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The gray of the shadow realm gave way to color as Isabelle returned us to reality. We stood in a hallway in a military facility.
“Clevis Base. The closest Army base on Galywix II.” Isabelle explained as she strode away with barely a glance. “Come. Your father is this way. My mother got him out.” She made no move to restrain me with stun cuffs, which I was sure she could have summoned with a gesture. But why hadn’t she shifted us directly to my father?
I followed, nerves of steel melting beneath the heat of the memory of what I’d done. I’d almost killed my father. If he hadn’t revealed himself before I fired...if I had chosen not to aim at the ground.... I was no longer a school girl. I would face my punishment, whatever it might be. That was the reason for the walk - to frighten me - or at least to give me time to dwell on what awaited me.
We passed through a pair of blast doors, guarded by half a dozen Shadow Watch Guards that I could see and another half dozen camouflaged inside the room, their signatures visible to my enhanced eyes. I wondered if any were Terrence or the others. That would only magnify my shame.
My father stood at the table, reviewing a holographic representation of the venue he’d just been speaking at. My aunt stood across from him - I recognized her from the holos - and studied me as I entered, face impassive.
Isabelle cleared her throat. “Here she is.” I sensed irritation in her voice, though whether toward me or toward my father, for making her his errand girl, I couldn’t tell.
My father turned and met Isabelle’s gaze. “Thank you, Isabelle. You may go. All of you may go.” His last comment was directed at the guards around the room.
“But...” Isabelle began, even as the cloaked guards streamed out of the room. Her mother had not moved.
“Please,” my father said, voice softening a bit.
Isabelle stood there for a few awkward moments, as if deciding whether to argue or leave. At last she sighed and turned to leave. She met my gaze as she passed and for a moment I thought I saw sadness resting there before her mask slipped back into place. “Good luck,” she whispered, sounding as if she were saying good luck before the guillotine blade fell.
My father spent several long seconds staring at me after the blast doors had shut. “Are you alright?” he asked at last, face and eyes softening. He made no move to embrace me, though. My aunt raised an eyebrow but her face showed no sign of warming.
I cleared my throat, buying time to process the lack of screaming. Not that my father had ever been one to scream often, but if there was one time when screaming would have been appropriate, it was in that instant. Why wasn’t he shouting? “I’m not hurt,” I replied cautiously, hedging my response and bracing for the outburst.
My father nodded. “Good. I hoped Isabelle would get to you before any overzealous guards reached your room and took justice into their own hands.”
I would have deserved it, I thought. Instead I said, “Instead I face your judgment?” I focused my gaze on my aunt. “Or yours?”
My father shook his head. “No. You face no judgment today, Rachel. In fact...” he hesitated and, for a moment, looked unsure of himself, “...we want to apologize to you.”
My head snapped back as if I’d been sucker-punched and I took a step back. My gut dropped and my mouth opened in shock. They wanted to apologize to me? “Why?” I managed despite the shock. “I just conspired to commit treason against the Federation!”
He cleared his throat and looked back to my aunt for a moment. “Do you want to tell her?”
My aunt shrugged. “I can.” She made no move to tell me anything, however.
“No, it’s my responsibility,” he said. He turned to me and straightened his back. “Rachel, I’m sorry. We used your affliction to infiltrate the Dread Legion.”
“Used me?” I asked, not understanding. “I joined of my own free will.”
“Yes, but we intentionally placed you in a position where you would want to join them. We encouraged anti-undead sentiment against you and backed you into a corner,” he held up a hand to forestall me, for my mouth had opened. “Then we tapped into your implant to collect visual and auditory information while you were within the Dread Legion.”
I stood there, silent as the night for several moments, as my mind tried to process what my father was telling me. He had turned people against me intentionally? And then spied on me? I felt my face warming, a remarkable feat considering I had no warm blood in my body, and felt anger rising. “You...you really did use me,” I said at last, straining to keep from shouting. Here I had been worried my father would be shouting at me, but now I knew the truth. “You humiliated me, then you violated me...my private space. And for what?” I stood, waiting an answer, eyes flicking between my father and aunt. “Why?”
