Dark Matter, page 13
part #2 of The Starfire Wars Series
Deep respect for Javen floods my heart, more than I’ve ever known for another person. “I have so many questions.”
His lips spread into a small smile. “I know you do, and I hope to help you find the answers.”
Unable to hold my desire for him back any longer, I rise on my toes and slip my hand around his neck and into his thick hair. My lips find his and move in a breathless, languid dance against his mouth. I want to remain here in Javen’s arms longer. But instead, I drop back to my heels and clear my throat. “I need to reach Wirrin before Beda convinces him to do something rash.” I look around me, only seeing an open field surrounded by trees, and realize I have no idea where we are or where Wirrin’s group is.
“Where is your uncle?”
Javen looks down at the ground. “I believe the army is going to the largest mining site on Arcadia to regain control.”
I gnaw on my lower lip as fear shoots down my spine. If Hammond has started mining, the site will be heavily guarded, and she’ll be using the Inhibitors. Panic zips through my veins. “They are heading to their deaths. I need to stop Wirrin before he reaches the mining fields.”
“I’ll summon you after I speak with my father again.” He pauses for a moment, as if thinking. “If you let your mind direct you to Wirrin while you transport, the Starfire should take you to him.”
‘Thank you.” I skim his hand with the tips of my fingers and close my eyes, focusing on the mining site’s location as I remember it from my Earthscape program. At the same time, I reach out to Wirrin as if summoning him. Hopefully, with my limited experience, the process will work.
I open my eyes and Javen is gone. I seem to have ended up on the side of a hill, and below is the mining site. I duck into the safety of a few low-growing plants and watch the activity below. Most of the Starfire on Arcadia is buried under the earth, unlike how they grow on Paxon. Small fields are closer to the surface, but most are farther down. The crystals are delicate and will need to be dug out primarily by hand . . . either human or bot.
Groups of people mill around near several large ships, which are parked beside the site. In the center of the mining operation is a significant hole, where digging efforts appear to be concentrated. Three large patrol ships fly above. I sweep my gaze over the terrain in search of Wirrin and his group, but I don’t see them. Then, to my right, maybe three hundred yards away, I spot a cyan glow. A glow similar to that produced when Javen cloaked me from others. I have no idea why I can see the illumination. My link to the Starfire must be allowing the transparency. It also means, at least at this distance from the mines, that the Alku are able to use the energy.
I touch the Starfire around my neck and attempt to cloak myself. Waves of energy flow through me and I grow lightheaded. But a telltale faint cyan glow circles my body. Now the ships above and the miners below can’t spot me. I race for Wirrin’s group, who are now completely visible to me. Maybe one hundred Alku form the group. How do they plan to go up against Hammond’s Inhibitor and her ships with so few?
A half-dozen Alku soldiers tense as I approach, but no one makes a move to stop me. I have the feeling many of them remember me from the meeting I had with Vihann and the Council. They know the Starfire chose me and, despite their differences with Vihann, will not challenge the will of the Starfire by harming me. At least, that’s my hope.
Wirrin steps to the front of the group, Beda at his side. “Why are you here, Cassi?” he asks. He must see the argument in my eyes, even several feet away. Straightening his shoulders, he takes another step forward. “I can’t stand by any longer. Someone must stop Hammond from stripping the Starfire from Arcadia.”
Panting, I stop several feet in front of him. I glance at Beda and then back to Wirrin. “Of course. But your tiny band of warriors will never win. Hammond has tech you’ve never encountered.”
I look back to the mines and tilt my head. Why are there so few ships guarding the production crew?
“You’re walking into a trap. Hammond wants the Alku to splinter. If you challenge her today, then you’re doing exactly what she wants.”
Beda marches forward and stops inches from my face. “The Alku will not go down without a fight.”
“Then fight smart,” I say without backing down. “We need to figure out how Hammond is blocking the Starfire’s energy and take that out first. Then we can hit them.” I spot Yaletha hanging at the back of the group. She’s one of the best soldiers, so of course she’d be here. The beautiful Alku warrior holds my gaze for a moment and then breaks away and returns her attention to the impending battle.
