Harry's Sacrifice (27 page)

This statement brought a round of murmurs that sounded like agreement to Harry. The warriors felt more than the average Alvian, and Harry could detect a great deal of curiosity and even some faint anger. Harry only hoped the latter was aimed at the Council and not at their small group. They’d never stand a chance against so many warriors.

“Patriarch.” Sinclair Prime turned away from the attentive crowd to lean down and speak with Ronin. “Will you speak with them? I think this is a good time.”

Ronin looked around the room consideringly before turning back to the winged man. “I think you are right. I will speak, if they want to listen.”

“My friends.” Sinclair Prime turned back to the crowd and spoke in a loud voice. “I didn’t plan to address you all. I am, as you are, only an observer of these events. Let me introduce you to the leader of the
Zxerah
Brotherhood, our Patriarch, Ronin Prime. Listen to his words and see if you find them to have merit.”

Sinclair Prime hopped down from the chair, making way for Ronin to take his place. But Ronin wasn’t content to merely stand on a chair. Instead, he stepped right up onto the table. Luckily, it had already been mostly cleared, and what hadn’t already been removed was hastily placed elsewhere to give Ronin room.

“Warriors of Alvia,” Ronin began in a voice that echoed through the hall without being raised.

He was deceptively calm, but Harry could feel the excitement that vibrated just under his placid surface. He was a cool one, playing his cards very close to his vest. Harry thought privately that was the best choice for the moment. Even though warriors had more emotional echoes than most Alvians, they were still mostly emotionless. Ronin would have to win them over with intellect and calm deliberation. He could not appeal to emotions that were not there.

“My friends.” Ronin spoke slowly, allowing his words to sink in. “We have hidden among you for too long. Even in the old world, the
Zxerah
were private. But our time of hiding is over now. It is true that we have taken humans of exceptional skill into our Brotherhood. There has always been a tradition among us of adopting worthy folk into our clan. Upon meeting a human female of superior fighting skill and honor, I delved deeper into the subject of their race. What I learned disturbed me greatly.”

Feet shuffled as the gathered warriors no doubt thought of the humans they had captured or tracked, fought and even killed. Unlike the majority of city-dwelling Alvians, the warriors had more contact with the native inhabitants of Earth.

“And now these two men have dared greatly to come here and make demands for their people.” Ronin gestured toward the two human pilots. “I applaud their courage. And the quality of their aircraft should at least begin to indicate the level of sophistication of their society before our ships began bombarding it from space without so much as checking if things had changed on this planet in the centuries since Hara’s expedition made their first survey. The civilization was primitive back then, but it had grown quickly into something that, given just a little more time, would have rivaled our own. Humans were exploring their solar system. There was a grid of satellites that our crystal bombardment destroyed. It destroyed all evidence of the great technological achievements of humanity, long before the first modern Alvian ever set foot on this planet. We killed many, many innocent souls, my brothers. That is on our heads. Even worse, we killed our own. For it is true. Hara’s people mingled with the natives, spreading Alvian DNA throughout the human population.” He let that sink in for a moment. “I don’t have to tell you that one of our most basic tenets is that we do not make war upon ourselves. We have done so and we must find a way to make things right.”

His voice faded into the silence for a moment as some of the gathered warriors scowled. They were thinking over his claims instead of rejecting his words outright. Harry took that as a positive sign.

“You will see more of our kind walking among you in the days to come. The
Zxerah
now come in three types—Alvian, like me, winged genetic hybrids like Sinclair Prime, and human. Some of our number will be taking an extra step. We will be receiving gene therapy, much as Sinclair Prime Past and Grady Prime have done. We will be seeking to gain emotions.”

“But both Grady Prime and Sinclair Prime Past have not been seen in months,” one of the higher-ranked onlookers pointed out. “How are we to know they are still sane—or even alive?”

