by Ashley West
"Thanks, Kaleth," Abby said dryly. "And it's just what I said. He's not here. He's..."
"He found out, didn't he?"
Abby didn't even bother to try to hide it. She dropped her head and nodded. "I told him."
"You told him?" Kaleth sounded incredulous. "Even knowing what his reaction would be? Why would you do that?"
"Because he deserved to know," Abby said, shrugging a shoulder. "If he's going to risk his life to do this, then he deserved to know. And I wouldn't want...I wouldn't have wanted things to continue if they were just built on lies."
Kaleth looked at her and then shook her head. "I do not understand humans. Or barbarians. Will he still fight?"
Abby nodded. "He will. This was his fight before it was ours."
"Then I suppose that is all that matters." She hesitated for a moment and then sighed. "The Caran is not someone to lightly make an enemy of, and we have both done it. You do know this will end poorly, do you not? If we do not defeat her, then she will kill us all."
Abby nodded again. She knew. Oh, she knew. "Yes," she said. "But there's no other choice."
Kaleth inclined her head. "Then we will continue as planned."
Yes. They would.
Chapter Thirteen: Fight
The thing about dulling your feelings was that it allowed you to see some things with more clarity and others became hazy with your neglect. Sorrin knew this, probably better than anyone at this point. He’d dulled some feelings and heightened others until he wasn’t sure what he was seeing clearly anymore and what was just happening to him, but he did know one thing for sure, and that was that the Camadors had to be stopped.
Everything was in place. The reinforcements from Halphia and the other Senators had arrived, and everyone was on edge, waiting to see what would happen next. They were armed and armored in the way that used to be second nature to Sorrin, and it was so strange to form up with them, just like he had in the old days.
It was an odd sense of living a moment more than once, though he was on a different end of it now, standing in line while someone else delivered the motivational speech and rallied everyone together.
Halphia found his eyes as she stood next to her new commander, the one who had replaced him, and Sorrin let her look at his face. He imagined that he looked tired, perhaps weary, but there wasn’t much he could do about that. Sorrin just wanted this to be done.
He hadn’t had much time to talk to his old friend since she’d been here. This wasn’t a social visit, after all. She’d come with a purpose, and Sorrin meant to see this through to the end. There would, ideally, be time to talk later, but he was more than a little aware that this could be the last time he ever saw her.
Halphia was too valuable to send into battle. Especially this battle, so she wouldn’t be going in with them, and that was of some comfort.
Now, if only he knew where Abby was.
Sorrin was angry with her, yes. He was angrier than he thought he could be at someone for something like that, but there was still a very large part of him that didn’t want her to get hurt. He knew she would be here for the battle. The grudge she held against the Camadors was real, and it was strong. They’d taken things from her, different things than they’d taken from him, of course, but still. She had reason to want to see them destroyed.
And she had a role to play in this plan. When Halphia had asked if she would be leading the humans out of the city, Sorrin had simply inclined his head. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that Abby would still do her job here.
So he told himself that he didn’t need to worry about it, even though that was, as Abby was so fond of saying, easier said than done.
He forced his thoughts away from her and turned his attention back to the rousing speech from the commander, trying to feel the motivation he was trying to impart. Sorrin remembered how the words from the man up front could make even the most fearful new recruit suddenly believe in themselves. He remembered giving those speeches himself back when things were different, trying to get fired up for the fight. He remembered the one he gave before the battle with the Camadors four years ago.
Sorrin stepped forward.
“I’d like to say something.”
The current commander looked confused until he recognized Sorrin, but he looked to Halphia for guidance. Halphia nodded her head graciously. “Of course, Sorrin. After all, you were there the last time.”
People began to murmur amongst themselves as he stepped out of the ranks and made his way to the front of the lines. Now that he was up there, all the words he’d thought of saying flew out of his head, and he just looked for a moment. Much like the squad he had commanded, the warriors here were from all walks of life. Different clans were represented, different races. Some he recognized from being native to the Independent colonies, such as they were, and some that had to have come from further reaches of the galaxy, brought together by their dedication to a cause.
They were all so fresh faced, so young looking. He knew that they’d passed all the same tests that he had to get to this point, and that they were trained as well as they could be, but Sorrin also knew that sometimes that wasn’t enough, and that was what he wanted to tell them.
“My name is Sorrin,” he said finally. “And like Senator Halphia said, I was at the attack on the Camadors four years ago. In fact, I led the attack on the Camadors four years ago. I stood in a position very much like this one, and I gave a rousing speech very much like the one your commander just gave. I wanted my people to be at their best. I wanted them on fire with the need to see this battle to the end. I wanted them to believe they could do it. And in the end, that was where everything went wrong. You see, those of us who have been in charge, we stand here and we tell you that you have to fight, that you have to win, that victory is the only condition that matters. I’m not going to stand here and say that they’re wrong, that we’re wrong, but there is something else to consider. Survival. Caution. Going back home to your families at the end of the fight. You can give something your all and still die. You can think you know everything about an opponent and still be surprised by the outcome. Nothing is certain. I don’t say this to send you in with fear, but with knowledge. Four years ago, we fought the Camadors and very few of us lived. We thought we knew everything we needed to know and that our strength was enough, but it wasn’t. So just remember that caution is as worthy as valor, and I hope to see you all on the other side of this.”
