He nodded and moved at a good rate of speed. He needed to get in there and convince Jace to lock the general out until they had spoken thoroughly. Jace’s quarters were at the end of the hallway. The doors whispered open before he had even gotten there. He stepped inside and they closed behind him.
The quarters were dimly lit at the moment. Like his mother’s quarters, there was a formal foyer that led up a few steps to a circular meeting room. There was a table there instead of a simple desk with many chairs around it. There were doors opening up in all directions, but the lights showed that he was to continue going straight. He did so.
There was another set of stairs that led into a sleeping quarters. A huge bed that was covered with massives of fluffy blankets and pillows and… Jace. Sprawled out on top of it, half undressed, and completely asleep.
The ceiling and walls all around him projected scenes of alien worlds like the ones in the hallway. Khoth guessed that Jace had decided to lay down to watch them and his exhausted body had sent him asleep. Khoth felt that now familiar desire to protect this young man. He wanted to undress him fully and tuck him under the covers. To allow Jace to sleep and dream of worlds that he could now visit. But there was no time for that.
He had to wake him.
He took one step and, suddenly, the images ceased and a single blinking cursor appeared.
The Osiris…
Just as suddenly beside the cursor, it plays a clip of his conversation with his mother, another with his father, and far more. Communications his mother has had with the Council. Communications that other council members have had with each other.
Orders.
Plans.
Dangers.
Fears.
Worries.
Betrayal.
Treachery.
And it ended with his mother’s order that the Alliance would take the Osiris by force. The exact time it would happen. The exact plan to accomplish it. The Alliance was to use deadly force against humanity, if necessary.
“You know already,” Khoth breathed.
Jace slept on.
Yes, the Osiris answered.
“Then you understand that I must wake Jace to make a plan to stop this–”
No, the Osiris answered.
“But–”
It showed him every ship in the fleet having its life support systems turned off. He saw gasping for air, clawing at their throats, before going still and freezing, only to be ejected out of the ship. The Osiris showed him humans taking the Alliance’s place. And this just didn’t happen here. It showed him everywhere there were Altaeth ships that this would happen.
The Alliance will not interfere with the Pilot, the Osiris said.
“There is no need for this! Jace will not let you kill–”
This is the power of the Pilot. There is more. Much more. The Alliance is no threat, the Osiris stated.
“I see. You mean to show me that my mother’s plan cannot work. That Jace has control not just of you, but the entirety of the Alliance forces?” Khoth guessed.
Yes.
Khoth felt his shoulders relax. The betrayal was already taken care of before it had begun. Jace was safe.
“Does Jace know all of this?” Khoth asked.
