seems fine.” She noticed concern on
Valis’s face. “What’s happened?”

“We’re going to
have to change the plan a little bit,” Valis said.

“How much is a
little?”

“Be ready to
launch the Raknas as soon as we’re on board.”

“Of course,” she
noticed Valis staring at her, “What?”

“You said he was
seeing spirits. Who did he see?”

“He mentioned
Delne,” Seles said. She noticed Valis thinking about something. “What is it
now?”

“I’ve heard
reports from the crew that he’s been talking to people who aren’t there,” Valis
said. “Celi says everything’s alright physically, but what about spiritually?”

“He still says
he’s an atheist,” Seles said.

“Perhaps that’s
changed.”

“Is that because
of the Avoni’s journey through Grey space?”

“You’ve noticed
it as well Seles.” Valis gazed at the night sky. “Everyone who survived the
sojourn was changed. The only one who didn’t seem so when I interviewed her was
Jesela.”

Seles laughed.
“Nothing could rattle her.”

Valis smiled.
“True.”

After the sun set,
a squadron of Minan soldiers surrounded Brian’s apartment complex. A hundred of
them separated into twenty smaller squads of five. At the head of the mission
was a tall and strong shouldered Minan with brown fur. The only signifier of
his rank was a gold and silver armband on his right arm. In addition to the
ground forces, ten of the latest Confederation mobile suits, the Lance Phalanxes,
patrolled the airspace directly over the residential sector. In the shadows
next to the Minan leader was a Mylor wearing a crimson and golden exoskeleton.

“Commander
Baeron, are your troops in position?” the Mylor asked with a female voice.

“Of course Lady
Siata,” Baeron said. “We have the Terran surrounded on all fronts. Should he
try to escape we’re more than ready.”

A voice came
over Baeron’s com, “Commander, the target is talking to himself.”

Baeron looked at
Siata. “He’s talking to himself.”

“I see. He knows
our objective.” Siata was silent for a moment. “Let’s speak to him directly.”

“As you wish,”
Baeron said.

He signaled for
the others to back off before checking his
zenti
axe. He took the lead
as Siata floated to Brian’s apartment. With the wave of a key card the door
opened. Inside, Brian faced the wall where Gaelic’s blades were displayed.
Baeron noticed a strange glow in the room facing away from them as Brian moved
his hand towards his head. He turned to face them and was dressed in his green
dragon exoskeleton armor with the
rakna
blade on his belt.

“Commander
Peterson, by order of the High Council of the Galactic Confederation I place
you under arrest,” Baeron said.

“What crimes are
you charging me with?” Brian asked.

“Piracy,
violation of the Law of Exclusivity, and conspiracy to overthrow the High
Council,” Baeron said.

“What evidence
do you have?” Brian asked.

“A number of key
witnesses are willing to testify against you on these matters,” Baeron said.

Brian turned to
Siata. “I understand.”

He drew his
rakna
and spun it before them. A wave of telekinetic energy flew from the Mylor
female. The energy barrier blocked most of it as Brian turned the wave towards
the window. It shattered and sent shards of glass onto the street below. He
quickly locked his helmet in place before jumping out the window. The wings on
his exoskeleton extended as he flew into the skyline of the city planet.

“All units are
to capture the target,” Baeron ordered.

“Yes sir!” his
subordinates responded.

“He can see it,”
Siata said.

“See what?”
Baeron asked.

Her eyes lit up.
“He can see the wave patterns.”

* *
*

Seles waited in
her Zero, the prototype of all the other Phase Raknas. She closed her eyes and
rested her head on the back of the pilot’s seat before letting out a long sigh.
Every day it seems like he’s further and further away from me. I don’t
understand what’s happening.
Mira stepped inside the cockpit, still wearing
her pilot’s suit.

“Are you alright?”
she asked.

Seles nodded.
“I’m feeling better today.”

“I received a
message from Jesela earlier today,” Mira said. “She said the Freedom’s
construction is close to being finished.”

“I don’t know if
I’m ready for this,” Seles said. Her eyes had doubt behind them. “I feel like
the ground underneath me is giving way.”

“You need to
stop this,” Mira looked her in the eyes, “I know you’re better than this.”

“But…”

“He’ll be okay,”
Mira said.

“I want to
believe, I really do.” Seles looked off to the side. “But he sees things we
can’t and talks to ghosts like they’re real. I don’t know…”

“It’s because
he’s berserked too many times,” Celi said as she stepped inside.

“Is that the
problem?” Seles asked.

