Chapter 25

Siona

E veryone split up to tackle their respective tasks. Naturally, Alred stayed with me, but so did Deliah. The small unit that would likely become my Queen's Guard in the future gathered outside my dwelling in the Greeting Hall. A different unit was on its way to escort Eldrin and Zerien's Council and bring them here.

As I didn't want to be helpless once things turned ugly, I went to fetch my Tuurean armor and celesium sword. The beauty of this suit, designed for the elite military of the Veredians, was that it entirely fit in a simple belt. Once activated, it deployed over your body, the nanites spreading and snapping into places like so many puzzle pieces until they snugly hugged every inch of you.

The intelligent suit was customized to its owner and created a bond with them. In my case—as with Mercy—the design had been slightly modified to account for our horns. A couple of additional tweaks were required for me as I didn't possess any psionic powers for the artificial intelligence of the suit to interact with. Furthermore, although I kept my hair quite long to the small of my back, it didn't reach the insane length favored by the Veredians of the Warrior breed.

Those women grew their hair all the way down to their ankles, which they kept bound in a single braid. When in battle, the nanites would form a full armor around that braid tipped by a vicious blade. That armored braid constituted one of the deadliest weapons of the Tuureans.

I gathered my hair on my nape and placed a golden ring around it as if to bind it into a ponytail. However, the ring immediately spiraled around my long, silver-white strands to give them the shape of a braid that the suit would easily encase.

Even after three years of intense training, I still had a ways to go before fully mastering their combat techniques and all the unique properties of my suit. However, my neural link with it was quite strong and steadily strengthening. The more you interacted with the AI, and the more it learned how to interpret and even anticipate your needs. As a person belonging to a species without special powers, this suit leveled the playing field, making me a lethal force to be reckoned with.

I hooked my sword to my belt and shoved my blaster in its holster. Adrenaline flooded my veins as a part of me perked up in anticipation of the impending battle. But my mind dreaded what might ensue. I had no qualms killing enemies. It was the civilians—mainly—but also our Warriors I worried about. A single casualty on our side was one too many.

To my pleasant surprise, Deliah followed me into the small room adjoining our walk-in closet which served as our armory. We only kept our most prized weapons here As well as the equipment I regularly used to train in our private garden. She asked my permission to use one of my staves.

"You have battle skills?" I asked, stunned, even as I extended the long staff to her.

The Oracle nodded even as she gave me a mocking glance. "Beyond the fact that Korletheans must all go through their military service for a minimum of two years, I happened to marry one of the best and most ruthless Hunters of Sarenia. With the looming war, Faolen has made sure to give me as much offensive and defensive training as he could so that I would never be helpless should things turn belly up in his absence."

"A very wise approach," I said approvingly while watching her manipulate the staff with impressive dexterity.

She didn't even need me to explain how to activate the concealed blades at each end of the weapon.

"We also all possess psionic powers. Training those abilities is compulsory for everyone. It gave us an edge against the Sarenians back when my people were so cruelly experimenting on other species. We can create psychic shields to block psionic attacks, as well as launch psychic strikes against our enemies, which will wreck their brains in no time. Some of us are more powerful than others. As an Oracle—and as a Seer for Killian—we rank among the highest tiers."

"So, you're a Warrior Priestess in your own right," I said in a gently teasing tone.

Deliah snorted and shook her head. "While my Faolen would proudly agree with you, I beg to differ. Despite my respectable combat skills, it's not something I relish. I will fight to defend myself and those I love. But otherwise, I prefer the peaceful and introspective side of life."

"There was a time when I shared that philosophy," I said pensively. "I cannot quite say when that changed. But the hardships we endured and then living among the Braxians have awakened me to a whole new side of my personality that I never suspected. And frankly, I love it. There's no greater feeling than being in control, knowing that whatever you throw at me, I can and will throw right back at you a thousand-fold."

She chuckled, although her eyes glimmered with approval.

"You have come a long way from the frightened child I used to see in my visions. Back then, I never would have suspected you would turn into such a fierce Warrior. But then, appearances are often deceiving," Deliah said. "Take Prillium for example. It does not reflect light."

