“Good point,” I say and then head for the door.
Irene and I enter the lab and find Dad and Max in deep conversation with a man and woman I haven’t met before.
Max is the first to see me and immediately leaves the group and comes to my side. A tightening, similar to resistance, settles into my chest. I hate it, but I can’t seem to make the feeling stop.
“We were so worried, but Irene said she’d stay with you.” I can tell by his body language that he wants to hug me but holds back instead. I have no idea whether his hesitation is because of present company or if I’m putting off vibes that are stopping him. Part of me is pained for the emotional distance, but the other part me is relieved.
I push away my feelings of confusion. There’s no time to dwell on emotions right now.
“I’ll be fine,” I say to Max and force a smile. I turn my attention to Dad and the two others.
Dad gestures to me. “This is Cassi, my daughter . . . she helped us activate the portal, which allowed your ships to cross over to this place.”
The woman, with dark skin and hair pulled away from her face, extends her hand. I take it.
“I’m General Atkins, and this is my second-in-command, Commander Tucker.” She releases my hand and gestures to the man with ginger hair. “We were shocked when we found your father alive, but after so many hardships, we were glad to see him. You two have done extraordinary work here,” she says. “It is a tragedy to lose our other ship and the people on board. But if your father had not opened the portal when he did, all of us would be dead.”
General Atkins turns to Dad. “I was just explaining to Dr. Foster that we have custody of a video feed of intel from Hammond’s headquarters. We have a spy in there. But now none of our tech will work. After we crossed into the Intersection, we had to switch the ships over to manual to land.” She looks around. “But everything here seems to be working fine.”
“It’s all powered by the Starfire,” I mutter.
“She’s right,” Dad says. “With the crystals, we should be able to get your ship’s minimum functions up and running by tomorrow. There are Starfire fields not too far off, and it won’t take much effort to harvest the needed amount.”
Irene walks to the computer. “Where is the feed stored?”
Tucker raises his left hand. “I have the data on my Connect.”
“Can I have it?” Irene asks.
He defers to Atkins, and she nods. Tucker releases the Connect from his wrist and hands the device to Irene. She pairs his Connect with the computer, and video immediately springs to life on the display. It’s jerky from a concealed camera, but when the wearer sits, I can see they are in a meeting that’s about to begin.
On the display, Hammond walks into the room followed by Luca, as if he were her pet on a leash. I grit my teeth together.
“Mining is set to begin immediately,” Hammond says, now standing at the head of the group. “We have the full support of the World Senate, and with our newly improved Inhibitor, we have been able to push back on the Alku’s Starfire energy usage that was meant to block us from mining.”
Atkins sighs and then straightens her shoulders. “This video feed was taken right before the attack on our ships. Hammond’s ships took out the last of our defense in Primaro after we escaped the city. At that point, we knew we were goners but still hoped to reach the Tahms. We’ve heard rumors that a few of the World Senate members who support us may still be alive and are willing to get word back to Earth for reinforcements through the Turner Space Fold. Help could exit closer to Arcadia and possibly be here in a few days. The hope for assistance was slim but worth exploring.”
“So, these World Senate members are hiding somewhere on Arcadia?” Max asks.
“If the rumors are true,” Tucker answers.
“Then people who oppose Hammond are hiding them,” Dad says.
“And we need to find them,” I add.
I look back to the video display Irene paused. Right behind Luca is another face I recognize.
Alina.
Alina is working for Hammond.
My heart drops into my stomach as I replay in my mind the last time I met her in Primaro. She pulled me away from the soldier bots and off the street. Why? If she’s working with Hammond, then she must have wanted information from me. But she didn’t ask me anything. I rack my brain to remember what happened. The only thing I can recall is how I nearly dropped my bag and she helped me.
“I’m not feeling well again,” I say to get out of the lab. “I’d like to go lie down.”
“Do you need any help?” Dad asks.
