Conscripts, p.19
Conscripts, page 19
6
The next day, right after breakfast, Jacob did his best answering what seemed like a hundred questions about what had transpired the day before. They were still in discussion when the handlers came into their quarters and told them that it was time to gear up. They were ordered to grab the last two wounded and their gear and were marched over to the transportation container door.
Commander Sauk walked into the dining hall and stood off to the side, alone. When Jacob saw him, he approached and asked: “Where are we headed to Commander?”
Commander Sauk looked at him for a moment and a slow smile crept across his face. “Training for space travel, Captain, training for space travel … because of the increased attention, we have been told that you should be ready for travel soon. We’re doing everything we can to comply with our orders so that you can get to your homes, to your families.” Then he turned and crisply walked away.
Nearby, several others heard the Commander’s words, and there was an excited exchange of conversation. But for Jacob, it left a sick feeling in his stomach as he tried to decipher what the Commander meant, especially considering that they had the trial in a week.
When everyone was in, they were plugged in. Nicole, who was sitting on the opposite side of the container, leaned forward and asked: “Is that really what he said?”
“Yeah,” answered Jacob, a bit lost in thought.
“You don’t look happy though,” she said, searching in his eyes for a meaning.
“I get the feeling it doesn’t mean what some might think it means.” As he fell asleep, a horrible thought flashed through his mind, you should try to unplug and stay awake, but it was too late.
CHAPTER 16
1
They say that time marches on. And so too, it seemed, had everyone else that Sarah knew, except for Jacob’s family. He’d been gone five months now and it was like they had all moved forward with their lives and were now expecting her to do the same.
For the first few months, everyone—her parents, friends, teachers—had been really understanding of what she was going through. And as time passed, it had gotten a little easier; most days she was okay, but the littlest thing could still set her off—an old picture, a song on the radio, some little gift he’d given her—and she would fall to pieces.
Now when she would start to cry, people would shake their heads (it’s not that they were unkind), but try to use it as a teaching moment, suggesting that it was time to move on with her life.
Maybe they’re right, she thought. Last week a guy at school, who’d known Jacob, had asked her out. She had just turned around, skipped class and walked home in a daze. “Am I the only one that remembers?” she had said to her mom when she told her about it.
But today her parents had asked her to sit down so they could talk. They had seen her mid-term grades and were concerned that a straight-A student might, for the first time ever, fail a class. Then, they suggested that it might be time to talk about things, with someone. Not necessarily a psychiatrist, but someone she felt comfortable talking to—maybe someone more her age—who could help her with what she was going through.
She had told them she would think about it. Truth be told, she was getting tired of feeling the way she did. So much so that she hadn’t seen Jacob’s family for almost a month.
It wasn’t that she didn’t care. It was that she didn’t want to be constantly reminded of what she no longer had … what she was afraid was lost forever.
2
Uncle Roger was sitting in the kitchen talking with her mom when Natalie got home from school. “Heya Bug, what’d you learn today?”
Natalie flung her backpack down on the table. “My science teacher said that we’re wasting our time looking for Jacob.” She plopped down on a kitchen stool in frustration, then looked up at him. “Do you think we are?”
“Nope,” Roger said, without hesitation. “But I’ve been talking to your mom about it. We are kind of at a standstill with our current search patterns. So I think we have to change it up a little.”
“What do you mean?” She leaned in, her interest piqued.
“Well … we’ll continue to put up new posters, but instead of searching the same places over and over again,” he said, “I think it’s time we take a new approach and try to learn as much as we can about what might have happened that night.”
She knew she could count on Uncle Roger to not quit. He had promised, and she’d never known him to not do what he said he would.
“Good … when do we start?” she asked, as she jumped up to get a glass of water.
“Right now, Bug, we start right now.”
3
Media outlets had discussed the possibility of a mass disappearance for less than a week before the 24-hour news cycle quickly moved on to the next sensational story. Governments who had promised a detailed investigation kept pushing the release dates further and further back until most of the population had relegated it to being a random coincidence, an outright hoax or some wacko’s conspiracy theory. It seemed that the only people who still cared one way or the other were the families who claimed that their loved one had just upped and disappeared.
