"Yes," Ryden said, his voice dropping low and dangerous.
It was usual for politicians to cower from that tone, but even Stavor turned serious.
"I've been wondering why you are looking forward to that so much."'
The answer was plain on the Koliar's face. Ryden knew that the Brions were perhaps hated the most by Stavor and his kind, because they were too similar. Only the Brions were better. Every opportunity for glory, every task important enough, it was all entrusted to them instead of the Koliars. They never forgave that and Stavor's desire to take revenge upon them was obvious.
"You were out of control," the warlord said, but his words lacked conviction.
"Was I?" Ryden asked, taking a step forward on the holoplatform, seeing Stavor wince despite the distance between them. "I don't believe you. In fact, I know you don't believe that. If it were you in my place, this would be roughly the same. Maybe worse. You defended my actions back then before the council, because you actually know better. This is how wars are fought and won, and you wouldn't have done anything differently."
Stavor said nothing, only looked at him with loathing. For a second, Ryden wondered if the Koliar hated him enough to fire upon the Conqueror without the council's orders. It was possible. His flagship's shields were down, and they were easy prey, but Stavor was a warrior too.
All the things the Koliar hated him for were rooted in painful similarities. Similar codes of thinking, of honor. The victory Stavor so clearly lusted for—it would have counted for nothing if he took the coward's way. Not to mention the repercussions he would have had to endure later, both from the union and the Brions.
"I obey the council," was all that Stavor finally said, a weak excuse on any day from a man like him, who prided himself on being no one's servant.
"So did I," Ryden said. "They called me here to protect them, and that is what I did. A part of it was done to protect them from themselves, but you already know all this."
"Then there is nothing else to say," Stavor said grimly. "I will see you down on the surface."
Ryden nodded.
"Yes," he said. "I only wanted to ask you one thing."
"Ask," Stavor growled roughly.
Ryden allowed himself a vicious smile. The council and his former allies wanted him down on Ilotra? Very well. They could have him. It was going to be a sight to see when they all realized their mistake.
"I killed the hive mind," the general said. "How difficult do you think it would be to kill you?"
Before Stavor could reply, he shut off the signal.
It was a risky ploy he'd pulled, but the look on the Koliar warlord's face was well worth it. The mixture of hate and fear was terribly gratifying to see. Of course it would have been better if he didn't hold Ryden's life in his hands, but seconds ticked past without a shot from the Gray Armada.
Ryden left Captain Hastien in charge and took his personal fighter down to Ilotra, preparing to face the consequences of winning a war.
It was time to meet his jurors.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Aria
She almost ripped her gown in frustration.
Aria was standing in front of a full-length mirror, donning her brand new ambassadorial robes. Only this time, they were marked with the symbols of a rightful member, not an apprentice or whatever Sota had been calling her.
Her quarters were new, because the part of Ilotra where the Terran ambassadors had previously lived had suffered damage from the bombardment and were under repairs. Aria had gone to see them, only to turn back as soon as she saw there wasn't much left. She'd been hoping that maybe she could salvage a few of her possessions from the wreckage, but there was nothing to be saved. Everything she owned was gone.
The new quarters were fine, but of course they didn't feel like home the way her previous rooms had. Aria walked through the new quarters, and they were just four walls and a ceiling. The stuff seemed strange, the emptiness overwhelming, and her bathroom was a far cry from the refuge she'd loved.#p#分页标题#e#
Even the clothes neatly laid out for her on the bed seemed to be mocking her with the colors she'd been fighting for all this time.
"You can have them now," they seemed to say, "sorry about before."
For a moment Aria had actually considered not wearing the robe, but decided she wouldn't let the council take away what had been her dream for so long, even if it wasn't her goal anymore. Being a full-fledged member of the union 's council had lost its appeal fast when she was forced to come face to face with how it really worked.
There was a knock on her door.
