Chapter Fifteen

Early the following morning, Lahkaba was awakened by a knock on the door to his room. Grumpily, he crawled out of bed and opened the door, revealing Zoeko. She held their jamming device in her hand.

Groggily, Lahkaba sat down in one of the room’s chairs. He said nothing. Something important had clearly brought Zoeko here. It was too early in the morning to try to reason out what it was.

“I need you to do something,” Zoeko began.

Rubbing sleep from his eyes, Lahkaba remained silent.

After a moment, Zoeko continued, “I need you to find out what Rathalos is planning to do once the Dotran fleet departs.”

“Why are you coming to me with this? And in such secrecy?” Lahkaba asked.

Zoeko hissed quietly. “The others are already planning to get closer with our new rebel friend. But I don’t believe they’ll share what they learn with me.”

“And you expect me to?”

“Yes,” Zoeko said flatly.

“What makes you think he’ll share anything with me?” Lahkaba asked.

He didn’t like the idea of there being secrets among the members of their delegation. They were all supposed to be on the same side. But Zoeko was right—Valinther would surely attempt to hide what he learned from her.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Zoeko asked. “Rathalos clearly respects you. You’re a Kowwok who stood up for justice. You were the one he first revealed himself to. And it wasn’t until you all but ordered him to that he spoke to us.

“Valinther may understand him and may even support their resistance efforts more, but he’s just a politician. You’ve fought on the front lines. You were part of the group that started our war for freedom. You’re who Rathalos wants to be.”

Zoeko’s reasoning brought Lahkaba up short. He had never thought of himself in those terms. In the story of the rebellion in the Kreogh sector, Maarkean and Zeric had always been the ones viewed as heroes. He had received his share of praise and respect, but the way Zoeko described his role sounded much more heroic.

He wasn’t sure he agreed. She assumed that Rathalos knew far more about him than was likely. But then, half truths were often easier to worship than reality.

“Assuming you’re right, isn’t getting closer to him dangerous? If the Dotran find out we’re consorting with people hell-bent on overthrowing them, it will mean the end of any hope for a treaty. And probably our lives,” Lahkaba said.

“Yes, but if you can learn what the rebels are planning, we can use that knowledge as a bargaining chip with the Dotran,” Zoeko said with a dark smile.

“Betray the rebels?” Lahkaba said, disgusted. “Why would I do that? They’re my own people!”

Zoeko let out a sharp hiss. “No, they’re not. Your people live on Sulas and all the other worlds in the Kreogh sector. It was you who said we must stand together as a sector to win our freedom from the Alliance. That means putting the needs of the Union ahead of that of the people of Kowwa.”

The words stung, making him angry. Without thinking, he snapped, “So I’m just supposed to obey, like a good little Kowwok?”

A deep growl emerged from Zoeko, and she flashed her teeth. Instead of saying anything, though, she leaned back against the dresser behind her and took a deep breath. When she next spoke, her tone was more moderate. Her thick tail still thumped against the dresser—a sign of agitation.

“I don’t expect this to be an easy decision for you. And I apologize if I implied otherwise. But you must know that the odds of this resistance group succeeding are small.”

“So are the odds of the Union succeeding. Doesn’t mean we’re not trying,” Lahkaba countered.

Zoeko shook her head emphatically. “That’s different. My people keep a much tighter leash on the Kowwok than the Alliance ever did on any of our worlds. There’s also no history of resistance among your people.

“Yes, drafting Kowwoks into their military has opened the door to Kowwoks learning to fight. And yes, someday, that will probably lead to a revolution. But the odds of it succeeding will be higher if the Union gains its independence and can be there to provide support. Right now, we need the Dotran. In ten or twenty years, we might be in a position to help.”

Lahkaba’s first instinct was to argue, but he held his tongue. The Union needed Dotran help to gain their freedom. The Kowwoks would need help to gain theirs. Right now, he couldn’t give it to them.

“All right,” Lahkaba conceded. “I’ll try to find out more about them. But, this doesn’t mean I’m going to betray them. I want to try to convince them to wait.”

Zoeko looked like she was about to argue, but instead she nodded her head. “Very well. That will be good enough for me. I trust you to do what’s right for the Union.”