“The
nanomachines inside him are reacting to something,” Celi explained. “If he
can’t gain control of it soon the worst could happen.”

“Is it a case nanopsychosis?”
Mira asked.

“It’s possible I
saved him just long enough for him to say goodbye,” Celi said.

“I don’t want to
hear this,” Seles said.

Celi shook Seles
out of her doldrums. “He lived Seles, he lived for you. It’s because he
believes in you. It’s not just love, its potential.”

What should I
do?” Seles asked.

Both Mira and
Celi looked at each other.

“She’s really
dense,” Mira said.

“So clueless,”
Celi said. “It’s a miracle she made it this far.”

“What are you
two talking about?”

Celi shook her
head. “Who are you? And don’t just give me your name, tell me, who are you?”

“Seles Daevon, a
lieutenant, and head of the mobile suit team,” she said. “Why are you asking me
this?”

“She’s asking
because she wants you to remember who YOU are,” Mira said. “You’re thinking
about this way too much.”

“Really?” she
asked.

“Yes, really,”
Mira said. “You’ve been caught up in his dream so much in the last few years
you’ve forgotten your own.”

“I see,” Seles
said before smiling. “Maybe it’s time to fix that problem.”

* *
*

Brian’s
silhouette passed over the streets of Dega Jul. The people walking along
watched as he darted from building to building with Lances in pursuit. The ground
forces chasing him found the crowds of Kalaidians dominating the area
resistant. The emergency alarm sounded in the districts around them as more Confederation
forces deployed to arrest him. He looked to the sky and saw a number of
additional Lances entering orbit to tighten the encirclement.

“I know, they’re
really pissed about this,” Brian said.

“You can still
surrender,” Siata said over the com.

“So you’ve
hacked my exoskeleton’s systems,” he said while dodging a mobile suit. He flew
inside an old and abandoned skyscraper. Darkness surrounded him as he flew into
the middle and away from the lights. “Now I understand why you were so vigilant
on checking every week.”

“I can guarantee
your life will not be taken,” she pleaded. “The Mylor have the power to do
that.”

“To live in the
comfort of a prison, no matter how luxurious, is to still live in a prison,” he
said. “We survived Siata, all of us. We saw evil in its purest form and brought
back the evidence. But since we returned all we’ve gotten is skepticism. If
people don’t changed, if the Confederation doesn’t change, it’ll die. They’ll
destroy everything you love.”

“What are you
trying to say?” Siata asked.

Brian paused
before flying down an elevator shaft until he reached the sub levels of the
building. Using his
rakna
, he tore through the rusted doors and entered
the storm sewers.

“You’re fighting
the wrong person,” he said. “Tell you superiors I’ll never surrender
willingly.”

He flipped open
his wrist computer and reprogrammed the communication system in his
exoskeleton. As he wandered into the sewers he noticed a single Kalaidian woman
with shoulder length blue hair waiting patiently. She wore a pair of
raknas
.
One was on her belt while she tapped the other one on the wall. She wore a
silver and blue exoskeleton. As she opened her eyes he could see they were
green, glinting in the low light of the tunnel lights. She looked at him with
wonder in her eyes.

“It’s been ten
years sir Herald,” she said.

Brian smiled as
he recognized the young girl he met on Kalaidian prime a decade prior.

“You’re prettier
than I remember,” he said.

“You look the
same to me,” she said with a smile. “I’m your escort out of this place
Commander Peterson.” She drew her second
rakna
before leading him
through the metallic tunnels.

“It’s Kyli,
isn’t it?” he asked as he followed.

“I’m glad you
remember,” she said.

“Celi mentioned
you recently,” Brian said. “I wasn’t surprised when I heard you joined the crew
of the Freedom.”

“It’s the
Maiden’s fate to such a life,” she said. “At least, that’s what I’ve been told.”
She noticed Brian staring off to the side. “What?”

He shook his
head. “It’s nothing, nothing at all.”

* *
*

Zae sat in the
commander’s chair on the bridge of the Avoni. Baed sat at the right side
console, opposite of the one she used for years. Baed looked like Seles’s twin
save for her hair being platinum blonde. She wore a rank circlet with a single
leaf, showing her to be a lieutenant commander. At the left console sat lieutenant
Vae. She had shoulder length pink hair and green eyes. The three of them were
busy preparing the ship for launch when Valis walked onto the bridge.

“What’s our
status?” she asked.

“Going as
planned,” Zae reported. “Brian’s with the agent and heading to the designated
escape point.”

“The Confederation
has encircled us with a squadron of Lances and is asking for our surrender,”
Baed reported.

