Title: The Crucible
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Author's note: Sorry this update is so late in the day, this was a very difficult chapter for me to write because the end is kind of sad (you will see what I mean). Anyway, thanks to all who reviewed, I believe I responded to all of them. Remember to leave an e-mail address of to sign in before you review if you want an answer from me. And you may want to review the list below.
Okay, just a reminder of who the major players are:
Tess and Larek, of course
Alex-Tess's son, named after Alex Whitman
Audin-diplomat to Larek from the planet Byor
Arya-the regional ruler from the province of Tel'ai, which is the capital province on Antar. She was recently deposed by Khivar
Khai-main general and leader of the Resistance, Rath's younger brother
Sria- the original Ava's best friend, one of Larek's advisors, and a native of the planet L'so
Lotho-general of Larek's army (like Rath was for Zan), married to Kani, killed by Khivar's army.
Kani-married to Lotho, she is one of Larek's closest friends and advisors
Tunia-a Resistance spy killed by Khivar, most likely set up by a traitor
Resistance members with smaller roles: Radim, Trell, Zyith, Shalimar, Sirch, Nasada (Zyith and Radim both killed by Khivar's army)
Places of importance:
Tel'ai-capital province of Antar, has Dimaras Rock, where Zan met Ava. The Triaji Desert, the Cortai Jungle, the Landra River, and the Fel Mountains are all located in this province as well.
Antar-the capital city of Antar has the same name as the planet.
Sab and Drasu-cities in Tel'ai that Khivar attacked and decimated, no adults were left alive in either.
Mt. Sinai-a mountain in Tel'ai, it's name means (in Antarian) 'mountain of fate'
Daila: The capital city of Larek's planet.
Lexan: A city on Larek's planet.
crucible: an object made stronger as it is passed through fireChapter Fourteen: Phoenix Rising
Day 13
"My Lady?"
Tess jumped at the formal title and turned, finding Sirch standing behind her in the hallway. He was holding a pile of maps in his arms, and was eyeing her with a slightly apprehensive glance, as though afraid she would suddenly attack him.
The apprehension on his face was not a surprise to Tess. She had seen it on the faces of everyone else…Shalimar, Nasada, Audin, Trell…even Larek was now treating her with the utmost respect.
Ever since her sparing with Khai.
And yet oddly enough, now that they were treating her as the Queen she had struggled so hard to be, she found herself wishing more and more for the way things were before.
Before everyone looked to her to lead.
"Yes, Sirch?" Tess replied calmly.
"There is a meeting now. We are waiting for you to come and start…" Sirch shifted the maps in his arms, freeing his left hand and taking Tess by the elbow, guiding her down the hallway.
"What is the meeting about?" Tess asked curiously. She had spent much of the morning in meetings, discussing different tactics for response. Most of Daila had been destroyed in the attack yesterday, although Larek's army had managed to deliver a critical blow to Khivar's troops. Know the army patrolled the city, both ferreting out enemies and traitors hiding in the ruined remains and offering relief work to those who had been harmed in the brief battle.
But all this had happened outside the palace walls, and Tess found herself feeling very removed from it. Except for her brief excursion two days ago, she had not seen the city, or the destruction. Larek had expressly forbidden her from leaving the safety of the palace walls, and, although her pride rebelled against the order, she recognized the legitimacy in his concerns. It was simply to dangerous for her to leave, or to be seen.
The more people who knew about her return, the more danger they were all in. Better to stay safe and hidden then risk exposure and defeat. For the sake of the people of Antar, her life and the life of her son had to be preserved.
At all costs.
It was a decision that Larek had taken to heart. Guards circled the palace, with orders to shoot anyone who looked suspicious. Kill and ask questions later. It was a brutal method of survival that twisted Tess' stomach into knots, but she had to remind herself that this was a war. People would die, and nothing she did would ever change that.
She just had to stop Khivar before too many people died.
"There have been some new developments," Sirch said, cutting into Tess' thoughts. He paused outside the Council Chambers, his face serious. "Larek will tell you everything," he said grimly, opening the door and allowing Tess to enter in front of him.
