Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Chapter 118

 

I sat back in awe as I watched Garjah once again navigate through the intricacies of the Galactic Council by cutting through it with his usual efficiency. He was scary in his ability to cut to the heart of a matter and get what he wanted done. By the time most people would still be trying to arrange a meeting, in the future at their convenience, of course with some of the Councilors, Garjah had the Aqnars on the comm and agreeing to come oversee the set up of their new planetary government.

He must have made some impression on them.

As soon as he nodded at Ases, who instructed his mech to break the connection, I was in his arms. He’d certainly made an impression on me. “Who are you, and what did you do with my simple security officer?” I smiled at his confusion. “You don’t even know what you did, do you?”

Ases chuckled. “He doesn’t. It’s amazing; it was one of the reasons I agreed to come. I wanted to see if the entire planet was full of people who were so scarily capable of convincing those in power of doing what they want or if it was just him.”

“People in… doing what I want? I just had to beg for outsiders to come to my home to help deal with the Kardoval because I set a revolve in motion against our leaders who were trying to kill me and my bonded.”

“Yes, because you wouldn’t do what they wanted. Not the other way around.” Ases sounded thoughtful. “I suppose that’s good for the rest of the universe, though. If everyone on your planet was like you, now that you’re not going to be isolated, you’d probably take over in a heartbeat if that was your overall plan.”

“I don’t even want to take over this planet!” Garjah sounded and looked horrified.

“And that’s why I love you,” I said. “Everything you do is to take care of others, and yes, you can be overly serious and bossy when you do that, but that’s just in defense of those you love. And you love all of your people. Even the Kardoval, which is why you’re asking for help.”

“I don’t want anyone to get hurt.” Garjah stared at the wall of the greenhouse that faced the city, though the plants were far too thick to see past. “I know that can’t be avoided; I know the Kardoval have been hurting others, and they need to take responsibility for that before the people, but I don’t want them killed.”

“Even though they tried to kill you?” Ases asked bluntly. “And Essell?”

That was a low blow. For himself, Garjah would probably shrug it off. My safety was another thing. I turned my head and scowled. “Why don’t you stop needling him, Ases? Go shift and take Bouncer to explore the property or something.”

Ases smirked. “You know my senses are enhanced when I’m shifted, right? So don’t think you can get a little frisky in here and I won’t notice.”

“That’s not…. Ugh,” I grunted. “Just go.” Sometimes friends were too annoying to live.

“Fine.” Ases pushed away from where he was leaning on his mech and gestured for Bouncer. “Come on, big guy. Let’s go find some critters to chase.”

Bouncer had been keeping close to our sides, never roaming far while we were on the run from the Kardoval’s officers. He came over and rubbed against our legs, and I rubbed his ears. “We’re fine here. Go have some fun.”

I looked up at Garjah. “We are fine here, right?”

He nodded. “The greenhouse is shielded. They can’t scan for us, or for the signal we sent out from my system here. It’s also not property owned in my name; this was purchased by a friend using credit funneled through several different avenues.”

Garjah nodded toward Ases and the door. “Go on now.”

 

As soon as they left, I melted against Garjah. It felt like forever since we’d been alone. I knew they were close enough to hear us if we had a problem, but for once no one was expecting us to do anything, we didn’t have to go anywhere, and I could just whine.

“I’m tired.”

Garjah held me close and rubbed my upper back. “I know. Me too. Why don’t we sit down?”

The wooden seats weren’t as uncomfortable as they looked. They weren’t comfortable either, but being tucked against Garjah’s side and off my feet was enough to make it worth it. I sighed. “How long do we stay here?”

“As long as we need to. The Galactic will come, and I believe from what they said, and you told me, that they will help us set up a fair government that will give us a chance to move forward. We might just have to hide out here until people calm down.” He pointed toward low cabinet built into the back wall. “That pulls open and folds out into a bed. There’s also additional bedding, food and water, and clothing.”

