Andromeda sat isolated in a tent. Someone always stood guard outside, preventing her from leaving and keeping others out. She never tried to escape; she sat and waited in the tent that had been used as Sergius's prison. It was a whole day before Sonam came to speak with her.
The rebels had taken the store back when he had come in on her, Hira, and the body. They had used the gun to disable the mechs, each with one shot. They also had destroyed the transports and shot down an airship. They had never felt more victorious.
Sonam had grabbed Andromeda and pulled her out of the house, calling for a retreat despite their upper hand. Hira had followed along numbly, somehow keeping up with them.
So they all fled, taking refuge with one of the camps that had come to their aid, then traveling to the other camp that held their supplies. Andromeda had been disarmed when they first stopped, and Hira's kukri was returned to her. Sonam kept Andromeda's weapons in his keeping. She never once tried to get them back from him. She was never bound, either—only guarded.
Once his camp had their supplies back, they hurried to get as far away from Kotun as possible, crossing a channel to the westernmost island. They found a remote place to set up. As soon as this tent was pitched, Andromeda was put in it and left alone.
She didn't begrudge anyone. Sonam was baffled: Sergius's murder made everything worse, and he was trying to assess the damage and plan accordingly. Hira had been goaded into killing the general, and he had deserved it. Not everyone handled their first kill so well, it seemed, no matter how much they had wanted to do it.
When Sonam stepped into the tent from the bright day outside, he paused—not so much from the adjustment to the dark, but because he was at a loss for words still. Andromeda only waited for him to finally say something. She had said all she thought would needed to be said when he had come into the room and saw Sergius dead.
"I didn't want you or Hira anywhere near Sergius," Sonam finally said, exhaling. "I know how that happened—Dechen made a bad call in the heat of the moment."
"I'm sorry. The situation got out of hand," Andromeda said.
"What really happened?" He asked, standing in front of her where she sat on a cot. "Hira hasn't told me much. She's gone quiet. You were holding her blade."
He had noticed that. During the whole encounter, Andromeda's kukri had been sheathed on her lower back. That small detail was very telling. She had to spin the tale a bit, and hope Hira hadn't said just enough to contradict her.
"Sergius taunted Hira. She stopped targeting the store to confront him about it. I managed to take her kukri away when she drew it, to keep her from killing him," Andromeda explained. "But he persisted after her, and it just got to me, too. I didn't realize what I was doing before I had slit his throat. I'm sorry."
"Apologies are not going to fix what you did," Sonam said, keeping his tone even. "Of all the orders to disobey, you could not go against that one. You of all people ought to know how the Imperials will say and do whatever to get under a person's skin—you were the one to suggest they lie so much. They occupied a village when one of their generals were taken hostage; now they'll do much worse with a dead one. They might just raid Galahd all over again."
His voice had risen as he spoke until he was shouting at her. Andromeda knew all of this already. She had had plenty of time alone to think about it. She hadn't thought of what to say about it, and refrained from apologizing again.
Sonam took a moment to lower his voice again, calming himself. "Are you certain you're the one who did it?"
"Yes," She assured, a little miffed by the question. Even with her convincing lie, he didn't quite believe her.
Andromeda knew Hira couldn't take the fall for this. Sonam would send her home, her family and clan's reputation disgraced that she couldn't control her temper and follow orders, whether or not this was the militia of old. If the Empire knew that it had been a Galahdian that killed Sergius, they would come down on the locals harshly in all-out war, just as Sonam predicted. Andromeda was just a foreigner in these lands, with no family or clan to dishonor.
"If the Empire finds out that I was the one to do it, they'll continue to target me and not bother everyone so much," She insisted, in a way that kind of admitted the truth, without admitting the truth.
The worse thing that would happen would be that Sonam would break his oath and she would have to leave the islands. It could also result in her death, for failing to fulfill her end of the oath. The Empire would demand her to be handed over—Hank had forbidden it, when he had given her to Sonam over a year ago. Andromeda knew Galahdian politics fairly well by now.
Sonam considered her words, then shook his head. "I didn't want it to turn out this way."
"If we didn't get more serious, we would forever be doing these skirmishes, and never get anywhere towards independence," She pointed out.