As she stepped into the room, the several people sitting there looked up, and instantly stood in respect. Larek and Sria were on their feet automatically, Audin was a moment behind, and Khai lingered in his chair, clearly not wanting to stand.
Khai had shown her more respect than usual, and had curbed his acerbic comments while in the presence of others, but Tess still got the distinct impression that he spent most of the time mocking her, even if the insults were now veiled and discreet.
How much more would she have to do to prove herself to him?
"Has Sirch told you anything yet, my Lady?" Audin asked quietly. He waited until Tess took a seat, then he sat as well.
"Nothing yet," Tess replied. "Just that there was a development." She placed her hands on the table in front of her, feeling the smooth wood under her palms. Directing her next comment to Larek, she asked, "What is it? What has happened?"
Larek returned her gaze grimly. "Our traitor has struck again," he snarled, and Tess flinched, surprised at the anger in his tone.
"How?" the blonde hybrid asked, fearing the worst.
"He or she has informed Khivar of the secret pathways to Antar," Sria explained, her tone cold and filled with barely contained fury.
"Elaborate," Tess replied, then paused, blinking in surprise. The word had come out sharp, an unmistakable order, when she had only intended it to be a request. But it had felt right for her to give the order, to demand an explanation.
It was Khai who answered. "There are several ways to enter a planet. One is the quite obvious landing with a spaceship. It requires going through official airspace, and your arrival and departure are tracked by the planet's government." He paused for a moment, staring at Tess, and she had the unmistakable impression that he was nonverbally mocking her lack of knowledge.
"Obviously not something we would want to do during a war," Sria added, running a hand through her thick hair. The other planet knows you are coming and they simply destroy your spaceship while you are still in flight."
"So what are the other ways?" Tess asked, glancing from Sria to Khai.
The Antarian general snorted impatiently. "Slipping in, unnoticed. A planet is quite large, and the entire airspace around it cannot be watched indefinitely."
"Why not?" Tess questioned. "Don't you have computers with…I don't know…infrared or ultraviolet scanning? Can't they watch the airspace all the time?" She blinked, wondering whether or not anything she was saying would sound even remotely intelligent.
Or did she just watch way too much of the SciFi channel?
"Computers can be tricked," Sria said noncommittally. "There are certain areas of the space which, given there chemical make up, allow us to…alter…what the computer sees."
"How?" Tess demanded, surprised at that bit of information. How do you trick a computer?
Sria and Khai exchanged a brief look, then both turned to Larek, waiting. Larek glanced over at Tess, frowning slightly as he pondered the unspoken question, then glanced over at Khai and shook his head.
Khai turned to Tess and replied, "We can't tell you." Tess opened her mouth to argue, but Khai held up a hand, stalling her. "Not because we don't want to…" his tone leaving little doubt that that was exactly what he wanted, "…but because we need to keep the secret well guarded. It is one bit of information that Khivar does not currently have, and we would like to keep it that way."
"Nobody in this room is going to betray us to Khivar, least of all me!" Tess retorted.
"All the same, Ava, this is for the best," Larek spoke up gently, placing a hand on Tess' arm and shaking his head slowly. "Trust me, this is for the best."
Tess signed and nodded. "Fine," she gave in, albeit ungracefully.
She did trust Larek.
Audin spoke up quickly, guiding the conversation back to the original topic. "The traitor apparently informed Khivar of existence of these pathways. The computer could not track spaceships going through them, but if a Antarian trained in computer technology and aerial navigation was watching the screen, they would be able to tell if someone was entering."
"So?" Tess replied. "What did Khivar do?"
"The traitor informed him of the exact location of these pathways," Larek said glumly. "He is having each of them watched by specialized scientists. We can't sneak in anymore, and no one can sneak out."
"This is quite serious because this was a very well guarded secret," Audin spoke up. "Which means…"
"Whoever the traitor is, he or she has access to highly classified information," Tess finished, realizing the full implications of Audin's words.
"Exactly," Sria replied. "Not even everyone in this room knows the locations of all of them, and only a very select few of us know how they work."
"And everything is being watched?" Tess asked at last. "Every secret pathway?"
