"Get us out of here, Lucius," Suki snapped.
"Lucius, the Priestess will not give you the credit for capturing me. I'm already caught and ready for her Defenses when they come. You have no bargaining power with her, but you do with me."
"What could you possibly have that I would want?"
Lena held up the small square. "I have this. The plans to destroy the Priestess. But you need to decide now."
Lucius looked at the small square, then back to Lena. "Give it to me, Servant," he said.
"You can have the information," Lena said. "But know this, you won't be able to access it without me. I can guarantee Dorry made it so it would open for only me and him. So if you want the information, you are going to have to come with us."
"Fine, it's a deal. Hand it over." He reached his hand through the small hole.
Lena slipped it through the hole.
As soon as Lucius had it, he put it in his mouth and swallowed.
"You idiot, what did you do that for?" Suki yelled.
"Insurance you'll really take me with you," Lucius said as he turned around and walked back across the bridge to the control panel on the other side. In seconds, the doors were opening.
Tarek sprinted across the bridge to Lucius and knocked him unconscious.
Lena gasped as Suki chuckled.
Tarek picked Lucius up and threw him over his shoulder.
"We'll take him with us but we don't have to listen to him," Tarek said. "Move," he yelled to the girls. Then took off towards the stairs taking two at a time with Lucius on his shoulder.
Suki's eyes were wide with admiration. She let out a small flirty whistle then sprinted after him with Lena close behind.
They caught up to Tarek at the top of the stairs but he kept the lead. The first exit they got to, he was out the door and running across the training yards, through the bombed section of the outer wall and across the field to where they had left the plane. All with Lucius over his shoulder.
Tarek threw Lucius into the small cargo space at the rear of the plane then hopped into the pilot's seat.
Lena and Suki scrambled after him. "They Defenses are close," he said, looking at the scanners as he cloaked the plane.
"Will their scanners see us?" Lena asked as the plane flew away.
"They're landing," Tarek said. "I think they're more worried about who's down there than who's up here. We got lucky,"
"Yes, we did," Lena said looking over her shoulder at Lucius' crumpled body.
Chapter Six
Gideon trailed behind Aaron and Thora down the hallway of Alliance Headquarters. They stopped in front of closed double doors at the end of the hallway.
Gideon took a deep breath, staring at the doors. His mother was on the other side. The mother he was about to accuse of conspiring against the council who were also on the other side of these doors.
Thora placed a calming hand on Gideon's arm. "We will talk to the council, present the proof we have and take it from there.”
Gideon nodded as he flexed his bound wrists. He felt like any minute he could be a danger to them all. He couldn't protect them if he couldn't control himself.
Thora continued talking. "This is an open session, a time to let the council hear concerns from citizens of our worlds before they vote over the treaty. We have a legal right—not to mention responsibility—to present our proof of Selene's device." Thora took a deep breath. She wasn't doing a very good job of hiding her nerves from Gideon. Her hands kept clenching and relaxing as she held the square box in her hand that Evren had prepared for them. Inside the box was all the proof they were going to need to show what Selene was doing to the council and him.
"I'm ready," Gideon said. Even though he was cuffed, he squared his shoulders as he always did when he wanted to appear more confident than he felt.
Thora cleared her throat, straightened and stepped forward with Aaron at her side. The doors opened automatically.
Gideon fell into step behind her as they entered the council chambers. There was a large circular wooden table in the center of the room. Each chair had a council member from each world sitting at it. On the back of their chairs, was their worlds' flag.
Floating along the outer edges of the room were holograms of people's faces. These were the people who weren't on the actual council but were advisors to the council members. They were from all the worlds in the alliance. It was these people Gideon hoped to impress with the seriousness of the device. The present council members were most likely under his mother's influence.
Gideon focused on the people at the circular table. Those he hadn't met personally, he recognized from his studies at the IMA.
Aldebaran sat in the seat representing Genosee. When he saw Gideon, he smiled and nodded.
