Zena- Commander Read online

  I grumbled as I moved ahead, pondering the situation. Of all the planets in the galaxy, it seemed more than reasonable that the rebels could find a different place to hide. Something told me there was more to it. Even so, I hoped we would avoid the slimy, slithering zeeks. Picturing them in my head made me want to jump out of my skin.

  Ada followed Jax into the cave. The three of us followed her. From the sky, I heard soft rain splash on the ground. Declan, Grandma, little Turk and Lydia, if only you could be here with me. I wondered what they were doing at that very moment. I hoped they were still alive. I prayed that God would watch over them and keep them safe.

  I wondered about Sadie, too. Everyone I loved and cared for was far away, at a time when I needed them most. Lucky for me, I still had my friends. I turned around and stared at the rain. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it, Taft?”

  He glanced at me. “What’s that?”

  “The rain. I’ve never seen a storm like this before.” I held my hand out and slowly moved my fingers. The raindrops became heavier as I stood there. “It’s amazing. The way it sways and drips.” I backed up a little, gazing at the rainfall, smiling.

  “What are you doing?” Jax shouted to me from down the tunnel.

  “Watching the rain, sir. I’d like to stay here for a few minutes, if that’s okay?”

  He snickered at my request. “Sure. Enjoy it.”

  Taft and Evander walked over to me. “You’re not thinking about trying to escape in this storm, are you?” Evander asked.

  “No. I just want to watch the rain. It’s putting my mind at ease.”

  Taft shrugged. “Okay. We’ll stay with you.”

  “No. I’d like to be alone.” I glanced at him. “If you don’t mind?”

  He nodded, then looked at Evander. “Okay.” He spun around and headed down the tunnel.

  Evander stayed for a moment and checked me from head to toe. I expected him to say something. But instead, he sighed and turned around. He ambled down the tunnel, and after a few seconds, the sound of his footsteps faded away.

  Finally, all I could hear was the pitter-patter of the raindrops. I felt the cool breeze from the wind whoosh into the tunnel and inhaled the fresh air. I backed up a few feet and sat down. I crossed my legs and rested my arms in my lap. The rain reminded me of the freedom I sought. Untamed, swirling like a leaf caught in a breeze. When I thought of my dream to free my family from slavery, tears welled in my eyes.

  “Declan…I wish you could see this. I wish you all could see this.”

  2

  Zena

  I had been sitting there watching the rain for a few minutes. The constant sound of water dripping from the sky was fascinating and soothing. I wanted to run outside and stand in the cool, whispering breeze, hoping the rain would wash away my pain. It was like watching Turk and Lydia running around in circles, begging me to play with them. No matter how bad things got, they always made me smile.

  Suddenly, I heard someone come up from behind me. I turned my head and looked up. It was Ada.

  “Can I join you?”

  I looked her up and down, not sure what to think. “Sure.”

  She sat down next to me and crossed her legs. “So, you like watching the rain?”

  “Yeah. It’s beautiful.” I glanced at her. “Is there something you’d like to say to me? Or are you as eager to watch the rainfall as I am?”

  She smiled. “Yes. There is something I’d like to say.” She stared at me, her eyes firm. “You saved my life, Zena. You could have stood there and done nothing. But you didn’t. For that…I’m grateful.”

  When we first met, I didn’t think of her as being a very compassionate person. She seemed like the stern, sarcastic type. I looked away for a moment and scratched my head. “Thank you, Ada.” I paused and fiddled with my hands, then looked back at her. “So, how did you become a member of the Rebel Army?”

  “I was a slave on Sodus.” She looked down, hiding her face. “That was a long time ago. Jax rescued me, told me about the rebels and what they planned to do. I wanted to fight back against Saros and the holys, so I joined him. That’s when I met Master. He told me the truth and taught me how to be a killer.” Finally, she lifted her head. “He will do the same for you.”

  I had not seen any slaves on Sodus when I was there. But I did see servants and maids. “Were you a maid? Or a servant?”