"Except the one over the Triaji desert," Khai answered.
"Why do we even bother to have that one?" Larek asked, frowning slightly at Khai. "Even if we could sneak into the desert, we would die long before we managed to get out of it. It is a barren wasteland."
Khai shrugged, having no answer to that question.
"There is another issue that we should discuss with the Queen," Sirch said solemnly, changing the subject. All eyes turned to him, and he shrugged impatiently. "Morxan may yet be an ally to us," he pressed.
"I do not trust him," Larek replied, shaking his head gravely. "He has no allegiance to anyone but himself."
"If we can convince him that it is in his best interests to help us…" Sria murmured softly, glancing over at Sirch. "Sirch is correct, Morxan may be an ally."
"Until Khivar manages to by his allegiance for a higher price," Khai objected. "Morxan sells his services to the highest bidder. He is a mercenary, nothing more."
"Plenty of wars on Earth were fought with mercenaries," Tess cut in. A silence fell at her words, as each person in the room waited for her opinion. "Who is this Morxan?" she asked.
"He is a native of my planet," Larek explained gruffly, his voice laced with venom. It was clear he thought very little of the man. "He's traveled the galaxy quite a bit, though, and has spent little time here since he was born."
"He's a merchant," Khai continued. "And a very successful one."
"One of the wealthiest men in the entire Southern Beltway," Larek said heavily. "He could be an asset to us, Ava. Or rather, his money, contacts, and influence could."
"But you don't think he would be loyal to you?" Tess asked. "He wouldn't be loyal to me?"
"Morxan may follow us, if we can find his favor," Sria pointed out. She turned to Tess and explained quickly, "He may change loyalties on someone that he has a business partnership with, but those he actually likes…He stays with them for life."
"And he holds a grudge forever," Larek pointed out. "He is vindictive. He will do whatever he can to get back at those that he believes have wronged him."
Tess licked her lips, then said, "Well, we shall simply have to earn his favor."
"And how exactly do you plan on doing that?" Khai asked, again the mocking hidden in his tone and stare.
Tess frowned slightly, thinking about the question. How exactly did she plan to do that?
"Morxan is waiting for you in the Council Chambers," Khai said slowly, watching as Tess rocked her son gently back and forth in his crib.
The blonde hybrid glanced up at the general and nodded. "Thank you, Khai," she replied. "I will be there in a moment." Her voice was cool, cold almost, and her words were a blatant dismissal. And, yet again, the order was given without her realizing what she was doing.
She was subconsciously taking control.
Tess stood and glanced over at Sria, who was leaning against the wall by the window, staring blankly at nothing. "Will you watch Alex for me, Sria?" she asked.
"Of course," Sria replied, nodding and walking over to the crib. Tess smiled her thanks and left the room, following Khai through the hallway and towards the Chambers.
"You will be meeting with Morxan alone," Khai said abruptly. Tess raised an eyebrow, she had never been in a meeting by herself, how would she know what to say? Khai smirked slightly, seeing the worry in Tess' eyes, and said coldly, "Consider it your final test."
"I didn't realize I passed the other ones," Tess shot back.
Khai gave her an appraising look. "Yes," he said at last. "Yes, you did realize it." It was a simple statement, not a contradiction or accusation of any sort. It was a fact.
Tess looked away. "You do not act as though I did," she murmured. She glanced around, noting that they had reached the door to the Council Chamber.
Khai paused, placing a hand on the wall next to Tess and baring her from going any further. He looked at her for a long time, his eyes searching her face, before he said abruptly, "Morxan did not support Zan."
Tess blinked, confusion gracing her features. "What?"
"He was one of those who believed that Rath should have been king. That Zan should have stepped aside and given the throne to his second-in-command, because Rath would have been a leader, and he may have been able to stop Khivar. Morxan does not like Zan."
Khai's words were curt, sharp, and Tess guessed there was a second meaning in them, one she could not decipher. She stared at Khai, watching as he turned and left her, disappearing down the hallway. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, thinking over the words. Where was the meaning? What had he been telling her?
Unbidden, recent memories appeared in her mind.
He has no allegiance to anyone but himself.
