by Edward Lake
I wondered who the relative could be. The Saros family was spread out across the galaxy. I knew of Gene Saros, my husband’s brother, who spent most of his time traveling in his custom-made ship. There was Ty Saros, Gene’s son, who lived on Romulus with his wife, Myra.
I wondered if all the Saros men would vie for the priesthood. But honestly, I wished to be the new High Priest, so that I could feel more connected to God and Linus.
Finally, when I made it to the top of the hill, I found a scruffy-looking white-haired man, limping around with an elegantly crafted cane. He turned around and smiled, only a few teeth in his mouth. “Agnes? Is that you?”
Wade Saros, my husband’s uncle. He was the younger brother of the former High Priest, my husband’s father. “It’s good to see you again, Wade.” He was the odd one in the Saros family. He sported a long, messy beard and a filthy robe, and Linus once told me he kept him away from Sodus because he smelled.
The old man waved me up the hill. “Come on up here.”
I went up the hill and lowered my arms, allowing Wade to get a good look at the boy. “This is my son, Turk. He’s a former slave from the North Star. He’s unconscious and needs immediate medical attention. Can you help him?”
Wade laughed. “Linus hasn’t outlawed slavery yet?” He lifted his cane off the ground and slammed it down hard. “God doesn’t want slavery. I told him his day of reckoning would come.”
I wanted to snatch his cane out of his hand and beat him with it. “Are you sick or something! Our empire is hanging on by a thread! The High Priest, your nephew, is dead! Killed by a savage who took our daughter from us. We’ve been betrayed by Commander Vault!”
Wade turned his back to me and limped towards the palace. “Come on inside, Agnes. I’ve got medicine that will help the boy wake up.”
His lack of sympathy shocked me. I could see why Linus never brought him around. “Are you listening to me? Your nephew is dead, Wade! We are all in grave danger. Don’t you even care?”
He stopped for a moment. Then he slowly turned around. “I’ve put all that behind me. I’ve seen war. I’ve seen death.” He turned his head and stared at Turk. “When will it stop? That’s what I’d like to know.” He smiled. “Bring the boy inside, Agnes. We’ll eat, talk about Linus, and remember the good times we had with him.” He turned and went into the palace.
It was an old-fashioned home, fitting for a man like Wade. I took Turk inside and found a comfy-looking chair by the wall. I went over to the chair and set him down.
I peeked at Wade and saw him struggling to sit down at the dusty table in the center of the room. I looked around and saw clothes, shoes and gadgets scattered everywhere.
“This is disgusting. How do you live like this? And how did you find Kantos? Linus told me no one else knew.”
Wade grinned. “Yeah, he said a lot of things.”
I threw my hands up. “I can’t live like this. I’m going to have Nevis and the other soldiers clean this place up. Where’s the medicine?”
Wade wagged his finger back and forth. “This is where I stay. The rest of the palace is all for you.” He lifted his cane up high. “You see, I don’t like walking that far because it’s hard for me. So I stay close to the front door.” He pointed his walking piece at a storage compartment that was mounted on the wall. “The medicine is in there. One tube should do it.”
I rolled my eyes as I hurried to the compartment. I found tubes of liquid medicine and grabbed one. I fed it to Turk and hoped he would wake up right away. “I thought you said this stuff would help him.”
“It will, Agnes. Give it a few minutes.”
I turned to him and raked my hands through my hair. I marched to the table and glared at Wade, my face burning. “We have to mobilize our allies and formulate a plan.”
He laughed again, his bad breath attacking my nose.
I leaned my head back to protect myself. He had really let himself go. The few times I saw him, I recalled him being at least decent. “What happened to you, Wade?”
He opened his arms. “I found peace.” He pointed at the ceiling. “And I built this palace. Years ago. After I lost my wife.” His face grew sad. “If only she could have seen this beautiful place.” He grinned. “The birds sing when the rain stops. It’s amazing. Truly a sight and sound to behold.” Once more, his face saddened. “Cora loved sweet sounds.”
