“Maybe that Queen was trying to save your ass,” Pyrrhus crossed his arms.
The female raised her eyebrows. “And how is that, Mr. What’s your name?”
“Pyrrhus,” he answered. “General Pyrrhus.”
Whispers erupted around the room as he spoke his name. He could see races pointing at him, as they were finally matching the name with the face. The female seemed to back up a little before regaining her composure and lowering her weapon.
“Why are you here to stop a rebellion, General?” She asked. “I wouldn't think you would want us to stop rebelling against these monsters. You know as well as any that we can’t let them take over this galaxy.”
“You’re right. I don't want to give our homes to them,” Pyrrhus nodded. “They killed my whole crew and crews of my comrade's. I want them to pay, but not like this. We have to be smart about how we proceed. Making a demonstration like there is outside will only lead to the deaths of many who could help win a rebellion.”
“Then how do I fix it?” The female asked. “Would you rather I lay down my arms and surrender to the crodillians?”
“If surrender makes the crodillians stop killing the races of Orion,” he nodded and took a step forward. “Then yes. Surrender is what you must do.”
Yells of protest emerged throughout the bar and some of the races began throwing objects in his direction. The female held her hand up and the room immediately calmed down.
“I’ve heard of you General Pyrrhus and I know that surrendering isn't in your nature. Why would you suggest we surrender without a fight?”
“It's what the Queen asked us to do,” Pyrrhus shrugged. “Isn't that enough reason?”
“She was forced to say that,” the female replied defiantly. “Are you foolish enough to believe she said that on her own accord? She’s been beaten, starved, and tortured.”
“She said it on her own. No one forced her to say a word of it,” he grinned, knowing it’d anger her. “But you apparently didn't pay close enough attention to what she said, though I admire you for doing all you've done on Hermes thus far.”
“I paid attention!” The female shouted. “She was chained like an animal and has lost all hope. I will not give up hope! I’ll fight until my last dying breath.”
“If you really paid attention, this rebellion you've put together wouldn't be so...,” Pyrrhus stroked his chin and wrapped his finger around his braided beard. “Obvious is the word I was looking for. Yes, obvious. It’d be much more discreet, like the Queen tried to tell you, if you’d heard a word she said.”
“What?” She sounded confused. “She never said anything like that.”
“The Queen obviously couldn't tell us to rebel openly, or we'd be killed, as would she. Another thing she couldn’t say was to establish secret rebellion forces. So, she said it a little less obviously,” Pyrrhus told her, knowing he’d finally gotten her attention. “There was one last thing that she didn't tell them, that I'm sure you have no clue about either, so I’ll tell you now. We have around three hundred ships ready for battle waiting at Ares.”
The bar got quiet when they heard about warships on Ares. The female took a step closer to him and leaned in.
“You've come to help us then?” A smile crossed her face and she began to laugh.
Pyrrhus grinned. “I've come to do more than help. I have a hidden military base for you to take rebels to. You'll be able to train and take refuge there until we’re ready to strike.”
“That’s just what I wanted to hear.”
“What's your name?” Pyrrhus asked her.
“Zarah,” she answered.
“How’d you end up here on Hermes?” He asked. “You’re not native, I can tell by your voice.”
She looked down to the ground, a look of sorrow washing over her face. “I came here after my family was slaughtered on Gaea. I knew it was where many races would come and I wanted to be a part of a rebellion. I refused to accept defeat. There was no chance in hell I’d accept their peace offering.”
“Well, it looks like you are the leader of a rebellion now,” Pyrrhus put his hand on her shoulder. “We won't let the crodillians take Orion from us, but we need them to think that for the time being.”
“Where is this base that you're talking about?” Zarah asked. “No one here has mentioned a military base to me.”
Pyrrhus turned around. “I'll take you to it myself.”
He led her out of the bar and into the streets where he stopped a race about to board a glider. Pyrrhus handed over some currency in his pocket, which was much more than the glider was worth, and the race happily took the money before running off.
“We can talk more on the way there,” he said, throwing his leg over the glider. “Come on, get on.”
Zarah got on the glider behind Pyrrhus and he took off towards the dark green forest. He wasn't taking a traveled road, but it was a secret base that very few knew existed. It wasn't too far off from Thermopylae, but it was far enough that no one had ever accidently stumbled upon it. Pyrrhus steered the glider through the trees, zooming in and out, barely missing several large limbs hanging low.
“Why do those races follow you?” He yelled over his shoulder.
“Back there?” Zarah asked.
“Yeah,” he replied. “They were all gathered around you like you were their leader, but you don’t carry yourself like one. You’re humble, forthright, not like a military leader. What'd you do back on Gaea?”
“I didn't do anything important, really,” she said. “I was just a regular citizen. I worked at a high school as a principal.”
“So you're used to leading groups of races?” He said more to himself than to Zarah.
“Yeah, I guess, but nothing like this.”
“They follow you without question,” he said. “When I walked in, the first thing I saw was a group of races gathered around a strong leader. They were listening to every word you said. Everything that came from your mouth was absorbed by them. Those races believe they can win a rebellion because you’ve told them they can.”