I blinked, utterly baffled by that completely random comment. What did that have to do with anything? Prillium was a rare metal found solely on Sarenia. When refined, it could be used for armor, weapons, and accessories. Their people particularly prized it because it didn't reflect light, making it ideal for camouflage during a mission.

"Right," I replied hesitantly, my tone hiding none of my confusion.

Her mysterious smile combined with an intense stare made me realize this was yet another of their hinted mindfucks that drove me bonkers. I hated that they couldn't just come out and say things bluntly. Still, I gave her a stiff nod and filed that information away for when it would matter.

Just as I was about to invite her to go back to the formal sitting area, the sound of the alarm going off nearly had me jumping out of my skin. Barely twenty minutes lapsed since we'd left the lab. Considering the time needed to reach the other side of the palace where Eldrin was being tutored and our efforts not to alert people too early, the unit tasked to retrieve him never stood a chance to make it back in such a short delay. Although the Korletheans warned us of the imminence of the attack, I genuinely thought we still had a couple of hours before us.

As one, Deliah and I stormed out of my room towards the exit of my dwelling only to be stopped dead in our tracks by the spectacle visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the living room.

Two large foreign ships of a type I'd never seen before decloaked above the gardens. Bright lights zipped through the skies as our defenses immediately fired missiles at the vessels. What kind of advanced technology could have so completely fooled the palace's defense systems to breach its highly restricted airspace without setting off a single alarm?

A series of sparkling lights flashed above them for a brief second, indicating the imperial guard had activated the palace's protective dome. It couldn't do anything against the vessels that were already inside, but it would make it a lot harder for any other vessel to come within range. However, if the two ships attempted to flee, passing through the dome would inflict severe damage to their engine and propulsion systems.

My blood turned to ice when the vessels dropped what I first assumed to be large warheads. But then, instead of just falling to the ground, they deployed three fin-like wings, and a giant drill bit extruded from their noses. Acting in a fashion similar to a guided missile, what I assumed to be some sort of moles scattered towards specific areas of the garden before attempting to burrow deep. Our defense system destroyed most of them, but a handful managed to bury themselves in the ground.

The tunnels…

"We must get to Eldrin at once!" I snarled while activating my suit.

Even as the nanites were spreading over me like black oil, forming one of the most impenetrable armors in the known universe, I started running towards the doors, Deliah hot on my tail.

Just as I was reaching them, they burst open. I pivoted and whipped out my sword, my left wrist raised in front of me to deploy my energy shield. Recognizing Alred and my Queen's Guard, I dropped my defensive stance.

"We must leave, Princess," he said with a tense voice. "They are dropping troops in the gardens."

Before I could answer, two loud explosions tore the air. A shower of stones and dirt shot out of the ground like geysers in a couple of locations which appeared to match where the mole missiles had buried themselves. The vibration resonated all the way inside like the tremors of an earthquake.

"Where's Eldrin?" I demanded as we hastened outside of my dwelling.

"He's still in the southeast wing," Alred said with frustration. "The path to him is mostly vacant. But only the northern bunker will be usable. Killian confirmed that there is a collapse of the tunnels leading to the other two."

"This is not a coincidence or the luck of the draw," I said angrily as we jogged through the deserted corridors in this secured section of the palace. "Somehow, they knew where to strike to block access before we could get to the unbreachable area below."

"Once we've pushed back the rebels, a lot of people will have answers to provide," Alred grumbled.

"Has Kolvar contacted Zerien?" I asked.

"He and I both tried," Alred replied grimly. "There are no possible connections outside the palace. Most of our channels are scrambled, or the signal gets disrupted. They're messing with our com system."

"Wise approach," I conceded with anger. "They want to make it impossible for us to coordinate our defenses. But they're messing with the wrong people."

As we were approaching the gallery connecting us to the southeast wing, a shuttle pierced through the defensive dome. Steady, concentrated fire in that section had weakened it enough to allow the enemies to sneak in. A second shuttle shadowing the first one didn't get so lucky. It was halfway through crossing the temporarily disabled area of the shield when it closed again.