  “I was a maid—a personal slave to the congregation. They passed me around from palace to palace.” All at once, her tongue froze, and she couldn’t go on. She sat there, glaring past me, her eyes gloomy and irate. “I never knew my parents. I don’t know where I come from.”

  Her story saddened me, reminding me of the trauma I endured as a slave. I wondered if she was from the North Star. Perhaps they had been transporting slaves from my home planet to Sodus, to be maids and servants for those brainless worshipers. Yet more than likely, neither of us would ever know the truth.

  “That’s awful.” I reached out and touched her leg. “Did you have anyone on Sodus? Anyone who cared for you?”

  She gradually looked at me. “Yes. Her name was Evetta.” She smiled as she thought of her. “She was a slave girl like me. We were together for a few years. Then one day…she was gone…and I never saw her again.” Her voice cracked. “I loved her—and she loved me.”

  The rain sped up, and loud thunder boomed in the sky. The cold winds whooshing in on us made me shudder.

  Ada shook, too, and her teeth chattered. “Come on, let’s go before we freeze to death.”

  I stood up with her and backed away from the opening. I took one last look at the rain, wishing I could stay there all night. I turned around and sauntered into the darkness ahead with Ada.

  “Listen, Zena. Jax gave me specific orders to watch over you and your friends. So I’d like to get to know all of you better. Maybe you can help me with that?”

  “I’m twenty years old. Evander and Taft are much older. I don’t think we need anyone looking after us.”

  She spat out a quick laugh. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into.” She stepped closer to me and talked into my ear. “Our mission is to destroy the make-believe character you call God. Think of the kind of sacrifices it will take to realize such a feat. If we survive this war, you and I will have a chance to be free. So you can go on and figure things out on your own. Or you can start showing some respect and learn from soldiers like me and Jax.” She sped up her walk and separated from me. “The knowledge and skills you would gain might save your life.”

  I stood there and watched as she disappeared into the shadows of the cave. I sensed there was plenty of good in her. Master might have turned her into a killer, as she said, but she was no crusader like him. She was a follower who wanted revenge.

  I hated the Holy Empire, too. But after meeting Evander, I learned that they were not all bad people. There were also millions of children who would suffer and die because of the war. I didn’t want that to happen. I figured defeating Saros would be hard enough. Stopping Master and the rebels seemed nearly impossible.

  Even so, saving my family was more important. They were all I had left. Maybe I couldn’t stop the war. Yet saving them from this madness would be enough for me.

  Finally, I moved onward and headed to the camp. When I got back, I found Evander and Taft. They were sitting together near the fire at the center of the cave, eating a sloppy meal. I went to the group of soldiers who had been given the task of serving everyone.

  They handed me a bowl and pointed at the floor. “Eat up. We’re moving out tonight,” one of the troops said.

  Moving out? I wondered if Evander and Taft had heard anything since they came back to camp. After receiving my serving of the steaming mishmash of food, I hurried over to them and sat down. “Have you two gathered any new information?”

  Evander nodded and talked as he ate. “Yeah. Rumblings about a meeting with the leaders of the GGC.”

  My body grew numb as I sat there, af
raid to speak, reminded of my years as a slave to the Galactic Gambling Corporation. I had no idea they were involved with the Rebel Army, too. “I don’t understand. I thought the GGC only worked with Saros?”

  Evander sighed. “As did I.”

  Taft looked on with burning eyes. “We need to think of a plan as soon as possible.” He finished the rest of his food and tossed his bowl to the ground. “If these lunatics don’t kill us, the animals on this planet will.”

  I scanned the cave and caught Ada and Jax staring at the three of us. What are those two plotting?

  Evander set his bowl on the ground and wiped his mouth. “I saw Ada go back into the tunnel. Did she seek you out?”

  “Yes.”

  He narrowed his eyes and rubbed the stubble on his chin. “Well? What did she say?”

