The Mir Chronicles- The Complete Series

by Leisa Wallace

  ***

  Lena stood outside the ship Druinn had flown inside the Zoons’ club. Azara had been the one to arrange the meeting outside the Port. Lena had to admit it was smarter than sneaking Druinn and Myri into The Port with their ship. Lena looked at the time. Her heart pulsed in anxiety as she looked at her watch. It had been almost twenty-nine hours since she’d been granted sanctuary.

  Aldebaran offered them the ship to leave Mir just as he promised. Gideon and Lena had spent the day filling it with supplies they both knew they were never going to use. With the help of Evren, they programmed the Genosee ship to leave The Port at two in the morning without anybody on board. Evren would control it remotely from where he was. They hoped any Defense ship watching would follow the ship to Genosee leaving their path to Ebon clear.

  Shaking out her hands, she started pacing around the ship, looking for what she could do to help get ready. Seeing Myri and Druinn she started to walk over to them and then stopped herself. Their heads rested on each other in what looked like an intimate conversation. Druinn put his hand to the side of Myri’s face and brushed her cheek with his thumb.

  Tarek walked up next to Lena. He watched his two friends and smiled. Lena wondered why were they so loyal to Tarek and Gideon. These two didn’t train with them at the I.M.A, yet here they stood, risking their lives for both.

  “Tarek, what is Druinn and Myri’s story?” Lena asked Tarek.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, why are they here. Why are they helping us?”

  Tarek motioned Lena to walk around the ship with him. “Druinn’s father was our hired help when I was a child. Myri, our neighbor’s daughter. They fell in love. Her parents wouldn’t allow it, Druinn had no way of supporting her to the lifestyle they wanted.”

  “You helped Druinn become a pilot.”

  “My father did. He and Myri eloped right after he graduated. Her family disowned her, my father gave him a job right away. He’s mostly been my and Azara’s pilot since, though my father is the one who actually pays him.”

  “They’re so happy together.”

  “They are,” Tarek replied. His eyes moved towards the center of the room. “With hope, all of us can one day find that same happiness.”

  Lena pushed her hair away from her face and followed Tarek’s gaze. He was looking at Suki.

  Suki hovered in the middle of the club, all her weight on her good leg. Knowing that the Priestess would research her, she had decided for safety reasons to send the Zoons away from Arc for a while. Lena knew it was her fault they were being displaced. Suki looked up and glided over to where Lena and Tarek stood.

  “Suki, I am so so sorry,” Lena said. Even battered and wounded, Suki found a way to make herself look stylish. She wore the bandage on her leg as an accessory to the long boots and shorts she modeled. The lights in her prosthetic arm pulsed bright green now. Lena wondered how she got it to change colors.

  “Evangeline, this isn’t your fault,” Suki responded, looking across the abandoned club. “This is the Priestess’. And at least this time, I got proper medical care. Whatever the doctor at the consulate did, he said I’d be healed in a few days. It hardly hurts at all.”

  “But the Gazebo, your home. Where will they all go?”

  Suki laughed out loud. “You don’t think that’s our only command center, do you?” Suki said. Lena’s shocked looked caused Suki to continue. “Lena, we have safe houses everywhere. In every big city on Mir, we have a house just like we do inside The Port. Everyone has a home they can go to. And while none of them are quite as large as The Gazebo, the Zoons will be taken care of.”

  Lena stared at Suki. “You have houses all over Mir?”

  “Yes,” Suki smiled. “When we’re in Arc, we have to play the part of the poor orphan. But you had to to’ve seen at the port house that we do quite well for ourselves. You don’t need to be worrying about the Zoons,” Suki said. “In fact, I’m sending them to all the cities where the Priestess has the most influence to gather information. Things are changing on Mir— and people will pay for that information.”

  Lena shook her head. “You truly are amazing Suki.”

  ***

  Two o’clock came and went just like clockwork. Gideon took Lena, Suki and Tarek to watch as the decoy ship left for Genosee. They were right. As soon as it left the atmosphere, Defense ships swarmed it. Lena knew Evren replaced the ship’s autopilot with one he could control from Mir. Still, she wondered how long it would take the Defenses to board the ship and find it empty.

