“You don’t even sound convinced of that,” Bethany observed. “Honestly, Ellie, do you believe in what you’re fighting for or do you feel as if you have an obligation to broker peace for an entire star system just because you’ve been told you’re the chosen one?”
“No, it’s not like that.” Ellie rolled her eyes and stood up, heading over to the window to look out at the market. The stalls had mostly shut down, but a string of glittering lights lined every walkway and people drifted toward the open cafes and restaurants. She gestured to the crowds wandering under the lights. “I know I’m not an expert and I know I’m in way over my head, but like it or not, they’re my responsibility. I can’t just pass this thing off to someone else and go back to New York.”
She grimaced, tamping down the tiny part of her that wished she could do exactly that.
“Right. Ellie, you got rid of the bad guy. Some would argue that you have done exactly what you were destined to do and now it would be a good time for the Ghowrn people to put on their grown up panties and finish what you started. But you and I know it doesn’t work like that. You feel a responsibility to your people and I feel a responsibility too. Not just to Reggie, not just to you, or Vito, or anyone. I have been given what I’ve been denied my whole life on Earth: a peace of mind and acceptance of my own true self. As far as I’m concerned, that means I have even more of a responsibility to protect this place than you do.”
“Well, when you put it like that, I guess I should just transfer the Kyroibi over to you and be done with it,” Ellie said with a smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Ellie, what is it you aren’t telling me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Girl, I’m falling for an Eidyssic dude. As such, I’m getting pretty good at figuring out that those lights on your face aren’t just pretty decorations. What’s eating you?”
Ellie grimaced. If Bethany could tell she was distressed then she really needed to learn how to control her diodes.
“The people of Eidyn are the oldest in the galaxy. It makes sense that they’re pretty progressive,” she began, turning again to the window. “But I can’t say that I agree with all of their ideas and they aren’t the ones making the rules for the system either.”
“Okay, I get it,” Bethany said with an exaggerated eye roll. “El’iadrylline translates into Dances with Words.”
Bethany’s sarcasm was enough to elicit a small chuckle, despite Ellie’s best efforts.
“My mother wants to marry me off to Prince Gevandar.”
“Oh.” Bethany pursed her lips, making a face like she just bit into something unpleasant. “I thought you and Julian had a thing.”
Ellie’s expression darkened.
“That’s the issue. Julian is considered a thing,” she spat. “A weapon to be waged against our enemies. My feelings for him are unnatural.”
“Okay, stop. What the hell are you talking about a thing? Julian’s Eidyssic, right? Re’geya didn’t tell me there was any discrimination against them.”
“There’s not. Julian is of Eidyn, but he is an artificial construct. Not a robot exactly, but he was created without an abstract root.”
“I’ve heard of this. It’s like the Eidyn version of a soul?” Bethany asked.
Ellie nodded. “Except that it’s scientifically quantifiable. Julian doesn’t have one because he was created without one on purpose.”
“Why?”
“That I don’t know.” Ellie turned from the window with a frown. “And that’s the weird part. The Kyroibi supposedly holds all of the knowledge of the people of Eidyn. At any time, I can access billions of years’ worth of collected data, but Julian’s creation, along with the creation of the Kyroibi itself, is inaccessible.”
“The Kyroibi, I kind of understand,” Bethany said with a shrug.
“You do?”
“Sure. The whole point was to keep the peace, right? Don’t you have some army or something?”
“Something, yes,” Ellie said with an eye roll. “The army is exactly what Gevandar wants to get his paws on.”
“Logically, given that the whole point of the creation of the Kyroibi is to maintain peace and keep y’all from going out and wiping out planets and things, it makes sense that the way it was created would be hidden.”
“I am definitely not following.”
“Because if you need to make another one it means this one failed,” Bethany said with a huff. “Not knowing what happened ensures that it doesn’t happen again.”
