by K. B. Wagers
“You said they revolted from their creators. That they wanted no more of war. You told me the war with the Svatir was an accident.”
“All those things are true, but the war with the Svatir destroyed all the progress we had made. Blood will out, Star of Indrana. You know this as well as I do. We cannot change our nature.”
I felt Hao stiffen next to me and swallowed back my curse. Thyra, thankfully, was so wrapped up in her desperate lie she didn’t notice.
“It has been a very long time since the attack on the Svatir. The things I told you happened when we were still filled with the hope that we could lay down our weapons. But it did not happen. I told you how the war with the Svatir propelled my people back to their vicious and dangerous selves. You are the only one who can stop them.”
I wondered, briefly, what her reaction would be if I told her that Mia’s vision had called for their deaths to stop the Hiervet from coming to our galaxy.
“You say blood will out, but here you are.” I waved a hand in the air. “You’ve overcome it, why can’t they?”
“My squad and I were only able to because of our concentrated effort and the love of the Farians. My people have chosen not to.” There was a bite to her voice. It was annoyance, but also… fear?
“Hmm.”
The easiest way to let someone trap themselves in a lie was to stay quiet. Apparently it worked just as well on Hiervet as it did with humans.
“Your Majesty, I have not lied to you. Our people ran from our creators because we didn’t want to fight. But the war with the Svatir wasn’t an accident. My people could not overcome their nature. They wanted that fight but were not prepared for the fury the Svatir brought on our heads.” She blinked rapidly and continued.
“Even after the mistake my people made, I knew they would not change. My squad and I ran because we wanted no more of war. But you cannot leave our people. You stay or you die in the fight. Those are your only options. If word spreads of who we are, they will come looking for us. You’ve already set this in motion; you are the only one who can stop it.”
10
I’ve seen some bad liars in my day. But that,” Johar shook her head with a whistle. “Wow.”
“That’s a tangled mess,” I agreed. “She was lying like I used to when I got busted by my father. Scrambling to say something, anything to distract us from the real issue. She flip-flopped on the story about how the war with the Svatir started and the irony of it is that it doesn’t even matter.”
We were back on the Hailimi, sitting in the mess hall finishing up dinner. Hao sat across from me, silently picking at his food while Johar and I deconstructed the meeting with Thyra.
“She’s spent her whole life not being questioned,” Hao said finally. “It’s bound to make anyone sloppy.”
“The focus isn’t really what she’s lying about.” Johar tapped her fork on her lips. “Or like you said, how the war actually started. The end result was the same—the Hiervet back to their original design as super soldiers.”
“It’s the truth she let slip in the middle of all that.” I nodded. “The Hiervet are after them—either because they are criminals or because they want Thyra and the others returned to the fold, so to speak. I’m inclined to believe the former. We’ve seen that footage.” I shuddered a little at the memory of the Istrevitel torturing the Hiervet they’d captured and their desperate pleas that they were hunting criminals.
“Do we need to know if they did something more to mark them down as dangerous than just being super soldiers?” Jo asked. “Where does it fall on the threat list?”
I sighed. “I don’t know. We know the Hiervet are dangerous, we’ve seen it. Are Thyra and the others worse? Or are they criminals because they did something to piss off the bulk of their people?”
“Now you’re making my head hurt.” Hao’s look was grim. “Maybe we could handle three, but I don’t want to fight the whole lot, Hail. We’re going to get shredded—even with the Farians and Shen helping.”
“This is the Cor job all over again.” The images from the fights we’d seen haunted us both and despite my mistrust of Thyra, I knew she was right about one thing.
We didn’t want the Hiervet anywhere near this galaxy.
“That fucking job,” Hao muttered.
I rubbed a hand over the back of my neck. “Thyra and her squad did something to get the Hiervet to chase them all these years. Nobody holds a grudge for several millennia over something inconsequential.”
“You would if you could, sha zhu.”