"You still hold to that. Now you've forced my hand," He acknowledged. "Do you realize how many more Galahdians will die now?"
She hadn't thought that far. He wasn't just speaking of rebels; the raids would target villages and towns—targets that didn't hide nor move. Her actions would turn Galahd into a warzone.
"I'm sorry," Andromeda said again.
"The Elders are holding an emergency meeting tomorrow in a village southwest of here," Sonam announced. "I'm taking you to them, along with a couple others. This concerns all of the people—not just the rebels playing at war in the jungle."
"Okay," She nodded.
She was a little relieved to know that she was going to get out of this tent soon. Her predicament was a strange one: she was being held a prisoner, but no one really treated her like one. From the various rebels that had guarded her so far, she got the impression that they were just as confused by the situation as she was, but they all followed Sonam's order.
Sonam shook his head again. "You are out of control."
He turned and left the tent without another word. Andromeda had expected him to be much angrier about this, but he had been calm, even if he had raised his voice once. He didn't know what to do.
His parting words made her uneasy, though. He had warned her, when Sergius was still alive, that she was out of control. Now she had really crossed a boundary, although she actually hadn't. It was inevitable: anyone was bound to do it eventually. Still, Andromeda wondered if Sonam was right, and that she had pushed too far in all of their fighting. If he felt he couldn't control her, what would he do with her?
The rest of the day passed in near isolation. Near in that whenever meals were served, someone always brought her something to eat, and occasionally whoever was guarding Andromeda would take her to the latrine for bathroom breaks. She didn't try to interact with anyone when she was escorted through camp, and the rebels usually watched her rather than tried to talk to her. They were all still unsure about Sonam's orders. Andromeda might have been a dead man walking to them.
It was well after dinner that anyone came into the tent. At first, Andromeda presumed it was a rebel guard who was going to take her to the latrines one last time for the night. Instead, it was Hira. She stood still for too long of a moment to suggest that she was on guard duty.
The two of them hadn't exchanged a word since Sonam had found them standing over Sergius's body. Andromeda suspected that Sonam was keeping them apart.
"Why are you doing this?" Hira asked, finally stepping closer to her.
"It's the best solution," Andromeda assured. "I know what will happen if you take the blame. I'm just a foreigner. The Imperials are already after me. You won't be sent home, and your family's honor is safe."
"That's the problem: you're a foreigner," Hira countered. "You won't be protected. The Elders will demand you leave the islands. Sonam will have to break his oath."
In all of her time spent thinking, that had come across Andromeda's mind. She acknowledged, "My time here might be coming to an end. It sucks—it feels like I always have to leave or run away when my magic gets too intense. But this way is best for everyone. You can stay here and continue the fight. You'll see it through."
Best for everyone, except for Andromeda. She wasn't privileged to have the protection of the Elders, and with the Empire in control, the Elders' power was nonexistent—figureheads permitted to meet to make the locals feel like they were still in control. She did not resent them for their efforts, though. She was fortunate they had shown her so much kindness thus far. She knew there was nothing they could say or do now to appease the Empire. She shouldn't put it on them to do so.
It was looking more and more likely that Andromeda would be made to leave. It seemed she could never stay in one place too long before having to leave: it started in Insomnia, then again out in Lucis. She was only glad to leave Niflheim's control. They were closing in on her again.
Hira had taken to looking at the ground while she spoke. She didn't respond when Andromeda went quiet. Her face was a mix of emotions, from pain to anger. Andromeda was very familiar with those two emotions from her.
"How are you?" She asked gently.
That did get Hira to look up. She scowled. "I don't understand. I should be the one kept like this, except Sonam would have sent me home already. The Nif deserved to die—he killed Tshering. But any time I think about what I did..."
She trailed off. The conflict playing out on her face showed that she had no words for what went on in her head. As much as she tried to fight it, tears well up and fell down her cheeks.
"It's okay," Andromeda assured. She pulled Hira down to sit next to her on the cot, then put an arm around her shoulders. Her hand pressed Hira's head to her shoulder. The other woman sniffed a bit.
"The first kill is always the hardest. Some take it harder than others," Andromeda said. Her own experience was convoluted, but she had struggled with it at first. "It's probably a good thing, because we shouldn't treat life so trivially."
