Endosymbiosis

17. Heredity

Fourth circle of the Empire
Avoria

The beast's fury mingled with my pain to the point that, inside us, there was nothing but chaos to wreak havoc. I might have not been in control, but I couldn't say it wasn't my fault when the fevino's teeth flew toward Donecea. At least, when I heard the sound of the gunshot behind those layers of beast and power, I remembered that I couldn't stay hiding, or else what happened before would keep happening, and I finally exploded beyond the beast, stealing back the control. I had been too weak for too long... And I was tired of it.

How much could I blame Donecea for that disaster?

No more than myself.

When a call from Korrok flashed on the Hasta panel I answered it only to send him to hell. But he said before:

"I need a favor."

"No." And, before I could hang up:

"Wait! Don't tell me you are angry after what you did for us... You should be proud!" From the joy in his tone, I guessed that the rebels had managed to take the Blood District. At least for now.

"I will no longer help the rebellion."

"How many times have you said that? And there's always been a next time..." I opened my mouth to retort, but he cut me off: "Maybe it's because you know we're right. And, deep down, you want the same thing as us...

"No. It's because you pay well."

Korrok let out a ragged laugh.

"And this time it won't be different."

The bastard always knew what to say.

I thought about what I'd told Donecea a few noxdiems ago, in the rage at having been tricked into committing an act of war far greater than I'd been expecting. I had promised to get involved in her plans to destroy that war, but I didn't know how much I was really willing to fight for a cause I barely knew, while the revolution was so much clearer... Not to mention that they paid right away. All I knew was that, between being Donecea's and Korrok's puppet, I earned more by helping the vorrampe.

"What do you want?" I muttered.

"I'll send the coordinates."

• • • ֍ • • •

"We'll have to land." I told Donecea and didn't stay for conversation. Still, she followed me.

"Do we need to refuel?"

"No. I have work to do..." I mumbled in my chair and altered the Hasta's route away from the galaxy's core, which Donecea must have taken like a stab.

"For the rebels?" She crossed her arms. "Helping them won't solve anything. Only what's in the galaxy's core will."

But what was there? And if I asked, would she answer? I turned to Donecea and stared into her eyes of frustration and honey. I had to know, or else I couldn't get any closer. Not from the core, not from her.

"What's there?"

She faced the ship's route, so far from her destination, and let out a cornered sigh. The route would never go back where she wanted to if she didn't at least give me some answers, especially now that I had to choose between ending that war and helping the rebellion to continue it.

After an eternity of silence, she finally whispered:

"The Queen is there... Infecting the Empire..." Queen? Infecting? Why did her answers only bring me even more questions? "And I need to resolve this..."