“I understand,” Jahdiel nodded. “I wouldn't want to be caught by surprise by some little rebellion.”
She could see a slight flash in Merikh's eyes that she knew was anger. She’d mocked him, but there was nothing he could do about it until she arrived back on Hera. By then, she would've conquered every planet and he’d most likely already have forgotten about it. The Queen on the other hand, had a smug look on her face after the comment. Jahdiel didn't know if it's because she’d caught on to what she’d said to Merikh, or if there was something else going on. Surely there wasn't, she had no outside contact with anyone. If she wasn't locked up in a cell, she was chained next to Merikh.
“Hermes will be the next planet that we take,” Jahdiel told him.
“Aren't there other planets much closer to Ovrea?”
“It's their core trading planet,” Jahdiel informed him. “If there is any rebellion brewing, then after we conquer Hermes, there’ll be no chance of success.”
“Why didn't you go to this planet first?”
“I wanted to see how a less populated planet would respond.”
“I see,” Merikh said. “No matter. They’ll all respond the same. Just get the job done.”
Jahdiel saw the look on the Queen's face again, but once again kept it to herself. Pointing it out to Merikh could raise his suspicions about herself and her motives. “If they do decide to rebel, we’ll be ready for them.”
“Why are you killing your own races?” Adira spoke up.
“Because you killed me, in a way,” Jahdiel answered. “It’s only right that I return the favor.”
“None of these other races did anything to you, it was me,” Adira said. “There’s nothing to gain by helping these monsters, they'll only do the same to you in the end. After all, you're just like the races you're wiping out. What makes you any better than them?”
“Why don't you let me worry about my own choices and you can worry about what few you have left, if any.”
“I wonder if you truly have any more choices left than I do,” Adira chuckled before getting hit by Merikh.
“Continue conquering the planets Jahdiel, we’ve spoken enough,” he hung up the comlink.
The Queen had just risked her life to talk to Jahdiel, but why? She knew that Merikh would severely punish her for the comments, but there was a reason Adira had risked punishment to tell her these things. She too, must see that Merikh was only using her. Had he been using her the entire time? From the minute he’d seen her arrive through the Black Hole?
Since arriving in Orion, her role seemed to be slowly diminishing with every passing day. The power she’d wielded in the other galaxy was slowly fading away. Was she really any better off than Adira now? The Queen may be chained to Merikh, but Jahdiel was stuck in a ship full of crodillians, with Maolmordha close by, likely to clean up any acting up on her part.
She’d made the call to confirm where she stood with Merikh, and her instincts were confirmed. Adira's comments only reassured what she was thinking, but Jahdiel didn't know what to do. She was chained, like the Queen, and had to follow orders or be killed. The Queen knew something she didn't though, she had seen it on her face. Something was going to happen soon and the crodillians wouldn't be expecting it. Jahdiel decided she'd follow orders until then, once that time came, she'd decide what to do.
“Something is definitely going on with the Elders,” Nimesha said, breaking the silence in the room.
“Yeah, Zimran has been gone awhile,” Falcone said. “He said he'd be right back.”
“He seemed kind of reluctant to tell us anything alone,” Kanti pointed out. “Maybe some of the Elders don't want to reveal information to us. He could be lobbying for us.”
“I'm with Kanti,” Anlon said. “If they’re going to give us anything then they all have to agree on it. If even one doesn’t want to, it could take some time.”
“They hear whispers from all over Orion,” Camillus said. “It’s their job to know things. I'm sure someone leaked that we'd be arriving so they should’ve already gone over most of this.”
“He just didn’t seem like he want to help all that much. It felt as if he were holding things back,” Nimesha said.
“They know what's best,” Camillus replied. “You have to trust their decisions. If they don't want to help us, or are reluctant to reveal information, then there’s a reason.”
Zimran quickly came into the room. He seemed frantic, like something had just interrupted him.