“Bathroom?” I asked hopefully.

Garjah looked around. “Ahh.”

“Got it.” Sure, I’d lived on a lot of stations, but I’d also spent a lot of time on planets too. I was a biologist. “Sounds cozy. Ases can sleep shifted with Bouncer in the extra bedding you mentioned. I’m claiming the bed.” I yawned. “Soon.”

“I’ll get it set up.” Neither of us moved. “Everything is going to change again, isn’t it?” I said softly.

Garjah rumbled in his chest, his distinctive laugh vibrating under my ear. “My life has changed daily since I met you. You might have changed the most on the outside, but I think I’ve changed more on the inside.” He touched his head, then his chest. “You’ve made me better. The one thing that will always stay the same? I’m honored that you are my bonded, and nothing will ever change that.”

Pulling back so I could look directly into his eyes, I said, “You’ve made me better, too. And not just because now I have an extra set of hands to take notes, well, once I figure out how to do that with two hands at the same time.” I was determined to figure that out once I saw Timok doing it. “I know we both had a lot of drastic changes in our lives, but it’s our life. We’re in this together, and you give me a place.” I waved my hand all around us. “Here, and here.” I patted his chest. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

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Julie Lynn Hayes  

Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Ch. 117

  

“I’m just the one they’re listening to. Your people have been working behind the scenes to stop the Kardoval for years.” Garjah stared down at the city streets. “Apparently little whispers joined by one big truth can create a wave not even the Kardoval can escape.”

“What will the officers do to them?” I asked. My heart was still pounding, and I wasn’t sure if it was from all the running, the hill, or my fear that those people would get hurt because of something we’d done. “We can’t let them get hurt.” Ases agreed with me.

“What can they do? There’s too many.” Chaintrik waved a hand toward the streets where more and more appeared. “Look there.” Circling above the streets were transports or something. “Those are recording too.”

“So we’ll be able to see if something happens?”

“Once we get to a safe place.” Garjah put his hand on my shoulder. “Let’s go.” Bouncer stood up.

“We should go down there. You should be there. In person.” Chaintrik was still watching. “This is everything we want happening right now. How can you turn away from it?”

“I’m not. I’m getting my bonded to safety. I don’t care how many comm screens are watching, how many people are there. I will not risk Essell until I know the Kardoval have stepped down.”

“Hey,” I said. I didn’t stop him from herding me back toward the road, though at least we weren’t running anymore. The Kardoval and their officers had bigger problems now. “You can’t lock me up and try to keep me away from everything. This isn’t going to be something that goes away in a day.” My parents were scientists, and I’d been exposed to more than enough stations, planets, and governments to know just how volatile changes in power could be. “You will have to be visible. And remember, we’re stronger together than apart.”

“Later. That back there is not safe.”

“Fine.”

“I’m going back.” Chaintrik stopped in the road. “Someone has to be there.”

“Are you sure you want to go alone?”

“I know how to blend in. Without all of you, no one will even notice me.” He had a point. Two aliens, Bouncer, and Ases’ mech did sort of stand out. By himself, he would probably he much safer than if he stayed with us. Chaintrik didn’t say anything else, just took off back in the direction we’d been running from.

 

We kept walking but eventually Garjah stopped in front of a home tucked back in the side of a hill. The building was older, but well-kept. Like most of the places here, it was surrounded by plants. “Where are we?” I asked. Bouncer sniffed the plants, then started marking territory. “Stop that,” I hissed.

“He’s fine. This is my place. Not that anyone knows that.” Garjah pushed through the thick garden. “Send your mech down the path.”

“Shouldn’t we go to the front door?” Ases asked. The mech followed his instructions.

“No. We’re going to the back.”

Of course we were. “Why?”

“The front door has a few surprises.” Garjah didn’t even take us to the house. There was a small building in the back, and he went for that. I’d have said it was a greenhouse, but it looked unused and overgrown. It was entirely the wrong time, but I wanted to explore the plants. Two of them swayed as Bouncer sniffed them, and he growled and backed off quickly.