Surprisingly, I became somber after seeing his misery. I wondered if I would end up like him, letting myself go, smelly and old. Shunned by the rest of the family. Even so, there were more important things going on.
“Listen, Wade, I’m sorry for being so…crude to you. But I need your help.”
He looked up and finally showed some seriousness in his eyes. “Tell me, Agnes. How can I help you?”
I put my hands together and took a deep breath. “I need you to help me slaughter Castor Vault and take back the holy planet.” I trembled and wept a bit. “But first, I need you to help me slay Zena Ezra—the woman who killed Linus.”
23
Zena
“Grandma Petra! Turk! Lydia!” I shouted as I searched the wrecked palace. There was no sign of them anywhere. I wondered if someone else had come along and saved them. I went back to the spot where Declan died and realized someone had taken his body. I kicked at the rocks on the floor and ran to the nearest exit.
When I got outside, I screamed and clenched my fist. I sank to my knees and cried out. I had failed to save my brother. It seemed as if I had failed to save the rest of my family, too. In the sky, a darkness came over me. I looked up and saw Station Four, the battle station of the High Priest. The massive space station covered a large section of the sky as it flew by me.
When it landed, I stood up and walked forward. The vast ramp opened, and I saw three soldiers marching down the long walkway. I headed towards the battle station, ready for whatever was ahead. Once I got closer, I realized the three figures I saw were Vault, Jax and Ada.
I hurried to the ramp and stared up at the trio, lost and speechless. “Vault, have you seen my family?” I didn’t want to serve him anymore. I didn’t want to serve anyone! I didn’t want to fight anymore. All I wanted was my loved ones, and a chance to leave the chaos.
He stepped off the ramp and walked to me. “Follow me, Zena. I have something to show you.” He wrapped his arm around me and helped me to the ramp. He kindly led me into the space station and showed me to the docking station.
Across the way, Vault’s followers and Serpents scrambled from place to place. Together they vandalized the Holy Star Symbols on the docked ships, hooting as they went.
Vault turned and escorted me down a long, dark tunnel. He went to the first door on his right and let me go. “Your family is inside.”
I quickly grabbed the door handle and rushed into the room. I found Lydia sitting on a foldout bed that pulled out from the wall, with two dead bodies on the floor. One of the bodies was Declan’s. The other was Grandma Petra’s.
I sank to my knees and crawled to her. My lips quivering, I reached out and touched her lifeless face. “I’m so sorry. I tried, Grandma.” I buried my head in her limp arm and cried my eyes out. “I tried…”
Lydia came to me and hugged my back. She wept, too, and we stayed on the floor with Grandma for a few minutes. I whimpered as I remembered her stern, wagging finger and her raspy, nagging voice. She was the one who kept the family going. No matter how bad it got, she never faltered. Fight after fight, year after year.
Vault came into the room. “She was dead when I found her.”
I turned my head and stared at him. “This is all my fault. If it wasn’t for my foolishness with Sadie, the pastor would never have come for them.”
He knelt and touched my back. “Do not blame yourself, Zena. Saros put your family in harm’s way. That is why this happened.” He stood up and gave us some room. “Your younger brother is with Agnes. One of my men saw her escape in an enemy ship.”
Learning that Turk
was still alive made me smile. It was a shame that I couldn’t see the hurt I had caused him sooner. He was so young and impressionable. I had to save him from Agnes. Turk and Lydia were the only family I had left. It was now my responsibility to raise them into respectable adults.
I pondered what Agnes might do to my little brother. To me, she was just as wicked as the dead pastor. Maybe even more sinister.
“How do I find her?”
Vault shook his head at me. “You let me work on that. Take some time with your loved ones. We’ll be at the docking station with the others.” He headed out and left with Jax and Ada.
I sat up and hugged my sister.
