Tiva Boon: Heir of Abennelp (Tiva Boon Series Book 2) (38 page)

“Blessings and good fortune!” She grinned fully. “I am honored to meet you, Sir Cooper.”

“Please, just call me Coop.”

“As you wish, Coop. I would like you to meet my crew, shall I bring them in?”

Tiva nodded and Harai waved to her men standing outside the door. One by one, she introduced them to Tiva and Adam, citing their specialties within the Uucor military. Pleased, yet surprised the Major allowed such skilled men to leave during the current conflict, Tiva thanked them for supporting her cause. All of them were overjoyed to help; she sensed a strong bond between them and Harai.

Out of the front window, Tiva noticed a group slowly nearing the craft. It was only natural they were curious. A Vexillum fighter and an Uucorian escort vessel had never been seen by anyone on her world before, save the few who had hunted her on Pethor’s ship.

Adam gently took her hand and motioned to the door. “I think it’s time you say hello.”

Nodding, she moved to the exit and slowly descended the steps. The group of people stopped in their tracks, a few gasps and sighs followed. Tiva turned back and Adam motioned for her to go. When both feet were once again back on the land she called home, a tear slid down her cheek.

“Tiva!” The group began to part and Neola ran through at lightning speeds. “You made it!”

“Spirited greetings, my friend.” Tiva walked toward her and stopped when Neola slowed. The Vicar no longer held the sweet innocence Tiva remembered. War had crushed her spirit and stripped from her the love of family and friends. Jex’s words filled her mind instantly. Neola stood but a few feet from Tiva, put her fist to her heart and bowed her head. Tiva pleaded, “Please, do not…”

Everyone standing behind Neola repeated the gesture, hundreds of heads bowing together for her. The Vicar looked up finally and smiled. “Welcome home, my friend.” She threw her arms around Tiva and hugged tightly, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I have not the words to say how grateful I am. Your presence here will do more wonders for our cause than you could possibly imagine. All here know your birthright, they too can be trusted.” Neola leaned back wiping her cheeks. “We are all glad you’ve returned, your majesty…”

“Neola, please,” Tiva replied nervously. “I do not wish to push my status on anyone, not until I have proven myself worthy to lead.”

“You were born to lead, Tiva. Come, we have much to discuss.”

“Wait,” Tiva said softly. “I wish for you to meet my friends….we brought translation technology so we can all communicate.”

“Fascinating!” Neola turned to the group, holding a hand up. Tiva led her back to the craft. Harai, her men, and Adam all decorated with the translation units, stepped out. Neola’s eyes went wide when she saw the Uucorians, but she bowed regardless. Tiva attached a phonics unit on her clothing. “Welcome friends of Tiva.”

As they exchanged greetings, Tiva pulled Adam over. “Neola…I wish for you to meet my potential, Sir Adam Cooper, a protector from a planet named Earth.”

“Your potential?” she asked and Tiva nodded. She studied him for a moment then dipped her head. “We humbly thank you for bringing our queen back safely.”

“My pleasure,” he said with a smile.

“Neola, I would like to gather everyone together so we may discuss the current situation. We must strategize and assess our defenses.”

The Vicar glanced back and nodded her head, the man Tiva remembered as Captain Wirto moved through the crowd. Neola introduced him then Wirto led the Uucorians and Loyalists toward the large building. Harai followed behind carrying the units for everyone else while Tiva and Adam walked with Neola.

“The last Rebel attack was several days ago in Cenii province. Other skirmishes have been few and far between this past cycle. We have maps and communications inside the complex, along with some weapons and other supplies.”

“We brought you weapons as well. Your army will have to be trained, but from what Tiva has told me, some have skill with advanced weapons,” Adam remarked.

“Yes, during the last few cycles the Loyalists have become comfortable with both types,” she answered. “I see you too are a sword wielder.”

“I am,” he replied.

“Adam and I are willing to work with your men and women in regards to the weapons. We have medical supplies and food as well. I was not sure what you needed, so I purchased what I could.”

“Everything will help.” She sighed. “We are still outnumbered, Tiva. The Rebel forces have grown considerably. The entire city of Degort is infested with the traitors. We have agents embedded within the walls of the capital, but we only have estimates of their true numbers.”

“As I mentioned earlier, I have another group of friends coming to help and if all goes well with the Union, my former shipmates have agreed to lend us their support.”

“Union? The group with whom you sought refuge?”

“Yes, they are in the midst of their own conflict at the moment…we fear it may have something to do with the aliens who have landed here, but we are uncertain as yet. We must learn the identity of these intruders and their purpose for being here as well as uncover the traitorous leeches behind the Rebel rule.”

