He came to a halt and turned to Leilah. They were all wearing their grey cloth suits, and it was hard for him to imagine the radiant and rebellious woman hiding underneath. She was beautiful and didn't belong out here in the wasteland, yet she was, and she was strong enough to survive on her own. She did have the special abilities to assist her, but he knew she could survive without them.
“The base is hidden in the mountains,” he pointed.
She looked ahead. “How are we supposed to get across the lava lake?”
Donnchadh looked around the grey land, trying to find something he’d only heard of. A secret entrance Kirill had talked about several times that traveled under the lava lake to the base of the mountain. He’d never bothered to look on Kirill's map to see where it was because he never thought he'd use it.
“There's a secret entrance somewhere out here in the wasteland,” he answered. “I'm not quite sure where it is, but I know it's out here. It's going to be concealed very well, but it’ll still be out of place.”
“You’ve led us here and you do not know how to get in?” Reamonn asked from behind. “I thought you knew this place.”
“I do. I’ve never used the secret entrance though, it was only for emergencies, and I’ve never had the need to use it.”
“Then how are we supposed to get there?” Reamonn asked. “You don't expect us to travel across a lava lake, do you?”
Leilah grabbed Donnchadh's arm tightly and looked down to the ground. Her grip loosened up after a couple of seconds and she broke up their argument with a flick of her hand.
“I know where it is,” she said. “The secret entrance to the base. I can take you to it.”
Donnchadh and Reamonn both focused their attention on her, surprised that she claimed to know its location.
“How do you know where it’s at?” Reamonn asked. “We don’t travel around this area of Erebos. We steer clear if possible. I know what’s out here and I don’t like it.”
“I saw it in a vision,” she answered, breathing deeply. “It just came to me.”
“Where is it?” Donnchadh asked. “Where did you see it in your vision?”
“It looked to be in some type of cave. I can feel where it's at. There's something tugging at me to move in that direction,” she pointed.
Donnchadh looked to where she was pointing and saw a cluster of rock formations. He had no doubt it was hidden in there. Leilah had somehow found where the secret entrance was using her abilities, and it shocked not only him, but the entire group. Each of them was looking at her with wide eyes, but none wider than her father’s.
“Let's go. It's pulling me to move forward. We can't stay here much longer. It's time to get off Erebos and get to Ares. Something big is about to happen.”
Leilah took lead of the group, with Donnchadh by her side, and they quickly moved to the cluster of rocks. Once they’d trotted through the grey dirt to the rock cluster, they squeezed in-between a crevice and through a hole in the middle of the formation. Leilah continued forward, disappearing into the dark hole. Donnchadh followed closely behind and squinted his eyes once inside, trying to adjust them to the dim light of the cave. It felt wet inside, which was odd, because most of Erebos was dry. Once they’d traveled down the cave further, he knew this wasn't a natural cave. Kirill had made it. That's why it didn't feel like the rest of Erebos, it wasn't meant to be here at all. Leilah stopped at the end of the cave and rubbed her hand across a grey metal door. Donnchadh knew the type of metal well and stepped forward and examined the door.
“How were you able to find this place when the rest of us weren't?” Reamonn asked. “Not a single one of us felt this or saw this, only you.”
“I’ve always seen and felt things you haven't,” she said. “But I’ve always kept them to myself, afraid of what they might lead to, but now I know why I see things you don't. I’m meant for something more, something bigger than myself.”
“I don't understand. You’re just like us. You are no different.”
“No, I am different. I see and feel more than you in every vision that comes to us, but I’ve never understood it. For years I tried, but eventually I gave up because I knew when the day came for me to know why I saw more, a vision would tell me. I was never meant to stay here. That’s what I’ve been seeing these past few weeks,” she said. “You won't be able to help the rebellion. Only I can help the rebellion. I’m the only one who will see and feel things that’ll help lead the rebels to success because I can see the future much clearer than any of you. It’s why I unconsciously urged you to help Donnchadh and it’s why I urged we leave Erebos. If I stay, Orion will fall. I've seen it and now I understand it. Without me, without Donnchadh, there won’t be an Orion anymore.”