Roger had no intention of quitting on the promise that he had made to Jacob’s dad so long ago or to the ones he had made to Natalie and her mom.
He’d been doing a lot of thinking about the events that had occurred before and after Jacob disappeared. This wasn’t just an isolated disappearance. There were hundreds of missing persons reports filed, and not just here but around the world. And the government’s failure to present their findings (well, on second thought, maybe that shouldn’t be so surprising) … he missed the days of actual investigative journalism.
But still, he really didn’t need anyone else to tell him there was something going on here; that said, he didn’t want to jump to any conclusions without facts. And he certainly didn’t want to worry Natalie any more than she already was. What they were currently doing wasn’t bringing forth any new leads … so it was time to change tactics. Maybe try and find a way to learn about what other people knew or had experienced. Maybe try to contact some of these other families. He had never really liked the whole online thing, but for this they would need to use it a lot.
He needed a new computer anyway.
CHAPTER 17
1
Jacob tried to shake the cobwebs from his brain, but they clung tightly. What was he supposed to remember? he asked himself. He knew there was something—right before he went to sleep—but like the cobwebs, he couldn’t shake the feeling, or for that matter remember what it was.…
A blast of heat and bright light startled him, forcing him to snap his eyes open. Momentarily stunned, his eyes dilated, and reflexively his hands shot up to shield them from the brightness. His memory came flooding back with the light.
He was still strapped into the transport container, but the door was now wide open, letting in a searing heat. When the initial shock wore off, Jacob took in a deep breath; it felt like his insides singed as he did—from his nostrils all the way down to his lungs. The air was that hot. It hurt more than breathing cold air ever had, and he sat for a moment trying to get his brain and body to reconcile so he could breathe without his body revolting.
Jacob and the rest of the Saje slowly unclipped themselves, gathered their gear and made their way out of the transport container. Jacob waited to be the last one out—as was becoming his custom—making sure nothing was left behind. Even in the protection of the container, he felt a drop of sweat roll down between his shoulder blades. This is going to suck, he thought, as he stepped out into the full power of the overhead sun.
Before them was a large Khonian military encampment with the familiar, small group of tents set off from the rest.
He’d remembered what he’d been thinking about before he fell asleep. If I fall asleep, I may never wake up … or worse.
Since their program had not been authorized, he realized there was a good chance that motives other than a military emergency had brought them here. If the Saje weren’t on the planet, they certainly wouldn’t be at the trial. He had to hope it was only a temporary removal, but he was starting to get nervous.
After storing gear and putting his backpack on a cot, Jacob went to look for his squad leaders. But before he could find them, he was intercepted by several handlers. “Commander Sauk wants you in the command tent,” Dourst said, and turned to lead the way.
As Jacob followed, he tried to combat his nerves and the growing dread that sat in the bottom of his stomach. He thought instead of Sarah and the way she had smiled at him when he’d first asked her out.…
This time, the walk through the encampment felt different. Not as many soldiers stopped to watch. And of those that did, the looks on their faces were different—more curious, less hostile. Maybe the news of what had happened at the Council Chamber had even traveled to here … wherever here was.
When Jacob and the handlers entered the command tent, he found Commander Sauk studying a map. He had a small smile on his face as he looked up. Prime Commander Truvey was also there. When he saw Jacob, he immediately walked over and extended his hand. It was the first time any Khonian had done that, and Jacob took it gratefully.
“Welcome, Captain, I am glad you’re here. We could use the help. I got word that there is some political firestorm going on back on the homeworld, but until I get an official word from the Khonical Council about what it is all about, we are going to push on and do our job. Commander Sauk assures me that it will all blow over soon, and, for your sake, I hope it does so you can all head back home soon.”
Then he turned and rejoined Sauk at the table, waving for Jacob to follow.
2
They were looking at a map of the planet Tue, confirming for Jacob what he suspected. They’d been transported here before the trial after all.
For several months out of the year, this small, moon-sized world came within close proximity to where the R.A.D. System installation was taking place. The planet’s atmospheric pressure and gravitational fields were relative to the Khonian homeworld, but it had suffered many natural catastrophes over the last few thousand years, making its environment much harsher. Its once large bodies of water had nearly dried up, and it suffered from the overabundance of Tue’s most plentiful resource … which was now sand.
