“I can't' wait to meet her,” Gidon smiled and then let out a sigh. “Did you see that the crodillians took over Ovrea?”
“Yeah, I heard about it on the way back,” he answered. “Ovrea would’ve never put up much of a fight, even without the Queen's message. There's really not enough races there to put up any type of resistance.”
“When do you think they'll be here? It can’t be much longer.”
“Don't know,” Pyrrhus shrugged. “My guess would be we’ll be last since the quierleons are the most likely race to rebel. Their human leader will know that and she’ll wait.”
“I would think the opposite, but you’re probably right. Who knows what goes through that twisted woman’s mind.”
“I can’t even imagine,” Pyrrhus shook his head in disgust. “How could a human work for those things knowing what they have planned?”
“Her mind has to be clouded with hatred. There’s no other way she'd destroy her home like this.”
“Are the other leaders here keeping track of her movements?”
“Yes,” Gidon answered. “More so than any of the crodillians. She’s still at Ovrea, though it appears that they'll be moving on to the next planet soon. We'll know which planet they're at next the second they arrive there.”
“Do you mind if I update the leaders on my progress?” He asked. “Let them know what is being set up and such?”
“Go ahead,” Gidon pushed him towards the stage. “I'm sure they'd all love to hear some good news for a change.”
Pyrrhus walked up to the stage and stood in front of all the races who still hadn't even noticed him in the room yet. Gidon handed him a microphone and he tapped it a couple times to get the attention of the leaders in the room. A high pitched screech echoed in the room and they slowly looked up from their work, straightening when they saw who stood before them.
“I've come back from my travels earlier than I expected,” he told them. “I found two great leaders for Hermes and Gaea and I’ve promoted them to General's. The one on Hermes is a woman named Zarah, she has no military experience whatsoever, so I'm going to assign some of you to help her out. Though she has no military experience, she has leadership skills like nothing I’ve ever witnessed. She’s one of rebels, her entire family was killed on Gaea and after that, she made her whole purpose to lead a rebellion. There is no shred of doubt in my mind she’s the one to lead them to victory,” he looked around the room briefly. “I put a man named Moran in charge of the base at Gaea and he’s the reason that I'm back so soon. I believe some in this room know him because he was waiting for my arrival. He offered to help me set up bases by sending men he knows well to do it in my place. Though I was reluctant at first, I know he’s right and that I should be here planning for the rebellion,” Pyrrhus took in a deep breath. “I know that you may be losing hope right now, keeping up with every detail that's going on in Orion, but I'm here to tell you, don't. We’re going to win this war. I've seen it in the eyes of Zarah, Moran, and all the survivors that’ve rallied around them. This war isn't lost yet, it’s still far from over. Keep eyes on the crodillians and let me know immediately if they’ve come to Ares. The rebellion bases will be finished being established soon, but the crodillians may still strike first. I believe that we’ll deliver the first blow, but I need you to keep me updated.”
Pyrrhus walked off of the stage and was drowned in a wave of clapping and hollering. They hadn't had much to cheer about recently, but he’d finally given them something to look forward to. A slight bit of hope. He walked to Gidon and headed for the door.
“I'm going to call the Council and tell them I've finished. I want to hear what they want to do.”
Gidon nodded and Pyrrhus left the room that was still erupting with cheers. He closed the door to the Debate Hall and pulled out his comlink.
Aldrick picked up. “Have you finished already, Pyrrhus?”
“I have,” he answered. “I’ve set up two strong bases on Hermes and Gaea. You’ll get to know the leaders very well in the coming days. They will keep us all updated on their progress.”
“Just those two?” He interrupted. “I thought there’d be many more than that.”
“I’ve had help with the others,” he said. “Moran Borislav had men ready to go to the remaining planets to set up bases. He wanted me here, setting up battle plans.”
