Secret Origins: Celebrand
Times Past, 2950
Odyssey
by Libbylawrence
Chapter 1: The Diamond Sect
On a small desert world called Merivan stood a young man with dark thinning hair. He had a serious look on his face as he wore the uniform of an officer in the United Planets Space Fleet. The name he had enlisted under was Celebrand. It was a name that already carried a certain mystique. He was known as a heroic soldier, a capable leader, and a somewhat pensive man with a troubled manner.
He shielded his eyes with one hand and lowered his scanner as his companions waited, cursing the heat and the dust once more. His group consisted of several other soldiers as well as a band of mercenaries the natives had paid to help the U.P. soldiers protect them against the periodic terrorist attacks perpetrated by members of the enigmatic group of aliens known as the Dominion.
“The Dominators are just over that sand dune,” said an earnest young soldier named Boltux. “We’re gaining on them. They won’t escape this time!” Boltux was a rookie. He was inexperienced and knew nothing of the ways of war yet. He lacked the decade of experience that Celebrand already had. It was this degree of knowledge versus ignorance or innocence that separated the pair. Celebrand carried the weight of the world in his every gesture and did little to conceal conflicted emotions behind his dark and deep-set eyes.
Celebrand was already eager to complete the mission. He had become disgruntled with the Space Fleet, and he wanted nothing more than to end his military service. He was not a coward, but he had become jaded and felt that the Fleet had lost much of its effectiveness. He was none too happy about working with some of the mercenaries, either.
A massive man who had a nasty scar across one side of his face grinned with pleasure as he fingered a long-handled weapon. He caressed the bladed weapon as he ran his hands over its handle.
“Good! Once the Persuader, here, cuts into those yellow-skinned freaks, the heart will go out of their terrorist raids for a long time!” he said.
Celebrand frowned. He didn’t like Wolf Behbach. The bloodthirsty brute was a skilled killer with no regard for anything beyond a love of violence for its own sake. As a young officer in the U.P. Space Fleet, Celebrand had no choice but to work with him, since Behbach and other mercenaries had been hired by the fearful Regent Nove of Merivan to help the U.P. troops drive away the Dominion terrorists who wanted nothing more than to see the U.P. pull back away from any settlement so close to their own disputed territory.
Celebrand said, “Behbach, the way you call that ax by a name disturbs me. You act like it was alive.”
Behbach grinned hungrily and said, “The Persuader is my partner. It’s as much an extension of me as my right arm! I found my destiny when it claimed me as its own.”
A blond-haired man with a beard and a dashing manner smiled and said, “Captain Celebrand is a man of particularly squeamish sensibilities. He doesn’t share your passion for carnage.”
A man with sharp features and a rather fastidious manner said, “Leave him alone, Haymar. You and your New Tortuga vermin could do with some scruples — not that I understand the need for them myself.”
“Kasmir, you would not last long in my homeland,” replied Haymar. “We may be pirates, but we don’t pretend to be anything more. You still delude yourself with a façade of virtue.”
Kasmir drew himself up in indignation. “I am more than a petty cutpurse. I am the Master of my Guild. On Thieves World, that carries as much honor as does the title of Master Artisan or Doctor!”
A beautiful woman with long black hair shook her head; whether it was in amusement, disgust, or both could not only be guessed. She wore a tight black jumpsuit with an array of weapons slung over her back and across her chest. Celebrand could not determine exactly what motivated Valentina Armorr. She was a lovely woman, yet she earned her living as a hired soldier or bounty hunter. She practiced some arcane martial art while the others bickered. She seemed to be far above the ruthless types he found himself serving with on this mission.
Celebrand turned to six other Fleet soldiers and said, “Admiral Allon wants us to round up this group and return to the ship. The end of this tour of duty can’t come soon enough for me.”
A young soldier named Boltux had approached closer to his commander, and he whispered insistently, “Captain Celebrand, I don’t understand how a man with your service record can have such an obvious disdain for his job.”
Celebrand sighed and said, “Boltux, I entered the U.P. Space Fleet years ago as a kid in search of a fight. I was a bit naïve. I thought I was embarking on a great adventure. I saw it as a crusade of sorts. Well, the reality of service has altered my views quite a bit since then. There are plenty of good men in the Fleet. Admiral Allon is one of them. Still, there are others who want nothing more than a license to kill and to take any illegal reward they can grasp. They exploit the natives of the worlds we protect, and many commanders turn a blind eye to their actions. I’ve lost my faith in the Fleet, and when this mission ends, I’m leaving. I intend to leave the service as soon as possible. I’ve had enough.”
