[LEGACY VERSION] The Enemy of Time (Book 2 - The Kaireyeh Chronicles)

Chapter 40 - Milla

Milla knocked on the hatch to the Countess' cabin. She was going to go in and get answers. The Countess had told her nothing; not where they were going, not how she was supposed to act around General Krayle's mixed Ground Force and Armada crew--who were definitely not Resistance. She didn't even know if the Miravec were in pursuit. She was going to demand a shuttle to get back to her mother.

Well, maybe ask.

No, she would demand. She'd worn the slap-shackles. She'd stepped into Liena Kynaston's skin to get them into the prison. She'd come on this mission with the Countess in the first place--she didn't belong here now. She needed to get back to her mother then go find Campa and their own ship.

The hatch slid open and the Countess filled the hatchway. "What?"

Milla nerved herself and pushed inside. The quarters were cramped--all of their cabins were cramped. The Countess, General Krayle, Wycliffe, and Jonadi had all been given cabins of their own, but Milla and everyone else had been bunking up--she with two of the Countess' guards.

"I'm busy, Radego, what do you want?"

Milla turned. "I want to know where we're going, for one."

"To my ships. Yes, I'll put you back with your mother, you can take all your people and go chase Kalec to the Eddies."

Milla started. "The Eddies?"

"It was where his fleets were last, chasing Zivali. I can't reach him now."

Milla blinked as her thoughts rearranged. "He didn't go in, did he?" The Countess had said Campa and the Resistance ship had turned up with Kalec. Campa was likely still with them. "He could be running silent."

"His ships could be destroyed--by Zivali, by these enemies of Damon's, by the Eddies themselves for all I know."

The Countess looked as if she wanted to pace but the room was too small. Milla felt the compression of bulkheads around her, too, of too-clean air on an unfamiliar ship. She took a calming breath.

The Countess glared at the bulkhead as if she could make it give her answers.

"Any word about Campa, and Damon?" If there had been, surely the Countess would have said that first. But Milla had to ask.

The Countess spread her hands. "I don't know. Zivali can't be reached, either. Every part of my network says the remaining Armada forces that aren't directly under Zivali or Kosef are starting to disenfranchise, to look for more convenient leadership to attach to. There's no one in the government to stabilize it right now--a few of the Cirens are trying, but with fingers pointing everywhere, they're not getting far. Some of the admirals and generals are trying as well, with about as much success. Less, if you count their splintering into militarized factions. Trade is in chaos--prices have soared and pirates are striking in the open without the threat of the Armada or Kalec's brigand fleet to stop them."

She focused on Milla. "We're not done yet. We're not even done with this mission--getting Regian was the first step. But this has gone messy from the start, and with the power-players out of contact, there's chaos. There's even--" she laughed "--a pro-Empire segment of the population asking for Landon to come back. A small group. Not enough for us to act on, and what they're yelling for is five steps backwards for society as a whole. But no one's stopping them because everyone's too busy blaming each other and grabbing power for themselves."

Milla spread her hands. She'd come to ask for a shuttle, but if the Countess was rejoining her ships, her mother would be there. "What do you want me to do? You asked me along on this mission, what can I do to help you now?"