Valis smiled.
“Let them try to take us by force.” She pressed the com on her chair. “Seles,
ready for combat.”

“Alright,” Seles
responded.

“What happens if
they have more forces in orbit than anticipated?” Baed asked.

“The Raulno is
ready if we need them,” Valis said.

“All combat
systems are ready,” Zae said.

“Our orbital
path has been set,” Vae reported.

“Phase two of
the mission begins now,” Valis said.

The Avoni’s
engines fired up as it turned towards space.

Seles was
checking her mobile suit’s systems over when Meldi and Myli appeared split
screen on her monitor.

“Is everything
alright?” Meldi asked.

“You don’t seem
like yourself lately,” Myli added.

“I’m okay,” she
looked at the pair and smiled, “Things have been weird lately, that’s all.”

“How’s he been
doing?” Meldi asked.

“It’s getting
worse,” Seles said. A number of blips appeared on her monitor. “We’ll have to
talk later.”

Myli sighed. “The
Confederation really likes interrupting people.”

“At least
they’re not the Greys,” Meldi said.

“True, but bad
enough,” Myli said.

The Phase Raknas
launched from their respective bays and landed on the Avoni’s hull before
activating their shields. Seles glanced at the cityscape, wondering where Brian
was.
Come back to me you big fool. I can’t do this alone.
She activated
her com.

“All units
maintain defensive posture,” Seles ordered. “We’re not to fire unless fired
upon.”

“Yes lieutenant,”
the other pilots responded.

* *
*

A rumble came
from above Brian and Kyli as they walked through the storm sewers of Dega Jul.
Dust fell around them as silence settled in.

“What’s going on
up there?” she asked as they came into an intersection.

“Riots,” Brian said.

Kyli laughed as
they turned down a large corridor. “This isn’t the first planet making a fuss
about you.”

“That’s what I
do best,” Brian said as locked his helmet back into place. “Have our forces
secured the area?”

“Most of it,”
she said. “The special task force has a few spots left, but the closer we get
to the Kein estate the more secure our route will be.” She noticed he was
wearing his helmet again. “They must be coming.”

Kyli took the
helmet from her backpack and locked it into place. Brian drew his sword and
extended the shield on his left arm. He looked at her for a moment and closed
his eyes. She stopped and turned back to him.

“What?” she
asked.

“I’ll take
point,” Brian said before moving to the front.

“But you don’t
know the way,” she said.

He pointed at
her. “Now I do. Let’s go.”

When the pair
came into another intersection a barrage of pulse fire came from the far
corridor. They focused their sights on the enemy and found there were twenty
Minan soldiers. Using his exoskeleton’s shield, Brian moved into the center of
the intersection and took the brunt of their attack. Kyli quietly snuck up to
the Minan’s position before lobbing a pulse grenade over their barricade. After
the blast the pulse fire stopped. Both of them noticed a number of Minans retreating
down the corridor. Brian and Kyli hurried down the opposite hallway.

“That was
reckless,” she said.

“Reckless is my
way,” he said.

* *
*

The bridge crew
of the Avoni observed the situation outside. The districts around them were in
chaos as the citizens of Dega Jul rioted against the crackdown. When the Avoni
took flight a number of Lances approached, only to be blocked by noncombatant
vessels of the Degan citizenry.

“It’s getting
ugly out there,” Zae said.

“But it’s
working to our advantage,” Valis said. “With chaos on the surface the Lances
won’t be able to launch.”

“What should we
do?” Seles asked as she appeared on the monitor.

“Hold position
until we reach orbit,” Valis ordered. “Our plan changed when the people of this
planet decided to voice their opinion. I’d like to avoid combat inside the
atmosphere as much as possible.”

“The Lances are
landing on the surface,” Baed reported. “It looks like they’re trying to quash
the unrest down there.”

“We’ll be in
orbit momentarily,” Vae reported.

The Avoni
accelerated into the sky and soon passed the orbital ring of Dega Jul. There,
they found themselves surrounded by a fleet of Minan attack vessels and several
squadrons of Lances. The Raknas turned their shields to full and aimed their
pulse cannons at the Confederation forces. The Avoni hung close to the orbital
ring as it flew away. The attack vessels closed in and opened fire with their
pulse canons, shaking the Kalaidian vessel as the blasts slammed into their
shields.

“Vae, turn us
about,” Valis ordered.

“Yes captain,”
Vae said as the Avoni rolled over and spun towards the Confederation attack
fleet.

“Seles, let them
have it,” Valis said.

