Chapter 17
Zarah stood above the races in the Dining Hall with both hands grasped to the rail. There was no podium in the room and it was essential every race saw her so she’d stood at the top of the stairs. Every race needed to be reminded that every choice meant life of death from here on out. If the crodillians found out about this base, every last one of them would be slaughtered and their planet burned. Not very many of the races had seen firsthand what the crodillians could do, but it was her job to make them understand. Simply being aware of what they were capable of and witnessing it in person were two completely different things.
Once they’d arrived at the base, she’d left them alone to settle into their new home. Living underground like this would take them all some getting used to and she wanted to make sure they were comfortable before speaking to them. Settling in was no over, though. It was time to bring their focus back on the imminent threat. The crodillians were bound to be on Hermes soon and she needed every race to be prepared for the worst.
She look down and cleared her throat once all the races were silent. “I know that living down here may be a little harder than you may have initially thought,” Zarah looked around the room, seeing nods of agreement. “It’s hard for me too, but we’ll all get used to it. We won't be stuck down here forever in hiding, it is only temporarily.”
“How long is temporarily?” Someone asked. “I’ve heard rumors that we’ll never be allowed to leave here. That this rebellion you're talking of isn’t real.”
“Those rumors are false,” she assured them all. “Bases, just like this one, are being established throughout Orion. Races, like you and I, are abandoning their homes in hopes this rebellion will pull together. I truly believe with all of my heart, that this rebellion will be successful.”
“How much outside contact do you have?” Someone else asked. “What’s going on right now? We can’t access anything of the outside world from down here.”
“I'm not sure at this exact moment,” she shrugged. “I can tell you the crodillians still haven't come to Hermes. Dorjan, the man who was against coming here, agreed to stay in Thermopylae with his rebels to gather intel. When the crodillians arrive, I’ll let you all know. Now for the other stuff, it’ll have to stay between myself and those I choose as officers,” she looked around the room for any ready to speak out against her decision to keep intel from them. “I’ve appointed ten officers to assist me with getting the rebellion ready. You all know who you are because you received a letter this morning. You will report to me immediately after this meeting.”
“What about the rest of us?” A Filibian asked. “What are we to do?”
“You’ll report to areas that fit your skill set. I won’t determine what your skill set is or where you’re placed, it will be up to you. Each of you know what you're good at and I trust that you'll report to the correct area. At the front of the Dining Hall, I’ve put a map of the base,” she told them. “Each area is marked. For example, the kitchen. We need races to make food for us, so if you’re a cook, you can report to the kitchen. If you’re a nurse, you report to the medical room and so on and so forth. I won’t force you to move anywhere, but remember, there’s more to a rebellion than just fighters. Every job is important, so I’m leaving it up to you to choose wisely,” she paused a moment. “Are there any questions?”
She gazed around the room and didn't see any races raise their hands or speak up. It was going much smoother than she’d expected. Sure, some had spoken out, but none were against her decisions. Allowing them to choose where they wanted to fight in the rebellion had been a tough choice, but one she thought would make them fight harder. None would feel as if they’d been forced to do anything, making them fight as one and not just individuals wanting to survive.
“The appointed officers can come to the Command Center,” she said. “The rest of you can find your place within this base. Once you’re in place, I’ll find leaders and supervisors for every section. They’ll work with you to set ground rules. Once they’re set, they’re to be followed unless an amendment is made. We must all work together now, times may be hard, but we’ll push through.”
Zarah left Dining Hall and walked down the empty halls to the Command Center. She stood at the end of the rectangular table once in the room and patiently waited as her appointed officers filed into the room. Once she counted that all were present, she began to talk.
“I’ve appointed you all for a reason. Pyrrhus has given me detailed reports on every race, and you were the most qualified to be officers. Now most of you, like me, have never been in the military,” she saw nods from all but two officers. “But you all possess skills vital to leading a successful rebellion. Some of you are leaders. Some have knowledge with weapons and fighting tactics. Others know how to put together battle plans. Military experience is only a plus, but surely not necessary in order to succeed,” she smiled widely, trying to make them feel comfortable. “We’re rebels. We’re the last hope for Orion and you ten are the best races there are to lead this rebellion. All of us, even those out there, had to leave their old lives behind and start a new one. Life after this war will never be the same as before, but we can try to make it as close to the same as possible. Right now, I want all of us to become acquainted. From here on out, we eleven will always be together. We will train, eat, sleep, and learn together. We’ll know each other inside and out, and when the time comes to attack the crodillians, we’ll defeat them as one.”
The races smiled to her and began to chatter amongst themselves. She could see the enthusiasm and determination in their eyes. They may have lost their old lives, but each and every one of these ten races was willing to fight to the death in order to get it back. She dug through a lot of background papers to find these ten and her work was already paying off. They’d lead the base to victory.
“It sure doesn't look like there’s a rebellion being put together here,” Falcone flew the ship on Ares. “It looks pretty peaceful, if you ask me.”
“The Council said that the three hundred ships were here,” Kanti said. “The rebellion has to be here. Maybe they're just concealing themselves from enemies. My mother did send out that speech for peace.”