For years, the Rha’ket’gar had been trying to build factories and planetary defense weapons on the surface of Tue, but the Khonian Space Command had always managed to thwart their progress.
However, when Space Command diverted their fleet support to the Khonia blockade, the Rha’ket’gar had taken full advantage of the situation on Tue.
They were easily dominating any ground conflicts that flared up and had focused on digging their factories underground and out of sight, having almost free reign to do so.
Around one base, they’d even managed to install four planetary defense platforms. Their heavy cannons were designed to take out ships—either in orbit or anywhere above their air space—and the Khonians had lost multiple ships trying to knock them out. So, with Space Command unable to help effectively, the only viable option was to knock them out by ground.
Now that the Rha’ket’gar threat had been eliminated on Khonia, it was time to destroy their presence on Tue. Doing so would help buy them the needed time to complete the R.A.D. System. And this is what the Prime Commander hoped the Saje could help him with.
Having successfully jammed the Rha’ket’gar’s communications signals on Tue, the Khonians had gained another advantage. The Rha’ket’gar were unaware that their forces on Khonia had been destroyed. The Khonians now had the upper hand, giving them the element of surprise again and a real chance at finishing this war—once and for all—within weeks.
The final step to get there was within reach.
The plan was to dismantle the Rha’ket’gar’s planetary defense system piece by piece before bombarding their underground factories. The Saje would be responsible for taking out those cannon platforms. If accomplished, then the full power of the Khonian Space Command could be brought to bear, fending off any last ditch attempts to control Tue, and falling back to within the R.A.D. System’s boundary right before the final section was activated.
“Captain Young, if you and your people succeed in doing this, I will personally make sure that the Saje get home,” Prime Commander Truvey promised. “If that is what you truly want to do.”
I wonder if he means it. It was quite possible that Truvey didn’t have ulterior motives and was unaware of their involuntary participation. Should he risk telling him? Or was he just covering for himself? Either way, he realized the biggest risk at this point was not following Sauk’s orders. And besides … Jacob knew that the Saje were counting on him to help get them home.
The situation was precarious, but the stakes could not have been higher. The Rha’ket’gar warships were said to be less than a month out of Tue’s range and only a few more days beyond that to Khonia. The window of time was small by both the Khonians’ and Jacob’s standards. And if the Rha’ket’gar succeeded, there was a good chance the Khonians wouldn’t be able to return them to Earth, even if they wanted to.
There was just no way around it. They would have to fight. Jacob sighed as he rubbed his hands over his head. And right now he needed to go back and tell his friends that their hope of returning to Earth without having to do anymore fighting had been destroyed.
At this point it didn’t matter what happened on Khonia with the Senate and its Trial by Virtue. By the time the trial started, things on Tue would already be underway. The one hope they could hold onto was that if they helped with this last part they’d be almost home.
3
The walk back to the Saje’s camp was faster than he would have liked. He tried to figure out how to tell everyone the news without causing his friends to lose hope.
This time, the handlers left him at the edge of the Khonian encampment, and for the first time he walked unescorted. As he neared their tents Kent came out to meet him. “Hey Jacob, while you were gone we had a little forced meeting where we had some fireworks … some people really got their hopes up that we were actually going home, and they didn’t take it well when we landed in this horrible place.”
“Yeah, the going home part was just some sick joke Sauk decided to use on us,” Jacob said. He sighed. “The tasks are still there.”
“I told them that would be the case already, but a few words of encouragement from you would help.” Kent put his hand on Jacob’s shoulder and steered him towards the tents. “Sorry, mate,” he said, “but they’re all waiting for you …”
When Jacob walked into the tent, he could tell that the stress level was high. And he didn't blame anyone one bit. No one wanted to risk their life for a third time. It had also started to sink in how extremely lucky they’d been to only lose six of their comrades at Two Hills and just how much the element of surprise had played at Red River—so much so that they didn’t really have to do much fighting.
But luck could only carry them so far, and no one wanted their luck to run out.