“We saw the same thing,” Reamonn replied. “We all saw the bloodshed and death. You aren’t seeing anything we haven’t seen.”
“But I saw much more uncertainty. I saw horrible things, but nothing set in stone, and since then, I've had a tug to leave Erebos and help the rebellion. I’ve had these deep visions before, but never this strong. There’s no way I can turn from this.”
Donnchadh put his hand on a scanner, letting father and daughter talk alone, and the door hissed open. He turned to them and motioned them to follow without a word, momentarily ending their hushed conversation. They traveled down a narrow tunnel directly underneath the lava lake and stopped at another door. He put his hand on the scanner and the door hissed open as he took his helmet off.
“I'm not sure what we'll run into in here,” he said, turning to the others. “I don't know for sure if everyone left with Kirill. I left too quickly to see how many were out there. It looked like everyone, but Kirill always has a backup plan of some sort.”
“It’s safe. There’s no one inside,” Leilah said.
Donnchadh nodded, believing her, knowing without a doubt her sense were right. He led them inside of the abandoned base and through the eerie hallways. Everyone had obviously left in a hurry as it appeared as if very little had been taken along with them. He was sure they’d snuck a few weapons and essentials, but definitely a lot less than they should’ve brought. There was no way any of them could’ve actually believed they’d come back, but looking at the base, it was obvious Kirill had persuaded them it was going to happen. Each of the assassins were his puppets, ready to bend to their leader’s will, as he himself was once willing to do. It was foolish and it would lead to their deaths.
Donnchadh and the tribe entered an elevator and ascended to the hangar. When the doors slid open, a beauty laid in front of them. A slick black ship that he never thought he’d see again – Cerberus.
“We'll take that ship,” he pointed with a smile. “But first, we should go to the armory and get some weapons and armor. There will be plenty left behind for us to use after seeing the rest of the base. The assassins left with bare essentials so we’ll have a pick of whatever we want.”
He led them across the hangar to a large room filled with weapons and top of the line battle armor. This was the room where every assassin kept their equipment used for missions. On top of the weapons and armor on the walls, there were lockers with assassins’ names on top. Donnchadh walked down each row, opening the personal lockers to reveal what was inside. Almost every locker was full and he could see the gleam in the tribe members’ eyes.
“Grab what you need and whatever else you want. This man, and all these assassins, betrayed me. Whatever you see in front of you is ours to take. Everything in here is the best on the market, so take as much as you can.”
Donnchadh walked over with Leilah as she took off her grey cloth suit and walked to a locker with red and black armor. It was a durable, light-weight, material made of part fiber and part metal. The suit she’d chosen was able to resist laser fire and was extremely flexible. The suit hugged her body as she put it on and her orange hair seemed to glow like a raging fire.
“You look much better in that armor than you do in the grey cloth.”
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“And you look better in the cloth wrap,” she joked and hit him. “Let's get some weapons and head to Ares. I can feel things starting to brew in Orion. Tensions are rising and the rebellion will start very soon.”
Donnchadh nodded and walked over to the weapons rack, grabbing a few rifles, pistols, and knives. Once it appeared that the tribe had grabbed everything they wanted, he led them to Cerberus and the nomads boarded a ship for the first time in their lives. Donnchadh went to the cockpit and pressed several buttons, prompting the engine to roar to life. Leilah took sat next to him in the co-pilot seat just as he was lifting Cerberus off the ground. The dock extended out of the mountain and he flew the ship off, exiting Erebos for what he hoped was the final time. He looked down at the grey and orange planet below him, never wanting to return to it again for any reason. This life was over and he wanted to leave any memories of it behind to die. He initiated sonodrive and the ship lurched forward towards Ares and the impending rebellion.
