“We can hold them. We’ll have to change our plan some, but we can still use the forest to our advantage. The only thing we really need to change is how soon we reveal our true numbers and maybe expand how much forest we fight over. Thin the enemy out some,” Ludwig stroked his chin.
“Dorjan is also helping us,” Zarah said. “He's going to bug the crodillians' base. We'll know what they're doing as they're doing it. We’ll be outnumbered, but knowing there moves could allow us to hold them off until you finish your battle.”
A sly grin inched across Pyrrhus’ face. “See, I knew you'd be able to handle it.”
“We have yet to see if we can handle it. You should've told us much sooner than now what your plan was,” Yvette said.
“We’ve only just now finished it. Ares is the only planet left to be conquered and I believe it was intentional. The time is near for our rebellion to spring into action and the enemy can feel it.”
“We'll be ready to strike when you give the word,” Zarah said. “We’ll make our adjustments quickly.”
“The Princess will be giving a message soon. Let your entire base see it. It’ll give them hope. We’ll send it out to every planet in Orion in hopes that it brings in more rebels to the fight. Once it's sent out, be prepared to fight. Kanti’s speech will be the signal for the beginning of the rebellion.”
“We'll be ready. Don’t you worry,” Zarah smiled widely.
The image of Pyrrhus blinked off the wall and left Zarah alone with her officers. She could see the fight burning in their eyes, despite what Pyrrhus had just told them about the fleet and how long they’d have to hold enemy back. They were ready to fight, and she knew they'd fight well. All of their training would finally get to be used and they'd get revenge on the crodillians for killing loved ones and destroying homes.
“Go tell all of the races to get ready for the rebellion,” she told them. “The second Pyrrhus gives us the word, we’ll strike, not one moment later. Prep the vehicles and update all on the battle plan. The time is near.”
Ludwig and Yvette gave her a quick nod and left the room, with the others following close behind. She hadn't been prepared for what Pyrrhus had told them, but she believed in her officers and rebels. Though they would be in combat with more forces than expected, she truly believed they stood a chance if Dorjan succeeded in bugging the crodillians' base. Without the bugs, winning would be hard, no matter what Pyrrhus tried to tell them. Either way, she was ready to lay down her life so Orion could be freed of these monsters. She knew every other rebel on the base felt the same way. There was no other group of races she'd want to lead into this rebellion. This was now here family.
Jahdiel saw Hermes quickly approaching through the cockpit. The planet was illuminated with light, but seemed quieter than it should be for the planet of trade. Not a single ship was in orbit and from where she was at, she couldn’t see any in the planet’s airspace either. No commotion on land nor air. Calmness was all she saw and that wasn’t a good sign of things to come for the crodillians.
Mixed feelings had washed over Jahdiel since last talking to the Queen on Hera. When she’d first arrived, she wanted to burn every planet, but now, she knew her mind had been clouded with hate. She’d lacked facts, and for fifteen long and brutal years, she knew nothing but hate and lies. In only a few short months, all of that had changed. Fighting for the crodillians was something she no longer wanted to do, but she was shackled. There was no other option but to play along for the time being.
It wasn't until Merikh had started treating her differently did she realize her grave mistakes. Luckily, she still had a chance to live, unlike the Queen whose death she was ultimately responsible for. It was her who’d led the crodillians to victory in the last galaxy, and it was her who’d brought death and destruction to this one. For fifteen years she’d been a puppet, always in the claws of Merikh. Only one choice stood before her now and it pained her more than she could’ve imagined months ago. She had to finish what she started and take over the remaining planets in Orion. If she didn’t, she’d be killed and the crodillians would finish the job.
“Tell the pilots to man their ships,” she said down to the deck below her. “They are to take the planet peacefully. Do not engage unless engaged upon.”
The crodillians below her relayed the message to the pilots and fighter’s and bomber’s streamed from the Colchian, quickly descending upon Hermes. From here, she saw no resistance, but she couldn't see on the planet itself. She pulled up imagery on one of the bombers and watched his feed.
Hermes was eerily quiet, not a race to be seen for as far as the eye could see. She didn't think there'd be many out after Merikh's message, but being this quiet was quite a surprise. The bomber continued to fly over the land, only to find more empty cities and green forests. Every race had either gone into hiding or they’d abandoned the planet.
She saw a bomber begin to drop bombs on the city her feed was approaching. “What are they doing!” She shouted, standing up and grabbing the rail in front of her. “Tell them to stop now!”
The crodillians below sent a message to the ships, but the bombing took several minutes to seize. She clenched her fists, knowing that whoever was in that bomber had deliberately disobeyed her. This was no accident and she wouldn't let it slip. It was time for her to make a point. This was her fleet and she was ready to let them all know it, even if they wanted to kill her for it.
“Call them back,” she ordered.
One of the crodillians looked up. “You want us to stop the invasion?”
“Yes! Tell them all to come back to the Colchian now! And whoever was flying that bomber is to report to me as soon as they arrive back.”
