The Significant

by Kyra Anderson

  Kailynn wanted to sleep through the long, eleven-hour drive back to Anon, but her nerves were too high. She could feel the fear and anticipation in her stomach. She understood that the negotiation stages were far more dangerous than the battles. They did not know who was coming to negotiate on behalf of Gihron, and it could lead to a similar situation to Colonel Amori’s manipulation and blackmail of Isa.

  Rayal’s words many months ago resonated through her skull.

  “He poisoned me…slowly…over the course of about four months.”

  Kailynn had spent many sleepless nights in the safe house wondering how Colonel Amori had managed to poison Rayal, how he had managed to turn the Elites against each other and against Isa, and how it all related to the accident that had caused Isa to have half of her face reconstructed, and end the relationship between her and Remus.

  However, she could not come up with any plausible explanations.

  She knew Isa was incredibly strong and smart. It seemed impossible to have her so trapped and scared that she felt that she had to kill someone just to escape them.

  Then again, Kailynn remembered the incident with Maki, how he provoked Isa into killing him by attacking Kailynn.

  Perhaps that was how Colonel Amori controlled Isa. Isa did not care what happened to her, but if anyone she loved was harmed, or threatened, she was willing to do anything to keep them safe.

  Kailynn spent a lot of the drive staring at Isa’s pale, sleeping face, desperate to understand what had happened six years previous.

  They finally made it back into Anon in the late morning. They went to Anon Tower and back to Isa’s home, Isa calling the Syndicate and explaining that she was ill and could not go into work today, but to keep her informed of everything that happened.

  She also called Paul and Dr. Busen, being sure that they were traveling safe, since they had left the safe house nearly five hours after she and Kailynn.

  Kailynn had only been out of Anon Tower for a month and a half, but she hardly recognized the level when she walked in the door. Nothing had changed, the furniture was exactly where it had always been, but the feeling in the home was entirely different. It was colder, more foreboding, as if reflecting the severity of the situation with Gihron and Venus.

  Remus wanted to stay with Isa. His duty as Silver Elite was to protect the Golden Elite, and it was a duty he took very seriously, even more so after previous dealings with Gihron. Isa agreed that he should stay, but Kailynn was not as fond of the idea.

  The realization that she knew nothing about what had happened with Colonel Amori other than the fact that he had upset Isa to the point that she had killed him became overwhelming when Isa asked Remus to stay close.

  Late in the afternoon, Isa received a call from Anders. He told her that he was directing a video call to her home NCB chair from the Gihron delegate ship.

  She went back into the office, taking several deep breaths to steady herself for the conversation.

  She sat in the chair, Remus and Kailynn standing near the door as she pressed several buttons, bringing the chair into an upright position for the call. She straightened her shoulders, took another deep breath, and accepted the call.

  In front of her, the hologram of a man in a chair appeared. He was wearing a heavy, dark-green military jacket, decorated with various ribbons and metals. His face was thin and angular, with deep-set, narrow, dark eyes and stubble on his jaw and upper lip. His black hair was short, exposing his high forehead.

  He had an aura of authority to him, and the way he sat, with his broad shoulders squarely set against his chair, exhibited his power.

  “Elite Isa,” he greeted, his voice cold and soft.

  “General Decius.”

  Isa’s voice was surprisingly steady as she addressed the man—she even managed to smile a little. Kailynn quickly turned to Remus, the question in her eyes of whether or not that was General Decius—the older brother of Colonel Amori. However, the Silver Elite’s eyes were fixed on the man’s hologram, dark and filled with anger.

  “I hope I am not disturbing you,” General Decius said.

  “No, not at all.”

  “We are approaching the Dani-Kahl Gate,” he announced. “I wanted to let you know that we will be there in approximately three days, but you know how travel like this can be.”

  “We are, of course, prepared to receive you whenever you arrive,” Isa said. “Am I correct in understanding that you are joining your delegation here on Tiao?”