Jacob stood in the middle of the dining tent and asked for quiet. When all eyes focused on him, he began: “Over the last few days there have been two situations that had brought us hope … hope that we would be returning back to our planet and to our families without having to fight any more in this war that we all agree is horrible.” His voice was a little wobbly as he struggled with his own emotions about the situation.
“We were led to believe that the Khonical Council’s decision to have a Trial by Virtue meant we wouldn’t be shipped off to Tue … that once they looked at the evidence and discovered the truth, there would be no way they could force us to fight any more, and we would be sent home. Apparently, The Rigian and Commander Sauk decided that if we were called to help with an emergency off-planet, by the time we returned their robot defense system would be up, the Council would forget about the trial, and we’d be on our way home anyway.
“I also know some of you heard Commander Sauk say that they were giving us space training and doing everything that they could to get us home. As we’ve already discovered, annihilation of their enemies on Tue is still part of that plan and the objective we must complete first. I have just come from the command tent where I talked to both Prime Commander Truvey … who I still hold out hope that we can trust … and Commander Sauk. The plan is for us to go ahead and help with the dismantling of the Rha’ket’gar forces here. The reason being … by the time the Khonical Council finds out we are no longer on planet … or the Prime Commander gets direct information from the Council about what is happening on Khonia, we will have already engaged the enemy.”
“Do you think they will actually let us go home after they have their defense system up?” Jenna asked.
“I can’t say for sure, but Prime Commander Truvey has promised us … they will have no more use for us … and with the political pressure mounting they should have no choice,” Jacob said, only half-believing it himself. “There seems to be some good people in their government so I hold out hope that they will help us. If they don’t, we will find a way to cause enough problems that they will have no choice,” he said firmly. “Of that I can promise.”
He put his fist over his heart, bumping it three times. “Endure … Survive … and make it home alive,” he said loudly.
“Endure, Survive, and make it home alive!” came the unanimous reply.
4
The only good news from that entire day came just before bedtime. The two most seriously wounded at Red River woke up and were returned to them, now fully healed. With a renewed sliver of hope the group bedded down for the night.
The next day, right after breakfast, Jacob did his best answering what seemed like a hundred questions about what had transpired the day before. They were still in discussion when the handlers came into their quarters and told them that it was time to gear up. They were ordered to grab the last two wounded and their gear and were marched over to the transportation container door.
Commander Sauk walked into the dining hall and stood off to the side, alone. When Jacob saw him, he approached and asked: “Where are we headed to Commander?”
Commander Sauk looked at him for a moment and a slow smile crept across his face. “Training for space travel, Captain, training for space travel … because of the increased attention, we have been told that you should be ready for travel soon. We’re doing everything we can to comply with our orders so that you can get to your homes, to your families.” Then he turned and crisply walked away.
Nearby, several others heard the Commander’s words, and there was an excited exchange of conversation. But for Jacob, it left a sick feeling in his stomach as he tried to decipher what the Commander meant, especially considering that they had the trial in a week.
When everyone was in, they were plugged in. Nicole, who was sitting on the opposite side of the container, leaned forward and asked: “Is that really what he said?”
“Yeah,” answered Jacob, a bit lost in thought.
“You don’t look happy though,” she said, searching in his eyes for a meaning.
“I get the feeling it doesn’t mean what some might think it means.” As he fell asleep, a horrible thought flashed through his mind, you should try to unplug and stay awake, but it was too late.
CHAPTER 16
1
They say that time marches on. And so too, it seemed, had everyone else that Sarah knew, except for Jacob’s family. He’d been gone five months now and it was like they had all moved forward with their lives and were now expecting her to do the same.
For the first few months, everyone—her parents, friends, teachers—had been really understanding of what she was going through. And as time passed, it had gotten a little easier; most days she was okay, but the littlest thing could still set her off—an old picture, a song on the radio, some little gift he’d given her—and she would fall to pieces.
Now when she would start to cry, people would shake their heads (it’s not that they were unkind), but try to use it as a teaching moment, suggesting that it was time to move on with her life.