  “She wanted to thank me for saving her. She also told me about her past as a slave on Sodus.” I wondered if Evander knew where the maids and servants on Sodus came from. “She said she was a former maid. But she doesn’t know where she comes from. Do you know where Saros gets his maids?”

  “Yes. Most of them are castoffs who disobeyed God in the eyes of the priest. So he banishes them to a life of servitude.”

  “But Ada said she has no memories of her parents. So that means she’s been a slave since she was a child, yes?”

  “Perhaps. I’ve seen Saros take children from unfaithful followers. He’s a ruthless man. First he’ll separate the parents and send them off to do work, then he’ll offer the child, or children, to a worthy family.”

  Taft shook his head. “Goodness, Evander. How could you serve him for all those years?”

  His gaze wavering, he looked down. “Because he blinded me. Just as he has done to countless others.” He exhaled and looked up. “But I think you can use this, Zena. Ada opened up to you. Maybe she sees something in you. Get close to her. See if you can extract some useful information from her.”

  I liked the idea. However, I felt my idea was better. “She’s not evil like Master, Evander. She’s heartbroken and angry. Maybe I can convince her to join us.”

  He grumbled and glared at me. “Zena, you hardly know her. Why would she be disloyal to Master? After all her years as a rebel? She’s one of them. If they knew we were plotting to escape, they’d feed us to the Serpents. You think Ada would try to save you or us?”

  He made good points, but I believed we needed all the help we could get. “I’ll worry about Ada. You two focus on Jax.”

  Down the tunnel, loud footsteps approached. The Serpent army emerged from the shadows and marched into the cave. I trembled at the sight of them. They were otherworldly, towering over me, growling, with their slimy tongues lashing from left to right.

  “There he is,” Taft whispered, gesturing with his eyes at Li-Ru, the Serpent who killed his friends. “I will slay that beast, one day, if it’s the last thing I do.”

  The Serpent marched past us, grinning from ear to ear. It was odd that he and the other Serpents appeared to be so happy all the time. They lived on such a horrid planet, which made me wonder why they weren’t miserable.

  Jax walked through the crowd of troops and Serpents, his hands held behind his back. “Hello, Li-Ru! Our friends from the GGC are on standby. We will be moving out soon.”

  The Serpent marched up to Jax and showed his fangs. “Good. And when Holy Army come, we be ready.”

  Jax offered him a slight nod. “Excellent.”

  Seeing the Serpents working with men up close like this felt out of place. I had imagined there would be a distance between our camp and their unit. After seeing the brutality of the Serpents up close, I didn’t think I would ever feel comfortable around them.

  My skin got bumpy as they zigzagged from place to place. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Evander trembling. Perhaps he was having flashbacks of fighting the Serpents. He had been living this life a lot longer than me.

  When our eyes met, I let out a deep sigh. “You okay?”

  “No. I’m not.” He touched his gun. “I don’t like any of this. We need to figure out a plan, and soon.”

  I shared his worries, and now that we knew the rumblings about the GGC were true, I wondered what this meeting could be about. Freeing the slave fighters, perhaps? Or maybe a plan to host fights for the rebels?

  I hoped I would have a chance to see the leaders of the GGC up close. I wanted them dead, maybe even more than I wanted Saros dead.

  “This is insane.” I covered my face for a second, then gradually slid my hands away. “I say we find Sadie and steal a ship. We’ll travel far away to a place they’ll never find us.”

  “Too risky,” Evander said. “We don’t know enough about their operation. They could have tracking devices on their ships.”

  Shortly thereafter, Jax and Ada led us and the rest of the camp to a barren field. Several rows of rebel ships were parked throughout the area. Ada ordered me to come with her, while Jax had Evander and Taft follow him.

  “Have you ever piloted a battleship?” she asked.

  “No, never.”

  She took my hand and showed me to a ship with an open ramp. She led me up the opening and showed me two large oval tubes on opposite ends of the ship. “These are the escape pods. Hopefully we never have to use them. But if we do, they could save our lives.”