I waved off Hao with a grin. “You know what I mean. She wants us to believe that an entire race is coming for them simply because they ran off? I don’t buy it.”
“On the one hand, if their culture is only focused on war, that could be a major offense,” Jo said. “On the other, if you did believe her I’d be talking to you about this great mining opportunity on the outer edge of the Perseus arm of the galaxy.” She grinned at me and dodged my halfhearted swing.
“While I dislike agreeing with anything the Shen propose on principle,” Hao said, sobering, “I’m starting to question if killing the Farian Hiervet may not be our best solution here. Though I see little point in engaging in a formal fight; let’s just put a gun to the back of their heads and pull the trigger.”
I wasn’t surprised by Hao’s suggestion. My brother had done his share of brutal things in his life—as had I—and I couldn’t discount the logic of his suggestion if we were still following the path of Mia’s prophecy.
“There’s two problems with that.” I glanced toward the door of the mess hall where Gita and Kisah were on duty. “One, we don’t want to risk losing the goodwill of the Farians at this point. Further upheaval will cause more chaos than I’m comfortable with.”
“And two?”
I picked up my chai and took a sip. “I don’t know that it would do any good to kill them now. I don’t know if the future Mia has seen is still valid.”
Both Johar and Hao raised their eyebrows. As I said the words I felt a surge of unease. Despite my offensive dismissal of Mia’s concern, I apparently wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of not knowing what was coming.
“First I’ve heard of this,” Johar said finally, leaning back in her seat to study me.
“Mia told me a week or more ago. She apparently hasn’t had a vision since we left Sparkos. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Fasé or Sybil about it, so I don’t know if their visions of the future are intact or not.”
“Interesting. How’s Mia handling that?”
“Not great.” My words were followed by a spike of guilt. I still hadn’t apologized for my thoughtlessness. I exhaled, ignoring the look Hao was giving me. “The point is I don’t think that killing Thyra and the others will accomplish anything now. We’re going to have to come up with a new way to convince the Hiervet they want nothing to do with this galaxy.”
“Oh, well, is that all?” Hao grinned and dodged my kick. “Should be easy for the Star of Indrana.”
“I’m going to turn you in to Po-Sin for the reward money.”
Gita snorted with laughter from across the room and Johar joined her.
“If you do, I won’t tell you my idea.”
“About damn time someone besides me came up with a plan,” I said to him. “Hit me.”
“We should attack the Hiervet before they have a chance to even find us. Just end the fight before it begins.”
“You want to start a war.”
I hadn’t heard that level of exasperation from Emmory for a good while, and I bit back the grin that threatened. I’d waited until the next morning to discuss Hao’s plan with the others even though I was sure that Gita had filled Emmory in the first moment she could.
Gita stood by the doorway with Zin, her arms crossed over her chest. Hao was in a chair as far away from Aiz as he could get in the small space, and Admiral Hassan leaned against the wall next to him. Fasé was perched on the couch, a poorly hidden sm
ile on her face.
I stood in the middle of the room, facing off with my Ekam over Hao’s plan to find the Hiervet and hit them before they ever got into the Milky Way.
“Technically I want to finish one before it starts. But if we’re being picky—yes. It’s a solid plan. We take a group out, find the Hiervet, hit them hard enough to make them think twice about starting a fight, and then vanish.” I dusted my hands off. “The Farians and Shen will be at peace, the galaxy will be safe, and we can all go home.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. “Majesty, I will follow you anywhere. But I feel like I am required to point out, as your Ekam, that you want to leave the galaxy and start a war.”
“With a bunch of genetically engineered super soldiers,” Zin added. “This is not a solid plan.”
“It’s not even part of a solid plan.” Aiz met my glare with a shrug. “What?”
“I’d have thought out of everyone you’d jump at the chance to do this.” I also found it interesting that everyone assumed I’d be going even though I knew that hadn’t really been part of Hao’s plan. Judging from the look Hao was giving me, he’d just figured it out himself.
