Episode II
A Blade of Thine Dawn
 

 Space glistened outside of the Dunwitch Hill, a squadron of fighters drifted past on their usual route, protecting the station from whatever, or whoever was out there. It had been silent since they had gotten here, too silent. Sam gazed out the window; the ensign watched the legend with silent eyes. David was leaning against the back wall; his gray admiral’s uniform was crumpled in spots.
 Kate stumbled through the door. David stood back from the wall. Kate spun around and saluted immediately. David waved her down. Sam smiled. “Sir, Catherine Norrow, reporting as ordered, Sir.” David put a finger into his ear, and closed one eye.
 “Do you have to be so loud captain?” He smiled. “At ease.” She laid herself back. The ensign gave a slight shudder, and then looked back to Sam. “You can keep yelling at me Ensign.” The ensign smiled, and David almost laughed, Sam never budged.
 “What’s going on Sir?” Sam lifted up a hand. He, they waited a moment in total silence. Sam pointed at a small spot in space.
 “There.” He said slowly. The ensign’s fingers danced across the board like fire dancing over a forest, its embers growing slowly cold.
 “Scanners read nothing Sir.” Sam shook his head.
 “It’s too small for regular sensors, focus all sensors and search for a thin piece of debrey floating slowly this way. The ensign went back to the keyboard. A light blinked and the machine hummed. A small diagram came up on screen. David gasped.
 “Sam, it’s your sword.” Sam smiled.
 “I told you they’d never find it.” David nodded. David walked over to the Comm. unit.
 “Forward listening post to Bridge.” The bridge acknowledged. “Send out a support ship to retrieve that sword. Transmitting coordinates? now.”  The ensign hit a key; a small ship flew out towards the sword. “Shall we go to the bay?” Kate and David walked out of the room. Sam turned to leave, and then spoke to the ensign.
 “Coming ensign?” The ensign smiled and stood up from his post. He edged a question.
 “Sir...” He started. “Did you really fight a Shivan?” Sam smiled.
 “And a big ugly thing he was too, I think he wanted to kill me.” The ensign smiled, and they walked out of the room.

 Captain Morrison and the Ensign were carrying on a long chat as they walked down the long hallways of the GTI Dunwitch Hill. Kate didn’t exactly know what was going on, she only hoped she would know soon. The Admiral was walking down the hallway, as stern as ever, he seemed a bit relaxed these days, Kate didn’t exactly know why.  She had never known the full story behind the Admiral. She decided to ask.
 “Sir.” She began.
 “Yes captain?” David responded.
 “I was wondering, how did you know Captain Morrison?” David smiled.
 “Oh, Captain Morrison and I go way back, back to the days of the Terran Vasudan Conflict. I was his wingman, for it all, even during the time of the legends. We even went into the Test Pilot program together. When Sam supposedly died, I took this job, to try and get away from it all.” He almost laughed, “if there’s one thing I’ve learned about this universe it’s that no-one ever gets peace and quiet.” They kept walking. They turned a corner and walked into the Docking bay control room, and looked out towards the landing strip. The Centaur class support ship landed slowly on the landing platform. Pilots began to crowd around it.
 Their small party took the elevator down and walked out among the fighter pilots. They cleared a path. The pilot of the support ship opened up the bay to reveal a single sword, scabbard intact. Sam reached in; the pilot grabbed Sam’s hand.
 “It’s still cold sir.” Sam brushed off the pilot’s grip, and continued for the sword. He grabbed it; he cringed a little, as though he expected to lose his hand. The sword was warm to the touch. The pilot gasped.
 “This sword repels cold like it does Shivan steal.” He opened his cloak, and tied the belt around his waist. He drew the sword and held it high in the air. He spoke to the crowd. “I am Samuel Morrison, the Leader for the Shivans.” The blade still shone like a thousand suns. “I present to you, the second Leader for the Shivans.” He pointed the sword at Catherine Norrow. “Captain Catherine Norrow.” He twirled the sword around so that the hilt was pointed at Catherine. Kate was shocked. “Take the sword.” Quivering, Kate reached out and took the sword from Sam’s hands, a strange feeling filled her, like a dawn breaking inside of her. She clutched the blade of the dawn, she thrusted it’s mighty blade high into the air. Sam smiled. The crowd cheered, without a single one of them understanding what was happening.
 Kate lowered the sword and looked at Sam. “You understand now?” Kate nodded, slowly. Sam reached out; Kate spun the sword so the hilt rested in Sam’s hand. He took the blade and made it disappear under his cloak. “Get some sleep, your training will commence tomorrow.” Kate nodded, the stunned look etched deep into her face.

