“It looked like something locked them up behind the rock intentionally,” Anlon said.
“Let's hope whatever did, is long gone or is no threat to us,” he looked around to see where they were at. “We definitely didn't end up where we should have.”
“I don't think we should've taken the left tunnel to begin with.”
“I believe my cave is right over there. The terrain is similar and there is no other wall quite like that one,” he pointed. “Either way, we made it back safe. Not as close as I’d thought, but we’ll make it back fine.”
“We're finally going to get off this planet,” Anlon trudged forward.
“Finally? You just got here. Try living here for fifty years.”
“I'll pass. I've already seen everything I want to see on this moon. I've been here far too long.”
Anlon and Fausto walked back to the entrance of the cave without any further trouble. They could see the four legged creature off in the distance feeding on several of the three-headed creatures. They squeezed through the entrance of the tunnel and back into the cave. Soon, if Anlon had grabbed the correct circuit boards, they would be off Tartarus. He could see the joy in Fausto's eyes, though he wouldn’t admit it, and he too was excited to get off Tartarus, though he was nervous to find out what’d happened to his friends once he did. Hopefully they were as lucky as himself.
Chapter 20
Jahdiel watched out of the cockpit as she closed in on the Palace. She could see races roaming the streets, no longer afraid of the crodillians. Deep down, she knew the peace wouldn't last for long, they were too bloodthirsty to allow others to live amongst them in harmony. She’d lived with them long enough to know they’d never be civilized. They were nothing more than intelligent, powerful, predators.
Kanti stirred in her seat and Jahdiel turned to see what the Princess was doing. It was odd she’d just now become restless considering she’d been silent the entire trip. Her silence had been a surprise at first, as she thought Kanti would've put up much more of a fight. The defiance she’d seen in her eyes in her chambers was no longer there, instead, there was emptiness. This girl had sacrificed herself to save her friends, which could ultimately lead to her death. Jahdiel admired the sacrifice, though it was utterly foolish.
The ship docked in the hangar and the ramp slowly hissed to the ground. Jahdiel got up and motioned Kanti to follow her down the ramp and into the Palace. The girl quickly obeyed and followed in silence through the bloodstained halls. It bothered Jahdiel the crodillians had been so messy in overtaking the Palace, but there was nothing she could do about it, not since being demoted in the eyes of Merikh. The crodillians would do what they wanted, unless ordered differently from their leader. Soon, the rest of Orion would look the same, she knew it.
She neared the end of the hallway and opened the door to the reception room to see Merikh, Kirill, the Queen, and an abomination. They were all intently looking at the screens in front of them. The room as eerily silent as she pulled the Princess forward.
“Here's the Princess you two want so bad. Who's the experiment next to you?”
“My name is Abdul,” he answered. “I’m a longtime adviser of the Queen and friend of Kirill.”
“Those two to go together real well,” she chuckled in amusement. “How'd you survive the initial attack? I could’ve sworn the crodillians cleared every crevice in the Palace.”
“I got lucky was all. They passed over me several times.”
“Kanti,” Kirill walked forward with his arms out. “It’s so nice to finally see my daughter.”
Kanti backed away. “Some father you are, bringing me to the enemy.”
“Enemy?” He smiled with a glint in his eyes. “Why, the crodillians are our friends, Kanti. They aren’t our enemy.”
“Friends?” She repeated in disgust. “Look at my mother. She's chained up like some animal when that thing should be. Look at Orion, it's burning because these monsters thirst for blood. You call them our friends? What kind of sick monster are you if you can’t see what they’re doing to our home?”
“The Queen is being treated well,” Kirill glanced over. “She’ll tell you as much. Things are changing. The crodillians had to show force to get Orion to listen.”
“What's wrong with you?” She asked. “How can you do this?”
“He’s my ally. Together, we will rule Orion. Peacefully without confrontation of any kind from those that heed our commands.”
