The Val-kyrie Ch 16

Sixteen

 Val-Kyre City

 Planet Val-kyre

 21 July 2017

  The starship Eternia dropped into final approach to the Val-kyre City spaceport along with their fighter escort form the Logoss. This pair was the last of the fighters to leave the battered battlestar. Another group had launched earlier in the day to escort the fleet of shuttles ferrying the liberated people from the destroyed Horde penal planet. Those shuttles were grounded at a secluded corner of the spaceport airfield where the survivors were transported to a makeshift tent city on the northern outskirts of city.

  Captain Majourny didn’t envy the staff whose job it was to get the people settled, evaluated, and prepared for eventual return to their home planets. A proper census still had to be taken of the surviving Masters. Many were unaccounted for, but discovering who had been rescued from the penal planet would be a step closer to completing the list.

  He-man would likely continue to be a pain in the butt. She still didn’t understand that guy. Jo-jo put him out of her mind and concentrated on the pending audience with the Queen Mother. He-man was someone else’s problem now. Her problem was not embarrassing herself or her command in from of the leader of the Val-kyrie.

  Ace glided the starship in to touch down a quarter of the way along the runway. There was barely a jolt as the rear landing struts made contact with the permacrete runway. He held the ship’s nose up as long as possible until the momentum dropped to a point where gravity prevailed and dragged the starship down. The nose gear rocked up a down gently as the starship finally settled on all five landing struts and rolled toward the far end of the runway.

  The Bladewing escort fighters rolled in behind the starship, but those pilots were directed toward a parking area at the east end of the field packed with fighters and shuttles. Eternia was directed to a line of enormous hangars on the west side of the paired runways where one had been prepared for the Earth ship’s arrival.

  Jo-jo watched the operation silently as her crew coordinated movements with the spaceport controller. She took the time to examine the port using the auxiliary monitors on the control stands on either side of her command chair. It was a beautiful sunny day with only a few wispy clouds. Waves of heat shimmered above the tarmac as Ace continued to follow the controller’s directions. There were no other ships on the west side of the field that Jo-jo could see. All the hangars but one were closed. Ace was taxiing toward the open hangar where several ground cars waited off the one side.

  Ace drove the starship around behind the hangar to pass through from the back side. The ‘Follow Me’ vehicle that had been leading the way since Eternia left the runway passed through the hangar where a ground crewmember with lighted wands took over to wave the ship into position.

  Ace shut down the engines when the Eternia was in position. Ground crew scurried about securing the tires with chocks. Four crewmembers unwound a power cable attached to a generator recessed in the wall on the starboard side of the Earth ship. They dragged it across the permacrete while another woman drove a self-propelled scissor lift into the hangar. The group quickly located the external power receptacle near the right main landing gear strut and plugged the heavy duty cable into the port.

  Engineering switched the power over after the indicators lit up confirming that the external power was available. Lieutenant Rodney Santana’s engineering crew then set about shutting down the fusion reactor that was the heart of the starship. Since the ship was likely to be on the planet for several days, Rodney set up a maintenance schedule to get some needed repair work done. Commander Fontaine’s crew had come up with many of the items required, but there were some major components that the Logoss did not have the facilities or supplies to fabricate.

  Lieutenant Santana met Captain Majourny’s party at the boarding ramp. “I’ve just heard from the commander in charge of the fabrication facilities. She received the specs and will have her people working on the replacement hull plates and other items within the next few hours.”

  Jo-jo nodded her approval. “Good. She said her people will likely be doing all the work to replace the hull plates, so don’t be offended if they prefer to work alone. Keep an eye on things, but remind your people that this is a predominantly female society and some still view males as inferiors.”

  It was because of that perception the shore leave would not be authorized until after the audience with the Queen Mother. Until she knew the current state of affairs on the planet, Jo-jo was not going to let any of her crew wander around the capital and inadvertently cause an interstellar incident. General Hammond agreed and ordered that no one would leave the ship until after the meeting with the Queen Mother.

