Zorobo exits the alley and strides toward a large pillar; where his informant stands huddled against the biting cold.
Nores draws his cloak tightly around his body and eyes Zorobo warily. He reaches out a shaking wing. “Now, please…The pass that you promised me. If it is ever found out that I gave you this information…I'm a dead shrike.”
Zorobo smiles and tilts his head in Nores’ direction. His eyes glow with the same fierce purple glow as on previous occasions; and his voice is a cruel whisper. “You are a dead shrike already.”
Before Nores can react, Zorobo’s sword cuts through the air and slices the cowardly shrike's throat. Nores falls to the ground and stares up at Zorobo. He once again reaches out his wing, but Zorobo slaps it away. Zorobo’s henchmen seem to materialize out of nowhere and slowly approach the scene.
“Dispose of the bodies,” Zorobo practically roars. “She’s in the alley.”
Two henchmen tend to Nores’ corpse. The others head into the alley to retrieve Kotoro’s body. Zorobo uses a corner of Nores’ cloak to wipe the blood from his sword. He continues to grin savagely. “Two down…And one Master Guard to go. Then, we bring down the entire resistance. Not a bad start, I’d say.”
Only one figure stops to watch Zorobo intensely.
_
_
Horotic is once again in his secret chamber. He and three other shrikes are poring over multiple star charts and portal diagrams on a holovid screen. A figure cloaked in red and emerald green rushes into the chamber. The figure bows respectfully and quickly apologizes for the interruption.
“Master...Excuse the intrusion. Kotoro…She's been murdered,” the figure utters between ragged breathes. “And the resistance has been betrayed. Zorobo and his contingent of guards are on their way here. I must hurry back. I am supposed to be on an errand to bring news to the Monoch. But, I felt I must warn you.”
Horotic is saddened by the news but puts on his bravest face. He and Kotoro had been great friends. Nearly mates, once. He had been ignorant then. Unable to see what Kotoro had. And now, she was dead. The cause has lost a great friend and leader.
“Then, the war has come to us,” Horotic yells in a commanding trill. “Flovikir, assemble our forces. See that every shrike is equipped and ready. Sreveld, contact the Supreme Guard. Inform them of what has occurred and what actions we are implementing. I will personally take command of shutting down the facility—As well as securing our information and resources. Go! Now!”
The cloaked figure hesitates at the door. Horotic yells at them to get moving. “Why are you still standing there, Reneel? If you do not report to the Monoch as expected, Zorobo will become suspicious. We cannot afford to lose all of our contacts.”
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Reneel removes his hood and steps further into the large room. His face is hard and resolute. “I watched him murder Kotoro in cold blood, Horotic. His own sister. He held her to him until she breathed her last. He derived sick pleasure out of it. I cannot report back there. I thought I could. But I cannot. It would be very hard for me to keep up appearances. I might make a mistake and behead Zorobo where he stands. I want to fight. I don’t want to hide in the shadows anymore. Give me weapons. Let me fight. Let me work to avenge Kotoro’s death. To avenge all who have died at the hands of our false figureheads.”
Horotic smiles wistfully and offers Reneel a solemn nod. “As you wish. We can use you in the command center. Are you familiar with sentry guns?”
_
_
Moments later, Reneel is seated at a large console inside an oblong emerald structure. Another shrike is seated to Reneel’s right. His wingtips fly over the console as he inputs the information being fed to him by Horotic. A diagram, with overlaying lines, appears on the screen several meters in front of them and Horotic’s voice rises in pitch.
“Aim for the coordinates indicated, Olerg. Reneel, fire at anything that gets in the way,” Horotic commands.
Reneel smirks and narrows both eyes dangerously—mirroring Zorobo’s expression before murdering Nores. “With pleasure, Master Guard.”
Horotic looks over at an empty seat—the seat which was to have belonged to Kotoro—and sighs deeply. “We go forth to restore the Hall of the Monoch. To restore justice to Shretonia. We do not take this duty lightly. Corruption has tainted what was once a world of grandeur, beauty, and fairness. Instead of justice, we are faced with cruelty and bloodshed. No longer can we trust that the dual voices of the Monoch act in the best interests of the shrikes of this world. Not when there are those who would murder our revered leaders—and replace them with bioengineered puppets. Not when our security forces can arrest and murder innocent citizens with impunity. We will find the cloning facility. We will destroy the specimens. We will bring the evidence back to Shretonia. And then, we will eliminate the Monoch figureheads in power. Any shrike who has any inkling of a reservation… Make it known now. To do so later, will be to invite death. Leave now. And we will leave you to your fate. With Security Master Zorobo.”
A tall shrike climbs to her feet and bows. “I think we have all made our allegiances quite clear, Master Guard. Nores was an outlier. I always said he was too fearful and had too many strings which could be pulled. Enough with speeches. Let us be gone from here before the security forces arrive.”
Horotic smiles and nods in agreement. “Let it be so. Olerg, let us be on our way.”
Olerg turns to face his console and his wingtips once again become a blur above the surface. Symbols glow on the console; and a portal bursts forth from the ground —enveloping the entire ship.
“Crexa, scramble all communications signals so that it will take them a while to figure out where we’ve gone.”
The tall female shrike obeys the command without hesitation. “Will do, Master Guard. Protocols are now in place. By the time they’ve figured it out; we’ll be light-years—and several jumps—away.”
“Here we go,” Horotic whispers to himself. “I am sorry you could not be here to witness this, Kotoro. But at least, Sotet has been spared from Zorobo’s blade. There is still hope. However small. The Shretonia we knew will continue.”
The oblong ship is drawn into the portal and disappears from view. Out into the expanse of space.