“Our ships are so few!” One of the leaders said. “How are a mere three hundred or so ships supposed to stand up to thousands using guerrilla warfare?”
“We’ll utilize the rebellion forces being set up,” he answered. “I believe if we strike on multiple fronts at a time that they’ll be vulnerable. Right now, I need all of you in charge of watching the crodillians to closely watch how they take over planets. We're going to make them think this one is the same as any other planet when they arrive,” he ordered. “Those of you in charge of making battle plans with me, utilize guerilla warfare tactics or things similar. If we are to take back Orion, we must first win the battle of Ares.”
Kanti stepped forward. “I know this is the first time I’ve spoken to any of you, but I need you to know that this is possible. We will beat the crodillians. They’ve destroyed both places that I’ve called home, as I'm sure they’ve destroyed yours. We’ll strike them back,” she looked around the room, with a gleaming face. “The crodillians think they've beaten us, but they haven't; we’re still here with more fight than ever. We now know more about them, than they do about us. We know about their secret weapon, but they don't know about our secret rebel forces, fleet, or new technology. They think they’ve won, but they’re wrong! I can see by looking at each and every one of you that you'll fight until your last breath. They may have destroyed our homes, but not our hope.”
The room washed over in deafening applause. She’d never spoken to a large group before, especially not on with races as important as these. She didn't know why or how, but it’d just come naturally to her. Something inside told her to encourage the leaders and her body had reacted without a second thought.
Pyrrhus led her off of the stage and nudged her in the side. “I think I just got an idea after that inspiring speech of yours. How do you feel like inspiring thousands of rebels throughout Orion?”
Chapter 18
Donnchadh stuck close to Leilah as she lagged behind her father and four other members of the nomadic tribe. He’d learned that her father's name was Reamonn and he’d left to travel on his own after his father's death. The man hadn't been very old at the time, but managed to survive on his own and quickly gained followers, though not many lasted long.
Leilah revealed her mother had died when she was young and it’d been extremely tough on her father. He’d gone into a rage, not caring whether he lived or died for months, which was apparent by his scar-ridden body. He was missing his left eye and the right eye had blue fog over it from being cut. Stitches went from his jaw up to right below his ear and he was missing a whole chunk from his head.
Leilah hadn't told him she hadn’t reacted the same was as her father because she understood life on the move, even at a young age. Every day her mother warned her of the perils that waited on the land, and that had prepared her for the loss. Yes, it’d been hard, but Leilah assured Donnchadh that her outlook on life didn’t change much. In fact, if anything, it became clearer. She said after her mother’s death she understood things better, but hadn’t told anyone but him. It was a secret she’d kept for countless years, afraid of what her father would say if she told him.
So far today, they hadn't run into any strange creatures. Traveling with the tribe made him feel safer, and knew if he did run across anything the tribe would take care of it. Another thing that hadn’t seemed to be a problem were storms hitting them. Each time it’d appeared as if they’d be stuck in one, it blew over as the tribe members had told him. Leilah insisted it was because they’d learned how to live in the wasteland, but he didn't quite buy it. If they’d missed one, he could've accepted it, but not several of them. No one was that lucky.
So far, today was the longest day of travel since joining the tribe. It felt like hours dragging by, but he knew from the position of the sun, it had been around three hours. The walk was exhausting, they were in the mountainous part of Erebos and had to watch for lava streaming from cracks. His legs were on fire and the fatigue was wearing him down quickly. He wanted to tell the others to slow down, but he didn't want to appear weak, so he pushed his body forward.
Why they were going through the mountains was beyond him, but it was what Reamonn had ordered the others to do and they followed without question. In this part of Erebos, predators and storms weren't the only thing they were fighting against; they had to fight against the terrain and the lack of food.
“I don't know how you guys do this,” Donnchadh panted. “It's dangerous and tiring. How do you live like this?”
“This is how I grew up,” Leilah answered. “I haven't known anything else my entire life.”
“Haven't you ever thought about going to one of the cities? Life would be much easier.”
“We have been to some of the cities. Are you wondering if I want to leave this life to live in one of them?”
“Yeah. It's much better than fighting for your life every day. Fighting these creatures, trekking the terrain, and braving who knows what else.”
“This is where I belong,” she climbed up a large rock. “I’d find it hard to live like you, like you find it hard to live like me. I’ve become used to this life. Surviving is what I'm good and I wouldn't feel right giving it up.”
“I don't think so. Living the way I do is simple. You don't have to fight to survive every breathing moment, and trust me, no matter how much you like fighting to survive, it's a relief to be able to relax every now and then.”
“It doesn't sound that simple with the crodillians out there,” she jumped from a rock. “Orion will be fighting for their lives more than us.”
“True,” he followed her down the rock not quite as elegantly, stumbling at the bottom. “But you've been facing death your entire life. The crodillians will be defeated in time. Once that happens, the races will be able to live normally again. They won’t have to worry about if the coming day is their last.”
“It's not quite that hard for us to live out here as others.”
