[The White Raven, Chapter 16, Moving Day] [Rescue Fleet, Darai Solar System] “That’s Phoenix, the fourth planet,” says Zan, pointing at a dot out the window. “It catches on fire in the summer when it’s close to the sun, and then freezes in the winter.” “Your house would burn up,” says Cody, thinking the dot didn’t look like anything except a dot. Zan shakes his head patiently. “Nobody lives there.” “Where did Darai go?” asks Cody. Zan looks at his friend staring out the window of the transport. Cody will never fully understand the universe around him, and Zan feels a stab of sadness for his friend. Demonians are hatched with genetic memories, and Daraians also to a lesser extent, but Cody is a million years behind everyone, he will never fit in. As with any ancient species, the Daraians DNA had degraded over the eons. Cody was hatched only for the purpose of repairing the damage time had done to the Daraians. The Daraians themselves lived in denial, but the Hatching Mother had told Zan that the Daraians had maybe a thousand years before they became extinct - Cody and Raen was the fix to their problem. The ‘immortality’ Raen was bringing to the Daraians would give them the time for Cody’s genes to spread throughout the population. Zan rubs the base of his horns, the constant headache is getting worse. He had limitations to his gift just as his brother did, and for weeks now he had been over-extending his intellect trying to find solutions to a thousand different problems. He needed to shut down and be six-years old again for a little while to recover, but not yet, soon. “How come it’s taking so long to get home?” asks Cody. “It didn’t take this long to get here.” “We are traveling in normal space,” explains Zan. “The oxygen on our ships is depleted and most of the scrubbers don’t work anymore. We need all the ships that are docked with us to give us air, but we can’t TDS with them docked. Some of our ships are so bad off we wouldn’t even survive the twenty minutes it would take to get to Darai and then the eighteen minutes to get to the ground.” Cody didn’t understand a word Zan just said, but nodded and smiled pleasantly. “You’re smart,” says Cody. “I’m using my gift,” says Zan. “I have to shut it off soon, I can’t figure out a way to get to Darai faster anyway.” “I can run fast,” says Cody. “Can you,” replies Zan, enjoying Cody’s simple mind. Cody was so pure and refreshing. “I run even faster when a big person is pulling me,” says Cody. “I guess so… wait… what?” says Zan, staring at Cody. “You should get a big person to help you run faster,” says Cody. Cody tips his head to the side in the Daraian fashion. Zan is staring at him with his mouth hanging open. “Oh cousin!” Zan grabs Cody by the arms. “You’re a genius.” Zan takes Cody’s hand and the boys run to the bridge. The air in the ship is still bad, even with the extra Darts pumping clean air in, but now Zan knew how to get to Darai quicker. Blaze and Gaevin were on the Bridge going over the oxygen levels at the environmental controls. “Blaze, I have the solution,” shouts Zan, throwing himself in the navigation seat and typing out numbers and calculations. “Cody figured it out.” “Zan, you promised to shut down your gift,” scolds Blaze. “You are going to burn out.” “I will, I promise,” says Zan. “Right after I show you how to do it.” “Your father is going to skin me when he finds out how long you’ve been using your gift,” says Blaze. “In a moment,” replies Zan. “We are going to use the engines from all the Darts docked with us to increase speed.” “The docking collars can’t handle the stress,” says Blaze. “Yes they can, we fire thrusters at one-percent thrust, then every six minutes mass inertia will increase one percent, and we continue increasing thrust to match the mass to inertia. The docking collars will never have much stress on them. Look at the numbers, we will arrive almost twenty-seven hours earlier.” Gaevin looks over Zan’s shoulder at the calculations on the control panel. “He’s right, I remember a story about a brilliant navigator that did something similar during the Battle of Hena Minor to escape a pursuing Kitsune Battle Carrier.” “I’ve set our Nav-Computer,” says Zan. “Firing thrusters now.” The red battle lights begin flashing on the Bridge. “Zan, what did you do?” asks Blaze. “That’s not me, it was just a coincidence,” says Zan. “Imperial Fast Attack Ship just dropped out of TDS,” shouts Char at the Com-Controls. “Heading towards