“That will prove most difficult, Tiva. It has been our goal since Wirto took control of the Legionnaires, and we have yet to find them. They have taken residence within the Palace of Kinchar and none of our group has ever seen them. Oh…” she stopped and turned. “I have something I must give you. Please, follow me.” Neola took off for the Finto house, while the others obediently followed Wirto into the complex. Tiva grabbed Adam’s hand and followed Neola.

The people were shielded, and though tensions were high, Tiva reveled in the quiet within her mind. Not completely sensing the worry of the others around her was a comfort, for her own thoughts were running wild inside.

Climbing over the crumbled debris of the west wall, they entered the home, and she followed the Vicar into what once was the living area. “I should inform you, Tiva, once I heard you were returning I had some of the tyro’s clean up your home. I had not the time to do the housekeeping recently…”

“What of the other Guardian homes, are they tended to as well?”

“For the most part, yes. We use many of them as operation bases, but out of respect for you, we just kept your home tidy,” Neola answered and motioned to the staircase. Once on the second floor, Tiva and Adam followed her into a smaller room on the far end of the hallway. “Wirto was able to recover this after the king’s ship fled, I hope it brings you some comfort.” She moved to a chest near the window, pulled out a long soft blanket, and laid it on the bed mat.

Curious, Tiva neared and unwrapped the cloth. A short gasp escaped her lips upon seeing its contents.

“What’s wrong?” Adam questioned, rushing to her side. “Ah, is that what I think it is?”

Nodding, Tiva curled her fingers around the grip, and slowly removed her sword from its tattered sheath. Her smile reflected back from the blade as she moved away from the others to give it a good hard swing. Throwing her head back, she laughed and swung it a few more times before lowering it to her side. “Thank you, Neola.”

“You and your friends have given us hope, Tiva. Though we always believed peace would return, many did not think we’d see it in our lifetime. I…” She paused and moved to a beaten down dresser and opened a small box resting on top. “When we learned you were still alive, I had to tell someone. I confided in only a few, Wirto, Millan—another Legionnaire captain—and my father. He was shocked to know you’d survived, and shortly after I told him, he confessed the truth of your birth. He gave me your original records and the medallion my grandfather made signifying your place in the royal family. From what he said, Harer ordered my grandfather never to tell a soul. He took his duty as High Healer very seriously, and he didn’t reveal what he knew until he was dying and told my father. It was a heavy burden, and he wanted his spirit free from guilt when he passed to the Eternal Lands.”

Tiva moved next to her placing a hand on her shoulder. Neola smiled slightly and handed her parchment records and a small silver disc attached to a long leather strap. Engraved on the back was the surname Delos as well as the date and time of her birth, the front held the crest of the Delos name and Tiva etched underneath. “Harer did not name you himself, but when your parents did, grandfather took the liberty of adding it afterward.”

“What did your grandfather say about the king’s mistress?”

“He didn’t mention her,” she said. “Harer agonized over his decision, but knew the only people he trusted enough to raise you as their own was the Boon family.”

“Did they know the truth?” Tiva asked.

“I don’t know. My grandfather’s ties to the incident were mainly secret, occasionally he would update the king of your wellbeing as a child, but that stopped once you became an inductee.”

“I see…”

“I wish I had more answers for you, my friend. I cannot imagine how frustrating this has been for you.”

“Yes, it has, but we have other matters to attend to at the moment,” Tiva answered, gathered the records and medallion then attached her belt and sheath around her waist, slipping her sword to her side where it belonged. Glancing out the second story window, she saw the last of the group enter the complex. She couldn’t allow her personal issues to become the focus of her time here; her duty was to the people of this world now. Grabbing the hilt of her sword, she turned and smiled at both of them. “It is time to make right this wrong done to our people, Neola.”

T
he aliens and Tiva sat quietly to the side as Neola and Wirto talked of recent events and their status here, and around the planet. Slightly pleased at what she heard, Tiva’s anxieties about returning home without proper help were slowly dissipating. The eastern provinces had recorded and logged a few skirmishes, as Neola had mentioned. The statistics, however, were staggering. The Loyalists were outnumbered three to one it seemed. With a group of only seventy thousand, it was hard to gain any ground against the Rebels. They had more than ten percent of the population under their command. Rebel forces were in every province and town, the capital Degort, and of course the Palace of Kinchar.

This group, the Yann Loyalists, approximately three thousand strong, was comprised of several former Legionnaire captains and residents from the surrounding two provinces. The major Loyalist cells kept bases in Cenii, Hentor, Whettland and Yann provinces, covering the four points of land.

Feeling no deception from anyone around her, Tiva turned to Adam and covertly took his hand, squeezing tightly. The corners of his mouth upturned, but he kept his attention on the speakers. Neola moved to the foreground and motioned toward her.

