“Ma’am?”
She pivoted away from the pane once more to find a different man in a DAF dress uniform waiting at parade rest. “Lieutenant Kiernan Phillips, ma’am.”
She plastered on her best, most diplomatic countenance. “Welcome to the Initiative, Lieutenant. I’m so glad to see you made it home safely.”
“Thank you, but it was all due to my friends here. I want to introduce—”
A violent wave of déjà vu swept over Nika, to the point she lost her footing and stumbled backward into Dashiel, who reached out and steadied her. The man standing behind Kiernan—no, it couldn’t be. Impossible.
Then the man tilted his head just so, his frightfully piercing gaze landing squarely on her, and all doubt was erased.
She nudged Dashiel back and lifted her chin proudly. “Supreme Commander.”
The man’s brow drew tight. “Nicolette Hinotori? This is most unexpected.”
Lieutenant Phillips looked at them both in puzzlement. “I’m sorry, do you two know each other?”
The man buried any confusion behind a guarded countenance. “In a manner of speaking. I haven’t gone by ‘Supreme Commander’ in a very long time.”
“I’d wager I haven’t gone by ‘Nicolette Hinotori’ in longer. It’s Nika Kirumase now.” Her voice nearly cracked, and she cleared her throat. “What shall I call you, then?”
“I was most recently known as Danilo Nisi. I suppose that will suffice for a while longer.” He gestured to his companion, a raven-haired woman with a toned physique and sapphire irises locked in a cold, stony stare. “This is my granddaughter, Nyx elasson-Praesidis.”
Nika nodded tersely to the woman without ever taking her eyes off the Supreme Commander. “I see. Alex and Caleb told me you still lived, but I confess I was skeptical.”
He frowned deeply. “Caleb Marano died in The Displacement.”
One corner of her lips curled up, though not into a smile. “It turns out you’re not the only one who’s exceedingly hard to kill.”
“I am…quite glad to hear it. He’s a good man.”
“Seems to be. Don’t get too excited, though. He might not be alive for much longer….” Her words drifted off as she spotted Lance walking into the Initiative behind them. Her muscles tensed; however negative her reaction to seeing this ghost from aeons past might be, Lance’s was guaranteed to be far worse.
He’d taken a few steps inside when he spotted Kiernan, and a second later, their guests. Shock flashed across his face, replaced swiftly by unmistakable rage.
Nika tried to ward him off, though her heart frankly wasn’t in it. “Lance—”
He stormed up to them and, without hesitation, reared back and punched the Supreme Commander in the jaw. Corradeo—Danilo, whatever—lurched for half a step, then caught himself. His granddaughter reached for a weapon and came up empty, as security would have demanded they surrender any weapons before entering the Initiative.
Instead, the woman placed herself between her grandfather and Lance. “Touch him again and you will—”
“It’s fine, Nyx. Commander Palmer has earned the right to take one free swing at me.” He massaged his jaw and moved to stand beside Nyx. “But only one.”
Lance stepped forward, even as Dashiel laid a hand on his arm and urged him back a bit. “You colossal bastard. What foul rock did you crawl out from under?”
“Now, Commander Palmer. Isn’t seven hundred thousand years a long time to hold a grudge?”
“A grudge? Is that what you call the consequences of you murdering tens of thousands of my people? There’s no statute of limitations on wholesale slaughter.”
The man’s throat worked. “No, there isn’t. I own my mistakes. But I assure you, I am not here to kill any more of you.”
“We are not the same people you drove out of the Milky Way at the tip of your spear. I’d like to see you try.”
Something flared in the Supreme Commander’s eyes. A challenge, perhaps. He motioned behind Nika, toward the pane streaming the footage from Namino. “It appears the Rasu are doing a fine job of slaughtering your people without my help.”
Lance lunged for the man. Nika jumped in front of him the same instant Nyx leapt forward. She waved the woman off while placing a hand firmly on Lance’s chest. “Not now, okay?”
