[The Gunslingers, Book II, Chapter 12] [Rebellion] Marshal sat behind his desk and read, it was pleasant to have absolutely nothing to do with all the students gone. Well… mostly all the students, a few teams hadn’t gone and remained in their cabins and frankly, he wasn’t sure what to do with them. The teams that hadn’t gone running off to Cyness Minor had showed loyalty to the Order in the strictest sense of the word, but on the other hand, there was also loyalty to your fellow students and they had chosen not to involve themselves in the student rebellion. He really wasn’t in a position to do anything, the Gunslinger Council had relieved him, and without Si to back him up, the secret Kitsune Princes that made up the Gunslinger Council out-ranked him. He knew Si was out there somewhere, following some plan only Si knew. Marshal had spent the better part of the last two-hundred years finding and recruiting the descendents of the Cettise, the most feared army the Kitsune had ever raised. The Cettise had conquered nineteen of the worlds that were now part of the twenty-seven world Empire; that was before one of the Emperors had become paranoid and suspicious of them. Was it two-thousand years ago, or three? Marshal laughed at himself, he ran a school and couldn’t remember a simple history date. Whatever the date was, the Cettise had been betrayed and destroyed by the Emperor. The survivors fled and scattered throughout the galaxy, now Marshal was collecting the descendents of those warriors to form Si’s army, and all without them being aware of who or what they really were. Colt’s family history recorded that they arrived with one of the colonization ships and settled on Corvus. Marshal seriously doubted that story, it was most likely a cover story created by his distant Cettise ancestor. Marshal thought it likely Colt was descended from one of the Cettise Princes. Colt’s family had risen to one of the largest and most powerful farming families on Corvus, and the boy himself was just too fast, too lucky, and too deadly to be the descendent of a common soldier, though there was little common about the Cettise. Marshal put his book down and got up, stretched, and walked over to the large stuffed Black Bear in the corner. “I always said he would be a hard one to control,” Marshal said to the stuffed bear “So where do we throw our anchor, my friend?” The door burst open startling Marshal and his hand went to his gun until he saw who it was. Delphean and Maz stormed up to Marshal’s desk and stopped, they didn’t look happy. “Are you talking to that damn bear again,” asked Delph. “Has it ever answered you?” “I would be upset at the intrusion, but it’s not really my office anymore, is it?” said Marshal. “Do you plan on sulking all day because my cousins are acting the fools?” Delph said disgustedly. “They don’t have the authority to relieve you; you were put in place by Si and can’t be removed by anyone but him.” “Your cousins don’t know he’s alive,” said Marshal. “If they haven’t figured out who has been manipulating events for two-hundred years, they are bigger fools than I thought,” said Delph. “There’s no time for this,” Maz interrupted. “Marshal, I got word from one of our spies keeping track of Si, he’s ordered a ground invasion of Cyness Minor.” “If Si wants Cyness invaded then what do you want me to do about it, I can’t go against Si’s orders,” said Marshal. “Now you are acting the fool,” scolded Delph. “Unless he gives us specific direction we are to act as we normally would, and what do you think your three-hundred students are going to do when a Kitsune Battle Carrier drops in orbit and attacks the planet?” Marshal thought about Duke, and Cora, and West, they would defend the planet. Colt had destroyed a Destroyer Drop Battalion last year, but that had been a smaller force surprised by a group of Cadets familiar with the terrain and using guerrilla tactics. The invasion from a Battle Carrier would be a completely different thing; a Battle Carrier didn’t move alone, there would be support ships. Tens of thousands of ground troops would land followed by heavy armor, air support, and artillery. The Gunslinger Academy Cadets would be wiped out within the hour. Marshal picked up the antique telephone he kept on his desk and dialed the Com-Center; it had to be that fool Cyness Sheriff and his declaration of war against the Empire. The declaration of war had named both the Gunslingers and the Empire, but it would not happen like that. The Gunslingers were the only thing that might be able to stop the Kitsune invading, but… the Gunslingers were the Empire, it could be treason if he fought Imperial Troops. “This is the Marshall General,” Marshal spoke to the Com-Center through the antique phone. “Prepare my ship.” “What are you planning?” asked Delph. “We are an Imperially Chartered Organization,” said Marshal. “I am going to Cyness Minor and order all Gunslinger forces to stand down, and press our neutrality in all military matters to the Kitsune Battle Commander. A war with Cyness Minor is not Gunslinger business.” “Can’t say that’s what I would have done,” said Delph. “But, you are the Marshall General and we can only have one voice, you go, I’ll take care of my cousins and meet you there.” “Lock the door on your way out,” Marshal said heading out the door to the airfield. Maz