Cherish scolded herself for her inattention—even one second with her eye off the ball could cost everything—and set her sights on the imperial carrier ship locked in high orbit above Relisse. “Makka, Fabois, I’m going to take out its warp capabilities. Once that is done, you can come in after me and fire at will.”
Makka scanned the space around the carrier, ready for any unexpected craft that might come to its aid. “My group is in place.”
Following his wife’s example, Fabois confirmed his readiness. “We’re all set, too. Whenever you’re ready, Cherish.”
With the other two ships in place, Cherish spiraled under the belly of the carrier. The schematics in her memory bank showed that there was a panel on the underside, near the landing gear, that housed some of the wiring that was essential to the warp drives. Lining up the shot, she fired three short bursts of plasma. The first two narrowly missed their mark. Cherish chastised herself. Tightening her grip on the controls, she adjusted slightly, and watched as the third shot found its target.
Warning lights blazed to life along the exterior of the ship. Makka watched as the back of the carrier started to open. “Better get out of there, Cherish! They’re about to deploy the rest of the fleet.”
Spiraling to avoid a piece of debris that had broken loose from the carrier, Cherish dived down. “We’re clear!”
Makka and Fabois opened fire on the fleet before most of them were even able to clear the carrier. The plasma blasts tore through the unshielded craft easily. A few of the ships that did manage to leave the carrier flew around in blind confusion. One or two of the imperial ships managed to hit Fabois and his crew. The tiny blips of vision provided by the impact of their fire gave the enemy ships with a better idea of where they were. The hits were coming faster.
Fabois swerved to the try and lose the ships that were tailing him. “I need some help over here!”
Makka was starting to panic. “There’s too many of them. They just keep coming!”
Cherish looped around, and came in from the other side. “Hold strong! I’ll help peel them off of you.”
The three ships worked in unison to continue picking off the imperial fleet. With the Relissarium shielding, they were able to take much more fire than the enemy. Makka began to breathe easier. “We’ve almost got them now!”
A ripple in the space near the carrier made Cherish’s face go pale. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”
A second, even larger carrier emerged from a portal that opened beside its sister ship. Waves of fighter ships poured out by the hundreds. Cherish ran the computations in her head. Even with their Relissarium shielding, the odds weren’t looking good. Eventually, the invisibility would be too much for the others to maintain. After that, it would only be a matter of time before the ships were dealt blows that damage their shielding. Once that happened, there wouldn’t be much hope for survival. Cherish hardened her expression. If she had to face death, she was going to take as many imperials with her as she could.
Six
Cierra grimaced, as she looked through the pile of approved clothing that Esme had left on her bed. It was all much too sheer and impractical for her liking. She clung to the thick robe that was wrapped around her. From the corner of her eye, she saw a guard pass by. As far as she could tell, only certain guards were allowed in the harem. She assumed they were accompanying one of the emperor’s mistresses to or from the market, judging by the number of parcels they were usually carrying. Mari’s words came back to her about some of the guards being susceptible to flirting. Seizing at any possibility of escape, Cierra quickly formed a plan.
Groaning inwardly, she plastered a shy smile on her face, and walked quickly to the doorway of her room. Leaning out, she whispered. “Psst!” The guard turned, and looked at her. Checking to see if anyone else was around, he pointed to himself as if asking if she was talking to him. “Yes, come here!” She chewed her bottom lip the way she had seen some of the other girls doing earlier.
The guard raised an eyebrow. “What can I do for you? You know, guards aren’t supposed to be in a concubine’s room.” His eyes trailed down her body. She could feel him trying to imagine what was under her robe.
Cierra looked at him pleadingly. “I won’t tell if you won’t. I could really use your help. This is my first day here, and I really want to impress the emperor. I don’t know what to wear. There are just so many choices. I’d ask some of the other girls, but I think they might try to sabotage me. I could really use a man’s opinion.”
The guard took a step inside her room. “Well, in order to give you an honest answer. I’ll have to see you try them on.” He used the tip of his scabbard to lift a see-through dress off of her bed.
Cierra giggled. She took the dress from him, and moved behind her dressing screen. Hidden from view, she rolled her eyes, and tried not to gag. Dropping the dress on the floor, Cierra thought about the best way to carry out the next part of her plan. She waited a moment, and then called out to him. “I’m having a little difficulty. I think a button is snagged in my hair. Do you think you could help me?”
The guard chuckled. She heard his heavy boots walking towards her. He rounded the corner, and saw that she was still wearing her robe. “What the—”
Before he could draw his sword, Cierra drove her knee into his abdomen. The force knocked the breath out of him so that he couldn’t call for help. Before he could react, she wrapped her arm around his neck, putting him in a choke hold. The guard pushed upwards. Cierra tightened her grip. He was taller than she was. As he rose to his full height, he lifted her from the ground, still clinging to his back and applying pressure to cut off his blood flow and airway.
The guard’s arms flailed around behind him, as he tried to pull her off. But, he was no match for Cierra’s savage, rage filled grip.