Kiernan had fallen back, out of the line of fire of the confrontation, but now he stepped closer. “Commander Palmer, I don’t understand what’s happening here. These people helped Toshke and me. They’re the only reason we’re alive, and the only reason you had any advance warning of the Rasu attack. Whatever history you all have with each other, in my opinion they deserve the benefit of the doubt.”
“They won’t get it from me.”
The Supreme Commander huffed a breath. “I’d say it’s beginning to sound to me as if you are exactly the same people I drove out of the Milky Way—”
Nika growled above the overlapping retorts. “Enough, both of you! We are not going to reenact the SAI Rebellion in the middle of the Initiative during an active Rasu invasion. Supreme—Mr. Nisi, if we take you at your word when you say you mean us no ill will, then are you here to help?”
“I have already helped. I enabled Lieutenant Phillips to escape and warn you the Rasu were on their way. I trust this saved a few lives.”
“A few. Then if that will be all, we’re a little busy at present, so the officer here will see you out.”
Nisi’s chin dropped. “Wait. Forgive my rudeness. I want to assist you in this fight, if possible.”
“No.”
She thrust a warning hand in Lance’s direction. “Lance, I understand how you feel. I feel the same way. But we are frankly not in a position to refuse help, no matter the source.” She returned her attention to Nisi. “Why?”
“The Rasu butchered a species I cared a great deal about, thus they are now my enemy as well.”
“What can you tell us about the Rasu?”
“Far less than I’d like. But if where I found your stranded pilots is any indication, the opposite border of their empire is two hundred megaparsecs away, at the edge of the Shapley Supercluster.”
Gods, that was so much farther than the boundaries the Kats had identified when they surveyed the Rasu’s reach. So many Rasu, for so far…they might as well stretch for all of eternity. The dull, sorrowful ache churning her stomach ever since Namino fell crept its way around her chest and settled in for the long haul.
“Well, that’s certainly disheartening. But I’m more concerned about the part of the border currently creeping over Namino.” She squared her shoulders. “We can offer you and your granddaughter hot meals, lodging for as long as you require it and any supplies you need. If you gain any new insights into our enemy or how you can assist us in defeating them, we can speak further then. For now, though, you must excuse us. Commander Palmer and I have a lot of work to do.”
Nisi accepted the dismissal, and without fanfare he and Nyx turned and followed the DAF officer out of the Initiative.
“We are not making that monster an ally.”
The encounter had drained her meager reserves, and with a weary sigh she shifted toward Lance. “It’s not so simple. The reality is—”
“Look, you might not remember what he did to us—”
“I remember plenty, okay? I don’t care for it, either. But surely it’s better to have a man like that on our side than anywhere else.”
“Just keep him away from me.”
“Oh, I will.”
“Good.” Lance scowled at Dashiel. “I’ve been down for several days. Where is my new fleet?”
“In progress. Before you go issuing orders blindly, you should get up to speed on everything that’s happened. Why don’t we meet later this evening?”
Lance fidgeted; he glanced back at the door, as if he were contemplating chasing after Nisi to get another punch in. “All right. This evening. Do me a favor and bring good news to the meeting.” He strode off toward the front of
the room to ambush Brigadier Johansson.
Nika sagged against the table behind her and rubbed at her temples.
Dashiel reached out and took her hand. “Why don’t we take a walk? Get some fresh air.”
She gazed back at the pane, where the footage from Namino had started over at the beginning for Lance’s benefit. “I think that sounds like an excellent idea.”
Somewhat to her surprise, they stepped out the doors of the Mirai One Pavilion to find the world—this one at least—still spinning on. People strode purposefully down the sidewalks and skycars buzzed overhead. She inhaled the promised fresh air and allowed it to begin patching up her broken heart a little. All was not lost. Not yet.
Dashiel guided her across the lawn to an enormous snowbell tree, where its broad limbs cast dancing shadows upon the lush green grass beneath their feet. Once there, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and hugged her close against him. “So what exactly was that scene? I mean, I was able to piece together a few details from the back-and-forth, but I’m not certain what to make of it all.”