Aria quickly checked if she was decent, the gown still awkwardly around her hips. The damn thing was impossible to properly put on alone, but she hadn't really wanted to see anyone. It was also weird. She'd never been overly modest, and wasn't the type of girl to die of shame when a guy saw her in a bra. She realized it was about Ryden and their bond. No one else was to see her naked anymore. She belonged to him.
"A moment," she called, pulling the gown up.
She left it open at the back, but she could deal with that later.
"Come in."
The mirror showed the door sliding open behind her, revealing Sota standing there in his ceremonial robes. It was so very tempting to send him away, never to speak to him again, but in truth, she pitied him. After a long moment of silence had passed, Sota took it as an invite and stepped into her rooms. The door slid shut, leaving them alone.
Aria resumed dressing up for the gathering of the council. Now that she was a true member, she had a voice and a vote like everyone else, and she planned to use both. Loudly. She would give those scheming, ungrateful bastards a piece of her mind.
"Aria," Sota began. "I'm so sorry..."
"Was it you?" Aria asked, looking at him in the reflection.
The other ambassador seemed confused.
"What?" he asked, clearly caught off guard.
"Was it you who delayed my induction into the council, or was it the hive mind?"
She saw Sota squirm at the mention of the enemy. Pity rose within her again, but she forced it down. At least that much she wanted to know. She couldn't imagine what it felt like for Sota to walk around Ilotra, with everyone knowing what he'd done. But that didn't excuse his own sins, if there were any.
There was also the painful fact that the council had done nothing to him, but insisted putting the man who'd saved them all on trial.
"And don't lie to me," Aria added, with more venom in her voice than she'd intended.
She finally turned, looking the man in the eye. Sota nodded slowly, taking a seat on her couch and sighing.
"Both, I think."
Aria almost slapped him, but kept herself back. There was no use in her causing more drama and problems than there already were.
"Why?" she demanded.
"For my part, I wanted to protect you," Sota said, looking at her with pleading eyes. "You were so bright and optimistic, I didn't want to... you see what they're like. I didn't want them to kill your spirit."
She took a moment to consider whether he was telling the truth. Aria would have been glad to have the sharp senses of the Brion warriors right about then, who were probably able to tell when someone was lying to them by listening to their pulse.
"I would have handled them," Aria said.
Sota looked up at her and shrugged. "Possibly. Probably. I can't take it back. I see now you're stronger than I ever thought. The hive mind recognized that."
He hesitated, a disgusted look on his face. Aria could understand that much at least. She'd absolutely hated when the enemy had played with her mind, but at least she didn't harm Ilotra. Sota had almost helped destroy it.
"It urged that idea along, I believe," he went on. "I can't know for sure. My memories are foggy and blurred. I honestly don't even know all the things I might have done to aid the Clayors. I can't remember, but I never intended to keep you from the council out of malice, I swear."
"How about all that stuff about Ryden?" Aria went on. "You telling me my judgment was clouded, warning me not to have anything to do with him. Implying I only agreed with him because I was attracted to him?"
Sota tried to smile for her, maybe attempting to alleviate the tension.
"Well, that turned out to be true, didn't it?" he asked, but stopped when he saw the look on Aria's face.
"Don't get funny with me," Aria snapped. "Not now. Not about that."#p#分页标题#e#
Sota pulled back, taking a deep breath.
"Both again," he said. "I thought it was a mistake for you to get involved with him, but it was definitely the hive mind too, trying to keep you away from the warriors."
That was fine. It really didn't matter at that point anymore, but Aria had wanted to know. She glanced at Sota, a man she'd looked up to at some point. The Clayor hive mind hadn't been able to control her when even great warriors fell to its power.
Was there something special about her, some reserve of inner strength she didn't know about? Or was she merely lucky to be strong enough to resist? She couldn't hate Sota, not when she tried to imagine what it felt like to keep living with that kind of a guilt.
"Did the council make any decisions about you?" she asked to make sure.
Sota chuckled mirthlessly. "I won't be handling anything important for a long while now, that's for sure. And they notified Terra, in case they want to recall me, but I don't know if they will. You know what our government is like."