“I’d think they’d want to attack any incoming enemies. This is the quierleons’ home planet after all. They’re not known to give up anything without one hell of a fight,” Falcone said.
“Not exactly,” Nimesha said. “They’re greatly outnumbered. They’re most likely waiting for the right time to strike. The quierleons are masters of war. Being predictable isn’t something they’re known for either.”
“Well, where do I go?” Falcone asked. “There are plenty of places the planetary leaders could be.”
“Lacedaemon,” Nimesha told him. “It's the capital of Ares. Every leader from every planet in Orion is likely to be hiding there.”
“All in one place?” Kanti asked.
“It's very heavily guarded. The place always was when I was assigned to missions here. It'll be hard for the crodillians to take the city, especially with the increase in security.”
“Then to Lacedaemon we go,” Falcone piloted the ship in the direction of the capital.
It took them fifteen minutes to see the city approaching from the cockpit of Drakos Mavros. The city was impossible to miss. A blue semi-circle force field covered the city and a sea of lush green tress surrounded it. While the rest of Ares had been quiet so far, Lacedaemon was booming with life. Small fighter ships circled around the dome, and it wasn't long before one of the fighters was alongside them.
“What’s your business on Ares?” A voice asked on the comline.
“We're here to meet with the planetary leaders,” Nimesha answered. “We have vital information on how to defeat the crodillians.”
“Go ahead,” the fighter broke off.
Falcone piloted the ship over the massive sea of trees and through the blue force field into Lacedaemon. He found a spot at the ship dock and slowl
y took Drakos Mavros down, setting down with a light thud. The dock was teeming with robots, mechanics, and pilots. Tools were scattered around ships and large parts lay on the ground where someone was busy working away on it. They were preparing to take their ships into battle. He powered down the engines and lowered the ramp.
“Let's go tell these leaders what they're up against. I'm sure that they aren't prepared for what they're about to hear,” Falcone rose from his seat. “It sure caught me off guard when I heard about their magic powers.”
“I would guess they don't even have the slightest clue as to what they’re up against,” Nimesha followed him down the ramp.
“Just where are they going to be? I doubt they'll be somewhere where everyone can find them easily,” Kanti said.
“That’s where you’re wrong. There’s no point in them hiding. If the crodillians attack, every race here will die,” Falcone said.
“They'll be in the Capitol building,” Nimesha said. “It's where the Prime Minister stays and where I’ve gone on every one of my missions. They're all very likely to be gathered there. It’s one of the most secure places on the entire planet.”
They walked through the busy dock and waved down a bypassing taxi. It stopped and lowered to the ground. The door flung opened and they all entered the back seat.
“Where are you off to?” The driver asked, putting his arm over the seat and turning.
“The Capitol,” Kanti answered.
“Lots of races coming and going from there recently,” the driver lifted the cruiser. “I'm guessing you won't tell me what for, besides a rebellion of course.”
“We have information that’ll lead us to defeat the crodillians,” Kanti said.
“Oh?” The driver grinned and laughed. “I sure hope you're right. Have you seen what they did to Demeter and Gaea? Pretty nasty stuff! They seem unstoppable.”
“Well, they aren't,” Kanti glared.
“Hey! I'm no military man or nothing. I don't know what's possible and what's not possible. I just know what I see, and so far,” he looked back, taking his hands off the wheel. “Well, I think you know.”
“That's enough. Leave the girl alone,” Nimesha said. “Just drive before you make the girl mad and I have to kill you.”
The driver turned back around and focused on the sky ahead. The city was bustling with races getting ready for an attack. They all sensed impending rebellion and were preparing themselves for invasion.
The driver landed the cruiser and opened the doors. “Don't worry about the fare, it's on me.”
“Are you sure?” Kanti asked.
“I wouldn't want to charge the woman responsible for saving Orion,” he winked and drove off.
“I don't think we're going to be able to just walk in there,” Falcone said. “They look like they have things locked up pretty tight.”
Kanti and Nimesha looked over to see he was right. There were armed guards walking the perimeter out front and war tanks were parked on the yard with the barrels aimed to the streets. Barricades had been set up on corners and they only way through was to cross over them.
“Lead the way, Princess,” Falcone held his hands out.
Kanti walked forward and was met by a tall, brown, human man. He was bald, with blue eyes and a black braided beard. She’d never seen him in person, but she knew exactly who he was.
“General Pyrrhus,” she held out her hand. “It's an honor to finally meet you.”
“No,” he bowed. “The honor is all mine, Princess,” he looked to the others. “I’m glad to see you got off Ovrea okay. The Council and I were worried that something may have happened to you.”
“We ran into a little bit of trouble on Ovrea,” Nimesha revealed. “We lost Anlon on the way back.”
Pyrrhus looked to them worriedly. “Follow me. Now what happened?”
“That woman named Jahdiel,” Kanti spat the name with venom. “She forced us to surrender peacefully or she'd shoot us down.”
“The crodillians got there right as we located the Elders,” Nimesha interrupted.
“She let you go?” Pyrrhus asked.
