* * * * *
Alessia had received Vaikyur’s message. Within the hour Selesta took off, tearing free from its underground tomb, wrapped in an artificial magnetic field and radar-invisible and anti-gravitational shields as it reached the upper atmosphere. In the long abandoned bridge, Alessia stood with Kesney at the sensor screen, her closest friends operating the positions she had once taught them in preparation for this moment.
She had been planning to intercept the Orian flagship when Kesney monitored a communication from the Sukúr to Headquarters. The ship had reached Orian undetected and, as ordered, had exhausted its firepower on the Northeastern Ridge where Nayin and several other cities were located. Only then did they realize that the planet had been abandoned.
“Where do you think they all are?” Kesney asked.
Alessia stared out the forward observation window. That was how he had planned on immobilizing her. Of course, the Orians were all aboard the huge Orian vessel.
“We can’t attack the lead ship.” Alessia said, her voice a farce of composure.
“Are you serious?” Efim Fulten-Mira asked from his console. He was a tall, lanky blond man, and Kesney’s new father-in-law. “We have to stop them at any cost. All Tiasenne is at stake.”
Alessia turned to him as if about to speak; she had only a moment to make him understand that the entire Orian population was also at stake.
“God help us.” Kesney interrupted. “Tiasenne’s assault deteriorated the surface crust over Orian’s Northeastern Ridge.”
“They couldn’t have picked a worse place, could they?” Efim said, his deep voice betraying a note of panic. It was disturbing to hear it; Efim’s voice was usually unhurried and calm.
Kesney shook his head. “You’re right. It doesn’t look good. I’m registering volcanic eruptions and seismic waves outside our monitor range.”
“That means—means—” someone cried out, breaking off into panicked silence.
Kesney nodded soberly. “Estimates give two hours and sixteen minutes before the surface erupts.”
Images flashed in quick succession in Alessia’s mind; the purple buildings of Destria and Sargon during their stay at the OSRD building, the kind and sympathetic face of Ai-derian, the agricultural dome, the verdant green of the Northern plateau, the view of the dark red soil and small seas of Orian from the transport that first time, the faces of the gaunt and lifeless children of Nayin in the long, terribly long nights in the city towers.
What could she do? She wondered. Her oath bound her to save Orian’s population. But would Sargon spare the Tiasennians? That wouldn’t matter as much if the planet was knocked out of its orbit by Orian. So that had to be her first concern. But what could she do to stop the Orian ship? Sargon would probably be waiting to see what she would do.
Suddenly, an idea came to her.
“Prepare the Sesylendae.”
“What?” Kesney said.
“I want everyone to transfer to Sesylendae.” Alessia explained.
“But what about Selesta? Wouldn’t we be safer on board this ship?” Ulyanitsa protested, a line forming between her brows.
“If we don’t keep Tiasenne protected from the shock waves, there won’t be anyone left alive.” Alessia explained. “Sesylendae may be small, but her field generators are enough to stabilize the planet. As for Selesta—I have other plans for this ship. It won’t be safe to remain on board. I’m going to divert the Orians from Tiasenne to buy time. Lead them off perhaps, to another planet where they can live, and leave Tiasenne in peace. From Sesylendae you can return to the surface unmolested once this is all over.”
“Won’t you be coming back?” Kesney asked, not really considering that she wouldn’t.
However, Alessia didn’t answer. “The bridge of Sesylendae is twenty decks above us. I suggest we go there now.” She said, gesturing to the elevation device. “The electromagnetic field will take about two hours to envelop the entire planet. I don’t need to tell you that this doesn’t leave us much time.”
They hesitated only a moment, then headed to the doorway.
The Last Immortal : Book One of Seeds of a Fallen Empire Page 82