 Sam and David walked through the halls of the GTI Dunwitch Hill. David spoke first. “What happened to you Sam? And where’s Vo’tion?” Sam gave a small laugh.
 “It’s a long story, and not one I feel like telling you at the moment.” Sam looked up and the light bounced off his scars, and boils along his face. He coughed. “Vo’tion died after fifty days on Vasuda Prime, several thousand years ago. Time travel will do that to you.” David looked stunned.
 “The destroyed sun?” Sam nodded. “Damn. I wanted to go after you, but they wouldn’t let me.” Sam stopped; he put a hand on David’s shoulder.
 “It wasn’t your fault David.” David gave a half smile. They started to walk again; Sam’s hand disappeared at his side. “How’s Susan.” David suddenly stopped. Sam moved forward, and then stopped. He turned slowly. “What’s wrong?”
 “Sam…” David began.
 “What’s wrong?” Sam walked forward. “What happened?” anger bit into Sam’s voice.
 “I don’t think you want to hear it Sam.” Sam approached.
 “What happened David?!” David backed off.
 “Sam…” David said. Sam reached out and grabbed David’s uniform David reached out and grabbed Sam’s wrist.
 “Damnit David, what the hell happened to my wife?!” David gave a sigh of pain. He looked into Sam’s eyes.
 “She’s dead Sam.” Sam let go of David, Sam backed off a bit, as if in a trance. “She had a daughter, Sam. You have a daughter.” Sam looked up. “She knew that GTI wanted her, not your daughter, so she risked her life to get her daughter out of the way. In doing so GTI caught her, they killed her, quickly. There was no pain Sam.” Sam backed off, and looked down at his hands. “There was nothing you could do.” Sam fell back at the wall, he leaned against it, still looking down at his hands.
 “I should have been there.” David walked over.
 “If you had been there then you would have been killed as well.” Sam looked up. “There was nothing you could have done.” He said quietly. “Now you have to train this Second Leader for the Shivans, or we’ll all be dead.” Sam pushed himself up.
 “What’s her name?” Sam asked.
 “Paula Morrison. She’s a commander, last time I checked, serving as first officer on the Excalibur.” Sam smiled, he nodded.
 “We have much work to be done.” Sam started to walk away. David cocked his eyebrows.
 “What do you mean ‘we’? You’re the Leader for the Shivans.” Sam smiled, and waved David to walk forward. David breathed out and followed him.
 

