Nascent Decay (The Goddess of Decay Book 1) (27 page)

“Yeah, well, we still have Rhylie, Konii, and Vorle,” Mersi said. “That alone carries some serious weight with most of the resistance movements. The legitimate ones, anyway. Having Noura with them helps too.”

“Go on…” Isaar said cautiously. He folded his arms across his chest. He had been getting thinner and thinner, and his face was beginning to grow gaunt. Rhylie hoped Mersi had something good up her sleeve. A strong victory would help a lot with recovering his morale. In many ways, she could see herself reflected in his withering depression.

“I’ve also been keeping up with the migration and relocation of Rhylie’s people,” Mersi began.

“How has that been working out?” Rhylie interjected.

“Pretty well for the most part. They managed to get in contact with the General you told me about, which sped up the process greatly. Quasar is currently working with them in developing and training them with the equipment they have ready,” Mersi said. “They actually have access to plenty of resources, but no one to operate them. They just need more recruits to fill out their ranks.”

“Okay. What does that have to do with us?” asked Isaar. He looked as though he just wanted to go lie down.

“Well…they want us to initiate the liberation of some of the enslaved races. They claim that they can evacuate the majority of them and provide sanctuary and training for any slaves we could free. They even suggested a few targets,” Mersi said. “They just need to know the when’s and where’s of it so they can coordinate and be there to provide transport for them.” Isaar quirked his lips as he thought about it for a moment. His eyes looked tired and distant, weary.

“That is a pretty good launching point, Mersi,” he mused, sounding hopeful for the first time in a long while. “We might actually be able to make a real difference doing this.” Mersi smiled brightly at the compliment.

“I like it,” said Rhylie optimistically. “But is it really going to be that simple? Just fly in there, and poof, they’re free?”

“It should be, at least the first few times we do it,” said Isaar. “They will not be expecting it. After that, I have to assume that they will prepare some sort of defensive reaction.”

“But if we hit the right targets, we could swell the ranks of Quasar by tens of millions overnight,” said Mersi. “Maybe even more.”

“That would make them the largest opposition group in the Galaxy by far,” said Isaar thoughtfully. “They would have more than enough people for training to fully utilize their resources, and then some.”

“Bigger than the GULiMo even,” she said.

“Who?” Rhylie asked.

“The Grand Unification and Liberation Movement. But they’re not at all what they used to be,” Mersi said flatly. Rhylie wondered how many acronyms there were in the galaxy.

“What do you mean?” asked Rhylie curiously.

“Well…they started out as a charitable movement, feeding and sheltering the oppressed and impoverished races throughout the galaxy and that kind of stuff. Offering assistance to those in need of getting out of whatever shit-hole they were trapped in,” she said. “Now they just collect donations and lounge in the lap of luxury.” Mersi cast a glance at Isaar. He didn’t seem to notice.

“But Quasar is militant. Every militant group gets wiped out eventually,” said Isaar. “Once they grow too large to hide.”

“With humans joining them, they may pass that soon enough,” said Rhylie. “Hopefully there’s still a lot of us left.” Isaar nodded his head as he pursed his lips together.

“Even so, not all humans are abandoning their homes and settlements,” Isaar said. “But the Siirocian attacks have stalled for now. We think Mars may be next to be destroyed, once the mininova cannon on the World Destroyer in your home system has finished recharging, but some people just don’t seem to care, they won’t abandon their homes. However, I believe Vorcia is more intent on locating you than finishing what she has begun there for the time being.”

“Sooner or later she will come back for them, especially if we continue to lay low,” Rhylie said. “If we don’t keep her distracted, she’ll return her focus to them.”

“While Quasar provides the training, we should have enough time to capture some more resources. We will need a lot of weapons, ships…medical supplies. Food,” Isaar said. She could almost see the wheels driving in his head. She knew what it was like to need something, anything to keep going. “The logistics are already beginning to drive me crazy.”

“We don’t need to worry about that now. Let someone else handle the preparations for that,” said Rhylie. “We need to focus on what we can do. How are we supposed to free these slaves, Mersi?”

