“Not exactly,” Sage replied. “Methane mostly. Some other—”
“Where’s it coming from? The pipes must be huge!”
A smile tugged at Sage’s lips. Sometimes she forgot that most people in the Circuit had never been to a world with clouds. Most people had never walked upon the surface of Earth beneath her scorched sky, hoping for the faintest sliver of light to peek through the clouds. It never did.
“No pipes,” she said. “It’s all natural. Titan is a world dressed in clouds, like Earth.”
Elisha looked up at Sage excitedly. “Have you been there?”
As Sage opened her mouth to respond, the image of her last time on Earth rushed through her mind—Caleb’s smile followed by flashes of fire and blood. She took a few deep breaths to try to center herself. “Yes… I’ve been there.”
They didn’t exchange another word while Sage navigated the hazardous conditions. Elisha seemed content to just stare into the storm.
After a short while, Sage piloted them safely into the hangar of Cassius’ compound. The heavy outer seal quickly shut behind them to hold the frigid air of Titan at bay. There was a much different greeting party awaiting her than the last time she’d arrived.
The White Hand was absent, and in its place were a few small Tribunal transports. The smallest of them had a pointed top, which gleamed like a wet pearl. The rest of it was of a similar luster, except for folded wings painted to look like the black silhouettes of hands. It was the personal shuttle of a Tribune.
An honor guard marched into the space, their capes flowing like leaves in wind. Hand Yavortha was in the middle of the pack. Sage could tell by his distinctive armor first. Behind him followed Benjar Vakari. He wore a carbon-fiber chest plate over his green tunic, holding the cloak draped over his left arm up so it didn’t drag across the floor.
She expected seeing him to make her feel like she was back home, but when she noticed his characteristic grin, it was just the opposite. A burning itch flared up between her thighs that made her shiver. Her vision was clouded by the kind of blotchy circles that come after staring at the sun too long.
Sage grasped Elisha’s hand and led her out of the command deck. When they reached the cargo hold, Sage kneeled in front of the girl.
“Follow my lead once they’re here, and don’t speak unless you’re addressed,” Sage said. She made sure Elisha nodded back, then signaled the cargo hold to open.
The ramp fell, and blinding light flooded it. It was swiftly followed by a host of soldiers wearing dark, tinted visors, their pulse-rifles at the ready. Sage opened her mouth to speak, but none of them paid any attention to her. They swept the entire space, and then a few of them moved further into the ship, out of sight.
Sage felt Elisha huddle against her leg. She could only imagine what an array of faceless soldiers in heavy combat armor looked like to a child from the shanties of Ceres Prime.
“Who are they?” Elisha asked, her tiny voice filled with fright.
“Tribune Vakari’s personal guard,” Sage said. “Don’t worry, they’re just being cautious. I’m one of them.” As soon as the words left her lips, the girl’s hands lifted off her leg. Before she had a chance to look down, Benjar Vakari strolled up the ramp alongside his Hand.
“Your Eminence,” Sage uttered, quickly falling to her knees and allowing her fingers to graze the floor. She looked down, making sure that their gazes didn’t meet until he responded. Hand Yavortha arrived first and yanked the pulse-pistol out of her belt, making no effort to be gentle. He patted her down, from head to toe, and when he was done, stepped aside. Benjar then moved forward.
“Sage,” he exclaimed. “By the Ancients, you’re alive!” He reached out and placed his hand over her head, trying to get a better look at the bandage wrapping it, crusted with dried blood. “What has that monster done to you?”
Sage opened her mouth to tell him, but she was instantly reminded of Talon. She saw his vibrant blue eyes burning with thoughts of betrayal. She could feel her hand squeeze the trigger that robbed Vellish of his life.
It made her overflow with rage. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting to feel when she looked upon Benjar again. She wasn’t used to expecting to feel anything. The whole time… he was watching through my eyes, she thought angrily. And as soon as she beheld his complacent grin, she had little doubt about the truth.
