"Nothing. We sleep in our pods. You can use mine."
Six shot Pietas a look. One word for that: never.
"Any shelter erected?"
"Nothing. Father said we should wait until everyone's released and then let the workers create them."
"Create them from what?"
Dessy shrugged. "We don't have anything on hand, but he seemed so confident I didn't ask."
Pietas rubbed the ache forming behind his brow. Typical bureaucratic procedure. Do nothing until calamity is imminent, then expect someone else to pull it out of the fire. Mahikos was good at getting people to trust him, but then what? Charisma might take you far, but then you needed a plan of action.
"Any security issues, Dessy? Anything odd to report? Sightings of other people? Ruins? Satellite sightings? Evidence we're not alone here?"
"Armand and Philippe are in charge of security for the camp."
"Nothing to--" Armand began.
"--report." Philippe finished.
"Very well. There's work to do. No problem. We'll get it done. Any other supplies? Building materials?"
"Nothing. That's it."
"That's all we have?"
"I'm sorry, Pietas. That's all we've found."
"They stole it!" Six blurted. Everyone turned to him and he swallowed. "Sorry."
"Go on." Pietas motioned to him. "Stole what?"
"You should have had more. I--" He faltered and went silent, dropping his gaze.
Pietas turned to see why and found Joss, Dessy and the twins glaring at the ghost in defiance.
"Stop it!" Pietas clapped his hands twice and they all focused on him. "Let's get this straight right now. If Six is talking, it's the same as if an Ultra is talking. He has as much right to be here as you do. You don't have to like it, but you will accept it. If you treat him with even one iota of disrespect, I will take it personally. You treat him like he's one of us, or you will deal with me." He turned to Six. "I expect you to tell me if anyone so much as sneezes in your direction. And you--" he pointed at the others in turn "--Will tell me if he is disrespectful to you. We will depend on each other for survival and there is no room for petty squabbling. Now. Hear this! We will not repeat this discussion." He met the gaze of each person in turn. "Am I clear?"
"Yes, sir," they all chorused.
"Apologize." He gestured toward Six.
"I'm sor--" Six began.
"Not you, ghost. Them." Pietas motioned to him again. "To you."
Six turned crimson. "Oh."
"All right. Apologize, people. Sincere apologies."
No one moved. No one spoke.
"Today." Pietas clapped his hands. "While the sun is shining."
"I'm sorry." Dessy straightened her shoulders. "As usual, my brother is right. Welcome, Six. I apologize for being rude to you."
She didn't mean a word of it, but Pietas would let that go for now.
"I'm sorry, Six." Joss inclined her head.
"I'm--" Armand began.
"--sorry," Philippe finished.
Pietas motioned to Six. "Now, you were saying. Who stole what?"
"I had limited access to ship's records. It wasn't much, but I was able to tap into the inventory system and the bill of lading. The standard colonization rig was on board, earmarked for Sempervia."
Dessy's impatience leaked into the air like cream into coffee. Her thin smile disguised nothing. "Meaning what?"
"Most colonization ships land and are taken apart. Everything's automated. Within a few months of making landfall, the ship has been dismantled. It becomes a rudimentary town. They had all that in inventory and it was marked for here. I don't know if they didn't want to chance leaving a ship here that might be rigged to take off, or what. They didn't download it during the first drop, or on the second and since they didn't leave it on yours--"
"Hold up. First and second?"
"Once the ship arrived, they sent in a shuttle, like the one that dropped you and me. They came right back, went out and then we were loaded. So I figure your friends here were left during a fourth visit, or later."
Dessy leaned her chin on a fist. "Who did they take before you?"
Six shrugged. "I couldn't see anything except the shuttle. I assumed they were leaving people, but maybe it was a scouting run. I didn't get that impression. It was quick. Maybe it was those cats."
"So..." Pietas drew in the dirt. "Either they left it on another continent, or they stole it. In your opinion, ghost, what did they do with it?"
"Colonization supplies would be big on the black market."
"Maybe they'll bring it back," Joss suggested.
"No." Dessy brushed off a stray spark from the fire. "We've been here months. If they were coming back, they'd have been here by now."
"I concur." Pietas rested his arms across his knees. "It's all the same in life, war and politics. Power comes from money and sex. Control one and you can get the other."
Dessy gave a disgusted sigh. "You can bet they had power over us. What choice did we have? They took what they wanted and left us to suffer. If there's no food or shelter and we die, we'll come back until we manage to grow enough, or hunt enough. Or we die permanently. Either way, we're no longer their problem. Material set aside for us bought them power."
"Such is the mercy of humans." Pietas stood and brushed himself off. "We're here. Let's make the most of it."
