Kadance: Another Tale

14

Leran reads the written report  Kellan and his LC had handed to him. The more he reads the more incredulous he becomes.

Shaking his head he sends the call through to Gaia HQ. "Captain?" Jannsen says tiredly, it's obvious he's been reading the report as well. The report sits in front of him and there's a look of incredulity on his face. "You've read the report?" Since there are dying natives on his ship he has a right to do so.

"Yes, sir. Commander Kellan told me I should do so. Said there were things he didn't get around to telling you that I needed to know. He also said that they would be difficult to be believed and that he has video evidence for most of it and physical for the other."

The video proof had also been sent. "Yes, I've watched the videos. As incredible as it is to believe... that window and wind came out of nowhere and went back into nowhere. Get the Commander in there I need to talk to him."

"I've already sent for him. He was checking on the survivors, he'll be here shortly, sir." Leran closes his eyes, of the three thousand civilians that joined them one thousand remained on Dayla to die. Of the two thousand that came on the ship more than an hundred have been put in cold sleep or died.

"The survivors-" Jansen's voice goes soft and sad. "What's the status of the survivors?"

"Not good, sir, more than a hundred are in cold sleep awaiting permission to return to Dayla to die. The rest have a yearning to return and it grows stronger in them all. There is about five hundred that are marginally healthy and able to cope, but the others are slowly succumbing to the illness and need to return to Dayla."

"According to the report, Dayla isn't fit to breathe the atmosphere there any more. We can't send them back or they'll die." Jannsen says hiding or at least trying to hide his agitation.

"They want to die on their home world, Admiral. They are dying anyway, nothing will stop that. Some will find death relatively quickly, others will take years, possibly centuries to die. They want to go home."

"I won't deny them the right to choose how they die. Let them return, but how do we get them there without those taking them also perishing?" Adm Jannsen says in pain. Now he understands a bit of the pain Kellan wore on his body.

Kellan enters in time to hear that last bit. "If they are there to return the natives to that land then they will not become ill. But they won't be allowed to linger for long, just long enough to help the dead and dying find a place to rest. They must only go to the spot where we had our compound. That will be the only location they will be permitted to land."

"But will it be safe to go there after all the seismic activity?" Jannsen demands of Kellan as he takes a seat in front of the camera.

Kellan nods his head wearily. Even after a decent amount of sleep he's still not rested. At least not fully. He doubts he'll ever feel fully refreshed after Dayla. "It's been promised that the spot will remain a place for the lost to return. Dayla's promise to us as well."

Jannsen sighs heavily, "Very well. Allow those that wish to return do so. Ask for volunteers to help with the dead  and dying to a location for their resting place."

Both men nod in response. "What more can we do to rectify this disaster, Commander?" The Admiral demands.

Kellan sighs deeply, "All others needs to be warned away from this planet. I suggest training for the natives and while they are being trained in modern ways/things that a space station be built for them. They can remain close to Dayla and easily return when it is time and at the same time warn others away. Of course we'll need to have others man the station as well, since eventually all the natives will die."

"That's not the answer I was looking for," Jannsen growls out, he holds a hand up to stop Kellan from speaking. "However, I realize that it's the best answer there is. There is no hope for them, is there?"

Kellan wipes the tears he can't help away. "No, Admiral, there isn't. Please, allow this for them..."

"Yes, it's only fair that we do this, but what about that planet? We need the minerals and farmland."

"I must meet up with Jayse and Tommy. They have the answer but it's clouded by pain. Dayla has a gift for them to help them to remember. They are the key."

Jannsen smirks, "Yes, that team is the key to a lot of things for us as a whole aren't they?" Jannsen becomes sober once more. "Tommy and Jayse are already at Camp and have been there for some time. They've been helping me with a little project-"

Jansen lets the suspense build before he once more drops a bomb while smirking, "They are reforming one of the dead companies."

There isn't much more that Jannsen could have said that would have shocked them more. Perhaps the shifter home world coordinates or that the shifters had all surrendered perhaps but not much else.

Now it's the LC's turn to choke out a response, "Sir, how is that possible? We've never restarted a company after it died."

Jannsen's smile turns sad. "We've never had the numbers available until now. Almost all the companies will be at or near capacity with this turns graduating group."

Kellan looks at Jannsen while the LC and Captain look at each other, "Sir, which company are you reactivating?" They all hold their breaths.

Jannsen gives them an innocent look, "Why, Sigma, of course." Jannsen loves the sick look on all their faces. The best Company in the society to be reactivated.

Kellan isn't sure that he wants to know this, but some sick sense of dread is making him ask the question any way. "Who will be in Sigma?"

Jannsen once more loses his smirk and actually turns a little white. "Only the best of the best." They all turn white, just like before and there is no doubt in any of their minds who that means. "The core of Sigma will be made up of Kadance's children and those of her near friends." All of Kadances' team have children in the same group graduating this turn. Even Tanker and Barron have children in this graduating turn.

"Oh, shit." Kellan says what they are all thinking.

"They have all been taught by the best in the fields. If it weren't for the age requirement they would have graduated two turns ago, all of them." Jannsen says awe in his voice and a wry twist of his lips. "I've had them going on covert missions for the last two years under the direction of their father's of course." If they hadn't, Jannsen shivers, Kadance would have had his hide.

"Admiral, even with the covert missions they don't have sufficient leadership skills to lead a Company. Who will lead the new Sigma?" Kellan asks but is praying he's wrong.

Jannsen once more gets a sick look on his face, "Why the only two that are anywhere near the level necessary to make this company into the finest we've ever had."

Leran wants to faint, there is no doubt as to who the admiral means. "Jade and Jax?"