A blast thunders from behind, and I whip toward the sound. The shaft created to dig out the ore is now larger. And then the earth quakes again.
This time, I not only feel the vibration under my feet but also inside of me. Like part of my soul is being decimated.
Beda winces, as do the rest of the Alku. They feel the agony, too.
“You see what the mining is doing?” Wirrin points to the shaft as a scowl appears between his eyebrows. “The digging is upsetting the balance of the Intersection. And it will kill us one way or another. We can’t wait.”
He pushes me aside and yells for his small army to advance. Rushing toward the mine in frenzied waves, the Alku flood around me, leaving me behind.
I watch in horror, and as they approach the mine, the pressure builds in my chest as if I might explode, too. Then, in a single frantic heartbeat, the Starfire’s haze, the energy cloaking them from view, shifts. Each of their hands glows bright cyan, almost electric, just like when Javen blasted out of the window in the Capitol building during our escape.
I watch, frozen in place, as the three ships swoop in and release a swarm of silver bots from the hull’s underside. Everything in me wants to turn away when the bots descend on the Alku.
Shadows from the ships pass over the scattering miners. The people run in every direction like herds of cattle escaping an incoming predator.
The Alku hurl blue-green lights at the AI, and metal explodes in the air. But there are too many. I watch in confusion as the bots don’t attack. The AI only fly in and out of the Alku, like a swarm of bugs.
I gasp as Wirrin’s group reaches the mine to begin their attack, but the miners are retreating.
My Connect buzzes, and a hologram pops up above the surface.
“Breaking news,” the text reads, and the hologram fills with angry-looking Alku who charge on the helpless, unarmed miners.
The bots are cameras! Hammond lured the Alku here to create propaganda and justify her argument that they are evil.
“No, Hammond,” I grit under my breath. “You are the evil one.”
Chapter 19
Igape from the hillside, stunned. The Alku still move toward the mining operation, and the camera bots scatter back to the safety of the ships above, like a swarm of bees returning to their hive.
Some of the Alku hurl glowing orbs of light toward the mining machines and they explode. A ship circling above lands near the mine, and soldiers and soldier bots pour from the hatch, weapons extended.
Another ship swoops in and hovers over the Alku. Several of them hurl light orbs at the ship, but their attack yields little damage. Then the floating ship shudders slightly as a white glow extends from the hull.
A shiver crawls over my body, intensifying when the Alku’s glowing energy dissipates. Hammond has the footage she needs now, and so they have reactivated the Starfire Inhibitor. The Alku are defenseless, and the soldiers are going to shoot them. The citizens of Primaro aren’t out here to witness this battle, and Hammond will declare the massacre was in self-defense, if anything is reported at all.
The slight glow from cloaking myself is still visible around me. The Inhibitor isn’t affecting the Starfire energy from this distance. My throat tightens, and I clench my fists, knowing what I need to do. After pulling the escape ships across the Intersection earlier, using the ability now could harm me further or even kill me. But I must try.
I touch my crystal necklace and home in on the Alku who have now stopped . . . even the several who are now retreating. But Beda, Wirrin, and Yaletha hold their ground. I have no idea if the three are in shock or just that stubbornly brave.
I don’t know if this will work since Javen couldn’t cross with me into the Intersection the first time. Still, I hold up my hands and trace an area in my mind around the entire group of Alku. I visualize the location I need to bring them to within the Intersection. I could be wrong, but since the Alku can’t transport in on their own, I don’t think they can transport out. I summon Wirrin’s army to my mind. Then, with everything in me, I force every bit of energy I have toward each Alku. My body rips with pain as if I’m exploding, and light discharges from me in bright beams.
It’s as if I am everywhere and nowhere, gathering the last of the Alku and forcing them through the portal.
It’s as if a thousand knives are trying to rip me apart to do so.