The leader of Mancipum sat to Aldebaran's right with the leader of Qua next to him.
Gideon had met Tarek's uncle, Zal, the king of Allayah who sat to Aldebaran's left.
He'd never met Kaghan, who was king of Divitia, the world his mother and Thora were from—the world his grandfather had once ruled.
Kaghan glared at Thora.
Thora took in a deep breath and inclined her head.
Gideon had never seen her look nobler than at that moment. He wasn't sure what it was, but Thora looked liked she belonged here. Any trace of fear she'd had, had either been hidden or was completely gone. He forced himself to look at the last council member.
Selene tightened her jaw. Her eyes pierced his.
He wasn't shocked to see his mother sitting at the table. He had known that she would be there. She was the ruler of Mir. But as she stared at him with anything but love, Gideon wanted to be anywhere but in the same room as her. The back of his neck where the device had been inserted seemed to throb as he stared at her. He stretched his neck to the side, hoping to ease the pain.
She raised her eyebrows when she saw his movements, then turned towards Thora and smirked.
Zal had been speaking when they had walked in but had stopped and was staring, like the rest of the council, at Gideon, and Thora. He nodded respectfully at Thora before clearing his throat to speak. "Princess Toralei, I didn't expect you at these proceedings," he said. "It's been a long time.”
"Indeed it has, King Zal," Thora responded. "I haven't heard anyone call me Princess Toralei since I was young. Most people use my nickname, Thora. And I might add, please excuse me for the interruption.”
"These are open proceedings." Zal said. "And, if you don't mind, I will call you the name I knew you by when we were younger. Though, I have to say, usually, people don't intrude on council meetings. And if they do, they participate electronically. Or at the least, tell us of their coming."
"What I have, couldn't be discussed via virtual communications," Thora stated. "Or be given advanced notification. As you know, communication on Mir isn't very reliable." Thora gave Selene a pointed look.
Zal looked at Selene then back to Thora. He gave her a knowing nod. "Well, please proceed.”
Thora put the box Evren had given her in the middle of the table and pushed a button. Plans of the control device floated from the box.
"What is this?" Zal asked, studying the images.
Thora glanced quickly at Selene before focusing on Zal. "What you're looking at is a device that, when placed inside someone, can cause them to be controlled by an outside source," she said. "These plans were recovered from one of Priestess Selene's facilities. We have reason to believe that this device was placed inside Zeke Merak, and that when he killed General Marcus Adhara and his wife, he was actually under another's control."
"That's a serious accusation, Thora," Aldebaran said.
Thora opened the recorded hologram of Gideon's father, Zeke.
"She says she has a way to force me to do what she wants if I don't comply on my own." Zeke's voice boomed through the now silent room. "She has always wanted control.”
Gideon listened as he focused on the reaction of the council and their advi
sors. He knew the words by heart. He'd listened to them over and over. Zeke was saying he'd never harm the Adhara's or hurt the Resistance. Gideon closed his eyes remembering the Adhara's deaths. His father stabbing Marcus then shooting Lillyanne. He hated those memories more than anything. It was even worse now he knew the same thing could happen to him.
When the recording ended, Zal cleared his voice. "You think General Merak was forced to kill the Adhara's?"
""Yes," Thora answered. "You just heard in Zeke's own voice his loyalty to the Adhara's. But they died by his own hand.”
Thora then pulled open a video of Ras putting the device inside Gideon. "The same device is now inside Gideon Merak. Put there by Ras Tabor, Priestess Selene's right hand man."
Thora then opened up the X-rays of Gideon. "As you can see from this x-ray, the device now inside Gideon is the same device inside General Merak. This device controls people."
"Just to be clear, I need you to tell us who you are accusing of using this technology," Zal said.
"My sister Selene is responsible for placing this device inside of both Zeke and Gideon Merak and is planning—if she has not already—to use it on the council."