Boltux remained silent. He knew Celebrand had earned several commendations for his service dating back to the time before the Dominion border wars had erupted. He had even heard that the troubled captain had once had a reputation as a bit of a brawler himself. He saw no signs of that trait in the man now.
Valentina Armorr said, “I share your sentiments, but I’m paid to complete the job. I’d like to get those credits and get away from this forsaken world.”
Haymar said, “You’d prefer other company, wouldn’t you?”
She raised an energy blaster and said, “Of course I would. Haymar, you’re nothing more than a butcher. You belong back on New Tortuga with the other pirates. Kasmir, you’re a skulking coward who prefers to attack from behind. As for Wolf, he is clearly a psychotic.” She gestured to where the burly brute stood spinning the deadly ax.
Celebrand said, “What about me? Do you have an equally low opinion of me and my troops?”
She smiled and said, “You intrigue me. I know you’ve literally beaten some rather tough customers to bloody pulps in the past on your periods of leave. Yet you also seem reflective. You are a warrior at war with himself. That dichotomy stimulates me.”
They moved swiftly across the white sands, and Celebrand pondered the female bounty hunter’s words. A warrior at war with himself, he thought.
He led the motley group over the sand dunes until they came upon a small group sheltering within a recessed area. The five Dominators wore brown robes that did little to conceal their yellowish skin or distinctive mannerisms.
Wolf smiled and said, “Five? They sent a paltry pack to do their killing. Still, the Persuader will feed without being sated.”
Celebrand gripped his arm and whispered, “Hold it. We need to take them alive. I can’t imagine this small a band is working out here alone. They must know where their allies are hiding. If we can learn more, then we can stop the group that has been attacking the villagers.”
Boltux nodded in approval. He was clearly nervous, but he wanted to look bold and decisive in front of his peers.
Haymar said, “As you say, Captain. Still, I rather agree with Wolf, here. End them now, and we’ll never have to fear these particular Dominators again.”
Kasmir smiled and said, “What’s wrong, Haymar? Can’t you sleep easy at night?”
Valentina said, “Listen to Celebrand. Take them alive.” She moved effortlessly and silently down the dune and dropped with catlike agility into the center of the small camp below. Before the startled Dominators could react, she had spun around to deliver a side kick that dropped one of them to the sand.
Wolf roared and raced forward with his gleaming ax spinning over his head. He charged into the camp and brought the sinister weapon down across the chest of the nearest alien. It hummed slightly as it sliced through him with lethal ease.
“Behbach, you butcher!” said an angry Celebrand as he ordered his men forward. They swiftly secured the camp as he bent to examine the injured alien.
“Nebulae! You nearly cleaved him in half! You ignored my direct orders. I’ll see you pay for this, you bloodthirsty savage,” he said, glaring at the other man.
Wolf Behbach said, “War is nothing but a series of murders. Get used to it.”
Kasmir held a slender curved blade to the throat of the tallest Dominator. He looked to Celebrand for approval and said, “Tell us where your partners are. The Dominion wouldn’t send a mere five soldiers to fight a village.”
The Dominator hissed and insisted in a husky voice, ”We are alone! You have our purpose wrong. We are here not to drive away the settlers but to protect them. We are not in agreement with the regime that rules the Dominion and threatens to tarnish our culture with aggression and fear.”
Wolf said, “Slice his throat. It don’t make any difference if the yellow freak is for or against us.”
Valentina Armorr crossed the camp in the blink of an eye and stood eye to eye with the unshaven Wolf. “Back off! I won’t hesitate to kill you. Your head would be worth a few credits to some sources I can reach,” she said. She stared at the bigger man, but her resolve was such that she failed to flinch or back away from him in spite of his mass.
Celebrand moved closer to her. Something about her appealed to him. She was a bounty hunter, but she had certain qualities that lifted her above most of her profession. He hoped to protect her from Wolf, but he doubted she needed his help. She stood firm, and Wolf finally lowered his gaze.
“Bah! Do what you want. I’ll find more sport in time,” he grunted dismissively.
Valentina caught Celebrand’s eye and inclined her head slightly. She had good features. Her face was pretty and almost delicate in nature, but she had a warrior’s soul.
He said nothing, but he felt as if they shared something unspoken. If their surroundings had been different, much more might have been said or done.
She said, “Now that the butcher has been satisfied, perhaps we can get the data we need.”
