E:A Vol 2 Ch 1—June 19, 2118

Two months had passed since Zy’nayth, Ja’val, and Lutia left Terra 2 with babies Ky’nayth and Mik’kenna. Victoria’s health, both mental and physical, rapidly declined. The loss of her husband, the man who had saved her from the horrors of an abusive marriage and had given her hope and joy was gone. And with him, he took her two most treasured possessions. Her twin babies. Babies she was told she could never have. Now all three were gone. The marriage dissolved. Victoria couldn’t handle the emotional overload.

Vince and the Alpha Team had yet to find any way of contacting the High Chancellor, but they continued with their plans for invading the first Gyhan base on their list. On June 19, 2118, the Alpha Team and Kaven met with General Vince Cavanaugh for a pre-mission check.

“Everything covered?” Vince asked.

“Covered, checked, double and triple checked,” Col. John Hagen said, “we’re ready. Tomorrow morning, that Gyhan base won’t know what hit ‘em.”

“Still no word from the High Chancellor?” Be’atta asked.

“Nothing,” Vince said. “No way to contact him. We’ve been sending out a message over our commsystem, hoping he’d pick up the transmission, he has to be monitoring it. Then again, maybe not.”

“I have a hair-brained idea,” Major Chris Chapman spoke up, “I know we’re going in to blow things up. I’m good with that. But what if we can get one of those jets. John can fly them; he can fly anything.”

“Not a good risk/reward situation. The High Chancellor wanted them destroyed,” Vince replied. “This is a stealth operation. Firing up one of those jets doesn’t exactly make for stealth. And the time it would take John to figure out the controls, not knowing the Raythian language, he’d be lucky to get off the ground before they blew him up.”

“Well, the High Chancellor hasn’t exactly been here to give us any input on what to do and what not to do,” John said. “I’d be willing to give it a shot.”

“No,” Vince rebutted. “The High Chancellor made it perfectly clear that it should be our priority to destroy the jets. I’m in complete agreement. We have to save the lives of the villagers these Gyhan rebels are attacking and we have to destroy those jets to do it.”

“Wait,” Becket spoke up, “the jets have active communications systems, right? What if we could get in one and send a message to the High Chancellor?”

Vince ran his hand over his bald head. “I want to help Victoria as much as anyone,” he let out a sigh, “if you can get in and send off a short message before blowing the jet, and if you can do it without being detected, go for it. But don’t risk the operation to do this.”

Chris smiled, “We can do this.”

“Needs to be a short message, what do we say?” Be’atta asked. “Simon how much time do you think we’d have?”

Dr. Simon Harris, Terra 2’s Chief Technology Engineer, was working away on his tablet. “We’d need to power up the jet, assuming it’s in some way similar to these Mythican shuttles…we’d only need minimal power, we wouldn’t have to fire up engines. Finding the controls then the right channel…that’s gonna be our biggest problem. We’ve never seen the controls, we don’t know the Raythian language, and we don’t know where to send the message. I’d say once the power’s on, we’d have maybe five seconds before detection. Maybe another thirty before they get to us. We’d be relying on a lot of luck. The message would have to be short. Very short. Five words max. Jump in, find the commsystem control, power up, send the five words, get the out.”

“Any way of finding out anything from Ja’val’s old computer? Any subspace frequencies he used?” Kaven asked.

“Been trying since the High Chancellor left. That computer is clean. I’ve checked all of our backup systems, other stations…everything. He was quite thorough in wiping out anything we might use to find or contact the Rayth.”

“Is there a ‘broadcast to all frequencies’ button?” Be’atta asked.

“Not sure. If there is, we’ll use it. If not, I’ll just pick something,” John said. “But we need a message that can’t be linked to us or to the High Chancellor. What do we say? We can’t really use her name or his, or his title. And how do we explain in five words that his wife is dying because she won’t eat and refuses to leave her chambers? Did they have cute little pet names for each other? I can’t do this on my own…a little help here.”

“She always used his title,” Be’atta said, “but she did tend to just call him Zy instead of using his full name.”

“Zy would probably be too dangerous to use,” Vince said. “I don’t know how common it is, but a broadcast from a jet about to be destroyed, using Zy…it would definitely link the transmission to the High Chancellor, at least for those who know his name. Might only be six people, might be someone in the rebellion.”

“Zy means ‘lightning’,” Be’atta said. “We could use ‘lightning’.”