Chapter 24
Abdul waited behind Kirill for an answer. He was trying to convince him now was the time to get rid of Merikh, yet again. The time for stalling had come to an end, but as usual, Kirill wasn’t heeding his advice. Rarely did the man listen to others, but this was something he really needed to listen to because Orion was in more trouble than he could imagine. The crodillians were reckless, and if not put to a stop, everything would be decimated. If that happened, there would be nothing left but dirt for Kirill to rule. That was if he was lucky enough to be spared.
“Kirill, you need to kill Merikh now. If you wait any longer, the rebels will find out that you're on the wrong side of the rebellion and they'll come after you too.”
“Let them come after me,” he shrugged. “How successful do you think they'll be? They have four fleets of crodillians ships to defeat, and after that, they have to go through my assassins. They can hate me all they want, but there’s no way they can defeat me.”
“You're underestimating them. They have nothing to lose, they'll keep fighting until they win. Right now, they fear nothing because everything has been stripped from them.”
“They have lives to lose. Homes, families, and planets that can be destroyed, Abdul. Don't tell me they don't have anything to lose.”
“You think they care about what little they have left?” Abdul exclaimed. “The crodillians have destroyed and taken everything! They’ve killed their families and friends! They have nothing left to lose and everything to gain. I promise you, they’re determined more than any of your men. Once the rebellion begins, it’ll be unstoppable.”
“My men are just as determined as I am.”
“When the rebels find out you're helping Merikh, you’re doomed. I don’t know how many times I need to drill this into you. The rebels will claw and scratch until they’ve killed every last crodillian, then comes you. You’ll be seen as a traitor and they’ll come for you, along with your trusted assassins. I wouldn’t count out your own turning against you, not after siding with the crodillians.”
“Is there something you want to share with me? Are you working with the rebellion forces and trying to turn my own against me and my cause?”
“Kirill!” Abdul grabbed him with both hands. “I’m begging you to listen to me before it's too late.”
“I’ll kill him when I am well and ready!” He pulled himself from Abdul's grasp. “And I suggest you be fine with my decision. I’m tired of hearing of this.”
“I’m trying to help you, but you’re too blind to see it,” he turned. “Merikh will kill the Queen soon and there will be a rebellion. Once the Queen is killed, you can't switch sides, they'll see you the same as Merikh. After that, your vision of a pure galaxy will never happen because you'll never get the chance to rule them. They'll kill you first. Every last one of them.”
“You had better watch it Abdul. Don't think I won't kill you!”
“You won't touch me,” he said over his shoulder. “I'm the only true friend you have left. I can see the loneliness in your eyes, Kirill. If you would listen to me, you’d have friends again.”
Falcone flew the ship over the lush forest below and let off the throttle, getting ready to land at Lacedaemon's spaceport. Defenses were at full force and the force field was covering the entire city. Strike by the crodillians was imminent after the Queen's message and the entire city was on edge, ready to lay down their lives if it came to that.
“I don't think there's any safer place in Orion right now,” Nimesha said.
“Right now, that is,” Falcone replied. “Just wait until the crodillians get here. Then we'll see just how safe it is.”
“The crodillians are the ones who need to be worried,” Kanti came up from behind with Anlon close by. “Pyrrhus knows what he's doing and I guarantee Lacedaemon will be ready for the crodillians. They can bring everything they have and I’d still pick our side to win this battle.”
“Still doesn't mean that I want to be hanging around when they get here. I’d prefer someplace safe from any chance of death,” Falcone winked. “Anlon's cave back on Tartarus seemed pretty nice from what Fausto told me. Maybe I’ll head there after dropping you guys off.”
“Why don't you ever take anything seriously?” Kanti rolled her eyes.
“I take a lot of things seriously! All I’m saying is that this is going to be a long, hard fought, rebellion. I know what you have pictured in your mind and I’m here to tell you it’s nothing like that. We’re going to be fighting in the bodies of our fallen friends. Those around us will think about giving up and even you won’t be able to blame them. When the time comes, you’ll understand.”
