Balance (The Neumarian Chronicles) (4 page)

My hands shook.

My head ached.

My body longed for a break.

But I continued to fight, taking down three more fighters.

“He’s landed,” t
he com operator relayed to the bridge.

“Hvala bogu,” Raeth muttered. I didn’t need to understand Neumarian to know she was relieved.

Harrison slammed his palm down on his armrest. “Call all fighters back and get us out of here.”

M
ist faded with the swirl of our engines, allowing a clear view of Penton’s ship just as one suicide fighter nosedived into it, sending a plume of smoke into the sky.

The com operator immediately swiveled to Raeth. “He made it out. A message got thro
ugh just before…”

Raeth nodded
. It wasn’t until she turned toward me that I saw the tears streaking down her face. I could tell she struggled to stay with us, her mind longing to check out, to not deal with this world. Her psyche had crashed along with Penton’s plane. But she was a soldier and she fought to maintain control as she maneuvered the plane.

You’re doing great
, I encouraged her.

She turned back to
the monitors and swung by the emperor’s ship. It turned to give chase, but the large breach in its side slowed it down. We were so close, close enough that I could have easily finished off the massive ship, but without drawing more energy from other parts of the
SB-06
, I was too weak. Even the Triune’s powers had limitations.

We continued our evacuation of the area, stalling to board a few fighters
in the vicinity. The rest of our forces were directed to land as far away as possible.

Forced to leave Penton, our
small fighters, and the council behind didn’t sit well with Father, Raeth or I, but it was the only chance we had to take the emperor down and offer us a fighting chance for the future.

Chapter Four

Moving to an unmanned console at the back of the bridge, I cremated the poor station to access just enough energy to take down the few remaining suicide fighters tailing us. Hot molten goo slid to the ground in a bubbling heap.

“
Let it go before you drain energy from the hull.” Father warned. Forced to sit silent and wait for a report, sidelined from the fight, was torturous. To think, just a few months ago, all I wanted to do was live in peace in the make-believe Resort Territory implanted in my mind. Now, fighting was in my blood. My desire to protect those I loved and eliminate the powers that enslaved our people invigorated me.

Fallon sat by my side. “You’ve grown up a
lot in only a few months. Your ma would be so proud, and your pa already is. He’s not the touchy-feely kind of guy he used to be, but I can tell.”

“I know you’re trying to distract me, but I promise I won’t melt anything else.”

He chuckled and patted my hand. “No, dear. I’ve just wanted to chat with you since my rescue. There hasn’t been any time. As a good friend to your father, I wanted to let you know that man did everything he could to save you from Mandesa.”

“I know.”

“Do you? He was crushed when you were taken, but he knew you were safer there than anywhere else. As an asset to Mandesa, you had a chance to survive, as his daughter you would’ve been hunted down and murdered in your sleep.”

“I’m not sure I’ll ever completely understand his choice, but I respect it and that’s progress.”

“All ships retreat,” the com operator ordered the code for Penton to execute his weapon.

We all held our breath in anticipation.
The operator nodded and a cheer rang from the few remaining crew members on the bridge.

Father
snarled at them in warning that the fight wasn’t over, and the bridge fell silent.

Trust me. Watch Penton, he’s proved himself time and time again.

He’s perfect.
Raeth’s internal thoughts amplified into my head. My heart warmed at the fact she’d found a little happiness in this crazy world.

Oops, apparently
Father left our connection open.

Yes, for now
, Father answered.

The com operato
r nodded. My legs protested from all the energy I’d expelled without replenishing, not to mention the stress and emotional turmoil of the last day. I slid down the wall and pulled my knees to my chest. There was nothing left for us to do, but wait.

Once clear of the fight, Raeth turned the ship to display the battle on
the front view.

Fallon joined me. “You three were destined to be together.”

“Us four,” Raeth called from the front. “I know Penton isn’t a member of the Triune, but—”

“There is more to th
e prophecy,” Fallon stated.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You realize the claim of the Triune is real.”

I snickered.
“Yes, I can’t deny that anymore.”

“That leaked from our council during the war, but we were able to keep the rest of the intel to ourselves. You see, one of the members of the Neumarian Council could estimate future events based on current trends. It’s sort of a statistical prophecy in a way
, but deeper than that. The one who had the gift also channeled more than just facts. Emotions, psychology, the art of body language and behavior play a part. All the information was churned up and a prophecy was spit out.”

“
So, what’s the rest?” I asked.

“Penton must
be the protector of the Triune.” He nodded to Harrison and a click sounded in my head. Fallon leaned close and whispered. “The one who will risk his life and die to save the Triune.”