looked curiously at his Prince; the man obviously had lost his mind. “You know it won’t go down like that,” said Maz. “Those Cadets won’t stand down; the Gunslingers are going to fight the Kitsune.” “I know, but Marshal is up off his backside and moving,” said Delph. “He loves those students, when he realizes their commitment and the danger they are in… there gonna be a heck of a little war on Cyness Minor.” “Get the Battleships ready?” asked Maz. “I’m recalling all Gunslinger forces to Cyness Minor,” Prince ‘Gunslinger’ Delphean tapped a command on wrist implant. “I’ll go get the Battleships ready,” said Maz. Delph watched his First Deputy head out to get the ships prepared for launch. This would work out well, thought Delph; his cousins on the Gunslinger Council were crippled with indecision. He would deal with the ridiculous threat from the Kitsune, though he didn’t really think that would go into an all-out war; Si would likely end it once he got whatever it was he wanted. Then, with all the Gunslinger forces in one place, he could turn his attention to eradicating the Raven threat. *** Garth stayed near Ben in one corner of the ship, Ben’s fever had gotten worse over the last several days and Garth was tending him. Ben’s face was covered in sweat; he alternated between sweating and burning up. “How is he?” Colt asked while Jack hovered behind him. “I think we need to drop out of light speed and send a distress call for the nearest medical ship,” said Garth. “Okay, we’ll do it,” Colt agreed. “Jack, drop us out and sent the distress call, tell them we have a sick crewman, probably flu.” Jack pushed himself towards the pilot’s chair and prepared the ship to come out of light speed. A moment later the ship lurched slightly as it rapidly decelerated; Jack sent the distress call. Colt floated up to the cockpit and strapped himself in; whoever answered the distress call would want to talk with the Captain. Colt knew this meant they would probably be recaptured and sent back to prison, but Ben’s life was more important. “Boss,” Jack said surprised; the Com-light indicating an incoming transmission had lit up. “That was fast,” said Colt. “We must have dropped out right on top of someone, but who would be this far out in space?” asked Jack. Colt took a breath and keyed the Com-mic. “This is the…” Colt paused, who were they… what name should he give for the ship? “This is the Vender Ship ‘Cotton Candy’ declaring an emergency, we need medical assistance.” “This is the Ava Bachen, what is the nature of your medical emergency?” asked the voice coming from the speakers. “We have a crewman showing signs of severe flu, he’s burning up?” replied Colt. “We are coming along side now, prepare to dock,” the voice instructed Colt. Colt looked out the window port and searched for the ship, there it was… “Holy Ancestors, what’s that?” “Boss, I’m not too sure about this, that thing is armed to the teeth,” said Jack. “I think it’s some kind of battleship but I don’t see any insignia.” “Go ahead and dock, we don’t have a choice,” ordered Colt. Jack maneuvered the Roach Coach until the side docking clamps matched. The battleship was even more daunting docked next to it. Canons bristled from every side and the ship even had a rail dock angled on it’s side with an older Needle ship attached. The airlock cycled and opened in a rush of air, Colt pushed himself back and looked down the docking tube; two figures in bio-hazard suits were coming. “Where is your sick crewman,” asked one of the figures. Colt led them over to Ben and the two bio-hazard clad figures began an examination. The first figure used a blood-pressure cuff but didn’t seem to know what he was doing; the cuff was upside down. The second figure was trying to stick the device used for taking the temperature from the ear into Ben’s mouth; Garth angrily shoved the temperature device away and glanced at Colt. Colt nudged Toran and nodded. Toran started to move back to the opposite wall. Jack saw the nod and realized something was wrong and gently pushed himself towards the pilot’s chair. “Yes, he has a severe form of the flu,” the first figure announced. Colt had spent as much time as anyone with minor injuries sitting in the Academy Doctor’s Office having his blood-pressure and temperature taken to know these two didn’t have a clue what they were doing. Colt drew his gun and pressed it against the bio-hazard helmet of the first figure. “Well then,” said the man. “Looks like you got the drop on us.” “You’re pirates,” said Colt. “That’s such a harsh word, we’re entrepreneurs,” the man said casually. “Just go back to your ship and we’ll be on our way,” said Colt. “Of course, no harm done,” the muffled voice said through the hood. The two men pushed themselves back to the docking tube and Colt sealed the airlock after them. “Get us out of here, Jack,” ordered Colt. Jack pushed the thrusters forward… and nothing happened. Jack frantically adjusted the controls but the ship still wouldn’t respond. “Jack, lets go.” “Boss, I’m trying, the engines won’t start.” “Engine problems?” the voice of the man from the bio-hazard suit crackled over the Com-link. “What say you boys put your guns down and come on over, and if you’re wondering, that isn’t a request.” “That’s what they were doing,” said Toran. “They wanted to see what weapons we have and were stalling