“Your logic would be sound, except for the fact that the whole point of the Kyroibi’s creation was so that we would remember what happened to ensure it never happens again.”
“Right. Those are the same thing.”
“You have seriously lost me now.”
“Nah, you’ll see,” Bethany said with a smile, “but you got me off topic. So Julian’s a soulless killer.”
“Obviously,” Ellie said, rolling her eyes hard. “He’s no less human than you or I. Okay, well, I’m not sure human is the best word for the Eidyssic, but whatever. He’s a sentient being with feelings and beliefs, just like you and me. That he’s not given the same courtesy is despicable.”
Bethany looked thoughtful for moment before getting up and going to a cupboard hidden in the wall. She pulled out two canisters of sorgha and handed one to Ellie.
“So basically, he’s a clone is what you’re saying. The only difference between us and them is that back on Earth, we are still debating the moral ramifications of creating human life, whereas the Eidyssic have already reconciled their morals and declared that clones do not qualify for personhood.”
Ellie raised her eyebrows and nearly spit out the mouthful of Korghetia’s equivalent to beer, surprised, yet clearly impressed.
“Why do you look so shocked?” Bethany asked. “Just because I have muscles I’m supposed to be dumb?”
“No, nothing like that,” Ellie said with a smirk, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. “It’s just that once again I find myself wondering what’s so great about this so-called enlightened society. Denying someone their basic rights because of how they are born is something I would expect from a religious zealot back on Earth.”
“I can see why you might draw that comparison, but I think you’re letting the dumpster fire that is Earth right now cloud your reasoning. Just because the planets in this system are older and more advanced doesn’t mean they’re perfect. You of all people should know what happens when a civilization strives for perfection.”
Ellie gave a shudder. “Leave it to you to point out the uncomfortable truths,” she noted with a mirthless chuckle. “Though forgive me if understanding doesn’t equate acceptance. Perfection or not, I won’t just sit around and accept injustice.”
“Wasn’t asking you to,” Bethany replied with a wink. “And if you want to start a protest, I’ll be right by your side, same as we were back in New York, but right now, you got a war to win and like it or not, I’m in this ‘til the end.”
“Well then,” Ellie said with a resigned sigh, lifting her can in salute to her friend. “Here’s to making sure we win for all the right reasons.”
Chapter 8
Ellie awoke before Bethany and tiptoed down the stairs, surprised to see Gri and Richard were already hard at work.
“Please tell me you just awoke and have not been up all night working.”
She sat down, grateful to see the table was piled with breakfast foods in a variety of styles. She’d eaten nothing the night before and while the bed she’d stayed in was an Eidyssic creation meant to replenish her energy, her stomach burned with emptiness and leftover drink.
“I just got up an hour ago,” Richard replied, adding with a wink, “Or whatever the equivalent local measure is called. I thought dealing with multiple time zones was bad.”
“Don’t worry, it’s too early for math,” Ellie said with a yawn. “That’s what these babies are for.” She lifted her wrist, indi
cating the info unit, which showed the local time and planetary position anywhere she was.
The door opened and Mikk slipped into the apartment, nodding briefly to Gri and grabbing a piece of fruit before disappearing up the stairs. A moment later Vonsse joined Ellie, followed by Bethany, who blearily made her way down the stairs.
“Gah. Whose idea was it to bust out the sorgha?” she groaned, reaching for a pitcher of juice.
“Yours,” Ellie reminded her with a small smirk before handing over a small packet of medicine she’d found in the cupboard. “Figured you’d need this.”
“Thanks,” Bethany whispered, tossing back the packet and washing down its contents with juice. “How come you aren’t hungover?”
“Because I switched to water after two drinks.”
“I only had one more than you.”
“Sorgha may seem like beer from Earth, but it packs a punch,” Vonsse said as he joined them, his plate stacked high with the strange reddish meat Ellie had avoided. He glanced over at Gri and Richard, who were still deep in conversation, before pulling a small tin from his pocket. “Try this. One pinch of powder on the tip of your tongue will expedite your body’s healing process.”