Inside the greenhouse was entirely different from outside of it once we got inside. Outside looked dusty, covered in plants. The walls inside were crawling with vines. A wooden platform holding flowers blocked the view inside from the open door. I spun slowly, trying not to lose my balance on aching calves and feet, because the rest of the place was a mirror of Garjah’s safe room with all the tech that went along with that. Comms that went life the second we stepped inside covered the property. And then there were the ones that roamed the city. “Are you scanning the city?” I asked.

“No, that’s broadcast footage.” Garjah indicated a few seats built out of smooth wood. “Sit down. I’m sure you’re exhausted, Essell.” He reached under a cabinet and pulled out several drinks. I wrinkled my nose. I recognized those, so I didn’t take it when Ases did. His mistake, and he choked on it.

“Nutrient fluid?”

“You need it.” He waggled it. “You’ll feel better.”

“Ugh.” He was right though. I sat and drank the noxious fluid, watching as he started up several comm systems. “What are you doing?”

“I think Chaintrik was right. This will change everything. We’re going to need outside help.” Garjah turned toward Ases. “We’re going to need your mech. I need to contact the Galactic directly.”

My jaw dropped and I stared at Garjah. “You… want to bring them here?”

“We need advice to solve this. I may or may not I invoke the clause to bring additional… envoys here.” He faced Ases. “Not that I don’t believe you won’t give excellent advice. But I think the people need to see the wider universe represented here. To see and know what we say is true, not just hear it.”

Ases leaned back. “I agree. The idea is politically sound, and there are many people you could contact. Who were you thinking?”

“Well….” Garjah looked at me.

“Do not say anyone related to me, or part of the Institute.”

Garjah smiled. “Your parents are not suitable, no, though I’m sure your mother would disagree. I was actually thinking about those Aqnars we met. Councilor Alae and Lipro? They seemed to be adept at meeting those who are new.”

Ases nodded. “Yes, that’s their job, sort of. That’s a good choice.”

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Julie Lynn Hayes 

Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Ch. 116

 

“And fear can do so much worse. As my bonded has said, and what you already saw, there is treason occurring at the highest reaches of the government. But I have not betrayed our people. What we have learned is that there is so much more we are all capable of. Our memories help us, yes, but if we start young we can train in other careers or find the memories hidden within for other paths. The Kardoval have hidden many secrets from the people to isolate our planet and remain in power because to learn and grow means they do not hold the monopoly on all knowledge.

“And the treaty with the Galactic gives power to the rebels who just want choices. Not to take yours away, but to make their own for themselves. Ones the Kardoval denied them by arresting them, faking charges, taking their mates, or children, and forcing compliance and hiding them in detention centers in our very capital city in buildings with no official purpose guarded by corrupt officers. I’ve been in the cell, and I’ve been tortured by their devices meant to attack my mind and kill my bond. All because they feared losing their power.

“If you saw the footage, pray that you never visit those cells yourself. For if the Kardoval stay in power, and they learn you saw this, or that you agree with us and believe that freedom of choice is your right, or the right of those you love, then that could be any of you too. The only way this stops is if we rise up now and make a change. Demand they surrender, publicly, and only then can we begin to find true freedom.”

There was a long pause, then Ases tapped the mech on the back. “We’re good.”

I couldn’t believe all that came out of Garjah; he’d never really been the type to bare his thoughts and feelings. Strong, quiet type was more his style. Okay, so maybe I’d always been attracted to the big, muscled men who never really shown interest in me beyond how they could toss the skinny brain around to get what they want, but that wasn’t who he was. He cared, deeply, and that made him focused on what he was doing at all times. Maybe we weren’t so different. I wanted time to think about that, and what he’d said, just like I hoped all this people were thinking about it.