“Of course it is!” He replied. “Predicting when storms are going to hit and being prepared or predators. There’s no way I could survive as long as you, even with years of training. Training only goes so far and luck isn’t something everyone has on their side.”
“And you are correct,” she nodded and came to a stop. “You wouldn't be able to do any of what we do because you're not like us.”
“Oh, come on. You aren't going to give me at least a little bit of credit. I did kill that serpent thing.”
“We have help. But don’t mistake that for luck. Luck has nothing to do with the way we survive. You survived that serpent by luck.”
“Help?” He asked. “What do you mean you have help?”
She looked to her father ahead of her and lowered her voice some. “We have special abilities. They help us be prepared for things and defend ourselves against threats.”
“I don't understand, Leilah. What special abilities do you have? Instincts?”
“More than that. We can see things before they happen, if that makes sense to you.”
“You can see the future?”
“Not like you're thinking. No,” she shook her head. “We can see and feel danger before it happens. Visions come to us. It's the only reason we survive out here. Without it, we'd be like you, and we would die within days.”
Donnchadh stared at her. “Are you serious? I've never heard of anything like this! It's incredible, Leilah.”
“And it's why we live out here on our own,” she continued forward. “We can't live with others. They’d abuse our powers as the tribes have. If the tribes want to use our powers, imagine what would happen if the rest of Orion found out about us.”
“That's the thing!” Donnchadh smiled widely. “Orion needs your help right now!”
“We can't help. Once we reveal ourselves, then what?” She asked. “The war with the crodillians will end, but what's to say there won't be another between the races of Orion?”
“There won't be. There hasn't been a
war in hundreds of years, and even that doesn't count because it was also against the crodillians.”
“Maybe this is the reason we were led to you,” she mumbled. “All of us had the same vision of you in trouble,” she looked at him with worry in her eyes. “And not with just the chlidorians’ hive, but with what must be the crodillians and some human man. We didn't know what it meant, but we knew where we could find you.”
“Then you're meant to help me!” He insisted, grabbing her arm. “Your visions guide you from danger and you're in danger of the crodillians, whether you want to believe it or not.”
“I believe you and I believe you may be right,” she said. “But my father is the one who needs to be convinced. He had the vision too, but is hesitant to do anything more. We haven't seen anything else yet. After we found you, the visions went away. We don't know why we were led to you Donnchadh, we just were.”
Donnchadh just nodded and walked forward. His fatigue went away with the realization he’d just found the races to help save Orion. They’d been led to him for some reason, and he was positive that reason was to aide in a rebellion. Now all he had to do was convince Reamonn that leaving the wasteland of Erebos was the right thing to do. That was easier said than done.
Abdul stood outside of Kirill's room, nervous to enter. The talk with the Queen had opened his eyes, but Kirill was still blinded by power. He’d worked with the Queen since the beginning of her rule, and despite what Kirill thought, she was a very wise ruler. Adira saw things happening before they even happened. That’s why she’d had such a peaceful reign and was considered one of the best rulers Orion had ever seen.
Now, he just had to convince Kirill to make a move. The Queen hadn't suggested it because she didn't care whether Merikh or Kirill survived. But Abdul knew if Merikh killed Kirill, he’d surely be next and that was motivation enough to push for his leader to make the first move. It’d be tough considering Kirill was bent on not betraying Merikh until the right time, but the time was now and he had to prove it before it was too late.
“Kirill,” Abdul walked into his room. “I've been thinking long and hard, and we need to exterminate the crodillians as soon as possible. I have a bad feeling about teaming up with them, as I have voiced with you from the start. There's just something about them that's off. They're not trustworthy.”
“You worry too much, Abdul,” Kirill waved his hand. “I told you they're a good ally and once I have what I want, we'll dispose of them. You don't need to worry about anything. It’s my job to worry about things like that.”
“The Queen is right. I'm not going agree with you on this one. Teaming with the crodillians will only lead to more trouble, most likely your death. When that time come, you better believe I won’t be around.”
“And I will kill Merikh first. I have already told you this. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“How can you promise that?” Abdul asked. “He has the army, not you. You’re greatly outnumbered and you’re a guest in his home.”
“I have the assassins,” Kirill rolled his eyes. “All I have to do is assassinate Merikh and I've won. The crodillians won't attack me without a leader. Complete utter chaos will ensue, leaving the Throne for my taking.”
“They'll just kill every living thing they see once you do that. They're bloodthirsty beasts without any type of morals.”
“Look,” Kirill walked over and put his hand on his shoulder. “Once Kanti is here, everything will be fine. Merikh will be happy and he’ll think he’s in complete control. Once we’ve killed him, we can even make it look like we came to her rescue. The rebels will think we're heroes and everything will be fine.”
“It won't be that easy.”
“Sure it will. Stop worrying so much.”
“Merikh won’t let you win,” he continued to pound in his leader’s head. “You think this is the first time he’s used someone like you?” He asked. “I can assure you that it's not and that he's already planning for you to kill him. This isn’t one of your usual targets, he’s wiped out the Queen's entire fleet. Their leader has resources that’ll enable him to beat you unless you act soon.”