“Follow me,” he motioned. “I’ve gathered six of the Elders to speak with you. Unfortunately, the others weren't here and I wasn't able to locate them.”
They followed him down the stone halls and into a room with a large rectangular stone in the middle. Stone chairs were put around it and they all took seats at the opposite end of the table as the Elders.
“I'm sorry, but introductions must be skipped today,” the Elder seated in the middle of the others said. “Time is short and I’m told you seek information on how to defeat the crodillians.”
“Yes,” Kanti answered. “We’ve come to Ovrea in hopes that you may be able to help us.”
The Elder nodded. “We may not be able to help you in the way you want.”
“What do you mean?” Anlon asked. “You don't have any information on how you defeated the crodillians last time?”
“You see,” he held his hands out. “We barely defeated them last time they tried to take over Orion. There was really nothing special we did, it was just mistakes on the crodillians’ part.”
“Great,” Falcone mumbled. “I’m sure the Council will love to hear that. It’ll really encourage the rebels.”
Kanti shot a look at him. “I'm sure that you can still help us. They're taking over Orion now as we speak. Anything would be helpful.”
“We know of their recent actions,” the Elders said. “They’ve just taken over Ovrea.”
“What?” Anlon asked aloud. “They're here right now?”
“They’ve come peacefully and we told the cities to surrender. There will be no bloodshed, don’t worry.”
“You can't be okay with this,” Kanti said. “You must want to defeat them as much as we do. It can’t be satisfying to give up your home to these monsters.”
“We don't like it, no, but what choice do we have?” The Elder responded. “The Queen has used every fleet Orion had, there’s no chance we defeat the crodillians now.”
Nimesha smiled. “Not quite. You may have missed a little bit of information.”
The Elder looked to her confused. “What are you talking about?”
“There are around three hundred ships gathered at Ares ready to rebel once we get information from you.”
“Three hundred?” The Elder shook his head in dismay. “That’s still no match for the crodillians. Did you not see what thousands did?”
“You have to tell us what little you know,” Kanti insisted. “Even if it barely defeated the crodillians last time, it could still work this time. They may make the same mistakes again, who knows.”
Zimran tapped the Elder's shoulder. “She's right. Their technology is much more advanced than the previous time we faced the crodillians. It could provide an additional advantage.”
“Fine. What I’m about to tell you is no secret,” the Elder said. “We utilized surprise attacks. Their powers were too much for us to overcome. They almost entirely wiped us out, so one of the General's recommended guerilla warfare. Something that we thought would make their powers useless. If they couldn’t focus in on where we were coming from, how could they thwart us?”
“What are you talking about their powers?” Anlon asked. “Those big guns on their ships that wipe out entire fleets?”
“No. Not those,” he shook his head. “They have some sort of telekinetic powers that allow them to control large objects. Did you not know of this already?”
“So they're true,” Camillus said aloud. “I’ve read about them, but I thought they were
only fictitious.”
“No, they're real,” the Elder assured him. “This new weapons they're using is something we haven't seen before. I'm sure they'll resort to their powers soon, if they haven't forgotten how to use them.”
“How exactly do they work?” Kanti asked. “And how does guerilla warfare work against it?”
“When we first attacked, we gathered in big groups, like the Queen at Hera,” the Elder revealed. “They were able to somehow direct large objects at the fleets. They destroyed communications and wreaked havoc every time we got close to them. At first, we didn't know what was going on, but we found it was them. By that point, the war seemed all but lost.”
“So their powers are what almost defeated you?” Kanti asked.
“We weren't ready for them. It was something their race had concealed from everyone,” the Elder nodded. “By the time we figured it out, it was too late. Their ground troops had won and we had lost many of our fleets.”
“This helps us!” Anlon said. “None of us knew about the powers and now we know we must attack using guerilla warfare.”
“That still barely won it for us and we had many more ships at our disposal than you do right now.”