  “Yes,” General Decius said with a small smile. “I do hope that is not an inconvenience.”

  “No, no inconvenience,” Isa said calmly.

  “And we are to stay in Anon Tower?” General Decius said expectantly.

  “Yes,” Isa said. “I have your delegation accommodated on one level of Anon Tower. However, if you wish to have quarters separate from your men, I will arrange accordingly.”

  “I do prefer to keep my men at a certain distance,” General Decius said. “I’m sure you can understand that, when you let people get too close, the dynamic changes.”

  “Yes, I do understand,” Isa said, a cold edge to her voice. “Very well, I will assure that you have quarters separate from your men.”

  “You are very generous, Elite Isa,” the Gihoric leader said coldly. “I shall not keep you. I will transmit my ship information to the Syndicate so that you will know of our arrival time.”

  “Thank you, General Decius.”

  The man’s hologram flickered out and Isa quickly climbed out of the chair, darting out of the office, pushing past Kailynn and Remus. However, she did not get far. She collapsed against the wall, breathing hard, one hand over her mouth. Remus and Kailynn quickly went to her side.

  “Isa?” Kailynn whispered.

  “He looks exactly like him…” Isa gasped, her eyes wide as she shook violently. She whirled around and pressed her back to the wall, shaking her head quickly. “I can’t do this,” she whispered.

  “Yes, you can,” Remus said strongly. “You just did. You just spoke to him and you did wonderfully.”

  “It was a transmission,” Isa hissed, her eyes frantic. “How can I do this when he’s in the same room? He looks exactly like his brother! He even speaks like him!”

  “I know, I know,” Remus murmured. Isa lowered her head, her hand covering her mouth once more.

  “I can’t do this…”

  Remus took a step forward and pulled Isa into his arms, securing her in a hug as he rested his head on hers.

  “You can do this,” he said. “I know you can. You are very strong, Isa.”

  Kailynn bit her tongue so hard it almost bled.

  Isa’s hands clenched in the fabric of Remus’ uniform and she buried her face in his chest, her body violently shuddering in fear. Kailynn wanted to be worried about General Decius coming to negotiate. She wanted to comfort Isa and tell her that everything would be fine. However, she could only feel the hot fire in her belly burn as she watched Isa turn to Remus for comfort and support.

  Remus turned his eyes to Kailynn and motioned with his head for her to follow them.

  With his arm secured around Isa’s shoulders, he guided her down the hall and into the living room.

  “Get her some water,” Remus said.

  “I need to lie down…” Isa whispered.

  Remus guided her into her bedroom as Kailynn bitterly went to the bar and got Isa water. Rayal poked his head out of the kitchen.

  “Is everything alright?”

  Kailynn shook her head.

  “General Decius is coming here himself,” she explained. “And apparently, he looks exactly like his brother.”

  Kailynn turned away from Rayal’s stunned and terrified face, walking to the bedroom.

  Isa was on the bed, breathing slowly as Remus told her when to inhale and when to exhale. He held her hand, his voice quiet and calm. Kailynn took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm.

  She climbed on the bed with Isa, holdi
ng the water out to her.

  The Golden Elite slowly sat up and took a small sip of the water, forcing it down with a cringe.

  Kailynn set the water aside and watched as Remus continued to count Isa’s breathing with her, getting her to calm down from the initial terror of seeing General Decius.

  Isa fell asleep for twenty minutes, and in that time Kailynn looked everywhere but at Remus.

  Finally, the Silver Elite cleared his throat.

  “Do not think much of it, Kailynn,” he said quietly. She turned to him, trying not to show her intense anger and jealousy. “She loves you more than she ever loved me. This is just because she is frightened and I know what happened with Colonel Amori.”

  Isa stirred at the sound of the voices and looked between the two faces above her.

  She lifted a hand to her face and groaned slightly.

  “Isa,” Kailynn murmured. The Golden Elite turned to her. “You are being extremely unfair right now.”

  The Golden Elite was silent, looking at the former Significant, waiting for her to continue.