She saw the crodillians reluctantly send the message to the invading fighters and bombers and they obeyed the order and docked the Colchian within minutes. Jahdiel sat in her seat and stared out to Hermes. She waited for the crodillian who’d defied her to come, but after several minutes she knew he wouldn’t see her. The crodillians below were whispering softly, as if hiding something from her.
“Do you not think I can hear you? Is there something you want to tell me?”
Several of them looked up to her, but none responded. They knew something she didn't and they were obviously trying to keep it from her. Leading them was becoming more difficult every day. Somehow, they’d all forgotten who helped them win their war back in the other galaxy, and now she was about to remind them of that ruthless woman. What they thought of her no longer mattered to her. Only a short time remained for her to lead and she was going to make sure each one of them obeyed future orders without a second thought.
“Where is the pilot that broke my order?” She demanded. “Why isn't the pilot here in front of me?”
“We aren't sure who dropped the bombs. There was so much going on that we weren't able to pinpoint it,” one of the crew responded.
“Then I suggest you find out quickly,” she glared. “Starting now.”
The crodillians looked back and forth to each other and then each looked up to her simultaneously. “There's no way we can find out, Jahdiel. The ships are unmarked and we can’t know for certain who did it.”
She turned around to leave the cockpit. “Then I’ll find out for myself who did it.”
Jahdiel marched down the halls to the hangar where all the pilots were gathered, waiting for her to arrive. One stood out from the rest, and she immediately knew he was the one who had defied her. He stood in front of the others, chest puffed out, and eyes drilling through her. Obviously, he thought he was above her, but was he wrong.
“Which one of you fired after I gave specific orders against it?”
“You said we could engage if engaged upon first,” one of the crodillians in the group said.
“I did say that,” she nodded. “But do you think I'm dumb enough to believe that rebels engaged you? There wasn't a single race to be seen! You disobeyed a direct order and now you’re trying to cover it up by lying to
my face.”
“The Queen called for a rebellion. This is what Merikh would want,” the pilot standing at the front of the group said.
“Merikh demanded peace, and unless my eyes were deceiving me, and I promise you they weren't, there was peace! Not a single rebel even emerged to fight you. You fired upon them without being provoked.”
“We are carrying out Merikh's direct orders. We’re doing his will and we don't care if we kill your kind,” he replied.
“My kind?” She repeated in a mocking tone. “Do you not remember who led you to success back in your home galaxy?”
“I remember very well,” he nodded. “Merikh did, not you. It was him who led us to victory. You did no more than the rest of us.”
She clenched her fists and took in a deep breath. “You see me as weak now, don't you? I’m no longer fit to lead because I'm not burning and killing every living thing there is. Well, get used to it. That's what your leader wants.”
“You show your weakness by not allowing us to bomb a planet that will aid the Queen's rebellion. If you were strong, you would side with us. Merikh won’t care if we bomb one planet in order to make a point.”
Jahdiel walked towards him, pulling a blade from her side, and drove it through his heart. “Am I weak now? Am I no longer fit to lead you?” She looked around the group with fire in her eyes. “This is my Colchian and you will follow my orders. If you disobey one of my orders, I will kill you. There are no more second chances.”
She pulled the blade out of the pilot and moved out of the way as his lifeless body dropped to the floor with a thud. She glared at the other crodillians and saw a new look in their eyes: hate. Rage was burning in their eyes and she knew they wanted to kill her, but they couldn't. They had to obey her. This was her ship and she’d just shown what happened to any that defied her.
“Go back down to Hermes and take it over peacefully. Don’t make me use another one of you as an example because I have no problem with killing any of you.”
She turned her back to them and left the hangar. Jahdiel knew killing the pilot was going to mean her death, but she didn't care anymore. None of the crodillians would stand for her actions, and when word spread, plots would be put together for her assassination. All that mattered to her at this point was she’d drove a point home. It was her who was the strong one, at least until she arrived back on Hera. Still, she had time to bend the crew to her will and prove they needed her in order to succeed.
She wanted to finish taking over Orion, and there was only one planet left: Ares. She had to be there for Ares at all costs and wouldn't let anything hold her back. It was Adira who’d given her the courage to kill the beast and she had to finish what she’d started. Adira had taught her many things besides forgiveness since coming back to Orion. The Queen had shown her to stand up for what is right, even after making mistakes, and that's what she was going to do. She was going to make sure that things were set right, even if she was playing a game of life and death.
Chapter 26
Moran stood near the outskirts of the base, guiding in new survivors as they approached. The young races he’d sent out were doing better than he’d expected as several hundred races had arrived. Space was quickly diminishing within the base, but he knew it wouldn't matter with the imminent rebellion. All the arriving survivors had seen the Queen's message and knew why they were being recruited. Young and old alike were ready to risk their lives in order to get rid of the crodillians once and for all. Many looked like they’d been hiding in rubble and a fire was raging in their eyes.
He saw the young races walking back up with another group of survivors. They were bloody and injured and Moran immediately knew they’d run into trouble.
He yanked the young boy aside as the others went by. “What happened out there?”
“A convoy of crodillians ran into us. They must’ve seen us gathering survivors and they attacked us. The beasts came out of nowhere and caught us completely off guard. Luckily, some of the survivors were good in combat and helped us kill them.”
