Rebellion (22 page)

Merek, Trin, and Bella simply watched.

“We need to keep it as simple as possible,” Olivia said.

“And short,” Ty added. “We don’t want to get cut off before we finish our message.”

They sorted through the pages of the journal and selected the one with the most obvious text source. In the end, they decided that Ty and Ria both would present the information with Ria finishing the address with a call to the GTO.

Ty started with, “Attention all inhabitants of planet Mitah. We have proof that a segment of native Curzans had psi when the planetary rulership was awarded. Under the old empire, that would mean the Rulership was, and has always been, invalid.”

Ria went next. “I am not from this planet. I am an Earth Protector under the clan of Lord Rucon Cavacent. I have witnessed the injustice first hand. We are asking the GTO to help us end the genocide being systematically carried out by Chancellor Mortog. Everyone on this planet should have rights and the freedom to live and learn as they wish.”

Ty finished up as the vid zoomed in on the text and key. “We present the following images as proof of our claims. And we are warning all natives to move with caution until we can gain our rightful status on Mitah.”

“That’s it,” Minnar said after the still of the text and key ran another sixty seconds. I’ve got runners ready to deliver copies to our people at the networks. They’ve been instructed to set the vid to loop and get out as soon as possible. Let’s hope this works.”

“It will,” Ria said.

Ty cast her a look. He loved her optimism and wished he shared it.

* * * *

Ria stood leaning against the window frame wishing there was more she could do. Below, a large cruiser pulled in and parked by the main tunnel. Warder Zar stepped out, followed by an older man and two others. “Ty, look! It’s Dani and Ian. Come on.” She bolted out the door and down the stairs. Crossing the open space, she collided with Dani in a massive hug. “What are you doing here?” Ria said.

“I could ask you the same,” Dani replied. “Is this where you’ve been hiding out?”

“Not exactly. We just got back about an hour ago.”

Ian stepped in for a quick hug, as well. “Good to see you, Ria.”

“Thanks, boss. You too.” A wave of Ty’s jealousy rippled over her. She laughed and turned to introduce him. “Come here, Ty. I want to introduce you to my boss and my bestie.”

Ty approached looking guarded but reached out to shake Ian’s hand. “Ty Sordina. Nice to meet you properly.”

“Agreed,” Ian said. “Better than the previous circumstances.”

Ria threw Ian a glare. He didn’t need to bring that up.

“We have a lot to discuss.” Ian clasped Ty on the shoulder, diffusing the tension.

“That we do.” Warder’s voice echoed in the large space. “I suggest we retire to the conference room. Have you made the vid?”

“Just finished,” Olivia said. “Come on, we’ll let you check it out before we send the runners.”

Arlo gave Ty a quick embrace, and they followed Warder and Olivia.

Dani fell in step next to Ria as the rest headed back to the shielded room. “So?”

“So?” Ria said, trying not to blush.

Dani nudged her with psi and nodded in Ty’s direction. “Is he your psi-mate?”

Ria nodded.

Dani squealed.

“Shh. You’re acting like a teenager.”

Dani gave her shoulders a squeeze. “I’m just so happy for you.”

“Thanks. It’s pretty amazing. Now we just have to get out of this mess alive.”

Back in the room, Arlo greeted everyone, and they waited while the others watched the vid.

“Send it out,” Warder said. “Make sure they coordinate broadcasts and mail it to as many people as you can. Don’t stay in any one location and go silent as soon as you’re done.”

“Will do.” Minnar left to deliver the vid to their sources.

“This is quite an operation you have here,” Ian said.

“Over twenty-five years in the making,” Warder said. “But it’s time we leave this place and live in peace on our own planet.”

“There’s only one way to do that.” Olivia crossed her arms and leaned on the table. “Mortog has to go.”

“Are you absolutely sure about the texts?” Dani asked.

“It’s not one hundred percent,” Ty said. “That will take time. But I’m sure enough. We have the essence right. We already know some Curzans have psi. The texts just give us proof of the initial cover-up.”

“Then we need to arrest Mortog,” Ian said.

Olivia scowled. “You can’t touch him. Not on this planet.”

“Maybe we can’t,” Ian said, “but Supreme Commander Torril Anantha and his forces can. With any luck, he should have received word by now and is en route.”