“But it’s hope,” Kanti said. “If our rebellion is to be successful, we need to give those rebelling something to cling to. If they have that, they’ll stop at nothing until victory is achieved.”
“That’s what I was afraid of,” the Elder said. “You all would rather go extinct than be conquered.”
“And wouldn't you?” Nimesha asked. “We’ll be slaves if we don't try to do anything.”
“And you will be dead if you try.”
“We have the new technology you were talking about,” Falcone pointed out. “You didn't have sonodrive, force fields, and stealth fields when you fought them. These are all relatively new to us and we can use them all to our advantage.”
“We didn't, that’s true,” the Elder nodded. “But how will so few ships be able to defeat their thousands?”
“We lure them into traps,” Nimesha grinned. “We use the stealth fields to our advantage. Like you said, they can’t defeat what they can’t see.”
“It could work,” the Elder nodded. “That’s only if you’re able to get close enough to them without being caught.”
“Not only that, but guerrilla warfare is perfect for our numbers!” Falcone said. “All we have to do is figure out their tactics and then lure them into the right positions.”
“Then it seems we’ve given you everything you need,” the Elder bowed his head.
“Are you sure there isn't anything else that you can tell us?” Kanti asked. “I mean, you keep the histories. All you know is that you barely defeated them and they have telekinetic powers?”
“They are a mysterious race,” the Elder said. “We’ve never had one of our own work closely with this race. They work alone, only amongst themselves. Maybe if you captured one of their own, they could reveal more, but I'm not sure. We have only speculated about them and all we know is they possess special powers.”
“Thank you,” Kanti smiled. “Though you weren't able to reveal much, it may have been just enough to save Orion.”
“I'm glad we could be of assistance, and we wish you luck on your mission,” the Elder smiled. “We hope to see you again soon once you've won your war, Princess.”
The guard walked into the room. “The crodillians have found yet another city.”
Zimran nodded. “Escort our guests out of the Temple and make sure they get to their ship safely. They have important information to relay to their rebellion.”
The guard nodded and motioned Anlon and the others to follow. They quickly walked out of the room and back to the Temple's yard. He led them to where they’d left their gliders.
“The weather is supposed to be like this for another couple of hours,” he said. “You can get to your ship without worry of getting hit by a storm. Once there, I recommend you wait for the storm to hit, then you can get off of the planet undetected. There are bombers all over, if you leave in this weather, you may get caught.”
“Thank you,” Falcone said. “We'll leave once the storm hits.”
Anlon and Kanti both got on their bike, as did the others. They fired them up and started making their way back towards Drakos Mavros. None of them wanted to get caught outside in a storm, but deep down, they all wanted one to come quickly. If the guard was right, they could easily get off of Ovrea and head straight to Ares where the rebellion could begin.
Chapter 11
Zarah gathered all the races in the center of Thermopylae. It’d been a last minute thing and she’d others spread the word that she'd be speaking to the public for the first time. Prior to this, she’d spoken to much smaller crowds, though everyone had heard of her speeches. Not everyone agreed with her, but none spoke out against her.
She hadn't told anyone one the speech was going to be about, hoping the mystery would encourage races to come that would otherwise blow her off. Word of mouth spread quick, and most races knew she’d gone off with Pyrrhus earlier. Not everyone may like her, but they would still come to hear what she had to say, even if it were only to hear about the General. Orion was in trouble and she was the only leader Hermes had whether they knew it or not.
Zarah looked out into the crowd from the balcony and saw that it was quickly growing. It seemed like every race in Thermopylae was gathering to hear what she had to say, and that was great news. The more races she could get to come back to the base with her, the more rebels they'd have to fight the crodillians. Once the flow of races meandering into the large crowd slowed, she began her speech.