“All of you here have been fighting alongside Wirto and me since the beginning. Many of you know Lady Tiva Boon, her family or those she served with as a Royal Guardian. I have revealed to you a secret, long since kept by our beloved King Delos for her protection, knowing it will remain within these walls. She is the heir to our late king. Lady Boon holds true to his ideals and beliefs. She too wishes a return to our peaceful society. But in order for peace to be achieved, we must accept change.” Neola moved toward her, raising a hand. “Wirto and I, as well as all present here, shall follow your command from this point forward, my queen.” The group around her stood and everyone saluted her.

“By guardian light, we shall protect you in times of darkness until the bitter end.” They chanted the oath of the Royal Guardians and Tiva’s heart sank. Adam squeezed her hand gently; his wing bumped her up to her feet. Knowing the blush of her markings was apparent; she took a breath, bowed her head then crossed the room and embraced her friend.

Turning to the group, she noticed several familiar faces smiling back at her, which in itself was a comfort. Keeping her composure at the surprising confession of her childhood friend, Tiva bowed to them and pressed her fist against her chest.

“I am honored and humbled to serve with you once again. Many of you may know my story. I fled our home to protect the king and his family when the Rebel forces cornered us on the grounds of Kinchar. Had we known then that so many of you would rise up and fight, our circumstances would be different. Instead, I was forced to make my way through the universe and along the way found friends and allies who uphold the same standards of peace and freedom as we do.” She motioned to Adam, Harai, and the group of men. “More are coming to our aid. However, as Neola has said, things must change. An unknown craft has landed in the east; we fear they are supplying the Rebels with advanced weaponry. Our ways of living will always remain, but we cannot allow ourselves to become blind to the technology and complex workings of the universe around us. We will train and educate you with what we know and offer, but it is up to you to accept the uncertainty facing you.”

A soft mumbling moved through the crowd. Tiva exchanged a worried glance with Adam; he only smiled and motioned with his head to continue.

“Lives will be lost if we are to engage the enemy once again, but I have learned that one does not have to kill in order to be victorious. It is my belief that from the beginning, many cycles ago, the Rebel factions manipulated the guardsman and Legionnaires. They pitted our people against each other, all for power and control. Those responsible will answer for their crimes against the people of this land, but we must remember that despite the fact they are our enemy at present, they are still children of Abennelp.”

A few heads bobbed up and down, surprised yet understanding looks were scattered across the room. The majority of the people who knew anything about the Great War or all the episodes leading up to it were dead or with the Rebels. She hoped the fact that she was Harer’s daughter or a former Royal Guardian was enough for them to trust her.

“I have learned the ways of other cultures and societies during my time away, and I bring that knowledge back with me so that we may rebuild a world we can all be proud to call home. Rule of Abennelp, however, will no longer remain in the hands of one person. Together, we will put new government in place. All people will have a voice in their government. We will train new guardians; they will not protect only the nobles, but all the population. You all will be the backbone to this endeavor. You will be the peacekeepers and govern with a firm yet understanding hand as was done in the past. I will lead you to peace, we will rebuild, but the decisions about Abennelp’s future will be shared by all.”

Tiva stepped back and glanced over to Neola and Wirto. He smiled at her and wrapped an arm around Neola’s shoulder.

“We will reconvene in the morning; your orders for tonight are to gather reports from all your sectors while we brief Lady Boon and her friends on our status in more detail,” Wirto announced. “Keep safe.”

The group slowly dispersed through the room, Adam, Harai and the others neared. Tiva sighed with relief, she would have to get used to talking in front of so many people again. Though she wanted to talk with Neola—she still had many questions—she sensed that the bond between Neola and Wirto had grown intimate and she couldn’t bring up Jex in front of the former captain. She would find time alone, eventually. Her first task was going over all the information the Loyalists had to offer. Thankfully, Wirto and Neola wanted to waste no time in small talk and began giving orders to those staying behind.

Wirto escorted her to the back of the structure while Neola took Adam and the others to the ships to unload the supplies. The Loyalists set her up in one of the small studies and granted her access to the computer.

“This station doesn’t have much information and we’re not connected to the other systems in the base, but you’ll be able to review everything else from the datarecorders,” Wirto stated as he punched in the clearance codes. “Perhaps with your advanced technology on that vessel you can sort through what we have quicker…”

“Yes, it would be faster, but computers have been known to miss things or not prioritize correctly. I would rather review this all myself first,” she replied.

“I understand…” He paused; something in his voice caught her attention.

“What is it?”

His markings blushed slightly and he shrugged. “I’ll admit I know not how to address you. Though we were not friends prior to your departure, I was a Legionnaire and under your command. I sensed earlier you’re uncomfortable with being called the queen.”

Tiva smirked and bobbed her head. “Quite true. It has been a long time since I have been around people who could read my emotions.” She waved her hand changing the subject. “I can tell you and Neola have taken good care of each other, and those loyal. Speak to me as you would a friend, for that is what we are, now, Wirto.”

He smiled back and pressed his fist to his heart. “If you need anything, Tiva, please call us. Neola will come for you when evening meal is prepared.”