Morxan may follow us, if we can find his favor. He may change loyalties on someone that he has a business partnership with, but those he actually likes…He stays with them for life.
And he is vindictive. He will do whatever he can to get back at those he believes have wronged him.
Morxan does not like Zan.
And Tess did not like Max.
They agreed on something, and Tess could use that to her advantage. Morxan would be much more likely to help someone he knew had already been wronged by the king he disliked. Someone who already harbored a venomous grudge against the one-time king…
If Tess could convince Morxan that helping her would be tantamount to 'getting even' at Max, then there was a chance that he would join them.
A slim chance, but a chance nonetheless.
Tess smiled as she realized that she knew how to get Morxan on her side. She could prove to everyone that she could handle people who were initially hostile to her. The final test…and she would pass it with flying colors.
And then, in a moment of shock, Tess realized that she would never have come up with the idea on her own. If Khai had not told her…
He had helped her.
He had helped her.
And it had not been an accident. She remembered the look in his eyes as he repeated the words to her. He had been trying to convey the message, trying to pass along the information.
He had been trying to help her.
Suddenly she could here Sria's voice in her head. The words were from several days ago, but she could remember then distinctly, remember the way Sria had said them. She smiled at the memory, letting the words reverberate through her mind.
Once you earn his trust and reverence, he will follow you loyally until his death.
Filled with sudden confidence, Tess pushed the door the meeting room open and walked inside, her head held high.
Tess reappeared in her own rooms several hours later, exhausted by the verbal trial she had been through. But Morxan was on their side now, and that was something to be grateful for.
Sria and Audin were sitting in her room, talking quietly to each other. They looked up at her arrival and stood instantly. Sria's face broke into a smile as she saw the triumph in Tess' expression.
"Morxan is on our side," Sria breathed.
"He is discussion logistics with Larek as we speak," Tess replied, her face breaking into a wide grin.
"Congratulations, my Lady," Audin said confidently. He watched as she swayed on the spot, her strength momentarily giving out. She caught herself before she fell, but he had seen the display of weakness all the same and asked in concern, "Are you alright?"
"Just a little tired," Tess admitted, giving the diplomat a weak grin. She glanced over at Sria. "Did I interrupt anything?"
"No," Sria replied quickly. "Audin was just coming to say goodbye. He is leaving for Byor in a few hours."
"I am sorry to hear that," Tess said softly to Audin, and meaning every word of it.
"Me too," Audin replied. "Me too." He closed his eyes for a moment, running his hand through his dark hair. "I wish I could stay and help you, but my planet calls…"
"Of course," Tess answered.
"Well, I must speak with Larek before I go," Audin said finally, when neither Sria or Tess made a move to break the tense silence that had fallen. "I will see you both before I go, we should have one last meeting…" He nodded politely to Tess, sent a smile towards Sria, and then left the room, closing the door behind him with a sharp snap.
Sria glanced down at the sleeping child in the crib and said, "As long as Alex is sleeping, Ava, perhaps we should take a walk?"
"A walk?" Tess asked, surprised. All she wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep for the next hundred years.
"You have no seen the hall of mirrors yet," Sria replied, smiling brightly. "It is magnificent, and you must see it before you leave us."
"If there is no way to enter Antar, I may not be leaving you any time soon," Tess pointed out, although she followed Sria to the door and out of the room.
"Perhaps," Sria consented, her face troubled. "The shape-shifter will reach Khivar tomorrow, and he will know of your presence. Whatever is going to happen, it must happen soon. You should see the mirrors now, just in case."
The two of them walked in silence for a long time, then Tess asked, "What is the hall of mirrors?"
"It is a surprise," Sria replied, grinning slightly at the annoyed look on Tess' face. "Don't you like surprises?"
"No," Tess answered simply, causing Sria to burst into laughter.
"Audin suggested that you see it," the redhead admitted. "I would not have thought of it on my own."
"Oh?"
Sria nodded as she guided Tess through another labyrinth of hallways. "Yes, and it was quite a good idea." She paused for a moment, a far away look in her eyes. "He was there two days ago, when I went to tell Larek that you and I were going to wander through one of the gardens. He knew that it had not ended…well. What with the fire and everything… He thought this would be a safer way of enjoying the beauty of the palace."
