Inherited War 3: Retaliation (12 page)

Thalo excused himself to the commander and left in the same ground car that had brought him. He checked the time—not enough to catch some sleep. He had a meeting that he needed to be at. He sighed and swore to take some time off when all of this was over.

CHAPTER 6

I have a clarity that I haven’t possessed in days. I can see everything I have done since our arrival at Home and regret most of it. The one thing I do not regret is sending my friends away. They are safe from me. I cannot hurt them if they are not there. Well, I guess I did hurt Sky, she just doesn’t know it yet. I fully plan to tell her about Anastacia even though I don’t really remember what happened. I can’t think on that now, it hurts, a lot. I am going to use this time of clarity to help my people, I owe them this much. I will stay out here as long as I can searching for a new home. I will return before the fleet leaves for Nixa and will have a prerecorded message telling them to stand down in case I am once again fighting for control of my mind and body. I need to speak with West about what he should do if I return to my semi (okay not going to lie to myself), fully crazed state. He will need to work with the base AI to take me out, if necessary. It will be hard but it can be done. Our people need the help of the Nixa and the Worlders and shouldn’t be alienating them now, not because of me. I wish Hal were here. I need someone I can talk to. Hal was always great at hearing my problems and offering solutions. But he won’t be back for a while, he and Split. I will not even mention here where they are, it is too vital a mission for anyone to find out about it. I felt bad sending them both away so soon after rescuing me, but it needed to be done and they both agreed to do it. Hell, Split is the only one who can do it. I need to go have a talk with West and set up some final arrangements. This may be my last entry. Goodbye.

Thalo and the Prime Administrator sat quietly in the austere office of the Prime, waiting. For the last two hours they had sat, unmoving, not speaking. Just waiting. Finally a burst of noise inside Thalo’s implanted com device had him shooting to his feet.

“He is here, give me one moment please,” he asked his host. The Prime gave it with a quick wave of his hand. Thalo trotted to the door and out of the office. He ran past the scheduling secretary and out the main doors. The “he” Thalo had referred to was standing at the bottom of the stairs to the building. He was wrapped in a floor length jacket and had a hat mashed down over his head. It happened to be raining at the moment, so he didn’t look too out of place though he was quite a bit shorter than the Nixa hurrying around him. Thalo skidded to a halt near the being he had named Ghost.

“Did you find it?” he asked in a hushed tone.

“Yes, I have the information and I also have a location,” Ghost responded.

Thalo almost couldn’t contain his joy at that statement. He fought hard to keep from jumping for joy, he settled for holding his hand out. Ghost just stared at the extended extremity.

“Take it and shake it up and down. It is how we congratulate each other for a job well done,”  Thalo explained.

“I am confused,” the electronic voice was crackling more than normal today. “You have not yet fulfilled your part of the plan, why would I congratulate you?” Ghost asked, the box didn’t emulate sarcasm very well.

“Never mind, give me the Intel and go around back. I want you to come in through the wall when I give the signal.” Ghost handed the data chip to Thalo and walked briskly away without so much as a goodbye.

Thalo sighed. Ghost had a lot to learn about this business it seemed. He placed the chip into his pocket and ran back inside the building. The secretary waved him back through and into the Prime’s office. Sky’s father was pacing behind his desk; the waiting had finally gotten to him. He stopped when Thalo came in and turned a hopeful eye to the Worlder.

“He got it, but even better he got a location,” Thalo said as he came to a halt next to the Prime’s desk.

“Thalo, are you sure about this? You said it yourself that this
creature
was working for Fire, albeit unwillingly. Can he be trusted?” he asked, worry lining his face. Thalo knew the dilemma the Prime was faced with because of what Thalo was asking.

“Let’s see what he brought us, and if we can verify it.” Thalo plugged the chip in and the two spent the next hour going through it. After all possible angles had been checked, the Prime and Thalo were convinced of the authenticity of the intelligence.  Thalo leaned back in his chair.

“Crap, I forgot. Ghost, come in.” Thalo turned and looked at the back wall as he spoke.

The Prime turned and got the shock of his life as the diminutive grey being walked though the solid back wall. The Prime was rendered speechless and his mouth hung wide open in surprise.

“Sorry, Ghost, we got wrapped up in your Intel. Ghost, meet the Prime Administrator. Prime, meet Ghost.”   

“I can only stay in the solid objects for so long, Thalo, don’t do that again.” Ghost walked forward and bowed to the Prime who paused a moment before returning it. “I have upheld my end of the bargain. You will help my people now?”

The Prime shook his head yes and stammered a reply.

“More talkative when you think you are alone huh? Oh well.” He turned to Thalo and gave him a level look. “Do not double cross me, Thalo. If my people die, I will become very dangerous.”

“Trust me, I don’t plan on it. In the next few hours this will all be over.” Ghost nodded his head and turned to walk out through the wall again.

“I didn’t believe it,” the Prime said. “You told me, but I didn’t believe a word of it. Right through the wall.” The Prime walked over to the wall and placed his hands on the spot where Ghost had just gone through. He stared at the spot in amazement.

                        “Please sir, we don’t have time for this. Are you ready to act?” Sky’s father turned and adjusted his collar. He smoothed down his shirt and reached out to hit a button on his desk. His secretary answered. She had been waiting for this moment as well.

“Call the complete council. Emergency meeting; full attendance. Anyone not here in twenty minutes, send council guards to escort them in.” The prime hung up, trusting the girl to follow his orders exactly.

“This ruins me if it fails, you know that right?” the Prime said to Thalo.

“
When
it succeeds, you will be a hero,” Thalo replied.