Celebrand ordered his men to secure the camp, and he began to question the Dominators. He was an expert linguist and could speak dozens of languages. “We are here to stop a band of your people from harming the settlers the United Planets has placed here. If you truly are opposed to the policies of your world’s government, then perhaps you could tell us where to find them.”
The Dominator stared at Celebrand in an appraising manner, and then she spoke. “We are against the Caste. We have adopted numbers in defiance of the norm. I am 3452. We wear no caste dots and adopt a diamond emblem in place of a dot. We are known as the Diamond Sect. We have chosen to oppose our government and those in the higher Castes. We fled here for our own safety.”
Celebrand said, “You won’t find much of a welcome here. Your people have attacked the locals again and again. I fear many of them would respond to the mere sight of you in the way Wolf did.”
“We expect nothing more from Outworlders,” said 3452. “We are truly people without refuge.”
Haymar opened a flask of Venusian ale and swigged it carelessly before saying, “Such is life. Now, can you lead us to the terrorists? We can offer you protection for as long as we need you.”
Celebrand stepped forward and said, “Help us, and we’ll take you with us. The U.P. can offer you safety in exchange for your help.”
The Dominator calling herself 3452 nodded slowly, and her eyes met those of her allies. They looked to her for the decision. “Agreed. We can track our brethren. They are not far from here,” she said.
Boltux said, “Sir, night is falling. What are your orders?”
Celebrand said, “We enlist the help of this Diamond Sect, and we complete our mission.”
***
Chapter 2: The Wanderer
As the blue-green moons gazed down impassively on the world called Merivan, Celebrand and his group followed the Diamond Sect and soon came upon a rocky cavern. The Dominator called 3452 stretched out one long arm, pointing at the dark mouth of the cave.
Celebrand nodded and gestured his men forward. “Gardner, Binder, secure the perimeter. Alert us if anyone comes near the cavern. We don’t want to be cut off from the outside,” he said. ”Kasmir, you are the expert on stealth. Take the lead.”
Kasmir drew his ornate dagger and disappeared into the darkness, moving swiftly and quietly.
Celebrand led the others inside. He trusted the Diamond Sect for reasons he could not explain. He felt as if by pure instinct that they could be relied upon. This type of intuition went back to his days as a pupil on Titan at the Mind Institute. He was not a native, of course, but he had learned certain mental disciplines on that world. He felt that his instincts could be trusted. This type of thing made him more uncomfortable with the Fleet, because policy often precluded his kind of decision-making.
Soon, they found themselves looking down on a huge chamber that opened up from the narrow entrance passage to expand into a opening that held a larger group of Dominators.
Celebrand whispered to his allies, “We have them. It looks like there are around twenty of them. Conventional weaponry can be seen from here. We need to catch them by surprise. Move swiftly and remember to kill only as a last resort. They are valuable to us for the data they may have.”
Haymar said, “Aye, aye, Captain. We’ll do you proud.” He raised an energy rifle and said, “At your command?”
Celebrand nodded, and they moved closer to the group. The Diamond Sect Dominators had drawn their own weapons as well. Celebrand had returned their weapons to them before they entered the cavern. They quickly surrounded the larger group and charged into battle.
Kasmir had stabbed a sentry in the back and had removed him from the immediate area. The Dominators were caught completely off-guard.
Celebrand saw Valentina Armorr fire a laser blaster with precise aim. She brought down the nearest two Dominators before rolling across the floor to take shelter behind a rock formation. He fired his own gun and drove back a Dominator who was running out of places to hide. Celebrand was a good shot, but he knew he lacked the woman’s skill.
Haymar fired directly into the roof of the cavern and smiled coldly as rocks showered down on top of the tightly clustered enemy Dominators.
Kasmir was nowhere to be seen, but the stealthy thief worked best from the shadows.
No one could miss Wolf Behbach as he roared and brought his Persuader down with brutal force.
As he saw the thug turn the ax against one of the Diamond Sect Dominators, Celebrand thought, He’s completely out of control. He can’t be trusted. I knew it! “Stop it, Wolf!” he yelled as he kicked another Dominator aside and saw the Diamond Sect group try to fight their way back to help their fallen brother.
Wolf ignored them all, using the ancient ax to slice open the very atmosphere above the nearest Dominators.
They choked in pain and fell to the ground even as the rip in space sealed itself again, as Wolf panted in pleasure, standing over their bodies. Grinning, he glanced left and right in search of more victims.
Boltux and the others had managed to contain the Dominators and forced them to surrender. The young soldier was clearly shocked by Wolf’s conduct. He was uncertain how to respond, and he looked desperately for some sign from his commander.