“Queen Adira was already ruling Orion peacefully. You're the ones that ended that,” she replied. “Peace will never come again, no matter how hard you try. Someone will always want to rebel, and eventually, someone stronger than the two of you will come along. Once that time comes, you’ll pay for what you’ve done with your life.”
“Power changes are common throughout history,” Merikh said. “In this instance, force was need, but that's not uncommon. Your galaxy may despise us now, but in time, they’ll come to see it was necessary. There won’t be any thought of rebellion in a few years’ time.”
“And I'll assume you're the monster in charge of all the others going from planet to planet killing off races.”
“I’m Merikh,” he nodded. “And to answer your question, yes, I would be in charge of those crodillians that you are referring to.”
“Why’d you bring me here?”
“You're the Princess. Why wouldn't we bring you back to your Palace? This is where you belong, isn’t it?”
“Well, it’s obvious don't need me,” she crossed her arms. “There’s nothing I can do to help you. There’s nothing I’ll agree to do to help you.”
“Oh,” he held up a finger. “But we do need you and you will assist us in any way necessary. You see, we truly do want peace in Orion, but we fear the races may not want it at this moment.”
“And I wonder why,” Kanti huffed. “Oh, I know! You've been picking them off, one by one.”
“Be reasonable, Kanti. We're trying to make things better for everyone here,” Kirill’s eyes furrowed.
“Better for everyone, or yourself?”
“It’ll be better for all of those pathetic races you keep talking about,” Merikh answered. “We're going to ask you and the Queen to send out a message. You’ll tell them all that there’ll be peace, and that you and the Queen are perfectly fine here. In fact, tell them you're guiding us in our decision making. If they really love their Queen, they'll listen.”
“Tell them yourself. I won't help you.”
“If you don't tell them, and they do rebel, I’ll burn every last planet to the core,” Merikh’s red eyes came to within inches of hers and his scaly skin rubbed on her. “No race will be left standing against me when I'm done.”
“When do you want me to speak?” She spat.
“We're going to take you out to the front of the Palace now. You and the Queen will stand side by side. After you make your speech, we’ll let you live freely in the Palace. It’s very simple, Kanti. You'll soon see that it's the right decision.”
Kanti nodded. “Then let's get this over with.”
“Take them both to the front of the Palace, Jahdiel,” Merikh ordered.
Jahdiel motioned to them and they both followed her out of the room. They walked briskly down the bloody halls until they reached the front doors. A pair of crodillians swung them open, allowing the three of them to exit the Palace. Jahdiel turned around to face the two of them, seeing Kanti whispering in Adira's ear. A grin flashed across her face and the two of them looked to Jahdiel innocently. They thought they’d been quiet, but she’d caught every word. Without a keen ear, she’d never made it up the ranks to her current position.
“I knew you seemed different when I’d picked you up, Kanti,” Jahdiel put her hand on the humanoid.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’ve learned to keep my ears open at all times over the years. I heard every word you just told your Queen.”
“Jahdiel, please don’t stop us,” Adira took he
r hand. “You must see we’re only trying to protect our home.”
“I know what you’re doing. I’ve seen firsthand what the crodillians can do, and unfortunately, I’m responsible for much of it,” she said. “If there was any way to change the path I’ve taken, I would. You don’t need to worry about me trying to stop you. I’ll act as if I didn’t hear a thing.”
“You’re his slave, aren’t you?” Adira asked.
“It hasn’t always been the way you see it now. Back in the other galaxy I was respected. I felt wanted, but now, I’m just a way for him to accomplish his goals. We both know what’ll happen to me when he’s done.”
“I'm sorry,” Adira said. “I truly am. I want you to know that before it's too late. If I could take back sending you through the Black Hole, I would. You didn't deserve it and you shouldn't be helping the crodillians. It’s my fault we’re in this position.”
“It's the past. I hated you for a long time, but recently, I’ve stopped caring. I’ve made mistakes of my own so I know how easy they are to make. Coming back home really opened my eyes and now I have to figure out how to make up for them.”
“You’ll find a way,” Adira grabbed her hand.