Where a bigger ship would have been severely damaged to find itself in direct contact with the shield, the smaller shuttle didn't stand a chance. It looked as if it had gotten chopped in half by a vicious blade, right where the shield reformed. The two segments of the vessel plummeted to the ground. The gallery vibrated under the force of the impact. A series of explosions followed as the twisted metal crushed the beautiful plants and statues that decorated this previously peaceful corner of the common garden.

But the first shuttle landing safely reclaimed my attention. Before the pilot fully settled it on the ground, he already began lowering the ramp. Two dozen Guldan and Sarenian troops poured out of the vessel into the garden.

"We must take them out!" I exclaimed. "Everyone, activate your scramblers."

"Protect the Princess!" one of my guards shouted.

While I appreciated the sentiment, the thought that fired off in my mind was ‘Fuck that!' I charged forward towards the closest of the two sets of large glass doors that gave access to the garden from the gallery. Despite my preference for sword combat, I whipped out my blaster and unloaded it on the invaders. As they'd all been racing towards the second set of doors on the opposite side closest to the southeast wing, only a quarter of them lagging behind turned around to face us head on.

With my unit surging ahead of me, I suspected the invaders didn't realize their main target was right here. Otherwise, those who continued inside the building would have likely turned around to fight us. Their greater numbers might have put us in a difficult position.

Our blaster shots hit a few targets, but none inflicted fatal wounds. Shield raised, I dashed towards a Sarenian who attempted to use his vibrating voice on me. The fool should have known that I would have accounted for that. The disruptor integrated into my suit effectively blocked his compulsion. Enraged, he fired his blaster in my direction, while barreling down on me. He obviously intended to ram into me and expected I'd crumble under his superior force.

I held my shield in front of me, absorbing his shots even as I continued to race towards him. Behind me, the panicked voice of a couple of guards yelled for me to fall back. I cast them out of my mind and focused on my opponent. At the very last second, I dodged to the right while pivoting. Flowing with the motion, I slammed my shield into his side to throw him off balance. He stumbled forward but brilliantly recovered.

Sadly for him, he didn't make more than a couple of steps before I whipped my head in his direction. My armored braid flew towards him, the tip extending by an extra two meters before wrapping around his neck like a grappling hook. A simple thought sufficed for my armor's neural link to execute my command. In a split second, razor blade spikes brutally extruded from the armored braid wrapped around his neck, instantly beheading him. His body slumped to the ground with a muffled thud while his severed head rolled a short distance from it, his face frozen in a stunned expression.

But I was already on the move.

The extended tip of my braid resorbed back to its normal length, with the dagger-like blade still dangling at the end. I barely had time to raise my shield in front of me before a different Sarenian struck it hard with his sword. The force of the blow resonated through my arm. Without the added support of my armor and its impact dampening effect, I would probably be cradling my arm and howling in pain right now.

Instead, I gave my opponent a roundhouse kick to the chest. Catching the base of the blade at the end of my braid, I blindly threw it like a dagger where he should theoretically be located as he recovered from my blow. The delicious sound of my blade piercing his skin—enhanced by the auditory system of my suit—was followed by his screech when the blade split into four points inside him, shredding his innards. However, half a dozen blaster shots blew him to pieces from behind, putting a swift end to his agony.

I didn't have to look behind him to know my men had eliminated the threat against me. On one hand, I wanted to be annoyed that they would focus their efforts on protecting me instead of on eliminating the invaders. On the other hand, I understood their instinctive protectiveness. Their females were not combat trained as they were genetically not inclined towards violence. Furthermore, as my Queen's Guard, they had a duty to keep me safe.

In time, I wanted to believe they would grow more comfortable with my ability to take care of myself. I wanted them to treat me like their other teammates: trust that I knew what I was doing but still have my back when needed, just like I had theirs.

A savage cry behind me heralded the next incoming threat. The Guldan charging me with his blaster raised suddenly stumbled, blood exploding from his nose and ears. He fell to his knees, holding his head with both hands, and his face twisted by excruciating pain. A swift glance to my left confirmed my suspicions. Judging by the intense way Deliah was staring at the Guldan, she was destroying his brain with psionic strikes. With my people being so vulnerable to psychic attacks, the male didn't stand a chance.

