Fearless (Battle Born Book 12) Page 15

  For endless minutes he knelt there, unable to move, barely able to breathe. Then Jason’s image formed inside his mind, smiling and full of life. Royce sobbed, trying to imprint the precious memory on his shattered mind.

  “So what are you going to call your new ship?” Those were the last words Jason spoke to him.

  Royce had only shrugged and told him he hadn’t decided, but the perfect name came to him now. He would call his ship Vengeance, and he would not rest until Jason’s death had been avenged.

  * * * * *

  Arton closed his eyes as grief washed over him in icy waves. His vision had just come to pass, as he knew it would. He felt fear and death all around him, like tar sinking into his skin. Why the creators chose to reveal events that could not be changed, he would never understand. If nothing could be done to prevent the tragedy, why torture him with the knowledge of what was to come?

  He left his cabin on the Relentless, where he’d been meditating for the past few hours, and went to the command center. Kage spotted him and moved away from the control hub. The overlord’s rugged features were tense and pity shone in his dark eyes.

  “Which city?” Arton asked. It was the only detail that hadn’t been clear in the vision.

  “Los Angeles.” Kage locked his hands behind his back and retreated behind professional detachment. “I’m sorry. I know how these things upset you.”

  “These things?” Arton shook his head, horrified by the indifference in Kage’s tone. Even knowing it was a survival mechanism, Arton found it callous. “Hundreds of thousands of people are either dead or dying. That should upset all of us.”

  “That’s not what you’re upset about.” As usual Kage wouldn’t allow anyone, including Arton, to deflect from the truth. Kage was frighteningly perceptive and had no patience with excuses or justifications.

  “You warned them and I warned them, but none of it did any good.” Arton glanced away, not wanting to take out his frustration on his friend. “Did I miss something, or…”

  “It wasn’t the battle born, at least not directly.”

  Arton snapped his gaze back to Kage. “What do you mean? Was my vision fulfilled or not?”

  “A large spaceship crashed into a human city, but the ship belonged to Solar Warden, not the battle born.”

  Silent and still, Arton filtered what he already knew through the lens of the new information. Had they warned the wrong people? Could this have been prevented if—

  “Stop it.”

  Kage’s command jarred Arton out of his useless contemplations. It had happened. Whatever they might or might not have done meant nothing now.

  “It wouldn’t have made a difference,” Kage insisted, echoing Arton’s thoughts. “First of all, it was an accident. I watched it happen. The Fearless was attempting to escape from Solar Warden’s two new ships when they inadvertently collided. If anyone is to blame, it’s Solar Warden. Secondly, you sensed that the event was absolute when you first had the vision. One way or another, this was going to happen.”

  Arton nodded. Many times in the past he’d frantically tried anything and everything to prevent unchangeable events. Nothing had worked. Life was filled with choices, but certain events in time were simply inflexible. “Is there anything we can do now?”

  “The battle born have dispatched half their fleet. Anything we do would just put us in their way.”

  Arton wasn’t sure he agreed, but he didn’t argue. His main focus right now was distancing the Outcasts from the conflicts raging on Earth. Insisting they become involved now seemed hypocritical. He nodded, acknowledging Kage’s statement. “I’ll be in my cabin.”

  “Any new developments in our exit strategy?” Kage moved closer and dropped his voice. “The more I think about it, the more I agree with you. We need to move on before this blows up in our faces.”

  Surprised by Kage’s sudden reversal, Arton wished he had more to report. “I spoke with Rex again. The researchers are still arguing over which planet will serve our needs better. The good news is either will support life. The rest of my plans are coming together as well, but there are a couple of significant obstacles.”

  “Let me know what you need to speed up the process.” He glanced at the devastated city smoldering on the main viewscreen and shook his head. “This will bring Earth and the battle born one step closer to war. Humans will blame the battle born, and the battle born will blame Solar Warden. The Outcasts cannot be drawn into another pointless conflict.”

