Here's another chapter of the Son. The entire book is on the yahoo group though the final part of the series, The War of Souls has yet to be written. Take care and enjoy.
JMH trandar2002@yahoo.com http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adultwritingworkshop/
"He's out there Vard. I can feel it." Joshua said, his eyes staring out the view port at the Guild fleet protecting Aegis.
"Are you sure Joshua? Are you really sure Drake is out there?" Vard asked.
"Yes... my son is here."
"But on which vessel... lots of command ships out there."
"I don't know... I need to get closer."
"Joshua, there are over thirty Guild War-Liners out there. The Santor can't stand alone against such firepower; not without destroying a lot of them first.
"You can't attack Vard... you might kill Drake."
"I know Joshua, but what would you have me do."
"Tell them to surrender... to give Drake back," Joshua said, as if he was stating the obvious.
"They are outgunned," Vard nodded, before turning his gaze toward Felix. "Hail the enemy fleet. Tell them they have an hour to surrender or be destroyed."
"Yes my Prelate," Felix bowed before turning to the communications officer. A moment latter he gave him the enemy's reply. "My lord, you would not believe this, but the enemy commander demands that we surrender in thirty minutes."
"But we have them outnumbered." Vard laughed.
The sensor officer stood up. "Sir... two more fleets have come out of the Void.
"Where!" Felix demanded.
"One behind us and another at three o'clock... both Guild." The officer replied.
"It's a trap... we need to get out of here!" Felix shouted. "Prepare to return to the Void."
"I'm sorry Joshua. We won't be able to rescue Drake today." Vard said as he turned to where Joshua had been standing only to find he was not there. "Joshua?"
"Sir... an escape pod has just been launched," A man reported to Felix.
"Which one?" The star general demanded.
The one right outside the bridge," The same man reported.
"Was it a misfire?" Felix asked.
"No sir... the sensors report one life form aboard.
Suddenly Vard realized who was in the pod. "Joshua!" He screamed but it was already too late, the pod was more than halfway to the forward enemy fleet, the Guild ships moving rapidly to intercept the tiny craft.
"Joshua... what have you done?" Vard whispered under his breath, even as the rear and flank enemy fleets began firing their missiles on the rebel ships.
"Prelate we must leave," Felix said as the Santor was rocked by explosions.
"I... I can't leave my husband." Vard replied in a stunned voice.
"Sir, you must open the way to the Void or we will all die," The Star General insisted.
"Joshua... my Joshua..."
"Damn it..." Felix said, seeing Vard was incapacitated out of shock. "Order the Guild Mistresses to take the fleet into the Void." He shouted at the communications officer.
"Yes sir." The man replied, coughing from the smoke that was starting to flood the bridge.
Vard pounded on the view screen as if he could punch his way through to take hold of Joshua's life pod. Even when the image changed to the endless darkness of the Void, Vard continued to punch the panel, tears running down his face.
"Joshua... my Joshua," Vard repeated over and over in an ever weakening voice. It was only when the Santor reappeared over Casova that Vard went silent.
Walking over to his Prelate, Felix stood over the broken man. "We will get him back sir... I promise."
"We will?" Vard ask, not believing Felix's words.
"We will," Felix nodded.
Vard stood up slowly, straightening his back. "Call in all our fleets and reform the armada."
"Sir... some of our ships are engaged in combat at this very moment."
"Order them to withdraw at once," Vard barked.
"If we do that we will lose most of the worlds we have struggled so hard to capture," Felix argued.
"I don't care. Only one world mattered in the beginning of this war and that remains the same now. We are going to invade Earth."
Felix knowing that without an army such an attack would be suicide went down on his knees. "Sir I beg you... do not order the armada to Earth. We need more time to build up our army for which we need the core worlds to provide the men and resources."
"You don't understand," Vard spat. "Those were Guild ships Joshua went to... which means my husband will soon be on Earth... with Gerick. I promised Joshua I would never let Gerick hurt him again. I will keep my promise."
"Vard... this is not your fault."
"I promised Felix... I promised. What is the point of me having all this power if I can not protect the one person I love above all others!"
"Vard more is at stake in this war than Joshua. Humanity itself is depending on you to seize the Guild Throne."
"I have never wanted control of the Guild Felix... you have always known that. This war was never about freeing humanity; it was about reuniting my husband with the man he loves as his own son."
"Things change... motives can change. You might not care about your fellow man, but I do, and I tell you Vard, the people need you."
"All I care about is getting Joshua back."
"But don't throw away your life in the process. Don't turn your back on your responsibility to the rest of mankind. By the light you are a Prelate Vard... it is about time you acted like one," Felix said with disgust.
Felix's parting words stung Vard. He felt ashamed that he didn't really care about what was happening to those outside his small circle of friends, but that was how he felt. Joshua was all that mattered to him since the day he had been conceived. For the first time in over five years, however, Joshua was not with him. The ache in his heart was so great Vard did not know if he could survive it. He was on the floor of the bridge for a long time, switching between bouts of crying and loud whimpering. When it was over however, Vard's face had a cold expression.
