by Rebecca Rode
Mar looked disappointed. “Anyway, I sensed the flicker as he arrived and told my parents to tell him the truth. I didn’t want them arrested. I told them to say that I’d refused to turn myself in, that I’d forced them to hide me from the inspectors, and that they didn’t know where I was. Then I sprinted to the station while my parents stalled for time.” She dug her boot into the dirt. “I still don’t know what happened to them.”
Unease gripped Ember as she met Stefan’s gaze. Mar had never lied to her before, but that didn’t mean she told the truth now. Was it possible that Mar had found them so easily, or was there something else going on? Ruben was a convincing man. He could have discovered Ember’s friendship with Mar and exploited it.
Her thoughts were reflected in Stefan’s eyes. He nodded to Ember, letting her decide.
Ember reached out slowly with her inner light, then paused. Mar’s shield was still in place, but the glow from her inner light was calm and sure. If Mar was lying, she hid it well. And Stefan was right—if they truly held the stars’ power, Ember couldn’t exactly go around breaking into shields without permission—especially those of her friends. She had to trust someone. Besides, Mar had come to her for help, but she also had skills they needed. It would be foolish for Ember to turn her away.
“We’re low on food,” Ember finally said. “We can only take you on if you’re willing to work.”
“Figured that would be the case.” Mar took a quick breath. “But please don’t assign me to planetary security. Put me with the other flickers or in the cafeteria or janitorial or anything else. I hate scanning endless footage, and I don’t want to be responsible if something happens, you know?”
She did know. Better than most. “I’ll place you with my flicker team. You’re behind on training, but you’ll catch up quickly. Good to have you back.”
“It’s great to be here. Never thought I’d say that, but it’s true.” She sent Stefan a sideways glance, then appraised Ember for a moment. “So you’re in charge now, huh? I heard you call yourselves revolutionaries. It sounds very dramatic.”
“The cabinet’s in charge,” Stefan corrected. “And there’s nothing dramatic about it. We’re here for two reasons—to save lives and to tear the Empire down, in that order.” He emphasized his last words, probably for Ember’s benefit, despite looking at Mar.
Ember let it drop and called over a guard. “Please take Mar to the front of this line for registration. Then take her straight to flicker combat housing. Mar, Reina will show you around your new quarters when she arrives.”
Mar made a face. “Does it have to be her? What, are you two buddies now?”
She’d forgotten. Both women were Olvenacks, and Mar had warned her not to trust Reina. It would make their living situation a bit awkward, but there was only one female flicker housing unit. Besides, Mar had to be wrong about Reina. The food-stealing issue was the first problem Ember had been forced to deal with since their arrival here. Except for Reina’s general grumpiness, of course.
Ember gave Mar an apologetic smile. “Let me know if she doesn’t treat you well. In fact, tell me if she does anything suspicious, all right?” Maybe Mar’s presence here would be useful in more than one way. The thought sent guilt flooding through her. Was that how Ember evaluated her friends now, in terms of usefulness and ability? Maybe they were right—she was changing, and not for the better.
Mar looked uncomfortable, as if she’d seen the shift in Ember’s face. “Will do. Guess I’ll go now.”
Ember squeezed Mar’s arm. “I’m glad you’re here with us. Really.”
The slightest grin returned to her friend’s face. She glanced at Stefan, who was staring at the ground, and nodded. “Thanks for taking me in. I’ll see you later.”
As Mar left with the guard, Captain Terrance ran up, breathing hard. “There you two are. The general sent me to fetch you. He said we’re having a problem with three of the passengers. Something about a message they must deliver straight to Lady Flare. Just keep saying the same thing over and over.”
First Mar, and now this. A dozen possibilities came to mind, most of which made little sense if these recruits had been read. Maybe they just needed assurance of their safety here.
Stefan wrapped his arm around Ember’s waist and pulled her close. “Then Ember’s the last person they should get to see. New recruits don’t make demands, especially of her. I’ll deal with them myself.”
