* * *
Shihlo was welcoming when Revan arrived, for he had a cordial relationship with him, but he scowled when Revan wasted no time in asking direct questions that concerned him.
“I told the Yimmyrd council and the Federation that Throm was committed to the survival of a fourth human colony! Why is it so hard to believe that we are making an effort to be more accessible and accommodating to the Yimmyrd and the cause of the federated affiliation?”
Shihlo was born for political persuasion but Revan knew him too well. “Shihlo, you are more than compliant, this is true, but I find the extension of generosity without coercion a little out of character for Throm in general. Our suspicions have grown, for our request for an update has been denied by your brother.”
Shihlo reacted even more stubbornly. “Wrexel accepted the mission and will fulfill it; how he exacts it is not my concern.”
Revan knew he was lying.
“Shihlo, as you are aware, no Yimmyrd can freely read your mind if it is against your expressed will. You remind me at each visit that I may not read yours and I comply; however, the law does not apply in war.”
“Are we at war, Revan?” Shihlo’s tone was dangerous.
“Wrexel has declared a war zone and we cannot approach Earth; therefore, if we are at odds and on opposite ends of the line drawn, I am afraid, yes, we are at war.”
Shihlo’s face contorted but he quickly reined in his anger.
“I will answer your question, Revan, but tell me first, why ask for assistance if you could not trust one of the seven to follow through? Is Yimmyrd source power dwindling or limited? I would have thought an asteroid of this size could be easily destroyed.”
“It is and we are more than powerful enough, but every decision that we take in this universe needs to be ordained by The Sacred and he wished for Throm to intervene. Perhaps The Most High hopes you would fulfill an act of selflessness that would bring you closer to him.”
Shihlo snorted. “We have no desire to draw near to your God. And you are right, Revan, Throm does not care a whit about current Earth. I was persuaded otherwise that our intervention was needed not by your God but by a witch.” He rolled back his sleeve and held out his forearm. “A woman of Allanor insisted I do it.”
The black mark upon Shiloh’s arm, reminiscent of a half moon, was a clear-cut sign of divination from an Allanor witch.
Revan’s gasp echoed in the room. “Allanor witches are kept upon our own planet; they are protected refugees along with other deserving members of the 104. They have no access outside of Illohi.”
“One would think,” Shihlo said bitterly, “you’re not doing a very good job of controlling those you offer protection on your planet. The 104 should remain outside of Diogel where we can slowly destroy them all. You dishonor our fighting and our protection when you offer refugee status to the enemy.”
“Shihlo, some among the 104 do not deserve their fate. The Yimmyrd offer refugee status only to a handful, and only with the ordainment of the Most High. They are not allowed free roam in Diogel. They are safely guarded on our Planet Illohi and are under our control. I do not know how an Allanor witch managed to break through our Source shield, but I will find out and make sure it never happens again.”
* * *
Revan was astounded, for no one but a Yimmyrd could enter and exit the planet of Illohi and yet one lone and aging witch had done exactly that. Shihlo shrugged, not particularly caring if the Yimmyrd had a security breach.
“Please tell me of the meeting with her; what did an old witch of divination do to persuade you to save Earth?”
Revan was surprised when Shihlo’s face changed from sneering anger to white-faced torment.
“I have had two meetings with the Allanor, Revan. The first meeting came nearly four or five cycles ago. She came to warn me of Cyla’s death. I had her thrown from my quarters.”
The pain in his voice stirred deep sadness within Revan as he remembered the dark time when Shihlo lost his wife. He watched the Thromian before him move from arrogance to anguish as he ran a finger over the marks on his forearm with shame. “I slapped her hand from my wrist… I scoffed, laughed, and when she revealed herself as an Allanor, I threatened to call a Yimmyrd Guard to have her taken back into Illohi.”
He shuddered as he recalled the painful memory. “Cyla died exactly how and when she said she would.”
A moment of silence reigned between them before Shihlo continued. “When she appeared again, I gave her my arm willingly and this time I will obey her instructions.”
“Obey her?”
“Yes, she told me to save a fourth colony, for in it lies the future salvation of Throm.”
“That’s why you offered to help?” Revan asked.
“Why else would I care?” Shihlo answered.
* * *
Revan sent his findings to the Elders on Illohi and told them he would fly to Earth and check on the progress made. The Council was more concerned with the escaping Allanor Witch encouraging Revan to return to duty on Illohi.
“There is no need to follow up, Revan. After your visit, Shihlo immediately approached the council and swore on his house that a fourth colony would survive. You know that a Thromian never goes back on a pledge made to his political house, for it would be a dishonor to his supporters; it is an oath of honor. Shihlo does not control the manner in which Wrexel exacts his missions. The war zone may just be an outward sign of his arrogance toward the Yimmyrd. They still have sufficient time to destroy the asteroid and are probably waiting for it to be in a particular position before destruction. The firepower required is extensive and we understand Wrexel would be cautious with his timing.”
When Revan insisted, they granted him a week’s leave and gave him permission to embark on a journey they did not deem necessary.
As soon as he approached Earth, the war line rose up across his screen.
“Warning.”