  “If General Decius is coming here, then I think it’s only fair that those who are in danger of being victims of his revenge know exactly what happened six years ago.” Kailynn glanced up at Remus. “It hurts to see you turn to Remus just because I don’t know what happened.”

  Isa closed her eyes.

  Kailynn pressed a hand to the Elite’s face.

  “Please,” she whispered, “tell me.”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Six years earlier…

  “What time is his ship arriving?” Remus asked, leaning against Isa’s desk as she looked over several files.

  She glanced at the clock.

  “In about two hours,” she answered. “I have a convoy taking him to his quarters in Anon Tower. We’ll meet for dinner tonight.”

  “You don’t think it’s suspicious that he reached out to you?”

  “No, not really,” Isa said, shrugging. “Gihron is struggling. They’re at least twenty years behind in technology, they’re broke, and their society is unbalanced. They’re trying to find a way to stabilize the economy through trade. In the process, we can implement the rules of the Alliance on them, which should make their people should be happier.”

  “I don’t know,” Remus murmured. “The entire Ninth Circle is territory everyone steers clear from for a reason.”

  Isa chuckled, looking at Remus with a teasing smile.

  “Do they scare you?”

  Remus smiled.

  “No, but you do when you want something,” he returned the teasing. Isa’s smile widened and she stood in front of him, tapping her finger on the center of his chest.

  “Are you coming over tonight?”

  “Don’t I always?”

  Isa and the others of the Syndicate greeted Colonel Amori with a dinner thrown in his honor. He had brought four of his officers on the journey to Tiao, and they all enjoyed the best hospitality the Syndicate could offer. Everyone was aware of Isa’s desire to incorporate the Ninth Circle in the Crescent Alliance, so they were all very congenial and showed their interest in learning more about Gihron in order to put the Gihoric delegates at ease.

  After the dinner, when they were enjoying drinks around the large dining hall in the Syndicate Building, discussing simple topics, one of the Gihoric delegates went to Remus and asked him to join the conversation he had previously been a part of and explain something the Silver Elite had said over dinner. Remus was led away from Isa, who smiled at the enthusiasm of the delegates who was startled at the kind of technology on Tiao.

  Feeling eyes on her, Isa looked around and saw Colonel Amori looking at her over the rim of his drink, ignoring what Anders and Maki were discussing with him.

  He excused himself from the conversation and walked to her. Isa watched him approach, a soft smile taking over her face. He was quite handsome in his own way, with a strong air of command to him.

  “You have remarkable hospitality, Elite Isa,” he said.

  “Thank you,” Isa said. “I do hope everything is to your liking. Are your quarters acceptable in Anon Tower?”

  “Of course,” he said. “You are far too kind. I understand that I asked to meet with you on short notice.”

  “It is no trouble at all,” Isa assured, lifting her glass to her mouth and finishing off the wine.

  “To be perfectly honest,” the man said, “I’ve never met an Elite before. You are not what I expected.”

  “What did you expect?

  “Cold,” he answered. “Machines, through and through.” He looked her over quickly and then shook his head. “But you appear human.”

  Isa was not sure how to respond, so she remained silent, watching his eyes pass over the other Elites in the room. He turned back to her, extending his hand. “May I?”

  Isa hesitated, not sure what the man was asking, but she put her hand in his and his fingers closed around hers. He stared at her hand, his thumb passing over the skin, pressing into the knuckles gently.

  “You’re warm,” he noted. “And you have a pulse, and bones.”

  “Physiologically, we are human,” Isa said. “We have the same organs and bone structure as a human.”

  “But that does not necessarily make you human, does it?”

  “I suppose that depends on how you define human.”

  “Do you think you’re human?”

  Isa stared at Colonel Amori. His fingers had not released her hand, even as he stared into her eyes. There was something behind the question that concerned Isa, but she merely pulled her hand away carefully.

  “I am an Elite,” Isa responded.

  Colonel Amori smiled broadly. “I see.”