us while someone was outside disabling the engines.” Colt picked up the Com-mic and opened the channel. “Okay, you win, we are coming over.” Colt opened the airlock again and looked down the tube; there was no one in sight. “Get Ben up and put him in Toran’s flex-armor, he goes with us,” ordered Colt. “Hurry up.” Garth and Toran slipped the flex-armor on the dazed Ben; his fever was so high the boy didn’t know what was happening. “No Garth, you stay in the back this time with Ben,” ordered Colt. “I’ll lead the charge.” Colt lined everyone up against the far bulk-head facing the docking tube and then pushed off hard with Toran beside him and Jack behind, Garth held Ben and pushed off last. Colt shot through the docking tube, ready to open fire on the pirates that were waiting for them on the other side. He could see the interior of the pirate ship and then was inside their landing bay. The lights in the bay seemed brighter than they should and he tried to find the first pirate to fire at… Colt and Toran crumpled to the ground with Jack following behind them. Garth and Ben landed on top of Jack with a thump. …gravity? They have gravity plates, Colt realized, and they are turned up to at least three or four times normal gravity. Garth fought against the artificial gravity and made it to his knees and fired at three pirates standing a short distance away. The pirates were wearing a blue suit that seemed to make them immune from the increased gravity. The pirate in the middle was lifted off his feet and a red spot appeared on his chest; the pirate fell lifeless to the ground. Colt felt the gravity increase and Garth continued to fight against it, he managed one more shot that grazed another pirate’s shoulder before he crumpled to the ground. Colt could barely breathe the gravity setting was so high, and Jack was already unconscious. More pirates came from another direction and started collecting the guns from the boy’s hands. One of the pirates reached down for Garth’s gun and just as he took it Garth roared and grabbed the pirate’s ankle and pulled him from his feet. The moment the pirate hit the ground Garth slammed his fist into the pirate’s temple. Colt, lying immobile on the ground, was facing in the right direction to see the pirate’s skull cave in and the eyes glaze over and go blank. Three of the other pirates fell on Garth and started pummeling him with their fists. “Stop,” a voice ordered. “If you damage him we won’t get a decent price at the slave auction.” “But he killed…” “I know who he killed, you idiot,” interrupted the voice. “Killing those two morons will sky-rocket his value on the auction block, now bind them and put them in the holding cell.” “This one has wings, Captain.” “Just an oddity, with that and his pretty face, he will make some rich nobleman a pleasant pleasure toy, take care you don’t injure him.” “What about this one, he’s the sick one?” The Pirate Captain rolled Ben over and measured his value and decided he wasn’t worth much. “A small Cormon, not much value here,” the Captain declared. “Take him to the medical bay and let the A.I. see if it can fix him, if not, throw him out an airlock.” Colt watched the pirate drag Ben away and closed his eyes; his decision to stop for help had gotten his team sold into slavery, and worse. Colt tried to crawl away somewhere deep in his mind, he didn’t deserve to be a Gunslinger; all he did was make one bad decision after the next. *** Raen sat on beam high above the Temple floor and watched the downpour of rain falling on the city. He loved the rain, and not just because it was his name, the rain purified and washed the filth away, if only it could fall in the tunnels and cleanse the evil the Raven Temple was becoming. Moeth shifted against his back, she couldn’t find a comfortable position, her stomach was distended and made moving about more difficult; the egg would come soon. His egg, she carried his egg and she would give it to the Temple. He didn’t care about the First Egg rule, or the whole concept of natural selection. A Daraian female could carry an egg every four to six months and no amount of medical science had found a way to slow down the Daraian reproductive cycle. The Daraians increased their population by two-thirds every year and without natural selection they would have long since exhausted their planet’s natural resources. Raen understood all of this; it had been this way since the Daraians had come down from the trees and walked on land. But… there had to be a way. At least the Temples had passed the Natural Selection Law that made it illegal to abandon Daraian eggs in the mountain forests. All eggs now had to be brought to a Hatchery and afforded the chance of survival through natural selection. But… millions every year. Was it really a wonder that House Raven was considered normal, or even to a lesser extent the other Houses that had their own forms of natural selection. The Ravens allowed the young to assassinate each other, the Hawks fought to the death in horrendous battle rings, the Sparrows had the lethal death tests; score below the requirement and you quietly went to sleep at your class desk and never woke. At least the Sparrows had the least brutal method. “Will you change all this, Eagle?” Raen said softly. “Huh? Did you say something, love?” Moeth replied shifting her sitting