  Colonel Markson hit the switch to open the hatch and lower the boarding ramp. “Think Denton can handle being in charge for a few hours?”

  “He did fine when they were on the run on Phantos. Remember?” Jo-jo reminded him.

  “I’d rather not,” the colonel confessed.

  Horde forces had pursued Jo-jo’s party all over the capital city after their audience with Queen Elmora. Ace had flown the Eternia away from the city and hid it in a canyon south of the combination capital, trade hub and spaceport. Jo-jo had been proud of how the crew had functioned without her despite a few heated conflicts among the command crewmembers.

  General Hammond led the way down the ramp. Seeing four hover cars waiting for them at the hangar doors, he walked in that direction followed by Captain Majourny and Colonel Markson. Anyssa and Dhalon hurried down the ramp and across the hangar moments later.

  Anyssa carried a pack slung over one shoulder. She was also dressed in the most ornate outfit her friends had yet seen her wear. It reminded Hammond of the uniforms worn by the crew of the Logoss except that the armor was polished silver over a black long-sleeved vest and pants. The gloss of her black boots was such that Markson caught his reflection in it. Silver trim at the cuffs and high collar completed the picture. Anyssa had also pinned her shoulder-length mane of brown hair at the back with a silver clasp bearing the symbol of an unknown animal.

  The waiting Val-kyrie drivers snapped to attention as the group approached. Whether this was in response to the distinguished visitors in general or Anyssa in particular, no one could say. The deference shown her on the battlestar had not gone unnoticed. Whatever the reason, Hammond and the others figured all would be revealed in time. It could simply be the result of one of their own being associated with the legendary Guardians.

  The ride through the city took about thirty minutes. The group took the time to marvel at the architecture. Val-kyre City was a mixture of old buildings dating back nearly a century and modern constructions built as recently as this year. Many residential quarters were ancient on the outside with modern renovations within. Skyscrapers towered around what was called the downtown area on Earth.

  The city center, however, left everyone except Anyssa speechless. In many cities on Earth, space was a premium. Parks were literally edged with buildings in places. The center of Val-kyre City, however, was an open city over two miles in diameter. At the exact center stood a round, domed structure that was the seat of government for the empire. The dome was reminiscent of the capitol building in Washington, DC with its ring of pillars at the base while the lower structure was littered with windows and balconies. Once the hover cars got close enough, Captain Majourny revised her opinion about the material used in the capitol building’s construction. While the rest of the city was a mix of permacrete, wood, and stone constructs, the capital had been made from what appeared to be marble or granite. That only made the structure even more impressive than it already was.

  The caravan of hover cars turned onto a wide drive that curved around to main entrance. Ornate pillars supported the overhang in front of the automatic doors. Two guards flanking the doors scrutinized the cars carefully, watching for any threat, real or imagined. The drivers got out, hurried around the front to the right side and opened the doors for their passengers.

  Someone must have called ahead, because a Page emerged from the building, walked swiftly down the steps and across the permacrete to greet the visitors.

  “Good morning,” the Val-kyrie beamed. “My name is Einar and I will be escorting you to the senate chamber where the Queen Mother awaits your arrival.” Her eyes flashed briefly to Anyssa before she continued. “Have you been briefed about the protocol when presenting yourselves to the Queen Mother?”

  “We have,” General Hammond answered. “Anyssa has been quite helpful in making sure we don’t inadvertently offend due to ignorance.”

  “Good. Normally, we Val-kyrie don’t stand on ceremony, but it does have its place on occasion dating back to the Great War,” Einar said at length. She turned and led the way toward the entrance, Hammond’s party introducing itself along the way. “I see you are interested in the carvings covering the exterior of the Senate Hall.”

  “Yes,” Jo-jo answered. “I noticed many of the buildings in the city have such architecture. Is there a meaning behind it?”

