The War Revealed - 3rd Novel in the Shadow Series

Chapter 20 .

Vai

The Awakened One went away from us, sat down among the shuttles and closed his eyes.

"I don't know why he thinks his people will help now," Esther muttered. "They are cowards."

Owen nudged her gently.

"What?" she said a little louder. "I didn't say anything that wasn't true."

My okulus beeped with an incoming call from Captain Axa. I answered. Her image was projected through my volo. She was still on the bridge.

"Status," she said.

"We are back inside the ship. My dad is safe."

She nodded. "The other half of the G.E.F was also attacked," she said.

Shel straightened slightly at this.

"What is their status?" my father asked.

"Their flagship, the RedNova was taken."

Shel couldn't hide it then. His expression changed from its normal stoicism. His breath, though quiet, began to come in rapid succession.

"El is the only known survivor," the captain quickly supplied. Shel let out an audible sigh of relief. "I don't yet have a full report of what exactly happened," Captain Axa went on. "El was in space after the RedNova was attacked and it jumped away with the other 3 missing G.E. ships. She is now on the SingingStar. The miasmids won't leave anyone alive on the RedNova, not now that they all have the light. The miasmids can't take over them so they will kill any remaining survivors. The first officer of the SingingStar did say that the missing G.E. ships had retrofitted war weapons. They took down the RedNova's Aether field and then a large cloud of miasmids entered the ship as well as crew from the Armstar."

Shel stiffened at the captain's last words. His father. But the captain of the Armstar wouldn't leave his ship just to board another ship. Then again, the miasmids were in control now, why would they follow standard Gathering protocol?

"Captain," someone on the bridge called for her, "the Gathering council wishes to speak with you."

"Let me know if you have any further updates," Captain Axa said to us and then she ended the call.

"I should call my mom," Shel said, but as soon as he finished saying that, his okulus beeped with an incoming call. He answered immediately. El's image was projected through Shel's volo. Her expression was the same as usual, but there was something lacking in her eyes as if she had been hollowed out. She didn't seem injured except for the fingerprint bruises forming on her neck. Shel took one look at her and then stepped away from all of us retreating to a vacant corner of the shuttle bay. I wanted to hear her recounting of what happened, but couldn't blame Shel for wanting a quiet moment alone with his mom. Especially after seeing the strange emptiness she exuded. Minmin shifted on her little feet as if she wanted to go after him, but she didn't leave her spot next to us.

"Excuse me, Vai," I turned to see five security officer. In between them were the 3 Brists that had tried to take my father. "Can you heal them from the miasmids effects?" the security officer asked.

"And open their light while you're at it," Esther said.

I stepped up to the first Brist and crouched so I was eye level with him. He tried to squirm out of the security officer's hold, but wasn't successful. He rapidly said a string of words in his language that I didn't understand. I looked up to Warpaint.