us at high speed.” “I see him,” replies Blaze, sitting down in the Captain’s chair. “Shoot him down,” says Zan still working at the Nav-Console. “Zan, you know who it is,” scolds Blaze. “I’m trying to tell the Battle Carrier to stand down.” The Fast Attack Ship passes over top the transport by only a few feet. Zan turned quickly in his chair and kicked an empty crate that had been used to store oxygen bottles to the center of the floor. Cody jumped, startled, as a boy leaped onto the Bridge from nowhere. The boy landed neatly on the deck, but the crate was in the way and in his forward leaping run he tumbled over the crate and fell in a crumple on the floor. “Umph… hey, this crate wasn’t here a second ago, I scanned,” says the boy. “You should have your ship’s sensors checked,” says Zan. “Everyone knows Kitsune can’t build stuff right.” “Can too, you put it there,” says the boy. “It was him, I saw him,” says Zan turning around and pointing at Cody. Cody shakes his head quickly. “I didn’t do it.” “I am Prince Mischief, Prince of the Moons of Kitsune, Light of a Thousand and One Stars, Imperial Heir of the Glorious Kitsune Empire, and I know you didn’t do it. You don't have the mental capacity to execute such a perfect act of maliciousness." Gaevin watches the exchange between the boys. Both Princes had identified Cody within seconds of meeting him, everything they said about these two were true, they were exceptionally perceptive. “And I’m Prince blah blah of the Republic of blah blah, Light of a Thousand and Two blah blahs, telling the big headed blah blah to shut up and get over himself,” says Zan. Prince Mischief walks over to Zan and grabs his brother by the horns, something only a sibling could ever get away with; Demonians don’t let anyone touch their horns. “You’re being extra mean,” says Prince Mischief. “How long?” “Three weeks,” says Zan. “Father said to jump you out if I find you like this,” says Zam. “Are you?” asks Zan. “If you were thinking right you wouldn’t ask such a stupid question,” says Prince Mischief. “You’ll protect them?” asks Zan. “I will fix your mess,” says Prince Mischief. “Okay, it’s your turn,” replies Zan. “See you on Darai.” Gaevin was unsure what to expect, but he was certain he didn't like Prince Mischief, then Zan’s entire demeanor changed in an instant, it was hard to describe but the confident Prince with an intellect and maturity far beyond his years faded away. A normal little boy was now staring at his brother. Zan’s eyes closed and he started to slump out of his seat. Blaze jumped forward and grabbed the boy and picked him up. “He will sleep for a week to recover,” says Blaze. Prince Mischief turns to Char, the other Tarlock apprentice, sitting at the Com-controls. “I have eighty of my Princedom’s ships with the supplies my lizard licking brother requested hiding behind Phoenix.” “I’ll contact Prince Vengeance,” says Char. “It’s up to him to convince the Commonwealth Senate to let Kitsune ships land on Darai.” Blaze started to carry Zan off the Bridge and Cody followed behind him. “Cody, he’s sleeping now,” says Blaze. “You can play when he wakes up.” “Okay,” replies Cody, still following Blaze and the sleeping Zan. Blaze looks back at Gaevin, “Master Gaevin?” “Cody, you stay here with me, Zan has to sleep now,” says Gaevin. “Please, he can’t put a mask on if the air gets worse,” says Cody. “He’s my blood brother.” Prince Mischief makes a disgusted 'humph' sound and rolls his eyes. Gaevin ignores the rude Kitsune Prince and nods. “He has a point, and it is an honorable duty Cody can perform and be useful, it will free a Tarlock apprentice to more important duties, let Cody stay with the Prince.” Cody followed Blaze off the Bridge and Gaevin turned his attention to Prince Mischief. The boy was now sitting in the Captain’s chair, and… Gaevin wasn’t sure how, the boy’s legs didn’t come anywhere near to touching the ground, but he seemed to… belong right there, and Gaevin had the odd sensation that the chair was too small for Prince Mischief. “Prince Mischief it is an honor…” Gaevin started to say but Mischief holds his hand up and interrupts. “I need my fleet,” orders the Prince. “Of course, right away, Sir,” replies Gaevin, and without a thought walks to the Tarlock apprentice at the Com-Controls and takes the headset from him. Gaevin punches in a frequency to the Commonwealth Senate, and the visual on the large screen above the front view ports changes to