But no. “We have to go. Now.” Garjah pulled away and then tucked me behind him and he strode toward the door. “I want you beside Bouncer and behind me at all times.” He looked over his shoulder. “Stay with me, since you refused to go to safety earlier. Understand?”

“Yes.” I frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“They’ll have tracked that signal.” Chaintrik jogged behind me. “So we can’t stay here.”  Ases nodded as he ran beside Chaintrik. The mech whirred along behind everyone.

Alarm shot through me. “Shouldn’t the mech go somewhere else then? If they are tracking it?” I stumbled over something on the ground, and Bouncer bumped against me, keeping me upright.

“Focus on looking where you’re running. We’ve got this,” Ases said. Of course he was talking quietly to Chaintrik while I was already panting. Twice as we ran Garjah changed directions abruptly, and I had to skid to a halt or stumble after him.

I was never running again after this. Doing a field survey meant a slow, steady study of a planet. Not this… adventure. Yeah. Think of it as an adventure. As my lungs and legs burned, that wasn’t happening.

At least the misery distracted me from my fear of being caught. Even if we had revealed them to everyone, that wouldn’t save us if the Kardoval or their officers caught us now. Especially now. They’d take revenge. A roar burst up behind us, and I was too exhausted to look back. “What. Was. That?” I asked, puffing.

“Stop, stop,” Chaintrik called. Garjah didn’t stop immediately but peered around us looking for something. He ducked into a deep shadow of a closed shop’s overhang, it hiding his body. I followed him, leaning against the wall. Bouncer sat perkily. This was one big game to him, I was sure. City chase. He’d want to play every day if he could.

“What is it?” Garjah asked. He was also annoyingly steady, his breathing barely labored.

“Look.” Back the way we’d come lights were flashing. Transports were circling high in the air, but it was the people. We’d climbed partway up the hill overlooking the city for some reason, and I could see down inside.

Those were not officers. There were citizens of the city flooding the streets, streaming toward the center and the Kardoval’s building. I turned toward Garjah, my eyes wide. “They… do you think they heard you? That’s because of what you said?” I pointed.

“It has to be,” Chaintrik said. He sounded awed, shocked and amazed. “This is going to change everything.” He turned to Garjah. “Thank you.” 

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Julie Lynn Hayes

Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Ch. 115

 

“The building that’s on fire,” Garjah broke in and said dryly. He wiped his face. “We didn’t see your mech, though.”

“Oh.” Ases cleared his throat, paling. “Well, you got out so others probably did too, right? The damage probably isn’t that bad. My mech caught it on camera, so I sent him in, just in case, to make sure no one needed help.”

I snorted. “And the Kardoval want to make you and me the bad guys.”

“What?” Ases put on an outraged face and staggered back a few steps. His hand landed on his chest as he straightened. “Me, a good guy? Why, Essell Deray, you are going to just ruin my bad boy reputation.”

“How about you set up your mech to do the broadcast, and he lets you do that all on your own?” Garjah broke between us and handed me a container of juice. “Drink. You’ll need your strength. This is just a short stop.”

“Oh great. More running.”

“Fast walking, if you’re lucky.”

I took a drink of the juice, happy it was sweet and not any of the nastier varieties I’ve learned Timok liked to give me when he thought my vitamin levels were too low. Medicine didn’t always have to taste bad, but I guess doctors of all species thought it was a good way to keep their patients from coming back or something. “Oh great, the universe is taking a break on us and decided I won’t have to run.”

“Actually, running would just draw attention to us,” one of Chaintrik’s males said. “We want to avoid that.”

My face flushed, and several of the group stared at me, not used to seeing someone with pale skin that changed color, I guess. It only made it worse until I felt like my face on was fire. I hid behind the juice, turning away, mumbling an apology.

Garjah stroked my back. “We’ll break apart into smaller groups again, making our way to different entry points below the city to get out of this maze and away from the Kardoval.”

“We? Don’t we have to stay aboveground for Ases’ mech to transmit?”

