Isa blinked at Vanessa, surprised.
“Don’t think for a moment that you aren’t the right leader for this system. You are. You always were.”
Isa stared at Vanessa for several long seconds.
“Whenever you can manage, visit me on Tiao. I’ll lift your exile status,” Isa said.
“I would be honored,” Vanessa said with a bow of her head.
Isa left the palace, joining the others.
Everyone was silent as they drove to the docking station. Everyone could feel the seriousness in the air. Even though the meeting with the Alliance had turned in their favor, they knew that they were now, officially, at war with Gihron.
Still silent, they boarded the ship and soared back into space.
Kailynn fell asleep as soon as they started their smooth flying toward their first Gate. She was exhausted from the few short days on Fortunea. The formalities, dinners, meetings, and secret message exchanges were almost impossible to keep up with. Kailynn knew she would never be meant for the political world. She would rather do her job, do it well, and then go home and be with Isa.
Part of her admired the Elite for being able to do what she did, but seeing her in action at the meeting, the way she commanded the room, the secret exchanges, the power play between her and the other politicians, also frightened Kailynn. She had no idea Isa was capable of that behavior.
She was awoken by a gentle hand on her head.
She turned over and saw Isa sitting on the bed next to her, a gentle smile on her face.
“Are you feeling alright?” she asked, pressing the back of her hand against Kailynn’s forehead.
“Yeah,” the younger woman said, sitting up. “I’m just tired.”
“Travel and a quick turnaround like that will do that to you,” Isa said knowingly. She ran her hand over Kailynn’s hair again. “You’ve been quiet for a few days. Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” Kailynn said. “I’m just…there was a lot for me to think about.”
“What do you mean?”
Kailynn shifted on the bed, folding her legs and looking at Isa seriously.
“How many people do you have spying on other planets?”
Isa paused, thinking.
“Over one hundred,” she finally answered. “I’m sure you’ve handled some of their information at the Intelligence Agency.”
“Don’t you worry that we’re being spied on?”
“Absolutely,” Isa said with a chuckle. “In fact, Jesmia, the other woman with us, she’s a Silver Spoon spy.”
“A what?”
“She was approached several years ago by Kren, another planetary leader, who offered to pay her to spy on the Syndicate. However, she is very loyal to me, and I tell her what to tell him. She feeds him information for me, acting as his spy while working for me the entire time.”
Kailynn blinked, slowly shaking her head.
“You’re different when you’re an Elite,” she murmured.
“Different?”
“There is something frightening about the fact that you have so many spies around the system,” Kailynn said. “I don’t know, it just feels scary, like you don’t trust anyone.”
“I don’t,” Isa admitted. “I can’t afford to. Every politician in the system has an agenda. As Golden Elite of Tiao, the voice of Venus, it is my duty to keep the system as secure as possible. Knowing what everyone is up to is a means to keep control over the Alliance and the Altereye System.”
Kailynn looked down at the bed.
“I’m not cut out for this political world,” she said. “All the secret notes and messages…it was exhausting to keep up with.”
Isa chuckled lightly, reaching forward and resting her hand on Kailynn’s.
“It’s exhausting for me, too,” she said. “But that is how I survive.”
“Do you ever get tired of it?”
“All the time,” Isa said. “Why do you think I’m so eager to come home and be with you, the one person I don’t have to be Golden Elite with?”
Kailynn smiled slightly, her heart skipping a beat at the words.
“This war is going to be bad, isn’t it?”
Isa sighed heavily. “I don’t know.”
“It seemed like there were a lot of planets that weren’t keen on supporting you.”
“The Ninth Circle makes everyone nervous,” Isa said. “They’re uncontrollable, and that’s frightening for any leader.”
“Do they scare you?”
“Yes,” Isa said quietly. “They do.”
“Did they before Colonel Amori?”
Isa nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
Kailynn averted her eyes, taking a deep breath.
“I wish I understood more about what was going on.”
Isa shifted on the bed, facing Kailynn completely.
“The truth is Gihron has always wanted control of the system. They believe that a militaristic approach to society is the best, and that respect should be earned by those who climb through the ranks of service. Those who do not serve the military agenda on Gihron are treated like slaves, forced to live in crowded, unsanitary barracks and make weapons and other goods that keep the Gihron government wealthy enough to raise their troops and build their army. Gihron is a barbaric place. The planet is desert with limited food and water, and the people who do not serve the military do not have access to food or water most days. The way they treat their people is horrific. That is why I invited them to the Alliance, to try and help the people of Gihron. That’s why…”
“That’s why Colonel Amori wouldn’t compromise?” Kailynn asked.
Isa sighed heavily, lowering her gaze.
“Gihrons are very prideful,” she continued. “And they believe that an Alliance between the planets destroys the societies of each planet. They say that unity is toxic to civilizations, that everyone should remain separate and out of each other’s business.”
“Makes sense to me.”