“I have not survived the Farians this long, Hail, by being unreasonably reckless.”
“I would like to point out that this is actually me being reasonable,” I replied, waving a finger at him. “If I were being reckless I’d have taken a Farian ship and left.”
Aiz grinned at me. “Be that as it may, it’s not a great plan.”
“Neither is letting them get any sort of foothold in this galaxy.” I spread my hands wide. “I’m open to suggestions, but honestly this is the best we’ve got at the moment. Nobody can tell me how much time we have until the Hiervet show up, so we kind of need to move on it.”
“As much as I hate to say it, I sort of agree with Her Majesty,” Inana said, holding up a hand. “Yes, Ekam, it’s dangerous, but striking first very well may put them in a mood to leave us alone.”
“Or it could push them to hit us back,” Fasé replied.
“Are you just disagreeing because it was Hao’s idea?” I asked, and her grin widened.
“Surprisingly, no, Majesty. If I’m being honest I’m not sure I object to the plan in general. I’m just pointing out an alternative to Admiral Hassan’s logic.”
I shoved my hands into my pockets and rocked back on my heels as I rolled over my next words in my head. “The truth of the matter is no one’s got a better idea and since I’m in charge here, I’m telling you all what we’re planning to do.”
Aiz shared a look with Emmory and sighed. “How many ships do you want?”
“A dozen would be lovely.”
“I’ll get with Admiral Amo and see which ones she thinks would be best.” He nodded once, his mouth still set in a grim line, before turning on his heel and leaving my quarters.
I waited a beat before gesturing at Hao. “All right, out with it.”
“You’re not going with me, little sister,” he said. “This plan did not include you.”
Interesting that the last bit was directed at Emmory, and even more interesting was my Ekam’s reply. “I know you well enough to know that you’d never willingly put her in danger.”
“Not anymore, anyway,” I admitted with a shrug. Emmory’s smile was fleeting. “Hao, you’re supposed to be going to talk to the Svatir, you can’t go. What good am I doing sitting here?”
“Here is safe, at least for the moment.” Gita’s voice was soft and there was concern in her brown eyes that she didn’t try to hide.
My Dve and I had been at odds on Sparkos because of my decision to help Mia and Aiz. Apologies had been given and accepted, but I knew she’d always be hesitant to put my life on the line.
“I acknowledge how you all feel. However, it will be safer if we do something about it,” I replied.
Zin shook his head. “Going head-to-head with an unknown enemy who’s likely light-years more advanced than us in every way that matters is not safer.”
“I haven’t been safe since my boots left Pashati when I was eighteen and we all know it.” I rubbed at the back of my neck and sighed. “Is this a token argument so we can tell Caterina with straight faces that I ignored everyone and just did what I wanted? Or are we actually having a fight about this?” I realized as I said it that I didn’t want to send Hao or anyone else off to deal with this on their own.
This was my job. My duty. My responsibility. I wasn’t going to run from it no matter how terrifying the prospect might be.
“It’s genuine concern, Majesty. You have always put others in front of yourself, no matter what arguments you make to claim otherwise. We are, all of us, committed to keeping you from this danger.” Emmory’s quiet declaration stilled the bark of laughter before it could escape my throat as he nailed my thoughts to the wall behind me. “We were not there when you faced Wilson, and none of us have forgotten that failure.” He shook his head as my stomach twisted. “I meant what I told you before; you don’t have to put yourself between whatever is coming and the rest of the universe.”
“I won’t ask anyone to do what I won’t do myself. I hate this prophetic cowshit, Emmory, but I am the Star of Indrana. We can fool ourselves into thinking otherwise, but we all know the truth. I am here because I am supposed to be here. I am here to stop this. By any means necessary.”
“Then we all go.” I stared at Emmory in surprise. “We take the Hailimi along with two dozen Farian and Shen ships.”
