His thoughts drifted back to what he’d been hearing about the Yasta doctrine. Theo was having a hard time reconciling what the Josti were telling him with what he had seen during his time with the resistance. He slowed his pace a little to allow the Josti to gain a little ground. He still had questions about the Yasta faith. After the other night, he knew that he needed to be more careful with how he worded his thoughts.
Once Jaedo was close enough for them to converse easily, Theo struck up a conversation. “I’m still wondering a few things about the Yasta faith. I admit that I didn’t pay as much attention as I should have back on our home moon.”
“Ask away, brother. Batumah allowed you to survive the destruction of your home. It’s natural to want to know him, and thank him with service after such a blessing.” Jaedo raised his arms towards the sky and smiled.
“Is everything black and white in the Yasta faith?”
“Batumah accepts all who are worthy, even if they are green, orange, tan, or blue.”
Theo shook his head trying to find a better way to word it. “No, that’s not what I mean. I wasn’t talking about skin color. I was more curious about good and evil. Is everything strictly good or evil? Is there ever anything that is a bit morally ambiguous?”
“Ah, I see.” Jaedo scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Perhaps instead of looking at individual incidents, you should consider it more like a tapestry.”
“Huh?”
“An incident on its own may appear to be either harmless or evil at first glance, but the effect of that incident is not contained in one individual moment of time. Each thread is woven together, like a tapestry. The fabric is made up of the good and the bad. Without one or the other, the fabric would not exist, not the way we know it. There are times when a thread must be clipped because it has woven all that it was supposed to, but only Batumah knows when that time has come.”
Theo shook his head. “Are you saying that Batumah lets bad things happen, even though he knows they are bad?”
“There are some things that our minds will never fully comprehend.”
“Things we can’t comprehend? Does that include supernatural forces? Do you think that’s what’s causing the murders?” Theo felt his stomach writhe uneasily.
Jaedo placed one hand over his heart. “To believe in Batumah is to accept there are forces greater than ourselves. I think that the deaths we have experienced on our journey are part of the purification process. Only the worthy can complete the journey to Batumah’s light.”
“I still don’t understand how such an all-knowing being could allow bad things to happen to his followers. If he has the power to prevent evil, why doesn’t he?” Theo’s unease was slowly becoming indignation at the loss of those he had cared for.
The green Josti drummed his fingers on his hips while he tried to find a better explanation. “Something that may appear to be evil to us, may end up resulting in far better things that have yet to pass. Your home moon was destroyed, and because of that, you are now making the journey to Batumah’s light. It was a bad event, but because of it, you have been brought into the folds of Batumah’s grace. He must have great plans for you.”
Irane’s voice surprised Theo. “Just because you cannot see the purpose of something, does not mean that the purpose will not become clear with time.” He hadn’t been aware that the boy was paying that much attention to the conversation.
Theo mulled over what he had just heard. Was it a coincidence that he was part of a team that was trying to assassinate a group of monks in the mountains and that so far, they were the only ones that had been murdered on the journey? Were the deaths of his comrades results of Batumah trying to protect his loyal servants? So far, none of the Josti had fallen victim to the strange deaths his team had suffered. If they were being targeted by Batumah or by demons of darkness, who would be the next victim? Would it be Cierra, or maybe even Irane? Most of the others could most likely take care of themselves, but Theo still felt like Cierra was his responsibility. Maybe it was the fact that they were pretending to be husband and wife, or maybe it was his dream, but Theo couldn’t shake the feeling that she needed to be protected.
The sun was getting low in the sky, again. They had walked the whole day in a dreary state, under a gray sky, whipped by high altitude winds. The recent deaths hung heavily on their minds. Eventually, they spotted the third waystation. A giant tree was growing out of the side of the cliff. It looked out of place. The last tree they had seen was several hours ago, and even that one had been thin and bent permanently by the wind.
“I don’t like the looks of this.” Makram eased one foot out onto the trunk of the tree. The bark creaked a little, but it seemed sturdy enough. It would be far too easy for someone to cut the branches while they slept. He didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks. They were already down two people.
“Batumah favors those who have faith!” Jaedo leapt out onto the tree trunk and somersaulted into one of the hollowed-out branches that were to be used for sleeping pods. The other two Josti followed his lead.
Theo was impressed by their complete faith in Batumah, and the Yasta doctrine. He edged out onto the tree trunk, and offered Cierra his hand. To his surprise, she took it without arguing. The two of them settled into one of the sleeping nooks. It was deep enough to protect them from the wind, and it was filled with a soft, plush material that made them feel as though they were lying on a cloud. Theo could hear the others making their way to the other sleeping pods. A few voices drifted over to him from the direction of the mountain path.
“Come on. You need your rest.” Makram’s voice was agitated.
“I’m not going out there. I’m sleeping right here.” Philo was tired but resolute in his decision.
“Fine. Suit yourself.” Makram gave up trying to persuade him, and climbed into the sleeping nook that Cherish had chosen.
