Alkon looked at the other two members of the High Council, who both bowed their heads. ‘That is a death sentence! I will be killed before I can pass Corsec!’
‘The Council has spoken,’ said Rihk. ‘General Revarn, take guards with you and escort Alkon to the edge of the city.’
‘Yes, sire,’ said Liet
‘You can’t do this!’ shouted Alkon, seeing now that there was no use in attempting to maintain respect, as two large guards grabbed him and dragged him to the elevator. ‘I am General Zaccarah! Get your hands off me!’
Alkon struggled all the way out of the building as Liet signalled for three other guards to join them.
‘Unhand me!’ Alkon continued to command, but his authority was no more. The guards listened only to Liet. ‘Friend,’ Alkon pleaded, ‘I will do as I have been instructed, but I do not wish to be handled in this manner by the common guard. Please, allow me my dignity.’
The company of seven including Alkon and Liet all paused. Liet seemed to be considering Alkon’s request.
After a moment, he said, ‘I am needed elsewhere. March him for six hours west. Then kill him.’
Alkon’s eyes flared. ‘What?’
The guards ripped Alkon away.
‘No!’ he cried out. ‘Friend, you can’t do this! Lieutenant!’
Liet gave no reply as he walked back toward the building where Xosis was waiting for him, and Alkon’s calls were soon too far away to be heard any further.
‘Outcast, just like his father,’ said Xosis. ‘I never would have thought.’
‘It is a shame,’ agreed Liet. ‘I gave orders to have him made comfortable enough to last him at least the beginning of his journey.’
‘You are a good man,’ said Xosis. ‘And now you are a general.’
‘I am,’ said Liet with a faint smile. ‘But it seems Kobin’s test will come sooner than I expected. Waikor will be his, and then he will travel to find the Daijuar.’
‘Yes,’ said Xosis. ‘He may not be at Corsec with us.’
‘His execution can wait,’ said Liet, ‘but now you see his capabilities. He spoke as if he was completely innocent, but all of Alkon’s failures can be traced back to him. He allowed us to kill his people in cold blood, and then he used his leverage to see that I became a general, and now he has absolute favour of the High Council. He will achieve victory at Waikor.’
‘And if he finds the Daijuar?’
‘Then we may be facing more than simply the Resistance on the battlefield.’
‘So he will turn against us,’ said Xosis.
‘I do not doubt it. He gains power through helping those who have potential to obtain higher positions, and their success then reflects onto him. This gives him freedom. I am now supposedly in debt to him, and I am a general.’
‘Impressive.’
‘Quite. It is how he was able to give us the alliances we needed to enter this land. But even though I am in debt to him, it will not concern him, and he will dispose of me as easily as he did of Alkon. Alkon was a man who possessed a rare brilliance, but he was made to seem as a completely helpless child. This is why we must fear this man.’
‘I understand, but what can we do?’
‘For now, nothing. We need to turn our attention on how we will attack Corsec. We must achieve victory there if we are to ever stand against Kobin.’
‘An impossible task if there ever were one,’ said Xosis.
‘Or perhaps not.’
‘What have you in mind?’
‘We could not defeat the Resistance even with double the men we have. Why not then go straight for the source of our goal?’
‘The northern cliff defence systems?’ asked Xosis.
Liet nodded.
‘It is impossible; they are protected by the mountains.’
‘It has been impossible to get to the mountains,’ agreed Liet, ‘until now.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Kobin has showed us a way of weaving through them. There was little in the way. When Alkon allowed me to call for reinforcements, I requested a mining team to be sent with them. That team is now tunnelling their way through the last mountain.’
‘That would take years to complete,’ said Xosis. ‘And they would easily be captured.’
‘No. The mining unit is safe and have almost completed the task. We have made outstanding breakthroughs with upgraded mining equipment. General Vondus has been informed. He will make an attack on the Diadon fleets protecting the Quartun Bridge, and then we will make a full strike.’
Xosis was thoughtful for some time. ‘It could work.’
‘If we capture the northern cliff defence systems, we will be able to attack the Diadon fleets from above. They will retreat, and then Corsec will be ours.’