He blinked, surprised that he’d spoken so much. Halphia put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and he went to take his place back in the lines, not looking at the others. Sorrin didn’t want to see pity on their faces. He just wanted to get this done.
The lines moved out. Halphia fell into step with Sorrin as they moved, and she leaned in close to him. "I'm proud of you, you know," she murmured as they walked.
Sorrin didn't look at her, just smiled shortly. "You shouldn't be."
Halphia didn't argue, and Sorrin could imagine the serene smile that would be on her face. For someone who loved peace as much as she did, she was surprisingly comfortable in times of war. She marched in the lines like she belonged there, and Sorrin was proud of her, too.
"We'll have the element of surprise," she remarked next.
"I hope so." His mind was on Abby and her betrayal, however reluctant. If the Camadors had been watching her, then there was a chance that they knew their entire plan and this would end badly.
"You don't think so?"
Sorrin turned his head and looked into those too perceptive eyes. She wanted his honest opinion, and she also knew something was going on. Something more than what he was saying. But she wasn't going to press him for the information, and he was pleased about that.
"We'll be fine," he said finally.
The floating city loomed in the distance, the sun reflecting on the shiny metal dome at the bottom. The ladder was still there, leading up into the city, and it was just like them to leave it there, a testament to their ar
rogance. For one wild moment, Sorrin felt like he had four years ago. He wanted to climb that ladder rashly and burst in, his gun in one hand, sword in the other. But he was older now, and he had learned better, so he made himself stay with the group.
The guards were on the wall, as usual, and it was they who had captured Sorrin the last time he had attempted to gain entry into their city. Now they had a plan for them.
There were five in all, spread out in intervals around the circular wall that guarded the city proper. The commander lifted a hand, and five of the best snipers the colonies had to offer slunk off into their positions. One sniper for each guard.
They'd discussed this, of course. Each guard had to fall at the same time. If one fell before the others, then they would sound the alarm, and it would all be ruined. Caution, Sorrin thought. It was of the essence here.
The commander lifted his hand higher, and no one dared to make a sound. None of the guards had a good view of the ground from up there, and they mostly just watched the perimeter. One of the things about being unbearably arrogant was that it made it hard to imagine that anyone could break through and gain entrance into the city.
Hopefully they were going to show them the price of that mistake.
No one breathed it seemed until the commander lowered his hand in a downward slash that was the cue for the snipers to fire. Their shots were already lined up, fingers on the triggers of their guns, and no sooner had the commander dropped his hand than the blasts went off, silent and deadly streaking towards their targets in jets of silvery green energy.
The impacts made no sound either, but one by one the guards fell, holes burned into their chests.
No one moved for several seconds, waiting to see if there would be any sort of alarm raised from someone seeing what had just happened. When it was all silent, they moved to phase two of the plan.
"We're going in in waves," the commander said. "First line, then second, then third. Take out anyone you see, no questions asked. There are prisoners here, humans, and who knows what else. Getting them out is not our priority."
Sorrin frowned, but then a cleared throat caught his attention. He turned, and the sight of a Camador woman standing there nearly made them all reach for their weapons. Sorrin recognized her just as Abby stepped around her, hands lifted.
"It's alright," she said. "Kaleth is a friend."
The so named Kaleth snorted. "You assume much, human."
Abby rolled her eyes, and it was such an Abby thing that it momentarily made Sorrin ache. She looked...different. There had always been something heavy and worn about her, ever since the moment they met, even though she tried her best to deflect it with humor and bravado. Now it was worse. She looked somehow thinner, and her eyes were bloodshot and heavy, dark circles ringing them as if she hadn't been sleeping. It had only been a week since the last time he'd seen her, and he wanted to pull her closer and demand to know why she wasn't taking care of herself.
Instead, he focused on the plan.
"There are reinforcements coming," Abby was saying, and if she was nervous to speak in front of a veritable army of aliens, she didn't show it. "Kaleth and I will go up with one of your lines and rescue the prisoners."
"We won't be able to protect you," the commander said, visibly dismissive of Abby, more than likely because she was a human.
"That is fine," Kaleth said, and her voice was melodious as always, but sharp. "I can protect her and the others just fine."
"And why should we trust you?"
For a moment, Sorrin thought the words had come out of his own mouth.
Kaleth shrugged. "She trusts me," she said, pointing to Abby. "And I do not want to see my people rule this planet. That is all you need to know."
"It's okay," Abby said. "She's on our side."
And whose side are you on? Sorrin thought, but he kept his mouth closed.
"Have it your way," the commander said. "You'll go in with the second and third lines. First line, move."