“They killed my whole family,” she said. “My husband and my two little girls. I watched them get blown to pieces right in front of me. My whole life, gone in the blink of an eye.”
“I'm sorry,” Pyrrhus comforted. “They can't come back, but we won't ever let anyone forget them. We'll make the crodillians pay for what they've done.”
“I know they can't come back,” she replied. “That's why I came here. I didn't want to just be part of a rebellion, I wanted have a chance to lead something successful. Funny thing is, I never thought they'd follow me like this.”
“But they do and now you're their leader,” Pyrrhus reassured her. “Did you set up all those men on the rooftops and have the ships circle Thermopylae?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “Most of the military leaders are gone, though there were a few of lower ranks hiding here when I arrived. They didn't want to defend Hera. They hid here like cowards while their families were killed. How could someone do that?”
“I don't know,” he shook his head and steered the glider around and enormous tree. “Someone heartless is all I can guess.”
“They were trying to start a rebellion when I arrived, but no one was listening to them. Most were cowering indoors, praying that a miracle would save them,” she told him. “I was one of the first to arrive here from Gaea and I immediately told every race what I saw happen. At first, they came to comfort me and help me. Once I saw how bad they needed a real leader, I had no choice but to take charge. There were several male races trying to lead, but they wanted to take the fight to Hera. I saw what happened on Gaea and I knew that wouldn't work, so I started to speak out and they listened, so I kept talking to them. Of course I saw the message for peace, but I still ordered ships to circle and races to go to rooftops. I let everyone know that if they tried to kill us, we wouldn't go down so easy. Hope was something they needed, something I myself almost lost on Gaea.”
Pyrrhus brough
t the glider to a stop. “You’ve brought them more than hope, and soon, you’ll help bring them victory.”
He got off of the glider and walked over to a small concrete building covered with thick layers of moss and leaves. A wooden door creaked open and he stepped in. Zarah followed him in the building. There were several broken chairs and other useless equipment scattered across the deteriorating room.
“Where's the base?” She asked.
“It's underneath us,” Pyrrhus grinned. “It's another reason I chose Hermes as my first stop. The crodillians can't stop what they can't see.”
“An entire military base is underneath us?”
He walked over to the wall in front of the door and put his hand on a picture of Orion. There was a noise of concrete scraping on concrete and a stairway was revealed in the new opening.
“Yes. There's an entire military base right underneath us,” he turned around to face her. “Want to have a quick tour of the place?”
“Of course I do,” she followed him down the stairs.
“This is the Dining Hall,” he pointed as they were walking down the stairs. “From here, you have several places you can go. To the left and right you have regular bunkers for males and females.”
“Do I need to separate them?” She asked. “There's going to be families here and I'd rather keep them together. We’ll be fighting as one, I don’t see a need to separate gender.”
“Your call. You're in charge of this place when I leave,” he informed her. “Do whatever you think will help us win this war. These are your races, you know them better than anyone else.”
“Okay,” she nodded. “What about those hallways?” She pointed.
“The ones right in front of us are recreation and your bunker.”
“My bunker?”
“Yes,” he nodded. “You're the General here, so you get you own bunker,” he led her down the hallway to the bunker. “Place you hand here,” he motioned.
Zarah placed her hand on a pad and the door hissed opened, revealing a very luxurious bunker. There was an oversized bed in one corner of the room and all the walls were lined with bookshelves. The room was filled with hundreds of books, more than anyone would have time to read in a year spent alone.
“This bunker will now recognize your hand and will only open to your hand. Same with the entrance. Once you find officers to appoint under you, you can also assign their hands to the scanner on the entrance, but no one else.”
“Wow,” she said looking around the bunker.
“Now we’re going this way,” Pyrrhus left the bunker and took a right. “This is the weight training and hand to hand combat room.”
“This place is huge,” she looked down at the floors below her. “How’ve you been able to keep this hidden?”
“This base can hold thousands of races at once and keep them in here for months at a time without leaving. It’s not hard to get people in here without anyone noticing, especially at night,” he informed her. “Anyway, once you leave this area, it's the simulation room. Good for pilots and those who want to face different combat scenarios,” he continued through the room without stopping. “The last one on this side is the medical room. There's no nurses now, but I'm sure that you'll find plenty in Thermopylae who'll be willing to help.”
“There are going to be thousands who will want to come here,” she replied. “I'm sure I'll find more than a few willing to work here.”
“I know you’ll find them,” Pyrrhus nodded, going back to the Dining Hall. “But you have to let everyone know that once they come here, they can't leave.”
“They have to stay here?”
“Yes,” Pyrrhus nodded. “The crodillians will be here soon. We don't want them to find this base because someone is careless and either opens their mouth or leads them here. There’s more than enough here to house thousands for months, which means they shouldn't need to leave, only come.”
“I understand,” Zarah nodded. “I'll let every race who is interested in coming know.”