“When will they get here?” Ty asked.

“I won’t know until we get back outside and I can contact my people.”

Olivia slammed her fist on the table. “He’s getting ready to kill a large number of Watersedge Curzans now. We don’t have time for your GTO. What we do have”—she pulled out a sheet of paper—“is Mortog’s schedule. I’ve isolated a vulnerable window just a few hours from now.”

Ria was about to speak when a tall thin man and a teen entered the room.

“Thank the Goddess, you’re alive,” Ria said, recognizing the boy from the marketplace.

Everyone looked at her. “Him.” She indicated the teen. “I was worried about what happened to him.”

The boy backed up, his body tense.

Ria held up her hands. “It’s okay. We’re on your side.”

“You must have me confused with someone else.” The teen looked terrified.

“No,” Dani said, taking a closer look at him. “I didn’t recognize him before. It was dark. You’re the one Jara had arrested when we were here the first trip.”

Ty came over and stood next to Ria. “What are you two talking about?”

“Our first trip here,” Ria said. “The day we met. Jara had him arrested. I tried to find out what happened to him when we returned to Mitah for the ball, but the local police said they had no record of any teens taken into custody that day. I was afraid they might have…well, you know.”

Ty tilted his head. “That doesn’t make sense. I saw him later that day.”

“That’s not possible,” Ria said. “Jara had him hauled off.”

Ty looked to the teen. “Connor? What’s she talking about.”

“I don’t know,” he said. “Like I said, they must have me confused with someone else.” He shifted his weight from foot to foot.

“He’s lying,”
Ria said to Ty. “
It’s him. I know it is. Jara had him.”
She sensed Ty’s conclusion as his anger washed over her. Traitor.

Ty stepped forward, grabbed Connor by the shirt, and slammed him against the wall next to the door. “Why’d he let you go, Connor? They never let us go. They kill us.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Connor whined.

Ty slammed him into the wall again. “Fracking liar. You’re killing your own people.”

“And you’re killing my sister,” Connor yelled back. “You keep telling me to wait. That you’ll bring her to Watersedge, but you never do. She’s going to be thirteen next year. They’ll sell her. If we lose track of her, we may never find her again.”

Chaos broke out as Ty slammed the teen into the wall again. “I told you she’s on our schedule. That we would get her once we had the others that need our help first.” Ty’s hand was around Connor’s throat.

“Ty, stop!”
Ria stepped back, shocked at the extreme hatred rolling off her psi-mate. It affected her, felt like her own. She couldn’t move. The memory of Ty’s parents’ death played in her mind, and she was sure it was all he could see as well.

Merek grabbed hold of Ty and pulled him off as Warder and the thin man stepped in and kept Connor from bolting out the door.

“You killed Jafferies,” Ty said, struggling to free himself from Merek’s grip.

“Jafferies was dying anyway,” Connor said, face pale.

Ty roared out in frustration. “And what about the others? Were they dying anyway?”

Connor looked like he was going to puke. “I didn’t have any choice. I had to give them names. Jara busted me a few months ago.” He started crying. “They were going to kill me.”

“He’s just a boy, Ty.”
Ria was shaking now.

Merek let him go, and Ty turned to Ria and wrapped her in his arms.
“Gods, I’ m sorry.”
He stroked her hair.
“Betrayal makes me insane.”

“Come on. We need to get out of here. Let Warder take care of this.”
She turned to Warder. “We’re going for a walk.”

“Good idea. Go out the back there.” He pointed to a tunnel on the far side from where they’d entered. “That goes for about a mile and is covered by repellers. Don’t go past the opening.”

* * * *

Mortog sat across from the president of Sandaria, Gordat Prayda. Where once the title would have implied an entire empire, now it encompassed a single planet. It was a rather important planet, however, as it was home to the Portal Masters’ guild.

Prayda was a fleshy man with rheumy eyes. He’d had the Portal Masters create a portal inside Mortog’s personal detention center. It seemed an obvious choice since he doubted the president would want to be seen. Once Prayda had verified the man Mortog had detained was in fact Rucon Cavacent, he joined Mortog in his office.

“Are you sure you have everything under control?” Prayda asked.

“Quite. I’ve placed a mole in the Watersedge Underground. In fact, I believe enough time has passed. Let’s find out where they are, shall we?”

