further revelations regarding its functionality. Ian is making progress. He should be able to create a portal soon.”
Ria was tempted to mimic his formal speech but decided to let it go. “Where are you going to place the portal?”
Rucon answered the question. “We’ll activate it between Darl’s place and your villa. We can always move it later.”
Ria hoped they didn’t move it. If she managed to find Ty again…the thought was appealing.
“How about Sandaria?” Ria stood, time to get ready. “Any new developments there?”
“Nothing new.” Rucon stood as well. The others in the room followed suit. “Gordat and the Portal Masters are playing at something, but we don’t know what. What’s more interesting is the situation on Mitah.”
“What situation?” Ria and Dani chimed in at once.
“Our host, Darl, thinks there’s a storm brewing. Native Curzans are being murdered without apparent cause or retribution. There was a death recently in Watersedge, not far from his estate, so he did a little digging. What he discovered didn’t make sense. The man had lived in Watersedge for over thirty years, but not as a Curzan. He was well known as a Mitan.”
Ria exchanged a look with Dani. “Laric’s father mentioned something about the Curzans being out of control.”
Rucon eyed her. “Out of control doesn’t give anyone the right to kill.”
“Agreed,” Ria said.
Dani turned to Ria. “What about the boy Leon had taken away?”
“What boy?” Rucon asked.
“Jara went after someone at lunch when we were here last,” Ria said.
“And what happened?”
“Jara had him arrested. He was just a teen.” It annoyed Ria that he’d interrupted lunch to arrest what was nearly a child.
“I want everyone to keep their eyes open.” Rucon didn’t seem to like it either. “Report anything suspicious to me. And stay out of it. I don’t need us getting caught up in a civil war.”
Ria’s com chimed and a woman’s voice with a heavy southern accent said, “It’s time to get a move on and load that shuttle, little missy.”
“What, was that?” Rucon asked.
Ria snickered. “That’s Harvey.”
“It doesn’t sound like a Harvey.” Armond pursed his lips.
“Yeah well, he changes his gender. I never know what I’m going to get.”
Mara laughed. “I think it’s wonderful. Harvey is also correct. It’s time to load the shuttles for our trip down to the surface.”
Ria took one more look at the planet before they filed out of the room.
* * * *
Ty stood next to Merek on stage and waited while Father Arlo closed the curtains of the meeting hall. The muted light suited his mood, but he’d rather not be here at all. A certain fatalistic fog had descended upon him ever since watching Jafferies’s murder. He wasn’t a child any longer, and it was time Leon Jara was stopped. These meetings were useless.
Freckle-faced Connor jumped up to give the priest a hand before taking a seat next to Bella who sat with her legs dangling off the stage. The white-walled hall behind the church was standing room only, the younger teens standing on top of chairs and desks that had been pushed against the walls.
Two men came in from outside and approached Arlo. After a few words, they went back out and Arlo gave Merek a nod.
“All right everyone, time to settle down.” The voices quieted, and all eyes turned to the stage. Merek cleared his throat. Everyone knew he hated speaking in front of such a large crowd, even though he’d known everyone here for years or even decades.
Ty crossed his arms. He scanned the room, taking in the faces of the men and women who formed this secret community. Curzans masquerading as Mitans and the occasional real Mitan mate. Word of the killing had spread fast and tension was high. Merek wanted to calm them down and get them refocused. “I’m sure you all know about Jafferies by now.”
Murmurs and nods from the crowd.
“I don’t have to tell any of you that the empire
Ria was tempted to mimic his formal speech but decided to let it go. “Where are you going to place the portal?”
Rucon answered the question. “We’ll activate it between Darl’s place and your villa. We can always move it later.”
Ria hoped they didn’t move it. If she managed to find Ty again…the thought was appealing.
“How about Sandaria?” Ria stood, time to get ready. “Any new developments there?”
“Nothing new.” Rucon stood as well. The others in the room followed suit. “Gordat and the Portal Masters are playing at something, but we don’t know what. What’s more interesting is the situation on Mitah.”
“What situation?” Ria and Dani chimed in at once.
“Our host, Darl, thinks there’s a storm brewing. Native Curzans are being murdered without apparent cause or retribution. There was a death recently in Watersedge, not far from his estate, so he did a little digging. What he discovered didn’t make sense. The man had lived in Watersedge for over thirty years, but not as a Curzan. He was well known as a Mitan.”
Ria exchanged a look with Dani. “Laric’s father mentioned something about the Curzans being out of control.”
Rucon eyed her. “Out of control doesn’t give anyone the right to kill.”
“Agreed,” Ria said.
Dani turned to Ria. “What about the boy Leon had taken away?”
“What boy?” Rucon asked.
“Jara went after someone at lunch when we were here last,” Ria said.
“And what happened?”
“Jara had him arrested. He was just a teen.” It annoyed Ria that he’d interrupted lunch to arrest what was nearly a child.
“I want everyone to keep their eyes open.” Rucon didn’t seem to like it either. “Report anything suspicious to me. And stay out of it. I don’t need us getting caught up in a civil war.”
Ria’s com chimed and a woman’s voice with a heavy southern accent said, “It’s time to get a move on and load that shuttle, little missy.”
“What, was that?” Rucon asked.
Ria snickered. “That’s Harvey.”
“It doesn’t sound like a Harvey.” Armond pursed his lips.
“Yeah well, he changes his gender. I never know what I’m going to get.”
Mara laughed. “I think it’s wonderful. Harvey is also correct. It’s time to load the shuttles for our trip down to the surface.”
Ria took one more look at the planet before they filed out of the room.
* * * *
Ty stood next to Merek on stage and waited while Father Arlo closed the curtains of the meeting hall. The muted light suited his mood, but he’d rather not be here at all. A certain fatalistic fog had descended upon him ever since watching Jafferies’s murder. He wasn’t a child any longer, and it was time Leon Jara was stopped. These meetings were useless.
Freckle-faced Connor jumped up to give the priest a hand before taking a seat next to Bella who sat with her legs dangling off the stage. The white-walled hall behind the church was standing room only, the younger teens standing on top of chairs and desks that had been pushed against the walls.
Two men came in from outside and approached Arlo. After a few words, they went back out and Arlo gave Merek a nod.
“All right everyone, time to settle down.” The voices quieted, and all eyes turned to the stage. Merek cleared his throat. Everyone knew he hated speaking in front of such a large crowd, even though he’d known everyone here for years or even decades.
Ty crossed his arms. He scanned the room, taking in the faces of the men and women who formed this secret community. Curzans masquerading as Mitans and the occasional real Mitan mate. Word of the killing had spread fast and tension was high. Merek wanted to calm them down and get them refocused. “I’m sure you all know about Jafferies by now.”
Murmurs and nods from the crowd.
“I don’t have to tell any of you that the empire
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