Crossroads of Fate (Cadicle #5): An Epic Space Opera Series (28 page)

The young engineers exchanged glances.

“I hadn’t thought about that,” Nolan said. “It makes sense, but…”

“This headquarters was always such a fixture in the war. It’s hard to imagine it not being here anymore,” Becca murmured.

“Talk about a huge undertaking to move it.” Nolan shook his head, letting out a slow breath.

“Looks like you’ve figured out a new challenge of your own.” Laecy beamed at them.

Nolan chuckled. “Suddenly, I understand why you’re getting out while you can. They’d never let you go once that project is underway.”

Becca’s eyes widened with feigned distress. “They’d be forced to promote us. We’ll have our whole careers mapped out on a road to everlasting glory.”

“Receiving endless praise for how amazing we are,” Nolan added with a grin.

“I think you two will be just fine without me.”
I’ll miss them all the same. It was tough, but we also had some good times.
Laecy took in her lab, remembering what it was like at the height of her time as the Lead Engineer for a fleet fighting an impossible war. “The future of H2 is in your hands now. My time here is done.”

Wil blinked in the sudden light shining through the open doorway.
What do they want now?
He set down his tablet next to him on the bed in his quarters on the Conquest.

His father and wife stepped into the room. They closed the door.

“Wil, it’s been a week since you last left this room. It’s time to go home,” Saera said.

I can’t just continue on with my life like nothing happened.
Wil laid back down and rolled away from the unwelcome visitors.

“Wil…” Saera sat down on the edge of the bed behind him. She reached out to rub his back.

He flinched under her touch.
How can she still want to be near me after everything I’ve done?

“The rift repairs are underway, and we’re needed back at Headquarters. We have a lot of people that need new assignments,” Cris said.

“Have fun with that,” Wil muttered.

“You’re coming with us,” his father continued. “Maybe some familiar surroundings will break you out of this funk.”

Wil shot up in bed. “A ‘funk’. You really think that’s what this is?” He rolled to his feet off the far side of the bed. “You don’t have a clue.”

“If you’d talk to us—” Saera began.

“I have nothing to say,” Wil shot back. He dropped to a crouch against the wall in the corner.

“If you don’t want to talk, then you’ll just have to listen,” Cris said as he squatted across from Wil. “I recognize that you’ve been through a lot—more than the rest of us. You were placed in an impossible position and had to make decisions that would leave anyone with regrets. The Bakzen were created and used by the Priesthood just like we were, and it’s hard not to feel a little sympathetic to their plight. Despite all that, you can’t let your role in the war define the rest of your life. You made it through. Now, you have lots of friends and a wife who can’t wait to start living life with you outside of the war and all this awfulness we’ve been wrapped up in for the last decade. Push past it and let’s start over.”

Wil shook his head. “I can’t let it go so effortlessly. The power I felt while destroying the Bakzen’s world… It was exhilarating, but I also realized what I can do and it terrifies me. There’s already been so much destruction, so many deaths. I feel responsible for all of it.”

“We’ve done things, too, Wil,” Saera said. “Now that I’ve seen the Bakzen’s twisted methods up close, I feel confident that ending the war the way we did needed to be done.”

Cris nodded. “We all gave kill orders as commanders. We share that burden.”

“That was a handful of individuals compared to me. I killed billions.”
Cambion, the Bakzen homeworld… It’s too many to count.

“It’ll be difficult to come to terms with everything we’ve been through, but dwelling on it here isn’t helping,” Saera said.

Can I forgive myself for what I’ve done?
Wil searched the faces of the two people closest to him, seeing their eagerness for him to be the person he was before.
I can’t be that same person again, but I owe it to them to try to find a way to live with this new reality—to find a new purpose for my life.
“Okay, we’ll go home.”

Cris nodded. “Good, because there’s also the matter of a new High Commander.”

Wil shook his head. “No, I can’t.”

“I’m willing to step up as interim High Commander, until you’re ready to assume the position,” Cris offered.

Wil rose to his feet. “It’s yours. At this rate, I never want another command.”

“Okay, I’ll keep the chair warm for you.” Cris attempted a smile.