“We’re on it,”
Seles said.

Half the mobile
suits on the hull of the Avoni detached and moved out.

* *
*

Brian and Kyli
rushed through the underground of the Degan cityscape. The corridors around
them filled with Minan soldiers when the pair entered a large drainage area
with a dozen entrances.

“Stay close to
me,” Brian said.

“Yes sir,” Kyli
said as she moved next to him.

He activated the
force shield and surrounded the pair with a particle bubble. They slowly made
their way to the center of the room as pulse fire came from multiple
directions. Both scanned the enemy units as they took refuge between a pair of
massive pipes.

“What should we
do?” Kyli asked.

“Have you ever
berserked before?”

“No, I haven’t,”
she said.

“Close your eyes
Kyli,” Brian instructed. “Focus your mind on the situation. Let the power
within flow, but keep a song in your heart. The goddess lives within your soul,
feel her words and hear what she’s singing.”

Pulse fire
continued pinning them down as she closed her eyes and focused like Brian told
her. Kyli felt something strange emerge, an energy she’d never felt before. She
opened her eyes as they began glowing blue. A wave nearly overcame her as she
fought to control it. Time started slowing down as she heard echoes all around
her.

“You learn
quickly,” Brian said.

“What is this?”
she asked.

“It’s the
heartbeat of the universe,” he said.

 Brian
redirected his shield to one side and began spinning his
rakna
to build
up for an energy blast. Kyli followed suit and did the same with her two
blades. Baeron stood behind an energy barricade and watched. His soldiers moved
in when Brian and Kyli split directions and fired their
rakna
blasts.
The Minan soldiers were vaporized or knocked back from the attack. The human
and Kalaidian moved faster than any of the Minans could react as they slashed
through their ranks. Siata hovered near Baeron while the Minan soldiers fell
one after another.

“Pull your
troops back,” the Mylor said.

Baeron growled
in frustration. “By your order,” he turned his com on, “All troops are to
retreat. We’ll commence with riot control on the surface immediately.”

“Yes commander!”
his subordinates shouted with relief as they withdrew.

Baeron stared at
Brian and Kyli as they turned away from the battle and ran down the tunnels
leading to the Kein estate.

“In all me years
of service under your command Lady Siata, I’ve never heard fear in your voice,”
Baeron said as they left. “What happened to change you?”

Siata floated
silently for a moment as the Minan commander waited. “He’s changing.”

“Are you talking
about the Terran?” Baeron asked.

“He’s on the
threshold of something we thought would take a hundred years,” Siata said. “If
he can see the waves even the Mylor can’t stop him.”

Baeron slapped
the
zenti
axe on his hand. “As long as he’s mortal he can be stopped.”

* *
*

The Phase Raknas
from the Avoni charged into the Confederation forces. Seles led the way by
blasting through a pair of Lances while making her way to a mothership. Her
Rakna drew its blade and slashed through the ship’s shields. As explosions
filled the area around her, the Raulno emerged from its phase cloak and launched
another hundred mobile suits. On the bridge of the Avoni Valis watched the
battle unfold. The main monitor flashed on as Kivi appeared on the screen from
the bridge of the Raulno. She was a tall Kalaidian near five feet in height.
Like all Southlanders, the Kalaidians coming from the southern continent of
their world, she had dark tan skin and red eyes. Her black hair was cut short.
On her head she wore the rank circlet of a captain. On her body she wore a blue
sea serpent motif exoskeleton similar to Brian’s with a pair of
rakna
blades on her belt.

“This is too
easy,” Kivi said.

“The situation
changed when the citizens took issue with our arrest,” Valis said. “It seems
the sojourners are more popular than we thought.”

“That explains a
lot,” Kivi said. “How’s Brian doing?”

Zae looked up
from her computer. “He’s about to arrive at the Kein estate.”

“Good,” Valis
said.

Baed turned around.
“We’re detecting another Confederation fleet entering orbit.”

“Put them on the
monitor,” Valis ordered.

“Yes captain,”
Baed said.

The monitor
screen split in half and displayed the enemy formation.

“That’s far more
than we planned for,” Kivi said. She looked to her first officer, a male
Malcovin named Dreka. He looked very much like Grigon but younger with black
feathers. “Have all our mobile suits pull back and move into formation D-12.”

“Yes captain,”
Dreka said.

“Do the same for
our forces,” Valis ordered.

“Already on it,”
Baed said.

Outside in the
melee, Seles focused her mind to not let the berserk take over. She watched as
the fleet surrounded them and began a barrage of pulse fire and HV missiles.