the planet’s surface, but until we get a plan that we are sure will work, we still don’t stand a chance against the Terrans. Putting firepower in the hands of a disorganized and leaderless mob is nothing but chaos.”
“I don’t know Alcent,” Penchant added, supportive of Keryn’s plan, “but he seems capable since he already has his own following. But is he prepared to lead a full revolt against the Terrans? This plan will not only need a strong leader, but one that is willing to accept the catastrophic losses of soldiers that it will entail. I don’t know if this Alcent character is going to be that leader.”
“Then I’ll be that leader,” Keryn said with intensity. “We’ve already lost so much; many of the survivors care little about their own survival. But I’ll make a fighting force out of them by offering the one thing they’ve been missing since the Terran’s arrived: hope. I’ll give them a way off the rock. I’ll give them the revenge they all so desperately want. But, most importantly, they’ll have a leader who is as intelligent and beautiful as she is deadly.” She turned toward the other two, an uncharacteristic smile spread across her lips. Behind her eyes, the Voice cheered with silent enthusiasm. “Now, let’s refine this plan until it’s absolutely infallible.”
Over the rest of the day, in between moving rocks and removing now badly decomposing bodies, Keryn sketched out her plan for escape. Smiles broke across the faces of the other two, only to quickly disappear as the Terran guards passed by. They listened intently as she explained the specifics of her plan in graphic detail, tracing each person’s responsibilities. The others added their input, pointing out weaknesses on the flanks of the proposed squadrons and their individual movement, making recommendations about key points of interest which they needed to attack sooner during the plan. By the end of the day, all three were content that their plan could be a complete success; they had created a plan that would get them off the planet and strike against the Terrans with such surprise and force that they would never have a chance to mount a defense of their own.
On the fourth day, as they worked again in the fields, they were approached by an Oterian as they sat on the ground, enjoying one of the few breaks they received throughout the day.
“Got anything to eat?” the Oterian asked, his head held low and his voice barely discernable as he mumbled under his breath.
“Sorry,” Penchant answered, turning his featureless black face toward the newcomer, “but we’re fresh out. You’re welcome to pull up a piece of ground, though.” The Lithid’s attitude had changed greatly since their arrival on the planet. His coarse and often harsh responses to people had been tempered on the frigid planet. As he moved through the rubble fields, he openly sought camaraderie with his fellow survivors, often getting rebuked by the overly downtrodden, but making friends as well.
“No,” the Oterian said, shaking his head, “I’ve got to keep moving on.” He raised his head and Keryn noticed strength behind his eyes that belied his defeatist demeanor. “But Alcent is ready to see you all. Tonight, after curfew, meet him at the store.” A smile crept across the Oterian’s lips. “He wanted me to let you know that if you have lived up to your end of the bargain, he’s more than prepared to live up to his.”
The blank and exhausted look returning to his face, the Oterian turned and shuffled away, asking the next few collections of survivors if they had any food to spare. Keryn looked at the other two, her heart beating heavily in her chest. If Alcent was able to do all he had promised, then their plan was guaranteed to be a success. By the end of the week, they’d all be free of Othus.
That night, Adam and Keryn struck out from House 12, leaving Penchant behind. The bracelet that was firmly attached to his wrist was a tracking mechanism. They couldn’t risk exposing their operation before the plan could even begin, knowing that the Terrans could monitor all Lithid movements within the city from their Fleet destroyer orbiting the planet. The bracelet also housed a significant amount of explosives, explosives that could be remotely detonated from anywhere within the city. Begrudgingly, Penchant had agreed to stay in the house while the other two made the meeting.
For Keryn, the careful walk to the abandoned department store was a more confident affair this time around. Aside from having done this previously, she now had the comfort of having Adam’s protection as they bisected the residential area and moved into the commercial district of town. With an odd sense of deja vu, Keryn glanced around in the darkness before slipping through the broken glass, followed quickly by Adam’s hulking form.
The darkness was as oppressive as Keryn remembered within the store. She stood near the naked racks that once held clothing as her eyes adjusted to the dark. The wait was in vain, however, as she heard the familiar voice in the back of the store.
“Allow me,” Alcent’s voice came from the back, near the break room door. The back of the room was quickly bathed in a soft light as the Uligart, holding the lantern high, appeared from the gloom. Behind him, the two heavily armed bodyguards stood their stoic watch. Adam tensed as he saw the military assault rifles, but Keryn placed a calming hand over his.
“I was starting to think you wouldn’t call,” she said jokingly, diffusing the tension in the air. “You had me worried.”
Alcent chuckled to himself, lowering the light until it rested back on the floor. “I wanted to make sure you had time to fulfill your end of our arrangement before calling on you. You have had time to formulate a plan, I hope.” His eyebrows arched as he inquired.
“Don’t you worry about that,” Adam said defensively. “The question is, can you live up to your end. Do you have the men and weapons to pull this off?”
Alcent tilted his head to the side, looking condescendingly toward Adam. “Who is this man?” he asked, addressing Keryn. “He speaks to me so informally, having never met me.”
“His name is Decker,” she replied, already concerned that this conversation was getting off track by overdoses of testosterone. “Adam Decker, but we all just call him Adam. The Lithid with whom I’m sure you’ve been told is part of our group is named Penchant, though he, for obvious reasons, could not join us tonight.”
Alcent regained his composure, his face once again a mask of civility. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Adam, and I look forward to making the acquaintance of Penchant in the near future as well.” Alcent pulled a chair from behind the nearby table and sat, gesturing for Keryn to do the same. The Avalon bodyguard once again pulled a chair out for her before stepping back to his employer’s side. “Now let’s get down to business. I’ve given you a full three days to relay my request to your fellow patriots and to take the time to formulate a plan that will, beyond a reasonable doubt, succeed on getting rid of the Terran threat. How have you managed?”
Keryn smiled confidently. “
“Show me,” Alcent demanded.
Keryn pulled the tattered map of the city from beneath her jacket and smoothed its wrinkled edges on the display table between them. The highlights of the Terran occupancy were clearly marked on the hand-drawn map. Adam leaned heavily on the back of her chair as he watched her explain.
“The warehouses storing the small Terran ships that landed on the planet are located here,” she pointed at a set of boxes drawn on the map around the southern edge of the crater. “I’m sure you’re familiar with the tall warehouses with retractable rooftops that the Terrans installed after their arrival. I mean, they are hard to miss seeing as how their bombs leveled everything else in that part of town. Each building stores either a single soldier transport vessel or a pair of quick Terran fighters. The problem is that the Terran barracks,” she pointed at another set of square representations on the map just north of the crater, “are in dangerous proximity to the hangars. We would no sooner attack the hangars then we’d be overrun with Terran assault teams. And let’s not forget that the only person with the access codes to the hangars is the Terran Commander.”
“Lucience,” Alcent added. “The Commander’s name is Lucience. But you’re only telling me things that I already know. You’ll have to do a lot better if you expect my services.”
“I’m just laying the groundwork,” Keryn explained. “Until we are sure that we know all the facts, we can’t start making assumptions. Now I do happen to know one fact that you may not be aware of. I know where Lucience has been living during his time on Othus, and it isn’t in the command barracks near the crater.”
Alcent leaned forward, intrigued. “So where can we find Commander Lucience?”
Keryn pointed to the map. Her finger rested on a small box drawn near the edge of the ruined business district. “He’s been staying here, in a building that was made specifically to withstand great amounts of destruction both from within and without. Trust us, we know,” she said, her eyes sparkling.
“And what is this building?” Alcent asked his voice little more than a whisper.