“When can we leave?” Wil asked.

Cris and Saera exchanged glances. “I guess we could take one of the smaller ships and head out now,” Cris said.

“All right, then let’s go.”

*       *       *

To Michael’s surprise, their return home wasn’t met with even a Militia guard reception. As he walked down the spacedock concourse with Wil, Saera, and Wil’s parents, he felt none of the joyous return home he’d always envisioned. The TSS spaceport was devoid of life, and the subdued energy of normal space made everything dim after experiencing regular exposure to the rift.

They made their way down to the moon’s surface and boarded the central elevator. The five of them stood in silence as the elevator descended through the shaft to the heart of the moon. With the facility leaderless after Banks’ death, they were the chosen few to reassemble the broken pieces of the TSS. Michael wished in some ways that he’d been able to stay in the rift with the other Elites to help tend to the aftermath of the war, but Cris had requested his presence at Headquarters to lend emotional support to Wil and Saera. While Michael doubted he’d be much help on that front, it was an excuse to see Elise sooner.

As they rode in the elevator, Michael glanced over at Wil, who was staring sullenly at the floor in much the same manner he had during the journey home.
I hope being back here does him some good.

A thud outside the elevator signaled that they were entering the subspace bubble around Headquarters. The dampening effect on Michael’s abilities took effect immediately—as though he were reaching out to grasp at smoke.

“I guess there’s not a need for the subspace shell anymore,” Cris commented.

No more Bakzen to protect against.
Michael nodded but chose not to reply when he saw Wil’s grimace deepen.

“It does keep the trainees in check,” Kate said.

“Limiting exposure to abilities doesn’t help with training, though,” Saera pointed out. “I’d support bringing the facility into normal space.”

Cris cracked a smile. “That’d be quite a feat if we could pull it off. Transitioning the whole facility from one plane to another…”

Kate placed her hand on his arm. “Let’s take it one step at a time. We have a lot of other transitions to make before then.”

Somberness quieted them yet again.

Eventually, the elevator slowed and the doors opened to Level 1.

Elise was waiting for them in the lobby. She lit up when she saw Michael, but quickly turned her attention to Cris. “Sir, welcome back.”

“Thank you for keeping everything in order,” Cris replied. “Anything to report?”

Elise shook her head. “No, sir. It’s been quiet since Saera left.”

“All right, I guess we’ll get settled in.” Cris took his wife’s hand. “Wil, did you want to go over any of the staffing?”

“No, it’s up to you,” Wil mumbled.

Cris and Kate stepped out of the elevator.

Elise hesitated in the lobby. “Sir, did you need anything else from me?”

“Not right now,” Cris replied. “I’ll give you a call if I have any questions.”

“Of course, sir. Anytime.” Elise darted onto the elevator, flashing a coy smile to Michael.
“Hi,”
she greeted in his mind.

“Hi,”
he greeted back.
“It’s good to see you.”

“You too.”
Elise threw her arms around Saera. “Welcome home! Next time I won’t let you leave me behind.”

Saera hugged her back. “I won’t, promise.” She released her friend. “We’ll catch up soon, but I need a little down time first.”

Elise glanced at Michael again. “Of course, take your time.”

Cris and Kate waved goodbye as the elevator doors closed.

Saera selected Level 2 on the control panel next to the door. “Residential wing okay?” she asked Elise.

“Works for me.”

They exited into the residential corridor on Level 2, and Saera escorted Wil toward their quarters. Elise hung back with Michael, waiting for their friends to round a bend in the hallway.

Michael was overcome with an unexpected wave of nerves as he found himself alone with her. “So, how are you?” he asked when Wil and Saera had disappeared from view.

Elise stepped forward and embraced him. “I’m so glad you made it home safely.”

He wrapped his arms around her, savoring her warmth. “I was one of the lucky ones out of the thick of battle, for the most part.”

Elise pulled back slightly, her dark eyes searching his. “I think being on the lead command team qualifies as being in the thick of it.”

“Not as much as some people.”

“You mean your friend… who was hurt?”

