Yes, but Ryle decided not to mention it yet. A contact he met on Topaz described a phenomenon spreading across the countryside and rural areas of Topaz, focused primarily on the continent of Palona in the southern hemisphere. The commonfolk—with no known wizard involvement—were gathering together for singing on a scale not seen in centuries. Ryle needed to discuss it with Qusam first since Turj would show little interest anyway.
“Nothing else, sir.”
“All right then. So—” started Turj, but blaring alarms interrupted him. Red lights flashed around the command center. He ran over to Major Dyce at the main console.
“Sir, there’s been another explosion!” said Dyce.
“Where now?” said Turj.
“Quadrant three, Phengos region.” A black filter blocked the blazing light of the mountain from overwhelming the viewscreen.
“Son of a...,” said Turj.
Ryle turned to speak to Jez, but he was gone. “Jez?” He looked around, but Jez must have slipped out. Probably worried about the palace. Ryle went to the console. “Dyce, did you say another explosion?”
“Yes,” said Dyce as he ran more scans of the area.
Turj spoke over Ryle’s shoulder, keeping his voice down. “Ryle, the general public was not aware of the first incident because it was out of sight off in the mountain range. I didn’t mean to keep it from you, but it just happened last night,” said Turj, oddly apologetic for him. “So, you should know, apparently we just saw the second, if you will, ‘attack’ on strategic areas which affect the rebuilding of the defense grid.”
“How is that possible? No Archon ships have gotten through, right?” said Ryle.
“None.”
“And our internal security has been insane. They won’t even let me in the building half the time,” said Ryle.
“Exactly. So I’ve reached only one conclusion.”
Ryle’s mind tracked with Turj to a conclusion he did not want to reach. Don’t say it.
Turj got close and whispered, “An inside job.”
Ryle rubbed his facial stubble, and ran his hand over his hair, ruffling it more while letting out a deep breath. He gazed around the room, everyone suddenly becoming a suspect. With everything that happened before with Ethin, Ryle couldn’t bring himself to believe this especially with the borderline outrageous security measures enacted. At least Ethin was still safely locked up in prison.
Turj continued whispering. “Let’s keep that little secret between us. Regarding our Topaz plans, for now I want you in charge of the spearhead team, but let’s just say…stay tuned for course corrections.”
“Understood.”
“You have exactly ten minutes to put together a planning session.”
“I need to see the wizard first.”
“The wizard?” Turj exhaled. “Ar-right. I suppose he was slightly useful last time.”
Ryle grinned as he ran out.
* * *
Ryle’s deluxe Colonel’s shuttle, a Condor Model 15—half-shuttle, half-fighter—soared past the beaming mountain light. Mount Phengos’s shining peak still brought Ryle a sense of awe, not the least because of his dreams prior to its lighting. He still could not explain those and had told no one except Jez and Qusam. He had meant to tell Aphiemi but never found the right moment, and then she was gone again, off to Dujama. He had no idea when the “right moment” would ever be.
Ryle’s shuttle circled a snowy peak, zoomed into Qusam’s high-altitude mountain cave and landed, its anti-grav thrusters lowering the craft quickly but softly. He jumped out.
There was no tea ready.
Qusam’s white hair was longer and more ragged. A patch of scraggly hair drooped over one eye. For him, he seemed distraught, even anxious. He hastily leaned his staff against a table, but the staff slid off and thudded onto the stone floor. “Ryle, I think I made—”
“What mistake, Qusam?”
“The diamonds. The diamonds.” He shook his head.
“Which diamonds?”
“Remember the diamond sword?”
“Of course. The one that shattered on the mountain. Aphiemi’s ring…that she still hasn’t accepted.”
“Indeed. I’ve been researching the old stories, and I found one that was quite compelling. I’m a fool for not paying more attention to it sooner.”
“Fill me in,” said Ryle.
“I’m afraid I don’t have much time at the moment.”
“I don’t either, actually. Give me the short version.”