"That is ridiculous!" Selene stood and put both hands on the table. "Yes, I knew the device existed. Yes, I had the plans for them. But to think I had anything to do with using this device is ridiculous. Gideon is my child, Zeke, my husband. All this proves is that the Ras, who is a Viceret, has placed this device inside my son."
"Because of you," Thora said.
"You have no proof," Selene said.
"I am the proof, mother," Gideon said stepping forward. "The device is inside of me as we speak. I will turn myself over to the Alliance to analyze what has been placed inside of me."
The council's whispers grew fierce. Aldebaran raised his hand. "I suggest we take a brief recess to discuss with our own worlds' advisors how to proceed.”
"I second that," Kaghan said.
"Very well. We'll reconvene tomorrow morning." Zal nodded his head and the group dispersed.
When only Thora, Aaron, Zal and Gideon were left, Zal walked up to Thora. "What are you trying to do, get yourself killed?" Zal asked.
"We had to bring this to the attention of the council in a public way, otherwise Selene would have stopped us," Thora answered.
"All you showed us is that the Viceret, who are all our enemies, have inserted your nephew with a device that can control him. And, if anything, Selene will turn this information in her favor. No one will support you, Princess Toralei."
"All our proof points to Selene. Anyone with a brain will be able to see it. Selene is the one with the plans. We found them at her facility. Ras works with Selene. He's probably in The Port now."
"You only have proof that Selene knew they existed. Something she admitted. You haven't proven that she is the one using the device," Zal said.
"She's going to use it on the council."
"You can argue that all you want, Princess. But you must have more proof. Your sister doesn't need to control people. Her policies are sound, and her politics make sense. When the council comes back, it will not be in your favor."
"Her policies are anything but sound. She rules through manipulation and fear. You saw that once, Zal. What has happened to you?"
Zal looked uncomfortable.
At his reaction, Thora's eyes grew wide. "She's gotten to you," Thora said. "What could she have possibly said to make you change your stance on her policies? What could she have possibly done to make you look the other way?"
"Toralei, it isn't necessary to make accusations like that." He shifted his feet and clenched his jaw.
"But it's true. She somehow has gotten to you. Who else has she gotten to, Zal?"
"This conversation is over. I will not be insulted this way." Zal smoothed down his white hair and turned away from Thora, but Thora walked around him so he had to look at her again.
"Does your brother know that you're siding with Selene?" Thora asked.
"I am the ruler of Allayah, not my brother. We do not have to agree on everything."
"So you're admitting she's gotten to you, Zal."
Zal glared at Thora with a look somewhere between fury and fear.
Thora didn't back down. She held his glare with a look of her own, one that chastised without a word being spoken. Gideon had received that look from her before and was glad not to be the recipient.
"Because we were once friends, I'm warning you Toralei. You better not bring this up again. You will be bringing danger to us all. When the council has come back, you better not accuse so rashly. None of them will take it as well as I have."
Thora let out a huff as Zal walked away.
Gideon shifted his cuffed wrists. "They don't think my mother's hand's in this."
"They know her hand is in this. They've already been bought, or have the device in them," Thora answered. "We need to figure out which ones are which."
"We'll all be back here tomorrow morning," Aaron said. "We better have a better plan figured out before then."
Gideon tried to nod in agreement, but couldn't. His mouth was frozen in place as he tried to call out to them. His anxiety skyrocketed. He was being controlled and couldn't tell anyone. As he followed Aaron and Thora out of the Alliance building he tried to scream, to move in a different direction, but nothing worked. He had been activated.
***
When Lena arrived back at the hangar to the caves, Evren was already waiting to meet. Behind him stood Myri, Druinn, Dessa, and Remiah. They did not look happy.
"What were you thinking?" Remiah yelled as they exited the plane.
Myri stood by his side with her arms crossed over her chest, scowling. "I can't believe you left without first passing it by us. Do you know what damage you could have caused."
