Liet quickly glanced back at Xosis and shrugged at the news as Kobin showed his gratitude to the council.

There was silence then as all waited for what the High Council would say about Alkon. Alkon stood silently, showing as little emotion as possible. To retain any respect among the Alliance from this point on, he would have to remain completely still, no matter what was said.

'General Alkon Zaccarah of the nation Ordear,' said Icek. 'We have heard of your actions and have labelled you a criminal. However, due to your previous record, we have decided to be lenient. It is for this reason that you will not be executed, but you will hereby be stripped of your rank and outcast, just as your father before you. It now appears your family is incapable of maintaining discipline as they yearn for a simpler life. Effective immediately, you will be shunned by the Alliance, and you will be escorted out of the city of Raiulun as a commoner, where you will be forced to fend for yourself. Your punishment is that you will need to make your own way back to Ordear without our aid. Guards, remove Mister Zaccarah from our sight.'

Alkon looked at the other two members of the High Council, who both bowed their heads. 'That is a death sentence! I will be killed before I can pass Corsec!'

'The Council has spoken,' said Rihk. 'General Revarn, take guards with you and escort Alkon to the edge of the city.'

'Yes, sire,' said Liet 'You can't do this!' shouted Alkon, seeing now that there was no use in attempting to maintain respect, as two large guards grabbed him and dragged him to the elevator. 'I am General Zaccarah! Get your hands off me!'

Alkon struggled all the way out of the building as Liet signalled for three other guards to join them.

'Unhand me!' Alkon continued to command, but his authority was no more. The guards listened only to Liet. 'Friend,' Alkon pleaded, 'I will do as I have been instructed, but I do not wish to be handled in this manner by the common guard. Please, allow me my dignity.'

The company of seven including Alkon and Liet all paused. Liet seemed to be considering Alkon's request.

After a moment, he said, 'I am needed elsewhere. March him for six hours west. Then kill him.'

Alkon's eyes flared. 'What?'

The guards ripped Alkon away.

'No!' he cried out. 'Friend, you can't do this! Lieutenant!'

Liet gave no reply as he walked back toward the building where Xosis was waiting for him, and Alkon's calls were soon too far away to be heard any further.

'Outcast, just like his father,' said Xosis. 'I never would have thought.'

'It is a shame,' agreed Liet. 'I gave orders to have him made comfortable enough to last him at least the beginning of his journey.'

'You are a good man,' said Xosis. 'And now you are a general.'

'I am,' said Liet with a faint smile. 'But it seems Kobin's test will come sooner than I expected. Waikor will be his, and then he will travel to find the Daijuar.'

'Yes,' said Xosis. 'He may not be at Corsec with us.'

'His execution can wait,' said Liet, 'but now you see his capabilities. He spoke as if he was completely innocent, but all of Alkon's failures can be traced back to him. He allowed us to kill his people in cold blood, and then he used his leverage to see that I became a general, and now he has absolute favour of the High Council. He will achieve victory at Waikor.'

'And if he finds the Daijuar?'

'Then we may be facing more than simply the Resistance on the battlefield.'

'So he will turn against us,' said Xosis.

'I do not doubt it. He gains power through helping those who have potential to obtain higher positions, and their success then reflects onto him. This gives him freedom. I am now supposedly in debt to him, and I am a general.'

'Impressive.'

'Quite. It is how he was able to give us the alliances we needed to enter this land. But even though I am in debt to him, it will not concern him, and he will dispose of me as easily as he did of Alkon. Alkon was a man who possessed a rare brilliance, but he was made to seem as a completely helpless child. This is why we must fear this man.'

'I understand, but what can we do?'

'For now, nothing. We need to turn our attention on how we will attack Corsec. We must achieve victory there if we are to ever stand against Kobin.'

'An impossible task if there ever were one,' said Xosis.

'Or perhaps not.'

'What have you in mind?'

'We could not defeat the Resistance even with double the men we have. Why not then go straight for the source of our goal?'

'The northern cliff defence systems?' asked Xosis.

Liet nodded.

'It is impossible; they are protected by the mountains.'

'It has been impossible to get to the mountains,' agreed Liet, 'until now.'

'What do you mean?'

'Kobin has showed us a way of weaving through them. There was little in the way. When Alkon allowed me to call for reinforcements, I requested a mining team to be sent with them. That team is now tunnelling their way through the last mountain.'

'That would take years to complete,' said Xosis. 'And they would easily be captured.'

'No. The mining unit is safe and have almost completed the task. We have made outstanding breakthroughs with upgraded mining equipment. General Vondus has been informed. He will make an attack on the Diadon fleets protecting the Quartun Bridge, and then we will make a full strike.'

Xosis was thoughtful for some time. 'It could work.'

'If we capture the northern cliff defence systems, we will be able to attack the Diadon fleets from above. They will retreat, and then Corsec will be ours.'

'Then we must make sure Kobin does not lose our forces attacking Waikor.'

'He will not fail,' said Liet.

'How can you be sure?' asked Xosis. 'Their EMP strikes could cause us to lose another ten thousand men.'

'That will not happen. We are aware of the range and have a map of where the mines are located. We know exactly where to use our own EMP weaponry.'

'Our own EMP weaponry?' repeated Xosis. 'Alkon did not use it?'

'Alkon did not know of it,' said Liet.

Xosis looked suspiciously at Liet.

Liet laughed at the expression. 'If you were to see the extent of Kobin's web, you would understand why my fear of him is justified. I do not know how long he has been in communication with Ethan, but we have the means of taking Waikor. Kobin will simply put them to use. I believe we will move onto Waikor by the end of the week. We should make further plans for Corsec.'