“The diamond fragments are much more powerful than I imagined. I wouldn’t have been overly concerned, however, if not for going myself to the mountain to retrieve them not long ago…but they were already gone.”
“Gone?”
“Yes, and I thoroughly searched.”
Ryle sat in a handcrafted wooden chair. “You think somebody took them?”
“It must be, though I don’t know who. That’s what concerns me. If they fell into Aqtal’s hands, who knows what wickedness he could put them to.”
“Are you going to go look for them?”
“I feel that I must even if I go alone.”
“What about the one I gave Aphiemi? Is she in danger?”
Qusam pushed stray hairs out of his face. “I should hope not, but I cannot be certain. If you don’t mind, I will pay her a visit.”
“Please do, if you can. I wish I could go, but...it’s complicated. And I have a mission to plan that I definitely can’t get out of.” As Ryle contemplated the situation, his eyes were drawn toward a corner of Qusam’s cave. There was movement inside a cage of sorts he had never noticed before. A rodent-like creature with a pointed snout shuffled across the cage...a rolg?
“What is that doing here? Aren’t those the things that chewed off Jez’s foot? And took a bite out of you too for that matter?”
“They are not evil creatures. They have simply been twisted by Aqtal to suit his evil purposes. This one is quite harmless to people.”
A benign squeak chirped out of the rolg.
“Well, keep it away from me,” said Ryle.
Qusam smirked—his first smile since Ryle’s arrival.
“Oh, there’s something I didn’t tell Turj that I wanted to share with you first,” said Ryle.
“Go ahead.”
“I met a contact on Topaz who lives near the Sage Forest, you know, where the Orb of Orimaya was extracted from?”
“Yes, indeed.”
“The people there were pretty upset about Aqtal tearing into the forest and taking the orb. Some joined the rebel movement. But others have…resorted to a different form of coping.”
“Do explain and hurry.”
“Singing.”
Qusam’s eyebrows raised.
“People—and the man I met claimed it was by the thousands—are getting together and singing. Mostly the commonfolk, rural areas. Old songs, new songs. And to our best knowledge there’s no wizards involved whatsoever.”
Qusam stroked his beard. “Fascinating.”
“What do you think?”
“Thinking is what I will need to do on that but not at this moment. My initial impression is this is a good development. Thank you for making me aware. I do know someone with whom I can consult about it.”
“I figured you would.” Ryle’s comm flashed red—high urgency. “Probably Turj.” He put it to his ear. “Yeah…what did you say? Ethin? I’ll be right there.”
“What’s happened?”
“Ethin is dead, assassinated in prison.”
“I’ll join you.”
Chapter 2
Deep in the bowels of the military complex, Ryle and Qusam approached the scene of a murder. Several security guards and investigators milled around Ethin’s holding cell. They parted to make room for Ryle and Qusam, revealing former King of Ochuroma, Ethin Gelibor, lying on his back with a sword sticking out of his chest, the sword’s hilt pointing straight upward. His face indicated pallor mortis—the initial paleness s
hortly after death.
Ryle glanced around the area of Ethin’s cell. There was no damage to the energy field controls; clearly someone deactivated the field and got in. Other than a spilled drinking cup on the floor, there was no sign of a scuffle.
Sergeant Smitt came over. “Hey Ryle, what do you make of it?”
“Have you secured all the exits? The killer can’t be far.”
“Yeah, we sealed everything immediately. And we launched out two security shuttles in case they tried to escape by ship.”
“Hmm,” said Ryle. “I’m not surprised someone would want to kill him. But who would have...who could have done this?”
“That’s what we were saying too,” said Smitt. “Of course, do you think it might have been...”
“Who?”
“You know...Rez?”
“He’s still locked up, right? You guys checked?” said Ryle.
“Affirmative, sir. He’s under heavy guard.”
“What about the security cameras?”
“The ones here were all knocked out beforehand…but we haven’t figured out how yet.”
“Of course they were,” said Ryle. This was the work of an expert, someone who knew the area well. Turj was right.