“Well, there really isn’t much to it other than speed and brute force,” said Mersi. “The enslaved worlds aren’t very heavily defended. In fact, there are just enough armed guards watching over the slaves to prevent a revolt. They try to keep the numbers well-balanced to keep costs low. But if we were to dramatically tip those odds in the favor of the slaves…then we could cause all them kinds of trouble,” she finished with a half-cocked grin and her eyes blinked out of unison. Rhylie didn’t think she would ever get used to that.

“Or we could just take out as many of the guards as we can in one shot and sweep them onto the ships,” said Rhylie.

“Well, some planets are so densely packed with slaves that a series of well-timed strikes in the most populated areas would be enough to shift the balance,” said Isaar. “It is not the first time I’ve thought about it.”

“So several well timed strikes on a single planet could possibly be enough to liberate it?” Rhylie asked as she quirked an eyebrow.

“Quite possibly, yes,” Isaar responded. “If we use the planet’s rotation to our advantage, and timed our strikes concisely, we could hit each area under the cover of darkness.”

“Sure. Sounds easy enough,” she said dryly. It sounded too easy, actually, which made her
uneasy
.

“The first planet should be no trouble at all, really. After that, they will begin making defensive preparations,” Isaar said. “Who knows what they may do then. We will have to be ready for anything.” Rhylie looked down at Mersi.

“Good job, Mersi,” she said. Mersi beamed proudly back at her.

“I will go get Vorle and Konii and fill them in on what is going on. They should be ready to go,” said Isaar. “Remember, not a word of this to Reskle or Sora.” They both nodded their heads at him in agreement. “And Mersi…ask them to keep this from Noura. I do not want her participating.” The anguish had returned to his eyes. “I do not even want her to know where we are, or where this planet is. I want her kept out of this.” Mersi nodded, her eyes wide.

“We’ll be waiting right here,” said Rhylie. She sat in awkward silence with Mersi for a few moments. “I like it here,” she said finally. Mersi shrugged in response.

“It’s so remote so that I have a hard time tracking feeds here,” she replied. “I can get all the major ones…but none of us should be operating on those,” she replied. “They’d be able to find us in a heartbeat if we did.”

“Who’d find us in a heartbeat?” asked Rhylie.

“Anyone that was looking,” said Mersi. “The Siirocians would be the first I’d imagine.” She frowned. “Do you not like me or something?”

“I-” Rhylie frowned. “I like you just fine, Mersi.” She let out an exasperated sigh and put her hand on the girl’s head. “I’m just in way over my head here. I’m trying to keep Isaar focused on something. I can tell all of this is weighing heavily on his shoulders. Drasce’s death has…completely changed him.” Rhylie hadn’t given herself time to grieve yet, and she had to repress a wave of emotion as it surged within her.

“We’ve all changed,” Mersi confessed. “If this doesn’t work I don’t know what we’ll do. I don’t know what he’ll do. I’m really worried about him.”

“It’ll work,” Rhylie said. “I’ll have Vorle and Konii with me this time. As long as you can help keep us coordinated and on track.”

“That’s the easy part,” she said with a grin. “I’m pretty good at talking.” Rhylie chuckled softly. She did like her, but sometimes she needed a moment to think, a luxury Mersi seldom provided.

“What’s the hard part?” she asked.

“Well, as far as I know, the cities themselves are centralized areas of homes and businesses where the slaves aren’t allowed unless they are owned by someone,” Mersi said. “Those are the free-citizen only areas. Guards, merchants, managers…”

“And their families,” said Rhylie. She had a sudden pang of doubt. “Their wives and children and pets. What will happen to them?” She could see Isaar returning with Konii and Vorle in the distance.

“It probably won’t be very pretty I’d imagine. The slaves aren’t treated very well,” Mersi said, quirking the corner of her mouth down in a half-frown. “And there’s not a lot we can do to stop it.”

“We can ask that those that are innocent be spared. I want them taken as hostages, if possible,” Rhylie said. “Can we issue a reward for them, alive and unharmed?” Mersi shrugged.

“I don’ t know if it would matter, Rhylie,” she said. “Isaar might go for it. Quasar too…I mean, we really don’t need any more bad publicity.”

“Good,” Rhylie said. It was the best she could hope for, she supposed.