With a shake of his head, Xosis followed Liet back to their living quarters, where they spent the rest of the evening discussing how they could best deal with the resistance at Corsec, and how Kobin Guyde would be stopped before he became too powerful.

Chapter Twenty-Five.

When one path ends, find another.

March 7, 997 R.E.

There were lights ahead. Jaden slowed his run in the darkness, trying to see the source of the lights. After two weeks of travel, he had left Raquel far behind. Part of him wanted to remain with her, to learn more about her and her ways, but he couldn't wait any longer to return to Alyssa. He had spent most of the time running without rest, stopping only to rejuvenate within the crystal's realm and practise what Raquel had taught him. He could feel the power available to him growing, allowing him to run for longer periods without his breath quickening or his muscles seizing up.

The essence was becoming a part of him. He knew he was now reliant upon it. It didn't matter to him, though. He welcomed it. It helped him travel faster and would one day allow him to protect Alyssa. Without avalanches or training sessions from Raquel, he had trouble finding ways of testing his abilities, but he knew Alyssa would be safe with him now. Even if he were not able to defeat his opponents, he would surely be able to counter them enough so that he and anyone near could flee to safety. This was why he showed no fear as he walked along the mountainside toward the lights as two heavily armed soldiers approached him.

Jaden glanced up at the rings in the clear night sky as spotlights were directed down at him, and then he proceeded toward the two soldiers.

'Who approaches?'

A third man became apparent, pushing through the two soldiers. Jaden said nothing as the man walked up to him, his silhouette revealing little more than a slim frame and short hair. His voice had been harsh and raspy, as if he had been continually choking on dust for most of his life.

There were no trees here, Jaden now saw, and there were large machines stationed in every direction. They reminded him briefly of what the Alliance had used, and for a moment he became sceptical, thinking that he had just stumbled upon an Alliance unit, but dismissed the possibility of being overtaken by them so quickly. Whoever was in charge must have been from the Resistance.

'Speak. Who are you?' said the man.

When Jaden failed to reply a second time, the man clumsily fumbled for something on his belt.

'Where is a torch?' he asked the soldiers. 'Give me yours!'

Before the man was able to turn the torch on, white light engulfed them, Jaden raising one of his hands to aid the man's eyes. Jaden could now see them all clearly. Helmets hid the faces of the two soldiers, their visors too dark to see through. Jaden wondered at how they were able to see, but they had managed to navigate the area and even see him perfectly through them.

The man between them was just past his midyears, with wrinkles under his eyes and a sharp straight-bridged nose. He was regarding Jaden with curiosity as well as surprise, and then his nose began to crease upward and his eyes moved up and down quickly.

'A sentinel,' said the man. 'I should have known. What do you want?'

Jaden now studied the man in return, wondering at the resentful tone he used.

'I bring news from Callibra. Is this Corsec?' asked Jaden.

'No, this is not Corsec,' snapped the man, as if the question had been childish and stupid. 'Corsec is an hour's flight from here. Don't they teach you anything before giving you those ...' the man paused and looked briefly at the endobraces, and then he withdrew slightly in fear, 'things?'

Confused, Jaden ignored the man's question. 'Where am I?'

'Alenda, United Resistance Mining Zone.'

'And you are?'

'Lieutenant Ian Lawson. Any news you bring can be given to me.'

'I would prefer to speak with the one in charge.'

Ian almost seemed ready to lash out and scold Jaden, but thought better of it after taking a second look at the lit-up endobrace.

'The commanders are in Corsec. I am in charge for now. What news do you bring?'

Jaden repeated the message he had given at Waikor, but instead of understanding nods, he now received furrowed brows and a sneering lip.

'This is not news!' said Ian. 'We have known this for weeks. We have no need of you, Sentinel, you may go back to wherever you came from.'

Ian quickly turned and walked away, the two soldiers following shortly after, leaving Jaden on his own.

But Corsec was still miles away. It would take him at least another week to get there. He would be away from Alyssa for that time and more if he were unable to get transport back to Waikor.

Quickly, Jaden raced after the three men, catching up to them as Ian entered a small building and the two soldiers stood on either side of the door. Jaden looked to each of them, unable to see anymore than their jaws as they both nodded and allowed him access to the small building.

Jaden let the endobrace to go dim as the first room of the building had a warm light inside. On either side of the door were chest-high plants, followed by two brown-cushioned couches and then a high desk at the end where Ian now sat, reading over some documents with a pen in hand. Jaden knew Ian had heard him enter, but he showed no sign of it.

Jaden approached the desk. 'How did you know the Alliance was coming?' he asked.

Ian failed to lift his eyes from his work. Jaden first thought he would be ignored, or scolded again for asking such questions, but behind his desk, the gray-haired man seemed more at ease.

'Since they attacked Ceahlin, we have had reports from all minor villages.'

'Ceahlin was attacked?'

'Destroyed.'

'And Waikor?' asked Jaden anxiously.

'Our last report was that they were attacked almost two weeks ago.'

Jaden felt his heart race, afraid to hear what would be said next.

Ian continued, 'The Alliance was sent running with their tails between their legs. We haven't heard anything since.'

Jaden relaxed. Waikor was safe. Alyssa should be safe, so long as she was taken there. He could still return to her.

'I need transport to Corsec,' he said.

Ian lifted his head from his work and looked at Jaden with wide eyes. 'Then you'd best be looking elsewhere, Sentinel, you won't find it here.'

'I have to get to Corsec. Please, you have to help me.'

'Have to? I am obliged to do nothing, Sentinel. You have already overstayed your welcome here. If that is all, you would do well to leave at once.'