She bit out the words she wanted to say, fully aware of her place in the room. “He cut the implant out of the back of my head,” she replied calmly.
“By the Spirit.” Benjar gasped. He moved behind her, getting a full view of Cassius’ work. His index finger tapped the scar, causing Sage to wince. “My poor girl. We will make him pay for this.”
As his fingers slid over her skin, her unsettled mind thrust her back to all his unwanted advances. She could feel his hands wander on her body. She could feel each lustful kiss he’d placed right beside her lips, his hot breath lingering on the air with foul aroma.
It was revolting. She had to look away, and there she noticed Elisha standing in the shadow of a guard’s rifle, her tiny face flush with judgment.
“Sage,” Benjar addressed her, “is everything all right?”
She wanted to say the truth, but as she looked at Elisha, she remembered the promise she had made to Talon—that he would have a chance to see her again. In the girl’s face she witnessed the same anger that had gripped her father when he found out who she really was. She didn’t care.
Help get Elisha home, and then go home.
That was all she wanted. Keeping Benjar happy was the key to attaining it. “I’m fine,” she said. “Just a little out of it still.”
Benjar placed his hand under Sage’s jaw and tilted her face towards him. “I’m sure everything he told you seemed real, but he has always been a master manipulator. Cassius would say anything to get what he wants. As much as he may claim to care for you, he lost his regard for all human life long ago. He has turned to metal abominations. By the Ancients, he stole a solar-ark! A true heretic, after all these years.”
“You know about the ark?” Sage asked, incredulous.
“The whole Circuit knows. I was hoping you could tell me what he intends to do with it.”
“He never had the chance to tell me before I was sent away.”
Benjar frowned. “Ah… Well, your faith will be rewarded, and you have my thanks for returning one of the missing freighters to us.” He stood to full height. “You must show us where he took it, the freighters, and you. We must stop him before he can hurt any more of my people.”
“I truly don’t know,” Sage replied honestly. “All I can say for certain was that it was a large enough hangar to fit the solar-ark he stole.”
Benjar’s features darkened. He leaned in close and scanned her face. “You’ve been gone for a month. Surely you saw something! Is he hiding amongst the Ceresians? We’ve torn this place apart searching for clues about what he is planning, but every console has been wiped or blown to pieces. Knowing him, I fear the worst.”
“And you also know how careful he is. Where we were, I’ve never been before. I’m sure of that. I didn’t see any other people, only one of his androids.”
Benjar’s cheeks were getting red, but he managed to stay composed. “But you piloted a ship here?”
“The ship was programmed to return here, and all tracking systems were blinded. I had nothing to do with it. He drugged me and placed me in the command deck after I said I wouldn’t help him.”
“Help him do what?”
“He never said. Just something about breaking shackles. He was purposefully vague.”
“You are an executor of the Tribune. Why didn’t you work with him and unravel this conspiracy? You forget your duty! Are you more loyal to the memory of his son than your Tribune?”
“No! Never.” She swallowed. “But I can’t lie to him. Cassius sees right through me. He knew I was too loyal to the Tribune, to you, to follow him into darkness. He onl
y spared me because of his son.”
Benjar glanced up at one of the soldiers returning from the other areas of the ship. The man affirmed what Sage had said about the ship’s systems.
“Damn that man!” Benjar barked. He moved away from her and paced back and forth. Then he stopped suddenly and pointed at Elisha. “What about her?” he shouted.
Yavortha went to grab Elisha by the shoulders, but she backed away, terrified. The guards kept her from going far, and Sage panicked. Old Sage never would have. She would have stayed collected and allowed Elisha the chance to prove how little she knew. But new Sage didn’t have such temperance. She barely understood how her freshly liberated mind even worked.
“She was his prisoner!” Sage protested.
“Was she now?” Benjar approached the girl, intrigued, but before he could get there, Yavortha whispered something into his ear. Benjar put on his warmest smile and knelt in front of her. “Where was he keeping you, child?”
Elisha didn’t say anything. She just stared at him, nose wrinkled in anger.