“The man who rescued Lieutenant Phillips and the Taiyok pilot—the man who called himself Danilo Nisi—is in actuality Corradeo Praesidis, Supreme Commander of the Anaden military at the time of the SAI Rebellion.”
“Oh.” He kissed the top of her head. “That does fill in a couple of blanks. Alex and Caleb know him, don’t they?”
“They did. He vanished after their Displacement, but now…now I guess he’s back.”
“You remember him? From before?”
“A single encounter—the last encounter, when he forced our hand and we chose to flee rather than be massacred. My journals describe other interactions, none of them positive. He was a…hard, cold man. Arrogantly confident in the absolute rightness of his position and perfectly comfortable with killing to make his vision a reality.”
She twisted around to face Dashiel, then let herself rest her head on his chest. “I realize events may have changed much about him. He lost his power, he lost his family. To hear Alex and Caleb tell it, he lost everything, and that has to change a man. He helped the Humans defeat the Anaden Directorate, which the man I knew never would have done. But knowing he’s changed isn’t the same as believing it.”
“It’s not wrong for you to want him to prove his sincerity. And even then, you don’t have to forgive him. In fact, you shouldn’t. But it doesn’t mean you can’t work with him. Think of him the way you think of Gemina Kail, as someone who brings useful skills to the table in an act of penance that we can deploy for the benefit of everyone.”
Nika chuckled lightly. “I haven’t forgiven her, either. I suppose you’re right. He’s not a threat to us now—he no longer commands armies and governments—and despite Lance’s justified protestations, he could prove to be a worthy ally. But damn…I never expected to see his face again.”
13
* * *
NAMINO
Camp Burrow
Joaquim and Ava returned from their rescue mission with four new people in tow. All were battered and bruised, but all were walking.
Once the greetings were handled and pop-up cots passed out to the new guests, Selene headed over to talk to Joaquim, and Marlee found an excuse to wander nearby. She dialed her aural settings up to full and kept her left ear facing in their direction while she fiddled with straightening a stack of blankets.
She was the odd duckling out, here among all these Asterions and Taiyoks. Everyone was being effusively polite to her, but once she’d gotten her bearings, she’d quickly realized that if she wanted to be dealt into the game, it was up to her to learn all the quirks and nuances of the people here, individually and as a culture.
Selene placed both hands on her hips. “All right, Lacese. I admit it—impressive work getting them all back here safely. Now tell me what it looked like up there.”
Joaquim checked himself over, scowling at several splotches of drying blood on the front of his shirt. “It was dark. I couldn’t really see much.”
“Liar.”
“If I tell you, will you promise not to hole up here in this cave like a mole and wait to die?”
“My job is to keep these people and every other person we find alive. No one is holing up and waiting to die, but I’ll choose the best course of action to accomplish my job.”
“Fine. Couldn’t see anything.” Joaquim spun to walk away, and Marlee shifted her meandering to stay in range.
Selene grabbed his arm, and he shot the woman a frankly terrifying warning glare. Selene dropped his arm but didn’t back away. “Most of these people aren’t fighters, and I won’t send them up to the surface to die. No, I don’t intend to cower here and wait for a rescue that might never come. But before I start acting, I need to know what the situation is on the surface. So stop being an ass and tell me.”
Joaquim snorted. “Haven’t you heard? I’m always an ass.”
“I have heard, actually. I also heard NOIR never had a better defender and protector than you. Show me it wasn’t a lie. Work with me.”
Joaquim dragged a hand down his face. “I’ll send you the visuals I was able to capture. It genuinely was dark—they’ve taken out most of the electrical grid—but what I did see was…I’ll let you judge for yourself, Advisor.” He reached out and spread the fingertips of one hand against hers.
Silence fell between them. Direct sharing of files through touch?
Selene’s expression darkened, and she let her hand fall limply to her side. “My gods. They’re everywhere.”