“I think it’s still too dangerous for him,” Vince said.

A few other idea were tossed out and Becket, who had been staring at his hands finally spoke up. “Braid. Use the word braid. She never lets go of it.”

“All right,” Vince said, “I can sign off on that, but he needs to know she’s seriously ill. How do we communicate that?”

“Braid unraveling. Death looming.” Becket replied. “Four words. He’ll understand it.”

“John?”

“If we can get in one of those jets, consider the message sent.”

June 20, 2118

“Sir, I’m receiving reports from one of our ships near Halion that a Gyhan outpost has been attacked.”

“The Expedition: Andromeda team?” the High Chancellor asked.

“Unknown, but I’d assume so,” the First Commander said. “That’s the base we specified.”

“Any report of the damage?”

“Not yet. I’ve ordered the ship to investigate, but under stealth.”

“Let me know as soon as you find out.”

“I will, sir.” He went to the door and stopped. He let out a sigh and turned back to Zy’nayth. “Sir, there was also…normally, I wouldn’t bother you with this, but being fairly certain that Col. Hagen and his team were responsible…”

“Out with it,” Zy’nayth said.

“There was a transmission from one of the jets before the attack.”

“And?”

“Probably just interference, but…the transmission was just four words: Braid unraveling. Death looming.”

“Braid? Are you sure?”

“That’s what the report said. I can double check.”

“Do that.”

The First Commander left the High Chancellor’s office and contacted the Commander of the small Rayth cargo ship that had picked up the transmission and information about the attack. He confirmed that the word was “braid.” Kol’non informed Zy’nayth.

“Set a course for Terra 2,” he said, “push the engines as fast as they’ll go.”

The First Commander gave the orders then returned to the office, “Sir, I was unaware that we had set up a code with the Expedition Team.”

“We did not. This is…personal,” he said with a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. It was then that the First Commander realized that the braid that had adorned the High Chancellor’s hair just over the left ear was no longer there. And though his hair was scruffy and scraggly, he noticed that where that braid had been, it had been cut, though unevenly to try to make it blend in with the rest of the hair. Over the last two months the strands had grown, but the hair had definitely been cut.

“Ah, I failed to notice that little detail,” the First Commander said, with a quick tilt of the head. “I thought you had simply tired of the thing.”

“No. I have missed it terribly.”

“It’s none of my business, and I haven’t asked because of that reason, but why, sir?”

“I have only brought her pain. She is not happy with my position. She worries too much. She deserves better. She deserves to be safe.”

“But she loves you. And you her. On this ship, it wasn’t noticeable because you hid it, but on Terra 2, there was no mistake.”

“Still, she was growing weary of the fight. Too fearful for my safety. Her heart,” he sighed, “she was not meant to endure such hardship and fear.”

“Perhaps. But, sir, was what you did the right thing to do?”

Zy’nayth looked at his First Commander. “I thought it was.”

The First Commander gave him a nod. “We’ll be in orbit around Terra 2 in three hours.”

“Thank you, Kol’non.”

“Yes, sir.”

***

“Lit up the sky something pretty,” Chris said as the strike team sat around the conference table at the debriefing later that same day. “Went off without a hitch. They had no idea.”

“They know now,” Vince said, “the next target won’t be as easy. Did you get the message off?”

“I did,” John said. “Couldn’t find a ‘send to all’ button, so I just spun the wheel and let it ride.”

“Simon, any idea of how soon we can expect a reply…or rather how soon we could if he were to reply?”

“Depends on who got the message. If it was someone friendly to the High Chancellor, I’d expect a report to be on his desk almost immediately, provided the crew didn’t think it was just gibberish. If it went to one of the traitors, who knows? They might pass it along. No way of knowing. And, of course, we don’t know where he’s at in this galaxy. Message went off just over three and a half hours ago. We could, in theory, hear from him at any moment, or you could have heard from him before we even got back. Too many variables in this equation, sir.”

“Did you tell her we were going to try?” John asked, speaking of Victoria.

“No,” Vince said, shaking his head, “Didn’t want to get her hopes.”

“How’s she doing? We’ve been so busy with training for this op, we haven’t really had time to check in on her,” Kaven said.

