“Never forget your values or principles—when the galaxy gets confusing and scary, and it will, you’ll have something to tether you to a path forward.”

—High Priest of the Orthodox Wing of Byzon Bernand Yratkia

Zaina had no desire for sleep—and even if she did there was too much to do. Now that she was alone she had to contact Xyrthe. Zaina was interested to see how things were going on the other side. Sivanya believed Deonago’s attack was coming within a few days—if it was, Xyrthe had to have heard something.

Perhaps talking to her mentor would help quell Zaina’s restless mind—she didn’t know what to make of her meeting with Sivanya. Xyrthe had a way of cutting through the smoke and mirrors and getting to the point, which was exactly what Zaina needed at the moment.

She reached for her pocket and felt the vis-screen within; her wrist seemed empty without it. The sound of snoring from a few tents over broke her concentration—maybe this wasn’t the best place to talk.

Zaina stood and poked her head out of her tent. No one was in sight; she slipped out and walked further into the forest. Her life and the mission depended on no one hearing this conversation.

The woods darkened as the sun fell out of view behind some distant mountains, leaving behind streaks of purple and jets of orange. It was beautiful, but Zaina was too ridden with anxiety to appreciate it.

When she was confident no one had followed and no one could hear, she opened her vis-screen and opened a line with Xyrthe. To her surprise, her mentor accepted immediately—a holo-projection popped up from the vis-screen.

“Hey there, kid. I was starting to worry. How’s everything?”

“Everything’s all right,” Zaina said. “I’m in. What about on your end?”

“Well,” Xyrthe said, “the mercenaries like me, but Dirzo and his guys are suspicious. They know Rymar brought me here, so they think I’m up to something. I need a little longer to earn their trust.”

“Do we have that much longer? Sivanya thinks the attack is coming in the next few days.”

“I haven’t heard anything to that effect,” Xyrthe said. “Dirzo and his personal army run a pretty tight ship. The mercs are told when to be on standby and get called up when they’re needed, so they don’t know anything ‘til last-minute. I don’t think I’m gonna get any valuable information until I get into Dirzo’s inner circle.”

“Well, shit,” Zaina said, “that’s not good.”

“Stay steady and you’ll be all right. Do you think she suspects anything as far as you’re concerned?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Zaina replied. “She seems really nice—friendly, even. It’s hard to read her intentions.”

“What about the temple? How far along are they?”

Zaina grimaced. “Not that far. Part of the temple is uncovered, but it’s still sealed. Sivanya told me what she believes is inside—a sanctuary.”

“A sanctuary?”

“Yes. Apparently it’s a place only the marked can enter.”

“Huh,” Xyrthe said. “Explains why they buried it, if it’s true. Do keep in mind Sivanya might not be telling you the whole truth—and even if she is, what she believes to be true might not be.”

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“Perhaps relay her theory to the Order, see if it jogs anyone’s memory?” Zaina said. “If the temple really is completely safe, like Sivanya thinks—shouldn’t we let them dig it up?”

Xyrthe paused as if weighing the question. “Problem is, we have no way of knowing if it’s true or not—and if she’s wrong…”

“I know,” Zaina said. “It’s a huge risk. That’s why all I’m asking is that you pass the info along, see if any of them know anything.”

“Environmental samples from within the temple could also help,” Xyrthe said. “Do you think you can get Gizmo access to the site? He could scout out any dangers.”

It was an interesting idea, but too risky. The mine seemed to be running all hours of the day, meaning she’d have to sneak Gizmo to the front lines without anyone noticing; the little guy wasn’t exactly sneaky. Plus, there was nowhere for him to enter.

“Right now there’s no way into the temple. Depending on what kind of timeframe we’re working with, I could potentially figure something out.”

“That may be our best chance,” Xyrthe said. “If you can get a sample from inside the site the scholars can determine whether there’s any latent danger. I’ll try to buy you some time.”

Zaina was a little worried of Xyrthe coming up with plans on her own. “How are you figuring to do that?”

“Eh, loosen a bolt here or there, cut a tread there—I’ll figure it out.”

“Don’t get into trouble, now,” Zaina said.

“I’d suggest the same for you,” Xyrthe replied. “You know, it’s not too late to back out of this one.”

“I’m not leaving these people to die.”

“All right, worth a shot. I’m going to go. Try to contact me tomorrow. If you can’t talk, send me a message to let me know what’s going on.”

“Will do. You take care.”

“Thanks. Try not to fuck up.”

The transmission ended. Zaina shook her head as she stuffed the vis-screen back into her pocket. She’s never been one for sentiment, but damn.

Zaina trudged back to the encampment as darkness started to fall. Talking to Xyrthe hadn’t helped at all—come to think of it, she wasn’t sure why she thought it would do her any good in the first place. This entire situation was a muddled mess with too many lives at stake—it felt like too much. And Xyrthe always had the easiest, most self-preserving answer.

The dark forest was difficult to navigate, but before long the sounds of mining came into earshot, and soon after she came to the tents.

She sighed. Which one was mine again?

“Go for a walk?” Sivanya’s voice said, making Zaina jump.

“Ah!” She turned to see the enclave’s leader holding a lit torch. “Oh, it’s you. Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you. Yeah, I needed to clear my head a little bit.”

Sivanya grinned. “I left some supplies in your tent—a bedroll, spare clothes, some food, water, things like that. Are you having trouble finding it?”

“Yeah,” Zaina admitted. “It got dark a lot faster than I imagined.”

“So, tell me,” Sivanya said, “what’s on your mind?”

Great. Now I have to lie about this too.

“I was wondering what I should do,” Zaina said. “My dad taught me how to shoot, and I’ve been in a firefight or two—I know I could help there. But I could also be of help here—it’s a hard decision.”

A smirk came over Sivanya’s face. “You sure that’s all?”

What is she hinting at? Does she know?

Trying to maintain a calm demeanor while panicking, Zaina replied, “I’d be lying if I told you I hadn’t thought of running back to my ship.”

Sivanya chuckled. “Yes, I’m sure that peaceful little village is looking better and better compared to all this.”

“In some ways,” Zaina said.

“Well, no matter which way you look at it, you chose a hell of a time to show up. Right at the end—when everything is reaching its breaking point.”

It was Zaina’s turn to chuckle—she always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time these days. “I suppose I’ve developed a knack for bad timing.”

“Or perhaps it’s supremely good timing. Think about it—we’re so close to breaking through, to salvation. I admit staying with us will introduce you to a whole host of short-term risks, but when we make it, we’ll be free at last. You can be free at last.”

“I admit I hadn’t thought about it that way,” Zaina replied. “You really think the temple will save us?”

“Without a doubt in my mind. I’ve never believed anything so strongly. That being said, if this is all a bit too much for you, I understand.”

Zaina did her best to muster a smile. “Well, I came all this way—I may as well see it through, right?”

“That’s the spirit,” Sivanya said, clapping Zaina on the back. “Now—I’ll leave you to it.”

Zaina breathed a sigh of relief once Sivanya was gone. If the enclave’s leader suspected the infiltration, she was doing a great job of not letting on. It was impossible to get a read on her intentions, unless she was being genuine—which was certainly possible. She didn’t seem like she was lying.

But then again, no one ever does when they’re doing it well, do they?

Zaina’s thoughts were a swirling mess of half-truths and falsehoods. In the end she decided to sleep on it—with a little patience, everything would become clear.