And with that, Sria pushed open the doors, revealing a long hallway of colored mirrors. Light danced back and forth in the room, casting different colors across the floor in a tableau of patterns and hues. Shadows danced in the corners, shifting their shape as the light traveled near them.
Tess felt the breath catch in her throat at how beautiful it was. She took a few halting steps into the hallway, her eyes traveling over everything. In one of the mirrors, her gold hair appeared a soft lavender, in another her pale face was dyed a dark midnight blue. Sria followed behind her, quietly watching.
The two stood in the hallway for several minutes, just watching the light.
And then the explosion hit the far end of the hallway, and Sria grabbed Tess, pulling her backward in fear.
"What…Wh-what happened?" Tess screamed over the deafening roar of shattering glass. But she did not need to hear Sria's answer to know.
The skins had invaded Larek's palace.
"Ava get out of here!" Sria screamed, pushing Ava towards the exit and she spun to face the intruders. There were three skins who crawled over the debris, advancing with deadly serious expressions on their faces.
"Not without you," Tess hissed, her eyes darting back and forth. They were outnumbered, but not too badly. Perhaps…
"Go!" Sria cried out, protecting her friend with her own body.
"Listen to her, your Majesty," the first skin hissed, his dark eyes flashing dangerously. "You would want to get hurt, now, would you…?"
"Wouldn't want to die," another skin added, his face twisted into a sneer.
"You'll be the ones dying tonight," Sria snarled, firing a blast of pure white energy at the first skin.
The skin blocked it with a shield of red light, which reflected off the shattered fragments of mirror on the floor. Sria responded with two more assaults, both much faster, and one managed to strike home. The first skin fell to the floor, dead, but not before the second skin had managed to burn Sria's shoulder. A brief and bitter struggle insued between the second skin and the redhead.
The third skin, meanwhile, was advancing slowly on Tess. He smiled at her, his yellow eyes mocking her in her fear. "Wonder who's watching the Heir right now?" he smirked, and Tess felt her blood run cold.
She threw out her hands, telekinetically shoving the skin away from her and across the hall. The second skin turned towards his fallen comrade, startled, and Sria took that moment to fire a lethal blast of energy at him, and he too fell, dead.
The third skin was on his feet again, eyeing the two apprehensively, but still smirking at them.
"Ava, go back to your son," Sria ordered, her eyes never leaving the skin.
Tess backed away slowly, unwilling to leave Sria on her own, but knowing that Alex could be in serious danger. She reached the exit and shoved the door open, watching as Sria and the skin exchanged energy blows. The third skin finally fell, and Sria turned to Tess, triumphant but still scared.
And then the fourth skin appeared, seemingly from nowhere, stepping over the rubble at the end of the hall.
Tess heard the footsteps, and spun around in time to see the bolt of energy leave the skin's outstretched hand. She opened her mouth to scream out a warning, but the word died on her lips as she stared on in helpless horror. The energy struck Sria in the back, and the redhead was lifted off of the ground, her body glowing with a eerie blue light. She hung in the air for a moment, then crashed heavily into the wall and slid to the ground, her eyes closing shut.
The skin turned to Tess, his lips splitting into a wicked grin as he lifted his hand again and prepared to attack.
He never made it.
Tess, without thinking of what she was doing, fixed her gaze upon the skin and lifted her arms in front of her. All her anger, all her pain, all her fury, all her loss, all her grief, everything, channeled through her outstretched arms, bursting out of her fingertips in a flurry and flash of light unlike anything she had ever done, ever even seen, before.
When the glow of light finally faded, the entire hall was in ruins, and the skin was nothing more than dust and ash. And Tess could only stare down at her hands, as she realized that this was the first time she had ever taken a life herself.
She finally was what she had been accused of in the pod chamber that day.
A killer.
Next Chapter: Queen
Due: I'm not really sure. Hopefully within the next week, but I can't promise anything because I am going out of town and will not have access to a computer for several days. But it will definitely be up by Jan. 3 (which I think is a week from Tuesday).