Returnings[]
- Chapter 9 -[]
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Turbline system, Above Turbline
June 16th, 3151
Corden had acted as soon as Kendricke hit the side button on the air lock. Something in his mind told him to act and just in time. As Kendricke had turned to him Corden had opened the hatch on the Tengu battle armor.
"Impossible!!! How! How do you still live! Deback told me you died! You lied to me, Deback, you son of a bitch you lied!"
"He did not!” Corden's words echoed in the room.
“Search your soul, Kendricke, and listen! I was older than you when you were last in this system. Yet here I am alive. Unaged and untouched by entropy. I would be dead compared to how old you are now if not for miraculous events even I still am coming to grasp with. Time in Turbline moves at a different pace for some of us."
"This, this can't be real."
"It is Kendricke. For me, things have happened so fast that I am still trying to catch up since I was gone. Me and you are lost Kendricke. LOST! Set adrift beyond forces that we can't control. Unlike you I know my purpose. I know what it is like to have no faith. To have no direction in life. But yet here I am before you. Remember the conversations we had at the fire that night? How I had lost my way, made my own leap of faith, and burned for it. How HE came to me in my darkest hour. I am now here for YOU in yours. Come with me cousin Paladin. Come with me."
He let go of Kendricke and stepped back. It was out of his hands now. Whatever the man did would be his own choice. He could come with him into an unknown future or he would take his last step and breath. He out stretched the battle armors hand in an offer for him to come with him. Kendricke slowly put his hand up onto the button to the airlock door.
"It would be just so easy just to hit this button. All my life has been one failure after another. So much pain. You know what, I finally did it. Prayed to Blake after the Turblines died in the cargo bay."
The entire room was semi startled with the admission. The ghost knights went white. The Turblines simply nodded looking past the shock that Corden lived. Zagagel was in his own shock. Corden though showed no shock at all. He kept his hand out stretched.
"Tell me, what did you ask for when you prayed to him, Paladin?"
"I asked for direction. I asked for forgiveness. I asked for vengeance. I asked for their souls to find peace."
"The work of Blake is made manifest thru mankinds hands and actions, Paladin. You yourself have done just that. Made the work of mankind made manifest by following Stone's orders. Your message has been delivered to those that seek to elevate and protect mankind. You know what we stand for. You should know."
"I know..." he whispered.
"You have read it didn't you? The book that I instructed Deback, now Zagagel, to leave with you?"
"Yes..." he whispered again.
"What did you learn?"
"That... that Blake was right."
"TRAITOR!!!" came from Tony behind them. The Turblines started to make for Tony to rip him apart. Only Zagagels intervention stopped them from proceeding.
"You know what I learned, Paladin?"
"What, Iron Father?"
"That I too have my own troubles that I seek answers too. The Master might have made a mistake. That he might be seeking forgiveness from Terra."
"That is the most insane and yet sanest thing to ever come out of your mouth."
"You know what the 3rd transfer was. What was sacrificed to have it happen. The very ones that The Master sought to annihilate ignored the sacrifice of billions and desecrated that hope. It is time for correction and what should have been done. Take my hand, Paladin. You have already taken the first step. It is time for you to take your own leap of faith. Please come with me into this uncertain future with me."
Moments passed before Kendricke's hand slapped onto the Tengu's claw. Corden pulled Kendricke into his fold and wailing of an old man began from within his embrace.
Zagagel was utterly dumb founded. The paladin had utterly confessed faith or a measure of it in Blake. He never would have imagined such a day. He felt wings of happiness in his mind of the event and being able to witness it. Corden remained locked in his position holding Kendricke. Zagagel decided to deal with the ghost knights. He took them to another room.
"You two will be debriefed when we land. After that, you can either join us or become part of the neutrals. What you do in the neutrals will be entirely up to you. I do hope you share any information with us that will be integral with how we respond."
Both knights looked at each other. Then said nothing.
"Fine. Talk amongst yourselves. Then come to your own choice. We are going to land soon. The DropShip landing legs are determined to be functioning. After that, we will hold a ceremony for the dead. You can attend or not. That is your choice."
The DropShip rumbled as it landed at Baltmare space port. The two knights were escorted out by Tau Zombies and taken to be debriefed on what they knew. Corden left the DropShip carrying Kendricke while still wearing the Tengu battle armor. Zagagel on the other hand left his suit on the landing zone. He and the other surviving exiles started the process of removing the bodies in the cargo hold.