Bethany eyed the tin warily. “If that’s so, why are you being shifty about it?”
“Fhasmyrric medicinal herbs have never much been trusted by the outer Ghowrn planets,” Gri answered without looking up from his tablet. “More so now that they are nearly impossible to come by legally, but Commander Vonsse is correct. Powdered ravik root will cure a sorgha hangover.”
Vonsse blushed furiously. “Forgive me, Eidyn leader. I’ve been away for a while and had quite forgotten about your exceptional hearing.”
The exchange was enough for Bethany, who picked up the tin and did as instructed. Almost immediately, there was a noticeable change in her appearance.
“So does this confirm the rumor I heard that the Paisreatta botanists managed to recreate the Lushniv forests out in the Oravaschaeal?” Vitokk asked as he too joined the table.
“I’m afraid the rumors overstate their accomplishments, but as I understand it, the original separatist ships were half overrun with Fhasmyrric plant life. It was the only way they were able to guarantee a breathable environment during the prolonged flight,” Vonsse responded, narrowing his eyes at his brother. “Didn’t you ride out there on a bio-ship?”
“Nah, I got a free ride on a stasis transporter.”
Vonsse’s eyes bugged out of his head. “But that was over thirty years ago! Stasis tech would have been unreliable at best.”
“That’s why it was free,” Vitokk replied with a wink. “Plus I didn’t stick around. As soon as we got to the mines I jumped in my hopper and took off for Earth before anyone figured out I was gone.”
“One of these days, I’d like to hear your whole story,” Bethany said between gulps of juice.
“As would I,” Vonsse added with a questioning look.
“And maybe one day I’ll be inclined to spill all my secrets,” Vitokk replied with a shrug. “But today ain’t that day. We all about ready to go?”
“This is all of us?” Ellie looked around at the group and frowned. Aside from the Eidyn, who were all already in position on Du, the six of them were the entire rescue committee.
“There will be rangers in charge at the Sonna base,” Gri answered. “However, I am not sure how many.”
Ellie mentally corrected her count to seven as Mikk silently rejoined them. The small officer gave a curt nod in her direction before exiting to the market below, which was already doing a bustling business despite the early hour.
“Not one of many words,” Bethany muttered as she got up to follow.
“Mikk’s rather guarded, but certainly not mute,” Vonsse explained. “Believe me, I’ve had my ear talked off on more than one mission.”
Ellie followed as the group made their way to the train platform. Travel was swift, but she would have rather pulsed as far as she could. Still, as they entered the vast transportation hub, Ellie couldn’t help but to smile. She’d spent such a large amount of her life on Earth traveling both by airplane and train that she’d developed a fondness for the chaotic hubbub of airports and train stations, though none were as vast or as busy as the port at Korghetia.
She turned her attention from the flow of traffic heading toward the commercial platforms when she noticed Commander Vonsse was shepherding them in the opposite direction. His bushy white head of hair bobbed as he jostled his way through the foot traffic, directing their party toward a less crowded, yet still busy terminal marked private crafts.
But something was wrong.
The crowds and general air of unrest had nothing to do with normal travel woes. Nearly all flights on the board above their head held a status of suspended and everyone, it seemed had their noses buried in their computer tablets or were huddled around info stations. It wasn’t until they reached the well-appointed lounge usually reserved for royalty that Ellie discovered what held everyone’s attention.
On a view screen that took up much of one wall, Prince Gevandar spoke to a large group of what Ellie hoped were not soldiers.
“…Make no mistake, these are hostiles from the Emperor’s elite battalion,” Gevandar spoke with an air of disgust. “Hostiles who would threaten the free citizens of Sonna. Let it be known that the Alliance will not stand for displays of aggression and tyranny. Our own fighters stand ready to defend our freedom. Do not fear this intimidation tactic. We will turn back this battalion or they will feel the full force of the Alliance.”
