Brigadier Jenner frowned noticeably. He was a regular attendee of Advisory Board meetings due to his leadership position and would probably be here now even were it not for his brilliant maneuver that took out the Imperium and ended the encounter. Nonetheless, she’d already decided the feat had earned him a permanent seat at the table.
“Are you worried we’ll have spies in the AEGIS fleet? Or traitors?”
She forced her gaze to remain locked on Jenner and not drift to Caleb. “I think they look like us, Brigadier. Given this reality, we must take every precaution. A single Anaden finds and traverses a single portal carrying a large enough bomb, and everyone back home dies.”
He nodded and sank back in his chair. “Understood.”
“Now, we lost over 8,400 ships today, so we need to replenish—”
‘I apologize for the interruption, Commandant, but Valkyrie has forwarded a message to me I believe you will find pertinent to your discussion.’
She glanced at Alex, but her daughter only smiled mysteriously. “Go ahead, Thomas.”
‘The message reads as follows: Sator Danilo Nisi requests the presence of the high commander of the military forces victorious in the hostilities at the Provision Network Gateway, as well as Caleb Marano, Alexis Solovy and the Katasketousya Mnemosyne, at a private meeting to discuss matters of mutual interest. Proceed to MW Sector 33 at your earliest convenience, where additional coordinates will be provided.’
Miriam pursed her lips. Quite the terse ‘request.’ “And who exactly is Mr. Nisi, to make such demands?”
Alex kicked her chair back away from the table. “The leader of the anarch resistance here in Amaranthe. Looks like you got someone’s attention today.”
67
SOLUM
MILKY WAY SECTOR 1
* * *
NYX KNEW THE DIATI had not returned to her the instant she awoke in the regenesis capsule following the destruction of Helix Retention. The diati hadn’t merely deserted her body; it had deserted her.
But how? Why? She had only ever served it, and served it in exceptional fashion. Who or what was the prisoner that he could strip away both the diati’s physical bond and its personal allegiance?
The cover slid back, and she forced confidence into her bearing as she sat up and smoothly exited the capsule. Her legs were fine. Her body was fine. The grueling pain her former shell had suffered was a fading memory, soon to vanish on the wind.
Yet she felt…small. Ordinary. The Curative unit didn’t seem to notice any difference in her, but it was only a machine. Others would notice, and they would not look so kindly upon her.
Her bones chilled at the notion of her fellow Inquisitors pitying her. Her Primor…. No. This could not be her fate.
The Primor’s voice whispered to her in her mind as if an answered call. He touched her thoughts with his own, calming her turmoil beneath a soothing caress so compelling it was almost a spiritual experience.
Come to me, Nyx, and do not despair.
A sensation which must be panic sent Nyx’s chest pounding as she prepared to enter the Primor’s suite at Praesidis Command. She’d never known panic until now, and she cared not for it.
The amelioration of his mental touch had faded by the time she arrived, leaving behind this atrocious passion of fear heightened by anxiety. He was certain to be so disappointed in her. He might find no worth in her continued existence at all.
Her hands shook—how dare they betray her so brazenly—as she stepped inside to meet her fate.
When his eyes fell upon her, she hung her head. Overtaken by shame, broken by the magnetism of his presence. “Primor. Father. I can’t…one of the prisoners, a man, I don’t understand….”
He moved without motion, in a breath simply standing before her. His arms wrapped around her and drew her into his embrace. “Shush, my dear. I know what happened, and everything is going to be well. I will restore you. Here, take a measure of mine. I give it freely, and I command it to serve you as it has served me.”
Her skin flushed as diati surged into her body. Warmth filled her chest and her mind. It felt unfamiliar, not her own, but she welcomed it and it her. In time they would become one.
She blinked, and the world was reborn. Peace returned to her soul, and she gazed upon his face with unabashed devotion. “I will serve you forever, Primor. Ask anything of me.”