“Were you followed back here?”
“No,” he shook his head. “We killed them all and hid for a while before continuing on. No others came for the convoy and we moved out by foot after that, careful to keep an eye out for any of them stalking us.”
“Good job,” Moran put his hand on his shoulder. “Go get cleaned up with the others. The time to rebel will be soon. You’ve gathered more than enough survivors to help us succeed. Any others left out there will join the fight when it comes near to them.”
The young boy smiled and ran off to join the rest of his group who’d lagged behind for him. Though some of the survivors had only just arrived, it was time for him to reveal his final plan. Time was short and they had to act quickly. Moran turned around and walked into Xiphos.
The base was teeming with diverse life. Every corner he turned there were races huddled together embracing loved ones they thought they’d lost in the initial attack. It made him happy to see so many reunited, but they would soon be at war, so the happiness would be short lived. It pained him to tear them apart after just coming back together, but they knew why they were here. Each survivor understood the risks involved and were more than willing to fight.
He walked to his personal quarters, which he was sharing with others in order to fit in more survivors. He maneuvered his way through the room and stopped at his desk. A comline was on top and he put the microphone to his mouth.
“I would like to welcome all of the new survivors to Xiphos. Unfortunately, there will be no time for rest. The time to act will be soon and we’re preparing now as I speak. I need you to all gather in the Mess Hall so I can go over everything in greater detail.”
He hung up the intercom and made his way to the Mess Hall. Races quickly pushed their ways down the halls, trying to be the first one to arrive so they could be up front. He still wasn't used to the whole General thing, but all the survivors seemed to love him. He hadn't had any question his authority yet, but he knew that could change at any moment, especially with so many new races in the base. There was bound to be an ex-military somewhere who’d claim to have more experience.
He squeezed his way through the crowded Mess Hall to get to the front. Moran stood up on one of the tables once at the front, elevating himself above the rest so they could see his face. The room was filled up to every corner and lines of races extended through the hallways.
“You’ve all heard the Queen's message. She’s told us the rebellion is to start now. I’m still waiting on the go ahead from Pyrrhus, but in the meantime, we’ll start enacting Xiphos' rebellion plan. First, I’ll need volunteers to act as scouts. You’ll hide throughout Hassental to update us on their position and movements. This part of the plan can start now, so if you’re interested, meet with me after this announcement,” he looked around the room to see more rebels trying to squeeze their way in. “The next part can't be put into action until I receive the go ahead. Xiphos and every other rebellion force in Orion will strike the crodillians at the same time. Our plan here is very simple. We’re still greatly outnumbered, but we know this land better than the enemy. It’s our home. Hassental lies in rubble, but we’ll use that rubble to our advantage. We’ll fight on multiple fronts: the city and the country,” he saw fear on the faces of the rebels, but he knew when the time came, they'd fight bravely. “We’ll utilize guerilla warfare tactics in the city. Attacking and retreating, using the crumbled buildings for cover and hiding when they come after us. In the country, we’ll face them head on with our war vehicles. This will spread out their forces, making them choose which front they want to commit the most soldiers to.”
“How will it be determined who goes where?” One of the rebels at the front asked him.
“You’ll choose which front you want to fight on,” he answered. “But we need rebels for both fronts. If everyone chooses one, I’ll be forced to move some to the other against their will. I don't want to force you to fig
ht on a front that you don't want to, but we need rebels fighting in the city and in the country. We have to spread out their men. We can’t take on that many head on.”
“Who will lead the units?” Another asked, this time from the back. “You’re the only General we have. We have no officers amongst us.”
“You’ll choose your officers. You know who’ll be a better leader than me. Choose the best leader, or leaders, for your unit. I’ll be leading the strike in the country because it’ll be the most dangerous. I’ll get updates from the city, but you're on your own in the decisions that you make, so pick someone who can lead well,” Moran looked around the room for anymore questions. “Not all have to fight. I won’t force woman, children, and elderly to fight, but all are welcome to help. If a woman wants to fight on one of the fronts, she can. If a young child wants to, it's up to his or her parents. This rebellion will help determine the outcome of our galaxy’s war. It’s not my say who can fight and who cannot. This is your home as much as mine. If you want to fight, then I stand by your side and wish you the best of luck.” He looked to all the races. Each of them was staring at him intently and it was clear none would stay behind from the look in their eyes. “Those of you who want to be scouts, can meet with me now. The rest of you, be ready to start the rebellion at any moment.”
He got down from the table and stood at the front of the room. He watched patiently as many of the races left the Mess Hall. It took several minutes for the room to clear, but several had stayed behind. Scouting wasn't the most glamorous job, and he didn't expect many to volunteer, but he was satisfied with the few he saw before him.
A familiar face walked up to him with a smile. The young boy who’d gone out scouting for survivors now stood at his feet. Moran put his hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled back. The rest of the group he’d gone out with were also stayed behind to volunteer, along with a few other younger rebels who knew they wouldn't be much help in a fire fight.
Rise of the Resistance (War for Orion Trilogy Book Two) Page 26