  Emboldened by Kage’s attitude, Arton revealed a detail he’d been dreading, one of the major obstacles he’d mentioned before. “If every Outcast needs a human female to be transformed, we must take three thousand women with us when we leave.”

  Kage looked at him, clearly understanding the nature of the complication. “And recruiting that many compatible females could take months, maybe years.”

  “I’ve been working with one of our engineers and we’ve developed a scanner that will allow us to locate compatible females from shuttles or a small ship. But ensuring that each one is willing to leave Earth permanently would be time-consuming and labor intensive.”

  Kage nodded, looking physically encumbered by the weight of the decision. “Kidnap our mates or risk being trapped by another war that doesn’t concern us.” He straightened his shoulders and took a deep breath. “Start locating the females. It’s time. The Outcasts will have a planet of their own.”

  * * * * *

  The next two weeks transpired in a blur of depression and regret for Jakkin. The battle born forces gradually withdrew from the devastated city that had once been L. A. as hostilities between humans and Rodytes escalated. Solar Warden didn’t officially exist, so the rebels became a convenient scapegoat for the human military. According to the reports plastered all over Earth’s media, the collision had taken place between two battle born ships during a failed military coupe. It was absurd, of course, but terrified people tended to believe whatever allowed them to sleep better at night.

  The death toll climbed steadily each day, creating more and more reasons for grieving humans to act out. Riots became a daily occurrence. Looting, vandalism, and other crimes spread along the West Coast until the authorities had no choice but to call in the National Guard. Worldwide demonstrations followed. And all of it was blamed on the battle born.

  The Fearless was ordered to Lunar Nine and the transformation project came grinding to a halt. Royce Marsden leaked Jakkin’s name to several influential reporters and soon human media was buzzing with demands for his apprehension and execution. Earth would not rest until someone paid for the devastation.

  Jakkin wasn’t surprised when a summons from General Lux arrived sixteen days after the tragedy. He performed his usual grooming, then donned his formal uniform, emotionally bracing for the worst possible news.

  “Wow, that’s fancy.” Kelsey had been amazingly supportive in every way, despite his quick temper and emotional remoteness. The affection and worry he sensed from her, helped keep him from total despair.

  “I’ve been summoned before General Lux and some sort of council. Earth is demanding that action be taken, and I have a horrible feeling I’m about to be sacrificed to defuse hostilities.”

  “That’s ridiculous.” She shook her head, stubbornly optimistic to the bitter end. “Rebels don’t bow to the irrational demands of misinformed humans. General Lux would not abandon you like that.”

  Jakkin forced a hollow smile onto his lips. “I hope you’re right.” He gave her a quick kiss then left the cabin, anxious to find out what was waiting for him aboard the Triumphant.

  An armed guard was waiting for Jakkin when he bio-streamed onto General Lux’s ship. The Triumphant was massive, and Jakkin had never been aboard before, so the escort could be a courtesy. He could also be a foreshadowing of what was to come.

  Jakkin tried to shake the pessimistic thoughts as he followed the guard down the seemingly endless corridors. Loyalty and honor were paramount to the battle
born. They didn’t leave people behind in battle and they didn’t buckle to outside pressures. He tried to convince himself Kelsey was right. This would be an exchange of information or perhaps a brainstorming session regarding the new developments. Unfortunately, no one explained the concepts to his body, and by the time they reached General Lux’s office, Jakkin’s gut was tied in knots.

  The guard announced Jakkin, but stepped aside as the door parted before him.

  Jakkin nodded his thanks, then turned his attention to the occupants of the room.

  As befitting the first battle born general, Sedrik Lux’s office was large and luxurious. The man, however, was all no-nonsense soldier. Adorned in a simple black-and-gold uniform, he made Jakkin feel overdressed. There were only two other people seated with Sedrik around the small round table. Jakkin wasn’t sure if he was comforted or intimidated by the fact. He’d expected this meeting to take place in a conference room with a dozen or more commanders present.