His hand stroked her cheek, and the skin of his palm glowed against hers as the final traces of diati passed from him to her. “Tell me about this man.”
Nyx drew her shoulders up to stand tall before him. “I will, father. I will tell you about him, and then I will find him and I will kill him.”
68
SIYANE
MILKY WAY SECTOR 33
* * *
THEY TOOK THE SIYANE to the meeting. Showing up in the Stalwart II felt like a cheap power play they didn’t need to make—plus, there would be all the extra guests to explain away.
The trip was relatively quick, and it wasn’t the first time her mother had been on the Siyane. They spent the time catching up on the necessities and trying to reorient to each other’s worlds. It was easier to do than it used to be; after all, they’d had a lot of practice lately.
When they reached Sector 33 in the Milky Way, Valkyrie received specific coordinates from her anonymous contact, which led to an unsettled but marginally habitable planet.
Scans failed to detect any structures, power sources or other signs of life on the surface. The coordinates pointed to an expansive, barren stretch of land, so that was where they landed.
Mesme arrived out of nowhere with characteristic abruptness as they touched down, apparently having survived the transport of the black hole weapon to…. “Where’s the Tartarus Trigger now?”
Away. This is all you need to concern yourselves with.
Miriam glanced over while checking her gear. “A weapon so dangerous as this Tartarus device needs to be guarded and kept out of the hands of the enemy.”
It needs to be kept out of the hands of everyone, and guarding it is a task we can accomplish far better than you.
Alex gave her mother a weak shrug. “Mesme’s probably correct on that point. The Kats are very, very good at hiding things.”
“Fine, but I reserve the right to revisit the topic in the future.”
Mesme’s response was to flit off to the surface outside, evoking a snort from Caleb as he brought the breather masks to them. “Rather infuriating for an ally, isn’t it?”
Miriam rolled her eyes and accepted the mask from Caleb. “Almost makes me miss the politicians back home. Almost.”
Everyone wore tactical gear and carried breather masks and weapons despite the fact the air was breathable and the temperature adequate, because this was her mother and Caleb she was talking about.
They exited the Siyane onto a stone and gravel surface. Mountains of bare stone rose in the distance. There were no trees, or any plant life at all, and the sky was a cool, dim slate that gave the impression of being frozen at the cusp of nightfall.
Alex scanned the scene twice and threw her hands up in frustration. “There’s nothing here.”
Miriam’s gaze retraced the path Alex’s had taken. “Perhaps a building is stealthed, in which case I expect a door will open any time now.”
Caleb chuckled. “You two have obviously never had to meet a skittish, paranoid informant before. We’re being purposefully led around on a circuitous path so we won’t be followed, and so we won’t know where we’re going—or possibly where we end up.”
He both sounded and acted more relaxed than he’d been since their prison break. As before, he was internalizing and adjusting to the new influx of power. It just took a little time.
Admittedly relieved to see him in better spirits, she flashed him an exaggerated grimace. “Well, where we are right now is the middle of nowhere, so it seems to be working.”
She trailed off as Mesme swept past them toward a light which had appeared
in the distance. The source of the glow was small and indistinct, but it nevertheless stood out against the stark landscape.
They followed at a less excitable pace, and her mother fell in beside her. “This is what your normal, everyday life is like, isn’t it? Landing on exotic, forbidding alien worlds, taking a few readings then striking out into the unknown.”
Alex grinned. “Not every day, but…kind of, yes.”
Miriam shook her head with a pensive sigh. “So long as you’re happy.”
“I’ll be ‘happy’ if this meeting goes swimmingly and we win this war and the people I care about aren’t sacrificed in the process of winning it. Will ‘fulfilled’ do for now?”
“Quite well.”
Your serotonin levels spiked noticeably there.
So she gave me the warm fuzzies. I’m allowed to get warm fuzzies from my mom.