“Good,” he led her down another hallway. “This is the library. Pretty self-explanatory, mostly books on war, but some may find it worth their time to gain knowledge, though most will probably train. There’s the Briefing Room,” he pointed at the end of the library. “Comes with everything you'll need. There are maps of Orion, Hermes, or any other planet you may want to see. You'll be able to contact me or any other General from the comline system that's hooked up. You’ve been granted full access to anything and everything necessary to the success of the rebellion.”
“Am I going to plan out my own rebellion here?” Zarah held him back from moving on to the next room. “Like, actually plan it all myself?”
“Of course not. You won't plan the entire rebellion alone,” Pyrrhus put his hand on her shoulder. “You'll just plan out Hermes, but you'll have officers you choose to help you. There will be some who are knowledgeable on things like this, and I will also have military leaders helping you with strategies if you need it.”
“Okay,” she nodded wide-eyed. “It's just so much to take in at once.”
“Don't worry, you'll have a lot of help,” he walked straight down the hallway to the very end and opened a set of metal doors. They hissed open and he walked inside, putting his hands on his hips. “Now this is where all the cool stuff is kept.”
The room was filled with weapons, small ships, glider bikes, and different land to air combat vehicles. There weren't any big warships, but there were enough weapons and small vehicles to start a decent rebellion and have a shot at winning.
“No one needed any of this stuff?” Zarah asked him.
“No,” Pyrrhus rubbed his hand over his head. “The goal was to stop the crodillians at Hera. I didn't think it was possible, but it was my duty to try, though I didn't stick it out.”
“You were actually there?” Zarah looked at him. “I thought you were commanding from somewhere else.”
“No. I was there,” he looked down. “I abandoned my ship so I could warn the remaining planetary and military leaders not to make the same mistake twice.”
“If you hadn't made that choice, none of this would be happening right now,” she said. “You know them better now and we'll defeat them this time. We've all lost friends and family we love. We've had to leave things behind we never thought we would. Now we have to come together, forget the things we regret, and keep our loved lost ones in our hearts. They’ll help us through this. Even if it’s hard to believe, they’ll give us the strength and courage we need to endure the coming months.”
“You'll lead these rebels to victory Zarah,” Pyrrhus put his hand on her shoulder and looked at the weapons and vehicles parked in front of him. “The crodillians will be here soon, but they'll never see all of this coming. Not until it’s too late.”
Chapter 9
Anlon and Kanti laid on the cold ground, snuggled up tightly, trying to share body warmth and avoid freezing to death from the frigid temperature. The storm had taken a turn for the worse, making it impossible to reach the peak of the mountain in one trip. Camillus had stopped them, telling them their only chance of survival was to try and make it through the night. They hadn't been prepared to stop so long, leaving them all underdressed for the intense storm. Luckily, they’d found a small cave large enough to fit all but one of them and Camillus had offered to be the odd one out. It wasn't any warmer inside, but they were protected from the whipping winds and pounding of snow.
Anlon woke up to a nudge in his side and saw the sun was peeking through the white clouds. He got up from the ground and left the cave, relieved to see the snow had stopped falling.
“I think the storm has finally passed over us,” Camillus said.
“I don't think the others are ready to move yet. It was a rough night.”
“We don't have a choice,” Camillus said. “There may be another storm rolling in, but I'm having a hard time telling whether it will fall apart or not.”
“I guess I'll
wake them up,” Anlon moved towards the cave.
“We're close to the top,” Camillus said over his shoulder. “They’ll have shelter much better than what we have right now.”
Anlon nudged the others awake and waited next to Camillus as they all crawled out. They came out one by one, stretching out all the soreness from the rocky ground, looking to Anlon and the humanoid groggily.
“Already time to go?” Falcone asked. “We didn't even get a full night's rest. How do expect me to run on that?”
“We're close to the top,” Camillus ignored the sarcasm. “The quicker we get there, the faster you'll be somewhere warm. Not to mention safe from any further storms.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Kanti asked. “Let's get moving.”
“You heard the lady,” Falcone walked to his glider. “Let's get moving.”
They all got on their gliders and followed Camillus to the top of the mountain. He hadn't lied when he said they were close, Anlon just hadn’t been aware how close they’d been to finishing the trip. It was only about a twenty minute ride, but he understood Camillus’ decision to pull over. They couldn't see well in the storm, but the path had slowly narrowed the further up they’d traveled, and now, it was very clear. If they hadn’t have made the stop, he had no doubt one of them would’ve fallen off the side.
Camillus stopped and hopped off his glider, motioning the others to make the walk with him the remaining way. When they reached the peak, an ancient building was visible in the center of a small canyon. It was a dark grey stone, native to Ovrea, and there were multiple age cracks spanning several feet long on the building. There were different sculptures scattered around yard and a well-kept path leading straight to the ancient building's entrance.
“Wow. This place is amazing,” Nimesha said. “It looks nothing like the rest of the planet.”
“It's considered sacred ground,” Camillus informed them. “Very few are privileged to come here and very few know of its existence.”
“How'd you find out where it was at then?” Kanti asked.
“He knows everything. He's the know all humanoid,” Falcone chuckled.
Rise of the Resistance (War for Orion Trilogy Book Two) Page 9