Merikh emerged from the doors with Kirill and Abdul close by his side. He pointed to something out in the yard and a large camera floated down in front of Adira and Kanti. Jahdiel took a step to the side, giving a slight nod to the Queen, just as Merikh motioned for Abdul and Kirill to stand next to her. The crodillian leader stood next to the Queen and Princess and nodded.
“Hello, Orion,” he said. “You’re all well aware of who I am by now. With me today, I have Queen Adira and Princess Kanti. They’re both living here peacefully with us. Just recently, we’ve spoken, and we all feel that there may be some tension throughout Orion. Well, we want to end it and that's why the Queen and Princess are going to speak to you today.”
Adira turned to face Kanti and then turned back to the camera. “Races of Orion, I’m truly sorry. I’ve terrible made mistakes and those mistakes have cost countless lives to be lost. I was foolish and I thought I knew what I was doing, but I didn't,” she paused. “Today, Merikh and I have talked about peace. I know you all closely listened to my last message and I’m glad that you all acted so quickly, though I’m saddened I couldn't witness it in person.”
Merikh looked over to her and motioned with his hand for her to get to the point. Adira looked to Kanti and gave her a quick wink before a grin inched across her face. Kanti's body shimmered black and turned to a silver humanoid. Before Merikh noticed, Adira quickly finished her message.
“I regret that you will all have to act on your own now, as I'm sure I’ll be killed for this. I know you’ve been hiding and putting together a rebellion. The time for that rebellion to strike has come. We won’t let the crodillians kill anymore of our own while we stand by and watch. The time to fight is now! We will not surrender to the crodillians! We’d rather die than hand over our home to you, Merikh.”
He turned to the Queen and slapped her with his long claws, leaving streaks of blood streaming down her face. The leader looked to Camillus and clenched his fists in a tight ball. The humanoid levitated off the ground and exploded in a ball of sparks, pieces falling to the ground with clunks. He moved to the Queen in a swift motion.
“You would all be smart to disregard the Queen's foolishness,” he glared to the camera, eyes raging bright red and teeth salivating. “If there is any sign of rebellion, by anyone, we’ll kill every race on the planet and then burn it to the core. You’re no match against us, and would be wise to succumb to my request for peace. We’ll be coming to the remaining planets, and will expect no resistance. Do not test us or you will see our full fury unleashed upon you.”
The camera cut off and Merikh picked up the Queen using his telekinetic powers. He turned her and brought her close to his snarling mouth.
“I bet you didn't know about these powers. We were saving them in case of something like this. Your rebellion is hopeless. We’re too strong for the few survivors to stand even the slightest chance.”
“They'll defeat you,” she grinned with defiance. “Even with your magic, they'll kill every last one of you monsters.”
Merikh threw her to the ground and walked back to the Palace. “You were right when you said you wouldn't get to see the rebellion. Your life has now come to an end.”
Jahdiel walked over to the Queen and helped her up by the arm. Adira put her grasped her hand and smiled.
“Merikh is going to kill you now.”
“The rebels needed me to tell them it was time. They needed me to give the word. My death will only help their cause and I believe with all of my heart that they’ll win.”
Anlon stood behind Fausto as he laid on the ground, trying to replace the circuit boards that he had torn from his pod. Neither one of them was sure how to replace them, but it was Fausto's ship so he let him go to work. So far, he wasn't having much luck. The boards were much different than the original and there’d been no response from the comline after several attempts. After an hour, Fausto finally got up off of his back and stood to face Anlon.
“This is it,” he put his hands on his side. “If this doesn't work. I'll take you on a tour of the cave. You'll need to know where everything is in case something happens to me. I’m old and my time is coming to an end. I could drop any moment now.”
“Just try it!” Anlon pushed him out of the way. “If it doesn't work, I'll try to fix it myself. There’s no way I’m going to give up.”
“You're more than welcome,” Fausto stepped back.
Anlon held down the button for the comline and chose a channel he knew to be for Ares.