the interior of the Senate Chambers. “This is an emergency channel only, who is this?” demands a Senator. “Reserve Colonel Gaevin of the Blood Hawks,” replies Gaevin. “I need those Kitsune ships now, the Darts are not providing enough air to the Demonian ships. We have already had six egg casualties and there will be more if I don’t get those ships.” “Is it that serious, Colonel Gaevin?” asks the Senator. “Yes, Senator, and those are not Imperial Ships, they are Prince Mischief’s Fleet, and as such are not in violation of the Treaty.” “Very well, then on your recommendation we will allow the Prince’s Fleet to join with the Demonian Fleet,” says the Senator. Gaevin ends the transmission and hands the headset back to the Tarlock apprentice. “Tell the Prince’s Fleet to approach and dock with the most needy of the Demonian Ships,” orders Gaevin. “Incoming transmission from Prince Vengeance,” says the Tarlock apprentice.” “On Vid-screen,” orders Gaevin. The image of an angry and powerful looking Demonian appears on the screen. “Colonel, who the hell do you think you are!” shouts Prince Vengeance, and then his eyes set on the boy in the Captain's chair. “Oh, I see. Prince Mischief, release him immediately and apologize.” “I will not apologize,” says Prince Mischief. “But, I will release him.” Prince Mischief waves his hand dismissively towards Gaevin and a fog lifts from Gaevin’s eyes. “Colonel, I apologize for Prince Mischief’s actions,” says Prince Vengeance. “I assure you that I will have a discussion with the young Prince about abusing his gift.” The Vid-screen blanks out and Gaevin looks down at the Tarlock apprentice. “Sorry, Sir, I’m not immune to him either,” says the Tarlock apprentice. “I thought his Gift was the ability to TDS jump?” says Gaevin. “No, sir, that’s just a genetic manipulation the Hatching Mothers had been working on for a thousand years, his Gift from the Dragon is the ability to Command.” “The Dragon is a myth,” insists Gaevin. “The abilities of those two are a result of the Hatching Mothers manipulating their genes.” “No, sir, the Dragon is real.” Gaevin brushes off the Demonian’s belief in the Dragon as fanaticism, and walks over next to Prince Mischief. “Do that to me again and I’ll find a way to turn you over my knee, young man,” warns Gaevin. “Sit down, Colonel,” says Prince Mischief. Gaevin is sitting at the Helm Station in front of the Prince before he realizes what happened. His temper flares and he spins and leaps out of the Helm chair and… The Prince isn’t in the Captain’s chair anymore, and then Gaevin feels the point of a blade against his ribs. “I’ve just beat you in fair combat, Colonel,” says Prince Mischief. “Now obey me.” “Did you ever think to just ask me to help you?” says Gaevin. “You are a spoiled little boy with more power than you know what to do with.” “Aren’t you afraid of me?” asks the Prince, and then he’s sitting back in the Captain’s chair. “Everyone else is, and nobody except Prince Vengeance dares talk to me like that.” “No, I’m not afraid of you,” says Gaevin, shaking his head and getting up slowly. “But, I am getting too old for this.” Gaevin exaggerates the limp on his bad leg and slumping his shoulders like an old man moves slowly towards the Captain’s chair. “Okay, you have the upper hand,” says Gaevin. “What do you want me to do?” Prince Mischief sees it coming too late. Gaevin grabs the boy and lifts him out of the Captain’s chair, then there is a sickening blackness and they are across the Bridge next to the Engineering Station; Gaevin holds tight to the boy. The Bridge spins again and the blackness is around them, and then they are outside the ship. The coldness and vacuum of space hits Gaevin like a hammer, but he doesn’t let go of the boy, and then they are back on the Bridge. Prince Mischief is screaming as if he were being murdered, and panting heavily. Gaevin remembers what Zan said about limits to the boy’s gifts, and realizes Prince Mischief can’t jump away from him as long as he is holding the boy; that’s the first limit to his gift. Gaevin feels the fog on his eyes but it doesn’t work this time, Gaevin is too angry to be manipulated; there’s the second limit, Mischief can’t control him while Gaevin is angry. Prince Mischief’s chest is gasping for breath, he’s nearly exhausted; there’s the third limit, Mischief jumped three times in a row after already jumping twice before that. Jumping must take considerable physical exertion, his