The glow took shape as they neared to form an archway three meters tall and two wide, filled with molten metal, or a form of amorphous glass, or…something else. The material rippled as water in a pond, but it was both more opaque and shinier than water. If it stopped rippling and stilled, it could be mistaken for a mirror.
“It is a teleportation gate.”
She jumped in surprise at the disembodied voice. Caleb and Miriam both tensed and began visually searching the area for approaching danger.
A shadow encroached on the archway until the object was nearly obscured. She shivered as a chill ran over her arms. “Miaon?”
“Yes.” The solitary word warbled through the air like the note of a reed instrument.
Caleb relaxed a fraction, but her mother remained tense. “What is Miaon? The shadow?”
“Yes. It’s a—”
“I am an ally. We can acquaint ourselves in due time, but at present you are expected before the Sator. Accompany me through the gate. Mnemosyne?”
It will be an uncomfortable passage, but I will accomplish it.
So, quantum teleportation? Neat. They checked one another for confirmation, and Caleb stepped forward and through the archway to disappear. She quickly followed—
ANARCH POST SATUS
LOCATION UNKNOWN
—and stepped into an airy, sun-lit room.
On confirming Caleb had reached the same location, Alex spun in time to see her mother step through an exact copy of the archway here in the room and Mesme to materialize in front of it. The shadow Miaon was nowhere to be seen.
Valkyrie, I expect you to be able to tell me how teleportation works in the next…three days? Do you need four?
I will do it in two, and spend the other two determining how you accessed sidespace without me at the Mirad Vigilate.
A good use of your time on both fronts, I think.
The archway vanished, revealing an Anaden woman in a beige pantsuit standing behind it. Her modest attire, fair skin and blond hair styled into a practical twist ruled her out as Praesidis, Machim or Idoni. Yet another Dynasty, then. Antalla? Erevna?
The woman nodded perfunctorily at them. “I am Xanne ela-Kyvern. If you will accompany me, the Sator is expecting you.”
Or that one.
She knew both Caleb and her mother were scanning the vicinity for potential threats. Confident she was well protected, she scanned it instead for aesthetics.
The decor was bright, sleek and smooth, but displayed enough character to not come off as sterile. This felt like a place where people not only worked, but lived. People who weren’t sociopaths or automatons.
Speaking of…she increased her pace to catch up to Xanne. “Excuse me. One of your agents has been helping us, and we haven’t heard from him since—”
“Since now?”
Alex spun to see Eren swagger through a door to the left, looking not a whit like he’d been atomized the day before.
He stopped a meter or so away, which thankfully avoided the awkward determination of whether they’d reached hugging status yet, and smirked. “So there are more of you.”
She grinned. “A few. Thank you for the rescue back at Helix Retention, truly.”
Eren gestured in the direction they were heading. “Much as I’d like to take all the credit, I can only take…eighty percent of it. The rest goes to the Sator.” He smiled. “You look much better, by the way.” His gaze drifted to Caleb. “I guess you do, too. Less like you’re about to go supernova on us.”
Caleb nodded with a touch of amusement. “Yes. You have my thanks as well.”
Eren made a face, then closed the distance and clapped Caleb on the shoulder. “Told you I’d see you again.”
“You did. Are you coming to the meeting with us?”
“Love to—not really—but I’m on my way out. Got to see to a thing. Have fun, though. Nisi’s, um…” Eren arched an eyebrow “…unexpected.” Then he tossed them a casual wave and jogged out the door.
Alex caught her mother’s dubious expression and motioned toward the door. “Eren.”
“So I see.” Miriam huffed a laugh. “You have collected quite the assortment of allies.”
Xanne made a tutting noise and ushered them on before she could respond. “We shouldn’t keep the Sator waiting.”
They began traversing a sky bridge, and Alex finally got a glimpse of what lay outside. A lush forest stretched to the horizon beneath a clear capri sky. They were on a planet. Outside the bridge, two large birds soared and dipped above the trees.