Especially when so few got a second chance at it, like she had.
"You've never done it with your own hands," Hira pointed out moodily.
She wasn't wrong. Andromeda gave an acknowledging nod. "Most of the time, no, but it's my power that causes the MTs to go rogue and attack everyone. You've seen the carnage in the bases. My aunt's boyfriend died from his injuries after my chaos first manifested. My magic is meant to kill, and it's been used to kill the wrong people. If I hadn't hoped that I could make up for it, I would have given up a long time ago. And, I might have once bludgeoned a defenseless scientist to death with a rock."
Hira didn't respond again, still unconvinced. Of everyone, Andromeda had the most blood on her hands. What was one more life to her at this point? The Imperials blamed her for so much already.
"No one is upset with you over this. They don't seem to be angry with me for it, either," She said. "We knew it had to come to this, and we were both ready to do it. Let me do this for you, and take the brunt of this."
"Why?" Hira moreso demanded than asked.
"I've wronged you plenty of times before." Andromeda shrugged. "For disappearing like I did back in Insomnia, and not trying to contact you for years. Then I came to the islands first as an enemy. It's what friends do. It'll be okay."
They sat quietly for awhile while Hira finished crying it out. Andromeda hated the thought that soon they would be separated again, and who knew if they would reunite like they had here. She didn't want to think of what would happen if the Imperials captured her again. They could force her to attack Galahd—not just rebels, but even the civilians.
Soon there was a short, quiet whistled outside of the tent flaps. Hira pulled herself away, sitting upright.
"Sonam doesn't want me to come around here at all. Klahan is doing us both a favor," She explained. It was surprising of him, but Andromeda wouldn't question it. "I think he might know the truth."
"Everyone probably knows the truth, but it has to be this way," Andromeda repeated. "It's best for everyone. The Nifs need to believe it most of all, and so does everyone else."
Hira gave a nod, then hugged her. Andromeda wrapped her arms around her one more time. Hira pulled away after a moment and left.
Andromeda settled down on the cot. She was going to have to face the Elders the next day. They had to believe her story, in order for the Imperials to buy it as well. They wouldn't be so convincing if they didn't believe it themselves. Everyone needed to be on the same page, even if that made Andromeda a problem to the Galahdians again.
In the morning, Sonam came for Andromeda. As he led her out of the tent, they were joined by Dechen and Hira. The latter was a surprise, but Sonam said nothing. Likewise, the women didn't acknowledge each other, assuming that would please him.
It wasn't long after they walked out of camp that they found a truck waiting for them. It quickly took them out of the jungle and onto a road. It was a long and bumpy ride before they reached the village. They did not see any Imperial patrols along the way.
Once the truck came to a stop in the village square, Sonam led the way to a nearby house. The Elders were already expecting him: he had made arrangements to stay with one for the night. There Andromeda was allowed to shower and put on some clean clothes, to make herself presentable. The group waited and rested.
They didn't talk much amongst themselves. Hira and Andromeda didn't exchange eye contact, even when they thought Sonam wasn't looking. He and Dechen did most of the talking with their host, one of the Elders. Other than the when, where, and who of the upcoming meeting, they didn't discuss anything pertaining to it.
Finally, they sat through a tense dinner. After that, they made their way to the largest house in the village.
Most of the village was going towards it—it was a big deal that the Elders had called an emergency meeting on such short notice. An emergency meeting in general was usually unheard of for them; they usually put issues off for the regularly-scheduled meetings.
As they were with an Elder, Sonam and his group were allowed through the initial crowd outside and into the house with relative ease. They hadn't arrived early—the Elder needed to get to his place before the meeting began without him.
It was only the second meeting Andromeda had gone to. Much like her first experience, this one was packed with people. She understood that this wasn't normal for the Council of Elders. It seemed like any time she was involved, it drew a lot of attention to the meeting.
As they entered the large family room, they all spotted Kunzang and Thaksin at the head of the chairs assembled in an open circle. With a few minutes before the meeting would begin, Sonam and his three rebels went over to them.
"I'm glad to you see you both made it away from the fight. I didn't expect to see you back to these meetings so soon," Sonam began. "I'm sorry that the exchange went poorly."