position again. “Moeth, our culture is broken.” “Are you on that again, this is how it’s been since the beginning of time.” “I’m leaving,” Raen said. “What?” Moeth turned around to look at her partner. “The Shadow War will only end if Colton Cyness is brought to justice,” said Raen. “Then the Temple will return to some sense of normality.” Moeth wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled into the feathers of his wings. “You’re going to kill him for me?” asked Moeth. “Yes, for you,” lied Raen. He was going to do it for everyone, for the Raven teams dying out in the field, for the Gunslingers being ambushed and killed, for the senseless chirps in the tunnels being murdered for no reason. “How? When?” asked Moeth. “Now, I’ll need everyone’s help,” said Raen. Raen stood and helped Moeth to her feet. They walked along the narrow wooden beams hundreds of feet above the Temple floor and made their way to the winding stairs. “Everyone, lets go,” Raen whispered, the Com-spider in his throat picked up the whisper and transmitted the message to the ‘Bugs’ in the ears of everyone in the alliance. “Where we going?” whispered Vel. The others stood from their places on the wooden beams and rushed to follow after Raen and Moeth. Raen ignored Vel’s transmission and stopped at the stairs and waited for everyone to take their positions. Everyone watched Raen curiously as he stuck his finger down his throat and ejected the Com device implanted there. He tossed it on the ground and crushed it under his foot, the others followed until all the Com-spiders were crushed. “The Priestesses monitor every alliance's Com-links,” said Raen. “I’m doing this without any planning or telling you what’s happening, just be ready to cover my back.” Raen led the alliance through the tunnels, avoiding as many chirp flocks as possible; they had to stop and fight twice before moving on. The Priestess guarding the entrance to the hanger bay eyed the group suspiciously when they arrived. “The chirp flocks are being aggressive,” said Raen. “This is the only place to hide.” The Priestess understood that, the chirp flocks had even attacked a younger Priestess yesterday before being chased off by a group of Temple Guardians. Even the Priestesses wouldn’t walk the Temple tunnels alone now. Raen led the group over to the line of their Dart Ships and stretched out on the ramp pretending to get some sleep that was nearly impossible in the tunnels. He kept one eye slightly open and watched the Priestess in the control booth that operated the launch bay doors. Moeth was curled up next to him, he would have to leave her here, and by the time he returned his egg would be gone. Raen set up… ‘Of course, how stupid of me, I was going to go alone, but if Moeth is with me… the egg is with me’. The unmistakable sound of the launch bay doors opening made Raen look up; a ship was arriving. “Everyone, I’ve changed my mind how we are going to do this?” said Raen. “I was going to go search for Colton Cyness alone…” “Really?” interrupted Peli. “How far did you think you’d get before we followed you, silly Hawk.” “I see your plan,” said Clap. “The launch doors are opening to let a ship in, everyone quick, get to your ships and emergency launch.” “Try not to crash the ship coming in,” ordered Raen. “Fly around it.” The Moeth Alliance ran to their Dart Ships and cold-fired the engines. Raen was first to hit his thrusters and his Dart was up and in the air before the nearby maintenance crews knew what was happening. He pushed his thrusters to maximum and shot past the incoming cargo ship. The other eight Dart ships of his alliance launched a moment after and ascended up into the launch tunnel. The pilot of the Cargo ship had the sense to keep his ship steady as the sudden appearance of nine Dart Ships shot past him. The Moeth Alliance remained in a vertical climb until they hit orbit. Moeth sat behind Raen and watched the red lights flashing indicating incoming transmissions from the Raven Temple. “Where to, love?” asked Moeth. “Pyra,” said Raen. “Huh? They aren’t there anymore,” Moeth reminded him. “I know, it’s a starting point, might be a clue there.” Moeth keyed the Com-link, “Okay everyone, we are going to Pyra, see you there.” The Raven Temple Guardians launched interceptors to chase down the fleeing students; they arrived in orbit just in time to watch nine student Raven Darts jump to light speed. Gar and the High Priestess watched the monitors as the nine ships escaped the Guardians grasp. “You made sure their ships were fully loaded for a field assignment?” asked The High Priestess. “Yes, they have everything they need,” replied Gar. “I was beginning to think he would never get the idea to rebel and go.” “Oh, I think we’ve put our money on the right bird,” The High Priestess smiled and pushed the delete button, there was no sense in taking a chance someone would find the security recordings and learn she had been watching Raen for weeks waiting for him to work up the courage to rebel against the Temple. “If the real traitor is who I think it is…” Gar started to say. “I’ve already put the right Ravens in place, I’ll order the assassination immediately if Raen finds the evidence I hope is out there somewhere.” “And if he kills Colton instead?” asked Gar. “Unfortunate, but the result will be the same, the Temple will be saved.”