As time went on, more Turblines came and removed them. Others not from Turbline held back and allowed them to do this somber job. There would be a ceremony the next day.
Corden sat with Kendricke in a hospital room. Next to them was the scorched body of an unrecognizable man. Tim the guard remained on life support and had been in this state for months. His irradiated ravished body still held to life despite what should have been fatal. Both conscious individuals held silence. One looked at the floor. The other kept his true hand on a paladins shoulder and on the leg of Tim. Then the silence broke...
"We were down in the cave fighting back the night haunt hordes. It was then a monstrocity appeared and engaged me in close combat. I managed to destroy the beast but blew one of my leg myomers. There was no escape. We prayed to Blake and I set off the nuke. I was suppose to die that day. Instead I am here now."
Kendricke made no motions. He kept starring down at the ground.
"Ramus the guide explained to me that the nuke set off initiated a jump thru a formation of germanium in some cosmic improbability. The way the Turbline system is bounced me back and thus I am here now. I still don't believe it myself. I still am trying to grasp the reality of it. I can believe misjumps thru time as they have been documented. But this. This I still have a hard time wrapping my brain around."
Kendricke finally said something.
"This system is cursed."
"I am a Manei Domini out of time. Twice now I felt Turbline's dark grip. I semi-agree with you that it is cursed. It won't let go of me. I was ready to die and did. Or at least I thought I did. I thought I was talking to someone and was told I was still needed. Then found myself in pain and woke up to this year. This horror that has befouled the Inner Sphere. I still wonder if I am dead and dreaming this."
"You aren't. Why did you stop me up there in orbit?"
"Because I saw a soul in distress. You reminded me of me when I was between ComStar and The Word of Blake. As I said, I am here now like He was here for me in my hour of need.
"The Master."
"Yes, The Master. He has always been here for me. My hand has been guided by him since the beginning and he has never let me go. Even... even after I thought I had died."
"You know I have read this numerous times."
Kendricke pulled out the copy of the Word he had on him.
"I read this to try and understand you in order to destroy the Word. Little did I know that Blake was right in his observations. I had to live thru it all to finally understand. I still do not believe that what you... excuse me... what The Master and your brethren did was not right. You never did any of it. That much I can look past and actually have a conversation with you. The rest of them from the past though, they can go to hell for what they did including your Master."
Corden remained in silence for a brief minute.
"Yet I was on my way to enact The Master's plan. And here I am in the face of what he intended for me and my brethren to do. He has been proven right in his teachings. In the Republic's successes and in what the clans are. You have initiated the end of the clans by coming here."
"You are seeing history thru eyes of the past Corden. Since you have... jumped time twice... The clans have become part of the inner sphere. Some can't even be considered a clan no more. In the past you could have pulled off what your Master wanted to do. Now. Now there are other spheroids with them and other clanners integrated with them. Your Masters simple solution will not work out as you or he might think."
Corden went to respond when Kendricke looked at him for the first time in awhile.
"I know what you are going to say. Kill them all and let Blake sort them out. Before you even consider that path, consider this. I read reports as they poured into my office. There are Terrans and Republic citizens in the ilclan now. Some by black mail. Others by force of arms. All because of their system of bondmen. By going to Terra and enacting your cleansing you will be killing those who had to make a hard choice. The Jade Falcons did not help in this process. It was stop that bitch or die. I can't blame them for joining Clan Wolf in order to survive. Some joined for the chance to get at Clan Jade Falcon for what they were doing."
"I do not fully understand. Who is this bitch? Tell me more. What were the Jade Falcons doing?"
"Khan Malvina....they were killing civilians. They killed anyone who surrendered to them at Terra. They even killed any Clan Wolf they came across in their trials. Their so called Mongol Doctrine they followed it to a T. Off Terra they were worse. In one instance I read about, they poisoned wells with plutonium on a desert planet. All because of resistance, they condemned the entire planet to doom. Hell she even crashed a dead warship into another planet to prove a point. You don't like that don't you? I can see it in your reaction. The wanton destruction of technology."
"I am dishearted that the clan infection has reached this point. We should have erased the clans completely when we had the chance. You have given me a certain clarity that I might need. You might be right that the situation in the inner sphere is more. Complicated. If you had air locked yourself this clarity might not have been fully realized."