Theo could hear soft whispers as several small conversations started up from the other branches. He was laying back to back with Cierra again. It seemed that since the night they had spent in the hammock, she had loosened her rules about physical contact. Both of them took comfort in feeling the other one next to them. In a way, it was reassuring. That small human contact let them know that they were still there and not yet a victim of whatever curse seemed to be following them.
“Theo?” Cierra was almost inaudible.
“Hmm?”
“Why have you been asking so many questions about the Yasta doctrine?” The question had been bugging her for a while, but she had finally worked up the courage to ask him about it.
Theo sighed and organized his thoughts. “I always thought the Yasta were corrupt villains that were driven by killing. Jaedo, Gopa, and Daja don’t seem like that at all. I actually kind of like them to be honest. They remind me of Hojae—or who I thought Hojae was at least. I think they really do believe all of the good things they think the Yasta stand for. Maybe not all Yasta are bad. I keep waiting for one of them to mention something about galactic conquest, but I still haven’t heard it yet.” He chuckled softly to himself.
Cierra didn’t find it funny in the least. How could Theo think like that after what had happened to Relisse? They had seen the Yasta cruiser pull away with their own eyes. What more proof did he need of their treachery to the Empire, and the innocent people who lived there? Cierra chewed her lip with worry. Theo wasn’t a traitor. She knew that deep in the core of her being. Still, this was his first time going undercover. It was possible that he was starting to fall victim to being brainwashed by his cover identity. Sometimes the lines between truth and fiction blurred, when members went under cover. Theo wouldn’t have been the first one to experience it, and he certainly wouldn’t be the last. She would have to watch him more closely for the rest of the mission. Her worries kept her awake much longer than she would have liked, but eventually she was able to find some respite in her sleep.
Her sleep wasn’t allowed to go on for long. A loud rumble followed by a cr
ash shook the branches of the tree. Screams woke them, for the third morning in a row. Dread filled Theo and Cierra even before they sat up to see what had happened. They shared a worried look before climbing out to investigate.
A large boulder was resting on the path. Underneath the rock, they could see Philo’s legs sticking out. There was no way he could have survived. The communicator that had been given to their group’s commander had been crushed with him. Not only were they slowly being picked off one by one, now they had no way to contact Hubard. It looked like the only way they were getting off of the mountain was if they stole a ship.
Cherish was looking around for something. Makram was pacing back and forth with his hands grasping at his hair, so he was no help. She locked eyes with Theo and motioned him over to her. “Come here for a second.”
“Okay?”
“Put your hands out and give me a boost.”
“Huh? Can’t you just hover or something?” Theo was still processing everything.
Cherish lowered her voice. “I don’t want our new friends to know what all I can do. It might be the one advantage we have left.”
He nodded silently, and did as she requested. Cherish placed her foot in his hands, and before he could stop her she had somehow ended up standing on his shoulders. “Do you see what you were looking for?”
“No, I don’t.” Cherish shook her head, and jumped down. “It’s too rough to have been cut by a lasana blade or anything else.”
“What are you saying?” Cierra took a step closer to them. “Do you think it fell on its own?”
“Maybe, or maybe someone is killing us off one at a time. Three deaths are too much of a coincidence. I don’t like it.” Cherish glanced at Makram. He was still pacing. “I need to go see to my husband, it seems.”
Theo watched as she said something to Makram. He stopped pacing and nodded grimly, before squaring his shoulders and addressing the group. “We should get going. I don’t think we can afford another night on the mountain.”
The others mumbled their agreement, and started along the path again. Cierra walked slower than usual. Theo hung back with her. He didn’t like the idea of her being at the back of the group by herself. He had wanted to talk to the Josti more today, but Irane and the three of them seemed to be chatting with Cherish and Makram.
The puzzlement must have been evident on his face, because Cierra leaned in and whispered to him. “They’re trying to get on better terms with the Josti.”
“Huh?”
“Think about it. Danthois was first, because he was the most intimidating. Chanta was second, most likely to weaken Philo. He was so distraught that he was really in no condition to put up much of a fight. The next logical target would be Cherish because of her augmentation. If the Josti are behind the deaths, maybe they can postpone any other attacks by gaining favor with them.”
“You can’t really think they are behind it, can you?” Theo gave her a sideways glance.
“People aren’t always what they seem. Hojae proved that.”
Theo paused for a moment. He was almost afraid to say what he was really thinking. “Cierra…what if the Josti are right? What if our cause is unworthy? What if we’re unworthy? It can’t be a coincidence that we’re the only ones being killed off. What if this place is protected by some supernatural force, or technology, or something? Anything could be waiting around the next corner to put an end to us.”
Furious, Cierra grabbed Theo’s collar and pulled him back down the path and out of earshot of the others. Her back was to the rest of the group, just in case any of them were capable of lip reading. “What is going on with you lately? Are you becoming a Yasta sympathizer? We are here for a reason. Just in case you forgot, they are the reason you will never be able to go home again, Theo. They destroyed an entire planet for their—”
“No!” Theo suddenly tackled her to the ground just as a lasana blade swung at their heads. He rolled on top of her to try and shield her from the next blow that he knew was going to come.