“And the cameras on Rez’s cell have been intact the whole time, but that guy is tricky, you know?” said Smitt.
“Yes, he is.” Ryle nodded, his mind spinning. There was too much going on. He had a mission to plan for.
Qusam asked, “Has Melora been notified?”
“Yes, Mr. Qusam. She’s on her way back from Soulis,” said Smitt.
Qusam knelt down to get a closer look at the body but did not touch it. “Hmmm.”
“What do you see, Q?” asked Ryle.
“That,” said Qusam, pointing to the sword, “is an Amethyst blade, a very old one.”
Smitt crouched next to him. “How do you know that?”
“He knows,” said Ryle. He looked at Qusam. “What does that mean?”
“It means someone here has been hiding this sword for a long, long time, which seems doubtful, or that someone traveled to Amethyst and back.” Qusam stood.
“Let’s have a chat with Rez,” said Ryle.
“Agreed,” said Qusam.
* * *
“So Ethin is murdered and you think it was me,” said Rez, sitting squarely in a metal chair facing away from Ryle and Qusam who stood outside his cell. Magnetic energy beams separated them. For good behavior, inmates could earn a chair. Rez always sat with his back toward the energy field in order to focus on meditating and not be distracted by guards or other goings on outside his cell. Rez’s left ear had been replaced with a silver cybernetic outer ear. He refused a skin-colored version.
“Was it you?” said Ryle.
Rez arose and spun toward them. “Have you heard nothing I’ve said over the past six months? I have no loyalty to Aqtal.”
Ryle didn’t mind seeing Rez flustered. He actually enjoyed it a little. He knew his question would stir Rez up.
“I don’t think it was you,” said Qusam. “In fact, I am certain it was not.”
Rez’s countenance lightened up ever slightly, that is, for him. “I know who it is, if you are willing to listen.”
“You know? How? Did you somehow see it?” said Ryle.
“I did not see it, but I have seen the signs.”
“The signs of what?”
“Of a man being twisted and contorted, of giving himself more and more to dark things.”
“No riddles today,” said Ryle. “Who was it?”
“It was the man we both call...our younger brother.”
Ryle laughed out loud. “Jez? You’ve gone crazy in confinement.”
Qusam bowed his head in thought and apparent meditation. “I’m afraid not. Rez here may be seeing things more clearly than anyone else.”
Ryle stopped laughing. “Okay, explain.”
“Ryle, don’t forget,” said Qusam. “Not only Rez, but I myself have walked the dark path.”
Rez approached the energy-beam wall, keeping eye contact with Ryle. “When Aqtal ensnares a soul, he puts it through the same paces—secret missions, tests of loyalty, treachery, and eventually...assassination.”
“How would you know everything Jez has been up to? I’m walking around free and I have no idea.”
“You’re too busy and distracted to notice, and you do not take into account the feebleness of human nature, the precariousness of our psyches,” said Rez.
Ryle couldn’t argue with his observation but wasn’t sure what to make of his psychological reflections.
Rez continued. “I overhear news. Secret assaults on our defenses. Jez has been coming and going...one moment absentee palace captain and then highly-trained physical specimen the next. And now, Ethin has been assassinated.”
“All of that isn’t proof,” said Ryle.
Qusam interjected. “Technically no, it’s not. But added together, it has merit.”
“And he came to me once,” said Rez.
“When?” said Ryle, his pulse quickening.
“Three weeks ago. He wanted any information about Aqtal I could give him.”
“What did you tell him?” asked Ryle.
“Nothing he didn’t already know from experience.”
“Hmmm,” muttered Qusam.
“He asked what I knew about…diamonds.”
“Oh dear,” said Qusam, his face going pale. Ryle shot him a glance of terror.
“Did I strike a nerve?” asked Rez.
“Ryle, this is quite troubling,” said Qusam.