Michael took a deep breath. “Tom and the rest of them were the ones who made a real difference. I had it easy.”

“You made a difference as far as I’m concerned.” Suddenly, she stretched up her toes and gave him a quick kiss.

His heart leaped as her lips brushed against his—soft and inviting. He stood in shock for a moment after the unexpected advance.

“I’d like to give us a shot,”
Elise stated matter-of-factly.

A happy tingle spread through Michael’s core. He took her hand.
“I’d like that.”

“All right.”
Elise grinned. “Now, let’s go find you some proper Agent quarters.”

*       *       *

Cris stepped into the vacant High Commander’s office.
Banks’ office…

His heart ached from the loss of his longtime friend and mentor. Though their relationship had been rocky at times, Banks was always more of a father to him than his own blood relation. He had been with Cris along every step of his career in the TSS, had filled in as a surrogate grandfather for Wil. Even though Banks was fulfilling his responsibilities to the Priesthood, that didn’t change the fact that there was genuine affection between them. More than a friend, he was part of the family. The loss left a void that could never be filled.

“I guess this is yours now,” Kate said from behind him.

“Wil said he didn’t want it,” Cris replied. “I’m not sure I do, either.”

Kate came forward and slipped her hand into his. “Everyone needs a leader right now—a familiar face to offer some consistency. You’re the best person for the job.”

“Maybe Taelis will want to take over.”

Kate raised an eyebrow. “Are you inviting mutiny?”

“Good point,” Cris smirked. “Besides, he’ll probably want to retire. I can’t imagine going back to administrative tedium after spending four decades in a warzone. All of those people in the Jotun division deserve a break.”

“I’d say we do, too, but we haven’t had it nearly as bad.”

“I think I have a few years left in me.” Cris’ handheld chirped in his pocket. The call was from Taelis.

“Nice timing. I’ll leave you to it.” Kate gave him a quick kiss and showed herself out of the office.

Cris directed the call up to the main viewscreen. “Hello, sir.”

“Hi, Cris. You left in a hurry,” Taelis’ image said from the screen.

“We were able to convince Wil to travel back here. Needed to keep the momentum while we had it.”

“Hopefully that’s a sign of improvement,” Taelis said.

“I’m trying to be optimistic.”

The High Commander nodded slowly. He seemed to take in Cris’ surroundings. “Is that the High Commander’s office?”

“It is. I was just making sure everything was in order.”

Taelis drew a deep breath. “I still can’t believe he’s gone.”

“Me either.” Cris hung his head. “We’ll arrange for a memorial service here. I think that’s most fitting.”

“Yes, good,” Taelis replied. “I take it you’re in charge at the moment?”

“Wil’s in no position to command right now, so I’ve stepped up as interim High Commander.”

Taelis’ tilted his head. “I didn’t expect him to break like this.”

“He led the destruction of an entire people.”

“They were the enemy!” the High Commander shot back.

“They were innocent. The Priesthood is the real enemy. They created the Bakzen, then decided that it was a mistake. Wil was also created. Used. He empathized with them, I think. The Bakzen were only trying to survive.”

Taelis scoffed. “Do you know how many of us they killed?”

“At least we survived. The Bakzen are all but extinct now, thanks to us.”

“They never should have been created in the first place.”

He is a pawn of the Priesthood. I can’t reveal my intentions yet.
“At least the war is over now.”

“It is,” the High Commander agreed. He released a slow breath. “It will take a while to change my mindset.”

“What are your plans?” Cris asked.

“There is no longer a need for H2 or the Jotun division. I would like to live out my remaining days in some quiet corner of the galaxy. I just have a few remaining details related to fleet decommissioning to attend to. There’s also the matter of Aram Laensir.”

“Oh, right,” Cris muttered, remembering the would-be Bakzen sympathizer they’d apprehended in H2. “May as well let him go. There are plenty of other people who hate those with telekinetic abilities—he can’t defect to the Bakzen now.”

“My thoughts, as well.” Taelis sighed. “I hope we can begin the process of unification.”

That’s my new mission.
“Indeed. I’ll look after things here as best I can,” Cris told him.