The Antithesis- The Complete Pentalogy
Page 24
I returned to my work as he left. “Are you going to be okay finding your way back?”
“I’ll manage. Have a good night, and don’t stay up too late.”
I smirked while he closed the door. I missed his fatherly guidance sometimes.
But I couldn’t dwell on the past; not right now, anyway. I had to finish this proposal before the morning. At this rate, it would probably take me all night. Oh well.
No rest for the wicked.
II
THE STRENGTH THAT BINDS
“IN THEORY, IT SEEMS BEST IF we move our resources closer together, where they can be guarded by the Enforcers. I’m afraid it’s gotten to this point, Commandant.”
Shev Serro had been in front of the room for over an hour. He was one of the seven members that made up the Eye of Akul, which was the council that served Sanctum’s Regent. However they tended to argue with me more than anything; elderly politicians never wanted to listen to the Regent’s son.
Shev also liked to talk. Needless to say, I was dying of boredom. Perhaps he’d noticed my distant gaze, because I heard, “What do you think, Commandant?”
I leaned into a palm. “That sounds fine, but my men aren’t going to like it.”
“We’ll rotate their shifts, that way they aren’t sleep deprived. With over two hundred enforcers in Sanctum, I don’t think it will be a problem.”
“I don’t really see why we have to use my soldiers. Sanctum guards could do the job just as well. It’d be a waste.”
Enforcers were a private sect of the Nehelian military. Their jobs were handling Archaean conflicts and apprehending terrorists. Angel exterminators.
“Sanctum guards can’t defend against angel rebels, Qaira. We’ve already tried that.”
“Where are we moving the supplies?” I inquired, unable to think of a counterargument.
Shev frowned in thought. “Perhaps near the Aeroway? That will put them further from where the angels are slipping through, giving us more time to respond.”
Well, at least the Council was good for something today. “Fair enough. We’ll discuss the specifics after the meeting, Shev. But right now I’d like to address another issue.”
Shev took his seat. “Yes, Commandant.”
My legs wobbled as I moved to the front of the room. I didn’t get any sleep last night and I was fucking exhausted. I’d downed five cups of coffee this morning and was pretty wired until Shev had opened his mouth.
My eyes slid over each face stationed at the semi-circular table in front of me. I cleared my throat, and then began:
“Last evening there was an attack on the grain supply facility in Lower Sanctum. The angels managed to bypass security codes and exterminate the armed guards at the entrances. When I examined their bodies, there were no signs of a struggle, so I’m guessing the angels used stealth to kill. That also means they knew of their positions beforehand.”
The council shared a look.
“We have an insurgent,” I announced.
Kanar Venta was the first to speak. “That’s a rather bold statement. Are you sure you have enough evidence to back it?”
“What I saw last night was evidence enough,” I snapped. “And I’m going so far as to say that the insurgent is communicating with someone in Crylle, and they in turn are sending that information to the Archaean ship.”
“What do you suppose we do about it?” Shev asked.
I took the list from my breast pocket. “We’re going to cut communication lines from Crylle and their base ship. Being able to talk to one another was a luxury. I also want to send a team of twelve enforcers, including myself, into Crylle for interrogation.”
My father conveniently awoke from his mid-day nap. Up until now we’d ignored the fact that he was passed out and snoring all morning.
“The media will see it as a hate crime, Qaira,” he stated.
“Dad, you said that yesterday.”
My father paused, momentarily confused. “Did I? Oh, yes; I sure did. But the fact remains, son.”
I crossed my arms. “I don’t care how the media sees it. The general public does not dictate Eroqam’s actions.”
“The power is in the people, Commandant,” Kanar reminded me.
“No, the power is in Eroqam. It’s been too long that we’ve let our subjects run the show. Look at where that’s gotten us. Where are we? Are we in a state of permanent stability?”
The council said nothing, sharing another look.
“Sanctum is collapsing and I can’t stand by anymore. We’re acting in our people’s best interest, and I don’t care what you have to do to keep it confidential; our raid is happening.”
Isa Forr, the only female member of the Council, rose from her seat. I waited for the quip. She opposed me for the sheer entertainment of it. “Qaira Eltruan, are you suggesting we take an armed unit of enforcers into a civilian refugee camp with the intention of causing violence and fear?”
My eyes narrowed. “That is exactly what I’m suggesting.”
“The Archaeans will retaliate far worse than before if we do. We don’t even know what kind of weapons they have. We haven’t seen the whole picture here.”
“Is the Eye of Akul afraid of the angels?” I demanded.
“It’s rational fear if we don’t know—”
“The Archaeans won’t even know what happened,” I interjected. “We’re cutting communications with their base ship, remember? The refugee camp will be isolated, and if we can keep the press from crawling up our asses, there’s no way that Commander Raith could find out. At least until we leave.”
Isa opened her mouth to respond, but an explosion shook the room.
The members of the Council gave startled cries, and I looked out the window. An enormous debris cloud rose around the south wing of Eroqam, painting the sky black. My eyes widened.
In an act of desperation, I punched the window out. I stepped over the sill as my wings released, shredding my suit. I hadn’t expected to fly today, and now my favorite shirt was ruined.