The man backed up, hoping to smash her between his large frame and the wall. But, he began to stagger. A few seconds later, he fell unconscious.
Cierra made sure his body was concealed by the changing screen. She made quick work of stripping him down, and putting on his uniform. It was too big for her, but it would have to do. Tucking her hair up into the guard’s hat, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her chest was still prominent. To hide her figure better, she stuffed a pillow down her shirt, to plump up her midsection. The disguise was far from perfect. Still, as long as she didn’t have to talk, people might not question it, too much. Cinching the belt tighter around her hips, Cierra stepped out of her room, and moved towards the door of the harem.
She walked at a brisk pace. In her experience, if you looked like you knew what you were doing, and you walked with purpose, people rarely questioned you. Her heart raced in her chest, but she kept her face stern. The servant by the door opened it without being prompted. Cierra quickened her pace. Her ears strained to listen for any footsteps that might have followed her, but the only sound she heard was the click of the heavy, wooden door closing. It would only be a matter of time before the unconscious guard was discovered, or came to. She needed to be as far away as possible when that happened.
The interior of the palace was completely foreign to her. She continued her brisk pace, hoping to see anything that might lead her to the laboratories. The sound of multiple, heavy footsteps came from an adjoining hall. Cierra almost froze, but somehow managed to keep her composure. A group of soldiers walked past. An idea struck her. When the guard in her room was found, they would start looking for a single soldier wandering the palace. If she could mingle with a group, she might be able to draw less suspicion. It would be a calculated risk. Deciding that it would be worth it, Cierra inserted herself near the back of the group.
Snatches of conversation drifted back to her from the other soldiers. “Did you hear about the blasters on the fourth floor? Someone removed all of the charge cannisters.”
One of the other guards scoff dryly. “That’s nothing. The mess hall in the barracks was completely ransacked. They had to bring in extra f
ood from the market just to feed the guys on the last patrol. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going to be sleeping with one eye open tonight. Something’s not right, I tell you.”
A guard closer to Cierra pulled a necklace out from under his shirt, and kissed the religious talisman that was hanging from it. “I still think it’s an evil spirit. With as much blood as I’ve had to scrub off of the laboratory floor, it wouldn’t surprise me at all.”
Cierra’s eyes widened. At first, she had been thinking that maybe Theo was behind the sabotages. It sounded like something he would do, especially with all of the food going missing. He would need his strength to power his gifts. But, blood on the laboratory floor? In his starved condition, Theo wouldn’t last long if he was tortured. She needed to find the lab as soon as possible. If Theo hadn’t escaped by now, he would need all the help he could get. She silently wished that she was able to pitch her voice lower like Cherish could. If she asked about the labs now, the guards would certainly realize she was a woman.
The guard that had kissed his necklace turned to glance at her. His eyes landed on the golden sigil that was embroidered on her shoulder. “Oh, hey! You’re one of the guys that has harem access, right? What’s it like in there? Is it as good as the rumors say?” Intrigued, a few of the other soldiers turned to look at her, waiting for an answer.
Cierra suddenly noticed that none of the other guards had the golden sigil on their uniforms. For the first time, she realized that impersonating one of the few guards allowed inside the harem might not have been the best idea. She swallowed hard, and tried to lower her voice. So much for avoiding talking. Shrugging, she searched for an answer that would dissuade their curiosity. “It’s really not that interesting. Just part of the job.”
The soldier who asked her the question wrinkled his brow. “Not that interesting? It’s a whole section of the palace filled with women! What’s not interesting about that?”
Cierra cursed under her breath. Her answer had the opposite effect of what she was hoping for. “I guess I just got used to it.”
“Batumah, I don’t think I’d ever get used to it. That’s like saying you got used to paradise.”
All the guards in the group were watching her closely. She could feel them judging her. Their gaze made her feel as if she were some kind of mutated animal. The commanding officer that had been leading the group parted his men. His slow walk reminded her of a man stalking his prey. Scrutiny rested in the creases of his battle-worn face. “Soldier, I’m going to have to ask you to remove your hat.” Cierra didn’t move. Her heart thundered in her chest. The commander’s hand went to his blaster. “If you make me say it again, I’m not going to be asking.”
In the blink of an eye, Cierra freed the blaster from her uniform, and started firing. The soldiers took aim. Plasma blasts peppered the hall way. Cierra closed her eyes, as one of the blasts headed straight for her. The impact never came. Opening her eyes again, she saw the shots diverting around her like water moving around a boulder. Eating the fruit that Esme had given her earlier must have been enough to fuel her gift of deflection.
The commander snarled at his men. “What’s the matter with you? Are you blind? You haven’t hit her even once!”
Cierra didn’t know how long her gift would be functioning. She was still poorly nourished. There was no time to wait. In quick succession, Cierra popped off a smattering of plasma blasts. One by one, all of the guards crumpled to the marble floor. The sound would have undoubtedly drawn attention. Shouts in the distance told her that someone was already coming to investigate. She needed to get away as soon as possible.
