The gears in Philo’s mind began to turn. The more Theo talked, the more he considered it a viable option. “We may not be able to get members into all of the monasteries, but we could probably manage a few. If any of our people were exposed, it would put all the others at greater risk.”
“Nothing worth doing was ever easy. Once we were on the inside, we could train under them and learn their weaknesses. There’s no better way to learn someone’s vulnerabilities than to train with them. That’s why Hojae was so adept at manipulating us. He was the one that did most of my initial training when I decided to join. Looking back, it must have been a clever way for him to teach me everything I know, while still not teaching me everything he knew. If we time this right, the Yasta will be forced to retreat and recoup their losses.”
“You seem to have thought this all out.” Philo was slightly impressed with Theo’s enthusiasm. Maybe he had written the boy off too quickly.
“I don’t know if I would say that.” Theo ran his fingers through is hair. “This is just what makes the most sense to me. It will give us a chance to put something into play before we completely lose the upper hand. Once members of the Brotherhood are in position, you would have plenty of time to rebuild and make even bigger long-term plans. Your scientists can continue working on technological advances, and when the time is right, we can strike them where it will hurt them the most.”
“With the proper training, you may turn out to be quite the strategist one day.” Philo smirked at the new recruit in front of him. Theo would be a comrade to keep an eye on for the future. There might even be an opportunity to use Theo’s gumption to forward Philo’s own career if he kept his eyes open.
Theo thought for a moment, before he spoke again. “There may be something else you should know about.”
“And what would that be?”
“Cierra thought she saw something back on Relisse.”
“Oh?” Philo raised one of his eyebrows in curiosity.
The newer recruit licked his lips to wet them. “She thought that she saw some of the Yasta monks disappear. She said it was like they were there one second, and gone the next. If what she saw was true, it’s possible that the Yasta have developed some sort of Relissarium cloaking device.”
“Oh, yes. I’ve been informed of her…recollections. Please, do not worry about that. Everything is under control.” Senator Philo plastered his campaign smile on his face. “Let’s go back to your infiltration plan for a moment.”
“Okay.”
“If this is going to work properly, we will need to strike on Mithuna.”
“Mithuna? Why?”
Philo’s lips formed a tight, thin line. He hated having to over explain things. “There is an important religious holiday coming up on Mithuna soon. Many people from different star systems will be journeying back to their home planet for the pilgrimage to one of the five major monasteries. We can take your team, and a few others. This isn’t a job your task force will be able to handle on your own. It’s too much ground to cover at once.”
Theo thought back to the monastery incident on Turtiez. That was not something he wanted to go through again. Still, it was his idea to infiltrate the monasteries. Plus, with Hojae out of the picture, they might just stand a chance at making it in and out alive. He focused on the anger he had felt at Naia’s death, and the loss of his planet and family. Whatever the risk was, whatever he had to do, Theo was going to make sure the Yasta paid for their sins. “I’m ready when you are.”
Ten
Philo paced behind his desk. “I thought you said you had paged him? Where is he? I don’t like being kept waiting.”
Pulling up the communication log on her tablet, Chanta scrolled through the messages. “It says he’s on his way. You know he gets distracted easily. He gets absorbed in his work.”
“Obviously he gets too absorbed to keep the Council properly informed. I can’t afford to let anything fall through the cracks right now. We are in a very precarious position.”
A knock on the door made both of them turn. Chanta walked over in a few slinky strides and opened the door. Hubard walked inside. His eyes were glowing with excitement, and his cheeks were rosy. A metallic trinket shone from between his fingers. He was oblivious to the tension in the room.
“Chanta, can you leave us, please?” Philo leaned on his desk. His thick brow cast a dark shadow over his eyes.
“Yes, sir.” The senator’s aide slipped out of the office door and closed it with a click behind her.
“Take a look at this!” Hubard scurried over to the desk holding out his trinket with a childish grin. “This is—”
“Unless it is information that the Yasta might be developing Relissarium cloaking technology, then I’m currently not interested.”
“Huh?” Hubard blinked from behind his magnifying spectacles. “Cloaking technology?”
“Hubard, did one of your team members provide you with information that such a thing might exist?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“But what? Technological advances and developments are your specialty, but you also have the responsibility to keep the Council updated on any advances that might be happening on the enemy side. How can we properly prepare if we don’t know what to prepare against?”
Hubard furrowed his eyebrows together, leaving his forehead wrinkled. “The information was more of a rumor. I can think of no possible application for that sort of technology at this time. Most likely, the girl only saw the monks disintegrated by the blast. It was a mere trick of the eye.”
“That is not your call to make. You are to inform us about everything. You could have presented your concerns and allowed us to make the call on whether or not we thought it was relevant information. I trust you will not make the same mistake twice.”
“I-I-I apologize. I didn’t mean any harm. Yes, of course. It won’t happen again.” Hubard bowed his head.
“Good. Now, what were you so excited about? Do you have something to show me?”
“Oh, yes!” Hubard regained some of his former glow, but it was clear that some the wind had gone out of his sails. He held up the item he had been cradling in his hands. “This is the future of technology.”