I wave my hand in the air as I turn. “No. I’ll be okay.”
Dad nods and asks Irene to continue playing the video.
Max follows me to the door and stops me on the other side of it. “What’s going on, Cassi?”
I glimpse the concern on his face, but then I quickly study the ground. “There’s obviously a lot to do. Before I’m going to be of any more use to anyone, I need to get some rest. I was wrong earlier when I said I felt okay.” I chance a look his way. “But I’ll be fine in a few hours.”
Max squeezes my arm and lets loose. “You would tell me if something else was going on, right?”
I lock eyes with him and whisper, “Yes.”
He nods and returns to the lab. But I get the feeling that he knows I’m lying.
When the door shuts, I race to the sleeping quarters and grab for my messenger bag. I throw open the top and dig inside for Dad’s journal. But it’s gone. Did Alina take it when I wasn’t looking? I expel a short breath in frustration. Honestly, I don’t even know what is scribbled on the pages. Dr. Owens thought the journal might just be a personal log. But I don’t want to worry Dad by asking him. I pace the room, but there’s nothing I can do now. Hammond either has the journal or she doesn’t.
I fumble for my Starfire pendant. Holding the crystal calms me immediately, and my mind drifts to Javen. I must speak to him and relay any information I know, as well as admit to him the truth of the Intersection.
A wave of pressure moves through my body, and I open my eyes to daylight. My heart leaps as I spot Javen only feet in front of me. His face lights up when he sees me, and my heart calls for him. But I take one step in his direction and a boom sounds, shaking the ground and knocking me off my feet.
Chapter 18
Irace to Javen’s embrace and melt into his arms. “Was that a bomb or an earthquake?” I ask.
“A quake, but they’re very rare in this area.”
Overhead, the sky has changed, almost as if the shaking of the ground cracked the atmosphere.
I step away from Javen a few inches. “Hammond began harvesting from the Starfire mines. Could the mining cause earthquakes?”
Javen tenses his jaw. “Very little information is coming back from Arcadia to Paxon. Our people have been completely driven from the city and blocked from the mining area. I warned my father this would happen, but he won’t listen. He refuses to use the Starfire as a weapon, even to protect our people. He fears that, even if we prevail, the risk is too high and we may grow aggressive toward other Alku.”
“But isn’t that what’s already happening between Vihann and Wirrin’s group? Beda is totally aggressive.”
“Wirrin’s group is small compared to the Alku who follow my father. And at this point, they will likely lose to Hammond. My father knows this.”
Shock trembles down my arms, and I step back farther from him. “And your father would allow the Alku to die?”
“He will.”
Anger simmers in my core. “I don’t understand the benefit. Hammond isn’t going to use the Starfire for beneficial reasons. Why won’t Vihann take a chance in fighting her to keep the Alku from dying? There are still moral people out there who might be able to stop the massacre.”
Curling my hands into fists, I tell Javen about the World Senate assassinations and how some of the Senators are missing. “So, there’s a
chance they’re hiding in Arcadia. If the Alku attempt to remove Hammond from power, we may be able to swing back favor from those in the Senate who are only afraid of losing their lives and the lives of their families.”
“Cassi, but you don’t even know if any of the missing Senators are actually alive. And even if a few are, will they be able to call on assistance from anyone on Earth?”
I know his words are true. “That is why the Alku need to fight. You are here, and you are our best chance.” I plant my feet and lock stares with Javen. “You are the future leader of the Alku. I understand why your father feels the way he does. It’s a huge risk, but one worth taking.”
Javen tucks his hands into his pockets and looks to the ground. I know he must feel torn between two worlds—two groups of people.
“The One Pure Soul was willing to take a risk for your people—to save them.”
Javen tips his head slightly in interest at what I have to say.
“This situation is different, but we can use the Starfire power for good and save two worlds.”
“The One Pure Soul story is lore for children,” he says, shaking his head.