“Excellent!” Aldrick beamed. “We’ve all come to the agreement that you're in complete control of everything. You don’t need to ask us permission about your strategy, all you have to do is run it by us. We’ll give suggestions, concerns, and anything else that comes to mind, but you’re the man in charge.”
“Me?” Pyrrhus asked stunned. “But I thought you were going to make final decisions.”
“We were,” Aldrick nodded. “But after much discussion, you’re the only one who has faced the crodillians. You’re the one who’s committed his life to understanding war and know better than any about what to do. You should be the one making decisions in these times, not us. It’s time to put your training into action.”
“I still don't know very much about the crodillians, not as much as I would like to anyway. Have you heard back from Anlon yet?”
“No,” Aldrick shook his head. “We’ve heard nothing, but don't doubt the boy, the Princess, and their friends. They’ll report back soon. Adira put a lot of trust in that boy for a reason.”
“Ovrea was just taken over. Could something have happened to them there?”
“There’s a possibility,” Aldrick nodded. “But I don't think it's very likely. The crodillians held up their end of the promise and took it over peacefully. It may be that Anlon and the Princess are just waiting for them to leave before they come back.”
“I hope so,” Pyrrhus said. “If the Elders were able to give them anything, I sure need it right now. Battle plans are going to hinge on our knowledge of the enemy.”
“Do you have a plan in mind?” Aldrick asked. “Any ideas of how to lead the rebellions on each planet?”
Pyrrhus let out a deep breath. “I have an idea at the moment, but I'm going to sit down and put things together. I’d like to hear from Anlon first, but I'll start as soon as I'm done speaking with you.”
“Then don't let me hold you,” Aldrick replied. “Get your rebellion ready. Find out what you want to do and how you're going to do it. Whatever you decide, we’ll back up. You're in charge of this rebellion now, Pyrrhus. I know you'll lead us to victory.”
Pyrrhus stared at the comlink as the image of Aldrick flickered off. He hadn't seen this coming at all. He was just supposed to be in charge of leading the ships, not the entire rebellion itself. There was no telling how others would respond after finding out he’d abandoned his crew, and he knew they'd all find out soon if they didn’t already know. It still hurt him that he’d left his men, but if he hadn't, this rebellion wouldn't be happening. He told himself he’d done the right thing and the Council insisted he had too. If they had thought it was the wrong decision, they wouldn't have put him in charge. He and his rebels would wipe out all of the crodillians, he just needed to sit down and figure out how exactly they were going to do it.
Kirill followed Kellagh off his ship and down the marble halls of the Queen's Palace. A lot had changed since the last time he’d been here, but that was mostly the blood spattered on the walls and char marks from weapon fire. He followed Kellagh silently to the reception room where a crodillian was sitting in the middle surrounded by screens. As they moved toward tall creature with dark green skin, Kirill made out the images to be of Gaea. Kellagh stopped behind the leader and motioned for Kirill to stop with his hand.
“I’ve brought you back Kirill,” Kellagh said.
The crodillian turned around and looked at him with his red eyes. “Why didn't Donnchadh bring back Kirill, Kellagh? What did you do to him?”
“I did nothing to him,” Kellagh backed up a step. “I’ll let you talk to Kirill about it.”
Kirill ste
pped forward with a smile. “He was planning to attack you and then start a rebellion.”
“Oh, was he?” Merikh didn't sound convinced as he stood, towering over Kirill.
“He contacted me before he arrived,” he continued. “He said he wanted my group to attack your ships. He said he would then be free of you and that together he and I could start a rebellion to wipe out the crodillians and take the Throne. The traitor wanted to take what you’d worked so hard for after you gave him a chance to prove his loyalty to you.”
“You really think a small rebellion would've even have come close to succeeding? Have you not seen what my fleets have done to the rest of this galaxy so far?”
“I know we could've taken your ships down,” Kirill snarled. “You were obvious coming in. My group specializes in eliminating even the toughest of enemies, and I assure you, the fleet you sent wouldn't have been our hardest job.”