I cupped my hands over my mouth to stop the gasp from reaching Raeth’s ears.
My pulse thrashed at my neck. I slowly lowered my hands to my side. “You think he’s going to die out there, don’t you?”

Fallon clasped my hands in his.
“Yes.”

Chapter Five

My chest tightened with grief. Raeth had struggled, yes, but she’d also overcome torture, psychological issues, and more pain in her life than anyone I’d ever met. If Penton died, her ability to function in any capacity would cease.

I struggled to control the tremors tearing through me. “I refuse to believe it.”

“I’m not the prophesier,” Fallon rubbed his palms down his thighs. “You may be right. However, this is a deduction based upon the number of times he’s saved you three.”

“What did the prophesy say
? Exact wording.”

He flicked a piece of debris from his pants.
“A human who is a friend of the Triune and loved one of them, will be their savior.”

“Okay. He’s our savior. But that’s different from
him dying to fulfill his destiny.”

Fallon sighed,
“There’s more to the prophecy. Your father wants to protect you, but has reluctantly agreed for me to share this.”

My attention bounced between the raging war being fought in the distance
through the front screen, the love of my life trapped in the blue mist and hopefully being rescued, and this new information. I braced myself for more horror. Part of me wished to remain ignorant. Yet, I’d fought so hard for the truth over the last year, now wasn’t the time to hide from it.

Teeth clinched, I nodded.

“So far, the seer’s been right on most counts.”

“Most?”

“There was one time, one discrepancy, but we believe he deliberately mislead other members of the council for their protection. Everything else has occurred as foretold. The rise of an all-powerful person based upon lies. The separation of a commander and his daughter. The genocide of Neumarians. The enslavement of those Neumarians left. The wretched desolation humans live in. The Neumarian council shattered into three groups. One group would be beheaded, another would become betrayers, and the third would be forced to live with the pain and knowledge of all that transpired. Unsure of who on the council could be trusted, only specific pieces were shared. By the time any of the prophecies came to fruition, it was too late. The seed of doubt had grown into absurd accusations, kangaroo trials, and swift executions.”

“You and my father were in the group of the survivors.”

His hand covered mine as his gaze dropped to the floor. “Yes, a fate worse than beheading.”

I squeezed his fingers. “I’m sorry you
had to live through all that, but I’m happy you two survived. I believe seers aren’t God. They’re guides. You were shown a possible future. The tragedy is that people believed it unchangeable. The past is finished, the future unwritten. I refuse to believe—in fact, I reject that we are unable to affect future outcomes.”

He lifted my fin
gers and pressed a kiss to them then glanced at his niece. “I pray you’re right. And I will do everything in my power to ensure he lives.”

I didn’t say it, but truth be told this prophesy could fit
any number of people involved with theTriune. Mags who risked her life saving us from assassins. Or Fallon, who loved us and saved us back at the Mining Territory. Or Father, who loved me and, I realized, would die for me. Thin lipped, I met his empathy-filled gaze, nodded then turned back to the screen and willed the emperor’s ship to drop from the sky.

Fallon sat quiet, watching the screen with me, then nudged his shoulder into mine. “The day Reath begged us to save you from
Mandesa’s ship was the best day of my life.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. Not only was I finally able to see you again, but I got to watch as Ryder’s sharp edges softened and Raeth blossomed with confidence. Also, I realized the beginning of our future and the end to our past had arrived.”

Fallon moved to stand, but I clung to his hand and yanked downward
to keep him in place. “Who was the seer? Is there anyone like that still?”

Fallon shook his head. “No.
Although mind abilities are a dominant gene, those needed for a prophesier are rare.”

He moved to stand again, but I
kept hold of his hand. “You didn’t answer me. Who was it?”

“Your mother.”

Chapter Six

“Deep in my heart,
and subconscious, I suspected the seer had been my mother.” I released his hand and rubbed my brow. “but since arriving at the Arc, I haven’t had time to think, let alone search my memories. Something about the night of her death has always felt off to me.” Perhaps it was my best friend’s crushing grief or the loss suffered by the council still under heavy fire, but now, in this instant, shock rippled through me. I didn’t know the truth of my life. And now, I barely had enough time to breathe, let alone learn about my past.

Fallon patted my
head, seeming to understand my frustration.

I remained on the floor, my knees curled to my chest and glanced at Father.

Any report
?
I asked.

No.

I hesitated, yet I had to know
. It wasn’t your lack of trust that made you hesitate to send Penton, was it?