Breaking into a full sprint, Cierra dashed down the hallway and rounded a corner. Her speed almost sent her barreling right into Esme’s chest. The head of the harem was void of any hint of a smile. Her bubbly attitude from earlier was blotted out by a stern frown. Behind her were fifty soldiers.
Esme reached up and slapped Cierra hard on the cheek. The gemstones in her rings left behind thin scrapes, where blood formed dotted lines. “It seems you’ll need a little more breaking in. Now, I can be your friend, or I can be your enemy. It’s your choice, but let me tell you, my enemies don’t last more than a week.”
Cierra’s hand tightened around the blaster she was still clutching. “Lady, I would rather die than let myself be turned into another one of the emperor’s conquests. I don’t have much left. My family was killed. My planet was destroyed. I have endured more than you can even imagine. Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever been around a cornered animal before, but if you and your guards don’t back off, I swear I will keep firing until my dying breath.”
Glancing down, Esme noticed that Cierra’s blaster was pointed directly at her. Fear never registered on Esme’s face. Instead, a satisfied smile twisted her lips. Cierra realized too late that Esme was looking at something beyond her. A sharp blow collided with the back of Cierra’s head. Esme’s cruel smile was the last thing that Cierra saw before she fell to the floor, unconscious.
Seven
Cherish’s voice was almost emotionless as she spoke to Hubard over the earpiece. “Hubard, switch to the secondary channel.” She needed to talk to him, and she didn’t want the others to hear it.
She heard the static crackle as he switched to her other frequency. “I’m here.”
Watching the second wave of imperials flooding into the space above Relisse, Cherish spoke in a low tone. “How long will it take the rest of the Yasta fleet to get here?”
There was a pause. She could tell from the silence that he didn’t want to say what was coming next. “They aren’t coming.”
Cherish swallowed, maintaining as much composure as she could. “I see.” Taking a deep breath, she clicked off her earpiece for a second. Cherish turned to look at Jiyeon and Arden.
The look on her face must have shown what she was thinking. Jiyeon shook her head in disbelief. “We’re on our own, aren’t we?”
Nodding, Cherish studied each of them. “I’m going to take out as many as I can. Neither of you have to die. I can find a way to get you both on the other ships with Makka and Fabois. I’m not asking you to sacrifice yourselves.”
Arden snapped his beak. “If I leave, you won’t have any cloaking. They’ll all be focused on you. You won’t stand a chance.”
Jiyeon cracked her knuckles. “A Josti does not run from a fight, or leave behind allies.”
“Okay.” Cherish clicked her earpiece back on. “Hubard—”
Hubard moved his mouth closer to the microphone, so she could hear every breath. “No. I know what you’re going to say. Cherish, you need to get out of there. Do you hear me? It’s not worth it to lose all of you. Just pull out. We’ll find another way.”
She closed her eyes for a moment. “I can’t do that. You know I can’t do that. We have to take out this fleet, if the Yasta are going to have a hope of taking the base. You know that mine is essential to forming the resistance. If we don’t do this, then everything up to this point has been for nothing, and we may as well roll over and surrender.”
“Cherish,” Hubard tried to make himself sound as important as he could, “you listen to me. We’ve been through a lot together. Yareck, Hojae, Kurga, Makram…We’ve already lost all of them. Please, I’m asking you. Don’t make me add your name to that list.”
“Makram is still alive.”
The older man’s voice broke. “When he turned out to be working for the imperials, my heart broke the same as if he had died. You are the closest thing I have to a daughter. I have repaired you and upgraded you with my own two hands, and I have hardly ever asked you for anything. But I’m asking you now. Turn back.”
A tear rolled down Cherish’s cheek. “This is bigger than me. It’s bigger than us. I have to do this for the galaxy. Batumah gave Theo the power to heal me, to bring me back to life. I have to believe that I was given an extra chance at life to make a difference. I have to make my time here count for something.”
“N
o.” Makka’s voice in her ear surprised her. “You’re the one that convinced the Yasta leadership to join us against the imperials. This rebellion wouldn’t even exist if it wasn’t for you.”
Cherish’s breath caught in her throat. She felt a little bit of anger in her chest. “Hubard?”
The older scientist was unapologetic. “I patched everyone in when you started talking about a suicide mission. We are a team. That means we operate together. You don’t get to decide that you’re going to be a martyr.”
Makka spoke up again. “Cherish, you are the first prophet that we’ve known in over a century. A gift like that’s invaluable to the cause.”
Cherish’s lips tightened. “What are you saying?”
Her husband chimed in to support his wife. “She’s saying that people like us, who only have the gift of invisibility, are a dime a dozen. We’re far less valuable. So, if anyone is going to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, it should be us.”
Makka’s voice sounded shaky but determined. “Axim and Gird have agreed to our plan.”
Cherish shook her head. “What plan?” She glanced behind her to Arden. “Are you just going to let your brother rush into harm’s way?”
Arden raised one, feathered eyebrow. “Isn’t that exactly what I was going to ask him to do? If we were the ones rushing to our deaths, I would have been asking him to sit by and let it happen. Why would I refuse to do the exact same thing I would have expected from him?”
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