"It wasn't your fault," Kunzang said. "I'm thankful your warriors helped Thaksin and me get away."
"Unfortunately, they only created more unintended problems," Sonam commented.
"I understand. We'll discuss those shortly," The old man assured.
As the other Elders began to settle down in their chairs, Sonam ushered Andromeda, Hira, and Dechen out of the circle. He picked the corner of the room that was closest to the opening left in the circle. He would probably be the only one to step into that opening during this meeting.
As the new hour came in the following minute, Thaksin called for silence. Once conversation fell silent in the house, he proceeded to list the clans that were represented, then those that were unable to make it to the meeting. A surprising amount of Elders were able to arrive in time on such short notice. Most surprising was Kunzang, who had only just escaped the Imperials.
"Most of the Council is here," Sonam noted quietly to his group.
After a few minutes of roll call, Thaksin finally went silent. The meeting felt like less of an emergency after that, but Andromeda was still nervous about being in attendance.
"We might as well get right to it," Kunzang said after a moment. "The usual topics can wait for our next regularly-scheduled meeting."
"I'm glad to see you safe and unharmed after the Imperials took you," Another Elder said.
"I have Sonam and his camp to thank for that—specifically the two women with him," Kunzang commended. "They saw Thaksin and me out of the conflict after the Imperials made their attack on Sonam. But we have all since heard that his captive did not survive. Sonam, what can you tell us of this?"
The rebel leader stepped forward into the opening. Andromeda seemed to be the only one who thought it was surprising they had called on him so soon.
"From what I've learned, Andromeda and Hira were both guarding General Sergius when he was killed," Sonam explained. "With your permission, I would let Andromeda speak for herself on this."
She hadn't expected to have to explain herself to the Elders. She had never spoken at a meeting like this before. It was very forbidden for a foreigner to speak here. Andromeda had expected Sonam to explain everything, and she would silently accept whatever the Elders decided.
There were a few nods around the circle. Kunzang gave the final nod. "Let her speak."
Without Sonam having to tell her to, Andromeda stepped forward to the opening in the circle while he stepped back. She was anxious as she was put on the spot.
"Sergius was distracting us," Andromeda explained what she had told Sonam the day before. "Hira pulled her kukri first to threaten him, but I managed to disarm her before she could do anything. But then I was also goaded by his taunts and attacked him. I killed him."
Once she was finished, she stepped back to show that she was finished speaking. It was all she wanted to say on it. Any more, and she might just screw it all up and cross a boundary with the Elders.
Sonam slipped back into the opening again. Hira stood nearby with Dechen. She stared at the floor with a stubborn expression.
"It was too late when I found them," Sonam finished the explanation.
Everyone was quiet for a moment as the Elders took in the testimony. They all looked grave, the statements giving truth to what they had heard.
"Before, the rebellion had only been a nuisance to the Empire. They didn't take it seriously," One Elder spoke up in a shaky voice. "In recent months, we've had more contact with Imperials than ever before. They've continually asked for us to cease our support. Of course, none of us ever admitted to supporting the rebellion, and the Imperials couldn't prove it. This has now escalated to a point in which they kidnap Elders from their homes and hold them hostage. This was all before a general was killed by a rebel. We all remember when Niflheim attacked Galahd ten years ago. There had been no warning, no reason for it other than to conquer. Now with a general dead, we can expect another onslaught in our villages. The Empire's latest statement guarantees it."
Another Elder stood up, which brought all of the attention to her. "I was contacted by another general before I left home to come here. He gave me a message to bring to you all, and to Sonam: they demand he hand Andromeda over. It's the only way to prevent another raid on the islands."
The house fell completely silent at that, anticipating the reaction. The Elder continued to stand for another moment, then bashfully took her seat.
It wasn't completely unexpected to Andromeda, but she had thought the Empire wouldn't have gone through the Elders, who would make that decision and force Sonam to comply. She had thought the demand would be delivered directly to him, and then he could more easily refuse it. Yet knowing that the Empire threatened another raid, it wasn't likely that Sonam could refuse their demands.
A young-looking Elder addressed the other, "Were you followed?"
"I don't believe so," She replied. "If any of us had been followed, we wouldn't be having this meeting right now. The Empire has lost nearly all patience with us."