  Sedrik motioned him toward the empty seat, then began the introductions. “This is Director Morgan Hoyt.” He indicated the attractive red-haired female in a business suit. Jakkin had heard the name, knew she ran a human taskforce focused on alien interactions on Earth. Her reputation was solid, but this was the first time Jakkin had interacted with her.

  He shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Director Hoyt.”

  “I hope you still feel that way when you learn why I’m here.” The taskforce she commanded was staffed primarily with humans. However, Jakkin didn’t know her planet of origin. She looked human, but appearances could be misleading.

  Sedrik nodded toward the somber-faced Rodyte seated on Morgan’s right. “This is Torrin Havier. I’ll let Morgan explain his role.”

  Intrigued by the general’s ambiguity, Jakkin looked at Torrin more closely. His black hair was bound at the nape of his neck, making his features appear even more angular. His eyes were neither gray nor green, but a smoky mix of the two. Faint gold phitons ringed his pupils, but Jakkin wasn’t convinced he was full-blooded Rodyte.

  “Because Solar Warden is, and has always been, a secret operation, we are left with few alternatives regarding the L.A. tragedy.”

  Morgan spoke in a calm, professional tone that made Jakkin want to throw something at her. “Don’t you mean the L.A. massacre? That’s what the human media is calling it.”

  Her cringe was subtle, but Jakkin felt slightly vindicated by the reaction. “You have every right to be frustrated, and I’m here to assure you that U.S. officials know Royce Marsden is to blame for the tragedy. You will not take the fall for his rash behavior. At least, not permanently.”

  “Director Hoyt has been given control of Solar Warden, as well as Shadow Leader’s other projects,” Sedrik told him. “She is now our contact and a sort of liaison between the battle born and the U.S. authorities.”

  “Congratulations.” Jakkin tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice and failed. “I’m sure you’ll do a better job than your predecessor.”

  “Because of the emotional fallout from the disaster,” Sedrik drew Jakkin’s resentful gaze away from the female. “The human authorities have asked that we agree to the secrecy they originally proposed. I heard from the Triad and Apex General Nox this morning. They are all in agreement.”

  “If I may.” Jakkin didn’t wait for permission before he continued, “Humans know aliens exist now. What’s the benefit of denying the existence of Solar Warden?”

  Morgan sighed. Jakkin couldn’t tell if he had frustrated her or if the secrecy itself inspired the reaction. “I happen to agree with you, but I follow orders just like everyone else. Admitting that Solar Warden exists is also admitting that the U.S. government has been perpetrating a public fraud for several decades. Simply put, that’s not going to happen.”

  “So I remain the villain?”

  “For now,” she agreed. “But we have a bigger problem on our hands.”

  Bigger than his honor and reputation? Those things might not be important to her, but they meant everything to Jakkin. He no longer had just himself to think about. Everything he did also affected Kelsey. His dishonor, even if it was undeserved, also fell on his mate.

  “Royce Marsden has gone rogue,” Sedrik told him.

  “Worse,” Morgan interjected. “He’s in control of a brand-new ship that… Well, you encountered two of them. You know they’re unlike anything the Evonti have provided us before.”

  “Did they just provide two? I was told there was a third ship there that day, even larger than the other two.” Jakkin looked from Morgan to Sedrik and back. “Have we learned any more about the silent observer?”

  “It was the Relentless,” Sedrik told him. “I have no way of knowing if Kage was supposed to attack and didn’t, or if the Outcasts were simply observing. All I know is they made no move to hinder or assist either side.”

  “Then the alliance between Solar Warden and the Outcasts is definitely over?” Solar Warden was enough of a nuisance without being backed by Outcast firepower.

  “That’s what we were told.” Morgan drew his attention back to her. “Unfortunately, we’re not sure how accurate our information is anymore. Marsden is leading the insurrection, but most of Solar Warden’s agents have joined his side. None of the commanders were pleased when I was chosen to take over the program instead of one of them.”

  Jakkin just nodded. These were fascinating developments, but he wasn’t sure what they had to do with him, or the sharp-eyed Torrin. There had to be a reason the general had summoned him here. There had already been an official debriefing on the disaster.