“Yes, we need to find him now,” Ryle yanked out his comm and tried to reach Jez, not that it held much hope. “Jez, come in. Come on, Jez, answer.” After a beat, “He never answers anyway.” Ryle reached the palace second-in-command, Lieutenant Grayson, who had been running the show during Jez’s multiple absences. As usual, Grayson didn’t know where Jez was. Ryle called a couple others—they had no idea either. He considered calling his mother or Jyssa but decided not worry them yet.
“Ryle, you’re wasting your time,” said Rez. “He most certainly has fled.”
Ryle closed the comm and abruptly left with Qusam right behind.
Before they reached the exit, Rez called out, “Ryle, wait!” They stopped. “Let me go after him.”
Ryle chuckled. “No way.”
“Please, I will know how to find him, and I can...reach him.”
Ryle almost considered it, but slowly shook his head. “I can’t.” He looked to Qusam for an approving nod but didn’t get one. “We gotta go,” said Ryle. They left the prison area.
* * *
As Ryle trotted through the corridor, his comm flashed red. Qusam had to run to keep up behind him.
“Colonel, I need you back here, pronto.” Turj’s voice oozed with his manner of caustic urgency.
“On my way now, General.” Ryle stopped near the exit corridor to the ship hangar and asked Qusam, “Can I take you back to the cave?”
“Not necessary but thank you,” said Qusam. “Besides, I may want to linger around here to see what else I can find.” After the last battle, Qusam was granted high-level clearance to most areas in the base.
Generally able at compartmentalizing, Ryle found it difficult at the moment to focus. “Qusam...why? If what Rez said is true...why?”
“You know Jez better than anyone. What do you think?”
“I don’t know. And I don’t have time to think about it now. Can you do the thinking for me for a while?”
“I have enough of my own to do,” said Qusam with a grin. “But I will certainly devote meditation to this along with my other mission.”
“Keep me updated on that.”
“Absolutely, my friend. I have a strong suspicion that my peculiar mission and Jez’s path intertwine.”
“I’m not supposed to tell you this, but…,” said Ryle as he glanced around to make sure no one was listening. “We’re planning a major assau
lt on Topaz, to leave as soon as everything is ready. You should know just in case your journey draws you in that direction.”
“Quite good to know. Thank you.” Qusam glanced down the connecting passageway. “Well then, may the light shine upon you on your mission.”
“And you as well. Farewell, my friend!” said Ryle as he took off down the corridor.
Chapter 3
Ryle reached the strategy room and joined Turj and other senior officers for the planning session. The orbits of Topaz and Onyx were at their closest point in centuries, presenting an interesting detail with which to grapple. Chrysolite’s orbit was closer to the others than it had been in ages. The grim reality descended upon the officers that if the Archon combined all their fleets between Topaz and Onyx, and with reinforcements from Amethyst, they could overwhelm Chrysolite and this time with an incomplete defense grid.
“And we can only assume they would be prepared for the presence of the mountain light since the element of surprise is gone,” said Turj.
Admiral Exla would command the expeditionary fleet, and Ryle would be in charge of a Special Ops forward task force. Ryle did not forget Turj’s earlier comment to “stay tuned,” which he did not bring up at the session.
“One month ago a small team was sent to keep an eye on Amethyst. They didn’t last long,” said Turj.
Silence filled the room. After a moment, Exla asked, “Did they send any intel back, General?”
“Amethyst is completely surrounded by enemy ships and orbital battle stations. It is one hundred percent unapproachable at this time,” said Turj. “So, other than that, no, they didn’t.”
Ryle mulled this over. He had not been involved in the sending of that team, and a mixture of relief and anger at the Archon ran through him. At least he hadn’t been the one to send them to their deaths—a position he had been in too many times before.
Turj went on. “A second team went to investigate and got discovered in Sector 27. Based on recordings, their ship was hit and the Pulsar cruise missile aboard got triggered and detonated, destroying them.”
“Pulsars,” said Ryle. “Those are the powerful new top-of-the-line missiles, right?”
The Topaz Operation Page 2
