While flocks of Ildiran cutters dropped down to the Moon, hundreds of warliners remained in lunar orbit with their weapons ready, surrounded by a wider-ranging defensive line. In wave after wave of heavily crowded landers, hundreds of thousands of Solar Navy soldiers landed on the lunar surface, each suited, armed, and trained. each with a single goal for this mission.

Zan’nh transmitted his ultimatum to the local base commander. “I am prepared to pummel every dome, every outpost, and every ship until you surrender our Mage-Imperator.”

96

Mage-Imperator Jora’h

Alarms sounded deep inside the lunar base tunnels. As he watched the EDF soldiers running about with panic on their faces, Jora’h could tell that this was no drill.

“We are under attack,” Nira said to him, looking through the window in the locked door of their barracks quarters. “But by whom? The hydrogues again? The faeros? Klikiss robots?”

Jora’h felt a surge of turmoil in thethism, and he smiled. He pressed a flattened palm against his chest, examining the faint feelings. “No, it is something else. Ildirans are near, many of them. the Solar Navy. And Adar Zan’nh is here.”

Nira caught her breath. She sensed it, too. “Yes, and Osira’h! She’s the one who gave them our exact location.”

Out in the corridor, harsh loudspeaker voices ordered detachments and squadrons to take up specific positions. Breathless soldiers rushed to the armories, pilots ran to their ships in the landing bays. Security doors slammed into place. Moments later an announcement declared that all airlock domes had been locked down to prevent any entry into the base.

“They’re scared,” Nira said. “Genuinely scared.”

“They should be. The Solar Navy means to free me, whatever the cost.” The Mage-Imperator stood as tall as he could, his hands locked behind his back. He felt invigorated by the presence of thousands more Ildirans. All of the captives would feel it, too.

He stared at the sealed doorway of their stone-walled quarters and waited. He knew someone would come for him soon.

More than fifty uniformed humans crowded the halls outside the holding chambers for the Ildiran prisoners. Apparently, some of the EDF soldiers intended to make a last stand here.

The gaunt commandant elbowed his way through the anxious troops. Tilton’s bulging eyes were wild, his expression nearly frantic. He reached the entrance of Jora’h’s holding room and paused to take a breath, as if gathering courage.

The Mage-Imperator faced him at the threshold, hardening his own resolve. He did not intend to compromise with this man who had willingly followed the heinous orders issued by Chairman Wenceslas.

The commandant disengaged the security on the chamber door, opened the transparent panel, and stepped inside without being invited. More than a dozen soldiers stood at the entrance behind him, ostensibly to guard it. “Your Solar Navy has come with hundreds of ships. Hundreds! They have this base under siege. I cannot fathom how they knew your exact location.”

Jora’h smiled. “All Ildirans can feel their Mage-Imperator. We are connected in ways that humans are not.”

Tilton sounded fearful but resigned. “I can be realistic. There is no way our reinforcements can arrive in time, but I don’t think your Adar is inclined to settle in for a long engagement. He’s in a hurry, and he demands your immediate release. Thousands of small cutters are dropping down to the lunar surface, and our defenses won’t hold up against them.” He shook his head. “Personally, I think you’re more trouble than you’re worth.”

Jora’h shrugged casually. “Then release me.”

Tilton withdrew his sidearm and held it loosely in his hand. “They would be very upset to find you dead when they arrive. You’re the only bargaining chip I have.”

Nira stepped directly in front of Jora’h, boldly placing herself between him and the gun. “You will not kill him.”

Tilton looked more flustered than angry. “You think I won’t just shoot you both if it comes to that? If I have to?”

“If you harm me, or either of us,” Jora’h said in a voice as hard and cold as frozen steel, “then you guarantee that my Solar Navy will kill every single person on this base. They will feel the moment of my death. You saw how furiously my handful of guards fought when they tried to free me. Imagine what would happen if they knew you had killed me.” Even though Jora’h despised the Hansa Chairman for what he had done, he did not wish to inflict a bloodbath on the human soldiers. His true battle had always been clear — to fight thefaeros.

Tilton was holding his sidearm halfheartedly. “Then I suggest we reach some sort of satisfactory conclusion here.”

“The only satisfactory conclusion is for you to release me so I can go back and save my Empire. You and your Chairman have already done enough damage.”

Sporadic gunfire echoed through the tunnels, coming closer. Tilton seemed very alarmed.

“The Solar Navy soldiers are approaching, Commandant,” Nira said, stepping even closer to the man’s sidearm. “If you order your troops to dig in and fight back, you know it’ll be a massacre, and you’ll never hold them back. In the end the Ildirans will still free us.”

“The outcome is a foregone conclusion,” Jora’h said. “But the path to it is not yet decided. Tell your soldiers to withdraw. Let us go free. You will be saving hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lives.”

“Most of them human lives,” Nira pointed out. “Do the honorable thing.”

Tilton’s expression was in knots, as if he were ready either to explode or collapse. He shifted the sidearm. “Chairman Wenceslas isn’t going to like this one bit,” he finally said under his breath. He shouted over his shoulder to his soldiers crowded in the corridor. “Pass the word on the intercom. Do not engage the Solar Navy troops!” He clenched his jaw, working his muscles. “Inform the Ildirans that their Mage-Imperator is unharmed — and will remain unharmed only if they stop killing my men.”

Slowly, the sounds of sporadic resistance died away, though the chaotic shouts continued. With thunderous footsteps, bestial-looking Solar Navy soldiers charged down the tunnels, their crystal katanas ready to slash apart any uniformed EDF personnel who stood in their way. Adar Zan’nh strode at the head of the group, looking as if he had just conquered an entire planet.

As soon as the Adar approached the holding cell, Tilton again pointed his sidearm threateningly at Jora’h. “What guarantee do I have that your troops won’t murder us all once you’ve taken the Mage-Imperator? I need assurances for me and my personnel.”

Zan’nh narrowed his eyes, fixated on the hand weapon. “This is an insult. Have you not done enough harm already?”