His nostrils flaring and thin lips tight, Garjah stared at me. “Hasn’t this has been enough? We showed ourselves, you almost got hurt. Won’t you please go somewhere you’re safe?”

I nearly squeezed the juice container until it collapsed. I took a deep breath, regretting it when I coughed out a lungful of the dust and ash still clinging to my face. I covered my mouth, smearing it in the sweat and who knew what else, but I refused to look away even as I tried to bring up a lung. Garjah patted my back gently.

“Are you?” I finally croaked.

“Am I what?”

I drained the last of the juice, clearing my throat as I dropped it. I was angry with Garjah but also scared. And determined. And I loved the big, honorable idiot, so I pushed closer into his arms and gazed up at him with one eyebrow raised as I asked the question I already knew the answer to. “Are you going somewhere safe now?”

“I have to stay and be ready for when Ases finishes sharing the recordings his mech took of the Kardoval attacking me and ransacking my house looking for you to use against me. I have to explain everything we’ve learned.”

Huffing, I rolled my eyes. “Then I will be right here beside you. Where I’ve been when most of the public saw me before. What would they think, if you told them everything the Kardoval did, claimed our innocence, but I’m off hiding? No. I’ll be right here standing up for the Galactic, for the treaty we made, and for the rights of all of your people to choose to make a better life for themselves without the Kardoval and their archaic ideas about only ever having the memories for one purpose in life.

“You won’t let the Kardoval’s plots to stay in power keep hurting your people, I know that, even if what could happen to us scares me. They deserve to know that everything we have done has been for them, no matter the risk to our lives or bond. You care about your people, Garjah.” I put a hand on his face. “And I love you. So, no, don’t ask me to leave you just so the Kardoval’s officers won’t hunt me down and try to kill me again tonight. If you stay, I stay. Until we make sure everyone knows the truth.”  

The room was oddly silent, except for the hum of Ases’ mech. Then I heard him clear his throat and whisper, “Um, I already did. And that went out live.”

I slowly turned my head toward the Ases and his mech. The room had emptied, apparently when I was choking, and there were only him and Chaintrik beside the mech.

Which was staring right at us, its screen lit up. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Blinking rapidly, I turned back to Garjah. He took a deep breath, rubbed one hand down my back, then turned so he kept two arms around me but could face the mech. I stayed turned into his side, still embarrassed that my emotional declaration had been caught and transmitted for the entire planet—oh stars, Ases had said he’d send it to out to the Galactic too—to see.

Bouncer came to sit with us, and I smiled as I rested a hand on his head. He lifted it but rubbed it against Garjah’s thigh, claiming him in front of everyone. Garjah dropped a hand to rest on mine on his head. “Fear sometimes means we miss the opportunity for something wonderful,” Garjah said, looking down at Bouncer and then up at me. It was quiet, but not quite a whisper. He lifted his gaze to stare directly at the mech. 

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Julie Lynn Hayes

Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Ch. 114

 

“Go, go.” One of the rebels stopped and then turned to face the crowd of people in the room. “I’ll hold them off.” The hiss of weapons fire shocked me into motion, and I took off.

Garjah stayed at my side, never straying more than a single step away.

Without any idea of where I was going, I started down the first corridor after Bouncer’s rapidly retreating form. It seemed like he knew which way he wanted to go, and that direction was better than nothing. There was a loud thump, the building shook, and dust rained down on our heads. I coughed, waving all four of my arms the best I could in the air to clear some of the powder from around me. “What was that?” I asked between coughing fits.

“I think that was our distraction.” Garjah nudged me. “Keep going. Make his sacrifice worth it.”

Nausea churned in my stomach, and the acrid taste of bile burned my throat and mouth. Had we just been responsible for someone’s death? All I could think about was Garjah saying piercing live rounds, and that horrific loud thump. What kind of weapon did that? What would it do to a person? Could they even fix that kind of damage? “Did he blow himself up?”