No
.

You knew or suspected you were sending him to his death
, didn’t you?

Yes
.

“My father, he’s not the stone cold general
he portrays, is he?” I whispered to Fallon.

“No. Because of his gift, he’s plagued with the knowledge of it all
, and for years has been witness to Mandesa’s brutality.” Fallon shook his head. “When Mandesa captured you, I thought he’d go insane. And if it hadn’t been for one thing, I’m sure he would’ve sacrificed himself to rescue you.”

All this time I’d longed to know the truth of
my past—the capture, my memories, the death of my mother. But I realized it didn’t matter. My experiences, the ones with Mandesa, my escape, my love for Ryder, this war, and making peace with my father had shaped who I am today. And yet…

I stared at the screen, then slanted Fallon a glance before turning back
again to the screen. “What one thing?”

“Your mother warned him that if he kept you hidden, the general would s
top at nothing to find you and slit your throat. Your powers were supressed by a Neumarian and kept dormant until your sixteenth birthday because if you made it to sixteen, the Triune would be united to either save or destroy the world.”

“You mean, we might fail, after all this?”

“Not just fail, but kill every living creature on Earth.”

My stomach rolled inside out. “Great prophesy. Go mom.”

Fallon chuckled. “It’s nice to see that a little bit of you still exists. If you can keep your humor, you’ll be okay.”

“How many people know the full prophesy?”

I braced myself at Fallon’s weak smile of reassurance. “In addition to me, only Harrison, Bendar, and now, you.”

“Is there anything in the prophesy that prevents me from telling Ryder or Raeth?”

Fallon shook his head. “No, but be cautious. We kept it to three people for a reason. The more people who know of it, the greater the possibility that our rebellion will crumble.”

“Sir, look,” Raeth shouted.

I snapped my attention back to the screen. The emperor’s ship turned on its side and plummeted to the ground. Large fighter ships, with the Asian emblem nosedived, and broke into several pieces upon hitting the ground, scattering the fuselage over a few buildings on the outskirts of the city. Within minutes, the entire fleet, was destroyed.

Penton had been correct. Our ship and Paulson’s remained safe from our position a few meters out in the channel.

Father leaned closer to the screen. “Get us back in there and connect me with our fighter support and ground troops.”

With
out hesitation, Raeth piloted the ship toward the city. Two seconds later, Father’s voice boomed over the com throughout the ship, “We’re coming in low and fast. All soldiers report for duty to the shuttle bay. Be prepared for LOJ. All flight crews in the landing bay, pilot recovery craft for pick-up. Carlton, your two teams protect the downed
Freedom’s
crew and get them to the RP. Michaelson take the remaining five teams. Capture the emperor, recover our two man team, along with Corporal Arteres and Lieutenant Briggs from the council, then return to your RP ASAP. Blue mist bombs have been released, take appropriate action. All fighters provide close-in air support.”

All those hours of studying
manuals paid off, I knew that LOJ meant
low opening altitude jump
and RP stood for
rally point
.

Father focused on Fallon and me.
“You two report to the shuttle bay. Take all available blue mist antidote with you. The
SB-06
will head back to the Arc for repairs. If Mandesa believes we are weak, she’ll attack. This ship must be fully operational before she recovers her forces enough to issue another attack.”

Raeth sat
frozen at her station. No rocking, no conversation, no friendly smile. Did she know? I wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but if Penton died, she’d retreat into the world of her mind and be lost to us forever.

Father
smashed a fist into his palm. “Lieutenant Sharp, radio Captain Reardon. He and a skeleton crew are to fly the ENR battle cruiser and protect this area until we return. Then report to the mess hall to see if you can be of assistance and get your hand looked at.”

“Yes sir,” the lieutenant returned to her controls.

I stood and narrowed a stare on my father.
Raeth should come down with us. I might need to combine our gifts.

I refuse to have the Triune weakened
by having all of you in one place. Ryder’s been contaminated by the blue mist. If he’s alive, his exposure has been extreme and the damage to his gift may be irreparable. As for Raeth, with one leg, she’ll be a liability.

But—

Semara, follow orders
! No sooner had he snarled in my mind then he touched his ear and grinned. “Corporal Nezan’s alive.”

“I know,” Raeth said, her voice monotone, her body immobile, not looking up from her controls.

“How?” I asked.

She slanted me
a glance then returned to her task. “He promised.”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean—”

“I knew he’d be fine because Penton would never break a promise or leave me without a leg.”

The
absoluteness in her tone gave me pause. Although, it was something I could understand. My faith in Ryder was what kept me going.