  Either anticipating Jakkin’s confusion, or seeing it in his eyes, Sedrik answered the unasked question. “The irony is the only human organization with spaceships and advanced weaponry is Solar Warden, so they need our help regaining control of the rebellion.”

  Jakkin laughed. He couldn’t help it. Earth needed Rodyte rebels to squelch a human rebellion? And the head of the taskforce had the audacity to single out the Rodyte they’d thrown to the wolves because of their irrational dedication to secrecy.

  “I’m glad you find this amusing.” The warning in General Lux’s tone was unmistakable.

  Calming himself with a deep breath, Jakkin regained his composure. “What do you need from me?” He looked at the general, not trusting himself to remain civil if he looked at Morgan again. She had nerve. He had to give her that much.

  “Morgan believes the other commanders will fall in line if we remove Royce Marsden.”

  “Remove?” Jakkin glanced at Torrin. Was that why the silent stranger was here? Was he some sort of assassin?

  “I’d prefer we didn’t make him a martyr,” Morgan stressed, “but it’s unlikely Marsden will allow himself to be captured. It’s much more his style to go out in a blaze of glory, and we really need to recover the new ship.”

  Of course. Marsden currently controlled the most advanced ship in the Solar Warden fleet. No wonder she was so anxious to snuff out his rebellion.

  “According to your reports,” Sedrik said, “Marsden was able to detect you with your covert shields engaged. My engineers would like to know how that was possible.”

  Jakkin nodded, reliving the surreal events leading up to the actual collision. He’d had over two weeks to analyze every detail of what took place. “Those ships were fast and maneuverable, and they had some sort of field or pulse that scrambled our targeting systems.” He finally looked at Morgan. “Will we be allowed to examine the ship if we neutralize Marsden?”

  She smiled, her expression relaxing for the first time since he walked into the office. “Do you honestly think we’d be able to understand the technology without help from your engineers?” She paused, likely hoping he’d return her smile. When he didn’t, she accepted his resentment and went on, “Allowing the misconceptions to continue is extremely unfair to you. I understand that, but—for the time being—it’s necessary. Once Solar Warden is under my control, and the West Coast ha
s calmed down, I will insist on full disclosure to the public. We will restore your reputation.”

  Jakkin wanted to believe her, but he didn’t know her, and humans tended to do whatever was best for humans. “And in the meantime?” He shifted his gaze back to Sedrik. “What is my role in all this?”

  “We’ve been granted permission to resume processing volunteers, but orientation will now take place at the Bunker.”

  They’d been “granted permission” to claim their mates? The general didn’t seem bothered by the situation, so why should he care? “I’m not familiar with that location.”

  “It’s the unofficial name for my headquarters,” Morgan told him. “Human females will feel less threatened by a location on Earth and—”

  “You’ll now supervise the process?” Bitterness crept into his tone and his phitons stung. No doubt they were starting to glow. Everything about this felt unnatural, like the battle born had just exchanged one master for another. Was he to be stripped of command as well as his purpose?

  “We’re trying to avoid a war with the people we need most,” Sedrik reminded him. “You’re not being demoted, just reassigned.”

  He dipped his head, acknowledging the statement without agreeing or disagreeing. “What’s my new position?”

  Sedrik smiled, a rare happening. “I would think that was obvious. You’re going to hunt down and apprehend Royce Marsden and recover his fancy new ship.”

  Easier said than done if they managed to fix their stealth shields. Was he being set up—again? “Apprehend, not neutralize?” Again, he glanced at Torrin. The man had yet to speak and the others didn’t seem to be in any hurry to explain who, and what, he was.

  “Our one advantage is Royce Marsden can’t keep his mouth shut,” Morgan explained. “I’ve received numerous reports that he has sworn vengeance on you for his son’s death. We’re hoping you can use that to your advantage.”

  Jakkin froze. He didn’t think he could feel any worse about the tragedy, but a new hole was torn in his shredded heart. “His son was aboard the ship that went down?”