Maybe they’re right, she thought. Last week a guy at school, who’d known Jacob, had asked her out. She had just turned around, skipped class and walked home in a daze. “Am I the only one that remembers?” she had said to her mom when she told her about it.
But today her parents had asked her to sit down so they could talk. They had seen her mid-term grades and were concerned that a straight-A student might, for the first time ever, fail a class. Then, they suggested that it might be time to talk about things, with someone. Not necessarily a psychiatrist, but someone she felt comfortable talking to—maybe someone more her age—who could help her with what she was going through.
She had told them she would think about it. Truth be told, she was getting tired of feeling the way she did. So much so that she hadn’t seen Jacob’s family for almost a month.
It wasn’t that she didn’t care. It was that she didn’t want to be constantly reminded of what she no longer had … what she was afraid was lost forever.
2
Uncle Roger was sitting in the kitchen talking with her mom when Natalie got home from school. “Heya Bug, what’d you learn today?”
Natalie flung her backpack down on the table. “My science teacher said that we’re wasting our time looking for Jacob.” She plopped down on a kitchen stool in frustration, then looked up at him. “Do you think we are?”
“Nope,” Roger said, without hesitation. “But I’ve been talking to your mom about it. We are kind of at a standstill with our current search patterns. So I think we have to change it up a little.”
“What do you mean?” She leaned in, her interest piqued.
“Well … we’ll continue to put up new posters, but instead of searching the same places over and over again,” he said, “I think it’s time we take a new approach and try to learn as much as we can about what might have happened that night.”
She knew she could count on Uncle Roger to not quit. He had promised, and she’d never known him to not do what he said he would.
“Good … when do we start?” she asked, as she jumped up to get a glass of water.
“Right now, Bug, we start right now.”
3
Media outlets had discussed the possibility of a mass disappearance for less than a week before the 24-hour news cycle quickly moved on to the next sensational story. Governments who had promised a detailed investigation kept pushing the release dates further and further back until most of the population had relegated it to being a random coincidence, an outright hoax or some wacko’s conspiracy theory. It seemed that the only people who still cared one way or the other were the families who claimed that their loved one had just upped and disappeared.
Roger had no intention of quitting on the promise that he had made to Jacob’s dad so long ago or to the ones he had made to Natalie and her mom.
He’d been doing a lot of thinking about the events that had occurred before and after Jacob disappeared. This wasn’t just an isolated disappearance. There were hundreds of missing persons reports filed, and not just here but around the world. And the government’s failure to present their findings (well, on second thought, maybe that shouldn’t be so surprising) … he missed the days of actual investigative journalism.
But still, he really didn’t need anyone else to tell him there was something going on here; that said, he didn’t want to jump to any conclusions without facts. And he certainly didn’t want to worry Natalie any more than she already was. What they were currently doing wasn’t bringing forth any new leads … so it was time to change tactics. Maybe try and find a way to learn about what other people knew or had experienced. Maybe try to contact some of these other families. He had never really liked the whole online thing, but for this they would need to use it a lot.
He needed a new computer anyway.
CHAPTER 17
1
Jacob tried to shake the cobwebs from his brain, but they clung tightly. What was he supposed to remember? he asked himself. He knew there was something—right before he went to sleep—but like the cobwebs, he couldn’t shake the feeling, or for that matter remember what it was.…
A blast of heat and bright light startled him, forcing him to snap his eyes open. Momentarily stunned, his eyes dilated, and reflexively his hands shot up to shield them from the brightness. His memory came flooding back with the light.
He was still strapped into the transport container, but the door was now wide open, letting in a searing heat. When the initial shock wore off, Jacob took in a deep breath; it felt like his insides singed as he did—from his nostrils all the way down to his lungs. The air was that hot. It hurt more than breathing cold air ever had, and he sat for a moment trying to get his brain and body to reconcile so he could breathe without his body revolting.
Jacob and the rest of the Saje slowly unclipped themselves, gathered their gear and made their way out of the transport container. Jacob waited to be the last one out—as was becoming his custom—making sure nothing was left behind. Even in the protection of the container, he felt a drop of sweat roll down between his shoulder blades. This is going to suck, he thought, as he stepped out into the full power of the overhead sun.
