After a long flight and a long sleep aboard a plane far slower than the Titian, RED-1 returned to their base within Kyero Mountain without incident. The borrowed, fixed-wing CJF plane was flown by their regular primary pilot, while their copilot had stayed with the downed Titian to prevent its experimental plasma technology from being analyzed by outsiders. The two pilots, who were some of the best in the Red Wolves, had largely kept to themselves during the Battle of Getla Base.
The plane landed in a hangar closer to sea level, where the Red Wolves normally accepted guests external to their company. A few members of Pack Command were waiting for RED-1 as they groggily stepped off the plane. Prism had expected some sort of fanfare upon their return, which proved to be a complete misconception.
What followed instead was an intense debriefing process where the five teammates described the events of the past 36 hours in as much detail as possible, both separately and as a group. Ursun, Leanna, Srell, and Lorias had been through the process several times and had built up the stamina for it. Prism, on the other hand, felt that the only way he could get through the rigor was by using magic. Security Commander Finisome, Dr. Liam, and Lieutenant Commander Zel Libo conducted the interviews.
It was especially hard for RED-1 to explain the details of Jaik’s death. Losses were expected on RED teams, especially during missions involving Kingdom-related forces and technology. But the nature of the young doctor’s death left many questions that the team couldn’t answer. By the end of the briefing, Prism wasn’t even sure if Jaik had actually used any magic at all. Prism could’ve merely woken up on his own, Dr. Liam mentioned during his own questioning of the team. The possibility greatly bothered the team, which almost derailed the debriefing entirely. Zel was able to get things back on track after chastising Liam for his inappropriate and untimely speculation.
After half a day of debriefing, Prism had been relieved by news that Jaik’s body had been shipped back to the Peninsula ahead of the Titian. A memorial was to be held mere days after they’d all gotten back, and many would be attending. Prism had mixed feelings about attending, as he was still feeling a great deal of guilt. He wondered if he could face Jaik’s family, who were traveling to the Peninsula to lay their son to rest.
Lorias and Srell were the first to leave the base. They had a home that they shared in Wolf City, though Srell mentioned that he was also visiting his son. Ursun traveled to Battle City to consult with Bighead, the Red Wolves’ secret chief strategist and Ursun’s childhood tutor. Leanna stayed on base to help analyze all the data the base’s long-range sensors had gathered on the various energy weapons she observed during the attempted Vadamite invasion of Athea. Prism was left to his own devices for the first time in a long time. His freedom was short-lived, however, when the security officers Dill and Dy appeared outside of his room in the Auxiliary, a secure portion of the mountain base that existed closest to its peak.
“Hello gentlemen. I see that I am still not trusted by your organization.” Prism said in a mocking tone when he peaked out of his door after sensing their presence.
“You’d be surprised by how much they do trust you.” The blonde-haired Dill said with a casual smirk, which took Prism off-guard.
“We’re just here to help keep you safe. More people know about you now, so there’ll be more threats to your person.” The dark-skinned Dy said in a warm tone that Prism hadn’t heard from him before.
“So you two have already heard about what happened in Athea?” Prism asked.
“Most people have. It’s all over the lasernet. There are even some weird theories about you going around.” Dill said with a boyish chuckle.
The young, handsome guard suddenly no longer seemed so intimidating to Prism; neither of them did.
“What are they saying?” Prism eagerly asked.
It irked him that he still didn’t have access to the planet’s form of internet, which was limited to larger, specialized devices to prevent the Queen from taking control of it. Prism had been to worlds where access to planet-wide information networks was as easy as pulling out a small device from one’s pocket, or even by just closing one’s eyes. But Æba had several constraints on their technologies; strategic constraints that existed to prevent all-out cyber warfare.
“That you are the real third coming of Eizavoba, not the Queen.” Dy said smugly.
“Not that we belief in that superstitious stuff!” Dill said while swiveling his hands before him.
“I’ve read a bit about this “Eizavoba” figure, but the books in my room don’t say much. Why do people think I might be that person?” Prism asked in earnest.
Dill and Dy glanced at each other and shared a thought without uttering a word. It was something that only the closest of friends could do without telepathy, Prism thought. The guards then nodded to each other before turning their attention back to Prism. They looked quite serious, which concerned Prism.
“There’s an ancient book called the Gwit. It was first written over 2500 years ago, and it’s the religious text of Eizavobism.” Dy started to explain. For reasons Prism didn’t understand, Dy spoke dramatically like an old storyteller.