“Are you kidding me? Nimesha broke us free from the cell she put us in and we fought our way off the ship.”
“You what?” Pyrrhus turned around. “How'd you manage to do that?”
“We do have one of the best assassins in Orion traveling with us,” Falcone grinned. “And Anlon took out the guard that would’ve stopped us.”
“The best, Falcone,” Nimesha corrected. “I’m the best assassin in Orion.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he said with a flick of the wrist. “Anyway, Nimesha, Anlon, and Camillus got us off that ship.”
“So, you left without both Anlon and Camillus?” Pyrrhus asked.
“We didn't have a choice. Security doors blocked Anlon off. Even if we had time to get him, we would've gotten caught. They somehow found out that Kanti was the Princess, once they knew that, we knew we had to get off the ship. Camillus sacrificed himself in order for us to escape,” Nimesha said.
“I’ve heard some about the humanoid, but not much.”
“He was more than just a robot. Camillus was just like you and me. He could think, feel, and knew how to be a friend,” Kanti’s head hung. “He transformed his image to be me. The crodillians took the bait and let us go.”
“Nice,” Pyrrhus opened the doors. “So, you don't know for sure if Anlon is okay?”
“We don’t know what happened to him,” Kanti shook her head. “I feel horrible. Nimesha forced us to move forward. I didn't want to leave without him, but I knew it was the right choice.”
“Nimesha is smart. From what the Council tells me, the kid is smart too. I have no doubt he’s alive,” he led them down the stone halls. “Did the Elders reveal anything to you?”
“They did and you’re going to want everyone to hear this!” Kanti replied. “The crodillians haven't even showed their true strengths yet.”
“How could they be any stronger?” He asked. “They’ve wiped out almost all of our ships and have lost only a few hundred of their own.”
“They have telekinetic powers, Pyrrhus. They've just been toying with us,” Nimesha said. “If they really wanted to, they could wipe out this entire galaxy within a month.”
Pyrrhus stopped in front of a door. “What else did they tell you?”
“That the monsters were barely defeated last time. The Elders seemed to think it was luck more than anything. Honestly, I don't think they believe we stand any chance,” Falcone said.
“I believe we do stand a chance.” Kanti said. “They defeated them using guerrilla warfare tactics last time. The Elders said big clusters enable them to use their telekinetic powers. If we don't gather in one place, they can't use it against us.”
“The Elders also said they didn't have stealth fields when they first fought the crodillians. That’s something we can use to our advantage,” Nimesha said.
“They're impatient and overconfident. We'll lure them into traps,” Pyrrhus thought aloud. “They may not be as invincible as they first seemed.”
“So you think we stand a good chance?” Kanti asked.
“I think we stand a decent chance,” Pyrrhus nodded. “I don't know about those powers, but hopefully we never get the chance to see them. I have some other things being set up that’ll help us out tremendously when the time to strike comes.”
“You're gathering rebels,” Nimesha said.
“Oh, more than that,” he grinned. “There are rebellion forces being set up on every planet. I set two big ones up with thousands of rebels on Hermes and Gaea. I believe we can use them as distractions as we take down their fleets.”
“You mean sacrifice them?” Kanti asked surprised. “We can't do that.”
“You misunderstand what I mean. They'll be rebellions. Big rebellions. Every one of the bases these rebels are gathered at, are well equipped with weapons. They won’t be martyrs,” he clarified. “From my reports, the crodillian
s only have four fleets. Two always overtake a planet while two stay at Hera. I believe if I order all of the bases to rebel when the two crodillian fleets arrive here, they’ll only leave one to conquer us and send the other fleets to stop other various rebellions,” Pyrrhus paused. “Just thinking out loud, but once I tell the other military leaders what you just told me, we'll put an unbeatable battle plan together.”
“Where are they?” Kanti asked. “The leaders?”
“Right in here,” Pyrrhus opened the door and walked in. “Let's tell them what the Elders told you.”
Pyrrhus led them to a stage at the front of the packed room. Tables and monitors were spread throughout the room and leaders huddled tightly around them. In the upper part of the room, holoscreens were pulled up, displaying the crodillians current movements on every planet. Every one of these races seemed determined to beat the crodillians and Kanti knew the information they’d just gotten would only increase their chances for success.
Pyrrhus held up his hands and the room became quiet. “Someone very important has just arrived on Ares with crucial information in our fight against the crodillians. The Princess is here with me right no,” he motioned to her.
Chatter erupted around the room, as some leaders found out for the first time the Queen had a daughter. Some had already heard the whispers among higher ups and others knew as much about it as the rest of Orion. Even so, every one of them was surprised and didn’t know how to act to her presence amongst them.
“She and her companions have traveled to Ovrea to speak with the Elders,” he continued. “They’ve fought the crodillians before and provided us with a piece of information that none of us knew about. They possess telekinetic powers,” he paused while the chatter got even louder. “We can't attack them in large groups. We must utilize other tactics. The Elders said last time they were defeated, the Orion fleets and armies used a type of guerilla warfare. This is how we will defeat the enemy.”
Rise of the Resistance (War for Orion Trilogy Book Two) Page 18