"I understand your concern," Sonam said. Judging from the surprise on his face, he had not heard the latest statement from the Empire. It only confirmed what they had suspected. "Have you already made a decision?"
No one spoke right away, only sharing glances with one another. They looked to Kunzang to call the vote.
"It's not our way to throw a proven ally to the enemy," He said regretfully. "But she has brought this on herself, and down on all of us."
Just as Sergius had said Andromeda would. She couldn't be surprised at Kunzang's words. He was reluctant to say them, though.
"Did the general give a deadline, or a place to be?" Sonam asked.
The second Elder nodded, "We have another week to decide whether we will comply or not. He wants her at the base on the easternmost island. He wants her alive."
There would be no killing Andromeda—out of mercy or otherwise. She had had a mind to ask that of Sonam, if he indeed planned to comply. He had every right to kill her, if she failed to fulfill the oath. She would rather die in Galahd than go back to Niflheim and hope to die.
"Let's put it to a vote," An Elder suggested, looking to Kunzang. Only he could call for it.
The frail old man at the head of the circle shook his head. "This is an ally, even if the Empire threatens to flatten the islands. Sonam will have to make the decision. It's his oath."
The man in question glanced at Andromeda, who stood slightly behind him. She did her best to remain neutral, to keep from swaying his decision. She had to accept whatever he chose.
"We will go," He said. "We can't go through those raids again."
She accepted the decision, although it would have been better if he could kill her before giving her to the Imperials. Then again, he could not be blamed if something unintended happened to her—Andromeda didn't blame Sonam for what he would have to do, but she did not plan to go back to the Imperials without a fight.
"I'm sorry," Kunzang said to them both.
Sonam simply bowed and stepped back from the opening. He had no more to say on this.
"If we have already reached a solution on this, all other discussions can wait for our next meeting in a couple of weeks," Kunzang decided.
Conversation began again throughout the house, albeit much quieter than before as everyone began to move. The Elders mostly stayed where they were as they discussed amongst themselves. Sonam and his group remained where they were, presumably waiting for the crowd to thin out before leaving.
Andromeda made peace with Sonam's decision. It was the only way to prevent another onslaught from Niflheim. It was playing out just as she had intended: the Elders believed that she killed Sergius, and they were letting the fault rest solely with her. The Empire was even already playing along, too—from the sounds of it, they somehow knew it had been her that did it. The had pinned the blame on her for worse.
Or perhaps they were letting her take the fall for this, no matter who had done it. She did have a track record with them for this kind of stuff. It gave them the perfect reason to demand her return, and force Sonam to give in.
Andromeda had at most a week left with the camp, before she would be turned in at the military base. The Imperials would want to ship her back to Niflheim right away. She didn't plan on going willingly, but she wasn't going to lash out at Sonam for it, nor did she intend to compromise his plans.
"I did it."
In the shuffling that ensued as villagers picked up conversations and began to leave, Hira had stepped forward to the opening in the circle. No one had noticed, the meeting already over. It was only when she loudly made her proclamation that she caught the attention of Sonam, Andromeda, Dechen, the Elders, and anyone else left in the room.
"Hira, shut up," Andromeda hissed, glaring at the other woman. She thought she had understood why it had to be this way. She was ruining it.
Sonam turned to Andromeda. "You keep your mouth shut." He looked to Hira. "Tell us what you mean."
The house was quiet and still again. Whoever hadn't left yet was paying close attention.
"Andromeda didn't kill Sergius," Hira explained. "She tried to stop me, but she didn't. I was the one to slit his throat, with my own blade. Andromeda didn't take it away from me until after it was done. I let his taunts get to me. I wanted revenge for my brother. But Sergius's death only caused more problems. It didn't make up for anything."
She remained where she was when she was finished speaking. She no longer looked so troubled, but resolved. She seemed to think this was what had to happen. It might have been the right thing, but Andromeda didn't believe it was right for the situation.
Sonam also looked resolved—he had been waiting for the truth to come out. The Elders murmured amongst themselves at the newest development. It changed their opinion on the situation.
Andromeda stepped up next to Hira in the opening. Rules be damned; she had to fix this while there was still time.