Dessy leaped up, arms thrown out in exasperation. "Aren't we going back?"
"Bet on it."
The others stood as well.
"For now, we have no means, but we have a world full of scientists, warriors and laborers who aren't afraid of hard work. First, we have to see to our own survival. Once we have food and shelter, we'll make a way home. We'll get off this planet and go back."
Joss wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. "It won't be easy."
"No, it won't." Pietas put an arm around Joss to keep her warm. Her warmth was a balm. The sweet promise in her smile reminded him how much he'd always loved her. Even if they didn't agree in council, she was honest about it. Joss had a fine mind, a beautiful body and a passionate nature. What more could a man want?
Armand and Philippe met his gaze and in unison, offered slow, sexy smiles. How long since he'd spent time with them? Life on Sempervia might not be too bad.
He had found no dragons. Surely Six was not the dragon in his dreams. Was he? After all, Dessy had dreamed them as well. Perhaps the man had an affinity for dragons. A good thing to explore, when there was time.
"So we are going back?" Dessy repeated.
"Yes." Using his empathic senses, Pietas met each person's gaze in turn, beginning with Six and ending with Dessy. He shared his lack of fear. His utter resolve. "We will go back. They imprisoned us here and planned to forget us. Big mistake."
The twins rocked their fists into the air.
"They exiled us across the galaxy. That wasn't far enough."
Six grinned, his pride sending a boost of energy to everyone around him.
Dessy turned and gave Six a surprised but pleased look.
Pietas drew his sister to his side and hugged her. "Mortals cannot impose a lifetime sentence on immortals."
Everyone cheered. Even Six.
"Those humans responsible will pay. We'll find the Ultras who betrayed us. They will forfeit their immortality with permanent death. Nothing and no one will stop us." Pietas gazed at the friends who surrounded him. "No matter how many times we have to die, we will take our vengeance."
Epilogue
An afterword from Pietas
Do not assume, human, that Six has spawned tender feelings in me toward your kind. Yes, I am now willing to consider mercy, but not to all. One must deserve it.
There is more to this tale than has been revealed here. If Six has his way, I will tell you the rest. There is no hurry. After all, I am immortal. I have all the time in the world.
~ Pietas
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The End -- or is it?
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Where else to find Pietas
Pietas will be back in Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire
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Disclaimers
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author's imagination, or are used in a fictitious situation. Any resemblances to actual events, locations, organizations, incidents or persons – living or dead – are coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.
Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire
Book 2 of the Bringer of Chaos series
What if you were a soldier marooned on an undeveloped planet?
What if you had no food and few survival tools? What if you'd been genetically engineered? No matter how agonizing the wound, you'd survive. No matter how you died, you'd come back.
It could be worse. You could be here alone. But that's the problem. You're not.
On one hand, a tribe of sentient panthers protect you. Although you hate humans, the one who was dumped on this planet with you has become a trusted friend. The beautiful telepathic warrior you've loved since forever is at your side.
On the other hand, half a million people who depend on you are trapped inside stasis pods, waiting for you to save them. It wouldn't be so bad if you could wake up a few at a time. But the traitors who abandoned you and your followers set the timers to release all half million.
At the same time.
You're facing an ecological disaster and over five hundred thousand hungry, thirsty, homeless immortals.
Worse still, before you can build shelter, figure out how to grow food, or set up a government, you must take back command from a ruthless enemy you've fought for centuries.
Your brutal, merciless father.
Talk about being forged in fire...
Immortals may heal, but a wound of the heart lasts forever.
Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire has no profanity or explicit content, but lots of angst, a little humor, some sweet romance, and a ton of betrayal with plenty of vengeance. Oh, and let's not forget--one ginormous black kitty.
https://kayelleallen.com/chaos-fire
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Connect with Kayelle Allen
Kayelle Allen did a tour in the US Navy, where she climbed around airplanes (on the ground, thankfully) fixing black boxes that helped pilots find their way home.
She wrote her first science fiction novel at 18 and to this day, it's hidden under the bed, where she vows it will remain. Gems from it, however, launched several series in her galaxy-wide universe of stories.
From childhood, Kayelle was the victim of an overactive imagination and inherited the Irish gift of gab from her mother. From her father, she got a healthy respect for mechanical things.
No wonder she writes Science Fiction and Fantasy peopled with misbehaving robots, mythic heroes, role playing immortal gamers, and warriors who purr. She's been married so long she's tenured.
Have a question? Want to know more about something or someone in the book? Found an error or typo? Pop an email to Kayelle [email protected]
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Cover, Copyright, Publisher
Cover art, cover design, and book layout by Kayelle Allen
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Editor Barb Caffrey
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Copyright ©2016 Kayelle Allen
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