  Einar nodded. “Quite right. Many of the structures date back hundreds of years. Some go back to the Great War when we settled this planet.” She gestured to the carvings adorning the Senate Hall. “These carvings depict the history of my people from the Great War until a century ago. One has but to follow them around inside and out to see the visual record of the major events in our history. The carvings are derived from paintings and recordings carefully preserved through the ages, so we know that they are accurate. The main entrance is the starting point, in case you’re wondering.”

  Jo-jo nodded. She had been wondering where to start. However, knowing this was of little help since she still had no idea what events the pictures represented.

  The group passed through the entrance without incident. More soldiers were stationed at intervals throughout the building. Although the members of General Hammond’s party were armed, no one challenged them. Since most Val-kyrie on the planet went around armed – they were a warrior race after all – no one challenged visitors openly carrying weapons. However, at the doors to the senate chamber at the heart of the building, the guards requested that they surrender their projectile and laser weapons. Only ceremonial daggers, worn on the belt, were allowed beyond the double doors.

  Dhalon grumbled under his brief, but surrendered his battle axe and laser pistol. Everyone else also handed over their pistols. Anyssa handed her pack over for inspection. The guard took one look at the contents, seemed to recognize some significance and handed it back.

  The guards swung the doors inward. Einar stepped into the chamber and loudly announced General Hammond and his party, then stepped to the side. Hammond led the way through the gathering of senators on either side of the walkway to the open space beyond. All the senators were standing as a show of respect for their honored visitors from Earth.

  In the center of the brightly lit chamber was the dais where the Queen Mother sat upon her throne waiting for them. Hammond’s suspicions about Anyssa were partially confirmed when he saw the black and silver uniforms the Queen Mother and her companion wore. He suspected it might be a clan thing similar to Scottish Highlands. The most striking feature was the Queen Mother’s silver hair. Her companion’s hair was bone white in contrast. Now he understand why the Queen Mother had been named Silvara at birth.

  The group fanned out to stand in a line before the dais. Hammond was at the center while Captain Majourny and Colonel Markson stood to his right. Anyssa and Dhalon stood to his left. All bowed as one to the leader of the warrior women almost as if they had practiced the gesture.

  Sera stepped forward. “Announce yourselves and be recognized,” she commanded.

  “I am Hammond, son of Martha,” Hammond announced.

  “I am Majourny, daughter of Ingrid.”

  “Markson, son of Agatha.”

  “Dhalon, son of Fremar.”

  Anyssa was already known, so she was not required to announce herself, however, she still appeared to be a bit uncomfortable. Something at been eating at her since leaving the Eternia.

  “Welcome to Val-kyre, General Hammond. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person, at last,” Silvara said, rising from the throne. The gathering of senators took their seats after the introductions had been completed. “I am Silvara, Queen Mother of the Val-kyrie warriors.” She gestured to Sera. “This is my eldest daughter, Sera. I’m pleased that you have brought my other daughter home to me. She does not get back to Val-kyre as much as I would like. But then, don’t all mothers wish that of their offspring?”

  All eyes turned in astonishment to Anyssa, who grew even more uncomfortable.

  Silvara walked down the steps to stand before General Hammond. They were about the same height. “It is true that we Val-kyrie consider ourselves sisters to one another. In Anyssa’s case, she is the youngest of my biological daughters. I beg you not to be too hard on her for concealing her relationship to me. From a young age, Anyssa has always strived to accomplish things on her own merits rather than who her blood relations are.”

  “That explains a lot,” Hammond said. “The crew of the Logoss did behave rather oddly around her. I can understand her desire for achievement on her own skill and knowledge. It is a common trait on Earth, usually. Rest assured, Queen Mother, she is an impressive and intelligent warrior. Anyssa has earned the respect of those under my command. And mine, as well.”

  Silvara smiled warmly. “I am pleased to hear that. Both as Queen Mother and a mother.”

  “I guess that makes you a princess,” Markson commented, a whimsical glint in his eye.

  “You’re not going to let me live this down any time soon, are you?” Anyssa said with a resigned sigh.

  “Oh, no. I’m milking this for all it’s worth,” the colonel assure her.