"There is more about the Jade Falcons. Their Khan never was directly confronted by her warriors. They could have killed the bitch before she exacted the horrors she brought. The so called Jade Falcon clan of honorable defenders of mankind allowed a monster to guide them and they happily followed it. Just like your Master.”
“We followed The Master to...”
“Stuff your Master and airlock him. I know damn well why he did it and yes he was successful. Where you had religious zeal blind you, they didn't. They fully knew what they were doing. There is no excuse for both of..."
A moan came from the bed interrupting their conversation. Corden looked to see Tim the Guard stir. Earlier he had told the physicians to revive him. The chemical stimulants started to work. Corden waited awhile.
"Tim. It is me Corden. We still yet live. We. We were successful in stopping the horde."
Tim moaned more then spoke something quietly. Corden put his ear down by his mouth.
"Helga... where is Helga."
"Your wife is dead. You still live Tim. You can be remade and help us more in Blake's service."
"Helga... I want to see Helga. I want peace."
"I hear you brother. Go to Helga and Blake. Go tell them of the magnificence we accomplished. Tell them that Turbline is now in Blake's hands and thrives. I have seen it myself. Tell them the Iron Father has much to do before he comes back to all of you."
Corden pushed a button on one of the machines and an over dose of pain killers flooded Tim's system. Minutes past before his lungs expelled their last breath. Kendricke for the first time witnessed a Manei Domini cry before him. He waited for a bit of time before speaking.
"I never got the chance to say that I was sorry for what I did to you and Deback back then. You opened that box and it was too much. Too many bad memories flooded in. I am sorry..."
Zagagel entered the room and saw the flat lines on the medical equipment. Corden was crying and the Paladin had his arm on his mentor. He didn't need to know anything more. Zagagel wasn't close to Tim the Guard as Corden had been. He remembered some of the things Corden told him. About how well he had been treated by Tim when he was a stranger on this world. He waited for a bit of time till Corden had collected himself, then spoke.
"Tim has gone to Blake and a better place. We on the other hand are heading to the colonies."
Kendricke did a quick look at Zagagel. New info to him for sure.
"You Kendricke are coming along with us and your two ghost knights. Heres Domini wants the council to hear what was on that chip and your testimonies. They will also get to witness The Return."
"The Return?"
"The event that brought Corden back to us Kendricke. An event that coincides with The Sign foretold by The Master."
Kendricke rolled his eyes. Corden stood up and looked at Kendricke.
"I accept your apology. You have given me much to think on. Despite your ungratefulness of The Master... The peace of Blake be with you. Before we leave there is someone else I need to meet."
Corden made for the door before Kendricke called for his attention.
“Peace of Blake be with you too.”
A knock came at the door and Aaron the Guide called out.
"Come in."
Corden stepped thru the door into the man's hearth. Aaron smiled at the sight of Iron Father entering his home.
"Praise Blake, Corden. Praise him. And praise God too."
Corden was a little surprised by Aaron's statements.
"Explain yourself. I am intrigued by your statements and perspective since last time we saw each other."
"The lutherans from the other continent made me realize a few things. Blake on the other hand. Well, I have not much to say other than I praise him because of what he brought to us."
"I am happy to hear you praise Blake. The rest, I am not sure."
"That is fine, old friend or is it young friend? I am still trying to grasp what to make of the situation. Too many things have happened in this system and in time."
"I have only been awake for a week and also coming to grips with everything. Then the matter of Terra and the exiles that died."
Corden quaked. He hadn't mourned those people that died yet. Learning that a majority of them had started to believe with the coming of the Clans made him happy, but then dying to get here lit the fires of fanatical hatred.
"Too much has gone on. Too many have died. I am leaving for the colonies in order to muster the Word. Zaphkiel on the other hand doesn't believe it is time yet. I have returned to a different kind of war. Actually a battle. A battle of faith and politics. I wish you would come with us. Your insight would be handy."
"If I leave my heart won't take it."
"Then ask for blessings of technology."
"No, I have lived a full life. I have seen so much good done. I don't want to see what comes next. I will do it from the afterlife."
"As you wish."
“What came of Tim the guard. I was told he was found along with you.”
“He crossed over to Blake and his wife. I just let him go a few hours ago.”
"Here, take some of this. They call it whiskey. That should help you a little. I have stories to tell you while you have been gone."
Aaron and Corden talked into the night. Corden didn't get any sleep before the DropShip was ready to depart.