“You’re Ceresian, aren’t you?” Benjar continued. “Yes, I can smell the filth on you. Tell me what you know, and I will grant you a better life with us. Far from the grime of your asteroid belt.”
“I wasn’t a prisoner! ADIM told me what you did to Julius!” she shouted and went to strike Benjar. A guard quickly picked her up and restrained her squirming body.
“You will tell me!” Benjar roared. He lifted the back of his hand to strike her, but Sage jumped between them.
“She doesn’t know anything, Your Eminence!” Sage yelled as she spread her arms in protest. “I swear on my vows she doesn’t. She just doesn’t trust us. Please leave her alone. I’ll try to remember every detail I can about where we were. About everything Cassius said.”
Benjar scowled, but after a short pause he turned around, his long tunic whipping around his legs. He reached down and stroked Sage’s cheek. “Very well, Agent Volus. I know I can trust you. But you both need medical observation before we debrief you. We can’t be sure what Cassius did to you. He could be watching us.”
Benjar shifted his gaze to Yavortha, who watched with a sneer. “Hand Yavortha, please escort Sage and the girl to the Ascendant for further examination. Then prep the ship for my return. With both Cassius and Tribune Gressler out of the picture, we will continue our work to establish order around Saturn. Cassius’ betrayal must quickly be forgotten.”
“Yes, Your Eminence,” Yavortha responded firmly, saluting. He stashed his rifle on his back and started moving toward Sage.
“Your Eminence, I assure you I’m fine,” Sage insisted.
“Perhaps, but I would feel better if you were examined before returning to your duties,” Benjar insisted. “This is Cassius Vale we’re dealing with, after all.”
“Will you send me back to New Terrene after?” Sage asked, a hint of hopefulness creeping into her tone. “I assure you I’ll keep the city safe until there’s no strength left in me. I’ll take the girl with me. She’ll never cause a problem, I sw—”
Benjar hushed her. He leaned in so close that she could smell fresh tomatoes on his breath. “I have complete faith in you. After you’re cleared, we’ll discuss your next assignment. New Terrene was never safer than it was in your hands.”
The words, “Thank you, Your Eminence,” escaped Sage’s lips just as they had countless times during their many conversations. Yet, though what Benjar said lifted her heart, there was something behind his eyes, something she couldn’t quite place. Perhaps it had always been there and she’d never noticed it, but there was no mistaking its presence.
“This way, Executor,” Yavortha said. He nudged her in the side before heading toward the transport. The guard holding Elisha followed behind him.
Just then, Sage remembered something that had been bothering her since the moment Cassius Vale re-entered her life. “Your Eminence,” she began, “Cassius claimed he saved me that day on New Terrene before the explosion. Was that the last time you saw him as well? I hope he didn’t plan anything there or corrupt any Enclave systems.”
“I didn’t get an opportunity to see him in person while he was there, but I will have Joran’s forces sweep the area clean just to be sure,” Benjar responded without looking back at her. “Good thinking as usual, Agent Volus. Farewell.”
“And you, Your Eminence,” she whispered through her teeth, falling back into step with Yavortha.
Benjar hadn’t mentioned Cassius being on New Terrene at all after the explosion injured her. And now, he forgot to deny that Sage had seen the ex-Tribune. After years of loyal service, she’d finally caught Benjar in an outright lie. What else had he hidden from her?
13
Chapter Thirteen—Talon
At first, the Monarch was refused entrance into the Morastus docking port on Ceres. They were instead instructed to gain access through the nearby conduit station. A long and tedious process since the Ceres Conduit was more of a transportation hub than any of the others in the Circuit.
Talon wasn’t surprised. After Cassius’ message hit the system, he imagined the entire Circuit was on edge. Even the clans would be busy bickering with each other, trying to figure out what to do next. That was just how the Ceresian Pact operated, and Talon didn’t figure that would help much when it came to organizing the inevitable war to come.
