Empress Fallen (Through Darkness Book I)

Chapter Eleven: Sure Solacer: Part 2

ii. Pugna

'Jagan?' she cried at his back. He didn't respond, both fists clenched. She glanced back at the empty elevator, lost in thought for a moment before she pushed the hair from her forehead, staggering after him and rounding the corner. Jagan was leaping up a set of stairs, and she quickly followed, limping up the metal steps and distantly wondering if this was the way up to the Command Centre.

It was.

As she reached the summit, she suddenly found herself at the top of the world. She reached out for any available source of stability, her mind reeling as she watched the surface of the only world she had ever truly known falling away, the rock frighteningly far below, a snarling, black sky racing by on all sides.

'Excuse me?'

Aliya tore her eyes away from the staggering sight. She was standing at the highest point of a large, tiered room of consoles, a smaller glass room right above her head where several soldiers were scanning what looked like a map on a large screen. The dome was full of people.

'Excuse me.'

Aliya realised with a jolt that she was clinging to the arm of a tall, stern-looking woman. Her dark red hair was drawn up from her shoulders, one of the Armada caps on her head. Her glaring eyes were a frightening blue, a piercing, icy blue. Her hands were clasped behind her back, a slim dark green jacket buttoned to her neck, black leather-like trousers tucked into calf-high laced military boots.

'I'm so sorry, I'm ... overwhelmed. I'm Aliya,' she said quickly, cheeks reddening. Fortis appeared just behind the woman, staring at Aliya in bewilderment.

'This is Aliyanca-Thrin Soter, the one we told you about.' The excitement on his face was unconcealed. The woman's eyes widened. 'Aliyanca, this is the commander of the Redemption, General Milada Dux.'

Aliya swallowed, hesitantly offering the General her hand, lowering her eyes slightly, face burning. 'I'm sorry ... ma'am.'

'Forget the formalities, Soter.' The General shook her hand. But almost immediately, a shadow of utter sincerity clouded her features.

'We are on route to the prison, we need information.'

'Yes, of course,' Aliya said hurriedly. Fortis moved in closer just as Miriam and the tall blonde man hurried up behind them. Aliya took a deep breath, trying to get her thoughts in order.

'There were riots when Surplus day was cancelled ... it's a biannual thing, when our rations double. There was chaos throughout the entire complex, it got violent, very violent. But they overpowered us and we were quickly separated into sections, hundreds were injured, I think there must have been deaths. It was announced twenty-three slaves were sentenced to – They took the entire population of the complex to the surface, and they did it, they killed them all.' The last words were hissed, her eyes wide with horror, and she could feel those of Jagan, Malik, Harith, Sitara, and Elil all fixed on her, united by sorrow.

'That was around dusk-time, and that's when it happened ...' she continued, voice wavering, 'the revolt. When we left to discover the secrets we knew were hidden beyond Nex Ridge, to find help, the majority of us were grouped around the – the execution stands, the Enforcers had the complex entrance guarded –'

'Enforcers?' General Dux interjected suddenly. 'Oh, the Imperials. Continue.'

'Yes, we have no idea if any of our people managed to get back in, there were probably several hundred strong points among the rock pillars surrounding the entrance where we converged. But, yes, the central point was by those execution – those stands. And there are children, General, hundreds of children, starving and dying, the death toll – I can't even imagine, that must have been almost ten hours ago, please ... can you help in any way?'