“It looks like a computer piece.” Philo was unimpressed.
“Yes, but it isn’t just any computer piece. This little chip is made out of Relissarium. We already knew the mineral absorbed energy, but what we didn’t know was that it absorbed information as well.”
“What?” Philo’s interest was piqued. He leaned forward to get a better look.
“This little thing can hold an almost infinite amount of information. Think of it as a data sphere on steroids.” Hubard lowered his voice to almost a whisper. “Have you ever wondered why Relissarium can cut through practically anything?”
Honestly, the thought had never really occurred to Philo. He was so caught up in the fact that it could cut through so much that he hadn’t considered why it could do so. “It hadn’t occurred to me, no.”
“It remembers.”
“What?”
“It remembers. It absorbs energy and remembers the makeup of everything it cuts through. It isn’t simply sharp, it intelligently severs fibers on an atomic level. This material is almost as old as the known universe. Who knows how long it has existed? Before man? Before the birth of stars? This mineral has had the chance to learn and evolve in order to be the best. Our lifetimes, our feuds, are merely the blink of an eye for Relissarium. It has been off of our radar up to this point. It makes me wonder, did we discover it, or did it allow itself to be discovered?”
Eleven
Makram had managed to snatch an old, wax candle from a forgotten supply closet. They were hard to find anymore. Everyone used bio-lights, or electric cartridges. Still, Makram felt strangely attracted to the simplicity of a hand-dipped wax candle. He had managed to swipe an empty wine bottle, too—well, it hadn’t been empty when he had found it, but he had soon seen to that.
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He was in an old lecture theater. No doubt it had been used to bring new recruits up to speed at one time. Now, with the operation so far spread out, most of the original lecture halls at their current base went unused. The training happened on other planets and moons. The Grand Council used the underwater base as a sort of corporate office. Everyone knew it existed, fewer knew where it was, and fewer still had ever been in person. Makram patted down his pockets. The problem with old technology was that when the candles went away, so did the matches.
“Need a light?” Cherish’s voice startled him.
“Oh, Batumah! What did they do, give you soundproof feet now?” Makram placed his hand over his heart.
“Not quite, but close.”
“I’m glad everything is working properly. I’m not going to lie. I was pretty worried about you when I found you after the cargo ship crashed. Guess I had just never really thought of you as damageable before. Not like the rest of us, anyway.”
“It’s true. When the crash began, I did a few calculations, and took the seat most likely to receive the most damage. In doing so, I was able to take the brunt of the damage instead of one of you.” Cherish cocked her head to the side. “What are you doing?”
Makram looked at his feet and then at the candle he had shoved into the wine bottle. “It didn’t seem right to not have some sort of memorial for the ones we lost.”
“I see.” Cherish stuck out her finger, and a small flame flickered on the tip of her metal appendage. “Allow me.”
The heaviness in Makram’s chest eased a little as the tiny flame flickered. The window wall they were close to reflected the light and made it slightly brighter. Swirling sea creatures swam past the glass. A few of them cast curious glances at the wavering light. Makram sank to the floor and crossed his legs. Cherish joined him.
“You know, even though he was a traitor, I still feel bad about Hojae.”
Cherish looked at him. Shadows danced like small nightmares across his face. “That is a natural reaction. Though he was a spy, for so long you thought of him as a friend and a teammate. It is perfectly normal to feel some conflicting emotions about his death.”
“I just don’t understand how he could look all of us in the eye while he was stabbing us in the back. What kind of a person does that?”
“That’s why you’re such a good leader.”
“Huh?” Makram looked up. Hojae’s words from the tower platform still echoed in his mind. The thought that he was chosen because he was easily manipulated by the Council had burrowed into him, like Hojae’s final act of destruction.
Cherish smiled and placed her hand lightly on his arm. “You care. You don’t see people as weapons, or as different species. Once you accept someone onto your team, that’s all they are: part of your team. You would do anything for them…even if you had to kill one of them because they became a threat to the rest of us. What you did was hard, but it was what was necessary.”
A lump rose in his throat. He placed his hand on top of hers. Despite being made of metal, it was surprisingly warm to the touch. “Thank you. I really needed to hear that.”
“You are very welcome.”
“How did you find me anyway? I didn’t think anyone knew I was here.”
She smiled, and a lens switched in her eyes. “Heat vision. I saw your pattern and thought you might need a friend.”
A friend. Makram had thought of his team as a unit for so long, it was strange to hear himself called a friend instead of a soldier or a commander. Cherish may have been an augmented human, but sometimes she seemed to be the most human of them all.
“How are you doing? We’ve been talking about me this whole time.” Makram leaned back until his back rested against the side of the auditorium’s bleachers. The cold cement brought a welcome cooling to his still bruised back.
A sigh slipped out from between her lips. “I feel much more at peace than I have in a long time. I also feel lighter. I know that’s just from the upgrades, but it’s almost like I have a greater understanding of things now. The old religions talked of being one with the universe. I feel as though I understand that, just a little.”
Makram smiled sadly to himself. “Do you ever wonder what would have happened if we had chosen different paths? What if we hadn’t joined the cause or ever met one another?”