“If he didn’t, he certainly blew his cover. He’ll never be able to live on the surface again unless we manage to overthrow the Kardoval.”

“Right.” That’s what this was all about. Taking those sanctimonious, power-hungry bastards down. They’d messed with the wrong bonded pair. I couldn’t think about the tragedy that could have happened behind us. If we’d been a little slower, or Bouncer wasn’t so fast— “Wait, where did Bouncer go?”

“Right. Through that door.” Garjah pointed to one slightly ajar down the hall. How he saw it through the dim emergency lights and the dust that was still billowing through the air, I had no idea. Damn aliens and their better senses. I sniffed, instantly regretting it as my nose burned, and I coughed. Garjah caught one of my arms and towed me along with him. “We have to hurry.”

“I am.” Sort of. I definitely didn’t want to lose Bouncer, and he wasn’t slowing down. I barely caught a glimpse of his red tail before he was all the way through the door.

The room we ran into was surprisingly clear, and then a breeze swept through which explained why so much dust had cleared. Garjah hissed out a triumphant sound, closing the door behind us. “Clever cerops. Of course you found a way out.” The way out was a set of smaller windows that were difficult for me with my bandages to squeeze through, and Garjah even cracked two window panes as he balanced on the frame, but we weren’t hopeful our escape would go undocumented for long anyway with the number of recording devices whizzing around the city.

Besides, being seen was sort of the point. At least as long as we didn’t get caught. The last group got a little too close. Garjah snuck us around the building, across two streets, and back with a group of rebels before I even realized he’d found them.

“Do we have any word from Chaintrik and Ases?” he asked. I squatted beside them, panting and leaning against Bouncer. His sides were barely moving, the monster. He nuzzled me, and I wrapped one arm around his shoulders and put my head against his neck for comfort. His smooth scales were warm until they grew into ridges that bit into my forehead.

“Time to go,” Garjah said.

Of course it was. Go, go, go. They were trying to run my feet into bloody nubs. We couldn’t walk anywhere; no, that wasn’t an option. Then I heard the whine of the recording device on the drone that flew overhead and realized why Garjah sent us on the move. We’d been spotted again.

“We can’t all stay together,” I said. “We have to split up, scatter like prey animals. They’ll think we’re scared, running to hide. If we stay together, they’re going to get suspicious and think we have a plan or something sinister plotted.”

“Of course we do,” one of the rebels said.

“They don’t know that,” I said with some asperity. “And we don’t want them to know. So freaking scatter already. Stars!” I cursed in an explosion. Bouncer echoed my frustration with a snarl.

That was probably what got them moving more than anything I had to say. I wouldn’t want an angry Bouncer at my heels either. They all melted away, except for when they wanted to be spotted. I still couldn’t figure out how he did it.

Oh well. The sound of booted feet falling in union caught my attention. Could they be any more scarier of a sound? Where were they coming from? There were three different directions, and that didn’t count the one behind me. If I started trying to look back there, I’d start a tailspin.

Moving forward. “Next building,” Garjah hissed.

I looked upward, noting the sign. Were we there already? I couldn’t believe it. “Is Ases here?”

“He should be soon. Chaintrik managed to pass on word that they’d arrived at the edge of the city before he had to go silent on the comm to avoid detection. But they’ll be here. Chaintrik won’t let us down.”

 

Just when I thought maybe Garjah was wrong, well… I was wrong. The most beautiful sight came whirring down the corridor straight for me, blocking the view of Ases and Chaintrik behind him. I never thought I’d get that sentimental over a mech.

If only he’d caught the bomb.

“Did you see that building on fire? It was only a block over. The smoke rising up was huge, and the fire smells so bad they have to evacuate two whole blocs,” Ases swept through the room, larger than life, and yanked me into his arms. He pushed back, wrinkling his face. “You’re covered in dust or something. What is that?” 

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Julie Lynn Hayes