Gopa yelled something unintelligible. His eyes were clouded, over as if he were in a trance. He had somehow managed to grab Cierra’s sword, and was now using it against them. Theo tried to knock the Josti off balance, while still protecting Cierra. The sword fell from Gopa’s hand, and fell blade first onto Theo. He cried out as the sword sliced through his side.
Thinking quickly, Cierra reached over Theo, and extracted the blade. Gopa was preparing to strike them again. His fists were held high. With one quick sweep of the blade, Cierra sliced through Gopa’s shins. The cloudiness of his eyes cleared, as his body toppled like a felled tree. Gopa fell backwards off of the cliff. His screams echoed up at Cierra until they were ended by a sickening crunch far below.
She pushed Theo’s body off her own, and quickly hid her blade on her person again. The others were rushing towards them now. For the first time, Cierra actually looked at Theo’s wound. Inches of his side had been sliced off. The red meat that clung to his ribs oozed blood. She looked down. Her whole torso was stained with the blood he had lost while trying to save her. She couldn’t breathe. They had no way to call for help, no way to heal him. Theo was dying, and there was nothing she could do to help him.
“You can’t die! You can’t!” Cierra slapped his face. His eyes had fluttered shut, and he wasn’t moving. What was the last thing she had said to him? What was the last memory he had of her? She had been yelling at him and accusing him of being a Yasta sympathizer. She regretted everything. That couldn’t be the last thing he heard her say. It just couldn’t!
“Cierra! Cierra, stop!” Cherish wrapped her arms around the hyperventilating woman.
Cierra’s lips flapped, but no words would come out. She looked at Theo, with tears streaming down her cheeks. That was when she saw something move, something impossible. She blinked faster, to make sure the tears weren’t distorting her vision. One of the Josti gasped. Before all of their eyes, Theo’s flesh had begun to knit back together. He was not longer bleeding. New skin wove itself across the wound and healed him.
“He has been blessed by Batumah and found worthy!” Jaedo knelt beside Theo and bowed his head.
Daja did the same. “Those that are found worthy of Batumah’s favor through honorable and humble service are blessed with a great portion of his power. To see such a miracle is a blessing. We must be close to Batumah’s presence. We should make great haste to the monastery. Come, I will happily carry him until he wakes.” The largest Josti scooped Theo into his arms gently and began walking along with path with renewed strength.
Makram waited until the Josti were far enough away so that they weren’t able to hear any discussion, but they were still close enough for him to keep an eye on them. “Cierra, what happened?”
“Gopa attacked us. He looked like he was in some sort of trance. He got my lasana blade before I realized it. Theo tried to save me, and got cut open. I managed to slice Gopa’s legs off, and he fell to his death.”
“What happened just now with Theo? I’ve never seen anything like that.” His uneasiness was paired with a look of fury from Cherish.
Cierra suddenly felt as though she were being accused of something. “I have no idea. I’ve never seen anything like it before, either.”
Nodding, Makram pulled his lips into a taut line. “We’re going to have to talk about this more later. Right now, I think our best bet is to stay with the rest of the group.”
Theo was aware of the sounds of bells, and a stream of color rippled across his eyelids. When he awoke, he was no longer outside, but under a red canopy that was draped over a large, four-poster bed. He saw Cierra’s face above him. It was a sight he thought he would never see again. In fact, he hadn’t expected to see anything ever again. Her worried eyes softened when he smiled up at her.
“What happened?” His mouth felt dry. How long had been asleep? He had no memory of making it off of the mountain path.
“How do you feel?”
Theo stretche
d his arms and legs. “I feel well rested, for the most part.” He tried to sit up, but Cierra immediately reached out to help him.
“Here, be careful.” She was still shocked that he seemed the same as he had before—no, he seemed better. “It was Gopa all along. He was the one killing people. I think he was in some sort of trance. He tried to come after us, but you…” Her voice trailed off.
“I got cut trying to save you.” Theo’s eyes widened as he remembered the last moments of consciousness on the mountain path. “How am I alive?”
Cierra stared into his eyes. “Apparently, you have some sort of Yasta gift of healing.” Theo’s eyes widened in surprise. At first, he thought she was teasing him, but after a moment he saw the seriousness in her gaze. He had been mortally wounded by a lasana blade, and somehow, he had lived to talk about it.
“But… the Yasta…” Theo whispered. “Are they for real? Is Batumah real?”
Cierra blinked several times. “I… don’t know, anymore. I mean, they destroyed over half a million people before our eyes. Obviously, they’re capable of evil. Gopa’s only the most recent example. But…”
Theo looked Cierra in the eye, and shook his head slowly, thoughtfully. “There’s more going on here, on more levels, than we understand. Much more. And we’re going to find out what it is.”
Capture
The Relissarium Wars Space Opera Series, Book 6
One
Fresh blood splattered the transparent belly of the Yasta cruiser. “Get up.” Karl snarled, at the young lackey he had just knocked on his backside. Again. Weakness was the one thing he despised, even more than the Carbonari.
“C-can’t.” The boy’s arms shook from exhaustion. His lungs burned, trying to catch his breath. He tried to push himself up from the floor, but his strength failed him.
The Relissarium Wars Omnibus Page 30