“Keep safe.”

When Neola came to get her a couple hours later, Tiva asked for a glass of juice and a pastry. Adam and Harai kept busy explaining and training the Loyalists on the weapons, medical supplies, and food they’d brought. That would keep them occupied for the entire night. She read every bit of information they had in the study. Her eyes burned and her back ached, but she refused to move until she was through.

The dark of night crept into the room through the small window to her left. A few stars twinkled down at her; she smiled slightly and leaned back in the chair for a moment just to relax her mind.

“You haven’t even touched your food,” Neola chided as she entered the room. “It’s almost midnight, Tiva.”

“I have a few more files to review,” she answered, opening her eyes and glancing over. “Have the others retired for the evening?”

She laughed and shook her head. “You must be jesting. Adam and the other woman…”

“Harai,” she pronounced again for her friend.

“Yes, Harai, along with her men are having target practice in the forest with the new weapons you’ve brought.”

Nodding, Tiva rose from her chair, picked up her juice to sip it, and glanced out the window to see the streaks of plasma fire zip through the trees. “Neola, I do not wish to bring you any more pain, but…”

“Something weighs on your mind, but you are hesitating because of my feelings for Wirto.” She smiled slightly. “It’s okay, Tiva, I’m sure Jex understands. He would want me to be happy. Wirto is a good man.”

“You are very lucky to have each other. Struggling alone through such trouble is difficult…Jex died in my arms.” She sighed and put down the glass before walking toward the Vicar. “I promised him I would tell you how much he loved you and that he would always be with you.”

“And he has been. I know he keeps watch on me from the Eternal Lands. Every day I think of him and the others who were taken away from us, all the loved ones lost.” Neola took Tiva’s hands. “You have suffered more than any here, the trials you went through before you left were enough to break any spirit, yet you became stronger and more protective of your king and family. Still, you hide the sorrow you live with every day. I can sense it deep within you.”

“You are the only one left who truly knew me, Neola.” Tiva forced back the tears. “I know not if I can convince the rest of the world what the Rebels have done. They cannot understand the magnitude of grief and torment they have caused. They do not know all that has happened. Though I have seen some familiar faces like Healer Kiya and Lo’mu from the squad of Legionnaires I worked with, everyone else who fought against them is gone…”

“There are no words to comfort you for I have found little comfort myself. But we are alive, Tiva. The spirits spared us and together we’ll stop the senseless deaths. I know we can defeat the Rebels now. I have seen what your friends can do.” She squeezed Tiva’s hands gently. “You should rest; I’ve set up rooms in the barracks for everyone, unless you wish to stay at your home…”

“I may visit there soon, but we will stay here with the others. We need to keep our strength together, my friend. And when the new reports come back in the morning, I want to be here to read them at sunsrise.”

Neola Riin nodded and smiled. “Despite your pain you have always protected others, it is no wonder you have made such fine friends in your journeys.”

“I only hope we have not come too late,” Tiva whispered softly.

“No, I have a feeling the tide will turn in our favor this time. The Rebels have had their fun, but the people long for peace again…”

“I pray to the Eternal Spirits you are right, Neola.”

After the Vicar left, the plasma fire in the forest began to subside. Through the window, Tiva watched the Loyalists proudly carrying their new weapons back to the barracks. Silently, she exited the study and walked through the meeting area. Small clusters of people were huddled together talking softly. Several took notice of her and saluted, was she ever going to get used to that?

The night air was crisp in her lungs and the scent of new buds on the trees lingered on the breeze. Tinbo and Rufal, two of Harai’s men smiled at her as they walked inside the base. Far in the distance, another group of men and woman patrolled the main bridge to the Finto land, others were scattered about guarding the borders. To the left sat the forest that traveled far south to the tip of Cenii province, it too was well guarded. Slowly, her gaze moved to the right, her heart beating faster as her eyes searched the land. Her friend Tespor had often said he could see the lights in her room, she however saw nothing from this point of view.

“I can take you there…” Adam’s voice softly called from behind.

“I do not think I am ready,” she replied, not turning.

His hand was warm on her neck a moment later. “What about your tree?”

“Te?” She turned meeting his eyes. “I do not even know if he is still there.”

“We can go find out…” Adam offered his other hand. She nodded and took it, wrapping her other around his neck. His wings expanded fully and with a few hard flaps, they lifted off the ground. “I’ll have to stay low to avoid spies, but this’ll get us there quicker.”

They soared up twenty feet then Adam shifted and headed toward her family’s land. The air was colder as it brushed past them, Adam’s arm tightened around her waist holding her close. When the roof of her home finally came into view she tensed. It looked very much the same except for some added wear on the exterior. Forcing herself to look away, she motioned to the field and the lonely tree in the middle of a plush carpet of grass. “There he is.”