“You—”
Admiral Hassan didn’t even attempt to hide her laughter in a fake cough, and I saw Fasé throw a wink in Hao’s direction.
Looking around the room, I closed my eyes for a second as I realized just how neatly they had trapped me in my own logic and blew out a breath as I opened them again. “Betrayers,” I said, but I smiled. “All right, fine. First we need to figure out where they are.”
“Already on it,” Hao replied. “When we go to meet the Svatir, Dailun will ask his people to see if there’s anything we can use to look for the Hiervet, unless you want to ask Thyra if she knows how to find them?”
I didn’t, but we didn’t have many options. “I guess I can also talk to her. I’ll also speak with the Pedalion about borrowing a dozen ships.” I glanced at the time in the corner of my vision and sighed. “First I have this call with Alice, so why don’t you all go smirk somewhere else?”
The men chuckled and headed for the door. I reached a hand out to Gita before she could move. “Wait a moment? Fasé, Inana, if you could also stay, please?”
“Majesty?”
Emmory glanced back, then tapped the panel and closed the door.
“I would like your advice on something,” I said. “All three of you. Shit.” I rubbed my face with both hands.
“Your Majesty.” Inana tugged my hands down. Fasé was at her side and the three women studied me for a moment. “Are you okay?”
“I’m—Dark Mother—I’m not. I’m not okay. I fucked something up with Mia and I don’t know what to do.” The words spilled out in a rush and I watched the reactions that raced across their faces.
Gita’s face was nothing but worry, while Inana’s held a much softer look I wasn’t sure I could decipher. It reminded me of the look on my mother’s face when she had come to kiss us good night.
Fasé was smiling and she reached a hand out, laying it over mine; a soothing energy accompanied it and I sank into the chair at my desk and dropped my head back into my hands. “I am a fool.”
“You are not.” Gita went to a knee at my side.
I lifted my head. “Have you read Portis’s reports?”
She didn’t even pause at my random question. “I have. They paint a picture of you that’s not entirely true.” She laughed at my surprised look. “Portis was so obviously in love with you from the beginning. He went to great lengths to hide it, but it’s there for those of us who are good at seeing that sort of thing.”
“He hid it from himself for a long time,” I said, and then laughed. “Until Hao slapped him upside the head.”
“Did he now?”
“He has always been a matchmaker.” I laughed. “I should make him tell you that story sometime, it would be amusing. Anyway, I was never good at relationships. Portis tolerated me because he loved me and I loved him, too. But this—what am I doing?”
That earned me a surprised look from my Dve. “You’re asking me for advice about Mia, Hail?”
“I am sure as Naraka not going to ask Emmory about this, or my brother.” I shook my head. “Hao hates the Shen.”
“He does not,” Gita protested, holding up her hands at the look I shot her. “He hates Aiz, maybe Mia also, but not all the Shen.”
“That’s not better,” I said.
She rubbed at the bridge of her nose in frustration. “No, but it’s the truth.”
“What about you?” It wasn’t a fair question to ask; I knew it the moment I let it into the air and Gita flinched.
“Majesty.”
“I’m sorry, just forget I said anything.”
“No.” Gita put a hand on my knee and smiled. It was strained but genuine. “I’ll answer it, just give me a moment to get the words straight.”
I waited, holding my breath for what seemed like an eternity until Gita looked me in the eye.
“Those people hurt you. Maybe you agreed to it, but you did so under duress. I hate them for it. I hate that I couldn’t keep you safe from it. I hate myself even more than I hate them.”
“Gita—”
“We’ve been through this, but the feelings are still there. I don’t know that they will ever go away. I have learned to tolerate them for your sake, but will I ever trust them fully? I don’t know. Their priority is not you, but their people.”
“I wish we could have done that differently.” I put my hand over hers and squeezed.
“I know, but it’s past, right? We’re focused on this and the future.” Gita exhaled. “Here is what really worries me, Hail. Mia is going to be the death of you.”