“I try not to focus on such things. Each choice that we make, each life that we encounter, helps to make us into the beings we are meant to be. Without the pain and suffering in our lives, we would not be able to truly grasp what it is to be kind or strong. I think that each incident in the universe is woven together to make us into what we are meant to be. We may not understand it, but we all have a purpose to serve, and I can tell you that you and I and the rest of the team share a purpose.”
“Hubard really did an overhaul on your settings, didn’t he?”
“Perhaps.” Cherish chuckled. Makram couldn’t tell if she was looking at the flickering flame, or at the sea creatures still swimming beyond the glass.
The two teammates sat in silence. Makram’s eyes rested on the candle in front of them. It was a small gesture to honor the departed, but it made him feel better. When he had come down to this room, it was because he had wanted to be alone. Now, he was thankful for Cherish being close by—and even more thankful that she was able to sit with him without feeling the need to fill all of the silence with words.
Twelve
The bio-lights cast shadows on the ceiling above the bad. Theo was making shadow puppets with his hands, the same way he had when his children had been young. He had thought that one day he would have done the same thing with his grandchildren. That dream was gone the instant Relisse had burned. First, he had lost Mari. Then, he had lost Naia. Part of Theo wondered if he had somehow offended the gods. It seemed like extraordinarily bad luck.
His mind drifted back to the kiss he had shared with Cierra. He tried to convince himself to remain emotionally distant from her. Theo knew it was silly, but he was worried that if he did allow himself to get any more attached to her, he would lose her, too. He didn’t think he could come back from that.
Naia had told him not to give in to the darkness inside of him, but with each loss it was like the evil dug its claws into him even deeper. How was he supposed to stay positive with so much death and heartache around him?
Theo absentmindedly touched his lips again. If he closed his eyes, he could still feel Cierra’s mouth on his. His heartbeat fluttered at the thought. No. He mustn’t give in to that either. They had to work together. Plus, she had been married to his brother. Did that really matter anymore, though? Theo closed his eyes, and tried to quell his confusion and turmoil.
Suddenly, a noise from the hallway made Theo sit up straight in bed. His feet swung over and landed on the floor. Flinging open the door, Theo saw Hubard sprawled on the ground in the hallway. “Are you okay?” Theo rushed over to help the older man to his feet.
“Yes, yes. Wasn’t watching where I was going.” Hubard dusted himself off and started picking up chunks of Relissarium that he had dropped.
“Here, let me help you.” Theo reached down to pick up one of the pieces. As soon as his skin touched the mineral, he felt the same bloodlust that he had felt in the monastery on Turtiez. It was like the mineral awoke the most animalistic part of him, whenever he came into contact with it.
Hubard noticed the change pass over Theo’s face. He squinted at the young man. “Are you okay?”
“Never better.” Theo handed a chunk of the mineral back to Hubard, while pocketing a small shard with his other hand. The Relissarium stirred the darkness inside of him, and he didn’t want to fight it anymore.
Ascent
The Relissarium Wars Space Opera Series, Book 5
One
Theo laid in bed, with his arms behind his head. His eyes were watching the sea creatures in their dark, underwater ballet. The Strike Force Retaliation team had been on standby while the Grand Council of Masters
voted on whether or not to go forward with infiltrating the Yasta monasteries. The top of Theo’s jumpsuit was unzipped to the waist where he had tied the arms together. Absentmindedly, his fingers twirled the shard of Relissarium that he had pocketed a few days ago. It had become a sort of dark talisman for him. Touching it crystalized all his thoughts and pent up anger.
A knock on his door startled him. Theo quickly stuffed the small shard into his pocket before the door to his temporary lodgings opened up. Danthois loomed in the doorway. Bored and frustrated that the council was taking so long, Theo’s voice erupted in a more agitated tone than he intended. “Yeah? What is it?”
The cyborg seemed unfazed. “Lord Philo would like to see you both in his office.”
“Both?” Theo squinted, then he caught a glimpse of familiar green eyes peeking around the doorframe. He was suddenly very aware of his exposed skin. In one quick motion, he turned away from the door and quickly shoved his arms back into his jumpsuit. The sound of the zipper filled the silence.
Before he had even moved to right himself, Cierra had already closed her eyes and moved back behind the safety of the wall outside of his room. Her cheeks were bright pink. There had been a mutual avoidance between them, since the kiss. Neither of them wanted to discuss what it meant to them, just in case the other didn’t feel the same way. For the past few days, every time one of them entered the room, the other would quickly think up an excuse and dart away. Eventually, Theo had just confined himself to his quarters. It was easier than having to come up with more excuses.
Danthois seemed oblivious to the awkward tension. The two guests trailed a few steps behind him. Theo and Cierra were as far away from each other as the narrow corridor would allow. A sudden urge to hold Cierra’s hand washed over Theo. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets in an attempt to suppress the urge. From the corner of his eye, he could see her fidgeting with her fingernails. Her hands weren’t as calloused Mari’s had been, nor were they as thin and elegant as Naia’s. Cierra had capable hands—capable of pulling a trigger, of taking care of herself.
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