  She took me to the control panel and pressed a button that closed the ramp. “These are your basic controls. Doors, windows, lights and so on.” She moved her hand to a series of buttons and levers on the right side of the control panel. “These are your boosters.” She pressed all the buttons and watched closely. “Once the blinking red lights reach the maximum level, push the levers forward.” She softly touched my hand and moved it towards the levers. “Feel the controls, memorize the controls. Then, I’ll take you up for a test flight.”

  Test flight? “You mean up in space, right?”

  She stared at me, a fiery gleam in her eyes. She moved past me and sat down in the cockpit. “Take a seat.” She put her seatbelt on and cracked her knuckles.

  I copied her and looked ahead. I rolled my neck, pondering the little information I had gathered thus far, anxious to learn more. “So why is the Rebel Army meeting with the GGC? I thought they only dealt with Saros.”

  “That is none of your concern. Jax and I will be meeting with them. The rest of you will guard the area.”

  “Oh really? I swear my allegiance to the rebel cause and you won’t even tell me how the operation works?”

  She shook her head. “No. When you earn Master’s trust, then we’ll tell you all our little secrets.” She glanced at me. “I know you and your friends are not with us. I know that you’re planning to escape.” She grinned. “So don’t talk to me like I’m some fool, okay.”

  Goodness, is it really that obvious? Truthfully, I needed to make her believe I was loyal to the Rebel Army. Otherwise, I figured my plan to bring her to our side would never work.

  Within minutes, she had us in the air. We flew to a large dome-shaped building and landed near a long, stony pathway that led to the entrance. We quickly left the ship and marched into the thick black fog that drifted over our heads.

  All around us, an eerie howling noise filled the air. “What is that?”

  “Probably more dukes. Keep your eyes open.” She went ahead and scanned the area. “Follow me.”

  We met the others at the edge of the pathway. The ground beneath us felt warm and unstable. It seemed like the planet itself was alive, breathing as we marched across the bumpy soil.

  The dome structure looked like it had been abandoned for years. Tall, splintered pillars had collapsed into the walls, and there was some kind of mucky green substance spread across the edge of the ceiling. Perhaps it was once the home of the Serpent ruler? Or maybe an arena where they trained their soldiers?

  Like the wrinkles on an old person’s face, the cracks in the walls looked worn and full of history. Staring at the dome, I wished I could talk to the Serpents abo
ut the building. I wanted to learn about Mercilus. But I didn’t trust them. Even being around the green beasts made me want to jump out of my skin.

  “Okay, listen up!” Jax shouted. “Me and Ada are going to head to this deserted dome and meet with our friends from the GGC. The rest of you form a perimeter around the building. Make sure your guns are ready.” He turned to Evander and tapped his shoulder. “One of our newest members tells me the Holy Army might be on its way.” He huffed through his nose. “It seems Master’s plan is working perfectly. But remember, we still need to do our part.”

  Jax and Ada headed down the pathway that led to the dome, a few troops following.

  I spread out with the others and checked the area. Not far from me, I spotted one of those luxurious ships the GGC betters flew. My hands itched as I held my gun. I yearned to shoot their aircrafts into scraps and burn the money they had made off my brother and so many more helpless slave fighters.

  Minutes later, the meeting was over, and Jax returned with Ada and the few soldiers they took with them. Once more, we huddled and received instructions. But this time, there was more urgency in Jax’s voice. “Head back to your ships. I’ve just received an urgent message from Master. The Holy Army is indeed on its way. So let’s give them a proper welcome.” He snapped his fingers and pointed at our ships. “Move out!”

  At this rate, I wondered if we would ever get a chance to escape. I didn’t have time for any of this. I needed to get back to the North Star. Declan needs me. Grandma and the little ones need me. Sadie, too.

  Back at the camp, inside the cave, I found Evander and Taft and pulled them aside. “Jax probed you about the Holy Army, didn’t he?” I asked Evander.

  He nodded. “Yeah. But he already knew they were coming. Don’t ask me how.” He crossed his arms and paced. “He’s trying to get information out of me that they don’t already know.”