She left his room, leaving Lahkaba feeling guilty. He wanted to help the Kowwok resistance succeed, but he also agreed with Zoeko.

Watching out the shuttle’s window, Solyss saw the main city on Okaral start to take shape. The buildings of the settlement looked like nothing more than small rectangles from this height. They were built in the center of a wide ring of cultivated land. Even rows of different colored fields surrounded the city, extending a great distance. A few kilometers away, a massive hole had been dug into what had probably once been a mountain.

Turning away as they entered a cloud bank, Solyss looked over the other people in the shuttle. They were seated in an Alliance assault shuttle that had been acquired from the orbiting space station. Once the Tornado had fled and the Gallant had taken up a guard position near the station, resistance onboard had collapsed. The station’s commander had been killed in the marine assault on the command center, but her XO had surrendered.

Now, Solyss rode down to the surface, accompanied by a squad of marines led by Asheerah. Gamaly and Kueth had also insisted on joining them. Even though the Alliance forces on the station had surrendered, they hadn’t been forthcoming about how many troops were planet-side. No one knew what kind of resistance they would find below.

Noticeably absent from the group was Isaxo. Beside Solyss, Soo’bim Bidi‘kyre sat at the pilot station. The Liw’kel man normally flew as Ion Two. Isaxo had wanted to fly the team down to the surface, but Solyss had been forced to confine him to quarters for the time being. He hadn’t yet decided what to do about his young Notha squadron leader.

As Bidi’kyre set the shuttle down on the surface of Okaral, Asheerah readied her marines near the shuttle’s door. Solyss had allowed them to rest for a few hours after the assault on the space station, but he knew it hadn’t been nearly long enough. Hidden by their full-body suits of armor, they showed no outward signs of fatigue, but he knew it must be there.

Behind the marines, Kueth sat with his left leg shaking nervously. Solyss could sympathize with the man’s desire to reunite with his family. It had been years since he had seen his.

The shuttle door dropped suddenly, forming a ramp. Asheerah led the marines out onto a hard-packed dirt street. Solyss remained where he was, Asheerah having already hammered home the point that he was not to leave the shuttle until she gave the all-clear. After several moments of silence, she gave it.

Solyss, Gamaly, and Kueth stepped off the shuttle. Overhead, the system’s dual suns beat down on them with savage intensity. The planet’s orbit placed this latitude in the middle of summer, and it was clearly not a pleasant season.

Before them lay the city. The square buildings he had seen from the air now revealed themselves to be shoddy, pre-fab, grey buildings. The dirt street cut a path between the buildings. Everything looked dirty and dilapidated.

The marines stood behind several crates and a parked vehicle that sat near the two buildings on the edge of the town. They were the only signs of life. Completely empty, the streets gave the city the look of a ghost town.

“Where is everyone?” he asked, looking at Kueth.

The other Terran bore a confused expression. He shrugged. “I have no idea. Hiding, maybe?”

As if in answer to his question, a blaster bolt flew out and struck the ground near Solyss’s feet. Solyss and Kueth both stood there, momentarily shocked. It took Gamaly grabbing his arm as she ran for cover to bring him back to his senses.

He followed Gamaly to the side of the nearest building. A marine—in the armor, he couldn’t tell which one—stood at the edge of the building. The marine had his rifle at the ready but was crouched down, presumably out of the line of fire. Despite feeling that it wouldn’t do him much good, Solyss decided to draw his pistol and move up beside the marine, even as he heard more blaster fire coming from around the corner.

“Report,” Solyss said.

“At least two shooters, sir,” the marine said. Solyss recognized the voice as belonging to Staff Sergeant Wurth Yuly.

Yuly leaned around the corner and fired a quick barrage from his rifle. He came back a second later, tilting his head slightly, as if listening to something. Sitting there, Solyss felt useless. He didn’t want to give any orders, knowing Asheerah could handle the situation herself. He would just get in her way.

Beside him, Gamaly looked as uncomfortable as he felt. She was similarly armed with a pistol but had made no move to join the fight. Solyss knew her proficiency with firearms, but the pregnancy limited her.