Becket shook his head, “Almost catatonic. She won’t even acknowledge me anymore. At least she used to fight me when I tried to give her an IV, now she just takes it out when I leave. She’s dying right before my eyes and there’s nothing I can do about it. Won’t eat, probably not sleeping. She doesn’t want to live. He made her so happy. He got rid of her nightmare with Jason. Those kids meant everything to her. How could he do that to her?” He said, straining to keep the pain out of his own voice. “She doesn’t deserve this.”

Be’atta went to his side and put her arms around him, “This isn’t your fault, Doc. Come on, we need you to keep doing what you can and we’ll find him. Somehow we’ll find him and we’ll drag him back here kicking and screaming. We…”

“General Cavanaugh,” came the voice over the intercom, “getting a request for teleportation to the control room. It appears to be from the High Chancellor.”

Becket nearly leapt across the twenty-foot mahogany table, “Let him in!” he shouted as he bolted for the door. The rest of the team was right behind him.

The area in front of the main control workstation shimmered and warped then the High Chancellor appeared in his head-to-toe white leather uniform. “Doctor,” he said, “my wife?”

“Your chambers, sir.” As they hurried through the corridors, Becket quickly explained her condition. “Can you heal her?”

“I cannot heal her mind,” Zy’nayth sighed. “ She will never forgive me. I did not mean…” After a moment, he said, “Lutia and the First Science Commander will be bringing the children down, have someone meet them, please.” He stood at the door and let out another sigh. “Be’atta and Dr. McKenna, would you join me? I cannot do this alone.”

“Right here,” Be’atta said.

“I’ll go help with the kids,” Chris answered.

“Ditto,” John replied.

Zy’nayth touched the wall panel and the door opened. Victoria was in his chair, though it was turned to face the enormous window. She was gaunt, pale, deathly. He walked over and knelt beside her, Becket quietly moving the IV pole out of the way, though, as usual, the IV had been pulled from her arm. She still had the braid in her hands, stroking it slowly.

Zy’nayth put his hand on hers, “Victoria,” he said softly. “Victoria, I am so very sorry.”

Victoria didn’t respond.

“Honey,” Be’atta said going to the other side of the chair, “honey, Zy’nayth is here.”

Victoria shook her head. “Never see me again,” she said. Her voice cracked and was barely audible. “Never. Again.”

“I am here, Victoria. The children will be here soon.”

“He took my babies. Took them and left me. Never see me again. He said that. In his note. You’ll never see me again. Never.” Her face and eyes were blank as she stared out at the gulf waters. “My babies. Gone.”

“I was wrong, my beloved. I have come back for you.”

“Supreme Commander’s never wrong. He left. He promised to never leave. Never hurt. Took my babies and left.”

Zy’nayth went to sit on the window ledge, and as he went to hold her hand he noticed the braid and took it from her before Becket could warn him not to touch it. She screamed. It was bone chilling. Even Zy’nayth flinched. “No!!” she screamed and clawed for the braid, “Give it back! Give it back! Give it…”

Zy’nayth gently folded it back into her hands, “I am sorry. I did not mean to…”

She clutched the braid with both hands and brought her knees to her chest. “I made this in my happiness,” she said as tears flowed down her cheeks. “I loved him. I gave him another chance and I made this in my happiness. That’s why he wore it. He loved me. We were woven together like this braid. He said so. He said so. He left. Took my babies.”

“Victoria,” Zy’nayth said as his own tears began to flow, “Victoria please look at me.”

But her sudden fear of the braid being taken unsettled her and she began to throw up. What little she in her stomach came up and out. Becket and Be’atta immediately went into action, but Victoria’s condition only went from bad to worse.

“We need to get her to the infirmary,” Becket said. The High Chancellor lifted the frail body easily and carried her as the rest followed him. “Can you heal her? The physical.”

“I did not realize she was this weak,” he said, settling her on a gurney, “it could kill her. Her mind is too fragile. I need you to check her heart. If I touch her with my energy, the initial shock of energy flowing into her system might be too much for her heart to handle. I cannot risk it…Becket what have I done?”

“Sir, we’ll take care of her,” he said and began giving orders to his team.

***

“How is she?” Be’atta asked when Becket came into the waiting area.

“Not good,” he replied. “Her system is shutting down. I’m doing all I can. Her heart…it’s as if she’s suffered a major attack. I should have scanned her before now. If she…if she…it’ll be my fault. I should have scanned her.” He shook off his thought. “The IV is strapped in, she can’t pull it out. It is helping a bit. The Commander…High Chancellor…says that if she makes it through the rest of the day and through the night, she might be strong enough for him to heal her.”