Ember pushed away. “Brennan and Reina cleared them already. They were stripped of weapons long ago, and they’re loyal, or they would have been shipped off with the others.”
“Ember—”
“I’m going,” she said firmly, checking her mental shield. “You’re welcome to join me if you want. Lead the way, Captain.”
Chapter 5
Ember entered the small processing chamber to find three Albines sitting on a bench lining the wall. The newcomers were a pale middle-aged couple and an elderly woman, all three with startling white hair and clear eyes that instantly made Ember think of Bex, the nine-year-old orphan who had been assigned to her Union flicker team. She’d managed to keep him safe before sending him back to his planet. Hopefully he was with relatives now, keeping his gift a secret and living the way a child should.
The newcomers faced a frustrated General Pyne, the remaining cabinet members, and a handful of soldiers with their weapons raised. If not for the calm expressions on the Albines’ faces, it would have looked much like a firing squad. Even Reina was here, watching their guests with interest from the back wall. She’d just spent several days with these people on the ship. Did Reina know they’d planned to cause a disruption? Ember made a mental note to ask her when they discussed the stealing issue.
“Greetings,” the younger woman said in perfect Common to Ember as she joined the group. “I am called Sa’Kahn. My mate and materna do not speak, so I alone will deliver our message.” Her companions didn’t react to her words, instead watching Ember with stoic expressions.
Ember glanced at Stefan, who looked as concerned as she felt. Something felt off about all this. She could believe that Mar’s finding them was a lucky guess, but a group of Albines as well? “You never intended to join our ranks,” Ember guessed.
“Correct. We will remain as long as you require, of course, as we’ve no wish to endanger your group here. But we hope you will return with us, Ember Gheorghe. Our true purpose is to extend an invitation. Our leader wishes to meet with you regarding the future of the Empire.”
The soft whirr of the ventilation system overhead sounded like an engine turbine in the now-silent cavern. Was this some kind of joke? An Empire trick, perhaps?
“General Pyne,” Stefan said through gritted teeth. “Send your guards outside.”
For once, the general didn’t argue. He motioned for his soldiers to exit. They did, but the guards’ attention was riveted on their guests the entire way out. Ember knew exactly what the guards would tell their friends—Someone found us. We aren’t safe here.
Stefan slammed the door and bolted it. Then he settled against the wall, frowning, his face dark in shadow. He didn’t even attempt to hide his disapproval.
Captain Terrance pulled up chairs for Ember and himself. She took the one on the left, if only to make it seem like she was relaxed. She was anything but. Not only had they been easily found by strangers, they wanted her to leave with them. A fit of hysterical laughter bubbled up inside her and threatened to escape. The Albines continued to stare at Ember as if blinking would release her from their grasp.
“Please continue,” she managed.
“We hail from a resistance group in the giant sector,” Sa’Kahn continued, her hands folded in her lap, her posture perfect. “Our leader, the glorious Er’len, believes our two groups have mutual interests and that we will accomplish more by helping one another. We have critical information you require. In exchange, we only ask that you, Ember Gheorghe, return with us in whatever vessel you choose.”
&nb
sp; Ember struggled to process the barrage of information. “But why?”
“Impossible,” Stefan said before Sa’Kahn could reply. “We don’t know anything about you or your leader. If it’s just about a meeting, that can be arranged from here.”
“I’m afraid this must be a face-to-face conversation,” Sa’Kahn said. “There is too much risk with the Empire regulating long-distance communications. Er’len was rather adamant on that condition. And I wish I could inform you of our group’s successes and goals, but I have already told you much that may be dangerous to us.”
“Let me get this straight,” General Pyne said, coming forward to face Sa’Kahn and her stoic entourage. “You’re trying to make a trade for critical information that may or may not help us, just to get your hands on a flare? You really think we’d give her up, just like that?”
His response almost sounded like a bartering invitation. Stefan seemed to think so too, because his eyes narrowed at the general.