“Basically, an alien supposedly came to Æba 3000 years ago, during one of the old violet lunar eclipses that used to happen before the orbits of the moons changed. He appeared in a northern jungle of Sguvi, which was called something different back then.” Dill continued the story, speaking in the same dramatic way that Dy had.
“Eizavoba took on the form of a typical Sguvan man, with brown skin and black hair. He didn’t know anything about himself but his name. It wasn’t long before he was discovered by a solitary hunter named Ewa. Ewa helped Eizavoba learn his language, which supposedly only took a day because of Eizavoba’s powers or whatever…”
Dy began to break his storytelling-character as he could no longer bear how ridiculous the myth sounded to him. Dill laughed at Dy’s failed attempt, and then gave his friend a pat on the back.
“Anyway, Ewa and Eizavoba come across a plague-infected village; Eizavoba cures the village with his divine powers, and then some of the villagers start following Eizavoba. Eizavoba heals a lot more people over time, which makes his memories of being the Twins come back. He then tells his followers, who start believing that he is a god, or at least the son of the gods they already believed in.” Dill explains plainly without the acting.
“Who are the Twins?” Prism asked, having a vague idea already.
“Right, the Twins are the moons of our planet. In ancient times, they were worshipped as gods by most cultures. They had many different names, but ultimately became called Eiza and Voba after Eizavobism took off as a religion around…500 AE, give or take.” Dill clarified.
“AE?” Prism asked.
“Ah, “AE” means “After Eizavoba”. We still use Eizavoban calendars, even though half the world isn’t even religious anymore.” Dill further clarified.
“So what ended up happening to Eizavoba?” Prism wanted to hear the end of the story, if it even had an ending.
“Eizavoba and his followers travel to the valley at the center of the Sguvan continent, where he preaches people who traveled from all over the continent to hear him. He talks about peace, acceptance of all peoples, creating a paradise on Æba using kindness, stuff like that. The night after he makes his speech, a warband sent by a warlord who didn’t like Eizavoba’s teachings massacres almost all of the followers. Eizavoba is then tortured and killed by the warlord himself, whose name was Damandh.” Dill explained without much effort.
“Wow, that’s awful.” Prism said as he leaned against the doorframe.
“None of this probably even happened. It’s just a myth.” Dy scoffed.
“You said that people think that I’m the third coming. Who was the second coming?” Prism asked Dill.
“Eizavoba came back in 1500 AE, also after a violet lunar eclipse. That time, they appeared as an albino woman with long white hair who is also an amnesiac wandering in the wilderness. By that time, Eizavobism had spread across all of Æba, so it was hard for most people to believe that their god would return someday in another form. After she’s found by a nun named Fiala in the woods of western Etrysia, she’s given a place to stay in the nun’s cloister. She learns the old Etrysian language and regains her memories, but is kicked out after claiming to be Eizavoba to a bunch of super-traditionalist nuns. By this time, the first version of the Gwit exists, as does the Singular Sect that made it.”
Dill sees Prism begin to ask a flurry of questions, but the white-skinned guard shakes his head before Prism can even speak.
“This section of the story is pretty complicated. I only know it because my Ruskedan parents were big into history. The Singular Sect, or just the Sect, was the governing church of Eizavobism back then and the writers of the original Gwit. They tried their best to kill the second incarnation of Eizavoba once she started to attract attention. She used white lightning to destroy a fleet of raider ships that tried to invade Shyon, the town she was brought to by Fiala after they were kicked out of the cloister. After she stopped several more raids with her powers, people quickly started to follow her.” Dill went on to explain.
“Wait, I thought Eizavoba advocated for peace?” Prism asked loudly before Dill could cut him off again.
“That’s the thing; the new incarnation was basically a warlord herself who hid behind the goal of “liberating all of her persecuted followers in distant lands”. She claimed that it was all about self-defense, even as she destroyed cities and toppled empires. Just more of the hypocrisy and inconsistency of religion.” Dy said dismissively.
“What ended up happening to her?” Prism asked.
“She was killed in her sleep by her staunchest ally and loyal lover, Fiala.” Dill said almost somberly.
“My goodness…” Prism said with a gasp. He’d been taken in by the religious tales.
“And five hundred years after that, the Queen is born.” Dy said with a laugh.
“Do people really believe that she’s Eizavoba?” Prism asked angrily.
“Of course not. She’s got most of the Sguvans fooled, but that’s because she sent them back to the Stone Age early on in the war. They dared to challenge her by threatening to destroy the world with their stockpile of thousands of nukes when she first tried to take over the world. She outmaneuvered them though in just a few years, and ended up destroying most of their infrastructure in one fell swoop before their rebel leaders could even hit the launch button. She massacred over a third of their population, and then shaped the survivors to believe whatever she wanted them to.”
