Terran Knights 3: Chapter 52

“You know I think I could get used to this coffee thing. It’s no mulz but mulz keeps you awake. This stuff is like a desert or something like that.”

“That’s what Jack says.”

“Maybe he should be the leader.”

Marco and Ya’Cahin laughed making their way through the city. They each had their own coffee and walked at a slow pace. Marco kept one hand in his pocket as he sipped from his cup. “I mean, I did just lead us to victory against an evil hivemind not five hours ago. Plus I definitely wouldn’t trust Jack as a leader. But I trust him as my second every day of my life.”

She smiled, “Funny. I wouldn’t trust anyone else to be my co-captain but Jenny.”

“Glad I helped to raise a good and capable daughter,” he smiled.

“Yeah she’s pretty great.”

They worked their way down the sidewalk turning and winding here and there. But they slowed as they made their way to the pier. There weren’t any people out and that made sense since it was the middle of the night. “You ever think that not being able to sleep is a part of being a leader?”

Ya’Cahin snorted, “The amount of hours I’ve spent awake, I’d believe it.

 Walking toward the railing Marco leaned his elbows against it. She stood beside him sipping from her drink.

“You know. Alien’s wasn’t exactly what I was expecting when I became the leader of the Terran Knights all those years ago. Heck I thought it was just a onetime thing back then. But now I realize this is definitely a permanent gig,” he sighed.

“You were asked to become a knight right?” Ya’Cahin asked.

“Yeah. When Jack died he told Ley I was the best replacement for him. Maybe he was right,” he smiled but frowned glancing at her. “How did you get into this position?”

“Becoming the leader of my team?”

Marco nodded, “If you don’t mind telling me. I know it’s personal.”

She stared at the water for a moment but then looked at the sky, looked at the darkness and narrowed her eyes. She strained to see the stars above her head. She reached out toward one and shook her head, “On Xanic, my home planet, I was obsessed with the stars, leaving, and seeing the galaxy. And eventually I did. I saw a lot of scary and dangerous things but I also saw a lot of amazing things.

“Even on Xanic the stories of the Celestial Knights had reached us. You guys were legendary. Xilo, Ula and Tahu were a team of knights like you guys. You all couldn’t be every where and the universe needed help. I ran into them on some random planet and even helped them catch a criminal. They were going to leave but Xilo said he saw something in me. He offered to not only let me come with them but train and become a knight. Needless to say I jumped at the offer. It was hard for a long time but it was also amazing. Helping people. Beating criminals. Being the people that the stories always talked about. It was a dream come true.”

She smiled brightly and rubbed her eyes slowly, “But that changed when we fought Legion. It was the most dangerous alien we’d ever fought. We chased it for a long long time. We managed to cripple its operations but in the process lost Tahu and Ula. Even Xilo sacrificed himself to make sure I escaped in the pod.”

She looked away from the stars and back down to the water. It was calm. No breeze to move it at the base of the pier. “The pod that I escaped with was broken and damaged. I was floating out there for I don’t know how long. Ley saved me from drifting out in space and dying. They offered to take me back home. To forget all of this.

“But I didn’t. I kept going and doing what Xilo taught me to do. To protect people. And I did it alone for a long time. That’s how I got to Earth, met Jenny and Alice. They helped me find the alien, pin it down, and arrest it. It was funny because they didn’t have any sort of powers.”

“I was ready to leave when Alice and Jenny both said they wanted to come. They wanted to help me. I refused at first but they were persistent. Couldn’t shake them. Jenny especially. She confronted me and we got into a big fight. She called me stubborn and scared. Said I needed their help. That we made a great team. All that stuff.”

“I told her that I wasn’t fit to lead anything. That they’d get killed following me. But she watched me put myself in front of danger to protect people over and over and said that I reminded her of someone important. Of you. And any person like that she was willing to follow,” she smiled.

Marco smiled, “She gave out some high praise”

“She did,” Ya’Cahin nodded. “I told them give me a day. That I’d make my choice on whether or not to make a new team and they’d have to deal with my choice. They agreed. So I went and asked for advice the one person who’d know.”

“Who’s that?”

 “I went and found you.”

“Me?” He was shocked.

“Yeah. Like I said, the Celestial Knights were legendary. And you were the legendary leader of them. I asked Ley for help first but they told me to find you instead. I told you who I was and you treated me to coffee. We walked on the pier. We talked. About a lot of things. The next day I met them and asked if they were serious. They said they were. I tried to scare them and tell them how dangerous this was. Didn’t back off.

“So we found Ley and they reignited the stones of my former team and we were a team. I guess it’s in the blood because they were naturals. I thought things would go bad and I’d regret bringing them with me. But they saved my ass a bunch of times. Eve helped me recruit Rizier. Before I even realized it, we were more than a team. We were a family.”

“Sounds like whatever I said was good advice.”

“Something like that,” she finished the coffee. “Anyway. Once Rizier, Alice and Kathryn finish repairing the ship we’re going to have to figure out how we’re getting back home. Time travels weird.”

“If anyone would know how to do it, a celestial will,” Marco said.

“My thoughts exactly,” she looked back toward the sky. “Despite everything, I can’t say I regret coming to the past. It was nice meeting my predecessor.”

Marco smiled finishing his coffee as well, “The feeling is mutual.”