  Gideon didn’t give them any chance to find out. Wrapping an arm around Lena’s shoulders he led her back into the underground hanger. “Let’s go get Birdee,” he said.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Lena peered out from behind the dead trees. Ebon lay miles in the distance, a dark shadow on the otherwise empty terrain. The sun would rise soon. It had taken them only three hours to fly to Ebon. Lena’s stomach had clenched in knots the whole time they were flying. She was certain the Defenses would find them and shoot them out of the sky before they could save Birdee. But it didn’t happen. They’d seen no sign that the Priestess knew what was happening inside the Genosee Airship.

  Evren communicated with Suki that the ship was still on course towards Genosee, flanked by Defense ships. He hypothesized that the Priestess was waiting until just outside the Genosee atmosphere to either board the ship or destroy it. Evren promised to send the ship into such desperate maneuvers, it would give the Defenses a run for their money.

  Tern walked up beside her on one side and Gideon on the other. Suki leaned against a tree, adjusting the front of her black leather jacket. Suki had outfitted them all in black. Not only did it provide camouflage in the darkness, but Suki also explained black was the color worn in Ebon. It was the Priestess’ colors. Black, red and gold. Lena wore a black jacket she’d gotten at The Port along with black pants that hugged her legs and landed stylishly above her ankles. Suki had given her the shirt from her closet. It’s shiny gold sparkled under the night sky. Lena buttoned her jacket over it.

  “Jus’ follow my movements and I’ll get us inside of the walls of the city without bein’ seen,” Tern said.

  “I’ll lead you to the Zoons’ safe house from there,” Suki added. Opening her jacket, she adjusted her gun holster, checked her firearm for ammunition, and holstered it again.

  Gideon fiddled with the sleeves of his shirt. “Druinn and Myri can wait for us at the spot Tern showed them, inside the trees.”

  Druinn and Myri nodded. “We shouldn’t be found there,” Druinn said.

  “I’ll be monitoring the situation. We’ll be ready to leave at a moments notice,” Myri said.

  Tern yanked at the collar of his ribbed shirt. “Ya sure we need to wear these clothes,” he said, now itching his chest below his shirt.

  Suki laughed “There is more to staying hidden than not being seen, my large friend,” Suki stated. “If you want people here to stare at you, show up in the wrong outfit.”

  Tern grunted and turned away from Suki.

  Tarek, who had been standing next to Tern, chuckled under his breath. He looked more composed and comfortable in his rich clothes than the others. It made sense. As far as Lena could tell, Tarek grew up surrounded by riches. She thought Tarek would return to the Allayan consulate with Azara, but he didn’t. When the time came to leave the consulate, Tarek was right by Gideon’s side.

  The small group silently walked to the edge of the forest. Suki opened up a glider as they walked. She still limped slightly from her wound, but it was barely noticeable. Lena gave her an odd look and Suki shrugged. “I don’t want to overdo it,” she whispered as the glider clamped around her feet. Lena didn’t feel comfortable enough to use a glider, so refused when the Zoons offered her one. Tern said it was easier to hide without it. Gideon and Tarek refused a glider without explanation. Lena liked that Gideon walked next to her.

  Tern led the way, walking low to the barren
ground. Lena kept staring at their destination. As the city grew nearer, anxiety grew inside her. Often Tern would have them stop and stoop or lay low to the ground. Even in the flat terrain, Tern found spots more shadowed than others to hide in. She didn’t know how he made the decisions on when to stop, or where, but the guards along the outer walls never looked their direction, so she kept trusting Terns judgment. Soon they pressed themselves against the outer walls of Ebon.

  Ebon curved in circles, just like the Defense training facility and the insignia on her hand. Circles within circles, starting at the towering fortress in the center and rippling out. Tern directed each person through the gates, one at a time, each time waiting for a guard to be distracted. The guards looked tired and inattentive. Still, it took longer than Lena imagined to get through the gates unseen.