Dy spoke with a hatred that surprised Prism. It made a thought occur to Prism after hearing more about Sguvi than he ever had.
“Are you from Sguvi?” Prism asked Dy, who had the dark features he heard Dill explain was typical of that nation.
“Yeah, I was born there.” Dy said while looking down at the ground at his feet.
“But he was brought to Wolf City as a kid, just like I was. We’re Peninsula boys, through-and-through.” Dill said while bringing Dy into a headlock.
Prism smiled as he watched the two of them engage in a bit of horseplay. His mind soon wandered to the stories he’d just been told about Eizavoba. Could it have been possible that other alien beings like himself could have traveled to Æba?
“Of course it’s possible.” Prism silently answered his own question.
***
“I’m surprised that more of you didn’t die.”
Bighead walked across their tall, domed room carrying a bottle of homemade liqueur in one hand and two glasses in the other. Ursun sat comfortably upon a padded couch with his arms spread out over its back and his legs spread open. The secret underground lab and dwelling was like a second home to him.
“You aren’t kidding. Prism is the only reason most of us made it out alive. If those plasma weapons hadn’t killed us, then the infiltrators would have before the Vadamites even got the chance.” Ursun said loudly with a lazy shake of his head.
“I estimate that Prism alone increased your mission survivability rate by 85%, while also decreasing the Vadamite invasion’s success rate by 60%, based on what you told me about the whole ordeal.” Bighead said in their melodious voice.
“Save the statistics for your reports.” Ursun said loudly as he smiled to himself. “Tell me, why do you think the Queen is outfitting Vadam and the Destructors with tech she’s never shared before?”
Bighead leaned over and placed the glasses on a small table in front of the couch Ursun sat upon, and then slowly poured the dark-red liqueur in them. The androgynous strategist filled their own glass to a third-full while filling Ursun’s glass to half-full. After handing Ursun his glass, Bighead took a seat on the far edge of the couch so they could comfortably face Ursun.
“It’s as you said; the infiltrators were there to lure out and capture Prism, dead or alive. I’d surmise that the Queen views our alien ally as an existential threat to her, but would rather not get her own hands dirty in retrieving him yet. She probably foresaw that the Destructor strike team she employed would fail, so she encouraged Vadam to invade Athea. She used the plasma weapon upgrades as an incentive for them to do, probably knowing that their ammaships would be destroyed somehow by Prism.” Bighead began to muse before sipping on their drink.
Ursun held his glass in both of his large, calloused hands as he thought over Bighead’s words.
“It was all about Prism…” Ursun said softly after taking a long drink from his glass.
“Indeed. The Sguvan constable that was there was probably the Queen’s best chance at getting Prism, but even she wasn’t up to the task. The Vadamite invasion was a cover for this plot, and it was sheer overkill.” Bighead said emphatically.
Ursun trusted Bighead’s conjecture not just because Bighead was superintelligent, but because Bighead probably knew the Queen’s mind more than any other being on Æba. Bighead had worked alongside the techno-tyrant for nearly a century, after all. Ursun nodded solemnly while Bighead spoke, paying close attention to what his old tutor remarked upon.
“Why modify the Destructors’ speedsub with rock-tunneling tech that could make them a threat to the entire Conjunction? Does the Queen no longer care about the balance of power on Æba at all?” Ursun asked while swirling the liqueur around in his large, clear drinking glass.
“That speedsub is her own personal agent of chaos. The Queen will use it to make the Conjunction anxious, and she’ll use it to draw RED-1 out after she’s decided to try and capture Prism again. And in regard to this “balance” you speak of…”
Bighead sipped on their drink before speaking further. It wasn’t a matter of thinking about what to say; Bighead could process information several times faster than humans. Bighead simply understood the value of a dramatic pause. Ursun leaned forward in anticipation, which made Bighead smile.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“The Queen is most likely singly-focused on Prism after witnessing his powers. I doubt that she has much regard for meticulously maintaining the level of violence involved in this Centuries-Long War anymore.” Bighead said before sipping cutely on their beverage.
“If that’s true, then that means that things are going to become a lot more dangerous for everyone.” Ursun said angrily.
“For you and your team, most of all.” Bighead quickly replied before setting their glass on the table in front of the couch.
***
“How’s Kiel?” Lorias asked when he heard Srell close the door to their home.