Merikh grinned, revealing his sharp grey teeth. “We would’ve sent another, bigger, fleet to take you out, Kirill. You wouldn't have beat us.”
“I’m not dumb,” Kirill said. “I know what power you wield, I’ve seen it firsthand. You are by far one of the strongest enemies as a whole that I’ve ever seen, but why stay enemies?”
“So, you are getting to something else,” Merikh grinned, folding his fingers together. “What is it that you really want?”
“I want to be your ally,” Kirill told him. “I want to work with you not against you.”
“We both know that there may be a conflict of interest,” Merikh chuckled. “I believe you remember Jahdiel?”
“I do remember her,” Kirill nodded.
“I’ve told her she can kill you.”
“I would like it if Jahdiel didn't kill me,”
“I told her she could, how can I go back on that?” Merikh held his hands up. “What do you have to offer that’s worth going back on my word?”
“I’ll be your strongest ally,” Kirill tried to convince him. “I’ve never faced an enemy like you and you’ve never faced one like me. I have resources all over Orion, and I could wipe out even the slightest bit of rebellion in the blink of an eye. All without you having to risk any of your own ships.”
“And why would you want to work with me, Kirill?” Merikh leaned forward. “I’m taking over you galaxy.”
“Because we both share the same goal,” Kirill grinned.
“Oh? And what is that, may I ask?”
“To see Orion burn.”
Merikh grinned. “It seems we do share the same goal.”
“I have the services you require to make sure that's possible. You may have strong fleets, but my men know Orion better than any. If the two of us team up, nobody will dare stand against us.”
“I like you,” Merikh put his long hand on his shoulder. “It looks like Jahdiel doesn't get to kill you after all. Besides, you are much more valuable than her. To tell you the truth, she no longer has much to offer me.”
“So we are allies then?” Kirill asked.
“Yes,” Merikh nodded. “If your group is as a strong as you claim, and this isn't the first time I’ve heard they are, then we’ll rule Orion for a long time. Who would dare rebel against the notorious Deimos Brotherhood and the merciless crodillians?”
“Not a single race,” Kirill grinned widely. “Not a single race.”
Chapter 14
Jahdiel called Merikh to give him his daily report. She knew he was already aware of what’d happened, but she didn't want to give him any reason to discard her before she was ready. It would come soon, but until that time came, she needed to make herself indispensable. The rebels she’d caught would be the most eventful thing she'd have to report to him. It was no coincidence that she’d caught them trying to evade her twice and she couldn't wait to tell Merikh and see the look on his face. If this was a sign of things to come, there was no way he could dispose of her, she was much too knowledgeable of the galaxy. A rebellion would put him at the mercy of her once again.
Merikh's image popped up on the comlink. “What do you have for me?”
“I’ve caught rebels,” she grinned.
Merikh's facial expression didn't change. “Really? What have they done?”
“They were trying to evade my detection on Ovrea.”
“And that makes them rebels?”
Jahdiel nodded. “This isn't the first time this ship has tried to evade me.”
“I'm sure there are several similar ships throughout Orion,” he rolled his red eyes. “You’ve found nothing, Jahdiel. Orion will not rebel against me.”
“No,” she shook her head. “They were on Gaea when we attacked. They took out several of our fighters. I can guarantee you this is the same exact ship.”
“Why am I just now hearing about what happened on Gaea?” Anger flashed across his face. “I should be told of things like that as soon as they happen.”
“They escaped the first time,” Jahdiel clenched her fists. “And I thought it irrelevant to bring up to you. We're at war, we're going to lose ships. I can't contact you every time we lose a man.”
“Fine,” Merikh nodded. “But we're at peace with them now. Why would they try to evade you knowing this?”
“I don't know,” she shrugged. “They say they weren't, but I can tell they're lying.”
“Do you still have them on board?” Merikh asked.
“Yes,” she nodded. “They are being held in one of the cells.”
“Keep them there,” Merikh shrugged. “If you think they're rebels, it's your job to make sure they don't rebel. This is your only duty.”