It was my aunt’s turn to speak this time. “We had credible intelligence that Octavius and his organization was a threat to the Federation. We’d been watching him for years, even before he called it the Dread Legion. The threat level spiked when he was infected and rose from the dead. He used his newfound abilities to gather like-minded individuals to him and his anti-Federation sentiments only grew.”
“Why didn’t you just take him out?” I asked.
“The Federation isn’t a dictatorship,” Bridgette explained. “If I’d had my way, I would have ended him in the night, but that isn’t the way of truth and justice.”
“We needed evidence,” my father said. “Killing him without a trial and evidence could have backfired on us.”
“So you turned me into a living surveillance camera?” I snapped, hands clenched into fists.
“We tried other agents,” Bridgette cut in. “Three died, whether through accidents or because Octavius was on to them, we don’t know. Two weren’t even contacted. His paranoia only grew after his death and he didn’t seem to trust anyone living any longer. You were our only option.”
“There are millions of undead in the galaxy now,” I said. “Why couldn’t you have used one of them?”
“None of those millions had the background necessary to interest Octavius, which we intentionally leaked. Nor did they have the motivation. Your motivation was genuine enough to fool Octavius.”
“It was genuine,” I said. “Because you almost killed me, several times!”
“We were not responsible for the firing on the asteroid base, I assure you of that. The after-action report revealed Octavius briefed the commander of the cruiser and told him only hostiles remained.”
I deflated a little. “I killed all those people because of an accident?”
“No. Octavius killed all those people, using you as a weapon.”
“He only used the weapon you gave him,” I snapped, anger returning to full strength.
“Regardless, you had the jaded spirit and undead disposition Octavius was looking for. You were the perfect candidate.”
“Were you intending to save me? After the asteroid explosion. Or were you going to let me die?”
“We had high confidence you would not die. You’re tougher than you know.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s comforting. You sent me out like a cow to slaughter and didn’t care if I came back or not.”
“That’s not true,” my father protested, the strength returning to his voice. “That should have been clear by sending Isabelle to rescue you after the failed assassination attempt. We weren’t going to throw you to the wolves.”
“What if I’d killed you?”
“That wouldn’t have happened. Based upon your intel, we took additional precautions to ensure I had sufficient protection against any projectile or energy weapon.”
“You turned a trap for you into a trap for them, is that it? Did you at least catch them?”
My father nodded. “We did. Bridgette herself captured Captain Wilson before returning to me and, based upon intercepted radio communication and hidden surveillance equipment, we were able to take the remainder into custody. Octavius’ ship was surrounded in orbit and boarded.”
“Should have killed them,” I muttered.
“They will face justice.”
I snorted. “That’s all that matters to you, isn’t it, Father? Justice. You don’t care that your own daughter was put into harm’s way, only that you went about things the ‘right’ way.” I sneered. “You disgust me.”
“Rachel!” Bridgette snapped, her face for the first time since I’d entered the room showing an emotion - surprise. “You don’t talk to your father like that!”
I glared at my aunt. “A father wouldn’t do this to his daughter. He’s not my father.” I turned to leave.
I felt a shift of energy and a cloud of dark mist materialized in front of me. It coalesced into Bridgette. Her arms were crossed and she glared at me. “No, you will apologize now. Your father made a tough choice but it was the right choice.”
“Get out of my way,” I said through gritted teeth, my anger barely under control. A part of me wanted to rip her arms from her sockets, though I knew fighting the Mistress of Shadows would be a mistake.
“Not until you apologize.”
Instead of answering, I held my head high and advanced toward my aunt and the door beyond.
My aunt put her hand on my wrist and squeezed hard. “You aren’t leaving this room until you apologize,” she said, anger in her voice.
Something snapped in that moment. I gathered my power and unleashed it toward her chest. Her grip loosened as a massive force slammed her toward the wall and held her there with the force of five Tar Ebon gravities.
She hung splayed against the wall, arms and legs unable to move, head pinned to the wall. Her eyes closed briefly before opening and focusing on me. She tried to speak but could barely get out a breath.
“Rachel! Stop this at once!” my father shouted. I didn’t spare a glance for him. I didn’t hear a gun being drawn, so I was guessing he wouldn’t kill me.
“I. Am. Leaving,” I said, emphasizing each word. “Don’t try to stop me.” I released the pressure on my aunt.