“Oh, y’know…same little rascal that he always is. I love him, though.” Srell said with a shy grin.
He walked through the large white-walled and colorfully-floored living room to join Lorias as he stood in front of a tall, wide window overlooking Wolf City. The sun was disappearing behind the tall snowy mountains in the distance, and the sky quickly began to darken. Their home sat on a hill in the eastern outskirts of the city; an area that was populated by many well-to-do members of the Peninsula’s community.
“I know that you do.” Lorias said as he turned his head to see Srell making his way over to his side.
Srell surprised Lorias by wrapping his limber arms around the much-taller man as he grabbed him from behind. Lorias stood still and let Srell hold him, not wanting to push him away after all they’d endured recently. If it had been any other time, Lorias wouldn’t have been so kind.
“We made it. We made it home.” Srell said with sweet relief while he buried his head in the small of Lorias’ cotton-clothed back.
“Just like we always do.” Lorias said calmly.
After a few minutes standing in front of the window like that, Lorias took Srell’s arms from around his belly and turned to face him. Srell looked up Lorias with the eyes of a doe, innocent and skittish. Lorias shook his head at the manipulation attempt. He’d taught Srell better than that.
“On again, are we?” Lorias asked while he held Srell’s hands in his.
“It wasn’t me that wanted to be “off again” in the first place.” Srell said a bit loudly.
He snatched his hands out of Lorias’ and started to walk towards the kitchen area, but Lorias grabbed him and pulled him close. Srell’s back slammed into Lorias’ front, sending chills up Srell’s spine.
“Why can’t I resist this man?” Srell thought helplessly to himself.
Lorias leaned down and began to kiss Srell’s neck. He could smell the scent of the mother of Srell’s child there while he continued to nuzzle his nose into the small of Srell’s neck. Lorias smiled before he pinched Srell’s back, causing the younger man to jerk forward suddenly. Srell spun around and furrowed his brow at the tall, majestic man that stood before him.
“What was that for!?” Srell shouted.
“I thought you liked a bit of pain…” Lorias said rhetorically. A smile slowly appeared on his thin, pink lips.
“You’re as infuriating as the Faerie King!” Srell yelled again.
He stepped forward and grabbed Lorias by the front of his expensive white shirt. Srell pulled Lorias down to his level with his powerful hands, then kissed him. Lorias dropped his act for a moment and let his mouth entwine with Srell’s.
Their tongues slid over each other like waves crashing at sea. They were soon greedily and desperately pulling each other closer, squeezing each other’s bodies while their kiss intensified. It had been a long time for both of them, and they needed each other more than ever.
“Things are getting crazy out there, aren’t they?” Lorias said just as Srell began to remove his shirt.
“That doesn’t matter right now…” Srell said as he pulled his lover’s shirt over his head, taking care not to damage the article of clothing that he knew Lorias treasured.
“Doesn’t it? That cyborg Constable, for instance. She could have followed us back somehow…” Lorias whispered in Srell’s ear when Srell tried to kiss him again.
“Prism would’ve sensed her somehow.” Srell said with annoyance before he tried kissing Lorias again.
“That’s true…” Lorias said before finally letting Srell make out with him once more.
Srell started taking off his own black buttoned-shirt, but Lorias made it difficult for him to do so. Lorias kept squeezing Srell’s back so tightly that his shirt couldn’t slide off. Srell groaned and pushed Lorias away when he picked up on the game Lorias was playing.
“What is it this time? Why can’t we just make love and be sweet to each other for once?” Srell whined loudly after he fought his way out of Lorias’ bear hug.
“What if he’s really Eizavoba?” Lorias asked so quietly that it took Srell a moment to understand what he’d said.
“You don’t care about that!” Srell screamed. “What is your issue, Lori!?”
Lorias sat down on the tiled floor and looked up at Srell. Srell was on the verge of tears, as he’d been the last time they’d tried to be intimate. Lorias sympathized, but he couldn’t help but be bothered by the woman that he smelled on Srell’s body. He’d never admit it, of course; Lorias had a reputation for being ice cold to maintain, after all.
“You bastard! You freakin’ bastard! Are you really jealous of Uluba!?” Srell shouted after he examined Lorias face for a few moments. He was perhaps the only person who could read Lorias’ implacable features.
“That’s absurd. You told me that the two of you are just friends now.” Lorias said after chuckling for a short while.
“And I was telling the truth!” Srell yelled a bit more desperately.
“Of course! Of course you were.” Lorias said in a sarcastically chipper tone.