As if he'd read the thought this realization triggered in my mind, Alred attempted to use his compulsion on another Guldan. It didn't work. Although disappointing that my disruptor wasn't working yet, it didn't surprise me that their implant didn't counter psionic strikes. Sarenians didn't possess that ability. With only two Korletheans here—neither of whom were officially Warriors—it hadn't made sense for them to account for such attacks. It also hinted that there was possibly a conflict in the implant's ability to counter both mind control and psionic attacks. I would need to look into it later.

In a flurry of sword swipes, blaster fire, and physical blows, my unit did quick work of dispatching the few invaders who had stayed behind. We cut through the garden to chase after the others who had proceeded toward the southeast wing.

We caught up to them in the middle of a fight with a small unit of the Imperial Guard led by Marius. Sandwiched between us, our enemies didn't stand a chance. We slaughtered them in a blink.

"Where's Eldrin?" I asked Marius as soon as the fight ended.

"He's heading towards the Emperor's quarters," he replied, looking tense before glancing at the back of the room.

Only then did the interface of my visor show me a heat map of the people cluttered in the corner, hiding behind a stealth shield.

"Employees?" I asked, gesturing at the corner with my chin.

"Yes, Princess. They are staff and guests who we are escorting to safety," he replied.

"Proceed," I said with a stiff nod before turning towards Alred, who was standing beside me. "Let's find my son."

"My Queen!" Marius said in acknowledgement, his eyes gleaming with a determination laced with pride.

Under different circumstances, I would revel in it. But for now we had an invasion to crush.

As we raced through the corridors, we didn't encounter any other rebels. However, the early afternoon sky looked like nightmarish fireworks were on display as our ground-to-air defenses pursued their efforts to take down the foreign ships that seemed nearly indestructible. A few of our fighter jets had joined the fray as well as a couple of chasers.

Thoughts of Zerien intruded. I crushed them down, refusing to be distracted or giving in to fear. Reminding myself that, no matter what happened today, he would survive this attack gave me the strength to continue. Still, a nagging voice at the back of my head kept repeating that surviving did not mean he wouldn't endure atrocious pain and torture before he was rescued and made whole again.

Memories of how the traitor Deimos subjected Keran to the agony of being eaten alive from within by Kranax Beetle larvae resurfaced. If not for Gavin's timely—although extremely unlikely—intervention, Keran never would have survived the encounter, and the fate of Braxia could be quite different today.

If those thrice damned traitors inflicted anything even remotely similar to my man, there would be no end to the agony I would repay them with.

The sound of battle ahead helped me chase away those somber thoughts. Frightened gasps reached me from the distance as we loudly made our approach. A handful of Imperial Guards came rushing our way before pausing, relief visible on their features once they recognized us. They likely thought us more rebels sneaking up on them from behind.

"Status?" I asked the Warrior in charge.

"The rebels overrun the Commons. Emperor Nemrox is leading the battle there," he replied, sounding a little nervous. "We're still unable to reach Prince Zerien or any of the other vessels that left on the raid with him."

"Siona!" Kaelin's voice exclaimed behind the Warrior.

I stretched my neck to look over his shoulder to see her running towards me, Jastira and the rest of Zerien's Council in tow. Her hopeful expression gave way to a crestfallen one when she reached me. After another swift glance around, she locked eyes with me.

"Where's our baby?" she demanded with a mix of despair and anger.

"He's ahead," I replied while squeezing her shoulder in a reassuring fashion. "We're fighting our way to him. Stay with the guards while we help the Emperor clear the way. You know I'm not letting any harm come to our son."

She blinked rapidly to stem the tears prickling her eyes, and nodded in response, her throat probably too choked with emotion to speak. I pulled her into my embrace, and she returned it with the energy of despair, which had my chest constricting. I wanted to stay longer and comfort her, but loud noises bleeding out of the Commons, and the continued explosions outside made it clear where our priorities lay. After one last squeeze, I kissed her forehead and gestured for my men to follow.