The Council cleared out of the room and scrambled into the hallway, but my father stayed behind, watching me with a terrified gaze.
“Get to the main level!” I shouted. Before he could reply, I dove from the window.
The streets were in chaos. Screams of panic rode in with the wind. I let myself drop until I almost hit the ground; then my wings tilted and I shot toward the pillars of smoke like a speeding bullet.
A few Enforcer aero-crafts were already traversing the debris cloud. We were trained to respond quickly. As I approached the one in front, my soldiers saw me coming and slid open the door. I rolled in.
“Ara! Where is he?”
“He’s in the craft behind us,” said Uless.
I relaxed, reaching for a rifle on the rack.
“Sir, what the fuck is happening?” Uless asked as I loaded my weapon. “Why are the Archaeans attacking us in broad daylight?”
“Good question,” I muttered. After loading the chamber, I attached a blade beneath the barrel. Our assault rifles were a combination of machine guns and bayonets. It made the weapon somewhat useful at close range. “I guess we’re about to find out.
Gunfire erupted through the sky.
“Hang right!” I screamed at our pilot as bullets plinked against our craft. As the craft tilted, we all nearly lost our footing. I snatched the radio from Uless’ belt, seeing as I didn’t have my own.
“Do not leave the smoke!” I ordered the other teams. “I repeat, do not engage; we’ll bring them to you!”
It was the first time that I’d ever seen an Archaean fighter craft. Like the rest of their technology, it far surpassed ours. They moved faster and more fluidly than we ever could, and as of right now we were monumentally fucked.
I had no idea how I was going to get the whites to follow us into a trap, so I switched the radio to a different channel. “This is Commandant Qaira Eltruan. I am requesting immediate Sanctum airstrike backup.”
Plink plink plink plink
A bullet penetrated our aero-craft. It tore through the face of an Enforcer beside me. Blood and flesh splattered our suits.
“Fuck! Tela, get them off of us!”
“I can’t!” he shouted. “Sir, they’re too fast!”
Someone finally responded over the radio, “Commandant Eltruan, what’s your status?”
“About-to-fucking-die!” The radio was so close to my mouth that I was practically swallowing it. “We have Archaean crafts obliterating Upper Sanctum! I need a strike team yesterday!”
“Airstrike team has been dispatched, Sir.”
Another enemy jet appeared in front of us. It opened fire on our windshield, killing Tela. Our now-pilotless craft spun out of control.
I dove for the seat, throwing Tela’s body aside. I swerved past the new enemy vessel and sped for the smoke. They thought I was retreating and followed. The angels took the bait.
I could barely see without a windshield. Gusts of freezing wind and debris violently beat against my face. My teeth gnashed together as I held on for dear life.
I ripped through the center of our waiting army, and they fired at the pursuing Archaean crafts. Both erupted into balls of fire seconds later. Some of my soldiers on-board cheered in celebration over the fact that we were still alive.
But that had been too close.
“Sir!” someone shouted through my radio. It was Ara. “Archaeans are on foot near the Agora!”
Shit.
A couple of enemy vessels were left. There was no way I’d be able to reach the Agora without getting shot out of the sky. This was such a fucking mess.
Thankfully, over a dozen Sanctum aero-crafts appeared.
“Requesting orders, Commandant.”
I nearly dropped my radio trying to respond. Flying with one hand wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. “All units commence a full-on offensive. Make sure you keep them busy.”
“Roger.”
Our task force roared by us. Gunfire ensued. That was my cue.
I steered my craft north, toward the Agora. It was time to take out the rest of the trash.
Five whites were skirting the rooftop of a restaurant. One of them was holding a rocket launcher. This didn’t look good already.
I steered away, deciding to land out of range. I was pretty sure our craft wouldn’t survive a rocket, since it didn’t even have a windshield. The craft touched down and I grabbed an armored vest. “Get ready,” I ordered to my team, but they were already way ahead of me.
I slid open the door and stepped onto the middle of the evacuated main street. My team followed suit. My wings unfolded and I took to the sky, chasing down the angels who’d seen us and fled. They must have had a craft nearby. What were they even doing here?
I closed in on them in a matter of minutes, aiming my rifle at the girl carrying the rocket launcher, but she managed to swerve out of the way and I shot the white beside her. As the dead Archaean plummeted to the ground below, the girl spun and returned fire. The rocket barreled toward me in a streamline of blue phosphorescence.
I rolled mid-air as it whirred by. It hit a grocery store instead, setting the Agora on fire.
Great.
And then I was right in front of her. I swung my rifle, cleaving her head from her shoulders. Before she fell, I swiped the rocket launcher, and my men took down her friends.
I found their deserted ride about four blocks away, atop Yema Theater. While my men secured the perimeter, I studied the alien craft. It was smooth and shiny, like liquid silver. I ran my fingers over the surface, whistling quietly. This thing was incredible. How did it fly so seamlessly?
I grabbed the radio I had stolen from Uless.
“Status.”
“All clear, Commandant.”