Srell took a deep breath and sat down on the floor in front of Lorias. He took Lorias’ hands in his, and carefully began to run his own strong fingers along Lorias’ well-muscled fingers. As he traced the lines in Lorias’ palm, Srell stared into his best friend’s face while Lorias looked down at his own open hand. Srell could see an outline of doubt present on Lorias’ small forehead, framed by his lengthy golden locks.
“She hugged me before I left, then kissed me on my cheek. She was worried about me when she heard about what was going on in Athea yesterday.” Srell said calmly.
“I’m sure that she was.” Lorias glanced up into Srell’s brown eyes and said matter-of-factly.
“I would’ve never slept with her in the first place if you hadn’t pushed me away five years ago, like you’re doing right now.” Srell said, still keeping his voice as calm as he could.
“I don’t doubt that.” Lorias said just as calmly.
Just when Srell was about to have an angry outburst again, Lorias leaned forward and kissed him, shortly and sweetly. Lorias then reached over and pulled the shirt up and over Srell’s wiry-haired head. They both sat there shirtless with their taut, toned bodies on display to each other, one brown and one white.
***
“This can’t be right. Show me the spectroscopic view again.” Leanna spoke clearly to an analyst sitting at a nearby computer console.
Leanna stared at the large holographic display at the front of the spacious battle analytics room that she stood at the center of. She was joined by a small team of analysts that she’d handpicked months earlier, each known for their fastidiousness and attention to detail. The team of three worked on a number of projects that Leanna had tasked them with, ranging from the mundane to the extraordinary.
That afternoon, she’d focused their scientific prowess on the singular task of figuring out as much about the plasma weapons that the ammaships had used as possible. Leanna wore her comfortable red leatherine jacket and leatherine pants, the typical day-to-day uniform of the Mercenary Division. Her team each wore the less-stylish pink and white uniforms of the Science Division.
Leanna watched the captured video of the weapon being discharged from the massive head section of one of Vadam’s greatest ammaships, the Paneen. The video showed the plasma of the attack while keeping all other details of the scene black. The various types of radiation emitted by the plasma were indicated by various colors, colors which surprised Leanna.
“These magnetic fields shouldn’t be able to release so much energy so suddenly, or so quickly.” Leanna remarked while she watched the ammaship’s head create a thin plasma along its surface that it would then shoot forward at a much great density. “There’s more going on here than a simple gathering and charging of particles.”
“I believe that what seems like a “charging” process may actually be a higher-order particle interaction that we haven’t observed before; a plasma-neutrino interaction, to be exact.” A young female analyst said exuberantly.
“Ridiculous. If the Queen is somehow harnessing neutrinos and strapping that tech onto low-tech Vadamite aircraft, then we are truly done for.” A square-faced young male analyst quickly argued.
“I also doubt that what we’re seeing here involves neutrinos, at least not to a significant degree.” Leanna said, which caused the young woman to groan with disappointment.
The woman buried her auburn-haired head in her arms as she dramatically hunched over to lay on the desk before her. The masculine-featured man who was sitting beside her gave her head a poke, which made her sit up and glare at him. He chuckled before he went back to looking over the data on the screen he was working on. Leanna paid their silliness no mind.
“There is still too much we don’t know about her technology. The Queen, I mean.” A slender, dark-featured man said nonchalantly. He sat in a corner away from everyone else. “But this phenomenon should be familiar to all of you.”
“Do tell, Skax. Don’t keep us on the edge of our seats.” The young female analyst said sarcastically.
“Seriously though, tell us.” The strong-jawed young man said.
“The weapon is essentially behaving like a miniaturized coronal mass ejection.” Skax said before tapping on the screen in front of him. “See how the magnetic fields are gathering here?”
A red highlighted circle appeared on the room’s central display around the area that Skax mentioned. The video shifted to an alternate view that only showed the magnetic fields of the layer of rapidly-formed plasma as blue lines. Leanna paid close attention to the way the upper and lower lines on the ammaship’s spaced armor moved quickly as they converged at the middle of the Paneen’s convex head. When the lines met, they then moved away to the sides of the head from the center of the head. The moving lines suddenly sped up to an amazing speed just before the plasma weapon fired its destructive cone forwards.
“Magnetic reconnection…” Leanna said almost breathlessly. “You’re right Skax; we should have noticed this immediately. It’s a well-documented plasmic phenomenon. We’ve never seen it utilized on this scale, though.”