“Good question.” Ronin smiled at the challenge. “Sinclair Prime Past has been living among humans since he left. He was sent to assassinate Chief Engineer Davin but chose to exile himself rather than carry out what he believed to be an unlawful and despicable order. He, like the current Sinclair Prime, has wings. He is the one most responsible for the uptick in rumors among humankind of angels flying above the forests. Those of you who patrol human population centers must have heard some of the talk.”

Nods of agreement answered his question. Ronin went on. “Grady Prime has found his Resonance Mate and is even now with her, living among humans. He was sent by the Council to track and neutralize Sinclair Prime Past but chose to stall the Council so he could spend time with his mate. I, for one, cannot blame him. Finding a Resonance Mate is something I dream of but fear will never happen.”

“How do we know you speak the truth?” another highly ranked warrior asked. “We know Sinclair Prime, but we do not know you. How can we trust you?”

“A fair question.” Ronin paused, thinking, when one of the humans spoke up unexpectedly.

“Actually…” Major Rollins stood and fished something out of his pocket. “Grady sent this along, should it be needed. Looks like now’s the moment.”

Ronin looked surprised to Harry’s eyes but also pleased. He took the data crystal from the human and hopped down from the table. He touched controls that would raise a holo viewer in the center of the table.

“You have seen Grady Prime?” Ronin asked the human for all to hear.

“I have,” the man confirmed. “And he’s as sane as you and me, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Major Rollins addressed that last comment to the Alvian warriors who had asked questions. “He said he recorded a message and that I’d know who to give it to when the time was right. I believe one of our seers clued him in to something they might’ve seen about our mission.”

“Interesting,” Ronin said, tilting his head as he regarded the major. “Shall we see what he has to say for himself?” The question was addressed to the Alvian warriors gathered all around. They all nodded, eager to see the message stored on the crystal.

Ronin started the playback and stepped to the side so as many people could see the recorded image as possible. Within seconds, it began to play, and Harry recognized the blond hair and chiseled face in hologram form that he’d known most of his life. Grady Prime was one of the elite of the warrior class and he’d worked extensively for Harry’s mother, Mara 12. He’d visited the O’Hara ranch many times over the years and Harry respected the man who had never been cruel or unkind.

“Greetings,” Grady’s image spoke through the viewer’s speakers. “I am Grady Prime. I am making this recording at the request of a human seer I have come to know, who claims it will be necessary proof of my continued existence and happiness.” The image smiled and looked downward for a moment and then back up. “Yes, I am happy. Truly happy for the first time in my life. For the record, I volunteered for a genetic experiment being run by Mara 12. I freely chose to join the second group of test subjects to receive gene therapy and restore emotion.”

Whispers sounded through the hall, quickly silenced as those closest to the viewer strained to hear.

“It was difficult at first, but after the initial weeks, as I learned to integrate the new feelings, I began to realize what our race had done to the humans who inhabited this planet before we arrived. What we continued to do by hunting and imprisoning humans like cattle beneath our cities. Separating families. Ripping spouses apart.” Grady made a face. “I now believe our actions were reprehensible. Being ignorant of how deeply the humans love and feel is no excuse, though it does explain a great deal. They are not the barbarians we were led to believe by the Council. No, I’m sorry to say that we are the barbarians.” He said it slowly with great sadness in his voice that touched Harry deeply. It seemed to resonate with some of the warriors too, even if on a more insubstantial level.

“I have been blessed to find a woman who Resonates with me on every level. She is human and
Zxerah
, and the light of my life. I refuse to live without her and will protect her to my dying breath.” Now Grady the warrior came to the fore, his voice full of conviction and warning. “I have also decided—after much soul searching and all due consideration—to refuse the last mission I was given by the Council. My orders were to track and kill Sinclair Prime Past. I object to this mission as unlawful on the basis that we do not murder our own people. That our leaders wish to erase Sinclair Prime Past’s existence in secret and by nefarious means, indicates to me that the Council has gone very wrong, and it is my sincerest hope they be examined closely. I do not believe every member of the Council has lost their way, but it is obvious the majority of them have, or I would never have been sent on such a devious mission.” He paused for a moment before continuing.