Anlon put his hand on her shoulder. “It looks like there are races waiting for us at the dock. Things must be ready to kick off.”
They all looked out of the cockpit window and saw Pyrrhus standing with the entire Council around him. None on board had been aware of their arrival and each were surprised the Council had left the safety of Nesoi.
Falcone softly touched Drakos Mavros down and lowered the ramp. Kanti and Anlon dashed down as soon as it touched ground. They immediately went to Pyrrhus and the Council, letting the others catch up on their own. Both could tell something was up due to the members’ eyes. Each of them was looking at Kanti with what seemed to be fear, and strangely, hope.
“Pyrrhus,” she nodded her head slightly. “Council.”
“We're glad you made it back safely,” Alura said. “You really shouldn't be leaving the protection of Ares for any reason from here on out. This will be the safest place for you when everything begins.”
“I couldn't resist going along to retrieve Anlon. He did save my life on the crodillian ship, along with Camillus. The least I could do was be one of the first to thank him for his sacrifice.”
“Understandable, and we also thank Anlon greatly for that. But now, you must remain here under the protection of the quierleons,” Aida said.
“I’ll go wherever I'm needed,” she put her hands on her hips. “The rebellion is about to begin and I'm not standing on the sidelines watching my people die. I’ll be with them in the trenches.”
“You won't be just watching. The fight will be here, along with every other planet in Orion,” Pyrrhus said.
“You’ve completed the battle plans?” Kanti asked.
“They’ve been finished and sent out to all rebel bases,” Aldrick nodded. “Pyrrhus has gone over it with us and we believe it’s the only chance we have at survival. It’s brilliant, but it’s extremely risky.”
“What's the plan?” Anlon asked. “I've kind of been stranded with Fausto on Tartarus, so sorry if I'm a little behind you guys.”
“We’ll go over it later. Right now, we have a request for the Princess,” Pyrrhus replied.
“What’s your request?” She asked.
“We would like you to give a speech,” Bertrade answered. “A speech that we’ll play for every rebel across Orion. You will give them the hope and courage that they need t
o fight the crodillians. Many will die, but we need you to make sure they never give up hope. It’ll be hard for them when they see their friends fall in battle and you’ll be the one to make sure they know all the lost lives are for a greater cause.”
“Do you really think I will give them hope and courage? Why not someone like, Pyrrhus? The leaders here may know me, but the rest of Orion has never heard from me.”
“They need you,” Aldrick put a firm hand on her shoulder. “You're their Princess, and soon, you'll be their Queen. It’s time you spoke to those you must protect.”
“They haven't killed my mother yet. She's still alive, isn't she?”
“She's alive for now,” Bertrade answered. “But once you give the speech and the rebellion starts, she'll most likely be killed. Merikh will try one last flex of power to urge us to stand down, but we’re prepared for it and we won’t let him scare us.”
“Then I should wait! If they haven't killed her yet, then I have to wait. There’s still a chance we can save her. We can send in someone on a search and rescue mission.”
“You can't wait. The rebels need you right now. They need a Queen to lead them. Your mother knew as soon as she made her speech that she'd die. They've just waited for some odd reason, but her death is inevitable,” Aldrick said. “We need you to make the speech now. Crodillian ships have just left Hera and are surely headed this way. Time is of the essence. If we don’t act now, we may never get the chance again.”
“Won't it be too late for a speech if they’re headed out already?” Anlon asked.
“Only two ships left Hera and there are four planets that still haven't been conquered. If they’re headed here, we’ll get the message out just in time, if not, then I promise you that they’ll be here soon after it’s sent out. Either way, sending the message now ensure all races in Orion see it. It’s too late for the crodillians to put a stop to what’s about to come.” Pyrrhus said.
Rise of the Resistance (War for Orion Trilogy Book Two) Page 24