“Come, I want to be the first in the chamber.” Thalo led the way as the two made their way out of the office and down the short hall to the council chambers. The chambers were empty; they usually were at two a.m. local time. The Prime walked up and stood behind the podium as Thalo took a chair from the back and moved it next to the Prime. They settled in for what they hoped was a short wait.

Sky sat across from Gavreal, her legs crossed in front of her and her eyes closed. Today she had all of her clothes on and Gavreal was a few feet away from her. She could sense his breathing from where she was and brought her body in tune with his. Her heart was slowing to match his and she could feel her mind as it broke free from her mortal body.

She opened her eyes and was once again standing on a cloud floating over Earth. She smiled and turned to face Gavreal.

“Good, much faster that time.” Then without warning, he tried to expel her from his mind. She fought at first on instinct. She locked her feet into the cloud to anchor her to his mind. She felt her mental body being stretched and her torso being violently pulled as her feet stayed firmly planted. She pushed back. It was a struggle of wills. Sky knew she couldn’t win, but she also knew Gavreal would monitor how hard she pushed back and for how long. If she didn’t improve each time, he would be disappointed.

It had been the same everyday they had practiced. She received less and less help in the connecting and once finally connected, he would wait and try to force her out when she least expected it.  He usually gave it a few minutes but not this time. He had hit her almost instantly. Her training took over for the first moments, but her reflex of anchoring her feet would only last so long. She had to willingly direct her mind against his.    He was very powerful. There was no telling how long he had actually been alive and how many countless years he spent honing his mental prowess.

“Concentrate,” he scolded her, but never let up. She focused her mind like a laser and slowly drew her mental body back into a normal shape. The pressure on her grew as each second passed. She lost track of the passage of time, and her vision tunneled to a point right between Gavreal’s eyes. All her will was focused on that point, and she used it to focus her mind.

She hadn’t known how long they had been there when she felt the subtle change in the forces pulling her away. Ever so slightly, they were lessening and growing easier to fight. After a short while, there was only a slight tug, one that she could easily handle.

“I knew I could finally get you—” she started to say and shifted her eyes for a moment to his. At that crucial moment of distraction, Gavreal wrapped up Sky with his mind and yanked her out of his head, dropping her back into hers.

Sky was violently sick all over her crossed legs. She vomited up this morning’s breakfast and apparently some of last night’s late dinner. She leaned forward and placed her hands on the ground, her shaky arms holding her upright. Her vision swam and her head felt ready to explode. The sudden violence of her return to her own body had caught her and her nanites off guard. It took them a few seconds to shut down her vomiting and steady her nerves.

“I don’t understand,” she choked out between hyperventilating. “I won.”

“I let you perceive victory and in that moment I had you. Do not let hope cloud your judgment. Nothing is assured when minds contend. Hope, winning, salvation, all things that will be used against you. Do not believe you have won until you return to your own body and Cole has been returned to normal. Whatever lives inside his mind is devious. It will seek out those things that give you hope and use them to defeat you. Your greatest strength can become your ultimate weakness, if you let it. Trust nothing and no one. Do not let it dictate your surroundings or your course. Assume if wants you to go somewhere, that it is a place you do not want to go. You must remain in control. You dictate your own path. You choose the battles you will fight. That is all, I can teach you no more.” The Kin rose to his feet and aided Sky to hers.

“Tomorrow he will come home, and we will be waiting for him. I will hold you inside me when he arrives, and when I go to meet him, I will make a path for you to enter his mind. The Creator known as West will take charge then. He will ensure our safety until we are either dead or triumphant. And yes, I still believe this is an all or nothing proposition. If you fail, whether you live or die, Cole will be lost and we will undoubtedly suffer for our actions.” The Kin had placed a hand on either of her shoulders. He drew her into his embrace and kissed her on the forehead.

“I applaud you for your bravery. Not many in this day would do such a thing,” he said to Sky.

“I have to, I love him.” She wiped some of her vomit off his chest.

“That may be the one thing that gives you the biggest edge. Use it.” He gave her a long look then turned and walked away. Sky let the Kin leave before undressing and stepping in the portable shower she had set up. She let the hot water pound on her shoulders and back as the suit cleaned itself on the floor of the shower. She began to cry. She was scared, not for herself but for Cole. She smashed her hand on the wall in frustration. How many times had she felt sorry for him? None of this was his fault. Shame, remorse, and guilt seemed to rule her life. No more. Cole had repeatedly told her that none of this was her fault. She was finally going to take it to heart.

Cole sat alone in his cabin. He hadn’t spoken to anyone in the last day or so. This whole mission was a bust and a complete waste of time. They had managed to check out some of the systems on his list, though all were no good. Some didn’t have any planets in the sweet spot, and the rest were uninhabitable. One had so much bacteria, it would even overwhelm the nanites in their bodies.  One day those bacteria may evolve into higher life forms, but that was probably millions— if not billions, of years away. He had made the call, and this next one was it. No more. They would return Home, and Cole would face whatever fate had in store for him.

He had talked to West at length about what would happen if he started to go nuts again when they arrived at Home.    No more letting a madman control an extremely destructive fleet of warships. West had hemmed and hawed a bit, but had finally promised to do what Cole asked. Cole had thanked him and sent him on his way.

The next person to come see him was Anastacia. That was more uncomfortable than anything else. She promised not to say anything to Sky upon their return and said it didn’t mean anything to her. It was just a bit of fun and some release. Basically, her way of saying thanks for rescuing her from the scum of the galaxy. They shook hands and parted as friends, though Cole would be forever uncomfortable around her. Well, until he had a chance to talk to Sky and ask for either forgiveness or a quick death.