“While we’re fighting amongst ourselves like primitives down here on Æba, the Queen is constantly looking to the stars for new innovations. Now she’s created a weapon that works like a solar flare.” The young man said contemplatively while running his heavy hands over his short blonde hair as he reclined in his seat.
“Try not to admire the Queen too much, Taly. She’s still our enemy, after all.” The snarky young woman said.
“We’re just starting to build plasma weapons of our own, and yet the Queen has seemingly mastered the engineering already. Our enemy may be cruel, Tiana, but their cunning is worthy of our mention.” Skax turned around in his seat and spoke directly to the young woman.
“I know, I was just giving Taly a hard time. I’m more interested in the weird energy beams that Prism fired from the border guns he temporarily transformed.” Tiana said with a bored shrug.
“We can’t learn much of anything from that footage. Prism’s abilities not only seem to defy what we know about physics, but our sensors don’t register any useful readings from his “magical” powers. All we pick up are the colorful photons from his powers that our eyes can already see.” Leanna explained to Tiana.
“Now that’s the mystery that we should be trying to solve. Etrysia’s living tech saved us from being controlled by the Queen 500 years ago. Learning to use “magic” could be the final edge we need to truly end this war against her and her cronies!” Tiana shouted passionately.
“I’m not sure we can. Just look what it did to Jaik.” Taly said reflexively.
The room grew silent as everyone looked downward at the mention of their fallen friend. Jaik had helped their little team on several occasions, and they’d all been fond of him. He was the sort of person who ignored the invisible boundaries between groups if it meant that there was a problem to be solved.
***
The late morning sun shined gently on the gathered masses that sat and stood silently within the smooth green hills of Pack Pasture. A cool breeze began to blow through the immaculately manicured cemetery, signifying the coming of autumn. White tombstones in the shape of the heads of howling wolves dotted the landscape. They easily numbered in the hundreds.
Ursun made his way to a black podium that had been set up near Jaik’s gravesite. The young man’s cherrywood coffin had already been buried there, and a mound of brown dirt could be seen. Jaik’s family and close friends had viewed his body at a small ceremony that took place the previous day at a notable funeral home in Wolf City.
“I’d like to thank all of you for gathering here today, to remember Lieutenant Jaik Viktin, or Dr. Jaik as he was more commonly called. The fact that so many of you are here is a testament to Jaik’s kind and outgoing nature. Jaik was new to my team, but he’d already proven himself as one of the greatest minds that the Red Wolves had ever seen. He blazed through our academy in record time, becoming the youngest doctor in our 50 year history. He then went on to help create our portable medscanners and an innovative form of regenerative treatment to heal burns and other damage to the skin. And after accomplishing all of that in just two years, he wanted to become a member of my team, RED-1. From a research doctor to a mercenary on the front lines, what a life he lived. And on his third mission with my team, he made the ultimate sacrifice. That sacrifice not only saved our team, but won the Battle of Getla Base for us all. He was truly a brave and exceptional young man.“
Ursun’s speech caused many in the crowd to cry, most of all Jaik’s parents. They were surrounded by their many children and large extended family, who shared in their sorrow. One of the children did not shed a tear, however; Jaik’s identical twin brother, Chaik.
Prism had met the young man at the viewing the previous night, which only admitted Jaik’s family and close friends. Prism had nearly fainted at the sight of Chaik. Leanna had seen Prism’s overt display of shock, and had come to his aid to preserve the sanctity of the small, solemn event. She’d cursed herself for not explaining that Jaik had a twin to Prism earlier. Fortunately for everyone involved, she’d remedied the error quickly before Prism could make a scene. Prism had felt foolish after hearing Leanna’s explanation, but he still couldn’t have helped but stare silently at Jaik’s brother while the other members of RED-1 gave their condolences to Jaik’s family.
There were a few things that made Chaik look different from Jaik; a shorter hairstyle, a short beard, and an almost-permanent scowl on his haltingly handsome face. He was just as physically-fit as Jaik had been, and he carried himself in a similar militaristic way. Prism learned why when he saw Chaik wearing a dark-green Ruskedan military dress uniform that day at the graveside service.
Ursun stepped from behind the podium to join his team as they stood to the side of the gathering. To Prism’s further surprise, Chaik was the next person to walk behind the podium. Prism looked over at Jaik’s parents and saw that they were crying inconsolably while being held by their older children. Many in the crowd audibly gasped when they saw Chaik. His resemblance to his brother made him seem like an apparition walking among the bereaved. His face remained implacable, however, and he paid the others no mind. He withdrew a small paper from his pocket and placed it on the podium.