  They stayed close to the stone walls using the shadows to hide in. Suki pointed them in the direction they should travel, and then let Tern scout ahead of them. They only stopped walking once, while two soldiers walked past them. Lena guessed they were on their way to the gate to relieve the tired guards on duty.

  Arriving at the safe house, Suki walked to a panel on the outside. She typed in a code and the door slid open. After they all had shuffled inside, Suki shut the door and the room lit up. Bates stood at the other end of the kitchen, gun pointed at them.

  Ollie pushed Bates aside and hollered, “You’re here.” Running, he jumped into Gideon’s arms like a little brother. Gideon gave him a hug and smiled. Putting him down, he patted his back.

  “A little on edge, aren’t we Bates?” Suki said strolling to the center of the kitchen.

  “You’re late,” he replied. “You’re also not the one living in the center of the Priestess’ city.” Bates set the gun on the table.

  “You’ve barely been here a few hours,” she replied. “I’d hardly call that living here.” Suki sat on top of a large square table and crossed her legs. Lena saw Tarek avert his eyes and look at nothing on the wall. “What can you tell us?” Suki asked beckoning the others to the table. Bates opened a hologram of Ebon that filled the whole table. Suki slid to the ground to get a better view of the hologram.

  “Your friend is in the courtyard in front of the Priestess’ fortress. They keep her fed, maybe once a day. But very little. Guards are rotated in overlapping four-hour shifts, meaning one guard is always on duty and can update the new guard to what’s been going on throughout the day.” Bates fast forwarded the hologram as he talked showing them the most recent security footage.

  “But there are only two guards?” Lena asked.

  “Yes, but the tower she’s on is surrounded by a forcefield. And she’s suspended on a platform thirty feet in the air.”

  “Can your device get us through the forcefield?” Lena questioned.

  “Yes, but you also need to take into account the roaming patrols,” Bates said. “They’re not standing at the forcefield, but they’re not far away. Patrols surround the fortress at all hours of the day and night. If you do get into the forcefield unseen, it’s going to be trickier getting out unseen. Patrols have increased substantially since Evangeline's stunt at the Port.

  “The Priestess is scared,” Suki said. “Lena publicly stood up to the Priestess and lived. She’s scared someone else will as well.”

  “It’s about time,” Gideon replied.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Tern moved into the streets first. Lena and Gideon followed close behind, copying his moves of slipping in and out of the shadow’s while appearing as normal as possible. This was only a scouting mission. Tern wanted to see for himself what kind of security they were up against before rescuing Birdee.

  The morning sun was only beginning to rise behind them, silhouetting the buildings around them. The city made Lena nervous. All the streets and homes rippled out from the center of Selene’s onyx fortress. Her insignia adorned the city everywhere, carved into walls and doorways. Glancing at the citizens slowly flowing into the streets around them, Lena was glad for the attire Suki chose for them. They fit right in with the abundance surrounding them. Everyone wore rich jewels and high fashion. Very few people wore anything other than black and red, though most wore some kind of gold jewels. Lena put her hands into her jacket pockets, thankful that it covered her glittering gold shirt. Nobody gave them a second look as they crossed the arching streets, walking towards the innermost ring.

  The town of Ebon seemed to suck the light from everything. Lena heard ladies gossiping with each other and heads nodding in hello. Yet none of the people they passed smiled at each other or greeted each other with kindness. The more Lena observed, the more she felt the stark unhappiness of those that lived in the town. The closer they got to the center, the richer and more populated the buildings became, some designed with accents of gold and jeweled doors.

  Lena felt like they’d walked miles by the time Tern slowed. Rounding the corner, they slid into the recess of a doorway facing the middle of an open half-circular courtyard. The Priestess round fortress stood in the middle. Behind it, she saw a dark gorge that Gideon had said was a prison.

  In the middle of the courtyard, on a tower thirty feet in the air, lay Birdee. A forcefield surrounded her. She looked like an exact picture of what they’d seen on the computer at The Port. Her hands were cuffed behind her while she lay in the fetal position. Her wildly curly hair was matted around her face. No one looked at the prisoner as they split to walk around her prison, but the unease of the people passing was palpable.