“Why doesn’t he just try now?” John asked, “I heard what he said, but isn’t it worth the risk?”

“I agree that it would probably kill her. A sudden burst of energy like that…her heart is far too weak. He can’t bring her back from the dead.”

“How’s he holding up?” Chris asked as he played with little Mik’kenna. “I’ve never seen him shaken up about anything.”

“He’s not handling it well,” Becket said. “Here, let me take Ky, Be’atta, grab Kenna, maybe they can help their mommy. If the High Chancellor is okay with you guys coming in, I’ll let you know.”

“Sir,” Be’atta said when they entered the private room, “we have brought a couple little ones to help cheer you up.”

Zy’nayth reached for eight-month-old Mik’kenna and held her close. “My sweet little girl.” After a long sigh, he held his daughter steady after sitting her on the bed next to her mother. “Victoria, Mik’kenna and Ky’nayth are here.” Becket set the boy on the other side of the bed and kept him steady as he explored the blankets.

“Can she hear us?” Zy’nayth asked. Becket nodded.

All three of them tried to get a response but none came. Finally Zy’nayth asked that the children be taken to their chambers, he just wanted to be alone with his wife.

“He’s not going to want anyone in there,” Becket said to John, Chris, and Kaven, “so…well, you guys have had a busy day, go and unwind. I’ll contact you if her situation changes.”

“Anything at all we can do?” John asked.

“No. Just pray.”

***

Zy’nayth stayed by Victoria’s side, holding her hand, stroking her hair, softly talking to her. After a couple of hours he began to weep. “This is not…I only wanted you to be happy. To be free of pain and worry. I am so sorry, Victoria. Hold on, beloved. Please hold on. I cannot lose you.” His arm went across her bone-thin waist, his head at her side as he sobbed, “I love you, Victoria, I was so very wrong.”

June 21, 2118

“First Commander, it’s good to see you again,” Vince said in greeting as Kol’non entered his office. “The High Chancellor is in the infirmary. I don’t think he’s up to seeing anyone, though.”

“Understandable. How is Victoria? The First Science Commander told me of her condition last night. We didn’t know it was so dire.”

“Dr. McKenna would be best to answer your question. I just know she made it through the night but that she’s still too weak for the High Chancellor to try and heal her.”

The First Commander dropped his gaze briefly then resumed, “I wanted to let you know that the reports I’m getting back about yesterday’s attack are encouraging. It appears that the mission was a success. And I brought you this,” he set a computer chip on the desk, “more intel on target two. Not much, but might be helpful.”

“Thank you. John and Chris have already been working on a plan, but given what happened with Victoria last night, I’d like to give them a couple of days before I have them start going out full tilt on this. It shouldn’t put us behind schedule.”

“Quite all right. And when things calm a bit, I will speak to the High Chancellor about reestablishing communications.”

“Would be helpful.”

“I request permission to reacquaint myself with some people.”

“Your chambers are still at your disposal and you’re free to roam around as you see fit, First Commander.”

“Thank you,” he said with a bow then headed to the infirmary to talk with Becket who gave him a more detailed explanation of Victoria’s condition.

“First Commander,” Zy’nayth said, stepping into the waiting room, “is everything all right?”

“Ship is perfect, sir. I just came down to give General Cavanaugh some good news, and, of course, to see if there was anything I can do for you.”

Zy’nayth ran his fingers through his scraggly hair. “Keep my fleet on their toes and my ship at the ready. We do not know how the Gyhan will react, or if they will contact the Rayth traitors. But we must be prepared for an attack from that end.”

“I will, sir. I wish to speak with a couple of people then I’ll head directly back to the ship.”

“Thank you.”

The First Commander left and Zy’nayth sank onto one of the sofas, “If Victoria makes it through this, she will never forgive me.”

“Victoria will make it,” Becket said, “and she will forgive you. Though, that may take time.”

“I only wished to keep her safe. To keep her away from the pain and worry my job brings into her life. And by doing so, I may have ended up killing her.”

“Sir, why didn’t you just talk to her?” Becket said. “To break everything off so suddenly. Taking the kids, the divorce…the braid.”