 The wind swept across the plain. “You are...” A voice said out of nowhere. “The Leader for the Shivans.” Kate looked around herself frantically, the wind blew sand up into her face.
 “No I’m not.” She yelled into the darkness.
 “You are the Leader for the Shivans.”  The voice repeated. Suddenly two figures appeared out of the dust, one a Shivan, and the other was Samuel Morrison. The battle continued.
 “What is this?” She asked the darkness.
 “You are the Leader for the Shivans.” The voice said. Samuel Morrison lifted up the blade, the Shivan slid its dual blades across Samuel Morrison’s chest. Blood splattered and Sam went flying back. He landed at Kate’s feet. Dust rose up around him. Kate looked down at Sam’s lifeless face. The face melted and turned into her. She looked down into her cold face.
 “What are you doing to me?” She asked furiously.
 “You are the Leader for the Shivans.” The voice said.  Kate looked up into the sky, the stars melted and changed into a Shivan’s face. Yet Kate didn’t feel fear. “You are the Leader for the Shivans.” The Shivan said. A sword fell out of the sky and stuck in the ground in front of her. “You are the Leader for the Shivans.” Kate clutched at her head.
 “No.” She yelled. The dust was gone, the Shivan, everything, the place was dark.
 “Why is it so hard to believe?” Someone asked. Kate looked up, the blade was still sticking in the ground. “Why can you not believe that you are the Leader for the Shivans?” First she thought the Blade was talking to her, then she realized the voice was mechanical. She turned, and saw a tall Vasudan, his robes draped around him. “Why can’t you believe it?” Kate squinted.
 “Because I am not.” The Vasudan nodded.
 “That’s what Sam thought, long ago, and I agreed with him. I didn’t even believe the legends.” The Vasudan looked up into the dark sky. “but Sa’ka’an, the Legends are true.” He gave a small laugh. Kate stood.
 “But you’re..” The Vasudan gave a small laugh.
 “Dead?” he laughed again, he walked forward. “Things are not always as they seem.” Vo’tion walked around Kate. He stopped at the Sword. “Pick it up.” Vo’tion motioned to the sword.
 “I can’t” Kate said, she drew her arms up around herself. “I’m not worthy.” Vo’tion gave a start.
 “You held it before. You felt its power.” He walked closer to her. “Why can’t you hold it again?” Kate turned away.
 “I’m no legend.” Vo’tion backed off. Vo’tion waved an arm. Millions of people appeared around them , stretching back into infinity.
 “Who do you see?” Vo’tion asked.
 “The Lost Generation.” Vo’tion nodded. Vo’tion waved his hand, all the people disappeared except for one.
 “Now?” Kate looked.
 “Admiral Bosch. Leader of the Neo-Terran Front.” Vo’tion nodded. Kate approached the image, it didn’t flinch, it didn’t move, it was just an image. “He led millions for the destruction of the Vasudan race, so that he could get to the Knossos portal, and contact the Shivans.” Kate said.
 “And why do you think those people followed him?” Kate just looked at Vo’tion. “Because people need something to believe in. During the first Great War, people believed in the legend of the Leader for the Shivans. Now they have nothing to believe in, so they follow scum like him.” Bosch seamed to move slightly. “The legends are gone, you need to write a new legend. Take the sword.” Kate looked down at the sword. Vo’tion made a small gold cup appear, it was perfectly shaped. It was like a cylinder with the top cut off. Vo’tion sighted.
 “What is it?” Kate asked.
 “It is a Ma’rin’da” Vo’tion held it out to Kate. Kate’s braid was suddenly outside of her uniform flowing down her back. It reached down to the small of her back. Vo’tion handed the Ma’rin’da to her. She inspected the Vasudan words around it. “It means ‘Honored One.’” Kate placed it on the end of her braid. It clamped tight. She let the braid fall back. “You must make a decision.” Kate looked up, she had a stern face.
 “You are the Leader for the Shivans” A voice said out of nowhere. Kate reached down and grabbed the sword. Stars burned around her, she suddenly had a piece of silk around her head. It had Vo’tion’s name on it. A sword hilt, and belt materialized around her hips. She pulled the sword from its rocky landing place. She raised it to the sky. “you are the Leader for the Shivans.” The voice said again. Kate shook her head.
 “No.” She began. “I’m the Second Leader for the Shivans.” She looked at Vo’tion. “The lost Generation needs a new Hero.” Vo’tion smiled. Bosch backed off, he turned and ran. Vo’tion turned, he watched the frightened man run, he almost laughed.

 Admiral Bosch woke up on a Shivan destroyer, sweat dripped from his face. He was yelling as loud as he could. The Shivan destroyer floated through space, his scream filled the entire Shivan spacecraft…