“Hello?” He asked. “Is anyone there?” Anlon waited, but silence was the only thing that came back. He held down the button again. “Is anyone there?” He waited. “Why isn't this stupid thing working? Answer me!” He slammed it down and got up from the chair.
“Given up so quickly?” Fausto chuckled. “At least we had an adventure before being disappointed.”
“This is Pyrrhus.” A crackled. “Who is this? All messages are being relayed back to the Capitol right now.”
Anlon looked to Fausto and dashed over to the comline. He fumbled to pick it up and pressed the button.
“This is Anlon Valens!” A smile spread across his face and his stomach bubbled with relief. “I'm stuck on Tartarus right now and I need a ship to get me immediately!”
“Anlon?” Pyrrhus asked. “How’d you escape the crodillians' ship?”
“You know about that?”
“Kanti and the others are here right now. They were able to get off safely, but had no idea if you’d even survived. They held on to hope, but none looked to sure.”
“They're alive?” Anlon jumped, his head hitting the ceiling.
“Yes. Very much so,” Pyrrhus said. “They arrived a few days ago.”
“I can't believe it. After the doors blocked me off from the hall, I had to find another way off. They somehow found out who Kanti was, and didn't really care about me, so I was able to wander the ship until I found some evac pods.”
“How’d you end up on Tartarus?”
“None of the planets were labeled on their mapping system,” Anlon said. “I just wanted to get off of the ship and I didn't think I'd end up someplace like this. Luckily, Fausto was here to save me from the stuff out there.”
“Fausto?”
“Yeah. He's been stuck here for fifty years and he saved my life. Anyway, we need someone to come pick us up now!”
“We'll send a ship immediately. All I need is your coordinates and we'll be there soon.”
Anlon gave him the coordinates and hung up the comline. He turned to Fausto and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him hardly. A smile crept across the old themin’s face and he began laughing out before falling to his knees with tears in his eyes.
“Looks like I saved your life, so now we can call it even.”
“I was perfectly fine here either way, but I’d be lying if I said I’m not looking forward to a warm meal and a soft bed.”
Anlon sat back down in the seat and leaned back, closing his eyes. He’d soon be off Tartarus and would be reunited with Kanti and the others. He wasn't sure he'd ever see any of them alive again after escaping the ship. His heart was pounding in his chest and eagerness was taking his body over. Now his mission was complete. What he’d do now that that was done, he wasn’t sure, but he’d find something to do. Sitting around idly while a war was going on wasn’t something he was going to do. If there was any way he could contribute to the rebellion, he was going to do it.
Chapter 21
Donnchadh sat next to Leilah, huddled around a small fire in the shelter of a small cavern they’d found while traveling. A violent looking storm had rolled in, and instead of avoiding it, Reamonn ordered them to all rest until it passed. It was by far the most ferocious storm he’d ever seen his entire time traveling to and from Erebos. The roar of orange drops pouring from the sky filled the cavern and crackles of lightning flashed across the sky, hitting the ground and creating areas of blue electricity all over the land.
He turned around to look at Reamonn who was huddled around his tribe in the opposite corner. The leader was talking in a hushed voice, glancing to him every once in awhile, but in level voice where he couldn’t make a word out. Every time Donnchadh looked to Leilah, she quickly looked away, avoiding any type of eye contact. Something was wrong, he could feel the tension, and it was time to find out. If it meant upsetting Reamonn, then so be it. He was done following them around this wasteland while Orion was in trouble.
“What's Reamonn talking to the tribe about?”
“I don't know,” she replied, not hiding the lie well. “I've been over here with you. How am I supposed to know what he’s telling them?”
“But you're being quiet. I can feel that there's something wrong. You're hiding something and I want to know what it is.”
“I shouldn't tell you, but whatever. We’ve seen some more things,” she revealed. “Nothing that concerns you. Just visions that don’t feel right.”
Rise of the Resistance (War for Orion Trilogy Book Two) Page 21