“If all planets were like Caroie or Fortunea, I would agree,” Isa said with a nod. “But there are many planets that cannot support their own population, mostly due to food supply. Before the Crescent Alliance was formed, those poorer planets attacked larger ones, desperate for something to help their people. When other planets are more fortunate, or wealthier than others, it can breed discontent very quickly. That is why the Alliance is vital. It’s the only way some planets can get food to sustain their societies. Gihron, who enslaves their people and lets them die of starvation, believing that food is something that needs to be earned by signing your life away to the ranks of the military, does not believe in giving aid to other planets, like we do.”
Kailynn pursed her lips.
“When you explain these things to me,” she started slowly, “all I can think about is how Trid is the same way.”
“It’s the same everywhere,” Isa said, nodding. “Humans are the same, no matter what language they speak, or what color their skin is, or who they bow to.” Isa’s thumb gently rubbed the back of Kailynn’s hand. “And we’ll work on getting Trid incorporated into Anon. You just have to give me time with Venus.”
Kailynn smiled thinly.
“You confuse the hell out of me sometimes,” she chuckled brokenly.
“Why?”
“The way you spoke at the meeting, telling everyone that you were the most powerful person in the room and saying some of the things you did to the other leaders, anyone would think you were a heartless dictator. But then you tell me that you’re trying to save the non-citizen criminals of Trid, and that you are trying to keep the Alliance together because the people of the planets should always have food. The two images just don’t seem to fit together.”
“That’s because I have to be a politician with the members of the Alliance,” Isa said. “I have to intimidate and flaunt my power with them to serve my agenda. But my agenda has been, and always will be, to be a good leader.”
Kailynn smiled and nodded slow
ly.
“You play the game very well.”
“Thank you,” Isa said with a quiet laugh. “I hate the game, but I have been well trained in it.”
Even though Kailynn felt a little better after talking with Isa about what had happened on Fortunea, there was still something in the back of her mind that refused to be silenced. For three days, she went about partaking in the entertainment on the ship. The Elites played several games of Evolu in an attempt to break the tension of the meeting. It succeeded, particularly when the alcohol started flowing. The pool of money was getting larger and larger, and everyone was trying to gain more points to knock Isa out of the top spot.
On the final day, when they were approaching Tiao behind schedule, Kailynn went to Isa’s room, where she found the Elite on a portable terminal, going through her messages. She turned when she heard the door open.
“Sorry, you’re busy,” Kailynn said, turning to leave, losing her nerve.
“No, please,” Isa said, setting the terminal aside and rubbing her eyes, “save me from this. I hate war preparations.”
Kailynn closed the door behind her and walked behind Isa. Isa turned over her shoulder to look at the former Significant, but Kailynn took her shoulders, pressing her thumbs into the Elite’s tense muscles. Isa relaxed quickly, closing her eyes as Kailynn massaged her shoulders.
After several long minutes, when she could tell the Elite was relaxed, Kailynn leaned down and tilted Isa’s head back, kissing her tenderly.
“Thank you,” Isa murmured.
Kailynn walked around the couch and sat next to Isa.
“Isa,” she started slowly, “I’m sorry, I’m probably going to screw this up,” she said, rubbing her forehead, “but this has been bothering me for days.”
“What is it?”
“I’ve tried to tell myself that you’ll tell me when you’re ready and that I should respect your limits on this, but…I feel like, with this war, and everything going on at home, and the way you’ve been talking about Venus lately, I should know more about what happened with Colonel Amori.”
Isa took a deep breath, lowering her eyes to the couch.
“I know, I shouldn’t push you, but I’m scared,” Kailynn continued. “I feel like everyone in the Alliance knows something about what happened, and they are trying to use it against you.”
“Everyone has their own theories about what happened,” Isa admitted. “When a planetary leader, which Colonel Amori was, is killed while in the care of another planetary leader, and, at that, a high-profile one like myself, it makes other leaders extremely nervous.”
“Who killed him?” Kailynn asked seriously.
“He was assassinated in the middle of the night.”
“Who pulled the trigger?”
Isa stared at Kailynn, silent for several long moments.
“He was stabbed to death,” Isa corrected quietly.
“Who was holding the knife?”
Isa’s eyes did not leave Kailynn’s. The longer the silence continued, the more the truth sank into Kailynn’s chest.
“Holy shit…” she breathed, closing her eyes and turning away.
Isa lifted a hand to her mouth, rubbing her face slowly.
“I had to…” she whispered.
“I…” Kailynn shook her head. “I suspected, but…” She turned back to Isa. “How many people know?”
“Rayal, Tarah, Remus, the rest of the Syndicate, with the exception of Tia, Venus, you…”
“And on Gihron?”
“No one,” Isa said, shaking her head. “There are rumors and suspicions, saying that we hired someone to kill him when negotiations weren’t going the way we wanted.”
“Is that what happened?”
“If it was, don’t you think I would handle myself better whenever he was mentioned?” Isa asked quietly. “No, that’s not why I…” Isa swallowed hard, trailing off.
“Fuck, what did he do to you?” Kailynn hissed, pained by the terror in Isa’s eyes.
“…he tore me apart,” she choked. “He found every weakness I had and used it against me until he had destroyed me.” She swallowed hard bowing her head and closing her eyes. “He used me for his own agenda. He blackmailed me, and tortured me…he turned everyone against me and against each other, and mentally abused me for months.” Isa shook her head. “There was no other way to escape him…”
Kailynn rubbed her face, standing and pacing by the seating area.