  Pressing his lips together, Tern pointed his face towards Birdee and whistled. The tune sounded clear and crisp. A single note ringing over the voices of the walking crowds below.

  Birdee’s muscles tightened as the whistle echoed over her. Lena looked to Tern. His face was tight. He whistled again. Struggling with the cuffs behind her, Birdee slowly raised herself to a sitting position. The people walking around the prison glanced up, only to avert their eyes and walk faster when they saw the guards searching the crowds for the sound.

  Lena gasped seeing the bruising on her face. She felt Gideon put a hand on the small of her back. Only then did she realize she had readied herself to run towards her friend. She pulled back, forcing herself to control her actions.

  Birdee scooted to the edge of the platform and hung one leg over its edge. She moved slow and careful. Lena wondered how much of the rest of her was covered with the same type of bruises as her face. Gideon now wrapped his arm around Lena’s waist pulling her next to him. His muscles flexed against her. His breathing sounded tight and angry.

  Birdee moved her eyes across the square until they landed on their hidden place in the shadows of the doorway. She blinked several times. Tern whistled again. This time, it came out lower, and then skipped higher as it oscillated between notes. Lena saw Birdee’s breathing increase as she turned her head to the guards below her. They stood silently outside the forcefield, not paying any attention to their prisoner. Birdee whistled back, her song slow and sad. Lena’s heart sunk deep into her chest. The music rang above the crowds below causing the citizen to hurry uneasily by.

  Tern nodded up at Birdee, his gaze lingering on her before turning towards Lena. “We’ll need ta do it at nigh’, Tern said. Lena’s stomach felt like knots. “Now tha’ Birdee know’s I’m here. She’ll be as ready as she can be ta help.”

  “Tern, this is dangerous,” Gideon said. “I think your whistling was noticed. You might get caught or worse killed. Are you sure you want to do this?”

  Tern didn’t look at Gideon. Instead, he looked back across the square to where Birdee lay on her tower. “I stood by while she saved an entire village. There was nothing I could do but watch. Now, I can do somethin’. Or, I’ll die tryin’. She’s worth it. You understand that.” Tern turned to Gideon. “I know you understand.”

  A faint whistle rang from Birdee’s spot on the tower. Lena felt Gideon take a breath. “We’ll wait until dark,” Gideon said.

  ***

>   Lucius looked up at where Birdee’s body lay and grimaced. This was going to be harder than he thought. Still, he thought of the promises the Cimmerians had made him. He wanted power. He wanted to be on top, no matter who was ruling. And he’d do anything to get there.

  ***

  Lena, Suki, Tarek and Tern sat around the table of their safe-house. Gideon paced the floors of the kitchen. They had eaten and even tried to sleep a bit as they waited the day away. Lena’s nerves were so bad she hadn’t enjoyed either. Evren had reported that the Genosee ship had been boarded by Defense soldiers just outside the Genosee atmosphere. And, as Evren suspected, the Defenses had destroyed it as soon as they found no one on board. Which meant the Priestess knew Lena hadn’t left Mir.

  “Do you know what you need to do, Lena?” Suki asked. Her voice sounded crisp and strong but her eyes swam with worry.

  Lena nodded and bit her lower lip. It was almost time to rescue Birdee. She bit her lower lip and took a deep breath, trying to ease her anxiety.

  “Remember, you have to get in and out fast,” she explained. “Take out the guards and scan your insignia to release her cuffs. The glider will take Tern up to her. You and Gideon, get out as fast as you can.”

  “I know,” Lena replied

  “Stay covered. Don’t let them see who you are.”

  “I know,” she said. “We’ve been over this, Suki.” Still, she pulled the hat Suki gave her further down her head.

  “Act like you belong in Ebon. Walk with confidence and for heaven's sake unbutton your jacket. You look like you’re hiding something underneath it. Plus you’re ruining the look.”

  “I am hiding something. Me!”

  Suki ignored her. “If you get caught, there will be no mercy from her. She will capture you, torture you, and then kill you.”

  “Suki, you’re making me nervous,” Lena said.