“I thought she would realize that all I have ever brought into her life is pain. I thought she would turn to you and forget about me. Plus I could not leave my children behind. I have waited ten thousand years for them.” He sighed, “And for her.” He bowed his head, “I did not think she loved me this much.”

“You could have asked me,” Becket said. “Granted, I wouldn’t have guessed she’d go catatonic, but I knew how much she loved you. She still loves you. You know, you’re the smartest man I’ve ever met, hands down, but this was the dumbest, stupidest thing you could have ever done.”

“I do not disagree,” Zy’nayth said as he stood, “I need to get back to her. Thank you for listening.”

Becket stood beside him, “I should check on her as well. And don’t get me wrong, I’m your friend, and I want you two to be together and happy, but right now, I could kill you.”

Zy’nayth sighed, “Right now, I would let you.”

June 21, 2118

There was a little cough, then Victoria opened her eyes. “Not my room,” she said.

“No, my beloved, you are in the infirmary.”

“Not my room.”

“Victoria, you are very ill.”

“Not my room,” she said then attempted to sit up, intent on going back her own chambers. Then she realized the braid wasn’t in her hand. Her eyes darted everywhere, her weak hands trying to search through the blankets, “No, no, no, no, no, no….where…where…”

The braid had fallen to the floor during the night, and Zy’nayth had set it on the nightstand. But instead of handing it to her, he took her hands and placed them on his head. “Make a new one,” he said softly.

The feel of his hair was familiar. It was the hair of the braid. Quickly, deftly, her fingers made a new braid, then she gently stroked it for a while before falling back to sleep.

“That’s a good sign,” Be’atta said. With the High Chancellor’s hope restored, he allowed visitors. “And now that she’s had that IV in her for a full day, she has to be getting stronger.”

“I think she is,” Zy’nayth answered. “Becket will check her heart later today. I hope it will be strong enough so that I can heal her the rest of the way.”

“We’ll all help you with healing her mind. Get back the Victoria we know and love,” Be’atta said.

***

Victoria slept most of the day, but during her waking moments, she was always startled by the fact that she wasn’t in her own chambers. Zy’nayth was always right there, and always took her hand and let her feel the braid in his hair. She would sit up, rest her head on his shoulder and stroke the braid until she fell asleep again.

It was just before dinnertime when Becket ran a few tests on Victoria’s heart. Zy’nayth studied the results and decided she still was not quite strong enough, but was encouraged by how much stronger she had become in just twenty-four hours.

“We can try again in the morning,” Becket said, “she’s still in a very serious condition, but I think we can rest easy for a little bit. Sir, I think she knows you’re here. She may not truly comprehend it yet, but she’s been more responsive to you today than she’s been to anyone in a week or so.”

“She has a long way to go.”

“She does, but she’ll get there.”

“I need to return to the ship, could you stay with her while I go to…while I go? I should only be a few minutes.”

“Of course.”

When Zy’nayth returned to infirmary ten minutes later, she was awake and frantic. While Becket was trying to calm her, Zy’nayth had been stopped by Janice to let him know that the children were being well tended to and asked if she should bring them by. Then they heard the scream.

“Zy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Zy’nayth ran to her room, practically shoving Becket against the wall as he dove towards his wife. He wrapped his arms around her, and her hand quickly went for the braid. “Zy, Zy, Zy, Zy, Zy…” she repeated as she stroked the hair—the braid.

“I am right here, Victoria.”

“He left me,” she said softly, “took my babies and left me.”

“I am back, Victoria. The babies are back.” He turned to Becket, “I am sorry to have shoved you. Are you all right?”

“Startled, but fine.”

“We should check her heart again. It is racing.”

Becket nodded then noticed the braid on the nightstand, “I wish I would have seen that three minutes ago.”

“I should not have lingered.”

“You will never see me again,” Victoria said. “Zy. Never. Again. Never. Promised.”

“Zy’nayth was wrong,” the Rayth said as he held her close, “I was so wrong, Victoria. I am here now.”

Becket began his scan, though it was difficult since Victoria did not wish to leave the braid and Zy’nayth’s embrace, but he managed without disturbing her too much.

“I think we’re still okay,” he said and showed the render to the Rayth. “And her pulse is already settling back to normal.”

“Hold on, Victoria,” Zy’nayth said then kissed her ear, “Just one more night and I can heal you.”

“Zy healed me,” she said quietly. “Saved my life. He loved me.”

“He still does.”