Chapter 17

The crowd around me awaits silently as the ship rises up, they want a plan, a speech.

"Everyone listen," I switch to commander mode and eye as many people as I can, "we don't know what we're getting into. I don't."

Uneasiness tells me that that wasn't quite the thing, but Thaili's bright eyes urge me on.

"But we're going to do it all together. We will defeat the evils that have destroyed your kind and bring back what you deserved." A surge of pride races through me when celestials start to cheer and rile themselves up. Once they quiet, I continue. "The plan is to cut it off right from the base. We find Alnilam and we kick the everloving shit out of his ass."

They cheer even though they probably don't know what I'm saying, but it works.

"Well look at that, a half breed human leading a civilization of beings once in ruins." Thaili laughs quietly before turning solemn.

"What about Centauri?" I turn to him and keep my voice low under the chatter of people.

"You know how ruthless Yex and Halfling can be. I fear, I fear she might not make it out of there." He sighs. "I can't lose my sister and my mother."

Something hits me, something small but painful. I find that looking out on everyone's ties with each other shows what I've been missing. I was just used to not having to be a part of anyone. I think of Kai, watching him be ripped away. Eridia being murdered. I take a sharp breath and excuse myself from the crowd.

Back in the hall of the ship, I find myself pacing, looking out the windows every so often. Watching Epyra get father and farther away. I stop to catch my reflection, my fingers go to the small now white scars from Centauri's own hand underneath my eye. Extending my wings behind me, I wonder if when this is all over, if I'll even be able to set foot on Xero or Earth. Halfling never saw me, perhaps they all believe I'm dead and well off that way.

"You've... changed." A distinct male voice behind me, tinted with disgust, catches me off guard. I whirl around sharply, nearly catapulting myself with my wings to see where it had come from. There's nothing in either direction and I'm convinced it was my imagination. Suddenly, a hand clamps down on my shoulder, the searing heat to the touch burns into my skin and I writhe around to grab at whoever had appeared and feel nothing.

The feeling of falling grips me and I land on a metal grate. Lifting my head, I spot two gold plated boots belonging to an armour clad man. I stand and face him as he removes his helmet. The eyes of my father look down on me with a sort of distaste.

"What were you trying to do?" He sets the helmet on the makeshift desk beside him and walks over to the balcony overlooking a mass of Impics swarming along the grounds below. "Have the lies of those egotistical bastards got to you?"

"Says the asshole who I haven't seen in years and what- suddenly you're some mass murderer?" I snap and move towards him, around me are various maps and what look to be battle plans. Curious, I observe a map of Xero and narrow my eyes when it starts to make a little more sense.

Simon- Alnilam, whatever he is, turns on a heel and storms towards me. He grabs the collar of my clothing and drags me towards the balcony, the railless platform offers no safety as he shows me what's below. "You see them?" He growls. Once I nod, glaring knives into him, he tosses me back to the grated floor. "That was humankind! Stupid, brainless animals- I fixed that! I gave us the gate to the outer universe and gave us power!"

"You killed people to get it?" I push myself up again and watch as he gazes down at the mass of creatures. When I speak, he turns back to me, eyes murderous.

"I did what was necessary. Humans are supposed to be the most powerful, not some purple fools or some batshit-crazy cat lady."

"What about Eridia. What was that? What am I supposed to be anymore, while you were off on a power rampage and using people?" I grip the handle of the sword like a reflex.

All of the fight in him seems to evaporate. "For once in my life I thought I could trust someone," He murmurs, "thought I'd have a future with her. She chose her people and I chose mine, that meant you. That meant making a better future for you, but you were so goddamn set on going to the hell I'd escaped from." His voice breaks momentarily and he shakes his head. "Couldn't even trust my own daughter either. I was cast out by humans I have given everything to and the aliens and..."

A lump forms in my throat and I look back down at the sword in my hand and the pendant on my chest. The symbols on my skin glow just a little brighter and flicker like candle lights. "I'm sorry, but you can't keep hurting people because you didn't get what you wanted."

"Isn't that what you're doing now Ceceilia?" Simon clenches his fists and bears a furious expression. "You have a choice. Them, bound to fall to humankind and I. Or you can chose to stand by me, where you don't have to be weak. You'd be a god."

"No." I shake my head and back away. "I keep my promises."

Simon sighs and laughs dryly. "Fine. Have it your way. Don't think I'll be showing you any more mercy then I'll be showing everyone who thought I was a fool."

I back towards the desks as he turns back to the growling creatures below and swipe the Xero map, tucking it into the bodice of my garment. Simon turns back and comes over to put his helmet back on, the glimmer of a chain around his neck sparks a different kind of plan.

"You can go back, save what's left of your little friend. Go back just to see what I can do and you'll see that you were wrong. I will destroy everything and start anew." His voice is echoed and gravelly now, burning resentment in every word. I suddenly am falling again, and drop down on the cold floor of the hall I'd stood in a moment ago.