Before them was a large Khonian military encampment with the familiar, small group of tents set off from the rest.
He’d remembered what he’d been thinking about before he fell asleep. If I fall asleep, I may never wake up … or worse.
Since their program had not been authorized, he realized there was a good chance that motives other than a military emergency had brought them here. If the Saje weren’t on the planet, they certainly wouldn’t be at the trial. He had to hope it was only a temporary removal, but he was starting to get nervous.
After storing gear and putting his backpack on a cot, Jacob went to look for his squad leaders. But before he could find them, he was intercepted by several handlers. “Commander Sauk wants you in the command tent,” Dourst said, and turned to lead the way.
As Jacob followed, he tried to combat his nerves and the growing dread that sat in the bottom of his stomach. He thought instead of Sarah and the way she had smiled at him when he’d first asked her out.…
This time, the walk through the encampment felt different. Not as many soldiers stopped to watch. And of those that did, the looks on their faces were different—more curious, less hostile. Maybe the news of what had happened at the Council Chamber had even traveled to here … wherever here was.
When Jacob and the handlers entered the command tent, he found Commander Sauk studying a map. He had a small smile on his face as he looked up. Prime Commander Truvey was also there. When he saw Jacob, he immediately walked over and extended his hand. It was the first time any Khonian had done that, and Jacob took it gratefully.
“Welcome, Captain, I am glad you’re here. We could use the help. I got word that there is some political firestorm going on back on the homeworld, but until I get an official word from the Khonical Council about what it is all about, we are going to push on and do our job. Commander Sauk assures me that it will all blow over soon, and, for your sake, I hope it does so you can all head back home soon.”
Then he turned and rejoined Sauk at the table, waving for Jacob to follow.
2
They were looking at a map of the planet Tue, confirming for Jacob what he suspected. They’d been transported here before the trial after all.
For several months out of the year, this small, moon-sized world came within close proximity to where the R.A.D. System installation was taking place. The planet’s atmospheric pressure and gravitational fields were relative to the Khonian homeworld, but it had suffered many natural catastrophes over the last few thousand years, making its environment much harsher. Its once large bodies of water had nearly dried up, and it suffered from the overabundance of Tue’s most plentiful resource … which was now sand.
For years, the Rha’ket’gar had been trying to build factories and planetary defense weapons on the surface of Tue, but the Khonian Space Command had always managed to thwart their progress.
However, when Space Command diverted their fleet support to the Khonia blockade, the Rha’ket’gar had taken full advantage of the situation on Tue.
They were easily dominating any ground conflicts that flared up and had focused on digging their factories underground and out of sight, having almost free reign to do so.
Around one base, they’d even managed to install four planetary defense platforms. Their heavy cannons were designed to take out ships—either in orbit or anywhere above their air space—and the Khonians had lost multiple ships trying to knock them out. So, with Space Command unable to help effectively, the only viable option was to knock them out by ground.
Now that the Rha’ket’gar threat had been eliminated on Khonia, it was time to destroy their presence on Tue. Doing so would help buy them the needed time to complete the R.A.D. System. And this is what the Prime Commander hoped the Saje could help him with.
Having successfully jammed the Rha’ket’gar’s communications signals on Tue, the Khonians had gained another advantage. The Rha’ket’gar were unaware that their forces on Khonia had been destroyed. The Khonians now had the upper hand, giving them the element of surprise again and a real chance at finishing this war—once and for all—within weeks.
The final step to get there was within reach.
The plan was to dismantle the Rha’ket’gar’s planetary defense system piece by piece before bombarding their underground factories. The Saje would be responsible for taking out those cannon platforms. If accomplished, then the full power of the Khonian Space Command could be brought to bear, fending off any last ditch attempts to control Tue, and falling back to within the R.A.D. System’s boundary right before the final section was activated.
“Captain Young, if you and your people succeed in doing this, I will personally make sure that the Saje get home,” Prime Commander Truvey promised. “If that is what you truly want to do.”
I wonder if he means it. It was quite possible that Truvey didn’t have ulterior motives and was unaware of their involuntary participation. Should he risk telling him? Or was he just covering for himself? Either way, he realized the biggest risk at this point was not following Sauk’s orders. And besides … Jacob knew that the Saje were counting on him to help get them home.