“I’ve seen this middle dimension. I also believe your father and Wirrin, as well as many other leaders before them, have been hiding the truth of the Intersection to protect your people. And for good reason. It’s more powerful and complicated than any of us know. I pulled three ships boarded by hundreds of people who were escaping Hammond into the Intersection.”
“By yourself?” His face scrunches up with confusion.
“With the help of this Starfire.” I pull the gem from under my collar. Javen touches the crystal in my fingers and his irises swirl. He inhales deeply and releases.
“This crystal is different.”
“The Starfire from the Intersection is the source of the crystals on either side. This type connects them.” As the words escape my mouth, I am filled with a strong desire to be with Javen and my heart pulses audibly in my ears. “Like our bond.”
Relief fills his eyes as his irises return to brown again. “I felt you slipping from me while we were apart.”
Heat travels up my neck at the reminder of my and Max’s kiss. “Javen, if the rest of the Alku people share the same heart as you do, then we can do this . . . together. I believe the Starfire in the Intersection is going to allow our people to live in harmony, if we just use the energy correctly. We need to bring your father and Wirrin together.”
Javen caresses my cheek, and a burst of electricity trails down my spine. “I know you speak truth.”
“Would your father come if you summoned him?” I ask.
“Despite my urging, he remains clear on his stance to be neutral.”
“But if you go to him in person and tell him of the new information—would he come?”
Javen tips his head to me. “Possibly. And if he won’t, I will summon the rest of my people.” Javen squares his shoulders. “I am their future leader, and some may follow me now.”
Pride wells up within me. My lips curl into a smile at his newfound determination, and I reach up to kiss him. The second my lips touch his, he snakes his arms around my waist and gathers me close to his muscled chest. Reality fades and stars fill my vision. The need to be close to him aches from depths of myself I never knew existed. As if to mirror my feelings, he rakes his hands into my hair, bringing me even closer as I reach under his untucked shirt to touch the soft skin of his lower back. Javen shivers at the touch. I kiss him deeply and breathe in his warm breath, wishing we could stay like this forever in our universe of two. But I know we can’t.
As if he knows it, too, he releases me and then looks me straight in the eye, panting.
“Cassiopeia Foster. I realize that what we feel might only be from the Starfire.”
I step away from him, shocked that he may be having the same feelings I am.
“I was lying to myself when I said I didn’t. Since we’ve been separated, I’ve felt the Starfire bond diminish. And I know you have questions and doubts. And there is another you may have feelings for.”
I open my mouth to speak.
“But true commitment is not based on something external . . . our connection can’t only be about the Starfire. I need to know this bond is also from your heart.”
My thoughts wander to my kiss with Max. Part of that felt so right, too. I like Max so much and never want to hurt him because of a moment of weakness. A flush spreads up my chest and neck. “Don’t you still have feelings for Yaletha?”
Javen sighs. “I do. She’s a brave, intelligent and strong young woman—”
“And beautiful,” I interrupt.
“Yes.” He grazes the hair hanging over my forehead with his fingertips. “But I’ve also seen you, and you are brave, intelligent and strong . . . and so beautiful. I’ve seen your past and desire to be a part of your future.” He lowers his voice to a hoarse whisper and says, “I’ve touched your soul, Cassiopeia. My soul is determined to belong with yours.”
I swallow the lump in my throat and my breathing picks up.
“I will save my people and Paxon, and I will prove that my love for you is stronger than the Starfire connecting us.”
Nerves builds in my chest, hot and searing. “You . . . you love me?”
He chuckles. “Do you think I would be able to say all that if I didn’t? You are the one person I want to spend my life with. I’m certain you will lead Paxon and the Alku people with me. But I will never force you to feel the same about me or choose this future.”
Deep respect for Javen floods my heart, more than I’ve ever known for another person. “I have so many questions.”
His lips spread into a small smile. “I know you do, and I hope to help you find the answers.”