“Isaar would probably go for what?” he asked as he walked back up with Vorle and Konii.

“Rhylie wants a reward issued for all of the those in the cities that are innocent,” Mersi piped up before Rhylie could say anything. “She wants them taken hostage for their safety if possible.”

“It could potentially end up being a lot of money,” he said. “But that is not a bad idea. I expect either way, few will survive, but this could save a few more. Some of these races have been enslaved and oppressed by these families and businesses for countless millicycles. Their hatred for them is…generational.”

“I don’t want to be a part of something that murders innocent people and destroys families,” Rhylie said stubbornly. She was not a monster. She would not be a monster.

“Rhylie, their lives are built upon luxuries paid for by the lives and deaths of millions of slaves,” Isaar said sadly. “People that have never been enslaved for a day in their lives, lording over those that are denied even the opportunity to be free. They stopped being innocent a long time ago.” Rhylie looked down at the grass beneath her feet uncomfortably.

“Just try to save the children then,” she said softly.

“A reasonable compromise,” Isaar said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

His grip was weak, and his hand trembled as he tried give her shoulder a squeeze.

“That is enough Rhylie” Isaar’s voice came through her com device. “You need to slow down and take a break. Get some rest before we head to the next target.”

“Why?” she asked. “I’m not tired.”

“You will never grow tired like you used to,” Isaar said. “But you still need to sleep and take breaks. Otherwise, your body will drive your brain until it shuts down from exhaustion. In extreme circumstances, your cyberbionic skeleton can even cause your brain to cook itself.”

“Whatever. We only have one more target and then we’re done, right,” she said. “Are the slaves being evacuated?”

“Yes, everything is going well on that end. This planet will be well on its way to finishing liberating itself by the time we are done here,” Isaar said. “Some people will want to stay, this is their home and it always has been. But I would say at least sixty percent wants to get out of here in any way possible. They know they will just be enslaved again when the planet is retaken.”

“Well then, let’s just finish this and call it a day,” Rhylie said.

“I agree,” Konii’s voice came over the com device. Vorle just stood there in silence, covered head to toe in dull gray metal. He could be very stoic at times. Both were flanking her.

The mission had been easy so far. Too easy. Those in control of this planet had not been prepared for any kind of assault, much less one this brutal and of this magnitude. It was just a matter of taking out the signal intensifiers first, so the guards and soldiers couldn’t send out a warning or request backup from outside of the star system. By accessing the control terminal through Konii, Mersi had been able to shut down the entire communication system across the planet on their first strike. The rest of the cities fell like dominos after that. They were all really just glorified exchange hubs where slaves were herded on to ships and taken to their new owners.

As the streets came alive around her with violence and looting, Rhylie had to remind herself that the men she cut down had enjoyed a life built on the blood and death of billions of people. Coordinated strikes on each city between her, Vorle, and Konii had been devastating, and lightning quick. Most of them never knew what had hit them, and they were merciful in their slaughter, except for Vorle. He almost seemed to enjoy leaving them behind him to die slowly. Rhylie decided it was probably out of vengeance for what had been done to him, so she decided to leave him alone about it. They all had their issues.

“Next set of coordinates incoming,” said Mersi’s voice.
The final target
, Rhylie thought.
Good
. She leaped into the sky, followed by Konii and Vorle. They had been exceptional teammates, though they were still learning how to manipulate the nuances of their new gravity wells too. It felt good to have someone at her side, actually. Someone she didn’t have to worry about, anyway.

The planet itself was barely habitable anymore, poisoned, filthy, and grossly overpopulated outside of the cities to say the least. It was really just a massive holding pen for slaves, as well as a breeding ground for them. If you wanted a slave, this is where they were shipped from after you ordered them.

The streets outside of the cities were filled with trash and refuse, if you could even call them streets. They were really just muddy, rut filled paths that stretched between an endlessly expansive field of poorly-constructed shanties. Bodies didn’t last long in the slave fields, the living consuming the dead nearly as soon as they had taken their last breath, and sometimes before. They were fed bowls of unidentifiable sludge with dirty water twice a day, after waiting in long lines for them. The whole planet smelled like piss and shit. She could almost taste it in the air.