  Silvara turner serious for a minute. “Did you accomplish your mission to Eternia, my daughter?”

  Anyssa took a deep, calming breath and nodded. “Yes. It took time, but I finally found Kiiri.”

  “Kiiri is my middle daughter,” Silvara explained. “I sent her on a mission to Eternia to evaluate the current state of affairs on the planet. Her last transmission indicated that she might have been spotted by King Hiss’ minions. When she missed her next three scheduled check-ins, I sent Anyssa to find her. Of course, it was during that mission that she came across members of your command, general. Yu know the rest.”

  When the Queen Mother returned her attention to Anyssa, she explained how she managed to track down Kiiri. The Snakemen had indeed discovered Kiiri’s presence on the planet and set about tracking her down to eliminate her. Many warriors before her had taken on this same mission year after year. And many never returned from Eternia even while succeeding in transmitting updated back to Val-kyre.

  Kiiri had been playing a cat and mouse game with the Snakemen for days, killing many in the process. However, Kiiri was eventually cornered near the Evergreen Forest where she would make her last stand. Anyssa found her older sister among a virtual sea of dead Snakemen. She’d won the battle, but had been mortally wounded in the process. Kiiri died in Anyssa’s arms only after handing over a data crystal containing everything she had found out. Anyssa buried her sister in a small clearing in the Evergreen Forest with only a small nondescript marker to mark the grave.

  Kiiri had lived the motto of the warrior cast to end: Live fast, fight hard and go out in a blaze of glory. That day she had reminded the Snakemen once again why the Val-kyrie were to be feared.

  Anyssa shrugged off the pack from her shoulder and opened it. She took out an ornate dagger similar to the one all the senators, Queen Mother, and Sera wore along with a compact device Hammond and the others instantly recognized.

  Almost reverently, Silvara reached out and took the proffered items. Taking the compact unit in her right hand, Silvara thumbed a switch that activated the compound bow. The weapon unpacked itself to instant readiness to use. The Queen Mother thumbed the switch again to compact the bow. “Thank you for returning Kiiri to us. I’m sure she would approve of the place you chose to lay her to rest,” she said softly.

  Turning to the group, Silvara said, “Come. I have a banquet prepared to welcome you to our world. We have much to discuss and there is much I wish to hear about your world and your people.” With the Queen Mother in the lead, bearing the weapons of her deceased daughter, Silvara led the group out of the senate chamber.

  Senator Bregata could not leave the Senate chamber quickly enough after the Queen Mother had left with the people from Earth. Once out of the assembly chamber, the senator hastened to the main entrance. She barely managed to maintain a calm demeanor while she seethed inside.

  Damn the bitch, Bregata raged. I had Silvara right where I wanted her making an issue out of her spawn staying home while others went out on suicide missions. And what happens? Not only does she send Kiiri on the notoriously deadly recon mission to Eternia, not only does she get killed accomplishing the mission, but that dammed upstart Anyssa had to go and bring back her sister’s weapons for Silvara to tout against all the naysayers I carefully orchestrated against her! DAMN HER!

  Bregata passed by warriors without acknowledging their presence as she made her way to the hover car. She fumed all the way to safe house on the outskirts of the city where her shadowy guest waited. Serenvee remained at the old observation post in order to stay in touch with her people. While Bregata was willing to work with these people, something about them scared her deep down. The senator couldn’t decide what unnerved her more; the echo in their voices or the blood-red eye sockets. Still, they did have a plan toward dealing with Horde Prime at some future point when the time was right to declare open war on the Horde.

  Bregata turned into an industrial district. Because she had made a habit of looking into the goings on in the area, no one suspected the senator of having ulterior motives. The building she pulled up to was used only sparingly. No one paid Bregata any mind as she boldly went up the front steps into the building. The ground floor was composed of offices for the shipping and receiving of merchandise for a company no longer in existence. The upper floors were for management and a few storage spaces.