“Warning.”
“You are in the Thromian War Zone.”
“Please identify yourself and change your route,” the monitor demanded.
Revan ignored it and pressed farther, moving closer to Earth.
He passed through the cloaking that Throm had set in place, blinding any from seeing what transpired in Earth’s solar system.
As soon as he was near Earth, he gasped with shock.
Four large Thromian ships hovered outside of the planet. There was a flurry of activity from the ship to the planet as transporters moved back and forth.
It made no sense!
Their directive was to bypass Earth, situate in the path of the incoming asteroid, and destroy it.
Earth was supposed to remain oblivious to life on other planets.
The warning continued to flash across his screen in glowing red. Two Thromian fighter ships zoomed to face him with their tentacles bared, the crab arms ever ready to clasp and tear his ship. In this case, they wouldn’t even need to extend an arm; one laser shot would stop him. He quickly communicated with them. “I request brief council with Lord Wrexel; I am Revan, Yimmyrd Counselor to Throm, and... friend of the Lord Shihlo.” He cringed as he uttered these words but hoped they would deter Wrexel from destroying him without question. He tried to reach the Yimmyrd council but found his communication blocked.
Seconds clicked by.
* * *
Wrexel’s face zoomed across his screen. “Brave stance, young Yimmyrd. Friend of Shihlo?” He laughed. Revan looked at his cold, expressionless amber eyes and steeled his heart, for he was about to deal with the most feared of creatures in their solar system, and neither mercy nor kindness would be found. He also knew that Wrexel respected his brothers to a point – a point he had to be certain not to cross or Wrexel would formulate an apt apology for his brother and destroy him without further thought, leaving the decision with the Yimmyrd to amass a war taking thousands of lives for his.
“Go back to your closed-up heaven of ideal obscurity and your council
of self-appointed leaders. I will grant you time to leave my air space only because my brother finds your company amusing and would be sad to lose the entertainment of his favored pet.”
“So, you fear a meeting with me?” Revan chose his words with care.
Wrexel’s smile was slow and cruel. “Save your pseudo mind games for a foolish negotiator, Yimmyrd warrior; we both know I fear nothing.”
“If you send me away, more Yimmyrd will come; why not meet with me and settle this?”
Wrexel seemed to consider this and the idea of more Yimmyrd did not appeal.
He nodded after a few seconds. “You make a good argument, Yimmyrd; I will grant you ten minutes of my time out of respect for Shihlo but will kill you if you take a second more.”
His face disappeared from the screen and Revan let his breath out slowly, grateful that Shihlo made it clear they were friends. His status as a Yimmyrd meant little to Wrexel. If he became angry enough, he would not consider the consequences of a universal war and would take his ship out and go right back to his devious plans.
The largest ship opened a section for Revan to land his craft. When he stepped out three Thromians immediately surrounded him. They spoke in welcome and appeared unthreatening, but he wasn’t free to roam around the ship as a guest. “Please follow me.”
Revan entered the meeting room where he was to wait for Wrexel and sat down alone. The Thromian guards allowed the door to close while they stood outside. He sensed the other presence straight away that the Thromians had overlooked and turned to face one of the pillars within.
“Come out of hiding, and do not be afraid; I am a Diogel warrior, a Yimmyrd of Illohi, keeper of the peace.”
The man stepped out of the shadows, his face ashen. “Are you really a Yimmyrd?” he asked desperately.
“Yes?”
The man named Travis began to speak urgently. ”You have to help me, I overheard a conversation where they claim they will not destroy the asteroid, that it…”
Revan held up his hand when they both heard the sound of approaching feet. “I have listened to your concern by reading your mind; hide now and together we will find out more. Do not show yourself until the truth is revealed by Wrexel. I fear for your safety. Once we know what the Thromians are doing, we can devise a plan. He will not be forthcoming if he knows you are here!”
The stranger obeyed and disappeared back into the shadows to hide.
14
Deception
Wrexel entered briskly. If he was annoyed he did not show it, his face blank and unyielding to any sign of emotion.
“Revan, friend of Shihlo,” he mocked, but he still held the Yimmyrd in careful observance. He had not witnessed their power of healing, but he had observed them in battle.
This ability caused him the most concern.
He glanced at Revan’s right hand.
Yimmyrd carried no weapon. There was no need.
His light whip was a part of his being, to wield as preferred. It could stun, cause a man to drop to his knees and confess his sins. Worst of all, it could kill.
Wrexel was in awe of this power and had studied it intensely, although he would never admit it to another.
The fight against a Yimmyrd was untested ground.
“What do you want?” He needed Revan off his ship and out of his plans within the ten minutes he had outlined. Shihlo aside, he would not tolerate him interfering... although which creature would walk out of the room alive if they chose to fight remained a mystery.
“Why are you here instead of farther out, in line with the asteroids projection?” Revan did not pause. “And what is the status of the asteroid’s destruction since you are not aligned in waiting as asked? Instructions from the council are clear. The Sacred wants a fourth colony from Earth to survive. You were meant to destroy the asteroid and leave.”