“My parents thought that it would be fitting for me to deliver the speech they prepared for my brother. So, here I am.”
As they heard his irksome words, many people in the cemetery glanced at each other in disbelief. Prism’s jaw dropped, more so because Chaik even sounded like Jaik, if but a bit raspier. After Chaik cleared his throat, he began to read from the paper in a benumbed voice.
“Jaik was everything that a parent would want in a son. When others would brag about their children speaking at two years old, we were bragging about Jaik reading at that age. It was always clear to us that he was an incredible boy. From the time he was six, he’d improved our farm’s irrigation system. And only a year after that, he invented a turbocharger for our gas-powered tractors. Jaik’s accomplishments were many, but they were just the result of what made our son truly great.”
Chaik looked down at his parents, who stared up at him with wide, wet eyes. He saw how they hanged onto every word of theirs that he spoke so plainly. He couldn’t help but be moved by the expectancy on their faces; even as he spoke about a brother that he hadn’t particularly liked, twin or no. Chaik swallowed his pride and began to put some real effort into reading the speech for them.
“Jaik was a kind and curious person who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of those around him. We still remember finding him in the barn when he was 9 years old, right before he asked us about Socloff Junior Military Academy. He was lifting small bales of hay that he’d tied together on a makeshift dumbbell. We laughed at him while his little body was covered in sweat. But when we asked him why he was working out so strenuously, he told us that he needed to become strong for all of us. He told us that he needed to protect us from the Queen and her forces.”
Chaik’s voice began to intonate with the story he was telling, drawing in the crowd that had been skeptical of him initially. His appearance lent a weight to the speech that made it almost magical.
“Even then, we couldn’t help but be so proud of him, even as we took the dumbbell away from him and told him to go get himself cleaned up. We knew that he was smart, but it was then that we saw how truly strong our son was. That strength got him all the way through school as fast as he could, because he wanted to be out there helping people full-time. We didn’t expect him to become a doctor, but it made sense to us when he did.”
Chaik ruffled the paper he was reading from for a moment and wiped the sweat from his brow. The sun wasn’t too warm at that time, but the effort he’d started using to speak emotively began to take its toll on him. Chaik was not usually the sort to show much of any emotion at all.
“What didn’t surprise us was when he decided to try and work on “the greatest team on Æba” as he used to call RED-1 in his letters to us. He idolized them, especially Commander Ursun. Jaik wanted to be just as brave and strong as them; he wanted to be a hero. He died doing what he loved; saving the lives of others. Our son has made us so very proud to be his parents.”
Chaik turned to the fresh dirt mound that his brother was buried within to deliver the final line of his parents’ speech.
“We miss you Jaik, we will always miss you.”
When Chaik finished speaking, his parents began to sob loudly at the front of the gathering again. Chaik’s eyes watered, but he did not cry; he wouldn’t let himself shed tears for Jaik. As he stepped down from the raised platform that the podium was on, he spied that the eyes of RED-1 were heavy on him. One bald-headed young person in particular seemed to be staring the most intensely at him. Chaik locked eyes with Prism, who simply looked unflinchingly at Jaik’s twin.
***
Prism stood before the four division commanders within the large command center of Pack HQ that he’d been in a few times before. Jaik had been laid to rest for four days, and life around the base had begun to resume its normal pace for Prism’s teammates. Prism, on the other hand, had been twiddling his thumbs during that time. He’d been asked to stay on base since news of his existence had been spreading like wildfire throughout the Peninsula, and the Red Wolves could ill-afford for him to be assassinated by a random passerby on the busy streets of Wolf City. He’d wanted so badly to venture out and see what joys and beauties the lands around him had to offer, perhaps to escape the grief he still felt. But those plans would have to wait.
“Contractor Prism! Please, join us up here on the Command Deck.” Finisome said in his deep, comforting voice.
“Oh, alright, sir.” Prism said daintily to the man above him before walking up the set of stairs at the side of the raised area.
Prism soon stood directly in front of the four seated men with the lower strategic and analytics decks behind him. He wanted to lean against the railing that was close to his back, but he figured that he should maintain a respectful posture. He had no problem submitting himself to the authority of reasonable, effective people, even if those people were significantly younger than himself.
“We’ve taken the necessary time to review your performance during the Getla mission. I must say, we’re quite impressed.” Dr. Liam’s praise was an unexpected delight to Prism and the other commanders.
“The importance of your contributions can’t be denied, Mr. Prism. I personally had no doubts whatsoever.” Gnapp said with a haughty lift of his chin. He rubbed his grayed hair that still resembled a donut wrapped around his bald-topped head.