She coughed out a shaky groan and trembled in my arms. “I wish we all could go back to our cell. At least we were together then.” She turned her head and peeked at Grandma and Declan. “I miss them so much already. Why did they have to die, Zena? Why did this happen to us?”
I leaned back and looked into her puffy eyes. “We’ll arrange a burial for Grandma and Declan. But for now, I need you to come with me.”
She nodded and stood with me. I took her hand and led her to the docking station. Vault, Ada and Jax were huddled at the center of the madness, surveying the troops.
When Vault saw me, he turned to me and folded his arms. “I figured you might stay with the ones you lost for a bit longer.”
“No, sir. I’d like to give them a proper burial.”
“Of course. Take them to a ship and travel to the destination you’ve chosen for their grave. When you return, find me. There are many things I’d like to discuss with you, Zena.”
I appreciated his generosity. I wondered how such an intimidating man could have good manners. Nonetheless, there was still a mysterious aura about him that worried me. I pondered what he might do if I tried to leave.
“Yes, sir.”
“Very well then.” He held his arms behind his back and walked off with Jax.
Ada stayed with us and stared at me. I read her eyes, and from what I could see, it seemed as though she wanted to come with me.
“If it’s all right with you, I’d like to join you.”
It was an easy answer for me. “Sure.” She had grown on me since we first met on Mercilus. We had been through a lot together in a short amount of time. I considered her a friend, and I hoped she felt the same way about me.
She knelt and turned her attention to Lydia. “What’s your name, young one?”
“Lydia.”
She beamed. “That’s a very pretty name.”
“Thank you.”
She stood up and looked me over. “You ready?”
No, not really. It wasn’t supposed to go like this. My dreams always ended with me saving my family—not bringing them to their final resting place. I let out a deep sigh and slowly nodded. “Yeah. I’m ready.”
Ada marched to a group of soldiers and kindly asked them to help us transfer Declan and Grandma’s bodies to a battleship. The small group headed to the room and put them in separate coffins. They carried them to the ship and gently set them down along the walls. I took a moment to thank each soldier as they left the ship, tapping their arm as they went by.
Lydia thanked them, too, and once the area was clear, she sat next to Grandma’s coffin and rested her head on the surface. She cried and whispered her goodbyes to her. She promised to always remember her, and told her she loved her.
It was devastating to see her go through the pain of loss at such a young age. I lost our parents at a young age, and the pain still burned today. I had always hoped things would be different for my little sister and Turk.
She went to Declan and said goodbye to him, too. She hugged his coffin and kissed the surface, her soft tone echoing. I feared seeing all this death and mayhem might force her to mature faster, as it did to me. I didn’t want that for her. I wanted her to enjoy being young for as long as she could. Those were the best days of my life.
Ada piloted the ship and had us out of Station Four in no time. Soon after, we launched into interstellar speed and arrived at the North Star.
It was hard to look out the window and see the endless miles of dried land. The North Star was a sad, empty place where dreams died and hope never lasted. But it was also our home.
Ada glanced up at me. “Where to?”
I exhaled, my hands shaking. “District Four. The prison.”
She put the boosters on and zoomed ahead. On the control panel, she searched for District Four on the map and found it quickly. She set our destination for the prison and put the ship on autopilot.
Outside, on the ground, I saw dozens of wrecked enemy ships, smoke blooming from each one. That’s when it started to sink in. There were no more soldiers to shove us in line. No more soldiers to yell at us and lash our backs. We were finally free.
When we arrived at the prison, Ada landed near the main entrance. My knees got weak when I looked outside. The building was in ruins—destroyed; a heap of dusty, scorched rubble. The forcefield that once surrounded the prison yard was gone. Heavy tears welled in my eyes as I remembered chasing Declan in the yard. I saw memories of Kyra, too, and all the other kids we once played with.
From behind me, Lydia touched my arm. “You okay?”
I glanced at her. “No. I’m not.” I looked out the window again. “Come on. Let’s bring them out.”