limit is somewhere around five jumps in rapid succession. Gaevin twists the boy over his knee and raises his hand. “You wouldn’t dare,” screams Prince Mischief. Gaevin brings his hand down once on the boy’s backside. Mischief is instantly silent. Gaevin picks the boy up and sets him on his feet. “Go sit on that bench in the corner until I tell you to come out,” orders Gaevin. Blaze is standing in the hatchway to the Bridge, his jaw hanging open and watching. Prince Mischief looks at Blaze, but the First Tarlock turns his head away. “Don’t look at him,” Gaevin shouts at Prince Mischief. “You look at me only, now go to the corner.” Prince Mischief drops his head, defeated, and stomps to the corner. “First Tarlock, take your place in the Captain’s chair,” orders Gaevin. “Yes, sir,” says Blaze. Gaevin walks over to the Helm and sits down. There is sniffling coming from the corner and he thinks about the rumors that have been coming out of the Kitsune Imperial Court. The rumors of a possible Palace Coup, the rumors of the waning authority of Emperor Sionnach, the chaos of affairs all across the Empire, and he understands what’s been happening. It’s all as simple as a father losing control of a spoiled son. “Well, the son can be fixed easily enough,” says Gaevin to himself. “But the father may be a little tricky.” ***** [Clapper General Hospital, Clapper Province, Planet Darai] The Eagle High Priestess scratched at the bandage on her hand; it itched, and was driving her crazy. She wanted to pull the bandage off and look at her new fingers, though she knew they would be pale and ugly, and would take months to re-learn how to use her hand. The surgeons, and surgical artists, will have tried to match all the creases and wrinkles in the new fingers with her other fingers, but regen-clone body parts never matched. She was surprised to find out that House Raven had paid for her new fingers. She was a Hawk by hatching, and as such, a bitter enemy of the shadowy, drug smuggling, gambling, assassin crime syndicate House of Raven. Over the last several years House Raven had been trying to put a new coat of paint on their House to give the impression of legitimacy, but she knew better. House Raven’s only truth was the creation of the Moeth Alliance, and even that was commanded by a Hawk. The News-Vids were covering the only combat stories that had occurred during the Red Feather, and that was the Battles of House Eagle. She watched the Grackle News Crews interview the eagle orphans one by one, and from the expressions on their dear faces, they were very much enjoying the attention. Each of the small conflicts fought by the orphans against the might of one of the most ruthless smuggler gangs, the Gunta Gang, was being carefully recorded by the Grackles and broadcast throughout the forty-nine worlds of the known galaxy. Even House Swan had sent writers to prepare scripts for an epic mini-series, and three new major movies. Lord Swan had visited yesterday with an army of attorneys to negotiate the production of the mini-series, and movies; House Eagle would make billions from the royalties. The only part she didn’t like was that she had to compromise and agree to allow that mind-numbing idiot of a boy, Dartarion, to play the part of Cala. Lord Swan hadn’t seemed to notice or care that there was a seven year difference in age between Cala and Dartarion, or that Cala was still in intensive care with Kata. But, in the end, it didn’t really matter. House Eagle’s money problems were over, well, once the royalty checks started rolling in. “Hey there, how you feeling?” The High Priestess shakes herself out of her thoughts and looks up to see Raen coming through the door carrying a large basket of apples. “I can get apples from the cafeteria,” scolds the High Priestess. “How much did you waste buying that basket?” Raen drops the basket of apples on a table next to the bed and flops down in the visitor’s chair. “Nothing, I picked them,” says Raen, grinning. “Where did you find apples in Clapper Province?” “The parking lot,” says Raen. “Prince Hawk sent you an entire orchard.” “That boy never did have any sense,” says the High Priestess. “I’ve got Willet and some of the orphans loading the trees on a cargo ship,” says Raen. “We’ll take them to Struthio with us.” “So, it’s really going to happen?” asks the High Priestess. “Moeth signed the Alliance deal this morning with House Struthio,” says Raen. “Just a little over 1,212 square