"Have Felix and the squadron commanders report to the war room at once," Vard said in an emotionless voice to his communications officer.
In less than an hour, the officers were sitting nervously in the conference room, Vard sitting in the middle of the arched table. "As you may know... my husband is now in the hands of the Guild and is most certainly on his way to Earth. Many of you might believe you know how important Joshua is to me. Let me tell you, none of you have any real idea of how important he is, and I don't have the time to get you to understand. All you need to know is that I am willing to sacrifice every single one of your lives to get Joshua back, and I will unless one of you can convince me you have a better plan. You have three hours." Finished, Vard stood up and left the room. He came back after exactly three hours and glared at his commanders. "Well?"
Felix, looking nervous stood up. "Sir we have a plan."
Walking slowly to his seat, Vard sat down before speaking. "Show me."
The Mother caressed the faces of her first dozen children with the thick white tendrils of her hair.
"Tell us about the Prelate and the counterpart," Her eldest child, Trak, asked.
"You have me tell the same stories every day," The Mother chuckled.
"They are my favorites."
"But it is not a story... it is the truth."
"That is what I like about it," Trak chuckled, making a rapid clicking sound.
The Mother leaned down and brushed her antennae against her son's. "Then I shall tell you your favorite story again..."
Trak listened attentively as his mother told him once again of Vard and Joshua and their long struggle to be united. When she finished Trak rested his head on his mother's lap. "Will I be able to meet Vard and Joshua one day?"
"That is my hope my son."
"Will they like me?"
Looking down at her hybrid son the Mother knew that if she were still human the very sight of Trak would have terrified her. But she was no longer human and in her eyes her eldest was beautiful. "We will make them love you, my son... I promise."
The Mother looked up at the night's sky, knowing that it was filled with the gathering host of Chimera warships. Soon she would be able to keep her promise to Trak. Soon she would be returning home.
Robert led Drake toward the Eclipse's hanger as the escape pod was brought in. Drake could feel it... almost smell his father's presence. After so many years of separation, it was finally going to end.
Drake, wearing his baseball cap, his heart near to pounding out of his chest, did not wait for the door of the pod to open before racing toward the small craft, darting inside.
Standing there, dressed in a fleet uniform was his papa... smiling down at him. "Hello Drake."
"Papa?" Drake asked, tears stinging his eyes.
Joshua opened his arms outstretched. "Everything is going to be ok now."
Drake dove into his father's embrace. "I missed you so much."
"So much that it hurt?" Joshua said, as he kissed the top of Drake's head.
"Yes." Drake cried, nuzzling his face against Joshua's chest.
"I missed you so much that I hurt too."
The two men embraced each other tightly, Joshua humming a nursery rhyme he had once used to put his son to sleep. That was how they remained until a shadow fell on both of them. Robert, his face covered by his grinning mask, walked aboard the pod.
"It is an honor to have the beloved counterpart aboard my vessel." The Star General went down on his knees and closed his eyes lest either man see the jealousy in his gaze. He could not hide the trembling of his body, or the way he constantly licked his lips nervously, from Joshua.
"Drake, will you introduce me to your friend?" Joshua asked, as he looked down at the Star General.
"Papa... this is Robert Van'tol. He's my..."
"Boyfriend?" Joshua guessed.
"I would like to believe I am." Robert said as he stood up, glaring at Drake through his mask.
Drake took hold of Robert's hand, and spoke in a reassuring voice. "You are Robert... you are."
"Robert... I know you are a Star General. I know of your deep loyalty to whoever sits on the Guild Throne. If you truly love my son, however, you will let me take him back home."
"You shall counterpart."
"Really!" Drake said excitedly.
"Yes... my orders are clear I am to bring you and the counterpart home."
Suspicion grew of Joshua's face. He had not thought it would be this easy. "Then take us to Aquarius."
"No, counterpart, I am afraid I can not."
"But you said..." Drake protested.
"I said I would take you home and I will."
"And what is home?" Joshua demanded.
"Why Earth my lord... the home of all humanity. Now if you will excuse me, I must see to my fleet." Robert excused himself.
"Robert... if you love my son you will not do this. You would not give Drake back to that madman."
Robert turned around and glared at Joshua. "That madman is the Prelate... and your father. He, not some barbarian from a dark world, deserves your respect if not your loyalty."
"Are you so blind that you would follow my father into a black hole? Is the fall of humanity itself the price you are willing to pay to keep your pride?"
Robert drew a knife from his belt only to slit the blade across the open palm of his left hand. Squeezing the cut hand into a fist, he let large droplets of blood fall onto the deck of the hanger. "My blood and my life are not mine to do with as I see fit."
"And that, Robert, is why you will never have my son's love. Only the soulless refuse to follow their hearts," Joshua said coldly.