“Good. I need two crafts for a pick-up at Yema Theater. The whites left us a parting gift.”
Ara responded this time. “On my way, Qaira.”
I dropped the radio and sank to my knees, ripping off my vest and chucking it aside. Sanctum had prevailed again, but her damage was heavy. Black smoke and debris slithered into the horizon, billowing over dozens of ruined buildings. There were probably a hundred casualties, maybe more. This couldn’t keep happening.
My lip curled with indignation as I watched the militia fight the fires. Fucking vermin; they attacked my home. Now it was personal.
Crowds of nosy people flocked the streets, photographing the carnage. I listened to their cries of outrage with a growing smile. The attack had actually worked to my advantage. The Council would have no choice but to allow the Enforcers to raid Crylle. And now we had an Archaean specimen—one that could reveal the secrets behind their alien technology. I was one step closer to killing Lucifer Raith. One step closer to freedom.
I could almost taste it.
III
NEEDLES BEFORE THE PRAYER
AS EXPECTED, THE EYE OF AKUL ruled in favor of raiding Crylle.
We had suffered two hundred civilian casualties, along with millions in lost revenue from repairs to the Agora and Eroqam. We also lost five aero-crafts and fifteen of my men.
The raid was scheduled to take place in a week. Kanar and I agreed to pull the plug on Archaean communications several hours before we went in. I’d have two hundred enforcers on standby around Sanctum should Raith’s forces appear in my absence. I wouldn’t be stupid twice.
The vessel I’d recovered was being analyzed by our defense team scientists. I was told there was a lot about the craft that was completely beyond our comprehension.
While the Sanctum Weapons Research facility spent all evening uncovering the Archaeans’ military secrets, I was at Sapyr with my brother and a few of our friends. We were celebrating the progress over the last several days.
Sapyr had been Ara’s choice (it always was) and I was bored. Entertainment of this sort only thrilled adolescents and the sex-deprived. And my brother. Yet oddly enough he wasn’t even paying attention to the dancers tonight. He, Garan and Uless were reminiscing about near-death experiences in the Sanctum army.
My attention was drawn to a young girl on stage who had made her way over to me. The stage was a less a stage and more a narrow catwalk between the bar, and I was sitting at the bar, waiting for our drinks. The peeler saw my face. Now she was going to bother me until I gave her money, since she knew I had a ton of it.
She bent down and spread her legs. I watched her dance, her lids half-mast in well-practiced lust. With a resigned sigh, I handed her twenty usos so she’d get lost.
Sapyr had been in business for over five hundred years. It was the apex nightlife for young males (and females, weirdly enough) who wanted a place to dance, drink and enjoy more devious pleasures should they have enough money for it. It was always dark save for the stage, where fluorescent lights flashed across women who, for some reason, found this to be a satisfying career. Most of them were junkies, supplied with all the malay their sore, tired veins could carry in return for their services. They didn’t even try to cover the tracks on their arms.
I didn’t like coming here; it reminded me of all the things that were wrong with Sanctum. All the things I couldn’t fix because I was no better than the filth that surrounded me.
The tender brought my drinks and I grabbed the tray, carrying it over to our table. I sat down and Ara nudged me.
“You want in on this round?” he asked, gesturing to the shot glasses.
“No thanks.” I didn’t like Cardinal; it tasted like antiseptic.
My brother frowned. “Stop being such a vagina.”
I glared at him, but said nothing. Nevertheless, he placed a shot in front of me. I watched the yellow liquid quiver in the glass.
“You need to lighten up,” he went on. “Sanctum’s Savior deserves to get wasted, at least tonight.”
I laughed. “Sanctum has no saviors.”
“You know,” Garan said, looking between Ara and I, “you two could be twins.”
Ara and I looked very similar, save for our eye color. He was also shorter than me, and his hair was a little wavier than mine. That said, we could have been twins if you’d had as much to drink as Garan. His pupils were dilated and he was swaying in his seat.
Ara scoffed. “No we don’t. I’m way better looking than Qaira.”
Yet all the women I’d ever brought home were ten times better looking than his girlfriend. I didn’t say that, though. Those were fighting words.
“So this raid,” Uless began, slurring, “are we taking civilians into custody, or interrogating them on the spot?”
I looked around, unsure if we should have this conversation or not. In about an hour, Uless would probably pass out in the men’s restroom like he’d done every other time, and wake up without a single memory of tonight. It all seemed like a giant waste of breath.
But now I was fiercely buzzed, so I’d entertain him. No one was within ear’s reach so I didn’t have to worry about an eavesdropper. “I don’t plan on taking anyone back with me.”
Uless shrugged. His tan complexion and hazel eyes were muted by the spotlight on the stage. He looked translucent. “Fine with me. I just wanted to know how long we were going to stay there. I can’t stand that heat.”
“Yeah,” I muttered, gulping down the rest of my drink, “I hear you.”
“Fucking angels,” my brother growled, shaking his head.
“Save your anger for the field, Ara.”
He gave me a serrated grin, but it melted as he looked over my face. “Your ink is fading again.”
“Yeah, I know.” I didn’t really care, either.