"What matters most is that the Imperials believe I did it," She told the Elders. "You've all heard their ultimatum, although there's no guarantee they won't go back on their word. If they believe I did it, they should leave the villages alone—at least for awhile. It buys you all time."
"She's right," An Elder agreed. "We have to give in with the demand."
"I'm glad you finally admitted the truth," Sonam spoke up from behind the women, stepping forward. "I know what I saw, and you weren't as convincing as you thought you were. Giving you over to the Imperials will appease them for some time, as sorry as I am to do it."
Andromeda turned to him. "Don't send Hira home for this. You're going to need her more than you know for whatever will come next."
"Even when we turn against you, you still insist on doing what's best for the cause," Kunzang noted from his chair at the head. "I hope you continue to thwart them, wherever you end up."
As the meeting was not resumed and no decisions were changed based on Hira's confession, the crowd once more picked up their conversation and leave. Sonam opted to do the latter, rather than stay and talk more with the Elders. He ushered the three rebels outside into the night.
Once they were on their way back to the house they would be staying in for the night, it finally seemed okay to talk amongst themselves again. Hira turned on Sonam, her temper flaring.
"How can you just hand her over, after everything we've gone through?" She demanded.
"Calm down," He scolded. "I'm not going to give the Nifs anything they want without a fight. We'd be stupid to think the Empire isn't planning for that, either."
Andromeda hadn't known Sonam had this plan all along. Perhaps if she had been honest from the beginning, he would have seen her side, and both of their plans could be put together like they were now, but with better communication between them. She decided to play along, as if she had been in on his plan all along.
"The Elders need to believe he will do it, because the Nifs have been at their necks about this," Andromeda explained. "The Elders will get the message to them. It's still important that the Imperials think I'm the one who did it."
Hira looked between them, clearly stumped by this secret they had kept from her.
"But it might come to giving you over," Sonam added as an afterthought.
"I understand, but I'm not going down without a fight," Andromeda acknowledged.
"I'd be disappointed in you if you did," He said. "We have a week to come up with a plan, and get to the eastern island in time. This isn't something we should arrive early for. We're going to need a lot of help for this one."
They did not discuss options, though. As they returned to the house, they instead settled in for the night. It was late, and they would have to return to the camp as soon as the sun was up. That was when they would begin planning.
Andromeda was the last to get ready for bed, letting others use the bathroom before her. Living alone, the Elder didn't have a very big house, but it could accommodate guests for one night. As she finally left the bathroom after her turn, she found Sonam was still awake, seemingly waiting for something in the very small kitchen.
"You made quite the impression on the Elders," He addressed her. She was what he had been waiting for.
"I'm sorry for speaking out like I did," Andromeda said. She knew how disrespectful it was, although no one had seemed to think so at the time. At least she had spoken in common.
Sonam waved it off. "We have a lot ahead of us; I'll let it slide this time. But that isn't what I'm talking about. No one is going to deliberately hand you over to the Imperials. It might end up happening now that they're so bent on capturing you again, but it won't be because a Galahdian put you in their hands.
"I know I asked you this months ago—maybe you'll say differently, considering everything. Now that Tshering's gone. But say the next battle is victorious and you avoid the Imperials yet again: do you want to stay?"
Andromeda gave it some thought. She had caused things to take a turn for the worse (whether or not it had been her or Hira to do it), but it had had to be done and it couldn't be changed now. She believed her leaving would take Imperial attention away from the islands. It would give the Galahdians time and peace.
"I would like to, but it might not be possible," She finally answered.
"I understand, and I respect it," Sonam nodded. "We'll see what comes next at the base."
"Right," She agreed. "I'm going to bed."
He gave another nod, remaining in the kitchen as she went upstairs. She and Hira shared a spare bedroom—what had once been a children's room. Hira had already turned the light off and laid on one of the two beds in the room, facing the wall. It definitely gave off the impression that she didn't want to talk. It made sense, considering the lies in the past couple of days, and the turn of events through the night. Yet she couldn't have been in the room long enough to have fallen asleep.
Andromeda laid down on the bed on the opposite wall. "Hira?"
The other woman grunted, proving that she was still wide awake.
"Tell me about your brother."