Evo peers down at me.
“So my mother was right to fight for you. And she had no idea you would return the favor one day. But we have to stay focused. The last thing I want is to bring more Solcrue attention onto us.”
Brodin meets us by the door, Steele right behind him. “It may be time we leave the colony and find Xiphos.”
“Why wait until now?” Evo asks. “My Brothers, all the humans...so many have died.”
Brodin licks a lip, bites it, and bobs his head, like he knew someday someone would ask. “Because it is the best weapon we have. If we don’t reduce Solcrue numbers as much as possible before we initiate it, then we are done for. That is it. Xiphos is the backup, the last resort. If it fails, we fail.
“We got annihilated in the war and have been so scattered across the galaxy in small groups of survivors that coordinating this has been a struggle. Titans are much smaller than Xiphos and easier to conceal. You were how we kept numbers up. Trust me, if I could’ve opted for the Titan program, I would’ve volunteered. But I was assigned to guard Aera’s father, Isa to Aera’s mother.”
The ship shudders.
“Docking withAegiscomplete,” Poppy reports. “Please wait for a Titan to escort you inside as Mother is very picky about who she permits to walk her hallways.”
Evo puts his gloves on and hands each of us another bottle of water and a bar of dried fruits and grains. “From Ellipsis. Cara, the half-breed, makes decent food. Her grandfather helped terraform that world for Solcrue. Please fuel up.” Evo gives me an extra item. “Especially you.”
He packs his bag, slings it across his chest, adjusts his rifle, and leads the way into the hallway. “Stay with me. I will escort all of you to the meeting.”
Chapter 10: Evo
Beautiful Aera is the last original descendant of the Creators’ resistance, which means she must find a human male to bond with if we do not find Xiphos. It is all I can think about as I guide them through the hangar toward the hatch in the side of the ship that has latched toAegis.
Every touch from her suddenly seems more precious, and I value it far more than I should. It’s not just because of what she is. I’m getting attached and starting to feel more responsible for her than my simple protection programming requires of me.
The hatch is still large enough for us to walk through, but Titans have to duck. It is an older design, archaic by even Relic standards. But the ships are joined, and we have safe passage.
Evo>>Mother: Request access for four humans under my guardianship.
Mother>>Evo: Granted.
“Mother will scan you as you enter. She will consider you familiar after this, but you cannot bring others who are not approved, or they will be zapped hard enough that it will stop their hearts.”
Daken laughs nervously. “Is that all?”
Aera elbows him.
He grunts. “Bitch.”
I glare back at him. “You should not talk like that toward females. Definitely not Aera.”
“It’s just an expression. But you’re right,” Daken mutters. “Sorry, Aera.”
“Whatever.” She chuckles. “I don’t give a shit. We’re here. You call me whatever you want. If we live, I’ll be happy. Otherniceties are just bonuses. If swearing helps you chill out and focus, then you do it. But Iamsorry if I hurt you.”
Daken straightens and stretches with a wheeze. “I’mfine. Your little pointy elbow is no match for my abs.”
She snorts a laugh. “Sure.”
Aera and Daken stay right behind me while Steele and Brodin take up the rear. We weave through the chrome hallways and to a large open hangar where Relics, Rogues, and humans work together repairing a variety of ship parts from our stolen armada and the Rebels’ scrapped-together fleet. A section of the warm ship is filling up with medical beds and Aera’s people.
Savage coordinates with Rogue Socket over the local area net to get critical repairs done onCenturionwith available Titans. I see the conversation in my vision but ignore it to listen to Aera and Daken who muse at the shiny interior of the Rogue’s ship and how crazy it is that humans could conceptualize such a thing, and how the creation of Titans led to Titans becoming Creators…in a way. Their surprise and awe at thelifemy Brothers’ have built for themselves lingers in my mind.
Savage, Poppy, and several others are already inside the meeting room around a holographic table that’s lit up in a blue column of schematics and lists. Jackknife, still in his gray armor with the blue jagged stripe across the chest, types on one screen, tallyingCenturionsurvivors that someone is relaying to him, likely Rebel and Atox. The numbers float in the holographic projection in one corner.
Flashbomb, his armor white with gold veins like his husk, works at the other end of the table, sorting the floating grid of supplies. “Commanders, we only have enough supplies for a few more days at best. Oxygen and water are adequate due to sourcing from the nebula. But food...medicine...”Ashshakes his head. “We do not have proper protection equipment ratios.There are not nearly enough weapons or spare shield generator parts.”
Chasm circles the table like an obsidian version of Fracture. “Options for gathering more supplies?”