Ellie turned her eyes to Richard. “I thought we weren’t going to be making any announcements until we were ready to strike?”
“We’re not.” Richard replied through gritted teeth. “Commander Vonsse was to make the announcement, but not until we were in position to bring down the ships safely. Besides, I’m insulted you would think I’d write anything resembling that speech.”
Ellie paled at the implications. Surely even Gevandar wasn’t so callous as to use the lives of potentially innocent allies for the sake of political posturing.
Ka’griannas, who had stepped away from the group as soon as he saw the broadcast, returned, grim worry lighting his face.
“I’ve called for an emergency assembly. I do not wish to make hasty judgements, but if I were to speculate, I see Captain Gevandar’s announcement as a means of setting himself up to take credit if the mission is a success and to place blame if it’s a failure.”
“That’s disgusting!” Ellie spluttered. “He’s playing with human lives. How is this guy leading the Alliance?”
“I daresay taking initiative in efforts against the Empire as a military captain played a bigger role than his royal birth in being named head of the assembly,” Gri explained with a grimace. Remorse flashed briefly across his features and Ellie was grateful at least to have one delegate who felt as she did about the overbearing assembly leader.
“I’m going to contact Julian and see what’s happening up there. We need a plan B and we need it now.”
She punched in the access code and held the phone to her ear. No tone signaled that the call had connected and she was about to try again when a soft click echoed in her ear, followed by what sounded like howling wind.
“El’iadrylline? Has something happened?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing. Have the imperial ships made any aggressive moves?”
“They haven’t moved at all. We would have sent warning if there was a change in status.”
“That’s what I thought.” Ellie fought down the swelling anger. “Gevandar is broadcasting a message of aggressive strike. Gri thinks he’s trying to take credit for the mission, but I have a bad feeling there’s more to it than that.”
“There might be. Ellie, hold the line for a moment.”
The sudden tension in Julian’s voice did not bode well and Ellie signaled for the group to hang tight before venturing to their hangar. A moment late
r the phone crackled to life again.
“Your father believes Gevandar—”
“Is planning a strike,” Ellie finished for him in a panicked rush as she watched the captain give the command to his unit to take to the skies. “We have to get those ships down now.”
“Get the team to Sonna and be ready for war,” Julian said.
“Already on it,” Ellie replied, folding the ancient phone shut with a satisfying snap. She turned to Gri, who had just sent for their transport to be brought to their current location. “Is my ship here?”
“It’s likely still quarantined.”
“How do I get it out? I want an escort ship if Gevandar actually plans to send up fighters.”
“I’m afraid just the process of preparing the ship to uncouple from the diagnostics would take too long.”
“We’re out of time.” Vonsse appeared at her side with a grim expression. “That was your father. Air strike or no air strike, we have to get those ships on the ground as soon as possible. The environmentals are failing. The Empire intended the inhabitants to die one way or another.”
“Then we need more ships and we need them now,” Ellie stressed, relieved at least to see their transport to Sonna had arrived.
“Shielders.”
All eyes turned to Mikk, who until then had stayed silent and nearly as invisible as a ninja. “The lady is the Eidyn Master. Experience is unnecessary as long as she communicates intent. I can take the other and we can provide an escort to the surface.”
“That’s all I needed to hear,” Ellie said with a short nod at the mysterious Mikk, who seemed to be in silent communication with Commander Vonsse.
“Very well then,” he said, casting a grim look over to his brother. “Can you still pilot a hopper? We’re going to need to track the emergency landing and bring the survivors to the refuge ourselves.”
“In my sleep,” Vitokk replied, but Ellie didn’t hear the rest of their conversation. Mikk was leading her down a narrow corridor to a different terminal. Vonsse’s choice of words—survivors—did not sit well with her. She could only hope that everyone was a survivor.
The Princess Rebellion (The Kyroibi Trilogy Book 2) Page 7