My whole body feels tired and heavy again, the crushing feeling right back to where it started. Sitting up, I lean against the wide window and let my breath fog up the glass. My finger shake as I take out the map and unfold it on my lap. His plan was to go through the Gray Wall. However I had no idea when he'd do it. Based on what I know and have seen, it'd be too easy.

I get up and head back, still shaking but with a new determination. Thaili looks up as I enter and frowns.

"Get into a fight with a wall?" He muses.

"No, but we're going to go fight for one." I slap the map down on the console. "We can catch him at Xero."

Thaili, Rai and Cain all look down in various stages of processing. Rai nods and expertly flips a knife out from his belt and stabs it into a location like people did in movies.

"We'd have a good vantage point here. Most of us can survive without any breathing apparatuses." He looks to Cain and I. "So any broken airlocks shouldn't matter."

Thaili looks up to the planet we were approaching. "Thairus is where they moved the council. It's where they'll be dealing with Centauri, we get her and we get to this Gray Wall as soon as we can just in case."

"We'll have to see how this plays out." My heart rate picks up as we get closer into the orbit, and a million different scenarios run through my head.

Cain furrows his brow down at the map. "What happens if he gets through?"

All three look at me curiously and I make a face. "Humans aren't going to stand a chance against those creatures. Much less Alnilam slash Simon."

The turbulence of the ship landing, makes me a little motion sick but as soon as we're on flat ground, I take a group and leave behind the rest to defend the ship. If anything it'd probably be stolen too and I don't think there are any open ports around on this mostly desert like planet.

Rai and I split the group of twelve into two and go our opposite ways around the tall walls of the safe place. Thaili grabs my arm and silently points to a door opening to let cargo ships in. I nod to the others and we skirt along the wall and slip inside, hopefully undetected.

"Follow the people." I mutter, gesturing to the crowds all having been huddling in this haven probably going to watch an execution. Worry eats at my stomach as we grab the long ponchos of unaware workers and slip them on to blend in. The crowd leads us to a large arena like space covered by a big glass dome. I stop to gaze out at the platform with a large stone block in the middle, covered in various colours of dried blood. A figure dressed in full white carries a large silvery axe, swinging it at their feet like a pendulum.

Once I pry my gaze away I find that I've lost track of the group and Thaili. I can't find them in the sea of browns and greys that we blended right into. frustrated, I move downwards as close to the front as I can, slipping past guards and silently thanking fate for my short undetectable stature. Suddenly loud music that must be patriotic to the people blasts out into the murmur of the crowd, causing my heart to race again in a sort of fear.

Dropping down to the lowest platform I can get, the onlookers grumble as I shove my way forwards and watch as they drag several people out and throw them into the dirt. They're all dressed in black with hoods over their heads, making it hard to tell them apart. I didn't expect there to be several people and another dumb plan forms in the back of my reeling mind.

"We join together to bring justice."

I recognize the head councilman's voice and can imagine the sneer on his twisted face. I grab the handle of the sword I've concealed in my clothing and formulate a plan to leap over the railing and free the prisoners regardless of their 'crimes'.

"Behold." The voice booms again over invisible speakers and there are more people dressed in white who grab their prisoners and yank off their heavy black hoods. I immediately spot Centauri's dark violet hair damp with sweat against her face. The fear on her face makes me all the more angry, and I prepare to make the jump whether the groups would see it or not. The executioner gestures to one of the white clad beings and the first brought up is Centauri herself. She doesn't put up much of a fight and I don't blame her, she looks exhausted. My breath catches and I crouch, everything tensed and ready to spring.

"Centauri the Eternal," The councilman's voice scorns the name. "Imprisoned for the destruction of our home and the murders of two lost souls."

The crowd erupts in furious calls and cursing, as soon as the executioner raises their axe a couple inches, I spring up to the rail and my wings extend out behind me, ripping the scratchy brown poncho right off my body. The crowd gasps as one and I see glints of light as Rai raises his sword in the crowd. A surge of people reach out for me as I leap into the midst of captives and drop down swinging my sword like an idiot. The one other prisoner, a silvery skinned female, leaps up and attacks her captors. I catch Centauri's wide confused eyes and race towards her. The executioner hurries to raise their axe, the glowing white bonds that keep Centauri down are what I'm after.

I reach the platform just as orders are screamed out to send guards after me and plow into the executioner. Rai drops down from wherever and frees Centauri, Thaili slings his sister over his shoulder and both make a break for it. I follow once I'm up but a hand clamps down on both wings and yanks me right back. With a startled yelp, I twist around and throw a fist at the executioner's face. The grunt tells me they're most likely male and I throw a well aimed kick to the groin and make my break for it.

The other prisoners follow back to the halls of the haven, dodging guards and patrols, we make it out to the desert again and race towards the ship. My heart beats far too fast with exhilaration, it was a freak win but we'd made it out with what we came for and more. Behind us, there are angry shouts, but I don't look back to see who they belong to as the bay door slams shut and the ship launches off.