The situation was precarious, but the stakes could not have been higher. The Rha’ket’gar warships were said to be less than a month out of Tue’s range and only a few more days beyond that to Khonia. The window of time was small by both the Khonians’ and Jacob’s standards. And if the Rha’ket’gar succeeded, there was a good chance the Khonians wouldn’t be able to return them to Earth, even if they wanted to.
There was just no way around it. They would have to fight. Jacob sighed as he rubbed his hands over his head. And right now he needed to go back and tell his friends that their hope of returning to Earth without having to do anymore fighting had been destroyed.
At this point it didn’t matter what happened on Khonia with the Senate and its Trial by Virtue. By the time the trial started, things on Tue would already be underway. The one hope they could hold onto was that if they helped with this last part they’d be almost home.
3
The walk back to the Saje’s camp was faster than he would have liked. He tried to figure out how to tell everyone the news without causing his friends to lose hope.
This time, the handlers left him at the edge of the Khonian encampment, and for the first time he walked unescorted. As he neared their tents Kent came out to meet him. “Hey Jacob, while you were gone we had a little forced meeting where we had some fireworks … some people really got their hopes up that we were actually going home, and they didn’t take it well when we landed in this horrible place.”
“Yeah, the going home part was just some sick joke Sauk decided to use on us,” Jacob said. He sighed. “The tasks are still there.”
“I told them that would be the case already, but a few words of encouragement from you would help.” Kent put his hand on Jacob’s shoulder and steered him towards the tents. “Sorry, mate,” he said, “but they’re all waiting for you …”
When Jacob walked into the tent, he could tell that the stress level was high. And he didn't blame anyone one bit. No one wanted to risk their life for a third time. It had also started to sink in how extremely lucky they’d been to only lose six of their comrades at Two Hills and just how much the element of surprise had played at Red River—so much so that they didn’t really have to do much fighting.
But luck could only carry them so far, and no one wanted their luck to run out.
Jacob stood in the middle of the dining tent and asked for quiet. When all eyes focused on him, he began: “Over the last few days there have been two situations that had brought us hope … hope that we would be returning back to our planet and to our families without having to fight any more in this war that we all agree is horrible.” His voice was a little wobbly as he struggled with his own emotions about the situation.
“We were led to believe that the Khonical Council’s decision to have a Trial by Virtue meant we wouldn’t be shipped off to Tue … that once they looked at the evidence and discovered the truth, there would be no way they could force us to fight any more, and we would be sent home. Apparently, The Rigian and Commander Sauk decided that if we were called to help with an emergency off-planet, by the time we returned their robot defense system would be up, the Council would forget about the trial, and we’d be on our way home anyway.
“I also know some of you heard Commander Sauk say that they were giving us space training and doing everything that they could to get us home. As we’ve already discovered, annihilation of their enemies on Tue is still part of that plan and the objective we must complete first. I have just come from the command tent where I talked to both Prime Commander Truvey … who I still hold out hope that we can trust … and Commander Sauk. The plan is for us to go ahead and help with the dismantling of the Rha’ket’gar forces here. The reason being … by the time the Khonical Council finds out we are no longer on planet … or the Prime Commander gets direct information from the Council about what is happening on Khonia, we will have already engaged the enemy.”
“Do you think they will actually let us go home after they have their defense system up?” Jenna asked.
“I can’t say for sure, but Prime Commander Truvey has promised us … they will have no more use for us … and with the political pressure mounting they should have no choice,” Jacob said, only half-believing it himself. “There seems to be some good people in their government so I hold out hope that they will help us. If they don’t, we will find a way to cause enough problems that they will have no choice,” he said firmly. “Of that I can promise.”
He put his fist over his heart, bumping it three times. “Endure … Survive … and make it home alive,” he said loudly.
“Endure, Survive, and make it home alive!” came the unanimous reply.
4
The only good news from that entire day came just before bedtime. The two most seriously wounded at Red River woke up and were returned to them, now fully healed. With a renewed sliver of hope the group bedded down for the night.