 Ma’Krandoc stared at a dummy, it looked like a Terran. With one slash he cut it in half. He moved onto another and cut that one’s head off. He slammed the blades into the chest of the next one, pushing it off the cord, and sending it across the room. Ma’Krandoc smiled to himself. The door opened. In walked the NTF Officer. He had a new uniform on, this one, black, with red bands across the shoulders. He had thick black gloves. Ma’Krandoc turned.
 “I see you’ve put on your true colors.” The Officer smiled.
 “Yes, that NTF uniform was beginning to disgust me. I prefer this one much better.” The Shivan gave a small snort, and went back to slashing up dummies.
 “Why have you disturbed me?” Ma’Krandoc asked.
 “Admiral Bosch has had a bad dream.” The Shivan gave another laugh.
 “Too bad for Bosch.” He slashed at another dummy. “Why should I care?” The officer gulped.
 “Because it is a bad omen.” The officer said.
 “What do I care about omens?” He slid the blades back in, out of sight. “Samuel Morrison will die.” He stepped up to what looked like a firing range. “Give Bosch a sleeping pill, and get out of my sight.” Ma’Krandoc fired the cannon at the dummy. It was pushed back by the blast, in a second it was vaporized. Ma’Krandoc smiled. “Don’t get in my way Terran.” The Shivan floated past the officer, and out of the door.
 “You won’t survive. I’d better get off this damned boat.” The Officer left the room.

 
 Kate walked into the mess hall. She took a plate, and took some of what they called ‘food’ she sat down next to Ridow. He leaned back and lifted up her braid. “New piece of jewelry?”  He asked. Kate turned her head slowly.
 “Vo’tion gave it to me, in a dream. When I woke up, I had it clutched in my hand.” Ridow looked at her skeptically. “Oh come on, what we’ve seen these past few days, why is this so hard to believe?” Ridow shook his head.
 “I don’t know. We’ve just been at this, I’m starting to yearn for something that makes sense. I’ll make you an Altary punch tonight, will that be normal?” She asked smiling. Ridow let go of her braid and scratched his chin.
 “I don’t know, you and me at night, that’s pretty unusual.” Kate pushed her elbow into Ridow’s shoulder. They both began to laugh. When it was all over they looked at each other. And began to laugh again. Dirken sat down opposite to them.
 “Am I interrupting anything?” He asked, Kate and Ridow slowed down, and stopped laughing.
 “Nothing.” Kate said, wiping a tear out of her eye. Dirken picked up a bun, and tore a piece off.
 “Well this has been a very interesting few days. Legends being born, breaking down, swords flying through space, Shivans…” Ridow smiled.
 “Not what you were expecting in a cushy listening post job?” Dirken laughed. Kate didn’t move. She suddenly gave the Dirken a strange look.
 Beware Kate shook her head. Beware, she looked over at Ridow. Beware, She searched the deck, but the voice eventually stopped. Ridow was looking at her.
 “Something wrong?” He asked. Kate shook her head.
 “Nothing, sorry.” She looked up at Dirken. “Ensign.” She began. “How about joining us for a drink later tonight.” The ensign looked pleased, and unsure at the same time.
 “Yes, why not. Come on Dirken.” The ensign gave a little in his face.
 “I don’t know, what will the Admiral say?” Kate and Ridow looked at each other.
 “I don’t know… we could always invite him.” Ridow said, jokingly. “Don’t worry Ensign, there’s nothing wrong with sharing a drink with friends.” The ensign nodded.
 “All right then, I’ll see you later tonight.” Dirken stood, and walked away. Kate shivered.
 “What’s wrong?” Ridow asked. Kate shook her head.
 “I don’t know.” Kate said, “It’s probably nothing.” Kate stood, Ridow followed after her with his eyes. Kate walked out of the room, and down the long hallways of the GTI Dunwitch Hill. She found a window, and looked out. Space fluttered before her, a thousand stars. And slowly a Shivan’s face formed out of the stars, slowly at first, but barley visible. The voice spoke to her
 You are the Leader for the Shivans, never forget who you are, or your duty. Kate smiled.
  “What is my duty?” she asked.
 You will discover that, believe in Samuel Morrison, learn from him, take his knowledge, and make it yours. You are the Leader for the Shivans… The Face disappeared from the stars, they moved back to their original formation, and one shone more brightly then the rest.
 That was Earth, still out there, lost in the tomb of space, lost and yearning, waiting, and struggling to survive until her lost Generation was found again. She would have to bring them back to her. And so the Darkness Sang.

   To be Continued …
 

Leader for the Shivans 3: Journey from Dunwitch Hill
Will continue with:

Episode III: Teaching Vasudans to Dance.