Chapter Thirty-One

"Alright Samuel. We're all here. What did you want to tell us?"

"I thought it was time to expand on my history in hopes of providing the team with more insights as to what we are up against."

"Dude," Luther shook his head. "This needs to be the last time you 'expand' on anything. You should have told us any information a long time ago and you know it."

"I know Luther. Have patience with me."

Samuel began to pace back and forth in front of us. With each footstep there was a soft thud that echoed throughout the room.

"The Regency rules Merak. No one really knows any member of the council. Unlike on Earth, we don't have media that posts stories and pictures. It's not how things are done here. There is no media. There is no real freedom. We all work to serve the Regency. Our days and nights were filled with building this world, yet none of us ever got thanked. A group of rebels took off around fifty solars ago. They were some of the strongest fighters, but they had grown weary with the way the Regency ruled. Luther your true father, the one who gave you the RaCO flowing through your body is the head of the rebels. I struggled to tell you that, but think it's probably time you know everything."

I watched as Samuel continued to tell us about our pasts. It all seemed so surreal. No wonder Marie really hated Luther. It had nothing to do with his life on Earth, but more about his father. She had probably always wondered if he would betray his family just as his father had once done so many years ago. I looked over at Luther. His face remained stoic, but I knew he had to be conflicted.

Clearing my throat, I asked, "Who is this evil the Regency has mentioned?"

"The rebels. That's just how it ends up being translated into English."

"What happened when they attacked the last time?"

"The destroyed many buildings and killed many, but we also saw their necklaces. That's where Marie got the idea. She realized they had taken RaCO and created an object that would stay on a Merador's body when not on the planet. It was genius on their part, but then she realized that despite the RaCO, their bodies had grown weaker, if we were going to survive a lifetime away from Merak then we would need a new outer layer and set her sights on Earth. It was the one planet that was known to have life."

"Where do the rebels live?"

"We're pretty sure they're on one of the moons, but they have been very good about hiding and the last time I checked we hadn't fully found them."

"So, they're close."

"Yes."

"Then why does the Regency say they are coming back?"

"They had promised to attack again and take back Merak as their own. They don't believe the Regency is fair to the people. I agree. I'm sorry."

"What does Marie think?"

"She hates both sides. She obviously doesn't like her family and she also doesn't support the rebels—"

"She wants complete control," I said, lost in thought. My brain was working overtime right now. It was obvious. She had fought for so long and so hard that anything less than to be the one in charge would not suit her. Marie needed more. She didn't want the Regency to have any power. She had devised such a plan that time had never mattered. Marie had always known she would come back when the time was right to be the ruler of Merak.

"You're right Esadore. She has built her own army to destroy the Regency as well as the rebels. They will land here very soon and I'm sure they don't know she has returned."

"Or maybe they do know and that's why they are coming back now."

"Good point."

"Samuel, Marie thought about a lot of things, but she didn't have everything completely figured out. Tell me more about the rebels. What are they like?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know much about them. I had just heard that they had left and then suddenly we were attacked and I ran with Paul towards our escape ship. I never even saw Marie board, she hid out in one of the back compartments with two large containers carrying RaCO of the individuals she wanted to bring back to life."

"Samuel, it was by accident that she ended up on your ship. I'm sure she had it all planned out and knew all about you and Paul when she boarded."

"I agree. When I found her, I wasn't sure about anything she said, but then she started to bark orders at us. Over time, we began to realize that she was very powerful, but we got the majority of our information when she would finally fall asleep."

"Samuel, is there any way for you to track the rebels and see exactly when they will land?"

He let out an awkward laugh as if suddenly very uncomfortable. "Of course."

"When will they land?"

"Very soon."

"What does that mean?"

"Sorry, it means they will be here in less than two hours your time."

My heart began to race. Had I heard him correctly? The rebels would be here in two hours.

"Samuel, we're not ready."

"No one is ever ready for battle."

"We need to go and get the other Ciphers. They don't deserve to be caught off guard."

Audrina cleared her throat. "We need them. They are the only way we will survive."

Gave looked over at me. "Who will we fight for?"

"We fight for us. Our lives have been toyed with for too long. It's time we shut down Marie, her family and anyone else who might cause us harm."

"I like that idea."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Samuel and Luther, go find the Ciphers and bring them back here."

Samuel and Luther instantly disappeared.

"Gave, some how tap into whatever system we have here and find out exactly when the rebels plan to land."

"Will do."

"Audrina, go find us some weapons."

"On it," she disappeared.

My attention turned towards Theo. He grabbed my body and pulled me close to his. Theo's warm breath tickled my neck. "I'm proud of you."

I pulled back. "Why?"

"Because you're being the leader we have always wanted and needed. This is your time Esa. We need for you to help us fight for Merak and then get back to Earth where maybe one day we can have a normal life."

"Normal life? What does that mean? Theo, I don't have time for games. If you really want to go back to Earth, then I need you to start really thinking of a way we can get there—"

He smiled. "I'll begin working on it right now."

"Okay, but I need you to have it done in one hour."

"That's not a lot of time."

"I know, but time is running out. The rebels will be here very soon. We need to know all of our options."

Theo disappeared leaving me alone with my thoughts. I had no intention of allowing Marie to get away with her plan. I wanted to stop her. Walking over to a large window, I peered out into the darkness below. Marie would pay for her actions. She had done so much to all of us that I shouldn't feel guilty about making her pay the price.

I turned my palm upwards and began to think of a large, flat disk that would be able to cut through tough material. It appeared in my hand. I turned the object around and threw it towards the opposite wall. Time may be running out, but the next chapter was just beginning. We would fight for Merak. We would fight for our survival.

And...we will win.