“There could be others helping them that I don't know about. I should sent out parties to search for them.”
“I don't think rebellion will be a problem, if it ever was to begin with. No race would be foolish enough to rebel against us, especially now. I’m sure you’ve made a mistake, but I’ll determine that when you come back.”
“What do you mean?” She asked. “I know they'd be foolish to rebel, but why so much more now?”
“Jahdiel,” Merikh scratched his head with his black nails. “I've made an alliance and you're not going to like it.”
She cocked her head. “An alliance? With who? Someone in Orion?”
“Yes, it’s someone in Orion,” he nodded, turning the comlink to bring another figure in the frame. “Kirill.”
Jahdiel clenched her fists. “You can't! You said he was mine to kill!”
“Jahdiel, calm down,” he held his hands up. “He is of value to us. I can't let you just kill him.”
“Yes you can!” She raged. “I already can't kill the Queen. You can't possibly think I'm dumb enough to not see you're using her to prevent rebellion, but that’s fine,” she cooled down some. “I can live with not killing her, but I can't live with not killing Kirill.”
“Jahdiel,” Kirill smiled slyly. “It's been a long time since I've talked to you. So much spite in your voice. Can't we just apologize and move on from the past?”
“Shut up,” Jahdiel spat. “Don't think that you get to live for long.”
“You're not killing him,” Merikh glared. “That's an order.”
Jahdiel stared at the image silently, wanting to kill both of them where they stood. She should've known Merikh would stab her in the back again. First, she couldn't kill the Queen. Then, she couldn't conquer planets her way. And now, she couldn't kill the man responsible for her old life being destroyed. The way Merikh treated her was changing rapidly. Who knew what else he would do to her next.
She faked a smile. “I understand, Merikh. What made you become an ally with Kirill? What kind of lies did he tell you?”
“He told me no lies,” Merikh responded. “Only the truth.”
“Please,” she snorted. “He'll do anything to live. The man has always been a coward.”
“Watch your tone, Jahdiel,” he snarled through his sharp teeth. “I’m still above you in rank.”
“I actually have much to off
er as an ally,” Kirill intervened. “I’m the leader of the Deimos Brotherhood.”
“Congratulations.” she clapped. “You're in charge of a club.”
“It's an organized group of assassins, actually,” Kirill grinned. “You see, they’ll find and take out races that want to rebel, like those ones you were talking about. I’ll deal with them.”
“I’m capable of doing it myself.”
“His group won't let them escape,” Merikh said. “They’ll work undercover to find these rebels, and will destroy them from the inside. That’s more than you can do.”
“I already have men getting ready to leave,” Kirill held his chin up. “If there are rebels, which I believe there are, they’ll never know my men have infiltrated within their own ranks.”
“This is unnecessary, Merikh,” she shook her head. “We’ve been fine without his help this far.”
“You just said you caught rebels,” Merikh replied. “How is this unnecessary if you yourself think there are more rebels besides the ones you captured?”
“Fine,” Jahdiel crossed her arms. “What does Kirill have to gain from all of this? He's not helping you from the kindness of his heart.”
“Actually, we want the same thing,” Kirill smiled wider. “You see, before you came to Orion, I was planning to do the very thing you're doing. Just in a much subtler way.”
“Oh yeah?” Jahdiel raised her eyebrows. “How come you haven't done it yet? You’ve had plenty of time since my departure.”
“I've never had as many fleets as you have at your disposal,” he replied. “With the three of us working together, nothing will stand in our way.”
“You want more than that,” she rolled her eyes. “What other reasons are motivating you to help us?”
“Well, maybe I also want to live to see another day,” he winked. “Life is always a good motivator.”
Jahdiel clenched her fists until her knuckles whitened. “He's using you, Merikh.”
“If he was using me, I'd know. I can sense when I’m being played.”
Rise of the Resistance (War for Orion Trilogy Book Two) Page 14
