The War Revealed - 3rd Novel in the Shadow Series

Chapter 8 .

Minmin

I wondered if Bars had seen the transmission. I wondered if he had seen me. What was his schedule for the day? It was morning Gathering time, but on the Starwatcher homeworld it was mid afternoon. I used my okulus to click on his official fan page.

"Do you really have to do that now?" Shel asked. "We're on our way to find the Corruption."

"It's not like I can do much while in the elevator anyway," I said. El and Lieutenant Tanpo exchanged a glance, but didn't say anything. It only occured to me then that I was the only one in that elevator who wasn't a Bundu-Jo.

Bars schedule said he was free at the moment. He had a filming schedule in a couple of hours, but it was possible he had just seen me. My heart began to beat too rapidly at the thought.

Shel put a hand on my shoulder as if he knew. Right. We needed to find those with the Corruption. I put the schedule away. I knew it was a little silly to be so enamoured by Bars, but it helped keep my thoughts away from my parents. It gave me some happiness in my time of loneliness and despair. My mom was dead. My dad had the Corruption.

Actually, after what I had just seen Vai do, it was okay to have a little hope now wasn't it? It was possible that my dad wouldn't have to die. It was possible to be able to heal him from the Corruption. Since the Armstar had disappeared, I hadn't dared thought of being reunited with my family as I knew they would have the Corruption. But now - now I could hope. That thought brought be some peace and terrified me all at once.

The elevator doors opened and we stepped into the corridor. People stopped to stare at us. That never happened before. They must have seen the broadcast. One of them pointed towards the docking bay. Then more pointed that way.

El immediately called the captain and Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa. "I think they might be in the docking bay," she said.

"They can't pass through the Aether field without the Corruption dying," Vai's father said. "They won't leave."

"They might," the captain said. "The miasmids know their hosts can be free from their effects now with Vai around. I think they'd rather kill some of themselves off and get their hosts away to have more miasmids put in them later than risk not having influence over them at all. I'll call you back. The captain of the Remembrance is calling me." The call with the captain and Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa ended.

"Mom," Shel said, "if we wait too long, those with the Corruption will get away."

"They need a pilot to use a shuttle. Even if the first officer knows how to pilot a shuttle - which he does - the shuttles will only start with the pilot's handprint for security reasons," El said. "And if they have managed to get a willing pilot, where are they planning on going? We are not currently near any civilization. Not near enough for a shuttle to make it. And the captain can fire on them and destroy them."

"She won't though," Lieutenant Tanpo said. "She won't waste resources - not the shuttle nor a captive pilot. Nor her first officer and whoever else has the Corruption. Not now that we know Vai can heal them."

El's lips pinched tight at the last part. "He can't save everyone. It's impossible. We can't ask him to."

"What about my dad?" I blurted out before I could think about it.

El's face softened slightly. She placed her motherly hand on the top of my head. "We'll do everything we can to save your dad." She looked at Shel and paused for a long time before she said quietly, "And your dad."