“Kailynn…”
“I…I’m trying to process this,” she said. “I believe you, of course, but…I saw the way you handled everyone in the meeting. How could this one guy do so much damage?”
Isa’s eyes went distant as she stared at the ground, lost in memories of that time. She let out a shuddered breath and pulled her sleeves down over her hands, her body shaking once.
“It happened very suddenly,” she whispered. “Before I knew it, I was trapped.”
Kailynn walked back to Isa and sat with her.
“Then this is really for revenge,” she hissed. “Gihron wants you to be killed for his death, even though they don’t know the truth. Isn’t there some way you can convince them that you’re innocent and that someone else was responsible? Or just tell them it was self-defense?”
“No,” Isa said. “It’s more complicated than that.”
“Why?”
Isa looked at Kailynn seriously.
“Because General Decius, when Colonel Amori was coming to Tiao, contacted me personally and asked me to take care of him. And I didn’t.”
“Just tell him there was no way you could have predicted what happened.”
Isa closed her eyes.
“Colonel Amori was General Decius’ younger brother,” she said quickly. Kailynn’s eyes went wide, her mouth falling open in surprise. Isa sighed heavily. “The betrayal ran far deeper for him than losing a comrade.”
Kailynn let out a long breath, her eyes distant as she tried to think over the situation.
“No wonder you’re so nervous about Gihron,” she whispered. “You really think he’ll kill you, don’t you?”
“I’m worried he’ll do worse.”
“What do you mean? What could be worse?”
“Isa,” Remus said, walking into the room. They both turned, startled. “We have a problem on the command deck.”
Isa sighed heavily and stood, swallowing hard as she walked out of the room. Remus stopped her at the door.
“Are you alright?”
Isa glanced at Kailynn before shaking her head and leaving. Remus rounded on Kailynn.
“What the hell was going on in here?”
“She…” Kailynn hesitated. “She told me the truth about him. About who did it.”
She could see Remus’ mind working around the words, trying to figure out the meaning. When he realized who she was talking about, his eyes widened.
He fought with himself for several seconds about what to say.
“Just how bad were things when he was around?”
“You can’t even imagine,” Remus breathed. “If I could kill him a thousand times over, I would, and it wouldn’t be enough to pay him back for what he did to her.” He stepped closer, looming over Kailynn. “This is a very heavily-guarded secret. You cannot speak of this, do you understand?”
“We have to figure something out. This war is all about revenge. She is the sole target.”
“Yes, we all know that,” Remus said strongly. “And she knows it, too.”
Kailynn glanced out the door, frightened and confused tears rising to her eyes.
“Why didn’t you protect her?” she asked darkly.
Remus ground his teeth together.
“Do not accuse me,” he snarled. “You know nothing about it.”
Kailynn pushed past him, hurrying to her room. She closed the door and sat against it, hiding her tears of confusion in her hands.
Remus returned to the command deck and saw Isa near the front windows with
the crew.
“You’re right,” she said.
Remus walked to her side and looked in the same direction as everyone else.
There were several ships docked along the Dani-Kahl Gate. It was not uncommon to see ships docked for repairs or fuel at the Gates, but the ships were very old, and the hulls were marked with a red circle, a twelve-point star in the middle.
“Gihron,” Remus murmured.
“Carrier ships,” Isa noted. “They’re picking up fuel for the war ships.”
Isa and Remus both counted the number of carrier ships.
“Considering the amount of fuel each could transport, we’re looking at half their army already at our door,” Isa stated. She glanced at the other ships that were traveling out of the gate pathway toward Tiao. “Keep a steady speed. Do not activate any stealth or weapons. Let’s just quietly pass by.” She glanced at Remus as the crew answered with a chorus of “yes, Miss.”
“It’s begun,” he murmured. She nodded.
“I made the first declaration of war five years ago,” she said. “It’s time we deal with it.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
The first three months of the war were the most stressful and terrifying.
Kailynn was extremely tense, worried about every announcement of ships shot down and troops destroyed, terrified that General Decius was going to exact his revenge for his brother’s death. Isa was also tense and nervous, partially from the war, but also from the way Kailynn looked at her. The two shared a bed, but never touched one another, their anxieties keeping them apart.
The war took place mostly in the territory above Tiao’s atmosphere. Support troops from other members of the Alliance quickly came to Tiao’s aid and lessened the burden on the planet’s resources.
Gihron retreated into neutral territory when they needed to repair and regroup their forces. Due to the rules of engagement, Tiao could not attack when they were in that space, meaning that, for two weeks, the apprehension of the battles starting again reached a fever pitch.
Isa and Kailynn finally blew up into an argument that ended in a hurried, frantic fuck on the floor of the entertainment room. However, once they had both calmed down, things seemed to lose their urgency. Both of them felt as though they had been holding their breaths for months, and they were finally able to take a breath when there was no longer suffocating tension between them. That meant, when Gihron came back into the battle territory, they felt prepared to deal with it.
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