miles along the western shore.” “And the camp?” “Unless Lady Clapper throws us out, it will remain as an orphan collection annex,” says Raen. “Lord Struthio is at the Senate right now negotiating with all the major Houses to allow us to put annexe’s in their Provinces, we’ll be truly independent and have a better chance of finding the Eagle.” The High Priestess takes one of the apples from the basket and stares at the shiny fruit before continuing. “Has Moeth accepted me?” asks the High Priestess. “We were both angry at first that a stranger barged in and took over,” says Raen. “But Vas defended you even before we knew of the incredible defense of the camp you put up. We’re glad to have you.” “When do we move?” asks the High Priestess. “Lord Struthio sent us an entire fleet of cargo ships, and House Raven is giving us sixteen new Dart Fighters,” says Raen. “We will start training the orphans old enough to enlist in the Eagle Army once we get settled in.” “That doesn’t tell me when we’re moving,” says the High Priestess. “General Vas is preparing everything now,” says Raen, grinning. “We leave within the hour.” The High Priestess tosses the apple aside and pulls her blankets back. “Fool boy,” says the High Priestess. “Help me up, I have to be the first person on the ground in our new home to give the Goddess’ Blessing.” “Kind of thought you’d say that,” says Raen. “Mergan is preparing Cala and Kata for transport in a fast medical transport. They will be taken to Struthio Medical Center, we aren’t leaving them behind.” “Has the White Raven landed yet?” asks the High Priestess. “We can talk about that later,” says Raen, his demeanor changing to one of concern. “Tell me,” insists the High Priestess, pulling her robes on. “Vas had to have her restrained,” replies Raen. “We decided not to tell the Raven Temple, we’ll take her to a Psychiatric Center in Struthio.” “No, have her sent to the same Hospital Cala and Kata are going to,” orders the High Priestess. “I’ll call ahead to the House Struthio High Priestess to meet her there.” “She’s in really bad shape,” says Raen. “This is Temple business,” says the High Priestess. “Do as I say.” “Yes, High Priestess,” says Raen, bowing his head slightly. ***** [House Eagle, Clapper Province] “Let’s move it people,” shouts Vas. “We’re launching in ten minutes, I want a head-count.” “General, one of the cargo transports just blew an engine.” “Where’s Willet and Teal?” “Still at Clapper General.” “Cross-load everyone to another ship, tell Teal to look at the ship and bring it if they can fix it.” Vas stood in the center of the camp watching the last of the orphans running for the airfield. Most of the House was already loaded and only a few last minute details were being attended to. Ring and Vel had their Dart parked next to the remnants of their greenhouse and were loading anything still of value. “Vas, just the flag detail left,” says Peli. Vas turns to the six orphans waiting at the position of attention next to the flag pole. “Go ahead,” orders Vas. The orphans solemnly lowers the House Eagle flag and folds it tight. The oldest of the orphans marches the others over to Vas and hands the flag out to him. “Good job, but you are the flag bearers, guard it and be ready to put it up when we land in our new home,” says Vas. “Is there a flag pole there,” asks an orphan. “I don’t think anything is there,” replies Vas. “We’ll take an axe so we can make one,” says the orphan. Vas hadn’t thought it all the way through before, but he was pretty sure there wasn’t any trees on the Struthio continent. “I think that might be a problem,” says Vas. “Go get the axe, hurry, we’ll take this flag pole with us.” Vas waits while the orphan finds an axe and then chops down the flag pole. The orphans march off to the airfield with their flagpole. “No trees?” asks Peli. “That’s what I’ve heard,” says Vas. “I can’t even picture that in my head.” “Let’s go, Ring,” shouts Vas. Ring waves and Vas walks to his Dart and climbs into the cockpit while Peli takes the seat behind him. “House Eagle, launch,” orders Vas on the Com-link. “Let’s go find our new home.” Dozens of ships lift into the air and Vas looks down at the camp that started it all. “I’ll miss this place,” says Vas, and then fires the thrusters and leads the column of House Eagle ships away from Clapper Province and towards the Struthio continent in the southern hemisphere, across the ocean from the mountains they had always known.