I grit down and focus my mind. My body tumbles into the Intersection’s still darkness, skidding and scraping over the rocky ground. The Alku appear and fall to the ground as I release them from my energy.
My vision blurs, but I spot the three ally ships, the one downed and burned, and then . . .
Everything goes black.
∆ ∆ ∆
My consciousness fades in and out, but my body jostles, as if being carried.
“She needs help. The Starfire isn’t healing her,” the voice says, and I struggle to identify who is speaking. I lift my head up and start. Beda. The last person I ever thought would be attempting to help me. I must be hallucinating. But before I question anything, darkness sweeps over me.
I blink my eyes open once again. The sleeping area in the lab comes in and out of focus. This time, instead of Irene’s face, I see Beda watching me. I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out, and my body shudders with a barrage of chills. The room is freezing, a sensation I haven’t felt since arriving on Arcadia. An Alku woman with dark skin and long white hair pulled into a side braid appears from Beda’s side and leans over me, pulling open my eyelids. By now my teeth are chattering from the ice-cold room.
“C–can I have a blanket?” I manage to stutter.
“You already have three,” Beda says in a surprisingly calm voice. “There aren’t any more.”
I fixate on not passing out again, but the room spins and I feel as if I could turn into ice any second. “Wha–what’s wrong with me?” I choke out.
The white-haired woman grazes my forehead with her fingers. “You have experienced some of the most intense Starfire exposure I’ve ever seen, my dear.” The corners of her lips curl into a kind smile. “Your body is just trying to figure out what to do with the energy.”
My mind carousels. I have no idea if that is a good or bad thing. She could be smiling at me only because I’m going to die at any moment. I grit my teeth against their chattering and sudden pain shoots up my back like electric bolts.
“She’s awake?” Dad’s voice travels to me from outside the room, and then he appears in the doorway. His jaw is tense, and he pushes past Yaletha, who stands guard near the door. Max and Irene attempt to do the same, but she stops them with her arm and an intense stare.
“I was so worried about you, Cassi.” Dad kneels next to me and takes my hand.
“Dr. Foster,” the female Alku says. “There is nothing you can do here. This is Alku business.”
Dad furrows his eyebrows and twists his gaze toward her. “My daughter, my business.”
“Fine,” she says. “You may have a word. But I need to continue the process.”
My heart jumps, and I lock eyes with Dad. “Process? What process?”
He takes my hand and squeezes my palm. “No one will tell me, but I believe these Alku are helping you, Cassi.”
“You must leave now, Dr. Foster,” the white-haired woman says.
Dad winces and squeezes my hand. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
I want to tell Dad I love him, but my tongue refuses as the world spins again. Seconds later, I feel the Alku enter my mind and the Starfire’s energy flow through them and into me. Their presence and control of the power gradually settles the sensations inside me, as if they’re taking in part of the overflow. The passing time is irrelevant—minutes, hours, or even days. It could be any amount of time.
Cyan dreams once again fill my mind. And this time, I’m soaring over Paxon, through lush hills and valleys, over mountains and the clearest oceans and most beautiful white-sand beaches I’ve ever seen. This place is pristine, unlike most of Earth’s landscapes, many of which have been ravaged. My lungs fill with the clean air, refreshing my soul. Ahead, I spot a series of structures that are nestled inside a valley. Somehow, I know it’s the community where Javen lives—where he was born. As I reach the center, my consciousness flutters from the sky and drops down, leading me to a single structure.
But immediately the wonder I feel is dashed.
“What’s wrong?” a familiar, lyrical male voice asks. I know he’s speaking in the Alku tongue. But my mind translates the words.
I don’t even know who this is, but the question makes my core twist with worry.
My bodiless self flows through the walls of the Alku home. In the main living area stands a young Vihann with his hands on his head. Deep frown lines stretch across his face.