She zoomed her vision in closer. Yep, they were Volucri. Though their colors and markings were different from the ones Felzeor had displayed, she nudged Caleb and pointed them out. It was oddly comforting to see them here and flying freely.
Ahead, a central structure acted as a hub for multiple bridges similar to the one they crossed. Beneath the hub, a brilliant, golden ball of energy spun rapidly in the air.
Unfortunately, it vanished beneath the growing profile of the hub before she could study it further, and a minute later they reached a door.
Xanne gestured to the door. There were no visible security routines blocking entry, but then again, they’d presumably passed through half a dozen silent scans. “I will return to retrieve you when your meeting has concluded.”
Miriam took the lead in stepping through the entry, and they followed.
The door opened into an…office was the closest approximation, though it seemed to serve multiple purposes. Decorated in warm amber and russet, it felt even more welcoming than the rest of the facility. Several chaise lounges were arranged off to the left, near a wet bar and an Anaden-style kitchen unit. In the center was a large circular table, and a type of workspace framed it. On the far wall behind the workspace were two doors, both closed.
A man stood at the transparent wall to their right, gazing out at the jungle below. His back was to them, but he pivoted as soon as they entered.
Alex didn’t need to be told this was the anarch leader, for authority radiated off the man in spades. He wore a simple cream-and-tan tunic and slacks that complimented olive skin and strangely abyssal raven eyes. Or were they indigo? They changed with the shifting of the light.
The door shut behind them, and her mother took several steps forward. She spoke slowly and carefully; she’d only received the translation files a few hours earlier, and her eVi was still assimilating the Communis language. “Sator Nisi? I’m Commandant Miriam Solovy, leader of the AEGIS fleet.”
Nisi brought his hands together in front of his chest in a prayer stance and bowed slightly. “Commandant, welcome. I am not your Sator, so please, call me Danilo.”
“As you wish. This is my daughter, Alex, and her husband, Caleb. You may have some knowledge of their presence here of late. The Katasketousya is Mnemosyne.”
“Yes. Eren had much to say about all of you. Mnemosyne, our mutual acquaintance Miaon has recently seen fit to share some fascinating tales about you as well as your kin. We will speak further later—about a great deal, I suspect.” He dipped his chin in greeting to Alex and turned to Caleb.
Cal
eb was staring at the man, a most peculiar look on his face, and now he hastened forward in greeting. “Sir—”
A tendril of crimson sparks drifted up and away from the exposed skin of the man’s forearm; it was so faint it might not be noticeable if Alex hadn’t gotten used to searching for such traces.
Nisi’s eyes flared for a single blink, and he held up a hand in a firm warning. “You, do not touch me. Do not approach me.”
The statement was delivered as an order, and a resolute one. Her mother started, taken aback. “Is there a problem?”
Caleb smiled enigmatically and retreated a deliberate step backward. “It’s all right. Apologies, sir. For a moment you…” his brow furrowed “…reminded me of someone, and I neglected to consider what might happen.”
Nisi’s physical stance softened. “The mistake was mine. Please, do not interpret as hostility what is merely self-preservation.”
Miriam cleared her throat. “Is there something we should know?”
Alex tilted her head in Nisi’s direction. “He controls diati.”
“Only a small measure of it, but what I possess I intend to keep.”
“You’re Praesidis?” Now that she thought about it, he did favor them, after a fashion. Lacked the cold malevolence that was the Praesidis stock-in-trade, though.
“Yes, and no.”
Alex bit back a groan. “What does that mean? I’m not trying to be rude, but we’ve learned it’s sort of important.”
“Indeed.” He clasped his hands in front of him. “I am no Dynasty, and all Dynasties. My genes are those of all Anadens, with no preordained destiny written upon them. I am and have long been free to follow any path I choose.”
Aurora Resonant: The Complete Collection (Amaranthe Collections Book 3) Page 41