“I assume you placed a tracker on the man, but won’t they scan him? Surely, they’re not that backward.”

“Sadly, no. My healers implanted a bio-marker.” Mortog enjoyed the man’s look of puzzlement.

“I have quite the remarkable research team here. Two years ago my people created psi-bands. Wonderfully handy devices that restrict a person’s psi to their own bodies. You wear them like handcuffs and are rendered powerless.”

The president leaned forward. “That is extraordinary. I must have these psi-bands.”

“Of course. I will see that you get a supply. Now, my team recently surprised me with another lovely device. It’s a biological marker. Completely untraceable until it’s activated, at which point it becomes a tracking device. It’s not very long-lived at this time, but they tell me they’re working on it.”

“Excellent.” Gordat rubbed his hands together. “This promises to be a beneficial relationship, indeed. Let’s see where your man is.”

“More like a boy, but let’s. It’s time we find out where the rats are hiding.” Gordat brought up a holo screen with the map of the Watersedge area and activated the marker. The image panned out and refocused on an area outside of Starfall.

“No. That can’t be.” He called his lead of development and explained the situation.

“I’m quite sure it’s accurate. You’re mole is not in Watersedge but near Starfall. Is that all?”

Mortog didn’t bother replying. He disconnected and keyed in another number.

Prayda snickered. “Looks like your underground is a little closer to home than you thought.”

“Sou, get in here,” Mortog yelled into his com.

The lieutenant entered the room along with two guards. “What is it?”

“This.” Mortog blew up the image. “Our mole is just outside Starfall.”

Sou inspected the screen, then pulled up an image of his own. The spot was overgrown with trees and foliage. “There’s nothing there.” He entered a few more commands and a rapid series of images flashed by, superimposed on the terrain. The image froze. “But there was. It was an ancient transportation hub. The barbarians used to ride in long carriages that traveled on steel rails underground.”

“So what you’re saying,” Prayda said, “is that your underground is underground?”

Mortog wanted to slap the man, but knew better. He was a much-needed ally. Although the relative importance of Sandaria itself was now in question, there was no doubt of the power of the Portal Masters that resided there.

“I’m quite sure Watersedge is full of Curzans masquerading as Mitans. Jara’s intelligence was sound. No matter. We’ll take care of this nest first.”

Sou’s image zoomed in a little to the left of the signal. “There is a small farming village here. I’ll send out a team and check it out.”

“Find the entrances to that space,” Mortog said. “Now.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Why bother?” Prayda asked.

“Excuse me?” Mortog raised an eyebrow.

“Why bother finding the entrances? If it were me, I’d simply destroy the place. A few well-placed bombs and your problem is neatly buried.”

Mortog burst out laughing. “I do believe we are of the same mind. That is an excellent idea. Sou, see to it. But find and monitor the entrances just in case. I don’t want any survivors.”

“Yes, sir,” Sou said. He turned to go but froze in the doorway, staring at his com.

“What is it?” Mortog asked.

Sou’s face went nearly white.

“What is it?” Mortog barked.

Sou instructed his com to project a vid feed. The bottom corner identified it as a local news station.

Mortog clenched his teeth as he watched the
crag
Ty Sordina and Rucon’s female EP. He remained silent as the pair talked of crimes against the Curzans and showed some bogus texts. Incredulously, the feed repeated itself after a brief pause. Mortog’s anger increased with each second.

The visiting president, Gordat Prayda, stood. “I believe you have some damage control to do. I will leave you to it and take care of my own house cleaning. After I finish with Rucon, I will be returning to Sandaria. You’ll want to send someone to dispose of the body. Contact me when you’re done here, and we’ll continue our discussions.”

He left the office without another word.

Mortog swung on Sou. “What are you waiting for? I want them all dead, and pull those feeds. Now.”

* * * *

Dani sighed. Connor was just a teen, but he was responsible for the deaths of many Curzans.

Warder waited until Ty and Ria were gone before speaking to the man who’d brought Connor in. “You scanned him?”

“Of course.”

He turned to Connor and stared a moment. “This is a sad day.”

“Indeed,” Father Arlo agreed. “At least we know who our mole is. Watching Connor got me to thinking.”