“Then he shouldn’t have created the asteroid.” Wrexel laughed. “And you shouldn’t have entrusted Throm with the task if you didn’t think they would follow through.”
Revan flinched. “Throm has nothing to gain from Earth. I found out that you complied only because of Shihlo and the message he received from the Allanor Witch. I am surprised that you are going against your brother’s wishes.”
“Interpretation.” Wrexel smirked. “I understood the request differently. We were elated when you gave us the opportunity to approach this planet that has been protected by your Creator’s source since the beginning of all time. We had been scanning the universe for months to find the right minerals, soil, foliage, chemicals, and oxidants… things that are required for Throm’s current survival.”
“Why?” Revan was shocked by his admission.
“The Monarch Gilroth did some unwitting damage to our planet in his bid to build a weapon of mass destruction to undo the Yimmyrd. His tests damaged Throm, and we needed to solve it. With the protection shield down, my plan was to come here, take what I need, and leave the asteroid as a clean-up, but then Shihlo insisted we change our plans.”
“Change the plans to what?”
“The witch said to establish a fourth colony; she didn’t say how.” Wrexel’s smile was pure evil. “I reached a compromise with Shihlo, to evacuate enough of Earth’s people to form a new colony, in line with the Allanor witch’s warning.”
* * *
Revan stared at him in dismay. “This is not Earth’s time to die. An entire generation could still live unaffected if the asteroid is destroyed. Who knows? Maybe this time the verdict could be different.”
Wrexel shrugged. “You should be pleased we chose Earth to sustain us; we were running out of time and would have taken what we needed from one of the eight in Diogel.”
Revan reeled with horror. Throm would rob those it swore to protect in its system and a war within the Federation would have ensued.
“Stop this immediately and we will find a solution together for Throm,” Revan promised.
“No we won’t. You don’t have the numbers to fight, nor do you want to… what will you do, put us in an embargo like Rak and leave the protection of Diogel to the Gweithi and Vergana? You are already stretched with the Rak army not fighting against the 104. Please don’t insult either of our intellect Revan; sustaining life on Throm is more important than 100 years of Earth ruining their own planet. You should be thankful I’m doing this as civilly as I am; my original plan of scoop and dump was overruled by your ‘friend’ Shihlo. The establishment of a new colony will be sound. Shihlo has demanded a proper evacuation, with coordinated, balanced plans. His goal is a new planet of colonials who are well-adjusted and psychologically sound with their families surrounding them.”
Revan began to argue but Wrexel’s words chilled him. “I still have my doubts about Shihlo’s reasoning but for now I respect him enough to comply; don’t push me to change my mind.”
Revan bowed his head. “Do you feel no remorse, Wrexel, that you are tearing the life from Earth and taking billions of humans to a violent death way before we know what their fate is intended to be?”
Wrexel snorted. “Please, we both know their fate, Yimmyrd; they are a few hundred years, perhaps less, from self-inflicting worse on their own kind; I’m merely bringing the date forward. If you have a problem with the predictable evolution of Earth, take it up with your God.”
“You have such an opportunity to do the right thing,” Revan said sadly. “Maybe this was a test from the Sacred to redeem your race; perhaps if you had told us of your trouble we could have found a solution together.”
“By making us cohabit with the other planets in Diogel, give up our stronghold and allow the Raks’ dominion? I think not. Death via asteroid now versus death in a few hundred years… they are getting a better deal; at least their resources will be put to use by a nation that appreciates it.”
Revan held his chest as the pain of the Thromian’s choices pierced his heart; he hung his head in defeat, knowing he would find no redemptive considerations within Wrexel.
Travis came out of the shadows and interrupted the scene before him when he witnessed Revan giving up and heard the words the Yimmyrd sent to his mind, telling him to accept the fate of Earth.
“Why aren’t you saying something?” he demanded of Revan. “Surely you aren’t going to accept this.”
* * *
Wrexel looked as if he would explode with anger. Revan watched myriad reactions resonate in the angry alien and felt a genuine fear for the human, but he was oblivious and began to rant. He wanted answers, claiming if Earth knew what was going on in the greater universe they would unite and do things differently.
Throm should not steal hundreds of years from them and the possibility of a better ending.
“Travis,” he said urgently and moved to touch the human’s shoulder, seeing that he was ready to launch at Wrexel with more than words. Wrexel would not accept his outburst with tolerance for much longer. Did Travis not realize he had no value for human life?
It was important to extract the best he could from the situation that he could not change.
Travis sidestepped his hand.
“You’re a great nation of biblical angelic beings, the owners of the planets where Throm is a guest and yet you bow your knee to this… this...” He pointed at Wrexel, unable to find the words to express what they were.
He ranted and raved until Wrexel lost patience; he ignored Travis but nodded at his guards who surrounded Revan.
“I will first hear full details of the evacuation plan,” Revan argued.
“You will hear nothing,” Wrexel warned. “Be grateful that I’m listening to my brother and saving these creatures at all.”
“I shall return to my council then,” Revan said.
“On the contrary.” Wrexel indicated the door. “We are thrilled that you will be our guest for a few days, while we finish our business here.”
AMNESIA Page 18