I turned to my father and asked, “What about Ryder?”

“I’m not sure yet. I happened to connect with Corporal Nezan, but lost the connection just as quickly. Corporal Arteres is probably in one of the council’s underground shelters.”

Teeth clenched, I
nodded then joined Fallon in the lift and punched the button for the shuttle bay. After gathering all the antidote we could find, we boarded a craft and zoomed to the edge of the city.

The shuttle slowed for descent and I leaned against my harness
, attempting to see out the front.

The landing gear lowered and we thumped to the ground. The last footing hadn’t sett
led before I’d unlatched my harness and strapped on my pack of antidote.

Fallon, with
a matching pack, beat me to the door and handed me a mask. “Until the rest of the mist dissipates over the ocean, you’ll need this.”

Once I’d secured it over my face
, I stepped out of the ship and stopped. It seemed seeing the emblem of the rebel army—a red ENR, circled in gold light—proved sufficient for people to emerge from their hiding places. They crawled out of piles of rubble, the few remaining upright buildings, and any crevice they could find to shield them from the bombs and gathered around our ship.

Weapons drawn,
Carlton and his two teams charged toward the
Freedom
as Michaelson split his teams, signaling them in different directions. Three of them charged toward the emperor’s downed ship. They were soon joined by the battle’s survivors brandishing make-shift weapons as together they stormed the still solid fuselage of the massive ship, while another team headed for the severed command module section laying fifty meters from the body.

Flanked by Michaelson and his two remaining teams, we stumbled over chunks of downed ships. I hated admitting, even if only to myself, that Father
had made the correct decision. Sure Fallon could have carried Raeth, but without her leg, we’d be slow-moving targets—and in a battle, slow meant probable death.

As we drew closer,
my throat tightened with the threat of tears at the sight of a dirty and exhausted Penton At least Raeth would get her happily-ever-after. Although, it more difficult to maintain my composure.

Penton gave me a hug. “Ryder’s safe.” He stepped back and pointed to
a rubble pile. “We can get to him through the side door.”

I
grabbed Fallon’s fists, clenched at his side. “He’ll be okay.”

He nodded. “I promised my brother and his wife I’d take care of Raeth and Ryder. My sole purpose for the last decade or so has been to keep them safe. So far, I haven’t done a good job.”

“Yes, you have. And you’re wrong. It isn’t just your job. We’re a family, now. It’s everyone’s job.” I threaded my fingers with his and tugged him forward as I followed Penton. The touchy-feely part of being Neumarian apparently had rubbed off on me. I no longer flinched or felt awkward with displays of affection.

Once inside the complex, Penton guided us down a long hall
then two flights of stairs.

I followed Fallon’s lead and released the leather straps securing my mask. When we reached the bottom, he and Penton shoved open a metal door and we entered a world of moans and blood.

Narrow cots lined the walls of the long cement room. In the center stood operating tables filled with bodies. Between the sick, injured, and contaminated, a fiery stinging enveloped my skin.

A man with a
stethoscope around his neck approached us. “Did you bring the blue mist antidote? We’re out.”

“Yes,” Fallon and I said simultaneously.

“Praise be,” he murmured, looking close to tears. He tilted his head toward one side of the room. “Neumarian’s who suffered mist exposure, their cots are labeled with blue tags.”

I struggled not to vomit. In all my
almost seventeen years, I’d never seen so much pain. Not even Raeth’s suffering compared to this. Shoving my mounting terror deep inside, I started checking tags and dispensing doses as I shuffled down one row after another, searching each face for Ryder’s. If I couldn’t figure out who I was looking at or if their face was masked by bandages, then their body answered my question, my fingers seeking the tingling Ryder’s touch always invoked.

By the third row, Fallon and I had our system down. I started at one end, he at the other and we met in the middle, then moved to the next row and worked from the mi
ddle outward.

At the start of the fifth and final row, I licked my lips, struggling to control my mounting panic. Where was Ryder?

I couldn’t help but scan ahead to the end of the last row. A large frame, lying on a cot near the end, caught my eye and my heart soared. “Fallon, there.” Ryder’s long body, broad chest, and dark hair shone like a bright light in the darkness of war. As much as I wanted to race to his side, I couldn’t ignore the other victims along the way. Meeting Fallon’s stare, we nodded and quickly dosed those separating us from Ryder. Within minutes, we were done and I sat on the edge of Ryder’s cot. Grasping his hand, I inspected his body for wounds. Crimson stained bandages covered the right side of his abdomen and left leg, his hand bandaged by his side.