Ada opened the ship and came over to help us. Together, the three of us carried Grandma to the yard. Then we came back and got Declan.
I sank to my knees and touched his pale, cold head. “I’m sorry, brother! I failed you. I failed the family.” I bent my head low and cried my eyes out.
Ada knelt and helped me up. “Stop blaming yourself, Zena. You have to stay strong for Lydia and Turk. They would have wanted you to be strong for them, too.”
My sister came to me and hugged my legs. She hid her face and let out more tears.
I caressed her with one hand and wiped my eyes with the other. “I know. I can do this. I just need a minute.” I took slow, deep breaths, and soon, my trembling lessened. “I’m ready.”
The three of us found a spot in the yard and got down on the ground. We used our hands to dig into the soil and went on for a long while until we made a deep, wide hole, large enough for both bodies. It seemed the strength of the pem-peh plants was still in my system. Ada appeared to have her strength, too. We had ripped through the soil with ease, moving large chunk after large chunk.
We lifted Declan up first and set his body down in the hole, then Grandma’s. When we started to cover them up with the dirt, I broke into more tears. But I kept going, shoving the dirt back into the hole and all over them.
Once we finished covering them up, I asked Ada to give Lydia and me a moment alone. She left us and went back to the ship. I stood there and touched my sister’s shoulders as I stared at the grave, my face stiff and damp.
“We love you, Grandma. We’ll miss your nagging voice. Especially at dawn when you would wake us up.” I let out a tense laugh. “We’ll miss your gray hair…and those deep bags under your eyes.” I fought back tears and breathed out slowly. “Goodbye, Grandma.”
Lydia looked up at me. “Zena?”
“Yes?”
“Can I say something for Declan?”
I smiled. “Of course you can.”
She sighed and looked down at the grave. “Declan, we love you very much. You were…the strength of our family. The one who always made things work.” She found my hand and gripped it hard. “We love you, Declan. Goodbye, brother.”
Stepping away from their grave sparked a sharp pain in my chest and stomach. For a moment, I wanted to give up on life and die with them. I thought about never hearing their voices again, never feeling the embrace of a warm hug. I remembered all the arguments I used to have with Grandma and Declan, and how much they angered me. I would have given anything to argue with them once more. I’ll miss you, always.
Turning around and leaving them took everything I had, but we had
to go on. We had to save Turk, and fight for our dreams, in their memory. We took one last look at their resting place before marching up the ramp. I love you. Goodbye.
I spun around with Lydia and wiped my eyes. I went to the cockpit with her by my side and found Ada preparing the ship for takeoff.
She glanced at me, then pressed a button on the control panel. “Vault sent you a message.”
In a flash, a hologram of Vault appeared on the screen. “Zena, Revis Hex has arrived with Sadie Saros. She is requesting to see you. I’ve set her up in a guestroom. When you return to Station Four, find me. I have some questions about her that I hope you’ll be able to answer.”
I took a seat in the passenger chair and covered my face. After burying my loved ones, I wasn’t prepared to see Sadie. I needed time to grieve. So much had changed since I last saw her on Cato. I hoped she would understand. I wanted to be with her, but it seemed our plans to start a relationship may have to wait.
24
Zena
Ada flew into Station Four and landed the ship at the docking station. She turned her head and glanced at me as she undid her seatbelt.
“I know that you and I don’t know each other that well, Zena. But I still care about you, and I can see that you are having a hard time with everything that has happened.” She reached out and gently placed her hand on my leg. “If you need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
I clenched my lips and set my hand over hers. I snuck a quick look at her, afraid to show my sad face. “Thank you.” I unbuckled my seatbelt and stood up.
Lydia did the same and walked over to me. She set her hands on her hips and stared at Ada. “Aren’t you coming with us?”
She shook her head and smiled. “No. I’m going to stay here and relax. I haven’t really taken a moment to reflect on our victory over Saros.” She looked up at me, her eyes fiery. “Now would be a good time.”