The warriors in the front saluted, and Sorrin saw that they were the most experienced, the strongest and best with their weapons. They were the first wave, the ones who would break through any defenses the Camadors might have. The second wave was more of the newer warriors, the ones who were getting their legs for the first time and who might not have seen battles like this before. The third was a mix of the two, ready to clean up any messes. Sorrin was in the third line, and he was ready.
Up and up they climbed, hand over hand on the strange metallic ladder. The sounds of fighting could already be heard from above, and Sorrin's heart was pounding as he moved. Somewhere behind him was Abby, climbing with them, ready to throw herself into danger to save people. To try and make things right.
That's all any of them could try to do, honestly.
It wasn't at all like the last time he had done this. That had been night, the sky heavy and dark. The screams of the dying had been a grisly background to everything that went wrong.
Now it was day, mid afternoon to be exact, and there were still screams, but most of them were the shrill, unpleasant sound that the Camadors made when they stopped being so beautiful. It was actually something to see, and all around them as they vaulted over the edge and landed in the city, the Camadors were now ugly, twisted things.
Gone were the perfect faces and tumbles of shiny hair, and in their place were scales, thick and grey spreading from their faces down their necks and over their arms, claws that jutted out from their fingers, sharp teeth, like fangs, and eyes that glowed red with fury. They hissed and screeched, sending balls of flame flying from their fingers even as others tried to claw the eyes out of some of their opponents.
Core powers. They hadn't known the Camadors possessed such things all those years ago. They'd taken them at face value with those serene faces and placid smiles, and they'd suffered for it. Now, they wouldn't be so hasty.
From the looks of it, the battle was going in their favor. Some of the warriors were wounded, the Camadors were very fast, but most of them were fighting hard, chopping down the enemy as they pushed through towards the tallest building in the floating city.
"That's where she is," a voice said behind him, and Sorrin turned to see Abby standing there. "The Caran, I mean. If you...I mean, if you were looking for someone to blame for what happened to your people." She looked uncertain, and she didn't wait for Sorrin to say anything, probably fearing the worst.
Instead she answered Kaleth's impatient beckoning, and the two of them slipped through the fighting, heading for that shining beacon in the center of the city.
That was where they had escaped from weeks ago, where the prisoners were kept. The official plan had been to try and break enough of the Caran's forces that she'd be forced to surrender, but Sorrin wasn't so sure that would work.
"I'm pushing towards the stronghold, there!" he called out.
The commander faltered for a moment, and Sorrin could see the struggle. He wanted to tell Sorrin to stick to the plan, but he had no command over him. So instead he just nodded and motioned for a handful of warriors to follow.
Together, they fought their way through.
Abby and Kaleth were nowhere to be seen once they reached the stronghold, but the sprung open cells were signs that they had indeed been through there. Sorrin didn't know if the prisoners were all human or if the Camadors had some manner of collection of them, but they were being freed, which would only make the Caran angrier.
Good. He wanted to fight her when she was angry because he was angry, too.
He caught a flash of Abby's bright hair on the next floor, and looked to see her crouched down, speaking to a handful of human women who looked like they were dazed to be rescued. She pointed towards the way out, and Kaleth helped them out of the cell.
Sorrin was still waiting for her to betray them.
For a moment, Sorrin and Abby's eyes met across the hall, and she wavered for a moment, looking like there was something she wanted to say. But she didn't say
anything, instead moving on, flitting up to the next level on swift feet.
From outside the sound of the reinforcements arriving was comforting. This was already longer than his comrades had survived the last time they'd fought the Camadors. Perhaps this would work after all. Sorrin kept moving.
Three Camadors moved to oppose him as he made his way to the next floor. They hadn't changed yet, so they were still beautiful, standing there in their white clothes.
"Stop," the man called out, lifting a hand. "You will go no farther."
"You will not stop me," Sorrin said, and he had his sword flashing through the air in no time. He cut one of them down easily, and then whirled on another, slashing her across the middle while her face twisted and her hands came up. He could see the heat gathering there, and he killed her before she had a chance to kill him.
The last of them, a white haired male, screeched, and he launched himself at Sorrin, claws pointed out, ready to slice his face to bits. Sorrin braced himself and let the creature's momentum drive him down the blade of his sword.
A sort of serenity filled him at that last kill, and he knew, deep inside himself, that he could do this. He could win this fight. Sorrin wasn’t the same as he’d been before, and now it was a good thing. He shook the male’s dying form away from his sword and kept moving. The sounds of fighting were all around now, both outside the stronghold and within, but he was focused on the goal he had in his head. Getting to the Caran.
The main room of the stronghold seemed to be where they were keeping all of their prisoners. Sorrin skidded inside and saw that Kaleth was fiercely defending Abby who was working open the cages with a key they'd clearly taken from a dead guard.
"Traitor," one of the women that Kaleth was fighting hissed. "You are a disgrace to our kind."
"And you will be dead soon," Kaleth snapped, her face twisted, her fingernails elongated, and fire shot out, slamming right into her opponent, who screamed and screeched as she died. All around them, the humans seemed to be terrified and confused, and Abby worked quickly, trying to soothe them and get them to move at the same time so that they wouldn't get caught in the fighting.