  Shiva waited in a manager’s office on the second floor. She glared at the senator when she finally entered the office. “You’re late,” Shiva growled.

  “I got here as quickly as I could,” Bregata countered.

  Letting go of her anger for the moment, Shiva asked, “So what was the delay?”

  “Our ‘beloved’ Queen Mother had an audience with the people from Earth. She’s dining with them right now. However, some of our plans to discredit her have been undone,” Bregata explained, dropping into a vacant chair.

  “How so?”

  “Part of Serenvee’s plan for discrediting Silvara involved the fact that others went off on dangerous recon missions while her daughters stayed here where it was safe.”

  Shiva frowned. “As I recall from Serenvee’s brief, Kiiri volunteered for the missile to Eternia, which is usually the most dangerous next to trying to locate Horde World. So what is the problem?”

  Bregata stopped rubbing her aching temples briefly. “The problem is that Kiiri died fighting the Snakemen, but not before Silvara’s youngest daughter found the bitch and carried on. In the course of completing her sister’s mission, Anyssa met the so-called Guardians. The rest, you know.”

  “I still don’t see the problem. One of Silvara’s spawn dead is not necessarily a bad thing.”

  “It is when Anyssa brings back her sister’s weapons as proof along with the data Kiiri was to acquire and hands them over during the audience with the Earthers in front of the full Senate.” The senator sighed heavily. “Anyssa just strengthened her mother’s position. Some of my supports will undoubtedly be reconsidering their position.”

  Shiva walked over to the window where she had a partial view of activity elsewhere in the district. “You knew that would be a possibility.” She waved a hand to the active computer terminal on the desk. “I have been watching the news coverage ever since the Logoss returned. Opinions about the Guardians are varied. Some don’t believe that they really exist. Others can’t wait to see them.”

  “I don’t place much stock in glorified power armor.”

  Shiva suddenly rounded on the senator. “There is nothing glorified about them. Those suits were the most technologically advanced weapons in the galaxy at the end of what you call the Great War. Although you have advanced your own technology base over the centuries, those battlesuits are still the most advanced weapons around.”

  Bregata shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “You talk as though they can change the world.”

  “If those who inherited the legacy the original operators left manage to unlock the full potential of those suits, yes, they very well can change the world.”

  She really believes that, Bregata thought, a sudden chill shooting up her spine. Who are these people that they would know about the Great War? They also seem to know more about us than they are letting on. Bregata began to feel that maybe aligning with these mysterious people was not a smoking hot idea after all. However, the senator was in too deep to back out now. Doing so would kill her political career, at best, and just might get her killed at the very worst. Either way, the collateral damage to the senate would be near crippling.

  “You need to step up your efforts to discredit the Queen Mother and stop the move toward starting an all-out war with the Horde,” Shiva declared.

  Bregata sighed warily. “And just how am I going to do that? Serenvee’s plan to use Silvara’s daughters against her has pretty much failed.”

  “You mentioned the Queen Mother’s meeting with the Earth people. Use that. According to your latest report, this so-called Guardian Force is blundering about the galaxy in a starship sent to their world by an unknown party.”

  Bregata’s mind jumped ahead to what Shiva was getting at. If these backward people from Earth kept antagonizing Horde Prime, it might just trigger a war that no one, not even the Val-kyrie, would have a hope of surviving. The only thing going for the galaxy was in Horde Prime’s methodical approach to conquering worlds. He did not stretch his forces any further than necessary. In a way, the Horde moved in waves of expansion rather than a wave gobbling up as much territory as possible in the shortest time possible. Allowing that to continue gave the more advanced races of the galaxy time to prepare and organize. This reincarnation of the Guardian Force could upset all that.

  The senator began formulating a way to use Silvara’s alliance with these Earth people against her. And if that didn’t work, well, Serenvee had pointed out on more than one occasion that a Queen Mother had been forcibly removed from the throne twice in the long history of the Val-kyrie people. If Bregata’s brewing plans did not work out, there might be a third occurrence of a Queen Mother being deposed.