“You little bitch,” she wheezed after landing and straightening. “Did you think a little pressure could kill me?”
“If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead,” I stated, looking her in the eyes. “This was just a friendly warning.”
My aunt snorted and rubbed her chest. “Next time...”
“There won’t be a next time,” I cut in. “I’m leaving. Forever.”
“Rachel,” my father’s voice cracked. “Please don’t. You’re all I have!”
“You should have thought of that before you made me your unwitting spy,” I declared. “Don’t try to stop me again - I don’t want to kill anyone today.” Without another word I slapped the controls to open the blast doors and walked through. I ignored my father’s continued pleading.
The guards in the hall re-entered and took their places again, barely paying me any mind. I supposed my father hadn’t told them to apprehend me...for their safety.
Isabelle leaned against the wall in the hallway, watching as I emerged. “I heard a thud. Did everything go alright?” She quirked a small smile.
“Did you know?” I asked without preamble.
My cousin stared at me for several moments without blinking. “About the Dread Legion?”
“Are there any other secrets my father and aunt are keeping from me?” I asked sarcastically. “Yes, that one.”
She maintained eye contact. “I had no knowledge of it until a few days ago, I swear.”
“We were both lied to,” I muttered.
“Rachel, you have to understand that it was for the good of the Federation. The Dread Legion posed a dire threat.”
“So I was told. But since when does the good of the Federation trump my personal liberties?”
“Since its inception,” Isabelle replied. “Our parents...they have sacrificed everything for the Federation, from the beginning. The Krai’kesh are coming, Rachel, and the Federation must stand united or it will fall.”
I snorted. “Yeah, the boogey man is coming, so let’s risk our children’s lives and destroy any opposition to us in the name of survival. I don’t even believe in the Krai’kesh.”
“You should,” Isabelle said softly. “They’re real and they will come.”
I shook my head. “Well, say hello to them for me when they come. I won’t be around to see them.” I strode past my cousin.
“Where will you go?” Isabelle asked to my back.
“Anywhere that isn’t this cursed Federation.”
“You’ll break your father’s heart. You’re all he has left.”
I whirled on her. “Everyone keeps saying that. I am not all he has left. He has you, and your mother, and your father and everyone else. He has people who love him. I don’t...not any more. And besides...” I trailed off.
“What?” she prompted.
“My mother would still be alive if not for my father and the ‘good of the Federation.’”
Isabelle stared at me, mouth open. “You still think that your father knowingly sacrificed your mother to the Empire? Even after everything I told you?”
I shrugged. “He sure didn’t try to save her.”
Isabelle shook her head, cheeks bright red. “If you still believe that then you deserve to leave. Your father sacrificed everything for your mother. When he learned her station was under attack he moved heaven and earth to reinforce her. He arrived minutes too late, but he went on to avenge her. An entire war was fought in her honor and he strode into the Imperial Palace and placed his sword at the throat of the emperor to accept their surrender. So don’t you dare say he didn’t care or that he didn’t fight for your mother.”
“Whatever,” I said, not knowing what else to say. I turned to go again.
“You’re still going to leave?” my cousin asked. “When will I see you again? We need you for the fight that will come.”
“If I have anything to say about it, never. Or maybe in Hell, after we die. And well, if the Krai’kesh ever come,” I stopped at the corner of the hall, “good luck.”
“You’re a coward,” Isabelle spat as I turned the corner.
I passed through the halls of Clevis Base, lost in thought. I had a vague destination in mind and a few short minutes later emerged into the hangar bay.
The quartermaster saw me and approached. “Miss, we have a ship ready to take you anywhere you wish.”
“Who ordered that?” I asked.
“The Supreme Commander,” he said.
I spit on the floor, causing the man’s eyes to go wide. “I’ll make my own way.” Without preamble, I bound myself to the space outside the hangar. I shot through the bay and out into the fresh air of Galywix II. Manipulating gravity and anti-gravity, I shot skyward faster than any starfighter, the G-forces ineffective against my power.
I would find my own way in the galaxy now, I decided. Space was vast and people outside of the Federation needed my help too. “Goodbye, Father,” I whispered as the air raced past me and vacuum neared.
The End