A youthful version of the woman who is healing me in the lab stands in front of Vihann with an equally worried expression. She paces the room. “The birth progressed successfully—”
Am I seeing the time after Javen was born? He doesn’t have any siblings that I know of. Did something go wrong?
“—but after Zarah deteriorated,” the woman continues, “the Starfire energy left her body suddenly. And when the energy returned in a blast of light? It was as if the shift changed her. Her eyes went blank.”
“I don’t care what you say. I must see her, Analya,” Vihann demands, and then pushes past her and races out the door.
I tail the two of them wherever they are going. I must know what happened to Javen’s mother. He’s never mentioned her, and I don’t understand why. And why had I never thought to ask? The guilt over my insensitivity toward him weighs on me.
Vihann ends at another structure, and I follow him and Analya inside.
“You shouldn’t have brought him here,” a male Alku I don’t know says.
“I couldn’t stop him.” Analya places her hand on the man’s shoulder. “He needs to see for himself.”
I follow Vihann into a room and ahead of him is a woman, lying in a pillow-like bed. Her dark hair spreads out in soft waves over the top of the bed. To our left is a white-haired female Alku with a newborn infant in her arms, nursing him.
“You have a son, Vihann,” she says.
He bows his head to her. “Thank you for acting as a nursemaid,” Vihann mumbles.
Barely looking at his son, he returns his attention to the woman on the bed, his wife, and kneels on the floor beside her and takes her hand. Quietly he sobs as she moans but doesn’t wake.
“Her condition has not changed,” Analya says. “And the Starfire is blocking me from seeing into her mind. Until the energy releases her, I’m unsure if her condition will improve.”
“But how can you know this?”
“You know I’m unable to be one hundred percent certain,” Analya says.
“But you are rarely wrong.” Vihann rises slowly and releases Zarah’s hand. “I need a few moments with my son.” He gently takes Javen from the nursemaid’s arms and exits the room. The others follow behind, leaving me alone with Javen’s mother.
I float over to her and settle to her side. Zarah’s skin is pale and her cheeks hollow. My heart sinks. Did Javen’s mother die after this? “What happened to you?” I say.
Without warning, the woman sits up and looks straight at me, her eyes swirling with cyan.
I flinch and try to back away, but something holds me in place. Zarah tips her head and raises her hand to graze her fingers against my cheek, as if I had a real body. The touch vibrates against me.
“It’s time for you to return to the others,” she says.” But you must forget what you’ve seen here—for now.”
I don’t want to forget! I begin to speak and tell her “No,” but then she touches my forehead. The sadness and memories start to dissipate, and peace streams through me instead. My body finally relaxes, and I open my eyes to the room in the lab. The last thing I remember is a woman helping me to heal. Beda leans back in the chair beside my bed, her legs outstretched and her arms crossed over her chest, asleep.
But the second I sit up, her eyes pop open.
“Why are you here with me?” I ask before she can say anything. “Is Wirrin forcing you again?”
For the first time since I met Beda, she actually doesn’t bristle against my question.
She presses her lips together in thought. Then she looks down and whispers, “I was wrong about you.” Her demeanor quickly changes. She looks me straight in the eyes and speaks, her voice full. “I was wrong about you.”
At first, I don’t know what to say. The lack of bristling and glaring confuses me. “What . . . do you mean?” I definitely think Beda has been wrong about me, but I know that her heart was to protect her people. I’ve always known this.
“When the humans arrived, my people shifted. Our focus was no longer about caring only for ourselves. Vihann’s and the Council’s philosophy was that we should be willing to share the Starfire, if needed. Doing so would help us atone for the violence in our past and allow the Alku to use the gifts our planet had. But I didn’t like this. People, and not just Alku, made peace more difficult. Humans and Alku do not always share the same values. How would we ever get along? The Alku have been at peace for centuries.”
“And our being here put your peace at risk.”
“Exactly. Then we were proved right when Hammond decided to mass mine the Starfire on Arcadia.”
“But all that is happening. Your father and Vihann are still at odds, and Hammond is mining.”