“We do not see Ember Gheorghe as a possession, nor a person who can be traded.” Sa’Kahn gave the general a pointed look. Pyne’s face reddened. “Our offer of information was simply to help you survive until she returns to you. It is not an exaggeration to say you will be overcome in a week’s time without this information.”
The engineer cabinet member sucked in a sudden breath. The training captain went pale and began twisting her red hair around her fingers.
Stefan exhaled loudly. “Then why take her? She’s a critical part of our defense.”
“You would be overcome with or without the flare Ember Gheorghe. Only with this information do you hope to stand a chance.” The woman turned back to Ember. “In addition, we believe the Empire cannot be defeated from here. Our shared war must be fought at home, in the Kollander cluster, where the greatest percentage of the realm resides. The emperor will not easily release his power, so it must be forcibly and publicly taken from him.”
Ember felt a thrill of victory. The city planets. Finally, someone agreed that their sitting around here was pointless.
“And you need Ember to do that?” Stefan shot back. “You should be negotiating with us to come and help fight your battle, not trying to steal our leaders.”
The threesome’s eyes remained on Ember as if Stefan hadn’t spoken at all. “As I said previously, Er’len simply wants to meet with you. It is not necessarily a recruitment, nor a favor. A conversation between two leaders, a chance to discuss the future of the Empire before and after it is restructured.”
Restructured. Her heart picked up even more. That was exactly what she wanted to do—remake the Empire into something that allowed its citizens to live the way they wanted. Did this Er’len guy really believe it was possible?
Ember wasn’t the only one fighting the Empire. If she failed, someone else could possibly succeed. It was something she’d never allowed herself to dream. For the first time in months, Ember felt the heavy weight on her shoulders lessen. Maybe they wouldn’t need to send soldiers into battle after all. If Ember negotiated with these people, helped them, perhaps she could save her people and overthrow Ruben.
“Of all the arrogant things to say,” General Pyne said, looking incredulous. He was pacing again, his long strides eating up what little space the room still offered with so many people crammed into it. “You’re going to all this effort for a discussion about politics? Why not speak with someone who has actual experience?”
“General,” Captain Terrance said politely.
Reina coughed to cover a smile. The girl didn’t like General Pyne much either, and she wasn’t as polite about it. Yet another reason Ember had to talk to her. Reina’s position on the cabinet was precarious enough without adding theft to the pile.
Stefan spoke up. “We already know the Empire is looking for us, Sa’Kahn. The search teams are a threat indeed, but we have a plan in place already.”
Their visitor shook her head emphatically. It looked strangely out of place compared to her impassive countenance. “The threat you face is far greater. There will be no escaping this, no matter how deep you hide yourselves in the mountain.”
Ember had heard about the Albines before—a majestic people with mysterious powers similar to those of flickers. It was possible they knew something about this place. But Ember couldn’t think of a single threat hiding wouldn’t solve, especially one greater than the Empire. An asteroid or disastrous earthquake? Or a flare whose mind was unraveling, perhaps. But they wouldn’t know about that. And even if they did, taking her with them would mean bringing that risk upon themselves.
General Pyne threw his hands into the air. “This is ridiculous. You pretend to be recruits, then threaten us to get what you want. Why not send for your precious leader so you could have your little chat here?”
“Our glorious Er’len is extremely busy with critical resistance matters.”
Sa’Kahn’s calm demeanor only seemed to further outrage the general. “Resistance matters? Do you realize how difficult it is to run an operation of this magnitude?”
“This location contains 14,503 people. That includes those you’ve recruited today but not us, of course. None of these souls will survive the week unless you agree to our request. That is more than generous.”
If it was quiet before, the room was now a tomb. The Albines had actual numbers, down to the newest born infant. Either these people saw more than they let on or Ember had a spy in their ranks. A high-placed one, if they had up-to-date population counts. That meant no secret was safe—their weapons and ammunition, their food supplies, even how many fighters they had. Ember had allowed these people to walk right past several of them.