“Yeah. Now, what are we going to do about it? My opinion? We need to find out what’s generating the quantum blocking field and disable it, then call the cavalry in.”
“The cavalry got its butt kicked in the first battle. I’m not certain it exists any longer.”
What? Marlee’s thoughts went to Aunt Miriam, Pinchu and all the other people she knew who served in the Concord military. Aunt Miriam’s ship was indestructible, so she must be safe. Pinchu’s wasn’t, though. She frantically tried to send a dozen pulses, but the messaging system was of course dead.
Joaquim’s jaw worked. “Well, I’m confident Nika is gathering a new one.”
“And I wish her the best of luck in the endeavor, but we can’t count on the Initiative, DAF, the Taiyoks, the Kats or Concord to save us. We need to assume we will have to save ourselves.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that.”
“I’m not your enemy, Lacese, but we’re going to do this my way. To that end, the first thing we need is more weapons. And tech. We need to set up a surveillance network aboveground so we can learn the Rasu’s movements and activities. But as of now, all we have is a few dozen Glasers and archine blades, and picking a fight using such pitiful armaments will mostly succeed in getting us killed only slightly quicker than running away will.”
Joaquim nodded sharply. “Agreed. So where do we get more weapons?”
“Underground? We can start by checking the next bunker over. We need to make contact with any people who made it to shelter, anyway. The more survivors, the better, and we can pool our resources.”
“What about DAF Command? It’s practically above our heads.”
“Also out in the open and, if the Rasu have figured out its purpose, likely crawling with the monsters. We take the easier route first.”
Joaquim made a face as if he was readying another smart retort, then sighed. “You’re right. We should make contact with as many of the bunkers as we can reach.”
“Did you just say I was right?”
“Don’t get used to it.” He searched around until he spotted Ava, then motioned her closer. “Gear up again. We’re making a run to the next bunker.” He raised his voice. “Rogers, you too.” One of the new arrivals struggled to stand up from where they’d collapsed in a chair, but Joaquim waved him off. “Not you, Dominic. You’ve done enough today. Rest.”
His eyes scanned the room for additional candidates, and Marlee saw her
opportunity. She strode up to him and Selene. “I want to go with you.”
Selene shook her head. “You’re still injured.”
“But I’m not.” She held up her shirt to expose her abdomen; she’d removed the tape this morning, and the gashes had fully healed. A little bruising remained across her ribs, but nothing else. “See? I have kick-ass cybernetics. I mean, probably not as kick-ass as you all do, but they’re the best humanity has to offer.” She wound her sling-free left arm around in front of her, demonstrating its full range of motion. “Please. I want to help. And you need another pair of arms to carry weapons and supplies back.”
The Justice Advisor studied her intently, almost as if Marlee were a criminal suspect. “It could be dangerous.”
“Simply existing on this planet is dangerous. At least let me do something to help control my fate.”
Selene checked with Joaquim, who shrugged. “If she wants to help, who are we stop her?”
“The people in charge?”
He eyed the woman in mock shock. “Are you admitting I’m partially in charge?”
“No. I’m only admitting that you won’t shut up about thinking you’re in charge. All right, Marlee. I won’t refuse able-bodied help. Arm yourself with an archine blade and grab an empty bag.”
“Thank you!” She spun around to head to the supply room and gear up—and bumped straight into Grant.
“Whoa, there. I guess I’m in, too.”
Selene frowned. “Why? No offense, Grant, but you’re not exactly a warrior, either.”
“No kidding. But I can’t let her go while I stay behind.”
Marlee scoffed. “Why not? You already saved me. You don’t need to continue protecting me now.”
“Don’t I?”
“I’m not a child.”
“Marlee, you are clearly smart and capable. But you’re how old?”
She studied the ceiling. “Twenty.”
“Years? Stars….”
“What? My age has no impact on my skill with a blade, languages or tech. I challenge you to perform better than me at any of those activities.”
Inversion (Riven Worlds Book Two) Page 9