“The Queen put her entire fleet out in the open to be wiped out. Even I could see that coming. What Merikh won’t see, is my assassin in his room.”
“He’s smart, Kirill. You can't play him like you think.”
“Then what do you suggest I do? Take him out before all the planets are conquered?”
“I suggest you take him out as soon as possible. So yes, that means before all of the planets are conquered. If you were smart, you’d do it now before word of you working by his side leaks.”
“Ridiculous!” Kirill shook his head and threw his hands up. “What you’re suggesting is preposterous. You’re overthinking things from being around the Queen too long.”
“I assure you I’m not. Just think what would happen if you acted now. Wouldn’t Orion see you as a hero? You’ll gain the trust of every last race. You’ll lead the rebellions to wipe out the remaining crodillians, and in the process you’ll kill thousands of races you plan on exterminating. When the war is over, you’ll have gained all their trust and it’ll be easy to make this galaxy pure again,” Abdul told him. “Think of the propaganda you could put out there that’d get races on your side to take out the unworthy. All you’d have to do is strike fear in them and they’d bend to your will. Acting now is in your best interest.”
“I know what’s best. When I think the time has come to take their leader out, I’ll do it. Right now isn’t the time.”
“You're not listening!” Abdul shouted. “Kill him now.”
“I’ll think about it,” Kirill said. “You still haven't thought about Jahdiel. What’s to say she won’t stand in my way once I kill him?”
“They'll never follow her, she's human. They only follow her now because Merikh orders it. When he dies, it’ll be complete chaos. The upper ranking crodillians will fight each other for power, giving you the chance to come in as a hero and lead a rebellion to wipe them out.”
“You really think he's going to kill me?”
“I know he's going to kill you,” Abdul nodded. “If you want to live, then listen to what I'm telling you and take him out now. He may be a good ally, and may get you close to your goal of genocide, but you’ll never actually get there. Merikh is just as bloodthirsty as you, and he too is waiting for the right moment. You need to strike early to ensure your survival.”
“I still want to use him more, but you may be right. I’ll put some more thought into it.”
“Poison him. Make it look natural. Don't let the crodillians think you were behind it. And act quickly, every moment you wait could mean your death.”
“I know just the race to take him out,” Kirill grinned. “I’ll wait a little longer, but I promise you, he’ll be dead before killing me even crosses his mind. Maybe he'll even have conquered a few more planets for me by then.”
Chapter 19
Anlon sat in the pilot seat of the crashed ship, frustration gnawing away at him. He’d searched the ship from top to bottom and hadn't found a single thing of use. It seemed impossible to have gotten so far, just to end up somewhere where everyone would forget about him. A war with the crodillians was looming, and once that was over, he’d be counted as just another fatality of the war. No one would come for him. Ever.
“Why!” He slammed his fists on the controls of the ship.
Searing pain coursed through his hand and he yanked it back, wiping fresh blood off on his suit. He reclined back in the chair and noticed the walkie of the comline dangling from a cord. Anlon jumped from the chair and grabbed it, pressing the button on the side. Just like everything else in the ship, it didn't work. All that came back was light static.
“Thought I didn't already try that?” Fausto asked from behind. “It hasn't worked since I was attacked and crashed here, otherwise, I'd be out of here and you'd be dead. You should be happy that stupid thing doesn’t
work.”
“What's wrong with it?” Anlon asked. “Why can't you fix it?”
“That's fried,” he pointed. “Don't know how, but the circuits burned up when I was shot down.”
“So, it's impossible to fix?”
Fausto nodded and put his hands on his hips. “I've tried everything to get that thing up and running again and nothing has worked.”
Anlon clenched his fists. “There has to be some way to fix it! Come on, think!”
“You see any ship yards around here?” He looked out the window as if he’d find something.
“There's nothing on this wretched planet!”
“That's my point,” he looked at him. “There’s nothing on my ship and there are no scrap yards I can go to. That means this thing will never be up and running again.”
Anlon grinned. “You sure about that?”
“I've been here for fifty years,” he crossed his arms. “Don't you think I would’ve found a way to fix it by now?”
“I think there is a way to fix it now.”
“Is there something you saw that I've missed for the past fifty years?”
“Not necessarily something you’ve missed for fifty years,” he answered. “But there is something that's been here as long as me that you missed.”
Fausto uncrossed his arms. “Your evac pod?”
“Exactly!” A smile grew across his face. “My evac pod will have a comline on it! I can't believe I was so dumb not to use it before getting out of it. I'm sure the boards are similar enough to work.”
“I guess the boards could work, though they're bound to be a little bit different,” Fausto said. “But there’s one little thing that you're forgetting.”
“And what’s that? All we should need are some circuit boards and a couple other parts. I’m sure we can find whatever we need somewhere on your ship.”
“The three headed monster out there,” Fausto reminded him. “You know, that thing that almost killed you until I saved you.”
Rise of the Resistance (War for Orion Trilogy Book Two) Page 19