  The dinner wrapped up late at night and Isa and Remus saw Colonel Amori and his excited, awed delegates to their quarters in Anon Tower. The lower officers were walking around the rooms, gasping, talking about how amazing the technology was on Tiao in Gihoric, too excited to realize that they were acting like stunned children.

  Colonel Amori, however, seemed uninterested in everything except the Golden Elite. He turned to the Golden and Silver Elites after they led him to his quarters.

  “I greatly appreciate your hospitality,” he said once more. “I believe that Tiao and Gihron can find an agreement that is mutually beneficial.”

  “I agree,” Remus said.

  “I do hope that you will be comfortable,” Isa added out of courtesy. “Please, do not hesitate to contact the property Caretaker robot should you need anything.”

  “And we will meet tomorrow at the Syndicate Building?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good night, then.” He extended his hand to Remus and shook the Silver Elite’s hand. He extended his hand to Isa and bowed to kiss her hand, his lips lingering on the Golden Elite’s skin for one second longer than she felt comfortable.

  When Isa and Remus entered Isa’s level of Anon Tower, the Golden Elite let out a soft groan and rolled her neck.

  “The pleasantries do get old after a while, don’t they?” Remus chuckled, following Isa into the living room. “Oh, thank you so much for joining us—no, no, it’s our pleasure to have you here—please, tell me again about your planet—we hope the accommodations are to your liking,” the Silver Elite said with a mocking tone. “We all know we’re trying to manipulate one another to get what we want, but we pretend we’re genuinely pleased to see one another.”

  “Politics,” Isa agreed. She grabbed Remus’ collar and pulled him down, pressing their lips together. When they parted, she smiled. “In contrast, I am very pleased to have you here tonight.”

  “Not yet,” Remus teased as she bit her lip, “but you will be.”

  Remus swooped down for another kiss, breaking the contact only long enough for Isa to lead him into her bedroom.

  The three weeks of negotiation were very difficult for Isa and Remus. They were startled that someone who had contacted them to form an agreement refused to bend to a
ny of their terms. Colonel Amori was very eloquent and spoke very well, which meant that he could turn any words the Elites said around, trying to poke holes in the entire structure of the Alliance to justify not joining.

  Unfortunately for him, Isa was just as well spoken and, in Remus’ opinion, far more brilliant than the Gihoric Colonel.

  For three weeks, the negotiations went absolutely nowhere.

  On the fourth week, Isa suggested that they include the leader of the planet, Colonel Amori’s older brother, General Decius, in the negotiations. However, days passed with all transmissions receiving interference between Tiao and Gihron. Finally, Colonel Amori met with Isa on one of her days off, meeting with her in Anon Tower.

  “Apparently our main transmitter suffered a catastrophic failure,” he explained. “My brother said that they are working day and night to fix it but, until then, all communications are down.”

  Isa was irritated, but said she understood.

  “Actually, Elite Isa, may I ask you a few things?”

  “Of course,” Isa said with a nod, motioning for him to sit in her living room.

  “I’m trying to understand a few things about how Tiao has managed to stay in power for so long. After all, not twenty-five years ago, everyone was waiting for this planet to collapse. The Crescent Alliance had completely disbanded and everyone was sitting back, watching Tiao destroy itself.” He smiled at the Elite as she sat across from him. “And then you came along.”

  “I do not see fit to dictate everything about every planet in the Altereye System,” Isa said. “The alliance was meant to provide support to the planets, not change their societies.”

  “Yet, you would seek to dictate the level of our military if we were to sign even a trade agreement with you,” Colonel Amori continued. “Our society is militaristic, which I’m sure you already knew. It is the very foundation of our planet.”

  “Yes, I understand that,” Isa said. “But the Crescent Alliance seeks to put everyone on equal ground when it comes to military force. As soon as one planet has a larger army, fear of invasion begins to take hold. If I were to allow Gihron access to Alliance trade routes without regulating your military force, I would insight great fear in the other planets.”