"Needless to say, it's become difficult to merely call you a contractor." Finisome said with a smirk across his squarish face.
Ursun got up from his chair and walked up to Prism. The commander of the Mercenary Division withdrew a small golden medallion from his pocket, and presented it to Prism. Prism could barely believe what he was seeing when he noticed the signature scratch marks on the Red Wolves medallion.
"We discovered this in one of the pockets of Jaik's gear belt. He must've saved it when he threw the rest of your armor in the incinerator back at Getla Base. Don't worry; we've made sure that it’s free of the supervirus." Ursun said gently to Prism, who was visibly trembling at the sight of the medallion he'd fought so hard to retrieve over a month earlier.
"He...he kept it..." Prism whispered while he fought back the urge to sob. He'd cried enough that week.
"Prism, we'd like to enlist you within our company; within my Mercenary Division." Ursun said after placing his heavy hand on Prism's shoulder.
Prism looked up from the medallion Ursun still held in front of him and peered into Ursun's bright green eyes. There was a warm, prideful fire within those eyes that made Prism feel strong and capable. There was no trace of the indignant criticism that Ursun had possessed mere days earlier. He was once again the leader and the protector that Prism had first known him to be.
“After all that’s happened, after all the death you’ve meted out and the lives you’ve saved, you’ve proven yourself in the eyes of each and every one of us here. There’s no denying it; you’re a Red Wolf now, Prism.” Ursun said in a confident tone that came naturally to him.
Prism smiled uncontrollably upon hearing Ursun's statement. He thought of all he'd been through in such a short amount of time with RED-1 and the Red Wolves Company. He knew that they'd need him for quite some time to come, and he knew that they'd be better served with him committing fully to their organization. Prism's mind flittered across the events that had transpired a century earlier, before he'd arrived on Æba weakened and confused. Whatever life he'd had was long gone; Æba was where he belonged now.
"I'm honored. I'd like to join. I want to be here; I want to be a real part of the Red Wolves." Prism said resolutely.
"Raise your hand and repeat after me, then." Ursun said before raising his own right hand.
Prism nodded and raised his right hand as well. He felt hesitant to take an oath, but he reminded himself that the Red Wolves were working towards a noble cause; a cause that sought to end the overarching conflict of their world. Prism went on to say the Red Wolves Vow, repeating the lines that Ursun said.
"I, Prism, make this solemn vow
To serve in the Red Wolves, here and now
To howl at injustice, so that none may distrust us
To safeguard the good, like the best of us would
To fight valiantly and proficiently, to work smartly and efficiently
To analyze and to optimize, to strategize and to improvise
I vow to follow orders, unless they are unjust
I vow to obey Pack Command, for in them I place my trust.
If I ever question the justness of our cause
Then I will refer to the Red Wolves Bylaws"
Ursun nodded to Prism once he'd completed the vow, and placed the Red Wolves medallion in his hand. Prism smiled up at his commanding officer as a strange feeling of pride came over him. He'd been a part of militaries before, but it had been so long ago that he'd hardly remembered how it felt.
"Prism, I grant you the enlisted rank of Red Wolf within the Mercenary Division of the Red Wolves Company. Congratulations, kid."
After Ursun spoke, the other three commanders got out of their seats and applauded Prism. Prism smiled bashfully while he lowered his head. Ursun grabbed Prism's chin and raised it up high to tell his newest recruit to act dignified. Prism found it hard to look at the strong men that surrounded him as they celebrated his newest accomplishment, but he managed.
That night, the members of RED-1 threw a party for Prism within a large meeting room in the Auxiliary. Several high-ranking members of the Red Wolves that Prism didn't recognize came to the party, including some of the lieutenant commanders that he hadn't met yet. Dill & Dy were in attendance, as were Dr. Liam and Finisome. Prism was grateful for the festivities, but he couldn't shake the feelings of captivity that he'd felt since being brought to the base after his rescue. He'd been made a Red Wolf, but he was not yet free to go off on his own. In fact, the rank restricted his movements and activities even more.
But as the weeks and months went by, and as the missions he went on with his team intensified, Prism soon found himself with more freedom within the Peninsula than he'd ever thought he'd get. That hard-won freedom came just in time for the news that the Conjunction had been preparing for; full civil war had begun in the Holy State of Sguvi. Such a conflict occurring so close to the Queen’s Kingdom threatened to imperil all of Æba. Prism and the Red Wolves would have their hands full dealing with Sguvi for the foreseeable future.