Celebrand noticed the victory, such as it was, but he made no statement and gave no orders. Instead, he tackled Wolf Behbach and began to wrestle the Persuader out of his grasp. “Behbach! You vicious butcher! You won’t understand what you’ve done. You won’t care about official reproach. Maybe you’ll learn from a simple beating!” he said. He was not as strong as his foe, and he certainly lacked the other man’s savage nature. He drew upon his skills in various martial arts, but mainly he merely wrestled with the brute and tried to keep the Persuader from entering the fight.
“Ha! You’re more than a coward! I never would have guessed it of you,” said Wolf as he tried to turn the long-handled ax around to cut the man.
Celebrand said nothing as he struggled with his enemy. He no longer saw the cavern or heard the cries of his soldiers. He only saw a red haze as his anger took over and he fought for his life. He groaned and ripped the ax out of Behbach’s hands.
It clattered across the floor of the cavern, and Haymar reached out for it. He yelped in pain as Valentina’s high-heeled boot crashed down on his hand.
“Stay out of it. This is between the two of them,” she said. Haymar rubbed his hand and scowled as she eased him away from the battling pair.
Celebrand punched Wolf in the nose. He darted back and connected again and again. Still, Behbach was made of hardy stock, and he continued to fight back. He clawed at Celebrand’s eyes and rammed a knee into his stomach.
Celebrand gasped and began to choke the bigger man until slowly, in spite of his best efforts, Wolf broke his grip and knocked him flat. “Give me the Persuader, or I’ll kill you!” he cried as he turned to Valentina.
She grabbed the ax, hesitating for a moment. She saw Celebrand try to rise from the cave floor, only to fall back down again. She raised the ax and hurled it out of the cavern. “Go claim it, but leave us! You aren’t wanted here anymore!” she said.
Wolf scowled and rubbed his hands together nervously. “OK, you win! I’m heading for the mining colonies, anyway. A guy can really get some action there,” he said. He walked off and retrieved the gleaming ax. He turned around and stared at the group before walking away into the night.
Boltux helped Celebrand to his feet and took stock of the situation. “The terrorists have surrendered, but the Diamond Sect departed during the fight. The woman said her people would fight alone. They could not trust allies like us,” he said slowly.
Celebrand rubbed his aching head and cursed. “If we could have gained their trust, perhaps they could have helped us end the Dominion border wars for good. Now, if they choose to work alone, they may never achieve their goal of toppling the current Caste.”
Valentina said, “You truly cared about ending the conflict. It’s not just business or duty to you.” She placed one hand on his face and leaned closer. “You are a good man. You don’t belong with the Fleet. I hope you find what you’re searching for out there. I think I’m going to go to Japan. I’d like to pit my skills against a certain felon I’ve heard about from those parts.”
He kissed her once, and then she was gone. Celebrand turned to Boltux and said, “Take them in. You are in command. I’m leaving.”
Boltux said, “But — Captain Celebrand, sir, you are in command.”
Celebrand ripped the insignia off of his Fleet jacket and tossed it aside. “Not any longer. I resign from the Space Fleet. I’m not a captain anymore. I’m just Celebrand,” he said.
Gardner said, “You can’t just quit like that!”
Celebrand said, “I just did. I never really belonged to the Space Fleet, anyway. I always felt like an outsider. I need to do something else. I need to find allies with my kind of values. I don’t believe in any system that continues a senseless border dispute when peace could be reached under different measures. I think a small group of like-minded nomadic individuals could do more good for people than the outdated and sometimes-corrupt U.P. Fleet.”
Boltux ran over to him and said, “Wait! Admiral Allon will order your arrest!”
Celebrand shook his head. “This mission was to be my last. He knew that. I’ve chosen to abort it a bit earlier than he expected, that’s all. Allon is a good man. He knows I did my best. I saved his life once on Earth’s Moon, of all places. He’ll fix things for me. I know I can rely on him for that.” He walked into the darkness and left the soldiers, the captured Dominators, and Haymar and Kasmir behind him.
Kasmir said, “If I can make a good sum from helping the desert people, I’ll take it and finance a few schemes I’ve been hatching. The woman was right. I’m a thief, not a soldier.”
Haymar smiled and said, “I think I may just leave as well. Maybe I can get Valentina to team up with me. If not, well, there’s always piracy!”
Celebrand did not hear them. He was deep in thought, and he was oddly optimistic. He did not know where his journey would take him, but he was determined to forge a brighter future for himself and for others.