It was a thinly veiled threat, no matter how innocently delivered.
“Reina,” Ember said, still keeping her eyes trained on their guests. “Tell me about their reading. Who performed it, and did these people cooperate?”
Reina paused. “I did. And yes, they let me in. Here’s the weird thing, though—they have no future or past. All I could see was the present. I figured it was an Albine thing.”
It probably was, but that didn’t mean they were safe. Reina should have known better. The girl’s face flushed when nearly the entire room turned to look at her through narrowed eyes.
“But I didn’t see anything alarming, or I wouldn’t have passed them,” she said, instinctively gripping her belt where she normally kept her stunner. It was turned in, of course. Only guards had stunners down here. “I think they’re telling the truth. All I sensed from them was sincerity. I can’t really explain it.”
“And you were going to tell us this when?” Stefan said in disbelief.
“No one knows what Albines can really do, Reina,” Captain Terrance said in a matter-of-fact tone. “For all we know, you saw what they wanted you to see. You may have put the entire base at risk.”
“I stand by my decision,” Reina said stubbornly.
“If I may speak,” Sa’Kahn cut in, “we mean you no harm. If you reject our offer and allow us to return to Kollander, we will erase your secrets from our minds. We give you the information we have gleaned simply to convince you of the truth of our words. We are not a threat to you.”
“So you say,” Stefan muttered. He wasn’t the only person who remained unconvinced. General Pyne’s face was turning a deep shade of purple.
“Sa’Kahn,” Ember began. “It seems you know far more about us than we know of you, and that makes your request seem suspicious. While we appreciate your warning, if there is indeed a threat to this base, I need to be here for it.”
The white-haired woman finally blinked. “I see. Then I propose another bargain. We will offer our information freely so you may prepare. We only ask that your fellow leaders allow you, Ember Gheorghe, to make your own decision about returning with us.”
The cabinet members began to whisper. Captain Terrance fiddled with his fingers, his gaze riveted on the visitors as if he didn’t dare let them out of his sight. Stefan’s eyes were hard. H
e locked his gaze on Ember’s, everything in his stance shouting for her to be cautious.
Did he really distrust these people so much, or was it Ember he didn’t trust to make her own decisions? It wasn’t like she was agreeing to go. She was just bargaining for the chance to make her own choice, something she should have had anyway. She could still say no. And if their warning was indeed critical, the revolutionaries were getting the better end of this deal.
“I will consider your request,” Ember said. “You have my word.”
“And your other leaders won’t interfere?” Sa’Kahn asked, staring blankly at the general.
“I, uh,” Pyne said, then cleared his throat. “It’s proposed that we accept the Albines’ warning as truth and allow Lady Flare to bypass the cabinet’s wishes in this matter. Those against?”
Stefan’s hand shot up. “Absolutely against.” The engineer joined him, along with General Pyne.
“Those in favor?”
Every other hand went up. Still scowling at the earlier reprimand, Reina was the first to drop her arm.
Sa’Kahn didn’t react at all, her emotionless gaze still locked on Ember. It was more than a little disconcerting.
“You have the word of the cabinet,” General Pyne said. He sounded more surprised than angry. “Now, tell us your deep, dark secret.”
For the first time, Sa’Kahn glanced at her mate, who gave a slight nod. And for the first time, fear touched her clear eyes. “The vanguard has been recalled.”
Chapter 6
Captain Terrance gasped. General Pyne went stiff in his chair, his eyes round with shock. The man seemed more comfortable in battle than anywhere, yet he was more rattled than she’d ever seen him. Stefan’s brows were drawn in concentration, but she couldn’t tell whether he was familiar with the term. Everyone else just looked confused.
“What’s the vanguard?” Reina asked.
“You’ve heard of it, flicker,” General Pyne said. He sounded defeated. “The special military unit charged with assimilating new civilizations. You didn’t think planets voluntarily joined the Empire, did you?”