After an agonizing few minutes, the blaster fire ceased. Yuly leaned around the corner again and then said, “It’s clear, sir.”

Solyss followed the armored marine out from behind his cover. They found the corpse of a Ronid female in the center of the street. She was dressed in civilian attire, and it was unlikely she had been a member of the Alliance force planet-side.

“Both shooters were civvies,” Asheerah said flatly.

“Not the welcome I would have expected from a prison colony. Well, not for their rescuers anyway,” Solyss said, casting a meaningful glance at Kueth.

The man shook his head. “I don’t understand it. They shouldn’t have access to weapons. The Alliance made sure of that.”

Asheerah picked up the rifle next to the woman. “RE-112. Alliance standard issue. It looks like they changed their mind about arming the locals.”

Looking down at the dead woman, Solyss considered their options. They clearly weren’t welcome, at least on first sight. But the locals likely had no idea what had occurred in orbit. The Alliance troops might not even know, and if they did, they could have told the people anything. Perhaps these people had merely been defending themselves from invaders.

“We keep going,” Solyss ordered. “Keep on the lookout. From now on, non-lethal force if at all possible.”

Though hidden by her armor, Asheerah cast him a glance he felt sure was one of annoyance. She hated using the stun setting. Nevertheless, she gave the order to the marines.

The group continued down the road leading into the city. Marines took positions in the vanguard and brought up the rear, with the unarmored people like Solyss in the center. Eerie silence surrounded them as they walked. After a few blocks, the marine in the lead threw his hand up, signaling them all to stop.

Before Solyss could move away from the center of the street, windows and doors in the buildings around them flew open and people appeared in them, all holding weapons. At a wordless order from Asheerah, the marines collapsed into a tight group surrounding him and the two civilians.

For a long moment, no one moved. Despite the armored marines forming a wall between him and their attackers, Solyss felt vulnerable. Their armor would protect them from some limited fire, but the concentrated attack that could come from those around them would be more than the armor could withstand.

“Mirel?” Kueth said and then suddenly stood up over the crouching marines.

Another shout came from among their ambushers. “Kueth?!”

At the sound of the woman’s voice, Kueth pushed himself forward and out from behind the marines. A middle-aged woman came running out of the building to their left, and the two embraced.

No one else quite knew how to respond. After a moment, the weapons held by the civilians started to lower, though not very far. The marines kept theirs raised and aimed.

The realization that they were still surrounded by a bunch of people with guns must have finally intruded on Kueth and Mirel, who Solyss assumed was his wife. The pair of them broke apart, though not going far.

Kueth turned to Solyss. “Major, this is my wife. These people won’t hurt you,” he said, a wide grin still on his face.

“That depends on what His Lordship decides,” Mirel replied. “They’ve already killed two of our lookouts. Who are they, Kueth? How did you get here?”

Looking confused, Kueth said, “Mirel, this is Major Solyss Novastar of the Union navy. He’s come to free us from the Alliance.”

“Lord Renard has already freed us from the Alliance. And now he’ll decide your fate,” one of the Terran men in the windows shouted back.

Beside him, Gamaly groaned.

Ignoring her, Solyss stood up, holstering his pistol as he did so. He surveyed the group of armed locals and was surprised to see that a majority of them were Terrans and Braz. Upon reflection, he decided that shouldn’t be surprising. Josserand and Kueth were both Terran. This planet might be a prison, but it was nothing like the Olan prison on Sulas. Here, people would have been free to move about and live their lives, to a certain extent. He turned to face Kueth and Mirel. “I think now’s a good time to go see Lord Renard.”

“Throw your weapons to the ground,” said the man who had spoken earlier. “Then we’ll take you to Renard.”

Solyss started to move his hand to drop his pistol but stopped when Asheerah said, “Not gonna happen.”

Stopping, he rested his hand on the pistol’s grip as if that had been his intention all along. He had no worries about going unarmed to this meeting. With Gallant and the space station in orbit, the people here were at his mercy. But he also recognized that tone in Asheerah’s voice. An order from him wouldn’t change her mind. He didn’t want to have to reprimand another one of his friends for insubordination.