Unable to hold my desire for him back any longer, I rise on my toes and slip my hand around his neck and into his thick hair. My lips find his and move in a breathless, languid dance against his mouth. I want to remain here in Javen’s arms longer. But instead, I drop back to my heels and clear my throat. “I need to reach Wirrin before Beda convinces him to do something rash.” I look around me, only seeing an open field surrounded by trees, and realize I have no idea where we are or where Wirrin’s group is.
“Where is your uncle?”
Javen looks down at the ground. “I believe the army is going to the largest mining site on Arcadia to regain control.”
I gnaw on my lower lip as fear shoots down my spine. If Hammond has started mining, the site will be heavily guarded, and she’ll be using the Inhibitors. Panic zips through my veins. “They are heading to their deaths. I need to stop Wirrin before he reaches the mining fields.”
“I’ll summon you after I speak with my father again.” He pauses for a moment, as if thinking. “If you let your mind direct you to Wirrin while you transport, the Starfire should take you to him.”
‘Thank you.” I skim his hand with the tips of my fingers and close my eyes, focusing on the mining site’s location as I remember it from my Earthscape program. At the same time, I reach out to Wirrin as if summoning him. Hopefully, with my limited experience, the process will work.
I open my eyes and Javen is gone. I seem to have ended up on the side of a hill, and below is the mining site. I duck into the safety of a few low-growing plants and watch the activity below. Most of the Starfire on Arcadia is buried under the earth, unlike how they grow on Paxon. Small fields are closer to the surface, but most are farther down. The crystals are delicate and will need to be dug out primarily by hand . . . either human or bot.
Groups of people mill around near several large ships, which are parked beside the site. In the center of the mining operation is a significant hole, where digging efforts appear to be concentrated. Three large patrol ships fly above. I sweep my gaze over the terrain in search of Wirrin and his group, but I don’t see them. Then, to my right, maybe three hundred yards away, I spot a cyan glow. A glow similar to that produced when Javen cloaked me from ot
hers. I have no idea why I can see the illumination. My link to the Starfire must be allowing the transparency. It also means, at least at this distance from the mines, that the Alku are able to use the energy.
I touch the Starfire around my neck and attempt to cloak myself. Waves of energy flow through me and I grow lightheaded. But a telltale faint cyan glow circles my body. Now the ships above and the miners below can’t spot me. I race for Wirrin’s group, who are now completely visible to me. Maybe one hundred Alku form the group. How do they plan to go up against Hammond’s Inhibitor and her ships with so few?
A half-dozen Alku soldiers tense as I approach, but no one makes a move to stop me. I have the feeling many of them remember me from the meeting I had with Vihann and the Council. They know the Starfire chose me and, despite their differences with Vihann, will not challenge the will of the Starfire by harming me. At least, that’s my hope.
Wirrin steps to the front of the group, Beda at his side. “Why are you here, Cassi?” he asks. He must see the argument in my eyes, even several feet away. Straightening his shoulders, he takes another step forward. “I can’t stand by any longer. Someone must stop Hammond from stripping the Starfire from Arcadia.”
Panting, I stop several feet in front of him. I glance at Beda and then back to Wirrin. “Of course. But your tiny band of warriors will never win. Hammond has tech you’ve never encountered.”
I look back to the mines and tilt my head. Why are there so few ships guarding the production crew?
“You’re walking into a trap. Hammond wants the Alku to splinter. If you challenge her today, then you’re doing exactly what she wants.”
Beda marches forward and stops inches from my face. “The Alku will not go down without a fight.”
“Then fight smart,” I say without backing down. “We need to figure out how Hammond is blocking the Starfire’s energy and take that out first. Then we can hit them.” I spot Yaletha hanging at the back of the group. She’s one of the best soldiers, so of course she’d be here. The beautiful Alku warrior holds my gaze for a moment and then breaks away and returns her attention to the impending battle.
The Starfire Wars- The Complete series Box Set Page 29