“For that matter, Sinclair Prime Past should not have been sent to assassinate Chief Engineer Davin in the first place. Neither of these missions was ethical or lawful. I shudder to think how many other questionable actions the Council has taken in secret. The warrior class will know better than I, and it is my hope they will begin to talk among themselves and compare notes. I encourage subordinates to report any questionable requests to their superiors in the chain of command. Officers should compare findings and see if there is a pattern of abuse, which I very much fear will become clear as information flows more freely.”

“For now…” Grady began to wind down, “…I choose to remain with my mate and the humans. They are much more than we know. They have technology we did not suspect and intelligence to rival and sometimes exceed our own. We have treated them very badly and yet their capacity for forgiveness astounds me. Not all welcome me with open arms, but I have made some very good friends among them. Warriors I would be proud to fight alongside and engineers who do not look down their nose at me because I am of warrior stock. It is a refreshing change. Refreshing and most welcome.”

Grady’s hologram seemed to look around, unseeing, taking a deep breath and letting it out again. “I believe that is all for now. The human who delivers this message will know how to reach me should there be need. Otherwise, I intend to stay here and protect my Resonance Mate to the best of my ability. I regret leaving my men, but it is my hope that we will meet again one day. Hopefully soon. When Alvians and humans can live in peace, sharing this world in cooperation. It is more than a dream. It is something I, and many others, are actively working toward. Grady Prime out.”

The hologram faded to a collective silence in the big room. Whispers started in the back and worked their way forward to one of the higher-ranking officers who had claimed a spot close to the table.

“Not everyone could hear that,” the Alvian officer said quietly. “May we circulate the message?”

Ronin grabbed the nearest recording bot out of the air and tossed it to the officer. “It should all be in here. Make copies if you like, so all your men can see it for themselves.”

The officer nodded and passed the little bot to an aide who scurried off into the crowd. Ronin climbed back onto the table after stowing the com console.

“I am the current Patriarch of the
Zxerah
Brotherhood, but there is someone here who claimed that title long before I was even born. Warriors of Alvia, it is true. Hara lives.”

All eyes turned to the ancient who had watched silently up until now. Harry felt the satisfaction coming off Hara. Satisfaction and a large dose of caution. He was very aware of how tenuous this moment really was.

“My body has slept many centuries, but my mind was active on some level, able to take in the changes to the planet I had chosen as my own,” Hara began in a soft, calm voice. “When we left Alvia Prime, every member of my crew knew our home planet was doomed. We all left friends and loved ones behind, hoping our actions had a higher purpose. We hoped our sacrifice would pave the way for those who came after us. We found several planets that met our criteria, but I and my crew chose this planet by unanimous decision to claim and live on for the rest of our days. We did not intend to put ourselves into stasis. We fully intended to die here many centuries ago, and would have but for the startling evolution created by the blending of human and Alvian DNA.”

Hara stood. He’d been sitting up to this point, speaking almost contemplatively from his seat at the table. But many had heard him. And those that hadn’t would soon be hearing the recording of his words as they were disseminated out through the warrior class and then to the general populace. Hara stood among the men, bigger than most physically, but definitely larger than life in all other respects.

“We had children with humans. The lucky ones found their Resonance Mates among the human population. Those who did refused to enter stasis with the rest of us and we understood. The chance for Resonance is something we lived for in those days. None of us would trade the chance to live well beyond our normal lifespans for the chance to live whatever years we had left with our true mate. Sadly, I was not that lucky. But I did find companionship and love, of a sort, with my human wife. She and I had children as the rest of my crew had children with their chosen human spouses.”

Hara spoke to individual officers and soldiers standing nearby as if having a conversation. He was comfortable among them—or at least it appeared he was. Harry couldn’t read the ancient’s emotions at the moment. They were mixed and there was a high degree of anticipation buzzing over everything.