“You’re going to drop your weapons, or we’re going to make you drop your weapons,” the man in the window threatened.

“Good luck with that,” Asheerah said, her voice icy calm. Solyss could imagine the satisfied smile on her face at the prospect of showing her skill.

“Boci,” Mirel said, stepping away from Kueth and in front of Asheerah. “These people brought Kueth back to me. They’re not our enemies.”

For a moment, Boci kept his rifle ready, now aimed at Mirel. She continued to give him a determined look, and he eventually lowered the weapon. He gestured to the others. “They can keep their weapons. For now. We’ll let His Lordship decide their fate.”

Once the locals lowered their weapons, Asheerah ordered the marines to do the same. She kept them in a tight defense formation around Solyss and Gamaly as they were led through the city.

While they walked, Solyss tried to keep an eye on Kueth. The man stayed close to Mirel, the two quietly talking together. Their pleasure at seeing each other was obvious, and Solyss felt slightly better about agreeing to help Kueth. His team still might not achieve their goal by coming here, but at least Kueth hadn’t been lying about his family being trapped here. That counted for something in Solyss’s book.

They walked through the city streets, taking only a few turns. A large, clean building came into view after a few minutes. The structure looked much more stable and well-maintained than anything else he had seen. As they got closer, he decided it would most likely be the Alliance’s ground headquarters.

Once inside the building, Solyss recognized signs of a battle. Burn marks marred the walls, doors were crumpled in, and shattered glass littered the floor. Either the battle had occurred very recently, or the locals didn’t have any interest in cleaning it up.

Their journey ended in a small courtroom. The judge’s bench towered above them at the front of the room. The room held no jury box, which Solyss knew to be typical for Alliance courts that dealt mostly with aliens, who weren’t entitled to trials by jury.

Solyss and the marines squeezed into the center of the room, where the accused would typically stand. The locals lined the walls, still holding their rifles ready, though they remained pointed at the floor.

The man who had spoken to them earlier, Boci, shouted, “All bow in honor of His Lordship Josserand Renard!”

Boci bowed low as a door opened behind the bench. Some of the others in the room bowed, though most merely bobbed their head. The marines, if they did anything, stood up straighter.

A middle-aged man dressed in an ill-fitting Alliance officer’s uniform came through the door and took a seat behind the bench. He matched the description Solyss had been given for Josserand. He waved his hand in a sweeping gesture toward those in the room. “You may rise. Now, tell me, what do we have here?”

“My lord,” Boci said, “these invaders landed in an Alliance shuttle. They raided the town, killing two of our people. They don’t wear Alliance uniforms, but they’re clearly mercenaries hired by the Alliance to assassinate you and take back the town.”

“Boci, you idiot, they aren’t with the Alliance. Kueth brought them here to help us,” Mirel said, her tone impatient.

“Is that really you, Kueth, my loyal servant?” Josserand said, surprise evident in his voice.

“It is… my lord,” Kueth replied, hesitating on the honorific. “When you were taken by the Alliance, I made contact with the Union military. They agreed to help free you in exchange for your help against the Alliance.”

Josserand frowned at Kueth’s statement, but the man continued, “We arrived here and took control of the orbiting space station, driving off the naval ship defending this world. We’re free of the Alliance occupation.”

“A mighty deed you’ve accomplished,” Josserand said, his tone icy, “but unnecessary. Thanks to my leadership, the people of Okaral have already thrown off the shackles of Alliance oppression.”

“We liberated ourselves this morning, without your help,” Boci added.

“Convenient timing,” Gamaly whispered beside Solyss.

“Now, now, Boci,” Josserand chastised. “They’ve saved us the trouble of having to take the station ourselves. In exchange for that, we can forgive them the unfortunate incident with our two sentries. We’ll call it a mere misunderstanding.”

Gamaly pursed her lips at that and then leaned over to whisper to Solyss, “Offer to take him up to the station as compensation.”

He cast a curious look down at her but shrugged and turned back to Josserand. “Sir, as further compensation for the unfortunate death of the townsfolk, allow us to provide you transport up to the space station.”

Josserand smiled, his eyes flickering to Gamaly briefly. “A worthy offer. I accept. Boci, prepare my transport.”