Evren walked to the plane, looked in the back cargo space to where Lucius was lying unconscious, and let out a whistle. "Some unexpected baggage, I see," he said.
"What do you mean, unexpected baggage?" Dessa questioned as she walked to the plane and looked over Evren's shoulder. "Don't tell me you've dragged someone else into your mess."
"Can you find somewhere for him to go?" Tarek asked.
Remiah looked in the back and let out a frustrated breath. "This is the boy who turned you over to the Cimmerians?"
"The very one," Tarek said.
"And now you've brought him to the caverns? This is exactly what I was talking about. You can't just bring people here. Our location will be compromised," Remiah said, his voice thick with frustration.
Tarek ignored Remiah's outburst. "He doesn't need to go to the prison, but it would be helpful if we could find him a place he wouldn't be in our way."
"You can't be serious," Remiah said.
"I'm always serious," Tarek replied.
Remiah scowled but motioned to Druinn to help him with Lucius' unconscious body. They dragged him out of the back of the plane his feet bumping along the ground behind him.
Lucius let out a small moan as they pulled him across the hangar towards the elevator.
"Also, watch his bathroom schedule," Tarek said. "We're expecting the plans to pass through him at some point."
"No way," said Dessa with a look of disgust. "He swallowed the plans?"
"Hence the reason he is here," replied Suki with a scowl.
Dessa's nose scrunched as she eyed Lucius up and down. "That is disgusting," she said.
"But you found the plans?" Myri questioned.
"Yes, we found the plans. We should be able to fix the device," Lena said.
"Evren, is there a way we can contact Gideon?" Tarek asked.
"Yes, as soon as they get back to the Port House I'll be alerted and we can open a communication with them."
"How long will that take?" Lena asked.
"Well, I don't exactly know their schedule, Lena. But when they get back to the Zoon Port house, it'll trigger my system and I'll be able to contact them."
&nbs
p; Lena nodded. "Okay. Call me when you've made contact."
"Of course," Evren answered.
Lena headed to her room to grab her mother's journal, and then returned to the table in the center of the main cavern to read over it again as she ate a sandwich. She hadn't been sitting long when she heard Evren's voice over the speakers.
"Lena. It's Thora,"
Lena jumped from the table and ran to the workroom where a hologram of Thora floated from the center of the workroom table.
Tarek, Suki, Druinn, Myri, Birdee, and Tern all poured into the workroom behind Lena. Birdee directed her glider toward another chair which Tern used to help prop up her broken leg.
Thora and Aaron were sitting side by side in the hologram. The wrinkles on the sides of Thora's eyes looked like they'd deepened since the last time she'd seen her. Lena didn't need to ask how things had gone, she knew it was bad just by looking at her.
"Thora," Lena said.
"We were too late. I believe they've already been turned or, worse, implanted.”
No one spoke for a minute. Lena felt a lump in her throat. "Come back," Lena said. "We have the blueprints to Dorry's nullifier, we can fix Gideon. Come back. You don't need to be there anymore."
"We're coming back," Thora said, "But it's not going to be easy. We're being watched closely by Selene. And though she can't arrest us while we're in The Port, I don't know how long it will take us to get back without being followed." Thora glanced over her shoulder. She looked nervous and kept looking between the door behind them and the hologram in front of them.
Aaron also looked extra alert. He sat on the edge of the chair ready to jump to his feet at any moment.
"Where is Gideon?" Lena asked. He wasn't in the background of the hologram and Lena couldn't see Thora or Aaron looking at him off-screen.
"Upstairs resting," Thora said. "It wasn't easy for him today. He was prepared to turn himself over to the Alliance, and when they refused to take seriously our accusations, Gideon took it hard. He hasn't said anything since we left the meeting."
"I'd like to talk to him if I can," Lena said. But before Thora could answer an alarm sounded from one of Evren's holograms.
The Mir Chronicles- The Complete Series Page 50