“You all are probably wondering what I have to talk about today,” she looked around, becoming nervous for the first time. “I see many who’ve never listened to any of my speeches personally, yet you still came today to hear me. I can assure you that was a good choice, a very good choice that will save many of your lives. As most of you have probably heard, I talked to General Pyrrhus today.” She watched silently for a moment as the crowd started speaking to each other. Some looked surprised and others just grinned because they had witnessed it. “He showed me something. Something that changes everything I've been doing here in Thermopylae. There’s a base hidden in the forest that can hold thousands of you. Thousands!” She held out her hands to emphasize. “We must go there to stay hidden from the crodillians until the time is right.”
“You want us to cower away in the forest?” A man shouted up to her. “You’ve talked about attacking and now you want to hide? I bet you want us to surrender our city to them next!”
A group of races started shouting and she held her hands up to try and quiet them down enough so she could speak. The outburst wasn’t unexpected, but she’d hoped there would be none. Now, she had to convince all without a doubt that her decision was the correct one.
“We’re not hiding like cowards,” she glared at the man who’d started the commotion. “We’re buying time so that thousands may live. I will not fight the crodillians when they arrive here. I won't have the lives of those who die on my hands.”
“Who said you had to order an attack?” The man shouted back up. “No one made you in charge of us! You started by giving us speeches of encouragement and now you want us to lay down our weapons and surrender! I will order an attack if you don't!”
“You will do no such thing,” Zarah stared at him with rage beginning to boil in her. “You’d be killing thousands of innocent lives for nothing but pride. There are others out in Orion, like us, who will be doing this exact same thing. There are plans being put into motion, but we must be patient and wait for the time to strike.”
“We are alone!” He shouted. “No one is coming to save us, Zarah! We’ve been left here to die by the Queen! I will not surrender. I will fight until one of those monsters takes my life from me!”
“There are a few hundred warships left to fight the crodillians,” she quieted the restless crowd
with the revelation. “The Queen didn't leave us alone, or ask us to surrender. She made it appear that way so the crodillians would feel comfortable. Our leader bought us time to save lives and eventually rebel to take our homes back! How is any rebellion going to be successful if we all act on our own? If every planet and race must act at the same time if we are to succeed. We have to wait for the rest of Orion to be ready, not just us.”
“We won't do it,” he crossed his arms. “You’re being just like the Queen. You're leaving the rest of us to die.”
“I am being just like her. I'm trying to save lives!” She shouted. “We must make the crodillians think that they've won. If one city, one city, rebels when they come to conquer, they’ll expect the rest to do the same. The rebellion that's being put together will be a waste of time because you want to be selfish.”
She looked around to see that the crowd wasn't sure which person to side with: Zarah or the man. She had to admit, if she were in their shoes, it’d be a tough choice after losing everything. It was her job now to convince all of them that she was the right person to follow.
“It looks like there are only two choices right now,” she looked back and forth between the crowd. “You can side with me and survive, or side with him and rebel when the crodillians arrive. Just remember who has promised you life and who will be destroying any hope of a successful rebellion for the rest of Orion. Your actions will change the fate of the entire galaxy.”
The crowd frantically looked to each other, trying to figure out who to side with. None had ever heard from this man before, but he was preaching what Zarah had previously claimed to be the only way. Now, the one who wanted to rebel, wanted to hide like the woman she’d criticized so much.
“Before you make you decision, I must warn you, if you come with me there’s no going back. If your family doesn't come with you, you won't see them again unless they choose to come later. Only I know where the base is, and only I will be leaving the base to gather others later. If you don't join me before it's too late, you'll never locate the base,” she looked to the outspoken man. “But also know that you will be safe. There are places to train and learn for war. There is food, weapons, and vehicles. When it’s time to rebel, we’ll win, but we have to wait for the rest of Orion. So, if you're with me, then go to the edge of the forest and I’ll take you to your new, safe, home. If you're with him,” she pointed. “Then stay here, but I can't promise you'll survive.”
Rise of the Resistance (War for Orion Trilogy Book Two) Page 11