After they were denied, Talon decided there was no other choice but to provide his name. Considering that his attempt to rob a Tribunal freighter had been an undeniable failure, he was hoping to avoid that, but after everything that had happened, he simply didn’t care. He couldn’t delay seeing Elisha any longer.
And it worked. They were granted immediate access after he did, under the condition that Talon would have to meet with Zaimur Morastus personally.
“Remember what you promised,” Captain Larana said as the Monarch’s ramp fell open.
“I know. I’ll talk to him,” Talon responded. “Just try not to go very far.”
She grunted a response, and Talon stepped off the ship into the Buckle, a series of soaring caverns filled with hangars encircling Ceres like a belt. He took a deep breath of the typically musty air. Air recyclers too old for their own good gave it a sour aroma, and all the sweat pouring off dockworkers definitely didn’t help. Talon had grown used to it by the time he could walk. He couldn’t be more relieved to be home.
He turned around and noticed Tarsis making a face like he was going to vomit.
“Never been here?” Talon asked.
Tarsis cleared his throat. “My old ship used to stick to the Tribunal settlements. The few of those people willing to ignore their master’s prohibitions offered better deals, if you could imagine that. There’s much more… life here though.”
“Takes some getting used to.” Talon chuckled. “You should see the Dome.”
“The what?”
“You just wait. I’ll see if I can make any arrangements to keep you safe after I meet with Zaimur,” Talon said.
They’d both decided earlier that it was too dangerous having someone at such a noticeable stage of the blue death walking around in public. Most people thought it was contagious, and if another clan leader got his hands on the Keeper, then he might be sent back to serve on another solar-ark.
Talon had noticed that his own affliction was starting to show itself beyond just his extremities, but next to Tarsis he was a mere youth to the blue death. Still, Larana had let him change out of his Keeper uniform and into a pair of loose-fitting cloth rags with a sewn-on hood that helped conceal the signs of the veins spreading from his temples.
“Just focus on yourself,” Tarsis said. He looked back over his shoulder and waved someone over. Kitt came running down the Monarch’s ramp and stopped beside him. Tarsis placed a hand on the center of the kid’s back.
“Captain Larana wants him to go along with you,” he said. “Just to make sure.”
“This isn’t the time—”
; Tarsis cut Talon off. “She insists.”
Talon sighed and pulled the hood up over his head. “Fine,” he said. “But I can’t promise Zaimur will let anyone but me in.”
Tarsis nodded to him, and Talon returned the gesture before Kitt hurried to his side. The young Vergent’s curious gaze darted around the port.
“What about you?” Talon asked Kitt as they started walking. “Is this your first time?”
“Came here when I was young,” he said. “First time out of port though.”
They moved out into the lofty space of the Buckle, all the hollowed-out stalagmites rising up around them and filled with motion as if they were within a tremendous insect hive. Talon’s legs felt light. His chest loose for once. He was going to see Elisha again. There were a few moments there, he never thought it would happen.
But as excited as he was, he immediately realized that things were different from when he left. People vocally protested against the Tribune, begging for war in the name of what had happened to Kalliope.
The asteroid’s fate was no longer a mystery either. Holoscreens all over displayed telescopic images of the split asteroid. Members of different clans were sitting outside shops, arguing about what was coming next while white-eyed service androids brought them drink after drink. They were so busy that they didn’t even pay attention to the thin-eyed Vergent walking right past them.
The conduit station above Ceres was in equal disarray. According to newsfeeds, traders with Tribunal backgrounds were being hoarded into hangars to be sent away on the next solar-ark departures, if they weren’t beaten to death first. Anybody who dared to speak of the Spirit of the Earth in a positive light would be a target.
Talon wondered if everything had happened this way the last time it came to war, when the Tribune staked a claim on every moon of Jupiter and made a mandate that the production of androids circuit-wide had to stop for the good of humanity. That was just a disagreement. This time, Ceresians had been murdered in cold blood. Around eight hundred miners and staff, by Talon’s estimations.
The Circuit: The Complete Saga Page 37